1) 6 Indian-Americans receive 2015 Ellis Island Medals of Honor in US.
- Six Indian-Americans and a British-Indian were presented prestigious 2015 Ellis Island Medals of Honor in United States for their contributions to America.
- They were among nearly 100 individuals who were presented this prestigious award recently in New York.
- Indian-American winners include
- Meera Gandhi: Founder of the Giving Back Foundation. It had played important role alleviating poverty illness, and suffering and also had addressed education issues which affect women and children around the world.
- Chad P. Gehani: Former president of the New York State Dental Association. In 2006, was honored with Foundation of Excellence in Community Service Award by the New York State Dental Foundation.
- S. Mona Sinha: Chairperson of the Asian Women’s Leadership University (AWLU) Project, and is founding member of AWLU that focuses on empowering women as future leaders of Asia.
- K.V. Kumar: He is managing partner of Kumar & Talvadkar Associates, a Management Consulting Company. He was instrumental in successfully implementing various projects in different fields.
- Baroness Sandip Verma: Member of the House of Lords of United Kingdom. He is a former junior minister at the Department of Energy and Climate Change in the UK.
- Rajdeep K. Dhami.
- About Ellis Island Medals of Honor
- It is an American award founded by the National Ethnic Coalition of Organizations. The award pays homage to the immigrant for their experience and contribution made to America. It is awarded to native-born and naturalized US citizens.
2) Shivani Agarwal and Maharaja Pandit selected for prestigious Radcliffe Fellowship by Harvard University.
- Shivani Agarwal and Maharaja Pandit are two Indians who have been selected for the prestigious Radcliffe Fellowship by Harvard University.
- Shivani Agarwal is from Indian Institute of Science has been selected as William and Flora Hewlett Foundation Fellow for learning to make choices in the era of big data.
- About Radcliffe Fellowship:
- Radcliffe Fellowship by Harvard University is considered as one of the most prestigious honors for faculty for Advanced Study.
- The fellowship is dedicated to creating and sharing transformative ideas across the arts, sciences, social sciences and humanities.
- Annually the fellowship Program supports the work of 50 leading artists and scholars across the world.
3) Hungarian writer Laszlo Krasznahorkai won the 2015 Man Booker International Prize.
- Hungarian writer Laszlo Krasznahorkai won the prestigious Man Booker International Prize for 2015 at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.
- He was announced as sixth winner of the award at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.
- He received a cash prize of 60000 pound.
- About Man Booker International Prize:
- Man Booker International Prize is an international literary award given every two years to a living author of any nationality for a body of work published in English or generally available in English translation.
4) Indian Film Masaan won FIPRESCI Award at 68th Cannes film festival.
- Indian Movie Masaan won the International Federation of Film Critics (FIPRESCI) award at the 68th Cannes International Film Festival.
- The film is directorial debut of Neeraj Ghaywan.
- It stars Vicky Kaushal, Shweta Tripathi along with Richa Chadda.
- The movie was showcased in the Uncertain Regard section at the movie gala, following which it received a five-minute standing ovation.
- The film is based in Varanasi and its characters are connected with the River Ganges.
- Apart from Masaan, Hungarian film Son of Saul by Laszlo Nemes won the critics prize in official competition and the other movie `Paulina` won the prize in parallel sections.
-
5) Two Indians posthumously chosen for UN’s prestigious Dag Hammarskjold Medal.
- Two Indian peacekeepers have been chosen posthumously for United Nation’s Dag Hammarskjold Medal.
- They are Lance Naik Nand Ram and Raju Joseph.
- Both of them are among the 126 police, military and civilian personnel who have been posthumously awarded a prestigious UN medal.
- They have been chosen for this award for their courage and sacrifice while serving in UN peacekeeping operations in 2014 and lost their lives as a result of hostile acts, accidents and disease.
- They will be presented with this medal on May 29, 2015 i.e. on the International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers.
- Lance Naik Nand Ram had served with the UN Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO).
- While, Raju Joseph had served in a civilian capacity with the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS).
- About Dag Hammarskjold Medal
- Established in December 2000.
- Awarded posthumously to members of peacekeeping operations who lost their lives during service with a peacekeeping operation under the operational control and authority of the United Nations.
- Named after second UN Secretary General and Swedish diplomat Dag Hammarskjold (In office: from 1953 to 1961). Hammarskjold had died in a mysterious plane crash in 1961.
- He was posthumously awarded Nobel Peace Prize the year he died (exceptional case).
- In 2014, eight Indian soldiers had posthumously received the medal.
6) TNPL Bags Dun and Bradstreet Corporate award.
- The Tamil Nadu Newsprint and Papers Limited (TNPL) has bagged the Dun and Bradstreet Corporate award under the paper and paper products category.
- Dun and Bradstreet India has selected TNPL as top Indian company under the paper and paper products category and the award was received by A. Velliangiri, Deputy Managing Director, TNLI, from Bibek Debroy, permanent member, NITI Aayog, in Mumbai recently, according to a TNPL release.
- This is the fourth consecutive year that the TNPL had bagged the award, the release added.
In 68th Cannes Film Festival 2015 French director Jacques Audiard won The `Palme d’Or` Prize.
- French thriller movie Dheepan was honoured with the Palme d`Or top prize at the Cannes Film Festival. The film brings a spotlight on the plight of traumatised refugees building new lives.
- Indian film `Masaan` directed by Neeraj Ghaywan won the Promizing Future `Prize Ex-aequo` at the festival.
- Awards at 68th Cannes Film Festival:
- The Grand Prix: Son of Saul, directed by László Nemes.
- Best director: Hou Hsiao-Hsien for The Assassin.
- Screenplay: Michel Franco for Chronic.
- Best actress: Emmanuelle Bercot in Mon Roi and Rooney Mara in Carol.
- Best Actor: Vincent Lindon in The Measure of a Man.
- Camera d’Or: La Tierra Y La Sombra, directed by César Augusto Acevedo.
- Short Films Palme d Or: Waves ’98, directed by Ely Dagher.
- The Jury Prize: The Lobster, directed by Yorgos Lanthimos.