Latest news with #SRadhakrishnan
Time of India
02-08-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
4 of total 16 elections held for vice-president posts won uncontested
NEW DELHI: Four of the total 16 elections held so far to the office of Vice-President of India were won uncontested, three due to rejection of nomination papers of the rival candidates and one due to lack of any opponent. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now While S Radhakrishnan was elected unopposed as Vice-President twice, first in 1952 after the only other nomination paper filed was rejected and then in 1957 as he was the only validly nominated candidate; Mohammad Hidayatullah was elected unopposed in 1979. In 1987, Shankar Dayal Sharma was also elected unopposed, but only after the nomination papers filed by 26 other candidates were found to be invalid. There were two contestants in 10 of the Vice-Presidential elections held so far, and three and six contestants in one each. Five Vice-Presidents exited the office before the end of their term - Krishna Kant due to his untimely demise in 2002; V V Giri, R Venkataraman and Shankar Dayal Sharma resigned from the post of Vice-President to become President in 1969 (Giri filled up the vacancy created by the death of his predecssor Zakir Hussain),1987 and 1992 respectively. Jagdeep Dhankhar resigned due to "medical reasons" last week. These interesting details on 16 Vice-Presidential elections held so far can be found in a booklet put together by EC ahead of the 17th Vice-Presidential election, summarising the Constitutional provisions relating to the election, system of voting, and details of past elections in simple language, to enhance public awareness. Though the electoral college for the Vice-Presidential election is small, comprising only members of the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, including nominated ones, invalid votes were reported in almost all the elections that witnessed a contest. While 14 votes were declared invalid in the 1962 Vice-Presidential poll, the number was 3 in 1967, 10 in 1974, 30 in 1984, 10 in 1992, 46 in 1997, 7 in 2002, 10 in 2007, 8 in 2012, 11 in 2017 and 15 in 2022.
India Today
02-07-2025
- Politics
- India Today
Zohran Mamdani, cutlery shaming, and America's Finger-Lickin' hypocrisy
One of the most underrated, yet integral parts of our school life was the lunch box. Given we had to wear the same uniform, a lunch box was one of the few status signals a child could have. While there were many shapes and sizes, I was always envious of that child who had a built-in slot for a spoon in his tiffin box. A plastic spoon resting diagonally on top, waiting to be picked. But it never child would routinely bring various vegetables with parathas or pooris, which, after sticking together till the lunch break, had to be peeled off each other. If you excavated further, you would find a slice of mango pickle buried beneath, smearing the last poori with its own spoon was rarely used. It was ornamental. Like that crockery set, in a middle class household, exhibited in a glass cabinet in the drawing love to eat with their hands. The West can never digest this fact (and also our street food). The day they have an elaborate meal with their entire family on the same table with more than three items prepared, they celebrate it as Thanksgiving. For us, it's a usual Tuesday. The age-old debate gained currency when the Democratic nominee for New York City mayor, Zohran Mamdani, armed with Bollywood songs and socialism, was found eating with his bare hands. And, was subsequently told to be civilised or go back to the 'Third World' by a says his worldview is inspired by the 3rd world while eating rice with his hands End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) June 29, 2025advertisementIt's slightly hypocritical for a country whose second-largest restaurant chain's slogan is 'Finger Lickin' Good'. Why aren't they licking their spoons? Tough Dr S Radhakrishnan, our former President, was having lunch with Winston Churchill. Just before lunch, our man excused himself to wash his hands, and came back to dig into his plate with his bare fingers. Churchill was not amused. He actually asked Dr Radhakrishnan to use cutlery as it was more man, whose birthday we celebrate as Teachers' Day, shot back: "Since nobody can use my hand to eat, my hand is more hygienic than any spoon or fork you use."ChatGPT would summarise the above reply in just two words - 'Fork you'. There is no scientific reasoning that validates one theory over the other. It's just convenient racism - an inability to accept people can be different, especially when they are taking your jobs. Moreover, Western diet has a lot of meat, often medium rare, which requires a knife to be cut into edible bits. The only reason you need a knife to have Indian food is when you are NOT planning to pay the restaurant speaking, a fact that various British governor generals didn't realise is that Indian food is not served like food. It's served like ingredients. The food is then mixed and prepared on your plate. Be it a Rajasthani thali or a South Indian meal, there are at least seven to eight items to mix the rice, dal or sambar, rasam, vegetables, appalam, pickle and many more. All of it is mixed together, with your fingers, like an expert chaatwala, using the various spices from different bowls in different proportions, to create that perfect morsel, which is then sent to your mouth for further flavour processing. Moreover, the curry or rasam sticks to your fingers due to forces of adhesion, thanks to class 10 science, and hence it's easier to transport the flavour to your is what an Indian thaali is. You can't do all that with a knife and a fork. My entire childhood was spent believing that the knife was only there to spread butter over my us Indians, taste buds are in our fingers. You will feel it the next time you are having a golgappa. 50% of the taste is the texture. When the hawker hands you the fragile, imli water-filled poori while you already have one in your mouth, the fingers send the sensory signal to the brain that the next one is coming, and it is even more spicy. It's 'Finger Lickin' Good', to use their own meanwhile, who wasn't finding many fans among the Indian diaspora in New York, suddenly is an eating-with-his-hands-racism martyr, and people like the author of this article, who aren't a big fan of his policies, are writing columns to defend him. The only hope is that his socialist ideas stay unused, like that spoon fitted on my friend's lunchbox. But who cares about the views of a Gurgaon resident, when the New Yorkers seem to be eating out of his hands.(Abhishek Asthana is the founder of a creative agency – GingerMonkey. He tweets as @GabbbarSingh)- Ends(Views expressed in this opinion piece are those of the author)Must Watch
India Gazette
27-05-2025
- Politics
- India Gazette
VP Dhankhar nominates ophthalmologist ML Raja for Dr S Radhakrishnan Chair
New Delhi [India], May 27 (ANI): Vice-President and Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar on Tuesday nominated ophthalmologist Dr ML Raja for the Dr S Radhakrishnan Chair for one year, from May 7, 2025, to May 6, 2026, as per a release. The Chair was initiated after the first vice president, Dr S Radhakrishnan, who later became the president. It was initiated by the Rajya Sabha in the year 2009 with the objective of promoting research on different aspects of Parliamentary democracy in India. Announcing Raja's nomination at an event at Vice-President's Enclave , Dhankhar stated, 'Let me welcome in particular today, whose presence I have solicited, and that is Dr S Radhakrishnan Chair, Dr ML Raja.' The Chair was made functional during Dhankhar's tenure. 'This Chair was initiated after one of the distinguished sons of Bharat, the first vice president who became president, Dr S Radhakrishnan, a philosopher who was also known for his academic commitment as a teacher. The Chair was initiated for the first time in the year 2009. Technically, Dr. ML Raja is the third recipient. De facto second. The Chair was made functional during my tenure when Jawahar Kaul, a distinguished journalist from the state of Jammu and Kashmir, deeply committed to nationalism, got the honour to get the chair, and Dr. Raja from the deep south, the state of Tamil Nadu, was the second one to get it... 'About the Chair, let me tell you, in 1962, September 5 was declared as Teacher's Day. It happens to be the birthday of Dr S. Radhakrishnan; that underscores that you may have any position, President or Vice-President. You may be a philosopher. You may be a great author but social recognition has come by virtue of his being a teacher, Teacher's Day. Always bear that in mind. Respect your parents as much as you respect your teachers either way,' the VP added. Dr Raja brings exceptional multidisciplinary expertise as an ophthalmologist, epigraphist, archaeologist, and historian. Currently serving as Director of AVINASH (Academy on Vibrant National Arts and Scientific Heritage) and RICH (Research Institute of Chronology and History), he holds qualifications spanning medicine (M.B., B.S., D.O.), archaeology and epigraphy (D.I.A.E.), and history (M.A.). His scholarly contributions include 13 published books covering subjects from ancient Indian astronomy to historical chronology, including notable works like 'Aryabhatta's Date: an Analytical Study' and 'Astronomical Evidence of the Date of the Mahabharata War', the release stated. Dr Raja has received significant recognition, including recent awards from the Governor of Tamil Nadu, for his contributions to Tamil literary works and research on Kamba Ramayanam. His involvement with the IKS Division of AICTE, where he has served as mentor and expert evaluator, has been particularly noteworthy. His current research focuses on determining the accurate chronology of Indian history, including the dating of historical figures like Adi Shankara and Chandragupta Maurya and analysing astronomical texts. His expertise in Tamil, Sanskrit, Telugu, and English enables a comprehensive study of diverse historical sources. (ANI)
New Indian Express
27-05-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Vice-President's Enclave: Dr M L Raja appointed as Dr S Radhakrishnan Chair
NEW DELHI: Vice-President and Chairman of the Rajya Sabha Jagdeep Dhankhar on Tuesday nominated Dr M L Raja for the prestigious Dr S Radhakrishnan Chair for a one-year term, effective from 7 May 2025 to 6 May 2026. The Dr S Radhakrishnan Chair was instituted by the Rajya Sabha in 2009 with the aim of promoting scholarly research on various aspects of parliamentary democracy in India. In an official statement delivered during an event at the Vice-President's Enclave, Dhankhar announced Dr M L Raja's nomination and remarked, that the Dr S Radhakrishnan Chair was established to honour the legacy of "one of the distinguished sons of Bharat, the first Vice-President who became President, Dr S Radhakrishnan." Dr M L Raja, from Tamil Nadu, is the second individual to be conferred with the position of Chair. Jawahar Kaul, a prominent journalist from Jammu and Kashmir, earlier served as Chair. While Dr Raja is technically the third recipient of the position, he is second functioning Chair as the position was made operational during Dhankhar's tenure. Speaking about the significance of the chair, Dhankhar said, "In 1962, September 5 was declared as Teacher's Day. It happens to be the birthday of Dr S Radhakrishnan. This underscores that though you may have any position — President, Vice-President. philosopher or author — social recognition comes by virtue of being a teacher for Radhakrishnan."
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First Post
13-05-2025
- Politics
- First Post
History Today: When India's Rajya Sabha held its first meeting
On May 13, 1952, the first Rajya Sabha meeting occurred in Delhi's old Council Chamber of Parliament House. Dr S Radhakrishnan was elected as the first Chairman of the Rajya Sabha. On this day in 1989, thousands of Chinese students launched a hunger strike in Beijing's Tiananmen Square during the pro-democracy protests read more The Council of States' first session began with a Presidential address to both the Upper and Lower Houses, a tradition that endures annually. Representational image One of the most important days in the history of India is May 13. It was on this day in 1952 that the newly constituted Council of States sat together for the first time. This 'Second Chamber' of the Parliament of India, was later named the Rajya Sabha in 1954. If you are a history geek who loves to learn about important events from the past, Firstpost Explainers' ongoing series, History Today will be your one-stop destination to explore key events. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD On this day in 1989, thousands of Chinese students launched a hunger strike in Tiananmen Square, Beijing, marking a critical escalation in the pro-democracy protests that had gripped China for weeks. Here are some of the events that took place across the world. First Rajya Sabha meeting It was on May 13, 1952 that the newly formed Council of States sat for the first time in the Parliament. It came to be known as the 'Second Chamber' of the Parliament of India which was later named Rajya Sabha. Following the adoption of the Constitution in 1950, the need for a bicameral legislature was formalised to ensure a more balanced and representative form of governance. The Rajya Sabha was envisioned as a body that would provide a forum for sober and considered debate, acting as a check on hasty legislation from the directly elected Lok Sabha. The inaugural session was held in the old Council Chamber of Parliament House in New Delhi. Dr S Radhakrishnan, who would later become India's second President, was elected as the first Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, in his capacity as Vice President of India. In his address, Dr Radhakrishnan emphasised the importance of high moral standards, reasoned debate and the role of the Rajya Sabha in representing the states and union territories fairly. The Rajya Sabha is the upper house of the Parliament. Representational image At the time of its inauguration, the Rajya Sabha had 216 members, including 12 nominated by the President for their contributions to literature, science, art and social service. The remaining members were elected by the legislative assemblies of the states and union territories. The Council of States' first session began with a Presidential address to both the Upper and Lower Houses, a tradition that endures annually and after every general election. However, in contrast to modern parliamentary sessions, this address was not followed by a Motion of Thanks, and a Question Hour session, now a regular occurrence, did not take place. The Upper House of the Parliament of India is presently structured with a capacity of 250 members. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Thousands of Chinese students began a hunger strike on Tiananmen Square On this day in 1989, thousands of Chinese students launched a hunger strike in Beijing's Tiananmen Square marking a critical escalation in the pro-democracy protests that had gripped China for weeks. The movement, initially sparked by the death of reform-minded leader Hu Yaobang, had grown rapidly as a result of frustrations over corruption, lack of political freedoms and calls for government accountability. As a peaceful and symbolic act, a hunger strike was initiated by university students with the objective of compelling the Chinese leadership to engage in dialogue and respond to their demands, which centred on freedom of the press, greater transparency and democratic reforms. The students, identifiable by their white headbands and banners, proclaimed their dedication to nonviolence and patriotism, despite the growing physical risks they faced in the extreme heat of Beijing. Tiananmen Square is filled with thousands during a pro-democracy rally in Beijing, China on May 17, 1989. File image/AP By mid-May, the square was densely populated with tens of thousands of supporters, students and observers. The timing of the hunger strike was deliberately chosen to coincide with a scheduled state visit by Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, marking the first such visit since the 1960s. Recognising the presence of international media covering the summit, the students hoped that global attention would serve to amplify their message and exert pressure on the Chinese government to issue a positive response. The hunger strike, while serving to galvanize public support for the demonstrators, concurrently established the conditions for the subsequent military suppression. The initial appeal for reform, spearheaded by students, would tragically culminate in the Tiananmen Square massacre in less than a month's time, specifically on June 4, 1989, when the Chinese People's Liberation Army violently suppressed the burgeoning pro-democracy movement. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD This Day, That Year On this day in 1981, Pope John Paul II survived an assassination attempt in St Peter's Square, Vatican Square. British politician Winston Churchill faced the House of Commons for the first time in 1940. The US declaration of war on Mexico was approved in 1846.
