Persons in News in July 2013

July 2013 Persons

US President Barack Obama has nominated an accomplished Indian-American woman administrator as America's new point person for South Asia to succeed Robert Blake. Subject to confirmation by the Senate, Nisha Desai Biswal, who is currently the Assistant Administrator for Asia at the US Agency for International Development (USAID), will replace incumbent Blake to head the South Asia bureau in the US State Department. Desai is expected to become the first person of Indian-origin to head the bureau, which oversees US foreign policy and relations with India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Maldives and Bhutan. Biswal, who received a BA degree from the University of Virginia, has been the Assistant Administrator for Asia at the USAID, since September 2010. JUSTICE P.SADASIVAM-----Justice P Sathasivam was on 19 july, sworn in as the 40th Chief Justice of India (CJI) by President Pranab Mukherjee. He took over the post from Justice Altamas Kabir, who served as the CJI for over nine months. Born on April 27, 1949, he enrolled as an advocate in July 1973 at Madras and was appointed as a permanent Judge of the Madras High Court in January, 1996.Later, he was transferred to the Punjab and Haryana High Court in April, 2007.Justice Sathasivam was elevated to the Supreme Court in August, 2007 and would demit office on April 26, 2014. DR.LAXMAN SINGH RATHORE----Dr Laxman Singh Rathore, Director General of Meteorology & Permanent Representative of India, has been elected as Co-Vice Chairman of Intergovernmental Board of Climate Services (IBCS) of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) during its first meeting held at Geneva during 1st to 5th July 2013. Dr. Rathore was recently elected as member of the Executive Council of the WMO and has earlier served a term as Vice President of Commission of Agriculture Meteorology. Anton Eliassen, Director General, Norway Meteorological Institute has been elected as Chair and Dr. Linda Makuleni, South Africa, is the other Co-Vice Chair. With the appointment of Rathore, India, who is championing the cause of developing nations is poised to play a crucial role in implementation of Global Framework of Climate Service (GFCS). VAALI (82) ----- Veteran Tamil film lyricist Vaali passed away at a private hospital in Chennai on 18 July 2013. Vaali penned lyrics for stars across generations, from the veteran M.G. Ramachandran (MGR), Kamal Haasan to present day heroes like Dhanush. He started his career in the mid-60s and had penned nearly 10,000 songs in his 50 years long career. He was honoured with the Padma Shri, India'a fourth highest civilian honour in year 2007.He has also written a number of books including Naanum Indha Nootrandum, his autobiography. SANTOSH B.NAIR-----International Finance Corporation of India (IFCI), on 15 July, appointed Santosh B. Nayar as the company’s new Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director. Further, it said Ashok Kumar Jain had been inducted as additional director of IFCI. RANA KAPOOR---- Yes Bank Managing Director and CEO, Rana Kappor took over as the President of Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (Assocham) on 20 July at the end of the 92nd annual general meeting of the chamber held in New Delhi. The British Government honoured V.K. Krishna Menon, India’s first high commissioner in London and former Defence Minister by placing a Blue Plaque at the house, where he lived when he moved to the city for the first time on 17th July. The blue plaque will be placed plaque at 30 Langdon Park Road in Highgate, North London, where Menon stayed from 1929 to 1931. Menon, during his stay in London, after Indian independence as independent India’s first High Commissioner to the U.K played an active role in the socio-political life of the city. The plaque was unveiled by Tony Benn, veteran leader of the Left-Wing Labour. Tony Benn is the son of William Wedgwood Benn, was secretary of state for India from 1929 to 1931, when Menon was campaigning for Indian independence in Britain. UK commemorates sites of historical and cultural importance in the country with blue plaques with a purpose of drawing attention of people. Eminent historian Barun Dey, who made “Modern India” his main area of research, died at a city clinic in Kolkata on 16th July after a protracted illness. He was 80 and is survived by his wife, a son and a daughter. Associated with a number of historical institutions, Dey was Vice President of Asiatic Society and Vice Chairman of Centre for Archaeology, besides being a member of the Board of Trustees of Victoria Memorial and Governing Body of Indian Museum.. He had specialised in social and economic history of India in the 17th and 18th centuries, Bengal renaissance and British constitutional history. Dey was the author of ‘Secularism at Bay: Uzbekistan at the Turn of Century’ Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka----Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on 9 July, has appointed Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, a former deputy president of South Africa and women’s advocate, as the new head of the United Nations body, U.N. WOMEN tasked with promoting women’s rights and their full participation in global affairs. Ms. Mlambo-Ngcuka replaces Michelle Bachelet, a former president of Chile who served as the first Executive Director of the UN Entity for Gender Equality and Empowerment of Women (UN Women). Ms. Bachelet stepped down a few months ago. She was the first woman to hold the position of Deputy President of South Africa from 2005 to 2008, and has also served as Deputy Minister in the Department of Trade and Industry, Minister of Minerals and Energy, and briefly as acting Minister of Arts, Culture, Science and Technology. UN Women was established in July 2010 by a unanimous vote of the General Assembly to oversee all of the world body’s programmes aimed at promoting women’s rights. It is tasked with helping Member States implement standards, providing technical and financial support to countries which request it and forging partnerships with civil society. Within the UN, it holds the world body accountable for its own commitments on gender equality. Dr. H.A.B. Parpia---- An acknowledged food scientist and the former Director of the Central Food Technological Research Institute (CFTRI) died on 9 July 2013 after a brief illness.There exist more than 2500 papers and documents published by the name of Dr. Parpia on food and technology and advanced education. The 91 year old, Dr. Parpia served Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations at Rome and was Assistant Director in charge of Information, Statistics, Process Development and Food Plant Design at the CFTRI. He received, Distinguished Service Medal from the Prime Minister of India at 25th Anniversary of CFTRI, Mysore. In 1984, he received V S Industrial Achievement Award from Association of Food Scientists & Technologists (India), Mysore. In 1987, he received Wattumull Foundation Award from Honolulu, Hawaii, USA. Pran (93)----The winner of Dadasaheb Phalke Award and a veteran actor Pran died on 12 July 2013 in a Hospital at Mumbai. Born in Old Delhi on 12 February 1920, Pran got his first break in a Punjabi Film, Yamla Jat in 1940, in the undivided India. But his debut in Bollywood happened with the film Ziddi, in which he acted along with the evergreen hero of bollywood Dev Anand in 1948. Pran served the Bollywood for a career span of more than six decades in more than 350 films and is known for his brilliant performances in films like Ram aur Shyam, Aansoo Ban Gaye Phool, Half-Ticket, Madhumati, Purab aur Paschim, Karz, Zanjeer and Amar Akbar Anthony and many more. He was conferred with Dada Saheb Phalke Award on 12 April 2013, which was received by him on 10 May 2013 at his residence. In 2001 he was awarded with India’s third highest civilian award Padma Bhushan. In 2010 he was named among the Top 25 Asian Actors of All times by CNN. Ottavio Quattrocchi (74)----- Controversial Italian businessman Ottavio Quattrocchi, who was a key figure in the Bofors payoffs scandal, on 13 July 2013 died in Milan, Italy following a stroke. Quattrocchi was an Italian businessman who was being sought until early 2009 in India for criminal charges for acting as a conduit for bribes in the Bofors scandal.The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had named Quattrocchi in a chargesheet as the conduit for the Bofors bribe. The case against him was strengthened in June 2003. On the basis of the Interpol warrant he was detained in Argentina on 6 February 2007. The CBI had come under attack for putting up a half-hearted effort towards his extradition.. Former Delhi Police Chief, K.K. Paul took over as the new Governor of Meghalaya, after he was administered the oath of office and secrecy by the Chief Justice of Meghalaya High Court, T Meena Kumari at a simple function held at the Durbal Hall of the Raj Bhavan in Shillong on 8th July. He was the Delhi Police commissioner between February 2004 and July 2007 and became a member of the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) on 26 July 2007. He also had served in the Intelligence Bureau (IB) and the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW). He joined the IPS in 1970 and was granted the AGMUT (Arunachal Pradesh-Goa-Mizoram-Union Territories) cadre. Senior parliamentarian Shriniwas Dadasaheb Patil on 4 July 2013 was appointed as the new Governor of Sikkim on 4th July. Dadasaheb Patil has represented Maharashtra's Satara constituency in the Lok Sabha as an MP. He is also a former IAS officer, and will replace presently serving governor of Sikkim B.P. Singh. The 73-years Dadasaheb Patil was elected to the 13th and 14th Lok Sabha from the Karad constituency in Maharashtra on the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP ticket). Najeeb Jung, Vice Chancellor of Jamia Millia Islamia, took over as the Lt. Governor of Delhi, replacing Tejendra Khanna on 9th July. A 1973-batch IAS officer, Jung is the 19th L-G of Delhi. He was administered the oath of office and secrecy by Chief Justice of Delhi High Court B.D. Ahmed. The oath-taking ceremony was held at Raj Niwas and attended by Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, her council of ministers, and several top political leaders and bureaucrats. Hazem El-Beblawi was named as the new Prime Minister of Egypt by the Interim President Adly Mansour on 9th July. A leading economist and former finance minister, Beblawi will form a caretaker government that comprises technocrats from different walks of life. The caretaker government would play a major role in steering the Egypt through the transitional period. The interim President Adly Mansour also named Mohammad ElBaradei, a Nobel laureate and former IAEA chief as the new Vice-President of the country. In a gesture of reconciliation, the new Prime minister-designate declared that his government will offer cabinet posts to the leaders of Muslim Brotherhood of the ousted President Mohammed Morsi’s Government. Veteran Carnatic musician Nukala Chinna Satyanarayana passed away here on 11th July. He was 89. He was suffering from a heart-related ailment since some months. Popularly known as a Carnatic vocal maestro, the veteran musician was born in Aadurru villaige of East Godavari District in 1923. He took a masters degree in English and Telugu literature and began his musical journey as a violinist. However, he switched to vocal under the tutelage of veteran Mangalampalli Pattabhiramaiah, the father of another Carnatic exponent, Mangalampalli Balamuralikrishna. Recognising his skills in vocal music, Bharat Gandharva Maha Vidyalaya Mandal in 1983 awarded him the prestigious title of “Maha Mahopadyaya”.He was appointed by TTD as their court musician and for 20 years he worked to tune various Annamacharya krithis. Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham, Srigeri Peetham, Pushpagiri Peetham, Ganapathi Sacchidananda Ashramam have recognised his services and appointed him as their court musician.Nukala worked as principal in Hyderabad, Secunderabad, Vijayawada Government Music Colleges. He was the head of the department of music at Telugu University. He penned many books including Raga Lakshana Sangraham and a monograph on Thyagaraja Pancharatna Kirthanas. He gave performances in the presence of late Dr. Radhakrishnan, V.V. Giri and P.V. Narasimha Rao. He was awarded Padma Bhushan by the Centre. R. CHANDRASEKHAR---Nasscom, the IT software services industry body appointed R. Chandrasekhar, the former Secretary Department of Telecommunications (DoT), as its president on 5 July 2013. 60 years old, R. Chandrashekhar will be succeeding current Nasscom President Som Mittal, whose tenure expires in January 2014. He retired from DOT in March 2013 and had also declined an offer to head the National Technical Research Organisation (NTRO) which is India's premier technical intelligence agency. SUNIL SONI---- Sunil Soni has been appointed as Director General of Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) on 2 July 2013. He is a 1981 batch IAS officer of Maharashtra cadre who at present is on compulsory wait in the Department of Financial Services under Ministry of Finance. The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has also appointed Tapan Ray, a 1982 batch IAS officer of Gujarat cadre as Additional Secretary in Ministry of Panchayati Raj. Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) is a body under the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution which basically looks after the formulation of standards for all segments of industry and business. It also certifies products, which is popularly known by ISI mark. It is also into certification of imported products and hallmarking of jewellery. DOUGLAS ENGELBART(88)----Douglas Engelbart, the U.S. inventor who was known as the father of the computer mouse died on 3 July 2013. Engelbart was a technologist who laid out a vision of an Internet decades before others brought those ideas to the mass market. He was a scientist and engineer who devoted himself to find ways to use computers to improve people's lives. MAHASUNDARI DEVI----Madhubani painting artist Mahasundari Devi died at a private hospital in Ranti, near Madhubani on 4 July 2013. She was renowned for her mastery over Sikki work, 'sujani' craft, clay work and paper mache apart from Mithila painting. She had won over two dozen national and state awards.She won the prestigious Padmashri and Shilp Guru award in year 2010. SUJATHA SINGH----Prime Minister of India, Dr. Manmohan Singh approved the appointment of Sujata Singh as the Next Foreign Secretary of India on 1 July 2013. Sujata Singh of 59 years at present is serving as the envoy to Germany. She will succeed Ranjan Mathai as Foreign Secretary, who is due to retire on 31 July 2013. Due to retire in July 2014, Singh has got an extension of two year in her service period. She is the IFS officer of 1976 batch and the third women to head the foreign services after Chokila Iyer and Nirupama Rao.