National Intellectual Property Award 2018: The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) was awarded National Intellectual Property (IP) Award 2018 in category “Top R&D Institution/Organization for Patents and Commercialization”. The National IP Award is awarded annually by Indian Intellectual Property Office (under Ministry of Commerce and Industry) in various categories on outstanding innovators, organizations and companies in fields of patents, designs, trademarks and geographical indications on the occasion of World IP Day (26 April). CSIR is an autonomous body and India’s premier research and development (R&D) organisation. It was established in 1942. It operates as an autonomous body registered under the Registration of Societies Act of 1860. It is mainly funded by the Union Ministry of Science and Technology. Prime Minister is the chairman of CSIR. It has been ranked 9th in the world amongst 1207 government institutions, with overall global ranking of 75 in world, covering 5250 institutions.

Saraswati Samman: Gujarati poet, playwright and academic Sitanshu Yashaschandra was selected for 2017 Saraswati Samman for his collection of verses (poetry) titled “Vakhar” published in 2009. It was 27 edition of the award. Saraswati Samman is an annual award bestowed upon Indian citizen for his outstanding literary work written in any 22 Indian languages mentioned in Schedule VIII of Constitution and published during last 10 years. The award has been named after Indian goddess of learning Saraswati. It carries a cash prize of Rs. 15 lakh, a citation and a plaque of goddess Saraswati. Saraswati Samman is considered one of the highest literary awards in India. It was established in 1991 by KK Birla Foundation (which also gives Vyas Samman for Hindi and Bihari Puraskar for Hindi and Rajasthani writers of Rajasthan). Harivansh Rai Bachchan was the first recipient of this award for his autobiography published Dashdwar Se Sopan Tak written in four volumes. Past awardees also include Oriya poet Ramakanta Rath; Marathi playwright Vijay Tendulkar; and M Veerappa Moily etc.

UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize: The award was established in 1997 by United Nations’ cultural body UNESCO’s in honour of Colombian journalist Guillermo Cano Isaza. It honours a person, organization or institution for their outstanding contribution to the defence and promotion of freedom of press anywhere in the world, especially achieved in face of danger. The award carries a cash prize of $45000 and is funded by Colombia based Cano Foundation and Finland based Helsingin Sanomat Foundation. Guillermo Cano Isaza was a Colombian journalist who was assassinated on 17 December 1986 in front of the offices of his newspaper, El Espectador in Bogota. Jailed Egyptian photojournalist Mahmoud Abu Zeid, popularly known as Shawkan, will be awarded United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization’s (UNESCO) World Press Freedom Prize for the year 2018. He was arrested in August 2013 for covering the deadly demonstration at Rabaa Al-Adawiya Square in Cairo (Egypt’s capital) between security forces and supporters of ousted Islamist president Mohammed Morsi. He is one of 700 defendants facing charges of killing police and vandalising property during the clashes.