Abraham Verghese, Indian-American physician-author, on 14 September 2016 was selected for the prestigious 2015 National Humanities Medal.
•    Abraham Verghese is a physician-author, Professor for the Theory and Practice of Medicine at Stanford University Medical School.
•    He is also the author of three best-selling books, two memoirs and a novel.
•    In 2011, he was elected to be a member of the Institute of Medicine.
•    He was born in Ethiopia to parents from Kerala.
National Medal of Arts
•    Mel Brooks, Actor, Comedian and Writer 
•    Sandra Cisneros, Author 
•    Eugene O’Neill Theater Center 
•    Morgan Freeman, Actor 
•    Philip Glass, Composer 
•    Berry Gordy, Record Producer & Songwriter 
•    Santiago Jiménez, Jr., Musician 
•    Moises Kaufman, Director & Playwright 
•    Ralph Lemon, Dancer, Choreographer, Writer, & Visual Artist 
•    Audra McDonald, Actress & Singer 
•    Luis Valdez, Playwright, Actor, Writer & Director 
•    Jack Whitten, Painter
National Humanities Medal
•    Rudolfo Anaya, Author 
•    José Andrés, Chef & Entrepreneur 
•    Ron Chernow, Author 
•    Louise Glück, Poet 
•    Terry Gross, Radio Host & Producer 
•    James McBride, Author 
•    Louis Menand, Author 
•    Elaine Pagels, Historian & Author 
•    Prison University Project, Higher Education Program 
•    Abraham Verghese, Physician, Professor & Author 
•    Isabel Wilkerson, Journalist & Author
The National Medal of Arts is an award and title created by the United States Congress in 1984.

Ramesh Raskar, 46, an Indian-origin scientist has bagged the Lemelson-MIT Prize worth $500,000 for his groundbreaking inventions. 
•    Raskar told MIT News that he has plans to use a portion of the prize money to launch a new effort using peer-to-peer invention.
•    Nasik-born Ramesh Raskar, 46, an Indian-origin scientist has bagged the Lemelson-MIT Prize worth $500,000 for his groundbreaking inventions to create solutions to improve lives globally. 
•    He is the founder of the Camera Culture research group at the MIT Media Lab and an Associate Professor of Media Arts and Sciences.
•    He has more than 75 patents to his name
•    He has written more than 120 reviewed publications
•    He is the co-inventor of radical imaging solutions including femto-photography, an ultra-fast imaging system that can see around corners
•    He has developed low-cost eye-care solutions for the developing world
•    He has also invented a camera that allows users to read pages of a book without opening the cover

Infected with ‘superbugs’ in birth facilities within 72 hours of being born, thousands of Indian babies are dying due to an ‘alarming degree’ of drug resistance, a major study has found. 
•    The researchers found that nearly 26 per cent of babies with sepsis died, as multi drug resistance made the ailment untreatable.
•    The lead author of the study, Dr. Vinod Paul, chief of pediatrics at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), said this was a manifestation of drug resistant bacteria in the Indian population.
•    Dr. Paul’s team is working on models to prevent hospital-acquired infections soon after birth, and rapid diagnostics.
•    Out of over 88,000 children, 13,530 were ‘enrolled’ in the study – that is, admitted to the ICU.
•    Multi drug resistance was the highest with Acinetobacter in 181 cases, a staggering 82 per cent. 
•    Resistance to Klebsiella was found in 54 per cent and E. coli in 38 per cent.

In an initiative to improve the railway travel experience of elderly, differently-abled and ailing passengers, the Ministry of Railways has announced the launch of ‘Yatri Mitra Seva’ to simplify access to wheelchairs, battery operated cars and porter services. The scheme will be operational at all major railway stations.
•    ‘Yatri Mitra’ or ‘Passenger Friend’ can be an assistant or any other person nominated for the purpose. 
•    In a communication sent to all Zonal Railways, the Railway Board said the IRCTC may provide the service ‘free of cost’ through some NGO, charitable trust, PSUs, etc.
•    Once the service is booked, the IRCTC will ensure that the ‘Yatri Mitra’ is made available at the coach when the passenger arrives at the designated railway station.
•    The ‘Yatri Mitra’ would contact the passenger on the mobile number given at the time of booking and confirm the expected time of arrival.
•    In Chennai Central and Egmore railway stations, there are about 30 wheelchairs and five battery operated cars.

President Barack Obama said on Wednesday that the US is lifting economic sanctions and restoring trade benefits to former pariah state Myanmar as he met with Aung San Suu Kyi, a former political prisoner who is now the nation's de facto leader.
•    The US has eased broad economic sanctions since political reforms began five years ago but has retained more targeted restrictions on military-owned companies and dozens of officials and associates of the former ruling junta. 
•    US companies and banks have remained leery of involvement in one of Asia's last untapped markets.
•    Suu Kyi concurred it was time to remove all the sanctions that she said had hurt the country economically as it was now in a position to open up to investment. 
•    She said she wants Americans to come to the country and "to make profits."
•    The change in policy will not remove all economic sanctions. 
•    Penalties intended to block the drug trade and to bar military trade with North Korea would still apply, as would a visa ban barring some former and current members of the military from traveling to the US.

President Barack Obama said on Wednesday that the US is lifting economic sanctions and restoring trade benefits to former pariah state Myanmar as he met with Aung San Suu Kyi, a former political prisoner who is now the nation's de facto leader.
•    The US has eased broad economic sanctions since political reforms began five years ago but has retained more targeted restrictions on military-owned companies and dozens of officials and associates of the former ruling junta. 
•    The official and aides spoke on condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to discuss the matter publicly.
•    The change in policy will not remove all economic sanctions. Penalties intended to block the drug trade and to bar military trade with North Korea would still apply, as would a visa ban barring some former and current members of the military from traveling to the US.

Public Sector Broadcaster All India Radio (AIR) is planning to launch a website and mobile app for its Baluchi service to reach people who speak this language across the globe.
•    The Baluchi website and mobile app is likely to be launched later this week, sources told PTI.
•    The All India Radio has been airing hour-long Baluchi programme everyday, which also includes news as well. 
•    This service was started in 1974 and reaches those who speak the language in Pakistan as well.
•    However it is felt that with a website and mobile app, these programmes will gain a global audience especially among Baluchi speaking diaspora,” a source said.
•    It was for the first time the disturbed areas in the control of Pakistan were mentioned by any Prime Minister during his Independence speech.
•    Earlier, DD News had also sent a team to Geneva to interview Brahumdagh Bugti, leader of Baloch Republican Party.
•    The External Services Division (ESD) of All India Radio, presently broadcasts daily in 57 radio transmissions covering over 108 countries in 27 languages.
•    Out of these, 15 are foreign including Baluchi language.

The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) today announced an ambitious collaborative R&D programme to develop next generation, sustainable refrigerant technologies as alternatives to HFCs. 
•    This R&D initiative brings together Government, research institutes, industry and civil society to develop long term technology solutions to mitigate impact of currently used refrigerant gases on the ozone layer and climate. 
•    With this initiative, India reaffirms its commitment to working with all other nations to safeguard the Earth’s natural ecosystem.
•    India has a small carbon footprint at citizen level and its sustainable lifestyle results in low contribution of the country to overall emissions of greenhouse gases and ozone depleting substances, as compared with other developed countries.
•    However, there is an urgent need for developing new technologies indigenously as alternatives available today are patented apart from being expensive. 
•    A research based programme to look for cost effective alternatives to the currently used refrigerant gases is, therefore essential.