PERSONS OCTOBER 2009

PERSONS OCTOBER 2009

• Indian – American Mr. Suresh Kumar, president and managing partner of KaiZen Innovation, known for his expertise of public-private partnership, has been nominated Assistant Secretary of Commerce and Director-General of the United States and Foreign Commercial Service in the U.S. Department of Commerce.

  
  
• Global rating agency Standard and Poor’s (S&P) Asia-Pacific Chief Economist Subir Gokarn will be the new Deputy Governor of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).

  
  
• The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) on Monday elected Chhagan Bhujbal as the leader of its legislature party, thereby making him the Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra.

  
  
• Dr. K. Radhakrishnan was appointed as the new Chairman of ISRO. He is the Director of Vikram Sarabhai Space Center.

  
  
• Admiral Suresh Mehta was appointed the new High Commissioner to New Zealand. He is the 1st to be appointed to such post after retirement. 

  
  
• Joseph Wiseman, the actor who played the sinister scientist and title character of Dr. No in the first James Bond feature film, has died.

  
  
• G Madhavan Nair, Chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation, has been appointed President of the International Academy of Astronautics (IAA). 

  
  

• Sujatha Koirala was appointed as Deputy Prime Minister of Nepal. 

  
  
• The US-based food and beverages giant PepsiCo has named Indian-born senior executive Jaya Kumar as president of its two billion dollar Quaker Foods and Snacks division
  
  
• A veteran freedom fighter and disciple of Mahatma Gandhi, Chote Singh Rathore, died. Rathore had played an active role in the Satyagrah and Quit India Movement.

  
  
• C.B. Muthamma, India’s first woman career diplomat and first woman Ambassador, died in Bangalore.

  
  
• Noted civil rights activist and Lawyer K Balagopal died of cardiac arrest. He worked as a Professor in Kakatiya University. He wrote books like Naxalbari Udyamam, Gamyam Gamanam, Chikati Konam. 

  
  
• Sam Pitroda was appointed as the PM’s advisor. Pitroda, who is also the chairman of National Knowledge Commission, will advise Singh on integrating information communication technology in the sectors of infrastructure, health, justice and information.