February 2019 - Persons in News

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• The Supreme Court has appointed former apex court judge Justice DK Jain as the first court-appointed ombudsman for the BCCI under the terms of newly approved constitution of the cricket board. The role of the ombudsman would be to resolve the disputes relating to the players within the state cricket associations as also financial issues.
  
  
  The apex court, while dealing with the issue related to importance and urgency in appointing an ombudsman, expressed its happiness that all the parties before it agreed on the name of Justice (retired) Jain. The apex court appointed Committee of Administrators, which has been monitoring the administrative issues of BCCI, had said there was a need for appointment of an ombudsman and an ethics officer at the earliest in BCCI.

• The UN has appointed an Indian official in one of the top most positions in its Department of Management Strategy, Policy and Compliance. UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said at the United Nations that Chandramouli Ramanathan has been appointed as Controller, Assistant Secretary-General for Programme Planning, Budget and Finance in the management strategy, policy and compliance department. Dujarric said he succeeds Bettina Tucci Bartsiotas of Uruguay. Ramanathan brings to the position nearly 40 years of executive international experience in diverse organizational settings in finance and budget, management and information technology.

• Former Defence Minister and Anti-Emergency Crusader George Fernandez passed away in New Delhi on 29 January, 2019. He was 88. Mr. Fernandez, who hailed from Mangalorein Karnataka was ailing for a long time.
  
  
  One of the most prominent leaders of the socialist movement in the 1970s, George Fernandez was a senior Janata Dal leader before he founded the Samata Party. He was elected to the Lok Sabha 9 times and once to the Rajya Sabha. He also served as Union Minister for Railways, Communications and Industry. George Fernandez was also a trade unionist, agriculturist, and journalist.
  
  
  As President of the All India Railway men's Federation he led the Railway strike involving 1.5 million workers in 1974, resulting in thousands being sent to jail. It was one of the events that led to the imposition of the Emergency in June 1975.

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