1. Pulitzer Prize 2022: India's Amit Dave, Danish Siddiqui get Pulitzer Prize
The Pulitzer Prize 2022 in different fields of journalism, book, drama and music were announced on 9 May.
The award winners include Indian journalists Adnan Abidi, Sana Irshad Mattoo, Amit Dave along with The Washington Post.
The late Danish Siddiqui of Reuters photographer has been given this award posthumously.
He was assassinated during a conflict between the Taliban and the Afghan army.
List of winners
Public service - winner The Washington Post, January 6, 2021 for reporting the attack on Capitol Hill
Breaking news reporting - winner Miami Herald - for coverage of the collapse of seaside apartment towers in Florida
Investigative reporting - winner - Rebecca Woolington's Corey G. Johnson and Tampa Bay Times' Eli Murray for highlighting the highly toxic hazards inside a Florida battery recycling plant.
Explanatory reporting - winner - To the staff of Quanta magazine, especially Natalie Wolchower, for reporting on how the Inco Webb Space Telescope works.
Local reporting - winner - Madison Hopkins of the Better Government Association and Cecilia Reyes of the Chicago Tribune - for reporting on Chicago's unfinished building and fire safety
National reporting - winner - Employees of The New York Times
International reporting - winner - The New York Times Employees
Feature writing - winner - Jennifer Senior of The Atlantic
Feature photography - winner - Adnan Abidi, Sana Irshad Mattoo, Amit Dave and the late Danish Siddiqui of Reuters were honoured for photography during the Corona period in India.
Commentary - winner - Melinda Heineberger
Criticism - winner - Salamisha Tillet, The New York Times
Audio reporting - winner - Employees of Futuro Media and PRX
Novel - winner - The Netanyas, Writer- Joshua Cohen
About Pulitzer Prize
It was established in 1917.
It is administered by Columbia University and the Pulitzer Prize Board.
The award is named after Joseph Pulitzer.
He was a newspaper publisher who gave money in his will to Columbia University to launch a journalism school and establish the Prize.
Each winner receives a certificate and a US$15,000 cash prize.
A gold medal is awarded to the winner in the Public Service category.
2. NASA Climate Research Scientist Cynthia Rosenzweig Wins World Food Prize 2022
Recently the World Food Prize Foundation announced the name of Dr. Cynthia Rosenzweig from the United States of America as the winner of the World Food Prize 2022.
Rosenzweig was awarded this prize for his research 'Understanding the relationship between climate and food systems and how both will change and forecast in the future'.
The purpose of the World Food Prize is to recognize the achievements of individuals who have advanced human development by improving the quality, quantity or availability of food in the world.
In the year 2021, the award was won by Dr. Shakuntala Harak Singh Thilstad, a leading nutritionist and in the year 2020, the award was won by Dr. Ratan Lal, an Indian American soil scientist.
About World Food Prize
The World Food Prize Prize was conceived in 1970 by Nobel Peace Prize winner Dr. Norman E. Borlaug for his work in global agriculture.
The World Food Prize was instituted in 1986.
It is also known as the "Nobel Prize for Food and Agriculture".
Dr. M.S. Swaminathan who is known as the father of Green Revolution in India was the first person to receive this award in the year 1987.
The award is presented each year in October on or around United Nations World Food Day (16 October).
The prize winner is presented with a sculpture designed by renowned artist and designer, Saul Bass, in addition to a cash prize of US$ 250,000.
The World Food Prize Foundation is located in Des Moines, USA.
3. Retired General Tej Kaul has been awarded the Nirmala Deshpande Memorial World Peace Prize
Retired General Tej Kaul has been awarded the Nirmala Deshpande Memorial World Peace Prize by the All India Creative Committee (ABRS).
General Tej Kaul was given this honour for his various incomparable efforts and for establishing peace with neighbouring countries like Pakistan and humanitarian services done during the Corona period.
General Kaul has also served in Army Headquarters as Assistant Military Secretary, Deputy Director General Military Intelligence and General Officer Commanding Gujarat and Goa Region.
The name of General Kaul is recorded as the first officer to be released from Officers Training Academy, Chennai, who has received PVSM (Param Vishisht Seva Medal).
He has also been honoured with Saraswati Puraskar for humanitarian and social services by the Government of Maharashtra.
Who was Nirmala Deshpande?
Nirmala Deshpande was a famous social worker associated with Gandhian ideology.
Born- 19 December 1929 Nagpur, Maharashtra
Died - 1 May 2008
He was awarded the Rajiv Gandhi National Sadbhavana Award and Padma Vibhushan in the year 2006.
Nirmala Deshpande contributed by joining Vinoba Bhave's Bhoodan movement in 1952 and then with Mahatma Gandhi's message of 'Gram Swaraj', walked around 40,000 kilometres across the country.
He played an important role in organising a peace mission in Kashmir in 1994 and India-Pakistan meet in 1996.
4. Rourkela Steel Plant wins SAIL's ‘Best Integrated Steel Plant’ award
The Rourkela Steel Plant (RSP) won the 'Best Integrated Steel Plant' award as part of the SAIL Corporate Awards for Excellence - 2020-21.
The award was presented by Soma Mandal, Chairman, Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL).
The award was received by Atanu Bhowmick, director in-charge of RSP, accompanied by BR Babu, chief general manager (blast furnace) and I Rajan, chief general manager (traffic, with additional responsibility of utilities and environment).
Rourkela Steel Plant in particular received the award for its exceptional performance in the last financial year in terms of production, productivity, techno-economics and profitability even during the most challenging times of pandemic.
Earlier, the plant had won the Energy Conservation Award in the Eastern Zone ENCON Awards 2021 competition in November last year.
About Rourkela Steel Plant
Rourkela Steel Plant (RSP), the first integrated steel plant in the public sector in India.
It was set up with German collaboration with an installed capacity of 1 million tonnes.
Subsequently, its capacity was increased to 2 million tonnes of hot metal, 1.9 million tonnes of crude steel and 1.67 million tonnes of saleable steel.
It is the first plant in India to incorporate LD technology of steel making.
5. Atal Tunnel receives IBC Best Infrastructure Project award
Tags: Awards National News
The Atal Tunnel, built by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO), received the ‘Best Infrastructure Project’ award from the Indian Building Congress (IBC).
Director General BRO, Lt Gen Rajeev Choudhary received the award during the 25th Annual Conference of IBC for the outstanding achievement of BRO in the construction of this tunnel connecting Manali to Lahaul-Spiti Valley.
About Atal Tunnel
The 9.02 km long Atal Tunnel is the longest highway tunnel globally and connects Manali with Lahaul-Spiti Valley throughout the year.
It provides a strategic advantage to the armed forces by providing an alternate link to the crucial Ladakh region.
It has also been a boon to the residents of Lahaul and Spiti district in Himachal Pradesh.
This tunnel, built using the New Austrian Tunnelling Method (NATM), was dedicated to the nation by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on October 03, 2020.
It is equipped with a semi-transverse ventilation system, where large fans circulate air separately throughout the tunnel.
An emergency tunnel has been integrated into the tunnel cross-section under the main carriageway for evacuation during emergencies.
Fire inside the tunnel will be controlled within an area of 200 metres and fire hydrants will be provided at specific locations throughout the tunnel.
Pollution sensors continuously monitor the air quality in the tunnel and if the air quality in the tunnel is below the desired level, fresh air is injected into the tunnel through two heavy fins on each side of the tunnel.
6. India set a Guinness World Record by hoisting 78,220 tricolours simultaneously
Tags: Popular Awards National News
According to the Union Ministry of Culture, India has registered its name in the Guinness Book of World Records for the highest number of simultaneous hoisting of the national flag.
On 23 April 2022, India achieved this feat by waving 78 thousand 220 tricolours together in the Veer Kunwar Singh Vijayotsava program at Dulour Maidan, Jagdishpur in Bhojpur district of Bihar.
The Veer Kunwar Singh Vijayotsav program was organised by the Ministry of Home Affairs and Culture under the 'Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav'.
For this record, bands were worn to physically identify the attendees, and the entire event was video-recorded.
Earlier this world record was held by Pakistan when around 56,000 Pakistani flags were hoisted at a ceremony in Lahore in 2004.
7. PM Modi receives first Lata Mangeshkar Award
Tags: Awards Person in news
Prime Minister Narendra Modi was conferred with the first Lata Dinanath Mangeshkar Award for his selfless service to the nation and society at the 80th Annual Master Deenanath Mangeshkar Award ceremony in Mumbai.
Addressing the award ceremony, Modi said that he dedicates this award to all the citizens of the country.
The award has been Established in the memory of Bharat Ratna Lata Mangeshkar.
The Master Deenanath Mangeshkar Award aims to honour stalwarts in the fields of music, drama, art, medicine and social work.
Every year this award will be given to a person who has made outstanding, brilliant and extraordinary achievements for the country, its citizens and society.
This award will be given in the memory of Master Dinanathji who was a singer, composer and theatre artist, his significant contribution in the field of music has been a source of inspiration for the people of India.
The Dinanath Mangeshkar Memorial Award was organised in his honour by the Mangeshkar family.
8. Bhushan Kumar and Sahyog Leprosy Yagya Trust International Gandhi Award 2021
Tags: Awards
Dr. Bhushan Kumar from Chandigarh and Sahyog Leprosy Yagya Trust, Gujarat, have been conferred with the International Gandhi Award for Leprosy-2021 by Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu at a function in New Delhi.
The award, instituted by the Gandhi Memorial Leprosy Foundation, is given every year.
The award for the year 2020 was given by Dr. N.S. Dharmashaktu was given the International Gandhi Award in the individual category and the Leprosy Mission Trust in the institutional category.
9. Malcolm Adiseshiah Award 2022 to Prabhat Patnaik
Tags: Awards Person in news
Eminent Indian economist and political commentator Prabhat Patnaik has been named as the recipient of the Malcolm Adiseshiah Award for the year 2022.
The award is given annually by the Malcolm and Elizabeth Adisia Trust to an outstanding social scientist.
Dr Patnaik has taught at the Centre for Economic Studies and Planning at the School of Social Sciences at Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi, and has served as the Deputy Chairman of the Kerala State Planning Board.
10. Uttar Pradesh adjudged the best state in the 3rd National Water Awards
Tags: Awards
President Ram Nath Kovind felicitated the winners of the 3rd National Water Awards in New Delhi.
57 awards were presented annually to States, Organizations, and Individuals in 11 different categories.
During the event, President also launched the “Jal Shakti Abhiyan: Catch the Rain campaign 2022” which will continue to be implemented this year till 30th of November.
The National Water Award was launched by the Jal Shakti Ministry in 2018
National Water Awards are constituted to recognise and motivate individuals and organizations doing exemplary work in the field of water resources management in attaining the government’s vision of a ‘Jal Samridh Bharat’.
List of Winners-
Best State - Uttar Pradesh, followed by Rajasthan and Tami Nadu.
Best District
North Zone - Muzaffarnagar, Uttar Pradesh
South Zone - Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala
West Zone - Indore, Madhya Pradesh
Eastern Zone - East Champaran, Bihar
North East Zone - Goalpara, Assam
About Jal Shakti Abhiyan: Catch the Rain 2022
In 2022, some new features have been added-
Spring shed development
Protection of water catchment areas
Gender mainstreaming in the water sector. (Gender mainstreaming will promote the role of women in water governance/conservation & management.)
State Governments will set up Jal Shakti Kendras in each district which will offer a one-stop solution to all water-related problems/ issues and draw district water conservation plan.
All the Sarpanchs will administer the Jal Shapath to the people in the village
Local Community people will act as “water warriors” by actively participating in water conservation work.
District Magistrate and Gram Sarpanchs will play the role of “Marg Darshak” for motivating every individual toward water conservation to ensure that the desire of “Jan Shakti for Jal Shakti” is fulfilled.
