The Bofors scandal was a major weapons-contract political scandal that occurred between India and Sweden during the 1980s and 1990s,initiated by Indian National Congress politicians and implicating the Indian prime minister,Rajiv Gandhi,and several other members of the Indian and Swedish governments who were accused of receiving kickbacks from Bofors AB,an arms manufacturer principally financed by the Wallenberg family's Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken,for winning a bid to supply to India their 155 mm field howitzer. The scandal relates to illegal kickbacks paid in a US$1.4-billion deal between the Swedish arms manufacturer Bofors with the government of India for the sale of 410 field howitzer guns,and a supply contract almost twice that amount. It was the biggest arms deal ever in Sweden,and money marked for development projects was diverted to secure this contract at any cost. The investigations revealed flouting of rules and bypassing of institutions.
Manavjit Singh Sandhu is an Indian sport shooter who specializes in trap shooting. He is a Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Awardee in 2006 and Arjuna Awardee in 1998. He is a 4 time Olympian,having represented India at the Athens 2004 Summer Olympics,Beijing 2008 Summer Olympics the London 2012 Summer Olympics and the Rio 2016 Summer Olympics. He is former World No. 1 ranked Trap Shooter.
Operation Meghdoot was the codename for the Indian Armed Forces' operation to seize control of the Siachen Glacier in the then state of Jammu and Kashmir,precipitating the Siachen conflict. Executed in the morning of 13 April 1984 in the highest battlefield in the world,Meghdoot was the first military offensive of its kind. The operation preempted Pakistan's impending Operation Ababeel and was a success,resulting in Indian forces gaining control of the Siachen Glacier in its entirety.
Mohammad Yunus Khan was a member of Indian Foreign Service. He served as ambassador to Turkey,Indonesia,Iraq,and Spain. He promoted trade between India and the rest of the world through regular trade fairs and the establishment of exhibition complex at Pragati Maidan in Delhi. He also headed erstwhile Trade Fair Authority of India (TFAI) which is now rebranded as India Trade Promotion Organization. The Government of India awarded him the civilian honour of the Padma Bhushan.
Bibek Debroy is an Indian economist,serving as the chairman of the Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister of India. Debroy has made significant contributions to game theory,economic theory,income and social inequalities,poverty,law reforms,railway reforms and Indology among others. He is also an anchor for the fortnightly show Itihasa on Sansad TV.
Rashtrapati Awards used to be given by the President of India,in some cases the Prime Minister of India,for achievements in the field of sports,art,military,literature,cinema,culture,science and technology,or Scouting. The award-giving ceremony was conducted in the Rashtrapati Bhavan,the President's official residence. The awards were a part of the Indian honours system. However,after gradual systematic categorizations over a period,the awards were made independent to the field of achievement.
Girish Chandra 'Gary' Saxena was a governor of Jammu and Kashmir state in India. Born in Agra in 1928,he joined the Indian Police Service (IPS) and held many positions in police and retired as Director of the Research and Analysis Wing,India's external intelligence agency. He took over as the head of the State on 2 May 1998 for the second time. Earlier,he held the office of the Governor J&K from 26 May 1990 to 13 March 1993.
Bilafond La (meaning "Pass of the Butterflies" in Balti language,also known as the Saltoro Pass,is a mountain pass situated on Saltoro Ridge,sitting immediately west of the vast Siachen Glacier,some 40 km directly north of map point NJ 980420 which defined the end of the 1972 Line of Control between Pakistan and India as part of the Simla Agreement. Bilafond La is on the ancient Silk Route linking the Indian Subcontinent and China.
Muhammad Ali Jinnah's 11 August Speech is a speech made by Muhammad Ali Jinnah,founding father of Pakistan and known as Quaid-e-Azam to the Constituent Assembly of Pakistan. While Pakistan was created as a result of what could be described as Indian Muslim nationalism,Jinnah was once an ambassador of Hindu-Muslim unity. When the Partition of India finally occurred,Jinnah,soon-to-be Governor-General of the Dominion of Pakistan,outlined his vision of Pakistan in an address to the Constituent Assembly,delivered on 11 August 1947. He spoke of an inclusive and impartial government,religious freedom,rule of law and equality for all.
Dr. Kapil Deva Dvivedi is the director of Vishva Bharati Research Institute,and a noted Sanskrit scholar in India. He has published over 70 books on Vedic and Sanskrit Literature. In 1991 he was awarded a Padma Shri for Literature &Education.
Som Prakash Ranchan was an Indian poet writing in English,a scholar,a literary critic,a revisionist of Indian culture,literary and secular personalities,and a novelist born in Lahore Cantt. He has often been described as a "Poet of Many Voices" with the note of mythical/mystical themes noticeable in his writings. His psycho-analytical studies have the influence of the depth psychology of Carl Jung,Alfred Adler and Sigmund Freud;the mythological studies of Joseph Campbell;the spiritual endeavors of Aurobindo,Otto Rank,Rudolfe,Vedanta and Tantra,and the philosophical notions that of Schopenhauer.
Gaurav Dagaonkar Indian Entrepreneur and the founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) at Songfest. He is also known as a popular music director,songwriter and singer. As a music director,Gaurav's first release was the movie Lanka,which released on 9 December 2011. As a business executive,Gaurav turned his passion for music by starting Songfest,one of India's premier artiste labels.
Bishambhar Nath Pande was a freedom fighter,social worker,and parliamentarian in India. Pande devoted his life to the cause of national integration,and to the spread of the Gandhian way of life.
Gyong La is a mountain pass situated on Saltoro Ridge southwest of the vast Siachen Glacier,some 20 km (12 mi) directly north of map point NJ9842 which defined the end of the 1972 Line of Control between India and Pakistan. With Pakistan controlling areas just to the west along Chumik Glacier,the immediate Gyong La area has been under India's control since 1989. Dozens of Indian military tents and other equipment are visible in 2013 and 2016 Google Earth imagery 100 meters east,670 meters northeast,and 2.7 km east-northeast of Gyong La,linked by clear trails. Nearer the former Pakistani "Naveed Top" position and 3.85 km west-northwest of Gyong La is a post and helipad is visible in 2001 and 2016 Google Earth imagery at 5,800 m (19,000 ft) elevation,higher than both the Indian positions and Gyong La.
Siachen Base Camp,12,000 feet above sea level at Partapur,is a base camp of 102 Infantry Brigade of XIV Corps of Indian Army which protects 110 km long Actual Ground Position Line (AGPL) with at least 108 forward military outposts and artillery observation posts in the disputed region of Siachen Glacier in Ladakh Union Territory of India. It is approximately 6 hours drive north from the town of Leh via one of the highest vehicle-accessible passes in the world,Khardung La at 17,582 feet. Bana Top (20,500 ft) is the highest post in the region,which requires 80 km and 20 day trek for troops. Pahalwan Post and posts near Indira Col are other high posts. Kumar Post or Kumar Base,named after the Colonel Narendra "Bull" Kumar,serves as the battalion head quarter located 60 km from the Siachen base towards Indira Col. The Siachen Brigade consists of five to eight battalions of Ladakh Scouts supported by artillery,air defence,engineer and other logistic units. Pakistan has not been able to scale the crest of the Saltoro Range occupied by India. The temperature goes down to minus 86 °C during winters with icy 300 kmph blizzards. The average temperature is between minus 25 °C during day and minus 55 °C during the night.
Shakeelur Rehman was an Indian politician and Urdu-language writer. He served as Minister of Health and Family Welfare in Chandra Shekhar government. His father Khan Bahadur Muhammad Jan was a Government lawyer in British India.
Olivier Weber is a French writer,novelist and reporter at large,known primarily for his coverage of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. He has been a war correspondent for twenty-five years,especially in Central Asia,Africa,Middle-East and Iraq. He is an assistant professor at the Institut d'études politiques de Paris,president of the Prize Joseph Kessel and today ambassador of France at large. Weber has won several national and international awards of literature and journalism,in particular for his stories on Afghanistan and for his books on wars. His novels,travels writing books and essays have been translated in a dozen of languages.
Dilip Sinha is an Indian diplomat and former public administrator. He served in the Indian Foreign Service from 1978 to 2014 and as Chairman of the Manipur Public Service Commission,India,from 2015 to 2016. Ambassador Sinha is a public speaker on international security,Afghanistan-Pakistan-Iran and environmental diplomacy. He is the author of Legitimacy of Power:The Permanence of Five in the Security Council. The book traces the origins of international security cooperation and scrutinizes the moorings of the UN Security Council's powers in international law.
Rajiv Gandhi was sworn in as Prime Minister of India on 31 October 1984.
Rajiv Kumar is an Indian economist who had served as the second vice-chairman of the NITI Aayog. He also serves as the chancellor of Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics,Pune His earlier stint in government was initially with the Ministry of Industry and subsequently in the Ministry of Finance,as economic advisor during the reform years of 1991-1994. He has wide experience of having worked in government,academia,industry associations,as well as in international financial institutions. He also served as an independent director on the central boards of the Reserve Bank of India and the State Bank of India.
