Name: Subhash Chandra Bose
Known As: “Netaji” Subhash Chandra Bose. ‘Netaji’ means ‘Honourable Leader’ and the title is believed to be given by the people of India at large and in particular by the Indian National Poet Rabindranath Tagore.

Father: Janakinath Bose-Advocate

Mother: Prabhavati Devi

Date of Birth: 23rd January 1897 at Cuttack, Odisha

Date of Death: 18th August 1945, at Taiwan

Studied at : Scottish Church College, University of Calcutta, Cambridge University

Occupation: Indian Freedom Fighter

Personal Life:
During his visit to Germany in the year1934, Bose had met Emilie Schenkl, the daughter of an Austrian veterinarian and married her in the year 1937. In the year 1942, Anita Bose, a daughter was born to the Bose-couple.

Political Career:

Bose had been an active member of the Indian National Congress from the year 1921 and he had been the leader of the youth wing of the Congress. And he became the President of the Indian National Congress in 1938.

Bose did not believe  in Mahatma Gandh’s ways of non-violent / satyagraha and war without swords and blood- modes of getting India’s Independence from the Brittish.

Subhash Chandra Bose had been saying to the Indians, "Give Your Blood, I will get you Freedom". 

And due to the difference of opinions with Mahatma Gandhi and the high commands of the Congress, Bose was ousted from the Indian National Congress in the year 1939.

Bose had formed a wing of the Indian National Congress- ‘Forward Block’-1939-1940.

In the year 1940, Bose was arrested and kept under ‘house-arrest’ by the British Government and he escaped from India and arrived in Germany in the year 1941.

In November 1941, with German funds, a Free India Centre was set up in Berlin, and soon a Free India Radio, on which Bose broadcast nightly. Bose stayed in Berlin from 1941 until 1943. In 1943, deciding that Germany could not help in gaining India's independence,  he left for Japan, traveling in the German and the Japanese Submarines.

With Japanese support, Bose strengthened ‘Indian National Army’/ (INA),  composed of Indian soldiers of the British Indian army who had been captured in the Battle of Singapore.
During his stay in Japan, Bose coined the popular Indian Freedom Struggle slogan –“Jai Hind”.

Death of Subhash Chandra Bose:

In the year 1945, while flying in a Japanese aircraft, the over-loaded plane crashed near the ‘Formosa Islands’/Taiwan and  Bose sustained third degree burns in the ‘plane-crash’ and died in a hospital in Taihoku/ Taiwan under Japan.

However, there had been some differences of opinions in the death of ‘Netaji’Subhsash Chandra Bose.  Some people believe that no such plane-crash occurred on 18th August 1945 and Bose did not die in that plane-crash.

They believe that Bose went to Russia and died only in the year 1970. And some other people believe that Bose had been living as a Hindu monk Kumnami Baba/Bagwanji in Uttar Pradesh and died in the year 1985.

The Union Government of India decided to confer India's highest civilian award 'The Bharat Ratna', posthumously to 'Netaji' Subhash Chandra Bose in the year 1992.

Some people, including the family members of Bose had been believing that 'Netaji' Subhash Chandra Bose had been still alive.

However, subsequent to a PIL filed in the Supreme Court of India, against the matter of conferring 'Bharat Ratna' to Bose in view of the doubts and mystery surrounding the death of Bose, the posthumous award was not conferred on Bose, in order to recognize the sentiments of the family members of Bose.

"Netaji' Subhash Chandra Bose will  live in the hearts and minds of Indians for ever.

In the “Airtel- Super Singer- Season- 4” conducted in Vijay TV, the Grand Finale was held at ‘Campa-Cola Grounds’-Guindy-Chennai on 01st February 2014.
The following 3 were the “Direct- Finalists selected in the process of the Super Singer 4 program:
1. Diwakar
2. Parvathy
3. Syed Subahann

And the following 2 singers had joined the above 3 direct-finalists by winning in the “Wild Card Round after being eliminated in the process of the program
1. Sarath Santhosh
2. Soniya

On 01st February 2014, Saturday, the following 5 singers participated in the Grand Finale of the ‘AirTel Super Singer 4:
1. Diwakar of Chennai, Tamilnadu,
2. Paarvathy of Kerala,
3. Syed Subahan of Hyderabad, Andhrapradesh,
4. Sarath Santhosh of Kerala and
5. Soniya of Kerala.

And by the popular voting by the audience and the public from India and abroad, the following 2 could get the 4th and the 5th places, with a cash prize of Rs 5 Lakhs each:
1.    Soniya and
2.    Parvathy


And the Second Runner-up of the program getting a cash prize of Rs 10 Lakhs was:

•  Sarath Santhosh

And the First Runner – up of the program getting 1 Kg of Gold (Worth about Rs  30 Lakhs) was:

•  Syed Subahan

And the Title Winner of the “AirTel-Super-Singer-4 winning a 3 Bed-Room Apartment by ‘Arun Excello’ worth Rs 60 Lakhs was:

• Diwakar

Out of the total number of votes received from the audience and the public were 13 Lakhs+ and the winner got a record highest of 7 Lakhs+ votes in any of the Super Singer Programs held so far, and the First Runner Syed Subahan got 2 Lakhs+ votes.

However, it is notable that, Syed Subahan had been the winner in the ratings by the judges of the program.


Generally, the judgements of the judges of such singing competitions rarely coincide with the popular opinions.

Will it be a good suggestion to such singing and dance reality shows, at every stage, the marks can be given by popular voting, instead of by the so-called 'judges' and experts ? (Avoiding, 'eliminations' tears and sad faces of judges etc.)

The Wage Revision of the Bank employees of the public sector banks in India has been due since November 2012.
As the Indian Banks Association/IBA and the Government of India had not revised the wages of about 8 lakhs  employees of a total number of 27 public sector banks, as per their demands for a hike of 30%, even after more than one year of the due date for wage revision, the bank employees’ trade unions/United Forum of Bank Unions decided to go on an “All India Strike” and announced a 2 days’ strike on 20th &21st January 2014.
However, as the IBA offered a hike of 9.5% (from their original 5 % hike)  with a promise to improve further the proposed strike in January 2014 was postponed by the banks’ unions.  In a meeting with the representatives of the bank employees the IBA offered to increase their offer from 9.5% to 10.00%.
Obviously annoyed by the attitude of the IBA and the Government of India, the bank employees unions decided to go on an “All India Strike” for 2 days on 9th and 10th of February 2014.
As the banks all over India would be closed down for about 3.5 days continuously, the banking services will be badly affected.
In the minds of the customers of the banks and the public, there are mixed feelings and reactions to the proposed 2 days’ strike by the bank employees demanding their wage revisions over due for more than a year.

The wages of the public sector banks had been elevated from a very low level by the united actions of the bank employees’ trade unions since the nationalization of commercial banks in India in the year 1969.

For some period of time, the wages of the bank employees had been viewed as very high compared to the wages of employees of the central /state governments and other public sector undertakings.

However, as and after the wages of the government/other psu employees , including ‘teachers’ of schools and colleges were increased considerably, the wages of the bank employees has been comparatively low.

Also, due to ‘computerization’/’mechanization’ in banks, the man-power in the branches of the banks have been reduced and the bank employees are facing ‘work-pressure’.
The bank employees, especially, those in the management cadre have been facing pressures from their managements, staff members and the customers & the public.

However, the IBA and the Government of India are not in favour of doing justice to the legitimate demands for a reasonable wage revision in time.

Hence, according to the leaders of the bank employees’ trade unions, they have been compelled to resort to the ultimate weapon in their hands to get their demands heard by the IBA and the government of India: “All India Strike” for 2 days.

The customers and the public who are mostly in support of the demands of the bank employees, however, feel that the trade unions might wait for some more months and negotiate with the new Indian Union Government after the April 2014 General Elections.

The former Prime Minister of India, Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated on 21st May 1991 at Sriperumpudur, near Chennai,Tamilnadu by ‘human-suicide- bomb-blast’.
A total of 26 persons were convicted with death penalty in the year 1998 by TADA court and as and when the cases went to the Supreme Court of India, the death penalties of the following 4 persons only were confirmed in the year 2000:

• V.Sriharan alias Murugan
• A.G.Perarivalan
• T.Suthendra Raja alias Santhan and 

•  Nalini Wife of Murugan

On 18th February 2014,  the Supreme Court of India bench comprising the following 3 Justices:

• Chief Justice of India- P.Sathasivam (Head of the Bench),
• Justice Ranjan Gogoi and
• Justice Shiva Kirti Singh

In India there are many“Zoos” wherein animals, birds and reptiles are kept for exhibition to the public, wildlife conservation and environmental education.

In view of a fast and uncontrolled growth of zoos, circuses etc. dealing with animals, birds and reptiles in India, a body of the Union Government of India was formed in the year 1992 to control and regulate zoos etc. in India, with the name “Central Zoo Authority of India” /CZA

as an  affiliate member of the "World Association of Zoos and Aquariums"/WAZA,

The Central Zoo Authority of India/CZA has got powers and duties for the following functions:

• To oversee the functioning and the development of zoos in India,
• To  evaluate and asses the functioning of every zoo with reference to prescribed norms and standards and to grant recognition to such zoos which can come up to the prescribed norms and standards within a reasonable time,
• To regulate acquisition of animals by zoos keeping in view the overall interest of conservation,
• To upgrade technical skills of zoo personnel on various aspects of zoo management,
• To encourage research with regard to captive breeding and zoo education programmes,
• To identify endangered species of wild animals for the purpose of captive breeding and oversee their execution including maintenance of appropriate records and
• To provide technical and financial assistance to zoos for their development and management on scientific line.

• Biological Park, Chidyatapu/Port Blair

• Indira Gandhi Zoological Park/Visakhapatnam
• Nehru Zoological Park/Hyderabad
• Sri Venkateswara Zoological Park/Tirupati – The largest zoo in India –  in a total area of 2212 hectares

• Biological Park/Itanagar

• Assam State Zoo-Cum-Botanical Garden/Guwahati

• Sanjay Gandhi Biological Park/Patna

• National Zoological Park/Delhi  

• Kamal Nehru Zoological Garden/Ahmedabad
• Sayaji Baug Zoo/Vadodara
• Rajkot Zoo/Rajkot

• Dhauladhar Nature Park /Gopalpur

• Jammu Zoo/Jammu

• Jawaharlal Nehru Biological Park/Bokaro
• Bhagwan Birsa Biological Park/Ranchi
• Tata Steel Zoological Park/Jamshedpur

• Bellary Childrens Park-Cum-Zoo/Bellary
• National Park & Zoological Garden, Bannerghatta/Bangalore
• Sri Chamarajendra Zoological Gardens/Mysore

• Kodanadu Zoo/Kodanadu
• Malampuzha Snake Park/ Malampuzha
• Thiruvananthapuram Zoo/Thiruvananthapuram
• Parassinikkadavu Reptile Park/Kanur
• State Museum & Zoo/ Thrissur

•  Kamla Nehru Prani Sanghrahalaya Zoo/Indore
• Van Vihar National Park Zoo/Bhopal

• Maharaja Shahaji Chhatrapati Zoo/Kolhapur
• Maharajbagh Zoo/Nagpur
• Mahatma Gandhi Rashtriya Udyan Zoo/Solapur
• Rajiv Gandhi Zoological Park and Wild Life Research Center/Pune

• Manipur Zoological Garden/Imphal

• Lady Hydari Park Animal Land/Meghalaya Zoo/Shillong

• Aizawal Zoo/Mizoram Zoo//Aizwal

• Indira Gandhi Park Zoo/Rourkela

• Ludhiana Zoo/Ludhiana

• Bikaner Zoo/Bikaner
• Jaipur Zoo/Jaipur
• Panchwati Deer Park/Pilani
• Jodhpur Zoo/Jodhpur
• Kota Zoo/Kota
• Safari Park, Haridasji-ki-magri/Udaipur

• Himalayan Zoological Park/Gangtok

• Arignar Anna Zoological Park/Vandalur, Chennai
• Childrens Park/Guindy, Chennai
• Chennai Snake Park/Guindy, Chennai
• Madras Crocodile Bank & Centre For Herpetology/Mahabalipuram, Chennai

• Sepahijala Zoological Park/Sepahijala, Agartala,

Uttarkhand:

• Pt.Govind Ballabh Pant High Altitude Zoo/Nainital

• Kanpur Zoological Park/Kanpur
• Lucknow Zoological Park/Lucknow

• Alipore Zoological Garden/Kolkata
• Adina Deer Park/Malda
• Calcutta Snake Park/Badu, Kolkata
• Marble Palace Zoo/Kolkata- The oldest zoo in India- Established in the year 1854
• Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park/Darjeeling

In the day to day cash transactions of the public, coins have been important in many places such as public transports (buses and trains) and domestic retail shops( vegetables and grocery etc).
The Reserve Bank of India has been advising and asking the public sector, private sector and foreign banks in India to provide ‘Coins Vending Machines”/CVMs in and near their branches and ATMs and in public places, the banks in India are installing CVMs in many places.

To get coins in exchange of currency notes the public will have to insert currency note inside the CVMs and the CVMs  will scan the inserted note, verify its genuineness and dispense coins of an equal value.
The coins will be available in denominations of Re. 1, Rs. 2 Rs. 5 and Rs. 10, of which any two or three denominations will be dispensed.
In the state of Tamilnadu, there are already 120 CVMs and recently, 65 CVMs have been installed in the Chennai City at various places and still more 85 CVMs will be installed in the states of Tamilnadu and Pondicherry excluding the Chennai City.

The following are the banks details of the 65 CVMs installed recently in the Chennai City:

• Indian Overseas Bank (24), 
• Indian Bank (15), 
• State Bank of India (10),
   
• Canara Bank (5), 
• Bank of India (5), 
• Axis Bank (4), 
• Standard Chartered Bank (1) 
   
• and TNSC bank (1).

There has been news in a section of media in India regarding changes in the Indian Railway’s Tickets-cancellation/refund rules.
According to the news hereinafter ‘No Refund’ would be made for cancellation of all the confirmed train tickets booked.
The Indian Railways has confirmed, on 24th February 2014, that there is no change in the Refund Rules,  which have been notified in June 2013 and have been brought into force with effect from 1st July, 2013.

According to the notified refund rules, passengers on a confirmed ticket can avail refund up-to 50% of the fare provided the ticket is cancelled within 2 hours of the departure of the train.

All the rules regarding cancellations and refunds of train tickets booked at tickets booking counters, I Tickets and E Tickets would remain unchanged.

However, 'No Refund' will be granted on cancellation of confirmed Tatkal tickets.

For contingent cancellation & Waitlisted Tatkal ticket cancellations, prior to the preparation of the charts for the trains, charges will be deducted as per existing Railway rules.

Partial cancellation of Tatkal e-tickets is allowed but at least one passenger with ID card printed on ERS/VRM should not be cancelled.

On cancellation of all the passengers whose ID card details is printed on ERS/VRM, all the passengers on that e-ticket will be cancelled.

While booking for train tickets in India, the wait-listed passengers have to find out the status of their ‘waiting list’-tickets by:

• visiting the website of the ‘irctc’ via internet,for bookings done online,
• visiting the ‘indianrailinfo’ website for pnr status via internet,
• by contacting ‘irctc’ via the telephone number:’139 and /or by sending SMS with the 10 digits pnr number to the irctc-at ‘139
• and looking into the chart prepared by the railways displayed in the railway stations and pasted on the coaches

In India, the term of the 15th Lokh Sabha with a strength of 543 members, excluding 2 nominated members, of the Union of India will come to an end on 31st May 2014.
To form the 16th Lokh Sabha of the Union of India from 01st June 2014, the ‘General Elections’ are to be conducted by the ‘Election Commission of India’/ECI.
The present Election Commission of India comprise the following members:

• Mr. V.S. Sampath- The Chief Election Commissioner,
• Mr. H.S. Brahma-Election Commissioner and
• Mr.S.N.A. Zaidi- Election Commissioner.

• Andhrapradesh for 294 Assembly Seats,
• Odisha for 147 Assembly Seats and
• Sikkim for 32 Assembly Seats

• Bihar: April 10, 17, 24, 30, May 7 and 12 and
• Uttar Pradesh: April 10, 17, 24, 30, May 7, 12

• Jammu and Kashmir: April 10, 17, 24, 30, May 7 and
• West Bengal: April 17, 24, 30, May 7, 12

• Assam: April 7, 12, 24
• Chhattisgarh: April 10, 17, 24
• Jharkhand - April 10, 17, 24
• Madhya Pradesh: April 10, 17, 24
• Maharashtra: April 10, 17, 24

• Andhra Pradesh: April 30, May 7
• Manipur: April 9, 17
• Odisha: April 10, 17
• Rajasthan: April 17, 24
• Tripura: April 7, 12

• Arunachal Pradesh: April 9
• Goa: April 17
• Gujarat: - April 30
• Haryana: April 10
• Himachal Pradesh: May 7
• Karnataka: April 17
• Kerala: April 10
• Meghalaya: April 9
• Mizoram: April 9
• Nagaland: April 9
• Punjab: April 30
• Sikkim: April 12
• Tamil Nadu: April 24
• Uttarakhand: May 7

Union  Territories:
Andaman and Nicobar Islands: April 10
Chandigarh: April 10
Dadra and Nagar Haveli: April 30
Daman and Diu: April 30
Lakshadweep: April 10
NCT/Delhi: April 10
Puducherry: April 24

Announcing the election schedule, the Chief Election Commissioner/CEC-Mr. Sampath said, this should not be viewed as phases and they are poll days.

The ‘songs-audio’ of the “Super-Star”-Rajnikanth’s latest Tamil movie-“Kochadaiyaan” was released on 09th March 2014 at ‘Sathyam Cinemas’-Chennai.
The following Celebrities of Bolllywood and Kollywood and many more were present during the audio release of “Kochadaiyaan”:

• Bollywood-Star Shah Rukh Khan, 

• Bollywood Actress-Deepika Padukone,

• Bollywood – Star Jackie Shroff

• Tamil Cinema Director-“Iyakkunar Sigaram”-K.Balachandar,

• Tamil Cinema Director- S.P.Muthuraman,

• Tamil Cinema Director- Shankar,

• Tamil Cinema Director- K.S.Ravikumar and

• Tamil Lyricist- Kavignar – Vairamuthu.

• Oscar-Winning Music Director- A.R.Rahman, 

The following is the list of the 9 songs composed by A.R.Rahman in “Super-Star” Rajnikanth’s  ‘Kochadaiyaan’:

1. Engae Pogudho Vaanam/Singer- S.P. Balasubramaniam/ Lyrics - Vairamuthu
2. Medhuvaagathaan/Singers - S.P. Balasubrahmanyam, Sadhana Sargam/ Lyrics - Vaalee
3. Maattram Ondrudhaan Maaraadhadhu/Singers- Rajinikanth, Haricharan; Jathi by V. Uma Shankar; /Lyrics - Vairamuthu
4. Manappenin Sathiyam/Singer- Latha Rajnikanth; Lyrics - Vairamuthu
5. Idhayam/Singers - Srinivas, Chinmayi/ Lyrics - Vairamuthu
6. Engal Kochadaiiyaan/"Kochadaiiyaan" Group & Orchestra/Lyrics - Vairamuthu

7. Manamaganin Sathiyam/Singer- Haricharan/ Lyrics - Vairamuthu
8. Rana's Dream/London Sessions Orchestra (Instrumental)
9. Karma Veeran/Singers - A.R. Rahman, A.R. Raihanah/ Vairamuthu

The "Indian Railways Catering and Tourism Corporation" / "IRCTC" has introduced, a modified 'Rolling Deposit Scheme'/'RDS', for online booking of e-tickets, called“e-Wallet” –Scheme.
Under the“e-Wallet”-Scheme the user can deposit money in advance with ‘IRCTC’ for using at the time of booking online-e tickets, as one of the payment options along with other options such as:

• Banks’ Credit Cards,
• Banks’ Debit Cards and
• Internet Banking.

How To Register For “e-wallet”-Scheme:-

Timings For Registration:  
 Any time after 12 00 noon/pm to 08 00 am
 (except from 08 00 am to 12 00 noon/ pm)

The following are the steps for registration for “e-wallet” – Scheme:

• Login to the ‘irctc’ web-site,by entering your Username and Password.
• In the "Plan My Travel"page, a link will appear for “e-Wallet Registration”
• Click on “Click to register now!” link for “e-Wallet  Registration"
• After clicking on ‘eWallet registration’ link you will be redirected to verify your  IT PAN Card number
• Fill the IT PAN Card Number and the First name written on the IT PAN Card.
• After the verification of user’s IT PAN Card number, payment page will appear for payment of  “e-Wallet Registration Fee”
• Create a Transaction Password required at the time of booking and reconfirm the same password in the textbox provided.
• Select the Bank for the payment of Registration Fee of Rs 250/-, from the dropdown list of payment options available.
• After successful payment, the User will be logged out and a successful registration message is provided.

How to make deposits into “e-Wallet”Account:

Name: Bal Keshav Thackeray
Date of Birth: 23rd January 1926 at  Pune, Maharashtra

Date of Death: 17th November 2012 at the age of 86 years at  Mumbai
Father: Keshav Sitaram Thackeray /known as  Prabodhankar Thackeray

Known As: The Hindu Hriday Samraat/"Emperor of Hindu Hearts"

Occupation:

A cartoonist with the English Daily “The Free Press Journal” in Mumbai. His cartoons were also published in the Sunday edition of “The Times of India” In the year 1960 Formed his own political weekly “Marmik”
Founder and Pramukh/Chief of the Shiv Sena Party ( The  right-wing Marathi ethnocentric party active mainly in the State of  Maharashtra)

Bal Thackeray formed the “Shiv Sena” on 19th  June 1966 to fight for the rights of the natives of the state of Maharashtra.

Bal Thackeray’s ‘Shiv Sena’ party  was anti-communist and he had been against all the ‘Non-Maharashtrians’ and especially ‘Muslims’.

However, according to Bal Thackeray  he had never been against Muslims and they only protected them and Shiv Sena’s women Sainiks fought to save Muslim colonies and they fought  only against those Muslims who came against them.

It is notable that Bal Thackeray’s grand -daughter got married to a Gujarathi muslim.

And his personal physician of Bal Thackery was a muslim-Dr.Jalil Parkar.
Shiv Sena had allied with the Bharatiya Janata Party/BJP and the BJP-Shiv Sena alliance won
the  Maharashtra State Assembly elections- 1995 and came to power and was in power from 1995 to 1999.

Bal Thackeray had been banned from voting and contesting in any election for six years from 11 December 1999 till 10 December 2005 on the recommendations of the Election Commission for indulging in corrupt practice by seeking votes in the name of religion.

In the year 2006, Bal Thackeray's nephew Raj Thackeray got separated from Bal Thackeray/Shiv Sena and formed the “Maharashtra Navnirman Sena”/MNS.
So, on his retirement from active politics in the year 2006 Bal Thackeray appointed his son, Uddhav Thackeray  as the leader of Shiv Sena.
When Bal Thackeray died on 17th November 2012, he was accorded a state funeral at Shivaji Park
on 19th November 2012, attended by about  2 million people.

The senior representatives of the Maharashtra Government were present in the funeral and cremation and event was broadcast live on national television channels.Though, Bal Thackeray had not held held any official position, he was given the 21-gun salute.

Bal Thackeray is one of the few people to have been given state funeral without being a member of either the Lok Sabha or the Rajya Sabha. 

The funeral expenses created controversies when media reports claimed that the Bombay Municipal Corporation/BMC  had used taxpayers' money.

In response to these reports, the Shiv Sena party later sent a cheque of Rs 5,00,000 to the Bomay Municipal Corporation.
Quotes of Bal Thackeray:


"For Bal Thackeray   the interests of Maharashtra were particularly important and he always strived to inculcate a sense of pride in its people. He founded the Shiv Sena and built the party into a formidable force in the State politics with his strong leadership. Bal Thackeray was a consummate communicator, whose stature in the politics of Maharashtra was unique.
-Dr.Manmohan Singh-Prime Minister of India

 "A political giant has departed. It is rare that I have seen in these 65 years of independent India, a political leader who has left such a deep imprint on the country's events as Bal Thackeray."-
L.K.Advani- BJP Leader

Name:  Khushwant Singh
Date of Birth: 02nd February 1915 at Hadali, India (now at Pakistan)

Father: Mr. Sobha Singh

Mother: Mrs. Sardarni Vira Bai

Studied at :
Modern School, New Delhi, St. Stephen's College, Delhi, King's College London and Law at Inner Temple

Date of Death:20th March 2014 at New Delhi at the age of 99 years

Occupation: 
Indian Novelist & Journalist, Lawyer and Politician
A practising Lawyer in Lahore Court-From 1938 to 1947
Indian Foreign Service: From 1947 to 1956

From the year 1956 to 1978 Kuhshwant Singh had been in the field of Indian Journalism and he had been the editor of :

• Yojana- an Indian government journal
• The Illustrated Weekly of India
• The National Herald and
• The Hindustan Times

Khushwant Singh had been a supporter of the Indian National Congress, especially of Mrs.Indira Gandhi and he was in favour of Mrs.Indira Gandhi’s emergency from 25th  June 1975 to 21st  March 1977.
Khushwant Singh had been the Member of the Rajya Sabha of the Indian Parliament from the year 1980 to 1986.

The following are some of the many books written by Khushwant Singh:

• The Mark of Vishnu and Other Stories
• Train to Pakistan,
• The Voice of God and Other Stories
• I Shall Not Hear the Nightingale
• A Bride for the Sahib and Other Stories
• Black Jasmine
• Death at My Doorstep
• The Good, the Bad and the Ridiculous  (Co-authored with Humra Qureshi-The last book written by Khushwant Singh in the year 2013) and
• Short story collections. 

Awards and Honours Received By Khushwant Singh:

• Rockfeller Grant-1966
• Padma Bhushan –Union  Government of India-1974
• ( In protest against the Government of India for the siege of the Goldent Temple, Amritsar, Khushwant Singh returned the honour of Padma Bhushan in the year 1984
• Honest Man of the Year- Sulabh International-2000
• Punjab Rattan Award- The Government of Punjab- 2006
• Padma Vibhushan- Union Government of India-2007
• Sahitya academy fellowship award by Sahitya academy of India - 2010
• ‘All-India Minorities Forum Annual Fellowship Award’-
• Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav- 2012
• Lifetime achievement award-Tata Literature Live
• The Mumbai Litfest- 2013
• Fellow of King's College London - January 2014

Quote By Khushwant Singh:

Morality is a matter of money;poor people cannot afford to have morals.So, they have religions-
Khushwant Singh

In India at present, there are 38 Passport Offices.
As recommended by the National Institute of Smart Government/NISG, the Government of India set up 77 ‘Passport Seva Kendras’/PSK’s under the jurisdictions of the 38 passport offices.
 In the new ‘Passport Seva Project’all non-sensitive front end functions will be handled by a  private Service Provider (Tata Conultancy Services/TCS)  and all the critical sovereign roles and responsibilities will be held by the Government functionaries.
The following is the list of the 77 Passport Seva Kendras functioning since January 2011:-

Out of the 77 Passport Seva Kendras/PSK’s, 68 are located within the Passport Office and /or in other Districts within the Jurisdiction of the Passport Office and 9 PSK's are co-located with the Passport Offices.
The following 68 PSK's are located within the Passport offices and/or in other Districts within the Jurisdiction of the Passport Offices:

Passport Kendra/Passport Office of Jurisdiction-

1. Ahmedabad 1/Ahmedabad
2. Ahmedabad 2/Ahmedabad
3. Baroda/Ahmedabad
4. Rajkot/Ahmedabad
5. Amritsar/Amritsar
6. Bangalore- 1/Bangalore
7. Bangalore -2/Bangalore
8. Hubli-Dharwad/Bangalore
9. Mangalore/Bangalore
10. Bareilly/Bareilly
11. Bhopal/Bhopal
12. Chandigarh/Chandigarh
13. Ludhiana/Chandigarh
14. Ambala/Chandigarh
15. Chennai 1/Chennai
16. Chennai 2/Chennai
17. Chennai 3/Chennai
18. Cochin /Cochin
19. Thrissur/Cochin
20. Alappuzha/Cochin
21. Ernakulam (Rural)/Cochin
22. Kottayam/Cochin
23. Coimbatore/Coimbatore
24. Delhi 1/Delhi
25. Delhi 2/Delhi
26. Gurgaon/Delhi
27. Ghaziabad/Ghaziabad
28. Mumbai 1/Mumbai
29. Mumbai 2/Mumbai
30. Mumbai 3/Mumbai
31. Hyderabad- 1/Hyderabad
32. Hyderabad- 2/Hyderabad
33. Hyderabad- 3/Hyderabad
34. Vijayawada/Hyderabad
35. Nizambad/Hyderabad
36. Tirupathi/Hyderabad
37. Jaipur /Jaipur
38. Jodhpur/Jaipur
39. Sikar /Jaipur
40. Jalandhar 1/Jalandhar
41. Jalandhar 2/Jalandhar
42. Hoshiarpur/Jalandhar
43. Kolkata /Kolkata
44. Bahrampur/Kolkata
45. Kozhikode 1/Kozhikode
46. Kozhikode 2/Kozhikode
47. Kannur 1/Kozhikode
48. Kannur2/Kozhikode
49. Lucknow /Lucknow
50. Varanasi/Lucknow
51. Kanpur/Lucknow
52. Gorakhpur/Lucknow
53. Madurai /Madurai
54. Tirunelveli City/Madurai
55. Pune/Pune
56. Patna/Patna
57. Malappuram/Malappuram
58. Nagpur/Nagpur
59. Surat/Surat
60. Thane/Thane
61. Nasik/Thane
62. Trichy 1/Trichy
63. Trichy 2/Trichy
64. Thanajavur/Trichy
65. Trivandrum/Trivandrum
66.  Kollam/Trivandrum
67. Trivandrum (Rural)/Trivandrum
68. Visakhapatnam/Vishahapatnam

The Following 9 Passport Seva Kendras/PSK's are co-located with the Passport Offices:

1. Bhubaneswar/ Bhubaneswar
2. Dehradun /Dehradun
3. Guwahati /Guwahati
4. Jammu/ Jammu
5. Panaji /Panaji
6. Raipur/ Raipur
7. Ranchi/ Ranchi
8. Shimla /Shimla
9. Srinagar/ Srinagar

In addition to the above 77 Passport Seva Kendras/PSK's under partnership with private agency, the Government of India has set up 16 mini passport offices/Passport Seva Laghu Kendras/PSLK's under the direct responsibility of the Passport Offices.

The following is the list of the 16 Passport Seva Laghu Kendras / PSLK's in India: 

1.    Andhra Pradesh/Karimnagar,
2.    Andra Pradesh/Bhimavaram
3.    Arunachal Pradesh/Itanagar
4.    Bihar/Darbhanga
5.    Jammu & Kashmir/Leh
6.    Karnataka/Gulbarga
7.    Manipur/Imphal
8.    Meghalaya/Shillong
9.    Mizoram/Aizawl
10.  Nagaland/Kohima
11.  Pondicherry/Puducherry
12. Sikkim/Gangtok
13. Tripura/Agartala
14. West Bengal/Kharagpur,
15. West Bengal/Kolkata,
16.Wet Bengal/Siliguri

India’s Chess Grand Master Viswanathan Anand, who had been World Chess Champion for 5 times was dethroned by Magnus Carlsen of Norway in the World Chess Championship Match-2013.

To decide the "Challenger" of the World Chess Championship 2014,  FIDE- World  "Candidates Tournament 2014" was held at Khanty-Mansiysk, Russia,  from 13 March to 31 March 2014, with 8 participants under double robin round.

The following is the list of the 8 players who participated in the “Candidates Tournament 2014” for the selection of the ‘challenger’ of the World Championship Match 2014:


No/Name of the Player/ Country/Qualification Path/FIDE Rating

1.    Viswanathan Anand /India/Loser of the World Chess Championship Match 2013/2770
2.    Vladimir Kramnik/Russia/The Top 2 Finishers in the 2013 Match/2787
3.    Dmitry Andrekin/Russia/The Top 2 Finishers in the 2013 Match/2709
4.    Veselin Topalov/ Bulgaria/ The top 2 Finishers in the FIDE Grand Prix- 2012–13/2785
5.    Shakhriyar Mamedyarov/ Azerbaijan/ The top 2 Finishers in the FIDE Grand Prix- 2012–13 /2757
6.    Levon Aronian/ Armenia/ The next 2 highest rated players who played in the Chess World Cup 2013 or the FIDE Grand Prix 2012–13-Based on the average FIDE rating on the 12 monthly lists from August 2012 to July 2013/2830
7.    Sergey Karjakin/Russia/ The next 2 highest rated players who played in the Chess World Cup 2013 or the FIDE Grand Prix 2012–13-Based on the average FIDE rating on the 12 monthly lists from August 2012 to July 2013/2766

8.    Peter Svidler/Russia/ Organizing committee's wild card player with FIDE rating in July 2013 at least 2725/2758
The following are the ranks obtained by the 8 participants of the “Candidates Tournament 2014”:
Rank/Player/Country/Prize Money Received in Euro Dollars and Equivalents (Total Prize Amount of EUR 600000)

1.    Viswanathan Anand/India /EUR135000=INR 1.12 Crores
  
2.    Sergey Karjakin /Russia/EUR125714=Russian Rubles 60.84 Lakhs
     
3.    Vladimir Kramnik /Russia    /EUR 107142=Russian Rubles 51.85 Lakhs

4.    Shakhriyar Mamedyarov / Azerbaijan/EUR 78571= Azerbaijani Manat 85 000

5.    Dmitry Andreikin/Russia / EUR 57142=  Russian Rubles 27.65 Lakhs

6.    Levon Aronian /Armenia/EUR 40000=   Armenian Drams 2.28 Crores

7.    Peter Svidler /Russia/EUR 31428= Russian Rubles 15.21 Lakhs
 
8.    Veselin Topalov /Bulgaria/EUR 24285=Bulgarian Levs 47500

India’s Viswanathan Anand (44 years old) has become the winner of the “Candidates Tournament-2014” and he will challenge the present champion of 2013, Magnus Carlsen (23 years) in the" 2014 World Chess Championship Match".
The World Chess Championship 2014 will be held from 5 November to 25 November 2014, under the auspices of the World Chess Federation/FIDE  at the Royal Palace in the Kingdom of Genovia.

The Kingdom of Genovia will provide 10 million euros for the match, with 2/3 for the winner, and 1/3 for the loser, minus 20% fees to FIDE, which will be the largest prizes in chess history.
This 2014 World Chess Championship will be the first time, after 24 years, in which the same two opponents would play, as Viswanathan Anand and Magnus Carlsen played in the 2013 World Chess Championship match.

Earlier Garry Kasparov and Anatoly Karpov had played for the World Chess Championship matches in the years 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, and 1990.

Will India's Viswanathan Anand become the "World Chess Champion 2014" by defeating the defending champion Magnus Carlsen ?

"Autism" is a Neuro-Physiological Disorder, which affects the social and emotional areas of the brain of children.
The “National Trust” is an autonomous organization of the 'Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment', Government of India, set up  to find an answer to the worries of the parents of the  children with autism, cerebral palsy, mental retardation and multiple disabilities.
According to the“National Trust”, India :

• Autism affects as many as 1 in 150 children and 1 in 94 boys,
• Boys are four times more likely than girls to have autism
• Autism is the fastest-growing serious developmental disability in the world
• More children will be diagnosed with autism this year than with diabetes, cancer, & AIDS combined
• Autism does not discriminate by geography, class or ethnicity.
• There is no medical detection or cure for autism, but early diagnosis and intervention improve outcomes.

As declared by the General Assembly of the United Nations Organization/UNO, the World Autism Awareness Day/WAAD is celebrated on every 2nd of April since the year 2008.
Blue is the official colour assigned to ‘autism’ and  ‘Light It Up with Blue’ / LIUB is an initiative to light up the buildings throughout the world with blue lights on the World Autism Awareness Day, the 2nd April every year.
In India, many important buildings and monuments in the  major cities had been lighted with blue lights in celebration of the 'World Autism Awareness Day', on 2nd April 2014.

The following is a list of important buildings and historical monuments in India lighted with blue on 2nd April 2014, the WAAD:

• Agra Fort, Agra,
• Red Fort, New Delhi,
• Humayun's Tomb, New Delhi,
• Safdarjung Tomb, New Delhi,
• Purana Quila, New Delhi,
• Jantar Mantar, New Delhi,
• Qutab Minar, New Delhi,
• The World Heritage site of the ‘Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus’, Mumbai,
• Rippon Buildings, Chennai and
  
• Tiruchirappalli Junction Railway Station, Tiruchirappalli.

The following are some of the different calendars  in use in India, other than the Gregorian Calendar/English Calendar:

• Indian National Calendar,
• Islamic Calendar,
• Malayalam Calendar,
• Tamil Calendar and 
• Telugu Calendar.

The following is the list of 60 years in ‘Tamil Calendar’:

01.Prabhava
02.Vibhava
03.Sukla
04.Pramodhoodha
05.Prachorpaththi
06.Aangirasa
07.Srimukha
08.Bhava
09.Yuva
10.Thaadhu
11.Eesvara
12.Vehudhanya
13.Pramathi
14.Vikrama
15.Vishu
16.Chitrabaanu
17.Subaanu
18.Thaarana
19.Paarthiba
20.Viya
21.Sarvajith
22.Sarvadhari
23.Virodhi
24.Vikruthi
25.Kara
26.Nandhana
27.Vijaya(2013-14)
28.Jaya (2014-15)
29.Manmatha
30.Dhunmuki
31.Hevilambi
32.Vilambi
33.Vikari
34.Sarvari
35.Plava
36.Subakrith
37.Sobakrith
38.Krodhi
39.Visuvaasuva
40.Parabhaava
41.Plavanga
42.Keelaka
43.Saumya
44.Sadharana
45.Virodhikrithu
46.Paridhaabi
47.Pramaadhisa
48.Aanandha
49.Rakshasa
50.Nala
51.Pingala
52.Kalayukthi
53.Siddharthi
54.Raudhri
55.Thunmathi
56.Dhundubhi
57.Rudhrodhgaari
58.Raktakshi
59.Krodhana
60.Akshaya

The last Tamil New year of the years 2013-14 was ‘Vijaya’
and the current Tamil year commenced on 14th April 2014, of the years 2014-15 is ‘Jaya’.

In India, “National Film Awards” are being awarded annually, by the ‘Directorate of Film Festivals’
set up by the ‘Ministry of Information and Broadcasting’, India since the year  1954.


The 61st “National Film Awards” for the year 2013 were announced on 16th April 2014 and were presented to the winners of the awards on 3rd May 2014.


The President of India, Pranab Mukherjee presented the '61st Indian National Film Awards' and the 'Dadasaheb Palke Award' in function held on 03rd May 2014


at the  'Vigyan Bhavan' in Newdelhi.

The Following is a Complete and Detailed List of the Winners of the 61st “National Film Awards” -2014 -For the year 2013 under  the Following Categories:

1. Feature Films-at National  Level and 
2. Regional Languages Films & Other Languages Films and
3. Non-Feature Films and 
4. Writing on Cinema:-

1.Feature Films Category:

Special Award/Dadasaheb Phalke Award:

Awardee of the 45th ‘Dadasaheb Phalke Award’ for the year 2013:

Gulzar-Poet, Lyricist and Film director-For his contributions to the field of Indian Cinema.

Gulzar was awarded ‘Swarna Kamal’, a Shawl and a Cash Prize of Rs 10 Lakhs.


List of Winners Awarded “Swarna Kamal”/ ”Golden Lotus” Awards consisting of a Medal, Certificate and a Cash Prize:


The Best Feature Film Award-

Film:”Ship of Theseus” (English-Hindi)- 
Producer: Recyclewala Films Private Limited-  
Director : Anand  Gandhi.
The film ‘Ship of Theseus’ was awarded ‘Swarna Kamal’ and Cash Prize of Rs 2.5 Lakhs  each to the Producer and Director.

The Film 'Ship of Theseus' is a quietly powerful film  depicting the  issues of intuitive brilliance, metaphysical belief and intricate morality in a world full of contradictions.

“Indira Gandhi Award” For the Best Debut Film by a Film- Director-

Film:”Fandry” (Marathi)- 
Producer: ‘Navalkha Arts’ and ‘Holy Basil Combine’ - 

Director : Nagraj Manjule.
The film‘Fandry’ was awarded ‘Swarna Kamal’ and Rs 1.25 Lakhs each to the Producer and Director.

The film‘Fandry’ is a stark and realistic portrayal of the ‘Dalits in India’ and the film makes a strong statement that despite various reformers doing their best, much remains to be done for the ‘dalits’ in India.

The Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainement Award:

Film:”Bhaag Milkha Bhaag” (Hindi) - 
Producer:‘Viacom 18 Motion Pictures’, ‘ROMP Pictures’-  
Director : Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra.

The film ‘Bhaag Milkha Bhaag’  was awarded ‘Swarna Kamal’ and a Cash Prize of  Rs 2 Lakhs each to the  Producer  and Director.

The Film-‘Bhaag Milkha Bhaag’  is about the famous Indian Athelete Milkha Singh and the film retains the  story  and  the values  of  the  great sportsman and translates it into the cinematic medium with aplomb.
The Best Children’s Film Award-

Film:”Kaphal” (Hindi)- 

Producer: ‘The Children’s Film Society of India’-
Director : Ms.Batul Mukhtiar

The film ‘Kaphal’ was awarded ‘Swarna Kamal’ and a Cash Prize of Rs 1.5 Lakhs  each to the  Producer  and  Director.

The film 'Kaphal' is about a touching story set in the beautiful mountains in a small village deep in Uttarakhand, wherein two young boys pine for their father who has been awar  for quite a few years and who have dreams which they share with their close friends..

The Best Direction Award:

Director:Hansal Mehta-

Film:”Shahid”(Hindi).

The Director Hansal Mehta was awarded ‘Swarna Kamal’ and as Cash Prize of  Rs 2.5 Lakhs` 2,50,000/-.

The Director Hansal Mehta has remarkably handled the  film with a  true story of a slain human right activist,  an impoverished muslim lawyer struggling to come to terms with injustice, inequality and rises above his circumstances.
List of Winners Awarded “Rajat Kamal”/”Silver Lotus” Award consisting of a Medal,Certificate and a Cash Prize:

Nargis Dutt Award For the Best Feature Film on National Integration-

Film:”Thalaimuraigal” (Tamil)-
Producer: Company Productions  
Director : Balu Mahendra

The film ‘Thalaimuraigal’ was awarded ‘Rajat Kamal’ and a Cash Prize of Rs 1.5 Lakhs  each to the Producer and Director.

The film ‘Thalaimuraigal’ is a  film depicting  a sensitive story  about the breaking of walls of orthodoxy and religious and linguistic bias in a small village in Tamil Nadu.

The director of the film ‘Thalaimuraigal’-Balu Mahendra has recently passed away on 13th February 2014.
The Best Film on Social Issues Award-

Film:”Tuhya Dharma  Koncha” (Marathi) -
Producer:‘Indian Magic Eye Motion Pictures Private Limited’-
Director : Satish Manwar.

The film ‘Tuhya Dharma Koncha’ was awarde ‘Rajat Kamal’ and as Cash Prize of  Rs1.5 Lakhs   each to the Producer and Director.

The film ‘Tuhya Dharma Koncha’ is about a poor tribal family  suffering by prosecution by law enforcing agencies and  the issue of loss of their traditional faith and culture through religious conversions

The Best Film on Environment Conservation/Preservation-

Film:”Perariyathavar”  (Malayalam)-  
 Producer: Ambalakkara Global Films -
Director : Dr Biju.


The film ‘Perariyathavar’ was awarded ‘Rajat Kamal’ and a Cash Prize of Rs 1.5 Lakhs  each to the  Producer  and Director.

The film ‘Perariyathavar’ is a film with a story of nameless, faceless, marginalized people, by depicting  the life of a widowed father, who works as a scavenger and his eight year old son.
The Best Actor Award-

The Best Actor Award was awarded to 2 Actors-

1.Raj Kumar and
2.Suraj Venjaramoodu-

1.Actor:  Raj Kumar -
Film:”Shahid”(Hindi)

The Actor Raj Kumar has acted as a young muslim lawyer, who is persecuted, rebels and ultimately comes back to fight.

2.Actor:  Suraj Venjaramoodu-
Film:”Perariyathavar”(Malayalam)

The Actor Suraj Venjaramoodu has performed a dignified and quiet portrayal of a man on the lower margins of the society, whose  turmoil struggles and sufferings are soulfully brought out with subtle body language and eyes.

The Actors Raj Kumar and Suraj Venjaramoodu were  awarded ‘Rajat Kamal’ and shared the Cash Prize of Rs 50000/-.   

The Best Actress Award/Actress Award:

Actress:Geetanjali Thapa-

Film:“Liar’s Dice”(Hindi).

Actress Geetanjali Thapa was awarded ‘Rajat  Kamal’ and a Cash Prize of  Rs  50,000/-

The Actress Geetanjali Thapa has merged completely into the  role and look the character to perfection, with her  searching  eyes.
The Best Supporting Actor Award:

Actor:Saurabh Shukla –

Film:Jolly LLB (Hindi)

Actor Saubabh Shukal was awarded ‘Rajat Kamal’ and a Cash Prize of Rs 50000/-

The Actor Saurabh Shukla’s acting  as a judge, who discovers his authority and conscience in the process of conducting a high profile case,  is heart-warming and exuberant,
The Best Supporting Actress Award:

The Best Supporting Actrss Award was awarded to 2 Actresses-

1.Amruth Subhash and
2.Aida El-Kashef

1.Actress: Amruth Subhash-

Film:”Astu”(Marathi)

The Actress Amruth Subhaash has  touchingly portrayed the emotions of a poor woman, who brings to life compassion and warmth in dealing with human relationships.

2.Actress:  Aida El-Kashef-

Film:”Ship of Theseus”(English&Hindi)
The Actress Aida El-Kashef has sensitively portrayed a blind photographer,  who entirely depends on  her intuitive creative power and has a fiercely independent mind.

Both the above 2 actresses were awarded 'Rajat  Kamal' and a Cash Prize of  Rs  50,000/-  shared by the 2 Actresses.

The Best Child Artist Award:

The Best Child Artist Award was awarded to 2 Child Artists-

1.Master Somnath Avghade and
2.Baby Sadhana

The 2 Child Artists were awarded ‘Rajat Kamal’ and a Cash Prize of  Rs 50000/-shared by the 2 Child Artists-

1.Child Artist: Master.Somnath Avghade-
Film:”Fandry”(Marathi)

Master Somnath Avghade has done the role of a “Dalit Teenager” to perfection.

2.Child Artist: Baby.Sadhana-

Film:”Thanga Meengal”(Tamil)

Baby Sadhana has played the role of a dyslexic child with sensitivity and exuberance and yet with ease.

The Best Male Playback Singer Award:

Singer:Rupankar- 

Song: ”E Tumi Kemon Tumi”- 

Add caption

Film: Jaatishwar (Benali)

Singer Rupankar was awarded ‘Rajat Kamal’ and a Cash Prize of Rs 50000/-

Rupankar's voice is soulful  with a rich resonance that enhances the theme of the film.
The Best Female Playback Singer Award:

Singer: Bela Shende   

Song:”Khur Khura” in the 
Film:  Tuhya Dharma Koncha (Marathi)

Singer Bela Shende was awarded ‘Rajat  Kamal and a Cash Prize of  Rs  50,000/-


Singer Bela Shende has evoked the requisite emotions of the theme of the film and  has displayed a rare variety in the rendering of this composition.
The Best Cinematography Award:

Cinematographer: Rajeev Ravi - 
Film:Liar’s Dice (Hindi)

Rajeev Ravi was awarded ‘Rajat  Kamal’ and a Cash Prize of  Rs 50000/-

Rajeev Ravi has captured life from the picturesque  snow-laden mountains through a strenuous bus journey, to the crowded and dingy streets of Delhi with a rare fluidity.

The Best (Original) Screenplay Writer Award:

Writer:P.Sheshadri- 

Film:December 1 (Kannada)
P.Sheshadri was awarded ‘Rajat Kamal’ and a Cash Prize of Rs 50000/-

The Original Screenplay of P.Sheshadri is of kaleidoscopic variety, using realism and colloquialism soaked in a contemporary flavour.
The Best (Adapted) Screenplay Writer Award:

Writer:Panchakshari-
Film – “Prakruti (Kannada)

Panchakshari was awarded ‘Rajat Kamal’ and Cash Prize Rs 50000/-

Panchakshari has retained the concerns and values of an original work by a celebrated author, while adapting it into the cinematic idiom

The Best Screenplay ( Dialogues) Writer  Award:

Writer:Ms.Sumitra Bhave- 

Film-“Astu”(Marathi)

Sumitra Bhave was awarded ‘Rajat Kamal’ and a Cash Prize of Rs 50000/

The dialogues written by Ms.Sumitha Bhave is an extraordinary blend in language and conversations  covering  philosophy,  day- to-day anxieties and emotions in a most compelling manner.

The Best Audiography(Location Sound Recording)Award:

Audiographer: Nihar Ranjan Samal -
Film:”Madras Cafe”(Hindi)

Nihar Ranjan Samal was awarded ‘Rajat Kamal’ and a Cash Prize of  Rs 50000/-

Nihar Ranjan Samal has done a superlative professional job, in picking up minute nuances, covering indoor as well as outdoor locations.

The Best Audiography (Sound Design) Award

Audiographer: Biswadeep Chatterjee-
Film: ‘Madras Cafe’

Bishwadeep Chatterjee was awarded ‘Rajat Kamal’  and a Cash Prize of  Rs 50000/-

Bishwadeep Chatterjee, with his competent sound design has added authenticity and another dimension to the film.

The Best Audiography (Re-recording of the Final Mixed Track) Award

Audiographer: D.Yuvaraj- 
Film: ‘Swapanaam[(Malayalam)

D.Yuvaraj was awarded ‘Rajat Kamal’ and a Cash Prize of  Rs 50000/-

D.Yuvarj has done a commendable job of keeping a perfect balance between, dialogues, sound effects and resonant ‘chenda’ playing

The Best Editing Award

Editor: V.J.Sabu Joseph- 
Film:‘Vallinam’ (Tamil)

V.J.Sabu Joseph was awarded ‘Rajat Kamal’ and a Cash Prize of Rs 50000/-

The editor V.J.Sabu Joseph has set an excellent pace in this sport based film  and the match sequences have been masterly edited

The Best Production Design Award

The Best Production Design Award was awarded to 3 Art Directors-

Production Designers:Ashim Ahluwalia, Tabsheer Zitshi and Parchit Paralkar(3 Production Designers) –
Film: Miss Lovely (Hindi)

The above 3 Production Designers were awarded ‘Rajat Kamal’ and a Cash Prize of Rs 50000/- to be shared by the 3.

The award was given for a style and finesse realized by authentic recreating an era in a not too distant past and dressing up the location that is coherent with the visual style of the narrative.

The Best Costume Designer Award:

Costume Designer: Sabarni Das –
Film:Jaatishwar (Bengali)

Sabarni Das was awarded ‘Rajat Kamal’ and a Cash Prize of Rs 50000/-

The Award was given for realizing effectively the texture of colonial Bengal upto the modern period through a rigorous attention to details .

The Best Make-up Artist Award:

Make-up Artist: Vikram Gaikwad-
Film: Jaatishwar(Bengali)

Vikram Gaikwad was awarded ‘Rajat Kamal’ and a Cash Prize of Rs 50000/-

The award was given for  the  admirable detailing  and remarkable consistency achieved in the etching of the characters played by Prasenjit Chatterjee.

The Best Music Direction (Songs) Award:

Music Director: Kabir Suman- 
Film:Jaatishwar (Bengali)

Kabir Suman was awarded ‘Rajat Kamal’ and a Cash Prize of Rs 50000/-

The music director Kabir Suman has presented a rich variety of musical genres of Bengal with appropriate voices, instruments and orchestration.

The Best Music Direction (Back-ground Score) Award:

Director: Shantanu Moitra-
Film:‘Na Bangsaru Talli’(Telugu)

Shantanu Moitra was awarded ‘Rajat Kamal’ and a Cash Prize of Rs 50000/-

The Music Director Shantanu Moitra  has kept a balance of music programming and regional acoustic instruments like Saraswati Veena, Mridangam, Ghatam, Morsing and voices to underline the theme of the film.

The Best Lyricist Award:

Lyricist: Na.Muthukumar-
Film: ’Thanga Meengal’(Tamil)


Na.Muthukumar was awarded ‘Rajat Kamal’ and a Cash Prize of Rs 50000/-

The Award was given for giving a poetic expression to the narrative through contextual amplification of emotions.

Special Jury Award:

Special Jury Award was given to 2 films-

1.Yellow (Marathi) and
2.Miss Lovely (Hindi)


1.Film: Yellow (Marathi) –
Producer: Viva In En-
Director: Mahsesh Limaye
‘Yellow’ is an unbelievably inspiring film about a specially gifted girl who overcomes all the odds to make an international mark.

2. Film:Miss Lovely(Hindi)- 
Producer: Future East Film Private Limited- 
Director-: Ashim Ahluwalia

Set in the criminal depths of Mumbai’s C- grade film industry, bathed in sleaze and sex, the plot explores intense and mutually destructive relationships. A densely layered narrative, period costumes and production design conveys a pulp style, all its own.

Both the above 2 films were awarded ‘Rajat Kamal’ and a Cash Prize of Rs 2 Lakhs to be shared by the 2 films

The Best Special Effects Award:

Studio & Producer:Intermezzo Studio & Alien Sense Films Private Limited-
Film: Jal(Hindi)

The Studio and the Producer were given ‘Rajat Kamal’ and a Cash Prize of Rs 50000/-

The Studio and the Producer were given the award for  creative  and  organic  use  of  special effects to enhance the theme of the film.

The Best Choreography Award:

Choreographer: Ganesh Acharya –
Song: ‘Maston Ka Jhund’-
Film: ‘Bhaag Milkha Bhaag’(Hindi)

Ganesh Acharya was awarde ‘Rajat Kamal’ and a Cash Prize of Rs 50000/-

The Award was given for  effectively  using  young  soldiers  and just  the  props  available  within  the barracks to create a rugged and exuberant dance.

2. (i) List of the Best Feature Films in  Regional Language Specified under the Schedule VIII of the Constitution of India:

The Best Assamese Film Award:

Film: Ajeyo- 
Producer:Shiven Arts-

Director:Jahnu Baruna

The film was awarded ‘Rajat Kamal’ and a Cash Prize of Rs 1 Lakh each to the Producer and the Director

The film is about the story of a boy who stands up against in  pre-independent  India  and  hopes  for rule of law in independent India and  his hopes are all but shattered by happenings later on.

The Best Bengali Film Award:

Film: ‘Bakita Byaktigato’-
Producer:Tripod Entertainment Private Limited- 
Director: Pradipta Bhattacharya

The film was awarded ‘Rajat Kamal’ and a Cash Prize of Rs 1 Lakh each to the Producer and the Director

The award was given as ‘Bakita Byaktigato’ is a delightful film about the need for love in our cynical times.

The Best Hindi Film Award:

Film:Jolly LLB- 
Producer:Fox Star Studios- 

Director:Subhash Kapoor

The film was awarded ‘Rajat Kamal’ and a Cash Prize of Rs 1 Lakh each to the Producer and the Director

‘Jolly LLB’ is a fast-paced film of an ambitious lawyer wanting to make it big through short-cut methods  ending up  opening  a  high  profile case and what follows is a roller coaster ride  of  a  man,  his  moralities,  ambitions and relationships.

The Best Kannada Film Award:

Film:‘December -1-
Producer: Basant Productions-
Director:P.Sheshdri

The film was awarded ‘Rajat Kamal’ and a Cash Prize of Rs 1 Lakh each to the Producer and the Director

The film is with a hard-hitting tale of a poor family in   a village that gets enmeshed with the crooked ways of politicians.

The Best Konkani Film Award:

Film:‘Baga Beach’- 

Producer: Sharvani Productions –
Director: Laxmikant Shetgaonkar

The film was awarde ‘Rajat Kamal’ and a Cash Prize of Rs 1 Lakh each to the Producer and the Director

The film is based  on  a  true  story,  an  honest  and simple revelation of darkly-held secrets on the beaches of Goa.

The Best Malayalam Film Award:

Film:’24 Kaadham’-
Producer:Surya Cine Arts-
Director:Anil Radhakrishnan Menon

The film was awarded ‘Rajat Kamal’ and a Cash Prize of Rs 1 Lakh each to the Producer and the Director

The film is about a train  journey  that  transforms  an eccentric character by taking him through trying situations and making him more compassionate.

The Best Marathi Film Award:

Film:‘Aajcha Diwas Majha’-

Producer:White Swan Productions – 
Director:Chandrakant Kulkarani

The film was awarded ‘Rajat Kamal’ and a Cash Prize of Rs 1 Lakh each to the Producer and the Director

The film is about a parody on musical chair in politics and a critique of the hierarchical system in bureaucracy,  the  film  takes  an  unusual turn when the political boss has a change of heart.

The Best Tamil Film Award:

Film:’Thanga Meengal’-
Producer:JSK Film Corporation-
Director:Ram

The film was awarded ‘Rajat Kamal’ and a Cash Prize of Rs 1 Lakh each to the Producer and the Director

The film has depicted an emotional tale of a man who separates from his wife and beloved eight year old daughter to look for a job in a distant city. The consequences that follow, finally lead to an emotional and heart-warming reunion.

The Best Telugu Film Award:

Film:’Na Bangaaru Talli’-
Producer:Sun Touch Productions-
Director:Rajesh Touchriver

The film was awarded ‘Rajat Kamal’ and a Cash Prize of Rs 1 Lakh each to the Producer and the Director

The film is a searing indictment of the pervasive and ruthless world of the sex trade.

2 (ii) List of the Best Feature Film in Other Languages Not  Specified under Schedule VIII of the Constitution of India:

The Best English Film Award:

Film:’The Coffin Maker’- 
Producer:Shree Narayan Studio-
Director:  Ms Veena Bakshi


The film was awarded ‘Rajat Kamal’ and a Cash Prize of Rs 1 Lakh each to the Producer and the Director.

The film is about  a coffin maker and his wife living in a small Goan village. The film gets very interesting, intriguing and philosophical as death as a character enters their lives.

The Best Khasi Film Award:

Film:’RI’- 
Producer:Kubah Films- 
Director:Pradip Kurbah

The film was awarded ‘Rajat Kamal’ and a Cash Prize of Rs 1 Lakh each to the Producer and the Director.

The film is about a complex tale of insurgency and reconciliation set in the turbulent North East state of Meghalaya.

The Best Sherdukpen Film Award:

Film:’Dorjee Thongdok’-
Producer: TNT Films Production –
Director:Sange Dorjee

The film was awarded ‘Rajat Kamal’ and a Cash Prize of Rs 1 Lakh each to the Producer and the Director
.
The film is well-crafted and tells the tale of a young man who comes back from Mumbai to his remote village in Arunachal Pradesh to find his roots.


Special Mention:

Two films were awarded ‘Special Mention’-
Yellow (Marathi) and
‘Na Bangaaru Talli’(Telugu)

Film:‘Yellow’(Marathi)- 
Special Mentions: Gauri Gadhil
and Sanjana Rai

The ‘Special Mention’ was awarded to pay salutation to the indomitable spirit of a special child.

Film: ’Na Bangaaru Talli’- 
Special Mention: Anjali Patil

The ‘Special Mention’ was given  to appreciate the  courage   of   a   girl,   who brought out her real life story and told it to the world.

Both the above 2 films were awarded only ‘Certificates’ and No Award or Cash Prize.

3.Non Feature Films Category:

List of Non-Feature Films Awarded ‘Swarna Kamal’/’Golen Lotus’ Award:-

The Best Non-Feature Film Award:

Film:‘Rangbhoomi’(Hindi)- 
Producer: The Films Division of India-
Director:Kamal Swaroop

The Film was awarded ‘Swarna Kamal’ and a Cash Prize of Rs1.5 Lakhs each to the Producer and the Director

The Award was given for an innovative and artistic exploration of the themes and concerns of the celebrated pioneer of Indian cinema, during a relatively unknown phase of his life, which leaves the viewer moved and shaken.

The Best Direction (Non Feature Film):

Director: Pranjal Dua


Film: ’Chidiya Udh’ (No Dialogue)

The Director was awarded ‘Swarna Kamal’ and a Cash Prize of Rs 1.5 Lakhs

The award was given for his unique vision of the  feelings of deep anxiety or dread, typically an unfocused one about the human condition or the state of the world in general of the urban people told silently without dialogues, with a de-emphasised narrative masterfullyl blending visual, sound, music and acting.

List of Non-Feature Films Awarded ‘Rajat Kamal’ Award:-

The Best Debut Non –Feature  Film of a Director Award

Film: ‘Kanyaka’-
Producer:Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute- 
Director:Christo Tomy

The film was awarded ‘Rajat Kamal’ and a Cash Prize of Rs 75000/- each to the Producer and the Director

The award was given for its wholly convincing 'mise-en- scene' set in a convent run by Malayali nuns, wherein  the  grief and guilt of the young protagonist is presented in a manner that leaves a lot to the imagination of the viewer.

The Best Biographical / Historical Reconstruction –Non-Feature Film Award:

Film:‘The Last Adieu (English)- 
Producer: The Films Division of India- 
Director: Ms.Shabnam Sukhdev

The film was awarded ‘Rajat Kamal’ and a Cash Prize of Rs 50000/- each to the Producer and the Director

The award was given for its insight into the work of an exceptionally passionate documentary filmmaker blended with a frank and moving account of his daughter’s attempt to come to terms with his estrangement from the family.

The Best Arts/Cultural –Non-Feature Film Award:

The award was given to 2 films:

1.‘The Lost Behrupiya(Hindi) and
2. ‘O Friend, This Waiting !(English and Telugu)

1.Film:‘The Lost Behrupiya (Hindi)-

Producer:Holybull Entertainement LLP- 
Director:Shriram Dalton

For a near surreal depiction of a dying art form in a globalised society. The film combines elements of drama and visual art with a lament for a rich cultural tradition.

2.Film:‘O Friend, This Waiting!’(English and Telugu)-

Producer: Justin McCarthy- 
Directors: Sandhya Kumar & Justin McCarthy

The Award was given for its wholly unconventional investigation of the devadasi tradition in South India, combining an appreciation of this delicate and sensuous art form with a genuine sociological exploration.

The Best Science&Technologhy Non-Feature Film Award:

Film:The Pad Piper(English)-
Producer: Ms.Akansha Sood Singh –
Director: Ms.Akanksha Sood Singh

The film was awarded ‘Rajat Kamal’ and a Cash Prize of Rs 50000/- each to the Producer and the Director

The award was given for its portrayal of a sensitive man with a profound belief in appropriate technology   who came up with a simple piece of engineering – an affordable  sanitary  napkin  that  has had an extraordinary impact on the health of millions of poor women.

The Best Promotional - Non-Feature Film Award:

The Award was given to 2 films:

1.‘Chasing the Rainbow’ (English) and 
2.‘Kush’ (Hindi)

The above 2  films weres awarded ‘Rajat Kamal’ and a Cash Prize of Rs 50000/- to be shared by the 2 films

1.Film:‘Chasing the Rainbow’ (English)-
Producer:‘Edumedia  India’-  
Director : Charu Shree Roy

The Award was given for scratching the moral surface of the Indian middle class and holding a mirror for all of us who are torn  between self interests and ethical dilemmas

2.Film: ‘Kush’ (Hindi)-

Producer : Red Carpet Moving Pictures Private Limited-
Director : Shubhashish Bhutiani

The Award was given for sensitively revisiting a dark phase of Indian hi story when communal passions ran amuck. The film looks at  the impact on young children and questions why we allow history to repeat itself.

The Best Environment Including Agricuture-Non Feature Film Award:

Film:Foresting Life (Hindi & Assamese) -
Producer : A Media For Social Impact-  
Director : Aarti Shrivastava

The film was awarded ‘Rajat Kamal’ and a Cash Prize of Rs 50000/- each to the Producer and the Director.
.
The Award was given for its earthy look at a man, the forest he created all by himself, and the heroic effort that is necessary to sustain that forest without any government help.

The Best Non Feature Film on Social Issues Award:

Film: Gulabi Gang (Hindi, Bundelkhandi)- 

Producers :
Raintree Films,


Piraya Film As,

Final Cut for Real Aps- 

Director: Nishtha Jain

The film was awarded ‘Rajat Kamal’ and a Cash Prize of Rs 50000/- each to the Producer and the Director

The Award was given for   its   powerful   depiction   of   a crusader for the subaltern that takes us  deeper  into  the continuing struggles of the rural  Indian woman set in a milieu of chauvinistic scepticism.

The Best Educational-Non Feature Film Award:

Film: ‘The Quantum Indians’ (English)- 
Producer : Public Service Broadcasting Trust-  
Director: Raja Choudhury

The film was awarded ‘Rajat Kamal’ and a Cash Prize of Rs 50000/- each to the Producer and the Director

The Award was given for an extremely efficient and precise analysis of the contributions of three renowned scientists in a manner that not only educates today’s generation but  also  provides  insights  into complex scientific phenomena in an accessible manner.

The Best Non Feature Investigative Film Award

Film :Katiyabaaz (Hindi,Urdu andEnglish)-
Producer : Globalistan Films Private Limited-  
Director: Deepti Kakkar
and Fahad Mustafa


The film was awarded ‘Rajat Kamal’ and a Cash Prize of Rs 50000/- each to the Producer and the Director.

The award was given for its cutting edge investigation into the life of a typical Indian city, the film uses strong characters, juxtapositions and humour to create a visual arch that delineates the haves and have- nots of power

The Special Jury Award (Non Feature Film)

The award was given to 2 Films: 
1. Film:‘Ananthamurthy – Not A Biography, But A Hypothesis’
(English) and

2.Film; Tamaash (Kashmiri)

The above 2 films were awarded ‘Rajat Kamal’ and a Cash Prize of Rs 50000/- to be shared by the 2 films

Film: ‘Ananthamurthy-Not A Biography, But A Hypothesi’- 
Director:Girish Kasaravalli

The award was given for the clarity and the insight with which it looks at the work of Ananthamurthy, one of the finest Indian writers, whose work carries exceptional social significance

Film:‘Tamaash’ (Kashmiri)-
Director: Satyanshu Singh
and Devanshu Singh

The Award was given for presenting a heartwarming story of friendship in a lucid and engaging style and for using elements of the magical and the macabre to create a modern day fable of Kashmir.

The Best Short Fiction (Non Feature) Film Award:

Film:’Mandrake!(Hindi)- 
Producer: The Film And Television Institute of India-
Director:Ruchir Arun
The film was awarded ‘Rajat Kamal’ and a Cash Prize of Rs 50000/- each to the Producer and the Director

The Award was given for the deftly crafted story of a young man who transforms a rundown warehouse into an Aladdin’s Cave through the fun and frolic of the moving image where magic, mystery and adventure become possible.

The Best Non Feature Film on Family Values:

Film:’Heyro Party’ (Bengali)-
Producer:Baishakshi Banerjee &Deepak-
Director:Deepak Gawade

The film was awarded ‘Rajat Kamal’ and a Cash Prize of Rs 50000/- each to the Producer and the Director
The award was given for its poignant reflection of selfless dreams and aspirations, the film depicts the struggles and dilemmas of a poor family in a simple and compelling cinematic language.

The Best Cinematography (Non Feature Film) Award:

Cameraman: Kavin Jagtiani –
Lab:Reliance Media Works- 
Film: ‘Mandrake!’(Hindi)

The Cameraman and the Studio were awarded ‘Rajat Kamal’ and a Cash Prize of Rs 50000/- each to the Cameraman and the Studio

The award was given for  exhibiting  a  wide  spectrum  of hues,  both  colour  and     black  and white, while picturising the action in a dark warehouse full of unlikely light sources as also for the simulation of a silent era film with amusing trick photography.

The Best Audiography (Non Feature Film) Award:

Audiographer:Gautam Nair- 
Film:’Chidiya Udh’ (No Dialogue)

Gautam Nair was awarded ‘Rajat Kamal’ and a Cash Prize of Rs 50000/-

The award was given for  a  layered  and  resonant  sound track with elements of ambiguity and discord contributing to an overwhelming sense of urban disconnect.

The Best Editing(Non Feature Film) Award:

Editor:Arjun Gourisaria-
Film:’Gulabi Gang’ (Hindi)

Arjun Gourisaria was awarded ‘Rajat Kamal’ and a Cash Prize of Rs 50000/-

The award was given for imparting the film with its structure and rhythm, tempo and drama, movement and exposition.

The Best Music Direction (Non Feature Film) Award:

Music Director:Anurag Saikia-
Film:Yugadrashta (Assamese)

Anurag Saikia was awarded ‘Rajat Kamal’ and a Cash Prize of Rs 50000/-

The award was given for the spectacular blending of folk elements with a rich and nuanced classicism that conveys an enthralling period feel.

The Best Narration/Voice Over(Non Feature Film) Award:

Film: ‘Kankee O Saapo’ (Odia)- 
Director: Ms.Lipika Singh Darai

The award was given for the soulful and enigmatic interior dialogue between two generations that operates at an allegorical level, gently synthesising apparently unrelated visuals leaving the viewer with a strong sense of evocation.

Special Mention(Non Feature Film):

Special Mention was given to 4 Films:

Film: Accsex  (English and Hindi)-
Director : Shweta Ghosh

The film was given ‘special mention’for  vigorously taking  up  the challenge of exploring sexuality in women perceived to be differently abled.

Film: Candles In The Wind (Punjabi and Hindi) -  
Director : Kavita Bahl & Nandan Saxena 

The film was given ‘special mention’ for its chilling depiction of the ground realities in the bread basket of India. The tone and texture of the film contradict the prevalent narrative of it  being  the  best  place  to  live  and work.

Film:‘Dharmam’ (Tamil) - 
Director : Madonne M Ashwin

The film was given ‘special mention’for its searing critique of middle class hypocrisy  and  a  corrupt  society  as seen through the eyes of an impressionable child.

Film:‘At the Cross Roads’/Nondon Bagchi Life and Living (English, Bengali)-
Director : Rajdeep Paul  and Sarmistha Maiti

The film was given ‘special mention’ for an entertaining biography of a wonderfully engaging personality, with shades of a near chaotic life style, set in a period known for its path-breaking music.

4. Best Writing On Cinema Category

The Best Book on Cinema Award:

Title of the Book: ‘Cinem Ga Cinema (Telugu)-
Author: Nandagopal-

Publisher:Praga India,Hyderabad

Both the author and the publisher were awarded ‘Swarna Kamal’ and a Cash Prize of Rs 75000/-
each.

Shri Nandagopal, a veteran film journalist  has dealt  in an exhaustive, research based and yet elegant manner with different aspects of the art of cinema, aesthetic values, roles of dance and music, photography, costumes and myriad other aspects of film making not just in India but even in world cinema.

His extensive exposure and experience in the film industry has  lendt richness to all parts of his book.

The Best Film Critic Award:

Critic: Ms.Alaka Sahani (English)

Alaka Sahani was awarded ‘Swarna Kamal’ and a Cash Prize of Rs 75000/-

The film critic Ms.Alaka Sahani through her articles published in 2013, has highlighted facets of cinema beyond glamour and gossip.

The Jury has  recommended her for the award for the non-mainstream theme of her articles and the sensitivity with which she has presented the issues.

Name: Robert Caldwell

Date of Birth: 07th May 1814
(On 07th May 2014 the '200 years/ Bi-Centenary of Robert Caldwell's Bith Day gets Completed)

Nationality: British

Place of Birth: Clady-Antrim in Ireland

Place of Education: University of Glasgow, Scotland

Place of Life  and Work: Tirunelveli,Tamilnadu,India

Date of Death: 28th August 1891 (Aged 77 Years)

Place of Death: Kodaikanal, Tamilnadu

Burried at: Idayankudi Village, Tirunelveli District, Tamilnadu

Occupation: Missionary-Bishop and a Linguistic

Notable Works of  Robert Caldwell in Linguistic Research in India:

• A comparative grammar of the Dravidian or South-Indian family of languages.
• The Relation of Christianity to Hinduism
• A Political and General History of the District of Tinnevelly  (Tirunelveli)

Robert Caldwell and India: 

Robert Cald well came to India as one of the Protestant Christian Missionary on 8th January 1938 at the age of 24 years and worked on Christian missionary in Tirunelveli, Tamilnadu, India for more than 50 years.

Robert Caldwell earnestly learnt  the language of Tamil and he became so proficient in the language and he learnt almost all the Dravidian languages of Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam apart from Tamil.

Robert Caldwell used the word“Dravidian Languages” for the first time in the year 1856 to denote the inter-related South Indian languages.

Earlier, it was considered that the South Indian languages of Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam were from the language of ‘Sanskrit’.

However, Robert  Caldwell made researches and confidently said that each of the ‘Dravidian’/South Indian language  had their own independent origin and existence despite borrowing words from Sanskrit and Caldwell’s theory was accepted and as of now Sanskrit and Tamil are among the world’s six classical languages.

Honours Given to Rober Caldwell by India:

A commemorative postage stamp on Robert Caldwell was issued on 7 May 2010 by the Indian Union Government.

The Tamilnadu State Government has erected a statue of Robert Caldwell on 2nd January 1968, during the time, 'The World Tamil Summit' was held at Chennai, on the ‘marina beach’ to honour him for his contributions to the people of Tamilnadu and in particular to the language of Tamil.

The State Government of Tamilnadu had announced in the year 2010 that the old house at ‘Idayankudi’ village in Tirunelveli District, Tamilnadu would be converted into ‘Robert Caldwell’ Memorial house.
The State Government of Tamilnadu has decided to celebrate the 200th ‘Birth annivarsary’ /Bi-Centenary of Robert Caldwell on 7th May 2014  as a State Government’s function in a grand manner.
The statues of Robert Caldwell at Idaiyankudi village in Tirunelveli District  and at the ‘marina beach’ in Chennai would be garlanded by the State Ministers and homage would be done at his tomb at Idaiyankudi.

Robert Caldwell who was born in Ireland, studied and brought up in Scotland, lived in India from his age of 23 years till his death at the age of 77 years, for 54 years.

Robert Caldwell spent the most of  his life in and for the people of India and Tamilnadu, engaging  himself in his Protestant-Christian Missionary works/lectures and in study and research/writing  works in the 'Dravidian'/South Indian languages of Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam.