2016 SASTRA-Ramanujan award

Maksym Radziwill of McGill University, Canada, and  Kaisa Matomaki of University of Turku, Finland has jointly won 2016 SASTRA-Ramanujan award for mathematics for their ‘revolutionary’ collaborative work on short intervals in number theory. In number theory, understanding behaviour in short intervals is very important and also it is very difficult to prove this result. It is what Matomaki and Radziwill have achieved which was basically a shocking result. They were presented with this prestigious award at inauguration of International Conference on Number Theory at SASTRA University at Kumbakonam.

64th National Film Awards

64th National Film Awards were announced

Best Feature Film: Kasaav (Marathi)
Best Direction: Rajesh Mapuskar for Ventilator(Marathi)
Best Actor: Akshay Kumar for Rustom (Hindi)
Best Actress: Surabhi C.M for Minnaminungu – the Firefly (Malayalam)
Best Supporting Actor: Manoj Joshi for Dashakriya (Marathi)
Best Supporting Actress: Zaira Wasim for Dangal (Hindi)
Best Child Artist: Adish Praveen for Kunju Daivam (Malayalam), Nur Islam and Samiul Alam for Sahaj Pather Gappo (Bengali), Manohara. K for Railway Children (Kannada)
Best Male Playback Singer: Sundharayyar for song Jasmie E from film Joker (Tamil)
Best Female Playback Singer: Iman Chakraborty for song Tumi Jaake Bhalo Basho from film Praktan (Bengali)
Best Cinematography: S. Thirunavukarasu for 24 (Tamil)

BEST SCREENPLAY
Screenplay writer (original): Syam Pushkaran for Maheshinte Prathikooram (Malayalam)
Screenplay Writer (Adapted): Sanjay Krishnaji Patil for Dashakriya (Marathi)
Dialogues: Tarun Bhascker for Peli Chuplu (Telugu)

BEST AUDIOGRAPHY
Sound Designer: Jayadevan Chakka Dath for Kaadu Pookkunna Neram (Malayalam)
Re-recordist of the final mixed track: Alok De for Ventilator (Marathi)
Best Editing: Rameshwar for Ventilator (Marathi)
Best Production Design: Subrata Chakraborthy, Shreyas Khedekar and Amit Ray for 24 (Tamil)
Best Costume Designer: Sachin Lovalekar for Cycle (Marathi)
Best Make-up Artist: NK Ramakrishna for Allama (Kannada)
Best Music Direction (Songs /Background Score): Bapu Padmanabha for Allama (Kannada)
Best Lyrics: Vairamuthu for song Entha Pakkam from film Dharma Durai (Tamil), Anupam Roy for Tumi Jaake Bhalo Basho from Praktan(Bengali)
Special Jury Award: Mohan Lal
Best Choreography: Raju Sundaram for Janatha Garrage(Telugu)
Best Special Effect: Naveen Paul for Shivaay (Hindi)

SPECIAL MENTION
Sonam Kapoor for Neerja (Hindi)
Adil Hussain for Mukti Bhawan (Hindi) and Maj Rati Keteki (Assamese) Producer Red Carper Moving Pictures and director Shubhashish
Bhutiani for Mukti Bhawan (Hindi) Producer Eleeanora Images Private Ltd and director Nila
Madhab Panda for Kadvi Hawa (Hindi)

Best Feature Film in each of the language specified in the Schedule VIII of the Constitution
Best Assamese Film: Maj Rati Keteki
Best Bengali Film: Bisorjon
Best Hindi Film: Neerja
Best Kannada Film: Reservation
Best Konkani Film: K Sera Sera –Ghodpachen Ghoddtelem
Best Malayalam Film: Maheshinte Prathikaaram
Best Marathi Film: Dashakriya
Best Telegu Film: Peli Chuplu
Best Gujarati Film: Wrong Side Raju
Best Tamil Film: Joker
Best Feature Film in each of the languages other than those specified in Schedule VIII of the Constitution
Best Moran Film: Haanduk
Best Tulu Film: Madipu

NON-FEATURE FILMS
Best Non Feature Film: Fireflies In The Abyss
Best Debut Film of a Director: Soz…A Ballad of Maladies by Tushar Madhav
Best Biographical/ Historical Reconstruction: Zikr Us
Parivashka: Begum Akhtar
Best Arts/Cultural Film: In The Shadow of Time and The Lord of The Universe
Best Environment Film including Agriculture: The Tiger Who Crossed The Line
Best Film on Social Issues: I Am Jeeja and Sanath
Best Educational Film: The Waterfall
Best Exploration/Adventure Film: Matitle Kusti
Best Investigative Film: Placebo
Best Animation Film: Hum Chitra Banate Hain
Special Jury Award: The Cinema Travellers
Best Short Fiction Film: Aaba
Best Film on Family Values: Little Magician
Best Direction: Aaba Aiktaay Naa?
Best Cinematography: Kalpvriksha” and Adnyat
Best Audiography: In Return Just A Book
Best Editing: Gudh
Best Music: Leeches
Best Narration/Voice Over: Makino

SPECIAL MENTION
Director Amitabh Parashar for The Eyes of Darkness
Director Ramen Borah and Sibanu Borah for Sikar Aru Sitkar
Director Soumya Sadanandan for Chembai-Descoperire A Mea Unei Legend

BEST WRITING ON CINEMA
Best Book on Cinema: Lata : Sur Gatha by Yatindra Mishra
Best Film Critic: G. Dhananjayan

Most Film Friendly State Award: State of Uttar Pradesh

Special Mention: State of Jharkhand

Jnanpith 2016

Eminent modern Bengali poet Shankha Ghosh was chosen for the prestigious Jnanpith Award for the year 2016. He is the 52nd recipient of Jnanpith Award. He is sixth Bengali litterateur to bag this prestigious literary award after Tarasankar Bandyopadhyay (1966), Bishnu Dey (1971), Ashapoorna Devi (1976), Subhash Mukhopadhyay (1991) and Mahasweta Devi (1966).

About Jnanpith Award:

 Jnanpith Award is India’s highest literary honour. Its name has been taken from Sanskrit words Jnana and Pitha which means knowledge-seat.

It was instituted in 1961 by Bharatiya Jnanpith trust founded by the Sahu Shanti Prasad Jain family that owns the Times of India newspaper group.

The award carries cash prize of 11 lakh rupees, a citation plaque and a bronze replica of Saraswati, the Hindu goddess of knowledge and wisdom

‘Kalidas Samman’ 2015-16

Renowned theatre personality and Padma Shri, Prof Raj Bisaria has selected for the prestigious ‘Kalidas Samman’ national award for 2015-16. He will be bestowed with the prestigious award for achievement in theatre in a ceremony to be held in Ujjain.

About Award:

It is an annual award constituted by Madhya Pradesh in 1980. It is bestowed upon personalities in the four fields of classical music, classical dance, theatre and arts. Some of the previous recipients are Pandit Ravi Shankar, MF Husain, Pandit Jasraj, Shambhu Mitra, Habib Tanvir, Ebrahim Alkazi etc.

IMO award for Exceptional Bravery

Captain Radhika Menon became first woman in the world to receive the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) award for Exceptional Bravery at Sea. She was presented with this award for saving lives of seven fishermen from sinking fishing boat in Bay of Bengal. Captain Menon was nominated for the award by the Government of India, for her great determination and courage in leading the difficult rescue operation to save all seven fishermen from the fishing boat Durgamma. The boat was adrift following engine failure and loss of anchor in severe weather. Food and water had been washed away and they were surviving on ice from the cold storage.

IMO:It UN’s specialised agency responsible for the safety and security of shipping and the prevention of marine pollution by ships.

Award for Exceptional Bravery at Sea: It is an annual Award established by IMO. It seeks to provide international recognition for those who perform acts of exceptional bravery at the risk of losing their own life.

2016 Sumitra Charat Ram Award

2016 Sumitra Charat Ram Award for lifetime achievement in the field of Indian classical music awarded to Legendary flutist Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia at Shriram Bhartiya Kala Kendra.The award, which recognises the contribution of individuals in the field of Indian Classical Dance and Music or other disciplines of Indian Art and Culture, was presented to Chaurasia by Najeeb Jung, the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi. Sumitra Charat Ram was also the founder of Shiram Bharatiya Kala Kendra, one of the country’s premier institutions of performing arts.

2016 Nobel Prize in medicine

Japanese cell biologist Yoshinori Ohsumi,has won the 2016 Nobel Prize in medicine for discoveries on how cells break down and recycle their own components. Ohsumi,,will receive the prestigious 8m Swedish kronor (£718,000) award for uncovering “mechanisms for autophagy”, a fundamental process in cells that scientists believe can be harnessed to fight cancer and dementiaWith this he becomes the 23rd Japanese national to win a Nobel prize and overall the sixth Japanese medicine Nobel laureate. Mr. Ohsumi had received a PhD from the University of Tokyo in 1974. Currently, he is a professor at the Tokyo Institute of Technology (TIT).

Nobel prize in physics

Three British scientists David Thouless, Duncan Haldane and Michael Kosterlitz have won the Nobel prize in physics for their work on exotic states of matter that may pave the way for quantum computers and other revolutionary technologies. They will share the 8 million Swedish kronor prize. These trio physicists had worked in the field of condensed matter physics and have discovered totally unexpected behaviours of solid materials. Based on their individual discoveries they came up with a mathematical framework in the field of topology to explain these weird properties. The discoveries have paved the way for designing new materials with all sorts of novel properties that have significant potential revolutionize advances in electronics and future quantum computers.

David J Thouless: He is Emeritus Professor at the University of Washington, Seattle, US.

Duncan M. Haldane: He is the Eugene Higgins Professor of Physics at Princeton University, US.

Michael Kosterlitz: He is the Harrison E. Farnsworth Professor of Physics at Brown University, US.

International Astronautical Federation 'Hall of Fame' award

Former ISRO Chairman and space scientist Prof Udupi Ramachandra Rao became the first Indian to be given the 'Hall of Fame' award by the International Astronautical Federation ( IAF ). The award has been given for his "outstanding contribution to the progress of astronautics within the framework of the IAF activities''. He was inducted during the closing ceremony of the 67th IAF Congress 2016 held at Guadalajara, Mexico.

Under his guidance, ISRO had designed more than 20 satellites including India’s first satellite Aryabhatta. Under his leadership, India had initiated the development of the geostationary launch vehicle GSLV and the development of cryogenic technology in 1991.He also had served as the first Chairman of Antrix Corporation, the commercial arm of the ISRO. He has published more than 260 scientific and technical papers in various journals. He had played pivotal role in promoting the use of space technology for broadcasting, meteorology, education, disaster warning and remote sensing.

Nobel prize for chemistry

Jean-Pierre Sauvage, J. Fraser Stoddart and Bernard Feringa won the Nobel chemistry prize for work on molecular machines that may lead to developments like new materials, sensors and energy storage systems. Molecular machines can be developed to function as artificial muscles to power tiny robots or even prosthetic limbs in case of Bionics. These three laureates will share the 8 million Swedish kronor (around $933,000) prize equally.

Sauvage is professor emeritus at the University of Strasbourg and director of research emeritus at France’s National Center for Scientific Research. Stoddart, born in Edinburgh, is professor of chemistry at Northwestern University in the United States, while Feringa is professor in organic chemistry at the University of Groningen in the Netherlands.

molecular machines:

Molecular machines or nanomachines are the world’s smallest machines. Their working is inspired by proteins that naturally act as biological machines within cells. Molecular machines are discrete number of synthetic molecular components fused together. They produce quasi-mechanical movements in response to specific external stimuli such as light or temperature change. Molecular machines can be put to work as tiny motors, pistons ratchets or wheels to produce mechanical motion and can move objects many time their size.

Nobel Peace Prize 2016

 Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos  has awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his role in the peace process with Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) rebels. He dedicated the prize to the victims of his country's civil war. He was selected for the prestigious award by the Norwegian Nobel Committee.

He is second Colombian to win Nobel Prize after writer Gabriel Gracia Marquez who had won the literature Prize in 1982. Santos is also second Latin American to receive Nobel Peace Prize after Guatemala’s Rigoberta Menchu had won it in 1992.

2016 Nobel Prize for economics

Bengt Holmström and Oliver Hart,have won the 2016 Nobel Prize for economics. Two academics who developed modern ways to think about writing contracts in areas as diverse as car insurance, bonuses for chief executives and the provision of public services. Mr Hart, a Briton based at Harvard University, and Mr Holmström, a Finn who teaches at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, share the $925,000 award from the Swedish Riksbank in memory of Alfred Nobel, for their “contribution to contract theory” in the 1970s and 1980s. Their work provided economists microecomic tools to understand interactions between entities, such as design of performance incentives in firms, corporate governance, privatisation, constitutional law and entrepreneur-investor relationships.

2016 Nobel Prize in Literature

American singer-songwriter, artist and writer Bob Dylan (75)won the 2016 Nobel Prize in Literature. The Swedish Academy has selected Dylan for this prestigious award for creating new poetic expressions within the great American song tradition. He is one of the best-selling artists (musician) of all time and has sold more than 100 million records.He also received numerous awards including 11 Grammy Awards, Golden Globe Award and Academy Award (Oscar). The Pulitzer Prize jury had awarded him a special citation in 2008 for his profound impact on popular music and American culture.

2016 Man Booker Prize

Paul Beatty's novel  “The Sellout,” has won the 2016 Man Booker Prize,marking the first time an American writer has awarded at a ceremony held in London’s Guildhall. His novel tells the story of a young black man who tries to reinstate slavery and racial segregation in a suburb of Los Angeles.

Winners of 61st Britannia Filmfare Awards

Bajirao Mastani with 8 awards was the film wining highest number of awards. Awards in various categories are
Best Actor: Ranveer Singh (Bajirao Mastani).
Best Actress: Deepika Padukone (Piku).
Best Film: Bajirao Mastani.
Best Director: Sanjay Leela Bhansali (Bajirao Mastani).
Lifetime Achievement: Moushumi Chatterjee.

Dada Saheb Phalke award

The Dadasaheb Phalke Award is India's highest award in cinema. It is presented annually at the National Film Awards ceremony by the Directorate of Film Festivals, an organisation set up by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. The recipient is honoured for their "outstanding contribution to the growth and development of Indian cinema" and is selected by a committee consisting of eminent personalities from the Indian film industry.

Veteran actor and director Manoj Kumar will be conferred the Dada Saheb Phalke award for 2015.

Oscar 2016

88th Academy award winners are...

• Best picture                            Spotlight
• Actor in a leading role           Leonardo DiCaprio(The Revenant)
• Actress in a leading role        Brie Larson (Room)
• Actor in a supporting role     Mark Rylance(Bridge of Spies)
• Actress in a supporting role  Alicia Vikander (The Danish Girl)
• Director                                 Alejandro González Iñárritu(The Revenant) 

58th Annual Grammy Awards

The 2016 Grammy Awards were held on February 15, 2016, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California.
Main Awards:


Album of the Year                    1989 Taylor Swift
Song of the Year                       Thinking Out Loud Ed Sheeran, Amy Wadge
Best New Artist                         Meghan Trainor
Record of the Year                    Uptown Funk Bruno Mars, Mark Ronson

Gallantry awards 2016

On the eve of 67th Republic Day celebrations President Pranab Mukherjee has conferred the country’s highest peacetime gallantry award,award of one Ashok Chakra, two Kirti Chakras and eight Shaurya Chakras to the Indian Army personnel on the occasion of Republic Day 2016.
List of awardees:
Ashok Chakra
Lance Naik Mohan Nath Goswami (Posthumous), 9 PARA (Special Force)
Kirti Chakra
Subedar Mahendra Singh, Sena Medal, 9 PARA (Special Force)
Sepoy Jagdish Chand (Posthumous), 546 DSC Platoon
Shaurya Chakra
Colonel Santosh Yashwant Mahadik (Posthumous), Sena Medal, 41 Rashtriya Rifle (PARA)
Major Praphul Kumar Bhardwaj, 12 PARA (Special Force)
Major Anurag Kumar, 9 PARA (Special Force)
Major Sandip Yadav, 55 Rashtriya Rifle (Armed)
Lieutenant Harjinder Singh, 3 KUMAON
Naik Satish Kumar (Posthumous), 21 Rashtriya Rifle (Guards
Naik Kheem Singh Mehra, 21 KUMAON
Sepoy Dharma Ram (Posthumous), 1 Rashtriya Rifle (MAHAR)

Medal of Order of Australia

Melbourne settled kerala dentist Dr.Sajeev koshy has been awarded the Medal of Order of Australia on 26 january 2016.Dr.koshy was given the award fo his service to dentistry in victoria,Australia.He was honoured by Governor General Of Australia.

About Order of Australia;

The Order of Australia is an order of chivalry established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, to recognise Australian citizens and other persons for achievement or meritorious service.Before the establishment of the order, Australian citizens would receive British honours.