Former Union Secretary PS Krishnan, who is regarded as a champion of the oppressed and exploited sections of society, passed away in New Delhi. He was 86.
Widely regarded as the crusader of social justice in India, Krishnan was selected to the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) in 1956 and served in Andhra Pradesh.
As a bureaucrat, he sought to take the government to the people, especially the Dalits, Adivasis, minorities and other oppressed communities, and worked towards eliminating caste inequalities.
He was the Secretary of the Ministry of Welfare in 1990 when the VP Singh-government implemented the Mandal Commission Report, which sought to provide 27% reservations to socially and educationally backward classes.
Mohammad Imran Appointed Bangladesh High Commissioner to India
Mohammad Imran has been appointed as the new High Commissioner of Bangladesh to India. He is currently Bangladesh's Ambassador to United Arab Emirates. He succeeds Syed Muazzem Ali.
The announcement was made by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bangladesh.
A career diplomat Muhammad Imran belongs to the 1986 batch of Bangladesh Civil Service (BCS) Foreign Affairs cadre.
He has served Bangladesh Missions in different capacities in Kolkata, Berlin, Bonn, Ottawa and Jeddah. He has also been Bangladesh's Ambassador to Uzbekistan.
Dr Mohammad Imran is a graduate from Mymensingh Medical College.
Whistleblower Guns At Infosys' Salil Parekh
Another whistleblower from global software major Infosys accused its Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Salil Parekh of committing misdeeds and urged the Chairman and the board of directors to act against him on his volatile complaints.
Though it is a year and 8 months since Parekh joined the company, he operates from Mumbai in violation of the condition that the CEO has to be based in Bengaluru and not Mumbai.
What is stopping the board to insist on his movement to Bengaluru," said the whistleblower in an unsigned and undated letter to Infosys Chairman and co-founder Nandan Nilekani and Independent Directors on the Board.
Chief Justice Akil Kureshi To Take Oath
Newly appointed Chief Justice of High Court of Tripura Justice Akil Abdulhamid Kureshi will be administered the oath of office and secretary by Tripura Governor Ramesh Bais during a simple oath taking ceremony in Agartala on November 16, 2019.
On November 8th, 2019, the Union Ministry of Law and Justice issued a formal notification appointing Justice Akil Abdulhamid Kureshi, the Judge of the Bombay High Court as the new Chief Justice of Tripura following statutory approval from the President of India.
As per the notification, union ministry said that in exercise of the powers conferred by clause (1) of Article-217 of the Constitution of India, the President has appointed Justice Kureshi as Chief Justice of High Court of Tripura and the appointment of Justice Kureshi will effect from the date he assumes charge of his office.
Nov 11, 2019
1st Marlboro Man DiesĀ
Robert C Norris, a rancher known for his role as the Marlboro Man in TV ads for the cigarette brand, died in a hospice facility in Colorado. He was 90.
His death was announced in an obituary posted on his Tee Cross Ranches website. A cause of death was not provided. Norris, portrayed in Marlboro ads with a cigarette in his hand or mouth, was the face of the Marlboro brand for 14 years.
Norris, although never a smoker, eventually abandoned the campaign because he felt he was setting a bad example for his children.
Federal Bank appoints Chairperson
RBI Appoints Smt. Grace Elizabeth Koshie as Part Time Chairperson of Federal Bank with effect from 07th November 2019. Smt. Grace Elizabeth Koshie has been appointed as Part Time Chairperson of Federal Bank.
The Bank obtained approval of Reserve Bank of India in this regard. She has been in the board of Federal Bank since 2013. Smt. Koshie carries with her rich and varied experience of over 36 years of central banking in the Reserve Bank of India. Smt. Koshie had earlier served as RBI nominee Director on the Boards of Dena Bank and Corporation Bank.
Russia's Napoleon Scholar Charged over Murder
A prominent Saint Petersburg-based Napoleon expert has confessed to murdering his young lover and former student and dismembering her body in a grisly crime that sent shock waves across Russia.
Oleg Sokolov, a 63-year-old history lecturer who received France's Legion d'Honneur in 2003, was arrested on suspicion of murder after he was hauled out of the icy Moika River with a backpack containing a woman's arms. He has admitted his guilt.
Police discovered the decapitated body of Anastasia Yeshchenko, 24, with whom Sokolov had co-authored a number of works, and a bloodstained saw at his home. The historian, who also taught at Sorbonne University, is the author of books on French emperor Napoleon Bonaparte. He acted as a historical consultant on several films and took part in historical re-enactments of Napoleonic wars.
Both he and his lover studied French history and liked to wear period costumes, with Sokolov dressing up as Napoleon. Students described Sokolov as both a talented lecturer who could impersonate the French emperor and his generals and a "freak" who called his lover "Josephine" and liked to be addressed as "Sire".
Justice Sahi Sworn in as Chief Justice of Madras High Court
Justice Amreshwar Pratap Sahi was sworn-in as Chief Justice of the Madras High Court by Governor Banwarlilal Purohit at a ceremony at the Raj Bhavan.
Prior to this appointment, Justice Sahi was Chief Justice of the Patna High Court from November 17, 2018.
Born on January 1, 1959, Chief Justice Sahi had graduated in law in 1985 and commenced his practice at the Allahabad High Court on civil and constitutional law.
He was elevated as an Additional Judge of Allahabad High Court on September 24, 2004, and became a permanent judge of that court on August 18, 2005.
TN Seshan Dies at 86
T N Seshan, who showed politicians the real power of the Election Commission of India, died at his residence in Chennai.
He died of natural causes.
A 1955 batch IAS officer of the Tamil Nadu cadre, Tirunellai Narayana Iyer Seshan served in various capacities, including as cabinet secretary of India in 1989 and earlier as administrative head of Indian Space Research Organisation (Isro).
It was, however, as the 10th chief election commissioner from December 12, 1990, till December 11, 1996 that he got national and international acclaim. He became a household name when he studied and utilised the powers of CEC to the fullest. He used the EC powers to direct an election, including transfers and postings of officials to crack the whip on corrupt electoral practices.
Seshan frequently clashed with the P V Narasimha Rao government and was outspoken in his comments, which was quite a difference from his stint as a senior IAS officer.
Seshan won Ramon Magsaysay Award for his services to the government in 1996.
1st Marlboro Man DiesĀ
Robert C Norris, a rancher known for his role as the Marlboro Man in TV ads for the cigarette brand, died in a hospice facility in Colorado. He was 90.
His death was announced in an obituary posted on his Tee Cross Ranches website. A cause of death was not provided. Norris, portrayed in Marlboro ads with a cigarette in his hand or mouth, was the face of the Marlboro brand for 14 years.
Norris, although never a smoker, eventually abandoned the campaign because he felt he was setting a bad example for his children.
Padma Shri awardee Dhrupad maestro Ramakant Gundecha passed away in Madhya Pradesh's capital Bhopal.
The younger among the famous Gundecha brothers (Umakant-Ramakant), the 56-year-old renowned vocalist suffered heart attack at Bhopal's Habibganj railway station, while waiting with elder brother Umakant Gundecha and pakhawaj player cousin Akhilesh Gundecha to catch the train for Pune.
An ambulance subsequently rushed him to the hospital, but he died before arriving at the hospital. His death was confirmed by pakhawaj player cousin Akhilesh Gundecha.
The last rites took place at a crematorium in Bhopal.
Keith Vaz, Longest-serving British Indian MP, Retires after 32 years
Keith Vaz, who was first elected to the House of Commons in 1987 and went on to win eight subsequent elections, announced his retirement amidst questions about his candidature for the December 12, 2019 election and his role in drugs and sex row.
Vaz, 62, is of Goa origin and has been a prominent figure in the Indian community in the UK, besides forging links with leading politicians and others in India.
Prominent Indian actors have travelled to his constituency of Leicester East to canvass for him during elections.
Assam Civil Servant Hitesh Dev Sharma Replaces Prateek Hajela as NRC State Coordinator
Assam Civil Service officer Hitesh Dev Sharma was appointed as the NRC State Coordinator in place of Prateek Hajela, who ensured publication of the final version of the National Register of Citizens on August 31, 2019 under supervision of the Supreme Court.
Dev Sharma, who was serving as the Secretary to the Urban Development and Finance Departments, has been transferred as Secretary to the Home and Political Department and State Coordinator, NRC and in-charge Directorate of NRC.
Nov 09, 2019
Fadnavis Resigns As Maharashtra CM, Submits Resignation To Governor Koshyari
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis resigned. Fadnavis drove to Raj Bhavan in south Mumbai and submitted his resignation to Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari.
There has been no headway in government formation even a fortnight after Assembly poll results were announced on October 24, 2019.
Former Star And Disney Head Sanjay Gupta To Head Google India
Former Star and Disney head Sanjay Gupta has been appointed as Country Manager for Google India.
This comes after Rajan Anandan quit in April 2019 to join Sequoia. Gupta will also serve as Vice President of Sales and Operations for India.
Vikas Agnihotri, currently Google's country director for sales in India, was serving as the Internet giant's interim managing director.
A post graduate from the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Kolkata, Gupta is an engineer from Delhi College of Engineering.
Gupta joins Google from Star and Disney India where he was the Managing Director. He also had stints at HUL and Bharti Airtel as Chief Marketing Officer.
Nov 08, 2019
Four Indian-Americans Win State, Local Elections In US
Four Indian-Americans, including a former White House Technology Policy Adviser, have won state and local elections held in the United States.
Indian-American Ghazala Hashmi, a former community college professor, created history by becoming the first Muslim woman to be elected to the Virginia State Senate, while Suhas Subramanyam, who served as the White House Technology Policy Adviser to former President Barack Obama, has been elected to the Virginia State House of Representative.
In California, Indian-American Mano Raju won his election to remain San Francisco's Public Defender. In North Carolina, incumbent Dimple Ajmera, a former Certified Public Accountant, won a convincing re-election to Charlotte City Council.
Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Re-Elected President of The UAE
The UAE Supreme Council has re-elected His Highness Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan as President of the UAE for a fourth five-year term.
The Council expressed its deep confidence in the wise leadership of the President, praying that he would continue to lead the UAE to strengthen the pillars of the Union and its prosperity and fulfill the aspirations of its honourable people.
Shaikh Khalifa was first elected President on November 3, 2004 following the death of his father Shaikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan. President Khalifa accompanied the builder of the UAE renaissance, the late Shaikh Zayed, in the founding stage in the 70s and 80s of the last century before taking over the leadership of the country after the death of the Founding Father.
Padma Shri Awardee Bengali Writer Nabaneeta Dev Sen, Dies At 81
Eminent litterateur and academician Nabaneeta Dev Sen died in her South Kolkata residence after a protracted illness. She was 81.
Winner of the Sahitya Akademi award and the Padma Shri, she is survived by two daughters - writer Antara and actress Nandana.
A poet, novelist, columnist and writer of short stories and travelogues, Dev Sen was also known for her research on the Ramayana.
She worked as a teacher at the Oxford University and the Colorado College in the US. She also taught Comparative Literature at Jadavpur University.