Dr V R Lalithambika, a distinguished scientist at the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) was honoured with “Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur”, the highest civilian award of France, for her contributions in promoting space cooperation between India and France.
- On behalf of the French Government, Thierry Mathou Ambassador of France to India, conferred the award to her during the event held in Bengaluru, Karnataka.
- She becomes the 2nd ISRO scientist to receive the award. Previously, A S Kiran Kumar, former chairman of ISRO received the award in 2019.
About V R Lalithambika:
i.Lalithambika started her career as a launch vehicle autopilot design engineer at ISRO’s Vikram Sarabhai Space Center (VSSC), Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala in 1988.
ii.She is a specialist in Advanced Launcher Technologies and headed the team that optimises fuel systems, autopilot systems, designs the rocket computers and rocket hardware.
iii.In 2018, she became the first director of the Directorate of the Human Spaceflight Programme of ISRO.
- Prior to that she served as Deputy Director of VSSC.
Space Cooperation with France:
i.Lalithambika’s leadership in the Human Spaceflight Programme facilitated a strong collaboration between India and France for the Gaganyaan project.
ii.She played a crucial role in forging the first joint agreement in 2018.
- It was signed between the French National Space Agency (Centre national d’etudes spatiales – CNES) and ISRO on human spaceflight, enabling the exchange of specialists to work on space medicine.
iii.Subsequently, in 2021, she coordinated the signing of a second agreement (with CNES), further strengthening the partnership.
- Under this agreement, the French space agency committed to training India’s flight physicians and Capsule Communicator (CAPCOM) mission control teams.
About Légion d’Honneur:
i.The Légion d’Honneur (Legion of Honour) was instituted in 1802 by Napoleon Bonaparte in France.
ii.It is the highest civilian award given by the French Republic for outstanding service to France, regardless of the nationality of the recipients.
iii.The President of the French Republic is the Grand Master of the Order of the Legion of Honour.
Indian Author Dr Arshia Sattar Honoured with France’s Chevalier dans l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres
Eminent Indian author and translator, Dr Arshia Sattar, was honoured with “Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres” (Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters), a prestigious honor from French Government, for her commitment to cultural relationship and cooperation between diverse literary worlds.
- Thierry Mathou presented the insignia of the award to Arshia Sattar at a special ceremony at the Consulate General of France in Bengaluru, Karnataka.
Points to note:
The award recognises her achievements in the field of literature as a translator and a writer and her commitment to the promotion of literature as director of the literary residency, Sangam House.
About Arshia Sattar:
i.As a translator, she had engaged with the great masterpieces of Indian literature such as The Ramayana, The Mahabharata, and The Tales from Kathasaritsagara.
ii.In 2008, she along with David William Gibson founded Sangam House.
- It is an international writers’ residency program that brings together writers from across the world to live and work among their peers in a safe, supportive, and nurturing space.
- It is the first literary residency of its kind in India.
iii.Sangam House joined the Villa Swagatam network and contributed to strengthening the links between India and France.
Note: She was awarded the Sahitya Akademi Prize for Children’s Literature in 2022 for her book ‘The Mahabharata for Children’.
About Ordre des Arts et des Lettres:
i.It is an Order of France established by the Minister of Culture in 1957 and confirmed as part of L’ordre National du Mérite by president Charles de Gaulle in 1963.
ii.It is the most significant arts-specific honour conferred by the Government of France that honours personalities who have made significant contributions to the music field, arts, literature and the cultural and artistic legacy of Indo-France relations.
iii.The award is given at three levels: Commandeur (Commander), Officier(Officer), Chevalier (Knight).
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India Business Leader Awards’ (IBLA) 2023, the 18th edition of the annual awards hosted by CNBC-TV18, was held at Jio World Convention Centre at BKC (Bandra Kurla Complex), Mumbai, Maharashtra. The event was presented by Standard Chartered in partnership with Hindustan Times.
About France:
President – Emmanuel Jean-Michel Frédéric Macron
Capital – Paris
Currency – Euro
