The highest award received by a person of Indian origin is Ramniklal Chhaganlal Solanki, who has been awarded the Commander of the British Empire.
LONDON: Several British citizens of Indian origin and others working in various spheres of life in India have been honoured in the New Year's Honours List for 2007.
The highest award received by a person of Indian origin is Ramniklal Chhaganlal Solanki, 75, who has been awarded the Commander of the British Empire.
Solanki has been the driving force behind a successful publishing group, the Asian media and Marketing Group that publishes the leading Gujarati magazine Garavi Gujarat.
The list is normally announced twice a year - a list is published on the queen's birthday in June and another list is published on the New Year eve. As in earlier years, people of Indian origin and others working on India have figured prominently in this year's list.
The list includes British officials working in various offices in India, including the British high commission.
Ann Leslie, born in British India and a distinguished foreign correspondent with the Daily Mail, has been made a Dame for services to journalism.
The Officers of the British Empire (OBE) honour has been awarded to the following:
Harmesh Lakhanpaul, director of the Peterborough Race Equality Council, for services to Community Relations;
Dipesh Jayantilal Shah, lately chief executive officer of UK Atomic Energy Authority, for services to the energy industry; Rita Sharma, founder and managing director, Best at Travel plc., for services to the travel industry.
Jasminder Singh, founder and chair of the Radisson Edwardian Hotel Group, has been awarded the OBE for services to the hotel industry. For services to the fashion industry, The OBE has been awarded to Tom Tar Singh, founder and non-executive director of New Look.
The Member of the British Empire (MBE) has been awarded to the following:
Kanyalal Aswani, a general medical practitioner, for services to healthcare; Binoy Bhattacharyya, consultant, West Middlesex Hospital, for services to medicine; Piara Singh Clair, for services to the community in Leicester; Gurdarshan Dhanjal, for services to community relations in Bristol in particular to South Asian Families with disabled children.
Others awarded the MBE include Soraya Dhillon, chair of the Luton and Dunstable Hospital NHS Trust, for services to healthcare; Anil Krishnarao Koshti, nuclear regulator for the Environment Agency, for services to the environment; Rajyasree Lodh, lately administrative officer, Child Support Agency, Department for Work and Pensions.
For services to the Sikh community, the MBE has been awarded to Gurdial Singh Rai, of Darford, Kent, while Ramendra Nath Seth has been given the same honour for services to Rotary International and to the community in Nottinghamshire. Nirmala Singhvi has also been awarded the MBE for services to the community in Watford, Hertfordshire.
British diplomats working in India honoured in the 'diplomatic service and overseas list' are: OBE for Carol Doughty, regional director, Visa Services, South Asia and the Middle East, British High Commission, India; Eunice Campbell Crook, British Council director, South India; Sylvia Mary Wright, for services to disabled children in South India Sanjay Mark Wadvani, a British diplomat of Indian origin, has also been awarded the OBE. He was lately the deputy consul-general and Head of Trade and Investment, British Consulate-General, Guangzhou, China.
The MBE awarded to people making a difference while working on Indian affairs in the 'diplomatic service and overseas list' are:
Rae Eva Angre, for services to the British community in Bangalore; Margaret Faith Singh, for services to the preservation of India's heritage; Matthew Ian Spacie, for For services to disadvantaged children in India; and Pamela Jean Morris, for services to the community in South Korea, India and Vietnam.
Women accounted for 40 per cent of the awards compared with 37 per cent a year ago. The MBE awardees include the queen's granddaugther Zara Phillips, 11th in line to the throne, for her services to equestrianism.
This year's list is conspicuous for the lack of awards for political service. This is mainly due to the controversy and intense security under which the honours system has come following allegations that Prime Minister Tony Blair offered peerages for loans to the Labour party.
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