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Anmol Rajan appointed ‘ The Independent ‘s Editor and becomes first non-white Editorial head of a UK national newspaper . June 2013 .

In a bold move Evgeny Lebedev the Russian owner of The Independent named, Anmol Rajan, a  29-year old Indian-origin journalist,as the newest editor of  The Independent newspaper on June 17th, 2013. He was the editor of The Independent Voics section. Rajan takes over from Chris Blackhurst who became Group Content Director.

Anmol Rajan one of the youngest ever at 29, makes Fleet Street history by becoming first non-white newspaper editorial head of a UK national newspaper creating ripples in London’s all-white Oxbridge media elite. And also the first- ethnic minority editor, a first-British Asian editor of a British national newspaper.

Rajan was born in Calcutta (Kolkata)on July 04th, 1983 , before moving to London as a three year old. He grew up in Tooting, South London and went on to read English literature at Downing College, Cambridge University and edited the prestigious student magazine ‘Varsity’. He spent his gap year working at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

After graduating, Rajan worked briefly for the ‘Evening Standard’ and ‘Channel 5’ before moving to ‘The Independent’ in August 2007 where he rose through the ranks from being a news reporter , columnist, comment editor and editor of Independent Voices. He is also a devoted foodie, writing a restaurant column for The Independent on Sunday and appeared as a judge on BBC1’s Masterchef in April. Rajan was the secondary presenter on ‘The Wright Stuff’ the daytime talk show on the Five Network during its 2006-07 season. A former columnist of ‘The Salisbury Review’.

Anmol Rajan is also a volunteer youth worker with Prospex, a charity based in Islington.

Books: Anmol Rajan is a keen cricket fan and has even written a well regarded book ‘Twirlymen: Unlikely History of Cricket’s Greatest Spin Bowlers’ published by Random House in 2011.

India’s first Indoor Roller Coaster . June 2013 .

Called ‘Deep Space’ the country’s first Dark Roller Coaster which also means that it is an Indoor Roller Coaster, was launched by the 26-year old Bollywood actor Anil Dhawan . The rides go completely upside down indoors upto a speed of 86 km/hour

‘Deep Space’ venue is at ADLABS Imagica in Khipoli on the Pune-Mumbai expressway, the Theme based amusement park outside Mumbai city.

The first Indian to participate in the ‘ Lamborghini Super Trofeo ‘ International motor racing series . May 2013 .

Amir Beg, an Indian racing enthusiast is all-set to make his debut, as the first Indian to participate in the Lamborghini Super Trofeo series, Season II. The series also marks India’s debut in the championship.

The Lamborghini race is considered to be the fastest one-design series in the world (where all the vehicles are of the same make and same specifications). The participating race cars in the series are Lamborghini Gallardo 570-4 Super Trofeo. Interestingly this event also coincides with the 50 year celebration of the Italian mega brand Lamborghini. The legendary car manufacturer has decided to support Amir Beg.

Born in hyderabad, on May 01st, 1981  Amir Beg did his schooling at a boarding school in Bangalore. He then headed off to the University of Western Ontario in Canada for higher studies.

India’s first giant Boeing C-17 Globemaster III airlifter enroute to its new home. June 2013 .

The Indian Air Force’s (IAF) first giant Boeing C-17 Globemaster III (tail no. CB-8001)has taken off, after its transfer ceremony held in Long Beach, California on Tuesday, June 11th, 2013. The IAF is flying its first heavy-lift strategic transport plane, on its more than 8,000 mile journey to its new home at the Hindon Air Force Station (outside Delhi), where the squadron will be based.

Nearly a year ago, Indian Consul General Shri. N Parthasarathi stood on the floor of the Boeing Co. C-17 Globemaster III production plant, drilling ceremonial rivets into the first of the 10 military planes bound for India.

” The C-17 will equip the IAF with amongst the world’s most advanced humanitarian and strategic capabilities ” said Air Vice Marshall SRK Nair, Assitant Chief of Air Staff Operation Transport and Helicopter. The IAF’s capability to swiftly transport combat troops and war-fighting equipment to distant battle fronts will be hugely bolstered with the induction of the C-17’s aircraft that will augment their air lift capacity.

The giant Boeing C-17 Globemaster III, a high-wing, four engine, T-tailed military transport aircraft can take off from short runaway of as little as 7,600 feet in length and land on runaways as short as 3,000 feet. It can fly 2,400 miles without aerial refuelling – flying longer with refuelling and carry as much as 80 tons of cargo. Th C-17’s are as much valued for their cargo capacity, the ability to fly long distances, their versatility and ability to land on remote airfields in rough terrain.

The first C-17 arrives in India almost exactly after 2 years of the deal being signed in June 2011. The $4.116 billion deal for 10 aircraft will make India the largest operator of the aircraft outside of the U.S.  India became Boeings’s largest foreign customer when it endorsed the $ 4 billion deal to purchase the C-17’s. Boeing is on track to deliver 4 more this years and 5 more to the IAF in 2014.

Once the deliveries are done, it will make the IAF the operator of the 2nd largest fleet of C-17’s after the US Air Forces’ current 218 strong inventory. The UK currently holds the status with the Royal Air Force operating 8 of the type.

Boeing will support the IAF C-17 fleet through the Globemaster III Integrated Sustainment Program (GISP) Performance-Based Logistics Contract.

India’s first-ever all-women paramilitary commando squad of the CRPF . June 2013 .

The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) introduced its first dedicated 30-member all-woman commando team on Tuesday, June 11th, 2013 breaching yet another male bastion.

The highly trained and motivated women commando team are adept at sharp shooting and unarmed combat.The para-military women commando team includes two officers.

The team been trained in all aspects and possible situations like hostage crisis, rescuing citizens and endangered in terrorist attacks, providing proximate security to visiting female dignitaries, counter terrorist operations involving high-risk sitations, resoving situations involving vital installations, involving high-risk suicidal attacks and providing additional security at special events etc.

“They are the most manifest form of women’s empowerment and have been able to present an example before the country with their courage, dedication and loyalty” CRPF Director General Pranay Sahay said.

The CRPF is the largest of India’s Central Armed Police Forces. It functions under the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHI), Government of India.

Women in  CRPF: The CRPF has 3 battalions staffed entirely by women. The 1st batallion no.88 in 1986 with its headquarters in New Delhi. The 2nd battalion no.135 in 1996 at Gandhinagar, Gujarat and the 3rd battalion no.213 located at Ajmer, Rajasthan.

India’s airline – Air India’s first long-haul airservice to London from Bombay . June 1948 .

Air India then run by the Chairman, J.R.D.Tata (known as Father of Indian Civil Aviation) created aviation history in its inaugral flight the ‘Malabar Princess'(registered VT-CQP), a 40-seater Lockheed Constellation L-749A aircraft to London Heathrow from Bombay (Mumbai)via Cairo and Geneva on Tuesday, June 08th, 1948 with Captain K.R.Guzdar in command. The National carrier of India was launched as an International Airline.

Months of meticulous planning had finally paid off. Carefully selected staff members wre alloted to the new operation. New staff were recruited and Air India offices were opened in Cairo, Geneva and London. The Cairo office was set up by F.Nariman, G.Bertoli took charge of the Geneva operations and London was headed by M.A.S.Dalal, where Air India had a very small set up at London Airport.

This was the airlines first long-haul flight, a milestone in the history of Indian Civil Aviation, soon followed by a service in 1950 to Nairobi via Aden. This beautiful silver state-of-the-art Lockheed Constellation aircraft bearing the  tricolour was the finest that money could buy.

‘Malabar Princess’ arrived in London in the early hours of June 10th taking a little more than 24 hours. For the second leg of the journey from Cairo, Captain D.K.Jatar was in command.

After World War II, a regular commercial service was restored in India, and Tata Airlines became a public limited company on July 29th, 1946 under the name Air India. In 1948 after, after the independence of India, 49% of the airline was acquired by the Government of India, with an option to purchase an additional 2%. In return the airline was granted status to operate international service from India as the designated flag carrier under the name Air India International.

In 1948 only a few airlines existed and not many countries had their own international operations. India had achieved a notable milestone, ahead of others that night.

India’s first NCE (new chemical entity) discovery drug. June 2013 .

India’s first new chemical entity (NCE) Lipaglyn (Saroglitazar) is discovered and developed indigenously by an Indian Pharmaceutical Company …Zydus Cadilla.

Zydus Cadilla announced a breakthrough in its research effots with Lipaglyn, a drug targeted at bridging a hitherto unmet healtcare need for treating diabetic dyslipidemia or hypertriglyceridemia in Type II diabetes, not controlled by statins.

Lipaglyn is the world’s first drug for treating diabetic dyslipdemia and combines lipid-and glucose-lowering effects in a single molecule. Lipaglyn has an active ingredient Saroglitazar and is the world’s first glitazar to be approved anywhere in the world.

Discovered by Zydus Research Centre, the dedicated NCE research arm of Zydus Cadilla – the Ahmedabad headquartered group.

The drug has been approved for launch in India by the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI)and is expected to be in the market by 2014.

India commissions its first Pilatus trainer aircraft . June 2013 .

The Indian Air Force(IAF) formally inducted the first 12 of its 75 Swiss manufactured Pilatus PC-7 Mk11 basic training aircraft into operational service at a ceremony at the premier academy Dundigal AirForce Academy near Hyderabad (Andhra Pradesh) on June 07th, 2013.

Minister of State for Defense Jitendra Singh unveiled the tandem-seat turboprop aircraft that is capable of aerobatics as well as tactical night flying. This marked the first formal flight of the Basic Trainer Aircraft. All the 75 aircraft are expected to be delivered by August 2015.

Chief of Air Staff, Air Chief Marshall N.A.K.Browne said the Pilatus will be the ‘ideal platform’ to expose initial trainees to basic flying, modern avionics and navigation aids. This aircraft will be used to train all pilots of the IAF, in addition to pilots of the Indian Navy and the Coast Guard.

Apart from an integrated ground-based training system and a comprehensive support package, the contract requires the company to implement the required transfer of technology to Hindustan Aeronautics, enabling establishment of in-country depot-level maintenance facilities to support the aircraft, throughout its 30-year service life.

India’s first venture capital Dalit fund . June 2013 .

India’s first SEBI (Securities and Exchange Board of India) registered social impact fund the “DICCI-SME Fund”(Dalit Indian Chamber of Commerce & Industry – DICCI) was launched by the Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram, in the ballroom at the  Taj Mahal Hotel, in the country’s financial capital, Mumbai on June 06th(Thursday, 2013.

The VC fund is initiated by the DICCI and aims to raise Rupees 500 crores over ten years. SIDBI’s (Small Industries Development Bank) Chairman and Managing Director Sushil Munhot handed over a commitment letter to Milind Kamble – Chairman of DICCI, contributing 10 crore to the 100 crore corpus of the DICCI-SME Fund.

The Union Finance Minister, P Chidambaram said “the first Dalit Fund will go a long way in creating social equity”.

India’s first ‘ MasterChef India ‘ winner. December 2010 .

Pankaj Bhadouria, a 38-year old teacher from Lucknow was the first winner of the realty TV show ‘MasterChef India’ Season 1 – on December 25th, 2010 – a contest that was for amateur cooks from across India .

Pankaj Bhadouria has been teaching since the past 16 years. Besides being an aspiring amateur cook her hobbies include painting. She is a mom, housewife, teacher and now a nationally acclaimed winning chef. She is married to a Thakur from Lucknow, Charu Samarth and is blessed with 2 children. Pankaj was born and brought up in Delhi which is a typical foodies paradise, by her parents a Punjabi father and a Bengali mother who gave her a depth of the multi-cultural tastes of India.

Her current accompolishments: (1) Pankaj has shared some of her experiences in the form of her 1st book on cookery titled ‘ MasterChef Cook Book ‘  (2) She has hosted her own cookery show ‘ Chef Pankaj ka Zayka ‘ on Star Plus during September-October 2011 (3)She has her own mobile app which is applicable on Black Berry, I Phones, Google play etc. (4) Pankaj was invited to grace and participate in ‘ The Vali Food Festival’ annuals held in New York, USA for both the years April 2011 and April 2012 (5) She was invited to address the South Asian Community in Britain, by the prestigious Cambridge University in July 2011 (6)Pankaj has been regularly featured in newspapers and magazines both nationally and internationally (7) She conducts regular workshops and cookery demonstrations (8) Pankaj is invited regulary to judge at competitions and events.

In August 2012, she launched her dream project – ‘The Pankaj Bhadouria Culinary Academy ‘ in Hazratgang, Lucknow.

Pankaj Bhadouria’s growth from a small time school teacher to become India’s first MasterChef and a celebrity is a real time story of self-belief.(www.pankajbhadouria.com)