Obituary

Person	Key Contribution / Recognition
André Béteille	Indian sociologist, writer and academician; honoured with the Padma Bhushan.
T. K. Oommen	Scholar, teacher and author known for writings on social justice, identity and pluralism; noted for his study of the Bhoodan Movement.
James Watson	Nobel Prize-winning American scientist and co-discoverer of the double-helix structure of DNA with Francis Crick in 1953.
Baba Adhav	Progressive socialist leader from Maharashtra who worked for labourers, head-loaders, waste-pickers and street vendors, and campaigned against caste discrimination.
Ramdarash Mishra	Renowned writer and educationist in modern Hindi literature; recipient of Padma Shri, Saraswati Samman, Sahitya Akademi Award and Vyas Samman.
Kumari Kamala	Bharatanatyam artist; awarded the Padma Bhushan in 1970.
Wing Commander Namansh Syal	Indian Air Force fighter pilot who died after a HAL Tejas aircraft crashed during a demonstration sortie at Dubai Airshow 2025.
Daya Prakash Sinha	Indian director, writer, dramatist and playwright known for Hindi plays such as Samraat Ashok, Seedhiyan and Katha Ek Kans Ki; recipient of Padma Shri, Sahitya Akademi Award and Sangeet Natak Akademi Award.
Saalumarada Thimmakka	Environmentalist from Karnataka known for planting and tending 385 banyan trees and nearly 8000 other trees; awarded Padma Shri in 2019.
Prof. Vaidyeswaran Rajaraman	Regarded as the “Pitamah” of computer science education in India; helped establish India’s first formal academic programme in computer science at IIT Kanpur in 1965; awarded Padma Bhushan in 1998.
Dharmendra Deol	One of Indian cinema’s most successful film stars; awarded Padma Bhushan in 2012 and Padma Vibhushan in 2026.
Joravarsinh Danubhai Jadav	Folklorist from Gujarat who wrote and edited over 90 works on folk culture, literature and arts; founded Gujarat Lok Kala Foundation; awarded Padma Shri in 2019.
Varinder Singh Ghuman	Punjabi actor and bodybuilder; known as the world’s first fully vegetarian professional bodybuilder.
Chhannulal Mishra	Hindustani classical music exponent of the Banaras gharana and Purab Ang tradition of Thumri; recipient of Padma Vibhushan and Padma Bhushan.
S. L. Bhyrappa	Kannada novelist, philosopher and screenwriter; recipient of Saraswati Samman, Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan.
Alladi Sarada	Eminent Bharatanatyam dancer, also known as Sarada Hoffmann, Chinna Sarada and Sarada Shikshika.
Meghnad Desai	Eminent economist, Padma Bhushan awardee and member of the House of Lords in the United Kingdom.
Muhammadu Buhari	Former President of Nigeria who led the country both as a military ruler and democratically elected president.
Surendra Dubey	Poet, writer and comic poet; ayurvedic physician by profession; awarded Padma Shri in 2010.
Maruti Chitampalli	Environmentalist, author and Padma Shri awardee, remembered as “Aranya Rishi” or Sage of the Forests.

PT Facts

James Watson co-discovered the double-helix structure of DNA with Francis Crick in 1953.
Saalumarada Thimmakka was known for planting and nurturing banyan trees in Karnataka.
Prof. Vaidyeswaran Rajaraman is regarded as the “Pitamah” of computer science education in India.
Chhannulal Mishra was associated with the Banaras gharana and Purab Ang tradition of Thumri.
S. L. Bhyrappa received the Saraswati Samman for his Kannada novel Mandra.
Meghnad Desai was an economist and member of the House of Lords in the UK.
Joravarsinh Danubhai Jadav founded the Gujarat Lok Kala Foundation.
Maruti Chitampalli was popularly remembered as “Aranya Rishi”.
Ramdarash Mishra was a major contributor to modern Hindi literature.
Wing Commander Namansh Syal died during a Tejas demonstration sortie at Dubai Airshow 2025.

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