1) C.N.R. Rao conferred with Japan`s highest civilian award.
- The Emperor of Japan (Akihito) has conferred the highest Civilian Award, the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Star, to Professor C.N.R. Rao.
- He was bestowed with this award for his outstanding contributions to science and Indo-Japanese science cooperation.
- About C.N.R. Rao(Chintamani Nagesa Ramachandra Rao ):
- Born: June 30
- Professor Rao is a National Research Professor, Linus Pauling Research Professor and Honorary President of the Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR), Bengaluru.
- He had been bestowed with about 70 honorary doctorates and had received the highest civilian award of India, Bharat Ratna.
2) President Pranab Mukherjee honours talent at 62nd National Film Award.
- President Pranab Mukherjee presented the 62nd National Film Awards at a glittering ceremony here studded with talent representing the diversity of the Indian film industry.
- A special film on Shashi Kapoor was also shown on the occasion, where Pallavi Joshi and Rajat Kapoor played the hosts.
- 45 awards in Feature Film category and a total of 21 awards in the Non-Feature film category were presented.
- Best Actress: kangana Ranaut for Queen.
- Best actor: Vijay Kumar for Kannada film "Nanu Avanalla Avalu".
- Dadasaheb Phalke award: Shri Sashi Kapoor.
- Best Popular Film : Mary Kom.
- Best Children`s Film: Tie between Marathi entertainer "Elizabeth Ekadashi" and Tamil movie "Kaakkaa Muttai".
- Best Feature film: Marathi Film Court.
- Best Director: Srijit Mukherji For Bengali Film Chotushkone.
3) Syrian journalist Mazen Darwish Honoured with UNESCO/ Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize.
- The UN`s cultural body awarded its annual press freedom prize to Mazen Darwish, a Syrian journalist and rights activist.
- Mazen Darwish was bestowed with this award by the UN’s Cultural body for recognition of his work carried out in Syria for more than 10 years at great personal sacrifice, harassment, enduring a travel ban, as well as repeated detention and torture.
- Presently he has been detained since February 2012, when he was arrested with colleagues Hani Al-Zitani and Hussein Ghareer by the Bashar al-Assad’s regime.
4) West Bengal`s Nadia district gets UN Public Service Award.
- Nadia district in West Bengal has won the 2015 United Nations Public Service Award in the category of improving delivery of public services for the initiative ‘Sabar Shouchagar’.
- Nadia district is the first open defecation free district in country. The district had achieved this feat by making toilets available for all under state governments flagship programme Sabar Shouchagar.
- Nadia has become the winner of this global award from our entire country through a tough competition with multiple entries from 187 countries.
- The Award would be handed over by the UN Secretary General on June 23, 2015 in Medellin, Republic of Colombia.
5) Charlie Hebdo awarded 2015 PEN Freedom of Expression Courage award.
- French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo was awarded the 2015 Freedom of Expression Courage Award at a star-studded gala at the American Museum of Natural History.
- The satirical magazine was recognized for this award by PEN American Centre as 12 of its staff members had died during January 2015 terrorist attack on its Paris based office.
About Charlie Hebdo:
- Charlie Hebdo is a weekly French satirical news magazine.
- Established: 1970.
- Ceased publication: 1981.
- Relaunched: 1992.
- Headquarters: Paris, France.