On 12 May 2016 President Pranab Mukherjee conferred the Florence Nightingale Awards to 35 nurses 
It was done on the occasion of International Nurses Day at the Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi.
The day is celebrated worldwide on May 12 every year to commemorate the birth day of Florence Nightingale and to mark the nurses’ contributions towards public health.
•    These awards are given to the outstanding nursing personnel employed in Union, State/Union Territories.
•    The awards carry 50000 rupees cash prize, a certificate, a citation certificate and a Medal.
•    Dorothy Sutherland in the year 1953 first proposed this very idea
•    It was first celebrated by the International Council of Nurses (ICN) in the year 1965.
•    May 12 was declared to be celebrated as the birthday anniversary of the founder of modern nursing, Florence Nightingale in January in 1974.

On 11 May 2016 Hockey India recommended Indian women’s team captain Ritu Rani, VR Raghunath, Dharamvir Singh for Arjuna Award.
•    It also recommended Sylvanus Dung Dung for Major Dhyan Chand Lifetime Achievement Award 
•    It also recommended CR Kumar for Dronacharya Award.
•    VR Ragunath debuted for Indian Hockey team in 2005 against Pakistan for bilateral series.
•    He was part of Indian team that won the bronze in the 2007 Sultan Azlan Shah Cup and Silver in 2008.
•    Ritu Rani led the team to achieve the 2016 Rio Olympic berth.
•    Dharamvir Singh was also a part of the 2014 Asian Games gold medal winning team.
•    Sylvanus Dung Dung  was part of the Indian team that won the gold at the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games 
•    CR Kumar is best known for guiding the Indian junior men’s hockey team to glory in the 2011 Junior World Cup.

Dr Manvendra K Singh, was awarded a grant of SGD 3 million by Singapore’s National Research Foundation (NRF).
•    He is a scientist from Uttar Pradesh's Gorakhpur city
•    He is among the seven young scientists from across the world to be endowed with the Singapore NRF fellowship.
•    The scientist has been awarded the fellowship to pursue research in the field of congenital and adult cardiovascular diseases.
•    He works as an assistant professor at Duke-NUS Medical School, Singapore.
•    He is also an adjunct assistant professor at National Heart Research Institute Singapore 
•    He obtained his masters degree in Biotechnology from Madurai Kamaraj University.
•    After completing his masters, he joined MD/Ph.D program in Molecular Medicine at Hannover Medical School, Germany.
•    The National Research Foundation was set up on 1 January 2006.
•    It is a department within the Prime Minister's Office.
•    The NRF sets the national direction for research and development (R&D) by developing policies, plans and strategies for research, innovation and enterprise.

On 10th May 2016 President Pranab Mukherjee presented the Gallantry Awards and the Distinguished Service Decorations to defence personnel and martyrs posthumously at a ceremony at the Rashtrapati Bhavan here.
•    Sepoy Jagdish was awarded Kirti Chakra posthumously. He made the supreme sacrifice during terror attack at Pathankot Air Base
•    Subedar Mahendra Singh was awarded Kirti Chakra. 
•    Jammu and Kashmir Police Head Constable Mohammed Shafi Sheikh and Constable Reyaz Ahmed Lone were awarded Shaurya Chakra.
•    Second in Command of CRPF 7th Batallion Hira Kumar Jha who was awarded Shaurya Chakra.
•    Commander Milind Mokashi who saved more than 16 hundred persons from war torn Yemen was also presented with Shaurya Chakra.
•    Sixteen personnel were awarded Param Vishisht Seva Medal and Twenty Four Personnel were awarded Ati Vishisht Seva Medal.

•    Vice-President Hamid Ansari, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar, and the three services Chiefs were present in the ceremony.

On 4 May 2016 President Pranab Mukherjee conferred the 15^th set of Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO) Niryat Shree and Niryat Bandhu Awards in New Delhi.
•    Reliance Industry was adjudged as the top foreign exchange earner and leading exporter of last 50 years.
•    TCS bagged the Gold Award in IT services. 
•    State Bank of India got the Gold award 
•    President also unveiled the brand new FIEO Logo representing growth, vibrancy, innovation and entrepreneurship.
•    It was set up in 1965 and completed 50 years .
•    The Federation recently moved to Niryat Bhawan, New Delhi.
•    It extended its arms to support the State Governments through formulation of Export Strategy and Export Policy.
•    The Trade Portal developed by FIEO has provided single window information on all facets of international trade for Indian Exim community.

President Pranab Mukherjee on 3 May 2016 conferred National film awards for the year 2015 in various categories at the 63rd National Film Awards Function held at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi.
•    The President also conferred 2015 Dada Saheb Phalke Award to Manoj Kumar.
•    Amitabh Bachchan received the Best Actor honour for his role of a hypochondriac father in Piku. While Kangana Ranaut received the Best Actress Award for Tanu Weds Manu Returns.
•    Best Feature Film - Baahubali: The Beginning
•    Indira Gandhi Award for Best Debut Film Of A Director -Neeraj Ghaywan for Masaan
•    Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment - Bajrangi Bhaijaan
•    Best Children's Film - Duronto
•    Best Direction - Sanjay Leela Bhansali for Bajirao Mastani
•    Nargis Dutt Award for Best Feature Film on National Integration - Nanak Shah Fakir
•    Best Film on Environment / Conservation / Preservation - Valiya Chirakulla Pakshikal
•    Best Film on Social Issue - Niranayakam
•    Best Actor - Amitabh Bachchan for Piku
•    Best Actress - Kangana Ranaut for Tanu Weds Manu Returns
•    Best Supporting Actor -  Samuthirakani for Visaranai
•    Best Supporting Actress - Tanvi Azmi for Bajirao Mastani
•    Best Child Artist - Gaurav Menon for Ben
•    Best Male Playback Singer - Mahesh Kale for Katyar Kaljat Ghusali
•    Best Female Playback Singer - Monali Thakur for Moh Moh Ke Dhaag (Dum Laga Ke Haisha)

Former bureaucrat and MP Nand Kishore Singh have been awarded with ‘Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver’ which is a Japan’s highest civilian award. 

•    He was chosen for this prestigious award for promoting economic, educational and cultural ties between India and Japan. 
•    He is among 91 foreign recipients to be honoured during the 2016 Spring Imperial Decoration of Japan by Emperor Akihito during the investiture ceremony in May 2016. 
•    N K Singh is a politician, economist and former Indian Administrative Service officer (IAS) from Bihar cadre. 
•    He had served as a MP in the Rajya Sabha (2008-2014) from Bihar. 
•    He was also Principal Secretary to Prime Minister A.B. Vajpayee. He was also connected with International organisations like World Bank, IMF and UNDP. 
•    He also had served as Chairman, Board of Governors of Management Development Institute (MDI), Gurgaon. 
•    Order of the Rising Sun  is a Japanese Government highest civilian established in 1875 by Emperor Meiji. 
•    It is conferred in recognition of distinguished accomplishments of an individual. 
•    The modern version of the order is being given to non-Japanese recipients from 1981.

On 28 April 2016 Tabassum Adnan, from Swat valley of Pakistan, won the Mandela - Graça Machel Innovation Award 2016 in Bogota, Colombia.
•    She won the award on the concluding day of the International Civil Society Week held from 25 April to 28 April 2016.
•    She has been a victim of child marriage, & was married at the age of 13. 
•    The marriage went through domestic abuse, ended after 20 years .
•    She is the founder of Khwendo Jirga (Sister's Council), which is the first women-only jirga in Pakistan. 
•    The council meets weekly & speaks of women's right, including honour killings, and acid attacks.
•    The jirga campaigns for women in Swat Valley, including issues related to women's security and their voting rights.
•    In March 2015, Adnan, was awarded the International Women of Courage award in the US.

France on 27th April 2016 honoured Bond villain Mads Mikkelsen with a top civilian award, paying tribute to him as a "fascinating" actor whose "face tells it all".
•    The 50-year-old Danish actor, best known for playing baddie Le Chiffre in the 2006 Bond film "Casino Royale" received the honour at a ceremony in Copenhagen alongside Danish film director Thomas Vinterberg.
•    France's ambassador to Denmark François Zimeray described Mikkelsen as "an all-round actor, whose face tells it all: the hardships and joys of life".
•    The former professional dancer won the best actor prize at Cannes in 2012 for his role in Vinterberg's psychological thriller "The Hunt".
•    described him as a film-maker who "exposes the dark sides of human nature with audacity".

Mongolia today conferred its highest civilian award "North Star" on two noted Indian scholars-Lokesh Chandra and Mansura Haider-for their contribution to Mongolian studies.

•    Mongolian Foreign Minister Lundeg Purevsuren conferred the award on Lokesh Chandra, president of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR), and Mansura Haider, former academic adviser at the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA), at ceremony at the Mongolian embassy here which was also attended by Union Minister Kiren Rijiju.
•    Mansura Haider, who was a professor and former dean of the faculty of arts in Aligarh Muslim Universitys history department, said was the first to give the Mongols an identity was misrepresented in history.
•    Mongolia is a landlocked sovereign state in East Asia. It is bordered by China to the south and Russia to the north. 
•    While it does not share a border with Kazakhstan, Mongolia is separated from Kazakhstan by only 36.76 kilometres (22.84 mi). 
•    Ulanbator, the capital and largest city, is home to about 45% of the country's population.