Judicial Member, Lokpal of India, Justice Ajay Kumar Tripathi died fighting COVID-19

Judicial Member, Lokpal of India, Justice Ajay Kumar Tripathi died fighting COVID-19 on 2nd May 2020 at AIIMS, New Delhi. He was infected with Corona virus and was admitted to AIIMS on 2ndApril, 2020 after havingbreathing problems.

Late Justice Ajay Kumar Tripathi was born on 12th November, 1957. He did his graduation in Economics (Hons) from Shri Ram College of Commerce and studied law at Campus law Centre, Delhi University. He started practice of law at Patna High Court and was elevated as an Additional Judge Patna High Court on 9th October, 2006 and took oath as Permanent Judge of the High Court on 21st November, 2007. He was sworn in as the Chief Justice of Chhattisgarh High Court on 7th July, 2018. On 27th March, 2019 Justice Tripathi took oath as a Judicial Member of Lokpal of India. He played an important role in setting up the Institution of Lokpal of India with his innovative ideas and inputs.

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P Chidambaram arrested by CBI

Former finance minister P. Chidambaram was arrested by CBI Team from his Jor Bagh residence in New Delhi on 21st August 2019. In a dramatic twist to the day long drama with news channels and the ruling government questioning former Finance Minister P. Chidambaram's alleged attempts at "evading" arrest, he appeared at the Congress headquarters. Mr. Chidambaram said that in last 24 hours much has happened that has caused much confusion and concern to many. He said he was aghast that he was accused of hiding from a law. Later he went to his Jor Bagh residence. A team of CBI officials have also reached there and arrested. 

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Admiral Karambir Singh is new Navy Chief

Admiral Karambir Singh on 31 May 2019 assumed charge as the 24th Chief of the Naval Staff. Admiral Singh is an alumnus of the National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla. Commissioned into the Indian Navy in July 1980, he earned his wings as a helicopter pilot in 1981 and has flown extensively on the Chetak (Alouette) and Kamov helicopters. He is also the first helicopter pilot from the Indian Navy to lead the naval armed forces. Having commanded missile corvette INS Vijaydurg, guided-missile destroyers INS Rana & INS Delhi during his almost 40-year career, he will be Navy chief till November 2021.

However, his appointment was overshadowed by a petition filed by a senior officer challenging it. Vice Adm. Bimal Verma, Chief of the Andaman and Nicobar-based tri-Service command, has approached the Armed Forces Tribunal (AFT) questioning the appointment as he was the most senior naval officer after Adm. Lanba. Early this week, the AFT, which had asked the government to submit all files related to the selection process, set July 17 as the next date of hearing as the government sought more time and allowed Adm. Singh to assume charge.

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Ministers and their Portfolios 2019

Ministers and their Portfolios in New Modi Government 2019: Prime Minister Narendra Modi's new cabinet has several first-time ministers, who were sworn into office alongwith him in a grand oath ceremony in Delhi today. The most prominent first timer in PM Modi's cabinet is BJP president Amit Shah. 

Ministers and their Portfolios 2019:

Cabinet Ministers

1. Shri Narendra Modi

2. Shri Raj Nath Singh

3. Shri Amit Shah (first time)

4. Shri Nitin Jairam Gadkari

5. Shri D. V. Sadananda Gowda

6. Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman

7. Shri Ramvilas Paswan

8. Shri Narendra Singh Tomar

9. Shri Ravi Shankar Prasad

10. Smt. Harsimrat Kaur Badal

11. Shri Thaawar Chand Gehlot

12. Dr. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar

13. Shri Ramesh Pokhriyal 'Nishank' (first time)

14. Shri Arjun Munda

15. Smt. Smriti Zubin Irani

16. Dr. Harsh Vardhan

17. Shri Prakash Javadekar

18. Shri Piyush Goyal

19. Shri Dharmendra Pradhan

20. Shri Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi

21. Shri Pralhad Joshi (first time)

22. Dr. Mahendra Nath Pandey

23. Shri Arvind Ganpat Sawant

24. Shri Giriraj Singh

25. Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat

Ministers of State (Independent Charge)

1. Shri Santosh Kumar Gangwar

2. Rao Inderjit Singh

3. Shri Shripad Yesso Naik

4. Dr. Jitendra Singh

5. Shri Kiren Rijiju

6. Shri Prahalad Singh Patel

7. Shri Raj Kumar Singh

8. Shri Hardeep Singh Puri

9. Shri Mansukh L. Mandaviya

Ministers of State

1. Shri Faggansingh Kulaste

2. Shri Ashwini Kumar Choubey

3. Shri Arjun Ram Meghwal

4. General (Retd.) V. K. Singh

5. Shri Krishan Pal

6. Shri Danve Raosaheb Dadarao

7. Shri G. Kishan Reddy

8. Shri Parshottam Rupala

9. Shri Ramdas Athawale

10. Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti

11. Shri Babul Supriyo

12. Shri Sanjeev Kumar Balyan

13. Shri Dhotre Sanjay Shamrao

14. Shri Anurag Singh Thakur

15. Shri Angadi Suresh Channabasappa (first time)

16. Shri Nityanand Rai

17. Shri. Rattan Lal Kataria (first time)

18. Shri V. Muraleedharan

19. Smt. Renuka Singh Saruta

20. Shri Som Parkash

21. Shri Rameswar Teli (first time)

22. Shri Pratap Chandra Sarangi

23. Shri Kailash Choudhary (first time)

24. Deboshree Choudhury (first time)

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Vinay Dube quits as CEO of Jet Airways

Jet Airways on 14th May said its CEO Vinay Dube has resigned from the company due to personal reasons. This is the second high profile exit in as many days at the grounded Jet Airways after Deputy CEO Amit Agarwal put in his papers on Monday. In a filing to stock exchanges, the airline said Mr. Dube has resigned from the services of the company with immediate effect due to personal reasons.

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Saraswati Samman 2018 to Telugu poet K Siva Reddy

Telugu poet K Siva Reddy has been selected for the prestigious Saraswati Samman, 2018. He has been awarded for his work Pakkaki Ottigilite which is a collection of poetry. K Siva Reddy was born in 1943 in a farmer’s family in Andhra Pradesh’s Guntur. He is considered as the most renowned modern poets in Telugu. Siva Reddy has also published critical essays on poetry. Pakkaki Ottigilite was published in 2016. It is an anthology of 104 poems in blank verse. It captures the responses of the poet over the years to social change, the evolution of his own self and his dynamic relationship with the world.

Saraswati Samman Award was instituted by the KK Birla Foundation in the year 1991. It is given annually for an outstanding literary work written in any official Indian language and published during the preceding 10 years. It carries a cash purse of Rs 15 lakh, apart from a citation and a plaque. Other popular literary awards constituted by the Birla Foundation are Vyas Samman (for Hindi) and Bihari Puraskar (for Hindi and Rajasthani writers of Rajasthan).

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First Lokpal of India - PC Ghose

Retired Supreme Court judge Pinaki Chandra Ghose is the country's first Lokpal, or the anti-corruption ombudsman. His appointment has been cleared by President Ram Nath Kovind. The other members of the Lokpal include four former High Court judges, including a woman judge, and four former civil servants. The selection was made weeks after the February-end deadline set by the Supreme Court. Justice Ghose's name was finalised and recommended by the Selection Committee led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi last week.

The panel to choose the candidates -- headed by the prime minister -- includes the Lok Sabha speaker, leader of the opposition in the lower house, the Chief Justice of India or any judge of the Supreme court he nominates, and an eminent jurist who could be nominated by the President or any other member. President Ram Nath Kovind nominated Mukul Rohatgi, a former Attorney General, as the ''eminent jurist''. Justice Ghose was appointed as the judge of the Calcutta High Court in 1997 and elevated to the Supreme Court in 2013. As the Chief Justice of the Andhra Pradesh High Court, he had convicted Sasikala, the live-in companion of former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, in a corruption case.

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Manohar Parrikar dies

Goa CM and former defense minister Manohar parrikar passes away on 17th March 2019 after prolong illness. He was 63. Parrikar was suffering from advanced pancreatic cancer and had been in and out of hospitals in Goa, Mumbai, New York and New Delhi over the past year.

“Extremely sorry to hear of the passing of Shri Manohar Parrikar, Chief Minister of Goa, after an illness borne with fortitude and dignity,” President Ram Nath Kovind tweeted. Hours earlier, Parrikar’s office had tweeted that his condition was “extremely critical” and “doctors are trying their best”.

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Valtteri Bottas wins F1 Australian Grand Prix 2019

Mercedes Finnish driver Valtteri Bottas wins the Formula One Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne on March 17, 2019. His three previous F1 wins – taken in Russia, Austria, and Abu Dhabi in 2017 – all followed a similar story: soaking up pressure throughout the race, remaining ice cool under pressure and holding on for victory. The winning margins of 0.617s, 0.658s and 3.899s at those respective races tell the story themselves.

The 29-year-old Finn could not buy a win last season and finished fifth in the drivers' championship as team mate Lewis Hamilton collected 11 on the way to his fifth title.

With young Frenchman Esteban Ocon waiting in the wings as Mercedes' reserve driver, Bottas went into the off-season hounded by doubts and with speculation over the security of his race seat. He passed the break getting drunk with friends at home, growing a beard, taking a turn in a rally car and nurturing a new photography hobby. The man that returned to Melbourne felt at peace enough to declare he was ready to beat anybody.

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Ajay Narayan Jha joins as Member Finance Commission

Ajay Narayan Jha on 1st March 2019 joined the Fifteenth Finance Commission as its Member. He joins in place of Shri Shaktikanta Das who had resigned as a Member of the Commission after being appointed as Governor, Reserve Bank of India. Prior to joining the Commission, Shri Jha, a 1982 batch IAS officer of Manipur cadre, was the Finance Secretary to the Government of India. Earlier he had also served as Secretary to the Fourteenth Finance Commission which was headed by former RBI Governor, Shri Y.V. Reddy.

The Fifteenth Finance Commission was constituted by a Presidential Order in November, 2017 under the Chairmanship of Shri N. K. Singh to decide the formula for devolution of revenue between Centre and States, for a period of 5 years – April, 2020 to March, 2025.

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PM Narendra Modi awarded Seoul Peace Prize 2019

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been honoured with the Seoul Peace Prize. The South Korean government has awarded the Seoul Peace Prize for PM Modi in recognition of his service to international cooperation, global growth and human development. The PM Modi dedicated the award to the people of India. He stated that the award belongs to the success India has seen in less than five years, powered by 1.5 billion people.

PM Modi is the 14th recipient of the award. Past winners of the Seoul Peace Prize include former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and international relief organisations like Doctors Without Borders and Oxfam.

The Seoul Peace Prize is sponsored by the Seoul Peace Prize Foundation. The Seoul Peace Prize was established in 1990 to commemorate the success of the 24th Olympic Games held in Seoul. The Seoul Peace Prize reflects the wishes of the Korean people and to crystallize their desire for everlasting peace on earth.  The awardee receives a diploma, a plaque and honorarium of US$200,000. The Seoul Peace Prize is awarded to Individuals or institutions which have made great contributions to the harmony of mankind and world peace in each field of endeavour around the world regardless of nation, race, religion, or ideology.

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Sushil Chandra takes over as new Election Commissioner

Sushil Chandra has assumed charge as the new Election Commissioner (EC) of India today on 15th of February 2019 and joins the Commission with Chief Election Commissioner Shri Sunil Arora and Election Commissioner Shri Ashok Lavasa. Born on 15th May 1957 Shri Chandra is a 1980 batch Indian Revenue Service Officer. In the IRS service Shri Chandra has rendered his service in various States viz; Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Delhi, Gujarat and Maharashtra.

Acquiring his academic proficiency from Roorkee University and LL.B. from D.A.V. College, Dehradun, Shri Chandra has worked extensively in the areas of International Taxation and Investigation at various places. Shri Chandra brings rich experience from his position of Director of Investigation, Mumbai and Director General (Investigation), Gujarat. Besides this, he has undergone various training programmes at Singapore, IIM Bangalore & Wharton. Prior to joining ECI Shri Chandra held the office of Chairman in Central Board of Direct Taxes, Department of Revenue, Ministry of Finance, and Government of India and was also Member (Investigation), C.B.D.T.

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George Fernandes passes away

Veteran Socialist leader and former Union Defence Minister George Fernandes passes away after Prolonged illness, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, senior cabinet ministers and political leaders mourn the passing away of the veteran leader, Bihar Govt. announces 2 Day State Mourning. Former Defence Minister in Vajpayee government, George Fernandes passed away on Tuesday at the age of 88.

Born in Karnataka's Mangalore on 3rd June 1930, George Fernandes was a veteran socialist leader and trade unionist. He rose to prominence in 1967 with a surprise victory over senior Congress leader SK Patil from South Bombay constituency. He organised many strikes and bandhs in Bombay in the 1950s and 1960s, the most notable among these was the All India Railway strike in 1974. Fernandes went underground in 1975, while challenging Prime Minister Indira Gandhi for imposing emergency. However, he was arrested later on.

In 1977, after the Emergency had been lifted, Fernandes won the Muzaffarpur seat in Bihar in absentia. He was appointed Union Minister for Industries in Morarji Desai's cabinet when the Janata Party took office in 1977. George Fernandes was among those leaders of anti-Congress politics, who led from front.

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Ashok Chakra Award 2019 to Lance Naik Nazir Ahmad Wani

Lance Naik Nazir Ahmad Wani, a militant-turned-soldier who laid down his life fighting a group of terrorists in Shopian in Kashmir in November, was awarded the Ashoka Chakra by President Ram Nath Kovind 26th january 2019. The award -- India’s highest peacetime gallantry honour -- was received by Wani’s wife and mother at the Republic Day celebrations at Rajpath. Wani is the first Kashmiri to be conferred the Ashoka Chakra. On November 25, 38-year-old Wani, hailing from Cheki Ashmuji in Kulgam district of Jammu and Kashmir, lost his life in a counter-terror operation against six terrorists in Hirapur village near Batgund in Shopian.

President Ram Nath Kovind has approved awards of 411 Gallantry and other Defence decorations  to Armed Forces personnel and others on the eve of the 70th Republic Day Celebrations.The awards  include one Ashoka Chakra, 4 Kirti Chakras, 11 Shaurya Chakras, 28 Param Vishisht Seva Medals, 3 Uttam Yudh Seva Medals, 51 Ati Vishisht Seva Medals, one Bar to Yudh Seva Medal, 9 Yudh Seva Medals, two Bar to Vishisht Seva Medals. Besides,  120 Vishisht Seva Medals and  six Bar to Sena Medals, 103 Sena Medals, 7 Nao Sena Medals , 2 Vayu Sena Medals, 5 Bar to Sena Medals, 35 Sena Medals, 9 Nao Sena Medals and 14 Vayu Sena Medals also included in the list.

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Bharat Ratna Award to Pranab Mukherjee, Nanaji Deshmukh and Bhupen Hazarika

Pranab Mukherjee, India's 13th President and one of the Congress' tallest leaders for decades, has been awarded the Bharat Ratna, the country's highest civilian honour. Along with Mr Mukherjee, social activist and one of the BJP's senior-most leaders Nanji Deshmukh and music maestro from Assam, Bhupen Hazarika, have been awarded posthumously.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said Nanaji Deshmukh's stellar contribution towards rural development showed the way for a new paradigm of empowering those living in the villages. In a series of tweets, Mr. Modi said, Nanaji Deshmukh personifies humility, compassion and service to the downtrodden and he is a Bharat Ratna in the truest sense.  The Prime Minister said the songs and music of Bhupen Hazarika are admired by people across generations and from them radiates the message of justice, harmony and brotherhood. He popularised India's musical traditions globally.  Mr. Modi said,  former President Pranab  Mukherjee is an outstanding statesman of our times and he has served the nation selflessly and tirelessly for decades, leaving a strong imprint on the nation's growth trajectory.  The Prime Minister said Mr. Mukherjee's wisdom and intellect have few parallels. 

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Padma Award 2019 Winners

Late actor Kader Khan, cricketer Gautam Gambhir, senior advocate HS Phoolka, scientist Nambi Narayanan, late journalist Kuldip Nayar, mountaineer Bachendri Pal and southern actor Mohanlal are among the 112 personalities selected for the Padma awards announced this evening ahead of India's 70th Republic Day celebrations. Of the 112 recipients, 21 are women and 11 foreigners or NRIs, three posthumous awardees and one transgender person.

Padma Vibhushan 2019 Winners: Folk artiste Teejan Bai, Djibouti's President Ismail Omar Guelleh, entrepreneur Anilkumar Manibhai Naik, and writer Balwant Moreshwar Purandare will receive the Padma Vibhushan, India's second-highest civilian honour, from President Ram Nath Kovind at the Rashtrapati Bhavan around March.

Padma Bhushan 2019 Winners:  Kuldip Nayar and Nambi Narayanan are among the 14 names picked for the Padma Bhushan award. 

Padma Bhushan 2019 Winners: The list of 94 Padma Shri awardees features actor Manoj Bajpayee, footballer Sunil Chhetri, choreographer/director Prabhu Deva, singer Shankar Mahadevan and freestyle wrestler Bajrang Punia.

Complete List of 112 Padma Award winners 2019.

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Piyush Goyal is New Finance Minister

Piyush Goyal Given Temporary Charge Of Finance Ministry Days Ahead Of Interim Budget on 23rd January 2019. Arun Jaitley to be minister without portfolio. Piyush Goyal already handles the railways and coal ministries. He will now also hold temporary charge of the finance and corporate affairs ministries, both of which were assigned to Arun Jaitley.

Arun Jaitley, who underwent a kidney transplant surgery last year, left for the United States for a medical check-up earlier this month. He has not yet returned. The Rashtrapati Bhavan in a satement said Arun Jaitley was “indisposed” and would remain a minister without portfolio.

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Anna Burns wins 2018 Booker Prize for her novel 'Milkman'

Author Anna Burns has won the Man Booker Prize 2018 for her novel 'Milkman', becoming the first author from Northern Ireland to win the most prestigious English-language literary award. Burns, 56, who was born in Belfast, is the 17th woman to bag the award in its 49-year history and the first woman since 2013. It was her third novel. 'Milkman', a coming of age story of a young woman's affair with a married man set in the political troubles of Northern Ireland, was named the winner at a lavish awards ceremony in London on Tuesday night. "None of us has ever read anything like this before. Anna Burns' utterly distinctive voice challenges conventional thinking and form in surprising and immersive prose," said Kwame Anthony Appiah, the chair of the 2018 judging panel.

Set in an unnamed city, 'Milkman' focuses on a "middle sister" as she navigates her way through rumour, social pressures and politics in a tight-knit community. Burns shows the dangerous and complex impact on a woman coming of age in a city at war. Unusually, in the book, the characters have designations rather than names. Burns explains: "The book didn't work with names. It lost power and atmosphere and turned into a lesser or perhaps just a different book. 'Milkman' is published by Faber & Faber, making it the fourth consecutive year the prize has been won by an independent publisher. Burns' win was announced by Kwame Anthony Appiah at a dinner at London's Guildhall. She was presented with a trophy by Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, and a 50,000 pounds cheque by Luke Ellis, Chief Executive of Man Group. The winning author also receives a designer bound edition of her book and a further 2,500 pounds for being short-listed.

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MJ Akbar resigns as minister

Minister of State for External Affairs M J Akbar resigned from his post. In a brief statement, Akbar said he had decided to seek justice in a court of law in his personal capacity, against a spate of allegations of inappropriate behaviour against him, relating to his days as a News Print editor. He said that he deemed it appropriate to step down from office and challenge the false accusations levied against him.

He thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj for giving him the opportunity to serve the country. Over the last fortnight, about 20 women have come forward to narrate experiences of alleged sexual harassment at the hands of Akbar.

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Physics Nobel Prize 2018 Winners

American scientist Arthur Ashkin, French engineer Gérard Mourou and Canadian professor Donna Strickland have been awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics for their work in the field of laser physics on 2nd October 2018. Dr. Ashkin has been awarded the Prize “for the optical tweezers and their application to biological systems,” stated the official Twitter handle of the Nobel Prize, given by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences.  Dr. Mourou and Dr. Strickland have been awarded “for their method of generating high-intensity, ultra-short optical pulses.”

• Nobel Prize 2018 Winners List, Names

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