Current Affairs November 2019 - Awards

1 - Nawazuddin Siddiqui bagged Golden Dragon Award at 2019 CIFF

Indian actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui bagged the prestigious Golden Dragon Award for his works in Hindi cinema at the Cardiff International Film Festival 2019 held in Wales, United Kingdom. Nawazuddin Siddiqui was recently recognized internationally for his work in Netflix’s Sacred Games and BBC UK’s McMafia. Legendry Hollywood star-actress Dame Judith Olivia Dench was honoured with the Lifetime Achievement award. Welsh-born West End director Sean Mathias got the award for 'Welsh Contribution To International Cinema And Theatre'.

The Cardiff International Film Festival is an international event which is supported by the Welsh Assembly and Cardiff Council.

2 - Pepsico India won US award for saving more than 17 billion litres of water

The United States has named PepsiCo India for the 2019 Secretary of State's Award for Corporate Excellence (ACE) in recognition of its efforts to save more than 17 billion litres of water through community water programs and positively impacting 60,000 community members.

Other recipients of the award are Chambers Federation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Procter and Gamble Asia Pacific in Singapore and Agilis Partners in Uganda.

3 - Rajinikanth honoured with Icon of Golden Jubilee

In a first, the Government of India has constituted a special award titled ‘Icon of Golden Jubilee of IFFI’ which was conferred upon S Rajinikanth. Rajinikanth has acted in over 170 films in many languages, including Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Hindi and Bengali. He also had a starring role in the Hollywood production, Blood Stone (1988).

Rajnikanth has been previously honoured with the Padma Bhushan and the Padma Vibhushan. At the 45^th International Film Festival of India (2014), he was conferred with the "Centenary Award for Indian Film Personality of the Year".

4 - Eminent writer Anand won coveted Ezhuthachan Award

Eminent writer P. Satchidanandan alias Anand has won the 27^th Ezhuthachan Puraskaram for his contributions to the language and its literature. The prize carries a purse of Rs 5 lakh and a citation. Anand has authored over 30 books ranging from novels, short stories, dramas and essays. He is also a recipient of Vayalar Award and Yashpal Award.

Ezhuthachan Puraskaram is a top literary award instituted by the state government in the name of Ezhuthachan, the father of Malayalam language.

5 - Documentary on Real Kashmir Football Club bagged BAFTA & Scotland Awards

A documentary on Real Kashmir Football Club has bagged the prestigious British Academy of Film and Television Awards (BAFTA) and Scotland Awards in Glasgow, Scotland. Real Kashmir had a fairytale journey in their debut I-League season in 2017-18 as they finished with 36 points from 19 games.

The documentary narrates the journey of former Rangers ace David Robertson as the coach of Real Kashmir FC, which in its first season finished third in the I-League, which is currently India's second tier football league. The hour-long film won in the 'Single Documentary' category.

6 - Sudarsan Pattnaik won Italian Golden Sand Art Award

Renowned Indian sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik received the Italian Golden Sand Art Award 2019. Pattnaik created a 10-foot high sand sculpture of Mahatma Gandhi at the International Scorrano Sand Nativity event held in Lecce, Italy.

In 2017, the Odisha-based sand artist won the jury prize gold medal at the Xth World Sand Sculptures Championship in Moscow, Russia. Pattnaik was awarded the Padma Shri by the union government in 2014.

7 - Neeraj Sharma won ‘Early career researcher of the year 2019’ award

Indian-origin researcher Neeraj Sharma has been given the ‘Early Career Researcher of the Year award’ by the Australian government for developing next-generation battery systems such as a sodium-ion battery that will leave a minimal environmental impact. He is a professor at the University of South Wales (UNSW)’s School of Chemistry.

Neeraj Sharma is considered one of the global leaders in the use of neutron and X-ray scattering methods. He is exploring inherently safe solid-state batteries, energy-dense lithium-sulfur batteries, dual function solar batteries and methods for recycling.

8 - Madhuri Vijay won JCB Prize for Literature 2019

Madhuri Vijay has won the JCB Prize for Literature 2019 for her debut novel, The Far Field. With a cash prize of Rs 25 lakh, the JCB Prize for Literature is the richest literary honour in the country.

The other books shortlisted for this year’s JCB Prize for Literature were included Manoranjan Byapari’s There’s Gunpowder in the Air, Perumal Murugan’s twin novels Trial by Silence and Lonely Harvest, Roshan Ali’s Ib’s Endless Search for Satisfaction, and Hansda Sowvendra Shekhar’s My Father’s Garden.

9 - Union Home Minister's Special Operation Medal for 2019

The Union Home Minister's Special Operation Medal for 2019 was awarded to Delhi Police Special Cell's Deputy Commissioner of Police Pramod Kushwaha, Assistant Commissioner of Police Attar Singh, Inspector Shiv Kumar, ASI Rajesh Sharma and Head Constable Adesh Kumar for arresting two Jammu and Kashmir-based terrorists, Abdul Latif Ganai and Hilal Ahmad in Jan 2019.

Sixteen officials from Indo-Tibetan Border Police were also given the honour for the successful Nanda Devi Search and Rescue Mission that involved the successful retrieval of seven dead bodies near Nanda Devi in Pithoragarh after a 500 hours operation.

10 - Mother Teresa Memorial Awards 2019 for Social Justice

The Mother Teresa Memorial Awards for Social Justice (MTMA) 2019 were announced by Harmony Foundation. The theme of the awards this year was 'Combating Contemporary Forms of Slavery' and the major awardees are −

• Kailash Satyarthi: For the fight against child labour and trafficking in India and South East Asia

• Ajeet Singh: For his efforts in creating the first red-light free area from the commercial sexual exploitation of minors in India

• Free A Girl: For uniquely re-integrating former sex-workers into civil society by training them into becoming future advocates

• JEEVIKA: For freeing over 30,000 bonded labourers and earnestly committing to complete eradication of the practice in Karnataka

11 - French actor Isabelle Huppert honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Award at IFFI 2019

Legendry French actor Isabelle Anne Madeleine Huppert was conferred with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Golden Jubilee edition of International Film Festival of India (IFFI) 2019. She is the most nominated actress for the César Award, with 16 nominations and has appeared in more than 120 films since her debut in 1971. She is one of only four women who have twice won Best Actress at the Cannes Film Festival.

50^th edition of IFFI showcased fifty films of fifty women directors which reflect the contribution of women in cinema.

12 - Ekalabya award 2019 for Odia weightlifter Jhilli Dalabehera

Odia women weightlifter Jhilli Dalabehera, who has brought laurels for both the State and the country in several national and international events was honored with 27^th Ekalabya award for year 2019. Jhilli has bagged two gold, three silver and a bronze medal in different international weightlifting events held between April 1, 2017 and March 31, 2019.

Eklabya award, instituted by Indian Metals Public Charitable Trust (IMPaCT), honors young sportspersons for their best performance at national and international arena.

13 - Enterprises and Ecosystem builders conferred with National Entrepreneurship Awards 2019

Union Minister Dr. Mahendra Nath Pandey conferred the National Entrepreneurship Awards 2019 to Enterprises and Ecosystem builders. Various sectors were selected for the awards, and there were 4 special categories including Women Entrepreneur, Entrepreneur from SC/ST Category, Entrepreneur from People with Disability category, Entrepreneur from difficult areas. The award carried a Trophy, Certificate and a Cash Prize of ₹5 lakh (enterprises/ individuals) and ₹10 lakh (organizations/ institutes).

The awards aim to recognize and honour the outstanding young First-Generation Entrepreneurs, and Ecosystem builders for their outstanding contribution in entrepreneurship development and providing support to the entrepreneurs.

14 - Infosys Prize 2019 for science and research announced

Infosys Science Foundation (ISF) announced the winners of the Infosys Prize 2019 in six categories to honour outstanding achievements of contemporary researchers and scientists.

15 - Gulab Kothari honored with 2019 Raja Ram Mohan Roy Award

The Press Council of India (PCI) has awarded this year's Raja Ram Mohan Roy National Award for Excellence in Journalism to Rajasthan Patrika group chairman and editor-in-chief Gulab Kothari. The award was presented on November 16 on the occasion of the National Press Day.

Gulab Kothari has also been awarded with Moortidevi Award – 2011, the annual literary award presented by Bharatiya Jnanpith, for his book Mein Hi Radha, Mein Hi Krishna. In 2014, Kothari received Honorary Doctorate of Literature by Amity University, Jaipur.

16 - Kumar Mangalam Birla honored with ABLF Global Asian award

Mr. Kumar Mangalam Birla, Chairman of the Aditya Birla Group received the prestigious ABLF Global Asian Award. He was honored for his efforts in contributing to global economy. Previous winners of this award were Late Dhirubhai Ambani, Lakshmi Mittal, H.E Mohamed Ali Alaber- Chairman- Emaar, and H.E Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktou- Chairman of Emirates.

The ABLF Global Asian Award honors powerful individual whose business footprint and commitment to excellence have engaged international interest and attention. The Asia Business Leadership Forum (ABLF) is backed by the UAE government, and currently runs in three forms- talks, awards, and publications.

17 - Tata Literature Live! Lifetime Achievement Award for 2019 conferred to Shanta Gokhale

The prestigious Tata Literature Live! Lifetime Achievement Award for 2019 has been conferred on renowned writer, translator, journalist, film critic, screenwriter and playwright Shanta Gokhale. The Tata Literature Live! Poet Laureate for 2019 is K Satchidanandan. Shanta Gokhale’s scholarship, versatility and felicity of language is legendary. K Satchidanandan is a pioneer of modern poetry in Malayalam and his powerful and perceptive verse has gained him global renown.

The Tata Literature Live! Lifetime Achievement Award recognises and salutes sustained and outstanding contribution to writing and literature in India.

18 - RBS Earth Heroes Awards 2019

RBS India announced the winners of the 9^th edition of the RBS Earth Heroes Awards (REHA), who have made a significant mark in the space of “Climate Change” – the theme for the 2019 awards.

RBS has institutionalized the RBS "Earth Heroes" Awards from 2011 which take place annually. The Awards are an attempt to bring recognition and honour to individuals and institutions who work exceptionally hard to preserve and protect our critical ecosystems.

19 - Wildlife biologist K. Ullas Karanth awarded George Schaller Lifetime Award

Wildlife biologist K. Ullas Karanth, has been awarded the George Schaller Lifetime Award in Wildlife Conservation Science for his contribution to the field of conservation. He became the first recipient of the award instituted by the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), New York. Karanth is known for pioneering the scientific use of camera traps in population density studies of large wild mammals in India. He directed the WCS-I effort to help save Bengal tigers.

The award is instituted in the honour of Dr. George Schaller, who is considered one of the greatest wildlife scientists and conservationists globally.

20 - Tobacco Board received 2019 Golden Leaf Award

Tobacco Board of India has been awarded the Golden Leaf Award in the Most Impressive Public Service Initiative category for the year 2019, at Tab Expo 2019 event in Amsterdam for its efforts to initiate various sustainability (green) initiatives in Flue-Cured Virginia (FCV) tobacco cultivation in India. The Board implemented Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs) in tobacco farming for improving yield and quality.

The Golden Leaf Awards were created to recognize professional excellence and dedication in the tobacco industry by Tobacco Reporter, an international magazine in the year 2006.

21 - Vice President of India presented ‘National Awards for Excellence in Journalism 2019'

Vice President of India M. Venkaiah Naidu presented the ‘National Awards for Excellence in Journalism 2019' on the occasion of National Press Day on 16^th November. The Vice President also released the Norms of Journalistic Conduct Edition-2019, the Directory of Press Council of India and a souvenir at the award function.

Eminent winners in different categories:

• Raja Ram Mohan Roy Award - Gulab Kothari

• Rural Jounalism - Jointly to Sanjay Saini and Raj Chengappa

• Development Reporting - Jointly to Shiva Swaroop Awasthi and Anu Abrahim

• Photo Journalism - Single News Picture - P.G. Unnikrishnan

• Photo Journalism - Photo Feature - Sipra Das

• Sports Reporting - Saurabh Duggal

22 - Indian Naval Academy awarded with the President’s Colour

The President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind, presented the President’s Colour to the Indian Naval Academy at Ezhimala, Kerala. The award is a recognition of the yeoman service rendered by the institution in training and shaping Indian Naval officers. The President’s Colour is the highest honour that is bestowed upon a military unit.

The President’s Colour has thus far in the Indian Navy been awarded to Southern Naval Command, Eastern Naval Command, Western Naval Command, Western Fleet, Eastern Fleet and the Submarine Arm.

23 - Swachh Survekshan Grameen Awards 2019

The government conferred the Swachh Survekshan Grameen 2019 awards to top ranked states, union territories, and districts in the various categories on the occasion of World Toilet Day. Tamil Nadu was declared the cleanest large state in India, Daman and Diu the cleanest union territory, Peddapelli in Telangana the cleanest district, and Uttar Pradesh the state with the highest participation in the Swachh Bharat Mission.

Cement Manufacturers Association (CMA), Hindustan Unilever Limited and AMUL were felicitated for their contribution under the Swachhata Hi Seva campaign for their efforts towards effective plastic waste management.

24 - Rezwana Choudhury Bannya received ICCR Alumni award in Dhaka

Renowned Rabindra Sangeet exponent from Bangladesh Rezwana Choudhury Bannya was conferred the ICCR distinguished alumni award in Dhaka. She is widely recognised as a great exponent of RabindraSangeet. She has established a musical school 'ShurerDhara' in Bangladesh to carry forward the Guru-Shishya tradition as practised in Shantiniketan.

Rezwana Choudhury Bannya is also a recipient of 'Independence Award' which is the highest civilian award of Bangladesh. Distinguished Alumni Award was instituted in 2015 to recognise foreign students who have studied in various Indian Universities under the ICCR sponsored scholarship schemes and made an exemplary contribution in varied fields.

25 - Bajrang Punia, Mahant Gaurav Sharma honoured in Dubai

Indian wrestler Bajrang Punia and powerlifting champion Mahant Gaurav Sharma were honoured during the Indo Arab Leaders Summit & Awards 2019 in Dubai. Punia was honored with the Indian Personality of the Year Award (Sports) whereas Mahant Gaurav was honored with Visionary Leaders of the Year (Sports) award.

The Asian Leadership Summit and Awards showcases best practices and honors the winners of the awards that exemplify the best in leadership.

26 - Movie “Bhonsle” bagged two awards at 2019 Asian Film Festival Barcelona

India’s Manoj Bajpayee starrer critically accalimed movie Bhonsle bagged two prestigious awards at 7^th edition of Asian Film Festival Barcelona 2019 in the ‘Best Screenplay’ and ‘Best Director’ categories. The movie not only raises the struggles of migrants and their battles with the local politicians but also addresses the concerns of various ethnic groups and highlights the issues that they face in order to survive in a city like Mumbai.

The film “Ayka” (2018) by the Kazakh director Sergei Dvortsevoy raised curtain with a special session and official opening screened with “Still Human” (2018) by Oliver Chan.

27 - Veteran actors Sridevi and Rekha conferred with ANR National Award

Actors Sridevi and Rekha were felicitated with the Akkineni Nageswara Rao National Award for 2018 and 2019 respectively for their best performances in Telugu and Hindi film industry.

The ANR National Award was instituted by the Akkineni International foundation in the honor of Akkineni Nageswara Rao. Akkineni Nageswara Rao, widely known as ANR, was an Indian film actor and producer, known for his work predominantly in Telugu cinema. The award was given annually to recognize people for their lifetime achievements and contributions to the Indian film industry.

28 - Sundram Fasteners’ Suresh Krishna won India’s first ‘Quality Ratna’ award

Chairman of Sundram Fasteners Ltd. Suresh Krishna was conferred India’s first 'Quality Ratna' award by the CII Institute of Quality at its 27^th Quality Summit held in Bengaluru. He pioneered the constitution of the TPM Club of India in collaboration with the Japan Institute of Plant Maintenance in 1998 and was its first Chairman.

Suresh Krishna has also been honored with "Padma Shri" in 2006, "JRD Tata Corporate Leadership Award in 2000, Japan’s national award in 2000 and "Entrepreneur of the Year" in 2001 and many more.

29 - Naturalist Sir David Attenborough honored with Indira Gandhi peace prize 2019

The Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development for 2019 conferred on renowned naturalist and broadcaster Sir David Attenborough for his tireless work to preserve and protect biodiversity and to live in a sustainable and harmonious way with all life.

Sir David has been honored with various honors such as UNESCO's Kalinga Prize, the Micheal Faraday Prize, the Descartes Prize, a Fellowship of the Royal Society, awards from Royal Geographical Society, and several Emmy and BAFTA awards.

30 - Indian cricket captain Virat Kohli named PETA India’s Person of the Year

India captain Virat Kohli was named as People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India's 'Person of the Year for 2019 for his animal advocacy efforts to improve conditions for animals. Recently, Virat wrote a letter on PETA India’s behalf to officials calling for the release of Malti, an elephant used for rides at Amer Fort, who was reportedly violently beaten by eight men.

Past recipients of PETA India’s Person of the Year award include Congress leader Shashi Tharoor, former Supreme Court Justice KS Panicker Radhakrishnan, and actors Anushka Sharma, Hema Malini, R Madhavan, and Jacqueline Fernandez.

31 - Greta Thunberg awarded international children’s peace prize

Divina Maloum (14) from Cameroon and Greta Thunberg (16) from Sweden both received the International Children's Peace Prize 2019. Swedish teenager and activist Greta Thunberg received the honor for her contribution against climate change which helped the issue to be resonated with schoolchildren across the world. Cameroonian peace activist Divina Maloum received the award for her 'peaceful struggle' against Boko Haram jihadist group.

Winners receive a grant worth € 100,000, which is invested in the projects linked to the winners' causes.

32 - ‘Particles’ won the Golden Peacock Award at IFFI 2019

'Particles', the French-Swiss film directed by Blaise Harrison and produced by Estelle Fialon won the Golden Peacock Award at the 50^th International Film Festival of India. Particles (Les Particules) is about the mysteries of being a teenager.

Other awardees were −

33 - Indian journalist Neha Dixit honored with International Press Freedom Award 2019

Indian journalist Neha Dixit was awarded the 2019 International Press Freedom Award by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) for her groundbreaking and bold reports on serious issues of the society. Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), a non-profit organization honors journalists who aim to work without the fear of reprisal.

Other awardees include Patricia Mello, a Brazilian journalist, Lucia Ubau and Miguel Mora of Nicaraguan broadcaster 100% Noticias and Maxence Mubyazi, co-founder of an online Tanzanian discussion platform.