15 November 2014 Current Affairs
IICT scientist Srivari Chandrasekhar Won Infosys Prize 2014
Srivari Chandrasekhar from CSIR-IICT, Hyderabad, has been named the winner of the Infosys Prize 2014 in Physical Sciences. The award carries a purse of Rs. 55 lakh, a 22 carat gold medal and citation. The prize is awarded annually by the Infosys Foundation. Chandrasekhar’s latest contribution is to develop a technology for manufacturing Misoprostal, an abortive drug also used in the treatment of ulcers. He, along with his team members, had won the CSIR Technology award-2014 for this achievement.
Krishna Iyer Selected For K.R. Narayanan Award
Eminent Jurist Justice V.R. Krishna Iyer has been chosen for this year’s K.R. Narayanan award for his services to the nation. Instituted by the K.R. Narayanan Foundation in memory of the late President, the award is to honour individuals who have excelled in various fields. Earlier recipients of the award include former Speaker of the Kerala Assembly, K. Radhakrishnan, former ISRO Chairman G. Madhavan Nair and Jnanpith Award winner, O.N.V. Kurup.
China Launched Yaogan-23 Remote Sensing Satellite Into Space
China launched remote sensing satellite Yaogan-23 from Taiyuan Satellite Launch Centre on 15 November. The satellite was carried by a Long March-2c rocket, which marks the 198th mission for Long March rocket family. The Yaogan-23 will be used mainly for scientific experiments, natural resource surveys, crop yield estimates and disaster relief.
Farhan Akhtar Named UN Women’s South Asia Goodwill Ambassador
Bollywood Actor Farhan Akhtar has become the first man to be appointed as the South Asia Goodwill Ambassador of the UN Women. Farhan will dedicate his efforts as UN Women’s Goodwill Ambassador for South Asia towards the empowerment of women and girls and will serve as an advocate for UN Women’s newly launched ‘HeForShe’ initiative in advocating for gender equality and women’s empowerment.