Girish Bharadwaj dies; was Padma Shri awardee

Exam-focused facts from the 8 July 2026 current affairs briefing.

Key facts

Girish Bharadwaj, a mechanical engineer known as the Bridge Man of India, died at the age of 76 at a private hospital in Sullia, Karnataka.
He constructed more than 140 low-cost suspension bridges across Karnataka, Kerala, and several other states to improve rural connectivity.
His first suspension bridge was built in 1989 across the Payaswini River.
The Government of India conferred the Padma Shri on him in 2017 for his contributions to rural connectivity and social service.
He was referred to as the Visvesvaraya of Sullia by the villagers in the communities he served.