Current Affairs - Obituary

U Myint Swe, who was serving as the acting President of Myanmar since February 2021, passed away at the age of 74 in Nay Pyi Taw, the country’s capital. He had previously been sworn in as Vice President in March 2016 and assumed the acting presidency after the detention of President U Win Myint. Suffering from Parkinson’s Disease and other neurological conditions, he had been on medical leave since July 2024. His death marks a significant moment in Myanmar’s recent political history, as he held the nation’s top leadership role during a turbulent period.

Fauja Singh, famously known as the ‘Turbaned Tornado’, was the world’s oldest marathon runner who passed away at the age of 114 after a tragic accident on the Jalandhar-Pathankot highway in Punjab. Born in 1911, he took up running at 89 and completed multiple marathons across major global cities like London, New York, and Toronto. He also carried the Olympic torch for both the 2004 Athens and 2012 London Olympics. Fauja Singh became a global symbol of strength, endurance, and fitness in old age, featuring alongside sports icons like Muhammad Ali and David Beckham in international campaigns.

Vijay Rupani, who served as the Chief Minister of Gujarat from 2016 to 2021, tragically lost his life in a plane crash involving a London-bound Dreamliner that crashed shortly after departing from Ahmedabad. His untimely death makes him the second former Gujarat CM to perish in an air accident, following Balwantrai Mehta in 1965. Rupani was a significant political figure in Gujarat’s recent history and held various key positions within the BJP. His demise marks a moment of profound loss for the political community and the state of Gujarat.

Dr. M.R. Srinivasan was a key architect of India’s nuclear energy programme and served as the Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission. He passed away in Udhagamandalam, Tamil Nadu, at the age of 95. Over his career, he played a pivotal role in the establishment of 18 nuclear power units in India. His contributions were nationally recognized with several civilian honours, including the Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan, and Padma Vibhushan. Dr. Srinivasan’s legacy is instrumental in shaping India's peaceful nuclear capabilities and energy independence.

Dr. K. Kasturirangan served as the Chairman of ISRO from 1994 to 2003, during which he played a pivotal role in transforming India's space program from an experimental phase to a fully operational one. His leadership saw advancements in earth observation, communication satellites, and launch services. Additionally, his initiatives like commercializing space and introducing thematic space missions such as EDUSAT for tele-education and Chandrayaan-1 for lunar exploration had a significant impact on India’s technological and societal growth.