Nicolas Sarkozy

Nicolas Sarkozy born Nicolas Paul Stéphane Sarközy de Nagy-Bocsa on 28 January 1955 in the 17th arrondissement of Paris) is the 23rd President of the French Republic and ex officio Co-Prince of Andorra. He assumed the office on 16 May 2007 after defeating Socialist Party candidate Ségolène Royal 10 days earlier.

Before his presidency, he was leader of the Union for a Popular Movement (UMP). Under Jacques Chirac's presidency, he served as Minister of the Interior in Jean-Pierre Raffarin's (UMP) first two governments (from May 2002 to March 2004), then was appointed Minister of Finances in Raffarin's last government (March 2004 to May 2005), and again Minister of the Interior in Dominique de Villepin's government (2005-2007).

Sarkozy was also president of the General council of the Hauts-de-Seine department from 2004 to 2007 and mayor of Neuilly-sur-Seine, one of the wealthiest communes of France from 1983 to 2002. He was also Minister of the Budget in the government of Édouard Balladur (RPR, predecessor of the UMP) during François Mitterrand's last term.

Sarkozy is known for his strong stance on law and order issues and his desire to revitalise the French economy. In foreign affairs, he has promised a strengthening of the entente cordiale with the United Kingdom and closer cooperation with the United States. His nickname, "Sarko", is used by both supporters and opponents.

Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel

Vallabhbhai Patel (Gujarati: વલ્લભભાઈ પટેલ, pronounced (31 October 1875 – 15 December 1950) was a political and social leader of India who played a major role in the country's struggle for independence and guided its integration into a united, independent nation. In India and across the world, he was often addressed as Sardar (Gujarati: સરદાર, IPA: [səɾd̪äɾ]), which means Chief in many languages of India. Raised in the countryside of Gujarat and largely self-educated, Vallabhbhai Patel was employed in successful practice as a lawyer when he was first inspired by the work and philosophy of Mahatma Gandhi. Patel subsequently organised the peasants of Kheda, Borsad, and Bardoli in Gujarat in non-violent civil disobedience against oppressive policies imposed by the British Raj; in this role, he became one of the most influential leaders in Gujarat. He rose to the leadership of the Indian National Congress and was at the forefront of rebellions and political events, organising the party for elections in 1934 and 1937, and promoting the Quit India movement.

As the first Home Minister and Deputy Prime Minister of India, Patel organised relief for refugees in Punjab and Delhi, and led efforts to restore peace across the nation. Patel took charge of the task to forge a united India from the 565 semi-autonomous princely states and British-era colonial provinces. Using frank diplomacy backed with the option (and the use) of military action, Patel's leadership enabled the accession of almost every princely state. Hailed as the Iron Man of India, he is also remembered as the "Patron Saint" of India's civil servants for establishing modern all-India services. Patel was also one of the earliest proponents of property rights and free enterprise in India.

Aryabhata

Āryabhaṭa (Marathi: आर्यभट) is the first in the line of great mathematician-astronomers from the classical age of Indian mathematics and Indian astronomy. His most famous works are the Aryabhatiya (CE 499 at age of 23 years) and Arya-siddhanta.

Though Aryabhata's year of birth is clearly mentioned in Aryabhatiya, the exact location of his place of birth remains a matter of contention amongst the scholars. Some believed that he was born in the region lying between Narmada and Godavari, which was known as Ashmaka and they identify Ashmaka with central India including Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh, though early Buddhist texts describe Ashmaka as being further south, dakshinapath or the Deccan, while other texts describe the Ashmakas as having fought Alexander, which would put them further north.


A recent study said that Aryabhata belonged to Chamravattam (10N51, 75E45) in Kerala. The study hypothesizes that Asmaka was the Jain country surrounding Sravanabelgola where the stone monoliths gave the name Asmaka to the surrounding country. Chamravattam was a part of this Jain settlement as evidenced by the river Bharatappuzha named after the mythical King of Jains Bharata. Aryabhata too had referred to Bharata when he defines the Yugas - time elapsed up to the time of King Bharata is mentioned in verse 5 of Dasagitika. In those days Kusumapura had the famous University where Jains enjoyed decisive influence and the work of Aryabhata could thus reach Kusumapura and receive acclamation. However, it is fairly certain that at some point, he went to Kusumapura for higher studies, and that he lived here for some time.[4] Bhāskara I (CE 629) identifies Kusumapura as Pataliputra (modern Patna). He lived there in the dying years of the Gupta empire, the time which is known as the golden age of India, when it was already under Hun attack in the Northeast, during the reign of Buddhagupta and some of the smaller kings before Vishnugupta.

J. R. D. Tata

Jehangir Ratanji Dadabhoy Tata (July 29, 1904–November 29, 1993) was a pioneer aviator and important businessman of India. He was awarded India's highest civilian award, the Bharat Ratna in 1992


J.R.D. Tata was born in Paris, France, the second child of Ratanji Dadabhoy Tata and his French wife, Suzanne "Sooni" Brière. His father was a first cousin of Jamsetji Tata, a pioneer industrialist in India. 'Jeh', or 'JRD' as he was commonly known, came to be regarded as the most famous industrial pioneer in modern India. As his mother was French, he spent much of his childhood in France and as a result, French was his first language. Tata also attended the French Foreign Legion. He attended the Cathedral and John Connon School, Bombay (now Mumbai).

J.R.D. Tata was inspired early by aviation pioneer Louis Blériot, and took to flying. In 1929 Tata got the first pilot license issued in India. He later came to be known as the father of Indian civil aviation. He founded India's first commercial airline, 'Tata Airlines', in 1932, which in 1946 became Air India, now India's national airline.


He was awarded the Legion d'honneur, by the French Government in 1954. In 1979, Tata was the recipient of the Tony Jannus Award for his distinguished contributions to commercial aviation. He also received the prestigious Guggenheim Medal for aviation in 1988. He was conferred India's highest civilian award Bharat Ratna in 1992 for his service to industry and nation building. In the same year, he was also bestowed with the United Nations Population Award for his crusading endeavors towards initiating and successfully implementing the family planning movement in India, much before it became an official government policy.

Shivaji Raje Bhosle (February 19, 1627 – April 3, 1680), commonly known as Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj (Marathi: छत्रपती शिवाजीराजे भोसले) laid the foundations of the Maratha Empire. Shivaji Maharaj was younger of the two sons of Shahaji Bhosle and Jijabai. His father, Shahaji was a Maratha general who rendered military services at various times against the Bijapur Sultanate, Deccan sultanates and the Mughals.[3] Shivaji Maharaj espoused the ideology of Hindavi Swarajya (Indian Self Rule) and took a solemn oath in a Hindu temple with his friends and soldiers to directly challenge the foreign rule of the Bijapur Sultanate and ultimately the mighty Mughal empire. Shivaji Maharaj succeeded in establishing control of a well defended segment of the present state of Maharastra in western India, during his lifetime.

Shivaji Maharaj’s ideology of Hindavi Swarajya and subsequent expansion of the Maratha Empire, was partly responsible for re-establisment of Hindu rule and its re-emergent assertiveness throughout the mainland of present day India after being ruled and dominated by various Muslim dynasties for several centuries. The ideology of Hindavi Swarajya was in part the inspiration that propelled the succeeding generation of Marathas to establish independent kingdom in India prior to their eventual defeat by the British Empire. This ideology was neither directed against Islam nor aimed toward propagation of Hinduism. Shivaji's vision was for a united India, that would not yield to attacks by oppressive rulers.

Shivaji Maharaj established and set up a competent civil rule with the help of well regulated and disciplined military and well structured administrative organizations. The then prevalent practices of treating women as war booty, destruction of religious monuments, slavery and forceful religious conversions were firmly opposed under his administration. Shivaji Maharaj himself was a religious, devout and tolerant Hindu who worshipped with deep faith. Shivaji Maharaj innovated rules of military engagement of that era. He pioneered Ganimi Kava (in Marathi), or guerrilla tactics, which leveraged various factors like demographics, speed, surprise and focused attack. In comparison to his enemies, Shivaji Maharaj had a smaller army and thereby was obliged to wage guerilla warfare to help overcome this great imbalance.

A large portion of his kingdom was a coastline and he secured it with a potent navy under his commander, Kanhoji Angre. He was very successful in keeping foreign naval ships, particularly Portuguese and British, under check. For his foresight of establishing one of the first large scale naval presence he is referred to as the "Father of Indian Navy". Building and securing seaside and land based forts played an important role in Shivaji Maharaj’s military history. Shivaji's attention to coastal and naval defence delayed the eventual establishment of British rule and trade along India's west coast.