Saalumarada Thimmakka

Saalumarada Thimmakka, an environmentalist, is one of the well-known personalities of Karnataka. She has earned recognition due to her untiring efforts in planting and tending to 284 banyan trees along the highway covering a distance of four kilometers. Her persistent work has earned her several national and international awards.

She has been honored with the prestigious National Citizen’s Award of India for her selfless works in the field of environment. She also has a U.S. environmental organization called Thimmakka’s Resources for Environmental Education named after her.

Saalumarada Thimmakka – A Brief History

Saalumarada Thimmakka was born in a village named Hulikal that falls under the Magadi taluk of Bangalore Rural district. She was known as Thimmakka then. She did not go to school or get any formal education.

From an early age she worked as a laborer in a quarry near her home. She was married off to Chikkaiah, a cattle herder. The couple wanted children but were unable to get any even after 25 years of their married life.

One day the husband-wife duo decided to plant trees to overcome the sadness and empty feeling of their lives. That was around 50 years ago. From there started a journey of untiring love and selfless service of an ordinary couple towards an extra ordinary mission: a mission to raise as many trees as possible with love and care and as their own children.

Her journey to become Saalumarada Thimmakka

Thimmakka and her husband decided to plant trees along the roadside and they selected the road to the next village, Kudur to fulfill their plans.  This particular road was one that did not have a single tree and caused immense hardship to the travelers on the dry and hot days.

They started grafting saplings from Ficus (banyan) trees as there were plenty of Ficus trees near her village. They grafted ten saplings in the first year and planted them along a stretch of 4 kilometers on the road that led to Kudur. They increased the number to 15 in the next year. They continued with their efforts and increased the number of saplings with each passing year.

They not only planted the saplings, but also tended to the young saplings. Each morning they started from their home with four pots filled with water and watered the saplings. When the pots emptied out they refilled them from the nearby ponds and wells and continued watering the saplings while covering the whole stretch on feet and returned home doing the same thing.

They treated the saplings as their own children and each day followed the same routine. They also protected the saplings from the grazing cattle by fencing them with thorny shrubs. Their tireless efforts began to bear fruit when the saplings grew into large and strong trees.

The couple planted the saplings mostly in the monsoon season so that the plants would get the rain water for their growth. The couple planted more than 300 trees in total and today the asset value of the trees stands at more than 1.5 million rupees. Thimmakka’s husbandpassed away in 1991 but she continued with her mission alone and undaunted. The Government of Karnataka has taken over the management of the trees now.

Thimmakka was referred to as Saalumarada Timmakka after her work got popular among the people. Salumarada means the row of trees in Kannada language. She was given the name to honor her dedication towards planting the saplings and preserving the environment despite the numerous hardships that she and herhusband had to face along the way.

Other Social Activities of Timmakka

Salumarada Timmakka did not stop at only planting trees. She got involved in various social activities like construction of a tank to store rain water for the annual fair of her village. She has plans of building a hospital in her village and has set up a trust for the purpose.

She is an active crusader for spreading the message of afforestation. Her simple philosophy of life is that every person on this earth must leave behind some asset for humanity.

She still lives in economic crisis and just manages to somehow make a living from the various awards and a monthly pension. But this has never managed to kill her spirit or her passion for doing good work for humankind.

Awards and Recognition for Timmakka

Saalumarada Thimmakka is the idol of every environmentalist today. She has shown the world how one illiterate woman can make a huge difference to the society through her hard work and patience.

She has been honored with titles like Vanamitra, Nisargaratna, Vrikshapremi and Vrikshasri. For her uncompromising efforts towards saving the environment she has been conferred with several awards and citations like:

• Nadoja Award by Hampi University – 2010
• Godfrey Phillips Bravery Award – 2006
• Karnataka Kalpavalli Award – 2000
• National Citizen’s award – 1995
• Indira Priyadarshini Vrikshmitra Award – 1997
• Veerachakra Prashasthi Award – 1997
• Honor Certificate from the Women and Child Welfare Department, Government of Karnataka
• Vishalakshi Award by Art of Living Organization
• Certificate of Appreciation from the Indian Institute of WoodScience and Technology, Bangalore

Tipu Sultan

Tipu Sultan, prominently known as Sher-e-Mysore (Tiger of Mysore) is also given the sobriquet of Sher-e-Hind and Sher-e-Mashriq (Tiger of the East). A legendary ruler, he not only opposed British rule in South India but also played a major role in keeping the British forces away from South India . He was one of those rare rulers who had the gumption to challenge the British Government.

No wonder, the mighty Tippoo Sahib (as addressed by British) defeated the foreign invaders in the First and Second Anglo Mysore War and even dictated terms to the British in the subsequent Treaty of Madras and Mangalore respectively. 

Early Childhood

Tipu was born in the Bangalore area of Devanhalli to a military officer Hyder Ali in the kingdom of Mysore in the year 1750. Hyder Ali and his wife Fatima Fakhr Un Nisa named their baby as Fath Ali but often called him as Tipu after the local saint Tipu Mastan Aulia. Tipu Sultan’s full name was Sultan Fateh Ali Khan Shahab. Soon, Hyder Ali’s career progressed and in 1761 he became the ruler of Mysore. Since, Hyder Ali had a political alliance with the French, Tipu studied military tactics and strategies from the French.

He had some of the best tutors to teach him various subjects like shooting, riding and swordsmanship. Perhaps that is why Tipu at a very young age of 15 with only two to three thousand force could capture the family of the Malabar chief. No wonder, the Malabar ruler surrendered to only Hyder Ali because of Tipu Sultan’s successful invasion of Malabar.

Ghazi Khan, one of the main officer in the military of Haider Ali and also a great warrior himself, personally tutored Tipu Sultan. He gave Tipu the necessary military education which not only made Tipu a great soldier but also a great General.

Tipu Sultan, the Great Ruler of Mysore

After Hyder Ali died due to Carbuncle in the year 1782, Tipu became the new ruler of Mysore. This new ruler who had already fought two war – First Anglo Mysore and Second Anglo Mysore War under the leadership of his father knew that British forces were a great threat to the independent Kingdom of Mysore. He therefore focused more on military advances especially Mysorean rockets which were successfully used by his father in the Second Anglo Mysore War against the British.  

The Famous Mysore Rockets

Mysorean missiles were iron cased rockets fitted with swords in them. These rockets used to travel long, covering various kilometers up in the air before launching down - attacking the enemies with sword. Although there were missiles in the Europe, Mysorean Missiles became famous due to their coverage and destructive capacity. Hyder Ali’s Mysore rockets, undoubtedly, were very advanced missiles than what the British had seen. Tipu Sultan had written a Military Manual Fathul Mujahidin in which he explained the operation of these Mysore Rockets. This was mainly due to the iron tubes  which were used for holding the rocket propellant. No wonder, it enabled greater thrust and extended distance up to 2 km.

Mysore Missiles, the Father of Congreve Rockets

In the year 1801, several of the Mysore rockets were sent to England in the Royal Arsenal labfor R&D by Col. (Later Sir) William Congreve. Roughly, 4 years later in the year 1805, Royal Arsenal came up with their first Congreve rocket only due to the Technology devised by Haider Ali and his son Tipu Sultan. These Congreve Rockets helped the British troops in the Napolenic Wars and also in the War of 1812. Not to forget, the Battle of Baltimore in the year 1814 was won mainly due to these rockets.

Congreve Rocket therefore was no brainchild of William Congreve as widely considered. It is nothing but a modified version of Mysore Rockets, invented by Haider Ali and widely used byTipu Sultan, the pioneer when it comes to utilizing rocket artillery. Congreve only did what Mahesh Bhatt and Pritam do today.

Palaces of Tipu Sultan Across Bangalore

Bangalore Fort although built by Kempe Gowda of Vijaynagar Empire in the 16th century, was renovated and made into a stone fort by Haider Ali in 1761. At one point of time when British bombed the fort, Tipu Sultan repaired it completely. However, the fort was captured by the British after the third Anglo Mysore War. Currently, Delhi Gate and remnants of bastions are the only two parts remaining of this once so powerful fort.

Within the Bangalore fort, there is a palace made of wood famously known as Tipu Sultan’s Summer Palace which though started during the period of Hyder Ali ended during the reign of Tipu Sultan. An example of Indo-Islamic architecture, the walls of the palace are embellished by pretty flower motifs. Currently, the fort is a tourist place in Bangalore near the Kalasipalyam Bus Stand.

Tipu Sultan in his tenure also finished the construction of Lal Bagh Botanical Garden in the Bangalore area which was started by his father Haider Ali. The garden has a large collection of tropical plants as well as a lake and an aquarium. Located in South Bangalore, it is one of the major hot spot of Bangalore. The garden is made in the Mughal style and comprises several plants and trees from various nations.

The Fourth Anglo Mysore War that led to the Death of Tipu Sultan

Srirangapatnam, the island fortress was the capital of Mysore during the 18th century. It was so well organized with good trade routes that British feared terrible consequences. In addition, the ruler of Mysore had an effective army as that of British army. This led to four wars back to back. Although the first two wars were won by the Ruler of Mysore, the third had dire consequences – Tipu’s two son aged 8 and 10 were detained by the British forces. Finally, in the fourth, Tipu Sultan the ruler of Mysore breath’d his last in 1799 at Srirangapatnam.

The Sword of Tipu Sultan

After the death of Tipu Sultan the British forces took away the Sword and Ring of Tipu Sultan as war trophies. Both the remnants of Tipu Sultan where displayed in the British Musuem till 2004 after which Vijay Mallya, the liquor baron bought the sword of Tipu Sultan in an auction.

Tipu Sultan’s one of the very first swords which he lost during the wars with the Nair of Travancore is displayed at Manchester Square, London.

Why some in Karnataka love to Hate Tipu Sultan?

Though Tipu Sultan is the hero of  Mysore and South India, he is considered as a villain in the region of Malabar, Mangalore and Coorg. All the supporters of the ex Mysore king the Wodeyar strongly hated Tipu Sultan as they blamed his father of betraying the king.

The Coorgis hate him too as they were of the opinion that Tipu Sultan was trying to interfere in their kingdom.  The people of Malabar hated Tipu due to his invasion in the area at an early age. This was also one of the reasons why British could invade the state of Mysore because the people of these three areas helped British forces against Tipu. Yes, they considered British as their friends and Tipu Sultan as their enemy. 

KAPIL SHARMA

Kapil Sharma is a comedian, television presenter, model and a film actor who can lure and make laugh to audience easily . Kapil Sharma has always been a favourite with the young and old alike. Now Kapil Sharma is all set to make his Bollywood debut in Anees Bazmee’s upcoming movie.
Kapil Sharma Biography
 Kapil Sharma is an Indian stand-up comedian and actor from Amritsar in Punjab, India. Kapil started his career from reality shows and comedy. He participated in a comedy reality show Ustaadon Ka Ustaad, the contestants of Comedy Circus performed against those from Great Indian Laughter Challenge, He also co-hosted comedy show Chhote Miyan (2008) with Juhi Parmar on Colors. In 2009, he joined the comedy reality show Hans Baliye on star one, as a wild card entry, along with Ginni as a partner. He also co hosted the first Punjabi international film awards in Toronto in 2012.
He also co-hosted Great Indian Laughter Challenge Season IV with Chandan Prabhakar. He won Comedy Circus Ke Taansen and has worked on comedy show Comedy Circus Ka Naya Daur with his partner Shweta Tiwari and won it. He is a man of multiple talents. He has done serious roles in theatres but has also got a perfect sense of timing when it comes to humor. He is also a great singer and showed his talent in Star Ya Rockstar. He was a wild card entry and reached up to the final where he came second. He also won Kahani Comedy Circus Ki. Even though Sharma wants to be concentrating more on various acting roles, he is known for his sharp comedy on stage.
Personal Profile
 Name : Kapil Sharma
 Date of Birth :18 April 1971
 Age : 42
 Birth Place :Amritsar, Punjab, India
 Height : 5’8″
Kapil Sharma to host Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa 6
 The makers of Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa 6 have roped in stand-up comedian Kapil Sharma who will join Manish Paul on Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa. Manish Paul hosted the last season of ‘Jhalak’ too, along with Ragini Khanna. However, this year Ragini will be replaced by Kapil, who is also the winner of ‘Comedy Circus’. The popular dance show will have two male hosts for the first time.
Kapil Sharma upcoming movies
 Sharma has signed Aneez Bazmee’s upcoming Hindi movie, ‘Its My Life’. The film will star Harman Baweja and Genelia D’Souza in the lead roles. He is also part of Sohail Khan’s upcoming film Sher Khan and Rohit Shetty’s upcoming film Chennai Express starring Shah Rukh Khan in the lead role.
Kapil Sharma Married
 Kapil Sharma whose expected wife Preeti Simoes to whom he was in serious relationships since couple of years. A legend comedian is of 41 age and still not married.
Kapil Sharma Filmography
Movie
 Black Currency ( 2013 )
 Its My Life (2013 )
 Chennai Express ( 2013 )
 Bhavnao Ko Samjho ( 2010 )
 Dunno Y… Na Jaane Kyon (2010 )
 Ab Tumhare Hawale Watan Sathiyo (2004)
 The Legend Of Bhagat Singh (2002 )
Reality Shows
 The Great Indian Laughter Challenge
 Hans Baliye
 Ustaadon Ka Ustaad
 Comedy Circus Ke SuperStars
 Comedy Circus Ka Jadoo
 Jubilee Comedy Circus
 Comedy Circus Ke Taansen
 Star Ya Rockstar
 Comedy Circus Ka Naya Daur
 Kahani Comedy Circus Ki
 Comedy Circus Ke Ajoobe
 Comedy Nights With Kapil
As guest performance
 Bigg Boss 6 Grand Finale
 Dance India Dance Li’l Masters grand finale
 C.I.D. (Indian TV series) Veerata puraskar
 Nach Baliye season 5 Premiere (Some Episodes)

JAYALALITHAA

Jayalalithaa AIADMK Politician and Actress
 Name- Jayalalithaa Jayaram Commonly known as J. Jayalalitha. Jayalalithaa’s given name was Komalavalli. but her pet name is Ammu.

 Education – Matriculation
 Date of Birth - born 24 February 1948
 Profession – Agriculture , Actor turn Politician
 Place of Birth – Mysore She was born as Komalavalli in a Tamil Iyengar family. She is a native of Srirangam, Trichy. She was born in poverty. Her parents were not rich, Her father died when she was two years old.


 Family – Father, Mother and brother. Her father died early and She had en elder brother named as JayaKumar. He expired in early 90's Her father Jeyaram died when she was 2 years old.
 Martial Status and children - unmarried.

Political Career - Member, Rajya Sabha, 1984-1989; Member, Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly, 1989-1991, 1991-1996, 2002-2006; General Secretary, All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam from 1989; Former Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu; Now, Leader of Opposition; Leader, All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhaga Legislature Party. Won 2011 Elections
 She served as MLA for the following constituencies
 1989 – Bodinayakkanur.
 1991 –Bargur
 2002 – Andipatti
 2006 – Andipatti


 She is called as Amma and Puratchi Thalaivi by her followers.
 Amma means Mother and Puratchi Thalaivi means Revolutionary Leader
 She studied at Bishop Cotton Girls' High School in Bangalore Later she moved to Tamil Nadu and studied at Sacred Heart Matriculation School (popularly known as Church Park Presentation Convent) in Chennai.
 After her matriculation she was very keen on doing law. But She dropped out of school to follow her aunt Vidyavati into films. Her mother compelled her and circumstances also force her to movies.
 Jayalalithaa’s father Jayaram was an irresponsible wastrel who squandered the family fortune.
 This led to her mother Vedavalli becoming a film actor to support the family.
 She took on the name Sandhya. Soon she relocated to Madras.
 Jayalalithaa Movies and Dance forms –
She learnt Bharatha Natyam and carnatic music and had her dance arangetram in 1960.
 She is trained in classical dance (Bharata Natyam) and Carnatic Music.
 She knows other dance forms also such as Mohini Attam, Kathak and Manipuri.
 She has sung many songs in films.
 She acted in English, Hindi, Kannada,Tamil,Telgu, Malayalam movies.
 She Played 'herself' as a politician/chief minister in the movie 'Neenga Nalla Erukkanum'
1961-
She acted in an English movie, Epistle released in 1961, which was produced by Shankar Giri, son of former president of India VV Giri.
 Jayalalithaa has acted in more than a hundred films
“Thirumangalyam” was Jayalalithaa’s 100th film .
 Jayalalithaa was one of the first heroines to don bathing costumes.
 Jayalalithaa was a bombshell in bikini.
 Some ministers have gone on record saying their ambition in life is to be her servant or a watchdog in her kennel
1964 –
Jayalalithaa started her career in acting.
 Jayalalitha made her debut as a teenager in a Kannada film titled Chinnada Gombe (1964)
 She made her Bollywood debut through Izzat, in which she was paired opposite Dharmendra.
1981 –
Jayalalithaa joined All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) political party.

 That time Jayalalithaa was friend and a very close companion of M.G.Ramachandran, (popularly known as M.G.R) the late film star, leader of the AIADMK party and Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu. Jayalalitha and MGR together acted in 28 Movies.
 The media called her his mistress' but Jayalalitha has always called mgr her mentor. He handpicked her for films when she was just 16' and he 42' and also groomed her for politics. He is known to have kept her in his grip' even kept tabs on her films.
 1984 –
First as the Secretary of the AIADMK and then Jayalalitha became Member of Parliament to the Rajya Sabha.

 MGR died on December 24 1987.
 1988-89 –
As a film star Jayalalitha was popular.
 After death of MGR , she won the elections to the Tamil Nadu legislative assembly in 1989.
 She became the first Woman Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Assembly of Tamil Nadu.
 1991 –
Rajiv Gandhi died on 21 May 1991.
 That time Jayalalitha and congress got the alliance, killing and death of Rajiv Gandhi helped her to win the elections.
 She was re-elected to the legislative assembly and became the first elected woman chief minister of Tamil Nadu, serving the full tenure (24 June 1991 - 12 May 1996)
 1996 –
Corruption charges, she lost power and elections and DMK won.
 Her party won just four of the 234 seats.
 After her defeat in 1996, the Karunanidhi government arrested her in December 1996 on charges of corruption and Jayalalitha spent a few weeks in jail till her
 release in early January 1997.
 2001 –
She again won the elections and came to power.
 She was chief minister of Tamil Nadu for the period of 14-05-2001 to 21-09-2001.
 Year 2002 –
Jayalalitha was elected from Andipatti Assembly constituency in February 2002.
 She again became the chief Minister for the period of 02-03-2002 to -12-05-2006.
 Year 2006 –
Again she lost power to the DMK.
 Year 2011 –
Corruption charges against DMK and Congress and People voted for Jayalalitha.
 Jayalalitha again won the elections in 2011.
Jayalalithaa and Awards –
1.Degree of Doctor of Letters from Bharathidasan University in 2003
 2.Degree of Doctor of Letters from Madurai Kamaraj University in 1993
 3.Degree of Doctor of Literature from University of Madras in 1991
 4.Degree of Doctor of Science from Dr. M.G.R Medical University in 1992
 5.Degree of Doctor of Science in Tamil Nadu Agricultural University in 2003
 6.She received Kalaimamani Award from Tamil Nadu Government in 1977
Jayalalithaa and Controversies
Jayalalitha and Corruption charges –
1.
 December 08, 1996 - Jayalalitha Jayaram, was charged in a corruption case involving the purchase of television sets for villagers.
 The police said Ms. Jayalalitha had been charged today with overruling state authorities and ordering some $2.4 million worth of excess spending on 45,302 television sets for villagers.
 She denied wrongdoing, saying, ''This is nothing but political victimization.''
 The television sets were provided to villagers under a government community education and entertainment plan.
 Some officials had objected to the purchase price of $400 per color television set, calling it inflated. They had claimed that some of the money paid to television set makers was being returned to state officials as kickbacks
 2.
 April 1998 - Tansi land deal case and Jayalalitha -
 The case relates to the purchase of land belonging to the state-owned small industries corporation, Tansi, at Guindy by Jaya Publications, in which Jayalalitha and her friend Sasikala were partners.
 Delivering the judgment, Justice P Anbhazhagan said facts presented in the chargesheet and during arguments showed that the sale deed of the prime land at Guindy had been executed on May 29, 1992 with the dishonest intention of cheating the government.
 He said at the time of the sale Jayalalitha had been the chief minister and hence, the purchase of the land by Jaya publications, in which she was a partner, was bound to attract punishment under section 169 of the Indian Penal Code. “Being a public servant, she is legally bound not to purchase properties belonging to the state government," he said.
 The other accused in the case are former small scale industries minister Mohamad Asif, former Tansi chairman and managing director T R Srinivasan, former stamps collector S Nagarajan and former joint secretary to the chief minister Karpurasundara Pandian. According to the chargesheet, Jayalalitha allegedly bought the land belonging to the TNSIC at a throwaway price in utter misuse of her official position as the chief minister .
 The prosecution case is that prime TANSI land at Guindy in Madras was purchased at a price lower than the prevailing market price, by Jaya Publications, Sasi Enterprises -- in which Jayalalitha and Sasikala were partners -- and RR Industries.
 3.
 June 6,1998 - Special judge-1 S Sambandam, trying cases of corruption during the previous All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazagham regime, had, on Thursday morning, ordered interim attachment of the properties on a petition filed by the state Directorate of Vigilance and Anti Corruption in the case relating to amassment of wealth worth Rs 660 million by Jayalalitha, which was disproportionate to her known sources of income when she was the chief minister.
 4.
 April 1999 - When she was arrested in 1996, press reports said that among the treasures found at her residence were 64 pounds of diamond-studded gold jewelry, thousands of saris, 750 pairs of shoes, 91 designer watches and 19 automobiles.
 Three weeks ago, she was accused of beating her former accountant with a high-heeled shoe and then forcing him to sign papers that confessed full responsibility for her income tax problems. Her arrest on corruption charges was accompanied by the seizure of 64lb of diamond-studded gold jewellery, more than 10,000 saris and 750 shoes.
 5.
 She also attracted international attention for the lavish wedding she organized for her foster son, alleged to have cost many millions of dollars.
 6.
 Jayalalitha and story of her Accountant Mr. Rajasekaran. Mr Rajasekaran was Jayalalitha's accountant for 10 years, until they had a falling-out in 1997, he explained.
 He said he was surprised to be summoned to her residence on Saturday, where the former Chief Minister met him along with her longtime companion, Sasikala Natarajan, and Ms. Natarajan's nephew, M. Mahadevan.'
 'When Sasikala came into the room, she bolted the door from inside and took two shoes with high heels from a plastic bag,'' he said.He said the women hammered at him with the spiked shoes while Mr. Mahadevan used a stick. ''Unable to bear the pain, I cried for mercy,'' the accountant said.Reeling from the assault, Mr. Rajasekaran was then made to write and sign statements that admitted his responsibility for lapses in the two women's tax returns, he said.
 In her statement, Jayalalitha called the allegations a complete lie intended to disparage her. She said she suspected that her political archrival, Tamil Nadu's current Chief Minister, Muthuvel Karunanidhi, was behind this ''sinister conspiracy.''
 7.
 February 10 1999 - Union Law Minister M Thambidurai today justified the Centre's gazette notification transferring corruption cases against former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalitha and others from special judges to other judges, saying the Centre had adequate powers to effect such transfers.
 8.
 February 2000 – She was found in possession of more money. Corruption charges on her. Five big suitcases full of precious necklaces, rings, bangles, icons and earrings are under heavy guard. Each gemstone must be counted. One elegant waistband holds 2,389 diamonds, as well as 18 emeralds and 9 rubies.
 9.
 February 2, 2000 - construction of the seven-storey 'Pleasant Stay' hotel in Kodaikanal, flouting norms - The prosecution's case was that Jayalalitha, Selvaganapathy and Pandey had granted permission to the hotel to construct a seven-storeyed structure at Blue Ville in the tourist resort town of Kodaikanal in violation of building rules.
 Former Tamil Nadu chief minister and All-India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam general secretary J Jayalalitha and four of her colleagues have been sentenced to one year's rigorous imprisonment on charges of corruption in the Pleasant Stay Hotel case. Special Judge-2 V Radhakrishnan convicted and sentenced Jayalalitha and her colleagues for having favoured the owner of the hotel in return of monetary considerations when she was ruling Tamil Nadu from 1991-96.
 10.
 The Madras high court today suspended the execution of the order passed by a special judge convicting former Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalitha and sentencing her to a year's rigorous imprisonment in the Pleasant Stay Hotel corruption case and granted her bail.

 11.
 1999 - Rs 7 billion coal import scam case. - multi-million-rupee coal import deal scandal in which All-India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam general secretary and former Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalitha was the prime accused.
 The case, relating to import of coal by the Tamil Nadu Electricity Board during Jayalalitha's tenure as chief minister Justice Kadri said in this case, the offence is said to have taken place in 1993-94.
 The charge-sheet was filed on April 2, 1997, and the trial court took cognisance of it in the last quarter of 1997. the accused had entered into a criminal conspiracy in 1992 to ensure excess payment of Rs 37.5 million to the five coal suppliers --- Sintax International of Perth, the New York-based Energy Trading Corporation and Hawley Fuel Trading, Counter Corporation Trading of Singapore and Prime Comexindo of Jakarta.This was because coal was imported through the five firms at a cost of $ 40 per tonne as against the initial price offer of $ 35.24 made by Prime Comexindo.
 12.
 May 1999 - Two of the three special judges, trying corruption cases against All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazagham chief and former Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalitha and others, have received letters threatening them of dire consequences if they proceed against her.The letters in Tamil were signed by one 'Unmai Vilambi' (one who speaks the truth) In all, 46 corruption cases are to be tried by the three special judges against Jayalalitha and her erstwhile cabinet colleagues besides some bureaucrats.

 13.
 April 2001 – Election Commission of India filed case against Jayalalitha. in Chennai for filing of nomination papers by her from four constituencies during the April 2001 assembly elections. as per the Representation of the People Act, 1951, a candidate is entitled to contest elections on a maximum of two seats at a time.
 Jayalalitha had filed nomination papers to fight elections from four assembly seats - Andipatti, Krishnagiri, Bhuvanagiri and Pudukotti - and made allegedly false declaration to the returning officer that she was contesting from only two constituencies.
 14.
 September 22, 2001 - The Supreme Court ruled that the appointment of Jayalalitha Jayaram as the chief minister of Tamil Nadu State in May violated the Constitution.
 The reason, the judges said, was her disqualification from running for office after being found guilty of abusing her power as chief minister in the early 1990's to buy state-owned property at a price far below the market value.

 15.
 December 5,2001 - The Madras High Court overturned two corruption convictions of Jayaram Jayalalitha.
She was sentenced to prison last year on charges stemming from a previous term as chief minister.
 She served no time while her case was under appeal but was forced to resign in September after the Supreme Court ruled her appointment as chief minister unconstitutional because of her convictions.
 16.
 The Supreme Court today dealt a severe blow to the political career of the AIADMK chief, Ms. Jayalalithaa, by quashing her appointment as Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu by the then Governor, Ms. Fathima Beevi, on May 14.A five-judge Constitution Bench, in a unanimous verdict of 5-0, held ``a person who is convicted for a criminal offence and sentenced to imprisonment for a period of not less than two years cannot be appointed the Chief Minister of a State under Article 164 (1) read with (4) and cannot continue to function as such.'' In effect, the court rejected the argument that a popular mandate - or the `will' of the people - could override the Constitution. The Bench observed that it was not impressed by the submission that the court should not issue a quo warranto as the six-month period, allowed by Article 164 (4), would expire in about two months and it was possible for Ms. Jayalalithaa to succeed in the criminal appeals (in the TANSI cases) filed by her in the Madras High Court. ``We take the view that the appointment of a person to the office of Chief Minister who is not qualified to hold it should be struck down at the earliest.'' The Bench did not accept the contention that once a sentence was stayed by the High Court and an appeal was pending, the conviction would not operate and Ms. Jayalalithaa suffered no disqualification, and said ``conviction and sentence it carries operate against the accused in all their rigour until set aside in appeal, and a disqualification that attaches to the conviction and sentence applies as well.''

 In Short Jayalalitha was also accused of doing every type of corruption which Raja or Kalmadi or adarsh politicians did.
 1.Selling Government property in cheap
 2.Purchase by paying more
 3.Personal gains in contracts
 4.Accused in 46 cases

SUBRAHMANYAN CHANDRASEKHAR

Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar worked on the origins and structures of stars, earning an important place in the world of science. The Nobel Prize-winning physicist's most celebrated work concerns the radiation of energy from stars, particularly the dying fragments known as white dwarf stars.

 Early years 
Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar, better known as Chandra, was born on October 19, 1910, in Lahore, India (now part of Pakistan), the first son of C. Subrahmanyan Ayyar and Sitalakshmi (Divan Bahadur) Balakrishnan. Chandra came from a large family—he had six brothers and three sisters. As the firstborn son, Chandra inherited his paternal grandfather's name, Chandrasekhar. His uncle was the Nobel Prize-winning Indian physicist, Sir C. V. Raman (1888–1970).
Chandra received his early education at home, beginning when he was five. From his mother he learned Tamil (a language spoken in India), from his father, English and arithmetic. He set his sights upon becoming a scientist at an early age, and to this end, undertook some independent study of calculus and physics. Private tutors taught Chandra until 1921, when he enrolled in the Hindu High School in Triplicane, India. With typical drive
Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar. Reproduced by permission of AP/Wide World Photos.
 Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar. 
 Reproduced by permission of  
AP/Wide World Photos
. and motivation, he studied on his own and rose to the head of the class, completing school by the age of fifteen.
After high school Chandra attended Presidency College in Madras, India. For the first two years he studied physics, chemistry, English, and Sanskrit. For his bachelor's honors degree he wished to take pure mathematics but his father insisted that he take physics. Chandra registered as an honors physics student but attended mathematics lectures, where his teachers quickly realized his brilliance. Chandra also took part in sporting activities and joined the debating team. A highlight of his college years was the publication of his paper, "The Compton Scattering and the New Statistics." These and other early successes while still an eighteen-year-old undergraduate only strengthened Chandra's determination to pursue a career in scientific research, despite his father's wish that he join the Indian civil service.
Upon graduating with a master's degree in 1930, Chandra set off for Trinity College in Cambridge, England. As a research student at Cambridge he turned to astrophysics, inspired by a theory of stellar (stars) evolution that had occurred to him as he made the long boat journey from India to Cambridge. In the summer of 1931 he worked with physicist Max Born (1882–1970) at the Institut für Theoretische Physik at Göttingen in Germany. In 1932 he left for Copenhagen, Denmark, where he was able to devote more of his energies to pure physics. A series of Chandra's lectures on astrophysics given at the University of Liège, in Belgium in February 1933 received a warm reception.

 White dwarfs 
During a four-week trip to Russia in 1934—where he met physicists Lev Davidovich Landau (1908–1968), B. P. Geraismovic, and Viktor Ambartsumian—he returned to the work that had led him into astrophysics to begin with: white dwarfs. Upon returning to Cambridge, he took up researching white dwarfs again.
As a member of the Royal Astronomical Society since 1932, Chandra was entitled to present papers at its twice monthly meetings. It was at one of these that Chandra, in 1935, announced the results of the work that would later make his name. As stars evolve, he told the assembled audience, they release energy generated by their conversion of hydrogen into helium and even heavier elements. As they reach the end of their life, stars have less hydrogen left to convert so they release less energy in the form of radiation. They eventually reach a stage when they are no longer able to generate the pressure needed to maintain their size against their own gravitational pull, and they begin to shrink, eventually collapsing into themselves. Their electrons (particle with a negative charge) become so tightly packed that their normal activity is shut down and they become white dwarfs, or tiny objects of enormous density.

 The Yerkes Observatory 
In 1937 Chandra returned home to India to marry Lalitha Doraiswamy. The couple settled in the United States. A year later Chandra was charged with developing a graduate program in astronomy and astrophysics and with teaching some of the courses at the University of Chicago's Yerkes Observatory. His reputation as a teacher soon attracted top students to the observatory's graduate school. He also continued researching stellar evolution, stellar structure, and the transfer of energy within stars.
In 1944 Chandra achieved a lifelong goal when he was elected to the Royal Society of London, the world's oldest scientific organization. In 1952 he became the Morton D. Hull Distinguished Service Professor of Astrophysics in the departments of astronomy and physics, as well as at the Institute for Nuclear Physics, at the University of Chicago's Yerkes Observatory. Later the same year he was appointed managing editor of the  Astrophysical Journal,  a position he held until 1971.
Chandra became a United States citizen in 1953. He retired from the University of Chicago in 1980, although he remained on as a post-retirement researcher. In 1983 he published a classic work on the mathematical theory of black holes. His semi-retirement also left him with more time to pursue his hobbies and interests: literature and music, particularly orchestral, chamber, and South Indian.
Chandra died in Chicago on August 21, 1995, at the age of eighty-two. Throughout his life Chandra strove to acquire knowledge and understanding. According to an autobiographical essay published with his Nobel lecture, he was motivated "principally by a quest after perspectives."

 For More Information 
 The Biographical Dictionary of Scientists, Astronomers.  London: Blond Educations Company, 1984, p. 36.
Goldsmith, Donald.  The Astronomers.  New York: St. Martin's Press, 1991.
Land, Kenneth R., and Owen Gingerich, eds.  A Sourcebook in Astronomy and Astrophysics.  Cambridge, MA.: Harvard University Press, 1979.

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MEGHNAD SAHA

MEGHNAD SAHA (1893 – 1956 )

MEGHNAD SAHA was a great Indian scientist. He made remarkable contribution to the field of Astrophysics. He put forward an “ionization formula” which explained the presence of the spectral lines. Meghnad Saha belonged to a poor family and struggled to rise in life. He was born in Seoratali, Dacca district, now in Bangladesh, on October 6, 1893. He was the fifth child of his parents, Sri Jagannath Saha and Smt. Bhubneshwari Devi. His father was a petty grocer who barely managed to keep his large family from starvation. Meghnad Saha started his education in the primary school of the village. The nearest such school was in another village about 10 kilometers away. He was lucky in that one Dr. Anantha Kumar Das took an interest in him and offered free board and lodging, so the young Meghnad could go to school. Later in life, he took every opportunity to express his gratitude to Anantha Kumar Das for this timely help at such a crucial stage, without which his education may never have continued.
Meghnad Saha took admission in the Kishorilal Jubilee School and passed the Entrance examination of the Calcutta University in 1909, standing first among the student from East Bengal obtaining the highest marks in languages (English, Bengali and Sanskrit combined) and in Mathematics. In 1911, he ranked third in the ISc exam while the first position went to another great scientist Satyendranath Bose. After that he took admission in Presidency College Calcutta. In 1913, he graduated from Presidency College with Mathematics major and got the second rank in the first one. In 1915, both S. N. Bose and Meghnad Saha ranked first in M.Sc. exam, Meghnad Saha in Applied Mathematics and S.N. Bose in Pure Mathematics.
In 1917, He started his professional career and joined as lecturer at the newly opened University College of Science in Calcutta. He taught Quantum Physics. Along with S.N. Bose, He translated the papers published in German by Einstein and Hermann Minkowski on relativity into English versions. In 1919, American Astrophysical Journal published – “On Selective Radiation Pressure and its Application” – a research paper by Meghnad Saha. He put forward an “onization formula” which explained the presence of the spectral lines. The formula proved to be a breakthrough in astrophysics. He went abroad and stayed for two years. He spent time in research at Imperial College, London and at a research at Imperial College, London and at a research laboratory in Germany. In 1927, Meghnad Saha was elected as a fellow of ‘London’s Royal Society’.
In 1932, Meghnad Saha moved to Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh Academ

y of Science was established. He returned to Science College, Calcutta in 1938. During this time, Saha got interested in Nuclear physics, which later was named after him as Saha Institute of Nuclear physics in the curriculum of higher studies of science. Having seen cyclotrons used for research in nuclear physics abroad, he ordered one to be installed in the institute. In 1950, India had its first cyclotron in operation. He invented an instrument to measure the weight and pressure of solar rays. He produced the famous equation, which he called ‘equation of the reaction-isobar for ionization’, which later became known as Saha’s “Thermo-Ionization Equation”.
Saha was the leading spirit in organizing the scientific societies like the ‘National Academy of Science’ (1930), ‘Indian Institute of Science’ (1935), and the ‘ Indian Association for the Cultivation of science’ (1944). The lasting memorial to him is the ‘Saha Institute of Nuclear physics’ founded in 1943 in Calcutta. He was the chief architect of river planning in India. He prepared the original plan for Damodar Valley Project. Meghnad Saha was an Indian astrophysicist who nominated for the ‘Nobel prize’ in physics in 1935-36. In 1952, he was elected as a Member of Parliament for the North-West Calcutta constituency. He was an advocate for the peaceful use of nuclear energy and instrumental in the reformation of the Indian calendar. He died on February 16, 1956 due to a heart attack.

GURURAJ DESHPANDE

Famous As
Entrepreneur
Born In Hubli, Karnataka
Nationality American
 Dr. Gururaj Deshpande is known for his contributions to the networking and telecom industry. He is the Chairman and one of the founders of Sycamore Networks Inc. He has carved a niche for himself with his futuristic ideas. His innovative and creative convictions have brought about a dramatic change on the business and technology front. His work and achievements have inspired quite a number of people, which only helps explain why he is such a popular speaker at several business organizations, technology institutions, management schools and government organizations. He has helped manage many organizations with his technical skills, research and development and business foresight. He has also helped several educational institutions by imparting knowledge gained from experience. Dr. Gururaj is also well known for his philanthropist ideas and has contributed effectively to the research and development centers in Massachusetts. The Deshpande Center for Technological Innovation was started by him with a vision to support and promote new technologies in the field of biotechnology, information technology and micro technology.
Early Life
 Dr. Gururaj Deshpande was born in a thriving city known as Hubli. The city is tucked away in the northwestern part of the state of Karnataka. He was born in a Deshastha Brahmin's family, which is said to be one of the oldest communities amongst the Hindu-Brahmin sub-castes in India. He came from a very humble background, his father worked for a government office as a labor commissioner. After his schooling, he graduated from the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras. He earned his degree in electrical engineering. He later went on to complete his Ph.D. (Faculty of Engineering & Applied Science) at the Queen's University, which is located in Ontario.
Career
 After his education, Deshpande commenced his career at Codex Corporation, which is said to be the sister company of Motorola. The company was located in Ontario. Codex Corporations was a technology-manufacturing unit that focused on producing high-speed modems. Deshpande, thus, migrated to the U.S.A and three years later in 1987, he was made the co-founder of Coral Networks that produced routers, but two years later, he sold the company. He then started another company called Cascade Communications whose products and services boosted internet business for internet-based companies. Deshpande provided his services to the company first as a President and later as an executive Vice-President; seven years later he sold the firm to Ascend Communications. In 1998, he founded Sycamore Networks and was also the co-founder of Tejas Networks in 2000. Sycamore Networks focused on research and development of new products while Tejas Networks producing networking and telecom products and is heavily funded by many multi-national technology companies. Currently, Deshpande is the chairman at A123Systems, Sycamore Networks, Tejas Networks and Sparta Group. He holds a position among the board of directors at Airvana Inc. and earned a membership at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Achievements and Awards
 Over the years, Deshpande has contributed immensely towards new technologies, the innovation of products, services, research, and development. In 2002, he set up the Deshpande Center for Technological Innovation, which was established to encourage new creative discoveries and ideas in various areas by sponsoring and funding research and development. In 2000, he was a part of the Forbes Richest Americans in the world list. He was fortunate enough to find himself a place in a list of exclusive 400 slots. In 2010, he was elected the Chairman of the National Advisory Council on Innovation and Entrepreneurship, which is a government organization set up by the American President. The organization was established with the view to sponsor innovative ideas.
Personal Life
 He is married to Jayshree Deshpande who is the sister of Sudha Murthy, a social worker, writer and wife of the Infosys founder Narayan Murthy. Gururaj and Jayshree have two children and live in Massachusetts, America.
Time Line
1984: Deshpande established Coral Networks.
1990: He set up Cascade Communications.
1997: Cascade Communications was purchased by Ascend Communications.
1998: Sycamore Networks was established.
2000: Deshpande was listed in Forbes as one of America's richest person.
2000: Tejas Networks was founded. He currently is the Chairman of the company.
2002: Deshpande Center for Technological Innovation was inaugurated as a research center.
2010: He now is the Chairman of the National Advisory Council on Innovation and Entrepreneurship.

ARUN NETRVALI

Arun Netravali
Famous As Scientist
Born On 26 May 1946
Born In Mumbai, India
Nationality Indian
 Arun Netravali is an Indian born American technology stalwart who revolutionized the face of visual communications with his groundbreaking inventions. The head honcho of Bell Laboratories, Netravali has quite a slew of laurels to his name. Hailed as a pioneer in the realms of digital technology, his research and development works towards high definition television is truly commendable and has established him as a technological whiz of sorts. He believes in the mantra that in order to bring about a change and bring in a new invention, one has to be backed by both academics and venture capitalist. Over the years, he has obtained a number of patent rights to a number of technologies in the field of computer systems, parts of human-machine interface, digital imaging and digital television. Apart from his inventions, he is also appreciated for his business acumen and leadership qualities. What's more, this technological virtuoso has authored nearly 170 papers, and co-authored several books.
Early Life
 Arun Netravali was born on May 26, 1946 in Bombay, present day Mumbai. He graduated from Indian Institute of Technology and later went on to do his masters and Ph.D. in electrical engineering from Rice University in Houston, Texas.
Career
 Netravali is one of those few scientists who has not only made a significant difference in the technological world with his groundbreaking innovations, but has also paved way for newer technologies and ideas. Over the years, he has undertaken several research and development programs to redefine and improvise the existing technology and has also managed to study consumer related issues. His partnership with Bell Labs has not only resulted in a dramatic change in the technical world, but has influenced the company's market value as well. Being the Vice President of research department, he focused on areas like communication, computing and physical sciences. His contributions towards Bell Labs have been immense. Many business analysts state that his contribution has been vital to the organization for bringing Bell Labs to a leading position in the market. He has been the primary person responsible for the creation of picture synthesis, processing, compression of picture and image sequences. This has altered television viewing from analog to digital broadcasting, cable TV, DBS, HDTV, and facilitated a range of new collection of products and services that has revolutionized the face of multimedia. He has been the managing director and a member of the board for various organizations. Arun has also been a professor in Massachusetts Institute of Technology, City College, New York, Columbia University and Rutgers University.
Achievements and Awards
 Arun has published hundreds of essays on various technical aspects that interested him. He has also been the co-author for three books - 'Digital Picture Representation and Compression', 'Visual Communications Systems' and 'Digital Video: An Introduction to MPEG-2'. Over the years, he has been honored with several prestigious awards. He has been the recipient of Alexander Graham Bell Medal (1991), an EMMY for the HDTV Grand Alliance (1994), the Computers & Communications Prize, (1997), the Frederik Philips Award from the IEEE (2000), the NASSCOM (National Association of Software and Services Companies in India) Medal (2000), and the Kilby Medal from the IEEE (2001). He has also received the Padam Bhushan from the Indian government as a token of recognition for his gargantuan contributions in digital telecommunication.
Personal Life
 Arun Netravali is married to Dr. Chitra and the couple has two children - a daughter named Ilka and a son Ravi. Ilka has done her Ph.D. from Harvard Medical College while his son is a student at Columbia University.
Time Line
1946: Arun Netravali was born on May 26 in Mumbai.
1991: Alexander Graham Bell Medal was awarded to him.
2000: NASSCOM (National Association of Software and Services Companies in India) Medal.
2001: Arun was honored with a Padma Bhushan by the Indian Government.
2002-2003: Served as the Chief Scientist for Lucent Technologies Inc
2004: Became the Managing Partner of OmniCapital Group LLC.
2007: Join the Board of Members of LSI Logic.

VINOD KHOSLA

Born On 28January 1955
Born In Delhi, India
Nationality Indian American
 Vinod Khosla is an entrepreneur and a venture capitalist who grabbed all eyeballs with his investment deals. Considered as one of the most influential persons in the Silicon Valley, Vinod Khosla is better known as the co-founder of noted firm Sun Microsystems. After working for two years in Sun Microsystems, he left the company to become a successful venture capitalist. He always wanted to be successful and dreamt of establishing his own firm. He joined Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers where he invented new ideas in venture capitalism. He is one of those few entrepreneurs and venture capitalists whose ideas and interpretation about global market has made him popular. His own venture capital firm called Khosla Ventures established in 2004 created history with its strategic rules and brilliant work. Vinod Khosla was among the first venture capitalist to visualize that a combination of internet technology and fiber optics could make communications so fast, cheap and easy. As a visionary, Khosla has played important role in starting and helping companies that are involved in the field of multimedia, semiconductors, video games, Internet software and computer networking.
Early Life
 Vinod Khosla was born on January 28, 1955 in New Delhi. He earned a B.Tech degree from the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Delhi. After completing his graduation, he attempted to start his own company, a dream that he had since age 15, but the venture failed. Then he went to the United States to get his M. S. degree in Biomedical Sciences from the Carnegie Mellon and later did his M.B.A from the Stanford University in 1979. At the Stanford, Khosla found a business idea and partners from the Stanford Club. They founded a computer aided and design company- Daisy Systems but the venture failed because of economic problems.
Career
 The India born venture capitalist, Vinod Khosla is one of the most influential persons of the Silicon Valley. Vinod Khosla is in Forbes magazine's list of America's richest 400 people. Vinod Khosla is a world renowned venture capitalist and is revolutionizing communications through technology. He rose into fame at the age of 27 when he co-founded the Sun Microsystems with a German student and his Stanford classmate Andreas Bechtolsheim, Scott McNealy and UC Berkeley. Vinod Khosla served Sun Microsystems as Chairman and CEO from 1982 to 1984 and later left the company to discover his dreams in venture capitalism. In order to make his dreams true he joined a venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, as a general Partner. In this company he was noted for several successful investments which got him recognition as a popular venture capitalist. Vinod Khosla was among the first few venture capitalists to visualize that a combination of internet technology and fiber optics could make communications so fast, cheap and easy.
 As a visionary, Khosla has played important role in starting and helping companies that are involved in the field of multimedia, semiconductors, video games, Internet software and computer networking. He has also invested in firms like Indian Microfinance NGO and SKS Microfinance which provide loan for women in ruler India. The biggest virtue of Khosla is that he doesn't just spread cash, but nurtures and supports beginners. Vinod Khosla has won accolades and admiration because of his ability to visualize business opportunities in right perspective. Khosla is not satisfied only in planning but takes active part in the implementation part as well. Vinod Khosla was instrumental in creation of Cerent Corp, juniper Networks, Viant, Extreme Networks, Lightera etc. Vinod Khosla is also one of the founding fathers of The Indus Entrepreneurs (TiE). With his knowledge in global investment and marketing strategies, most of his ventures were successful. According to Forbes's magazine list he is one of the three billionaire of Indian origin among the 400 richest persons of America.
 To make his dreams true he formed his own venture capital firm called Khosla Ventures in 2004. The firm is established in Menlo Park, California which manages nearly $1 billion capital. In 2009, Khosla completed his million dollars of fundraising to invest in cleantech and information technology, which created revolution in the global market.
Personal Life
 Vinod deeply believes in closeness of family and lives in Woodside, CA with his wife and four daughters.
Timeline
1955: Vinod Khosla was born.
1979: Received his MBA from Stanford University.
1982: He co-founded the form Sun Microsystems along with others.
1986: He joined venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers.
2004: He founded his own venture capital firm called Khosla Ventures.

VINOD DAHM

Famous As
Entrepreneur and Inventor
Born On 1950
Born In Pune, India
Nationality American
 A famous entrepreneur, an originator and a venture capitalist, Vinod Dahm is indeed one of the famous Indians to leave an indelible impression on the global map. His works in chip designing and several other semiconductor fields has created a revolution in information technology. His incredible contribution in making and developing Pentium Processor of Intel created frenzy in the global technological and earned him the tag of 'Father of Pentium Processor'. Being a mentor, advisor and investor, he has worked in many firms and has always tried to bring in something different and innovative through his projects. Some of the companies he has worked for are NexGen, Silicon Spice, NCR and Indo US Venture Partners. Presently working as the lead of Indo US Venture, he has helped to upgrade many Indian companies too. As recognition for his works and achievements, he was honored and awarded by several organizations.
Early Life
 Vinod Dahm was born in 1950 in Pune, India. His father, a civilian working under army, was originally from Rawalpindi but moved to India during the partition. Vinod Dahm completed his early education from Pune and then pursued his graduation in electrical engineering from Delhi College of Engineering in the year 1971. After completing his engineering, he worked for a brief period in a Delhi based semiconductor company. Later in 1975, at the age of twenty-five, he went to US and obtained his master's degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Cincinnati.
Career
 After completing his masters, Vinod Dahm joined National Cash Register (NCR) at Dayton, Ohio in 1977. During his presentation at IEEE conference in Monterrey, California, he received an offer to join Intel. He accepted the offer and joined the leading semiconductor company of the world, Intel. In 1990, Vinod was made the in-charge of Pentium processor project. He put his soul and heart into this project and made it the biggest hit in the global market. With the success of Pentium Processor, he was hailed as the 'Father of Pentium Chip'. His knowledge and impressive entrepreneur skills made him the Vice President of Intel's Microprocessor Products Group. However, he left Intel in 1995 and joined NexGen. Being the Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President of NexGen, he brought about a revolutionary change in the company. Advanced Micro Devices Inc. (AMD) later acquired this firm where he developed popular K6 processor, the fastest computer processor in the world. After quitting AMD, he went to lead his new startup company Silicon Space in 1998. However, he sold the company to Broadcom in 2000. Currently he manages the firm called Indo US Venture Partners founded by him. During his travel to India in 2001, he was pleased by the strategic technological growth of India and decided to help the companies in the country with his hardware and chip designing technologies. Today, with the hard work of Vinod Dham and his fellow partners, Indo US Venture Partners is helping many companies with their innovative chip designs. Over last few years, the Indo US Venture Partners has created waves in various sectors including software, education, finance, healthcare etc.
Awards and Recognition
 Vinod Dham as received various awards and recognition for his extraordinary work in semi conductor field. Considering the profound work of Vinod Dham in semiconductor field, he was named as one of the top 25 executives in Computer industries of US in the year 1993. In 2000, he was appointed by President Bill Clinton to serve the Advisory Commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. In January 2001, the noted magazine of India the 'India Today' listed Vinod Dham as one among the 'Global Indian Achievers'. In 2007, Dahm was profiled at the Parvasi Bhartiya Diwas, organized by organized by Indian Overseas Affairs of Indian government. This is considered as one the highest recognition for global Indians. Vinod Dahm was honored with NRI Achievement Award at the NRI Global Summit held in 2009. Dham was also profiled among the notable Indian American achievers by Asian American Program.
Personal Life
 Vinod Dahm is married to Sadhana and has two sons.
Timeline
1950: Vinod Dahm was born in Pune, India.
1971: He completed his Electrical Engineering from Delhi College of Engineering.
1975: Obtained his Masters in Electrical Engineering from the University of Cincinnati.
1979: He Joined Intel.
1995: He left Intel and joined a company called NexGen.
1998: He went on to a lead a new company called Silicon Spice.
2006: Co-founded Indo-US Ventures.

LORD SWARAJ PAUL

Famous As
Philanthropist, Multi- millionaire Businessman and Labor Politician
Born On 1931
Born In  Jalandhar, Punjab, India
Nationality British
 Lord Swaraj Paul, the founder of multinational company Caparo Groups - the UK based steel and engineering firm, is known for his contributions in the industrial domain. From running a small foundry to becoming one of the top steel tycoons, this India-born steel magnate has created waves in the UK business world with his humungous business ventures. Despite of being one of the most affluent NRI's staying in Britain, Baron Paul strongly adheres to 'simple living and high thinking'. He has contributed a great deal towards the welfare of the society through his charitable trusts that has only helped to boost his standing as a philanthropist but has also won him great recognition. Because of his charitable works, he was knighted by British Queen and was honored with the title 'Lord of Marylebone'. Apart from this, Lord Swaraj Paul has been awarded with the prestigious Padma Bhushan for his unsurpassable feats and deeds.
Early Life
 Swaraj Paul was born in 1931 in Jalandhar, Punjab, India. His father ran a small foundry, making steel buckets, tubs, trunks and various farming equipments. Swaraj Paul was educated at Forman Christian College in India and later went on to obtain his master's degree in mechanical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), USA. On his return to India, Swaraj joined the Appeejay Surendra Group founded by his father. With the contributions of Swaraj Paul and his brothers, Appeejay Surendra Group grew into one of the noted industrial groups of India. It was a twist of fate that he had to visit London in 1966 to get his daughter cured of leukemia. After the sad demise of his daughter, he decided to stay back in London. He started his new journey by creating Caparo Groups in 1968, which he dedicates to the memory of his daughter. Under his wings, he expanded his business by conquering one after other steel companies. Lord Swaraj Paul stepped down from the management of the Caparo group in 1996, handing over his empire to his three sons. Despite being one of the richest persons in the U.K, Lord Paul practices a very simple life.
Career
 The Caparo Group established by him became one of the leading producers of welded steel tube and spiral welded pipes in UK. The Sunday times listed Lord Paul as 88th richest person in Britain. The Portland Place, where he lives speaks volumes about his richness. He also owns 250-acres of estate, The Grange, in Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire. Although the name, fame and money has made him an eminent figure in the business circles, the values and culture that he got from his family and parents is what really defines him. One of the greatest things about Lord Paul was his contributions towards the needy. The Ambika Paul Foundation established in the memory of his daughter gets the part of the benefits of Caparo Groups, which is used in many charitable works. For example, being the respectful member of London Zoological Society, Lord Paul funded the major projects at the Regent's Park. He also donated huge sum for Labour Party. Considering the achievements and charitable works of Lord Paul, he was knighted by British Queen as 'Lord Paul of Marylebone' and an honorary member of House of Lords. In December 2008, he was appointed as the deputy speaker of the Lords. He is the first Indian origin to rise to such a respectful post. In October 2008, he was selected to Privy Council. However, he shortly resigned from his post owing to many controversies that rose against his property. But he was relieved form all issues.
Achievements and Awards
 Lord Paul has received various awards. He was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 1983. He was also bestowed with many prestigious honors including the Pro-Chancellorship of the Thames University (1998) and its Governorship (1992-97), Chancellorship of Wolver Hampton University and University of Westminster. He was honored with Bharat Gaurav award by the Indian Merchant's Chamber. He is a member of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's Foreign Policy Centre Advisory Council and MIT's Mechanical Engineering Visiting Committee. He is the chairman of Olympic Delivery Committee which is set to look after the infrastructural arrangements for London Olympics in 2012.
Timeline
1931: Lord Swaraj Paul was born.
1966: Lord Paul went to London to get his daughter cured of Leukemia.
1968: Found Caparo Groups.
1983: Received Padma Bhushan Award
1996: Stepped down from the management of Caparo Groups.
2008: He was appointed as the deputy speaker of the Lords.
2008: Received Asian Woman Magazine Lifetime Achievement Award
2009: Resigned from deputy speaker position due to various issues created around his property.

SABEER BHATIA

Sabeer Bhatia was born in India in 1968, the son of a Defense Ministry official and a Central Bank official. Two years into his undergraduate education at the Birla Institute of Technology and Science, he transferred to Caltech in the United States. After graduation he attended Stanford in the pursuit of his Master's degree in electrical engineering, and became introduced to Silicon Valley culture. He abandoned his plans for a doctorate in favor of a job with Apple Computers.

After a few years at Apple, Bhatia worked for Firepower Systems for two years, while tinkering on his own with ideas related to the internet and the increasing opportunities there. He and Jack Smith, a former Apple colleague, worked together on Javasoft, a web-based database that made them aware of the potential benefits of a web-based email system that wouldn't require a separate client or reside on any particular machine. Hotmail was not provided by any ISP or educational institution, and therefore your email address wouldn't change if you moved, graduated, or changed jobs -- the mail was stored online, and you could read it from any online computer -- and it required no special software. Like many early web ventures, Hotmail -- a name derived from the web's markup language HTML -- was free to use, with revenues generated from ad sales. The service launched on the Fourth of July, 1996.

By the end of the year, Hotmail had one million subscribers. The following year, Microsoft bought the company -- which had been started with a $300,000 investment only eighteen months earlier -- for $400 million. Bhatia took a job with Microsoft until April 1999, when he started Arzoo Inc., which didn't survive the dissipation of the dotcom bubble. He's been involved in a number of ventures since then, including Live Documents -- which, just as Hotmail shifted email activity to the web, shifts Microsoft Office-like activity online, allowing users to share or collaborate on documents, or simply sync them and work from different machines. Live Documents premiered in November of 2007.

INDRA NOOYI

Ever wonder how to be influential and reach the top of the world?. Here’s the inspiring story of CEO of PepsiCo and the Fortune / Time magazine’s most influential women in the world – the Chennai born Indra Krishnamoorthy Nooyi:
It’s a simple story of a powerful woman. A story of an Indian girl who came from conservative Chennai to pursue higher studies in the US with little money and no safety net. If she failed, she failed. A story of this determined girl, who while studying in Connecticut, worked as a receptionist from midnight to sunrise to earn money and struggled to put together US$50 to buy herself a western suit for her first job interview out of Yale, where she had just completed her masters. Incidentally, she wasn’t comfortable trying out a formal western outfit and ended up buying trousers that reached down only till her ankles. Rejected at the interview, she turned to her professor at the school who asked her what she would wear if she were to be in India. To her reply that it would be a sari, the professor advised her to “be yourself” and stick to what she was comfortable with. She wore a sari for her next interview. She got the job and has followed this philosophy for the rest of her career. She’s been herself, never tried to change her basic beliefs, derived strength from her traditions and believed in who she is. As she says, “I’m so secure in myself, I don’t have to be American to play in the corporate life.” She worked hard and in time was counted as one of the most powerful women in the world by Forbes. In this edition of ‘My Story’ we present Indra Nooyi, President & Chief Financial Officer PepsiCo, Inc – a story that is both inspiring in its simplicity and grand in its achievement.
It all began years ago in Chennai, where she studied hard in school to get her grades. She remembers how her mother would, after meal every day ask Indra and her sister what would they like to become when they grew up. They would come up with different ideas and their mother would reward the best idea each day. It forced Indra to think and dream for herself. It was this dream that led her to be a part of the 11th batch of IIM Kolkata. After two years of work with Johnson & Johnson and Mettur Beardsell in India, it was this fiery urge that took her to America in 1978, when she left India with barely any money to pursue a management degree from the prestigious Yale Graduate School of Management.
Starting off with Boston Consulting Group in 1980, she knew it would be harder work for her than others for two reasons – one, she was a woman and two, she wasn’t an American but an outsider. She spent six years directing international corporate strategy projects at the Boston Consulting Group. Her clients ranged from textiles and consumer goods companies to retailers and specialty chemicals producers. Six years later, she joined Motorola in 1986 as the vice-president and director of corporate strategy & planning. She moved to Asea Brown Boveri in 1990 and spent four years as vice president (corporate strategy & planning). She was part of the top management team responsible for the company’s U.S. business as well as its worldwide industrial businesses, generating about one-third of ABB’s $30 billion in global sales.
An interesting tale surrounds her joining PepsiCo in 1994. At that time she also had an offer from General Electric, one of the world’s best run companies under Jack Welch. The Pepsi CEO Wayne Callloway, in a bid to lure her, told her, “Jack Welch (GE’s legendary boss) is the best CEO I know, and GE is probably the finest company. But I have a need for someone like you, and I would make PepsiCo a special place for you.” Nooyi agreed.
She broke the glass ceiling when she was appointed senior vice president, corporate strategy and development after joining PepsiCo in 1994 but she knew that getting there was one thing while staying there was another. As she says, “If you want to reach the top of a company, I agree that it can only happen in the United States, but you have to start off saying that you have got to work twice as hard as your (male) counterparts.” Not only did she work harder than her counterparts, she also made her way up the ladder to become President and Chief Financial Officer of PepsiCo, and was also appointed as a member of board of directors of PepsiCo Inc – which she assumed in 2001.
Nooyi was 44 when she joined PepsiCo. Ever since, she has been involved in every major strategic decision the company has made in the last few years. That includes the drive to spin off PepsiCo’s fast food chain in 1997, acquiring Tropicana in 1998, and the US$ 13 billion move to acquire Quaker Oats. PepsiCo chief Roger Enrico announced her elevation following the Quaker acquisition saying, “Indra’s contributions to PepsiCo have been enormous and she will make a great President. In addition to her new role as President and CFO, Indra will also be nominated for election to the Pepsi board. She is a terrific addition to our world-class board and her perspective will be invaluable.”
Indra attributes a lot of Pepsi’s success to its great employees. She believes that a company remains great when there is a strong competitor, like Coke. She believes if you have no competition, a company will atrophy. Nooyi has a unique formula that keeps her work-life balance. She feels that you must have an extended family at work to give you that balance. To keep a company running at top speed, you need to attract the best employees.
At PepsiCo she has ensured that employees actually balance life and work. She views PepsiCo as an extended family and everybody at the company is there to help in every way possible. Sometime ago, when Indra was traveling, her daughter would call the office to ask for permission to play Nintendo. The receptionist would know the routine and ask: “Have you finished your homework? Have you had your snack? OK, you can play Nintendo for half an hour”. She then left a voice message for Indra saying “I gave Tara permission to play Nintendo”. Unheard of in most corporations, it’s a team Indra has built up at PepsiCo which knows each other so well.
Despite the monumental successes of her career, Indra Nooyi remains a quintessentially Indian woman who has combined the high-octane energy of her job with the calm, collected demeanour required to manage the equally central responsibility of a mother and a wife. She lives with her husband and two daughters in Fairfax county, Connecticut. If you ever visit her Connecticut home, do remember to take your shoes off before entering. If you forget, at least remember to take them off before entering the large puja room where a diya is lit and the inviting air of incense greets you. She keeps an image of Ganesha in her office, and in fact, some PepsiCo officials visited India and received similar images besides being told of the Hindu belief about Ganesh being the symbols of auspicious beginnings. Many of them now keep images of Ganesh in their offices! Nooyi attends PepsiCo board meetings in a sari; for she believes the corporate world appreciates people who are genuine.
At work, Nooyi is in the pressure cooker world of intriguing business maneuvres and frenetic multi-million dollar moves but when she enters her home, it is like entering a sanctuary of calm. She says Carnatic music plays in their home 18 hours a day, and the feeling is much like being in a temple. Does she think her religious convictions help her to do a better job in the corporate world? “I don’t know about a better job, but it certainly makes me calm,” she says. “There are times when the stress is so incredible between office and home, trying to be a wife, mother, daughter-in-law and corporate executive. Then you close your eyes and think about a temple like Tirupati, and suddenly you feel ‘Hey–I can take on the world.’ Hinduism floats around you, and makes you feel somehow invincible.”
Is it tough being a mother and a corporate executive? Nooyi admits it is difficult, “You can walk away from the fact that you’re a corporate executive, but you can’t walk away from the fact that you are a mom. In terms of being a mother and a corporate executive, the role of mom comes first.” She believes that her husband has been a great source of strength for her. Adds Nooyi on a perkier tone, “Always pick the right husband. I have a fantastically supportive husband.” What sees her through tough times? “My family and my belief in God. If all else fails, I call my mother in India when she’s there–and wake her up in the middle of the night–and she listens to me. And she probably promises God a visit to Tirupati!” Nooyi has always seen the world through the prism of her mother’s faith and beliefs and calls her the guiding light in her life.
Read more about the inspiring achievement story of Nooyi here: Story of Indra Nooyi.