New Delhi: Prof MGK Menon, an acclaimed physicist, who had played a prominent role in the development of science and technology in the country over the last five decades, died here on Tuesday.

He was 88 years and ill for some time. He is survived by his wife, a son and a daughter.

Menon, who served as a minister of state for science and technology and education in the VP Singh government, had earlier worked as secretary in the Department of Science and Technology and Environment in the Union government.

He also headed the Indian Space Research Organisation in 1972 as its chairman, and was the director of the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research at the age of 35 years.

A recipient of Padma awards, including Padma Vibhushan, Menon had done scientific work in cosmic rays, particle physics and distinguished himself with investigations in the field.

Menon was a member of the Planning Commission (1982-1989), Scientific Adviser to the Prime Minister (1986-1989), Vice President, Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR) (1989-1990) and Member of Parliament (Rajya Sabha) during 1990-96.

He was also a Fellow of the Indian Academy of Sciences and the Royal Society of London.

(Agencies)

Mangaluru: Senior BJP leader and Union Minister D V Sadananda Gowda, who has already lost many of his near and dear ones, on Tuesday lost his younger brother D V Bhaskar Gowda.

56-year-old Bhaskar, an advocate by profession, breathed his last aft a private hospital in the city following a brief spell of illness. “Sorry to inform. My brother Mr Baskar ended his life journey on Tuesday. Will be conducting his last rites at our village at #Puttur #Mangaluru (sic),” tweeted the aggrieved minister.

It is learnt that Bhaskar was down with a jaundice attack five months ago and was undergoing treatment. “He suffered a relapse a month ago and was again admitted to the hospital,” the minister said adding end came earlier in the day due to jaundice related complications. “Bhaskar is survived by wife Veena and three children,” DVS said.

Bhaskar is third among four brothers and one of the six children of late Venkappa Gowda and late Kamala. While Shivaram and Sadananda are his elder brother, Suresh in the younger brother. The Venkappa couple had two other girls – Rathnavathi and Savithri.

Incidentally, Savithri Shivarama Gowda, younger sister of Sadandanda Gowda had passed away in October 2014 following an unsuccessful battle with cancer. Sadandanda Gowda’s son Kaushik Gowda had lost his life in a road accident in 2003. Sadandanda Gowda’s mother Kamala Gowda (then 92) also passed away in October 2014.

Old notes rejected

According to sources, the private hospital, where Bhaskar Gowda breathed his last refused to accept old currency notes from Sadananda Gowda to settle the bills.

Bhaskar Gowda, brother of former chief minister and present union minister D V Sadananda Gowda, was admitted to KMC hospital ten days ago due to jaundice. He breathed his last today without responding to treatment.

When Sadannada Gowda decided to issue cheque, the hospital reportedly demanded payment in new currency notes. The minister, who was not in a condition to argue with the hospital staff, asked them to give in writing that they do not accept old currency notes. This prompted them to accept the cheque.

(Agencies)

Veteran Carnatic music singer M Balamuralikrishna, 86, passed away on Tuesday in Chennai.

A native of Sankaraguptam, East Godavari District, Balamuralikrishna was a 5th generation descendant of the saint-composer Tyagaraja in the guru-shishya tradition. Known and celebrated as one of India’s greatest vocalists, Balamuralikrishna was well-versed in playing the violin, the mridangam and the kanjira.

Although born into a family of musicians — his mother was a veena player and his father was skilled in the flute, the violin and the veena as well — Balamuralikrishna never had any formal education. He performed his first concert at seven and first radio concert when he was nine.

The Hindu report also mentions that he was credited to “innovating the tala system with Thri Mukhi, Panchamukhi, Saptha Mukhi and Nava Mukhi”.

He is also credited with creating several ragams such as Ganapathi, Sarvashri, Mahati, Lavangi. Balamuralikrishna made his acting debut in the 1967 film Bhakta Prahlada.
Christened Muralikrishna, the singer got the prefix “Bala” to his name when he was eight years old and was performing a concert in Vijayawada.

“This prefix Bala (child) is good. It is a constant reminder that I shouldn’t stop learning. I was barely eight when I got an opportunity to perform a full-fledged concert at a Thyagaraja Aradhana in Vijayawada. This then became a part of my name for listeners.”

Balamuralikrishna was awarded the Padma Vibhushan and made Chevalier of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French Government in 2005.

(Agencies)

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New Delhi: In one of the worst rail disasters in the country, at least 142 persons were killed and around 100 injured before dawn on Sunday when 14 coaches of the Indore-Patna Express derailed near Kanpur.

Meanwhile, Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu today briefed the Lok Sabha about the train accident and said that the guilty won’t be spared. Prabhu said, “Forensic enquiry has been ordered to look into all possible angles.”

The tragedy occurred when the coaches of the Patna-bound train ran off the rails shortly after 3 am near Pukhrayan station, about 60 km from Kanpur city in Uttar Pradesh, railway and police officials said.

Inspector General of Police, Kanpur, Zaki Ahmad said that 120 people were killed in the accident and over 40 of the injured had been admitted in different hospitals in Kanpur. All others have been given first aid and discharged.

The deaths could rise as some passengers were in critical condition.

He also said that at least 60 of the bodies have been identified with most of the victims hailing from Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.
Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu, Minister of State for Railways Manoj Sinha and a host of top railways officials visited the site and supervised rescue and relief operations.

Prabhu ordered an inquiry and vowed to take “strictest possible action” against the guilty.

While the cause of the derailment is yet to be ascertained, Sinha said the accident could have been caused due to rail fracture.

Panic set in when the coaches derailed in darkness, throwing scores of sleeping passengers over one another. Many took a while to realise that a tragedy had hit the train.

Passengers who survived related that there was screaming and shouting as many of the injured were in agony.

WORST-HIT COACHES

The worst hit were the sleeper coaches S1, S2, S3 and S4.

A passenger who survived told journalists that the train stopped a couple of moments after 3 am for unexplained reasons.

“It then suddenly picked up speed,” the man said. “And then I got an eerie feeling that the train was rolling down a valley,” he said.
“By the time I leant what had happened, some 20-25 people in my coach had been killed. A six-year-old girl was literally cut into two pieces,” said the terrified man.

Swayambi Mishra, in her early 20s, said she was in S1 coach and did not know what had happened to her father.

A passenger in his 60s added: “God saved me. But most of the people who were with me in the coach seem to have disappeared. I can’t find them.”
It was the worst train accident in the country after the May 2010 disaster in West Bengal involving Gyaneshwari Express in which some 170 people were killed.

Relief officials described gory scenes, with many passengers crushed by tonnes of steel as several coaches rolled over. Gas cutters were used to rip through the coaches to take out the bodies and the wounded.

Hundreds of bags and suitcases belonging to the passengers were strewn all along the rail track.

National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) spokesperson Krishna Kumar said: “Most bodies are beyond recognition as they are badly crushed.”

Ruby Gupta, who was going from Indore to Mhow to attend a wedding, could not find her father after the accident. “Some people are telling me to look for him in the hospital. I need my father back.”

Said another dazed survivor: “I was awake when the train derailed. There was a loud noise and then pandemonium broke out. I thought I was dreaming. My wife and children are fortunately safe.”

Survivors said the first to reach the semi-rural site were villagers.

An Uttar Pradesh Police constable rescued five people from S1 coach. “I felt bad I had to walk over some bodies but I had no choice as I had to save those who were alive.”

COMPENSATION

President Pranab Mukherjee and Prime Minister Narendra Modi led the nation in mourning the dead. Modi announced ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh for the next of kin of each of those killed and Rs 50,000 for each of the seriously injured.

The governments of Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Bihar also announced financial compensation.

Meanwhile, a row erupted when Sinha visited a hospital in Kanpur and gave an injured woman Rs 5,000 in demonetised notes of Rs 500.
At the accident site, the railways used heavy machinery to separate the tangled coaches. NDRF personnel used hammers to smash the windowpanes to enter the air-conditioned coaches as most doors were locked from inside.

A railway official in Indore said the train, which left there on Saturday and would have reached Patna on Sunday evening, was carrying 1,266 passengers, including 308 in air-conditioned coaches.

The accident led to cancellation and diversion of several trains.

Later, a special train left from the accident site for Patna with the passengers who survived the disaster and could travel.
In the hospitals, the wounded remained frightened by what had happened. Some families got separated as relief officials, unknowingly, rushed a few from a family to one hospital and others to another.

EMERGENCY NUMBERS

Indore – 07411072, Ujjain – 07342560906, Ratlam – 074121072, Orai – 051621072, Jhansi – 05101072, Pokhraya – 05113270239.

(Agencies)