Professionals, entrepreneurs, community leaders and academics from various fields have been honoured by the Queen in recognition of their truly exceptional and outstanding service to Britain internationally and overseas. 10.4% of the successful candidates in the Queen's Birthday Honours List come from BAME background and also includes 30 Indian-origin achievers.
In total 1,073 people have received an award this year. 920 candidates have been selected at BEM, MBE and OBE level- 306 at BEM, 399 at MBE and 215 at OBE. 75% of the recipients are people who have undertaken outstanding work in their communities either on a voluntary or paid capacity. 508 women are recognised in the List, representing 47% of the total. 5.9% of the successful candidates on the List consider themselves to have a disability (under the Equality Act 2010) and 2.8% of recipients have identified as being LGBT.
Queen Elizabeth II, who turned 93 in April, officially marked her birthday on Saturday with a traditional trooping-the colour ceremony in central London. The honours list is released every year to coincide with the celebrations in early June to recognise outstanding achievements across the UK. The Cabinet office in a statement said, “This honours list continues to demonstrate the breadth of service given by people from all backgrounds from all across the UK.”
Receiving Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) , one of the higher honour categories, are London-based Bharat Kumar Hansraj Shah for services to business, economic growth and exporting in the independent pharmacy sector as well as for philanthropic work, and Samir Shah, chief executive and creative director of Juniper Television, for services to television and to heritage. Punjab-origin Harminder Singh Dua, professor of ophthalmology and visual sciences at the University of Nottingham, has been honoured as a CBE for services to eye healthcare, health education and ophthalmology.
Among some of the other Indian-origin campaigners, volunteers, artists and entrepreneurs to be made Officers of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) include Cllr Reena Ranger, founder and chair of Women Empowered for Services to Black and Minority Ethnic (BAME) and Harjit Singh Bhania, a wheelchair basketball coach. Cllr Ranger's father Dr Rami Ranger is a well known entrepreneur and Chair of the Conservative Friends of India.
Amarjit Kaur Cheema, chief executive officer, Perry Hall Multi-Academy Trust, for services to education in the West Midlands; and Arnab Dutt for services to Small and Medium-Sized (SME) businesses, diversity and equality have also received OBE.
The founder and director of the London Indian Film Festival Cary Rajinder Sawhney is among some of the creative professionals to be honoured as a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for services to film.
Others on the MBE list include Amrik Singh Basi, amateur boxing referee, for services to boxing, Ashok Kumar Bhuvanagiri, founder of the Telugu Association of Scotland, for services to cultural cohesion and charity and Navnit Singh Chana, chair, National Association of Primary Care, for services to clinical education and primary and community care.
The Honours and Appointments Secretariat receive around 10,000 enquiries for honours from members of the public each year, resulting in around 3,500 nominations. In addition to nominations from the public, government departments ask schools, hospitals, local authorities and similar organisations for suggestions of potential candidates.
Sir Simon McDonald, Head of the Diplomatic Service, said, “I congratulate everyone receiving an honour and thank them for their hard work and years of service. Britain’s impact around the world depends on exceptional people like those recognised in this year’s Queen’s Birthday Honours. Everyone in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office is grateful for their outstanding contribution.”
Order of the British Empire
Commanders of the Order of the British Empire (CBE)
* Professor Harminder Singh Dua, Professor of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Nottingham. For services to Eye Healthcare, Health Education and Ophthalmology (Nottinghamshire).
* Dr Bharat Kumar Hansraj Shah, For services to Business, Economic Growth, Exporting, Independent Pharmacy Sector and Philanthropy (London).
* Dr Samir Shah, OBE, Chief Executive and Creative Director, Juniper Television. For services to Television and to Heritage (London).
Order of the British Empire
Officers of the Order of the British Empire (OBE)
*Harjit Singh Bhania, Wheelchair Basketball Coach. For services to Wheelchair Basketball (Shireoaks, Nottinghamshire).
*Amarjit Kaur Cheema, Chief Executive Officer, Perry Hall Multi-Academy Trust. For services to Education in the West Midlands (Wolverhampton, West Midlands).
*Arnab Dutt, For services to Small and Medium-sized Businesses, Diversity and Equality (Market Harborough, Leicestershire).
*Dr Delna Gandhi, Lately Health Adviser, Department for International Development. For services to Tackling Tropical Disease (London).
*Arvinda Gohil, Chief Executive Officer, Community Links. For services to the community and Housing for Vulnerable People (London).
*Sajid Gulzar, Chief Executive Officer, Prince Albert Community Trust. For services to Education (Birmingham, West Midlands).
*Sacha Amin Hattea, Deputy Director, Public and Parliamentary Delivery. Department for Transport. For services to Aviation (London).
*Professor Sudhesh Kumar, Dean, Warwick Medical School. For services to Medicine and to Diabetes Care (Solihull, West Midlands).
* Arun Kumar Batra, Chief Executive Officer, National Equality Standard. For services to Faith and Integration in the Public Sector (London).
*Professor Shantashil Rajyeswar (Rana) MITTER Professor, History and Politics of Modern China, University of Oxford. For services to Education (Oxfordshire).
*Manmeet Singh Panesar, Head of Technical Services, Office for Product, Safety and Standards, Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy. For services to Product Safety (London).
*Professor Mahesh Parmar, Professor of Medical Statistics and Epidemiology and Director, MRC Clinical Trials Unit, University College London. For services to Medical Research and Clinical Trials (London).
*Rubeela Naveed Qayyum, Treasury Accountant and Head of Exchequer Funds and Accounts, HM Treasury. For services to Taxpayers, Young People and Social Inclusion (London).
*Reena Ranger, Founder and Chair, Women Empowered. For services to BAME Women (Moor Park, Hertfordshire).
Order of the British Empire
Members of the Order of the British Empire (MBE)
* Mathangi Arulpragasam, For services to music (London).
* Amrik Singh Basi, Amateur Boxing Referee. For services to Boxing (Essex).
*Rashid Bhayat, Founder, Positive Youth Foundation. For services to Young People in the Midlands (Coventry, West Midlands)
*Dr Ashok Kumar Bhuvanagiri, Founder, The Telugu Association of Scotland. For services to Cultural Cohesion and charity (East Kilbride, South Lanarkshire).
*Dr Navnit Singh Chana, Lately Chairman, National Association of Primary Care and General Practitioner, Cricket, Green Medical Practice. For services to Clinical, Education and Primary and Community Care (Chipstead, Surrey).
* Dr Gulbash Singh Chandok, Senior Partner, Guru Nanak Medical Centre. For services to General Practice. (Moor Park, Hertfordshire).
* Dr Sengottiyan Chandrasekaran, Medical Lead, General Adult Critical Care. For services to the community in Manchester (Cheadle Hulme, Cheshire).
*Dr Mohammad Farsi, Founder, CANopen Protocol. For services to the Automotive Industry, Education and Cultural Engagement (Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear).
*Skinder Singh Hundal, Chief Executive Officer, The New Art Exchange. For services to Visual Arts (Birmingham, West Midlands).
* Rashid Mustapha, For services to Radio Broadcasting (Brighton, East Sussex).
* Shereen Nanjiani, For services to Broadcasting in Scotland (Glasgow).
* Dr Syed Muhammed Habib Naqvi, Policy Lead, Workforce Race Equality Standard, NHS England. For services to Equality and Diversity in the NHS (Knowle, Bristol).
*Syed Muhammad Iqbal Nasim For services to Community Development and to Tackling Poverty (Surrey, SM3).
*Dr Rajesh Patel, Deputy National Medical Director for Primary Care, NHS England. For services to Healthcare (Stockport, Greater Manchester).
*Sarabjit Kaur Sahota, For services to Education (Hitchin, Hertfordshire).
*Khalid Saifullah, For services to the community in North West England (Lancashire).
*Imran Sanaullah, Chief Executive Officer, Patchwork Foundation. For services to Young People.
*Cary Rajinder Sawhney, For services to Film (London).
*Dr Abdullahi Shehu, For services to Community Cohesion in Coventry (Coventry, West Midlands).
*Aghia Pal Singh, Infrastructure Engineer, West Midlands Fire and Rescue Service. For services to charity and the community in the West Midlands (Walsall, West Midlands).
* Narendra Kantilal Solanki, Chair, Multi Academy Trust, St Simon and St Judes Primary School, Bolton. For services to Education (Bolton, Greater Manchester).
*Ghulam Mohammed Vohra, Vice Chairman, Coventry Muslim Forum. For services to Community Cohesion (Coventry, West Midlands).
*Saira Wajid, Head of Engagement, Museum of London. For services to Culture and Diversity (London).
*Narinder Kaur Kooner, Councillor Birmingham City Council and director, Sikh Women's Action Network. For services to Supporting Vulnerable People and to the community in the West Midlands (Birmingham).
*Jaspaul Kaur Hill, For services to education. She was headteacher at Mayfield Primary School for 24 years before retiring last year.
Order of the British Empire
Medallist of the Order of the British Empire
*Dr Naeem Ahmed, Consultant Radiologist, Chelsea and Westminster NHS Foundation Trust and Founder, Selfless. For services to volunteering and Healthcare (London).
*Naseem Akhtar, For services to Health, Fitness and Sports for Women in Birmingham (Birmingham, West Midlands).
*Dr Sivaramkrishnan Devaraj, Volunteer. For services to Health Charity Fundraising and General Practice (London).
* Subramaniam Chettiar Kugasenan Chettiar, For services to the Tamil community in West London (London)
* Santosh Diwarkanath Kundi, For services to Education and charity in the UK and Abroad (Leamington Road, Warwickshire).
