Persons in News
A) Appointments
Arup Raha Takes Over As IAF’s Western Command Chief
Air Marchal Arup Raha, an ace combat pilot, on 1st June took over as the chief of Delhi based western Air command.
Dinesh Kumar Mehrotra Appointed as LIC chairman
Dinesh kumar mehrotra has taken over as the chairman of the country’s largest insurer.Life Insurance corporation of India on 1 June 2012.
Sachin Tendulkar Takes Oath As Rajyasabha MP
Master blaster sachin Tendulkar started his new innings on 4 June taking oath as Rjya sabha member in the chambers of RS chairperson and vice-president Hamid Ansari. Sachin is the first active sports person and cricketer to have been nominated to the Rajya sabha under the prominent Quota.
D.K.Joshi-Next Navy Chief
Vice admiral Devendra Kumar Joshi,flag officer commanding-in-chief(Foc-in-C)of the Western naval command will be the next cheif of the navy.Vice admiral Nirmal retire on 31 August.D.K Joshi will hold the post for 3 years.
R.N.choubey Is The New Head Of DGH
The centre has appointed Rajiv Naraya Choubey, a senior bureaucrat,Mr.Chobey ,a 1981 batch DAS officer of Tamilnadu cadre will be the first bureaucrat to head the highly Technical arm of the oil Ministry .Which has been marred by controversies in the past few years.
Sampath Appointed As New CEC(cheif election commissions)
Senior most Election commissioner veeravalli sundaram sampath was appointed as the chief election commissioner.He replaces S.Y.Qureshi,who retire on June 10,2012.He will carryout his term till June 16,2015-either for six years in the commission or till age of 65 which ever comer earlier.
Dr K.C. Chakrabarty Has Re-Appointed As Governor Of RBI
The central government, on 13 June appointed Dr K.C. Chakrabarty as deputy governor of RBI, “for a further period of 3 months beyond June 14,2012,or until further orders,which ever is earlier .”the RBI said in a release. Mr.Chakrabarty was appointed as Deputy governor in 2009 for 3 years and took charge as deputy governor of RBI on June 15,2009,it added.
Fatou Bensouda Appointed As The Chief Prosecutor Of The International Criminal Court
Gambian lawyer Fatou Bensouda was sworn in on 15 June 2012 as the International Criminal Court’s new chief prosecutor. Bensouda was elected at the latest session of the Assembly of States Parties to the Rome Statute (ASP) in December 2011 for a nine-year term.
Indian-American Appointed To Top Yale Position
The prestigious Yale University on Sunday announced the appointment of Indian-American academician Anjani Jain to a top university position.Beginning July 1, 2012 Mr. Jain will join the Yale School of Management (SOM) as senior associate dean for the full-time MBA programme.Mr. Jain has served in multiple leadership roles at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, including 10 years as vice dean of its full-time MBA programme.His appointment comes at a time of important expansion and opportunity for Yale SOM.
Alok Misra Is IBA Chairman
The Indian Bank Association(IBA), on 18 June said Bank of India chairman and Managing director Alok Misra has been elected of the banker’s body for the current fiscal.
Sekhar Basu Taken Charge On BARC Director
Sekhar Basu,who played a key role in the development of atomic reactor for india’s indigenous nuclear submarine INS Arihant, on 19 June took charge as director of Bhabha Atomic Research Centre(BARC).Mr.Basu succeeds R.K.Simha, who has been elevated as chairman of the Atomic energy commission and secretary department of Atomic energy in May.
New MD For Sony India
Japanese electronics major Sony , on 20 June, announced the appointment of Kenishiro Hibi as Managing Director with effect from July 1 for India operations.
Harish Bhat Is New CEO Of Tata Global
Harish Bhat has been appointed as chief executive officer and managing Director of the company. He will take over from percy poria, who returns on June 30,2012.
FAI – South’s New Chairman
K.Rahul Rahu, managing director of Nagarjuna fertilizers and chemicals Ltd, has been unanimously elected chairman of fertilizer Association of India(FAI) southern Regional committee for the year 2012-13.
Pakistan gets Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi as its Deputy Prime Minister
Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi, a top leader of the ruling PPP’s key ally PML-Q, has been appointed as Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister.
Isaac Takes Over as ICC Chief
Sharad Power’s reign as the president of the International cricket council(ICC) ended on 28 June as Newzealander Alan Isaac took charge from him for a two-year-term at the ICC annual conference . The 60 Year old Isaac, a former New zealand cricket chief, became the eight president of the ICC, while former South Africa wicketkeeper David Richardson was confirmed as the new chief executive of the world body,taking over from country man Haroon Lorgat.
Neeraj Kumar Was Appointed As The New Commission Of Delhi Police
Neeraj Kumar, the 1976 batch Indian police service(IPS) officer, was appointed as the new commissioner of Delhi police on 28 June 2012 . Neeraj Kumar will succeed B.K.Gupta who is getting his tenure as the Delhi police commissioner completed on 30 June 2012. Neeraj Kumar, who is servicing as the Director General of Tihar jail, will assume the new charge on 1July 2012.
US Appoints Envoy To Myanmar
For the first time in 22 years, the US has appointed its ambassador to Myanmar as part of efforts to upgrade ties with the country which has launched a slew of democratic reforms after five decades of authoritarian rule. The appointment of veteran diplomat” Derek Mitchell”, who was till now the Special US Representative and Policy Coordinator for Myanmar, was confirmed by the Senate on 29 June 2012 and he is expected to leave for that country soon.
V. K . Duggal appointed as member of NDMA
Former Union home secretary V.K Duggal has been appointed as one of the members of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) on June 21 2012 .
Shreyans Kumar Jain headed the WANO
Shreyans Kumar Jain, Former chief of (NPCIL) has been elected as head of Tokyo centre of world Associations Nuclear operators (WANO).
Jean Marc Ayrault PM of France
France’s President Francois Hollande reappointed ,Prime Minister Jean Marc Ayrault on June 18,2012 . Who resigned earlier. Hollande’s socialist party won the absolute majority in French , Parliamentary elections.
R.K .Singh appointed as the chairman of NHAI
R.K. Singh has been appointed as regular chairman of National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) on June 11, 2012 . The position for the full –time chairman at NHAI fell vacant in August 2012 after the retirement of Brijeshwar singh.
Rupak Kumar Dutta appointed as aditional director of CBI
Rupak Kumar Dutta has been appointed as the additional Director in the central Bureau of Investigation(CBI) on June 11,2012, He had previously held several posts in CBI from 1988 to 96 and 2000 to 2006.
Gokul Chandra Pati
Gokul Chandra pati has been appointed as officer of Animal Husbandary,Darirying and Fisheries. He will replace Rudhra Gangadharan as new secretary, who reties , on June 30 2012.
Shiv RamKrishna Rajan
Indian Scientist, Shiv Ram kirshna Rajan, has been appointed as member of the United Nations’ Commission on limits of the Continental Shelf(CLCS). He was the representative of India for CLCS elections. His tenure ends in 2017.
Madan Bhimrao Lokur
Justice Madan Bhimrao Lokur sworn in as a Judge of the Supreme Court on June 4,2012, Prior to this, Lokur was chief Justice of the Andhra Pradesh High Court.
Indian – American appointed to Key Texas board
A prominent Indian – American community leader has been appointed to a key body of engineering professionals in Texas. Texas Governor Rick Perry appointed sockalingam “sam” Kannappan and Edward to the Texas board of Professional engineers for terms to expire in September 26,2017.
B) Resigns
Commerce Secretary Resigns
John E. Bryson announced his resignation as President Obama’s commerce secretary on 21 June 2012, citing medical reasons after an episode in which he had a seizure and was involved in a sequence of car crashes.
Virbhadra Singh Resigns
Union Minister for micro,small and medium enterprises resigned in 26 June 2012 after a Himachal Pradesh court framed corruption charges against him.The president, as advised by the PM, has accepted the resignation of Virbhadra singh from the union council of Ministers,with immediate effect.
Pranab Quits As Finance Minister
Finance Minister Pranab Mukharjee resigned on 26 June as he has been elected as the presidential candidate by congress government. Manmohan singh took charge of the finance ministry until a cabinet reshuffle is effected after the presidential election.
C)Deaths
A.V.S Reddy Passes Away
A.V.s reddy retired IAS officer and former state election commissioner, who earned kudos for his rescue and relief work during the 1977 diviseema cyclone, passed away after a brief illness Hyderabad on June 4 2012.
Ex-Director Of Institute Of Astrophysics Passes Away
The former Director of the Indian Institute of Astrophysics(IIA) J.C.Bhattacharya, passed away in the New Delhi on 4 June after prolonged illness.
First Women To Win Nobel In Economics Died
Indiana University professor Elinor Ostrom, the first and only woman to be awarded the Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences,died on 13 June due to cancer.she was 78 years old .
Legendary Cuban Boxer Teofilo Stevensan Died At The Age Of 60
Legendary Cuban Boxer Teofilo Stevensan Died of heart attack on 13 June 2012 at the age of 60. stebenson,won his first gold at the 1972 Munich games,and went on to win two more golds at the 1976 Montreal and 1980 Moscow games,ruled the game for nearly 14 years.He was the first fighter to win the Olympic gold medal in the same division three times.
Ghazal King Mehdi Hassam Passes Away
Indian born Ghazal legend Mehdi hassan, the melodian voice behind evergreen hits like ,patta patta,boota boota and kabke bichare,died on 13 June following multiple organ failure at the age of 84.
Saudi Crown Prince Nayef Dies
Crown Prince Nayef, the hardline interior minister who spearheaded Saudi Arabia’s fierce crackdown crushing Al Qaeda’s branch in the country after the 9/11 attacks in the United States and then rose to become next in line to the throne, has died. He was in his late 70.
Former RS Member Dipankar Mukherjee Passes Away
Dipankar Mukherjee, an engineer- turned-trade unionist and former Rajya Sabha member, died at a hospital on 18 June morning after battling pancreatic cancer. Mukherjee, 69, a former CPI(M) Rajya Sabha member from West Bengal and a senior leader of the CITU.
NIA Chief Radha Vinod Raju Passes Away
Radha Vinod Raju, founding Director-General of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and key member of the special investigation team which probed Rajiv Gandhi assassination, died in Kochi on 21 June 2012.
Abid Hussain Dead
Abid Hussain who was among those who helped break mental barrier after the end of the cold war,passed away in London on 21 June morning after a massive heart attack, He was 85 years old.The normal career progression of an Indian Administrative service(IAS) cadre office.which wound up in the commerce Ministry, Dr.Hussain was one of the key persons who set ball rolling for India’s economic liberalization.
Roy Burman Passes Away
Renowned anthropologist and social scientist B.K.Raoy Burman 90 passed away.New delhi on 26 June morning .A former visiting professor of Jawaharlal Nehru University and professor of visva Bharathi University and Ex-officio Director of the council of social Development, prof.Burman also served as a visiting senior fellow at the centre for the study developing societies.
Radha Vinod Raju
Radha Vinod Rahu, founder director general of the national Investigation Agency(NIA) and a police official renowned as one of the best in India, passed away on June 21,2012. He had undertaken several challenging assignments including the investigation into the 1999 hijack of an Indian Airlines plane to kandahar.
Balu Sankaran
Renowned orthopedic surgeon , Balu sankaran , who was formerly Director General of Health Services and Director of the WHO (191-87) in Geneva passed away on June 20,2012. He was also honoured with Padam sri in 1972 and Padma Vibhushan in 2007.
Author Ray Bradury
Science fiction author Ray Bradhury, famous for books such as ‘Fahrenheit 451’, passed away at the age of 91 on June 5, 2012. Bradhury broke through in 1950 with ‘ The Martian Chronicles destroying an idyllic martian civilization prophesied the banning of books, especially works of fantasy, a theme Bradbury would take on fully in the 1953 release, “ fahrenheit451”.
G K Kumaravel
G K Kuamaravel, a senior scientist involved in the development of arjun main battle tank,died in an accident in Rajastahan on June 11, 2012. Kumaravel was head of the Arjun Main battle Tank(MBT) Mark 1 and 2 programmes at the cambat vehicles Research Development Establishment (CVRDE), avadi. He was on his way to Pokhran to participate in user trials of Arjun MBT Mark-2 when the accident occurred .
D) Visitors
U.S Defence Secretary Leon Pnetta Visited India
U.S defense secretary Leon Pnetta arrived India on a two-day visit on 5 June 2012.The visit was aimed at strengthening bilateral strategic and defence cooperation between the two nations,discuss china’s growing assertiveness,especially in the contentions south china sea,and the volatile Af-Pak region.
PM Manmohan Singh departed For G-20, Rio+20 summits
Singh attended the seventh summit of the Group of 20 developed and developing countries (G-20) started in the Mexican resort town of Los Cabos on June 18 and the Rio+20 Summit in Rio De Janeiro.
Australian high commissioner Visits Uttar Pradesh
Australian High Commissioner Peter Varghese on 22 June paid a courtesy visit to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav and expressed interest in cooperation and technology transfer between his country and the state for river cleaning, energy sector and agriculture.
PM Manmohan Singh Visits Pretoria
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh arrived on 22 June midnight a visit to Mexico and Brazil for attending two international summits.He was on overnight stay in this South African city before leaving for New Delhi on 24 June.
E)Miscellaneous
Britain Marks Diamond Jubliee Of Queen Elizabeth-II
Britain on 2 June kicks off four days of celebrations to mark Queen ElizabethII’s Diamond Jubilee, including a 1000-bad river pageant and a star-studded concert.These celebrations were held at Thames in London.The most spectacular nautical parade in 350 years, the pageant was the centre piece of 4 day diamond jubilee.
World’s Oldest Pearl Discovered In UAE
The Oldest Pearl in history which dates back to the Neolithic age. some 7,500 years old -has been found in the UAE.The French National Center for Scientific Research has announced that gems believed that the oldest pearl known goes back to 3000 BC. and was found at an antiquity site in Japan.
Climbs World’s 14 Tallest Peaks
A Japanese Mountaineer who was nearly killed by an avalanche in 2007 finished a climb in Nepal last month that made him country’s first person to scale the world’s 14 tallest mountains. “Hisotoka Takeuchi” said on 11 June in kathmandu tops 14 peaks including everest,k2 and kanchanjanga are in the Himalaya or kara koram ranges of Asia . He is the 30th person to climb all 14 and first climber from Japan.
Class IX Bengaluru Girl Wins Indian Spell Bee
“Belligerent” was one of the words that samvida venkatesh spelt right at the Indian Spell Bee’s grand finale.The class IX student from Bengaluru won the HDFC life Spell Bee- India spells 2012, powered by the Times of India, in association with Horlicks.
Across The Niagara Falls On A Tightrope
Daredevil Nik Wallenda completes historic high-wire walk, braving blustering winds, heavy spray A daredevil American, Nik Wallenda, became first person in the world to walk on a tightrope across the roaring Niagara Falls, separating U.S. and Canada.
Chenab Rail Bridge Promises To Be An Engineering Wonder
The world’s highest rail bridge being constructed over chenab river in Jammu & Kashmir’s Reasi district will be ready by December 2015 coming up at kauri, it will be 359metres above the river bed 5 times the height of Qutub Minar and 35 metres taller than Eiffel Tower.
Erotic Books Beats Potter Record
An erotic book has beaten the J.K Rowling authored Harry potter’s record in the U.K book sales chart, becoming fastest selling paper back of all time in just one week.The nook ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’ has became the fastest selling paper back since records began. Erika Mitchell, who writes with the pen name “EL James” beat Rowling and ‘Davinci code’ author Dan Brown.
Global Second Warmest May On Record
The Globally averaged temperature for May 2012 marked the second warmest May since 1880.The temperatures were measured over global land and ocean surfaces.