Jill Biden's policy director Mala Adiga has roots in Udupi
Mangaluru: The appointment of Mala Adiga as policy director of Jill Biden, the first lady of US president-elect Joe Biden, has brought joy to Kakkunje village in Kundapur taluk of Udupi district.
She belongs to the family of K Suryanarayana Adiga, founder of the erstwhile undivided Dakshina Kannada districts private sector Karnataka Bank Limited, and Aravind Adiga, who won theMan Booker prize in 2008.
Mala Adiga is the niece of Nirmala Upadhya who is her fathers elder sister. She told reporters in Kundapur that Mala is an affectionate and lovely girl. She treasures relationships and has her roots firmly in India, Nirmala said.
Nirmala, 87, said Mala had called her up on Saturday to share the news of being made a senior staffer at White House when Biden takes office as President of the USA in January. She had congratulated on the new responsibility.
Malas father Dr Ramesh Adiga (84) is the second among three siblings. He had left for the US when he was 25 to hone his skills as a vascular surgeon. Malas mother Jaya Adiga had studied medicine in Vellore.
Nirmala recalled meeting Mala at a family get-together in Bengaluru in 2019. Nirmala had then travelled with her daughter Sujatha Nakkatthaya and family to Bengaluru in November 2019.
Mala had come to Bengaluru with husband Charles and daughter Asha to attend the event with her parents. They had come to Kundapur seven years ago and had fallen in love with the beaches there.
She had offered puja at the Kakkunje temple and they visited their ancestral house in Babbarianakatte.
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Allen, Raghuvanshi, Green power KKR to 29-run win over GT
Kolkata (PTI): Finn Allen blasted a 35-ball 93, while Angkrish Raghuvanshi hit an unbeaten 44-ball 82 as Kolkata Knight Riders kept their playoff hopes alive with a 29-run win over Gujarat Titans in the IPL match here on Saturday.
Sent in to bat, Allen went on a six-hitting spree, smashing 10 maximums and four boundaries to add 95 off 41 balls with Raghuvanshi (82).
Raghuvanshi then shared another 108 off 53 balls with Cameron Green (52 not out) to power KKR to a challenging 247 for 2.
In reply, GT could manage 218-4, riding on skipper Shubman Gill's 49-ball 85 and a 35-ball 57 from Jos Buttler. Opener Sai Sudarsan was retired hurt but returned to make a 28-ball 53 not out.
Sunil Narine (2/29) claimed two wickets and Saurabh Dubey snapped one for KKR.
For GT, Mohammed Siraj (1/50), Sai Kishore (1/38) were the wicket-takers.
Brief Score:
KKR: 247 for 2 in 20 overs (Finn Allen 93, Angkrish Raghuvanshi 82 not out, Camero Green 52 not out; Mohammed Siraj 1/50).
GT: 218 for 4 in 20 overs (Shubman Gill 85, Sunil Narine 2/29).
