Sahitya Akademi Awards

Twenty-two writers selected on 21 December for the prestigious Sahitya Akademi awards for2011. Eight books of poetry, seven novels, three essays and one each short stories, narrative history, biography and play were selected for the awards. Writers in 23 languages are recongised every year by the Akademi.The books were selected on the basis of recommendations made by a jury of three members in each language. The awards that are given every year and contain an engraved cooper plaque, a shawl and a cheque of Rs.1 lakh.

Sahitya Akademi awards for Poetry Poets chosen for the award includes: Late Kabin Phukan (Assamese), Manindra Gupta (Bengali), Premananda Mosahari (Bodo), Naseem Shafaie (Kashmiri),
Melvyn Rodrigues (Konkani), Harekrishna Satapathy (Sanskrit), Aditya Kumar Mandi (Santali) and Khaleel Mamoon (Urdu).

Sahitya Akademi awards for Novels Novelists who won the award include: Kashinath Singh (Hindi), Kshetri Bira (Manipuri), Kalpanakumari Devi (Odia), Baldev Singh (Punjabi) and Atul Kanakk (Rajasthani). Award & Prizes  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

Awardees in Essays Category Lalit Magotra (Dogri), Grace (Marathi) and Samala Sadasiva (Telugu) received the award for their books on essays.

Awardees in Other Sections :Historian Ramachandra Guha was chosen for the award for his book of narrative history - India After Gandhi. Mohan Parmar (Gujarati) was chosen for his short stories, M.K. Sanu (Malayalam) for his biography and Mohan Gehani (Sindhi) for his
book on plays.

Bharatendu Harish Chandra Awards

Fourteen persons (Leading writers and journalists) were given Bharatendu Harish Chandra Awards for 2009 and 2010 by Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting, S Jagathrakshakan on 28 December 2011.

2009 Winners : The first prize in the Journalism and Mass Communication category for the year 2009 was awarded to Dilip Chandra Mandal for his manuscript Corporate, Loktantra aur Paid News. Kumud Sharma’s book Samachar Bazar ki Naitikta bagged the second prize. The third prize went jointly to Shivananda Kamde for his book Cartoon Patrakarita and Dr. Akela Bhai for his book Radio Sahitya aur Patrakarita. In the Women’s issues category, the first prize for 2009 was given to Lata Kot for her manuscript Adha Asmaan Hamara. The first prize in Children’s Literature category for 2009 was given to Ghamandi Lal Agrawal for his book ‘Geet Gyan Vigyan Ke’ and the second prize to Renu Saini for her manuscript ‘Bachpan ka Safar’.

2010 Winners :For 2010 the second prize in Journalism and Mass Communication category was awarded to Pranjal Dhar’s manuscript Samkaleen Vaishwik Patrakarita Mei Akhbaar. No one was awarded first prize for 2010 in this category. In Women’s issues category for 2010, Suman Rai’s book Gharelu Hinsa mein Mahila Sanrakshan Adhiniyam 2005, 2006 got the first prize. Sanjeev
Jaiswal Sanjay’s book Dooba Hua Qila and the book Cycle Par Thaa Kavva by Prabhat received the first  and second prize respectively in the Children’s Literature category. In the National Integration category for 2010, Shiv Kumar Rai’s manuscript ‘Meri Jati Bhartiya’ was given the first prize.

About Bharatendu Harish Chandra Awards: The Bhartendu Harishchandra Awards are given to published or unpublished books in  four categories- Journalism and Mass Communication, Women’s  Issues, Children’s Literature and National Integration. The awards were instituted in 1983 to encourage original  Hindi writings on topics related to journalism and mass communication. Awards for writings on women’s issues, children’s literature and national integration were included in from 1992-93. The Awards scheme is coordinated by Publications Division, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India. The Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, increased the Bhartendu Harishchandra award money from the year 2009. For journalism and mass communication categories, the first prize now carries an award of Rs 75000, up from Rs 35000 earlier. The amount for the second prize was increased from Rs 25000 to Rs.50000 and the third from Rs.20000 to Rs.40000. For books in category of Women’s Issues, Children’s Literature and National Integration, the first prize carries an award of Rs 40000 instead of Rs.15000 and the second prize Rs.20000 instead of Rs.10000.

Mahatma Gandhi International Award

Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama was presented the Mahatma Gandhi International Award for Peace and Reconciliation on 4 January 2011, the fourth day of the tenday Kalachakra initiations. The grand daughter of Mahatma Gandhi, Ila Gandhi, presented the award, instituted in 2003, to the Dalai Lama at the Kalachakra ground. Ila Gandhi, who is based in South Africa, is chairman of the Gandhi Development Trust that gives the award. Tibetan Nobel Peace Laureate on the occasion encouraged everyone to use human intelligence in challenging and overcoming negative emotions with positive emotions. He mentioned in his speech that disarmament is needed to attain complete non-violence. He also mentioned that mental peace results in non-violent actions and mental unrest causest he opposite. He concluded by stating that the real path to a happy life is not through money n power but through honesty and compassion. The Dalai Lama was supposed to have received the award in October 2011 as part of a much anticipated visit to South Africa. The visit however had to be called off following a five-week wait for a visa to be issued. Former recipients of the Mahatma Gandhi International Award include Burmese pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, South African leader Nelson Mandela and Tanzania’s Julius Nyerere.

Justice P.N. Bhagwati Award

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. Naveen Jindal is the Founding Chancellor of the O.P. Jindal Global University. He is also a Member of Parliament, the Chairman and Managing Director of Jindal Steel and Power Ltd (JSPL),
and a sports enthusiast. The O.P. Jindal Global University has four schools: Jindal Global Law School (JGLS), Jindal Global Business School (JGBS), Jindal School of International Affairs (JSIA) and Jindal School of Government and Public Policy (JGSP). 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. Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal and Law and Justice Minister Salman Khurshid were conferred the Justice V.R. Krishna Iyer Award on the occassion.

Life Time Achievement Award

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. Lord Paul, Chairman of the Caparo Group, dedicated the award to the ordinary people of India who he fells
have little, but never complains. Philanthropist and Labour politician, Lord Paul is the chancellor of the University of Wolverhampton and the University of Westminster. 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.

42nd International Film Festival of India (IFFI)

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, which was revived after almost 10 years to French film maker Bertrand Tavernier by Shah Rukh Khan. The opening film of the festival was The Consul of Bordeaux, directed by Francisco Manso and Joao Correa. The 42nd IFFI came to an end with the Asia premiere of the film The Lady directed by Luc Besson. For the first time, the inauguration ceremony was held 30 km away from the main action point. There was a first-ever open screen on a football ground for free display of soccer films. The festival was the first to feature the new sections like 3D, Animation (Sketches on Screen) and Festival Kaleidoscope films.

Awards presented during the Festival: The 42nd International Film Festival of India come to an end at the Kala Academy in Panaji with the presentation of awards in five different segments. The Golden Peacock Award for the Best Film was given to a Columbian Film Porfirio. The Chief Guest of the closing ceremony, Southern Superstar, Suriya presented the award to the Director Alejandro Landes and Producer, Francisco Aljure. 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. The Special Jury Award carries a Silver Peacock Trophy, a certificate and Rs. 15 lakh. The five members Jury under the chairmanship of Adoor Gopalakrishnan had screened 14 films from as many countries and unanimously decided the awards.

Gomant Vibhushan

World renowned architect and Goa's son-of-the-soil Charles Correa was bestowed with Goa's highest civilian honour, the Gomant Vibhushan, on the eve of the Golden Jubiliee of Goa's Liberation on 18 December 2011. The award was presented to him by Goa governor K Shankaranarayanan. Goa governor presented Correa with the over halfmetre high, glass-encased brass replica of Goa's state symbol along with a cash award of Rs 5 lakh and a citation in one of Correa's own architectural creations, the Kala Academy at Panaji. Correa's architectural genius and projects dotsnot only Indian cities but also cities around the world, including Boston and Lisbon. 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.

Clean Development Mechanism Project Award

Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) won a green award for reducing emissions of polluting gases in the national capital by 6.3 lakh tons every year. The best Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) project award was presented at Urban Mobility Conference, 2011 which concluded in New Delhi on 7 December 2011. The best CDM award was given to Delhi Metro for for its Modal Shift Project under which it became  the first Metro rail and rail-based system in the world to be certified by United Nations for getting carbon credits for reducing green house gas(GHG) emissions. Delhi Metro,which ferries around 18 lakh people daily, helped to reduce pollution levels in the city by 6.3 lakh tonnes every year, thus helping in reducing global warming. DMRC director (Works) Mangu Singh received the award on the organisation's behalf. This is the second CDM project from DMRC to be registered with the UN in the last three years. DMRC's first CDM project on regenerative braking had also achieved many international firsts apart from earning valuable foreign exchange for the country.

Grammy Award

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. Apple Computer Inc first received a Technical  Grammy Award in 2002 for contributions
of outstanding technical significance to the recording field. Bandleader and composer Dave Bartholomew, recording engineer Rudy Van Gelder will also receive the award along with Jobs. The academy also picked the Allman Brothers, Glen Campbell, Diana Ross and Brazilian pianist/singer/guitarist Antonio Carlos Jobim as recipients of Lifetime Achievement Awards. Jobim was known for composing The Girl
from Ipanema, a worldwide hit in the mid-1960s which won a Grammy for Record of the Year in 1965. Trumpeter Wayne Jackson, saxophonist  Andrew Love of the Memphis Horns, country legend George Jones, and the late Gil Scott-Heron were also named as recipients. German sound-technology firm Celemony and the late audio engineer  Roger Nichols, who worked with artists including Ross, Placido Domingo, James Taylor and Stevie Wonder, were also recognised with Grammy Technical Awards. The Trustees Awards are given to people who make a contribution to music beyond performance. The Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences also chose seven performers to receive Lifetime Achievement Awards: The Allman Brothers Band, Glen Campbell, Antonio Carlos Jobim,
George Jones, The Memphis Horns, Diana Ross, Gil Scott-Heron.

Shakti Bhatt First Book Prize

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 and then went into hibernation for 40 years. He started writing the book in 1971, it was completed by 1973 and then it hibernated for 40 years. Born in Jalandhar in 1933, Jamil Ahmad is a Pakistani national. He had not agreed to the demands of  the publishers, which eventually led to the book being locked away for four decades. The book was published
by Hamish Hamilton — an imprint of Penguin earlier in 2011. Ahmad was posted in Quetta in 1959 where he first came into contact with tribals and was fascinated by their lives and their stories. The former civil servant from Pakistan, Ahmad gave away the prize money of Rs. 1 lakh to St. Columba's School, where he was enrolled from 1941 to 1944. The prize is set up in memory of writer and editor Shakti
Bhatt. A shortlist of six books was announced ahead of the prize ceremony. The shortlist included The Collaborator by Mirza Waheed, The Truth About Me by A. Revathi, Chinaman by Shehan Karunatilaka, A Free Man by Aman Sethi and R.D. Burman: The Man, The Music by  Anirudha Bhattacharjee and BalajiVittal. The winner was chosen by a jury comprising graphic novelist and illustrator Sarnath Bannerjee, writer and blogger Jai Arjun Singh, and novelist Palash Krishna Mehrotra.

Sangita Kalanidhi M.S. Subbulakshmi Award

S.R. Nathan, former President of the Republic of Singaporepresented the Sangita Kalanidhi M.S. Subbulakshmi Award to Sangita Kalanidhi-elect Trichy Sankaran at the inauguration of the 85th annual
conference of the Music Academy in Chennai on 15 December 2011. S.R. Nathan also inaugurated the 85th annual conference of the Music Academy. On the occassion the second volume of the Sangita
Sampradaya Pradarsini was launched. The Music Academy and the Singapore Indian Fine Arts Society (SIFAS) exchanged a memorandum of understanding on education and training in Carnatic music, drafting of syllabus and training of teachers during the inaugral ceremony. The Music Academy pioneered the Margazhi music festival in Chennai, which had evolved into a wondrous phenomenon that greatly enriched the cultural underpinning of the city over the last eight decades. The festival remains unparalleled for its sheer size, aesthetics, quality and undiluted classicism. Trichy Sankaran:Trichy Sankaran is
the mridangam maestro and flagbearer of the Pudukottai' percussive tradition. Trichy is 2011’s designate for the Academy's Sangita Kalanidhi. Trichy Sankaran, who is based in Toronto became the first recipient of the Sangita Kalanidhi title in the Pudukkottai parampara of his guru