Current Affairs - Persons In News

Carnatic vocalist, composer, collaborator, humanitarian and speaker Aruna Sairam has been honoured with the French government's highest honour- Chevalier de l'Ordre des Arts et des award.

The 125th birth anniversary of Edavalath Kakkat Janaki Ammal, a pioneering botanist and the first Indian woman to be awarded a PhD in the botanical sciences was observed on 4 November 2022.

• Janaki Ammal is known widely for her contributions to science – in the field of genetics, cytology, evolution, and more.

On 24th August 2022, Thailand's Constitutional Court suspended Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha from office until it rules on a petition filed by opposition parties. In the meanwhile, a caretaker will be appointed to lead the government.

• This followed after the court agreed unanimously to hear a case brought by opposition parties.

National Monuments Authority is observing martyrdom day of great warrior Baba Banda Singh Bahadur on 25th June at Red Fort Lawns in New Delhi.

• Baba Banda Singh Bahadur was a great Sikh warrior and a commander of Khalsa army who defeated the Mughals and freed a large part of North India.

India's Tokyo Olympics bronze medallist Lovlina Borgohain has been elected as chairman and voting member on the Board of Directors for the International Boxing Association’s (IBA) Athletes Committee

On May 25, 2022, Captain Abhilasha Barak became the first woman combat aviator in the Indian Army.

On 15th May 2022, ‘Blessed Devasahayam’, became the first Indian layman to be declared a saint by Pope Francis during a canonisation ceremony held at the Vatican.

• Devasahayam was born on April 23, 1712 as Neelakanta Pillai into a Hindu Nair family, at Nattalam in Kanyakumari district, which was part of the erstwhile Travancore kingdom.

• The 100th birth anniversary of Pandit Bhimsen Joshi was observed on 4 February 2022.
• He belongs to the Kirana gharana tradition of Hindustani Classical Music.

On 9th January 2022, Google celebrated educator and feminist icon Fatima Sheikh, who is widely considered to be India's first Muslim woman teacher, with a doodle.

• Sheikh, with social reformers Jyotirao and Savitribai Phule, co-founded the Indigenous Library in 1848, one of India's first schools for girls.

• Nobel Peace Laureate Kailash Satyarthi has been appointed by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres as a Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Advocate.
• Along with Satyarthi, STEM activist Valentina Munoz Rabanal, Microsoft President Brad Smith and K-pop superstars BLACKPINK were also appointed as new SDG Advocates.