y: D.k Choudhary
Indian Institute of Science Makes it to Top 10 Best Small Universities in the World Ranking
i. The Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore is the only Indian University to be placed among the top 10 global universities by Times Higher Education (THE).
ii. As per the THE ‘Best Small Universities in the World 2017’ ranking released on March 7, 2017, IISc has been placed at 8th position among the list of top 10 global universities.
iii. However, besides IISc, no other Indian University could find any position under the top 20 ranking.
Top 3 Universities in the Ranking
| Rank | University | Country |
| 1 | California Institute of Technology | United States |
| 2 | École Normale Supérieure | France |
| 3 | Pohang University of Science and Technology | South Korea |
Hyderabad Airport Gains 1st Rank Worldwide in Airport Service Quality Survey
i. GMR led Hyderabad International Airport Limited (GHIAL) has secured first position in the world in the prestigious Airports Council International (ACI)-Airport Service Quality (ASQ) survey in the 5-15 million passengers per annum (MPPA) category for the year 2016.
ii .Hyderabad Airport has steadily improved its score from 4.4 in 2009 to 4.9 in 2016 measured on scale of 1 to 5.
iii. Besides, the Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) in Delhi has been ranked world’s second best airport in the category of passenger handling capacity of more than 40 million passengers annually.
iv. Delhi International Airport Limited’s score increased from 4.96 in 2015 to 4.99 in 2016.
About Airport Council International’s ASQ Survey
♦ Airport Council International’s ASQ survey is a globally established benchmarking programme that measures passengers’ satisfaction while they travel through an airport.
♦ The ASQ programme provides the research tools and management information to better understand passengers’ views and what they want from an airport’s products and services.
Aishwarya Rai Bachchan Wins Best Actress for Sarbjit at IFFA Australia
i. Bollywood Actress Aishwarya Rai Bachchan has won the best actress award at the International Film Festival and Awards of Australia (IFFAA) for her movie Sarabjit.
ii. Directed by Omung Kumar, Sarabjit was the biopic on Sarabjit Singh who was an Indian farmer who was convicted of terrorism and spying in Pakistan and was sentenced to death.
iii. He was attacked by inmates at a prison in Lahore in April 2013 and died a few days later.
iv. The film starring Aishwarya and Randeep Hooda showcased his journey inside the jail and his sister’s unending fight to free him.
v. Aishwarya played the role of Sarabjit’s sister Dalbir Kaur.
SERB Fellowship Award To Lalji Singh
i. Former director of Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) Lalji Singh has been selected for ‘SERB Distinguished Fellow’ award by the Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB) to support his research.
ii. The award has been given in recognition of the former vice-chancellor, Banaras Hindu University (BHU), for his continued outstanding performance and also for mentorship to young researchers.
iii. The award carries an amount of Rs.60,000 per month and a research grant of Rs.5 lakh a year for three years extendable by two years.
Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB) :
♦ The Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB) is a statutory body established through an Act of Parliament.
♦ The Board offers JC Bose National Fellowship to scientists and engineers for their outstanding performance and contributions and RAMANUJAN Fellowship for brilliant scientists and engineers from all over the world to take up scientific research positions in India
