The Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru (BLR Airport) on Thursday emerged as the first Airport in the world to clinch the Airports Council International’s coveted Airport Service Quality Awards for both arrivals and departures.

“The ACI ASQ Awards reaffirm our commitment to provide an excellent passenger experience at the BLR Airport. BIAL is proud of the fact that ACI has recognized our effort in both segments - Departures and Arrivals,” said Hari Marar, MD & CEO, Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL).

Hari Marar also added, “Our airport is on the cusp of tremendous development and we will continue to ensure our passengers have a superlative experience”. Notably, in July 2018, the Bengaluru Airport had scored the highest rating amongst all participating airports across the world, in the quarterly ACI-ASQ Arrival Survey.

Kempegowda International Airport is currently the busiest airport in south India and the third largest in the country.

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Outlook Business celebrated the winning spirit of women entrepreneurs in their latest Outstanding Women issue .Their esteemed panel selected 19 Indian women from different walks of life who have achieved the impossible.

Rohini Iyer, Founder & Director Raindrop Media - India's leading name in the Reputation Management business joins names like Aishwarya Rai Bachchan , Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw (a pioneer in the biotech industry) ,  Hemalatha Annamalai (CEO of Coimbatore-based Ampere Vehicles ),Richa Kar (Zivame) ,Ashni Biyani (the ‘ideas’ person at Future Group) ,Ananya Birla ( CuroCarte) , Tara Singh ( Director, Max Group) , Suchi Mukherjee (Limeroad) , Radhika Aggarwal (co-founder, shopclues) , Gloria Benny ( Founder, Make a Difference) , Shubhra Chadha (Founder,Chumbak) , Neha Singh (Tracxn co-founder) , Pooja Dhingra ( Owner Le'15) , Upasana Taku (co-founder, Mobikwik),Ritu Dalmia (chef extraordinaire) , Pooja Warier ( co-founder UnLtd India) , Anita Dongre (leading designer) ,Anuradha Acharya (Founder,Mapmygenome) .

Rohini Iyer named one of India's 19 Outstanding Women by Outlook Business

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"We are honoured to receive the 'Best of Mobile World Congress - Most Innovative Company' award from Alphr," Eric Mika, senior vice president of open ecosystems, strategic alliances and partnerships at LeEco, said in a statement on Thursday.

"This award reinforces our vision to bring consumers everywhere a truly connected lifestyle that is powered by an Internet ecosystem of content and accessible, innovative products," Mika added.

LeEco announced the sale of its first smartphone powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 chipset -- Le Max Pro this week at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2016 in Barcelona, Spain.

"The spec of its flagship handset, the Le Max Pro, is tantalising; we cannot wait to test it. Combined with some of the innovations they are working on in Car-Tech, as well as their Smart 'Super Bike' make LeEco the winner of Alphr.com's 'Most Innovative Company' award for MWC 2016," David Court, editor at Alphr.com, was quoted as saying.

LeEco is also working on an electric concept vehicle of luxury sports car brand Aston Martin RapidE that incorporates the LeEco Internet of the Vehicle (IOV) system and is slated to hit the market by 2018.

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Abu Dhabi, Feb 23 (IANS/WAM) Flag carrier of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Etihad Airways has been presented with the Best Finance Transformation Award in 2015 by a leading US-based company specialising in enterprise innovation.

The award was presented by Innovation Enterprise to Etihad Airways, which triumphed over other leading companies, for its Outstation Finance Transformation programme, developed to centralise the airline's processing functions to a low-cost operating environment.

James Rigney, Etihad's chief financial officer, said: "We are proud to receive this award for the great work carried out by our financial planning team... their dedication to this task has allowed us to reduce finance manpower, start moving to a regional structure, and to deliver cost and revenue improvements which have delivered $28 million in savings, with a target of a further $50 million this year."

The first phase of the programme required the creation of a worldwide centre of excellence which would process transactions valued at $1 billion from over 50 countries.

The second phase saw Etihad Airways adopting leading initiatives to improve key processes and eliminate bottlenecks, in order to ensure that the centralisation of these functions were carried out without compromising the airline's high working standards.

The Innovation Enterprise group is a leader in the promotion of innovation in the Financial Planning and Analysis profession.

Etihad Airways wins leading finance award

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Washington, Feb 19 (IANS) President Obama has named 106 researchers, including six of Indian origin, as recipients of the Presidential Early Career Awards for Scientists and Engineers, the highest US government honour for young independent researchers.

The winners will receive their awards at a Washington, DC ceremony this spring.

"These early-career scientists are leading the way in our efforts to confront and understand challenges from climate change to our health and wellness," Obama said.

"We congratulate these accomplished individuals and encourage them to continue to serve as an example of the incredible promise and ingenuity of the American people."

The Presidential Early Career Awards highlight the key role that the Administration places in encouraging and accelerating American innovation to grow our economy and tackle our greatest challenges, a White House announcement said.

Established by President Bill Clinton in 1996, the awards recognise pursuit of innovative research at the frontiers of science and technology and awardees' commitment to community service as demonstrated through scientific leadership, public education, or community outreach.

The six Indian-American recipients are:

Milind Kulkarni, an associate professor with the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Purdue University. His research focuses on Programming Languages and Compilers that support efficient programming and high performance on emerging complex architectures.

Kiran Musunuru, Assistant Professor of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology at Harvard University. His research focuses on the genetics of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases.

Sachin Patel, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, and Molecular Physiology and Biophysics Vanderbilt University Medical Centre. Patel's overall research goal is to understand the role of neuronal cannabinoid signalling in brain function relevant to psychiatric disorders.

Vikram Shyam is a member of the Turbomachinery and Heat Transfer Branch at National Aeronautics and Space Administration NASA Glenn Research Centre.

His research includes computational and experimental analysis of and concept development in unsteady engine flow physics, biomimetics, energy harvesting, active and passive flow control, flow visualization and water purification.

Rahul Mangharam is an Associate Professor in the Department of Electrical and Systems Engineering at the University of Pennsylvania.

His interests are in real-time scheduling algorithms for networked embedded systems with applications in energy-efficient buildings, automotive systems, medical devices and industrial wireless control networks.

Shwetak Patel is Endowed Professor in Computer Science and Engineering and Electrical Engineering at the University of Washington, where he directs his research group, the Ubicomp Lab.

His research interests are in the areas of Human-Computer Interaction, Ubiquitous Computing, Sensor-enabled Embedded Systems, and User Interface Software and Technology.

His work includes developing new sensing systems, energy and water sensing, mobile health, and developing new interaction technologies.

(Arun Kumar can be contacted at arun.kumar@ians.in)

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New Delhi, Feb 16 (IANS) French Ambassador Francois Richier on Tuesday conferred the Chevalier de la Legion d'Honneur, his country's highest honour, on veteran designer Manish Arora in recognition for his renowned and critically-acclaimed contribution to the fashion world.

"I'm thrilled and honoured by the recognition I have received from the country that I love with all my heart. France has been an inspiration always. I now live in Paris and Delhi and for me, France is literally my own country. I hope to keep getting inspired by France, the beauty and elegance of the French people," said Arora at the investiture ceremony at the French embassy here.

The event witnessed the attendance of socialites including Priya Paul, Ambika Pillai, Kalyani Saha, Rahul Mishra and Subodh Gupta.

The Chevalier de laA Legion d'Honneur is France's premier award to recognise eminent accomplishments of service to France. It is bestowed on both citizens of France as well as foreigners.

Pinning the insignia on the celebrated designer, Richier said: "Manish has a long-standing connection with France, which is like a second home for him. He is a pioneer in bringing the fashion culture of both countries together with his exuberant imagination. I am delighted to confer this high honour on him."

In the past, eminent personalities such as Pandit Ravi Shankar, Amitabh Bachchan and J.R.D Tata have been honoured with the prestigious award.

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London, Feb 15 (PTI) Leonardo DiCaprio's performance as a revenge-seeking fur trapper in "The Revenant" won him best actor at Bafta where the film dominated by bagging the best picture and director trophies.

Indo-British director Asif Kapadia's critically acclaimed documentary "Amy" on the late British songstress Amy Winehouse won the best documentary award at the British awards ceremony, hosted by Stephen Fry.

DiCaprio, who is the front-runner to win the best actor trophy at Oscars this year for his physically gruelling performance in the Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu's film, was previously nominated for "The Aviator", "The Departed" and most recently "The Wolf of Wall Street".

"The Revenant", based on the true-story of a 19th-century fur trapper, who survived despite being mauled by a bear and abandoned for dead by his friends, won five major awards at the ceremony, while "Carol" had to return empty handed despite maximum nominations.

In his acceptance speech, DiCaprio paid tribute to British actors like Gary Oldman, Peter O'Toole and Daniel Day-Lewis for influencing him as a performer. He also thanked his mother for helping him.

Inarritu, who swept the Oscars last year with "The Birdman" and a favourite this year as well, said the film's success at the Bafta awards was overwhelming.

Brie Larson won the best actress Bafta for her poignant portrayal of a woman kidnapped and kept in a small room with her child in "Room". Her trophy was accepted by the film's director.

George Miller's apocalyptic action movie "Mad Max: Fury Road" won four Baftas for hair and makeup, editing, costume design and production design.

Both supporting-acting prizes went to British winners.

DiCaprio's "Titanic" co-star Kate Winslet won her third Bafta trophy for her role as an Apple marketing executive Joanna Hoffman in "Steve Jobs". Her previous wins were for "Sense and Sensibility" and "The Reader".

Mark Rylance won in the best supporting actor category for his role of a Russian spy in Steven Spielberg's "Bridge of Spies".

Journalism drama "Spotlight" won one in the best original screenplay category, and co-writer and director Tom McCarthy dedicated the award to the reporters of the Boston Globe, who broke the story of the Catholic Church paedophile priest cover-up.

"The Big Short" won the best-adapted screenplay award.

Nick Hornby's "Brooklyn" was adjudged the outstanding British film.

Emmanuel Lubezki's win for cinematography for his work on "The Revenant" was his fourth Bafta.

The Mexican has won for the past three years, having previously picked up statuettes for "Birdman" and "Gravity".

Best animation went to Disney/Pixar toon "Inside Out" and helmer Pete Docter accepted the award and called on young people in secondary school who were struggling and trying to figure things out to "express themselves."

Outstanding debut by a British writer, director or producer went to Jordanian pic "Theeb," directed by Naji Abu Nowar, beating out the more well-known "Ex Machina," helmed by Alex Garland. "Theeb" is up for an Oscar for best foreign language film.

"Star Wars: The Force Awakens" snapped up best special visual effects for Chris Corbould, Roger Guyett, Paul Kavanagh and Neal Scanlan.

The EE Rising star Bafta award, the only award voted for by the public, went to "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" and "Attack the Block" British star John Boyega.

"The Revenant" also won for best sound, while the original music trophy went to Ennio Morricone for "The Hateful Eight".

The best British short film honour went to "Operator," a movie funded by Kickstarter and helmed by Caroline Bartleet while best short animation went to "Edmond."

The obituary section included tributes to Alan Rickman, Maureen O'Hara, Omar Sharif, David Bowie, Ron Moody, Frank Finlay, Saeed Jaffrey and Christopher Lee.

Sidney Poitier, the first African-American to receive a best actor Oscar for his role in 1963 movie "Lilies of the Field", was honoured with a Bafta Fellowship, the highest accolade, for his outstanding and exceptional contribution to the business. He was unable to attend the ceremony in person due to health reasons.

Angels Costumes, the world's longest-established costume house, now in its 175th year, received the outstanding British contribution to cinema award.

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Front row (from left): T.V. Mohan Das Pai, K.Dinesh, S.D Shibulal, President Pranab Mukherjee, N.R. Narayan Murthy, Srinath Batni, Kris Gopalakrishnan and R. Seshasayee. Back row: Srinath Raghavan, Amit Sharma, Jonardon Ganeri, G.Ravindra Kumar, Mahan Mahara, and Umesh Waghmare at the Infosys Prizes distribution ceremony in New Delhi on Saturday.

New Delhi, Feb 13 (IANS) President Pranab Mukherjee on Saturday felicitated six winners of Infosys Science Foundation Prizes 2015 for their outstanding contribution in their fields.

The winners are Umesh Waghmare in engineering and computer science category, Jonardon Ganeri for humanities, Amit Sharma in life sciences, Mahan Maharaj in mathematical sciences, G. Ravindra Kumar in physical sciences and Srinath Raghavan in social sciences.

Mukherjee awarded each laureate with a purse of Rs.65 lakh, a 22-carat gold medallion and a citation certificate, the foundation said in a statement here.

The winners were chosen by six jury chairs - Pradeep Khosla for engineering and computer science, Nobel laureate Amartya Sen (humanities), Inder Verma (life sciences), Srinivasa S.R. Varadhan (mathematical sciences), Shrinivas Kulkarni (physical sciences) and Kaushik Basu (social sciences).

Waghmare, professor of theoretical sciences at Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research in Bengaluru was awarded for use of principles of theories and modelling in investigations of microscopic mechanism responsible for specific properties of materials.

Ganeri, global network professor of philosophy in New York University, was hnonoured for scholarship and originality in interpreting and scrutinising analytical Indian philosophy.

Sharma, head, structural and computational biology group, International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, New Delhi, was recognised for pioneering contributions towards deciphering the molecular structure at the atomic level of key proteins involved in the biology of pathogenesis of the malarial parasite.

Maharaj, professor of mathematics at Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) in Mumbai, won the award for his contributions to geometric group theory, low-dimensional topology and complex geometry.

Kumar, senior professor of department of nuclear and atomic physics at TIFR, was recognised for pioneering experimental contributions to physics of high intensity laser matter interactions.

Raghavan, senior fellow at Centre for Policy Research, New Delhi, won the award for research that synthesizes military history, international politics and strategic analysis into imaginative perspectives on India in the global context.

Eminent scientists and industry leaders and foundation trustees, including S.D. Shibulal, trustees board president N.R. Narayana Murthy, Mohandas Pai, Kris Gopalakrishnan, Srinath Batni, K. Dinesh and R. Seshasayee were present on the occasion.

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New Delhi: New Delhi: Fourteen students from India`s premier institutes for science and technology - Indian Institute of Technology during the 9th Honda Young Engineer and Scientists Award in New Delhi on Feb 11, 2016. (Photo: IANS)

New Delhi, Feb 11 (IANS) Leading automobile major Honda Motor India Pvt (HMI) on Thursday conferred the ninth Young Engineers and Scientists (Y-E-S) award on 14 Indian students from the premier IITs.

"It has been our endeavour to promote and encourage young students to involve in higher research in the field of technology. We want to provide them the opportunity with Y-E-S awards so that they can fullfill their dreams," said HMI India director Keita Muramatsu in a statement.

Instituted in India for the first time in 2008 by Honda Foundation, the Y-E-S award entails cash scholarship of $3,000 for each of the 14 students from eight Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT): Delhi, Bombay, Roorkee, Madras, Kharagpur, Kanpur, Guwahati and Banaras Hindu University (BHU).

Y-E-S award programme aims to foster young students excelling in science and technology with aims to pursue higher academic achievements in the area of Eco-technology.

The cumulative grade point average (CGPA), technical papers, essays and a one-on-one interview with The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) director Shirish Garud encompassed the assessment for conferring the awards.

"So far we have awarded 112 such students in 9 years," added Muramatsu in the statement.

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Washington, Feb 11 (IANS) Pandit Jasraj has been honoured in Houston for his lifelong contribution to classical Indian art. He is happy that he is able to popularise Hindustani music in the US.

At an event in Houston on February 6, India House, an organisation representing Houston community in the US, recognised and honoured Pandit Jasraj.

"I have fond memories of my musical journey in America. I am happy that me and all my students are spreading Hindustani music among the people of North America and keeping the Indian art and culture progressive and relevant in contemporary times.

"Music has no boundaries and this award is a testimony to that. I am thankful to India House for honouring me with the lifelong distinguished and exceptional service award. This is a reflection of their love towards Indian classical music. God created music to spread love and unite souls across the world and beyond. I thank god for making me a musician," Pandit Jasraj told IANS.

In 1995, the Pandit Jasraj School of Music Foundation was opened in Vancouver. After which, many disciples of Pandit Jasraj spread out to run many schools in New York, New Jersey, Tampa, Pittsburg, Atlanta, and in other cities.

He spends a few months every year teaching, performing and spreading the true essence of Indian classical vocal music in the US.

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Washington, Feb 10 (IANS)

Anil K. Jain, Dr Arati Prabhakar, Ganesh Thakur and Dr K.R. Sridhar were formally inducted during a ceremony at the NAE's annual meeting in Washington, DC, on Tuesday, NAE president C.D. (Dan) Mote Jr announced in a statement.

Jain, a distinguished professor in the department of computer science and engineering at the Michigan State University in East Lansing, was elected for his contributions to the engineering and practice of biometrics.

A B.Tech graduate from the Indian Institute of Technology-Kanpur, his research interests include pattern recognition, computer vision and biometric recognition.

Jain has also been a consultant to the Indian government's Aadhaar programme that provides a 12-digit unique ID number to the residents of India based on their fingerprint and iris data.

Prabhakar, director of the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) in Virginia, was chosen for national leadership to advance semiconductor and information technologies.

Beginning her career as a Congressional Fellow, Dr Prabhakar has served on the National Academies' Science Technology and Economic Policy Board. In addition, she chaired the Efficiency and Renewables Advisory Committee for the US Department of Energy.

As the founding director of DARPA's Microelectronics Technology Office, she led a team of programme managers whose efforts spanned areas such as optoelectronics, infrared imaging and nanoelectronics.

Thakur, who is the president of Thakur Services Inc. in Houston, Texas, was named a member for leadership in the implementation of integrated reservoir management techniques.

Sridhar, the principal co-founder and chief executive officer of Bloom Energy Corporation in California, was selected for the "contributions to transport phenomena and thermal packaging of electrochemical systems and generation of clean, reliable and affordable power".

Prior to founding Bloom Energy, Sridhar was director of the Space Technologies Laboratory (STL) at the University of Arizona where he was also a professor of aerospace and mechanical engineering.

Under his leadership, STL won several nationally competitive contracts to conduct research and development for Mars exploration and flight experiments to Mars.

His work for the NASA Mars programme to convert Martian atmospheric gases to oxygen for propulsion and life support was recognised by Fortune magazine which cited him as "one of the top five futurists inventing tomorrow, today."

Along with the new members, the total US membership goes up to 2,275.

Election to the institution "is among the highest professional distinctions accorded to an engineer," the statement read.

Founded in 1964, the NAE is a non-profit institution that provides engineering leadership in service to the nation.

Its mission is to advance the well being of the nation by promoting a vibrant engineering profession and by marshalling the expertise and insights of eminent engineers to provide independent advice to the federal government on matters involving engineering and technology.

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Mumbai, Feb 8 (IANS) Reliance Industries chairman Mukesh Ambani and tech evangelist Sam Pitroda are to be inducted as members of the prestigious National Academy of Engineering of the US, taking the Indians in it to 10, among 2,275 eminent people.

Founded in 1964, the US-based National Academy of Engineering (NAE) is a private, independent, non-profit institution, providing global engineering leadership.

"Individuals in the newly elected class will be formally inducted during a ceremony at the NAE's annual meeting in Washington, D.C. on October 9, 2016," a statement from the institution said.

The other Indian members include P.C. Kapur of IIT-Delhi, scientist R.A. Mashelkar, Narayana Murthy of Infosys, scientist Roddam Narasimha, Pradip P. of TCS, scientist P. Ramarao, chemical engineer M.M. Sharma and industrialist Ratan Tata.

Founded in 1964, the academy is a private, independent, non-profit that provides engineering leadership with a mission to promote a vibrant engineering profession and giving insights to the US government on related matters.

As per an announcement of the non-profit, Pitroda is a member for developing rural telecom infrastructure for India, while Ambani has made the cut for engineering a business leadership in oil refineries, petrochem and related industries.

The institution has more than 2,000 peer-elected members and foreign members, who are considered among the world's most accomplished engineers -- people who provide leadership for numerous projects to link their domain with better quality of life.

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Coimbatore, Feb 7 (IANS) An hour-long lesson last year on how to segregate waste at source, involving 12,994 people of this city, has fetched C.G.S. Manion, a member of the polyester division of Reliance Industries, a Guinness World Record.

Manion, who has to his credit nearly 15 years of work towards environment protection, was selected by the Coimbatore Municipal Corporation to conduct a lesson on recycling on August 5 last year, which the Guinness has recognised.

In its citation, Guinness World Record called it the largest recycling lesson.

"This event was an attempt to reach a majority of local households with practical messages on waste segregation, reduce dumping of waste and recover for recycling and composting," it said.

The environment expert's campaigns also work in tandem at his employer Reliance Industries' own facilities, townships and adjoining places through a host of initiatives like the one on a sustainable system to collect and dispose used plastic bottles in a green manner.

"These projects are very special to me -- not for the Guinness Reco rd, but for reaching out to our society for a genuine social cause," said Manion, also associated with a non-profit organisation that has undertaken works like restoration of water bodies and afforestation.

Named Siruthuli -- a small drop of water in Tamil -- the non-profit venture started with projects to rejuvenate water sources in this city and has now ventured further into afforestation, waste management and awareness programmes.

"Such efforts are reflections of our company's commitment to 'recycle, reduce and re-use'," a Reliance Industries spokesperson said, referring to how the company re-uses plastics to replace carcinogenic asbestos and make pre-coloured fabrics to avoid harmful dyeing later.

"We see such efforts as an inspiration for our 'go green with swatch Bharat' campaign," the spokesperson said, and added that the strategy involved creating awareness on safe disposal of plastic bottles, adopt a systematic collection system and making fibres out of them.

At some high-profile events like the Indian Premier League cricket matches, the venues are peppered with banners explaining safe disposal methods and calling upon patrons to bring their plastic bottles for a "greener future".

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New Delhi: The Assam Rifles marching contingent passes through the Rajpath during Republic Day Parade in New Delhi, on Jan 26, 2016. (Photo: IANS/PIB)

New Delhi, Jan 27 (IANS) Assam Regiment has been adjudged the best marching contingent in the services category and Border Security Force among the para-military and other auxiliary forces which took part in 67th Republic Day parade at the Rajpath.

An official release here on Wednesday said that in the tableau category, the first position was bagged by West Bengal followed by Tripura and Assam.

This year, a special prize has been awarded to the tableau of Ministry of Communication and Information Technology on the theme "Digital India".

In the competitive category of school children items, the dance presented by South Central Zone Culture Centre, Nagpur (Maharashtra) has been adjudged the best.

A consolation prize has also been awarded to Sarvodaya Kanya Vidyalaya and Rajkiya Pratibha Vikas Vidyalaya, Gandhi Nagar, Delhi, for their portrayal of traditional folk dance "dal khai", seen in western Odisha.

The release said that the defence ministry appointed three panels of judges for assessing the marching contingents and the tableaux at the parade held on Tuesday.

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London, Jan 27 (IANS) The Amnesty International Human Rights Award 2016 has gone to Indian activist Henri Tiphagne.

A lawyer and human rights defender, Tiphagne will be awarded the 8th Human Rights Award by Amnesty International Germany. The award comes with 10,000 euros.

The award, to be presented on April 25 at the Maxim Gorki Theatre in Berlin, is in recognition of Tiphagne’s "exceptional commitment to human rights", Amnesty said in a statement.

“"For many decades now, Tiphagne has been tirelessly and bravely standing up for human rights. His organization'’s invaluable work includes campaigning against discrimination and the use of torture in India", ” said Selmin Çaliskan, director of Amnesty International Germany.

Tiphagne is the founder of Peoples Watch, a human rights group in India which has been researching and documenting human rights violations as well as providing for over 20 years legal representation to those affected.

The Human Rights Award is presented by Amnesty Germany every two years in recognition of individuals or organizations campaigning for human rights under very difficult conditions.

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Mumbai: Actress Rekha during the 22nd Annual Star Screen Awards 2016 in Mumbai, on Jan 8, 2016. (Photo: IANS)

Mumbai, Jan 26 (IANS) Veteran actress Rekha was honoured with the Yash Chopra Memorial Award on Monday evening in Mumbai for her contribution to the film industry.

The award has been instituted by the T.S.R. Foundation of T Subbarami Reddy in the memory of the producer-director, who died in 2012.

"Am honoured to be bestowed this award in Yash ji's memory. Yash ji thought me how to love & I am eternally grateful for the memories & films that I have had the privilege to be a part of.

"I can only say that this is not the climax, this is only the best phase of my life and there is a lot more to come. What I learnt from Yash ji is that if you love someone then you should love with alll your heart so that there is no scope of loving anything else," Rekha said.

The Foundation annually honours a distinguished senior film personality for outstanding contribution to film industry with a Gold Medal and a cash prize of Rs 10 lakh.

Rekha, 61, who worked with Chopra in 1981 romance "Silsila", will be given the honour on February 2 next year by the Governor of Maharashtra in a glittering ceremony in Mumbai.

Previous recipients include Melody Queen Lata Mangeshkar and megastar Amitabh Bachchan.

The Jury constituted to zero in on this year's awardee comprised of such highly-regarded names as Pamela Chopra, Simi Garewal, Boney Kapoor, Jayaprada, Pinki Reddy and Reddy himself as its Chairman and they unanimously decided that the 3rd Award should go to the actress par-excellence Padma Shri Rekha Ganeshan.

Among the celebrity guests included Ranveer Singh, David Dhawan, Poonam Dhillon, Pamela Chopra, Jaya Prada, Adnan Sami, Mohan babu, Gulshan Grover and many others.

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New Delhi, Jan 25 (IANS) Monday morning turned out to be exceptionally bright and beautiful for actress Priyanka Chopra in Montreal when she woke up to the news of the government naming her for the Padma Shri, India's fourth highest civilian honour. She says the fact that she's an Indian Army officer's daughter makes it "extremely special".

"What a fabulous January to begin my year with," Priyanka told IANS over phone from Montreal, where she has been living to fulfil her shooting commitments for American TV show "Quantico".

"I'm a daughter of an Army man, and so the feeling to get this civilian award is extremely special," she added.

Her father, the late Lt. Col. Ashok Chopra was a doctor and had retired from the Indian Army in 1997. Priyanka was extremely close to him and even sports a 'Daddy's lil girl' tattoo on her wrist.

As much as she was missing her father, Priyanka was glad that her mother Madhu Chopra woke her up with the news of the Padma Shri in Montreal.

"I am so happy... My mother woke me up with this wonderful news, and we've had a little celebration here," said the National Award winning actress, adding that her mother had joined her in Montreal earlier this month ahead of the People's Choice Awards where Priyanka became the first South Asian actress to win an honour.

She took home the Favourite Actress in A New TV Series award for her American acting debut as FBI agent Alex Parish.

Asked what sets the Padma Shri honour from the past awards that she has won, Priyanka gushed: "It's the Padma Shri, man!"

"It's shocking," she added in a tone that reflected the sheer joy of the global celebrity, who has roots in Bareilly a mid-sized town in Uttar Pradesh.

Her success story started with the Miss World crown victory in 2000, after which she joined the Bollywood world. She has featured in films like "Andaaz", "Aitraaz", "Krrish", "Fashion", "Mary Kom", "Barfi!" and "Bajirao Mastani" -- regaling movie buffs with a variety of roles.

Priyanka also sings. She forayed into the foreign world first with her single "In my city" in 2012, and then went on to collaborate with American rapper Pitbull for "Exotic" in 2013. It turned out that it opened more gates for her in foreign shores.

Any bigger celebrations in place for the Padma Shri honour?

"No, I've to get back to work... That's how I celebrate... I work," she said.

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New Delhi, Jan 25 (IANS)

As per a statement from the home ministry, Ambani will be conferred the award posthumously for his contribution to trade and industry -- the only person chosen for the Padma Vibhushan this year under this category.

The president of India confers the award around March-April.

Both his sons -- overseeing the empire he created -- felt overwhelmed and honoured by the announcement.

"The Padma Vibhushan awarded to Shri Dhirubhai Ambani is an honour to the indomitable spirit of Indian entrepreneurship, innovation and ambition to always do better than the best in the world," said Mukesh Ambani, his older son.

The younger son Anil Ambani, who oversees the Reliance Group, said the honour was a recognition of Indian entrepreneurship.

"I personally, and the entire Reliance family, are truly overwhelmed and deeply humbled at the award of this great national honour, the Padma Vibhushan, for the greatest entrepreneur and wealth creator in the history of India, my beloved father, Shri Dhirubhai Ambani," he said.

"The true legacy of Dhirubhai lies in the inspiration that he continues to provide to millions of young people, who are dreaming impossible dreams, and setting out to achieve their entrepreneurial ambitions."

"In his lifetime, Dhirubhai created and shared more wealth with Indians than anyone before or since."

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Jammu, Jan 26 (IANS) A soldier of the army's elite special forces who made the supreme sacrifice in Jammu and Kashmir will be the sole recipient of the Ashok Chakra award during this year's Republic Day celebrations on January 26.

Late Lance Naik Mohan Nath Goswami of the Northern Command's elite special forces will be awarded the Ashok Chakra for attaining martyrdom in Jammu and Kashmir while fighting terrorists, Northern Command's spokesman Colonel S.D. Goswami told IANS here on Monday.

The intrepid commando killed two terrorists before he laid down his life during exchange of heavy gunfire with terrorists in Hafruda forests in Kupwara district of Jammu and Kashmir. He had killed 10 guerrillas in 11 days before attaining martyrdom.

"The martyrdom and indeed the selfless gallantry of late Lance Naik Mohan Nath Goswami received a deserving recognition from a proud nation when he was conferred the Ashok Chakra, the country's highest peacetime gallantry award, on the occasion of the 67th Republic Day," the spokesman said.

He said that late Lance Naik Goswami - the intrepid and indefatigable commando - was a natural choice of his commanders for any challenging mission and he was ever too willing to oblige.

On September 2, 2015, Lance Naik Goswami was engaged in a fierce encounter with terrorists hiding in the Hafruda forests. As the encounter raged, two of Lance Naik Goswami's comrades were wounded.

Undeterred by the intense volley of fire, he rushed to rescue them and in the act - despite getting grievously wounded himself - he not only eliminated two terrorists but also saved the lives of his comrades.

"Lance Naik Goswami succumbed to his injuries in the highest traditions of the Indian Army," the spokesman said.

The martyred commando hailed from Indira Nagar village in Haldwani tehsil of Nainital district (Uttarakhand) and is survived by his wife and a seven-year-old daughter.

Ashok Chakra, India's highest peacetime gallantry ward, is the peace-time equivalent of the Param Vir Chakra awarded for acts of bravery on the battle front. It is awarded for the "most conspicuous bravery or some daring or pre-eminent valour or self-sacrifice" other than in the face of the enemy.

The decoration may be awarded either to military or civilian personnel and may be awarded posthumously.

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New Delhi, Jan 25 (IANS) Spiritual guru Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, legendary actor Rajinikanth, sportspersons Saina Nehwal and Sania Mirza are among the 112 notable personalities to get Padma awards in 2016.

Late industrialist Dhirubhai Ambani, former chief vigilance commissioner Vinod Rai, actor Anupam Kher and late spiritual leader Swami Dayanand Saraswati were also on the awardee list announced by the government on Monday.

This year, President Pranab Mukherjee will confer 10 Padma Vibhushan, 19 Padma Bhushan and 83 Padma Shri awards on people from different walks of life.

As many as 19 awardees are women and 10 are foreigners, non-resident Indians and People of Indian Origin (including one posthumous). Four of those on the honour list are posthumous awardees.

The awardees of Padma Vibhushan - the second highest civilian award after Bharat Ratna - are Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, Rajinikanth, Dhirubhai Ambani, Bharatnatyam and Kuchipudi dancer Yamini Krishnamurthi, classical vocalist Girija Devi, media baron Ramoji Rao, cancer specialist Dr Vishwanathan Shanta, former Jammu and Kashmir governor Jagmohan, former Defence Research and Development Organisation chief Vasudev Kalkunte Aatre (science and engineering) and Indian-American economist Avinash Dixit.

Former chief vigilance commissioner Vinod Rai, actor Anupam Kher, sportspersons Saina Nehwal and Sania Mirza and late spiritual leader Swami Dayanand Saraswati are among the 19 personalities to get Padma Bhushan.

Others who will get Padma Bhushan award, announced by the government on Monday, are Udit Narayan Jha (art-playback singing), Ram V. Sutar (art-sculpture), Heisnam Kanhailal (art-theatre), Dr Yarlagadda Lakshmi Prasad (literature and education), Prof N.S. Ramanuja Tatacharya (literature and education), Dr Barjinder Singh Hamdard (literature and education - journalism), Prof D. Nageshwar Reddy (medicine-gastroenterology), Swami Tejomayananda (other-spiritualism), Hafeez Contractor (others-architecture), Ravindra Chandra Bhargava (public affairs), Dr Venkata Rama Rao Alla (science and engineering), Indu Jain (trade and industry), Robert Blackwill (public affairs) and Pallonji Shapoorji Mistry (trade and industry).

As many as 83 personalities will be awarded Padma Shri.

These are Prathibha Prahlad (art-classical dance), Bhikhudan Gadhvi (art-folk music), Sribhas Chandra Supakar (art-textile designing), Ajay Devgn (art-cinema), Priyanka Chopra (art-cinema), Pt. Tulsidas Borkar (art-classical music), Dr Soma Ghosh (art-classical vocal), Nila Madhab Panda (art-film direction and production), S.S. Rajamouli (art-film direction and production), Madhur Bhandarkar (art-film direction and production), Prof M. Venkatesh Kumar (Art-Folk Artist), Gulabi Sapera (art-folk dance), Mamta Chandrakar (art-folk music), Malini Awasthi (art-folk music), Jai Prakash Lekhiwal (art-miniature painting), K. Laxma Goud (art-painting), Bhalchandra Dattatray Mondhe (art-photography), Naresh Chander Lal (art-theatre and cinema), Dhirendra Nath Bezbaruah (literature and education), Prahlad Chandra Tasa (literature and education), Dr Ravindra Nagar (literature and education), Dahyabhai Shastri (literature and education), Santeshivara Bhyrappa (literature and education), Haldar Nag (literature and education), Kameshwaram Brahma (literature and education-journalism), Prof Pushpesh Pant (literature and education-journalism), Jawaharlal Kaul (literature and education-journalism), Ashok Malik (literature and education), Dr Mannam Gopi Chand (medicine-cardiothoracic surgery), Prof Ravi Kant (medicine-surgery), Prof Ram Harsh Singh (medicine-ayurveda), Prof Shiv Narain Kureel (medicine-paediatric surgery), Dr Sabyasachi Sarkar (medicine-radiology), Dr Alla Gopala Krishna Gokhale (medicine-cardiac surgery), Prof T.K. Lahiri (medicine-cardiothoracic surgery), Dr Praveen Chandra (medicine-cardiology), Prof Daljeet Singh Gambhir (medicine-cardiology), Dr Chandrasekar Shesadri Thoguluva (medicine-gastroenterology), Dr Anil Kumari Malhotra (medicine-homeopathy), Prof M.V. Padma Srivastava (medicine-neurology), Dr Sudhir V. Shah (medicine-neurology), Dr M.M. Joshi (medicine-ophthalmology), Prof (Dr) John Ebnezar (medicine-orthopaedic surgery), Dr Nayudamma Yarlagadda (medicine-paediatric surgery), Shri Simon Oraon (other-environment conservation), Imitiaz Qureshi (other-culinary), Piyush Pandey (others-advertising and communication), Subhash Palekar (others-farming), Ravinder Kumar Sinha (others-wildlife conservation), Dr H.R. Nagendra (others-yoga), M.C. Mehta (public affairs), M.N. Krishna Mani (public affairs), Ujjwal Nikam (public affairs), Tokheho Sema (public affairs), Dr Satish Kumar (science and engineering), Dr Mylswamy Annadurai (science and engineering), Prof Dipankar Chatterji (science and engineering), Prof (Dr) Ganapati Dadasaheb Yadav (science and engineering), Prof Veena Tandon (science and engineering), Onkar Nath Srivastava (science and engineering) Ms Sunita Krishnan (social work), Ajoy Kumar Dutta (social work), M. Pandit Dasa (social work), P.P. Gopinathan Nair (social work), Madeleine Herman de Blic (social work), Srinivasan Damal Kandalai (social work), Sudhakar Olwe (social work) Dr T.V. Narayana (social work), Arunachalam Murugantham (social work), Deepika Kumari (sports-archery), Sushil Doshi (sports-commentary), Mahesh Sharma (trade and industry), Saurabh Srivastava (trade and industry), Dilip Sanghvi (trade and industry), Dr Keki Hormusji Gharda (trade and industry), late Prakash Chand Surana (posthumous) (art-classical music), late Saeed Jaffrey (art-cinema), Michael Postel (art-archaeology), Salman Amin Sal Khan (literature and education), Hui Lan Zhang (others-yoga), Predrag K. Nikic (others-yoga), Dr Sundar Aditya Menon (social work) and Ajaypal Singh Banga (trade and industry).

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New Delhi, Jan 25 (IANS) Indian tennis star Sania Mirza and badminton ace Saina Nehwal were on Monday named for the prestigious Padma Bhushan, the country's third highest civilian award.

Apart from the celebrated pair, ace archer Deepika Kumari was named for the Padma Shri, as was popular cricket commentator Sushil Doshi.

Sania and Saina performed outstandingly last year. Sania enjoyed a superb run in 2015 when she won nine women's doubles trophies, including two Grand Slams partnering veteran Swiss Martina Hingis.

The Indo-Swiss combination is doing well this year also. They have already won the Sydney Open and the Brisbane International and have entered the quarter-finals of the ongoing Australian Open.

Sania had earlier received the Arjuna Award (2004), Padma Shri (2006) and Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna (2015).

Saina too has won the Arjuna Award (2009), the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna (2009-2010) and the Padma Shri (2010).

Deepika, a former World No.1, continued her journey by bagging a silver medal in the women's recurve event at the 2015 Archery World Cup Final in Mexico City. It was the 21-year-old Jharkhand archer's fourth medal in five appearances at World Cup Finals.

She had won the Arjuna Award in 2012.

Saina dedicated her Padma Bhushan award to coach U. Vimal Kumar under whose guidance she rose to the top of the world rankings.

"I would like to thank the ministry for giving me Padma Bhushan. It is a great feeling, very honoured. I would like to dedicate the award to my coach U. Vimal Kumar sir totally. The way he has helped me in the last one year is great and made me become World No.1 and so many other achievements," Saina said in a statement.

"Also, I would like to thank my parents, physio Sidhharth and trainer Deckline Leitao for supporting me so much," the 2012 Olympic bronze medallist added.

"So happy and honoured to get the prestigious Padma Bhushan award Thank u everyone for the support and wishes."

Sania personified Indian tennis in 2015 with a stupendous rise that catapulted her to the tip of the women's doubles rankings and also become the maiden countrywoman to win a Grand Slam.

Her association with Hingis, forged in March 2015, formed the basis of an unstoppable juggernaut as they complemented each other perfectly to embark on a fairytale journey adorned with prestigious Grand Slam victories at Wimbledon and the US Open.

They teamed up in 16 events last year and enjoyed an overwhelming 55-7 win-loss ratio with a 22-match unbeaten hard court streak. The Indo-Swiss collaboration capped off a memorable year with a triumph at the season-ending Women's Tennis Association (WTA) Finals in Singapore, also winning at Beijing, Wuhan, Guangzhou, Charleston, Miami and Indian Wells.

The Charleston victory propelled Sania to the top of the doubles rankings. It was their third successive trophy together and gave impetus to the Hyderabadi to monopolise the top spot in rankings.

In badminton, Saina was the country's flag bearer for the sport in 2015. The Hyderabad-based shuttler started the year on a brilliant note by winning the India Grand Prix Gold in Lucknow, beating reigning world champion Carolina Marin of Spain in the final. She backed it up with her lone Superseries title in March -- India Open -- which she won here, defeating former world champion Ratchanok Intanon in the summit clash.

She also reached the finals of three extremely prestigious events -- All-England, World Championships and China Open. The Khel Ratna awardee also achieved quite a few number of firsts this season.

The 25-year-old became the first Indian since Pullela Gopichand to reach the All-England final which the current chief national coach had won way back in 2001. She also became the first Indian to reach the final of the World Championships in August. She lost both finals to Carolina.

The Hisar-born was also on her way to defend the China Open Superseries Premier but lost to reigning Olympic champion Li Xuerui of China. Then she also became the first Indian woman shuttler to become World No.1. She and Carolina kept exchanging the top spot for most of the year.

With her consistent performances, she also qualified for the year-ending World Superseries Finals in Dubai for the second successive year where she failed to qualify for the semi-finals and was recently nominated again for the Badminton World Federation (BWF) Female Player of the Year Award.

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Mumbai: Awadhe Warriors player Saina Nehwal during a practice session ahead of her Premier Badminton League match in Mumbai on Jan 2, 2016. (Photo: IANS)

Mumbai, Jan 25 (IANS) India ace shuttler Saina Nehwal on Monday dedicated her Padma Bhushan award to coach U. Vimal Kumar under whose guidance she rose to the top of the world rankings.

The 25-year-old Saina has already been a recipient of the Arjuna Award (2009), Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna (2010) and Padma Shri (2010).

"I would like to thank the ministry for giving me Padma Bhushan. It is a great feeling, very honoured. I would like to dedicate the award to my coach U. Vimal Kumar sir totally. The way he has helped me in the last one year is great and made me become World No.1 and so many other achievements," Saina said in a statement.

"Also, I would like to thank my parents, physio Sidhharth and trainer Deckline Leitao for supporting me so much," the 2012 Olympic bronze medallist added.

Ahead of the 2014 Asian Games, Saina decided to move out of Pullela Gopichand Academy and switched her training base to Bengaluru under the guidance of Vimal. Her decision came after being laid low by a spate of injuries and a series of disappointing losses, including the 2014 BWF World Championships.

She started 2015 on a brilliant note by winning the India Grand Prix Gold in Lucknow, beating reigning world champion Carolina Marin of Spain in the final. She followed it up with her lone Superseries title in March -- India Open -- which she won here, defeating former world champion Ratchanok Intanon in the summit clash.

And the results showed as she captured the 2014 China Open title and in 2015, reached the finals of three prestigious events -- All-England, World Championships and China Open. The Khel Ratna awardee also achieved quite a few firsts this season.

In the India Grand Prix Gold in Lucknow, she beat reigning world champion Carolina Marin of Spain in the final. She followed it up with her lone Superseries title in March -- India Open -- which she won here, defeating former world champion Ratchanok Intanon in the summit clash. She also became World No.1.

Saina is one of India's biggest hopes of winning a medal at the forthcoming Rio de Janeiro Olympics in August.

Padma Bhushan is India’s third highest civilian award after Bharat Ratna and Padma Vibhushan.

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New Delhi, Jan 25 (IANS) The government on Monday announced that nine film celebrities will be conferred the country's prestigious civilian honours. Southern megastar Rajinikanth will get the Padma Vibhushan while late India-born British actor Saeed Jaffrey has been posthumously named for the Padma Shri.

The Padma Vibhushan honour has also been reserved for media baron Ramoji Rao of the Ramoji Group, which owns, among other things, film production facility, the Ramoji Film City in Hyderabad.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu sent out a congratulatory note on Twitter, saying: "My hearty congratulations to superstar Rajinikanth, Ramoji Rao garu and others who will be receiving #PadmaVibhushan awards."

Veteran actor Anupam Kher and singer Udit Narayan will be conferred the Padma Bhushan; actors Ajay Devgn and Priyanka Chopra, and filmmakers Nila Madhab Panda, S.S. Rajamouli and Madhur Bhandarkar will get the Padma Shri honour.

Rajinikanth, who enjoys a massive fan following, tweeted: "Feeling deeply honoured for being awarded the Padma Vibhushan. My heartfelt thanks to my dear fans, well-wishers and friends for all the wishes."

Lovingly called 'Thalaivar' by his fans, the actor has spent over four decades in filmdom and is a phenomena by himself. His family is equally excited that he has been named for the country's second highest civilian award.

His daughter Soundarya tweeted: "Proud daughter! Appa is now Padma Vibhushan Shri Rajinikanth", while his son-in-law Dhanush, who's married to his second daughter Aishwarya, wrote: "Padma Vibhushan for Thalaivar... SUPER thrilled, SUPER proud SUPER day can't get bigger."

Equally excited are the other celebrities who have been chosen for the honours.

National Award winning actor Anupam, a cinema and theatre veteran who has over three decades of experience, shared: "Happy, humbled and honoured to share that I have been awarded the Padma Bhushan by the Government of India. Greatest news of my life. #JaiHind."

The other Padma Bhushan awardee is Udit Narayan, who has been entertaining listeners with his melodious and soulful voice for over 30 years now. He's best known for his romantic tracks like “Pehla nasha”, “Jadoo teri nazar”, “Mehndi laga ke rakhna”, “Dil to pagal hai” among several others.

Bhandarkar, best known for his films "Chandni Bar", "Page 3", "Traffic Signal" and "Fashion", is "really grateful and honoured" to be awarded the Padma Shri.

"I accept it with all humility, this great respect bestowed by my government and my country," he tweeted.

In the Arts category, other Padma Vibhushan winners are classical dancer Yamini Krishnamurthi and classical vocalist Girija Devi.

Theatre director Heisnam Kanhailal from Manipur and sculpture artist Ram V. Sutar are among the Padma Bhushan awardees.

Classical dancer Prathibha Prahlad, folk musicians Bhikhudan Gadhvi, Mamta Chandrakar and Malini Awasthi, textile designer Sribhas Chandra Supakar, classical musician Pandit Tulsidas Borkar, classical vocalist Soma Ghosh, folk artist M. Venkatesh Kumar, folk dancer Gulabi Sapera and theatre artist Naresh Chander Lal have been named for the Padma Shri honour.

Rajasthan's classical music icon Prakash Chand Surana has been named for a posthumous Padma Shri.

Rajinikanth, Bollywood, Tollywwod Celebrities Named for Padma Honours

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New Delhi, Jan 25 (IANS) The government on Monday announced Padma Vibhushan awards for spiritual guru Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, legendary Tamil actor Rajinikanth and late industrialist Dhirubhai Ambani.

Others who will get Padma Vibhushan - the second highest civilian award after Bharat Ratna - are classical dancer Yamini Krishnamurthi, classical singer Girija Devi, media baron Ramoji Rao, Dr Vishwanathan Shanta (oncology), Jagmohan (public affairs), Vasudev Kalkunte Aatre (science and engineering) and Avinash Dixit (literature).

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London, Jan 25 (IANS) An Indian-origin Muslim cleric has been awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of Leicester in Britain in recognition of his commendable work for the local community, it was reported on Monday.

Muhammad Shahid Raza, head Imam at the Leicester Central Mosque, received the honorary degree from university chancellor Lord Grocott at a ceremony at De Montfort Hall before a global audience of graduating students and their families, www.leicestermercury.co.uk reported.

Raza was born in Bihar and studied in Moradabad, Agra and Meerut before moving to Britain. He became head Imam at the Islamic Centre in Leicester in 1978.

Raza has spent his life working with Muslim community groups and on intra-faith relations, both nationally and internationally.

"I have always strived to instill in my students a desire to achieve academically and integrate themselves as valuable members and contributors to society, Raza was quoted as saying.

"For this reason, I reflect on this award fondly and I hope it will further inspire the young Muslims of Leicester," he added.

In Leicester, Raza has established a tradition of inter-faith dialogue by welcoming to the centre many groups and individuals from different faith communities, the report said.

Raza also helped form the Federation of Mosques in the city and is currently the executive secretary and registrar of The Muslim Law (Sharia) Council UK.

He was awarded an Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2008 New Year's Honours list for services to the Muslim community in Leicester.

"Raza has been a hugely influential figure in our city and county as a leading Muslim cleric and teacher over a period approaching 40 years. In terms of Interfaith dialogue over that period, again his influence has been profound," Stephen Foster, coordinating chaplain to the university, was quoted as saying.

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New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi presents the National Bravery Awards 2015 to a winner, in New Delhi on Jan 24, 2016. Also seen Union Minister for Women and Child Development Maneka Sanjay Gandhi. (Photo: IANS/PIB)

New Delhi, Jan 24 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday presented the National Bravery Awards to 25 children here.

He congratulated the children along with their parents for their bravery to help "fellow human beings in distress", an official statement said.

Modi said that presence of mind, quick thinking, selfless determination and sensitivity for fellow human beings in distress were the most important elements of the acts of bravery of these children.

“For the award winners, this act of bravery should not become an end in itself. Life must continue to evolve and the children should continue to develop their careers and continue to serve society to the best of their abilities,” the prime minister said.

He said that the book 'Life progression of ICCW (Indian Council for Child Welfare) National Bravery Awardees' he released on Sunday touched upon these aspects.

Minister for Women and Child Development Maneka Gandhi was also present on the occasion.

The National Bravery Award scheme was initiated by the ICCW to give due recognition to children who distinguish themselves by performing outstanding deeds of bravery and meritorious service and to inspire other children to emulate their examples.

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Thiruvananthapuram, Jan 23 (IANS) Kerala Tourism's pavilion themed on the famous snake boat race has bagged an award in the destination category along with Mexico, Japan and Nepal at FITUR, the second largest travel and tourism fair in Spain.

The Kerala pavilion won the best stand award for design, communication and professionalism at the 36th edition of the five-day FITUR that ends on Sunday.

The event was attended by 9,500 companies from 165 countries.

The Kerala pavilion, which was adorned by two replicas of the snake boat, was one of the most-photographed pavilions.

"The award for our pavilion is a huge honour for our state," said Kerala's Tourism Minister A.P. Anil Kumar, who led the state delegation at FITUR.

Four co-exhibitors, representing the state's private tourism and hospitality sector, took part in the pavilion, built on a 60 square metre area.

The pavilion was conceived and designed by Stark Communications, the marketing agency of Kerala Tourism and executed by art director Sabu Sivan and his team.

Kerala Tourism's principal secretary G. Kamala Vardhana Rao termed it a "significant international honour bestowed at the world's second most important travel and tourism industry event".

FITUR, organised by Madrid's trade fair organisation or IFEMA (Feria de Madrid), was held at the IFEMA Convention Centre, one of the biggest exhibition grounds in the world.

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New Delhi, Jan 22 (IANS) President Pranab Mukherjee on Friday gave away the National Bravery Awards 2015 to 25 children from across the country for showing exemplary courage in saving the lives of others.

Two awardees - Gaurav Kawduji Sahastrabuddhe, 15, of Maharashtra and Shivansh Singh, 13, of Uttar Pradesh - were honoured posthumously. Their mothers received the award from the President.

The awardees said they were very happy to receive the honour and would continue to serve society and the country.

Rakeshbhai Shanabhai Patel told IANS that he dreams of joining the army after completing education as "serving the nation is my dream".

"I think we should continue to serve our country in whatever way we can," he said.

The bravehearts will participate in the Republic Day parade on Rajpath on January 26.

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New Delhi, Jan 21 (IANS) Umaid Bhawan Palace in Jodhpur, Rajasthan, bagged the award of the world's best hotel at the Travellers' Choice award organised by TripAdvisor, a popular travel website.

The winners of Travellers’ Choice Award, which entered its 14th year, were determined on the basis of the reviews and opinions collected in a single year from TripAdvisor travellers worldwide.

Umaid Bhawan Palace Jodhpur comes out on top this year by not only taking the first position in the Top hotels category in India and the world, but also winning the most number of awards (7) by an Indian hotel across categories.

“We are extremely proud to have been recognised by millions of TripAdvisor travellers who have voted us as Best in the World through their unbiased reviews. These awards are testament to Taj’s legacy of world-class service, rooted in the nobility of Indian heritage and traditions,” said chief revenue officer of Taj Hotels resorts and palaces, Chinmai Sharma.

Not just Umaid Bhawan Palace, but it was a day for Indian hotels to make a remarkable imprint on travel, accommodation and tourism platforms worldwide. 113 Indian hotels were awarded at the event across 6 categories: top hotels, luxury, best service, bargain, B&Bs and Inns, small hotels.

“An Indian hotel is the No.1 hotel in the world, as determined by the truest yardstick possible, the reviews and opinions of the world’s largest travel community. I doff my hat to the Umaid Bhawan Palace hotel for achieving this extraordinary distinction, and to all the other distinguished Indian hotels that stud each of the 6 different category lists,” said Nikhil Ganju, country manager, TripAdvisor India.

The Oberoi Vanvilas, Taj Rambagh Palace, Orange County Resorts and Bougainvillea Guest House are other resorts that made it to the world's best hotels.

In the best hotels Asia category too, it was Indian hotels that grabbed the limelight with 26 awards, gaining the top spot. Eleven hotels secured spots in the top ten ranks across five categories - Top, Luxury, Best Service, Inns and B&Bs and Bargain.

In the best hotels category across India, Oberoi Vanvilas, Rajasthan bagged the top spot for its luxurious offering while Wildflower Hall, Himachal Pradesh was awarded the top prize for its best service. Casa Da Praia and Bougainvillea Guest House of Goa got the top award for B&B and Inns and bargain respectively.

Rajasthan retained the first spot amongst the Indian states with 58 awards followed by Kerala with 26 awards and Karnataka with 20 awards. And among the metro cities, it was the national capital that swept the top rank with 12 awards

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New York, Jan 21 (IANS) Fourteen students from the Indian diaspora have been selected to compete for $1 million in prizes at the prestigious Intel Science Talent Search Competition this year by fielding high-level projects ranging from cancer vaccines to complex mathematical theories.

They are among the 40 US high school students who made it to the finals of the competition sponsored by Intel Corporation and conducted by the Society for Science & the Public.

Announcing finalists chosen from among 300 semi-finalists from across the nation Wednesday, the president of the society, Maya Ajmera, said, "Finalists of the Intel Science Talent Search are the innovators of the future."

"Their research projects range from highly theoretical basic research to innovative practical applications aimed at solving the most vexing problems," she added.

Last year two Indian-Americans won second place medals and two others, third place medals in the competition.

The finalists will travel to Washington in March for the competition that will award a total of more that $1 million in prizes fron the Intel Foundation.

The previous winners of the Science Talent Search competition include 12 Nobel laureates, two Fields Medals awardees and 18 MacArthur Foundation "Genius" Fellows.
--Indo-Asian Nesw Service
al/tb

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Jadav Payeng awarded Padma Sri for planting trees for 30 years.

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New Delhi, Jan 18 (IANS) Three girls and 22 boys are to be presented on Sunday with National Bravery Awards which are a much anticipated feature of the Republic Day celebrations every year.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will honour the 25 children, including as many as six from Kerala, with the awards for the year 2015 for their acts of valour, it was announced here on Monday.

Shivampet Ruchitha from Telangana's Medak district, who is all of eight, is one such child who saved two children's lives as her school bus stopped on a railway track before it got hit by a speeding train.

The Bharat Award will be conferred posthumously on 15-year-old Gaurav Kawduji Sahastrabuddhe from Maharashtra, who sacrificed his life in an attempt to save four of his friends.

The Sanjay Chopra Award will be presented to 16-year-old Arjun Singh, who fought a tiger in Uttarakhand to save his mother.

All awardees will receive a medal and financial assistance in their education.

They will also participate in and be felicitated in the Republic Day parade.

The awards scheme, initiated by the Indian Council for Child Welfare, aims to recognise those children who distinguish themselves by performing outstanding deeds of bravery.

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New Delhi, Jan 18 (IANS) Bariatric surgeon Pradeep Chowbey has been honoured by the Japanese Society of Endoscopic Surgeons for his contribution in the field of minimal access in the arena.

Chowbey, who is also a Padma Shri recipient, is considered a pioneer in the field of bariatric surgery and has performed over 70,000 surgeries between 1992 and 2015.

"It is a proud moment to receive the recognition for my work from a widely respected association. These memberships and awards further strengthen my resolve to continue to do revolutionary work in the field of laparoscopic and bariatric surgery," said Chowbey.

Chowbey was one of the first Indian surgeons to recognise the increasing prevalence of obesity in India and looks at bariatric surgery as the only solution to it if other options such as lifestyle changes, healthy eating and other medical interventions do not yield results.

According to statistics, India currently has 41 million obese people.

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Washington, Jan 16 (IANS) Indian-American professor Dr. Rakesh K. Jain and 16 other scientists, engineers, mathematicians, and innovators will receive the National Medals of Science and Technology and Innovation from President Barack Obama next Friday.

Jain, a B. Tech in Chemical Engineering from Indian Institute of Technology-Kanpur, and a professor at Harvard Medical School and director of tumour biology laboratory at Massachusetts General Hospital will receive the National Medal of Science.

Awarded annually, the Medal of Science recognizes individuals who have made outstanding contributions to science, engineering, and mathematics.

The National Medal of Technology and Innovation recognizes those who have made lasting contributions to America's competitiveness and quality of life and helped strengthen its technological workforce.

"Science and technology are fundamental to solving some of our nation's biggest challenges," Obama said, according to a White House announcement last month.

"The knowledge produced by these Americans today will carry our country's legacy of innovation forward and continue to help countless others around the world. Their work is a testament to American ingenuity."

Jain is regarded as a pioneer in the area of tumour micro-environment and widely recognized for his seminal discoveries in tumour biology, drug delivery, in vivo imaging, bioengineering, and bench-to-bedside translation.

These include uncovering the barriers to the delivery and efficacy of molecular and nano-medicines in tumours; developing new strategies to overcome these barriers; and then translating these strategies from bench to bedside.

A mentor to more than 200 master's, doctoral and postdoctoral students from over a dozen different disciplines, he has received more than 75 awards from engineering and medical professional societies/institutions.

Jain is a member of all three branches of the US National Academies - the National Academy of Medicine, the National Academy of Engineering and the National Academy of Sciences - and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

In 2014, he was chosen as one of 50 Oncology Luminaries on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the American Society of Clinical Oncology.

In 2015, he received honorary doctorates from Duke University, KU Leuven, Belgium and IIT-Kanpur, India.

Jain received his bachelor's degree in 1972 from IIT, Kanpur, and his MS and PhD degrees in 1974 and 1976 from the University of Delaware, all in chemical engineering.

(Arun Kumar can be contacted at arun.kumar@ians.in)

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Florence, Jan 14 (IANS) Delhi-based fashion designer Suket Dhir was named the winner of the 2015-2016 Menswear International Woolmark Prize here.

The designer was presented with the award at menswear trade fair Pitti Uomo on Wednesday evening.

"This is certainly very overwhelming, and everything that I needed right now. Ive done what I could in India, and this is the best thing that could happen to me, for me to move in a bigger way.

"I think Im ready for the world, and I also think the world is ready for me and for this kind of aesthetic. The look is easy and happy, and the world needs that right now, Dhir said in a statement.

The award was judged by a panel that included designer Haider Ackermann, The Business of Fashion founder and editor-in-chief Imran Amed, Vogue international editor Suzy Menkes, and the Woolmark Company managing director Stuart McCullough.

In fashion, Im always looking for emotion, for the heartbeat, for the feeling that something excites me - it may come from an ancient skill but it seems fresh to me, Menkes said for Dhir's collection.

Using the traditional technique of hand-tied and dyed yarn (Ikat), the collection aims to trace the mellowed and faded experiences of the past memories through the ombre pattern.

Seamless molding and heat setting of the fabric reinforces the garments, while the age-old technique of Kasui, a traditional hand embroidery, creates geometric, grid-like patterns in an update on the classic quilting stitch.

What Suket Dhir designs is romantic, and thats very appealing in fashion, and certainly was to the judging panel. All of the designers will no doubt go on to great commercial success in all parts of the world, but we can only name one winner, and today romance won, said McCullough.

This is the second year that the International Woolmark Prize has included a menswear category, last year won by New York-based label Public School.

More than 70 designers were considered for the prize over the past year, with the finalists representing six different regions around the world. These included Munsoo Kwon (Asia), P. Johnson (Australia), AGI & SAM (British Isles), Jonathan Christopher (Europe), Dhir (India, Pakistan and the Middle East) and Siki Im (US).

Dhir will receive Australian Dollars 100,000 to help support the development of their business and ongoing industry mentor support, as well as the presentation and sale of their capsule collection, created for the International Woolmark Prize, in some of the worlds most prestigious department stores and boutiques.

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