March-april 2009

EVENTS; APPOINTMENTS; ETC.: MARCH-APRIL 2009 APPOINTED; ELECTED; Etc. Najib Razak: He has been appointed as the Prime Minister of Malaysia. Air Chief Marshal Pradeep Vasant Naik: He has been appointed as the Chief of Air Staff of Indian Air Force. Navin Chawla: He has been appointed as the Chief Election Commissioner of India with effect from April 20, 2009. Air Marshal D.C. Kumaria: He has been appointed as the first-ever DirectorGeneral Operations at the Air Headquarters, New Delhi. Pramod Bhasin: Chief Executive of business process outsourcer Genpact Ltd, he has been appointed the Chairman of National Association of Software and Services Companies (NASSCOM). Venu Srinivasan: TVS Motor Com-pany CMD, he has been elected President of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) for the year 2009-10. Mohan Bhagwat: He has been elected as the chief of Rashtriya Swyamsevak Sangh (RSS). Justice G.R. Majithia (Retd): He has been appointed as the Chairman of the National Wage Board for journalists and non-journalist newspaper employees.

Meera Shankar: She has been appointed as the Ambassador of India in USA. Sharat Sabharwal: He has been appointed as India’s High Commissioner in Pakistan. Helen Clark: Former New Zealand Prime Minister she has been named as the head of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). Sister Prema: She has been elected the new Superior General of the Missionaries of Charity, founded by Mother Teresa.

RESIGNED Abdullah Badawi: Prime Minister of Malaysia.

DISTINGUISHED VISITORS Michelle Bachelet: President of Chile.

EVENTS MARCH 8—The countdown to the 2010 Commonwealth Games begins with a dazzling function to kick off the Queen’s Baton Relay at India Gate.

16—President Asif Ali Zardari of Pakistan agrees to reinstate deposed Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry following intense pressure caused by the “Long March” announced by former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. 18—President’s Rule is imposed in Meghalaya. 23—History is created in Mumbai as Tata Motors launches the world’s least expensive car, Nano. 27—At least 70 people are killed as a suicide bomber blows himself up inside a Pakistani mosque in Jamrud town, near the Afghanistan border. 28—Remote Pacific island communities turn off the lights as they kick off Earth Hour 2009, a global event to highlight climate change. The event also sees landmarks around the world go dark for an hour. 30—Pakistani commandos regained control of a police academy outside Lahore after terrorists rampage through the complex, killing at least eight cadets. APRIL 5—A suicide bomber strikes in a crowded Shia mosque in Punjab province of Pakistan killing 22 worshippers. 6—More than 250 people are killed in a devastating earthquake that rocks central Italy around the ancient town of L’Aquila. 6—Eight persons are killed in series of bomb blasts in Assam, suspected to be triggered by ULFA militants.

11—ASEAN summit is deferred as thousands of anti-government protestors smash their way into the Summit venue in Pattaya, Thailand. 12—Indian hockey team reclaims the Azlan Shah title after 13 years.

MILESTONES Aishwarya Rai: Hindi film actress, she will soon join the ranks of Hollywood beauties like Beyonce Knowles, Elizabeth Taylor and Diana Ross, by becoming the first Indian face of the legendary doll Barbie. Ekta Chaudhary: of Delhi, she has been crowned Miss Universe (India), 2009. Pooja Chopra of Pune has been selected as Miss World (India) and Shriya Kishore from Mumbai as Miss Earth (India). Vivek Kundra: He has been appointed as the first federal chief information officer by President Obama of USA. Sunil Bharti Mittal: Founder, Chairman and group CEO of Bharti Airtel, he has become the first Indian to join the board of trustees of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. This global think tank has former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan among its only three non-US board members.