JANUARY 2016 CURRENT AFFAIRS (PART-9)

• President Pranab Mukherjee has announced the names of recipients of year 2016 Padma awards. He approved conferment of 112 Padma Awards. Padma Awards, the country’s highest civilian awards, are conferred in three Categories viz. Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri. The Awards are given in various disciplines- art, social work, public affairs, science and engineering, trade and industry, medicine, literature and education, sports, civil service, etc. Padma Vibhushan recipients are Yamini Krishnamurthi, Rajinikanth, Girija Devi , Ramoji Rao, Dr. Viswanathan Shanta, Shri Shri Ravi Shankar, Jagmohan, Dr.Vasudev Kalkunte Aatre, Avinash Dixit (Foreigner) and Dhiru Bhai Ambani (Posthumous).
• President Pranab Mukherjee has conferred the country’s highest peacetime gallantry award Ashok Chakra to Lance Naik Mohan Nath Goswami posthumously.
• Three persons of Indian-origin (PIO) Chennupati Jagadish, Jay Chandra, Sajeev Koshy have been awarded 2016 Medal of the Order of Australia, Australia’s highest civilian honour. They have been selected for their contribution in the fields of physics, engineering and medicine. Announcement in this regard was made on the Australia Day i.e. 26th January 2016.
• 31 Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) members have signed corporate tax avoidance agreement in a bid to stem fiscal tax evasion by multinational companies (MNCs). The new agreement is about sharing information between members rather than a new tax law. Under it, signatory members have to share information on tax issues of MNCs.
• Veteran wildlife filmmaker Naresh Bedi has been conferred with the V Shantaram Life Time Acheivement Award at 14th edition of 2016 Mumbai International Festival, Mumbai. Bedi’s film ‘Cherub of the Mist’ based on the life of two red pandas was the opening film of this edition of MIFF.
• Indian Author and foreign affairs expert Nisid Hajari has won the prestigious 2016 William E. Colby Award for his book ‘Midnight’s Furies: The Deadly Legacy of India’s Partition’. His book ‘The Midnight’s Furies’ is based on partition history of India and Pakistan in 1947 and the violence that surrounded it.
• Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry Ajay Kumar Singh has launched the MITRA application to ensure protection of women, children and the elderly in time of distress. MITRA (Mobile Initiated Tracking and Rescue) application has been developed by Puducherry Police department in association with National Informatics Centre.
• Renowned telecom engineer and inventor Sam Pitroda has been appointed as Technology Advisor to the Odisha Government. He has been appointed as the technology adviser for development of telecom, electronics, Information Technology, IT Enabled Services sectors of the state. With this appointment he will get the rank of a Cabinet Minister. He will play key role in formulation Vision 2036 for Odisha@100, a vision document for 2036 to celebrate the 100 years of state’s formation.
• Reserve Bank of India Governor Raghuram Rajan has been conferred with the Central Banker of the Year Award for year 2016.
• Barcelona FC forward Lionel Messi from Argentina has won the 2015 FIFA Ballon d’Or Award. He has earned this title of world’s best football player for record fifth time. Earlier he was conferred with this award in 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012.