Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Name of Awardees for Padma Awards 2011

Following are names of all awardees for Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan Padma Shri Award 2011:
Name of Padma Vibhushan Awardees 2011
Name Discipline State/ Domicile
Dr. (Smt.) Kapila Vatsyayan Art – Art Administration and Promotion. Delhi
Mrs. Homai Vyarawalla Art – Photography Gujarat
Shri A Nageshwara Rao Art- Cinema Andhra Pradesh
Shri Parasaran Kesava Iyengar Public Affairs Delhi
Dr. Akhlaq-ur-Rehman Kidwai Public Affairs Delhi
Shri Vijay Kelkar Public Affairs Delhi
Shri Montek Singh Ahluwalia Public Affairs Delhi
Shri Palle Rama Rao Science and Engineering Andhra Pradesh
Shri Azim Premji Trade and Industry Karnataka
Shri Brajesh Mishra Civil Services Madhya Pradesh
Prof. (Dr.) Ottaplakkal Neelakandan Velu Kurup Literature and Education Kerala
Dr. Sitakant Mahapatra Literature and Education Orissa
Late Shri L. C. Jain Public Affairs Delhi *
Name of Padma Bhushan Awardees 2011
Shri Satyadev Dubey Art - Theatre Maharashtra
Shri Mohammed Zahur Khayyam Hashmi alias Khayyam Art – Cinema - Music Maharashtra
Shri Shashi Kapoor Art – Cinema Maharashtra
Shri Krishen Khanna Art – Painting Haryana
Shri Madavur VasudevanNair Art – Dance - Kathakali Kerala
Ms. Waheeda Rehman Art – Cinema Maharashtra
Shri Rudrapatna Krishna Shastry Srikantan Art – Music-Vocal Karnataka
Ms. Arpita Singh Art – Painting Delhi
Dr. Sripathi Panditharadhyula   Balasubrahmanyam Art – Playback Singing, Music Direction & acting Tamil Nadu
Shri C.V. Chandrasekhar Art – Classical Dance-Bharatanatyam Tamil Nadu
Shri Dwijen Mukherjee Art West Bengal
Smt. Rajashree Birla Social work Maharashtra
Mrs. Shobhana Ranade Social work Maharashtra
Dr. Suryanarayanan Ramachandran Science and Engineering Tamil Nadu
Shri S.(Kris) Gopalakrishnan Trade and Industry Karnataka
Shri Yogesh Chander Deveshwar Trade and Industry West Bengal
Ms. Chanda Kochhar Trade and Industry Maharashtra
Dr. K. Anji Reddy Trade and Industry- Pharmacy Andhra Pradesh
Shri Analjit Singh Trade and Industry Delhi
Shri Rajendra Singh Pawar Trade and Industry Haryana
Dr. Gunapati Venkata Krishna Reddy Trade and Industry Andhra Pradesh
Shri Ajai Chowdhary Trade and Industry Delhi
Shri Surendra Singh Civil Services Delhi
Shri M. N .Buch Civil Services Madhya Pradesh
Shri Shyam Saran Civil Services Delhi
Shri Thayil Jacob Sony George Literature and Education Karnataka
Dr. Ramdas Madhava Pai Literature and Education Karnataka
Shri Sankha Ghosh Literature and Education West Bengal
Late Shri K. RaghavanThirumulpad Medicine - Ayurveda. Kerala*
Late Dr. Keki Byramjee Grant Medicine – Cardiology Maharashtra *
Late Shri Dashrath Patel Art Gujarat *
Name of Padma Shri Awardees 2011
Ms. Neelam Mansingh Chowdhry Art – Theatre Chandigarh
Shri Makar DhwajaDarogha Art- Chhau Dance Jharkhand
Shri Shaji Neelakantan Karun Art – Film Direction Kerala
Shri Girish Kasaravalli Art – Film making Karnataka
Ms. Tabassum Hashmi Khan alias Tabu Art – Cinema Maharashtra
Shri Jivya Soma Mase Art - Warli Painting Maharashtra
Guru (Ms.) M.K. Saroja Art – Dance- Bharatnatyam Tamil Nadu
Shri Jayaram Subramaniam Art – Cinema Tamil Nadu
Pandit Ajoy Chakraborty Art – Music-Indian Classical Vocal West Bengal
Smt. Mahasundari Devi Art - Mithilia/ MadhubaniPainting. Bihar
Shri Gajam Govardhana Art – Handloom Weaving Andhra Pradesh
Ms. Sunayana Hazarilal Art – Dance - Kathak Maharashtra
Shri S.R. Janakiraman Art - Carnatic Vocal Music Tamil Nadu
Shri Peruvanam KuttanMarar Art - Chenda Melam- Drum concert Kerala
Smt. Kalamandalam Kshemavathy Pavithran Art – Dance - Mohiniattam Kerala
Shri Dadi DorabPudumjee Art – Puppetry Delhi
Shri Khangembam Mangi Singh Art – Traditional Music of Manipur (Pena) Manipur
Shri Prahlad Singh Tipaniya Art – Folk Music Madhya Pradesh
Smt. Usha Uthup Art – Music. West Bengal
Smt. Kajol Art- Cinema Maharashtra
Shri Irfan Khan Art- Cinema Maharashtra
Shri Mamraj Agrawal Social work West Bengal
Shri Jockin Arputham Social work Maharashtra
Ms. Nomita Chandy Social work Karnataka
Ms. Sheela Patel Social work Maharashtra
Ms. Anita Reddy Social work Karnataka
Shri KanubhaiHasmukhbhai Tailor Social work Gujarat
Shri Anant Darshan Shankar Public Affairs Karnataka
Prof. M. Annamalai Science and Engineering Karnataka
Dr. Mahesh Haribhai Mehta Science and Engineering – Agricultural Science Gujarat
Shri Coimbatore Narayana Rao Raghavendran Science and Engineering Tamil Nadu
Dr. (Mrs.) Suman Sahai Science and Engineering Delhi
Prof.(Dr.) E.A. Siddiq Science and Engineering – Agricultural Science Andhra Pradesh
Shri Gopalan Nair Shankar Science and Engineering – Architecture Kerala
Shri Mecca RafeequeAhmed Trade and Industry Tamil Nadu
Shri KailasamRaghavendra Rao Trade and Industry Tamil Nadu
Shri Narayan Singh Bhati Civil Services Andhra Pradesh
Shri P K Sen Civil Services Bihar
Ms. Shital Mahajan Sports – Adventure Sports- Para Jumping Maharashtra
Ms. Nameirakpam Kunjarani Devi Sports – Weightlifting Manipur
Shri Sushil Kumar Sports – Wrestling Delhi
Shri VangipurapuVenkata Sai Laxman Sports – Cricket Andhra Pradesh
Shri Gagan Narang Sports – Shooting Andhra Pradesh
Smt. Krishna Poonia Sports – Discus Throw Rajasthan
Shri Harbhajan Singh Sports – Mountaineering Punjab
Dr. Pukhraj Bafna Medicine - Padeatrics Chhattisgarh
Prof. Mansoor Hasan Medicine- Cardiology Uttar Pradesh
Dr. Shyama Prasad Mandal Medicine - Orthopaedic Delhi
Prof. (Dr.) Sivapatham Vittal Medicine – Endocrinology Tamil Nadu
Prof. (Dr.) Madanur Ahmed Ali Medicine – Gastroenterology Tamil Nadu
Dr. Indira Hinduja Medicine – Obstetrics and Gynaecology. Maharashtra
Dr. Jose Chacko Periappuram Medicine – Cardio-Thoracic Surgery. Kerala
Prof. (Dr.) A. Marthanda Pillai Medicine – Neurosurgery Kerala
Shri Mahim Bora Literature and Education Assam
Prof. (Dr.) Pullella Srirama Chandrudu Literature and Education- Sanskrit Andhra Pradesh
Dr. Pravin Darji Literature and Education Gujarat
Dr. Chandra Prakash Deval Literature and Education Rajasthan
Shri Balraj Komal Literature and Education Delhi
Mrs. Rajni Kumar Literature and Education Delhi
Dr. Devanooru Mahadeva Literature and Education Karnataka
Shri Barun Mazumder Literature and Education West Bengal
Dr. Avvai Natarajan Literature and Education Tamil Nadu
Shri BhalchandraNemade Literature and Education Himachal Pradesh
Prof. Riyaz Punjabi Literature and Education Jammu and Kashmir
Prof. Koneru Ramakrishna Rao Literature and Education Andhra Pradesh
Ms. Buangi Sailo Literature and Education Mizoram
Prof. Devi Dutt Sharma Literature and Education Uttarakhand
Shri Nilamber Dev Sharma Literature and Education Jammu and Kashmir
Ms. Urvashi Butalia # Literature and Education Delhi
Ms. Ritu Menon # Literature and Education Delhi
Prof. Krishna Kumar Literature and Education Delhi
Shri Deviprasad Dwivedi Literature and Education Uttar Pradesh
Ms. Mamang Dai Literature and Education Arunachal Pradesh
Dr. Om Prakash Agrawal Others – Heritage Conservation Uttar Pradesh
Prof. Madhukar Keshav Dhavalikar Others – Archeology Maharashtra
Ms. Shanti Teresa Lakra Others-Nursing Andaman & Nicobar
Smt. Gulshan Nanda Others – Handicrafts promotion Delhi
Dr. Azad Moopen Social work UAE *
Prof. Upendra Baxi Public Affairs -Legal Affairs United Kingdom *
Dr. Mani Lal Bhaumik Science and Engineering USA *
Dr. Subra Suresh Science and Engineering USA *
Prof. Karl Harrington Potter Literature and Education USA *
Prof. Martha Chen Social work USA *
Shri Satpal Khattar Trade and Industry Singapore *
Shri Granville Austin Literature and Education USA *
Note: * indicates awardees in the category of Foreigners / NRIs/ PIOs/ Posthumous. And # indicates duo case.

83rd Oscar Award Winners 2011

83rd Oscar Award Winners 2011: Detailed list of nominated winners with their category award. The King’s Speech” won the top Academy Award, for best picture, giving the British royals drama a total of four Oscars.
Award Category Nominated Winner
Actor in a Leading Role Colin Firth in The King’s Speech
Actor in a Supporting Role Christian Bale in The Fighter
Actress in a Leading Role Natalie Portman in Black Swan
Actress in a Supporting Role Melissa Leo in The Fighter
Animated Feature Film Toy Story 3 (Lee Unkrich)
Art Direction Alice in Wonderland
Best Picture The King’s Speech (Iain Canning, Emile Sherman and Gareth Unwin, Producers)
Cinematography Inception (Wally Pfister)
Costume Design Alice in Wonderland (Colleen Atwood)
Directing The King’s Speech (Tom Hooper)
Documentary (Feature) Inside Job (Charles Ferguson and Audrey Marrs)
Documentary (Short Subject) Strangers No More (Karen Goodman and Kirk Simon)
Film Editing The Social Network (Angus Wall and Kirk Baxter)
Foreign-Language Film In a Better World (Denmark) (defeating Montrealer Denis Villeneuve’s Incendies)
Makeup The Wolfman (Rick Baker and Dave Elsey)
Music (Original Score) The Social Network (Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross)
Music (Original Song) We Belong Together from Toy Story 3 (Music and Lyric by Randy Newman)
Short Film (Animated) The Lost Thing (Shaun Tan and Andrew Ruhemann)
Short Film (Live Action) God of Love (Luke Matheny)
Sound Editing Inception (Richard King)
Sound Mixing Inception (Lora Hirschberg, Gary A. Rizzo and Ed Novick)
Visual Effects Inception (Paul Franklin, Chris Corbould, Andrew Lockley and Peter Bebb)
Writing (Adapted Screenplay) The Social Network (Screenplay by Aaron Sorkin)
Writing (Original Screenplay) The King’s Speech (Screenplay by David Seidler)

Thursday, March 3, 2011

Vietnam



Vietnam
AREA
331,114 sq km (127,844 sq miles).
POPULATION
75,355,200 (1996).
POPULATION DENSITY
227.6 per sq km.
CAPITAL
Hanoi.
CAPITAL POPULATION
2,154,900 (1993).
GEOGRAPHY
Vietnam shares borders to the north with the People's Republic of China and to the west with Laos and Cambodia. The South China Sea lies to the east and south. The land is principally agricultural with a central tropical rainforest.
GOVERNMENT
Socialist republic since 1980. Gained independence from France in 1954. Head of State: Chairman Trân Duc Luong since 1997. Head of Government: Prime Minister Phan Van Khai since 1997.
LANGUAGE
Vietnamese is the official language. English, French, Chinese and occasionally Russian and German are spoken.
RELIGION
Buddhist majority. There are Taoist, Confucian, Hoa Hao, Caodaist and Christian (predominantly Roman Catholic) minorities.
STANDARD TIME
GMT + 7.
ELECTRICITY
220 volts AC, 50Hz.

Vetican City State Holy See



Vetican City State Holy See
AREA
Vetican City State Holy See
POPULATION
1500 (1995).
POPULATION DENSITY
3400.0 per sq km.
CAPITAL
CAPITAL POPULATION
GEOGRAPHY
The Vatican City is situated entirely within the city of Rome, sprawling over a hill west of the River Tiber, and separated from the rest of the city by a wall. Vatican City comprises St Peter's Church, St Peter's Square, the Vatican and the Vatican Gardens.
GOVERNMENT
The State of the Vatican City came into existence in 1929. Head of State and Government: His Holiness Pope John Paul II since 1978.
LANGUAGE
Italian and Latin are the official languages, though most international languages are spoken to some extent.
RELIGION
STANDARD TIME
GMT + 1 (GMT + 2 from last Sunday in March to Saturday before last Sunday in September).
ELECTRICITY
220 volts, 50Hz.

Vergin Islands US



Vergin Islands US
AREA
347.1 sq km (134 sq miles).
POPULATION
97,120 (1997).
POPULATION DENSITY
280 per sq km.
CAPITAL
Charlotte Amalie (St Thomas).
CAPITAL POPULATION
12,331 (1990).
GEOGRAPHY
The islands are situated 64km (40 miles) east of Puerto Rico and comprise some 50 islands covered with lush tropical vegetation. St Thomas is long and narrow, rising abruptly to a ridge with an excellent deep-water harbour. St John is covered partly in bay forests. St Croix consists of 215 sq km (83 sq miles) of rolling ex-plantation land.
GOVERNMENT
US External Territory (Unincorporated). Gained a measure of self-government in 1954. Head of State: President William Clinton since 1993. Head of Government: Governor Charles Wesley Turnbull since 1999.
LANGUAGE
English is the official language. Spanish and Creole are also widely spoken.
RELIGION
Christian, mainly Protestant.
STANDARD TIME
GMT - 4.
ELECTRICITY
120 volts AC, 60Hz.

Vergin Island British



Vergin Island British
AREA
153 sq km (59 sq miles).
POPULATION
18,727 (1997).
POPULATION DENSITY
122.3 per sq km.
CAPITAL
Road Town, Tortola.
CAPITAL POPULATION
5000 (1997).
GEOGRAPHY
The British Virgin Islands are an archipelago of more than 60 islands and cays, only 16 of which are inhabited, forming the northern extremity of the Leeward Islands in the eastern Caribbean. They are situated approximately 100km (62 miles) east of Puerto Rico, adjoining the US Virgin Islands. The islands are volcanic in origin, with the exception of Anegada, which is formed of coral and limestone and is the lowest lying. The topography is otherwise mountainous, the highest point being Tortola's Sage Mountain, which rises to 550m (1800ft). There are remnants of a primeval rainforest on Tortola.
GOVERNMENT
British Dependent Territory since 1672. Head of State: HM Queen Elizabeth II, represented locally by Governor David Mackilligin since 1995. Head of Government: Chief Minister Ralph O'Neal since 1999.
LANGUAGE
English
RELIGION
Mainly Methodist and Church of God, but also Anglican, Adventist, Baptist and Roman Catholic congregations.
STANDARD TIME
GMT - 4
ELECTRICITY
110/60 volts AC, 60Hz. American 2-pin plugs are used.

Venezuela



Venezuela
AREA
912,050 sq km (352,144 sq miles).
POPULATION
22,777,000 (1997).
POPULATION DENSITY
25.0 per sq km.
CAPITAL
Caracas.
CAPITAL POPULATION
3,435,795 (metropolitan area, 1990).
GEOGRAPHY
Venezuela is bounded to the north by the Caribbean, to the east by Guyana and the Atlantic Ocean, to the south by Brazil, and to the west and southwest by Colombia. The country consists of four distinctive regions: the Venezuelan Highlands in the west; the Maracaibo Lowlands in the north; the vast central plain of the Llanos around the Orinoco; and the Guyana Highlands, which take up about half of the country.
GOVERNMENT
Republic. Gained independence from Spain in 1830. Head of State and Government: President Hugo Chávez Frías since 1999.
LANGUAGE
Spanish is the official language. English, French, German and Portuguese are also spoken by some sections of the community.
RELIGION
90% Roman Catholic.
STANDARD TIME
GMT - 4 (GMT - 5 in summer).
ELECTRICITY
110 volts AC, 60Hz. American-style 2-pin plugs are the most commonly used fittings.

Vanuatu



Vanuatu
AREA
12,190 sq km (4707 sq miles).
POPULATION
177,400 (1997).
POPULATION DENSITY
14.6 per sq km.
CAPITAL
Port Vila (Island of Efaté).
CAPITAL POPULATION
33,700 (1997)
GEOGRAPHY
Vanuatu, formerly called the New Hebrides, forms an incomplete double chain of islands stretching north to southeast for some 900km (560 miles). They are situated approximately 2250km (1407 miles) northeast of Sydney, Australia, and 800km (500 miles) west of Fiji. Together with the Banks and Torres islands, the chains comprise about 40 mountainous islands and 40 islets and rocks. The islands are volcanic in origin and there are five active volcanoes. The Ambrym and Lopevi volcanoes are permanently active and highly dangerous. Lopevi was extinct for many years but became active 50 years ago. Further to the south, on the island of Tanna, is Yasur, cited as the most accessible active volcano in the world and a major tourist attraction. Geophysical activity is under constant monitoring by the French scientific organisation, ORSTOM. Most of the islands are densely forested and mountainous with narrow bands of cultivated land along the coasts.
GOVERNMENT
Republic. Gained independence from the UK/France in 1980. Head of State: President John Bani since 1999. Head of Government: Prime Minister Donald Kalpokas since 1998.
LANGUAGE
Bislama (Pidgin English), English and French are the official languages. This most widely used day-to-day language is a Melanesian mixture of French and English. French and English are widely spoken and both English and French names exist for all towns. There are more than 100 local dialects.
RELIGION
Mostly Christian, including Presbyterian, Anglican, Roman Catholic and several other denominations.
STANDARD TIME
GMT + 11.
ELECTRICITY
220/380 volts AC. Australian 3-pin plugs are in use.

Uzbekistan




Uzbekistan

AREA
447,400 sq km (172,740 sq miles).
POPULATION
23,667,000 (1997).
POPULATION DENSITY
52.8 per sq km.
CAPITAL
Tashkent.
CAPITAL POPULATION
2,126,000 (1992).
GEOGRAPHY
Uzbekistan is bordered by Afghanistan to the south, Turkmenistan to the west, Kazakhstan to the north, Kyrgyzstan to the northeast and Tajikistan to the east and has a colourful and varied countryside. The south and east are dominated by the Tien-Shan and Pamir-Alai mountain ranges and the Kyzyl Kum desert lies to the northeast. The northwestern autonomous region of Karakalpakstan is bounded by the Aral Sea and the sparsely populated Ustyurt Plateau with its vast cotton fields.
GOVERNMENT
Republic. Declared independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. Head of State: President Islam Karimov since 1990. Head of Government: Prime Minister Utkir Sultanov since 1995.
LANGUAGE
The official language is Uzbek, a Turkic tongue closely related to Kazakh and Kyrgyz. There is a small Russian-speaking minority. Many people involved with tourism speak English. The Government has stated its intention to change the Cyrillic script to the Latin.
RELIGION
Predominantly Sunni Muslim, with Shia (15%), Russian Orthodox and Jewish minorities.
STANDARD TIME
GMT + 5.
ELECTRICITY
220 volts AC, 50Hz. Round 2-pin continental plugs are standard.

Uruguay



Uruguay
AREA
176,215 sq km (68,037 sq miles).
POPULATION
3,203,000 (1996).
POPULATION DENSITY
18.2 per sq km.
CAPITAL
Montevideo.
CAPITAL POPULATION
1,383,660 (1992).
GEOGRAPHY
Uruguay is one of the smallest of the South American republics. It is bounded to the north by Brazil, to the southeast by the Atlantic, and is separated from Argentina in the west and south by the River Uruguay, which widens out into the Rio de la Plata estuary. The landscape is made up of hilly meadows broken by streams and rivers. There is a string of beaches along the coast. Most of the country is grazing land for sheep and cattle. Montevideo, the most southern point of the nation, accommodates more than half of the population. About 90% of the land is suitable for agriculture, although only 12% is used in this way. Uruguay is known as the 'Oriental Republic' because it stands on the eastern bank of the Rio de la Plata.
GOVERNMENT
Republic since 1967. Gained independence from Spain in 1828. Head of State and Government: President Jorge Batlle since 1999.
LANGUAGE
Spanish. Some English is spoken in tourist resorts.
RELIGION
Roman Catholic.
STANDARD TIME
GMT - 3.
ELECTRICITY
220 volts AC, 50Hz. Plugs are continental flat 3-pin or round 2-pin.