JOIN USUS President Barack Obama would felicitate India-born Nobel laureate Amartya Sen with the 2011 National Humanities Medal, along with others, the White House announced today.
The White House said the award is being given to Sen for his insights into the causes of poverty, famine, and injustice.
"By applying philosophical thinking to questions of policy, he has changed how standards of living are measured and increased our understanding of how to fight hunger," the White House said as it announced the list of awardees.
The First Lady would also attend the awards ceremony for the 2011 National Medal of Arts and National Humanities Medal scheduled for Monday.
The 2011 National Medal of Arts would be awarded to Will Barnet, Rita Dove, Al Pacino, Emily Rauh Pulitzer, Martin Puryear, Mel Tillis, United Service Organization and Andre Watts.
The 2011 National Humanities Medal will be given to Kwame Anthony Appiah, John Ashbery, Robert Darnton, Andrew Delbanco, National History Day, Charles Rosen, Teofilo Ruiz, and Ramon Saldivar, besides Amartya Sen.