445. Ayesha Kidwai

The Infosys Prize Winner 2013 in Humanities – Linguistics

Professor
M.A., Ph.D.

Research Interest:
Generative Syntax & Semantics, Philosophy of Language, Morphology

Dr. Ayesha Kidwai's (Professor) research interests include linguistic theory, with particular reference to the (generative) syntax and morphology of Indian languages, philosophy of language, gender and language, the politics of English, and language evolution. After completing her PhD in 1995 from Jawaharlal Nehru University on scrambling and binding in Hindi-Urdu, she has worked on diverse morphological and syntactic phenomena in languages of all the four-language family of India, as well as Indian Sign Language. Her current research interests include the syntax of finite complementation and the properties of adjunction in natural language. Under her supervision, students of the Centre have worked on descriptive grammars of lesser-known languages, explored aspects of the syntax and semantics of the Indo-Aryan and Dravidian language families, and investigated the interaction of gender with linguistic behavior.

Prof. Ayesha Kidwai completed her M.A. and Ph.D. in Linguistics from Jawaharlal Nehru University. Her research interests include linguistic theory, with particular reference to the (generative) syntax and morphology of Indian languages, philosophy of language, gender and language, the politics of English, and the evolution of language. Her current research interests include the syntax of finite complementation and the properties of adjunction in natural language.

She has authored several papers and a few notable books such as XP-adjunction in Universal Grammar: Scrambling and Binding in Hindi-Urdu, and In Freedom's Shade, an English translation of Anis Kidwai's Urdu memoir Azaadi Ki Chaon Mein.

Prof. Kidwai's research ranges around a wide variety of syntactic topics, united by a preoccupation with the properties and effects of optional displacement operations in Universal Grammar.

Universal Grammar is the radical hypothesis, put forth five decades ago by Noam Chomsky, that the innate human linguistic ability is a domain-specific intelligence that must be modeled as a distinct Faculty of Language. This innate endowment, a system of principles and parametric options, forms the basis for the human knowledge and acquisition of any natural language, and is the source for both the relatedness of and differences between human languages. Prof. Kidwai's contributions to the field have been the study of the principles and parameters that must be hypothesized to explain the syntactic properties of a number of South Asian languages, including Hindi-Urdu, Bengali, Malayalam, Meiteilon and Santali.

The phenomenon of free word order found in many languages of the world – ‘scrambling’– raises many intriguing questions for Universal Grammar, as such word order variation is apparently optional, and therefore difficult to characterize by grammatical rules. Prof. Kidwai's work in this intensively studied and debated domain proposes a novel theory of how the referential properties of scrambled noun phrases in Hindi-Urdu may be characterized once the discourse effects of these optional variations are taken into account. These proposals have had important implications for the hypothesized design of Universal Grammar as well as the displacement operations conjectured to be central to it.

Recently, Prof. Kidwai also distinguished herself as an ace translator, having rendered Anis Kidwai's moving Urdu memoir of the aftermath of partition, Azaadi Ki Chaon Mein, into English, In Freedom's Shade.

Source : jnu.ac.in, infosys-science-foundation.com

444. Khurshid Najmi

Partner

India Law Services

August 2009 – Present (4 years 7 months)

Partner India Law Services from 2009

FoxMandal

2004 – 2009 (5 years)

Legal Adviser, IFCI Ltd.

India Law Services

January 2000 – June 2004 (4 years 6 months)

Was advising IFCI Ltd and its subsidiaries in matters involving law. Was responsible for the Litigation management.

Joint Legal Adviser

Reserve Bank of India

Education

Mumbai University

LLM in Commercial Law, Geography, Law

1980 – 1982

Presently working as Legal adviser for PPP Projects and other large Projects

Mr. K.A Najmi did LL.B from Patna University and LL.M (Commercial Law) from Bombay University. Was a Government Counsel for the State of Delhi for Civil side, in Delhi High Court. Worked with Oriental Insurance Company Ltd as A.A.O., with Reserve Bank of India (1979-2000), with IFCI Ltd., as Chief General Manager, Law (2000-2004).
Joined Foxmandal Little, a Law Firm, as a Partner (June 2004 to June 2009) and worked on a World Bank Project for drafting the Banking and Finance related laws for the Government of Bangladesh. Presently a Partner of Iindia Law Sevices, a Project Finance Specialist Law Firm and deals, inter alia, in preparation of financing / security documents and legal due diligence relating to power, road, hotels, cements and other sectors and advising clients on Corporate Law and FEMA related issues. He has prepared documents for Gama Infra Pro a Gas based power project at Kashipur in Uttarakhand besides handling various other projects like Kurukshetra Expressway Pvt. Ltd. for Rohtak Bawal Section, NavaYuga Devanahalli Tollway Pvt. Ltd. Chennai Elevated Tollway Limited and also Krishnapatanam Port Company Ltd., a Port Project, all on PPP basis.

Specialties:Legal aspects of PPP and other large value Projects, Dealing with FEMA related issues and advising on Shariah Compliant transactions.

Source : linkedin.com

443. P.K.Ahammed

Name	:	P. K. AHAMMED
Age	:	65 years (Born on 12th June 1943)
Place of Birth	:	Moodadi, Kozhikode District, Kerala, India.
Father’s name	:	Late Haji P. K. Moidu

Activities in the field of Business

Chairman of Peekay Group, the leading business house of North Kerala. Peekay Group was established by his father late Haji P.K. Moidu, a legend in his own time for his uncommon vision as a trading house in 1942. Following his father’s demise in 1971 P.K. Ahammed assumed as head of the group. With him at the helm the group grew by leaps and bounds and diversified its activities covering steel, flour mills, plantation, construction, real estate, education, health care etc. The group plays a vital role in the industrial development of Kerala.

Educationist

Actively involved in the development of higher and special education.

Chairman, Farook Institute of Management Studies (A new generation Management Institute affiliated to Calicut University) Chairman, SAFI International School President, Farook College (A centre of higher education which is accredited at Five Star Level by NAAC and recognized by UGC as a College with potential for excellence). President, Himayathul Islam Higher Secondary School. Managing Trustee, Malabar Public School, Moodadi. Manager, Calicut Higher Secondary School for the Handicapped, Blind, Deaf and Dumb (the only one of its kind in North Kerala).

Social Worker

President, Calicut Islamic Cultural Society Treasurer, Social Advancement Foundation of India Chairman, Forum for Social & Charitable Services Managing Trustee, Peekay Educational & Charitable Trust.

Vice President, Kozhikode District Co-operative Hospital, Calicut. Industrialist The Peekay Group M/s. Peekay Steel Castings Pvt. Ltd., Calicut M/s. Peekay Steel Castings Pvt. Ltd., Coimbatore M/s. Peekay Rolling Mills Pvt. Ltd., Calicut M/s. Janatha Steel Mills Pvt. Ltd., Calicut M/s. Ahammed Roller Flour Mills Pvt. Ltd., Calicut M/s. Pondy Roller Flour Mills Pvt. Ltd., Mahe M/s. Peekay Roller Flour Mills, Calicut M/s. Peekay Overseas Ventures, Calicut M/s. P.K.Ahammed & Co, Calicut M/s. Nellikot Traders, Calicut M/s. Peekay Constructions, Calicut M/s. Peekay Estates, Thamarassery. Trade Associations Brought together all manufacturers of Kerala’s Secondary Steel Sector and formed the Steel Manufacturers Association of Kerala which is the only association representing steel industry in Kerala. He continues to be the Founder President of Steel Manufacturers Association of Kerala. Chairman - (Kerala Chapter), National Council of All India Induction Furnaces Association. As President of Kerala Roller Flour Millers Association he is playing an important role in safe guarding the interest of the industry in Kerala. Past President of Malabar Chamber of Commerce. Past President of Calicut Management Association. Source : pkahammed.com

442. Artist FA Razack

Founder United Lamination Technology

The artist, who died on November 18 at the age of 89, was a noted illustrator, successful entrepreneur and a nationalist Changing careers when on a high seemed to have come naturally to the noted artist FA Razack, who died on November 18-2013, aged 89.

He had excelled in line-drawing and there was a great demand for his work, but he abruptly chose to quit the profession and plunge into screen printing, which in 1970 was a fledgling technology in India and made a success of it too. 

But he didn’t stop there, he ventured into photo lamination, again with gratifying results. In fact, he could be said to have pioneered the technology in the country. The flourishing Chennai-based United Lamination and Packaging Company is a monument to his innovative enterprise.

He, however, will always be remembered as an illustrator par excellence for those much cherished stories depicting the life and times of freedom fighters by S.A. Rahim, himself a noted participant in the struggle. “Razack followed a unique style of his own and his line drawings are amazing. The drawings invariably focused on a subject from a long shot, avoiding close-up shots. Still they were etched in minute detail,” said artist Maniam Selvan, son of late Maniam, a contemporary of Razack in ‘Kalki’ magazine.

“Normally, an artist may not like to draw a long shot picture as it requires a lot of effort. But Razack would draw many such effortlessly,” said Selvan.

A famed illustrated children’s magazine Kannan showcased Razack’s talents. Mr. Selvan said Razack used to familiarize himself with the latest trends abroad by poring over foreign magazines like Life and his drawings were indeed the better for such relentless quest.

He had little time for conventions too. “At a time when many artists were reluctant to work for ‘Murasoli,’ the official organ of the DMK, he agreed to draw for the Pongal issue of the paper once,” recalled his son R.H. Kabir. He took up screen printing when he was the most sought after artist working for popular Tamil magazines such as ‘Kalaimagal,’ ‘Kumudham,’ ‘Swedesamitran,’ ‘Dinamani Kathir.’ He even wrote a book on screen printing and conducted classes for beginners. 

Source : http://unitedbrothers.in

441. Anees Salim

Anees Salim whose Vanity Bagh has been shortlisted for The Hindu Prize 2013.

Anees Salim makes his literary debut this October with The Vicks Mango Tree (HarperCollins), a book that tells the story of India under the Emergency as she limps through twenty-one months of suspended civil liberties, half-hearted revolts and stern censorships. This Kochi adman will have not just one but four of his books brought out by major publishers.

A school drop-out, Salim has spent more time in the company of books and in trains than with friends, his meanderings providing material for his novels. Having spent most of his growing up days in a home library, Anees Salim calls himself an autodidact. He spent his adolescent days travelling across India, seeing places and meeting people. In 1995, he joined Ulka as a trainee copywriter.

“The Vicks Mango Tree is essentially about the Emergency, a period millions of Indians consider as the darkest chapter of India’s history. I was too young to understand its meaning and implications when it happened. But I remember listening to people, mostly women, who supported it because they had blind faith in Indira Gandhi. And, of course, there were people who were totally upset about the Emergency, but they were as quiet about it as the censored newspapers. The Emergency was one thing I had always wanted to write a book about, even as a schoolboy” says Salim who is creative head of Draft FCB Ulka Advertising in Kochi.

Anees has three more books coming out in the next two years. Vanity Bagh (Picador) sketches the picture of a tiny Pakistan inside a big Indian city. The Blind Lady’s Descendants (Amaryllis) is written as a suicide note of a young Muslim from a little known Indian town. Tales From A Vending Machine (HarperCollins) is the hilarious story of a young girl employed at an airport coffee shop. While his debut novel, The Vicks Mango Tree, would hit bookstores across the country this month, the others will follow in quick succession.

Source : adgully.com

440. A G Noorani

Abdul Gafoor Abdul Majeed Noorani, known popularly as A. G. Noorani, (born 16 September 1930) is an Indian lawyer, historian and author. He has practised as an advocate in the Supreme Court of India and in the Bombay High Court. He is one of the few remaining experts on the Constitution of India from his generation.

Early life and education

Noorani was born in Bombay (now Mumbai) in 1930. He attended a government school and got his law degree from Government Law College, Mumbai.

Career

His columns have appeared in various publications, including, Hindustan Times, The Hindu, Frontline, Economic and Political Weekly and Dainik Bhaskar. He is the author of a number of books including: 'The Kashmir Question', 'Badruddin Tyabji Ministers' Misconduct', 'Brezhnev's Plan for Asian Security', 'The Presidential System', 'The Trial of Bhagat Singh', 'Constitutional Questions in India' and 'The RSS and the BJP: A Division of Labour' (LeftWord 2000). He has also authored the biographies of Badruddin Tyabji andDr Zakir Hussain.

Noorani considers himself a "secular Muslim". He has defended Sheikh Abdullah of Kashmir during his long period of detention. He appeared in the Bombay High Court for former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Karunanidhi against the latter's main political rival J. Jayalalitha.

Publications

• The Kashmir Dispute 1947-2012 , 2 Volume set(editor , 2013)
• Islam, South Asia and the Cold War (2012)
• Article 370: A Constitutional History of Jammu and Kashmir (2011)
• Jinnah and Tilak: Comrades in the Freedom Struggle (2010)

• India–China Boundary Problem 1846–1947: History and Diplomacy (2010)
• Indian Political Trials 1775–1947 (2006)
• Constitutional Questions and Citizens’ Rights (2006)
• The Muslims of India: A Documentary Record (editor, 2003)
• Islam and Jihad: Prejudice versus Reality(2003)
• The Babri Masjid Question 1528–2003: ‘A Matter of National Honour’, in two volumes (2003).

Source : Wikipedia

439. . Mohammed Ali

Founder and president of Natural History Trust, 

Author of eight Tamil books on wildlife,

Editor of Kattuir magazine.

According to Mohamed Ali, “Science is taught in schools always with an eye on marks. There is no connect with every day life. Many students define Nature from what they read in their text books. We took the students outdoors.”

At his home in Mettupalayam, over endless cups of chaai and some tasty home-made biscuits served by his wife, it is enriching to listen to Mohammed Ali. He quit his job with the postal department in 1980s and turned a full-time conservationist from then on. “Mettupalayam, the place I live is surrounded by forests and wildlife. And, I started exploring,” he smiles.

Once, he brought a skink (aranai or long lizard) to a classroom. At another time, it was a scorpion, which he carried in a match box. “I let the scorpion climb on my hand to indicate that it stings only when it senses trouble when your hand moves. Black scorpions, considered the most poisonous, never initiate the attack. I share such information with students,” he says.

He has plenty to say about lizards. “They are harmless. In our own backyard, we have the bark gecko (marapalli), house gecko (house lizard) and blue-tailed skinks. The garden lizard (veli onaan) is an insectivore and keeps the garden clean. Such lizards, including udumbu (monitor lizard), and snakes, are vital to a garden’s ecosystem. They keep the pests out, including the mosquitoes. But we spray chemicals and chase them away,” he says. Superstitions are a deterrent too. “When an Indian Pipistrelle (fruit bat) enters homes, it is considered a bad omen. But, the truth is that it keeps the garden and house free of small pests.”

NHT camps with school children have been highly successful. But they lack support from the government. “There is no funding. We invest our money and run it. We have 20 active members, totally dedicated to the cause. In Tamil Nadu, we have about 500 members now.”

Mohammed Ali, who has just completed a two-day awareness camp for SHGs in Trichy, says it is easier to convey the message to those at the grassroots. “We talk at clubs, meet parents, NGOs, LIC agents and tell them to cut down on water usage, use less oil on their hair, less shampoo…everything helps in environment conservation.” He then adds with a straight face, “Instead of long tresses women should opt for shorter haircuts.”

The conservationist is irked by exaggerated accounts of wildlife. “Encounters in the wild are normal,” he says and shares an incident at Gir National Park. “Our group spotted a male lion 60 ft away from the car. After we took 10 steps forward, the lion woke up. Then, it gave a warning roar and stayed right there for 30 minutes. A simple experience like this is turned into a dramatic account.”

He gives another example. “At Thengumarhada, we camped in the forest to identify a tiger which was feared to be a man-eater. As it turned out, the tiger was in pain as a porcupine spine had pierced its foot. That was the reason it was growling. And a writer would probably describe this incident and title it ‘Killer on the prowl!’”. The misrepresentation extends to elephants and bears too, says Mohammed Ali. Elephants are the most misunderstood mammals, he says regretfully. “It never stamps a living being as often reported. It just chases you out of its way, and maybe attacks with its tusk. Man-bear encounters are described as karadiyudun thotta vaaliban katti purandu sandai. It is so misleading. But at our meetings we make it a point to give the real picture.”

Mohammed Ali has authored eight books on Nature. His book Iyarkaiyin Seidhigalum Sindhaiyumpacks 1,500 news items, facts and figures about Nature, and has been acknowledged by some as one of the best compilations in a regional language. It is considered an as an Encyclopaedia on Nature.

One of his books is dedicated to ornithologist Salim Ali, whose life story inspires him. “I so yearned to own a gun like him in my younger days,” he recollects. “Salim Ali shot a yellow-throated sparrow, and took it to his father to identify it. His father sent him to BNHS. A European curator, opened the doors of the museum (home to 1000s of stuffed birds) to the young Salim Ali. And, he went on to become one of the greatest ornithologists ever.”

Natural History Trust is a voluntary, non-profit, conservation organization working to promote conservation of wild habitats. Wildlife conservation through conservation education and Propagating scientific ideas as basis for conservation. Conservation education by publishing natural history and conservation literature in Tamil. Conservation education for under-privileged people. 

Kattuir – a journal on natural history and conservation in Tamil. Facts and thoughts: a beginner’s encyclopedia in Tamil. Wild animals – a series of books in Tamil. Conservation education for people living in and around crucial elephant and tiger habitats in southern India. Conservation hot topics: periodical discussions/meetings. We appreciate your valuable contribution to continue our service for wildlife conservation.

Source : The Hindu.com, naturalhistorytrust.org