Retirements and Obituaries: Khawaja, Johnson, Gadgil, Purkayastha
Why in the news
Two sportspersons were listed among retirements, and two prominent figures from politics and environmental science were mourned in the news round-up.
| Person | Field | Event |
|---|---|---|
| Usman Khawaja | Cricket | Retired from international cricket |
| Jinson Johnson | Athletics | Listed as retired; Asian Games gold medallist (1500m) |
| Madhav Gadgil | Environment | Obituary |
| Kabindra Purkayastha | Politics | Obituary |
Sports
- Usman Khawaja: Australia’s first Muslim Test cricketer; 6,206 Test runs and 16 Test centuries.
- Jinson Johnson: gold in the 1500m at the 2018 Asian Games; holds Indian national records in 800m and 1500m; competed for India at the Rio Olympics 2016.
Obituaries
- Madhav Gadgil: called the father of modern Indian ecology; played a key role in the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve; architect of the Biological Diversity Act, 2002; headed the Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel; honours include Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan and UN Champion of the Earth.
- Kabindra Purkayastha: veteran BJP leader from Assam, a former Union Minister of State (Communications) who helped the party grow in Assam.
Exam angle
- Law linked to Madhav Gadgil: Biological Diversity Act, 2002.
- Panel he chaired: Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel.
- Khawaja’s records: 6,206 Test runs, 16 centuries.