November 2011
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 to be 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.