India`s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru joined the elite club of Singapore christened 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. 

 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 2011 on 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.