Mann Ka Shorr

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Asteroids named after Gujarat's researcher, 3 other Indians

July 01, 2023

Asteroids named after Gujarat's researcher, 3 other Indians Gujarati girl Ritu Parekh, along with three others from India, have won the honour to have an asteroid named after them. The aestroid 2000HD73 has been renamed 'Rutuparekh'. Another scientist with Ahmedabad connection, Kumar Venkatramani, who completed his PhD from IIT-Gandhinagar and worked in the Physical Research Laboratory (PRL) has also got aestroid 2000SM362 rechristened as 'Kumar' after him. Parekh, who completed her B.Sc from St Xavier's College in the city, worked with Cept University and later PRL in Ahmedabad before going abroad to pursue higher studies. She currently works as a post-doctoral researcher at Jet Propulsion Laboratory of NASA in the US. On June 22, Working Group Small Bodies Nomenclature of International Astronomical Union, the international body responsible foe naming celestial objects, named 198 aestroids after scientists who have made significant contributions ...

'Fulfilled great-grandad's studying in IMA dream'

June 28, 2023

'Fulfilled great-grandad's studying in IMA dream' For Shanon Sharma, who became the first from his village Naugaon on the outskirts of Dehradun, to become an Army officer, it was a day full of emotions for this moment for several decades. "My great-grandfather, Deep Chand, a farmer, contributed to the construction of Indian Military Academy (IMA) in 1932 by ferrying construction materials on his bullock cart. He always had the wish that one of his family members studies in the prestigious institution. Today, as I stood in front of the Chetwode Hall, where the passing out parade is held, a dream had come true for me and my family after three generations," Shanon said. He added that he had completed his engineering degree as well and was offered a package of Rs.15 Lakh by an MNC, along with offers from the Indian Navy and Air Force but he choose to join IMA so that "the family's dream could come true." Shailesh Sharma, Shanon's fathe...

'The square drive off Andy was my homage to Vishy'

June 27, 2023

'The square drive off Andy was my homage to Vishy' It tastes like vintage wine. It's been 40 years, but it gets better and better." That's how Krishnamachari Srikkanth 'Chika' remembers that magical June of 1983. The Chennai swashbuckler, who top-scored in the final with a 38 against the greatest pace attack of all time on a green Lord's pitch, never believed they would even come close to achieving what they did when it all began. "You know, I had to cut short my honeymoon because of the World Cup win," Srikkanth said. Srikkanth had just got married and his England stint for the World Cup was a part of a double honeymoon package. "I load my wife before that the first part of the honeymoon would be in England, and the second in America. The World Cup was basically a stop-over. In fact, my tickets for America were booked for after the League stage. Finally, it had to be cancelled and we came back to India after the win," h...

THE GAME CHANGER

June 27, 2023

THE GAME CHANGER India's 1983 World Cup triumph shaped the future of Cricket across the landscape For sports lovers, some days are like permanent markers. Time cannot scrub them off. Rather, with every passing year, they find a fonder place in the suitcase of memories. For every cricket-loving Indian of a certain age, June 25, 1983 is that kind of day. It was a day "when cannon fogger turned cannon", London's Sunday Times reported. It was a day when "the World Cup no-hopers stopped the Calypso kings in their tracks," said England great Denis Compton in Sunday Express. It was a day when the unthinkable happened. And cricket in India was never the same again. The World Cup triumph - the first ever in cricket - came when the country was at the cusp of a technological revolution. In the 1970s, even in the early 1980s, international cricket was primarily about listening. Test matches were physically watched by thousands in packed stadiums in the met...

'Yashpal was the unsung hero of 1983'

June 26, 2023

'Yashpal was the unsung hero of 1983' Balwinder Singh Sandhu There was a lot of fun that we had as a team during the campaign. With characters like Sandeep Patil and Kirti Azad, there was a lot of leg-pulling, fooling around, which meant that the team atmosphere was relaxed. I would give credit to our seniors in that team - Sunil (Gavaskar), (Syed) Kirmani, Dilip Vengsarkar and Mohinder Amarnath - for not making the final into too big an occasion. It really helped reduce the pressure on us youngsters. They didn't allow that final to become a big game. Before the final, the atmosphere was like: 'We have done well so far, now it's just one more match. Let's go out there and enjoy our cricket.' Over-planning did not exist. This also helped the youngsters like me to relax. When you come into the final, every player wants to win the match. However, if there's too much 'lecture-baazi' (sermonizing), the whole energy is focused on what we...

KUMAR GANDHARAVA : EVERLASTING NOTES OF HIS CITY MEHFILS

June 25, 2023

KUMAR GANDHARAVA : EVERLASTING NOTES OF HIS CITY MEHFILS In the birth centenary year of the doyen Hindustani Classical music, Nagpur I answered look back on his performances, his gayaki and what set him apart The notes of a Hindustani Classical bandish - chidiya chu chuhani in raag Deshkar - filled the Bhagini Mandal Hall on a Sunday morning. As a music maestro Kumar Gandharava unfolded the raag, there was an incessant twittering of birds outside, adding charm to the entire musical experience. It was an Indian-Style baithak with the audience sitting around the artist. The bond between the vocals and his admirers was tangible as he held them in thrall. This was in the year 1972. "This was Kumarji's first concert with Methil, our banner under which we hold musical events, though I had heard him before in 1966 at the Swar Sadhana Sangeet Samaj Sammelan and in 1967 at the Dhanwate Rang Mandarin, " recalls Dinkar Kukday, a lawyer by professional whose p...