PERSONS IN NEWS
A). APPOINTMENTS
Indian origin Harinder Sindu is Australia’s high commissioner to India
Indian-origin Haider Sindu has appointed as Australian high commissioner designate to India announced by Foreign Minister Julice Bishop commissioner designate to India.After Peter Varghese who had served southern Indian state of Kerala. she is second enovy from Australia to be Indian she replaces the partrick suckling.he studied Bachelor of Laws and a Bachelor of Economics degrees from the University of Sydney.United States Ambassador to India Richard Verma, Canadian High Commissioner to India Nadir Patel were also Indians.
US General John Nicholson appointed NATO Commander in Afghanistan
Army Lieutenant General John Nicholson has been appointed as the commander of the NATO forces in Afghanistan on 5 February 2016. He succeeded US General John Campbell who has been leading the Afghan operations for nearly 18 months. At present, Nicholas was US Army commander of NATO land forces. Earlier, he had served in multiple capacities like chief of staff of operations for the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) and US Forces – Afghanistan, director of Pakistan/Afghanistan Coordination Cell for the Joint Staff, and deputy commander – Stability of ISAF Regional Command – South.North Atlantic Treaty Organization is an intergovernmental military alliance based on the North Atlantic Treaty which was signed on 4 April 1949.NATO’s headquarters are located in Haren, Brussels, Belgium, where the Supreme Allied Commander also resides.
Justice R. Subhash Reddy appointed CJ of Gujarat High Court
Justice R. Subhash Reddy, the senior-most judge of the Hyderabad High Court, has been appointed Chief Justice of the Gujarat High Court on 3 February 2016. Justice Subhash Reddy was born in 1957 in Kamaram village of Chinna Shankarampet mandal in Medak district. He obtained his Law degree from University College of Law and enrolled as an advocate with the Bar Council of AP on 30 October 1980 and joined the chambers of Justice B. Subhashan Reddy. After elevation of Justice B. Subhashan Reddy as Judge of the High Court of AP. He was elevated as Additional Judge of High Court of AP on December 2, 2002 and sworn in as permanent judge of the High Court on 24 June 2004. Justice Subhash Reddy will take charge as Chief Justice of Gujarat High Court after 13 February 2016.
Saroj Kumar Jha appointed as Director in World Bank
An Indian Origin Saroj Kumar Jha was appointed as the Senior Director for the Fragility, Conflict and Violence Group at the World Bank on 1 February 2016. Earlier to this, he was the World Bank Regional Director for Central Asia based in Almaty, Kazakhstan since February 2012. He also worked as the World Bank’s Global Manager for Disaster Risk Management Practice. Jha is an alumnus of Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur.
Archana Ramasundaram is SSB chief
Senior IPS officer Archana Ramasundaram on 1 February 2016 was appointed Director General of Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), the first woman to head a paramilitary force.Ms. Ramasundaram, a 1980 batch officer of the Tamil Nadu cadre, is currently Special Director, National Crime Records Bureau. She has been appointed to the post till the date of her superannuation — September 30, 2017. 58-year-old Ms. Ramasundaram is the first woman police officer to be appointed chief of a paramilitary force. The SSB is entrusted with guarding the country’s frontiers with Nepal and Bhutan. The other four paramilitary forces are the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Border Security Force (BSF), Central Industrial Security Force and Indo Tibetan Border Police.
B). RESIGNS
Arunachal Pradesh Governor Advisor
The Y S Dadwal, former Commissioner of Delhi Police, who was recently appointed as advisor to the Governor of Arunachal Pradesh on 26 January, after President’s rule was imposed in the state resigned from the post on 3rd February due to his personal reasons. B D Sharma, a 1980 batch IPS officer of West Bengal Carder who had retired as Director General of paramilitary SSB on January 31, has been appointed in place of Dadwal. G S Patnaik, an IAS officer of 1980 batch, who was appointed along with Dadwal, will continue his duties as advisor to the Governor.
Face Book MD Kirthiga Reddy steps down
Face book Managing Director Karthiga Reddy on 12th February said that she was steeping down as MD in India and returns to United states at the company’s head quarters in Menlo park California in 6-12 months to explode new opportunities. She took this decision after TRAI shut down “free Basics” in India.she is first employee in India to join in Face book on 2010. Kirthiga Reddy studied at MGM college of Engineering in Nanded and passed out in 1992 with second rank.
C). DEATHS
Jnanpith Award Winning Poet O N V Kurup Died
Jnanpith award winner and Malayalam’s most celebrated contemporary poet Ottaplakkal Neelakandan Velu Kurup was died on 13 February 2016 in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. He was 84. He began his career as a progressive writer and matured in to a humanist.He received the fourth and second highest civilian honours Padma Shri in 1998 and Padma Vibhushan in 2011, from the Government of India.In 2007 received awarded on Honorary Doctorate by University of Kerala and India’s highest literary honour fifth Jnanpith Award. he is second Malayalam poet to win the prestigious award. He published a book named Dahikunna Panapatram (The Thirsty Chalice), His first poetry collection is Porutunna Soundaryam.
Renowned Urdu poet Nida Fazli dead
Renowned Urdu poet and Bollywood lyricist Muqtida Hasan Nida Fazli, died in Mumbai on 8 February 2016 due heart attack. He was 78. Fazli was awarded the prestigious Sahitya Akademi Award in 1998 and conferred with the Padma Shri in 2013.Born in a Kashmiri family in Delhi in October 1938, his parents migrated to Pakistan after Partition, but he chose to stay back in India. He came to Mumbai in 1964 hoping to make a career in Bollywood and also wrote for certain top Hindi magazines of that era and later started penning lyrics for Hindi film songs.His soulful ghazals include the evergreen “Kabhi kisi ko mukammal jahan nahin milta” (“Ahista, Ahista”), “Tu is tarha se meri zindagime shamil hai” (“Aat To Aise Na The”), “Hoshwalon ko khabar kya” (“Sarfarosh”), “Aa bhi jaa,” (“Sur”). He also penned for films like “Razia Sultan”, “Nakhuda”, “Harjaee”, “Yatra”, “Is Raat Ki Subah Nahin”, “Tamanna” and many others. Fazli published collections of poetry which include “Lafzon Ke Phool”, “Mor Naach”, “Aankh Aur Khwab Ke Darmiyan”, “Safar Mein Dhoop To Hogi”, “Khoya Hua Sa Kuchh” and “Duniya Ek Khilona Hai”.
Cartoonist Sudhir Tailang passed away
Cartoonist Sudhir Tailang who was suffering from a brain tumour passed away on 6 February 2016 at Medanta Hospital in Gurgaon. He was 55. Born in Bikaner, Tailang came out with his first cartoon in 1970. He started his career with the Illustrated Weekly of India in Mumbai in 1982. He was awarded the Padma Shri in 2004 for his contribution to the art of cartooning.
Mudra Founder AG Krishnamurthy Passed Away
AG Krishnamurthy, the founder of Mudra Communications passed away on 5 February 2016. He was founder Chairman and Managing Director of Mudra Communications. Born on the 28th of April, 1942 in Vinukonda, in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh, Krishnamurthy graduated in History at the Andhra University. In 1968 he joined the Calico Mills, a big textile name in the 60s and 70s, to assist Giraben Sarabhai. In 1972, he moved to their Advertising Agency, Shilpi Advertising as an Account Executive and then joined Reliance Industries in 1976 as their Advertising Manager. Four years later, on the 25th of March, 1980, he founded Mudra Communications. In March 1991, he set up Mudra Institute of Communications, Ahmedabad (MICA), the only advertising institute of its kind in Asia. MICA was set up to feed the growing Indian advertising industry with trained talent. He retired from Mudra on 31st March, 2003, and was The Chairman of AGK Brand Consulting.
Tabla maestro Shankar Ghosh passed away
Legendary tabla player Shankar Ghosh(80), died on January 22 due to pneumonia, cardiac problems. He is the creator of the much acclaimed all-drum orchestra Music of the Drums – later called the Calcutta Drum Orchestra. the prestigious Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1999-2000. He also received the ITC Sangeet Research Academy award and the Ustad Hafiz Ali Khan award.
D). VISITORS
Nepal PM Sharma Oli will visit India
India and Nepal hope to begin repairing ties as Nepal Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli makes his first official visit to India on 19 February 2016. But as Mr. Oli lands in Delhi on the six-day visit, the two sides are unlikely to dwell too much on the past few months of strain, choosing instead to focus on the earthquake reconstruction effort, Indian power projects in the pipeline and future cooperation. Oli is also likely to travel to Mumbai to have a meeting with the top business leaders.
Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan visited India
The deputy supreme commander of UAE armed forces and Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan on 12 February 2016 made a three day visit to India from 10th February and 12th February on invitation of Prime minister Narendra Modi of India During his visit both countries signed nine agreements mainly on cyber security, infrastructure, renewable energy and finance. He visited Mumbai and met Indian business leaders at the Mumbai Stock Exchange. He also held talks with President Pranab Mukherjee, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and made a complete range on bilateral relations.
Indian Vice president Dr.Hamid Ansari visited Thai land
Vice president Dr.Hamid Ansari visited Thai land on official invitation of prime minister GenPrayutchancha of Thai land on 4th &5th Feb after his three day visit in Brunei. In Thai land he made a talks with prime minister, delivered a speech at prestigious chalalong University on topic India & Thailand and confirmed India’s participation in cobra gold 2016 Amphibious Military Exercise. He also visited wat phrakew (Emerald Buddha) and Reclining Buddha in capital Bangkok.
French President Hollande arrived India for 3-day Visit
French President Francois Hollande reached Chandigarh,India on 24 January 2016 for his three-day visit to India. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Francois Hollande attended the Indo-French CEO’s forum and a business summit. Hollande is the chief guest for the Republic Day celebrations. Hollande had expressed his desire to visit Chandigarh, one of the few planned cities in the country, designed by famous French architect Le Corbusier in the 1950s and 1960s. President Hollande is likely to visit Chandigarh’s ‘Capitol Complex’, Sector 17 Plaza (the city’s commercial and business centre), Tagore Theatre and the Le Corbusier Centre in Sector 19.
E). MISCELLANEOUS
India’s Lightest Revolver weighing 250grams ‘Nidar’
The Rifle Factory Ishapore, has developed country’s lightest revolver ‘Nidar’ weighs 250 grams of cost 35,000 rupees. Nidar is made with an aluminium alloy called ‘DTD5124’ which makes it light and strong. It has a 40-mm barrel and just 140mm length it is enough to fit into small purse, handbag, pockets of trousers and jackets.The revolver is capable of firing eight rounds loaded in a revolving chamber. Two years ago India had also launched Nirbheek,made of costly titanium alloy the country’s “first gun for women” weighing 500 grams of cost 1,22,000.Both guns Nirbheek and Nidar have been named after Nirbhaya mean fearless in Hindi the December 2012 gang rape.
YouTube launches its first original movies and series
YouTube has launched its first original movies and series exclusively for YouTube Red subscribers to compete with the likes of Amazon and Netflix. they decided to launch live videos and some of the company’s best stars Lilly Singh, Rooster Teeth, PewDiePie and Awesomeness TV first. At the end of October YouTube has first launched its Red service at the The $10 per month was charged to watch completely ad-free videos. YouTube Red is only available in the United States but some YouTube Red originals will be available for purchase through YouTube and Google Play.
Narendra Modi inaugurated Paradip Oil Refinery in Odisha
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Paradip Oil Refinery in Odisha on 7 February 2016. It is 11th refinery of Indian Oil Corporation Limited. This was dedicated to the nation by PM Modi. The foundation stone for the Paradip Oil Refinery was laid by ex-prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee on 24 May 2000. The refinery was expected to start production in the third quarter of 2013. Due to delays the cost of refinery project has increased by 2.5 per cent. The cost of the refinery is 34555 crores.
Sushma Swaraj inaugurated Rise of Digital India Exhibition in Colombo
The External Affairs Minister Ms Sushma Swaraj inaugurated the Rise of Digital India Exhibition in Colombo, Sri Lanka on 6 February 2016. The Rise of Digital India exhibition showcases the initiative of Indian government to take the benefits of Information Technology to the common man. India is ready to set up an IT Park in Sri Lanka to attract investment in this sector. The exhibition is a part of six month long Festival of India celebrations in Sri Lanka. Swaraj was on a two day visit to Sri Lanka to co-chair the 9th session of the India-Sri Lanka Joint Commission meeting along with her Sri Lankan counterpart, Mangala Samaraweera.
2015 is Earth’s warmest year since 1880
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration(NOAA) made an Independent analysis and said that globally averaged temperature on land and ocean surfaces was highest in 2015 among all years since 1880. In 2015 ten months had record as high temperature this made highest temperature in 2015 since 136 years.