9 April 2015 Current Affairs
Legendary Tamil writer D Jayakanthan Died
Legendary Tamil writer D Jayakanthan, who charted a new course in Tamil literature with his bold and progressive works, died in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. He was 81. Jayakanthan was famously known as JK among novelists and literary enthusiasts. Apart from being novelist, he was also journalist, essayist, pamphleteer, filmmaker and critic. He has written around 40 novels and 200 short stories and used his pen effectively against social injustices and economic inequality. He was also associated with undivided Communist Party of India (CPI). He was founder of the Indo-Russian Cultural and Friendship Society. His popular novel, ‘Sila Nerangalil Sila Manithargal’, which was later made into a film, won him the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1972. He was also a recipient of the Jnanpith Award in 2002.
Nuclear-Capable Dhanush Missile Successfully Test Fired
India on 9 April successfully test-fired its nuclear-capable Dhanush ballistic missile with a strike range of 350 km from a naval ship off the Odisha coast. The surface-to-surface Dhanush, a naval variant of India’s indigenously-developed Prithvi missile, was test fired from a ship in the Bay of Bengal off Odisha coast by the Strategic Force Command (SFC) of the defence force.The single-stage, liquid-propelled Dhanush having 350 km range has already been inducted into the armed forces and is one of the five missiles developed by Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) under the Integrated Guided Missile Development Programme (IGMDP. Dhanush missile is capable of carrying conventional as well as nuclear payload of 500 kg and hit both land and sea- based targets.The previous trial was successfully conducted on 14 November 2014.
Former Air Chief Marshal of IAF Hrushikesh Moolgavkar Died
Former Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal (retired) Hrushikesh Moolgavkar was died in Pune on 9 April. He was 95. Moolgavkar had been a recipient of the prestigious Param Vishisht Seva medal and Mahaveer Chakra. Moolgavkar had the honour of leading the fly-past on India’s first Independence Day on 15 August 1947, and also on Republic Day on 26 January 1951. He had led the fly-past as a Squadron Leader. Selected and commissioned as a Pilot Officer in Royal Indian Air Force on 30 November 1940, he was appointed as the Chief of Air Staff on 1 February 1976.His major achievement as Chief of Air Staff was implementation of new measures that brought down the accident rates. After serving IAF for 38 years, he retired on 31 August 1978.