Jayant Narlikar wrote alternative what-if histories, explained difficult scientific theories with funny analogies, and leavened his lectures with jokes and humorous asides.
Here's a quiz celebrating the Indian batting icon and to tell if you're a true Gavaskar fan...
From the bylanes of Jalandhar to a regular name in the annual 'Sunday Times Rich List', Lord Swraj Paul, who died on Thursday evening in London aged 94, was one of the most well known NRI entrepreneurs and philanthropists.
Noted physicist Yash Pal and space scientist Roddam Narasimha were among those chosen for this year's second highest civilian honour of Padma Vibhushan while yesteryear cine stars late Rajesh Khanna and Sharmila Tagore and cricketer Rahul Dravid were selected for Padma Bhushan.
'I have always broken my image every time I went on screen. I don't know what it means to be a Greek God but people used to call me one.'
Kejriwal defended Jain as a 'hardcore honest and patriot' person who was being framed in a 'false case' and hoped the minister will come out clean after the ED probe.
President Pranab Mukherjee on Saturday conferred the Padma awards on several eminent personalities including industrialist Adi Godrej, Olympic medal winners Yogeshwar Dutt and Vijay Kumar, actor Nana Patekar and designer Ritu Kumar.
Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan and Prince Karim Aga Khan were among the eminent personalities awarded the Padma Vibhushan, country's second highest civilian honour, by President Pranab Mukherjee in New Delhi on Wednesday.
Cricketer VVS Laxman will be conferred the Padma Shri for his services to the game.
S L Bhyrappa, who passed into the ages last week, remains an enigma, with his clear and unwavering voice resonating through his writings. Standing apart from the literary trends over the course of the last fifty years, he succeeded in establishing his own style, sensibility and creative tradition, points out Shridhar C R.
Sudha Murty, who was on Friday nominated to the Rajya Sabha by the President, holds a 0.83 per cent stake in IT bellwether Infosys which at current prices is worth close to Rs 5,600 crore. The 73-year-old philanthropist is the wife of Infosys co-founder NR Narayana Murthy. She is the chairperson of the Murty Trust and has authored several books.
'That a song can carry the weight of a people's dreams and move hearts across the world.' On Bhupen Hazarika's 99th birth anniversary, Prime Minister Narendra Modi pays rich tribute to the legendary singer and composer.
Freedom fighter and former member of Parliament Shashi Bhushan died at a hospital in Delhi on Friday. He was 88.
President A P J Abdul Kalam presented the awards at a function at the Ashoka Hall of the Rashtrapati Bhavan.\n\n
President Pratibha Patil has approved the conferment of Padma Awards-2012. This year the President has approved 109 awards including one duo case (counted as one) and 14 in the category of foreigners/ non-resident Indians/ Persons of Indian Origin/Posthumous. These comprise five Padma Vibhushan, 27 Padma Bhushan and 77 Padma Shri Awards. There are 19 women among the awardees.
President Murmu had to move forward to give the award to the 86-year-old singer who has difficulty walking.
Lord Meghnad Desai, renowned British Indian economist and House of Lords peer, has died at the age of 85. Tributes pour in from political figures and colleagues.
Kidambi Srikanth, whose stature has grown immensely following a phenomenal 2017, was nominated for the prestigious Padma Shri award by former Sports Minister Vijay Goel.
President Pratibha Patil has approved the conferment of Padma Awards 2012. This year the president has approved 109 awards including one duo case (counted as one) and 14 in the category of foreigners/non-resident Indians/ Persons of India Origin/ posthumous. These comprise five Padma Vibhushan, 27 Padma Bhushan and 77 Padma Shri Awards. There are 19 ladies among the awardees.
In 2021, the Centre renamed the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna as Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award. But many wonder, why despite the public sentiment the country's highest civilian honour continues to elude the man who put Indian hockey on the world map.
On her first visit to any state in the Indian Union after being sworn in as President of the Republic, Rashtrapati Droupadi Murmu was felicitated in Bengaluru by some of that city's luminaries.
"I am deeply honoured and humbled. I am absolutely delighted to be in the company of people with extraordinary achievements," Zakaria told PTI after the Indian government nominated him for the prestigious Padma Bhushan awards. Zakaria said Prime Minister Manmohan Singh deserves enormous credit for having moved India towards the path of greater degree of comfort and strategic insight.
Does the fact that Olympic medallists Sushil Kumar and Vijender Kumar were overlooked raise questions about the fairness of the selection process? Do Bollywood stars like Akshay Kumar and Aishwarya Rai deserve Padma Shris, considering the foremost criterion for the award is public service? Have the awards become irrelevant?
A large number of the civilian awards went to persons from the 'art' category.
Former Indian ambassador to the US Naresh Chandra, noted litterateur Raja Rao (posthumous) and scientist S E Chandy George and civil servant V Krishnamurthy were also selected for Padma Vibhushan.
'If some people want to see something dirty in an act of pure affection, I feel sorry for them.'
Indian cricket captain Sourav Ganguly and his deputy Rahul Dravid will be among 74 persons to be honoured with the Padma Shri.
Eight years ago, tabla maestro Zakir Hussain had narrated how his father Alla Rakha had welcomed him into this world by putting the musical instrument's rhythms into his ears when asked to recite prayers.
Bharat Ratna, the country's highest civilian award, has not been conferred on anyone this year.
President A P J Abdul Kalam gave away the awards to 58 eminent personalities from different walks of life at a glittering ceremony held at the Ashoka Hall of Rashtrapati Bhavan.
Industry greats like Ratan Tata, Lakshmi Mittal, Narayana Murthy and P R S Oberoi have been nominated for this years Padma Vibhushan.
Deaflympics gold medallist Virender Singh Yadav, better known as Goonga Pehlwan, has now decided to return his Padma Shri to the government, showing solidarity with the country's top wrestlers.
The Padma Vibhushan for this year has been awarded to a total of seven prominent personalities, while 16 have been given the Padma Bhushan, 118 have been given the Padma Shri on the 71st Republic Day this year, they said.
10 Heroes of the 1965 War which ended on September 23 60 years ago.
Engineer-turned-philanthropist Sudha Murty on Thursday took oath as Rajya Sabha MP in the presence of her husband N R Narayana Murthy.
Folk artist from Chhattisgarh Teejan Bai, Guelleh, Naik and theatre actor from Maharashtra Balwant Moreshwar Purandare will be honoured with Padma Vibushan.
Williams' father, originally from Jhulasan, migrated to the United States in 1957.
'It is Bajrang Punia's personal decision to return the Padma Shri. The WFI polls were held in fair and democratic manner. We will still try to persuade Bajrang to reverse his decision to return Padma Shri.'