General Awareness

PERSONS IN NEWS - October 2020

Oct 2020

Aug 25, 2021

Researcher, Author Gail Omvedt Passes Away

Researcher, author and one of the intellectual voices of the Bahujan movement Gail Omvedt passed away. She was 81.
Omvedt was an American-born Indian scholar who authored books on Dalit politics, women's struggle and anti-caste movement. She also participated in various people's movements in the country, including the one for the rights of people displaced by to Koyna Dam.
She co-founded Shramik Mukti Dal along with her husband and activist Bharat Patankar.
After deciding to live in India, her association with veteran social worker Indutai Patankar led to her studying and participating in women's struggles in the country.

Sri Lanka's Former Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera Passes Away

Mangala Samaraweera, a former Foreign Minister of Sri Lanka and a notable advocate of liberalism from the country's dominant Sinhala-Buddhist polity, passed away in Colombo. He was 65.
Having built his political career in the SLFP, mainly under Presidents Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga and Mahinda Rajapaksa, Mr. Samaraweera defected to the rival United National Party (UNP) in 2010, after he fell out with Mr. Rajapaksa.
He served as Foreign Minister twice, from 2005 to 2007 in Mahinda Rajapaksa's first term as President, and from 2015 to 2017 in the Maithripala Sirisena-Ranil Wickremesinghe 'national unity' government, when he engaged closely with the international community, with Sri Lanka promising to fulfil several commitments towards post-war accountability and transitional justice.

Aug 23, 2021

National Football Coach S. S. Hakim Passes Away

Syed Shahid Jakim, former India footballer and member of the last national team that played in the 1960 Rome Olympics died at a hospital in Gulbarga. He was 82.
In his more than five-decade association with Indian football, Hakim, a Dronacharya Awardee, has also been an assistant coach to late PK Banerjee during the 1982 Asian Games in Delhi and also independently has been in charge of the national team during a tournament in Merdeka.
He has been a FIFA badge holder international referee having officiated in Asian Club Cup games and was also conferred with the prestigious Dhyan Chand Award.
A former Squadron Leader of the Indian Air Force, Hakim was also a Regional Director of Sports Authority of India and his last assignment was as Project Director in charge of scouting before the 2017 U-17 FIFA World Cup.

Former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Kalyan Singh Passes Away

Former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and BJP veteran Kalyan Singh passed away at the age of 89 at the Sanjay Gandhi Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences (SGPGI).
Singh was the UP Chief Minister when the Babri mosque was demolished by a mob in Ayodhya on December 6, 1992.
He was also the former governor of Rajasthan from September 2014 to September 2019.

Aug 21, 2021

CVC Re-appoints T. M. Bhasin as Chairman of Advisory Board for Banking Frauds

The Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) re-appointed T. M. Bhasin as chairman of the Advisory Board for Banking and Financial Frauds (ABBFF), a panel constituted to examine bank frauds of over Rs. 50 crore and recommend action.
The re-appointment of Bhasin is with effect from August 21, for a further period of two years.
Bhasin, a veteran banker, served as vigilance commissioner in the CVC for four years from June 2015 to June 2019. Prior to vigilance commissioner, he was chairman and managing director of Chennai-based Indian Bank for more than five years.

Aug 20, 2021

PR Sreejesh to be Brand Ambassador of Kerala Adventure Tourism

Olympian Parattu Raveendran Sreejesh (PR Sreejesh), goalkeeper and former captain of the Indian National Hockey team is set to be named as the brand ambassador of adventure tourism in Kerala. Sreejesh was a part of the Indian Hockey team that won the bronze medal at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic games. PR Sreejesh hails from Ernakulam, Kerala.

O.M. Nambiar Passes Away

Renowned athletics coach O.M. Nambiar, who nurtured one of India's greatest track and field stars PT Usha, passed away due to age-related illness. He was 89.
He is one of the first Dronacharya Award winners and this year's (2021) Padma Shri awardee.
A former Air Force man, Nambiar has turned several young talent into international athletes during his tenure as a renowned coach, including the legendary Usha, who missed a bronze medal at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics by one-hundredth of a second.

Priyanka Chopra Jonas Named MAMI Film Festival Chairperson

Priyanka Chopra Jonas was announced as the chairperson of Jio MAMI Film Festival, almost four months after Deepika Padukone stepped down from the position.
The Mumbai Academy of Moving Image (MAMI) unveiled its plans for the coming year, edition and the change in leadership.
Priyanka was unanimously nominated by MAMI's Board of Trustees which comprises Nita M Ambani (Co-Chairperson), Anupama Chopra (Festival Director), Ajay Bijli, Anand G. Mahindra, Farhan Akhtar, Isha Ambani, Kabir Khan, Kaustubh Dhavse, Kiran Rao, Rana Daggubati, Riteish Deshmukh, Rohan Sippy, Siddharth Roy Kapur, Vikramaditya Motwane, Vishal Bhardwaj and Zoya Akhtar.

Aug 19, 2021

Journalist Joe Galloway, Chronicler of Vietnam War Passes Away

Longtime American foreign correspondent Joseph L Galloway, best known for his book recounting a pivotal battle in the Vietnam War that was made into a Hollywood movie, has died. He was 79.
A native of Refugio, Texas, Galloway spent 22 years as a war correspondent and bureau chief for United Press International, including serving four tours in Vietnam. He then worked for US News & World Report magazine and Knight Ridder newspapers in a series of overseas roles, including reporting from the Persian Gulf War in 1991.

Samsung Ropes in Alia Bhatt to Endorse Galaxy Z Fold3 5G, Flip3 5G

Samsung has signed Bollywood actor Alia Bhatt as the face for its newly announced Galaxy Z series of foldable smartphones for India.
Samsung will bring its ultra-premium Galaxy Z Fold3 5G and Galaxy Z Flip3 5G smartphones in India from September.
The South Korean tech giant - which competes with Apple in the premium smartphone category - had unveiled the two high-end foldable smartphones at its Galaxy unpacked event last week.
Bhatt will be involved in a robust campaign that entails digital and outdoor activations.

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