Padma Awards 2013: List of awardees

NEW DELHI: President Pranab Mukherjee on Friday conferred Padma Awards to 108 eminent personalities from various fields.

Following is the list of the recipients:

Padma Vibhushan

Raghunath Mohapatra, Art, Orissa

S Haider Raza, Art, Delhi

Prof. Yash Pal, Science and Engineering, Uttar Pradesh

Prof. Roddam Narasimha, Science and Engineering, Karnataka

Padma Bhushan

Dr. Ramanaidu Daggubati, Art, Andhra Pradesh

Sreeramamurthy Janaki, Art, Tamil Nadu

Dr. (Smt) Kanak Rele, Art, Maharashtra

Sharmila Tagore, Art, Delhi

Dr. (Smt) Saroja Vaidyanathan, Art, Delhi

Abdul Rashid Khan, Art, West Bengal

Late Rajesh Khanna, Art, Maharashtra

Late Jaspal Singh Bhatti, Art, Punjab

Shivajirao Girdhar Patil, Public Affairs, Maharashtra

Dr. Apathukatha Sivathanu Pillai, Science, Engineering Delhi

Dr. Vijay Kumar Saraswat, Science and Engineering, Delhi

Dr. Ashoke Sen Science and Engineering Uttar Pradesh

B N Suresh, Science and Engineering, Karnataka

Prof. Satya N Atluri, Science and Engineering, USA

Prof. Jogesh Chandra Pati, Science and Engineering, USA

Padma Bhushan

Ramamurthy Thyagarajan, Trade and Industry, Tamil Nadu

Adi Burjor Godrej, Trade and Industry, Maharashtra

Dr. Nandkishore Shamrao Laud, Medicine, Maharashtra

Mangesh Padgaonkar, Literature and Education, Maharashtra

Prof. Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak, Literature and Education USA

Hemendra Singh Panwar, Civil Service, Madhya Pradesh

Maharaj Kishan Bhan, Civil Service, Delhi

Rahul Dravid, Sports, Karnataka

H Mangte Chungneijang Mary Kom, Sports, Manipur

Padma Shri

Gajam Anjaiah, Art, Andhra Pradesh

Swami G C D Bharti alias Bharati Bandhu, Art, Chhattisgarh

B Jayashree, Art, Karnataka

Sridevi Kapoor, Art, Maharashtra

Kailash Chandra Meher, Art, Orissa

Brahmdeo Ram Pandit, Art, Maharashtra

Vishwanath D Patekar alias Nana Patekar, Art, Maharashtra

R Nageswara Rao alias Surabhi Babji, Art, Andhra Pradesh

Lakshmi Narayana Sathiraju, Art, Tamil Nadu

Jaymala Shiledar, Art, Maharashtra

Suresh Dattatray Talwalkar, Art, Maharashtra

P Madhavan Nair alias Madhu, Art, Kerala

Apurba Kishore Bir, Art, Maharashtra

Ghanakanta Bora Borbayan, Art, Assam

Hilda Mit Lepcha, Art, Sikkim

Sudha Malhotra, Art, Maharashtra

Ghulam Mohammad Saznawaz, Art, Jammu and Kashmir

Ramesh Gopaldas Sippy, Art, Maharashtra

Mahrukh Tarapor, Art, Maharashtra

Balwant Thakur, Art, Jammu and Kashmir

Puran Das Baul, Art, West Bengal

Rajendra Tikku, Art, Jammu and Kashmir

Pablo Bartholomew, Art, Delhi

S Shakir Ali, Art, Rajasthan

S K M Maeilanandhan, Social Work, Tamil Nadu

Nileema Mishra, Social Work, Maharashtra

Reema Nanavati, Social Work, Gujarat

Jharna Dhara Chowdhury, Social Work, Bangladesh

Late Dr Ram Krishan, Social Work, Uttar Pradesh

Late Manju Bharat Ram, Social Work, Delhi

Prof Mustansir Barma, Science and Engineering, Maharashtra

Avinash Chander, Science and Engineering, Delhi

Sanjay Govind Dhande, Science and Engineering, Uttar Pradesh

Prof. (Dr) Sankar Kumar Pal, Science, Engineering, West Bengal

Deepak B Phatak, Science and Engineering, Maharashtra

Dr. Mudundi Ramakrishna Raju, Science and Engg, Andhra Pradesh

Prof. Ajay K Sood, Science and Engineering, Karnataka

Prof. Krishnaswamy Vijayraghavan, Science and Engg, Karnataka

Dr. Manindra Agrawal, Science and Engineering, Uttar Pradesh

Dr. Jayaraman Gowrishankar, Science and Engineering, Andhra Pradesh

Prof. Sharad Pandurang Kale, Science and Engineering, Maharashtra

Vandana Luthra, Trade and Industry, Delhi

Rajshree Pathy, Trade and Industry, Tamil Nadu

Hemendra Prasad Barooah, Trade and Industry, Assam

Milind Kamble, Trade and Industry, Maharashtra

Kalpana Saroj, Trade and Industry, Maharashtra

Dr. Sudarshan K Aggarwal, Medicine, Delhi

Dr. C Venkata S Ram alias Chitta, Venkata Sundara Ram, Medicine, Andhra Pradesh

Dr. Rajendra Achyut Badwe, Medicine, Maharashtra

Dr. Taraprasad Das, Medicine, Orissa

Prof. (Dr.) T V Devarajan, Medicine, Tamil Nadu

Prof. (Dr.) Saroj Chooramani Gopal, Medicine, Uttar Pradesh

Dr. Pramod Kumar Julka, Medicine, Delhi

Dr. Gulshan Rai Khatri, Medicine, Delhi

Dr. Ganesh Kumar Mani, Medicine, Delhi

Dr. Amit Prabhakar Maydeo, Medicine, Maharashtra

Dr. Sundaram Natarajan, Medicine, Maharashtra

Prof. Krishna Chandra Chunekar, Medicine, Uttar Pradesh

Dr. Vishwa Kumar Gupta, Medicine, Delhi

Prof. (Captain) Dr. M Sharaf-eAlam, Literature and Education, Bihar

Dr. Radhika Herzberger, Literature and Education, Andhra Pradesh

J Malsawma, Literature and Education, Mizoram

Devendra Patel, Literature and Education, Gujarat

Dr. Rama Kant Shukla, Literature and Education, Delhi

Prof. Akhtarul Wasey, Literature and Education, Delhi

Prof. Anvita Abbi, Literature and Education, Delhi

Nida Fazli, Literature and Education, Madhya Pradesh

Surender Kumar Sharma, Literature and Education, Delhi

Dr Jagdish Prasad Singh, Literature and Education, Bihar

Late Shaukat Riaz Kapoor Alias Salik Lakhnawi, Literature and Education, WB

Prof. Noboru Karashima, Literature and Education, Japan

Christopher Pinney, Literature and Education, UK

Premlata Agrawal, Sports, Jharkhand

Yogeshwar Dutt, Sports, Haryana

Hosanagara Nagarajegowda Girisha, Sports, Karnataka

Subedar Major Vijay Kumar, Sports, Himachal Pradesh

Ngangom Dingko Singh, Sports, Maharashtra

Naib Subedar Bajrang Lal Takhar, Sports, Rajasthan

Ritu Kumar, Fashion Designing, Delhi

Dr Ravindra Singh Bisht, Archaeology, Uttar Pradesh.

The selection committee this year included actress Ratna Pathak Shah, scientist Anil Kakodkar and home secretary R K Singh, among others.

Pond’s Femina Miss India 2013

Navneet Kaur Dhillon was Sunday night crowned Femina Miss India 2013 in a star studded grand finale of the 50th edition of the beauty pageant. The first and second runners-up were Sobhita Dhulipala and Zoya Afroz respectively. The trio was selected from 23 finalists from across the country.

Actresses Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Priyanka Chopra added Bollywood glamour to the ceremony, which was judged by filmmaker Karan Johar, choreographer Shiamak Dawar, cricketer Yuvraj Singh, fashion designer Ritu Kumar, actors John Abraham, Asin Thottumkal and Chitrangda Singh. (Text - IANS)

Earlier, in a night of glitz and glamour, 21 awards were presented to Miss India hopefuls. These awards included Miss Fashion Icon, Miss Ramp Walk, Miss Stylish Hair, Miss Congeniality, Miss Active, Miss Photogenic and Miss Eyeconic Eyes. Here's a look at the 23 Pond's Femina Miss India hopefuls and winners.

India Thrash Australia

NEW DELHI: History was made at the Feroz Shah Kotla on Sunday as India wrapped up their first-ever 4-0 series win over any opposition with a six-wicket verdict against Australia.

Set a presumably challenging 155 to win on a disintegrating third-day pitch, the chase was guided to perfection by Cheteshwar Pujara's 92-ball, unbeaten 82 as the target was realised in a shade above 31 overs.

Pujara's brilliance made sure that Ravindra Jadeja's maiden five-wicket haul, which had shot out Australia for 164 in their second innings, was not allowed to go in vain. For, after Murali Vijay (11) was bowled trying to reverse-sweep off-spinner Glenn Maxwell, India stuttered momentarily.

Virat Kohli (41), Sachin Tendulkar (1) and Ajinkya Rahane (1) got out within five runs of each other and MS Dhoni was dropped by wicket-keeper Mathew Wade off Nathan Lyon before he had opened his account. It is in the light of this minor batting collapse that Pujara’s sparkling half-century attains a new luminescence.

The Saurashtra batsman procured his runs at a fair clip, stroking eleven boundaries, not once allowing the pressure to build on a dicey wicket. Victory was attained when Dhoni, like he has so many time in his career, swung Lyon to the fence.

Jadeja was named Man of the Match for his first innings 43 and seven wickets, while Ashwin was declared Man of the Series for scalping 29 Australians across four Tests. Not since Harbhajan Singh against the same opposition in 2001 has an Indian bowler gained such a rich haul in a series.

Spun out 

It was indeed Jadeja’s left-arm spin that catalysed the match to a premature end. The 24-year-old was, in conjunction with Kohli, involved in several verbal duels with the opposing batsmen as Australia collapsed to 53/5 in their second innings. Jadeja dismissed the openers David Warner and Maxwell – the former accorded a colourful send-off – and also removed a resistant Ed Cowan (pushed down to No.3)  with a sharp turner that spat from the surface.

Phil Hughes was adjudged ‘lbw’ – a little harshly – and Shane Watson exited to a pull botched on account of low bounce.

It took another Peter Siddle special to bolster Australia. The fast bowler scored his second fifty of the match to become the only No.9 batsmen in history to top-score in both innings of a Test. Siddle struck seven sweet boundaries in his 45-ball 50, adding 28 and 35 for wickets eight and nine.

Quick end

The efflux continued unabated at the other end. Steve Smith did not offer a shot to Jadeja and was bowled; Wade looked distinctly uncomfortable during his 38-ball stay before he was caught smartly by a diving Dhoni off Ashwin.

Siddle was the last man out when he was stumped off an Ashwin wide, setting India a target of 155. Visions of an unlikely triumph to close what has been a horrid tour would have flashed through Aussie minds, but their spinners were unable to draw similar purchase from the pitch as had India's.

Pujara’s brilliance at the top of the order then made certain that India's almost picture-perfect series did not suffer the eruption of a few nagging zits.

Cool, clever and just odd products featured at the International Home and Housewares Show

A mug that floats. A bag-free vacuum that compresses dirt into "bales" so you don't get a face full of dust when you empty it. A window garden that never needs tending.

The recent International Home and Housewares Show in Chicago featured all sorts of innovative and just plain odd products, any of which could be poised to hit the big time. Can you envision any of these in your home?
Spaces' Ilyce Glink was at the show; read her coverage in our post on the robots that are taking over our world, or at least cleaning it: the window-cleaning Winbot, the barbecue-cleaning Grillbot and the gutter-cleaning Looj.

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Moisture ring stains on the table? Not anymore. The porcelain Floating Mug incorporates a coaster into its design, catching slight moisture in the little dish where the handle ends. The brainchild of Tigere Chiriga (and his wife's complaints about ring stains), it launched on Kickstarter last year. It's now available for preorder online at FloatingMug.com for $36.

[Note: I deleted a phrase above and added the following paragraph to address comments about the mug design. Yes, I do read the comments! Right after I put on my ego armor.] Skeptics and naysayers might say -- indeed, do say in the comments on this very post -- that the collected moisture would spill on you as soon as you take a sip. My fault! I said earlier that the bottom dish catches moisture, but in fact, the disc seems to simply elevate the mug so that tiny drips slide under the mug to evaporate. Here's Chiriga's Kickstarter explanation to another critic's misapprehension last year: "In my experience, some sips result in a very small drop or two sliding down the side of the mug. Sometimes that amount will evaporate well before it makes it to the bottom of the mug; other times, it's enough to make it to the base of the mug creating a ring on your coffee table." As he says: "If I spill enough coffee that a pool of it collects on the coaster, then my wife is going to be giving me a sippy cup." (P.S. Alas, I can't address commenters' complaints about the mug cost. I can only point out that products often cost more at launch. If the products are lucky enough to go into mass production and sell well, the price often comes down.)

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The Gtech AirRam Cordless Vacuum Cleaner.The dirt is compressed into bales, not whirled in a vacuum bag to be released in a cloud of dust in your face."Is this the best vacuum cleaner ever?" That's what the U.K. Daily Mail asked about the Gtech AirRam Cordless Vacuum, ultimately rating it a 10 out of 10.
It weighs only about 7 pounds, it can fit into spaces as shallow as 3 inches high and -- my favorite part -- it doesn't have a bag or "cyclone" action. Instead, it compresses debris into bricks or, as the manufacturer calls them, bales. No dust cloud! It's available in the States at Brookstone for $350; visit the Brookstone link to see a video of the vacuum in action.

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The Click and Grow garden.The Click and Grow garden needs virtually no tending -- great for the black thumbs among us who love plants but can't seem to get greenery to stay green. The two-part system works "just like a printer and toner": A "smart" flowerpot contains electronics and a water pump and reservoir; the plant cartridge contains seeds, nutrients and software. All you do is pop in four AA batteries, fill the reservoir with water, and place the kit in good light. If the reservoir needs water -- as it does every month or two -- you'll see a blue light blink. After about a year, a red light will indicate that the batteries need changing.
A starter kit with smart flowerpot and cartridge is $79. Refill cartridges are $20. Cheap? No. But if it's really as foolproof as it seems to be, maybe the price is worth it. After all, the founder was inspired by research that says the world throws away more than $20 billion in houseplants every year because people don't tend them properly.

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The Shopping List Bag, $11.Every time. Every single time I go to the store, I forget to bring a reusable bag, even though I shop places where disposable bags are banned or cost extra. But I don't (usually) forget the shopping list on the refrigerator. The Shopping List Bag combines the two, with magnets that attach the list and the folded bag to your fridge. When you're ready to go, you tuck the list notepad into the bag's pocket. It also has clips for store reward cards and coupons. Find it on ShoppingListBag.com for $11 (warning to those who follow the link: a product video auto-plays).

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Electric fireplace heaters from Crane.This last item is one of those so-kitschy-it-hurts designs: a "fireplace" you can carry around from one room to the next. The portable electric space heater mimics the look of embers yet stays cool to the touch (and if you like, you can leave the ambient glow on without the heat). It's 15 inches high and 12 inches wide. Buy it for $90 from Crane, a company you might know as the maker of those adorable humidifiers.

Time to spring forward: Five facts about daylight saving time

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Here's everything you wanted to know about the time change this weekend.
When is it?
The time change begins on Sunday, March 10, at 2 a.m., when clocks are moved forward by one hour.
Why 2 a.m.?
The time change is set for 2 a.m. because it was decided to be the least disruptive time of day. Moving time forward or back an hour at that time doesn’t change the date, which avoids confusion, and most people are asleep, or if people do work on a Sunday, it’s usually later than 2 a.m.
Do all states observe daylight saving time?
Hawaii and most of Arizona don’t observe the time change. U.S. territories that don’t go on daylight saving time include American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.
Why do we have it?
The idea is to save electricity because there are more hours of natural light. Studies have shown the savings to be fairly nominal—the time change leading people to switch on the lights earlier in the morning instead or cranking up the air conditioning, for example.
What is the history of daylight saving time?
Fun fact: The idea was first floated in 1784 by one Benjamin Franklin. While minister of France, he wrote the essay "An Economical Project for Diminishing the Cost of Light."
The idea failed to see the light of day until 1883, when the U.S. railroads instituted a standardized time for their train schedules. That time change was imposed nationally during the First World War to conserve energy, but it was repealed after the war. It became the national time again during World War II.
After that, it was up to the states to decide if they wanted it, and when it would start and end. Congress finally enacted the Uniform Time Act in 1966, which standardized the beginning and end of daylight time for the states that observed it. In 1974 and 1975, the energy crisis moved Congress to enact earlier daylight start times, which were reversed when the crisis was over.
Daylight saving time since then had always been in April—until the Energy Policy Act of 2005 ordered the earlier start time to begin in March 2007.