Professional Documents
Culture Documents
: APRIL-MAY 2009
Naveen Patnaik: He has been elected as the Chief Minister of Orissa. His Biju
Janata Dal has become the first regional party to come to power on its own in
Orissa.
Madhu Kannan: He has been appointed as the Managing Director and Chief
DIED
Raja Chelliah: Noted economist who led the first tax reforms as India was
Vishnu Prabhakar: Renowned Hindi litterateur. He was 97. His famous works
include Awara, Masiha, Pankheen, Jane Anjane, Dhalti Raat, Swapnamayi, Nav
Prabhat and Doctor, besides Ardhanarishwar for which he was awarded Sahitya
Akademi award.
J.G. Ballard: Renowned British author. His novel Empire of the Sun vividly
portrayed his childhood imprisonment in wartime Shanghai and was adapted into
Kamala Das: Well-known writer Kamala ‘Suraiya’ Das , who courted controversy
Feroz Khan: Hindi film actor, who made a place in the hearts of film lovers with
his romantic portrayals. He was 69. He had made his debut in 1960 with Didi.
Baba Bhagat Singh Bilga: He was the only surviving legendary revolutionary of the
Ghadar party and one of the most respected revolutionaries of pre- and post-
Independence era.
Robert Furchgott: An American scientist who shared the 1998 Nobel prize for his
work that led to the development of the anti-impotency drug Viagra. He was 92.
Cabinet Ministers:
P. Chidambaram: Home
Ministers of State
E. Ahamed: Railways
Prof. K.V. Thomas: Agriculture, Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution
APRIL
13—Eleven CISF jawans and four Maoists are killed in a gunfight in a well-
Ali Zardari ratifies a regulation for enforcing Islamic Shariah laws in the restive
missile with a range of 350 km from the Integrated Test Range (ITR) at Chandipur,
16—In the first phase of elections, about 58-62% of the 14.3 crore voters exercise
18—A suicide bomber rams his explosive laden vehicle into a police check post
22—Over one lakh Tamil civilians have flee the LTTE-held No Fire Zone (NFZ) amid
intense fighting between the LTTE cadres and the Sri Lankan Army (SLA).
completed.
26—Governments around the world rush to check the spread of a new type of
Buner after capturing strategic points and villages. However, the army action
30—Nearly 50 per cent of the voters exercise their franchise in the third phase of
the general elections in 107 constituencies spread over nine States and two Union
Territories.
6—More than 100 civilians are killed in Army strikes on militants in Afghanistan.
13—Curtain rings down on the massive exercise of voting in the Lok Sabha
elections with nearly 62 per cent electorate casting ballots in the fifth and final
phase.
16—The first case of swine flu in India is confirmed in Hyderabad by the director-
general of health services in New Delhi. A 23-year-old passenger from Dubai was
suspected of having contracted the virus and quarantined after his samples tested
18—For the first time in the history of Mumbai Stock Exchange, circuit breaker is
applied to stop trading after just 30 seconds to cool down an over-heated market
—President Pratibha Patil dissolves the 14th Lok Sabha, paving way for the
—The chief of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), V. Prabhakaran is killed
by Sri Lanka army. Sri Lanka armed forces free the nation from three decades of
LTTE terror.
—In a frenzy unprecedented in the history of Indian stock market, Sensex jumps
up by 2,110.79 points, or 17.3 per cent, following Congress win in Lok Sabha
elections.
range of upto 3,000 km from a launch pad of Integrated Test Range at Wheelers
22—Dr Manmohan Singh is sworn-in as the Prime Minister of India for a second
term.
23—Pakiatani security forces enter Mingora, the main city of Swat valley, killing
more than 17 militants and signalling a new phase of their offensive against the
Taliban militants.
region within hours of attack in the head of Dera Sachkhand Ballan in a temple
—North Korea conducts a second nuclear test, far more powerful than its first
one.
26—North Korea tests two short-range missiles a day after detonating a nuclear
bomb underground, pushing the regime’s confrontation with world powers
further.
27—A massive car bomb rips through headquarters of ISI in Lahore, killing more
MILESTONES
Jose Brasa: of Spain, he has been appointed the chief coach of India’s men’s
hockey team.
Milan Vohra: Mills & Boons, the biggest, most breathless romance publisher in
the world, has completed its search for fresh literary talent and its first writer
from India is Milan Vohra. It was Vohra’s short story, The Love Asana that
Shubhra Saxena: of Ghaziabad, she has topped the Civil Services Examination,
2008.
Yelena Isinbayeva: Russian pole vaulter and Olympic gold medallist, she has won
“Laodicean.