July 2009 INDIA

July 2009

Sania & Sohrab exchange rings amid tight security (10th July 2009): – The Tennis star Sania Mirza exchanged rings with her childhood friend, Sohrab Mirza. The 22-year-old Hyderabad girl wore the ring that signified her engagement with 23 year old MBA Student Sohrab Mirza. The ceremony was graced by biggies like badminton player P Gopichand, Union Minister of State for Human Resource D Purandareswari, her husband and legislator D Venkateshawara Rao, Telugu film actor Vishnu and industrialist G V K Reddy. There was a tight security provided for the event nearly 50 policemen surrounded the Taj hotel.

Bill Gates to receive Indira Gandhi Peace Prize (23th July 2009): -Bill Gates has received the Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development on behalf of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. In 2003, the foundation launched Avahan, a 10-year initiative to support India’s efforts to reduce the spread of HIV.

PM launches India’s first nuclear submarine (26th July 2009)-Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s wife Gursharan Kaur launched the country’s first nuclear powered attack submarine, INS Arihant in Vishakhapatnam. The INS Arihant will be commissioned in the Indian Navy after extensive outfitting and sea trials. It is the first of three such vessels to be built in the country. Its length is 112-metre-long. India has achieved a ‘historic milestone in the country’s defence preparedness’ with the launch of the submarine.

Sania Mirza clinches Lexington Challenger title (27th July 2009): – Sania Mirza defeated top-seed Frenchwoman Julie Coin 7-6 (7/5), 6-4 to lift the International Tennis Federation (ITF) Lexington Challenger title. With this win, she climbed up three places in the latest WTA singles rankings. She stands in the 80th place now. After the 2003 tournament, this was only the second Challenger title for her

Rajmata Gayatri Devi laid to rest (28th July 2009)-Rajmata Gayatri Devi passed away after a prolonged illness at the age of 90. The people of the city gave their daily routines a miss to catch a glimpse of the Queen’s last journey. They grieved the fact that the only person who really cared about their grievances had passed away. The Queen was cremated with State Honours and the event was graced by the presence of the Rajasthan Governor Shailendra Kumar Singh and Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, along with several members of the State Cabinet.

Businessman buys Gandhi’s home, plans for museum (30th July 2009)-Mahatma Gandhi’s Johannesburg house, has been bought by a Bandra businessman, Pradeep Bhavnani for about Rs 2.25 crore on July 30. Mahatma Gandhi lived in this house from 1908 for three years while he fought against the racial discrimination in South Africa as a lawyer. The house that was designed by artist Hermann Kallenbach is called ‘The Kraal’. Pradeep Bhavnani, who is senior BJP leader L K Advani’s nephew and a self-professed Gandhian is planning to turn it into a museum. After buying the house, he intends to buy 34 souvenirs and photographs from the Aditya Birla Group to install them in the museum. After inaugurating the museum on Oct 2, Gandhi’s birth anniversary, it will be handed over to Government of India on the same day.