1. Indian-American 'Neeli Bendapudi' gets 'Immigrant Achievement Award'
Tags: Person in news
Indian-American citizen 'Neeli Bendapudi' (59) was on 28 April conferred with the prestigious'Immigrant Achievement Award' 2023 for her contribution in the field of higher education in the US.
An Overview of the News:
Neeli Bendapudi is the president of Penn State University.
The award is given each year to an individual or organization for their commitment and dedication to American heritage.
For nearly 30 years, Dr. Bendapudi, President of ‘Penn State University’, has been working to foster student success, inclusive excellence in higher education, and create opportunities for students, faculty and staff.
Raised in India, Bendapudi came to the US to pursue her doctoral studies at the University of Kansas.
After that, in America itself, he made his career in the academic and teaching field.
She is the first black woman to serve as the president of Penn State University.
2. Siddharth Mohanty becomes chairman of LIC
Tags: Person in news
The government has appointed Siddharth Mohantyas the chairman of Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) till June 2024.
An Overview of the News:
The Financial Services Institutions Bureau (FSIB) recommended the name of Siddharth Mohanty for the post of chairman.
The decision regarding the appointment of Mohanty as LIC chairman was taken by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC) headed by PM Narendra Modi.
Mohanty was serving as the interim chairman of the corporation from March 14, 2023.
Also Chairman Siddhartha Mohanty will be the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the insurance giant from June 2024 to June 2025.
Siddharth Mohanty:
Mohanty holds a post graduate degree in Political Science as well as a law degree.
Mohanty also holds a Post Graduate degree in Business Management and is a licensee from the Insurance Institute of India.
In a career spanning over three decades in the corporation, Mohanty has distinguished himself in the areas of Marketing, HR, Investments and Legal.
Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC):
LIC (Headquarters Mumbai) was established in the year 1956 by passing the Life Insurance of India Act in the Parliament of India.
It is India's largest life insurance company and also the country's largest investment company.
It is known for continuously bringing innovative and profitable policies in the market. Also its policies are recognized as a benchmark in the insurance market.
3. Renowned scientist Dr.N. Gopalakrishnan passed away
Tags: Person in news
Renowned scientist and director of the Central Building Research Institute Dr N Gopalakrishnan passed away in April 2023 at the age of 68.
An Overview of the News
Life introduction:
Dr N Gopalakrishnan was born inKochi city of Ernakulam district, Kerala.His father's name was Narayanan Embranthiri and his mother's name was Satyabhama.
His wife's name isRukmini. They are parents to two children named Harish and Hema.
Education Background:
His educational background includes a BE degree from the Faculty of Engineering in Guindy.
M.Sc. (Pharmaceutical Chemistry) - 1978
M.Sc. (Applied Chemistry) - 1979
MA (Industrial Sociology) -1984
Ph.D (Biochemistry) - 1984
D.Litt. (Doctor of Literature) - 2002
Apart from this, he has also obtained an MBA degree.
Carrier:
He worked for 25 years from 1982 as Senior Scientist in CSIR, Government of India.
Visiting Scientist at the University of Alberta, Canada (1993 -94).
Visiting Scientist at National Sanskrit University, Tirupati.
Director, Indian Institute of Scientific Heritage (IISH-Registered Charitable Trust).
Guest faculty member in many other Indian and foreign universities and institutions.
Professional Contribution:
50 research papers in national and international scientific journals
6 patents in science and technology
9 National and International level awards from Science & Technology Scientific Societies.
Thirteen awards for popularizing science and culture.
Authored over 135 books in English and Malayalam, both scientific and cultural.
National and International Fellowship:
DST to popularize science, first NCSTC fellowship from Government of India.
Fellowship of NSERC/Canadian Development Agency (CIDA) Govt.
Dr N Gopalakrishnan has co-authored 61 articles in both foreign and domestic journals.
4. Ratan Tata honoured with Australia's highest civilian honour
Tags: Awards Person in news
Tata Sons Chairman Emeritus Ratan Tatahas received the Order of Australia (AO), Australia's highest civilian honour.
An Overviews of the News
The award was announced by Barry O'Farrell, Australia's High Commissioner to India.
The award was given to Ratan Tata for his contribution in strengthening bilateral relations between India and Australia.
Ratan Tata has been a strong supporter of the 2022 India-Australia Economic Cooperation and Trade Agreement.
Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), a subsidiary of Tata Sons, has the largest workforce of any Indian company in Australia with around 17,000 employees.
Ratan Tata was recently named an Honorary Officer in the General Division of the Order of Australia (AO) for his contribution to promoting trade, investment and philanthropy between India and Australia.
The recognition came just a month before he received Australia's highest civilian honour for his efforts to strengthen bilateral ties between the two countries.
About the Order of Australia
It is an honour awarded to Australian citizens and other individuals in recognition of their exceptional achievements and services.
The honour was created on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, the Queen of Australia, after a recommendation to the Australian Government.
The Order of Australia has various levels including companion (AC), officer (AO), member (AM), medal (OAM) and honorary award.
The Order of Australia also has a motto, which is "Do what you can," and it encourages individuals to strive for excellence in their respective fields.
Established - 14 February 1975
Honoured - achievement and merit in service to Australia or humanity
Chancellor - David Hurley
Sovereign Head - Charles III of Australia
5. TAL Presents Lifetime Achievement Award to Breast Surgeon Dr. Raghu Ram Pillarisetti
Tags: Awards Person in news
On 24 April, breast surgeon Dr. Raghu Ram Pillarisettiwas presented with the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Telugu Association of London.
An Overviews of the News
Dr. Raghu Ram is the founder and director of AKIMS-Ushalakshmi Center for Breast Disease, located in Hyderabad.
Dr. Raghu Ram is one of the few persons to have received this prestigious award. He is also the only Indian living outside the UK to have been given this honour.
The Telugu Association of London (TAL) recognized the extraordinary achievements of Dr. Raghu Ram by presenting him with the award during the Ugadi 2023 celebrations.
TAL is the largest Telugu charity organisation in the UK and represents a Telugu speaking community of around 10,000 people in and around London.
Founder President of TAL - Dr. Ramulu Dasoju
Current President of TAL - Bharati Kandukuri
Councillor, Mayor of the London Borough of Hounslow - Raghvinder Sidhu
About United Kingdom
It is a sovereign state located in northwestern Europe and consists of four countries: England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.
Capital - London
Additional Information
On 26 April, Infosys co-founder and chairman Nandan Nilekani was honoured with the 'Lifetime Achievement' award in the Business Today-PwC India Best CEO rankings.
6. Pankaj Singh elected president of Indian Cycling Federation
Tags: Sports Person in news Sports News
BJP MLA from Noidaand son of Union Defense Minister Rajnath Singh, Pankaj Singh was elected as the President of the Cycling Federation of India (CFI).
An Overview of the News
The election was held during the Annual General Body meeting in Nainital, and Pankaj Singh was elected unopposed.
Maninder Pal Singh was elected general secretary for the second time in a row.
Sudesh Kumar from Kerala was elected as the treasurer.
Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Haryana, Uttarakhand, Gujarat, Kerala and Telangana elected two members each to the Executive Council.
Chandigarh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Jammu and Kashmir, Jharkhand, Bihar, Tamil Nadu, Orissa, Himachal Pradesh and Andaman and Nicobar elected one member each to the Executive Council.
About Cycling Federation of India (CFI)
It is the national governing body for cycling in India and was established in 1946.
It is recognized by the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI), the world governing body for the sport of cycling.
The main responsibilities of the CFI include promoting, developing and regulating cycling activities in India.
The CFI organises various national and international cycling events including road races, track cycling, mountain biking and BMX events.
It also oversees the selection and training of Indian cyclists for major international competitions such as the Olympics, Asian Games, Commonwealth Games and World Championships.
7. 1st woman Rafale pilot in IAF team for multi-nation drill being held in France
Tags: Defence Person in news
Shivangi Singh, the first woman pilot of the Indian Air Force to fly the Rafale fighter jet, is part of the Indian Air Force (IAF) team that will take part in the multinational exercise 'Orion' in France.
An overview of the news
She is the first woman fighter pilot of the Rafale squadron, and is all set to create history by flying the multi-role air dominance aircraft.
Shivangi Singh joined the Indian Air Force in 2017 and was inducted into the second batch of IAF's women fighter pilots.
Prior to flying Rafale, Shivangi had also flown the MiG-21 Bison aircraft.
She hails from Varanasi and is currently undergoing conversion training and will soon be a part of the Golden Arrows Squadron of the Indian Air Force based at Ambala, Haryana.
Shivangi Singh became the first woman fighter pilot to fly Rafale after being selected as a Rafale pilot in 2020 after a rigorous selection process.
8. Shreekant M Bhandiwad appointed as the new Chairman of Karnataka Vikas Grameena Bank
Tags: Person in news
Shrikant M Bhandiwad has taken charge as the new chairman of Karnataka Vikas Grameena Bank (KVGB).
An overview of the news
Prior to joining KVGB as Chairman, Bhandiwad was heading the Patna circle of Canara Bank.
A Post Graduate in Agriculture, he has worked as Agricultural Extension Officer in Rural Branches of Canara Bank and also as Consultant in Agricultural Consultancy Services of Canara Bank at Head Office.
He has worked in various positions like branch in-charge, regional head and circle head in states like Haryana, Rajasthan, Bihar and Karnataka.
In addition, he was the Deputy Managing Director of Canfin Homes Limited for a period of three years.
9. Microsoft India president Anant Maheshwari appointed Nasscom chairperson
Tags: Person in news
IT Industry body NASSCOM has appointed Anant Maheshwari, president of Microsoft India, as its chairperson for 2023-24 on 25th April.
An overview of the news
Maheshwari, who was NASSCOM's vice-chairperson, succeeds Krishnan Ramanujam, the president of business and technology services at Tata Consultancy Services (TCS).
Nasscom also announced the appointment of Rajesh Nambiar, chairman and managing director of Cognizant India as its vice-chairperson for 2023-24.
In addition, NASSCOM also announced its Executive Council for 2023-2025.
The council will aim to play a key role in driving India's tech sector at a time when macroeconomic challenges have significantly dampened growth prospects for the current financial year.
The newly appointed leadership will lead the industry to meet its broad objectives of achieving the vision of becoming a $500 billion industry by 2030. Currently, the size of the industry is $245 billion.
National Association of Software and Services Companies- NASSCOM
It is a non-profit industry association which is the apex body for the IT industry in India.
It wasestablished in 1988.
Its significant efforts are providing great support to India's IT (Information Technology) and BPO (Business Process Outsourcing) industry.
NASSCOM has made phenomenal contribution to India's GDP, exports, employment, infrastructure and global visibility.
10. Former Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal passed away
Tags: Person in news
Former Chief Minister of Punjab and senior leader of Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) Parkash Singh Badal passed away at the age of 95 on 25 April 2023.
An Overview of the News
Parkash Singh Badal was born on 8 December 1927 at Abul Khurana near Malot.
He entered the state assembly from Malout in 1957 as a Congress candidate.
In 1969, entered the Vidhansabha from Gidderbaha seat on SAD ticket and was elected MLA 11 times, lost only twice.
He became the Chief Minister of Punjab in 1970, leading a coalition government for the first time. However, the government did not complete its term.
Badal was the Chief Minister of Punjab from 1977 to 1980, 1997 to 2002, 2007 to 2012 and 2012 to 2017.
He was known for his role in the Punjab insurgency and peace talks with militants in the 1990s.
He was awarded the Padma Vibhushan, India's second highest civilian award, in 2015.
About Punjab
It is a state located in northern India, which shares its border with Pakistan. It is known for its rich cultural heritage.
The city of Amritsar is located in Punjab and was founded by the Sikh Guru Ram Das in the 1570s. It is a major religious and cultural centre for the Sikh community.
The Harmandir Sahib, also known as the Golden Temple, is located in Amritsar and is the holiest Gurdwara for the Sikh community.
Capital - Chandigarh
Governor - Banwarilal Purohit
Chief Minister - Bhagwant Mann (AAP)
Assembly - Punjab Legislative Assembly (117 seats)
Rajya Sabha - 7 seats
Lok Sabha -13 seats
Districts -23
Official animal -Blackbuck
Official bird -Northern goshawk
Official river -Indus River
