Current Affairs September 2016 - Awards

News 1 - Bezwada Wilson, T M Krishna receive Ramon Magsaysay Award 2016

Acclaimed Carnatic Musician TM Krishna and Social Activist Bezwada Wilson received the 2016 Ramon Magsaysay Awardees. Other winners are Conchita CarpioMorales from Philippines, Dompet Dhuafa from Indonesia, Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers and Vientiane Rescue from Laos.

Krishna has been conferred the award for ‘Ensuring Social Inclusiveness in Culture’. While, Bezwada Wilson is a campaigner and founder of an organization called the Safai Karmachari Andolan and has been instrumental in bringing down the number of manual scavengers.

News 2 - Sudarsan Pattnaik won the People’s Choice Award in Moscow sand art show

Popular sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik won the People's Choice Award for his sand sculpture titled "Mahatma Gandhi − World Peace" at the 9^th Moscow Sand Sculpture Championship 2016. He has already won a gold medal for the sculpture which he created at the championship held in April 2016.

Mr. Pattnaik got 60,000 votes of a total of 80,000 votes in the People’s Choice category. He has secured a place in Limca Book of Records by carving 100 sand chariots at the Puri beach. Sudarsan Pattnaik has also been honored with a Padmashri.

News 3 - Kiran Mazumdar Shaw appointed Knight of the National Order of the French Legion of Honour

Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, Chairperson and Managing Director of Biocon has been appointed 'Chevalier de l'Ordre National de la LAgion d'Honneur' (Knight of the National Order of the French Legion of Honour) for her outstanding contribution and dedication to Biosciences and Research field.

The award, conferred by the President of the French Republic, is the highest civilian award for outstanding contribution in diverse fields bestowed on citizens of the world. Mazumdar has been listed as the 77^th most powerful woman in the world by Forbes in 2016.

News 4 - Jan Shikshan Sansthan conferred with the 2016 UNESCO Confucius Prize for Literacy

The Jan Sikshan Sansthan (JSS), Malappuram, has won the UNESCO Confucius Prize for Literacy 2016 for its initiatives in applying new technology in literacy. UNESCO appreciated the innovations such as Braille applications and the Talking Pen used by the JSS.

The award consists of $20,000, diploma as well as a silver medal and is sponsored by China. The JSS has reached out to the weaker sections, including widows and Adivasis, with its literacy and skill-development programs. It had last year won the Saakshar Bharat Award.

News 5 - Jackie Chan to be given an honorary Oscar

Action movie star, writer, director and martial artist Jackie Chan is set to receive an honorary Oscar statuette at the Academy's 8^th Annual Governors Awards to be held in November for his "extraordinary achievements" in film. Chan, 62, has starred in more than 30 martial arts films and altogether more than 200 films.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences also voted to give honorary Oscars to British editor Anne V Coates, casting director Lynn Stalmaster and documentary maker Frederick Wiseman.

News 6 - LIFFI: Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Tannishtha Chatterjee won Best Actors award

Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Tannishtha Chatterjee were named Best Actors at the debut edition of the Lonavla International Film Festival India (LIFFI). Anant Mahadevan won the Best Director honour for his film “Rough Book”.

Nawazuddin won the Best Actor (Male) award for bringing alive the struggle of real life hero Dashrath Manjhi in Manjhi − The Mountain Man. Tannishtha shared the Best Actor (Female) Award for her portrayal of a teacher in "Rough Book". Bhagirathi Bai Kadam shared the award for her Assamese film Scarecrow.

News 7 - Thithi wins the Best Film Award at the first BRICS Film Festival

Kannada film Thithi was conferred the Best Film award at the closing ceremony of the 1^st BRICS Film Festival in New Delhi. Thithi has been screened in over 12 prestigious international and national film festivals.

Other awards at the festival include: Filmmaker Jianqi Huo from China won the Best Director Award for the movie Xuan Zang. Russia's Yulia Peresild received the Best Actress Award for The Battle for Sevastopol. Thabo Rametsi of South Africa clinched the Best Actor Award for his role in Kalushi, The story of Solomon Mahlangu.

News 8 - J.C Daniel award for director K.G George

Renowned Malayalam filmmaker, K G George has been chosen for the J C Daniel Award for the year 2015 for his overall contribution to the Malayalam film industry. It is the state’s highest honor for film personalities and carries a cash prize of Rs. 1 lakh and a citation.

It is presented annually by the Kerala State Chalachitra Academy to commemorate the contribution of Indian Filmmaker J. C. Daniel, who is often regarded as the "Father of Malayalam cinema".

News 9 - Former Indian team cricket captain Anjum Chopra becomes the first Indian woman to be honoured with a MCC life membership

Anjum Chopra became the first woman cricketer from India to be presented an honorary life membership of the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC). Other Indian cricket players, awarded with MCC lifetime membership include Virender Sehwag and Zaheer Khan.

The 39 year old ‘Padam Shree’ winner Anjum Chopra took her retirement as a player in 2012 and is presently busy with the assignments as a cricket analyst on television and as a commentator on the Indian Premier League (IPL).

News 10 - Wrestling Champion Sushil Kumar nominated for Padma Bhushan

Olympic-medalist wrestler Sushil Kumar has been nominated for the India's third-highest civilian honor ‘Padma Bhushan’ by the Wrestling Federation of India. Other players recommended by the federation includes female wrestler Alka Tomar and Sushil Kumar’s coach Yashvir Singh for Padma Shree.

Sushil is a World Championship gold medalist, a two-time Commonwealth Games gold medalist, four-time Commonwealth champion and is the only Indian athlete to have won two individual Olympic medals – a bronze in the 2008 Beijing Games and silver in the 2012 London Games.

News 11 - Philippine revenge drama wins Golden Lion Award at Venice Film Festival

Philippines film Ang Babaeng Humayo (The Woman Who Left), won the Golden Lion for Best Film Award at the 73 Venice Film Festival.

Directed by Lav Diaz, the film tells the story of a schoolteacher's thirst for revenge and her feelings of forgiveness after 30 years in jail for a crime she did not commit.

Notable winners in other categories include:

News 12 - Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra Awards presented

The 22^nd Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra Award Festival concluded at the Rabindra Mandap auditorium with the presentation of the prestigious awards.

Renowned Odia cine actress Jharana Das and renowned Odishi dance guru Kishore Kumar Mohanty were honored with the prestigious Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra Award 2016 for lifetime achievement.

Guru Kelucharan Mohapatra Yuva Prativa Samman 2016 for exceptional diligence and accomplishment was awarded to Rajib Bhattacharya (Odissi), Madhusmita Mohanty (Odissi), P. Praveen Kumar (Bharatanatyam) and Rupak Kumar Parida (Odissi vocal).

News 13 - T R Zeliang receives Pangkor Dialogue Award in Malaysia

Nagaland Chief Minister TR Zeliang received Pangkor Dialogue Award 2016 at Ipoh city in Malaysia for the efforts made by the people of the State for Environmental Preservation and Promotion.

Zeliang was awarded by the organisers, who were Institute Darul Rudzuan and Malaysian government. The Chief Minister narrated the efforts of the Naga people to make Nagaland the Amur Falcon capital of the world. He also explained how Nagas lived in close proximity and are dependent on nature.

News 14 - Indian-origin scientist Ramesh Raskar bagged the Lemelson-MIT Prize

An Indian-origin scientist, Ramesh Raskar has bagged the prestigious Lemelson-MIT Prize worth 5 lakh US dollars for his groundbreaking inventions to create solutions to improve lives globally.

The annual Lemelson-MIT Prize honors outstanding mid-career inventors improving the world through technological invention and demonstrating a commitment to mentorship in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Ramesh founded the Camera Culture Group at the MIT Media Lab in 2008, where he focused on creating imaging devices for analyzing light transport in computational imaging.

News 15 - Mumbai-based writer wins FON South Asia Short Story Award

Mumbai-based writer Meghna Pant is the winner of Kumaon Literary Festival's FON (Fellows of Nature) South Asia Short Story Award in Nature Writing in October for her short story "People of the Sun." She will be felicitated with the award as well as a cash prize of Rs. 1 lakh in October this year.

The annual travelling literary festival gives this award in partnership with the French Institute of India and Wildlife Trust of India to “Revive nature writing and bring the spotlight on critical environment issues like climate change through this form of literature.”

News 16 - Morgan Freeman, Mel Brooks among 2015 National Medal of Arts recipients

Morgan Freeman, Mel Brooks, and celebrity chef José Andrés are among the recipients of the 2015 National Medal of Arts and the National Humanities Medals unveiled by the White House. The National Medal of Arts is the highest award given by the U.S. Government to artists and arts patrons.

Other winners this year include composer Philip Glass, actress and singer Audra McDonald, author Sandra Cisneros and painter Jack Whitten. Musician Santiago Jimenez Jr. and playwright Moises Kaufman are also on the list.

News 17 - Subramanian Swamy honoured with the Tamil Ratna in US

BJP leader Subramanian Swamy has been honored with the ‘Tamil Ratna’ award by a body of Tamil diaspora, America Tamil Sangam in New York, USA. He was honoured for fighting corruption and working for more transparency in the functioning of the Government.

The previous Tamil Ratna awardees include Oscar Winning composer AR Rahman and movie director Bharathi Raja. Subramanian Swamy currently serves as a member of the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of the Indian Parliament.

News 18 - Ewan McGregor selected to receive the Humanitarian Award

Actor-filmmaker Ewan McGregor will be presented with the Britannia Humanitarian Award at this year’s British Academy Britannia Awards by the British Academy of Film and Television Arts, Los Angeles.

The Britannia Humanitarian Award is presented to an industry name "who has used the art form of the moving image or their position in the entertainment industry to create positive social change, and actively shine a light on important humanitarian issues".

News 19 - Indian-American Abraham Verghese selected for the prestigious 2015 National Humanities Medal

Indian-American physician-author Abraham Verghese has been selected for the prestigious 2015 National Humanities Medal to be awarded by the White House. He is currently a professor of medicine at the Stanford School of Medicine.

Verghese has authored several acclaimed books, including “My Own Country” and “Cutting for Stone”. US President Barack Obama conferred the honour upon Verghese, along with 11 others and the recipients of the 2015 National Medal of Arts at ceremony on September 21^st.

News 20 - Dinesh Bharadia wins the 2016 Marconi Society Paul Baran Young Scholar Award

Indian American researcher Dinesh Bharadia has won the prestigious Young Scholar award of the Marconi Society for his contribution to send and receive radio (wireless) signals, including mobile telephony and data on the same channel (wave). He is an alumni of IIT Kanpur and The Stanford University and now works at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Bharadia’s research disproved a long-held assumption that it is generally not possible for a radio to receive and transmit on the same frequency band because of the interference that results.

News 21 - Ajinkya Rahane, Rohit Sharma conferred with the Arjuna Award

Sports Minister Vijay Goel conferred Arjuna Awards on cricketers Rohit Sharma and Ajinkya Rahane at a function in New Delhi. Sharma was given the award for 2015 and Rahane for 2016. Earlier, the two cricketers could not receive the awards from President Pranab Mukherjee as they were participating in international tournaments.

Both the cricketers were given a statuette, a certificate, ceremonial dress and prize money of Rs. 5 lakhs. The Arjuna Award is given for consistent performances over four years.

News 22 - Indian-Origin Lord Narendra Babubhai Patel won the ‘Lifetime Achievement Award’ in UK

Indian-origin British obstetrician and member of the UK Parliament, Lord Narendra Babubhai Patel has been honoured with the 'Lifetime Achievement Award' during the Asian Achievers Awards for his work in the medical profession and public life in Britain over the years by Asian Business Publications Limited (ABPL).

Other winners include: Selva Pankaj, CEO of Regent Group, which is a London-based education skills and training development group. Mr. Manjit Gill, CEO of Binti that is a social enterprise that works for women's causes in India and Africa. Paralympian Ryan Raghoo, a long jumper who suffers from cerebral palsy.

News 23 - ISRO, Katrina, Juhi Chawla honoured with Priyadarshini Global Awards

Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and Actress Katrina Kaif as well as Juhi Chawla received the Priyadarshini Global Awards 2016. Katrina was presented "Smita Patil Memorial Award for Best Actor" (part of the overall awards), while Chawla was honoured for her outstanding role in promoting social causes. She had filed a petition in the Bombay High Court against mobile tower radiation.

The award is instituted by a socio-cultural and educational organization Priyadarshini Academy and given to personalities and organizations for contribution in their respective fields.

News 24 - M Leelavathi to be awarded with N Mohanan Suvarna Mudra Award 2016

Renowned Malayalam critic and academician M Leelavathi will be awarded with the prestigious N Mohanan Suvarna Mudra Award 2016 for her contributions to Malayalam language and literature. The award has been instituted in the memory of famous short story writer N Mohanan.

An expert panel, comprising of journalist’s M G Radhakrishnan and M Saritha Varma and Athmaraman selected Leelavathi for the biennial award considering her contributions to Malayalam language and literature. The award would be presented to Leelavathi on October 3. The award comprises of a gold medal of one sovereign and is given once in every two years.

News 25 - The 68^th Primetime Emmy Awards announced

The 68^th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards ceremony was held on September 18^th, 2016 at the Microsoft Theater in Downtown Los Angeles, California. The ceremony was hosted by Jimmy Kimmel.

Fantasy drama “Game of Thrones” won the Outstanding Drama Series. Political satire “Veep” won Outstanding Comedy Series. The Outstanding Variety Talk Series was won by “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver”.

Other notable winners are:

• Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series − Julia Louis-Dreyfus as President Selina Meyer on Veep.

• Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series − Jeffrey Tambor as Maura Pfefferman on Transparent.

• Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series − Rami Malek as Elliot Alderson on Mr. Robot.

• Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series − Tatiana Maslany as Sarah Manning, Alison Hendrix, Cosima Niehaus, Beth Childs, Rachel Duncan and MK on Orphan Black.

News 26 - Lata Mangeshkar to be conferred with Bangabibhushan award

Legendary playback singer, Lata Mangeshkar, will be conferred with the "Bangabibhushan award for 2016" by the West Bengal State Government in recognition of her contribution to Bengali songs. She will be conferred with the award after Durga Puja this year.

The West Bengal government had started to confer Bangabibhushan Award to honour the services of personalities in various fields since 2011. Danseuse Amala Shankar was the first person to receive the award.

News 27 - Aung San Suu Kyi received Humanitarian Award

Nobel laureate and Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi has been honored as the 2016 humanitarian of the year at the Harvard Foundation. She received the foundation's Peter J. Gomes Humanitarian Award.

Suu Kyi, elected head of Myanmar’s Government in April was placed under house arrest in 1989 for protesting against the country’s dictatorship and served 15 years in detention. She was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991.

News 28 - Shubha Mudgal to receive 'LalitArpan Samman'

Classical Singer Shubha Mudgal will be honoured with this year’s ‘LalitArpan Samman’ during the 15^th edition of LalitArpan festival. The award is given to those artists who have consistently worked on promoting classic art in different forms. Mudgal is also a Padma Shri recipient.

The two-day festival, dedicated to the "Nayikas of Vidyapati", who was a Maithili poet and a Sanskrit writer. This festival will also acknowledge the artist couple Paramjit and Arpita Singh.

News 29 - Adi Godrej conferred with the Clinton Global Citizen Award

Industrialist Adi Godrej was conferred with the 10^th Annual Clinton Global Citizen Award for leadership in business. The award recognizes Godrej's "leadership in transforming the intersection of business".

Other winners are:

• Leadership in Public Service − Juan Manuel Santos Calderón (President, Republic of Colombia)

• Leadership in Civil Society − Hawa Abdi (Founder, Dr. Hawa Abdi Foundation)

• Leadership in Philanthropy − Jon Bon Jovi (Chairman, JBJ Soul Foundation)

• Leadership in Civil Society − Nadia Murad (Yazidi Human Rights Activist and United Nations Goodwill Ambassador, Nadia Initiative)

News 30 - Sanjay Dutta, Ritesh Sarothiya selected for the Bavin Wildlife Law Enforcement Awards

Range officer Sanjay Dutta of Belakoba Forest Range Jalpaiguri in West Bengal and Assistant Conservator Ritesh Sarothiya of Madhya Pradesh State Forest Service have been selected as winners of the 2016 Clark R. Bavin Wildlife Law Enforcement Awards.

The award honors individuals engaging in exemplary law enforcement actions to protect wildlife. The honor is named in the memory of Bavin, the late Chief of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service’s Division of Law Enforcement.

News 31 - 2016 Right Livelihood Award announced

The Right Livelihood Award honours and supports courageous people and organizations offering visionary and exemplary solutions to the root causes of global problems.

The Laureates of this year’s Right Livelihood Award, widely referred to as the ‘Alternative Nobel Prize’ are:

• Syria Civil Defence (The White Helmets) − ‘For their outstanding humanitarian engagement in rescuing civilians from the destruction of the Syrian civil war’.

• Egypt’s Mozn Hassan and Nazra for Feminist Studies.

• Russia’s Svetlana Gannushkina, ‘For her decades-long commitment to promoting human rights and justice for refugees’.

• Cumhuriyet − a leading independent newspaper in Turkey.

News 32 - First Jesse Owens Award honour for Muhammad Ali

The first Jesse Owens Olympic Spirit Award will honor the inspiration of society, Late Muhammad Ali. Jesse Owens' granddaughter, Marlene Dortch, will present the award at Best of the Games Awards Ceremony to Ali's widow, Lonnie. This prestigious award is to be presented yearly to honor people who have served as an inspiration in the society.

Late Muhammad Ali won the Gold Medal at the Rome 1960 Olympics, then took three World Heavyweight Championships in 1964, 1974 and 1978.

News 33 - Uttam Singh to be honoured with the 'Lata Mangeshkar Award for Lifetime Achievement'

Veteran Music Director and Violinist Uttam Singh has been named for this year's 'LataMangeshkar Award for Lifetime Achievement' of the Maharashtra Government. The award carries a citation, a trophy and Rs. 5,00,000 in cash.

He has bagged several awards and honours during his musical career, including the International Indian Film Academy Award, Filmfare Award and Screen Award for the Best Music Director (all for "Gadar: EkPrem Katha" in 2002), Filmfare Award ("Dil to Paagal Hai", 1997), Screen Award and Zee Cine Award (for "Pinjar").

News 34 - Tirupati Airport Awarded as the “Best Tourist Friendly Airport” under the category for “State Annual Excellence Awards”

The Airports Authority of India’s Tirupati Airport has been awarded as the “Best Tourist Friendly Airport” under the category for “State Annual Excellence Awards for the year 201516” by Andhra Pradesh Tourism. This was announced on the eve of the World Tourism Day by the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, Shri Nara Chandrababu Naidu at Bhawani Islands, Vijayawada.

The State Annual Tourism Excellence Awards under various segments of Travel and Tourism Industry are awarded by the Department of Tourism, Government of Andhra Pradesh for maintaining excellent Customer friendly relations with tourists and passengers.

News 35 - Rs. 90 Lakh Cash Awards for Rio Paralympics 2016 Medal Winners Announced by M/O Social Justice & Empowerment

Cash awards of a total of Rs. 90 lakhs for the Rio Paralympics 2016 Medal Winners have been announced by Shri Thawaarchand Gehlot, who is the Minister of Social Justice & Empowerment under the Awareness Generation and Publicity (AGP) scheme.

Gold Medal Winner Shri Mariyappan Thangavelu and Shri Devendra Jhajharia will be awarded a Rs. 30 lakh cash prize, Silver medallist Ms. Deepa Malik will be facilitated with Rs. 20 lakhs and Shri Varun Singh Bhati will be honoured with Rs. 10 lakhs for winning bronze medal at the Rio Paralympics 2016.

News 36 - Prof Kalakaluri Enoch honoured with the prestigious Literary Moortidevi Award for his novel Anantajivanam

The 29^th Moortidevi Award of Bharatiya Jnanpith for the year 2015 was honoured to the famous Telugu author Kalakaluri Enoch for his novel, Anantajivanam. The novel ‘Anantajivanam’ depicts the struggle of a weak, downtrodden and common man from Rayalseema in the face of a cyclone.

The award was presented by veteran artist Dr. Vatsyayan, who appreciated the author’s excellent way of presenting the struggle of the people.