Current Affairs October 2016 - Awards

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News 1 - Indian-origin teen Kiara Nirghin wins Google Science Fair prize 2016

Indian-origin South African teen, Kiara Nirghin has won the annual Google Science Fair in the US. She received a $50,000 scholarship. She won the award for developing a cheaper “super-absorbent material” using orange peel that helps soil retain water. She had submitted her project titled ‘No More Thirsty Crops’ that aimed at alleviating the severe drought plaguing South Africa.

The Google Science Fair is a programme for any budding scientists between the ages of 13 to 18, who are invited to solve world’s biggest challenges using science and technology.

News 2 - The Nobel Prize in Physics shared by three people

The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences decided to award the Nobel Prize in Physics 2016 with one half to David J. Thouless, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA and the other half to F. Duncan M. Haldane, Princeton University, NJ, USA and J. Michael Kosterlitz, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA for theoretical discoveries of topological phase transitions and topological phases of matter.

Topology is a branch of mathematics that describes properties that only change stepwise. All three will jointly share the 8 million Swedish kronor prize.

News 3 - The Nobel Prize in Medicine 2016 awarded to Yoshinori Ohsumi

The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2016 was awarded to Japanese Cell Biologist Yoshinori Ohsumi "for his discoveries of mechanisms for autophagy"- how the body’s cells detoxify and repair themselves.

Autophagy is the body’s internal recycling programme - scrap cell components are captured and the useful parts are stripped out to generate energy or build new cells. Mutations in autophagy have been linked to diseases such as cancer and neurological disorders like Parkinson's disease.

News 4 - The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2016 shared by three people

The Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2016 was awarded to Jean-Pierre Sauvage, Sir J. Fraser Stoddart and Bernard L. Feringa "for their design and production of molecular machines." They have developed molecules with controllable movements, which can perform a task when energy is added.

Molecular machines will most likely be used in the development of things such as new materials, sensors and energy storage systems. This field of nanotechnology could also yield applications in the design of smart materials.

News 5 - The Nobel Peace Prize 2016 awarded to Juan Manuel Santos

The Norwegian Nobel Committee awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for 2016 to Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos for his resolute efforts to bring the country's more than 50year-long civil war to an end, a war that has cost the lives of at least 2,20,000 Colombians and displaced close to six million people.

President Santos initiated the negotiations that culminated in the peace accord between the Colombian government and the FARC guerrillas, and he has consistently sought to move the peace process forward.

News 6 - The Nobel Prize in Literature 2016 awarded to Bob Dylan

The Nobel Prize in Literature for 2016 has been awarded to Bob Dylan “for having created new poetic expressions within the great American song tradition”.

Dylan will receive 8 Million Swedish Krona ($906,000) for winning the award. Dylan has released 37 studio albums, including seminal works like "Highway 61 Revisited," "Blonde on Blonde," and "Blood on the Tracks." He has also published 12 books, including collections of lyrics, drawings, and the 2004 memoir Chronicles: Volume One.

News 7 - France conferred knighthood to wildlife film-maker Prajna Chowta

France conferred the Chevalier de l'Ordre National du Mérite (Knight in the National Order of Merit) to film-maker and elephant researcher Prajna Chowta “in recognition of a life devoted to caring for wild Asian elephants". It is one of the highest civilian recognitions of the French Government.

Ms. Chowta is the founder of Aane Mane Foundation, which for the past 16 years has been researching and conserving wild Asian elephants. Earlier this year, Kiran MazumdarShaw and actor Kamal Hassan were recognised under the French government’s Legion of Honour award.

News 8 - Prof. Nayanjot Lahiri won the 2016 John F Richards Prize

Prof. Nayanjot Lahiri has been selected as the winner of the 2016 John F. Richards Prize for her book Ashoka in Ancient India. The prize will be awarded to her at the Prestigious American Historical Association’s 131^st Annual Meeting in January, 2017.

The Richards Prize is awarded annually to honor the best book in South Asian history. Nayanjot Lahiri is an eminent historian and archaeologist of ancient India. For her work in archaeology, she was bestowed with the 2013 Infosys Prize in the humanities.

News 9 - Sangeet Natak Akademi fellowships and awards for the Year 2015 presented

The President of India Shri Pranab Mukherjee presented the “Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowships (Akademi Ratna) and Sangeet Natak Akademi Awards (Akademi Puraskars) for the Year-2015”. The honour of Akademi Fellow carries a purse money of Rs. 3,00,000/- (Rupees three lakh) and Akademi Award carries Rs. 1,00,000/- (Rupees one lakh), besides a Tamrapatra and Angavastram.

Mr. CV Chandrasekhar was conferred with the Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellow (Akademi Ratna). The General Council of the Akademi also selected forty-three (43) artists for the Sangeet Natak Akademi Awards (Akademi Puraskar) for the year 2015.

News 10 - Pawan Chamling honoured with the Sustainable Development Leadership Award

Sikkim Chief Minister Pawan Chamling was honoured with the prestigious 2016 'Sustainable Development Leadership Award' by President Pranab Mukherjee in recognition of his vision and leadership in environment and sustainable development leading to the establishment of Sikkim as the first and only organic state in the country.

The award was conferred during the World Sustainable Development Summit organized by The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI). Sikkim is only state in India to have attained the official status of fully organic state in January 2016.

News 11 - The Prize in Economic Sciences 2016

The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences has decided to award the Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel 2016 to Oliver Hart of Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA and Bengt Holmström of Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, US – “for their contributions to contract theory”.

The new theoretical tools created by Hart and Holmström are valuable to the understanding of real-life contracts and institutions, as well as potential pitfalls in contract design.

News 12 - Yazidi survivor Nadia Murad wins the Human Rights award

A Yazidi woman, Nadia Murad, who was tortured and raped by Islamic State (IS) group militants, has won the Vaclav Havel Human Rights Prize by the Council of Europe. Miss Murad became the face of a campaign to free the Yazidi people and stop human trafficking after escaping IS in November 2014.

The 23-year-old had been captured and enslaved three months earlier along with about 5,000 women and girls. The award, which honours outstanding civil society action in defence of human rights, comes with prize money of 67,000 dollars.

News 13 - Sir Ian McKellen honoured at UK Theatre Awards

Sir Ian McKellen was honored with the Outstanding Contribution to British Theatre prize at the UK Theatre Awards for championing diversity and for his commitment to theatre, including touring productions. He is best known for his roles in the 'X-Men' and 'Lord of The Rings' film franchises.

Actress Vanessa Redgrave was presented with The Gielgud Award for Excellence in The Dramatic Arts at the UK. Similarly, Paapa Essiedu won the award for best performance in a play for the RSC’s production of the Bard’s Danish tragedy.

News 14 - Ugandan Government awards Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank for his literary work

The Government of Uganda has awarded former Uttarakhand Chief Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank for promoting human values through his literature. The award was presented by the Ugandan Prime Minister Ruhakana Rugunda. He published number of poems, novels and stories.

Nishank is currently a BJP MP from Haridwar. He was Chief Minister of Uttarakhand from 2009 to 2011. Some of his literacy work translated into other languages like Tamil, Telungu, German and English.

News 15 - Kirtiraj Kundlik Gaikwad received IAFP Young Scientist Scholarship Award 2016

Indian scientist Kirtiraj Kundlik Gaikwad has been awarded the prestigious IAFP Young scientist scholarship award for his research work on "development of novel oxygen absorbing package in the field of active packaging for oxygen sensitive food products".

The award carries $2000 and a plaque. The award was presented by the IAFP Foundation, USA. The award encourages young outstanding food safety scientist from all over the world.

News 16 - R.A. Mashelkar conferred with the V Krishnamurthy Award

Hyderabad-based Centre for Organisation Development has conferred the V Krishnamurthy Award for excellence to R. A. Mashelkar, former Director-General of CSIR. Mashelkar has received over fifty awards and honorary doctorates and is a member of numerous scientific bodies and committees. He is the third Indian engineer to have been elected as fellow of Royal Society (FRS), London.

The award honours individuals who have set high standards of achievement in pursuit of excellence in their respective professions.

News 17 - Mathrubhumi Literary Award 2016 to C Radhakrishnan

Veteran writer C Radhakrishnan has been chosen for the Mathrubhumi Literary Award 2016 in recognition of his rich contribution to the field of literature. The award carries a cash prize of Rs. 2 lakhs, a citation and a statuette.

Radhakrishnan is a recipient of several honours including the including the National Literary Academy of India, Kerala Literary Academy, Vayalar Award, Mahakavi G. Award, Pandit Karuppan Award, Lalithambika Awar. He is a noted novelist, short story writer, cine director, teacher and media personnel.

News 18 - Robert De Niro to receive the Chaplin Award by the Film Society of Lincoln Center

Robert De Niro has been named as the recipient of the 44^th annual Chaplin Award to be given by the Film Society of Lincoln Center. The 44^th annual Chaplin Award gala will take place on May 8, 2017. In 2016, the award was won by Morgan Freeman.

Robert Anthony De Niro has starred in over 100 films. He won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of Jake La Motta in the 1980 film Raging Bull.

News 19 - Sonam Kapoor honoured with the ET Panache's 'Trendsetter Awards 2016'

Sonam Kapoor has been honoured with ET Panache's 'Trendsetter Awards 2016' for her impeccable style sense and unconventional career choices. Sonam's performance in Neerja, her social endeavours and positive presence on social media was lauded through this recognition. She has been nominated for four Filmfare Awards.

ET Panache's Trendsetter Awards recognizes the efforts of entrepreneurs, innovators, newsmakers and athletes, whose stories "inspire millions and whose services transform lives."

News 20 - Milan confers Honorary Citizenship on Dalai Lama

The Milan city council has conferred honorary citizenship on the Dalai Lama. Mr. Lamberto Bertole, Chairman of the Council of Milan honoured His Holiness the Dalai Lama with the Milan Honorary Citizenship award at a ceremony held at the Arcimboldi Theatre in Milan, Italy.

The Dalai Lama is also to receive honorary citizenship of the Milan suburb of Rho. The Chinese embassy in Italy strongly objected the gesture.

News 21 - International Prize in Statistics awarded to Sir David Cox

British statistician Sir David Cox has been named as the inaugural recipient of the International Prize in Statistics in recognition of Survival Analysis Model (or Cox Model) Applied in Medicine, Science, and Engineering.

This award is considered to be the highest honor in its field. It carries a monetary award of $75,000, and is given every other year by the International Prize in Statistics Foundation. Sir David Cox is is known for developing the proportional hazards model i.e. Cox Model in 1992.

News 22 - Fifty-four persons have been selected by the UP Government for the Yash Bharti Awards 2016

The Uttar Pradesh Government has named 54 eminent personalities for the coveted 'Yash Bharti' awards 2016. Yash Bharti is a coveted award of Uttar Pradesh and is given to eminent people from various walks of life. It carries a citation, a shawl and a cash award of Rs. 11 lakhs.

Bollywood actor Naseeruddin Shah, PayTM CEO Vijay Shekhar, Paralympic athlete Varun Kumar, Cricketer Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Film Director Saurabh Shukla and Atul Tiwari were some of the eminent names.

News 23 - Dr. BC Roy Award to be conferred to the doctors from AIIMS and SGRH

Dr. Randeep Guleria and Dr. CS Yadav from AIIMS and Dr. DS Rana and Dr. Arvind Kumar from Sir Ganga Ram Hospital (SGRH) have been selected for the prestigious Dr. BC Roy Award for excellence in the field of medicine.

These awards will be given by the President of India in July 2017.

The Bidhan Chandra Roy Award was instituted in 1976 in the memory of renowned physician and freedom fighter BC Roy by the Medical Council of India.

News 24 - Assam Governor presented the 4^th Bhupen Hazarika National Award to Lou Majaw

The Governor of Assam, Banwarilal Purohit has presented the 4^th Bhupen Hazarika National Award to eminent singer of North East, Lou Majaw. The award consists of a citation and a cheque worth Rs. 51 thousand. Lou Majaw is a performing artist from Shillong and he is renowned for his Bob Dylan tribute shows.

Bhupen hazarika was an Indian lyricist, musician, singer, poet and film-maker from Assam, widely known as Sudhakantha.

News 25 - Bill Murray awarded the 19^th Mark Twain Prize for American Humour

Comedian Bill Murray has been awarded with the 19^th Mark Twain Prize for American Humor for making an impact on the U.S. society similar to that of Twain's. He has starred in movies like "Groundhog Day," "Ghostbusters" and "Rushmore".

Murray was nominated for a Best Actor Academy Award for his portrayal of a jetlagged movie star in "Lost in Translation." He has won two Emmy Awards. The Mark Twain Prize for American Humor is an American award for humor awarded by the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts annually since 1998.

News 26 - AIR's entry on dwindling tiger habitats wins ABU award

All India Radio’s entry 'Diary of a Tiger' won the first prize in the 'Community Service Announcement' category of the Asia-Pacific Broadcast Union (ABU) Prizes 2016. The award includes a trophy, certificate and cash prize of 2000 US Dollars.

The programme, Diary of a Tiger, on dwindling forests and gradually decreasing habitats of tigers today, was produced by AbhinaySrivastava, Programme Executive, AIR Allahabad. It reflects through the notes inscribed by the successive generations of tigers in a diary format on their gradual decreasing numbers due to apathetic behaviour of human beings.

News 27 - The 2016 Sakharov Prize honor to Nadia Murad and LamiyaAji Bashar

Europe’s top human rights award ‘Sakharov Prize’ to be honored to two Yazidi women, Nadia Murad Basee and LamiyaAji Bashar, who survived sexual enslavement by Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) in Iraq before becoming advocates for Yazidi community in Iraq. They suffered ISIS Jihadi Terrorists Group attack of 2014 in Iraq. The ceremony will be held in Strasbourg on 14^th December.

The Sakharov Prize, officially known as the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought is annually awarded by the European Parliament.

News 28 - ‘Daughters of Mother India’ documentary bagged the 1^st prize at the CAM International Film Festival

The 6^th CAM International Film Festival held in Cairo, Egypt honored Indian National Award winning documentary film ‘Daughters of Mother India’ with 1^st prize. This Film festival is organized yearly to motivate cinema. About 92 movies were selected from 33 countries under 3 categories Short Fiction, Documentary and Animation.

India was the Guest of Honor in the film gala with 12 entries. ‘Daughters of Mother India’ portrays aftermath of the 2012 Nirbhaya gang-rape and murder on camera.