Celebrating 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak…
Consulate General of India,
“Those who have loved are those that have found God”.
www.cgivancouver.gov.in
Guru Nanak
Vancouver
Vol. 03, Issue No. 02 January 11, 2019.
India in Vancouver Weekly Newsletter
Prepare to be amazed as you trek through Nag Tibba, the highest peak in the Garhwal Himalayas. #IncredibleIndia @alphonstourism
@tourismgoi @UTDBofficial
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. 03, Issue 02, January 11, 2018.
Consulate News Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas 2019 (January 09, 2019) Consulate General of India, Vancouver’ organised a successful “Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas 2019” on January 09 at consular premises to strengthen the engagement of the overseas Indian community with the Government of India and reconnect them with their roots. Consul General Mrs. Abhilasha Joshi gave the opening remarks and congratulated the Indian-Canadian community for their remarkable achievements. Mrs. Joshi also congratulated Mr. Karthik Vijayakumar Deshpande, the winner of First Round of the Bharat ko Jaaniye Quiz. Further Mrs. Joshi briefed the gathering on the ongoing flagship projects of the Govt of India. Some glimpses of Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas celebration #PBD2019 with the Indian diaspora at Consular Premises wherein legacy of Mahatma Gandhi as the greatest Pravasi Bharatiya was highlighted by Prof Bidisha Ray of SFU. Minister for Citizen Services Hon’ble Jinny Sims, Mr Kashmir Singh Dhaliwal of Khalsa Diwan Society, Mr Vinay Sharma of Laxminarayan Mandir Surrey, Mr Barj Dhahan, Board Chair IC-IMPACTS and Mr Aditya Tawatia, President Canada-India Global Forum spoke on the occasion and shared the richness of their experiences as pravasis with the distinguished gathering.
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Vol. 03, Issue 02, January 11, 2018.
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Vol. 03, Issue 02, January 11, 2018.
International Yoga Festival 2019 Promo: "Come Home to the International Yoga Festival from March 1-7 to experience Aarti & Satsang live with fellow yogis from around the world.� www.internationalyogafestival.org
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Vol. 03, Issue 02, January 11, 2018.
THE prime focus of Vibrant Goa Global Expo and Summit 2019 (VG GES 2019) is inclusive development in key areas such as innovation, sustainability, industries, technology, youth and skill development, knowledge sharing and networking. VG GES 2019 will be one of a kind display expo; something that has never been witnessed by the people of Goa and its industry. This display shall be sharing all the developments, newer projects and vision of growth. The knowledge summit at VG GES 2019will be organized concurrently with the Expo with an aim to bridge the gap between Goan industries and other national as well as international players. Moreover, internationally acknowledged and successful 'Goans' hailing from over 40 different countries shall be making a memorable visit to their native soil. VG GES 2019will be organized from 17 to 19 October 2019. Key Sectors of focus:
Exhibitor Inquiry Form Agro and Food Processing
Building Materials, construction and Real Estate
Emerging Technologies Light Engineering Startups and Start-up Institutions Services
IT (Information Technology) Pharma and Biotech Tourism, wellness and medical tourism Ship Building
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Important Trade Fairs in India – To know more, click on
Cultural Heritage - Yoga with Hon’ble PM Modi
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Vol. 03, Issue 02, January 11, 2018.
Cultural Heritage - Festivals of India Lohri (January 13, 2019) The festival of Lohri is mainly celebrated in North Indian states like Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu. The festival is mainly seen as an occasion marking the end of the winters and beginning of a new harvest season by Punjabi's. The festival celebrates fertility and new spark of life. For Punjabis it is more than just a festival it is a way of life. The celebrations and gatherings make it a community festival. Lohri involves a Puja Parikrama around the bonfire and distribution of Prasad. This symbolizes a prayer to Agni, the spark of life, for abundant crops and prosperity. The first Lohri of a new born child and a newly wed bride is considered very auspicious.
(Photo: https://www.drikpanchang.com )
Pongal (January 14, 2019) A festival that symbolizes the arrival of sun in the southern hemisphere, Pongal is celebrated as a harvest festival in Tamil Nadu. It is likea thanksgiving to God, the cattle, sun and earth. 'Pongal' is derived from the word ‘ponga’ that factually connotes 'boil' and therefore Pongal means 'spillover' or something that is 'overflowing'. Pongal is a significant festival of Tamil Nadu and is celebrated for four days. The first day is known as Bhogi, in which people throw away or burn the old household things and go to buy the new ones. It signifies the beginning of a new cycle. The next day is called Perum or Surya Pongal. On this day, people offer prayers to Lord Surya and hence pay homage to sun. The houses are decorated with special design called Kolam, which is drawn using red clay and rice flour. The third day is Mattu Pongal that is marked by praying to the cattle. The cattle are worshipped because it helps in getting better harvest. Kanum Pongal is the fourth day on which people spend time with their dear ones or go on a picnic with family and friends. This popular festival also embraces dancing, exchange of gifts and the contests of buffalo taming.
(Photo: https://www.tourmyindia.com )
Magh Bihu (January 15, 2019) Magh Bihu is a harvest festival celebrated in Assam and it marks the end of the harvesting season in the region. Magh Bihu is observed on the first day of Magh month as per Bengali Panjika. Magh Bihu is the Assam celebration of Sankranti and the celebrations last for a week. The festival of Magh Bihu is dedicated to Agni, the Lord of Fire. However, in the rest of India the festival of Sankranti is dedicated to Surya, the Sun Lord. Magh Bihu is synonym of feasts and bonfires which begin one day before of Magh Bihu. The day preceding Magh Bihu is known as Uruka which is the last day of Poush month as per Assamese calendar. On Uruka day people erect makeshift huts, known as Meji, from bamboo, leaves and thatch. The food for feasting is prepared inside Meji and a community feast is held on the Uruka night. The Meji is burned the next morning and the ashes are scattered on the farmlands to increase fertility.
(Photo: https://www.drikpanchang.com )
Makar Sankranti (January 14, 2019)
(Photo: https://www.drikpanchang.com )
Makar Sankranti is among the most auspicious occasions for Hindus and is celebrated in almost all parts of India. It is a harvest festival and is celebrated in many cultural forms with immense devotion, fervor and cheerfulness. The festival is celebrated on 14th January and is possibly the only Indian festival whose date always falls on the same day each year with just a few exceptions. The festival of Makar Sankranti marks the change of the Sun into Makara Rashi (Capricorn) on its celestial path. The festival is highly regarded by Hindus from North India to down in South India. The day is also known by various names and various traditions are witnessed as one experiences the festival in different states. 5|P a g e
Vol. 03, Issue 02, January 11, 2018.
News from/of India 1. Indian cities in top 10 list of world’s fastest growing cities India is home to top 10 fastest growing cities in the world, according to a global economic research report. The report ranks cities from around the world that will have the highest year-on-year gross domestic product (GDP) growth in the next 20 years. According to it, the urban powerhouses of the next two decades are not megacities like New York or Shanghai, but India’s emerging tier II and tier III cities such as Surat, Nagpur, Agra, and Vijaywada. India’s three metro cities – Bangalore, Chennai, and Hyderabad too find a place in the top 10 list due to the rapid growth in technology and start-up environment. Read more… (India Briefing, Thu, 03 Jan, 06:08pm)
2. Domestic airlines inducted 100-plus aircraft in 2018 Domestic carriers inducted, for the first time, over 100 planes in 2018 with budget carrier IndiGo accounting for nearly half of them, according to industry figures. The nine major Indian carriers together took deliveries of over 120 planes comprising both twin and single aisle as well as regional jets in the just-concluded year as against 88 planes inducted in 2017. Read more… (The Hindu Business Line, PTI, January 06, 2019)
3. Government has launched several initiatives recently to promote research in Higher Educational Institutions Ministry of Human Resource Development and its organizations like University Grants Commission (UGC), All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) are undertaking various research projects in the different Higher Educational Institutions. Department of Science & Technology and Department of Biotechnology also provide funding support to higher educational institutions for various research projects. These research projects are both domestic and also with international collaboration. Read more… (03 JAN 2019 6:22PM by PIB Delhi)
4. Indian Railways: Major eco-friendly steps taken by the national transporter With the vision of supporting the cause of environment protection and preservation, the Railway Ministry has taken various measures, in recent years. This includes setting up of solar and wind energy plants, building eco-friendly bio-toilets, electrification of Railway lines, and so on. Here, we take a look at all the major environment-friendly steps taken by the national transporter…Read more… (Sagar Malik, News Bytes, Sun, 06 Jan, 04:41pm)
5. In a First, This Lady Officer Will Lead a 144 Jawan Contingent in the Army Day Parade! We often talk about women in the corporate world breaking the glass ceiling – today, we bring you the story of Lieutenant Bhavana Kasturi, a lady officer who is all set to lead a contingent of 144 people on Army Day or Rising Day Parade on January 15, 2019. In 2015, on Republic Day, we did witness lady officers from the tri-services leading their contingents with 148 personnel, each drawn from the Army, Air Force and the Navy. Read more… (Thebetterindia.com, by Vidya Raja, January 9, 2019, 2:11 pm)
6. Dr Seema Rao: India’s first and only woman commando trainer Women everywhere in the world have done wonders unexpected from them due to the patriarchy which seeps deep within our society. They have to deal with numerous gender stereotypes which come as an obstacle in the way of their dreams. Women are quite commonly regarded as inferior and physically weaker to men. Dr. Seema Rao is one such person to have broken these stereotypes by being India’s first and only woman commando trainer. She has specialised in closed quarter battle (CBQ) and has trained various armed forces for 20 years. She is rightly known as India’s Wonder Woman. Read more… (Anshika Kesarwani , Feminism in India, Tue, 08 Jan, 05:27pm)
7. Scientists develop Rs 1,000 ‘cooling jacket’ for labourers Labourers in factories and farmers in fields, who work in hot weather conditions, have a reason to cheer. The National Institute of Occupational Health, a government agency of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), has developed a Personal Cooling Garment (PCG) that provides 15 degrees Celsius cooler temperature than the ambient one. It is an assistive microclimate cooling system to maintain comfortable skin and body core temperatures. Read more… (Tribuneindia.com, Posted at: Jan 7, 2019, 7:03 AM)
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Vol. 03, Issue 02, January 11, 2018. 8. India’s first driverless, solar-powered bus made by students at just Rs 6 lakh! The driverless bus made by students at LPU (Lovely Professional University) uses renewable energy that is delivered with an electric motor and solar power. With this set up, the bus can manage to reach a top speed of 30 kmph. All details here. (Financial Express, By: Pradeep Shah | Updated: January 4, 2019 12:26 PM)
9. How this NRI built an army of ‘Solar Sahelis’ to power villages and empower women She was born and raised in New York, but for Ajaita Shah, it is the hinterlands of India where her life’s work lies. The 34-year-old has created a network of thousands of women entrepreneurs called ‘Solar Sahelis’, along with institutional partners and agriretailers, to generate employment, encourage sustainable development, and empower rural women in their households and communities. And she’s just getting warmed up. Read more… (Aekta Kapoor, CNBC TV18, Fri, 04 Jan, 05:02pm)
10. 6 lakh at Golden Temple in two days In spite of bone chilling weather conditions, lakhs of devotees from across the globe paid obeisance at the Golden Temple to pray for peace, prosperity and happiness in 2019... Read more… (Tribuneindia.com, Posted at: Jan 2, 2019, 1:27 AM)
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