Meet the people behind the headlines.

Tilak Varma: the left-handed batter who steadied India’s late T20I chase

The ICC profile traces Varma’s rise from Hyderabad and the IPL to India; his 51 off 25 balls made him Player of the Match in Christchurch on 24 October.

Nitish Kumar Reddy: India’s all-rounder and the late-chase partnership

BCCI lists Reddy as an all-rounder; he made 26 during the 69-run seventh-wicket stand that helped India chase New Zealand’s target.

Mirabai Chanu: Olympic medallist recognised at the 2026 Power Creator Awards

The Indian weightlifter received the Sports Person of the Year honour at the 23 October awards; her competitive record is broader than one ceremony.

V. D. Satheesan: Kerala’s chief minister and his call to engage young people

Kerala’s legislative profile lists Satheesan as chief minister; on 25 October, the Indian Express reported his appeal for more engagement with young people.

Dolly Singh: the creator recognised for digital storytelling in 2026

Dolly Singh received the Global Digital Storyteller of the Year award for Banter Cue with Dolly Singh at the 23 October Power Creator Awards.

Anahat Singh: the Indian squash player building a senior-tour breakthrough

Anahat Singh, reported as 18 and world No. 15 in October coverage, reached her first PSA Gold-level semifinal after defeating Salma Hany and Nour El Sherbini.

Deepak Dhar: the Indian theoretical physicist recognised with the 2026 Dirac Medal

Deepak Dhar’s work in statistical physics and stochastic processes earned the 2026 Dirac Medal; institutional biographies trace his education at Allahabad, IIT Kanpur and Caltech.

Harvinder Singh: the para archer behind India’s men’s recurve doubles gold

Harvinder Singh and Vijay Sundi won the men’s recurve doubles gold at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Para Games, according to official and independent reports dated 23 October.

Sandeep Kumar: the Indian para athlete credited with the Games’ 100th Indian medal

The Prime Minister’s official website said Sandeep Kumar won men’s 400m T64 gold with a world-record performance at the Asian Para Games on 23 October 2026.

Nimisha Chakkungalparambil Suresh: India’s Asian Para Games long-jump silver medallist

The Prime Minister’s official website congratulated Nimisha Chakkungalparambil Suresh for winning silver in the women’s long jump T47 event on 23 October 2026.

Verghese Kurien: the engineer behind India’s cooperative dairy movement

Verghese Kurien helped build India’s cooperative dairy model and became closely associated with Operation Flood and the Amul movement.

Savitribai Phule: a pioneer of girls’ education in India

Savitribai Phule is remembered for pioneering girls’ education and social reform in nineteenth-century India.

A. P. J. Abdul Kalam: scientist, teacher and India’s 11th President

A. P. J. Abdul Kalam worked in India’s aerospace and defence programmes before serving as President from 2002 to 2007.

C. V. Raman: the physicist behind the Raman effect

C. V. Raman received the 1930 Nobel Prize in Physics for work on the scattering of light, known as the Raman effect.

M. S. Swaminathan: the scientist associated with India’s Green Revolution

M. S. Swaminathan was a plant geneticist whose work and public advocacy were central to India’s agricultural development and food-security debates.

N. Rajam: the violinist recognised with the Padma Vibhushan in 2026

A sourced profile of violinist N. Rajam, her place in Indian classical music and the public recognition recorded in the 2026 Padma Awards.

Vijay Amritraj: tennis, broadcasting and the work of growing the sport in India

A sourced profile of the Indian tennis pioneer’s Hall of Fame recognition, Davis Cup career and post-playing work.

Uday Kotak: the banker who founded Kotak Mahindra’s financial-services group

A public-career profile of Uday Kotak, the growth of Kotak Mahindra and the transition from executive leadership to a non-executive board role.

Harmanpreet Kaur: the India women’s cricket captain recognised with Padma Shri

A sourced profile of Harmanpreet Kaur’s public cricket career and her inclusion among the 2026 Padma Shri awardees.

K. Thangaraj: the geneticist whose research studies population history

A public research profile of geneticist K. Thangaraj, his association with CSIR-CCMB and the Padma Shri awarded in 2026.

Deepthi Jeevanji: the Indian para-athlete and her T20 400-metre event

Deepthi Jeevanji is an Indian para-athlete who competes in the women’s 400 metres T20 class; reporting on the 2026 Asian Para Games lists her gold-medal result and a Games record.

Sheetal Devi: the Indian para archer known for foot-powered bow control

Sheetal Devi is an Indian compound para archer who holds and manoeuvres her bow with her feet and legs; dated coverage documents major international results.

Payal Nag: the young Indian para archer who challenged her idol

Payal Nag is an Indian para archer whose 2026 World Archery Para Series result included a compound women’s final win over Sheetal Devi in Bangkok.

Donald Tusk: Poland’s prime minister and former European Council president

Donald Tusk is Poland’s prime minister and a former president of the European Council; his October 2026 itinerary lists visits to India and Vietnam.

Mallikarjun Kharge: Congress president and the issues he says he will raise

Mallikarjun Kharge is Congress president and a long-serving Indian parliamentarian; October 2026 reporting records his stated concerns about voter-roll revision, delimitation and women’s reservation.

Avani Lekhara: precision shooting and a new Asian Para Games silver

A sourced profile of the Indian shooter after the Prime Minister's Office congratulated her on a silver medal.

Mona Agarwal: gold medal and Asian Para Games record in SH1 shooting

A sourced profile of Mona Agarwal following the official announcement of her gold medal and event record.

Kokila: from a previous bronze to Asian Para Games judo silver

A profile of judoka Kokila after an official release recorded her silver medal in the Women’s J2 −52kg event.

Nishad Kumar: Asian Para Games long-jump gold on event debut

A sourced profile of Nishad Kumar after the Prime Minister's Office announced his gold in the Men’s Long Jump T47 event.

Rinku Hooda: javelin gold with a 65.11-metre season best

A sourced profile of Rinku Hooda following his Men’s Javelin Throw F46 gold at the Asian Para Games 2026.

Annie Easley: computing for energy research and Centaur

A sourced profile explaining the technical work behind Easley’s computing career.

Christine Darden: engineering the study of sonic booms

Darden’s NASA career connects mathematical computing with supersonic-noise research.

Ellen Ochoa: optical research, spaceflight and centre leadership

Ochoa’s public work spans research engineering, four Shuttle flights and NASA management.

Guion Bluford: engineering work aboard STS-8 and beyond

A mission-focused profile of Bluford’s four Shuttle flights and technical responsibilities.

Jeanette Epps: Crew-8, station research and ground operations

Epps’s completed NASA career included flight, mission-control communication and crew support.

Leymah Gbowee: women organising for peace in Liberia

Leymah Gbowee is a Liberian peace organiser who shared the 2011 Nobel Peace Prize for nonviolent work advancing women’s safety and participation in peacebuilding.

Ellen Johnson Sirleaf: Liberia’s elected president and peace laureate

Ellen Johnson Sirleaf became Africa’s first democratically elected female head of state and shared the 2011 Nobel Peace Prize.

Shirin Ebadi: law, democracy and the rights of women and children

Shirin Ebadi is an Iranian lawyer recognised with the 2003 Nobel Peace Prize for democracy and human-rights work, particularly involving women and children.

Maria Ressa: Rappler, journalism and freedom of expression

Maria Ressa is a journalist and Rappler co-founder who shared the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize with Dmitry Muratov for work defending freedom of expression.

Rigoberta Menchú Tum: Indigenous rights and reconciliation

Rigoberta Menchú Tum is a Guatemalan Indigenous-rights advocate awarded the 1992 Nobel Peace Prize for social justice and reconciliation based on respect for Indigenous peoples’ rights.

Mother Teresa: charitable work and the 1979 Peace Prize

Mother Teresa founded the Missionaries of Charity and received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979 for humanitarian work.

Martin Luther King Jr.: civil rights and nonviolent campaigning

Martin Luther King Jr. received the 1964 Nobel Peace Prize for his nonviolent struggle for civil rights in the United States.

Muhammad Yunus: Grameen Bank and the idea of microcredit

Muhammad Yunus and Grameen Bank jointly received the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize for efforts toward economic and social development from below.

Nadia Murad: survivor advocacy, accountability and rebuilding

Nadia Murad is a Yazidi human-rights advocate who shared the 2018 Nobel Peace Prize with Denis Mukwege.

Denis Mukwege: Panzi Hospital and support for survivors

Denis Mukwege is a Congolese physician and Panzi founder who shared the 2018 Nobel Peace Prize with Nadia Murad.

Nelson Mandela: the 1993 Peace Prize and a democratic transition

Nelson Mandela shared the 1993 Nobel Peace Prize with F. W. de Klerk for work toward ending apartheid and establishing a democratic South Africa.

Desmond Tutu: nonviolent opposition to apartheid

Desmond Tutu was a South African Anglican bishop recognised with the 1984 Nobel Peace Prize for nonviolent opposition to apartheid.

Grace Hopper: programming languages and making computers easier to use

Grace Murray Hopper was a mathematician, naval officer and computing pioneer associated with compilers and word-based programming languages.

Ada Lovelace: the Analytical Engine notes and early programming ideas

Ada Lovelace was a mathematician whose 1843 notes on Charles Babbage’s Analytical Engine included an early published computer-programming example.

Nancy Grace Roman: building a programme for space astronomy

Nancy Grace Roman became NASA’s first Chief of Astronomy and helped establish the institutional support behind space-based astronomy.

Homi Bhabha: theoretical physics and institution building

Homi Jehangir Bhabha was an Indian physicist whose work combined high-energy physics research with leadership of scientific institutions.

Dorothy Hodgkin: crystallography and the structures of biological molecules

Dorothy Hodgkin used X-ray crystallography to determine structures of biologically important molecules and received the 1964 Chemistry Nobel.

Wangari Maathai: the Green Belt Movement and the 2004 Peace Prize

Wangari Maathai was a Kenyan environmental and democracy advocate who received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2004.

Mary Jackson: engineering research and equal opportunity

Mary W. Jackson became NASA’s first Black female engineer in 1958 and later worked to improve opportunities for other employees.

Dorothy Vaughan: computing leadership and the transition to programming

Dorothy Vaughan was a mathematician and supervisor at NACA who later became an expert FORTRAN programmer at NASA.

Abhijit Banerjee: development economics and evidence about poverty

Abhijit Banerjee is a development economist, J-PAL co-founder and co-recipient of the 2019 economics Nobel recognition.

Esther Duflo: economics research and evaluating social policy

Esther Duflo is a development economist whose research examines the lives of poor people and the design and evaluation of social policies.

Venki Ramakrishnan: uncovering the structure of the ribosome

Venki Ramakrishnan shared the 2009 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for studies of the ribosome’s structure and function.

Edwin Hubble: observations that placed Andromeda beyond the Milky Way

Edwin Hubble was an astronomer whose observations helped establish that galaxies exist beyond the Milky Way.

Albert Einstein: four 1905 papers and a wider research career

Albert Einstein’s 1905 papers addressed light, atoms, relativity and the relationship between mass and energy.

Vikram Sarabhai: institution building and India’s space programme

Vikram Sarabhai helped establish India’s space programme and several research and educational institutions, including the Physical Research Laboratory.

Satish Dhawan: fluid dynamics and ISRO leadership

Satish Dhawan was an aerospace researcher and ISRO chairman from 1972 to 1984, with substantial work in experimental fluid dynamics.

U. R. Rao: satellite technology and its applications in India

Udupi Ramachandra Rao helped build satellite technology in India and led ISRO from 1984 to 1994.

A. P. J. Abdul Kalam: scientist and former President of India

A. P. J. Abdul Kalam was an aerospace scientist who served as President of India from 25 July 2002 to 25 July 2007.

Kailash Satyarthi: children’s rights and the 2014 Peace Nobel

Kailash Satyarthi is an Indian children’s-rights activist who shared the 2014 Nobel Peace Prize with Malala Yousafzai.

Black-and-white portrait of Marie Curie seated facing the camera.

Marie Curie: radioactivity and two different Nobel fields

Marie Curie researched radioactivity and received Nobel Prizes in Physics in 1903 and Chemistry in 1911.

C. V. Raman: the light-scattering discovery behind his Nobel Prize

C. V. Raman was an Indian physicist whose research on light scattering led to the Raman effect and the 1930 Nobel Prize in Physics.

Rabindranath Tagore: writer, painter and educator

Rabindranath Tagore was a Bengali writer, composer, educator and artist who received the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1913.

Amartya Sen: economics, philosophy and the questions behind welfare

Amartya Sen is an economist and philosopher whose work spans welfare economics, social choice, inequality and development.

Malala Yousafzai: education advocacy and a carefully dated profile

Malala Yousafzai is a Pakistani education advocate and Malala Fund co-founder who received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014.

John Glenn: why Friendship 7 was an orbital milestone

John Glenn became the first American to orbit Earth on 20 February 1962 aboard Friendship 7.

Mae Jemison and STS-47: a science mission as well as a first

Mae Jemison flew as a mission specialist on Endeavour’s STS-47 mission in September 1992, becoming the first African-American woman in space.

Peggy Whitson: space-station science and command

Peggy Whitson’s NASA career combined scientific work with International Space Station command responsibilities.

Alan Shepard: what Freedom 7’s suborbital flight achieved

Alan Shepard became the first American in space on 5 May 1961 aboard Freedom 7, on a suborbital flight.

Valentina Tereshkova: the Vostok 6 milestone

Valentina Tereshkova became the first woman in space aboard Vostok 6 on 16 June 1963.

Katherine Johnson: the mathematics behind a spaceflight milestone

Katherine Johnson was a NASA mathematician whose calculations supported spaceflight; John Glenn asked her to check computer calculations before his 1962 orbital flight.

Kalpana Chawla: understanding her two Space Shuttle missions

NASA records Kalpana Chawla’s work on STS-87 in 1997 and as a flight engineer and mission specialist on STS-107.

Tim Berners-Lee and the World Wide Web: what he invented

Tim Berners-Lee invented the World Wide Web at CERN in 1989; the Web is not the same thing as the internet.

Neil Armstrong: from research pilot to Apollo 11 commander

Neil Armstrong commanded Apollo 11 and became the first person to set foot on the Moon in July 1969.

Sally Ride and STS-7: the precise meaning of her spaceflight milestone

Sally Ride became the first American woman in space aboard Challenger on STS-7 on 18 June 1983.

Elon Musk at the Royal Society in London in July 2018

Who is Elon Musk? Tesla, SpaceX and his companies explained

A sourced introduction to Elon Musk, his company roles and how to separate company announcements from predictions.

2026-10-09 · 2 min read

Who is Bill Gates? From Microsoft to philanthropy

Understand Microsoft’s early history and Bill Gates’s role at the Gates Foundation.

2026-10-09 · 2 min read

Sundar Pichai during a European Commission meeting in Brussels in May 2023