Month: April 2020

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Its primarily used : as anti-malarial drug, auto-immune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis and lupus.

India manufactures an estimated 70% of the world’s supply according to Indian Pharmaeutical Alliance (IPA), Secretary-General, Sudarshan Jain

Amneal Pharmaceuticals has donated , 2 million tablets of 200mg Hydroxychloroquine Sulphate tablets to New York. Another 1 million tablets to Texas. A futher pledge of 400,00 tablets to Louisiana. With pledges for more to others aimed at assisting the treatment of COVID-19 .

Amneal Pharmaceuticals are founded by entrepreneurs Chirag Patel Ph.D and Chintu Patel Ph.D, both Co-Chief Executive Officers of the Bridgewater, New Jersey head quartered company.

Vandana Kumar Gandhi became the first ever Indian woman entrepreneur to receive the Dubai Government’s coveted and prestigious ‘Emirates Women Award 2013 ‘ (EWA) for ‘Business Excellence ‘.

The award was presented at a glittering gala ceremony held on May 26th, 2013 at The Palace Hotel in Downtown Dubai. Gracing the occasion was Shaikh Ahmad Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of Dubai Civil Aviation Authority, Chairman of Dubai Airports, Chairman & Chief Executive of the Emirates Airline and Group and honorary Patron of Dubai Quality Group (DQG).

The ‘Emirates Women Award’ is an initiative of Dubai Quality Group (DQG) to encourage women, both UAE nationals and residents to be actively involved in social and economic development initiatives in the country.

The India born entrepreneur Vandana Gandhi was the “Overall Winner in the Business Category” for excelling and providing innovation in preschool education . The award selection was made from among several hundred entries by a jury based on various criteria like leadership, strategy, community services and innovation.

Vandana Gandhi is the  Founder & CEO of British Orchard Nursery – the Middle East’s only ISO-certified Nursery chain, with 10 branches across Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and including Government franchises. She conceived and introduced ‘GymJuniorz’ – a first of its kind children’s gym & fitness center into the curriculum.

Vandana Gandhi is a versatile personality with varied interests in calligraphy, yoga, scriptural studies, squash, table tennis etc. A Masters in Education with distinction, she is pursuing a Doctor of Education from the University of Birmingham, UK. After initial schooling in Dubai, she completed her Bachelors from Mithibai College, Mumbai and followed up with her Post Graduate Diploma in International Business Adminstration from NMIMS University, Mumbai.

Manohar Aich won the ‘ Mr. Universe’ title in the Group III Championship category in 1952, achieving greatness in becoming India’s first Mr.Universe. His global achievement came in an era, when the country rarely made heroes of its sports people.

The diminutive Manohar Aich also known as ‘Pocket Hercules’ having a height of 4’11” (approximately 1.5 metre tall). He was born in Dhamti village, Comilla district (now in Bangladesh). With Independence he moved to Calcutta (Kolkata) in 1949.

Manohar Aich attended the Jubilee school in Dhaka. Later he joined the Royal Air Force (RAF) in 1942 where he began his pursuit in body building. He was encouraged by a British officer named Reub Martin who introduced him to weight training.

In 1950 – he won the Mr. Hercules contest. In 1951 he stood 2nd in the Mr. Universe contest . He went to London for training and in 1952 he won the Mr. Universe title achieving body building glory. In 1955 he stood 3rd in the Mr.Universe contest.

The superfit centenarian Aich currently lives in Baguihati, north of Kolkata and celebrated his 100 years on Sunday, March 17th, 2013.

On 23rd May 1984, Bachendri Pal became the first Indian woman mountaineer to climb Mount Everest.

May 22nd, 1984 alongwith other climbers in the team they started the ascent to the summit of Mount Everest, Bachendri was the only woman in this group. They continued the ascent climbing ‘vertical sheets of cold ice’, cold winds sometimes blowing at the speed of 100Km per hour, temperatures touching minus 30-40 degree celsius.

May 23rd, 1984 Bachendri Pal reached the summit of Mount Everest, creating history at 1:07pm IST, she was standing at the peak (29,028 feet) alongwith one other climber.

Born 24th May 1954 in Nakuri village, Uttarakashi district of Garhwal, Bachendri Pal started mountaineering at the tender age of twelve, when during a picnic alongwith several of her school mates they climbed 13,123 feet high peak. She went to become the first female graduate in her village. Continued and did her Masters Degree in Sanskrit and then her B.Ed.

After completing her studies she joined the ‘Nehru Institute of Mountaineering (NIM). In 1982 whilst at NIM she climbed ‘Gangotri’ (21,900 feet) and ‘Rudugaria’ (19,091 feet).  In 1985 she led an Indo-Nepalese Everest Expedition  team comprising of only women. The expediton created 7 world records and set benchmarks for Indian mountaineering.

She is working as Chief of Adventure Program with Tata Steel Adventure Foundation, where she conducts high altitude training workshops for the corporate workforce.

‘Le Sutra’, Mumbai.  The 16-rooms boutique hotel is the first hotel in the world with the theme as ‘Indian Art’ where the rooms are inspired by Indian culture making it the First Indian Art Hotel.

“Sutra” means rope or thread that holds things to-gether in Sanskrit. It is  inspired by Indian mythos based on ‘character’ (Ravana, Ashoka, Buddha) or ‘characteristics’ (Sensuality, Love, Purifiction). The 3-level hotel represents the ‘Gunas’ which sum up the worldview in Indian philosophy. The 3 Gunas being: Tamas, Rajas and Sattva.

The erstwile Pali Hills Hotel in Mumbai’s hip suburb of Bandra, has completely reinvented itself and resulted in the stunning ‘Le Sutra’.

The Indian Air Force(IAF) formally inducted the first 12 of its 75 Swiss manufactured Pilatus PC-7 Mk11 basic training aircraft into operational service at a ceremony at the premier academy Dundigal AirForce Academy near Hyderabad (Andhra Pradesh) on June 07th, 2013.

Minister of State for Defense Jitendra Singh unveiled the tandem-seat turboprop aircraft that is capable of aerobatics as well as tactical night flying. This marked the first formal flight of the Basic Trainer Aircraft. All the 75 aircraft are expected to be delivered by August 2015.

Chief of Air Staff, Air Chief Marshall N.A.K.Browne said the Pilatus will be the ‘ideal platform’ to expose initial trainees to basic flying, modern avionics and navigation aids. This aircraft will be used to train all pilots of the IAF, in addition to pilots of the Indian Navy and the Coast Guard.

Apart from an integrated ground-based training system and a comprehensive support package, the contract requires the company to implement the required transfer of technology to Hindustan Aeronautics, enabling establishment of in-country depot-level maintenance facilities to support the aircraft, throughout its 30-year service life.

Rahi Sarnobat is the first ever Indian woman pistol shooter to win gold in 25 metres sports pistol at ISSF, Changwon Gold Cup, South Korea.

The 22 year old Indian markswoman hails from Kolhapur, Maharashtra and trains at Gagan Narang’s Gun for Glory Academy in Pune.

Rahi Sarnobat was the youngest Indian shooter at London Olympics 2012. She won 2 gold medals in 2010 Commonwealth Games, Delhi,India. Also won the first gold in 25m pistol event in pair with Anisa Sayyed.

Arunima ‘Sonu’ Sinha became the first Indian amputee to scale Mount Everest. This Indian girl surprised all with her exceedingly rare achievement of scaling the summit on a prosthetic leg.

History was created when 25 year old Arunima Sinha reached the 8,848 metre-high summit, of the world’s highest peak. She left the high camp at 6pm on Monday evening and arrived at the summit at 10.55am on May 21st, 2013 (Tuesday).

Arunima Sinha, a resident of Ambedkar Nagar in Uttar Pradesh (about 200 km from Lucknow) was a part of the 6 member Indian team ‘Eco Everest expedition’ from the Tata Group . Led by India’s former Border Security Force (BSF) staffer Love Raj Singh and accompanied by 9 sherpas on their successful ascent of the summit.

The former national level player, had lost her right leg, in an accident after being thrown off a moving train. Subsequently she joined Tata Steel Adventure Foundation (TSAF) camp in Uttarakashi last year, where she was trained by Bachendra Pal, the first Indian woman to conquer Mount Everest.

Dr.Manmohan Singh, The Prime Minister of India conveyed his congratulations and added “Arunima’s achievement is an example not only to society at large, but also to women everywhere. This young woman looked adversity in the eye and when all seemed lost, decided to make something of her life in the most spectacular fashion possible.”

Arunima’s achievement coincides with the 60th anniversary of Edmund Hilary and Tenzing Norgay’s feat on May 20th, 1953

Lieutanant Commander Abhilash Tomy became the first Indian to sail the globe solo, non-stop and un-aided.

34 year old Indian Navy aviator, Tomy sailed continuously circumnavigating the earth and crossing the equator twice in 150 days in INSV Mhadei to reach the milestone. He arrived at the same spot after creating history – Gateway of India , Saturday afternoon April 06th, 2013. He commenced the extra ordinary journey on November 01st last year at the same spop.  Lt. Cdr Abhilash Tomy’s arrival was marked by gun salutes and firing of signal flares.

The arrival was witnessed by President Pranab Mukherjee, the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces. The Governor of Maharashtra K. Sankarnarayan, Health Minister Suresh Shety and Senior Navy officers wre there to welcome his.

” If one thing that the sea taught me, is is humility. The proudest moment for me was when I hosted the Tricolour on reaching Cape Horn ” say Tomy.

INSV Mhadei is a 56-foot long custom built sailboat with 23 tonne displacement for the Indian Navy on the banks of her namesake river in Goa in 2009.

Tomy is the second Indian to circumnavigate th globe after Commander Dilip Dhonde, his mentor who achieved the feat in 2010.