61st Filmfare Awards presented in Mumbai
17-JAN-2016
The 61st Filmfare Awards were presented on 15 January 2016 at the Yash Raj Studios in Mumbai. The ceremony was hosted by Shah Rukh Khan and comedian Kapil Sharma.
Bajirao Mastani won the most awards including the Best Film award. Other winners included Piku that was awarded with six awards, Dum Laga Ke Haisha, Roy, Talvar, Tanu Weds Manu Returns, Bajrangi Bhaijaan, Bombay Velvet, Dil Dhadakne Do, Hero, Masaan and Tamasha.
Moushumi Chatterjee was awarded with the 2015 Filmfare Lifetime Achievement Award.
Recepients of the Awards
- Best Actor: Ranveer Singh for Bajirao Mastani
- Best Actress: Deepika Padukone for Piku
- Best Film: Bajirao Mastani
- Best Director: Sanjay Leela Bhansali for Bajirao Mastani
- Lifetime Achievement: Moushumi Chatterjee
- Best Debut Director: Neeraj Ghaywan for Massan
- Best Debutant (Male): Sooraj Pancholi for Hero
- Best Debutant (Female): Bhumi Pednekar for Dum Laga Ke Haisha
- Critics Award for Best Film: Piku
- Critics Award for Best Actor (Male): Amitabh Bachchan for Piku
- Best Actor Female Critics Choice (Female): Kangana Ranaut for Tanu Weds Manu Returns
- Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Female): Priyanka Chopra for Bajirao mastani
- Best Story: V Vijayendra Prasad for Bajrangi Bhaijaan
- Best Singer (male): Arijit Singh for Sooraj dooba hai from Roy
- Best Singer (female): Shreya Ghoshal for Deewani mastani from Bajirao Mastani
- Best VFX: Prana Studios for Bombay Velvet
- Best Dialogue: Anupam Roy for Piku
- Best Action: Sham Kaushal for Bajirao Mastani
- Best Cinematography: Manu Anand for Dum Laga Ke Haisha
- Best Choreography: Birju Maharaj for Mohe rang de laal from Bajirao Mastani
- Best Edit: Talvar
- Best Production Design: Sujit Sawant, Saloni and Sriram Iyenger for Bajirao Mastani
- Best Costume Designer: Anju Modi and Maxima for Bajirao Mastani
Analjit Singh resigned as chairman of Max
Financial Services Ltd
17-JAN-2016
Analjit Singh on 15 January 2016 resigned as the Chairman of Max Financial Services Ltd following the demerger of Max India Ltd. However, Singh will continue to serve as Chairman of Max Ventures and Industries Ltd.
Singh will also be the Chairman Emeritus and a permanent invitee to the boards and committees of all Max Group companies.
Demerger of Max India Ltd
Singh's resignation came following the demerger of Max India Ltd into three listed corporate entities- Max Financial Services Ltd, Max India Ltd and Max Ventures and Industries Ltd. The demerger came into effect on 15 January 2016.
The Max Financial Services will handle the life insurance vertical. The Max India Ltd will manage investments in health and related businesses such as Max Healthcare, Max Bupa and Antara Senior Living.
While, Max Ventures and Industries will handle the investment in the manufacturing business, Max Speciality Films.
Jet Airways and Bangkok Airways entered into
Frequent Flyer Partnership
17-JAN-2016
Mumbai-based Jet Airways on 15 January 2016 entered into a Frequent Flyer Partnership with Bangkok Airways.
The partnership came into force with the tie-up of award-winning loyalty and rewards management programme of Jet Airways named JetPrivilege and FlyerBonus, the loyalty scheme of Bangkok Airways.
Highlights of the partnership
• JetPrivilege members can now earn and redeem reward points JPMiles when travelling across the Bangkok Airways network including popular destinations like Samui, Krabi, Phuket and Luang Prabang via Bangkok.
• Members of Bangkok Airways' FlyerBonus programme can also earn and redeem their miles across Jet Airways’ extensive network in India and key international destination in North America, Europe, Middle East and SAARC.
Jet Airways operates three daily flights to Bangkok from its hubs in India – two from Mumbai and one from Delhi.
About Jet Privilege Private Ltd
• Jet Privilege Private Limited is a specialised loyalty and rewards management company, a joint venture between Jet Airways and Etihad Airways, established to develop and market JetPrivilege.
• JetPrivilege is an internationally acclaimed, award winning loyalty and rewards programme.
• The programme offers the unique benefit of accelerating JPMiles accumulation through use of co-branded credit and debit cards, book & stay across domestic and international hotel partners.
• JPMiles can be redeemed for Award flights to over 1000 destinations across the world.
About Bangkok Airways' FlyerBonus
• FlyerBonus is a programme of Bangkok Airways that allows all its members to earn award points when traveling on Bangkok Airways.
• The Award points earned are valid for 3 years.
Sania Mirza, Martina Hingis won 2016 WTA Apia
International Sydney Title
17-JAN-2016
Sania Mirza and her Swiss partner Martina Hingis on 15 January 2016 won the 2016 WTA Apia International Sydney title of Tennis in the women’s doubles category in Sydney, Australia.
In the final match, the duo defeated French pair Caroline Garcia and Kristina Mladenovic by 1–6, 7–5, 10–5. This was their 30th win in-a-row.
Overall, this Sydney International title was their 11th title altogether since 2015. These 11 WTA doubles titles are Indian Wells, Miami, Charleston, Wimbledon, US Open, Guangzhou, Wuhan, Beijing and the WTA Finals, Brisbane (2016) and Sydney (2016).
Record-Breaking Victory of Sania Mirza and
Martina Hingis duo
The duo of Sania Mirza and Martina Hingis created a world record on 14 January 2016 by winning their 29th women’s doubles match in a row. The duo defeated Romanian Raluca Olaru and Kazakhstan’s Yaroslava Shvedova 4-6, 6-3, 10-8 in a semifinal.
They broke 22-years old record held by Gigi Fernandez (Puerto Rico) and Natasha Zvereva (Belarus) duo who had notched up 28 straight victories in 1994.
Union Government launched 4 Mobile Health
Services to strengthen public health
infrastructure
17-JAN-2016
The Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare J P Nadda on 15 January 2016 launched four mobile health (m-Health) services to provide citizen-centric health services.
These m-Health services are Kilkari, Mobile Academy, M-Cessation and TB Missed Call initiative.
Highlights of Kilkari
• It is an audio-based mobile service that delivers weekly audio messages to families about pregnancy, child birth and child care.
• Each pregnant woman and infant’s mother would receive weekly voice messages relevant to the stage of pregnancy or age of the infant.
• Those who are registered in Mother and Child Tracking System (MCTS), a web- enabled name-based system to monitor and ensure delivery of full spectrum of services to all pregnant women and children, will be benefitted from the service.
• The 72 messages would reach the targeted beneficiaries from the 4th month of pregnancy until the child is one year old. On an average, the duration of each message is two minutes.
• Such messages will empower and educate women and parents to help create a better environment in maternal and child health. This service will be provided free to the beneficiaries.
• In the first phase of implementation, such messages would be sent to the pregnant women and infants’ mothers in six States in Jharkhand, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and HPDs of Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.
• They are being developed in Hindi, English and Odiya languages in the first phase, to be later expanded to other languages to cover the entire country and would benefit over 2 crore pregnant women and 2 crore infants, annually.
Highlights of Mobile Academy
• It’s a mobile-based application aimed at providing training services to 9 million ASHAs.
• This will aid in enhancing their inter-personal skills. Once registered, ASHAs can access the 240-minute course via their mobile phones.
• They can then complete the standardized course at their convenience. Digital bookmarking technology enables ASHAs to complete the course at their own pace.
• ASHAs successfully completing the course by securing more than minimum prescribed marks will receive a Certificate of completion from the Government.
Highlights of M-Cessation
• It will be an IT-enabled tool to help tobacco users to quit tobacco.
• Built on a helpline concept, it will register beneficiaries on the basis of a missed call.
• The counselling would be done through a two-way SMS process, the Minister informed.
Highlights of the TB Missed Call initiative
• Under TB Missed Call initiative, a dedicated toll free number 1800-11–6666 which will provide round the clock counselling and treatment support services for TB patients.
• The callers can give a missed call or call for free to get information related to TB symptoms, treatment services available, address and contact details of the nearest treatment facility etc.
• Initially the service will be available to people in the States of Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh and Delhi.
These m-Health initiatives were announced by the Union Government on 25 December 2015 on the occasion of the Good Governance Day which is celebrated annually to mark the birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
.Union Government held first national
stakeholder consultation on BIOFIN project
18-JAN-2016
BIOFIN: Biodiversity Finance Initiative
The abbreviation BIOFIN was in news in the third week of January 2016 as the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change held the first national stakeholder consultation meeting on the BIOFIN (Biodiversity Finance Initiative).
The meeting was organized to understand the BIOFIN project and to seek professional inputs from experts of various fields in strengthening the biodiversity conservation efforts in the country.
BIOFIN is a global partnership seeking to address the biodiversity finance challenge in a comprehensive manner. Its purpose is to mobilise resources for biodiversity and sustainable development across the world.
Features of BIOFIN
• It helps countries to scale up their efforts and achieve the 20 Aichi Targets defined in the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) Strategic Plan for 2011-2020.
• It was launched by the United National Development Programme (UNDP) in October 2012.
• Its focus is on building a sound business case for increased investment in the management of ecosystems and biodiversity, with a particular focus on the needs and transformational opportunities at the national level.
• It works along two main axes-Globally-led development of a new methodological framework and adaptation and implementation of this framework at national level.
• BIOFIN is managed by the UNDP Ecosystems and Biodiversity Programme and supported by the European Union and the Governments of Germany, Switzerland, Norway and Flanders. The Global Environment Facility is a further partner financing parallel in-country projects.
• As of January 2015, BIOFIN’s total budget is 28 million US dollars and the total number of core participating countries is 29.
• While discussions are ongoing in several countries to formally join, the following 19 countries are already fully engaged: Botswana, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Fiji, Guatemala, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Mexico, Peru, Philippines, Seychelles, South Africa, Thailand, Uganda and Zambia. Further countries can be supported as additional resources are leveraged.
Goa Legislative Assembly approved
reclassification of coconut tree as palm
18-JAN-2016
The Goa Legislative Assembly on 15 January 2016 approved reclassification of coconut tree as palm. The reclassification was approved by the legislature through the passage of the Goa Preservation of Trees (Amendment) Bill, 2016.
The bill seeks to omit the Section 1-A of the Goa, Daman and Diu Preservation of Trees Act, 1984. The section, which was inserted through an amendment in 2008, included coconut under the definition of tree.
Further, to facilitate the reclassification, the bill also amended the Section 12-A of the Act incorporating changes into the definition of tree.
As per the new definition, tree means any woody plant whose branches spring from and are supported upon the trunk or the body and whose trunk or body is not less than ten centimeters in diameter at a height of one meter from the ground level.
In the original act, the width of the trunk or body was mentioned as not less than five centimeters in diameter and height as thirty centimeters from the ground.
Renowned film-maker Lakshman Rao Mohite
alias Geethapriya died
18-JAN-2016
Renowned Kannada lyricist and film-maker Geethapriya died of cardiac arrest on 17 January 2016 in Bengaluru. He was 84 and survived by wife, son and two daughters.
About Lakshman Rao Mohite alias Geethapriya
• Lakshman Rao Mohite was born on 15 June 1931 and became famous his pen-name Geethapriya.
• He penned lyrics for over 250 songs in Kannada and directed 40 films including one Hindi film.
• He wrote his first song for Sri Rama Pooja film in 1954 and became director through Mannina Maga, starring Rajkumar in 1968.
• The movie bagged National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Kannada and State awards.
• The Karnataka government honoured him with the Puttanna Kanagal Award in 1986 in recognition to his contribution to the Kannada film industry.
• He was also received the Dr. B. Saroja Devi National Award andSandesha Awards in 2012.
Delhi Acers defeated Mumbai Rockets to clinch
Premier Badminton League title
18-JAN-2016
Delhi Acers on 17 January 2016 emerged victorious over Mumbai Rockets by 4-3 in the summit clash to clinch the Premier Badminton League (PBL) title. The match was held at the Siri Fort Sports Complex in New Delhi.
Tommy Sugiarto, men's doubles pair of Koo Kien Keat and Tan Boon Heong, and Rajiv Ouseph won their respective matches as Delhi grabbed the trophy and a winner's cheque of 3 crores rupees.
About Premier Badminton League
• Premier Badminton League is a franchise league, managed and commercially owned by the Badminton Association of India.
• PBL was earlier named Indian Badminton League (IBL) when it was founded in 2013.
• IBL was later rechristened to Premier Badminton League before the start of 2nd Season in 2016.
• The objective of the tournament is to bring top Indian players along with International players on the same platform.
• Bollywood actor Akshay Kumar is the brand ambassador of the league.
PM Narendra Modi launched Start-up India
initiative
18-JAN-2016
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 16 January 2016 launched Start-up India initiative to augment startup ecosystem in the country. The initiative was launched in New Delhi.
On this occasion, the Prime Minister also unveiled Start-up India, Stand-up India Action Plan which contained a slew of financial, policy and regulatory measures aimed at giving impetus to innovation and entrepreneurship in the country.
Key features of Start-up India, Stand-up India
Action Plan
• A separate fund will be created with 10000 crore rupees corpusfor development and growth of innovation driven enterprises. It will be 2500 crore rupees a year for four years.
• The Atal Innovation Mission was announced with a focus on strengthening incubation facilities for startups. Under the mission, among other things, pre-incubation training will be offered to willing entrepreneurs.
• Under the mission, 35 new incubators, 7 new research parks, 31 innovation centres will be set up at the premier technology institutes under the public private partnership mode.
• 500 sector specific incubators, including 5 new Bio clusters will be established across the country.
• An innovation programme will be launched in 5 lakh schoolsacross the country to nurture innovation among 10 lakh children.
• Profits of Start-up units will be made tax-free for 3 years and there will be a moratorium on labour inspections for the first 3 years of operations.
• Capital gains tax to be exempted for venture capital investments.However, the exemption will be applicable only when only when the proceeds are invested in another startup.
• New scheme will be launched to provide Intellectual Property Rights protection to start-ups and new firms.
• Liberalised Fast-track mechanism will be evolved to process startup patent applications under IPR protection with 80 percent reduction in registration fee.
• Self-certification based compliance regime will be followed in relation to labour and environmental laws.
• A new mobile app to enable start-ups to register themselves within a day and a portal to apply for clearances online will be operation from 1 April 2016.
• Easier exits for failed ventures with a provision for winding them upwithin 90 days under the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Bill, 2015.
India's Dinesh Sharma elected to Board of
Directors of AIIB
18-JAN-2016
India’s Dinesh Sharma on 17 January 2016 was elected to the 12-member board of directors of the China-sponsored Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB). A secret ballot for the post was held on 16 January 2016.
It is the first Board of Directors of AIIB in which 57 nations are founding members including India.
The inaugural meeting of the board of the governors of the AIIB was held in Beijing after its formal launch. The meeting approved by-laws, rules and codes of conduct for the bank. Union Finance Minister of IndiaArun Jaitley is the designated governor of the AIIB from the country. However, he was represented by Sharma at the meeting. Sharma is currently serving as the Additional Secretary of Ministry of Finance.
AIIB holds authorised capital of 100 billion US dollars and subscribed capital of 50 billion US dollars. It will invest in sectors including energy, transportation, urban construction and logistics as well as education and healthcare.
China is the largest shareholder with 26.06 percent voting shares.India is the second largest shareholder with 7.5 percent followed by Russia with 5.93 percent and Germany with 4.5 percent.
On 16 January 2016, Chinese President Xi Jinping launched AIIB, which is seen as a rival to the US-led World Bank, in Beijing.
Despite opposition from Washington, US allies including Australia, Britain, German, Italy, the Philippines and South Korea have agreed to join the AIIB in recognition of China's growing economic influence.
About Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank
• The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank is an international financial institution that aims to support the building of infrastructure in the Asia-Pacific region.
• The bank was proposed as an initiative by the Government of China, supported by 37 regional and 20 non-regional Prospective Founding Members, all of which have signed the Articles of Agreement that form the legal basis for the proposed bank.
• The capital of the bank is 100 billion US dollars, which is equivalent to two-third of the capital of the Asian Development Bank and about half that of the World Bank.
First infected case of mosquito-borne Zinka
virus recorded in the US
18-JAN-2016
A mosquito-borne virus called Zinka was in news in the third week of January 2016. It was found that the virus is spreading rapidly through the American continent.
The first case was confirmed in Texas, USA in January 2016 when a traveler returning from Latin America.
The disease caused by this virus is not fatal and lasts up to a week, but it was identified that there is a possible link between the virus and a birth defect called microcephaly that causes babies to be born with abnormally small heads and potential developmental problems.
About Zinka virus
• It is a virus that can make people sick with rash, fever, joint pain, and pinkeye, according to the Centers for Disease Control.
• It is related to other mosquito-borne illnesses including Dengue and Chikungunya that are considered rising threats as global travel increases their reach.
• It can be transmitted when someone with the virus is bitten by a mosquito and then that mosquito bites another human.
• The virus can move to new areas when mosquitoes hitch a ride on travelers or cargo, or when infected patients travel to new territory and are bitten by mosquitoes there.
• The Zika virus was first identified in Uganda in 1947.
• For a long time it was an obscure disease with only occasional infections in humans.
• According to an article in the New England Journal of Medicine in January 2015, it moved through Africa and Asia to Pacific islands.
• The virus reached Brazil in 2015. It's now spread throughout Latin America. The first locally-transmitted case in Puerto Rico was identified in December 2015.
• The WHO lists 13 countries in the Americas including Puerto Rico.
Taiwan elected Tsai Ing-wen as first female
President
18-JAN-2016
Opposition candidate of Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Tsai Ing-wen on 16 January 2016 won a landslide victory in Taiwan's presidential election, making her the island's first female president.
Tsai's commanding victory brings to power DPP, which supports Taiwan's formal independence from China, a red line for Beijing, which claims the island as its territory.
Her victory brings the biggest mandate ever won by a DPP president. It is the second-ever victory for the DPP since Taiwan split with China in 1949.
In the 2016 general elections, DPP led by Tsai emerged victorious with 56 percent of the total vote share. She defeated Eric Chu of the ruling Kuomintang (KMT) Party that secured 31 percent vote share. Chu also made the announcement of quitting as KMT head. Taiwan's Premier Mao Chi-kuo also resigned.
About Tsai Ing-wen
• Born on 31 August 1956 in Taipei, Taiwan, Tsai graduated from the College of Law, National Taiwan University in 1978. She obtained a Master of Laws at Cornell University Law School in 1980 and then a Ph.D. in law at the London School of Economics in 1984.
• Upon her return to Taiwan, she taught law at Soochow University School of Law and National Chengchi University both in Taipei, Taiwan.
• She served as consultant for the Mainland Affairs Council and the National Security Council.
• She also led the drafting team on the Statute Governing Relations with Hong Kong and Macau.
• In 2000, she was given the high-profile appointment of chairperson of the Mainland Affairs Council.
• She joined the DPP in 2004.
• She was subsequently nominated by the DPP to be a candidate in the 2004 legislative election and was elected as a legislator-at-large.
• On 26 January 2006, she was appointed to the post of vice president of the Executive Yuan.
• She was elected and assumed DPP chairpersonship in 2008, following her party's defeat in the 2008 presidential election.
• She ran for New Taipei City mayorship in the November 2010 municipal elections but was defeated by another former vice premier, Eric Chu (KMT).
• In April 2011, she became the first female presidential candidate of a major party in the history of the Republic of China.
• She was defeated by incumbent Kuomintang candidate Ma Ying-jeou in the 5th direct presidential election in 2012.
Comment
• In 1949, KMT nationalists formed their own government in Taiwan after Mao Zedong's communists took power in Beijing.
• Therefore, China sees the island as a breakaway province, which it has threatened to take back by force if necessary.
• The KMT Party has ruled Taiwan for almost past 70 years and has overseen improved relations with China in recent times.
• Tsai’s landslide victory marks a defeat for not only the pro-unification ruling party KMT but also China.
NASA launched SpaceX Falcon 9 Rocket with
Jason-3 Ocean-monitoring satellite
18-JAN-2016
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) on 17 January 2016 launched the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from California’s Vandenberg Air Force Base in the USA.
The rocket carried the ocean monitoring satellite Jason-3 on board and successfully inserted it in the desired orbit. However, the rocket failed a return landing on a drone platform in the Pacific Ocean.
The Jason-3 satellite will examine the topography of the ocean floor to help study effects of climate change or human-induced changes on the ocean.
Features of Jason-3 Mission
• It is the fourth mission in U.S.-European series of satellite missions that measure the height of the ocean surface.
• It is also expected to help the USA in better forecasting of hurricane forecasting and marine navigation.
• It will extend the time series of ocean surface topography measurements (the hills and valleys of the ocean surface) begun by the TOPEX/Poseidon satellite mission in 1992 and continuing through the currently operating Jason-1 and Jason-2 missions.
• The Jason-1 and OSTM/Jason-2 missions were launched in 2001 and 2008 respectively.
• These measurements provide scientists with critical information about circulation patterns in the ocean and about both global and regional changes in sea level and the climate implications of a warming world.
• The primary instrument on Jason-3 is a radar altimeter. The altimeter will measure sea-level variations over the global ocean with very high accuracy (as 1.3 inches or 3.3 centimeters, with a goal of achieving 1 inch or 2.5 centimeters).
21st Critics' Choice Awards presented in
California
18-JAN-2016
The 21st Critics' Choice Awards were conferred on 17 January 2016 at the Santa Monica Airport's Barker Hangar in California. TJ Miller hosted the presentation program.
These awards honour the finest achievements in drama and television filmmaking which were aired between 1 June 2015 and 31 December 2015.
The Broadcast Film Critics Association (BFCA) and Broadcast Television Journalists Association (BTJA) have announced the nominees for the 2016 awards were announced on 14 December 2015.
The List of winners of Critics' Choice Awards
2016
DRAMA
BEST PICTURE: Spotlight
BEST ACTOR: Leonardo DiCaprio – The Revenant
BEST ACTRESS: Brie Larson – Room
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR: Sylvester Stallone – Creed
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS: Alicia Vikander – The Danish Girl
BEST YOUNG ACTOR/ACTRESS: Jacob Tremblay – Room
BEST ACTING ENSEMBLE: Spotlight
BEST DIRECTOR: George Miller – Mad Max: Fury Road
BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY: Josh Singer and Tom McCarthy – Spotlight
BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY: Charles Randolph and Adam McKay – The Big Short
BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY: The Revenant – Emmanuel Lubezki
BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN: Mad Max: Fury Road – Colin Gibson
BEST EDITING: Mad Max: Fury Road – Margaret Sixel
BEST COSTUME DESIGN: Mad Max: Fury Road – Jenny Beavan
BEST HAIR & MAKEUP: Mad Max: Fury Road
BEST VISUAL EFFECTS: Mad Max: Fury Road
BEST ANIMATED FEATURE: Inside Out
BEST ACTION MOVIE: Mad Max: Fury Road
BEST ACTOR IN AN ACTION MOVIE: Tom Hardy – Mad Max: Fury Road
BEST ACTRESS IN AN ACTION MOVIE: Charlize Theron – Mad Max: Fury Road
BEST COMEDY: The Big Short
BEST ACTOR IN A COMEDY: Christian Bale – The Big Short
BEST ACTRESS IN A COMEDY: Amy Schumer – Trainwreck
BEST SCI-FI/HORROR MOVIE: Ex Machina
BEST FOREIGN LANGUAGE FILM: Son of Saul
BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE: Amy
BEST SONG: Furious 7 – “See You Again”
BEST SCORE: The Hateful Eight – Ennio Morricone
TELEVISION
BEST ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES: Jeffrey Tambor – Transparent – Amazon
BEST ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES: Rami Malek – Mr. Robot – USA
BEST ACTOR IN A MOVIE MADE FOR TELEVISION OR LIMITED SERIES: Idris Elba – Luther – BBC America
BEST ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES: Rachel Bloom – Crazy Ex-Girlfriend – The CW
BEST ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES: Carrie Coon – The Leftovers – HBO
BEST ACTRESS IN A MOVIE MADE FOR TELEVISION OR LIMITED SERIES: Kirsten Dunst – Fargo – FX Networks
BEST COMEDY SERIES: Master of None – Netflix
BEST DRAMA SERIES: Mr. Robot – USA
BEST GUEST ACTOR/ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES: Timothy Olyphant – The Grinder – Fox
BEST GUEST ACTOR/ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES: Margo Martindale – The Good Wife – CBS
BEST MOVIE MADE FOR TELEVISION OR LIMITED SERIES: Fargo – FX Networks
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES: Andre Braugher – Brooklyn Nine-Nine – Fox
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES: Christian Slater – Mr. Robot – USA
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR IN A MOVIE MADE FOR TELEVISION OR LIMITED SERIES: Jesse Plemons – Fargo – FX Networks
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A COMEDY SERIES: Mayim Bialik – The Big Bang Theory – CBS
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A DRAMA SERIES: Constance Zimmer – UnREAL – Lifetime
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS IN A MOVIE MADE FOR TELEVISION OR LIMITED SERIES: Jean Smart – Fargo – FX Networks
BEST ANIMATION SERIES: BoJack Horseman - Netflix
BEST REALITY SHOW - COMPETITION: The Voice - NBC
BEST REALITY SHOW HOST: James Lipton - Inside the Actors Studio - Bravo
BEST STRUCTURED REALITY SHOW: Shark Tank - ABC
BEST TALK SHOW: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver - HBO
BEST UNSTRUCTURED REALITY SHOW: Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown - CNN
NITI Aayog collaborated with IDFC for Enterprise Survey of Manufacturing Firms
18-JAN-2016
The National Institution for Transforming India (NITI) Aayog on 17 January 2016 announced that it collaborated with the IDFC Bank Ltd to conduct an enterprise survey of manufacturing firms.
The primary objective of this Survey is to assess the business regulatory environment in each State and Union Territories (UTs) and identify policy and regulatory hurdles faced by businesses in the States/UTs.
Features of the survey
• It will include start-ups across all States and UTs.
• It will bring out a comprehensive analysis and report on State-level performance.
• It will complement the governments Make in India initiative by taking stock of issues faced and providing impetus for State-level reforms that will make it easier to do business in India.
• It will suggest measures needed to foster competitive and cooperative federalism.
Anuradha Roy won 2016 DSC Prize for Sleeping
on Jupiter
18-JAN-2016
Indian author Anuradha Roy on 16 January 2016 won the prestigious DSC Prize for South Asian Literature for her novelSleeping on Jupiter at the Galle Literary Festival in Sri Lanka.
Roy was awarded the prize and a unique trophy by Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe.
The six shortlisted authors in contention for the prestigious prize were:
• UK-based Indian-origin author Akhil Sharma for Family Life
• KR Meera's Hangwoman (Translated by J Devika)
• Mirza Waheed's The Book of Gold Leaves
• Neel Mukherjee's The Lives of Others
• Raj Kamal Jha for She Will Build Him A City
Who is Anuradha Roy?
• Roy is an award-winning Indian novelist, journalist and editor.
• She did her schooling at South Point School, Kolkata followed by St Thomas School, Kidderpore.
• She studied English Literature at Presidency College, Calcutta and Cambridge University.
• She is the co-founder of Permanent Black, a publishing house started in 2000.
• Her first novel, An Atlas of Impossible Longing has been translated into fifteen languages across the world. It was named by World Literature Today as one of the 60 Essential English Language Works of Modern Indian Literature.
About DSC Prize for South Asian Literature
• The DSC Prize for South Asian Literature is a literary prize awarded annually to writers of any ethnicity or nationality writing about South Asia with themes such as culture, politics, history or people.
• The prize was instituted by DSC Limited, an Indian infrastructure and construction company.
• It is for an original full-length novel written in English, or translated into English.
• The winner of the prize receives 2800000 rupees (about 50000 US dollars).
• In 2015, Jhumpa Lahiri won the prize for her novel The Lowland. Cyrus Mistry won it for Chronicle of a Corpse Bearer in 2014.
Former Sikkim Governor Ventrapragada Rama
Rao passed away
18-JAN-2016
Leader and former Sikkim Governor Ventrapragada Rama Rao passed away on 17 January 2016 in Hyderabad after prolonged illness. He was 80.Rao, who was suffering from severe lung infection, is survived by his wife, son and daughter-in-law.
About Ventrapragada Rama Rao
• Born on 12 December 1935, Rao was a lawyer by profession and practised at the Andhra Pradesh High Court.
• He also played a pivotal role in trade union litigations and served as President, Employees and Workers Unions of several State and Central Public Sector Undertakings and Corporations, such as AP State Finance Corporation, South Central Railways Employee Union and more.
• In 1965, he joined Jana Sangh as a member and went on to serve as a Member of the National Executive of Bharatiya Jana Sangh for many years.
• Moving into Bharatiya Janata Party from erstwhile Jana Sangh, he went on to serve as State Unit President for Andhra Pradesh for two consecutive terms.
• He was elected to Andhra Pradesh State Legislative Council from Hyderabad Graduates' Constituency for four consecutive times in 1966, 1972, 1978 and 1984.
• In October 2002, he was appointed by President of India as the Governor of Sikkim. He served as Governor of Sikkim from 2002 to 2007.
• He also served as a senate member of Osmania University.