Catch Up with the Latest News and Recognitions

1. Paul Lynch Wins 2023 Booker Prize

• Irish author Paul Lynch’s book “Prophet Song” was named the winner of the 2023 Booker Prize.

1. Perumal Murugan Wins JCB Prize for Literature

• Tamil writer Perumal Murugan received the JCB Prize for Literature for his novel “Fire Bird,” the English translation of his Tamil work “Aalandapatchi.”

1. Nandini Das Wins 2023 British Academy Book Prize

• India-born author Nandini Das won the British Academy Book Prize for her book “Courting India: England, Mughal India and the Origins of Empire.”

1. Salman Rushdie Honored with Lifetime Disturbing the Peace Award

• Salman Rushdie received the inaugural ‘Lifetime Disturbing the Peace Award’ from the Vaclav Havel Center, alongside Alaa Abdel-Fattah, who was recognized with the ‘Disturbing the Peace Award for a Courageous Writer at Risk.’

1. Grammy Awards 2024 Nomination

• The song “Abundance in Millets,” featuring Prime Minister Narendra Modi and sung by Falguni Shah and Gaurav Shah, was nominated in the best global music performance category at the 2024 Grammy Awards.

1. 54th International Film Festival of India (IFFI) Awards

• Satyajit Ray Lifetime Achievement Award for Excellence in Cinema: Michael Douglas
• Best Film (Golden Peacock Award): “Endless Borders” directed by Abbas Amini
• Special Jury (Silver Peacock Award): “Kantara: A Legend” directed by Rishab Shetty
• Best Director: Stephan Komandarev for “Blaga’s Lessons”
• Best Actor: Pouria Rahimi Sam for “Endless Borders”
• Best Actress: Melanie Thiery for “Party of Fools”
• ICFT UNESCO Gandhi Medal: “Drift”
• Best OTT Series Award: “Panchayat” Season Two
• Special Recognition for Contribution to Bharatiya Cinema Award: Madhuri Dixit

1. Suresh Wadkar Receives Maharashtra’s Lata Mangeshkar Award 2023

• Suresh Wadkar, a 2018 Sangeet Natak Akademi laureate, was honored with the Lata Mangeshkar Award.

1. Deepti Babuta Wins Dhahan Prize for Punjabi Literature

• Deepti Babuta became the first woman to win the Dhahan Prize for her short story collection “Bhukh Eon Sah Laindi Hai” (“Hunger Breathes Like This”).

1. V R Lalithambika Conferred Highest French Civilian Award

• ISRO Scientist V R Lalithambika was awarded the prestigious Légion d’honneur, France’s highest civilian award.

1. Nishan-e-Pakistan Award to Dr. Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin
   • Dr. Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin, the head of the Dawoodi Bohra sect, will be honored with Pakistan’s highest civilian award, the Nishan-e-Pakistan.
2. Safeena Husain Wins WISE Prize for Education
   • Safeena Husain, founder of Educate Girls, became the first Indian woman to receive the WISE Prize for Education for her efforts in promoting girls’ education in rural India.
3. Guinness World Record under Meri Mati Mera Desh Campaign
   • Savitribai Phule Pune University set a new world record for the maximum number of selfies taken with soil, achieving over 10 lakh selfies under the ‘Meri Mati Mera Desh’ campaign.
4. 10-Year-Old Bangalore Kid Wins Wildlife Photographer of the Year Award
   • Vihaan Talya Vikas won in the ‘10 years and under’ category at the Wildlife Photographer of the Year (WPY) competition for his photograph of a spider alongside a sculpture of Lord Krishna.

Stay tuned for more updates and detailed analyses to help you stay ahead in your government competitive exam preparations!