National

Allah Rakha Rahman He is a great composer, music director, music producer, lyricist, musician as well as a very good singer. 2009, for his score of Slumdog Millionaire , Rahman won the Critics Choice Award, the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Score, the BAFTA Award for Best Film Music, and two Academy Awards for Best Original Music Score and Best Original Song at the 2009 Oscars. Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam was elected the 11th President of India on July 18, 2002. He is the second non-political person after Dr Radhakrishnan to be elected to the countrys highest post. He is known as the Missile Man of India. He was popularly known as the Peoples President. Books: Wings of Fire, Ignited Minds, India 2020. Montek Singh Ahluwalia Prominent Indian economic policymaker. He was a Member of the Indian Planning Commission in the NDA Government from 1998. He became the first Director of the Independent Evaluation Office, International Monetary Fund (IMF) on July 9, 2001. On June 16, 2004, he was appointed as Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission by the UPA and was reappointed to the post by the Government on June 5, 2009 by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Salim Ali Indian ornithologist known as the Birdman of India.He was awarded Indias second highest civilian honour, the Padma Vibhushan in 1976. He was elected Fellow of the Indian National Science Academy in 1958. He also received three honorary doctorates and was nominated to the Rajya Sabha in 1985. Dr. Alis influence helped to save the Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary and the Silent Valley National Park. Baba Amte Social Activist. Established the Anandvan, a colony for the leprosy patients. Founder of Knit India Movement and Varro Maharaoga Seva Samiti, Gokul workers university for orphans. Recipient of the first G.D. Birla International award. Returned Padma Shri and Padma Vibhushan in 1991 in protest against illtreatment of tribals by the Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat Governments during the Save Narmada Campaign. Amte got the Gandhi Peace prize - 1999. Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Eminent jurist, social reformer and a scheduled caste leader. He is also credited with having sparked the Dalit Buddhist movement. He was the Chairman of the Constitution Drafting body and is considered the Chief Architect of the Indian Constitution. He was the Minister of Law (1946-51) in the Nehru Cabinet, and was awarded Bharat Ratna in 1990 posthumously. Mulk Raj Anand Indian writer in English. One of the pioneers of Indo-Anglian fiction. Chairman of Lalit Kala Academi (1955-1970). Author of The Untouchable, The Bubble, Confessions of a Lover, Morn ing Face, Seven Summers, The Village, Across the Black Waters, The Sword and the Sickle etc. Winner of Leverhulme Fellowship (1940-42), World Peace Council Prize (1952), Padma Bhushan (1968) and many other awards. Anand won the reputation of being Indias Charles Dickens. Viswanathan Anand Indias Grandmaster and Current World Champion. First Indian and youngest Asian to win International Masters title (1987) and Chess Oscar (1997). First recipient of Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award. He became the first player to have won the World Championship in three different formats: Knockout, Tournament, and Match. Won Arjuna Award (1985), Padma Shri (1998).

Dhirubhai Ambani Founder- Chairman of Reliance Industries Ltd. (RIL). Harivansh Rai Bachchan Hindi poet. Recipient of the first Saraswati Samman (1991) for his autobiographical work, Dashdwar Se Sopan Tak. Father of the celebrated Hindi film star Amitabh Bachchan. Sunderlal Bahuguna Indian environmentalist and leader of Chipko Movement. He has been resisting construction of Tehri Dam on Bhagirathi river in the Uttarkashi region of the Himalayas on ecological grounds. Subhash Chandra Bose He is the founder of the Forward Block. He is called Netaji. He founded All India Forward Block and Kisan Sabha. He was elected as the president of INC (1938, 1939). He is presumed to have died on 18 August 1945 in a plane crash over Taiwan. Mukherjee Commission enquired about the disappearence of Subhash Chandra Bose. Kiran Bedi Indias first woman IPS officer (1972). She was recently appointed as United Nations Civilian Police Adviser. Last posted as Director General , BPR&D (Bureau of Police Research and Development, Ministry of Home Affairs). She retired from IPS in December, 2007. During her service in Tihar Jail, one of worlds largest prison complexes, her prison reforms policies led to her winning, the 1994 Ramon Magsaysay Award. Protima Gauri Bedi Protima Gauri Bedi, the founder of Nrityagram near Bangalore, was a renowned classical dancer. She was killed in a major landslide in the hills of Kumaon, 6 km from Manasarovar in August 1998. Autobiography, Timepass, has been published by her daughter, Pooja Bedi in 2000.

Buddhadeb Bhattacharya Buddhadeb Bhattacharya is the Chief Minister of West Bengal, succeeding Jyothi Basu.Member of the politburo of the Communist Party of India (Marxist). Buddha debs Government came under heavy criticism for police action against demonstrators in Nandigram. Acharya Vinoba Bhave Known for shramdan and Bhoodan movements. He was a Sarvodaya leader. His Ashram, Paramdhan Ashram, is at Paunar. He is considered as a National Teacher of India and the spiritual successor of Mahatma Gandhi. Vinoba was the first recipient of the international Ramon Magsaysay Award for Community Leadership In 1958. He was awarded the Bharat Ratna posthumously in 1983. Nikhil Chakravarty Nikhil Chakravarty was an eminent journalist, founder editor of the political journal Mainstream and the first Chairman of the Prasar Bharati Board. Nek Chand Indian sculptor. Creator of the Rock Garden in Chandigarh. Munshi Prem Chand Writer of modern Hindi and Urdu literature. Born in Uttar Pradesh. His real name was Dhanpat Rai. Premchand wrote about 300 short stories and several novels and also plays. His famous works are Sevasadan, Ranga bhumi, Kafan, Kaya kalp, Godan, Nirmala etc. Godaan (The Gift of a Cow), his last novel, is considered one of the finest Hindi novels. Nirad C. Chaudhuri The Indian author who became famous for his book The Autobiography of an Unknown Indian , a memoir of his childhood in colonial India. A passage to England, Culture in the Vanity Bag are his other famous books.

B.R. Chopra B.R. Chopra is a Hindi film director. He received the Dada Saheb Phalke Award for his contribution to Indian cinema. Bula Chaudhary Ace long-distance Indian swimmer. She became the first Asian woman to cross the English Channel twice on September 2, 1999. She swam across the Strait of Gibraltar in 2000, Tiranian Sea in Italy in 2001, Catalina Channel in the U.S in 2002, Great Toroneos Gulf in Greece in 2002 and Cooks Straits in New Zealand in 2003. She set a world record by swimming through the Strait of Gibraltar in 3 hours and 35 minutes. she was awarded the Arjuna Award by the Indian Government in the year 1990. Kapil Dev Kapil Dev is a former Indian Cricket Captain regarded as one of the greatest all-rounders of all time. Kapil Dev Ramlal Nikhanj is the only cricketer in the world to have scored over 5000 runs and taken more than 400 wickets in test cricket. On July 23, 2002, he was named wisden Indian cricketer of the century. He was captain when India won the world cup in 1983. His nickname was The Haryana Hurricane. Kunjarani Devi The ace Indian weightlifter earned the distinction of being listed among the top 100 lifters of the century in the magazine World Weightlifting, published by the International federation of Weightlifting. Mahasweta Devi Bengali writer born in Dhaka. Winner of the 32nd Jnanapith Award of 1996. After the partition of India she moved to West Bengal in India. She joined the Rabindranath Tagore founded Vishvabharati University in Santiniketan. Mahasweta Devi has recently criticised the industrial policy of the West Bengal. She got Ramon Magsaysay Award in 1997.

Dicky Dolma The youngest woman in the world to climb Mt. Everest in 1993 as a member of the Indo-Nepal Womens Everest Expedition. She hails from Himachal Pradesh. Nargis Dutt The greatest Hindi film actress of her time. Paired in several immortal films with Raj Kapoor. Married actor Sunil Dutt; she had won best actress award (National) and Padma Shri. Sanjay Dutt, a leading Hindi film actor, is her son. She was the first actress nominated to the Rajya Sabha. Meera Sahib Fathima Beevi First woman judge of the Supreme Court of India (1989). Appointed Governor of Tamil Nadu on January 25, 1997 and resigned from the post in 2001. Indira Gandhi First woman Prime Minister of India (1966-77). She was the Prime Minister for three consecutive terms from 1966 to 1977 and for a fourth term from 1980 until her assassination in 1984, a total of fifteen years. Grand father Motilal Nehru and father Jawaharlal Nehru were the prominent national leaders. Mrs Gandhi is the recepient of the 1971 Bharat Ratna, and 198 Jawaharlal Nehru Award for International Unders tanding. In 1980, she became increasingly involved in an escalating conflict with separatists in Punjab that eventually led to her assassination by two of her bodyguards in 1984. M.K. Gandhi Father of the Indian Nation. He was the pioneer of satyagraha resistance to tyranny through mass civil disobedience, firmly founded upon ahimsa or total non-violence which led India to independence and has inspired movements for civil rights and freedom across the world. He was trained as a lawyer in England and went to South Africa to practise law in 1893. It was

there that he became active in defending the rights of Asians against their white oppressors. He returned to India in 1915 and, after a brief spell as an ambulance volunteer in World War I, led India to independence. He was assassinated by a Hindu fanatic on January 30, 198. His autobiographical work is titled My Experiments with Truth. Rajiv Gandhi The elder son of Indira Gandhi and Feroze Gandhi, was the 7th Prime Minister of India during 1984 - 89. He became the youngest Prime Minister of India when he took office (at the age of 40). Rajiv Gandhi was a professional pilot for Indian Airlines before entering politics. He was assassinated by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE ) on May 21, 1991. Rajiv Gandhi was posthumously awarded the Bharat Ratna in 1991. Sonia Gandhi Widow of former Indian Prime Minister, Rajiv Gandhi. President of the Congress and Chairperson of the National Advisory Council (NAC) with the status of a Cabinet Minister to monitor the implementation of the UPAs (United Progressive Alliance) Common Minimum Programme (CMP) which has been designated as a government scheme. Sivaji Ganesan The versatile and legendary actor of Tamil films who won the coveted Dada Saheb Phalke Award for 1996. He is popularly known as Natikar Tilakam (Star Among Stars). He was the first South Indian film actor who won a best actor award in an international film festival, the Afro-Asian Film Festival held in Cairo, Egypt during 1959. Sunil Gavaskar Popularly known as Little Master. Gavaskar was the captain of the Indian Cricket Team. Widely regarded as one of the greatest opening batsmen in test match history. He scored over 10,000 runs; and held the record of 34 Test centuries for almost two decades before it was broken by Sachin Tendulkar in December 2005. 'Sunny days' and 'One day wonders' are his books.

Aurobindo Ghosh Indian freedom fighter, Philosopher, Poet and a Saint. He renounced politics and set up an ashram in Pondicherry. His philosophy is called Integral Yoga. Author of the wellknown book, Essays on Gita. Wrote the epic poem Savitri. V.V. Giri Varshagiri Venkita Giri, the fourth President of India, (1969-1974). Won Bharat Ratna in 1975. He became minister of labour and industries in 1937 for the Congress Party government formed by C.Rajagopalachari in the Madras Presidency. After India gained independence, he was first appointed high commissioner to Ceylon. He served successfully as governor of Uttar Pradesh (1957-1960), Kerala (1960-1965) and Mysore (19651967). He was elected as Vice-President of India in 1967. Giri became acting president of India in 1969 upon the death in office of Zakir Hussain. Gopalakrishna Gokhale Gokhale founded the Servants of India Society in 1905. He was an outstanding Indian statesman and political guru of Mahatma Gandhi. He was the Congress president in 1905. Led the Moderate faction of the Indian National Congress. Indira Harsha Indias first scientifically documented test-tube baby born at King Edward Memorial Hospital in Mumbai on August 6, 1987. Najma Heptullah Najma Heptullah is the former Deputy Chairperson of the Rajya Sabha. She is the grand-niece of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, a prominent Indian freedom fighter. Elected to the Executive Council of Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) in 1995. Heptullah joined Bharatiya Janata Party in 2004. She lost to Hamid Ansari in the 13th VicePresidential Elections held in August 2007 by 233 votes.

Zakir Hussain Zakir Hussain is an Indian tabla maestro. He won the 1999 National Heritage Fellowship, USAs most prestigious honour in folk and traditional arts. Ilaiyaraja Exponent of Karnatic music. film composer, singer, lyricist and the first Asian composer to score a symphony for the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra . He has thrice won the Indian National Film Award for best film scoring. Ilaiyaraajas composition Rakkama Kaiya Thattu from the movie Thalapathi (1991) was amongst the songs listed in a BBC World Top Ten music poll. Jaya Dev Sanskrit poet. Author of the famous work Gita Govindam. It is also known as Ashtapadi. Shekhar Kapur Shekhar Kapur is a renowned Hindi film director. He received applause for his films Masoom (1983), Mr India (1987) and Bandit Queen. Girish Karnad Indian playwright, actor and director. Chairman of Sangeet Natak Akademi, New Delhi (1988-93) and recipient of the 3rd Bharatiya Jnanpith Award in January 1999. Amjad Ali Khan Indian classical musician. Sarod maestro. On October 23, 1996 he was appointed UNICEF Ambassador for Children from the sphere of culture and creative art. Bismillah Khan Indian shehnai maestro from Varanasi. Awarded Bharat Ratna, Indias highest civilian award on January 26, 2001. Hargobind Khurana Indian-born scientist. Migrated to USA. Won the 1968 Nobel Prize in Physiology/Medicine for interpretation of the genetic code and its function in protein synthesis.

Dilip Kumar One of the greatest and most iconic Indian film actor and a former Member of Parliament. The 76-year old actor is the recipient of the 1994 Dada Saheb Phalke Award. He has won an unparalleled eight Filmfare Best Actor Awards. In 1997, Dilip Kumar was awarded, Nishan-ePakistan, Pakistans highest civilian award. He was also awarded CNN-IBN Indian of the year - Lifetime achievement award in 2009. Anil Kumble Former Indian leg spinner and former captain of the Indian Cricket Team. Became the second bowler in cricket history to bag all the ten wickets in an innings (against Pakistan in Delhi on February 7, 1999) after Englands Jim Laker (1956). He is the third highest wicket-taker in Test cricket. He retired on 2 November 2008 Abhijith Kunde Abhijith Kunde is the fourth Indian to win a grandmaster title in chess after Viswanathan Anand, Divendu Baruva, and Praveen Tipsay. Varghese Kurien Father of the White Revolution in India. He is also known as the Milkman of India. Former Chairman of the National Dairy Development Board, Anand (Gujarat). The brain behind Operation Flood. He was the chairman of the Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation Ltd.(GCMMF). He is recognised as the man behind the success of the Amul brand. He got 1963 Ramon Magsaysay Award for Community Leadership and also 1989 World Food Prize Laureate. R.K. Laxman Rasipuram Krishnaswamy Laxman is an Indian cartoonist, associated with The Times of India. Author of 50 Years of Independence through the Eyes of R.K. Laxman. The famous novelist, R.K. Narayan, is his brother.

Karnam Malleswari Indian weightlifter from Andhra Pradesh. Won Bronze Medal in the 2000 Sydney Olympics. She is a recipient of the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award, Indias highest sporting honour for the year 19951996. She is also a recipient of the civilian honour Padma Shri in 1999.Malleswari is awarded the Arjuna Award in 1994. Major Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore The 75 - member Indian contingent presented a miserable show in Olympics 200, with the exception of Maj. Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore, who bagged the silver medal in mens double-trap shooting championship. This is the first achievement (Olympic Silver Medal) by an Indian in the post independence era. Field Marshal Sam Manesk Shaw Former Army Chief and first Field Marshal of India. Played a key role in 1971 war between India and Pakistan. Lata Mangeshkar Melody queen of India. Mangeshkars career started in 1942 and has spanned over six and a half decades. She sang in over a thousand Bollywood movies and has sung songs in over twenty regional Indian languages, but primarily in Hindi. She is the elder sister of the equally accomplished singer Asha Bhosle. Mangeshkar was featured in the Guinness Book of World Records from 1974 to 1991 for having made the most recordings in the world. Recipient of the 1989 Dada Saheb Phalke Award for her contribution to Indian film music. She was awarded the Bharat Ratna in 2001. K. Nachiketa Indian Air Force (IAF) Flight Lieutenant K. Nachiketa was released by the Pakistani authorities on June , 1999 after eight days of captivity, during the Kargil war.

Sarojini Naidu Known as the Nightingale of India, Naidu was the first Indian woman President of the Indian National Congress (1925). Mira Nair Indian film director. Her films include Salaam Bombay, Mississippi Masala, Kama Sutra, etc. Won the Golden Camera Award at Cannes International Film Festival in 1988. Her Monsoon Wedding won the Golden Lion Award in 2001 at the Venice Film Festival. Video Stories is her latest book. Murali Nair The Indian film director Murali Nair received the Golden Camera Award for his Malayalam film Marana Simhasanam at the prestigious Cannes International Film Festival in Cannes. Dadabhai Naoroji Grand Old Man of India and Father of Indian Politics and Economics. Freedom fighter and one of the founders of the Indian National Congress. Gulzarilal Nanda Gulzarilal Nanda was twice interim Prime Minister of India. He was the first Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission. He was awarded the Bharat Ratna in 1997. Jayaprakash Narayan Indian freedom fighter, socialist and Sarvodaya leader. Known as JP. He was instrumental in the formation of Janata Party which defeated the Congress in 1977 general elections. Popularly known as Loknayak. He was posthumously awarded the Bharat Ratna. He got Magsaysay award for Public Service in 1965. R.K. Narayan Rasipuram Krishnaswami Narayan was an Indian writer in English. He was awarded the Padmabushan in 2000. His autobiography, Malgudi Days, was selected for the 197 English Speaking Union Book Abroad Literary Award. His novel, The Guide, won

him the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1960. His other famous works are Swami and Friends, The English Teacher, Waiting for the Mahatma, Mr Sampath, The Vendor of Sweets and Under the Banyan Tree. K.R. Narayanan Indias 10th President. He is the first Dalit and the only Malayali to have been President. He served as ambassador to Japan, United Kingdom, Thailand, Turkey, Peoples Republic of China and United States of America and was referred by Nehru as the best diplomat of the country. served as a Minister of State in the Union Cabinet under former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. Elected as Vice-President in 1992, Narayanan went on to become the President of India in 1997. A product of the London School of Economics, Narayanan was formerly Union Minister and later vice-chancellor of the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU). Kuldip Nayyar Indian journalist. Indias High Commissioner to UK under the National Front Government. Author of India The Critical Years, Between the Lines, Distant Neighbours, India after Nehru and The Judgement. Jawaharlal Nehru The first Prime Minister of independent India. Also known as the Architect of modern India. The brain behind Non-Alignment Movement and the Panchasheel agreement with China. His daughter, Indira Gandhi, and grandson, Rajiv Gandhi, also served as Prime Ministers of India. Discovery of India is his famous book. Leander Paes Tennis star from Kolkata. In 1996 Paes won a bronze medal at the Atlanta Olympics. Currently features in the doubles events in the ATP tour and the Davis Cup tournament. He has won various doubles and mixed

doubles events at the Tennis Grand Slam events. He is also the recipient of Indias highest sporting honour, the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award in 1996 1997 and the Padmashri award in 2001 for his contribution to Tennis in India. Bachendri Pal The first Indian woman and the fifth woman in the world to scale Mount Everest. Medha Patkar Indian environmentalist and social activist. A leader of Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA). She won the 1991 Right Livelihood Award and the 1994 Prabhu Puraskar. In 1999, She won the National Human Rights Award. Dadasahib Govind Phalke Father of Indian Cinema. He industrialised Indian film industry. He produced Indias first feature film Raja Harishchandra in 1913. He made 95 movies and 26 short films in his career including his most noted works, Mohini Bhasmasur (1913),Satyavan Savitri (1914), Lanka Dahan (1917), Shri Krishna Janam (1918) and Kaliya Madan (1919). The Dadasaheb Phalke Award was instituted in his honour, by Govt. of India in 1969, and is today, the highest award in Indian Cinema, it is given for lifetime contribution to Cinema. Phoolan Devi Indias bandit queen, who ruled the ravines of Chambal in the late seventies and early eighties. Elected to Lok Sabha in 1996 on Samajwadi Party ticket but was defeated in 1998 elections. However, she was re-elected in 1999. Assassinated on July 25, 2001. Dhanraj Pillai The star hockey player was conferred the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award for 1999-2000 in recognition of his outstanding performance. He was awarded with Padmashri (2001).

Azim Hasham Premji Azim Premji is an Indian engineer and businessman. The chairman of Wipro Corporation was named by Forbes as the richest Indian in the world. Simplicity and Humbleness is his motto. He was rated the richest person in the country from 1999 to 2005 as per Forbes. Amrita Pritam Punjabi poetess and novelist. Recipient of Bharatiya Jnanpith Award. (1991). Rasidi Ticket is the autobiography of Amritha Pritam. She is most remembered for her poignant poem, ""Aj Aakhaan Waris Shah Nu.'' The first woman recipient of the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1956 for Sunehray (Messages), Amrita Pritam received the Bhartiya Jnanpith, Indias highest literary award, in 1982 for Kagaj te Canvas (Paper and Canvas). She received the Padma Shri (1969) and Padma Vibhushan, Indias second highest civilian award. Indrani Rahman Eminent classical dancer of Bharata Natyam, Kuchipudi, Kathakali and Odissi and exponent of the Bharatnatyam dance form. Recipient of Padma Shri. Aishwarya Rai Indian student of architecture from Mumbai. Crowned Miss World at Sun City, Johannes burg, in November 199. Third Indian to win a world beauty contest. She became the first Indian actress to be on the International Jury of Cannes Film Festival. Recipient of Padmashri (2009) Dr. Raj Kumar The 67 year old, veteran Kannada actor is the recipient of the prestigious Dada Saheb Phalke Award for the year 1995. In 2000 he was kidnapped by the sandalwood smuggler, Veerappan, and held for 108 days before being released unharmed.

Mani Ratnam Indian film director, known for his controversial blockbuster Bombay (produced in Hindi, Tamil and Telugu). He is known for directing critically acclaimed films such as Mouna Raagam (1986), Nayagan (1987), Anjali (1990), Iruvar (1997), Kannathil Muthamittal (2002), Yuva (2004), and his political trilogy consisting of Roja (1992), Bombay (1995) and Dil Se (1998) Satyajit Ray Renowned film director who became world famous through his film Pather Panchali (1955). He is regarded as one of the greatest auteurs of 20th century cinema. Ray directed thirty-seven films, including feature films, documen taries and shorts. Aparajita, Apoor Sansar, and Pather Panchali are considered as a trilogy. He was the winner of special Oscar and many other awards. He won the Bharat Ratna in 1992. He was the first Indian to win Legion d' Honour, the highest civilian award of France. Ray received many major awards in his career, including 32 Indian National Film Awards. He was awarded the Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 1985. Ray is the second film personality after Chaplin to have been awarded honorary doctorates by Oxford University. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences awarded Ray an honorary Oscar in 1992 for Lifetime Achievement. Arundhati Roy The internationally renowned author of the Booker Prize winning novel, The God of Small Things. She donated the entire proceeds of the award Rs. 15 lakh to support the tribals who will be displaced by the Sardar Sarovar Dam in the Narmada Valley. Sania Mirza She became the first Indian Woman to reach to fourth round of a grand Slam tournament at the 2005 US open. She is also the first Indian sports woman to feature on the cover of Time

Magazine. She won the Arjuna award in 2004 and in 2006. She was honoured with a Padma Shree. Raja Rammohan Roy Founder of the Brahma Samaj, Roy worked for eradicating evils like Sati, child marriage and purdah. He is considered as the Father of the Indian Renaissance and the Father of Indian Nationalism. Amartya Sen Amartya Kumar Sen is the Indian economist who won the 1998 Nobel Prize for Economics. He is known for his contributions to welfare economics. His well known book is Poverty and Famine. Other books are Collective Choice and Social Welfare and On Economic Inequality. He received the Bharat Ratna, the highest civilian award in India in 1999. Vikram Seth Indian writer of the twentieth centurys longest English novel, A Suitable Boy. The Golden Gate, Avion and the Dolphin, An Equal Music, Two lives are his major works. He won the 1994 Commonwealth Writer's Prize. Naushad Ali Dadasaheb Phalke award winner and one of the best known music composers of the Hindi film. He died on 5th May 2006. Pramod Karan Sethi A much decorated Indian pioneer. His Jaipur Foot is most suited to the lifestyle of the handicapped rural Indian. Winner of the Guinness Award, Ramon Magsaysay Award (1981), Padma Shri (1981) and Dr B.C. Roy National Award (1979). Pandit Ravi Shankar The internationally acclaimed Sitar maestro. He was described as the most famous Indian musician on the planet. He received three Grammy Awards. He was awarded the three highest national civil honors of India: Padma Bhushan in 1967, Padma Vibhushan in 1981, and Bharat Ratna in 1999. Received Magsaysay Award in 1992.

Rakesh Sharma Patiala born Indian test pilot. Rakesh Sharma as a Squadron Leader in the Indian Air Force, was the first Indian and 138th person to travel in space. He retired from the Air force as Wing Commander. He was conferred with the honour of Hero of Soviet Union upon his return from space. The Government of India conferred its highest gallantry award(during peace time), the Ashoka Chakra on him. Khushwant Singh Indian journalist and writer. Singh was editor of many newspapers and weeklies. He was also a nominated member of the Rajya Sabha. His autobiographical work is Truth, Love and A Little Malice. Other works include Punjab Tragedy, Train to Pakistan, History of the Sikhs, etc. M.S. Subbalakshmi Popularly known as M.S. Famous carnatic musician who has won many awards including the Magsaysay, Padma Bhushan, Kalidas Samman, Indira Gandhi Puraskar and the Bharat Ratna. She was the first musician ever to be awarded the Bharat Ratna. Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru had this to say about MS.SubbulakshmiWho am I , only a Prime Minister before a Queen, a Queen of Music. While Lata Mangeshkar called her Tapaswini (the Renunciate), Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan termed her Suswaralakshmi . Kiran Desai She won Man Booker Prize for Fiction 2006 with 'The Inheritance of Loss', her second novel. She is the youngest women ever to win the Booker. Her first novel was Hullaballo in Guava Orchid. M.S. Swaminathan Indian agricultural scientist. Director General of International Rice Research Institute, Manila, Director of the Centre for Research on Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Development, Chennai. At present, he is the Chairman of National Commission on Agriculture.

Rabindranath Tagore Poet, novelist, dramatist, philosopher, educationalist short story writer. Tagore was born in Bengal. In 1913 he became the first Indian (Asian) to win the Nobel Prize (for Literature). He wrote the National Anthems of India and Bangladesh. Gitanjali, Chandalika, Post Office are his major works. Shashi Tharoor Acclaimed author, columnist, journalist, human-rights advocate, humanitarian and adviser or fellow of various institutions, including the International Committee of the Red Cross, the Aspen Institute, and the USC Center on Public Diplomacy. . Currently Dr. Shashi Tharoor is the Indian Minister of State for External Affairs. He served as the UN Under-Secretary General for Communications and Public Information between June 2002 and February 2007. In 2006, he was the official candidate of India for the office of United Nations Secretary-General, and came second out of seven official candidates in the race. In January 1998, he was named by the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, as a Global Leader of Tomorrow. In 2004, he was awarded the prestigious Pravasi Bharatiya Samman, Indias highest honour for non-resident Indians. Riot is his latest book. His major works are Kerala God's own country, The Great Indian Novel etc. Thyagaraja South Indian saint and exponent of Carnatic music. One among the trinities of Carnatic music - Thyagaraja, Muthuswamy Dikshitar and Shyama Shastri. Balagangadhar Tilak Popularly known as Lokamanya, Tilak was an extremist during Indias freedom struggle. He was also called the Father of Indian Unrest. P.T. Usha The ace athlete, mother of a son, defied all odds to win a gold medal in the 4 100 m relay, silver in the 400 m relay and bronze in 200 m and 400 m, at the Asian Track and Field (ATF) meet at Fukuoka (Japan). She is known as the Golden Girl of India. She finished first in the semi-finals of the

400 metres hurdles in the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, but faltered in the finals. In almost a repeat of Milkha Singhs 1960 feat, there was a nail-biting photo finish for the third place. Usha lost the bronze by 1/100th of a second. She became the first Indian woman (and the fifth Indian) to reach the final of an Olympic event by winning her 400 m hurdles Semi-final. Sardar Vallabhai Patel Known as the Iron Man of India, Patel was Minister of Home Affairs, Information and Broadcasting in the interim Government. He was also the first Deputy Prime Minister of India. Atal Behari Vajpayee Prime Minister of India (1998-200). Vajpayee is the founder of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). A brilliant, parliamentarian, orator and poet, Vajpayee is the winner of Padma Vibhushan and Best Parliamentarian Award. M. Visvesvaraya Prominent Engineer, who built the dam across Cauveri in Mysore. He is called the Builder of Modern India His selfless devotion earned him a knighthood (i.e. the title Sir) during the British Raj. Won the Bharat Ratna in 1955. Swami Vivekananda A saint-philosopher who made Indias greatness known to the world. He was the disciple of Saint Ramakrishna Paramahamsa and founder of the Ramakrishna Mission. Vivekananda is famous for the speech he delivered at the World Parliament of Religions at Chicago in USA in 1893. Homi J Bhabha Father of Indian Nuclear Science. He was responsible for creating Babha Atomic Research Center in Mumbai. He was the first Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission, which was setup in 1948. Under his expert guidance, the nation's first atomic reactor Apsara was commissioned in 1956. Bhabha died in a plane crash near Mont Blanc, while heading to Vienna, Austria to attend a meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agencys Scientific Advisory Committee.

Aruna Asaf Ali The veteran freedom fighter and social worker played a prominent role in Quit India Movement. She was the first woman mayor of Delhi. She was awarded Bharat Ratna Posthumously in 1997. K.M. Kariappa Grand old man of Indian army. He was the first commander in Chief of Indian Army. Field Marshal Cariappa was the first Indian Chief of Staff and led the Indian forces on the Western Front during the Indo-Pakistan War of 1947. He is known as Kipper. He is among only two Indian military officers to hold the highest rank of Field Marshal (the other being Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw). Bobby Jindal Second Indian American to enter the House of Representatives. He was elected as the governor of Lousina, USA. He is the youngest person to hold the post of governor in US. Ruth Manorama Indian Women activist winner of Right Livelihood Award in 2006. She was chosen on account of her work to achieve equality for Dalit Women in India. Indira Nooyi She has been appointed as the world wide CEO (Chief Executive Officer) of the multinational Company Pepsi. She is the 6th most powerful lady in the world according to the forbe's magazine (2007) Kalpana Chawla She became the first Indian woman to go to space in 1997. In the memory of Kalpana Chawla India has renamed METSAT its first meteorological satellite as Kalpana I. Ustad Bismillah Khan Shehani maestro and Bharat Ratna award winner died in 2006. He is also the receipient of Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan and Padma Vibhushan.

Nagarjuna Buddhist philosopher and chemist. Adorned the court of Kanishka. He was called by Chinese traveller Hieun T Sang 'as one of the four lights of the world. Raja Ramanna He played a crucial role in the country's first nuclear test at Pokhran in 1974. Raja Ramanna is an eminent Scientist and doyen of India's nuclear programme. Mother Teresa Roman catholic nun who dedicated her life to the destitutes in Kolkata through Missionaries of Charity. She was beatified by late Pope John Paul II on Oct 19, 2003. She won the 1979 Nobel Prize for Peace. She was also awarded the Bharat Ratna (1980), Raman Magsaysay Award (1962), Templeton Foundation Award (1973) and the Jawaharlal Nehru Award for International Understanding (1969). Dyan Chand He is known as 'Hockey Wizard'. His birthday is celebrated as the National Sports day of India (Aug 29). In 2002, the Union Sports Ministry of India introduced a lifetime achievement award in sports in the name of Dhyan Chand. Moraji Desai First non-congress Prime Minister. Recipient of Bharat Ratna and Nishan-e-Pakistan, the highest civilian award of Pakistan. Prathibha Patil She is the first Women President of India. She was the former governor of Rajasthan and former Union Minister. K. Radhakrishnan K. Radhakrishnan was appointed as the new Director of Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC). He has been a member of Indian delegation to UN Committee on Peaceful use of outerspace since January 2006. Dipika Pallikal Dipika Pallikal became the second Indian woman ever to break into the top 100 of squash rankings rising to a career high 91 in the latest list.

Vijay L. Kelkar Vijay L. Kelkar is the head of the 13th Finance Commission to make recommendations on the norms for distribution of the net tax proceeds between the Union and the States. Chiranjeevi Telugu film personality chiranjeevi launched his political party 'Praja Rajyam' in Andhra Pradesh. Chiranjeevi is a recipient of the Padma Bhushan. He announced his formal entry into politics on in 2008 by launching the Praja Rajyam Party and participating in 2009 elections. He is a member of the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly representing Tirupathi. Mahendra Singh Dhoni Indian Cricket Captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni won Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award (2007), Country's highest honour for a sports person. Under his captaincy, India won the 2007 ICC World Twenty20, CB Series of 2007- 08 and the Border - Gavaskar trophy 2008 in which they beat Australia 2 - 0. Parvathy Omanakuttan She was crowned Miss India World 2008 held at Mumbai. She is the 1st runner up in the Miss World 2008 competition held at Johannesberg, South Africa. Tessy Thomas: First woman scientist to be the project director of the Hyderabad based Defence Research and Development Organisations (DRDO) mission to develop advanced verson of the prestigious Agni II missile. She has been involved in the launch of Agni III as Associate Project Director. Lala Amarnath He was free India's first cricket captain. Lala Amarnath made his debut in 1933 against England with a century at the Bombay Gymkhana grounds to become the first cricketer to score a century for India in Test cricket.

U.R Anantha Moorthy Famous Kannada writer and educationalist. From 1987 to 1991 he was the Vice-Chancellor of Mahatma Gandhi University. He won the Bharathiya Jnanpith Award in 1994. Sanskara, Barathipura, Avastha, Parisara and Prashne are his major works. Shabana Azmi Indian film actress, Social activist and former Rajyasabha member. Azmi has received the coveted National Film Award for Best Actress five times. 1975 - Ankur , 1983 - Arth , 1984 - Khandhar , 1985 - Paar , 1999 - Godmother. She has also won three Filmfare Best Actress Awards. Shabana was and continues to be a leading actress of Indian Art Cinema. She is also very active in social causes and is a leading advocate of AIDS awareness in India. She is married to Indian poet Javed Akhtar. She was awarded the Gandhi Foundation International Peace Award (2006). Badaruddin Tyabji Leader of Indian National Movement. He was the first Indian barrister of the Bombay High Court. He was the first Muslim to become the President of the National Congress (in 1887) Sathish Dhawan Renowned Space Scientist and former Chairman of Indian Space Research Organisation and Space Commission and also former secretary of the Deparment of space. The first Satellite Aryabhatta and Bhaskara I was launched under his stewardship. The Sriharikota space centre has been named after him. Lekshmi Saigal She was the commander of the Women's Regiment of INA. She was awarded the Padma Vibhushan in 1998. She has contested in the presidential Election against Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam but failed. Adi Godrej Adi Godrej heads the much acclaimed Godrej Group of Industries. Adi Godrej is also a major supporter of World Wildlife Fund, and has developed a 150acre mangrove green campus in the Vikhroli area of Mumbai besides the construction of a school for the children of the employees.

G D Birla Shri Ghanshyam Das Birla was a noted businessman of India. He laid the foundation of Birla Estate and the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry. In 1957, Birla was awarded the Padma Vibhushan. The G.D. Birla award for Scientific Research has been established in his honour and to encourage scientists. Anil Ambani Anil Ambani was born in an Indian business family. At present, he is the chairman of Reliance Capital, Reliance Infocomm and Chairman & Managing Director, Reliance Energy Limited. He had been elected as an independent member of Rajya Sabha in the 2004 with the support of Samajwadi Party, but resigned later on in the year 2006. Mukesh Ambani Mukesh Ambani is the Chairman and Managing Director of the Reliance Industries Limited. He was ranged as the 42nd Worlds Most Respected Business Leaders by a survey conducted by Pricewater Coopers and published in Financial Times. He was also selected as the ET Business Leader of the Year in 2006. Laxmi Mittal Laxmi Mittal, a UK-based billionaire. Mittal is the Chairman and CEO of Arcelor-Mittal.He has been honoured with awards inclusive of Padma Vibhushan. As of 2009, Mittal is the worlds 8th richest person . Narayan Murthy Narayana Murthy is one of the top industrialists and software engineer of India. He is one among the seven founders of Infosys Technologies which is an IT services company based in India. He is also the recipient of the Padma Vibushan. Although he has retired from the executive position at Infosys he is still the chief mentor and non-executive Chairman of the board.

Vijay Mallya Vijay Mallya also referred to as liquor-baron is the Chairman of the United Beverages (UB) Group. Besides his liquor brand, he has also launched an airline called Kingfisher Airline to cater the domestic traffic. Other pursuits of Mallya include the procurement IPL franchisee of Royal Challengers as well as introducing the first Formula 1 Indian team named as Force India. Mallya was also selected to the Rajya Sabha Birju Maharaj Pandit Birju Maharaj is the foremost Indian Kathak dancer of India belonging to the Lucknow gharana. Mallika Sarabhai Mallika Sarabhai is a notable Bhratanatyam and Kuchipudi dancer of India. Apart from being a dancer, Mallika is also a social activist. She manages the Darpana Academy of Performing Arts located at Ahmedabad. In 1965, she was awarded with the Padma Shri and in 1992 with the Padma Bhushan. She was the first Indian to receive the Diploma and medal of the French Archives Internationales de la Danse. Sitara Devi Sitara Devi is a prominent Kathak dancer of India. Sitara was described as Nritya Asmragini (the queen empress of dancing) by Rabindranath Tagore, the noble laureate. For most of the octogenarian, she is a living legend and better known as kathak queen Yamini Krishnamurthy She is an eminent Bharatnatyam and Kuchipudi dancer. In 1957, she started her dancing debut in Chennai. In her eventful dancing career she has received the honour of being Asthana Nartaki (resident dancer) of the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam. She received Padma Shri (1968) and the Padma Bhushan (2001). Yamini School of Dance located in Hauz Khas in New Delhi.

Akbar Akbar, also known as Akbar the Great, was the son of Nasiruddin Humayun and the grandson of Babur, the founder of Mughal Dynasty. He was named as Jalaluddin Muhammad Akbar and was the Mughal Emperor from 1556 to 1605 and fought several battles during his reign. He was only 14 when he became the Emperor after his fathers death. He initiated a large collection of literature, including the Akbar-nama and the Ain-i-Akbari. He founded his own religious cult, the Din-i-Ilahi or the Divine Faith. Ashoka Ashoka was the greatest emperors who ruled the Maurya Dynasty from 273 BC to 232 BC. He was born on 304 BC and was one of the most famous Mauryan kings and the greatest rulers of India. The city of Pataliputra, modern day Patna, was the capital of his empire. The emblem that was excavated from his empire is today recognised as Indias national emblem. E.Sreedharan E.Sreedharan, Elattuvalapil Sreedharan is referred to as the Metro Man of India. He has surpassed various challenges and contributed a lot for public service. He is the mastermind behind some of the rare project like Delhi Metro and Konkan Railway. Guru Nanak Dev Guru Nanak Dev was the first of the ten Sikh Guru. Founder of Sikhism. Lord Mahavir The Indian sage Vardhamana was commonly known as Mahavir (599 527 BCE). He established what at present is considered as the central tenets of Jainism. He was the 24th and the last Trithankara according to the Jain tradition. He was born in 599 BCE in Jamui District (present day South Bihar). His mother had 14 auspicious dreams before he was born. The dreams were signs foretelling the advent of a great soul. The birthday of Vardhamans is celebrated as Mahavir Jayanti, and is considered as one of the most religious holiday of Jains around the world.

Shakuntala Devi Shakuntala Devi is a calculating genius. At the age of six, she exhibited her immense calculation and memorization abilities at Mysore University. She multiplied the two 13 digit numbers chosen randomly by the Computer Department of Imperial College, London with in 28 seconds. The time is probably for dictating the 26 digit answer, than for mental calculation. This event is stated on the 1995 Guinness Book of Records. Nandan Nilekani Renowned Indian software entrepreneur. Currently serves as the Chairman of the new Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI). He is also the cofounder of Infosys Technologies Ltd. He is also the co-founder of Indias National Association of Software and Service Companies (NASSCOM). He was the youngest entrepreneur to associate with the league of 20 global leaders on the World Economic Forum (WEF) Foundation Board in the year 2006. Sister Nivedita Margaret Elizabeth Noble (1867-1911) is popularly known as Sister Nivedita. She was an Anglo-Irish social worker, author, teacher and disciple of Swami Vivekananda. She was born in London and travelled to India in 1898. The name Nivedita was given to her by Swami Vivekananda, on March 25, 1898. In November 1898 she started a school for girls, now called Ramakrishna Sarada Mission Sister Nivedita Girls High School. Sunita Williams She is the second woman of the Indian origin after Kalpana Chawla to visit space. she is the first female space traveler with longest spaceflight of 195 days, four space walks for total period of 29 hours an 17 minutes. In 2007, she became the first NRI to be

bestowed with Sardar Vallabhai Patel Pratibha Award by World Gujarati Society. Amitabh Bachchan Amitabh Bachchan is one of the most prominent figures of the Indian cinema.Bachchan made his first debut in the year 1969 in the film Saat Hindustani, directed by Khwaja Ahmad Abbas. He has been awarded with three National Film Awards and twelve Filmfare Awards. He was an elected member of the Indian Parliament from 1984 to 1987. Rajinikanth One of the most influential movie stars in the Indian film industry, specifically in the Tamil film industry. He was honoured with the Padma Bhushan, in 2000. He was selected as the Indian Entertainer of the Year for 2007. Kamal Hasan Kamal Haasan is an Indian film actor and director. Rajkamal International, which has produced number of his films, is his own film production company. He is the only actor to receive four National Film Awards in India and has won the Filmfare awards for 18 times. He is credited of being the actor with the most number of films submitted in contest for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. V. Shantaram He was a renowned filmmaker and actor of Indian cinema. He debuted in 1921 in the silent movie, Surekha Haran. For six decades he had an illustrious career as a filmmaker of Marathi and Hindi cinema. In 1985, Shantaram was received Dadasaheb Phalke Award, and the Padma Vibhushan in 1992. He was the founder of Rajkamal Studios.

Bhagat Singh Most influential freedom fighter of India. He also took part in various revolutionary organisations and became the leader of the Hindustan Republican Association (HRA), later converted into Hindustan Socialist Republican Association (HSRA). On March 23, 1931, he was hanged for shooting a police officer in response to the killing of veteran freedom fighter Lala Lajpat Rai. His inheritance encouraged the youth in India to start fighting for independence and increase the rise of socialism in India. S. Srinivasa Iyengar S. Srinivasa Iyengar, a distinguished lawyer, Indian freedom fighter and political leader. Iyengar resigned from the office of Advocate General at the initiation of Non-Cooperation Movement to join the Indian National Congress (INC). In the year 1926, he even presided over the Guwahati session of the Congress as the president. He was instrumental in publishing of the Swaraj Constitution, in the year 1927, that outlined a federal plan of future indian government. Mangal Pandey Mangal Pandey, a sepoy in the 34th Regiment of the Bengal Native Infantry (BNI) of the English East India Company. He is widely accepted in India as one of its first freedom fighters. The death of Mangal Pandey is believed to have sparked of the Revolt of 1857, often termed as the first war of independence. The Government of India commemorated Mangal Pandey by issuing a postage stamp bearing his image on October 5, 1984. Jyoti Basu Politician belonging to the Communist Party of India (Marxist). He served as the Chief Minister of Bengal from 1977 to 2000, was Indias longestserving Chief Minister. He was a member of the CPI(M) Politburo from the time of the partys founding in 1964 until 2008.

Mallika Sarabhai, one of the leading exponents of Bharatnatyam and Kuchipudi, is the daughter of the dancing legend Mrinalini Sarabhai and the renowned scientist Vikram Sarabhai. She was the recipient of the "French Palme D'or", the highest civilian award by the French Government and in Paris she was honoured as the 'Best Soloist Artist' among 400 dancers from 25 countries among other awards. Sonal Mansingh is one of the leading exponent of Odissi, an ancient classical dance form of Orissa. Her renowned choreographic works based on Indian Mythology as well as contemporary issues. Receipient of coveted 'Padma Bhushan' in 1992 and Padma Vibhushan in 2003. Pandit Birju Maharaj, internationally renowned Kathak dancer. Birju gave Kathak Dance a new dimension by developing his own unique style and popularised this classical dance of North India all over the world. He has a special flair for playing percussion instruments like Tabla, Pakhawaj, Dholak, Naal and string instruments like Israj, Violin, SwarMandal, Sitar etc. He received 'Padma Vibhushan' in 1986, 'Kalidas Samman' by the Madhya Pradesh Government, 'Soviet Land Nehru Award', 'SNA Award', 'Sangam Kala Award' etc. Lord Swraj Paul, the great business magnate was born in 1931 in Jalandhar, Punjab. He is one of the richest persons in the U.K. He founded the successful multinational company Caparo, an UK-based steel and engineering group. He has written the biography of Indira Gandhi and was awarded the Padma Bhushan by her in 1983. Swraj stepped down from the management of Caparo in 1996, handing over his empire to his three sons.