Important Awards in World by Dr. Gaurav Garg
THE NOBEL PRIZE
● This prestigious award is named for Alfred Nobel (Swedish Scientist), who created dynamite.
● The first Nobel Prize was presented in 1901 , and the number of fields in which it is presented has increased to six
since.
● Nobel Prize is now awarded in chemistry, physics, literature, medicine, economics and peace.
● In addition to receiving a diploma and a gold medal, winners in each category also receive a monetary prize.
● The Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences, is known as the Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic
Sciences.
The Copley Medal
● It is an award given by the Royal Society, for "outstanding achievements in research in any
branch of science". It alternates between the physical and the biological sciences.It is oldest
surviving scientific award in the world having first been given in 1731 to Stephen Gray.
Kyoto Prize - Japanese Nobel Prize
● It is Japan's highest private award for lifetime achievement in the arts and sciences. awarded
annually since 1985 by the Inamori Foundation.
The Wolf Prize
● It is an international award granted in Israel , that has been presented most years since 1978 to
living scientists and artists for "achievements in the interest of mankind and friendly relations
among people.
The Kavli Prize
● It was established in 2005 by Norway. The main objective for the Prize is to honor, support and
recognize scientists for outstanding scientific work in the fields of astrophysics, nanoscience and
neuroscience.
The Templeton Prize
● It is an annual award granted to a living person, in the estimation of the judges, "whose
exemplary achievements advance Sir John Templeton's philanthropic vision: harnessing the
power of the sciences to explore the deepest questions of the universe and humankind’s place
and purpose within it."
The Sakharov Prize
● It honours individuals and groups of people who have dedicated their lives to the defense of human rights and freedom
of thought. Named after Russian scientist and dissident Andrei Sakharov, the prize was established in December 1988
by the European Parliament.
Marcus Wallenberg Prize (MWP) 2020’ or the Nobel Prize for forest sector
● The purpose of the Prize is to recognize, encourage and stimulate pathbreaking scientific achievements which
contribute significantly to broadening knowledge and to technical development within the fields of importance to
forestry and forest industries.
Christophe Merieux Prize
● Christophe Merieux Prize is one of France’s top science prizes.
● It is given by French Government.
Von Karman Award
● It is the highest distinction of the International Academy of Astronautics given annually to recognise outstanding
lifetime achievements in any branch of science. The award was instituted in 1987 in memory of Dr Theodore Von
Karman, universally respected and legendary aerospace scientist.
● ISRO Chief, K Sivan has been named for Von Karman Award 2020.
Carnot Prize
● Carnot Prize, the most prestigious award in the energy sector , is the annual recognition of distinguished contributions
to energy policy through scholarship or practice.
● Awarded by: Kleinman Center for Energy Policy at the University of Pennsylvania School of Design.
● It is named after French physicist Nicolas Sadi Carnot who recognised that the power of the steam engine would
“produce a great revolution” in human development.
● Union Minister Piyush Goyal has been awarded the 4th Carnot prize.
The Booker Prize
● The leading literary award in the English speaking world , which has brought recognition, reward and readership to
outstanding fiction for over 50 years. Awarded annually to the best novel of the year written in English and published
in the UK or Ireland.
● This prize is awarded only for Fiction.
● It was formerly known as the Booker–McConnell Prize (1969–2001), then the Award was renamed as ‘ The Man
Booker Prize ’ (2002–2019) because MAN Group was the sponsor for 18 years.
● Now there has been a New sponsor “Crankstart Group”, Now it will be awarded as “ The Booker Prize ”.
● From its inception, only novels written by Commonwealth, Irish, and South African (and later Zimbabwean) citizens
were eligible to receive the prize; in 2014 it was widened to any English-language novel from any country.
International Booker Prize
● For a book, translated into English and published in the United Kingdom or Ireland, the International Booker Prize
is awarded.
● The International Booker Prize Awarded annually for a single book, translated into English and published in the UK or
Ireland. The vital work of translators is celebrated, with the prize money divided equally between the author and
translator.
Man Booker International prize : Jokha Al Harthi wins for Celestial Bodies
● Jokha Alharthi is an Omani novelist. She wrote ‘Celestial Bodies’ in Arabic.
● This novel was then translated in English by ‘Marilyn Booth’.
● Prize money of £50,000 was shared by both of them equally.
The A.M. Turing Award
● It is referred to as the " Nobel Prize of Computing ," was named in honor of Alan Mathison
Turing (1912–1954), a British mathematician and computer scientist who taught mathematics at
the University of Manchester
● He made fundamental advances in computer architecture, algorithms, formalization of
computing, and artificial intelligence. Turing was also instrumental in British code-breaking
work during World War II.
● The Award is an annual prize given by the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM).
Pulitzer Awards
● Awarded for :-
✓ Excellence in newspaper journalism
✓ Literary achievements
✓ Musical composition
● Country - United States.
● Presented by - Columbia University.
● First awarded - 1917
● This award was named after US Publisher Joseph Pulitzer ( 1847 to 1911).
● There are total 21 categories under which this award is conferred. Some of these
categories are – Public Services, Breaking News Reporting, Investigative Reporting,
Explanatory Reporting, Beat Reporting, International Reporting, Feature Writing,
Commentary, Criticism, Editorial Writing etc.
● Joseph Pulitzer was a newspaper publisher .
● He was a politician in the Democratic Party of USA.
● He crusaded against big business and corruption, and helped keep the Statue of Liberty in New York.
United Nations – UN Environment
● Champions of the Earth is the United Nations highest environmental honour . The award celebrates outstanding
figures from the public and private sectors and from civil society whose actions have had a transformative, positive
impact on the environment.
● UN Environment is a founding partner of the SEED Awards , which support innovative, small-scale and locally driven
entrepreneurs around the globe who integrate social and environmental benefits into their business models.
● For more than 20 years, the UN Environment Sasakawa Prize recognized outstanding individuals and organizations
for their contributions to the protection of the environment and the promotion of sustainable development.
United Nations – UNESCO
● FÉLIX HOUPHOUËT-BOIGNY Peace Prize
● Since 1991, the Félix Houphouët-Boigny Prize for Peace honours eminent world figures and
institutions who actively contributed to bring peace by solving international conflicts. Félix
Houphouët-Boigny was the first President of Ivory Coast (1960 to 1993), serving for more than
three decades until his death.
United Nations – UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize
● Created in 1997, the annual honours a person, organization or institution that has made an outstanding contribution to
the defence and, or promotion of press freedom anywhere in the world, and especially when this has been achieved in
the face of danger. Given on the occasion of World Press Freedom Day, on 3 May. It is named in honour of Guillermo
Cano Isaza, a Colombian journalist who was assassinated in front of the offices of his newspaper El Espectador in
Bogotá, Colombia on 17 December 1986.
UNESCO - Madanjeet Singh Prize for the Promotion of Tolerance and Non-Violence
● Madanjeet Singh as Ambassador of India in Asia, South America, Africa and Europe.
● The UNESCO-Madanjeet Singh Prize for the Promotion of Tolerance and Non-Violence rewards significant activities
in the scientific, artistic, cultural and communication fields aimed at the promotion of a spirit of tolerance and
non-violence.
● The Prize was established in 1995 on the occasion of the United Nations Year for Tolerance and the 125th anniversary
of the birth of Mahatma Gandhi.
● Awarded every two years, on the occasion of the International Day for Tolerance (16 November),
International UNESCO/Simón BolÃvar Prize
● This prize was created in 1978.
● The purpose of the prize is to reward an activity of outstanding merit which has
contributed to the freedom, independence and dignity of people.
● Simón BolÃvar was one of the most prominent political figures of the emancipation of
South America, facing the Spaniard Empire, for his leading role in the independence of
Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.
● BolÃvar called for the freedom of slaves, and for the distribution of land to the
indigenous people and he proposed the Latin American Union.
Currently there are two UNESCO International Literacy Prizes:
The UNESCO King Sejong Literacy Prize
● Established in 1989, with the support of the Government of the Republic of Korea . It gives special consideration to the
development and use of mother-tongue literacy education and training.
The UNESCO Confucius Prize for Literacy
● The UNESCO Confucius Prize for Literacy, established in 2005, with the support of the Government of the People’s Republic of China . It gives special consideration to literacy amongst adults in rural areas and out-of-school youth,
particularly girls and women. Read the statutes.
UNESCO Avicenna Prize for Ethics in Science
● Established in 2003.
● It is awarded every two years to individuals and groups with outstanding achievements in the field of ethics in science.
● This Prize owes its name to the renowned 11th-century physician and philosopher of
Persian origin known in Europe as Avicenna (980-1038).
● Avicenna developed an exemplary holistic approach that captures the essence of ethics in science.
Carlos J. Finlay UNESCO Prize for Microbiology
● Acknowledging the importance of microbiology for human health and development, the Government of Cuba and
UNESCO have established a prize in honour of one of the most important microbiologists in history: Carlos J. Finlay.
● His innovative research on infectious diseases and especially his work on yellow fever have had huge benefits for
human kind.
Kalinga Prize for the Popularization of Science
● This prize was funded by Biju Patnaik (former CM of Odisha).
● Currently, Odisha Government and Science and Technology Ministry are responsible for prize money.
UNESCO - Michel Batisse Award for Biosphere Reserve Management
UNESCO Sultan Qaboos Prize for Environment Conservation
● Sultan Qaboos was sultan of Oman.
UNESCO Niels Bohr Gold Medal
● Niels Bohr was a Quantum Physicist.
The IOC-UNESCO N.K. Panikkar Medal
● N Kesava Panikkar was an Indian zoologist, a former director of the Central Marine
Fisheries Research Institute , a former adviser to the Government of India on fishery
development.
● UNESCO organises a lecture series and the chief guest is awarded this medal.
0 Comments