1) Adnan Sami:

• Pakistani singer Adnan Sami has been granted Indian citizenship. According to Officials of the Union Home Ministry, Sami will be an Indian citizen with effect from January 1st.
  
• The 46-year-old singer, who has made India his second home for the past few years, had made a representation to the Home Ministry on May 26 this year requesting his stay in India on humanitarian grounds.
  
• His Pakistani passport issued on May 27, 2010 expired on May 26, 2015 and his passport was not renewed by the Pakistan government which led him to approach the Indian government with the request to legalise his stay in India on humanitarian grounds. Sami`s two songs from the album, `Kabhi To Nazar Milao` and `Lift Karaa De`, were a sensation in the early 2000s.

• He is considered as India’s oldest and probably first person to cast vote in first general election in India. He is from Himachal Pradesh; again he cast his vote in the Panchayti Raj Institutions election on 1st January.
  
• After Independence Shayam Saran Negi has never missed any opportunity of casting his vote in any kind of election. Therefore, this time also using his constitutional right 98 years old Shayam Saran Negi cast his vote in Panchayti Raj Institutions election. He was taken in a impressive procession by the district authorities to the Kalpa polling booth along with his relative. He was honored with Himachali Cap and Shawal by the officers after voting.

3) AB Bardhan:

• Veteran CPI leader A B Bardhan, who was undergoing treatment at a hospital in Delhi following paralytic stroke last month passed away on 2nd January. He has been a leading figure of the trade union movement and left politics. He played a key role in maintaining the space for Communists in national politics.

• Arunima Sinha, the amputee mountaineer who set a record by climbing the Mount Everest, has added another feather in her cap by conquering Mount Aconcagua in Argentina. Arunima said in a statement that she started her mission on the morning of December 12 and hoisted the Indian tricolour on December 25.
  
• Aconcagua is the highest mountain outside Asia, at 6,960.8 metres, and by extension, the highest point in both the Western Hemisphere and the Southern Hemisphere. Arunima Sinha says she has now successfully completed the 5th summit of the Mission 7 Summits.
  
• After completing this, she has made World record as First Female amputee to climb 5 Mountains of the World. Arunima had lost her left leg in a train accident in 2011 and she surprised the world by climbing Mt. Everest on May 21, 2013. She was awarded the Padmashree for her achievement.

5) Kiran adani:

• Karan Adani, the eldest son of the Adani Group`s founder chairman Gautam Adani, is appointed as the new CEO of Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone (APSEZ) with effective from January 1, 2016. Karan Adani is currently the executive director (non-board position) of the company. He holds a degree in economics from the Purdue University, USA.
  
• He has been deeply involved in managing the various Port operations since 2009 and now looks after the strategic development of all the Adani ports in India. He aims to build the Group`s identity around an integrated logistics business model, backed by his sound understanding of new processes, systems and macro-economic issues.
  
• Sudipta Bhattacharya, CEO and whole-time director of APSEZ is taking on a new role to take over a Group position as the CEO — North America. Bhattacharya joined Adani Group four years back and led several of the key roles.