(Current Affairs) Person in News | February: 2014

Person in News

APPOINTED

DEATH

ACCUSED/RESIGNED/CONTROVERSY

HONOUR

BOOKS/AUTHORS

VARIOUS

APPOINTED

M. Veerappa Moily

Marpadi Veerappa Moily , the petroleum and natural gas Minister on 24 December 2013 took an additional charge of the Environment and Forests Ministry after the exit of Jayanthi Natarajan. The last Environment minister from congress was Jayanthi Natarajan. Marpadi Veerappa Moily (born 12 January 1940) is a congress MP from the state of Karnataka, and the current Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas. He was the former Minister of Corporate Affairs and Minister of Power in the Indian government. Moily was elected as MP of the Chickballapur district. Moily was the former Chief Minister (and the first ethnic Tuluva CM) of the Indian state of Karnataka (19 Nov 1992 - 11 Dec 1994). He was elected to Karnataka state legislative assembly from Karkala constituency of Udupi district. He is also currently serving as the All India Congress Committee General Secretary in charge of Andhra Pradesh.

Angela Merkel

Angela Merkel was on 17 December 2013 elected as the German Chancellor for third term by the German Parliament- Bundestag. Angela Merkel’s conservative Union bloc - the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) had secured a stunning hattrick win in the 22 September 2013 elections but failed to grab an outright majority, forcing them to enter into coalition with the rival Social Democrats (SPD). With a whopping 504 of the 631 seats,
Angela Merkel’s centre-right Christian Democrats Union (CDU) bloc and the SPD now hold a comfortable majority in the Bundestag, the lower house of parliament. Angela Merkel was confirmed by 462 votes on 17 December 2013, with nine abstentions. For the vote, 621 members of parliament were present, of whom 150 voted against Merkel. Angela Merkel is the third chancellor to win a third four-year term after Helmut Kohl (1982-1998) and Konrad Adenauer (1949-1963). Germany, as the EU’s most industrialised and populous state, with its biggest economy, it dominates decision-making for the Eurozone.

Vinod Kumar Duggal

Vinod Kumar Duggal, the former Home Secretary has been appointed the new Governor of Manipur on 23 December 2013. His appointment will come into effect from the date on which, he will assume the charge of the office. He will replace the present Governor of the state, Ashwani Kumar, who was given an additional charge of Manipur, while being a Governor of Nagaland. The post of Manipur Governor had fallen vacant in July 2013, when former Jammu and Kashmir Police Chief Gurbachan Singh Jagat’s tenure of five years had ended. Ashwani Kumar was given the additional charge till Duggal appointment. At the time of appointment, he was serving as a member of the National Disaster Management Authority and was the in charge of the relief operations after the natural disaster that struck Uttarakhand and Odisha in 2013.

Abdiweli Sheikh Ahmed

Abdiweli Sheikh Ahmed appointed as Prime Minister by the President Hassan Sheikh Mohamoud last week was approved overwhelmingly by the Somalian Parliament. Abdiweli replaced outgoing Prime Minister Abdi Farah Shirdon. Abdi was ousted in November 2013 by the Parliament following a rift with the Somali President over policy differences. In the voting held for the endorsement of the new Prime Minister in the Parliament, 239 votes out of total 243 were put in favour of Abdiweli. The result was announced by the Somali Parliament Speaker Mohamed Sheikh Osman Jawari on 22 December 2013.The endorsement of Abdiweli Sheikh Ahmed as Prime Minister was welcomed by the head of the UN Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM) Nicholas Kay.

DEATH

Nelson Mandela

Nelson Mandela, the antiapartheid revolutionary of South Africa died on 5 November 2013. He was of 95 years old. He died in his house at Johannesburg following a long illness. He was also known as Madiba in South Africa. He was receiving intensive medical care at home for a lung infection after spending three months in hospital. His death was announced by the South African President, Jacob Zuma. He announced that Mandela will receive a full state funeral and the flags would be flown at half-mast until the state funeral. Nelson Mandela was one of the world’s most revered statesman for preaching reconciliation despite being imprisoned for 27 years. He was the first black South African to hold the office of President from 1994 to 1999, and the first elected in a fully representative multiracial election. Mandela was married three times, fathered six children and had 17
grandchildren. The three wives were Evelyn Ntoko Mase, Winnie Madikizela-Mandela and Graca Machel Mandela.

About Nelson Mandela

  • He was born on 1918 in Eastern Cape
  • He joined the African National Congress in 1943
  • In 1962, he was arrested and was convicted of incitement and leaving country without a passport. He was sentenced to five years in prison
  • In 1964, he was charged with sabotage, sentenced to life
  • He was freed from the prison in 1990
  • In 1999, he stepped down as leader
  • In 2001, he was diagnosed with prostate cancer

Awards received by Nelson Mandela

Mandela has received more than two hundred and fifty awards over four decades, some of the awards are:

  • He was the winner of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993
  • He was the recipient of Bharat Ratna and Mahatma Gandhi peace award
  • The United Nations General Assembly proclaimed 18 July, Mandela’s birthday, as Mandela Day, for his contribution to the anti-apartheid struggle
  • In 1973 a nuclear particle discovered by scientists at the University of Leeds was named Mandela nelson
  • In 1979 he became the recipient of the Jawaharlal NehruAward for International Understanding, by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations New Delhi, India
  • In 1981, a panel of International Judges, Vienna, Austria, chose him for the Bruno Kreisky Award for merit in the field of human rights

Politically an African nationalist and democratic socialist, he served as the President of the African National Congress (ANC) from 1991 to 1997. Internationally, Mandela was the Secretary General of the Non- Aligned Movement from 1998 to 1999. Mandela served 27 years in prison, initially on Robben Island, and later in Pollsmoor Prison a n d Victor Verster Prison. Mandela published his autobiography Long Walk to Freedom and opened negotiations with President F.W. de Klerk to abolish apartheid and establish multiracial elections in 1994, in which he led the ANC to victory. As South Africa’s first black President Mandela formed a Government of National Unity in an attempt to defuse racial tension. He al so promulgated a new constitution and created the Truth and Reconciliation Commission to investigate past human rights abuses. Continuing the former government’s liberal economic policy, his administration introduced measures to encourage land reform, combat poverty, and expand healthcare services. Internationally, he acted as mediator between Libya and the United Kingdom in the Pan Am Flight 103 bombing trial, and oversaw military intervention in Lesotho. He declined to run for a second term, and wa s succeeded by his deputy, Thabo Mbeki. Mandela subsequently became an elder statesman, focusing on charitable work in combating poverty and HIV/ AIDS through the Nelson Mandela Foundation. Awarded the US Presidential Medal of Freedom, and the Order of Canada he was the first living person to be made an honorary Canadian citizen. The last recipient of the Soviet Union’s Lenin Peace Prize from the Soviet Union, in 1992 received Pakistan’s Nishan-e-Pakistan. In 1992 he was awarded the Atatürk Peace Award by Turkey which he accepted in 1999. Elizabeth II awarded him the Bailiff Grand Cross of the Order of St. John and the Order of Merit.

Farooq Sheikh

Veteran Bollywood actor Farooq Sheikh died on 28 December 2013 due to heart attack in Dubai. He died at the age of 65 and was born on 25 March 1948. He is survived by wife Rupa and daughters Shaista and Sanaa. He was best known for roles in films like Garam Hawa (1973), Shatranj Ke Khiladi (1977), Noorie (1979), Chashme Baddoor (1981), Umrao Jaan (1981), Bazaar (1982) and Kissi Se Na Kehna (1983). He
won 2010 National Film Award for best supporting actor in Lahore (a sports film). He started his Bollywood career in 1973 with Garam Hawa and his last performance was in’Club 60'. Earlier he was seen in the film Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani in 2013. He was a theatre personality. He was the host of the popular show Jeena Issi Ka Naam Hai on television, in which he interviewed the celebrities of Bollywood. Sheikh worked with Directors like Satyajit Ray, Hrishikesh Mukherjee and Muzaffar Ali. He started his Bollywood career in 1973 with Garam Hawa and his last performance was in Club 60. Earlier, he was seen in the film Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani
in 2013. He was a theatre personality. He was the host of the popular show Jeena Issi Ka Naam Hai on television, in which he interviewed the celebrities of Bollywood. Sheikh worked with Directors like Satyajit Ray, Hrishikesh Mukherjee and Muzaffar Ali.

ACCUSED/RESIGNED/CONTROVERSY

Jayanthi Natarajan

Smt. Jayanthi Natarajan resigned as the minister of state for environment and forest from the Council of Ministers (COM) on 21 December 2013. The President of India, as advised by the Prime Minister, accepted the resignation of Jayanthi Natarajan from the Council of Ministers. The Prime Minister advised the President of India that M. Veerappa Moily, Minister of Petroleum & Natural Gas shall be given additional charge of the work
of Ministry of Environment & Forests. Jayanthi Natarajan expected to return to party work which is relating to manifesto and other election matters of the Congress Party.

Shivraj Singh Chouhan

Shivraj Singh Chouhan, the Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh resigned from the Vidisha assembly seat on 20 December 2013 and retained the Budhni seat. Earlier, he was elected from Budhni and Vidisha assembly segments in the recently concluded state assembly elections. As per the rules, if a person is elected from two constituencies, he/she has to tender resignation from one segment within 14 days of the constitution of the new Assembly. He submitted his resignation from Vidisha seat to Vidhan Sabha Secretariat on 20 December 2013, which was accepted. In the recent concluded election, Chouhan declared that he will retain the seat that will give him the highest victory margin. From Budhni seat, he won by 84805 votes, which was the second highest margin in Madhya Pradesh, whereas from Vidisha seat, he won by 16996 votes gap against Shashank Bhargava of Congress. Earlier, in the last assembly elections the Vidisha seat was represented by a former leader of BJP Raghavji. In July 2013, Raghavji resigned from the seat over the allegations of sexually harassing his
domestic help and was later expelled from BJP and arrested.

HONOUR

Pope Francis

Pope Francis on 11 Decmber 2013 was named as the Person of the Year 2013 by Time Magazine. He was named the Person of the Year for changing the perception of the Catholic Church within nine months. As per Time magazine, Pope’s dedication to humility and his fight against poverty placed him at the top position of the year. Edward Snowden the person who leaked the secret documents about NSA surveillance activities was selected at the second position in the list. Edith Windsor–the gay marriage pioneer, Bashar Al-Assad–President of Syria and Ted Cruz–the US Senator from Texas has placed on the top five slots. Earlier, Vanity Fair Italia also named Pope Francis, the Man of the Year in July 2013.Time Magazine has chosen a Pope as its Person of the Year for the third time and the others to be honoured with the title were Pope John XXIII in 1962 and Pope John Paul II in 1994. Pope Francis is the first non-European pope in almost 1300 years and first pontiff from the America. He took Francis as his Papal name after Saint Francis of Assisi, who was the reformer of 13th Century. His original is Jorge Bergoglio, who was chosen as the new Pope by the cardinals of the Roman Catholic Church on 13 March 2013 after the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI. He is a first Pope from Latin America and the first Jesuit.

BOOKS/AUTHORS

Nirbhaya: Ek Atmachintan

Mumbai University on 16 December 2013 launched a book titled ‘Nirbhaya: Ek Atmachintan’ to mark a year since the brutal gangrape of a Delhi paramedic student. The book’s prologue is written by Justice Chandrashekhar Dharamadhikari and is edited by the vice-chancellor of the Mumbai University, Rajan Welukar. Several notable writers and thinkers, such as, Nirja Dhulekar, Kumar Ketkar, Asha Bage, Vijaya Wad, Judge Mrudula Bhatkar, etc have contributed to the book. The topics that these writers have covered include women empowerment in the fields of economic, social and political spheres, the rights which are given to them and their safety. The 23-year old para-medical student (also known as Damini or Nirbhaya) was gang raped in New Delhi on 16 December 2012. She passed away in Mount Elizabeth Hospital in Singapore on 29 December 2012. She was raped in the moving bus by six men, one of which included a minor. The 16 December gang rape led to massive protests across the country.

VARIOUS

Kisan Diwas

Kisan Diwas was observed across the country on 23 December 2013 to celebrate the birthday of Chaudhary Charan Singh. On this occasion, farmer seminars were organised at the divisional, district and block levels. Political leaders cutting across party lines paid tributes to fifth PM of India on his 11th birth anniversary. Leaders visited the former PM’s samadhi at Kisan Ghat in New Delhi. Government in 2001 had decided to observe 23 December every year as Kisan Diwas (Farmers Day).

Sashi Tharoor

Sashi Tharoor, the Union Minister of State for Human Resource Development was named as the Person of the Year by the animal rights body PETA – India for taking steps to advance animal protection. The director of National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) was encouraged by Tharoor to examine PETA’s Central Board of Secondary Education approved programme for incorporation into its textbooks. He also wrote a letter to Health Minister Gulam Nabi Azad urging him to implement nonanimal methods of teaching in medical courses. In 2012, the Ministry of Environment and Forests issued a directive instructing all the institutes or establishments associated with teaching of medical, pharmacy and other courses in life sciences to follow UGC guidelines for discontinuation of dissection and animal experimentation in universities and colleges and introduce use of alternatives to animal experimentation. Past recipients of the award are Hema Malini and R Madhavan.

World AIDS Day

World AIDS Day was observed on 1 December 2013 across the globe to raise awareness about the HIV/ AIDS. The theme for the year 2013 is:

Getting to Zero

  • HIV/AIDS remains a major global issue, having claimed more than 36 million lives so far since the discovery of the virus more than 20 years ago.
  • According to the World Health Organisation, there were approximately 35.3 million people living with HIV in 2012.
  • Since the inception of World AIDS Day in 1988, it has been observed on 1st December every year with different themes.
  • The theme for this year is “Getting to Zero”- means zero new infections, zero discrimination and zero AIDS-related deaths.
  • The theme will be repeated until 2015, focusing on “Zero AIDS Related Deaths” as well as pushing towards better access to treatment for all.

World AIDS Day is celebrated around the world on December 1st each year. It has become one of the most recognized international health days and a key opportunity to raise awareness, commemorate those who have passed on, and celebrate victories, such as increased access to treatment and prevention services.

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