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PERSONS IN NEWS - March 2023

Mar 2023

Sep 29, 2023

Ashwin Dani, Asian Paints Co-founder, Passes Away

Ashwin Dani, co-founder and non-executive director of Asian Paints, passed away at the age of 79. Dani is credited with taking the company, established by his father and three others in 1942, to new geographies and incorporating technology into its operations.
Dani pioneered the idea of computerised colour matching in the Indian paint industry.
Dani has been associated with the company since 1968. Dani joined the company's board in 1970. He held the position of vice-chairman and managing director of the company from 1998 to 2009.

India's Green Revolution Pioneer M. S. Swaminathan Passes Away

M. S. Swaminathan, hailed as the father of India's Green Revolution, passed away at the age of 98. Swaminathan was instrumental in developing high-yielding varieties of paddy that helped ensure India's low-income farmers produce more yield.
He was hailed as the 'Father of Economic Ecology' by the United Nations Environment Programme.
During his tenure in office, Swaminathan served in various capacities across departments. He was appointed Director of the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (1961-72), Director General of ICAR and Secretary to the Government of India, Department of Agricultural Research and Education (1972-79), Principal Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture (1979-80), Acting Deputy Chairman and later Member (Science and Agriculture), Planning Commission (1980-82) and Director General, International Rice Research Institute, the Philippines (1982-88).
Swaminathan was awarded the first World Food Prize in 1987 following which he set up the MS Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF) in Taramani, Chennai.
Swaminathan was also conferred with the Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan and the Padma Vibhushan. He is also the recipient of the H. K. Firodia Award, the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Award and the Indira Gandhi Prize, apart from several international awards including the Ramon Magsaysay Award (1971) and the Albert Einstein World Science Award (1986).

Sep 28, 2023

Indian Navy Moves Mega Deal to Buy Second Indigenous Aircraft Carrier

In a bid to become self-reliant in Defence, Indian Navy moved a mega proposal to build 2nd aircraft carrier. Made in India second aircraft carrier will be constructed by the Cochin Shipyard Limited in Kerala. The Defence Ministry will shortly discuss the proposal moved by the Indian Navy. The programme will create thousands of jobs through the Cochin Shipyard Limited in Kerala. Earlier, the first indigenous aircraft carrier INS Vikrant was commissioned by PM Modi in September 2022. Indian Navy has been pressing for 3 aircraft carriers to maintain at least one carrier on each coast with one in refit. With 3 aircraft carriers, Indian Navy would also be keeping pace with all the navies deployed in Indo-Pacific region. Also, the Indian Navy is going to get 26 new Rafale fighter aircraft for the INS Vikrant. Indian Navy has given assurances to Centre that the sea-force will become self-reliant by 2047.

Nepalese Climber Kami Rita Sets New Record for 'Most Climbs of 8,000 Metres'

Nepal's veteran summiteer Kami Rita Sherpa made a new record for the 'Most Climbs of 8,000 metres', as he scaled 8,000 m 42 times.
He summited 42 mountains of more than 8,000 metres, breaking the record set by another famous climber, Nims Purja, who had set a record by scaling 8,000 m 41 times.
Kami Rita climbed the 8,163 metre Mt Manaslu, the world's eighth highest peak, as a part of his Seven Summit Treks 14 Peaks expedition.

Ten-year-old Malaysian Girl Breaks World Record for 'Blindfolded' Chessboard Arrangement

A 10-year-old chess enthusiast hailing from Malaysia made headlines for her astonishing abilities. The young girl elevated her passion for the game to an exceptional level by accomplishing an extraordinary feat. Punithamalar Rajashekar, with remarkable precision, arranged a chessboard in just 45.72 seconds, all while being blindfolded. This remarkable achievement garnered her the prestigious Guinness World Record for the 'fastest time to arrange a chess set blindfolded.'
The astounding record-setting event unfolded at the premises of Punithamalar's school, where witnesses included members of the Parents and Teachers Association, as well as the school management.

Sep 27, 2023

Banmali Agarwal Appointed as the New Chairman of Tata Advanced Systems

Tata Sons has appointed Banmali Agarwal as the new chairman of the group's aerospace and defense solutions unit Tata Advanced Systems (TASL).
He has been appointed in place of Vijay Singh, Who have retired.
He is also a senior advisor to Tata Sons and chairman of Tata Electronics.
Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL), a wholly owned subsidiary of Tata Sons, is the strategic aerospace and defense arm of the Tata Group. TASL is both an operating and holding company.

Sanjeev Mantri Appointed as ICICI Lombard MD & CEO

Sanjeev Mantri has been appointed the new Managing Director and CEO of ICICI Lombard.
Mantri, who is an Executive Director at ICICI Lombard General Insurance, will take over his new role from December 1, 2023, or the date of IRDAI approval, whichever is later, for a period of five consecutive years.
Mantri joined ICICI Lombard in 2015 in the role of Executive Director.

National Award Winning Malayalam Filmmaker K. G. George Passed Away

Veteran Malayalam filmmaker and national award winner K. G. George died at an old age home near Kakkanad here.
He received the national award for best feature film 'Swapnaadanam' (1976) and has also bagged nine state film awards since he started his film career in 1970.
'Panchavadi Palam' directed by George in 1984 is considered one of the best political satire films in Malayalam cinema.
He worked to reduce the difference between artistic and commercial cinema.

Sep 26, 2023

Katrina Kaif Appointed as First Indian Brand Ambassador of Uniqlo

Uniqlo, the Japanese fashion brand, enlisted Bollywood star, Katrina Kaif, as its very first brand ambassador in India.
With a desire to captivate Indian shoppers, Uniqlo plans to expand its empire by adding two more stores to its current collection of 10.
Joining the ranks of tennis star Roger Federer, who became Uniqlo's global brand ambassador in 2018, Katrina's one-year partnership will see her endorsing the brand's Fall-Winter 2023 collection through a captivating blend of print, digital, and outdoor media, as well as in-store promotional material.
Uniqlo, renowned for its casual clothing lines that appeal to individuals of all ages, has been Kaif's trusted go-to for everyday essentials, admiring the brand's functional and innovative products.

Sep 25, 2023

National Award-Winning Malayalam Filmmaker K. G. George Dies

Veteran Malayalam filmmaker and national award winner K. G. George died. He was 78.
He received the National Award for best feature film 'Swapnaadanam' (1976) and had also bagged nine state film awards since he started his film career in 1970.
'Ulkaddal' (1979), 'Onappudava' (1978), 'Yavanika' (1982) and 'Adaminte Variyellu' (1984) are some of the best directorial works of the award winning director who was in 2015 selected for the J C Daniel Award—the Kerala government's highest honour for outstanding contribution to Malayalam cinema.
'Panchavadi Palam' directed by George in 1984 is considered one of the best political satire films in Malayalam cinema.

Former Italian President Giorgio Napolitano Passes Away

Former Italian President Giorgio Napolitano, a onetime communist who helped to steer his country through a debt crisis in 2011, passed away at the age of 98.
The Italian presidency is usually mostly ceremonial, but Napolitano used his powers in late 2011 to stave off crisis by naming the former European Commission technocrat Mario Monti to lead a government following the resignation of Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi in a dispute over spending cuts.
Two years later, he broke another impasse when he installed a grand coalition under centre-left politician Enrico Letta after an inconclusive parliamentary election.
Napolitano became President in 2006 and was elected for an unprecedented second seven-year term in 2013. He stepped down in 2015, citing his age.

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