India’s High Commissioner to Singapore, Vijay Singh Thakur, has received Singapore’s ‘Asian of the Year 2014’ award by leading Singapore daily The Straits Times, on behalf of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Modi was given the award in December 2014 for putting focus on India’s development and getting the world “excited” about the prospects of the country again.
Modi is expected to visit Singapore in November during which he would sign a strategic partnership agreement between the two countries. The award was instituted in 2012 to recognize a person or organisation that has contributed significantly to either his own nation or Asia.
Points to Note
- The inaugural award went to Myanmar president Thein Sein.
- Chinese President Xi Jinping and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe share the 2013 award.
Facts about Singapore
- Singapore is a rapidly growing city-state of nearly 6 million people. It is one of the smallest countries in the world.
- Singapore has transformed itself from a third-world, swampy island to a first-class, modern city in just fifty years.
- There are four official languages in Singapore: English, Mandarin, Malay and Tamil, reflecting the different ethnic make-up of the city.
- Singapore is often referred to as a “fine city” because of the number of big-dollar fines that one can receive for infractions.
- The largest tropical orchid garden in the world is found in Singapore.
Test Your Knowledge
Who was re-appointed as the top advisor to Singapore’s President Tony Tan Keng Yam in January 2015?
