The Indian Panorama

Tag: Nobel Prize

  • Indian-origin ‘unsung heroes’ on King Charles’ 2025 New Year Honors List

    Indian-origin ‘unsung heroes’ on King Charles’ 2025 New Year Honors List

    LONDON (TIP) : Community leaders, campaigners, academics and medics are among over 30 Indian-origin professionals to be  recognized in King Charles’ 2025 New Year Honors List released in London in time for New Year’s Eve. Ranil Malcolm Jayawardena, a Conservative member of Parliament of Sri Lankan and Indian heritage, has been conferred a Knighthood for political and public service along with recently resigned England men’s football team manager Gareth Southgate, for services to the game

    London Mayor Sadiq Khan and former West Midlands Mayor Andy Street are also among those receiving Knighthoods among more than 1,200 recipients on the 2025 honors list released on Monday night across all sectors, with commendation to role models in sport, healthcare, academia and voluntary service.

    “Every day, ordinary people go out and do extraordinary things for their communities,” UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said.

    “They represent the very best of the UK and that core value of service which I put at the center of everything this government does. The New Year Honors List celebrates more of these unsung heroes, and I thank them for their incredible contribution,” he said.

    The list, released annually by the Cabinet Office in the name of the British monarch, includes Commanders of the Order of the British Empire (CBEs) for Satwant Kaur Deol for services to further education, Charles Pritam Singh Dhanowa OBE for services to Competition Law, and surgeon Professor Sneh Khemka for services to healthcare, science and innovation and technology.

    Others of Indian heritage receiving CBEs include Leena Nair, Global Chief Executive Officer of Chanel, for services to the retail and consumer sector; Mayank Prakash, President of the British Computing Society, for services to the advancement of technology professionals; and Purnima Murthy Tanuku OBE, chief executive of the National Day Nurseries Association, for services to early years’ education.

    Among the 2025 Indian-origin Officers of the Order of the British Empire (OBEs) include cardiologist Professor Sanjay Arya for services to black and minority ethnic doctors and healthcare in north-west England; Nandini Das, Professor of Early Modern Literature and Culture and Tutorial Fellow at Exeter College, University of Oxford, for services to interdisciplinary research in the humanities and to public engagement; Tarsem Singh Dhaliwal, CEO of Iceland Foods, for services to the Welsh economy, retail and charity; Jasmine Dotiwala for services to broadcasting, music, equality, diversity and inclusion; Monica Kohli, President of Women’s International Shipping and Trading Association UK and Chair of the Indian Maritime Association UK, for services to promoting diversity in the maritime industry; and Soumya Majumdar from the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) for services to law and order.

    Others making the cut for OBEs include Seema Misra for her campaign in favor of scandal-hit sub postmasters, Prime Minister’s diary manager Ushma Manhar Patel MBE, mental health campaigner Gian Singh Power and Sravya Rao from the Department for Business and Trade for Public Service.

    Philanthropist Mandeep Kaur Sanghera, UK Ministry of Defense professional Savraj Singh Sidhu, and fashion industry professional Smruti Sriram also received OBEs for their public service contributions.

    The 2025 list of Members of the Order of the British Empire (MBEs) and Medalists of the Order of the British Empire (BEMs) also includes a cross-section of British Indians including MBEs for tech expert Dalim Kumar Basu, nursing chief Marimouttou Coumarassamy, rheumatologist Professor Bhaskar Dasgupta, and pediatric hematologist Professor Ajay Jaikishore Vora.

    The BEM recipients include community workers Sanjib Bhattacharjee and Jagrupe Binnig, postal worker Hemandra Hindocha, and charity worker Jaswinder Kumar.

    Musician Balbir Singh Khanpur Bhujhangy also received a BEM for services to Bhangra music and Punjabi culture in the West Midlands region of England.

    Companion of Honor, of which there are only 65 recipients at any time, goes to author and screenwriter Sir Kazuo Ishiguro – the Japanese-British Nobel Prize winner for services to literature.

    Meanwhile, well-known English actor, broadcaster, comedian, director, narrator and writer Stephen Fry receives a Knighthood for his work on mental health awareness.

    The UK government said it is committed to ensuring that honors are awarded to outstanding people from across the whole of the UK and the system reflects the best of society.

    Cabinet Office Minister Pat McFadden said: “This year’s New Year Honors List celebrates the unsung heroes who contribute selflessly to their communities across the UK. I send them all my congratulations for their achievements.”

    “Our honors system uniquely recognizes the generous contributions of individuals across our nation. If you know someone in your community who has done something extraordinary, nominate them for an honor so the nation can recognize their achievements.”

    According to the Cabinet Office, in this edition of New Year Honors 54 per cent of the recipients have undertaken outstanding work in their communities, either in a voluntary or paid capacity, and 12 per cent of the successful candidates belong to an ethnic minority background.

  • Coalition of Nobel laureates, economists & academics endorse Ajay Banga for World Bank president

    Coalition of Nobel laureates, economists & academics endorse Ajay Banga for World Bank president

    WASHINGTON, D.C. (TIP): A coalition of 55 leading academics, economists, including three Nobel laureates, have endorsed the nomination of Indian-American Ajay Banga as the next President of the World Bank, describing him as the right person to lead the international financial institution as a “force multiplier” at a critical moment for the world economy.
    Banga, 63, was nominated by US President Joe Biden as the next President of the World Bank last month.
    In an open endorsement letter published on Thursday, 55 advocates, academics, executives, luminaries, and former government officials supported the business leader’s nomination to the post of President of the World Bank, indicating that the former MasterCard CEO’s candidacy is gaining ground.
    The four Nobel laureates to endorse Banga are Dr Joseph Stiglitz, recipient of the 2001 Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences; Dr Michael Spence, recipient of the 2001 Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences and Professor Muhammad Yunus, recipient of the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize.
    “A truly global citizen, Ajay has extensive experience living and working in developing economies. Importantly, as a leader with a deep appreciation for the global south, he intuitively understands that economic growth can only be sustained if people and nature thrive together, not apart,” the letter said.
    It added that Banga understands the World Bank must serve as a force multiplier by setting the correct agenda and then catalyzing action across governments, the private sector, multilateral development banks, civil society, and philanthropies. “Banga possesses a rare combination of leadership; track record of building successful alliances across the public, private, and social sectors; and experience working in developing countries for tackling some of the most critical challenges facing our world,” the endorsement letter added.
    “He is the right person to lead the World Bank at this critical moment,” the open letter from the world leaders of diverse backgrounds said.
    “Ajay built a regenerative agriculture partnership in Latin America to help farmers shift their practices toward long-term sustainability in a region at high-risk for climate disaster,” the letter said, adding that the business leader also shaped a crop insurance programme with the World Food Bank and a coalition of private and social sector partners, to insure two million farmers against the risks of climate disaster. As an advisor to General Atlantic’s climate-focused fund, BeyondNetZero, Banga played a key role in promoting investments in companies leading EV charging and solar power solutions for off-grid populations in Africa and India.
    “While at Mastercard, many of us saw first-hand how Ajay advanced financial inclusion and expanded access to the digital economy globally and especially in Africa.” the letter said, adding that by working with governments and civil society, Banga committed to bringing 500 million previously unbanked into the digital economy.
    “Included in this has been a commitment to bringing more women into the global economy-recognizing that women play an essential role in sustainable development solutions,” the letter of support said. Banga is currently on a global listening tour with visits to Cote d’Ivoire and Kenya. Both countries have endorsed his candidacy for World Bank President.
    He will head to Europe for meetings in London and Brussels, including a climate-focused roundtable.
    On a listening tour in London on March 9 and 10, Banga met senior government officials and civil society leaders in a meeting focused on development. He also convened leaders from the financial sector for a roundtable discussion focused on expanding climate finance.
    Banga will meet with senior government officials from a cross-section of European Union member states in Brussels, Belgium March 13 and 14. The conversations will focus on how the Bank can best meet its core development goals while addressing global challenges like climate change, pandemics, and fragility.
    “If elected to serve, Banga will draw from his experience living and working in emerging markets and his expertise in forging public-private partnerships to mobilize investments and action to confront longstanding challenges,” a statement by the Department of Treasury said.
    “That includes his efforts at Mastercard to successfully bring 500 million previously unbanked people into the digital economy, as well as its support for 50 million small businesses,” the statement said.
    Banga currently serves as Vice Chairman at General Atlantic. He was awarded the Padma Shri in 2016. If confirmed by the World Bank Board of Directors, Banga would be the first-ever Indian-American and Sikh-American to head either of the two top international financial institutions: the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank.