Director of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences and director general of the Indian Council of Medical Research (b Srikakulum, Andhra Pradesh, 8 August 1921; q Andhra University, Vishakapatnam, 1944; MD, DPhil), d 28 May 2001.

The death of Professor V Ramalingaswami, better known to his friends and admirers as “Rama,” ended an era in Indian investigative medicine that was characterised by a confluence of basic and community based medical research. He also made major contributions in research policy making and medical education. While honouring him with the prestigious Leon Bernard Foundation Award, Sir Harold Walter, president of the 1976 World Health Assembly, described him as “physician, research scientist, teacher, and humanist,” a true reflection of his multifaceted personality.

He was born into a family of educationists and came very much under the influence of his grandfather, who was the principal of a local school. Rama was rated as the best student of his times and was equally at ease as an artist and a sportsman. A few years after qualifying, he went to Oxford University, where he obtained his DPhil in pathology in 1951.

Right from his college days, Rama was passionately interested in research. Instead of opting for a lucrative career in medical practice, he joined the Nutrition Research Laboratory, Conoor, India, where he developed an enduring interest in the nutritional problems of the Third World. The major thrust of his research was in malnutrition—experimental and human protein calorie malnutrition, endemic goiter and nutritional anaemia—and liver disease in the tropics, including description of a new entity, non-cirrhotic hypertension

The essence of Rama’s work lay in the pursuit of basic knowledge for a far better understanding of the causes and mechanisms of human diseases prevalent in developing countries and equally in application of the knowledge for human betterment. A classical case is India’s National Iodine Deficiency Control Programme through iodine fortification of common salt. The programme is based entirely on Rama’s pioneering work on Himalayan endemic goiter. His studies have also been used for iodine deficiency control programmes in other regions of the world. His deep interest in community oriented research is also reflected in his studies on Bihar famine and the victims of the Bhopal gas disaster.

Sonu Nigam, one of the most versatile and talented singer of Bollywood was born on the 30th of July 1973 in Faridabad, Haryana. Sonu’s family moved to delhi when he was very young.

Sonu started singing at a very young age of four-and-a-half years, he sang a Mohammad Rafi number at a concert where his father was due to perform. This earned him praises as well as criticisms as a Rafi-sound-alike.

When Sonu was just 17 years old he moved to the city of dreams, Mumbai in search of work as he wanted to pursue his career in music. Sonu’s parents were also singers and hence he inherited the singing talent. He has two younger sisters.