CURRENT AFFAIRS 2011 AWARDS

CURRENT AFFAIRS AWARDS 2011

JUNE

• Maharatna Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) received the prestigious Golden Peacock Environment Management Award for the year 2011. The award was presented to SAIL in recognition of it’s initiatives and achievements in the field of environment management. The award was presented by Union Minister for Home Affairs Shri P. Chidambaram in New Delhi. SAIL in the last four years the company succeeded in reducing particulate emissions by 52%, specific water consumption by 11% and specific energy consumption by 5%, and increased solid waste utilisation by 18%. 
• Art of Living founder Sri Sri Ravi Shankar became the first Indian to receive the Crans Montana Forum Award. The Crans Montana Forum Award was conferred upon him at a ceremony in Brussels. 
• Minster of Communications & Information Technology and Human Resource Development conferred the Meghdoot Awards on postal employees for 2009 and 2010. Fifteen individuals including five women bagged the award. The Best Post Office award was given to Chandragiri Head Post Office, Andhra Pradesh. Sibal at the award ceremony mentioned that skill and capacity of 3.25 lakh Gramin Dak Sewaks will be developed through a comprehensive and time bound Rural Entrepreneurship Programme which is being finalized by Department of Posts and Ministry of Human Resource Development together. The scheme of National awards known as Meghdoot Awards was instituted in the year 1984 to provide encouragement to the postal employees by recognizing performance of high standard. 
• Leading international business school INSEAD on 22 June 2011 honoured Sunil Bharti Mittal, Founder, Chairman and Group CEO of Bharti Enterprises, with its Business Leader for the World Award. Sunil Bharti Mittal was given the award for his success in having grown Bharti Enterprises from a manufacturer of push button phones to India's leading business conglomerate. The award is given to business leaders who have set new standards in building successful, sustainable, global enterprises that span multiple cultures, embrace diversity, and contribute to economic and social prosperity. 
• India's famous magician Gopinath Muthukad received the International Merlin Award also known as the magicians' Oscar for the year 2011 on 23 June 2011 from Tony Hassini, President of the US based International Magicians Society. Gopinath Muthukad is the second Indian to be chosen to receive the Merlin Award after PC Sorkar Jr. 
• On 14 June 2011, Rajasthan Chief Minister, Ashok Gehlot presented the Anuvrat Ahimsa international peace award to noted Gandhian philosophy exponent Thomas Clough Daffern. The award consisted of a memento, a cheque for Rs.1 lakh and a certificate of merit.Dr. Daffern is a Director of London-based International Institute of Peace Studies and Global Philosophy. The institute works across several academic fields for study and application of peace and philosophy to various spheres of life. 
• Two Indian companies Abellon Clean Energy Ltd. and Husk Power Systems have been awarded this year’s Ashden Awards for Sustainable Energy, claimed to beBritain’s most prestigious green energy awards. The awards were launched in 2001 to encourage greater use of local clean energy to address climate change and alleviate poverty. 
• Irish writer Colum McCann’s Let The Great World Spin, a novel set in the shadow of Philippe Petit’s 1974 tightrope walk between the twin towers of the World Trade Center, has won the 2011 International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award, one of the world’s most lucrative book prizes. The prize is worth €100,000.

JULY

• National Communal Harmony Awards for 2009 and 2010 were presented to Dr. Mohd. Hanif Khan Shastri in the individual category for the year 2009. Dr Shastri is a Sanskrit scholar and has authored several books including Geeta Aur Quran men Samanjasya. Acharya Lokesh Munni received the award in the individual category for the year 2010. Acharya Lokesh Muni is a social worker and orator who has contributed towards communal harmony through his oratory and writings. The Centre for Human Rights & Social Welfare received the award in the organisation category for the year 2009. 
• The Union Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) conferred its national awards foroutstanding lifetime contributions on the foundation of MoES. The award was conferred upon the former Director of the Hyderabad-based National Remote Sensing Agency, B. L. Deekshatulu, and the former Director of the Pune-based Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, R. N. Keshavamurthy. 
• Two Indians -Nileema Mishra, a lender to the poor in Maharashtra and US-trained Indian engineer Harish Hande who revolutionized the use of solar lights were among six people to have received the Ramon Magsaysay Award for 2011.The two Indians were honoured for their effort to harness technologies to empower their countrymen and create waves of progressive change across Asia. The other award winners Filipino charity group Alternative Indigenous Development Foundation, Hasanain Juaini, who set up an Islamic school for girls in Indonesia, fellow Indonesian Tri Mumpuni who promoted micro hydropower technology and Koul Panah who toils to restore democracy in Cambodia were the other winners of the Ramon Magsaysay Award for 2011. 
• Former India striker Shabbir Ali, who took up full-time coaching after retirement on 26 June 2011, became the first footballer to win the prestigious Dhyan Chand award as recognition for his lifetime achievement in sports. 
• Former Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was honoured posthumously with the highest Bangladesh award — the Bangladesh Swadhinata Sammanona (Bangladesh Freedom Honour ) on 25 July 2011. The award was meant to honour Indira Gandhi’s for her outstanding contributions to Bangladesh's Liberation War fought in 1971. The award was received by her daughter-in-law Sonia Gandhi who visited Bangladesh at the invitation of Sheikh Hasina. 
• Bangladesh will honour former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi with its highest state award 'Bangladesh Swadhinata Sanmanona', for her outstanding contribution to the country's 1971 'Liberation War'. The daughter-in-law of Mrs Gandhi and Indian Congress Party president Sonia Gandhi will receive the award from President Zillur Rahman on July 25 at Bangabhaban presidential palace at a special ceremony. 
• Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowships and Akademi Awards for 2010 were presented by Vice-President of India, M. Hamid Ansari on 22 July 2011.
  
  The highest honour of Akademi Fellowship (Akademi Ratna Sadasyata) was conferred on eminent vocalist Girija Devi, renowned dance guru Nataraja Ramakrishna, Dhrupad maestro Rahim Fahimuddin Dagar, and Mridangam vidwan T. K. Murthy. The Akademi Fellowship (Akademi Ratna Sadasyata) and Akademi Award (Akademi Puraskar) are the most coveted national honours conferred on performing artists, gurus and scholars of the performing arts. The Sangeet Natak Akademi is the country’s apex cultural body for music, dance, theatre and the arts. 
• A female Pakistani DMG officer, Amna Imran Khan was awarded the Order National du Merite by President Nicholas Sarkozy of France. She was awarded the prestigious French knighthood for distinguished and extra ordinary services for strengthening and promoting cooperation between the Law Enforcement Agencies of Pakistan and France. 
• Aishwarya Rai Bachchan was honoured with Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters from the French government by the Ambassador of France in New Delhi, Jerome Bonnafont. Aishwarya is the first Asian actress and the youngest Indian to win the honour. Other Indian celebrities, who were conferred with the honour in the past, include Sharmila Tagore, Habib Tanveer, Shah Rukh Khan, Raghu Rai, Upamanyu Chatterjee and Nandita Das. 
• India's Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Talmiz Ahmad has become the first Indian diplomat to be conferred the King Abdulaziz Medal of First Class for his contribution towards elevating Indo-Saudi ties. The honor was bestowed upon him at Jeddah by Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud Al-Faisal.

AUGUST

• Eminent Hindi authors Amar Kant and Shrilal Shukla was chosen for India's highest literary honour Jnanpith Award for 2009, while renowned Kannada litterateur Chandrasekhar Kambar won it for 2010. Octogenarian Amar Kant is a leading author whose famous novel Inhin Hathiyaron Se earned him the Sahitya Akademi Award in 2007. Shukla is an eminent novelist and a satirist, whose works threw light on the falling moral values of the Indian society in the post-Independence era. His noted works include Raag Darbari, Makaan. In 2008, he was awarded the Padma Bhushan for his contribution to Indian literature and culture.Chandrasekhar Kambar who won the Jnanpith Award for is a novelist and playwright. His noted works include Takararinavaru, Saavirada Neralu. He is also recipient of the Sangeet Nataka Academy Award and the Sahitya Academy Award. 
• ONGC, Coal India (CIL) and NMDC were awarded by the government for best performance in different categories on 20 September. The Department of Public Enterprises (DPE) Secretary, Bhaskar Chatterjee gave away the awards. Best financial performance award in Maharatna and Navaratna category was given to ONGC. In Miniratna category, the best financial performance award award has been given to Goa Shipyard. Good Corporate Governance award in Maharatna and Navaratna category was also given to ONGC. The company of the year award in Maharatna category was given to CIL. The same awards for the Navaratna category were given to NMDC and Oil India. 
• The 44th Jnanpith Award for 2008 was presented to renowned Urdu poet Professor Akhlaq Mohammad Khan Shahryar for his distinguished contribution in enriching Indian literature. He was presented the award by actor Amitabh Bachhan in a glittering ceremony organised by the Bharatiya Jnanpith in New Delhi on 18 September 2011. 
• The Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) on 28 September 2011conferred the Rajiv Gandhi International Prize for Technology in Education and Development on the Azim Premji Foundation. The award instituted by the university in its silver jubilee year was presented to Azim Premji by Communications and Information Technology Minister Kapil Sibal. According to IGNOU, the award comprising of Rs. five lakh cash and a citation is given to individual or institution that contributed significantly in education, particularly educational technology, for development in developing countries across the world. 
• Legendary playback singer Lata Mangeshkar was honoured with the first Hridaynath award for her contribution to Indian music on 28 September 2011. She was presented a cheque of Rs one lakh, a trophy by Amitabh Bachchan. The award has been instituted by Hridayesh Art, a Mumbai- based socio-cultural organisation in honour of Lata Mangeshkar’s brother, Hridaynath Mangeshkar. 
• The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) on 26 September 2011 honoured 11 scientists with the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize for Science and Technology for the year 2011. Dr Samir K Brahamachari, Director General, Council of Scientific Research and Industrial development announced the names of scientists at the celebration of CSIR foundation Day. The list of the awardees in the different categories are as follows: 
  
  Biological Sciences-Dr Amit Prakash Sharma (International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, New Delhi)Dr Rajan Sankaranarayanan (CSIR Centre for Cellular & Molecular Biology, Hyderabad). 
  
  Chemical Sciences-Dr Balasubramanian Sundaram (Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Bangalore)Dr Garikapati Narahari Sastry (CSIR Indian Institute of Chemical Technology, Hyderabad are some of them. 
  
  The Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize for Science and Technology was first given in 1958. It is regarded as the country's highest award in science is named after the founder director of CSIR, Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar. It is given to a scientist up to 45 years of age and carries a prize of Rs 5 lakh. 
• Three distinguished Indian Americans, 2 inventors and a researcher were named by US President Barack Obama on 27 September 2011 as recipients of National Medal of Science, and for Technology and Innovation. New York University’s Srinivasa SR Vardhan, Purdue University’s Rakesh Agarwal, and North Carolina State University’s B Jayant Baliga were the three Indians selected dozen to receive the National Medal of Science, and for Technology and Innovation, the highest honor bestowed by the United States government on scientists, engineers as well as inventors. 
• China has conferred its highest literary award on Prof. B R Deepak for his book, which is a translation of 88 classical Chinese poems into Hindi. Deepak, who is from Centre of Chinese and Southeast Asian Studies, JNU, was the first Indian to receive the "Special Book Award" for his contribution to Chinese studies, translation, publication of Chinese books and cultural exchange. 
• Rajiv Gandhi Manav Seva Award for the year, 2010 was announced. The winners of this prestagious award are Mira Kagti (Assam), Dr. S.A. Thasleem Sulthana (Andhara Pradesh) and for Dr.Mallika Nadda (Himachal Pradesh). Mira Kagti established Shishu Sarothi in 1987 for providing education, rehabilitation and training services to the children suffering from Cerebral Palsy and persons with disability. Dr. S.A. Thasleem Sulthana renders service to the orphaned and mentally handicapped children and works for the welfare; rehabilitation of mentally retarded, hearing impaired, visually challenged and physically challenged children. Dr.Mallika Nadda is a leading social activist in Himachal Pradesh. She founded Chetna, at Bilaspur a civil society initiative with a vision to integrate physically and mentally challenged children. She provides voluntary services and, material in kind, equipments, surgery intervention support, clothing etc. to the children. 
• Six novels, five collections of short stories, seven books of poetry and one book of folk tales and plays in 24 Indian languages were selected for the 2011 Kendra Sahitya Akademi Awards for Children's Literature. Five writers have been chosen for the Akademi's Bala Sahitya Puraskar for lifetime contribution to children's literature: Sailen Ghosh (Bengali), Shyam Dutt Parag (Dogri), Ramesh Parekh (Gujarati), Harikrishna Devsare (Hindi) and Maheswar Mohanty (Oriya).some of the short-story writers selected are Maheswar Narzary (Bodo), Mayanath Jha (Maithili), Dileep Prabhavalkar (Marathi), Harish B. Sharma (Rajasthani) and M. Bhoopal Reddy (Telugu).Bandita Phukan (Assamese), Siddhartha Sarma (English), Hundraj Balwani (Sindhi), N. D'souza (Kannada), Gajanan Jog (Konkani) and K. Pappootty (Malayalam) were the novelists selected for the award. Shantibala Devi (Manipuri) was chosen for her book of folk tales and plays.The awards comprise a prize purse of Rs. 50000 and a copper plaque. 
• The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports has announced the Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Award for the year 2010 to recognize the achievements of persons in the fields of Adventure. The following four persons have been selected for the Adventure Awards for the year 2010:-

1.      Ms. Reena Kaushal Dharmshaktu - Land Adventure, the first Indian woment to ski 900 Kms. From coast of Antarctica to the South Pole.

2.     Ms. Mamta Sodha - Land Adventure, scaled Mount Everst in 2010, she has scaled island Peak, 20589 fts., Shri Kanth Peak 20422 fts, Mun Peak 16000 fts, Phawara Rang Peak 21441 fts. She has also climbed Mount Everest- Eco Expedition- 29038 fts, Nepal.

3.     Shri Dilip Donde - Water Adventure, sailed Solo on INSV Mhadei undertaking Solo Circumnavigation of the earth round the “Three Great Capes” in 273 days

4.     Late Col. Balwant Singh Sandhu - Life Time Achievement (Posthumously)

SEPTEMBER

• Eminent Hindi authors Amar Kant and Shrilal Shukla was chosen for India's highest literary honour Jnanpith Award for 2009, while renowned Kannada litterateurChandrasekhar Kambar won it for 2010. Octogenarian Amar Kant is a leading author whose famous novel Inhin Hathiyaron Se earned him the Sahitya Akademi Award in 2007. Shukla is an eminent novelist and a satirist, whose works threw light on the falling moral values of the Indian society in the post-Independence era. His noted works include Raag Darbari, Makaan. In 2008, he was awarded the Padma Bhushan for his contribution to Indian literature and culture.Chandrasekhar Kambar who won the Jnanpith Award for is a novelist and playwright. His noted works include Takararinavaru, Saavirada Neralu. He is also recipient of the Sangeet Nataka Academy Award and the Sahitya Academy Award. 
• ONGC, Coal India (CIL) and NMDC were awarded by the government for best performance in different categories on 20 September. The Department of Public Enterprises (DPE) Secretary, Bhaskar Chatterjee gave away the awards. Best financial performance award in Maharatna and Navaratna category was given to ONGC. In Miniratna category, the best financial performance award award has been given to Goa Shipyard. Good Corporate Governance award in Maharatna and Navaratna category was also given to ONGC. The company of the year award in Maharatna category was given to CIL. The same awards for the Navaratna category were given to NMDC and Oil India. 
• The 44th Jnanpith Award for 2008 was presented to renowned Urdu poet Professor Akhlaq Mohammad Khan Shahryar for his distinguished contribution in enriching Indian literature. He was presented the award by actor Amitabh Bachhan in a glittering ceremony organised by the Bharatiya Jnanpith in New Delhi on 18 September 2011. 
• The Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) on 28 September 2011 conferred theRajiv Gandhi International Prize for Technology in Education and Development on the Azim Premji Foundation. The award instituted by the university in its silver jubilee year was presented to Azim Premji by Communications and Information Technology Minister Kapil Sibal. According to IGNOU, the award comprising of Rs. five lakh cash and a citation is given to individual or institution that contributed significantly in education, particularly educational technology, for development in developing countries across the world. 
• Legendary playback singer Lata Mangeshkar was honoured with the first Hridaynath award for her contribution to Indian music on 28 September 2011. She was presented a cheque of Rs one lakh, a trophy by Amitabh Bachchan. The award has been instituted by Hridayesh Art, a Mumbai- based socio-cultural organisation in honour of Lata Mangeshkar’s brother, Hridaynath Mangeshkar. 
• The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) on 26 September 2011 honoured 11 scientists with the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize for Science and Technology for the year 2011. 
  The list of the awardees in the different categories are as follows: 
  Biological Sciences-Dr Amit Prakash Sharma (International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, New Delhi) & Dr Rajan Sankaranarayanan (CSIR Centre for Cellular & Molecular Biology, Hyderabad). 
  Chemical Sciences-Dr Balasubramanian Sundaram (Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Bangalore) & Dr Garikapati Narahari Sastry (CSIR Indian Institute of Chemical Technology, Hyderabad are some of them. 
• Three distinguished Indian Americans, 2 inventors and a researcher were named by US President Barack Obama on 27 September 2011 as recipients of National Medal of Science, and for Technology and Innovation. New York University’s Srinivasa SR Vardhan, Purdue University’s Rakesh Agarwal, and North Carolina State University’s B Jayant Baliga were the three Indians selected dozen to receive the National Medal of Science, and for Technology and Innovation, the highest honor bestowed by the United States government on scientists, engineers as well as inventors.

OCTOBER

• Tehelka and the Week were jointly chosen for the International Press Institute (IPI) – India award for excellence in journalism, 2011for their outstanding journalistic work in 2010. The award was declared by the Indian chapter of the International Press Institute (IPI). The award comprises of a cash prize of Rs 1 lakh, a trophy and a citation.Led by Tarun J Tejpal weekly Tehelka was selected for its expose of the rent a riot tactics of the Sree Rama Sene in Karnataka, which admitted taking money to organise attacks on innocent persons and institutions. The Week was selected for its sustained investigative reporting on sham medical and dental colleges which had no doctors, no patients and no facilities and yet were permitted to award medical and dental degrees to thousands of students. 
• Tata Group Chairman Ratan Tata was honoured with the Swiss Ambassador's award for exceptional leadership and his contribution to strengthening bilateral ties between India and Switzerland on 16 October 2011. Switzerland's Ambassador to India Philippe Welti conferred the award to Tata at a ceremony at the Swiss embassy in New Delhi. The first Swiss Ambassador's award, founded in 2010, was conferred on film-maker Yash Chopra for his contribution to strengthening Indo-Swiss people-to-people relations through his movies.
• Dr M K Mani, pioneer of nephrology in India and currently chief nephrologist at the Apollo Hospital was on 20 October 2011 declared the winner of the 40th Dhanvantari Award. Mani pioneered innovative techniques and new regimen in management of kidney disorders. He is the recipient of many awards including Padma Bhushan and the Ravindranath Tagore award and has over 125 publications to his credit. The prestigious award, which recognises contribution in medical science, is being awarded annually since 1972. 
• British novelist Julian Barnes was on 18 October 2011 declared the unanimous winner of the 2011 £50,000 Man Booker prize for his novella, The Sense of an Ending. The novel is about a 60-something man forced to confront buried truths about his past after the unexpected arrival of a letter.
• The Hindu's Chhattisgarh correspondent, Aman Sethi on 19 October 2011 was awarded the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) award for the best Indian print media article on humanitarian issues at the India Islamic Cultural Centre. His article on three Chhattisgarh villages ruthlessly torched by police commandos in March 2011 was selected as the best of nearly 80 entries from across the country. About 300 homes and granaries were burnt in the five-day police operation that left three men dead, and three women sexually assaulted. Sethi's coverage initiated the local administration to probe the incident and send aid to the affected villages. The awards are instituted by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the Press Institute of India (PII) for articles published in an Indian national or regional newspaper or magazine in English or any of the Indian languages.
• Actor/director Amol Gupte's son, Partho Gupte who gave an excellent performance as the quick-witted Stanley in his father's Stanley Ka Dabba won the best actor award at the Schlingel International Film Festival that concluded in Chmnitz, Germany on 16 October 2011.Schlingel is the only film festival in the world devoted to films for and about children. It is a much evolved film festival. There were over 130 films in the competition. 
• Environmentalist, lawyer and former Union Minister, Mohan Dharia was selected as the winner of the 26th Indira Gandhi Award for National Integration in October 2011. Mohan Dharia was selected for the prestigious award for his yeoman's service in promoting and preserving spirit of national integration. The 86-year-old Padma Vibhushan awardee currently runs the Vanrai NGO in Pune. He was elected to Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha and has been Union Minister and Deputy Chairperson of Planning Commission from December 1990 to June 1991. Congress constituted the award in its centenary year to give recognition to outstanding contribution to the cause by an individual or institution. It carries a citation and cash prize of Rs. 5 lakh. Committee chair and Congress chief Sonia Gandhi will present the award on 31 October 2011, the anniversary of Indira Gandhi's death. 
• The 2011 Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Liberian peace activist Leymah Gbowee and Tawakkul Karman of Yemen for their work on women’s rights. The Norwegian Nobel Committee honoured the three women “for their non-violent struggle for the safety of women and for women’s rights to full participation in peace-building work.” Johnson Sirleaf, 72, is a Harvard-trained economist who became Africa’s first democratically elected female President in 2005. She was seen as a reformer and peacemaker in Liberia when she took office. Liberia was ravaged by civil wars for years until 2003. Liberian peace activist Leymah Gbowee, organised a group of Christian and Muslim women to challenge Liberia’s warlords. Tawakul Karman, 32, headed the Women Journalists without Chains, a human rights group for journalists. She had been a leading figure in organising the protests in Yemen that opposed the rule of President Ali Abdullah Saleh and which kicked off in late January. 
• Three scientists , American Bruce Beutler , French scientist Jules Hoffmann and Canadian-born Ralph Steinman (recently died), won the 2011 Nobel Prize in Medicine for discoveries about the immune system that opened new avenues for the treatment and prevention of infectious illnesses and cancer. Mr. Beutler and Mr. Hoffmann were cited for their discoveries in the 1990s of receptor proteins that can recognise bacteria and other microorganisms as they enter the body, and activate the first line of defence in the immune system, known as innate immunity. Mr. Steinman, 70, was honoured for the discovery two decades earlier of dendritic cells, which help regulate adaptive immunity, the next stage of the immune system’s response, when the invading microorganisms are purged from the body. Mr. Beutler is professor of genetics and immunology at The Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, California. Mr. Hoffmann headed a research laboratory in Strasbourg, France, between 1974 and 2009 and Mr. Steinman has been affiliated with Rockefeller University in New York since 1970, and heads its Center for Immunology and Immune Diseases. 
• Researchers Saul Perlmutter and Adam Riess of the United States and US-Australian Brian Schmidt won the 2011 Nobel Physics Prize for their research on supernovae. Nobel committee said, "They have studied several dozen exploding stars, called supernovae, and discovered that the universe is expanding at an ever-accelerating rate,” adding that their discovery had changed mankind's understanding of the universe. The award went to observations of ancient stars that flare in their death throes into becoming supernovae. Perlmutter, born in 1959, won half of the 10 million Swedish kronor ($1.48 million, 1.08 million euros) Nobel Prize, while Schmidt and Riess, born in 1969, were to share the other half, the Nobel jury said.
• Daniel Shechtman of Israel won the 2011 Nobel Chemistry Prize for discovering and revealing the secrets of quasi crystals, which has revolutionised the notion of solid matter. Quasicrystals, described by the Nobel jury as 'a remarkable mosaic of atoms', are patterns that are highly ordered and symmetrical but which do not repeat themselves. Quasicrystals have been found in the lab and some have been discovered to occur naturally in minerals. Shechtman, born in 1941, is currently a professor at Israel Institute of Technology in Haifa.
• The 2011 Nobel Prize in literature was awarded to Tomas Transtromer, a Swedish poet whose surrealistic works about the mysteries of the human mind won him acclaim as one of the most important Scandinavian writers since World War II. The academy said it awarded the 80-year-old poet “because, through his condensed, translucent images, he gives us fresh access to reality.” Mr. Transtromer’s most famous works include the 1966 “Windows and Stones,” in which he depicts themes from his many travels and “Baltics” from 1974. His works have been translated into more than 50 languages and influenced poets around the globe, particularly in North America. 
• US researchers Thomas Sargent and Christopher Sims won the 2011 Nobel Economics Prize for their work on macroeconomics and government economic policymaking. The jury said, This year's laureates "have developed methods for answering ... questions regarding the causal relationship between economic policy and different macro-economic variables, such as GDP, inflation, employment and investments”. 
• This 2011 Right Lively Hood Awards have been given to Huang Ming (China) for his outstanding success in the development and mass-deployment of cutting-edge technologies for harnessing solar energy. Jacqueline Moudeina (Chad) "for her tireless efforts at great personal risk to win justice for the victims of the former dictatorship in Chad and to increase awareness and observance of human rights in Africa” . GRAIN (International) “for their worldwide work to protect the livelihoods and rights of farming communities and to expose the massive purchases of farmland in developing countries by foreign financial interests”. Ina May Gaskin (USA) “for her whole-life’s work teaching and advocating safe, woman-centered childbirth methods that best promote the physical and mental health of mother and child“. The Right Livelihood Award s was established in 1980 to honour and support those "offering practical and exemplary answers to the most urgent challenges facing us today". It has become widely known as the 'Alternative Nobel Prize' .Presented annually in Stockholm at a ceremony in the Swedish Parliament.
• The Dalai Lama will receive the Mahatma Gandhi peace prize, the legendary Indian leader's granddaughter Ela Gandhi announced at Johannesburg on 2 October, Gandhi Jayanti and asked the South African government to grant a visa to the Tibetan spiritual leader to visit the country. The Mahatma Gandhi International Award for Peace and Reconciliation will be conferred on the 76-year-old Dalai Lama at the annual Satyagraha Awards to be held at the Durban City.
• Veteran actor-director Dev Anand will be honoured with the national Kishore Kumar Samman for the year 2010-11 by the Madhya Pradesh government. Similarly, noted music director, Rajesh Roshan will be bestowed with the national Lata Mangeshkar award.

NOVEMBER

• Former India cricket captain Ajit Wadekar was selected for the Col C.K. Nayudu Lifetime Achievement award. The award is to comprise a trophy, citation and cheque for Rs. 15 lakhs. 
• Veteran batsman Rahul Dravid was selected for the Polly Umrigar Award for India's best cricketer of 2010-11 season. India women's team captain Jhulan Goswami is also tobe honoured at the annual awards. This pacer will be awarded the M A Chidambaram Best Woman Cricketer of 2010-11 trophy for claiming 21 wickets in eight matches.
• Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari on 23 November 2011 conferred Nishan-i-Imtiaz (Military) upon General Hou Shusen, deputy chief of general staff of Chinese Peoples Liberation Army, at a special investiture ceremony in Islamabad. Pakistan awarded a top Chinese General with Nishan-i-Imtiaz (Military) for promoting friendship and strengthening bi-lateral ties between the two countries. The Nishan-i-Imtiaz is one of the state organized civil decorations of State of Pakistan. It is the highest honour along with the highest award Nishan-e-Pakistan given to any civilian in Pakistan.
• Leading NRI politician in the UK, Lord Navnit Dholakia, won Garavi Gujarat Hammer Award at the GG2 Leadership Awards 2011 for his outstanding achievements on 23 November 2011. Britain's Attorney General Dominic Grieve presented the award to Lord Dholakia. Dholakia is a British Liberal Democrat politician and the Deputy Leader of the Liberal Democrats in the House of Lords. Lord Dholakia is one of the most senior Asian politicians in Britain.
• Renowned scientist C N R Rao was conferred with the Ernesto Illy Trieste Science Prize for 2011 for his contribution to materials research. The honour was presented to Rao, who is the Chairman of Scientific Advisory Council to the Prime Minister, at a function in Trieste, Italy. The Prize, instituted by the Academy of Sciences of the Developing World, carries a cash component of 100,000 dollars, a medal and a citation. The Trieste Town Council and the Trieste International Foundation for Scientific Progress and Freedom are collaborating in this effort. Rao, 77, is the founder of Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR) in Bangalore. He has 1,500 research papers and is an author of 45 books. Rao also received the Firodia Lifetime Achievement Award a few days ago.
• India's first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru joined the elite club of Singaporechristened Friends to our Shore on 20 November 2011. Only four other world personalities are members of the coveted club. The club is in memory of their contribution to shaping the contemporary world history and their strong connection to Singapore. The measure was initiated by the Singapore National Heritage Board. The other four members in the list are- Polish-English writer Joseph Conrad (2004), Father of modern Vietnam Ho Chi Minh (2008), Filipino revolutionary leader Jose Rizal (2008) and Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping (2010).The statue of Nehru was unveiled on the banks of the Singapore river by the Indian PM Man Mohan Singh who visited Singapore for a bi-lateral discussions. Nehru visited Singapore thrice and the first was in May 1937 as part of his pan-Malayan tour. 
• Eminent Kannada author S. L. Bhyrappa was presented with 20th Saraswati Samman in literature for 2010 for his epic novel Mandra. The Saraswati Samman is awarded by the K. K. Birla Foundation to a work published in the last 10 years, selected from among works published in 25 Indian languages. The award carries a prize of Rs.7.5 lakh. 
• The Simhadri super thermal power station in the State has won Swarn Shakti award in the area of productivity (coal project) category. The award was presented by CMD of NTPC Arup Roy at a function in new Delhi on Wednesday. 
• Vinoba Sewa Ashram founders Ramesh Bhaiya and Vimla Bahan, and social activists Anupam Mishra, Shobhana Ranade and Agus Indra Udayana were awarded 2011 Jamnalal Bajaj Awards on 7 November 2011. Anupam Mishra was chosen for Application of Science and Technology for Rural Development, while Ranade was selected for her work in Development and Welfare of Women and Children. Indra Udayana received the award for promoting Gandhian Values outside India and Ramesh Bhaiya and Vimla Bahan were chosen for the Award for Constructive Work. Each award comprised a citation, a trophy and Rs five lakh in cash. The awards were presented by spiritual leader Morari Bapu.
• A traditional tribal institution of Meghalaya on 4 November 2011 announced Former South African President Nelson Mandela the winner of People's Parliament Global Award.Grand Council of Chiefs of Meghalaya (GCCM) chairman John F. Kharshiing declared that Mandela was chosen for the award because of his sacrifice for the struggle against apartheid. Besides, three journalists — Aroon Purie, Rajdeep Sardesai and Arnab Goswami would also be given the People's Parliament National Awards for their unbiased, ethical and investigative reporting. These awards, instituted by GCCM, would be conferred at a function to be held at Asananggre near Tura in West Garo Hills District on 14 November 2011.Earlier, former United States Vice-President Al Gore was conferred the People's Parliament Global Award for promoting awareness on climate change. 
• India won two prestigious awards- Best Destination and Best Marketing Campaign as the World's Leading Destination at the World Travel Awards 2011on 8 November 2011. Union Tourism Minister, Subodh Kant Sahai received the awards from Graham Cooke, Chairman, World Travel Awards in London. The awards will boost the government of India’s efforts to brand India as a global tourist destination. India will hold its first Global Travel Mart on 12 December 2012 to reinforce India’s commitment to become a major player in world tourism.

DECEMBER

• World renowned architect and Goa’s Charles Correa was bestowed with Goa's highest civilian honour, the Gomant Vibhushan, on the eve of the Golden Jubiliee of Goa's Liberation. The award was presented to him by Goa governor K Shankaranarayanan. Correa is the second recipient of the Gomant Vibhushan, the first being eminent nuclear scientist Anil Kakodkar, who was awarded the Gomant Vibhushan in 2010. Correa has earlier been conferred with India's Padma Shri and Padma Vibhushan.
• Twenty-two writers were selected for the prestigious Sahitya Akademi awards for2011. Eight books of poetry, seven novels, three essays and one each short story, narrative history; biography and play were selected for the awards. Writers in 23 languages are recongised every year by the Akademi. The awards that are given every year and contain an engraved cooper plaque, a shawl and a cheque of Rs 1 lakh. Tamil novelist Su Venkatesan's , debut novel Kaval Kottam earned him the coveted Sahitya Akademi Award in Tamil section. The book is about the 600-year old history of the city of Madurai and a security system that prevailed there. Hindi novelist, Kashinath singh was also selected. Lalit Magotra (Dogri), Grace (Marathi) and Samala Sadasiva (Telugu) received the award for their books on essays. Historian Ramachandra Guha was chosen for the award for his book of narrative history - India after Gandhi. 
• The Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences on 21 December 2011 chose Apple co-founder Steve Jobs to be posthumously honoured with a Grammy award for his contribution to music technology. Jobs is to be honoured as a creative visionary. He is one of 11 people who will be honoured with special awards. Jobs, who died on 5 October 2011 of pancreatic cancer, will receive a Trustees Award on 13 February 2012 for helping create products that transformed the way music, TV, movies and books are consumed. 
• Hema Malini, Veteran Bollywood actress, was named the person of the year by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). PETA named her the Person of the Year for raising her voice to oppose cruelty to animals and her staunch commitment to a vegetarian diet.The Dream Girl on behalf of PETA had recently appealed to the minister of Environment and Forests to take immediate steps to end the cruel tradition of jallikattu. Jallikattu is a sport event in Tamil Nadu in which terrified bulls are kicked, punched, jumped on, dragged to the ground and otherwise tormented.
• Jamil Ahmad was declared the winner of the Shakti Bhatt First Book Prize for his book The Wandering Falcon at the British Council in New Delhi on 21 December 2011. The Wandering Falcon, is a narrative about the lives of tribal people along the borders of Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iran. The book contained personal sights, sounds, actual faces and conversations. The book that has won critical acclaim worldwide was written decades ago . He started writing the book in 1971, it was completed by 1973 .Born in Jalandhar in 1933, Jamil Ahmad is a Pakistani national. The prize is set up in memory of writer and editor Shakti Bhatt. 
• Vice President and Rajya Sabha Chairman M Hamid Ansari released two books Expression of Thoughts (English) and Izhar-e-Khayal (Urdu) authored by K.Rahman Khan, Deputy Chairman of Rajya Sabha in New Delhi on 19 December 2011.The books in English and Urdu are compilation of his selected speeches on various subjects like Parliament, democracy and governance, economy and business, besides issues of equity, justice and secularism, women empowerment and development.
• The Forbes' 30 under 30 list was prepared by selecting young turks from 12 diverse fields including energy, finance, media, law, entertainment, science, design and technology.Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg, human rights activist Ronan Farrow and pop stars Lady Gaga and Justin Bieber are also included in Forbes magazine's list of top-achieving people under age 30.The list released in December 2011 included 10 people of Indian origin.Some of the the Indian-origin people on the list is 17 year old Param Jaggi, a student and inventor at Austin College. Jaggi created algae-filled device that fits over a car's tailpipe and turns carbon dioxide into oxygen. Vivek Nair, Chief Executive of Damascus Fortune, who is developing a technology that transforms industrial carbon emissions into carbon nanotubes was also named in the list. Manvir Nijhar, Co-Head of European Equity Derivatives Sales at Citigroup was named as well. Kunal Shah, the youngest Managing Director at Goldman Sachs was also included in the list.
• Lord Swraj Paul, leading NRI industrialist was conferred with the Life Time Achievement award for his outstanding contributions in various fields. The award, instituted by an Indian company Powerbrands, was presented to Lord Paul on 12 December 2011 by Subrata Roy, chief of the Sahara Group. Paul was awarded the Padma Bhushan by the Government of India in 1983. He was elevated to the British Peerage in 1996.Raghupati Singhania of J K Tyres was earlier given the Powerbrands Hall of Fame Award.
• S.R. Nathan, former President of the Republic of Singapore presented the Sangita Kalanidhi M.S. Subbulakshmi Award to Trichy Sankaran at the inauguration of the 85th annual conference of the Music Academy in Chennai on 15 December 2011. Trichy Sankaran is the mridangam maestro.
• Siddhartha Mukherjee, the Indian origin American physician who won the Pulitzer Prize for General Nonfiction, has added another literary accolade by winning the Guardian First Book Award for his “biography” of cancer. Mukherjee is assistant professor of Medicine at Columbia University.
• The Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh presented the K. Karunakaran Foundation Best Administrator of India Award- 2011 to Union Finance Minister Shri Pranab Mukherjee at a function in New Delhi. Pranab Mukherjee has been selected as the first person to receive this award. 
• Prime Minister Manmohan Singh presented the National Energy Conservation Awards 2011 in New Delhi. Prominent winners from Andhra Pradesh are GMR Hyderabad International Airport, KCP Cement and South Central Railway, Secunderabad received awards. 
• 18-year old Jyoti Amge from Nagpur, Maharashtra received Guinness World Record as the shortest women in the world with the height of 62.8 cm
• Akkineni International Foundation announced ANR National Award 2011 for Bollywood actress Hemamalini. The award will carry Rs.5 lakh cash prize. ANR Award was first awarded to Devanand in 2005 
• Former president A.P.J. Abdul Kalam presented the Justice P.N. Bhagwati Award to O.P. Jindal Global University chancellor and managing director of Jindal Steel and Power Ltd, Naveen Jindal on 6 December 2011. The award was conferred upon Jindal for his outstanding contribution to legal education and corporate philanthropy. Justice P.N. Bhagwati Award has been instituted by the Capital Foundation. The Bhagwati Award was also given to Arun Mohan, a senior advocate in the Supreme Court, in recognition of his outstanding contribution to access to justice.
• The 42nd edition of International Film Festival of India (IFFI) was held in Panaji, Goa from 23 November to 3 December 2011. Film star Shah Rukh Khan inaugurated the 42nd edition of IFFI. The inaugural ceremony was marked by presentation of Life Time Achievement award to french filmmaker Bertrand Tavernier by Shah Rukh Khan. 
• The Golden Peacock Award for the Best Film was given to a Columbian Film Porfirio. 
• The Silver Peacock Award for Best Actor (Female) category was given to the actor Nadezhda Markina for her role in the Russian film Elena. Whereas, the Silver Peacock Award for Best Actor (Male) category was won by Sasson Gabey for his role in an Israeli film Restoration. 
• The Special Jury Award was presented to Salim Ahamed for directing Malayalam film Adaminte Makan Abu meaning Abu, Son of Adam. 
• Three girls, Sangeeta Bauri, Bina Kalindi and Mukti Majhi from Purilia village inWest Bengal were honoured by President of India Pratibha Patil with Rs.10,000 cash prize each for opposing the forcible marriage arranged by parents. 
• The Karnataka State government on 1 December 2011 announced its decision to confer the prestigious Basava Sri Award for the year 2010 on noted environment activist Medha Patkar. Social activist and Narmada Bachao Andolan leader Medha Patkar was chosen for the Basava award for the year 2010 for excellence in service in the social sector.