Ahmedabad (Gujarat): Indian-origin American astronaut Sunita Williams was conferred with the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Vishwa Pratibha Award by World Gujarati Society on Friday.
Williams is the first non-resident to receive the award. She was presented with the award by Gujarat Governor Naval Kishore Sharma.
The award hat includes a prize money of Rs 250,000, was collected by Williams's father, Dipak Pandya, who subsequently pledged it for a charity.
Jhulasan (Gujarat), Sept 21: Indian-origin American astronaut Sunita Williams on Friday visited her native village in Gujarat amidst much fanfare.
Williams, who arrived in Ahmedabad on Tuesday, is in India for the first time after her successful expedition aboard space shuttle Discovery.
People of Jhulasan village, William's father's ancestral village, welcomed her with true Gujarati customs putting up folk dances as large crowds gathered to get a glimpse of her.
New Delhi: The Supreme Court, on Tuesday, allowed a divisive Norwegian cruise liner to be demolished despite more than a year of objections by conservationists who said that the ship has toxic waste.
Ecologists, comprising Greenpeace, stated that the 46,000-tonne Blue Lady has over 900 tonnes of toxic waste like asbestos, threatening the physical condition of poorly equipped workers at the Alang ship-breaking yard in Gujarat.