Category: Participation / Membership in Global Organisations

** How the Cold War in Germany played a small yet significant part in establishing IIT Madras

A recently-published research paper unearths an oft-forgotten chapter in the establishment of IIT-Madras and its connection with the Cold War in Germany, which resulted in the formation of the now-revered institution.

One of the “largest and most successful educational projects” that emerged out of Indo-German relations during the Cold War, was the establishment of the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT-M) in 1959, which, when seen from the perspective of FDR, was largely driven by the Cold War foreign policy it shared with India.

** India and EU relaunch FTA talks, sign connectivity partnership

India and EU also launched comprehensive connectivity partnership.

India and the European Union agreed on Saturday to relaunch free trade negotiations by resuming talks that were suspended in 2013 for the Bilateral Trade and Investment Agreement (BTIA), as Prime Minister Narendra Modi interacted virtually from Delhi with EU chiefs Ursula Von der Leyen and Charles Michel along with 27 European leaders gathered in Porto, Portugal on Saturday.  

Indian-American Sethuraman Panchanathan Appointed to Head America’s top Science Funding Body : June 2020

American Scientist – Dr. Sethuraman Panchanathan has been appointed by U.S President Donald J Trump as the 15th Director , of the National Science Foundation (NSF). The term is for 6 years.

The NSF is the top American body supporting fundamental research on non-medical fields of science. It has a budget of USD 7.4 billion .

Earlier Assignments:

  • Executive Vice President – ASU Knowledge Enterprise Development , Arizona State University
  • Chief Research Officer – Arizona State University
  • Director – Center for Cognitive Ubiqiutous Computing (CUbiC), Arizona State University
  • Foundation Chair – Computing and Informatics, Arizona State University
  • Member – National Science Foundation . Appointed by US President Barack Obama ( June 2014 )

Other/s:

  • Fellow – National Academy of Inventors, USA
  • Fellow – Canadian Academy of Engineering
  • Fellow – Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers, USA
  • Fellow – Institute of Optical Engineers, USA

Education:

  • Ph.D – Electrical and Computers Engineering, University of Ottowa (1989)
  • M.E – Masters in Electrical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, IIT (1988)
  • B.E. – Bachelors in Electronics & Communications Engineering, Indian Institute of Science , IISc (1984)
  • B.Sc – Bachelors in Physics, University of Madras

Notes:

Dr. Sethuraman Panchanathan is the second Indian-American to be nominated to this prestigious science position. His predecessor was Dr. Subra Suresh who served during October 2010 and March 2013.

India elected non-permanent Member of UN Security Council : June 18th, 2020

India was elected with 184 votes out of 193 votes of the General Assembly.

India won unopposed. Other members elected alongside India are Mexico, Ireland, and Norway. One seat still open.

The 2 year tenure starts on January 01st.

India becomes Founding Member of Global Alliance on AI (GPAI) : June 2020

India has joined leading nations of the world including USA, UK, Australia, EU amongst others as a founding member of a league of nations which has launched a Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence (GPAI) or Gee-Pay.

The other nations in partnership also include Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, Republic of Korea and Singapore etc.

GPAI will be supported by a Secretariat, hosted by Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in Paris, as well as by two Centers of Expertise- one each in Montreal and Paris.

Harsh Vardhan takes charge as Chairman of WHO’s Executive Board : May 2020

Dr. Harsh Vardhan (aka) Harshvardhan Goel has taken charge of the World Health Organization (WHO), as Executive Chairman of the Board with effect from May 22nd, 2020.

He succeeds Hiroki Nakatani of Japan. To head a 34 member Executive Board of the 134 nation, World Health Assembly

Presently :

  • Minister – Ministry of Health & Family Welfare – Government of India
  • Minister – Ministry of Science & Technology – Government of India
  • Minister – Ministry of Earth Sciences, Government of India
  • Member of Parliament – 17th Lok Sabha

Education :

  • M.S. (Otorhindaryngologist) – Ganesh Shanker Vidyarthi Memorial Medical College, Kanpur (1983)
  • M.B.B. S – Ganesh Shanker Vidyarthi Memorial Medical College, Kanpur (1979)

Awards / Honours :

  • IMA President’s Special Award of Appreciation – by Indian Medical Association (1994)
  • Director-General’s ‘Polio Eradication Champion Award Commendation Medal’ – World Health Organization (WHO) – (1998)
  • Polio Eradication Champions Award – by Rotary International (2001)
  • ‘Doctor of the Last Decade’ (Swasthya Ratna) – by Indian Medical Association’s New Delhi branch (2002)

Sudhir Krishnaswamy – Member of Facebook’s 1st ‘Oversight Advisory Board’ – May 2020

Sudhir Krishnaswamy is appointed as one of the initial 20 members who will be a part of the first ‘Oversight Board’, which will review content referred to it by both users and Facebook. The content is for both Facebook and Instagram.

The board members are from 27 countries, who speak at least 29 languages. Some are former heads of state, three former judges, six former and current journalists, two former human rights rapporteurs and other leaders etc.

Background :

  • Vice Chancellor – National Law School of India University
  • Co-Founder – Center for Law and Policy Research
  • Director – School of Policy and Governance
  • Professsor of Law & Politics – Azim Premji University
  • Visiting Professor of Indian Constitutional Law – Columbia University

Education :

  • BA, LLB – National Law School of India University
  • Ph.D – University of Oxford

Dia Mirza Joins 9 Women Leaders of the World – against CoronaVirus Initiative ‘ Rise for All’ – April 2020

Dia Mirza Bollywood Actress , Model , Entrepreneur and Environmentalist.

Dia Mirza joins nine women leaders across the world to support a global plan for social and economic recovery from the Covid-19 virus.

She will be part of ‘Rise for All’ – a global advocacy group and will be working towards funding the UN Response and Recovery Trust Fund.

Joining Mirza in this advocacy effort convened by the UN Deputy Secretary-General, Amina Mohammed is a host of dignitaries such as — President of Ethiopia Sahle-Work Zewde, Prime Minister of Norway and SDG Advocate Erna Solberg, SDG Advocate and Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser of Qatar, Prime Minister of Barbados Mia Mottley, UN Women Goodwill Ambassador of Pakistan Muniba Mazari, Executive Director of UNICEF Henrietta Fore, Executive Director of UN Women Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka and Executive Director of UNFPA Natalia Kanem.

Dia Mirza said that in the coming weeks, more women leaders from political, multilateral and business sectors are expected to join Rise For All

British Indian Ramesh Mehta – President of ‘British Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (BAPIO)

Dr. Ramesh Mehta FRCPCH, FRCP, MD, DCH – Consultant & Lead Paediatrician , Belford Hospital

President BAPIO / www.bapio.co.uk

Awards & Honours :

  • The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire – OBE – for exemplary service to the NHS spanning 30 years (2017)
  • National Clinical Excellence Awards
  • Top 50 BME Leaders in the NHS – Health Services Journal (HS) – 2013 and 2014
  • Honorary Fellowship, Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health

Notes: There are over 65,000 doctors of Indian origin in the NHS