Neeli Bendapudi first Woman To Be President Of US' Penn State University

Neeli Bendapudi, an Indian-origin academic, has become the first woman and person of colour to be named president of America's famed Pennsylvania State University, the educational institution announced on Thursday.

Ms Bendapudi is the president and professor of marketing at the University of Louisville in Kentucky. She was born in Visakhapatnam and moved to the United States for higher education in 1986.

The Penn State Board of Trustees overwhelmingly named her as the university's next president on December 9, according to a statement on the university's website

Kamal Bawa gets 2014 Midori Prize in Biodiversity

The founder president of the Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE) in Bangalore, will receive the prize with a cash award of $100,000 during the Oct 16-17 Conference of Parties (COP-12) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in South Korea.

The prize also honours his contributions to research in ecology of tropical forests, sustainable use of tropical forests, promoting engagement of civil society in conservation efforts, and for his leadership role in setting up ATREE.

Renowned historian Bipin Chandra passes away

A Padma Bhushan awardee, historian Bipin Chandra died at his residence after prolonged illness. He was 86.
He is considered as  a specialist in economic and political history of India, Chandra had authored several books including 'The Rise and Growth of Economic Nationalism', 'In the Name of Democracy: The JP Movement and the Emergency', 'Nationalism and Colonialism in Modern India' and 'The Making of Modern India: From Marx to Gandhi', among others.

The left leaning author had founded the journal 'Enquiry' and was a member of its editorial board for a long time.

Born in 1928 in Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh, Chandra studied at the Forman Christian College, Lahore, Stanford University, US and the University of Delhi.

He worked as the Reader at Hindu College of Delhi University and then became the professor of History at Jawaharlal Nehru University.

Chandra's text books on History have been taught in schools and colleges in the country for a long time. Chandra served as sectional President and then the general president of the Indian History Congress in 1985, was also awarded 'Itihas Ratna' on his 86th birthday in December this year, by the Asiatic Society of Bihar.

Next BRICS Summit to be held in Russia

The next year's BRICS Summit will be held in the Russian city of Ufa after the grouping's successful meeting in Brazil that saw an agreement being reached on establishing a development bank and a contingency reserve arrangement.

VHP leader Giriraj Kishore passes away

Vishwa Hindu Parishad leader Giriraj Kishore, who was actively associated with the Ram temple agitation, died here this evening following prolonged illness. He was 94.

Gujarat Gov Kamla Beniwal shifted to Mizoram

Gujarat Governor Kamla Beniwal was on 06-07-2014 night sent off to Mizoram in a reshuffle of Governors effected by the government.

87-year-old Beniwal, whose tenure ends in November, will take over from Vakkom Purushothaman.

Rajasthan Governor Margaret Alva, who will demit office exactly in a month, will shift to Ahmedabad to take additional charge.

Announcing these changes, a Rashtrapati Bhawan communique said Governor of Gujarat is transferred and appointed as Governor of Mizoram for the remainder of her term vice Vakkom Purushothaman.

Purushothaman is transferred and appointed as Governor of Nagaland for the remainder of his term, it said adding that he would also hold additional charge of the office of Governor of Tripura.

Alva, the Governor of Rajasthan would discharge the functions of Governor of Gujarat, in addition to her own duties, until regular arrangements for the office of the Governor of Gujarat are made.

Earlier there was speculation that new Governors would be appointed before the budget session of Parliament starting Monday in place of those who had quit. Many of them were asked by the new government to put in their papers.

Those who resigned after the government's signals are B L Joshi (Uttar Pradesh), M K Narayanan (West Bengal), Shekhar Dutt (Chhattisgarh), Ashwani Kumar (Nagaland) and B V Wanchoo (Goa). 

Source : http://www.ddinews.gov.in

Goa Governor B V Wanchoo resigned

The Goa Governor, Shri. B.V. Wanchoo resigned on 05-07-2014 resigned as Governor of Goa.

The resignation of Wanchoo, a former chief of elite Special Protection Group, will be sent to President Pranab Mukherjee for acceptance.

 Wanchoo was quizzed by CBI as a witness in connection with AgustaWestland deal bribery scandal as was Narayanan just before his resignatio

US names mountain after an Indian-American scientist

United States has named a mountain in Antarctia in honour of an eminent Indian-American scientist whose pioneering biological research expedition has provided critical data about animal populations.

Akhouri Sinha, adjunct professor in the Department of Genetics, Cell Biology and Development at the University of Minnesota, was recognised by the US Geological Survey, which named the mountain Mt Sinha, for his work he did as an explorer in 1971-72

Anandiben Patel sworn-in as Gujarat first woman CM

Anandiben Patel, a close Narendra Modi associate, was on  23rd sworn-in as first woman Chief Minister of Gujarat.

Naveen Patnaik sworn in as Odisha chief minister

Biju Janata Dal (BJD) president Naveen Patnaik was on 21-May-2014 sworn in as Odisha chief minister for the fourth straight term.

Governor SC Jamir administered the oath of office and secrecy to the 67-year-old leader at a ceremony attended by hundreds of party leaders, workers, officials and journalists at the Raj Bhavan in state capital Bhubaneswar.

Pawan Chamling becomes longest-serving CM in the country

Pawan Chamling was sworn in as Sikkim Chief Minister for a record fifth time along with 11 ministers by Governor Sriniwas Patil on 21-05-2014

Last week, SDF won the assembly polls by a two-third majority with 22 of its lawmakers being elected to the 32 member House.

In power since December 12, 1994, 63-year-old Mr Chamling has already completed two uninterrupted decades as the chief minister of Sikkim.

He surpasses the record of former West Bengal chief minister Jyoti Basu of being the longest serving chief minister of the country.Mr Basu had ruled West Bengal for 23 years from 1977 to 2000.

Rajendra Singh named "Solar Champion of Change" by White House

White House has named Indian-American professor Rajendra Singh as one of ten "Solar Champions of Change" who are taking the initiative to spur solar deployment across America.

Rajendra Singh is D. Houser Banks Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering and director of Clemson University's Centre of Silicon Nanoelectronics in South Carolina.

White House has named Indian-American professor Rajendra Singh as one of ten "Solar Champions of Change" who are taking the initiative to spur solar deployment across America.
Rajendra Singh is D. Houser Banks Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering and director of Clemson University's Centre of Silicon Nanoelectronics in South Carolina.
- See more at: http://www.ummid.com/news/2014/April/19.04.2014/solar-champ-of-year.html#sthash.GRlEflpc.dpuf

White House has named Indian-American professor Rajendra Singh as one of ten "Solar Champions of Change" who are taking the initiative to spur solar deployment across America.
Rajendra Singh is D. Houser Banks Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering and director of Clemson University's Centre of Silicon Nanoelectronics in South Carolina.
- See more at: http://www.ummid.com/news/2014/April/19.04.2014/solar-champ-of-year.html#sthash.GRlEflpc.dpuf

Nobel laureate Garcia Marquez died

Garcia Marquez, the Nobel laureate whose intoxicating novels and short stories exposed millions outside Latin America to its passions, superstition, violence and social inequality, has died at home in Mexico City. He was 87.


Gabriel José de la Concordia García Márquez; 6 March 1927 – 17 April 2014) was a Colombian novelist, short-story writer, screenwriter and journalist, known affectionately as Gabo throughout Latin America. Considered one of the most significant authors of the 20th century, he was awarded the 1972 Neustadt International Prize for Literature and the 1982 Nobel Prize in Literature

Navy Chief Admiral D.K. Joshi resigned

India’s navy chief, Admiral D.K. Joshi resigned as chief of the Indian navy, owning “moral responsibility for the accidents and incidents during the past few months”, the Defence Ministry said on 26-Feb-2014 Admiral Joshi is the first Indian military commander to have resigned since General Kodandera Subayya Thimmaiah in 1959 -- and the only to have his resignation accepted by the government. 

The naval chief's resignation came hours after a fire on board the newly-refitted Sindhuratna claimed the lives of two naval officers and injured seven -- the third in a series of submarine accidents, including an explosion on the Sindhurakshak which exploded and sank in Mumbai’s naval dockyard in August, 2013, killing 18 crew. Last month, the Sindhughosh ran ground on its way to Mumbai harbour, though without loss of life. 

Ms. Madhu Bhaduri 'quits' Aam Aadmi

Aam Aadmi ‘s founding member and former diplomat Ms. Madhu Bhaduri "distanced" quit herself from the party alleging that she was heckled at a meeting for introducing a resolution condemning Delhi Law Minister Somnath Bharti's role in a midnight raid, even as the outfit rubbished the charges.

The former diplomat said AAP  doesn't consider women as human beings

Ms. Bhaduri was a member of the party panel to chalk its foreign policy.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has, however, rubbished the allegations that she was heckled.

Vijay Bahuguna quits as Utterkhand CM

According the directions of the  the party high command, Vijay Bahuguna, the Chief Mininster of Utterkhand , submited his resignation to Governor Aziz Qureshi.

It is widely believed that Union Minister Harish Rawat has emerged as a strong contender to succeed him.

Mammen Mathew selected for prestigious journalism Lokmanya Tilak National Award

Mammen Mathew, The Chief Editor and Managing Director of Malayala Manorma , has been chosen for prestigious journalism award instituted by a trust founded by Lokamanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak on 31 December 2013. 

Current Affairs test 

Muriel “Mickie” Siebert, the first woman member of NYSK

The first woman member of the New York Stock Exchange, Muriel “Mickie” Siebert  died at the age of 80.She became the first woman member of the New York Stock Exchange in 1967.

Neelkanth A. Kalyani, founder of Kayani Group died

Babasaheb Neelkanth Kalyani,87,  was a great Indian businessman who serves as the chairman and managing director of Bharat Forge

Gujarat DGP Amitabh Pathak died in Thailand

Gujarat’s Director-General of Police Amitabh Pathak died on 23-Aug-2013 in Phuket, Thailand.