India-born Nobel laureate Amartya Sen was on Tuesday felicitated with the prestigious National Medals of Arts and Humanities award by U.S. President Barack Obama for his efforts to increase the understanding of fighting hunger and poverty.
Dr. Sen, who won Nobel Prize in economics in 1998, was given the award at a glittering White House function here.
“We even have an economist, which we don’t always get on stage,” Obama said referring to 78-year-old Dr. Sen, before he presented the 2011 National Medal of Arts and National Humanities.
“Sen is being awarded the 2011 National Humanities Medal for his insights into the causes of poverty, famine, and injustice. By applying philosophical thinking to questions of policy, he has changed how standards of living are measured and increased our understanding of how to fight hunger,” said the citation, read by a military aid of the US President.
The two Nobel Laureates (Obama and Sen) were seen chatting on some issues during the award ceremony.
Dr. Sen also attended the White House reception hosted by President Obama on this occasion. The First Lady, Michelle also attended the awards ceremony.
The 2011 National Medal of Arts were also awarded to Will Barnet, Rita Dove, Al Pacino, Emily Rauh Pulitzer, Martin Puryear, Mel Tillis, United Service Organization and AndrWatts.
And the 2011 National Humanities Medal were given to Kwame Anthony Appiah, John Ashbery, Robert Darnton, Andrew Delbanco, National History Day, Charles Rosen sand Teofilo Ruiz besides Dr. Sen.
Keywords: National Humanities Medal, Amartya Sen, Barack Obama
Comments:
Dr.Sen is a shining star for the cause of poverty all over the world.
India also should understand the values of Dr.Sen and request his ideas
in overcoming our states of poverty and hunger.As an Indian he will be
too pleased to suggest his best.
Undoubtedly, this is a great honor bestowed on Dr. Sen by the US as well and Why not? he is a Noble Laureate and one who has seen the world. But, can things really matter for the better with such awards to people who have made it big, in their respective disciplines?
This is a debatable topic, yet to be uncovered, especially in the light of the fact, that all work of strategists and great researchers like Dr. Sen done for the cause of poverty eradication, actually has been the topic of contention only for a handful of people – when it concerns the whole magnitude of us, living in the 3rd world - it is a fact that all of us represent the underlined doctrine of Professor Sen.
In the final analysis, Dr. Sen being an Indian, he would be more than just quick, in coming up with his ideas in overcoming our states of poverty and hunger, with all his select few models for economic growth and the numerous organizational controls and custom specific details that he would recommend to help run economies like us, in the right direction to factor in coming forward and implement or test the work laid down in curbing issues like malnutrition which is so much ingrained in the impoverished social structures of our rural communities.