First Indian to get Boltzmann Medal, Dhar equated his approach to statistical mechanics to art & said it is wrong to 'propagate idea that everyone should do only applied work'.
Indira Gandhi's principal secretary, PN Haksar was the first person to refuse the Padma Vibhushan award. He said he was simply doing his job and accepting the award would be discomforting.
Buddhadeb Bhattacharya declined Padma Bhushan and Ghulam Nabi Azad drew jibes from Congress leaders for accepting the award from Modi govt. But such controversies are not new.
From nominating deserving people to getting a chance to attend the awards ceremony, the Modi govt has changed the way Indians interact with the Padma Awards.
Of the 119 Padma awardees for 2021, as many as 34 are from Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Bengal, Assam & Puducherry — all headed for polls in April-May this year.
Social worker Baba Sewa Singh & ex-national boxing coach Gurbax Singh Sandhu are latest in list of personalities from Punjab who announced their intention to return their awards.
Country's used lithium-ion battery problem is also set to grow sharply in next decade. India 3rd largest e-waste producer with 7% global share but currently recycles only about 10% of it.
No nation other than China can negotiate one-on-one with Trump on an equal footing. That’s why the middle powers who so far formed the core of multilateral bodies now feel orphaned.
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