Veteran anti-apartheid activist Denis Goldberg dies
Denis Goldberg, the South African anti-apartheid campaigner who worked closely with Nelson Mandela, has died aged 87.
Goldberg was jailed in 1964 on treason charges and spent 22 years in a Pretoria prison.
His niece, Joy Noero, told the press he “died peacefully” in his home in Hout Bay, near Cape Town, after suffering from lung cancer.
Born in 1933 to a Jewish family who had emigrated from the UK, he faced antisemitic attacks at school and later said: "I understood that what was happening in South Africa with its racism was like the racism in Nazi Germany that we were supposed to be fighting against.
"You have to be involved one way or another. That's what I grew up with."
He was a lifelong supporter of the African National Congress and became a member of the armed wing, Umkhonto we Sizwe, when it was formed in 1961.
Google Pay has brought former Axis Bank CEO Shikha Sharma as an advisor on board
- The former banker Sharma will be a mentor at Google’s digital payment initiative – Google Pay.
- Sharma is now an independent director at four companies-- Tech Mahindra, Dr. Reddy’s Labs, Tata Global Beverages (which operates Starbucks chain in India) and Ambuja Cement.
- In 2018, the RBI had asked the country’s third-largest private bank Axis Bank to ‘reconsider’ extending their then CEO Shikha Sharma’s tenure.
Former Axis Bank CEO Shikha Sharma has been appointed as an advisor to Google Pay.
India's football legend Chuni Goswami passes away
Former India football captain Chuni Goswami, 82, passed away in Kolkata on Thursday after a prolonged illness. The captain of the 1962 Asian Games gold-medal winning team, Goswami had also represented Bengal in first-class cricket tournaments.
For the last few months, Goswami was suffering from underlying ailments with sugar, prostate, and nerve problems. His family confirmed that Goswami was admitted to a city hospital earlier in the day and breathed his last at 5 pm after cardiac arrest.
Under his captaincy, the Indian football team won gold at the 1962 Asian Games, finished runner-up at the Asian Cup in 1964, and narrowly lost to Burma in Merdeka football six months later. In club football, Goswami always played for Mohun Bagan. In his college days, he captained Calcutta University in both football and cricket in the same year.
Manipur doctor gets ‘Order of Rising Sun’ award from Japan
The Japanese government has conferred the ‘Order of Rising Sun’ award on a Manipur physician for promoting a better understanding of Japan in India and deepening ties between the two countries.
The ‘Order of the Rising Sun’ is conferred on persons with achievements in international relations, promotion of Japanese culture, environmental preservation, welfare or achievements in their fields
The award was constituted by Japanese Emperor Meiji in 1875.
Thangjam Dhabali Singh, a doctor by profession and founder of the Manipur Tourism Forum (MTF), was conferred the ‘Order of Rising Sun – Gold and Silver Rays’ by the Japanese government on Wednesday, said a statement.
Freedom fighter, Gandhian Hema Bharali dies
Freedom fighter and Gandhian Hema Bharali, known for her efforts to uplift the condition of women and empower the marginalised sections of society, died at her residence here on Wednesday morning due to old age related health issues, her close associates said.
She was 101 and a spinster.
Her last rites were performed with full state honours here.
Assam Governor Jagdish Mukhi condoled the death of the veteran freedom fighter and said that the state has lost a leading social worker and a Gandhian.
“Her life and works will continue to be a source of inspiration for the present and upcoming generations in the state,” he added.
Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal also expressed his deepest condolences.
“Saddened to hear the news of noted Gandhian leader, freedom fighter and Padma Shri awardee Hem Bharali aaita’s passing away. My heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family members,” he tweeted.
Born on February 19, 1919, Bharali had received the Padma Shri in 2005.
In 2006, she was awarded the National Communal Harmony Award by the National Foundation for Communal Harmony under the Ministry of Home Affairs.
She also received the Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed Memorial Award for National Integration from the Assam government.
Labour Day 2020: Wishes, quotes, images, status, why it is celebrated on May 1
May 1 is celebrated as International Labour Day 2020 or May Day 2020 across the world. In India, this day is also known as Labour Day, May Day, Shramik Divas and Mazdoor Divas and Kamghar Divas in Maharashtra. This day celebrates the contribution of the labour force in the development of the Indian economy. Labour Day or Shramik Divas is celebrated for labour rights and unity. Many countries like India observe this day as a public holiday. Labour unions across the country organise rallies and public gatherings to mark this day but this year that won't be possible due to the ongoing nationwide lockdown to contain COVID-19. Here are some wishes, quotes, images, status from our side that encapsulate the essence of this day perfectly:
- Work is no disgrace. Instead, the disgrace is idleness. Happy May Day 2020
- May Day is the day to salute the hard work and dedication of strong-willed souls around us. Wishing them a very happy Mayday.
- To all the good workers of society, we humbly thank you for your constant service to the nation. Happy international workers day to you.
- Those who enjoy their work can only do it correctly.- Aristotle
WIHG reveals 35 thousand-year history of river erosion in Ladakh Himalayas
Scientists and students from Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology (WIHG), an autonomous institute under the Department of Science &Technology,Govt. of Indiastudied rivers in Ladakh Himalaya, bringing out 35 thousand-year history of river erosion and identified hotspots of erosion and wide valleys that act a buffer zones.
The study showed how rivers in drier Ladakh Himalaya operated in longer time scales and how they responded to varying climate, an understanding of water and sediment routing,which is crucial as the country gears up its infrastructure and develops smart cities.
New simulation code helps study electric field structure in Earth’s Magnetosphere where satellites hover
Scientists at the Indian Institute of Geomagnetism (IIG) an autonomous institution of the Department of Science and Technology have developed a generalized one-dimensional fluid simulation code capable of studying a wide spectrum of coherent electric field structures in near-earth plasma environment or earth’s magnetosphere which can be useful in planning of future space missions.
The Earth’s magnetosphere is a vast region which has a finite number of satellites hurtling through this realm. Hence, the in situ observations are finite and discrete.
The morphology of the plasma processes around the satellite can be understood quite well. However, when they leave the observational domain of one satellite to enter into another, a vast blind arena is created. How the morphology of these processes changes over space and time can be ideally deciphered only through computer simulations.
This was the motivation for Dr. Ajay Lotekar to address the problem under the guidance of Dr. Amar Kakad from IIG.
India Appoints New Ambassadors To Qatar, Bahrain
Deepak Mittal has been appointed India’s next Ambassador to Qatar, while Piyush Srivastava goes to Bahrain in the same capacity, as per an official release of Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) issued on Wednesday.
Deepak Mittal is a Joint Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs. Mr Mittal has served as a Joint Secretary in Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Iran.
The new appointees are of the 1998 batch of Indian Foreign Service (IFS), and both of them are expected to take up their assignments shortly.
‘Vidya Deevena’ scheme to benefit 14 lakh college students in Andhra Pradesh
Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy on Tuesday launched ‘Jagananna Vidya Deevena’, a fee reimbursement scheme that would benefit 14 lakh college students in the State.
From the 2020–21 academic year, the fee reimbursement amount would be credited directly into the accounts of the mothers instead of that of the students in four instalments.
The government has released over ₹4,000 crore for the scheme and ₹1,880 crore more towards the pending dues.
Interacting with students through video-conference, the Chief Minister assured that the government was prioritising education and health and no family should fall into debt trap for education and health.
“Education is the only asset that we can offer to lakhs of students of the downtrodden families. If a student from each family completes the professional education and secures a good job, the lives of the family members will be better,” said Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy.