NDTV to reveal 'Indian of the Year' on Jan 17 Tuesday - Jan 15, 2008 *Televisionpoint.com Correspondent | New Delhi* NDTV is all set to reveal the 'Indian of the Year', which salutes people who have helped build brand India while excelling in their field of expertise, at a ceremony on January 17 in New Delhi.
To widen the scope, the awards have been divided into seven categories this year. In thte politicians category the nominees include APJ Abdul Kalam, Prakash Karat, Manmohan Singh, L K Advani, and Mayawati. In the sports category, the nominees include Vishwanathan Anand, M S Dhoni, Biachung Bhutia, and Sania Mirza. In cinema category the nominees include Shah Rukh Khan, Rajnikanth, Shilpa Shetty, and Himesh Reshammiya. In the global Indian category, the nominees include Indira Nooyi, Arun Sarin, R K Pachauri, and Mira Nair. The business category nominees include Tulsi Tanti, Kumaramangalam Birla, K P Singh, Azim Premji, and Mukesh Ambani. The music category nominees include Vishal-Shekhar, Sukhwinder Singh, Pritam, and Metro band, Sunidhi Chauhan, and *A R Rehman*. There is also a category of unsung heroes for which the nominees are Irom Sharmila, Auto Raja, and Indian soldiers. The winners of 'Indian of the Year' awards are chosen through a rigorous, multi-layered process. The NDTV editorial board starts the process by shortlisting nominees in each category after painstaking research. The nominees are then made public, and votes are invited through SMS polls, online votes, opinion polls and TV shows. The results are assessed by Ernst & Young, the auditors and validators for the awards. Finally, the jury selects its favourites. The awards jury comprises eminent personalities such as Sir Mark Tully (former BBC South Asia correspondent and Indophile), Kiran Karnik, Shobha De, Shekhar Gupta, and former Chairman of ISRO Dr K Kasturirangan, among others. Dr Prannoy Roy, Chairman, NDTV said, "The NDTV Indian of the Year award has recognised excellence and contribution by Indians in various facets of our society that have strengthened the foundation of our nation. We have received a massively encouraging response so far and we hope the final awards will celebrate accomplishments across fields." http://www.televisionpoint.com/news2008/newsfullstory.php?id=1200397844 -- regards, Vithur A.R.RAHMAN - THE ABODE OF DIVINE MUSIC
