Month: February 2020

The first ever fighter base in the Southern Peninsula was inaugrated in Thanjavur (Tamil Nadu), by Defence Minister A.K. Anthony on Monday, May 27th, 2013.

The Indian Air Force (IAF)under the control of the Southern Air Command is stationing its most lethal Sukhoi Su-30MK1 super manoueverable combat aircraft. The full Sukhoi squadron (16 to 18 jets) will be deployed at the base by 2017. So far India has inducted over 170 of the 272 Sukhoi 30 MKI’s contracted from Russia.

The Indian Air Force(IAF) will keep deploying its regular fighter and transport detachments here since the runaway and other facilites are in place now.

This will strengthen India’s capabilities to protect its vast interests in yet another strategically important Indian Ocean Region (IOR) and Peninsular region.

The airbase has been modernised in the recent past and the infrastructure development includes ‘construction of a new runaway, parallel taxi track and other operational maintenance and adminstrative infrastructure’ to support air operations.

Past: The airbase was first contructed in 1940 by the Royal Air Force (RAF). During the period 1942-45 the RAF operated Hudson, Wellington 1C, Hurricane and Thunderbolt aircraft from this airfield.

The old runaway had served as a civil airport two decades ago. Thanjavur(Tanjore) was connected with Chennai(Madras)by Vayadoot in the early 1990’s.

India’s first arbitration centre – Delhi International Arbitration Centre (DAC)was launched in the capital on Wednesday, November 25th, 2009 by Hon’ble Justice K G Balakrishnan, Chief Justice of India in Delhi High Court.

The Centre will work under the aegis of the Delhi High Court and operate from within its premises. Its objective and goal was the speedy disposal of cases.

The first all-women’s post office in New Delhi was on March 08th, 2013 – Friday  coinciding with the International Women’s Day.

The inaugration of the post office at Shashtri Bhawan, Central Delhi was done by Kapil Sibal ,Union Minister, Communication and Information Technology.

The post office called ‘Project Arrow Office’ has 3 counters – two multi-purpose services like speed post, registration, sale of IPO’s, booking of money orders and the third counter for sale of stamps. The entire post office to be manned exclusively by women.

On April 16th 1853 – Tuesday, the first passenger locomotive at 3.30pm chugged from Bori Bunder (South Bombay) to Thane.

The first railyway train ran 21 miles from Bombay (now Mumbai) to Thane in 3 steam locomotives Sahib, Singh and Sultan. It carried about 400 invited guests in 14 railway carriages amidst gaiety, loud applause and the salute of 21 guns.

Ganga became the first hand-reared one-horned rhino in India, to give birth to a calf. 

Ganga delivered in the wild in Manas National Park, Assam. In July 2004, an injured 4-month old Ganga was rescued from the flood waters of Brahmaputra Kaziranga National Park. She was then gently hand reared, bottlefed and weaned for 3 years before being acclimatisedinthe wild at Manas.

She is Vice President, Technology and Manufacturing Group . General Manager, Intel Architecture Group, and President Intel India.

Kumud Srinivasan did her her bachelor’s degree in economic from Calcutta University. Then went on to do her master’s degree in information and library studies, Syracuse University. She has completed doctoral coursework in information science at University of California, Berkeley. She is also a member of the Board of Advisors of the School of Information Studies in Syracuse University.

Intel with over 3,500 people, India is Intel’s largest non-manufacturing site outside of the US.

Photo: source: Intel Newsroom

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has successfully launched the country’s first navigation satellite IRNSS-1A, on Tuesday – July 02nd, 2013.

Flagship Indian clothing retailer Raymond – the Suits and Fabrics Conglomerate opened its first store in Karachi on Friday, June 21st, 2013.

Raymond’s first outlet is located in Emerald Towers, Clifton, one of the most upscale neighbourhoods in the business capital Karachi.

Najmus Saquib, one of the Directors of NexSource Pakistan which acquired the rights to sell Raymond in Pakistan said ” The interest from our clientele has been very encouraging and it does not surprise us, because Raymond is also known internationally and has some 40 international outlets. I also see this opening as a small step toward more free trade between the two countries “.

NexSource has plans to open more Raymond outlets in Islamabad, Lahore and Faisalabad.

Amin Hashwani, President of the Pakistan India Business Forum said ” the opening of the Raymond outlet was a positive sign for business and trade between the two countries “.

The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) introduced its first dedicated 30-member all-woman commando team on Tuesday, June 11th, 2013 breaching yet another male bastion.

The highly trained and motivated women commando team are adept at sharp shooting and unarmed combat.The para-military women commando team includes two officers.

The team been trained in all aspects and possible situations like hostage crisis, rescuing citizens and endangered in terrorist attacks, providing proximate security to visiting female dignitaries, counter terrorist operations involving high-risk sitations, resoving situations involving vital installations, involving high-risk suicidal attacks and providing additional security at special events etc.

“They are the most manifest form of women’s empowerment and have been able to present an example before the country with their courage, dedication and loyalty” CRPF Director General Pranay Sahay said.

The CRPF is the largest of India’s Central Armed Police Forces. It functions under the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHI), Government of India.

Women in  CRPF: The CRPF has 3 battalions staffed entirely by women. The 1st batallion no.88 in 1986 with its headquarters in New Delhi. The 2nd battalion no.135 in 1996 at Gandhinagar, Gujarat and the 3rd battalion no.213 located at Ajmer, Rajasthan.

India’s first SEBI (Securities and Exchange Board of India) registered social impact fund the “DICCI-SME Fund”(Dalit Indian Chamber of Commerce & Industry – DICCI) was launched by the Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram, in the ballroom at the  Taj Mahal Hotel, in the country’s financial capital, Mumbai on June 06th(Thursday, 2013.

The VC fund is initiated by the DICCI and aims to raise Rupees 500 crores over ten years. SIDBI’s (Small Industries Development Bank) Chairman and Managing Director Sushil Munhot handed over a commitment letter to Milind Kamble – Chairman of DICCI, contributing 10 crore to the 100 crore corpus of the DICCI-SME Fund.

The Union Finance Minister, P Chidambaram said “the first Dalit Fund will go a long way in creating social equity”.