Consulate General of India, Vancouver www.cgivancouver.gov.in
Vol. 02, Issue No. 39 September 28, 2018.
India in Vancouver Weekly Newsletter
India Perspectives India Perspectives is the flagship publication of the Ministry of External Affairs. Richly illustrated, this magazine provides our readers with an insight into India’s culture and tradition along with elements of contemporary India. Click here to read more‌. Ministry of External Affairs, India
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Vol. 02, Issue 39, September 28, 2018.
Consulate News
Click to know more‌ Gandhi Jayanti is celebrated as the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi popularly known as the Father of the Nation. Gandhi was born on the 2nd of October 1869 at Porbandar in Gujarat state of India. Gandhi Jayanti is a most important national holiday celebrated in India to mark the occasion of the birthday of Mahatma Gandhi, the "Father of the Nation". The day is marked by prayer and tributes all over India, especially at Raj Ghat, Gandhi's memorial in New Delhi where he was cremated. He is known for his invaluable contribution to India's freedom struggle. His principles of truth, non-violence and honesty are still remembered today. Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was born in Porbander, in Gujarat, Western India, on 2 October 1869. His father, Karamchand Gandhi (1822-1885), who belonged to the Hindu Modh community, was the diwan (Prime Minister) of the eponymous Porbander state, a small princely state in the Kathiawar Agency of British India. His mother, Putlibai, belonged to Hindu Pranami Vaishnava community. He had grown up with a devout mother and in the environment of Jain traditions. Some important human virtues influenced the life of young Gandhi, these included (1) Truth (2) Non-violence (3) Compassion to everyone vegetarianism-which is against violence to animals (4) Fasting for self-purification (5) Mutual tolerance between individuals of different creeds.
Important Trade Fairs in India – To know more, click on 1|P a g e
Vol. 02, Issue 39, September 28, 2018.
ह द िं ी लोक म ोत्सव, सरे - ह द िं ी ललटरे री सोसाइटी एविं भारतीय कौंसलावास द्वारा आयोजित (15 September 2018)
इस आयोिन में ह द िं ी नत्ृ य सिंगीत के अलावा प्रश्नोत्तर का भी प्रावधान था. िीतने वालों को पुरस्कार बािंटे गए. भारतीय कौंसलावास की तरफ से दो छोटी फ़िल्में भी हदखाई गईं.
The Department of Commerce, Ministry of Commerce & Industry is organising the 19 th Edition of Reverse Buyer-Seller Meet under the banner of “INDIASOFT” – International IT Exhibition & Conference through Electronics and Computer Software Export Promotion Council (ESC) under the MAI Programme. The event will be held during February 4-5, 2019 at Hyderabad. More updates on the event are available at www.indiasoft.org 2. The programme provides encouraging foreign buyers to connect and network with Indian Industry to source their requirements in the ICT sector. INDIASOFT will provide a useful platform for overseas buyers to meet over 200 Indian ICT companies under one roof and experience high tech products and services in various verticals of IT. 3. Return air-fare by economy class of the registered / selected foreign buyer will be borne by the Electronics and Computer Software Export Promotion Council under the MAI Scheme along with local hospitality including networking lunch on two days; Networking Evening on day one of the event. 2|P a g e
Vol. 02, Issue 39, September 28, 2018.
Know India Programme (KIP) 2018-19 www.kip.gov.in Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India, is accepting applications for 49th to 52nd editions of Know India Programme. For details pls. visit www.kip.gov.in S. No. 1
KIP 49th KIP
2
50th KIP
3
51st KIP
4
52nd KIP
Duration of Stay in India 20th November 2018 to 14th December 2018 15th December 2018 to 8th January 2019 5th January 2019 to 29th January 2019 16th January 2019 to 09th February 2019
Partner States Andhra Pradesh
Duration of Stay in Partner States 25th Nov. to 4th December 2018
Maharashtra and Daman & Diu Gujarat
21st to 25th December 2018 & 26th December 2018 to 31st December 2018 10th January to 20th January 2019
Jharkhand & Bihar
27th to 31st January 2019 & 31st January to 05th February 2019
The last date for the registration on KIP Portal for 49 th & 50th KIPs is 15th October 2018 and for 51st & 52nd KIPS the last date is 15th November 2018. Points to note: • This programme is open to 3rd generation youth/children [between the ages of 18-30 years] of Indian origin PIO/OCI Card holders who have never visited India before. •
Minimum qualification required for participating in KIP is graduation from a recognized University /Institute or enrolled for graduation; knowledge of English essential – will have to show required documents in this regard.
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The applicants also need to submit the following: o Medical Fitness Certificate; o Information on allergies, if any;
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If selected they will also need to submit: o International Travel and Medical Insurance Cover
Scholarship Programme for Diaspora Children [SPDC] for Higher and Technical Education in India Government of India, Ministry of External Affairs Government of India launched a scheme called “Scholarship Programme for Diaspora Children” (SPDC), in the academic year 2006-2007, for the children of Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs) and Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) to assist them in pursuing Under Graduate courses in Indian Universities/Institutes. 2. Under SPDC scheme financial assistance for specific undergraduate courses in Professional and Non-Professional courses (except Medical and related courses) is provided towards tuition fee, admission fee and post admission services. The scheme is applicable to NRIs and PIOs from 66 select countries 3. Scholarship shall be provided to 150 selected students, without earmarking NRIs/ PIOs. 50 out of these 150 scholarships are earmarked for Children of Indian workers (CIWG) in the 17 Emigration Check Required (ECR) countries subject to fulfilling eligibility conditions. Of these 50 scholarships 1/3rd shall be reserved for children who are pursuing studies in India, subject to fulfilling eligibility conditions. If any of these seats are not filled up, they will be made available to applicants from other categories under SPDC and vice-versa. 4. The date for the online submission of application has been extended till October 15, 2018 to enable the candidates who couldn't apply earlier for the scholarship. Click here to read full Guidelines for Academic Session 2018-2019 3|P a g e
Vol. 02, Issue 39, September 28, 2018.
Cultural Heritage - Festivals of India Navratri Festival (October 10 to October 18, 2018) Navratri, meaning 'nine nights', is one of the most popular and widely celebrated Hindu festivals in many parts of India. Gujarat, however, is the only state that erupts into a nine-night dance festival, perhaps the longest in the world. Each night, all over the state, villages and cities alike, people gather in open spaces to celebrate feminine divinity, referred to as Shakti. The dance form known as ras garba (also joined sometimes by dandiya, which uses small wooden sticks), comes from Lord Krishna's worship rather than Goddess worship, from the Gop culture of Saurashtra and Kutch. Stories of relationships between Krishna and the Gopis, and their emotions, also often make their way into the ras garba music. Nevertheless, the focal point of every garba circle is the small Goddess shrine erected by each community to mark the beginning of the festival, on the first day of the Hindu month of Ashwin. The shrine includes a garbo, an earthenware pot, in which a betel nut, coconut, and silver coin are placed. Each night the village or urban neighborhood gathers to perform a puja to one of the nine forms of Goddess. The nine nights are also broken up into sections of three; the first is for Durga, the goddess who destroyed an evil force represented by the demon Mahishasura, and who destroys human impurities; the second is for Lakshmi, the goddess of prosperity; the third is for Saraswati, the goddess of wisdom and art. It is a time to celebrate fertility and the monsoon harvest, represented by a mound of fresh soil in which grains are sown. After the puja begins the music; it is unmistakable to those who are familiar with the style and irresistible to many. People begin to dance in a circle, whirling away till late into the night. It is not uncommon to find dancers with swords or lit flames and other spectacles. The traditional dance steps are simple, though over the years people have been inventing more complex steps. Similarly, the music was traditionally acoustic, principally composed of drums and singing, but most people now use amplified sound systems or a blend in the form of a live band with modern instruments. The tenth day, Dashera, also known as Vijayadashami in South India, is celebrated by doing a puja to bless one's vehicle, and is also the day to buy new vehicles, if necessary. It’s also celebrated, probably after getting up far later than usual, by unabashedly eating lots of fafda, a salty fried crunchy snack and jalebi, a sweet fried sticky snack. Religion and tradition aside, a garba circle can take on a surprising spiritual power. Women often give up certain eatables during these nights, which can be quite a purifying experience, if done right. It is a time for even the most traditional and housebound women to be out of the house and whirling, uninhibited, towards the divinity that hides within her own body. Many of the songs begin slow and gradually speed up, sending the dancers into a trance, especially when the music and dance is in its rawest form. When you come to a garba, wherever in Gujarat you may find yourself for Navratri, imagine this: A circle, or concentric circles, moving around the central representation of a universal creative force, the source of life; everybody performing the same step; a mandala of energetic potential; the Mother Goddess unleashed. Source: https://www.gujarattourism.com
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Vol. 02, Issue 39, September 28, 2018.
News from/of India 1. India on course to be an internet powerhouse Data is becoming increasingly affordable in India and this in turn has prompted changes in how consumers are making use of the internet, most notably with regard to searches for content in local languages, a leading Google executive has revealed. Rajan Anandan, VP Google India and South East Asia, told senior figures from the advertising industry at an event last week that most new users now consume content in their local language and that this constituted a major development. Speaking at the AAAI Subhas Ghosal memorial lecture 2018, he revealed that Google had spotted a 400% increase in Hindi voice searches on the internet over the past 12 months. There also had been a 270% increase in overall voice searches over the same period, Campaign India reported him saying. Read more… (WARC, Mon, 24 Sep, 04:21pm)
2. Tech India a huge opportunity for New Zealand companies It is not too late for New Zealand companies to be a part India’s run-away technological revolution. This was the view of two speakers at the third Reimagining India New Zealand Relationship event “Global Trade and Economic Challenges for New Zealand and India”, held on 24 September, 2018, by New Zealand India Trade Alliance. Mr. Som Mittal, former President of NASSCOM, the flagship industry association for India’s 154-billion-dollar IT industry, outlined the Tech Opportunity in India. He highlighted the five key consumer driven sectors that drive growth in India; infrastructure, technology, financial services, automotive and healthcare sectors. Mr Mittal, who is also the NZTE India Beachhead Advisor, said there has been a surge in the Indian middle class, which by 2022 will be the largest segment of the population. By the year 2025, India’s contribution to global middle-class consumption will be at par with that of China, overtaking both China and India by 2027. Read more… (Scoop.co.nz, Wed, 26 Sep, 05:13pm)
3. Indian microfinance gives birth to smaller banking model One morning in 2010, on his family’s two acres of dry land in southern India, Kanakam Ramesh, a 27-year-old father of two, hung himself from a mango tree. He had been involved in a bitter fight in his village over his wife’s inability to repay Rs36,000 (then about) borrowed from a company ostensibly dedicated to improving prospects for rural women. Ramesh and his wife Rajitha were struggling labourers, eking out a living by working in prosperous farmers’ fields or at distant brick kilns, where they stayed for months during the brick-making season. Two years previously, agents for private microlending companies from the city of Hyderabad had arrived in their remote village, peddling dreams of upward mobility — and urging women to take out easy loans to finance their ascent. Read more… (Amy Kazmin , Financial Times, Fri, 21 Sep, 04:52pm)
4. Innovation, education, and healthcare — India’s billionaires turn to philanthropy to create social impact India’s top business executives have pledged their support for multiple causes through their foundations and non-profit initiatives. While giving is commendable, impactful giving is crucial. Indian corporate organizations and businessmen have realized the importance of giving over the years. Mumbai-based NGO Dasra, in association with consulting house Bain & Company, has released the ‘India Philanthropy Report 2018 — Understanding Tomorrow's Strategic Giver’, which reveals that most new-age donors are deeply passionate about the causes they support. It is this personal interest that inspires their philanthropy. Here is a list of some of India’s top business executives who have pledged their support for multiple causes through their foundations and non-profit initiatives. Read more… (Shruti Kedia , Your Story, Fri, 21 Sep, 04:36pm)
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