1. NIMHANS Receives Nelson Mandela Award for Health Promotion (2024)
Tags: Awards
The National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS) in Bengaluru honored with the Nelson Mandela Award for Health Promotion for 2024 by the World Health Organization (WHO).
An Overview of the News
NIMHANS is an Institute of National Importance operating under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
Union Health Minister Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya extends congratulations to NIMHANS, emphasizing the award as a testament to India’s commitment to inclusive healthcare.
Union Health Secretary Apurva Chandra also commends NIMHANS and expresses satisfaction at the global recognition of India's strides and innovations in mental health.
Award Criteria:
The Nelson Mandela Award for Health Promotion, established by WHO in 2019, celebrates the outstanding contributions of individuals, institutions, governmental, or non-governmental organizations to health promotion.
India’s Healthcare Impact:
The recognition underscores India’s efforts and leadership in advancing mental health initiatives on a global scale.
2. Uttar Pradesh teenager Aarti wins Amal Clooney Women Empowerment Award in London
Tags: Awards
Arti, an 18-year-old rickshaw driver hailing from Uttar Pradesh (UP), has been honored with the prestigious Amal Clooney Women's Empowerment Award at the Prince's Trust Awards in London, UK.
An Overview of the News
Her recognition comes as a result of her impactful contribution to the Indian government's Pink E-rickshaw initiative, inspiring numerous young girls through her involvement.
After Receiving Award, Arti Meets King Charles III at Buckingham Palace in London.
The Women's Empowerment Award is named after the distinguished English Barrister Amal Clooney.
Pink E-Rickshaw Initiative Launch and Objective:
The Pink E-Rickshaw Initiative was introduced under the Mission Shakti scheme by the Indian government.
Its primary goal is to empower women and enhance their access to income-generating avenues across India.
Subsidized Pink E-Rickshaws:
As part of the initiative, pink e-rickshaws were made available to female drivers with subsidies.
This measure aimed to facilitate women's entry into the transportation sector while reducing financial barriers.
Empowerment and Accessibility:
The initiative seeks to enhance the empowerment of women by providing them with employment opportunities.
By offering safe transportation options, it enhances the accessibility of income-generating activities for women in various regions.
Additional Information:- Aarti was first introduced in the Pink e-Rickshaw program in July 2023 by the Government of India through Project Lehar, a collaboration between Prince's Trust International and the Aga Khan Foundation (AKF).
3. Payal Kapadia Becomes First Indian Filmmaker to Win Grand Prix at Cannes
Tags: Awards Person in news
Payal Kapadia becomes the first Indian filmmaker to win the Grand Prix award at the Cannes Film Festival.
An Overview of the News
Kapadia's film “All We Imagine as Light” won the Grand Prix, the second-most prestigious prize after the Palme d’Or.
The film is the first Indian film in 30 years and the first ever by an Indian female director to be showcased in the main competition at Cannes.
Prestigious Competition
Kapadia’s film competed against works by renowned directors like Francis Ford Coppola, Sean Baker, Yorgos Lanthimos, Paul Schrader, Magnus Von Horn, and Paolo Sorrentino.
The jury was presided over by Greta Gerwig, the director of ‘Ladybird’ and ‘Barbie’.
Previous Awards:
Three years ago, Payal Kapadia won the ‘le prix du Documentaire’ for Best Documentary for ‘A Night of Knowing Nothing’ at Cannes.
First Feature Film:
'All We Imagine As Light’ is Kapadia’s first feature film.
Film Synopsis of ‘All We Imagine As Light’
The film, an Indo-French production, tells the story of a nurse named Prabha who receives an unexpected gift from her estranged husband, causing disruption in her life.
Legacy of Indian Films at Cannes
Notable Selections: Other Indian films that have previously been selected for the Cannes competition section include works by Chetan Anand, V Shantaram, Raj Kapoor, Satyajit Ray, MS Sathyu, and Mrinal Sen.
Previous Winner: ‘Neecha Nagar’ remains the only Indian film to have won a Palme d’Or.
4. FTII Student Film Wins ‘La Cinef’ Award at 77th Cannes Film Festival
Tags: Awards
"Sunflowers were the first ones to know" directed by Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) student Chidananda S Naik wins the ‘La Cinef’ Award at the 77th Cannes Film Festival.
An Overview of the News
Official announcement of the award was made during the festival, marking a historic moment for Indian Cinema.
Indian films have been gaining international acclaim, with FTII leading the way.
Team and Credits:
Chidananda S Naik directed the film, Suraj Thakur handled the cinematography, Manoj V edited it, and Abhishek Kadam managed the sound.
FTII’s Success at Cannes:
FTII has consistently performed well at Cannes, with its students’ films being screened at the festival in recent years.
Previous success includes the award-winning film ‘CATDOG’ at the 73rd Cannes Film Festival.
Indian Representation:
The 77th Cannes Film Festival featured multiple entries from India across various categories.
Notable alumni such as Payal Kapadia, Maisam Ali, Santosh Sivan, and Chidananda S Naik received recognition.
Film Synopsis:
"Sunflowers were the first ones to know" revolves around an elderly woman's act of stealing the village’s rooster, leading to chaos within the community.
To retrieve the rooster, a prophecy is invoked, resulting in the old lady’s family being exiled.
5. Sanjay Murthy launches portal for National Awards to Teachers (Higher Education) 2024
Tags: Awards
Secretary of Higher Education, Sanjay Murthy, inaugurates the portal for nominations for National Awards to Teachers (Higher Education) 2024.
An Overview of the News
The awards target teachers from both technical and non-technical higher education institutions as well as Polytechnic Institutions.
Date of Award Ceremony
Selected awardees will be honored on 5th September, Teachers’ Day, commemorating the Birth Anniversary of former President Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan.
Eligibility Criteria
The award is open to all faculty members of colleges, universities, higher educational institutions, and polytechnics.
Nominees must have at least five years of full-time teaching experience at the Undergraduate and Post-graduate level.
Nomination Deadline
The deadline for submitting nominations is June 20th.
Inception of National Awards to Teachers
Established in 1958 to honor excellence and dedication of teachers in molding youth.
September 5th chosen as the fixed date for the awards ceremony to coincide with Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan's birthday, a former President of India.
Aimed to publicly acknowledge outstanding teachers in elementary and secondary schools.
Recognition and Prestige
Rationalization of awards reinstated the prestige of the accolades, fostering greater reverence for the selection process.
Introduction of one-minute documentary films since 2018 showcasing the exemplary work of each awardee, capturing innovative educational activities.
The 2022 awards ceremony saw 45 Awardees honored by the Hon’ble President of India on September 5th at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi.
Documentary films on each awardee were broadcasted during the live telecast of the event on Doordarshan.
6. POWERGRID Receives Third-Time ATD Best Award 2024 for Excellence in Learning & Development
Tags: Awards
POWERGRID, a Maharatna Central Public Sector Enterprise under the Ministry of Power, Government of India, has been awarded the prestigious ATD BEST Awards 2024.
An Overview of the News
This is the third time POWERGRID has received the ATD BEST Award, with previous recognitions in 2021 and 2023.
The award highlights POWERGRID’s innovative use of technologies like artificial intelligence and machine learning.
These technologies are used for efficient maintenance of power transmission networks and successful execution of large-scale projects.
Award Ceremony:
The award was received by Director (Personnel) Dr. Yatindra Dwivedi and CGM (HRD) Bipin Kishor Mundu.
The ceremony was held in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA.
Significance of ATD BEST Awards:
The ATD BEST Awards are established by the Association for Talent Development (ATD), USA.
These awards are among the most esteemed international recognitions in the field of Learning and Development (L&D).
7. McGill Awards Honorary Doctorate to Dr. Soumya Swaminathan
Tags: Awards Person in news
Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, former WHO Chief Scientist, is set to receive an honorary doctorate from McGill University during the Spring 2024 Convocation ceremonies.
An Overview of the News
McGill University, renowned for its academic excellence, bestows honorary degrees upon individuals with exceptional contributions to scholarly, scientific, or artistic fields, or significant societal impact through professional or philanthropic endeavors.
McGill University will confer upon Dr. Swaminathan the Doctor of Science, honoris causa (D Sc) in Health Sciences on May 28.
Soumya Swaminathan's distinguished career:
Dr. Swaminathan, aged 65, has a distinguished career spanning over 40 years in public health and infectious diseases.
Notably, she served as WHO's Deputy Director-General (Programmes) until the end of 2022 and thereafter as its first Chief Scientist during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Swaminathan's leadership during the pandemic:
Dr. Swaminathan played a key role in coordinating global responses to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Her leadership facilitated research coordination, dissemination of critical information, and guidance to policymakers on effective strategies to combat the virus.
McGill University's highest honor:
The honorary doctorate represents McGill's highest honor, symbolizing the transformative impact of individual achievement.
McGill President Deep Saini emphasizes that the award reflects shared values and aspirations within the university community.
8. Doha's Hamad International Airport Crowned World's Best in 2024 Skytrax Awards
Tags: Awards International News
Hamad International Airport (HIA) in Doha, Qatar, clinched the title of World's Best Airport in the 2024 Skytrax World Airport Awards.
An Overview of the News
Singapore Changi Airport, previous winner of the 2023 Airport of the Year award, secured 2nd place overall and was recognized as the Best Airport in Asia. It also won the accolade for the World's Best Airport Immigration Service.
Incheon Airport in Seoul, South Korea, ranked 3rd globally and was honored with the title of World's Most Family Friendly Airport for 2024.
The awards ceremony took place at the Passenger Terminal EXPOin Frankfurt, Germany,onApril 17th, 2024.
Skytrax, an international aviation research organization headquarteredinLondon, United Kingdom (UK), organizes the prestigious World Airport Awards.
Indian Airports in the 2024 Global Rankings:
Delhi Airport retained 36th place.
Mumbai Airport maintained a position within the top 100, dropping to 95th from 84th.
Bengaluru Airport climbed to 59th place.
Hyderabad Airport rose to 61st place.
Goa’s Manohar International Airport secured the 92nd spot.
2024 Global Airport Rankings:
Hamad International Airport, Doha, Qatar
Singapore Changi Airport, Singapore
Incheon International Airport, Seoul, South Korea
Tokyo Haneda International Airport, Japan
Tokyo Narita International Airport, Japan
Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport, France
Dubai International Airport, United Arab Emirates (UAE)
Munich Airport, Germany
Zurich Airport, Switzerland
Istanbul Airport, Türkiye
9. Deepika Soreng Receives Asunta Lakra Award for Outstanding Hockey Achievement
Tags: Awards
Deepika Soreng received the prestigious Hockey India Asunta Lakra Award for Upcoming Player during the Hockey India 6th Annual Awards 2023.
An Overview of the News
India women's hockey team forward Deepika Soreng expressed her gratitude to Hockey India on April 16, 2024.
In 2023, Deepika made her debut for the team in the Women's Junior Asia Cup.
She contributed significantly to the team's success, scoring 7 goals in 6 matches to help them clinch the gold medal, and emerged as the team's second-highest goalscorer.
International Engagements:
Deepika participated in various international tournaments including the 2023 4 Nations Junior Women's Invitation Tournament (Dusseldorf) and the 2023 FIH Junior Women's World Cup.
Her presence and performances played a vital role in the team's achievements on the global stage.
Remarkable Achievement:
Deepika played a key role in the Indian team's silver medal win at the inaugural FIH Women's Hockey 5s World Cup Oman 2024.
She scored 9 goals in the tournament and was awarded the Young Player of the Tournament title.
Selection in the national team core group:
Recently, Deepika was named in the 33-member national women's team core group to train at the SAI Center in Bengaluru till May 16.
She was selected from a 60-member evaluation team after rigorous selection tests held on April 6 – April 7.
10. Rajiv Gandhi International Airport wins 'Best Airport Staff in India and South Asia 2024' award
Tags: Awards
Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA) was awarded the 'Best Airport Staff in India and South Asia 2024' award by Skytrax.
An Overview of the News
The announcement was made during a ceremony at the Passenger Terminal Expo 2024 in Frankfurt, Germany.
RGIA topped all airports in the Indian and South Asian regions.
The award is based on a comprehensive audit and evaluation that assesses various factors including service quality (attitude, friendliness, efficiency) of employees in front-line positions.
The assessment includes customer-facing staff at help and information counters, immigration and security personnel as well as staff in stores and food and beverage outlets.
Pradeep Panikkar, CEO, GMR Hyderabad International Airport Limited, said Hyderabad Airport continuously raises customer service standards and is a pioneer in redefining the airport experience.
The airport's commitment to excellence is demonstrated through innovative technologies, strong stakeholder engagement and dedication to creating memorable experiences for passengers, encapsulated in their promise to deliver 'Epic Everyday' moments.
About RGIA
Rajiv Gandhi International Airport serves as the international airport for Hyderabad, the capital of Telangana, India.
Located in Shamshabad, about 24 kilometers south of Hyderabad, it began operations on 23 March 2008.
This airport was established in place of Begumpet Airport, which earlier served as the sole civil airport for Hyderabad.
