New <keyword id="19900881" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="delhi" source="keywords">Delhi</keyword>: Japanese auto major <keyword id="19965528" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="honda" source="keywords">Honda</keyword> on Wednesday said it has started joint research on AI technologies with <keyword id="19896445" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="iit-delhi" source="keywords">IIT Delhi</keyword> and IIT Bombay with plans to develop driver assistance and automated driving technologies applicable in various regions of the world, including India. The joint research is aimed to further advance Honda CI (Cooperative Intelligence)-- the original Honda AI that enables mutual understanding between machines and people, the company said in a statement. Honda Cars India Ltd (HCIL), a Honda subsidiary in India, will sign a joint research contract with the two IITs. "The IITs are a home to a large number of excellent researchers and engineers, and through the joint research with those institutes, Honda will strive to advance the underlying technologies of CI, with an eye toward the future applications for technologies that reduce traffic collisions and enable automated driving," it said. With an aim to achieve further advancement of CI, Honda and IITs have set joint research themes such as recognition of the surrounding environment and cultivation of cooperative behaviour, and will conduct research and development while utilising the cutting-edge AI technologies, it added. Under the partnership, for each research theme, Honda associates and IIT professors will engage with IIT students for planning, designing, developing and testing technologies which work beyond the confines of the laboratory and thereby proceed with the research and development more flexibly and with a high degree of freedom, Honda said. "This will enable Honda and IITs to work in a more flexible environment with deeper exchange of academic and industry insights," it added. In addition, as part of this research, Honda with the help of IITs is aiming to conduct verification of driving assistance and automated driving technologies in the suburbs of Delhi and in Mumbai. Due to numerous variations in the road systems and a large number of road users, India has a complex traffic environment where situations that occur frequently are difficult for AI to predict. "By conducting technology verification in such a technically challenging environment, Honda and IITs will refine the underlying technologies of CI and strive to apply them to future driver assistance and automated driving technologies in various regions of the world, including India," the statement said. Honda said it has been actively hiring IIT graduates since 2019, and many of them are now playing key roles in the areas of mobility intelligence, including the research and development of CI.

Honda begins joint research with IIT Delhi, Bombay on AI technologies

The Indian Singers Rights Association (<keyword id="1118410" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="isra" source="Orion">ISRA</keyword>), which is the apex body representing singers in <keyword id="3658" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="india" source="Orion">India</keyword>, recently signed a historic agreement with the Indian Music Industry (IMI), the apex body representing music labels in India. The agreement will cover all record labels, singers and musicians on a pan-India basis and will help the music market grow for the common benefit of all stakeholders across the music ecosystem in India. This agreement will work as a growth engine for the music industry in order to push it to the top 10 markets, globally. "The historic accord will be the growth engine for the Indian Music industry to propel itself to the top 10 markets in the world. When all stakeholders in the music ecosystem work together, a melody happens and this has been the case globally," said Blaise Fernandes, President and CEO of the Indian Music Industry. Present at the event were some of the veterans of the Indian music industry like <keyword id="717" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="udit-narayan" source="Orion">Udit Narayan</keyword>, <keyword id="35680" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="kumar-sanu" source="Orion">Kumar Sanu</keyword> and Shaan along with the Union Minister of Commerce and Industry, Piyush Goyal. Both the bodies expressed gratitude to Piyush Goyal and DPIIT (Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade) for their support to the artiste community and the music industry. The music industry seeks support from the Government of India to tackle the growing menace of digital piracy and non-recognition of copyright. Chairman of Indian Singers Rights Association, Padma Shri awardee Anup Jalota expressed his happiness as he said: "I would like to thank the Government of India and especially Shri Piyush Goyal Ji without whose support this agreement would not have seen the light of day. I wish the music industry all the best and hope this shaking of hands will result in benefits for the entire music industry." <keyword id="282016" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="sanjay-tandon" source="Orion">Sanjay Tandon</keyword>, founder, Director and CEO of the Indian Singer's Rights Association said: "It's great to see the getting together of record labels and artistes at last. It will now enable the music industry as a whole to grow and prosper to the level that it should. This historic agreement should be music for all." SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/finance/banks/news/hdfc-life-max-life-icici-prudential-and-sbi-life-saw-significant-growth-in-their-first-year-premiums/articleshow/99727242.cms">Premiums for private life insurance players go up 35% YoY in March, industry premium suffers a decline</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/the-best-vpns-to-safeguard-your-online-privacy-and-security-in-india/articleshow/99727397.cms">The best VPNs to safeguard your online privacy and security in India</a>

Industry bodies representing singers and music labels sign historic agreement

<ul><li>The original song was sung by music maestros Udit Narayan and Alka Yagnik.</li><li>'<keyword id="17850769" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="udd-jaa-kaale-kaava" source="Orion">Udd Jaa Kaale Kaava</keyword>' was originally composed by <keyword id="169184" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="uttam-singh" source="Orion">Uttam Singh</keyword> and the lyrics were penned by Anand Bakshi.</li><li>'<keyword id="1847504" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="gadar-2" source="Orion">Gadar 2</keyword>', which is scheduled to hit cinema theatres on 'August 11'.</li></ul> The new version of 'Udd Jaa Kaale Kaava' from Sunny Dol and Ameesha Patel-starrer 'Gadar 2' will usher in a wave of nostalgia among fans.On Thursday, the makers unveiled the reprised version of the global hit. Take a look <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CuEHjMzh4Qj/?hl=en" target="_blank">https://www.instagram.com/p/CuEHjMzh4Qj/?hl=en</a> The original song was sung by music maestros Udit Narayan and Alka Yagnik while the new version of the song is recreated and rearranged by Mithoon. 'Udd Jaa Kaale Kaava' was originally composed by Uttam Singh and the lyrics were penned by Anand Bakshi. The new version is a part of 'Gadar 2', which is scheduled to hit cinema theatres on 'August 11'. Helmed by Anil Sharma, the film stars <keyword id="9271" type="General" weightage="40" keywordseo="sunny-deol" source="Orion">Sunny Deol</keyword>, <keyword id="15932" type="General" weightage="40" keywordseo="ameesha-patel" source="Orion">Ameesha Patel</keyword> and Utkarsh Sharma in the lead roles. Before releasing the official teaser online, the makers of the film attached the teaser with 'Gadar: Ek Prem Katha' which was re-released in the theatres on June 9. The teaser of 'Gadar 2,' hints that the story begins right from where the story ended in 'Gadar: Ek Prem Katha' and the fans could also hear a sad version of the song 'Ghar Aaja Pardesi'.The film's portrayal of the partition of India and its impact on people's lives struck a chord with the audience. The epic tale of patriotism, love and sacrifice of Tara and Sakeena broke multiple records back in 2001 and now the makers are all set to entertain the audiences with the second instalment of the film. 'Gadar 2' will have a big Bollywood clash with Akshay Kumar's 'OMG 2' and Ranbir Kapoor's 'Animal'. (ANI)

Sunny Deol, Ameesha Patel's Gadar 2 has netizens taking a nostalgia trip with 'Udd Jaa Kaale Kaava' drop

Though anticipated, when it became official that the Melody Queen of India, <keyword id="31278" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Lata-Mangeshkar" source="Orion">Lata Mangeshkar</keyword>, is no longer among us, it hit the collective consciousness of the nation like a sledgehammer. The only consolation was that she may have passed on, but her voice, which moved our hearts and provided succour to our souls for more than seven decades, will forever be with us. Like all inspirational stories, Lataji's early struggle to establish herself in the 1940s is one that we cannot ever forget. In those days, she would take a BEST bus and travel from her south Mumbai home regularly to meet Naushad Ali at his Khar West bungalow or in the studios, hoping for a 'singing break' under the legendary music maker's baton. In the vicious Mumbai monsoon, she would come to Naushad's home, wearing her trademark sari, carrying an umbrella but totally drenched, shivering and barely able to speak, let alone sing. The music director would offer her piping hot tea and cookies to soothe her, but no songs ... yet ... . "I felt her voice was not yet 'ripe' for my style of music," said Naushad, the perfectionist, in a conversation with this writer. He was trying to justify not giving her an early break. "To improve her diction and control over words, I advised her to learn and practice Urdu, which she did ... and finally, she was ready to record for me." The first choices of Naushad were the reigning stalwarts -- Noorjehan, Suraiya, Shamshad Begum, Zohra Ambalewali, to name a few. With time, trained by her father, Dinananth Mangeshkar, Lataji grasped the maestro's advice and got her first major hit -- 'Uthaye Ja Unke Sitam' ('Andaz', 1949) -- composed by her mentor Naushad. With it, she 'arrived' in the film industry. Thereafter, top music directors of the era wooed her, and they included Sachin Dev Burman, Husan Lal-Bhagat Ram (brothers), Ghulam Haider, Sardar Malik, Ghulam Mohammed, Jaidev, Salil Chowdhary, C. Ramchandra, Shankar-Jaikishan (partners), Roshan, Madan Mohan, M. Zahur Khayyam, Kalyanji-Anandji (brothers), Laxmikant-Pyarelal (partners), Sonik-Omi (uncle-nephew), Ravi Kumar Sharma or 'Ravi', Sudhir Phadke, Sajjad Hussain, Usha Khanna, and even A.R. Rahman, Anu Malik, Rajesh Roshan, Anand-Milind and Jatin-Lalit, among the younger crop of baton wielders. Producers and directors vied for Lataji's unique voice and style for their top heroines, especially because she could 'mould' her voice to suit most heroines. Without doubt, she had become the first among women singers, a position that Mohammed Rafi enjoyed among the men. Yet, there was a music director who remained aloof from Lataji -- with haughty pride -- and yet rose to the top echelons of the music industry -- the incomparable O.P. Nayyar. "I found Lata's voice too thin, too shrill, which did not suit my compositions," Nayyar had once said, claiming he was "the only music director who succeeded in Bollywood without Lata's voice". He added: "I needed a more vivacious, richer, healthier voice of, say, Shamshad Begum, Geeta Ghosh-Dutt, Asha Bhosale." One woman singer, Suman Kalyanpur, was blessed with a voice rivalling that of Lataji's, but she was content being in the shadows, yet she thrived on enduring masterpieces composed by some of the music directors. As Lataji's singing style matured under master music directors, her voice helped heroines who acted or danced to her tunes catapult to stardom, such as Madhubala, Meena Kumari, Nargis, Ameeta, Beena Rai, Waheeda Rehman, Vyjayanthimala Bali, Tanuja, Sharmila Tagore, Asha Parekh, Nutan, Saira Bano, Sadhana Shivdasani, Babita Kapoor, Zeenat Aman, Parveen Babi, Hema Malini, Rekha, Sridevi, Neetu Singh, Madhuri Dixit, and many others in the post-1980s, right down to the youngsters, notably, Kajol, Rani Mukherjee and Karisma Kapoor. After the exit of Noorjehan from India and the fading away of other stalwart female singers, by the late 1950s/early 1960s, Lataji was firmly perched on the top of the heap and brooked no nonsense from anyone -- producers, directors, composers, siblings or contemporaries -- attempting to clamber anywhere close to her roost. Bollywood is full of stories of how Lataji ring-fenced her position till the very end, often raising the hackles of her female peers, although male singers, such as Mohammed Rafi, Mukesh, Kishore Kumar, Mahendra Kapoor and Manna Dey (all deceased) and others, chose to maintain a professional rapport with her. Nevertheless, there were tales of how Rafi once bore the brunt of her "other side", or certain composers quivering as she gently declined to sing for them after they allegedly dared to commission some other female singers, for whatever reason. Of course, powerful filmmakers such as Mehboob Khan, Raj Kapoor, Kamal Amrohi, Dev Anand, Shakti Samanta, B.R. Chopra, Yash Chopra and the likes had no time for tantrums. Born on September 28, 1929, as the oldest child of a musically inclined family in Indore (Madhya Pradesh) -- comprising father Dinanath, Lataji, Meena (Khadilkar), Asha (Bhosale), Usha and sole brother Hridaynath -- she was tutored by her dad from the age of five and also acted in his musical stage plays, till death in 1942. Helped by a close family friend, Master Vinayak D. Karnataki, she got a foothold in singing and acting that year with a first Marathi song and a maiden Hindi song in 1943 before shifting to the film industry capital in 1945. In Bombay (now, Mumbai), she learnt classical music and continued singing the odd songs, till her big break with 'Dil Mera Toda, Mujhe Kahinka Na Chhoda' ('Majboor', 1948), with full help from Ghulam Haider, whom she later described as her "godfather". With a colossus such as Noorjehan still around, Lataji continued her with a few more hits -- 'Aayega Aanewala' ('Mahal', 1949) and 'Uthaye Ja Unke Sitam' ('Andaz', 1949), heralding her entry with a bang in big-time Bollywood. Simultaneously, she sang in different Indian languages with aplomb, non-film songs, with her range encompassing classical, tragic, melodious, erotic, melancholic, light, mischievous, depending on the composer, or the heroine, or the song situation. After the seniors passed away or faded out, Lataji sang expertly and easily with the gen next of male singers such as S.P. Balasubramaniam, Amit Kumar, Shabbir Kumar, Nitin Mukesh, Anwar, Udit Narayan and Sonu Nigam, and astounded her listeners with the seemingly "undying" power and youthfulness of her golden voice. Over the decades, she was decorated with a multitude of rewards and honours -- three Padma awards, five Filmfare Awards, the Dadasaheb Phalke Award -- capped by the Bharat Ratna in 2001. More than that, state governments named awards and institutions after her. Lataji sang at prestigious live concerts or charitable events, enthralling global audiences, picked up more overseas accolades, such as France's highest civilian honour, Officer of the Legion of Honour, in 2007, briefly dabbled in high-end merchandise, such as signature jewellery and perfumes, launched a production and music house, and entered into international music collaborations. Death has only removed her physically. The legacies she leaves behind will outlive her for decades. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/ecommerce/news/aditya-birla-fashion-retail-d2c-unit-will-sell-ethnic-and-wedding-wear-from-top-designers/articleshow/89347587.cms">Birla has the best wedding suits stacked up and he wants them displayed on your phone</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/textile-cigarette-metal-and-electric-batteries-sectors-stocks-up-budget-day/articleshow/89346157.cms">Textile, cigarette makers and others sector stocks that rallied since budget speech</a>

Lata Mangeshkar's over 70-year journey from travelling in BEST bus for singing break in the industry to melody queen of India

New Delhi, May 1 () In one of the biggest collaborations by artistes for a noble cause, a group of 100 singers, including the legendary Asha Bhosle, Kumar Sanu and Sonu Nigam have come together to record an anthem for the frontline warriors fighting the coronavirus pandemic and in the aid of PM Cares fund.The anthem 'One Nation One Voice', recorded in 14 different languages, will be dedicated to the nation by Lata Mangeshkar on behalf of Indian Singers Rights Association (ISRA) on May 3.It will be released across over 100 digital platforms such as TV, Radio and on social media.Commenting on the initiative, Bhosle said that singers are the artists who have always expressed the feelings of the public."On this occasion when all of us are fighting against the coronavirus pandemic as 'One Nation' ably led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, we 100 singers of the country under ISRA decided to express our love for the nation and dedicate this song as 'One Voice'," she said.The artists, who are a part of the anthem include Asha Bhosle, Anup Jalota, Alka Yagnik, Hariharan, Kailash Kher, Kavita Krishnamurthy, Kumar Sanu, Mahalakshmi Iyer, Mano, Pankaj Udhas, S P Balasubramanian, Shaan, Sonu Nigam, Talat Aziz, Udit Narayan, Shankar Mahadevan, Jasbir Jassi among others.Sanjay Tandon, CEO of ISRA said, "One Nation One Voice in aid of PM Cares is a dedication from ISRA where 100 artists pay tribute to all the people in the forefront of the battle against the coronavirus and all the people at home who have supported the lockdown.""One Nation One voice is not just an anthem but it is a national movement - we have over 100 broadcast, social, amplification and tech platforms supporting the launch," said Sukrit Singh of XP&amp;D BeLive digital platform.The anthem is the brainchild of Nigam, singer Srinivas and Tandon.Nigham said, "It is our collective tribute to the mammoth struggle and effort our government and the entire medical and health workers are putting together in these times of global crisis. Hundred singers are coming together from different corners of India, is an unprecedented show of solidarity and love."Srinivas said as artiste they wanted to contribute to the fight in their own way. "ISRA being the treasure house of singers in this country, we embark on a song with 100 voices and nothing else, to stir the nation's heart and reaffirm our solidarity. A hundred voices sing in unison for the nation," he said.Every artist has recorded the song from home.Manish Baradia, Creative Director of Moving Pixels said: "Working with home recording of audio and video is a beautiful challenge. There is a certain sincerity and effort that comes through that no packaging can match. The end result is inspiring. The anthem is composed for the digital age and can be enjoyed on TV, Radio, Devices and Caller Ring Tones."The song is available in 14 languages, including Hindi, Bengali, Marathi, Gujrati, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Bhojpuri, Assamese, Kashmiri, Sindhi, Rajasthani and Odiya. CPS BKBK

COVID-19: 100 singers unite for anthem dedicated to frontline warriors

New Delhi, Apr 9 () Some of the biggest names from Indian music including Asha Bhonsle, S P Balasubramaniam and K J Yesudas are joining hands for a series of virtual concerts to express their solidarity with the people working at the forefront of the battle against the coronavirus pandemic.The Indian Singers Rights Association (ISRA) announced that it will hold a three-day concert 'Sangeet Setu', starting from April 10 between 8 pm and 9 pm, with the aim to entertain the public and help them deal with the stress in these unprecedented times of lockdown. "The feed for the concert, dedicated to PM CARES, will be available on OTT platforms, Television, Digital and Social channels," the ISRA said in a release. The concert, blessed by nightingale of bollywood Lata Mangeshkar, has an impressive line-up of veterans Asha Bhonsle, S P Balasubramaniam, K J Yesudas, Udit Narayan, Anoop Jalota, Pankaj Udhas, Kavita Krishnamurthy, Sudesh Bhosale, Suresh Wadkar, Talat Aziz, Alka Yagnik, Kumar Shanu, Hariharan, Shankar Mahadevan, Sonu Nigam, Salim Merchant, Shaan and Kailash Kher, the ISRA said."ISRA decided that leading singers of the country will entertain the masses and try to lighten their stress, strain and depression in these tough times. I thank all the artists who have made themselves available for this national service," Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Sanjay Tandon said.Moving Pixels Company, XP&amp;D and Be.live have partnered with the ISRA in this effort.MPC Creative Director, Manish Baradia said, "This is not just a concert series, it is a national movement. We want to take this concert to one billion screens."Speaking on behalf XP&amp;D and Be.Live, Sukrit Singh said "the O2O (Offline to Online) concert belongs to the nation - our feed is free for anyone who can get it to a screen. "We appeal to every OTT, TV or digital channel to stream the content for free and show solidarity with the current battle. The feed of the virtual concerts will be available on several OTT platforms including MX Player, Hotstar, Vodafone Play, Flipkart, Jio Tv and Sony Liv," Singh said. Singer Sonu Nigam said said the concert was their tribute to every Indian fighting against the coronavirus. "Every Indian be it an official, a health worker, an essential services provider or citizen at home - is contributing in this battle. Especially the mothers, home makers and sisters at home are bearing the burden and as artists we salute you through our music." Shaan urged people to tune in and donate in the times of crisis."We urge everyone to stay at home. With this initiative, we will be able to come to your homes and sing for the country. I urge everyone to donate generously to the PM Cares fund, as every single rupee counts," Shaan said."On behalf of ISRA we come together as a family to sing for you all to spread positivity amongst all of us in this dark phase bringing entertainment for enlightenment and cheer," Kher added. SKL BKBK

COVID-19: ISRA brings together top musicians for virtual concert 'Sangeet Setu'

<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/50995960.cms" style="width: 800px; height: 600px;" />Members of the consultative committee attached to the <keyword id="101434" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="Union-Finance-Ministry">Union Finance Ministry</keyword> have put forward a suggestion that would cheer millions of middle-class Indians. 
 

	They want <keyword id="42575" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Arun-Jaitley">Arun Jaitley</keyword> to raise the <keyword id="6354751" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Income-Tax">income tax</keyword> exemption limit for individuals to Rs 4 lakh per annum from the current Rs 2.5 lakh.<o:p></o:p>

	According to an official release, the suggestion came during the first meeting of the committee on Friday in New Delhi.<o:p></o:p>

	Additionally, they also suggested the finance minister to raise the limit for mandatorily quoting permanent card number (PAN) for transactions to Rs 5 lakh from Rs 2 lakh. <o:p></o:p>

	Presently, there are about <a href="http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2015-05-12/news/62082668_1_tax-base-tax-evaders-tax-assessees" target="_blank">2.5 crore individual tax payers</a> in India.<o:p></o:p>

	 

	In his address, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley spoke about fiscal deficit being kept under control, despite a rise in government spending and the need for higher allocation in FY2017 owing to the implementation of the proposals of the 7th Central Pay Commission and One Rank One Pension scheme for ex-servicemen.<o:p></o:p>

	The members of the committee also asked Jaitley to consider raising the service tax exemption limit to Rs 25 lakh from the current Rs 10 lakh.<o:p></o:p>

	Those who participated in the meeting included Arun Jaitley, Finance Minister; Jayant Sinha, Minister of State for Finance; members of the committee comprising Dilip Kumar Mansukhlal Gandhi, J. Jayasingh Thyagraj Natterjee, P.P. Chaudhary, Poonam Mahajan, Shri Ram Charitra Nishad, Sharad Kumar Maruti Bansode, Subhash Chandra, Supriya Sadanand Sule, Udit Raj (<keyword id="6355187" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Lok-Sabha">Lok Sabha</keyword> members), Anil Desai, K.P. Ramalingam and Rajkumar Doot (Rajya Sabha members). 
	 
	Image credit: Indiatimes

Budget 2016: MPs want income tax exemption limit for individuals to be raised to 4 lakh

<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/50720394.cms" style="width: 800px; height: 600px;" /> Women dominated this year's <keyword id="6391019" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Padma-awards">Padma awards</keyword> for sports with tennis star Sania Mirza and ace shuttler <keyword id="30618" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Saina-Nehwal">Saina Nehwal</keyword> getting the nod for the Padma Bhushan, while archer <keyword id="86231" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Deepika-Kumari">Deepika Kumari</keyword> was chosen for the Padma Shri here today. 

	All three were in sublime touch last year and brought the country laurels in their respective sports. 
 Sania enjoyed the most sensational run, clinching nine titles -- including two Grand Slams last year with Swiss great Martina Hingis. The exceptional performance propelled her to the top of the <keyword id="935171" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="WTA-doubles-rankings">WTA doubles rankings</keyword>. 

	The 29-year-old is currently competing in the Australian Open in Melbourne, where she has reached the women's doubles quarterfinals with Hingis. 
 Saina has also been in spectacular touch, winning silver medals at the All England and World Badminton Championship last year besides clinching the India Open Super Series and <keyword id="2039194" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Syed-Modi-Grand-Prix-Gold">Syed Modi Grand Prix Gold</keyword>. 

	Deepika, on the other hand, won a silver at the Archery World Cup Final besides bronze medals at the World Cup Stage II and the Asian Team Championships. 
 

	Saina, who is in the country to compete in this week's Syed Modi Grand Prix Gold Tournament, said the honour has left her surprised. Interestingly, the 25-year-old had expressed her displeasure at being ignored for the award last year. 
 
 

	"It is a great honour and I want to thank the Ministry for giving me the award. I am very happy with the way the last year has gone, I have been performing well. I reached World No.1 last year and now I am World No.2. I am sure this award will give me more motivation to do well further this year," Saina said. 
 

	"It came as a complete surprise to me. I had no clue. I did not expect at all. There was no news of it at all. When I think that I am just 25 and I have received this award, it makes me feel great. But it is still a long way to go." 
 

	Saina was left disappointed after the Sports Ministry decided to reject her application for the award in January last year, citing norms. 
 

	The ministry had picked two-time Olympic-medallist wrestler Sushil Kumar for the honour last year. 
 

	Saina was bestowed the Khel Ratna and Padma Shri in 2010 and also received the Arjuna Award in 2009. 
 

	The 21-year-old Deepika, meanwhile, had also won the team silver along with Laxmirani Majhi and Rimil Buriuly in the World Championships. 
	 
	
		Superstar Rajinikanth, founder of the Reliance empire late Dhirubhai Ambani, Art of Living founder Sri Sri Ravi Shankar and media baron Ramoji Rao have been chosen for Padma Vibhushan, country's second highest civilian award, this year. 
	 
	
		Former Jammu and Kashmir Governor Jagmohan, former DRDO chief V K Aatre, cancer specialist and chairperson of Adyar Cancer Institute Dr V Shanta and eminent Bharatnatyam and Kuchipudi dancer Yamini Krishnamurthi and classical vocalist Girija Devi and Indian-American economist Avinash Dixit have also been named for Padma Vibhushan on the occasion of this year's Republic Day celebrations. 
	 
	
		Noted actor Anupam Kher, singer Udit Narayan, former CAG Vinod Rai, chairperson of media group Bennett, Coleman &amp; Co. Indu Jain, sports star Sania Mirza and Saina Nehwal, spiritual leaders late Swami Dayanand Saraswati, Swami Tejomayananda and former US Ambassador to India Robert Blackwill are among the 19 eminent people chosen for Padma Bhushan. 
	 
	
		Industrialist Pallonji Shapoorji Mistry, Maruti Suzuki chairman R C Bhargava and eminent architect Hafeez Contractor also figure in the list of Padma Bhushan awardees. 
	 
	
		Senior lawyer Ujjwal Nikam, who was the prosecution counsel in the Mumbai terror attack case, actors Ajay Devgn and Priyanka Chopra get Padma Shri.
	
		 
		Renowned sculptor Ram V Sutar, Manipuri theatre personality Heisnam Kanhailal, Hindi and Telugu writer Yarlagadda Lakshmi Prasad, Sanskrit scholar N S Ramanuja Tatacharya, Punjabi journalist Barjinder Singh Hamdard, gastroenterologist D Nageshwar Reddy and scientist A V Rama Rao have been chosen for Padma Bhushan. 
	 
	
		Actor the late Saeed Jaffrey, CEO of MasterCard Ajaypal Singh Banga, archer Deepika Kumari, Bharatanatyam dancer Prathibha Prahlad, Gujarati folk musician Bhikhudan Gadhvi, Goa's musician Tulsidas Borkar and scientist Onkar Nath Srivastava were among those who were named for Padma Shri awards.

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