24 days ago
The famous dance scholar and critic Sunil Kothari died at the age of 87. He was born on 20 December 1933 and died on 27 December 2020. He was elected as a Fellow of Sangeet Natak Akademi.
Sunil Kothari:
In 2001, he was awarded the fourth highest civilian award, Padma Shri. He has authored 20 books on Indian classical dances, and has written extensively on Bharatanatyam, Kathak and Manipuri dance forms. His academic work, "Sattriya: Classical Dance of Assam", helps to deepen the understanding of dance forms in the national and global circuit. His other outstanding contributions include "New Directions of Indian Dance" and "Kuchipudi Indian Classical Dance Art". He was elected as a Fellow of Sangeet Natak Akademi.
Indian Classical Dances:
♦ Indian classical dance has two basic aspects:
♦ Tandava (action and rhythm), and Lasya (grace, bhava and rasa).
♦ Their three main components are:
- Natya: The dramatic element of dance, i.e., imitating the role.
- Nritta: Basic dance moves.
- Nritya: expressive component, namely mudra or gesture.
♦ The nine kinds of rasas are love, heroism, pathos, humour, anger, fear, disgust, wonder and peace.
♦ "Natya Shastra" by Bharat Muni is the most important material for Indian aestheticians to determine dance characteristics.
♦ There are 8 classical dances in India:
- Bharatnatyam (Tamil Nadu), Kathak (North India), Kathakali (Kerala), Mohiniyattam (Kerala), Kuchipudi (Andhra Pradesh), Odissi (Odisha), Sattriya (Assam), Manipuri (Manipur)
47 days ago
The administrator of Lakshadweep Dineshwar Sharma passed away on 4th December 2020. He died due to lung-related complications. He was 66 years old. He had offered long-lasting contributions to India's policing and security apparatus.
Dineshwar Sharma:
Sharma was a 1976-batch IPS officer. He belonged to the Kerala cadre. He was a former director of the Intelligence Bureau. He was appointed as the administrator of Lakshadweep in October 2019. Earlier, On 30th May 2017, he was appointed as the Indian government’s representative for peace talks with various groups in North-Eastern states. Later on 25th October, 2017, he was appointed as the union government's interlocutor for holding dialogue with the elected representatives, various organizations, and individuals concerned in Jammu and Kashmir. He has handled many sensitive counter-terror and insurgency operations during his policing career. In 1997, he was awarded the prestigious Indian Police Medal for meritorious service. Then, in 2003, he was awarded the President's Police Medal for Distinguished Service.
57 days ago
Argentina soccer legend Diego Maradona passed away on 25th November. He died at the age of 60. He died because of heart failure.
Diego Maradona
Diego Maradona was the captain when Argentina won the 1986 World Cup, in which he produced a series of Sublime individual performances. In the match, he scored the two famous goals in one game against England in the quarter-finals. He was considered the greatest soccer player ever. He was signed for 2 world record fees in his career when joining Barcelona and then later Napoli. He was one of the highest-paid players in the world.
71 days ago
Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Bahrain, His Royal Highness Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa, passed Away on 11th November 2020. He died at the age of 84. After his demise, Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa named crown prince Salman al-Khalifa as the new Prime Minister of the Kingdom.
Sheikh Khalifa:
Sheikh Khalifa was one of the world’s longest-serving Prime Ministers. The al-Khalifa family has ruled the Kingdom since 1783. He held the post since Bahrain’s independence in 1971. He lead the nation’s government for decades and survived the 2011 Arab Spring protests that demanded his removal over corruption allegations.
100 days ago
Former India football captain and midfielder Carlton Chapman passed away on 12 October, 2020. He died due to cardiac arrest. He was 49 years old.
About Carlton Chapman
Carlton Chapman formed a deadly trio at the club level with Bhaichung Bhutia and IM Vijayan in the 1990s. Carlton Chapman played for India between the years 1995 and 2001. India won the SAFF Cup in 1977 under the captainship of Chapman. He also had two successful matches with East Bengal and the other one with now-defunct JCT Mills at the club level. In 1993, Chapman joined East Bengal and scored a hat-trick in his team’s 6-2 win against Iraq club Al Zawra the Asian Cup Winners Cup that year.
Later after moving to JCT in 1995, Chapman won 14 trophies with the Punjab-based club, which includes the inaugural National Football League in 1996-97.He announced his retirement from his football profession in 2001. Chapman had been a coach for I-League 2nd Division club Tata Football Academy, Royal Wahingdoh FC of Shillong and Sudeva Moonlight FC of Delhi before and finally in 2017, He became the Technical Director of the Kozhikode-based Quartz International Football Academy.
109 days ago
The former judge and Acting Chief Justice of the Gujarat High Court (HC) Justice Anantkumar Surendraray Dave passed away on 5 October 2020. Before his retirement, Justice Anant Dave served as an Acting Chief Justice of the Gujarat HC before the incumbent Chief Justice Vikram Nath.
Justice A S Dave:
Justice A S Dave began his career as a lawyer in 1984. He has served as a standing counsel for the Government of India and as an Additional Government Pleader for the State Government. He also served as a Solicitor at the Gujarat HC, as a Legal Advisor for the Consumer Education and Research Centre, GE Board, the Sardar Sarovar Nigam Ltd, Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL), GSIC and the Panel of Gujarat High Court Legal Aid Services.
In 2004, Justice Dave was appointed as an HC Judge. In 2006, his post was made permanent. During his service, he dealt with the Sabarmati Express/ Godhra train burning case. Also, a Bench headed by Justice Dave commuted the death penalty for 11 of the convicts to a penalty of life imprisonment. In November 2018, Justice Dave was appointed an Acting Chief Justice and he held this office till September 2019.
118 days ago
Legendary singer SP Balasubrahmanyam passed away on 25 September after a long battle with the coronavirus. He died at the age of 74. He was an exceptional artist whose career spanned more than five decades. The veteran singer has sung over 40,000 songs in Tamil, Hindi, Telugu, Kannada, and Malayalam and in 16 Languages.
SP Balasubrahmanyam:
SP Balasubrahmanyam singer was popularly known as SPB. He had made his singing debut in 1966 with the Telugu movie Sri Sri Sri Maryada Ramanna. SPB gained the Nationwide Movie Award for Greatest Male Playback Singer six instances and the Filmfare Award seven times for his work throughout many industries. SPB holds the Guinness World Report for recording the best variety of songs by a singer. He was honoured with Padmashri in 2001 from the Authorities of India. He was awarded of the Padma Bhushan in 2011.
120 days ago
Minister of State (MoS) for Railways Suresh Angadi passed away on 23 September. He died of Covid-19, became the first union minister to succumb to the deadly virus. He was 65-year-old.
Suresh Angadi:
Suresh Angadi was born on 1 June 1955 in a Lingayat family in Koppa village in Belagavi. He graduated from SSS Samiti College of Commerce in the same district and did his law graduation from Raja Lakhamgouda Law College in Belagavi. He was a businessman by profession. His political career began in 1996. He was appointed as BJP vice president in Belagavi in that year. He was elected as MP in the Lok Sabha election for Four terms in 2004, 2009, 2014 and 2019. He was made Union Minister of State for Railways.
Angadi played a vital role in pushing through the long pending Bengaluru suburban rail service. The Rs.15,990 crore project was aimed to connect 148.17km of the city through four corridors. The estimated deadline of the project is 2025.
135 days ago
Govind Swarup passed away on 7 September 2020. He died due to age-related health complications. He was 91 years old. He is widely recognized as the ‘Father of Indian Radio Astronomy.’
Govind Swarup:
Govind Swarup was the founding director of the Pune-based National Centre for Radio Astrophysics (NCRA) of the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR). Swarup made remarkable contributions to the field of radio astronomy through his career. He established the first research groups and equipment in the field in India. He discovered ‘type-U’ solar busts and developed the gyro-radiation model for microwave solar emissions. He also built the Ooty Radio Telescope and the Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT) array in Pune. In 1973, Swarup was awarded the Padma Shri for his contributions. In 1972, he received the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize. In 2007, the Khwarizmi International Award in 1999, and the Grote Reber Medal.
143 days ago
Former President Pranab Mukherjee passed away on 31 August 2020. He was 84 years old. He passed away due to ill health. He was one of the most admired political leaders in India.
Pranab Mukherjee:
The veteran Congress leader Pranab Mukherjee has five decades-long political career. Before his political career, Mukherjee worked as a teacher and journalist. He served as a Member of Parliament seven times, serving in the cabinet of several prime ministers. His political career started in 1969, when he was elected to the Rajya Sabha during the period of the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. He served as the Leader of the Lok Sabha from 2004-2012.
From 2006 to 2009, Mukherjee served as the Minister of External Affairs. He then became the Minister of Defence (2004-2006), and as the Minister of Finance from 2009-2012. In 2012, Mukherjee was elected as the President of India. He served as the 13th President of India from 2012 to 2017. The great leader was awarded Padma Vibhushan, India's second highest civilian award in 2008 and Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian award in 2019.
157 days ago
Uttar Pradesh Cabinet Minister and one of Indian cricket's most well-known openers, Chetan Chauhan passed away on 15th August from COVID-19 related complications. He died at the age of 73. He was currently serving as the Minister of Sainik Welfare, Home Guards, and Civil Security in the UP cabinet.
Chetan Chauhan:
Chetan Chauhan played 40 Tests for India. He was the longest-serving opening partner of the legendary batsman Sunil Gavaskar. After retiring from cricket, Chauhan served in the Delhi and Districts Cricket Association (DDCA) and held various positions like the president, vice-president, secretary, and chief selector. He also served as the Manager of the Indian Team during its tour of Australia in 2001. He was elected as a Member of Lok Sabha twice from Amroha in Uttar Pradesh, in 1991 and 1998. Chauhan was honoured with the Arjuna Award in the year 1981.
170 days ago
Ebrahim Alkazi, the first Director of the National School of Drama (NSD), passed away on 4th August 2020. Alkazi was considered as the Father of modern Indian theatre. He was 94 years old. He was also an art connoisseur, collector, and gallery owner. Alkazi founded the Art Heritage Gallery in New Delhi.
Ebrahim Alkazi:
Ebrahim Alkazi assumed charge of the National School of Drama in the year 1962. He was the longest-serving director of the school. He produced several plays like Girish Karnad’s Tughlaq and Dharamvir Bharati’s Andha Yug, and many Greek and Shakespearean plays. He has also mentored generations of actors, including Naseeruddin Shah, Om Puri, Rohini Hattangadi, Surekha Sikri, and Pankaj Kapoor. Alkazi, the former NSD directors is remembered for his love of art, being a collector, and for founding the Art Heritage Gallery in Delhi with his wife Roshan Alkazi.
175 days ago
Padma Shri awardee Sonam Tshering Lepcha passed away on 30 July. He was 92 years old. The Folk musician died due to the old age ailments and suffered a cardiac arrest. He is a multi-faceted personality and made outstanding efforts to popularise the great Lepcha culture.
Sonam Tshering Lepcha:
Lepcha was born in 1928 in Kalimpong, West Bengal. He began his career as a soldier. He travelled to various parts of Sikkim. He compiled a wide range of Indian folk and traditional Lepcha songs and played folk music on All India Radio (AIR) in 1960. Lepcha was highly revered in Sikkim. He played a vital role in reviving Lepcha culture and outstanding efforts to popularise the great Lepcha culture. It is an indigenous culture in Sikkim. In 2007, he was awarded the Padma Shri for his contribution in the field of folk music.
184 days ago
Lalji Tandon, Governor of Madhya Pradesh, passed away on 21 June 2020 due to illness. He was 85 years old. Lalji Tandon has played a vital role in strengthening the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Uttar Pradesh. Tandon has made a mark as an effective administrator. Madhya Pradesh government has declared a five-day mourning period from 21-25 July 2020.
Lal Ji Tandon:
Lal Ji Tandon served as the Governor of Bihar between August 2018 and July 2019 when he took over as the Governor of Madhya Pradesh. Lal Ji Tandon began his career from his hometown Lucknow in the 1970s. He had served as a state minister in Uttar Pradesh several times between 1991 and 2003. In June 2020, when Lal Ji Tandon was admitted to hospital due to illness, Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel took additional charge of Madhya Pradesh.
230 days ago
Former Delhi Police commissioner Ved Marwah passed away on 5 June 2020. He was 87 years old. The former Governor of Mizoram, Manipur, and Jharkhand also served as the director-general of the National Security Guard (NSG), and as an adviser to governors in J&K and Bihar.
Ved Marwah:
Ved Marwah served as the police commissioner of Delhi from 1985-88. He then served as the third director-general of NSG from 1988-90. Marwah served as the governor of Manipur from 1999- 2003, Mizoram from 2000-2001, and Jharkhand from 2003-2004. He was on the governing council of the Asian Academy Of Film And Television. He has authored a book titled "Uncivil Wars: Pathology of Terrorism in India".
240 days ago
The three-time Olympic gold medal-winning hockey legend Balbir Singh Senior passed away on 25 May due to ill health. He was 95-years old. He is regarded as one of the greatest sportspersons to have represented India.
Balbir Singh:
Balbir Singh is one of the country's greatest athletes. He was the only Indian among 16 legends chosen by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) across modern Olympic history. Balbir Singh captained India at the 1956 Olympic Games. He set the world record for most goals scored by an individual in the men's hockey final of the Olympics. The record is still unbeaten.
He became the first hockey player to receive the Padma Shri in 1957. In 1977, his autobiography 'The Golden Hat Trick: My Hockey Days' was released. After his hockey career, he served as Secretary of the Punjab State Sports Council and Director of Sports in the Punjab Government. He retired from his duty in 1992.
263 days ago
Former Chief Justice of Chhattisgarh High Court Justice Ajay Kumar Tripathi (retd) passed away on 2 May. He was 62 years old. He died after suffering cardiac arrest at AIIMS in Delhi. He was tested positive for coronavirus on 2 April.
Justice Ajay Kumar Tripathi:
Justice Ajay Kumar Tripathi was born on 12 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 began to practice law at Patna High Court. On 9 October 2006. he was elevated as an Additional Judge Patna High Court and he took oath as Permanent Judge of the High Court on 21 November 2007. On 7 July 2018, he was sworn in as the Chief Justice of Chhattisgarh High Court. On 27 March 2019, he took oath as a Judicial Member of Lokpal of India. He played a vital role in setting up the Institution of Lokpal of India with his innovative ideas and inputs.
267 days ago
Veteran actor Rishi Kapoor passed away in Mumbai on 30 April. He died at the age of 67. He died due to ill health. The actor was admitted to the Sir HN Reliance Foundation Hospital. Rishi was diagnosed with cancer in 2018.
Rishi Kapoor:
Rishi Kapoor entered the Indian cinema scene with his first film Mera Naam Joker. He played the role of a child artist in the movie. The actor received a National Award for his role in the movie Mera Naam Joker. In 1973, Rishi made his film debut as an adult, with Actor Bobby in Dimple Kapadia. With this film, Kapoor became an overnight star and the country's new hero.
Rishi's last Bollywood film was the 2018 film 102 Not Out alongside Amitabh Bachchan. He was last seen in the web series The Body on Netflix. He had also shot for a film in Delhi earlier in 2020.
268 days ago
One of Bollywood's most beloved stars Irrfan Khan passed away on 29 April 2020. He died at the age of 53. He died due to neuroendocrine tumour, a type of cancer. He was diagnosed with the disease in March 2018. Khan went to the United Kingdom for treatment and had returned to India in 2019.
Irfaan Khan's last movie was 'Angrezi Medium.' His most famous films include the Academy Award-nominated Salaam Bombay!, Maqbool (2004), Paan Singh Tomar (2011), The Lunchbox (2013), Haider (2014), Gunday (2014), Piku (2015) and Talvar (2015) and Hindi Medium (2017).
268 days ago
The former Brighton and Liverpool striker Michael Robinson passed away on 28 April. He was 61-years-old. He was diagnosed with skin cancer in 2018.
Michael Robinson:
Robinson helped Liverpool squad to win the league title, European Cup and League Cup with the Reds in 1983-84. He also played for Preston, Manchester City, Brighton, and Queens Park Rangers club. In the year 1989, he finished his career with La Liga club Osasuna, the Spanish football team. He had an award-winning broadcasting career in Spain Robinson has won 24 caps in total for the Republic of Ireland, scoring four goals.
277 days ago
BMW Group President and CEO Rudratej Singh passed away on 20 April due to cardiac arrest. He was 46 years old.
Rudratej Singh:
Rudratej Singh joined BMW Group in August 2019. He had more than 25 years of experience. Singh held multiple leadership positions both in the automotive and non-automotive industries. He was the Global President at Royal Enfield and before that he worked with Unilever in India and international markets for over 16 years.
287 days ago
Veteran leader and Congressmen Ramkrishna Dwivedi passed away on 10 April. He died at the age of 87 years old. He died due to prolonged illness.
Ramkrishna Dwivedi:
Diwedi went to jail as a student during the Quit India Movement. Since 1989, he also headed UPCC's disciplinary committee for 15 years and stood with the party.
Pandit Ramkrishna Dwivedi is known as a land leader for the public and Congress workers. He served as the state Home Minister in Pandit Kamalapati Tripathi’s government in Uttar Pradesh. He was devoted to the Congress and fought for the Congress. He was instrumental in other Congress organizations including the National Students' Union of India (NSUI) and Youth Congress. He was the favorite and most trusted confidant member of congress when Indira Gandhi served as the Prime Minister of India. He was expelled by the Congress party on charges of indiscipline.
296 days ago
French football club Olympique de Marseille's former President Pape Diouf passed away at the age of 68. He died due to complications from COVID-19 on 31 March.
Pape Diouf:
Diouf served as the President of Ligue 1 club Marseille between 2005 and 2009. Prior to this, he worked as a journalist, covering the exploits of Marseille's football team among other sports. He then became a player and agent with Marseille.
As a world agent, Diouf represented some major names in the football world including Basile Boli, Didier Drogba, Joseph-Antoine Bell, Marcel Desailly, William Gallas, Samir Nasri. In January 2005, he was named Marseille's president.
298 days ago
Air Vice-Marshal (Retd.) Chandan Singh Rathore passed away on 29 March. He was 95-years old. The Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has condoled the demise of Chandan Singh Rathore.
Chandan Singh Rathore:
Rathore was at the forefront of air operations conducted for the liberation of Bangladesh, during the war with Pakistan. He was responsible for the planning and execution of the special helicopter operations to airlift two companies of troops of the Sylhet area.
On 7-8 December 1971, he flew 8 missions, deep into enemy territory to supervise the progress of the helicopter airlift and to guide and inspire his pilots who were facing heavy opposition. Rathore had distinguished himself as a young air warrior during the Sino-India 1962 war and the 1971 Indo-Pak war.
301 days ago
The chief of Brahmakumaris Sansthan, Rajyogini Dadi Janki, passed away at the age of 104 due to prolonged illness on 27 March. PM Narendra Modi expressed his grief over her demise.
Rajyogini Dadi Janki:
Rajyogini Dadi Janki was born on 1 January 1916 in Hyderabad which is located in Sindh province (now in Pakistan). She began her spiritual journey at the age of 21.
She moved to western countries to establish Indian philosophy, Raj Yoga and human values in the 1970s. She set up Seva Kendras in 140 countries across the world. The chief administrators at 8,000 of such centres are women. She served as the chief of Brahmakumaris Sansthan which is the world's largest spiritual organization run by women. Over 20 lakh people, including 46,000 women are associated with Brahamkumaris.
GoI appointed Janki as the brand ambassador of Swachh Bharat Abhiyan (Clean India Mission) because of her work in the field of maintaining cleanliness.
301 days ago
Renowned artist and architect Satish Gujral passed away on 26 March. He was 94-years old. He died due to illness. PM Narendra Modi condoled his demise.
Satish Gujral:
Satish Gujral was an architect, painter, muralist, sculptor and graphic artist. He was admired for his creativity and determination with which he overcame many adversities. The alphabet mural on the outside wall of the Delhi High Court is one of his famous works. He is the one who designed the Belgian Embassy in Delhi are few of his famous work. In 1999, he was awarded Padma Vibhushan, India's second-highest civilian honour. He was conferred the NDTV Indian of the Year Award in the year 2014.
303 days ago
Albert Uderzo passed away on 24 March 2020. He died at the age of 92. He died due to a heart attack. He was the co-creator and illustrator behind the hugely popular of the Asterix comic books.
Albert Uderzo:
Albert Uderzo is a French comic book artist. He was born on 25 April 1927 in Fismes, France. He created the beloved Asterix comics in 1959 in collaboration with René Goscinny. The famous character was sold worldwide with more than 370m albums, 11 films, and an Asterix theme park. In 1985, he was awarded the Knight of the Legion of Honour. In 2005, he was inducted into the Eisner Award Hall of Fame, US and in 2007 he was awarded the Knight of the Order of the Netherlands Lion.
305 days ago
Veteran Tamil director Meenakshisundaram Ramasamy Viswanathan passed away due to kidney failure on 22 March in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. He was 74 years old.
Meenakshisundaram Ramasamy Viswanathan:
Viswanathan is popularly known as Visu in the Tamil film industry. Visu started his career working as an assistant under filmmaker K Balachander. In 1977, he directed his first movie Pattina Pravesam. He was known for his message-driven family dramas.
He directed many blockbusters like Samsaram Adhu Minsaaram, Thirumathi Oru Vegumathi, Ketti Melam, Vaai Sollil Veerandi, Penmani Aval Kanmani, Rajathandhiram, Dowry Kalyanam, Sakalakaala Sambandhi, among others. Also, he has acted in movies like Oomai Vizhigal, Veedu Manaivi Makkal, and Vanaja Girija, etc. Apart from acting, directing, and writing, he was known for hosting live-debates on television.
315 days ago
Veteran Bengali actor Santu Mukhopadhyay passed away on 11 March at South Kolkata. He was 69 years old. He died due to prolonged ailments. He was known for his works in films such as Sansar Simante and Bhalobasa Bhalobasa. He had been suffering from carcinoma and was admitted to a hospital with blood sugar and hypertension.
Santu Mukhopadhyay:
Santu Mukhopadhyay was born in Kolkata in 1951. He became popular when he was in the early 20s with films like Sansar Simante and Raja by Tarun Majumder and Tapan Sinha, respectively. He became famous for films like Ganadevata and Byapika Biday. His other memorable works include Bhalobasa Bhalobasa, Hemanter Pakhi, Dadamoni and Baikunther Will.
319 days ago
Yanagundi Matha Manikeshwari passed away at Yanagundi of Kalaburagi district, Karnataka, on 8 March. She died due to prolonged illness. She was 87 years old. Matha Manikeshwari had millions of devotees in various states, including Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and Maharashtra.
Sri Matha Manikeshwari:
Sri Matha Manikeshwari was born to Buggappa and Ashamma at Mallabad village, Kalaburagi district, Karnataka, on 27 July 1934. She was involved in spiritual life deeply and did not show any interest in married life. She started practising yoga and dhyana and said prayers to Sri Mallikarjun Swamy of Srisailam. She lived in a cave on top of the hillock at Yanagundi. She has established a total of 108 ashramas in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana.
329 days ago
Renowned Vedic Scholar Sudhakar Chaturvedi passed away in Bengaluru on 27 February. He was believed to be 122-years-old.
Sudhakar Chaturvedi:
Sudhakar Chaturvedi was claimed to be born on 20 April 1897 in Kyatsandra near Tumkur as Sudhakar Krishna Rao. He moved to Bengaluru after his father became an inspector in the city with the education. The Gandhian was given the title Chaturvedi for his mastery and expertise over the four Vedas. He was greatly influenced by Mahatma Gandhi and the Arya Samaj movement. He wrote over 50 spiritual books in four languages. He spent his last few years in the teaching of Vedas to young enthusiasts.
331 days ago
Former President of Egypt, Hosni Mubarak, passed away. He was 91-years-old. The funeral took place in an eastern suburb of Cairo on 26 February.
Hosni Mubarak:
On 14 October 1981, he became Vice President of Egypt. In 1981, he was sworn in as the fourth president of Egypt. He succeeded Anwar Sadat, who was assassinated by Islamist militants during a military parade. He was seen as a steady hand and a reliable U.S. partner against Islamic extremism. In 1990-1991, he sent troops as part of the US-led coalition in the Gulf war and contributed to efforts to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Mubarak was removed after a popular revolution, "Arab Spring revolution", in 2011. Mubarak was jailed in 2012 for the deaths of protesters during the 18-day revolt and for corruption. He was freed in 2017 after being acquitted of most charges.
Egypt:
President: Abdel Fattah el-Sisi
Prime Minister: Mostafa Madbouly
Capital: Cairo
Currency: Egyptian pound (E£)
National language: Egyptian Arabic
334 days ago
Academic-turned-politician, Krishna Bose, passed away in West Bengal due to cardiac arrest. She was 89 years old. She served as a Member of Parliament elected from the Jadavpur constituency in West Bengal as an All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) candidate.
Krishna Bose:
Krishna Bose was the daughter-in-law of Subhash Chandra Bose's elder brother Sarat Chandra Bose. She taught at the City College in Kolkata. She was elected to the Lok Sabha thrice. She gave an immense contribution to Indian society and Bengali culture. she was a revered social reformer, renowned poet and a courageous educationalist. The former MP was married to Sisir Kumar Bose, nephew of Subhas Chandra Bose.
338 days ago
Former Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI) President Dr. V L Dutt passed away on 18 February.
V L Dutt:
V L Dutt headed FICCI in 1991-92. He was the chairman of the India Vietnam Joint Business Council of FICCI. He graduated from the Business Institute of Management, London. He served as the chairman of The K C P Group of companies. He was awarded an honorary degree of doctor of letters by the Nagarjuna University. The award recognized his outstanding contribution in the area of rural development, medical care, education, and industry. He also served as the honorary consul general of the Republic of Turkey in Chennai.
338 days ago
Veteran Kannada actor Kishori Ballal passed away on 18 February 2020. She was 82 years old. She passed away due to age-related ailments in Bengaluru. She has acted in around 75 movies including her role in Shah Rukh Khan starrer "Swades".
Kishori Ballal:
Kishori Ballal was born in Dakshina Kannada district. She was married to Bharatanatyam dancer N. Sripathi Ballal. She made her debut in the 1960's with Ivalentha Hendathi. She acted in many movies across different languages such as Kahi, Hani Hani, Suryakanthi, Carry On Maratha and Quick Gun Murugun.
343 days ago
Former TERI chief RK Pachauri, 79, passed away on 13 February due to a prolonged battle against heart illness.
RK Pachauri:
RK Pachauri played a pivotal role in growing the New Delhi-based The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) and making it a premier global organization in the sustainability space. He was the founder-director and former chairman of the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). He became chief executive of TERI in 1981 and headed TERI for more than three decades.
IPCC got the Nobel Peace Prize jointly with former US vice-president A1 Gore under the leadership of Pachauri. The prize recognized IPCC's efforts to build and disseminate greater knowledge about man-made climate change. He headed the body from 2002 to 2015. Pachauri resigned from Teri in 2015.
361 days ago
Famous Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant (Retd.), 41, died in a helicopter crash near Calabasas, California on 26 January 2020. Nine people died as the helicopter crashed in rough terrain. Kobe's daughter Gianna, 13, was also on board and died in the crash. The National Transportation Safety Board said it could take several days to recover bodies from the crash site as it is difficult to access and that firefighters need to hike to the area.
Other victims:
The other victims of the helicopter crash included a longtime baseball coach at Orange Coast College, a junior college in Costa Mesa. California, John Altobelli, Altobelli's wife, Keri, and daughter Alyssa.
363 days ago
Veteran film producer Vinay Sinha passed away on 24 January 2020. He directed famous films like Andaz Apna Apna and Rafoo Chakkar. The cause of death was unknown.
Vinay Kumar Sinha:
Vinay Kumar Sinha was the vice president of the Indian Motion Picture Producers' Association. His movie Andaz Apna Apna received a classic status among the Hindi audiences. Vinay Sinha also produced films like Rafoo Chakkar and Chor Police and a few TV shows.
374 days ago
Odia Filmmaker Manmohan Mohapatra passed away on 13 January in Bhubaneswar, Odisha. He died due to the prolonged illness. He was 69-years-old.
Manmohan Mohapatra:
Mohapatra was born in 1951. He studied filmmaking at the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) in Pune. He made his first short film 'Anti-Memoirs' in 1975. In 1976, his first film 'Sita Rati' won him the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in Odia. Mohapatra directed a few Hindi films including Bits and Pieces. The veteran filmmaker directed documentaries namely Voices of Silence and Konark: The Sun Temple.
Awards:
He had won eight consecutive National Awards for his films Sita Rati, Majhi Pahacha, Nisiddha Swapna, Klanta Aparanha, Niraba Jhada, Bhinna Samaya. His work Niraba Jhada won a National Award. Mohapatra received the Best Director Award for Odia film Bhija Matira Swarga recently.
377 days ago
His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said Al Said of Oman passed away on 10 January 2020. He was 79 years old. He was the Arab world's longest-serving ruler. The cause of death has not been confirmed. His cousin and former culture and heritage minister Haitham bin Tariq Al Said have been sworn in as his successor.
Sultan of Oman:
In Oman, the Sultan is the paramount decision-maker. He also holds the positions of Prime Minister, Supreme Commander of the armed forces, Minister of defence, Minister of foreign affairs, and Minister of finance.
Sultan Qaboos bin Said Al Said:
Sultan Qaboos bin Said Al Said overthrew his father, Said bin Taimur, in a bloodless coup at the age of 29 and ruled Oman for five decades. He was a graduate of the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst in England. He served in the British army. Being a charismatic and visionary leader he established a modern government and used oil money to develop the country.
377 days ago
The former parliamentarian Gopinath Gajapati Narayan Deo passed away on 10 January 2020. He died due to prolonged illness. He was 76 years old. In 2017, the Odisha government announced that it would bear all expenses of his treatment.
Gopinath Gajapati Narayan Deo:
Narayan Deo was born on 6 March 1943. He had represented the Berhampur parliamentary constituency for two terms as a Congress member. In 1998, he switched over to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and joined the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) in 2009.
380 days ago
One of India's best-known artists, Akbar Padamsee passed away in Coimbatore on 6 January 2020. He was 91 years old.
Akbar Padamsee:
Akbar Padamsee was born in Mumbai in 1928. He earned a Diploma in Painting from Sir JJ School of Art. He was one of the pioneers of modern Indian art along with S.H. Raza, F.N. Souza, and M.F. Husain. He was also part of the Progressive Artists' Group. He was renowned for his famous artworks like metascape, Syzygy, Portrait of Husain, Jeune femme aux Cheveux noirs, la tête inclinée, Metascape - III. He won many honours, including a gold medal from the Lalit Kala Akademi, and the Padma Bhushan in 2010.
381 days ago
Former Western Army Commander Lieutenant general Prem Nath Hoon passed away on 6 January 2020. He was 90 years old. Lt Gen Hoon was admitted to Command Hospital, Chandimandir, Panchkula due to illness.
Lieutenant general Prem Nath Hoon:
Prem Nath was born in Abbottabad, pre-partition India on 4 October 1929. Lt Gen Prem Nath Hoon started his career in the Indian Army and led Operation Meghdoot, the code-name for the Indian Armed Forces operation to capture the Siachen Glacier in the Kashmir region, precipitating the Siachen Conflict. The operation resulted in Indian troops gained control of the entire Siachen Glacier. He played a very important role in the war against Pakistan in 1984. He commanded the Western Army headquartered at Chandimandir during one of the biggest military exercises of the sub-continent, Operation Brasstacks, through parts of 1986 and 1987.
He authored a book called The Untold Truth wherein he had claimed that a coup d’etat had been planned by certain elements to topple the then prime minister Rajiv Gandhi's government in 1987. After retirement, he was associated with Balasaheb Thackeray's Shiv Sena. He held the post of the Director-General of Sena's ex-servicemen wing.
382 days ago
Former Karnataka Governor TN Chaturvedi passed away on 5 January 2020. He was 90 years old. He was appointed as the 14th Governor of Karnataka in 2002 by the NDA government headed by Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
TN Chaturvedi:
Triloki Nath Chaturvedi was an officer of the Indian Administrative Service (IAS). After retirement from IAS, Chaturvedi held the office of Comptroller and Auditor General of India from 1984 to 1989.
In 1991, he was awarded the Padma Vibhushan. He became Governor of Karnataka on 21 August 2002. He served as the Governor of Karnataka from 2002-2007. He also served as the Governor of Kerala from 25 February 2004, following the death of Sikander Bakht, until June 2004, when he was replaced by a newly appointed governor. Chaturvedi was highly recognized for his role as Karnataka Governor.
401 days ago
Veteran actor Shriram Lagoo passed away on 17 December. Lagoo died of cardiac arrest in Pune. He was 92 years old.
Shriram Lagoo:
Lagoo was born in 1927 in Satara, Maharashtra. He was trained as an ENT surgeon by profession. He played an important role in the growth of theatre movement in Maharashtra along with Vijay Tendulkar, Vijaya Mehta, and Arvind Deshpande.
Lagoo essayed memorable roles in Bollywood films like Muqaddar Ka Sikandar, Ek Din Achanak, Gharonda, and Laawaris. He played Gopal Krishna Gokhale in the movie Gandhi. He has also been a part of various TV shows. Gulmohar West, Karamati, Thhoda Sa Aasman, Waqt Ki Raftar, Lokmanya, Jugal Bandhi, and Uppanyas are some of his notable works on television.
402 days ago
The former Union minister and veteran BJP leader Ishwar Dayal Swami passed away on 15 December. He died due to a brief ailment. He was 90-years-old. He is survived by a son and 3 daughters.
Ishwar Dayal Swami:
Swami was a bureaucrat-turned- politician. He served as the Union minister of state for home affairs in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government in 1999.
Ishwar Dayal Swami won his first Lok Sabha election in 1996. He was re-elected in 1999 and made Union Minister of State for Home in A.B. Vajpayee's National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government.
407 days ago
Tara Sinha, the founder of ad agencies Clarion and Tara Sinha Associates, passed away on 11 December 2019 in Mumbai, Maharashtra. She was 88 years old. She was the first woman to set up a national advertising agency in India.
Tara Sinha:
Sinha completed the advertising diploma in the early 1950s from London. She joined DJ Keymer, Kolkata. In 1955, Sinha and others launched Clarion. She became its first director at 23.
Sinha had good client and agency experience having worked at Coca-Cola in the 1970s and early 1980s. Tara Sinha Associates was launched in 1985. Sinha was a fearless woman, who spoke her mind and never hesitated to take tough decisions. Her career acquired skills across the marketing, advertising, and research spectrum, working with some of the best brands in fast-moving consumer goods.
407 days ago
George Laurer, the US engineer who helped develop the barcode, has passed away at the age of 94.
George Laurer:
Mr. Laurer has been recognized as the co-inventor of the Universal Product Code (UPC) or barcode. It is found on millions of products, services, and other items for identification. When he was working as an electrical engineer with IBM, he developed UPC or barcode. He developed a scanner that could digitally read codes. He used stripes to print the codes.
The first product that was scanned was a packet of Wrigley's Juicy Fruit chewing gum. It took place in June 1974 in Ohio.
419 days ago
American rock climber Brad Gobright passed away after falling off a mountain in Mexico. He was 31 years old. He fell on an almost sheer face known as El Sendero Luminoso on the El Toro Mountain in the El Portrero Chico, Monterrey. He fell about 300 metres (1,000ft). The area was marked as inaccessible by the civil defense office.
Brad Gobright:
Brad was one of the world's most renowned rock climbers. He began climbing when he was 6 years old. He set a speed record of 2 hours 19 minutes and 44 seconds for The Nose on El Capitan in 2017 along with Jim Reynolds.
420 days ago
Former Japanese Prime Minister Yasuhiro Nakasone passed away. He was 101 years old. He is known for his friendship with the 40th U.S. President Ronald Reagan. He was one of Japan's longest-reigning premiers.
Yasuhiro Nakasone:
Nakasone served as the Prime Minister of Japan from 1982 to 1987. His reign boosted Japan's global profile. He was on 27 May 1918 in Takasaki, northwest of Tokyo. He was graduated from Tokyo University. He entered the Home Ministry in 1941.
He broke the unwritten rule on limiting the annual defence budget to 1% of gross national product (GNP). Nakasone was the first Japanese premier to officially visit South Korea in 1983.
Nakasone pursued domestic reforms by privatizing Japan's state-run railway, tobacco, and telecommunications monopolies. He won a rare fifth year in office after leading his Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) in 1986 elections. In 2003, he was forced to retire when he was 85 along with other elder statesmen by then-prime minister Junichiro Koizumi along with the elderly politicians.
