india-post-01-22-2010 by Ghanshyam Bisht

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January 22, 2010

India Post

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Ahmedabad wins Sustainable Transport Award SRIREKHA N. CHAKRAVARTY India Post News service

NEW YORK: The city of Ahmedabad, in the western state of Gujarat in India has received the 2010 Sustainable Transport Award for the Janmarg bus rapid transit (BRT) system---a mass transit system designed to reduce carbon emissions and improve accessibility for urban residents. For the first time in the award's six-year history all of the nominees were from developing countries. The other nominees were Cali, Colombia; Curitiba, Brazil; Guadalajara, Mexico; and Johannesburg, South Africa. The Sustainable Transport Award is given for visionary achievements in sustainable transportation and urban livability by the US-based Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP), which celebrates cities that are transforming their streets and fighting climate change to create high-quality public spaces. Founded in 1985, ITDP has become a leading organization in the promotion of environmentally sustainable and equitable transportation policies and projects

worldwide. ITDP was created by sustainable transport advocates in the U.S. to counteract the export to developing countries of costly and environmentally damaging models of dependence on the private automobile. Dario Hidalgo, a senior transport engineer with EMBARQ - The World Resources Institute Center for Sustainable Transport, sits on the selection committee and is an expert on BRT systems around the world. "This announcement is really a game-changer for cities that are trying to improve transportation, environment and quality of life," he said. "Many cities in the developing world face immense economic and political challenges that make it hard for sustainable transport projects to get off the ground. There's no question that international recognition of this year's Sustainable Transport Award nominees will translate into greater local support for these projects." The international public transport community defines bus rapid transit (BRT) as "a flexible, rubbertired form of rapid transit that combines stations, vehicles, services,

running ways and [intelligent transportation systems] elements into an integrated system with strong identity". The new Janmarg BRT system, in the process of being completed in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, meets most of the highest standards applied internationally. It is already a "best practice" of BRT in South Asia, in sharp contrast to the bus

The Sustainable Transport Award is given for visionary achievements in sustainable transportation and urban livability corridors in operation in Delhi and Pune, which are off to a good start but still have much room for improvement. Ahmedabad Municipal Commissioner I.P. Gautam says that Janmarg "focuses on moving people, not traffic," according to a recent news article. "We believe all people, men and women, young and old, physically challenged,

Treaties with India will help South Asia: Hasina

President Pratibha Patil presents the Indira Gandhi Award for Peace, Disarmament and Development for the year 2009 to Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina (R) as United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Chairperson Sonia Gandhi (L) and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh (2L) look on at The Presidential Palace in New Delhi on January 12

DHAKA: Terming her visit to New Delhi "100 per cent successful", Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said here the treaties signed with India would not only help bilaterally, but would "benefit the people of entire South Asia". She told the media on her return from a four-day sojourn that her trip was aimed at "establishing peace in South Asia and strengthening relationships between neighbors". She received a rousing welcome from leaders and cadres of her Awami League,

who thronged the Zia International Airport and the road to the city, Star Online web site of The Daily Star reported. She announced that she would donate the Rs 2.5 million prize money of the Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development that was conferred on her to the Bangabandhu Memorial Trust named after her father and Bangladesh's first president, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. The money would be spent for the education of poor children.

should be able to move around in comfort. Efficiently, affordability, safety and security are central to the plan." Each year, the Sustainable Transport Award is given to a city or major jurisdiction that has a profound impact on lessening the impact of climate change and enhances the sustainability and livability of its community or region through innovative transportation strategies that increase mobility for all, while reducing transportation greenhouse and air pollution emissions, and improving safety and access for bicyclists and pedestrians. The Award recognizes the city or major jurisdiction that has made most significant progress during the year in: improving public transportation, improving nonmotorized travel and public space, implementing traffic demand management programs to reduce private car use; reducing urban sprawl by linking transportation to development, and/or reducing transport related air pollution. The Award is open to all cities and major jurisdictions. The cities or regions that are nominated should be distinguished by their impact, innovation, and leadership

in the transport sector. This degree of change could be seen in: Creating safer streets, resulting in fewer road accidents and injuries; improving the air quality by reducing traffic-related air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions; increasing healthier choices for its citizens for getting around the city, such as walking and cycling; and achieving greater passenger satisfaction on public transportation by offering better alternatives or as illustrated in increased ridership. The award selection process is organized by ITDP, Environmental Defense (ED), the US Transportation Research Board (TRB) Committee on Transportation in Developing Countries, the regional Clean Air Initiatives (CAIs) for Asia, Latin America, and Africa; Deutsche Gesellschaft f端r Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ), EMBARQ - the World Resources Institute Center for Sustainable Transport, ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability, UITP - International Association for Public Transport and the United Nations' Centre for Regional Development (UNCRD). All these organizations are members of the award selection committee.

PBD

India Post

2010

January 22, 2010

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PBD awards for three Indian Americans NEW DELHI: President Pratibha Patil conferred Pravasi Bharatiya Samman to 14 eminent overseas Indians from different walks of life including Deputy Speaker of New Jersey Assembly Upendra J Chivukula, South African Finance Minister Pravin Jamnadas Gordhan, Deepak Mittal from Thailand, Azad Moopen from UAE, Mani Lal Bhaumik and Ashok Kumar Mago from the US. Patil invited 25 million overseas Indians spread across the globe to be part of the country's growth story and promised to develop an "inclusive" agenda for their increased participation in developmental process. Terming the growth story as "an absorbing, exciting and a continuing one" President Pratibha Patil said the diverse Indian community can be an important input in India's march to becoming a developed country. "There is immense capacity that you have both in talent and in financial terms, that can be invested in India. We hope to see your greater participation in the coming years in the development of India," she told in her address during the valedictory session of the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas. Seeking increased investment from the Diaspora, Patil said the country's "strong capital market regulator" and financial institutions enabled it to cope with one of the worst economic downturns in recent history. In the social infrastructure sector as also physical infrastructure development, India is looking at investment increasingly in the public-private partnership model, she said. "Our infrastructure financing needs are estimated to be over USD 500 billion in the next five years. "In the post-crisis world, India is increasingly perceived as one of the principal engines of growth, a safe destination for investment." Chivukula was awarded for his "outstanding contribu-

tion to the Indian community in the US through his public service" while Gordhan was honored for his "welfare initiatives for the Indians living in South Africa". Summing up the outcome of the three-day event, participated by over 1,500 delegates from 50 countries, Overseas Indian Affairs Minister Vayalar Ravi said the congregation resolved to develop a strong bond between the Diaspora and their country of origin. "The Eighth Pravasi Bharatiya Divas marks a watershed, in the relationship, between India and its Diaspora. For the first time, we sought to define an 'inclusive agenda' to enhance reciprocal engagement between India and its overseas community," he said.

Seeking increased investment from the Diaspora, Patil said the country's "strong capital market regulator" and financial institutions enabled it to cope with one of the worst economic downturns

President Pratibha Patil delivering the valedictory address at the 8th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas-2010, in New Delhi on January 9

Indian passport holders may get voting rights by 2014: PM NEW DELHI: Indian passport holders living abroad could get voting rights by the time of next Lok Sabha elections in 2014, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh indicated here. Inaugurating Pravasi Bharatiya Divas celebrations here, Singh said he recognizes the "legitimate de-

The voting rights could be extended to Indian passport holders and those having Persons of Indian Origin (PIO) cards will not be eligible for it sire" of Indians living abroad to exercise their franchise and to have a say in who governs India. "We are working on this issue and I sincerely hope that they will get a chance to vote by the time of the next regular general elections," Singh told the gathering of 1,500 overseas Indians from 40 countries. "In fact, I would go a step further and ask why more overseas Indians should not return home to join politics and public life as they

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh lighting the lamp to inaugurate the 8th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas-2010

are increasingly doing in business and academia," he said. Officials later said the voting rights could be extended to Indian passport holders and those having Persons of Indian Origin (PIO) cards will not be eligible for it. "We seek the active involvement of the overseas Indian communities in accelerating the pace of our economic and social development. In this context, it is im-

portant that we make efforts to connect the second generation of overseas Indians with their ancestral heritage and involve them actively in India's march forward," he said. Lamenting that investments by Indian Diaspora in India were low, the Prime Minister asked them to take a "careful look" at the country of their origin which is one of the top investment destinations. -PTI

Highlighting the issues discussed at the event, the minister said the proposal for allowing NRIs to invest in 'India Infrastructure Bonds' and collaboration in skill development have the potential for deepening the two-way engagement. Ravi said this year's PBD also signals, a paradigm shift in exploring avenues for two-way engagement between India and the Diaspora. Chief ministers of Gujarat, Maharashtra, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir also interacted with the delegates separately and sought increased investment from them in diverse sectors including power, information technology, road and tourism.

PM: Come join eco development NEW DELHI: Reaching out to the Indian Diaspora, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has invited them to "actively" participate in the country's economic development and join politics while hoping that they would get voting rights by the time of next general elections in 2014. He noted that the country was expecting 7 per cent growth this year despite the "unprecedented" financial crisis and was hopeful about return to sustained 9-10 per cent growth in a couple of years. "We seek the active involvement of the overseas Indian communities in accelerating the pace of our economic and social development. In this context, it is important that we make efforts to connect the second generation of overseas Indians with their ancestral heritage and involve them actively in India's march forward," he said inaugurating the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas celebrations here. Singh said he recognizes the "legitimate desire" of Indians living abroad to exercise their franchise and to have a say in who governs India. "We are working on this issue and I sincerely hope that they will

get a chance to vote by the time of the next regular general elections," Singh told the gathering of 1,500 overseas Indians from 40 countries. "In fact, I would go a step further and ask why more overseas

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;We seek the active involvement of the overseas Indian communities in accelerating the pace of our economic and social development. In this context, it is important that we make efforts to connect the second generation of overseas Indians with their ancestral heritage and involve them actively in India's march forwardâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Indians should not return home to join politics and public life as they are increasingly doing in business and academia," he said. -PTI

PBD

January 22, 2010

2010

India Post

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Profiles of 14 Pravasi award winners

Upendra J. Chivukula

ollowing are the brief profiles of this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s award recipients: Upendra J. Chivukula is an American Democratic Party politician, who has served in the New Jersey General Assembly since 2002, where he represents the 17th legislative district. In 2001, Chivukula became the first Indian-American elected to the New Jersey General Assembly and just the fourth IndianAmerican in the United States to be elected to state office. Chivukula has been the Assembly's Deputy Speaker since 2007. He serves in the Assembly on the Telecommunications and Utilities Committee (as Chair) and the Commerce and Economic Development Committee. Mani Lal Bhaumik is a scientist, author, educator and philanthropist whose books and lectures at prestigious institutions has significantly contributed towards a better understanding of the cultural and spiritual heritage of India. He sponsors an annual award for Indian children in California

Mani Lal Bhaumik

who excel in science and mathematics and has worked for the welfare of the Indian community in the US. Ashok Kumar Mago has worked actively for the promotion of Indo-US political and economic ties through his association with a variety of boards and commissions in the past. He is chairman of the Indo-American Political Forum in Dallas, which seeks to educate youngsters to participate in the political process. Mohinder Singh Bhullar, a successful businessman in Brunei Darussalam, is instrumental in the formation of the Indian Chamber of Commerce in Brunei Darussalam. He has assisted the Indian community in that Southeast Asian nation and has acted as a bridge between India and Brunei Darussalam. Yanktesh Piramal Reddy, an Indian origin businessman in Fiji, has promoted tourism to India in a big way from the entire south Pacific region. He has also worked relentlessly for the protection of the interests of the Indian commu-

Montek for addressing challenge of skill development India Post News Service

NEW DELHI: Speaking at the Plenary Session with Chief Ministers at the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas, Dr. Montek Singh Ahluwalia, Deputy Chairman, Planning Commission, said that India needs to address the challenge of skill development if it were to achieve a growth rate of 9-10%. Approximately 500 million workers need to be skilled over the next two decades. Massive expansion is required in primary, secondary and higher education as well as an improvement in quality. Given that many Non-Resident Indians occupy important positions in global educational institutions, the Indian government would greatly welcome their involvement in this process. Any regulatory constraints on such participation will be relaxed, he said. He also said that the Government had set up the Skills Development Corporation in

partnership with CII for the purpose of funding any innovative measures to upgrade skills. Ghulam Nabi Azad, Minister for Health and Family Welfare, urged Overseas Indians to invest in the

The Government had set up the Skills Development Corporation in partnership with CII for the purpose of funding pharmaceutical industry and medical education. He said there are many opportunities in the manufacture of drugs as well as research and development of drugs and vaccines, drug design and drug delivery systems. He mentioned that $80 billion worth of drugs are to go off-patent in the next four years. (For details logon to www.indiapost.com)

Ryuko Hira

nity in Fiji. Ryuko Hira, a successful Indian entrepreneur in Japan, is the director of the prestigious JapanIndia Association. A leading philanthropist, he has supported several projects for the underprivileged in India. He has also sponsored

Chivukula has been the Assembly's Deputy Speaker since 2007. He serves in the Assembly on the Telecommunications and Utilities Committee and supported the translation and publication of the Mahabharata, Vedas, Upanishads and books on Hinduism, Busshism and Sikhism into Japanese. Dr. Ruby Umesh Pawankar has focused on the furtherance of India-Japan medical collaboration for a number of years. Recognized in Japan and worldwide for her outstanding contributions to sci-

Pravin Jamnadas Gordhan

ence, she is the first Indian and first woman to be nominated as president of World Allergy Organization. Suresh Kumar Virmani, a successful engineer, entrepreneur and businessman, is a founder member of the Indian Cultural Association in Oman. He has worked relentlessly for the welfare of the expatriate Indian community in Oman and has helped establish a number of Indian schools in Oman. Pravin Jamnadas Gordhan, finance minister of South Africa, has distinguished himself as commissioner of the South African Revenue Service. He was a political activist who took active part in the anti-apartheid movement of that country, organizing and leading student movements. Tholisah Perumal Naidoo is a publisher, journalist and founder of the Indian Academy of South Africa in Durban. He has been promoting Indian culture in South Africa for the past 25 years organizing regular events like the Tyagaraja Music Festival and Fes-

tival of India and introducing the Nataraja Golden Peacock Award for Indian classical dances there. Rajni Kanabar is a philanthropist who initiated the Tanzania Heart Babies project wherein Tanzanian children suffering from congenital heart defects are sent to India for open heart surgeries. Over 1,300 surgeries were performed in the last 27 years with the support of the Indian High Commission in Tanzania, Air India and Narayana Hrudayalaya in Bangalore. Deepak Mittal, an industrialist and financial expert, has successfully set up and operated many large state-of-the-art Indian joint ventures in Thailand. His efforts led to expanded trade between India and Thailand. He has also been involved in charity and social activities for the welfare of people in Thailand including the Indian community. Lenny Krishendath Saith is minister in the Prime Minister's Office in Trinidad and Tobago. A strong advocate of bilateral ties between India and Trinidad and Tobago, he has consistently promoted the cause of the Indian Diaspora in that Caribbean nation. Dr. Azad Moopen is a physician turned entrepreneur who manages one of the largest healthcare networks in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries. His group conducts free health camps for Indian laborers in remote locations in the GCC countries. He has also worked for the welfare of the Indian community in the United Arab Emirates.

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;India will continue to be land of opportunities' India Post News Service

NEW DELHI: "Today India is changing and is becoming the land of opportunities. The pace at which India is growing, I can say with confidence that it will remain so for decades to come" said Anand Sharma, Minister for Commerce and Industry. The Minister was speaking at a plenary session on "Interaction with PIO Ministers and Dignitaries: Diaspora-Interests and Concerns" during the 8th Pravasi Bhartiya Divas, organized by Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs jointly with Confederation of Indian Industry and Government of NCT of Delhi. The Session was attended by nine ministers of Indian origin. As India is writing its own essay in the 21st century, its engagement with the world has increased many folds. Not just foreign investments

in India have increased but investments by Indian corporate have also shown tremendous momentum. India's investments in UK for example have been more than their investments in India, said Sharma. "India remains one of the top three investment destinations even in recessionary conditions and we are determined to maintain that position" added the Minister. India has come a long way from the times when the best brains left the country in search of opportunities - that was the era of Brain Drain. Today the same Diaspora form a formidable Brain Bank of India, pointed out SM Krishna, Minister for External Affairs. Indian government aptly recognizes the significance attached to the Diaspora. The establishment of the Ministry of Overseas Indians is a symbol of the importance attached, he added. Highlighting India's resilience,

the Minister said "As we meet here, I can say with pride that our nation stands on the cusp of transformation. We have not just weathered the worst recession but come out with flying colors". According to Krishna, the strength of the Indian economy is testimony to the skillful package architected by the government and to the dynamism and entrepreneurship of Indian businessmen. Dato Seri S Samy Vellu, President, Malaysian National Congress outlined key areas of possible engagement for Indian Diaspora, to include an Indian incorporated consortium as an investment arm for the Diaspora, expansion of Global tertiary education and creating inclusive growth through more engagements with the Diaspora. (For details logon to www.indiapost.com)

PBD

10 India Post

2010

January 22, 2010

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Prof Bhagwati outlines role of Diaspora at PBD India Post News Service

NEW DELHI: Recipient of Bharatiya Samman Award and the Padma Vibhushan, Professor Jagdish Bhagwati, University Professor, Economics & Law at Columbia University and Senior Fellow in International Economics at the Council on Foreign Relations delivered the maiden lecture at the Distinguished Global Indian Oration Series of the Pravasi Bhartiya Diwas here. In a session chaired by Principal Secretary to Prime Minister of India, T K A Nair and packed with 1200 NRIs from over 50 countries, Prof Bhagwati underlined why the Diaspora has a critical role to play in India's present & future. "I will consider the role of the Diaspora in India's ongoing march to world-class status and, equally importantly, in the still incomplete and associated task of alleviating the poverty that all our great leaders like Mahatma Gandhi & Pandit Nehru ceaselessly wrote about and were concerned with", he added. Suggesting solutions to further

integrate Indian Diaspora, the professor appealed to overseas Indians to not merely think in terms of improving their rights but also of extending their obligations.

Professor Jagdish Bhagwati

"While we get PIO cards, which fall short of true citizenship, we do need to move forward towards proper dual citizenship, the way many countries have done. But alongside these improved rights, we in Diaspora also need to rec-

ognize obligations", he opined. Coining "Bhagwati Tax", he suggested collecting a small surcharge on the taxable income of Indian citizens working / living abroad for the welfare of the country from where they come from and whose citizenship they continue to hold. He further recommended setting up a new committee to update the work of the Sanghvi Committee which reported in 2004 on the Indian Diaspora, to examine again the rights & obligations of the Indian Diaspora in the light of new developments & possibilities. Highlighting the achievements of Indian Diaspora abroad, Prof Bhagwati claimed "The Diaspora has also contributed to India's achievement of world class status by its accomplishment in a variety of fields of science, arts, culture, literature, films, music, media and business". Accentuating the need to further highlight role of science in the Diaspora, Prof Bhagwati added "Not a day goes past when there is not a story in the major media of some no-

Global INK to channel knowledge of Diaspora India Post News Service

NEW DELHI: The flow of knowledge, expertise and ideas between India and overseas Indians is an example of a symbiotic two way relationship that extends in both directions. To formalize this exchange, the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs, Government of India announced the Global India Network for Knowledge, Global INK, at the Pravasi Bharatiya Diwas last year. A session on Leveraging Knowledge Networks - Global INK was organized at the PBD 2010, to look at the future direction of Global INK. Moderating the session, Tanmoy Chakraborty, Vice President - Operations, TCS said that successful Indians can be knowledge givers not just in academic terms but also in bridging the knowledge gaps in various projects. Explaining the concept of Global INK, he said that the platform will link the knowledge provider with the recipients who need it. He added that to start with the primary areas of focus would be in line with the priorities of the XIth five year plan. However this would not be a limiting factor for the future. Detailing the concept of Global INK, Kasi V P Rao, Member Steering Group, Global INK said that the network will provide an institutional mechanism to channel the knowledge and expertise of the Diaspora on specific fo-

cus areas. These include issues central to India's economic growth, bridging the knowledge gap in execution of development projects, serve as a platform to connect knowledge groups and cultivate & facilitate participation in relevant knowledge transfer programs. He added that the network will also allow to tap into the phenomenal work done by some of the informal global knowledge networks of Indians across the globe, powerful in their reach and scope, the likes of Pan IIT Alumni Association. Sharing his views on the sub-

Successful Indians can be knowledge givers not just in academic terms but also in bridging the knowledge gaps ject, Prof Dasarath Chetty, University of Kwa Zulu Natal, Durban SA said that such networks would be successful only if the financial and competiveness impact is felt by the participants. He also advocated that the tacit knowledge', ideas and information that are not documented and hard to communicate, should also be part of exchange. He also suggested live contact amongst the participants to build a sense of commonality and trust. Dwelling upon the various aspects of Global Knowledge econo-

mies, Prof Prem Misir, Pro Chancellor of the University, Guyana defined the four pillars of Global Knowledge economies, namely consolidating economic & institutional frameworks, increasing the number of skilled workers, producing an efficient innovation system and more dynamic information infrastructure. He opined that India was in a state of readiness to be a knowledge economy and that the Diaspora could take the lead in providing 'social capital' on the Global INK network. Renu Khator, Chancellor and UH President, University of Houston shared her views on how knowledge networks could be used in the area of higher education. She said that access and excellence were the two most important areas that need attention. Making the higher education system flexible - anyone, anytime, anywhere and in any field - will not only increase the much needed access to higher education system in India but will also enable greater participation of the Diaspora. Hemant Patel, President Indian American Committee, USA shared a model of healthcare delivery being currently implemented by the Diaspora in select villages of Gujarat. The model addresses the issue of access to basic healthcare in Indian villages and is based on a model adopted by the US Navy.

table scientific breakthrough where an Indian is a lead player. The Diaspora's scientific achievements, in virtually every field, have not just enhanced India's image in the world, they have also led to a direct and mutually reinforcing synergy between Indian science abroad and at home. Today, therefore, in the place of

Coining ‘Bhagwati Tax’, he suggested collecting a small surcharge on the taxable income of Indian citizens working / living abroad for the welfare of the country snake charmers, we charm the globe with our splendid achievements". "Perhaps the greatest contribution that the Diaspora in the US has made to India has been not just in our success with increasing the growth rate and reducing poverty but in bringing to India, the basic

change in attitudes towards egalitarianism and the commitment to social activism that were almost absent in India", he asserted. Sharing his concern, Prof Bhagwati said "Where we have fallen short is in the young people's willingness to work for the public good. We have an abundance of it. “The young in the Indian Diaspora are now an important conduit for spreading this social orientation to the young in India. Fortunately, social values can prevail over indifference and apathy". "Another contribution Diaspora brings to the country is through remittance, which leads to the trickle-up phenomenon and is a more potent source of growth. The remittance home, even when sent to families have turned out to be an important element of the benefits from globalization for the developing countries and indeed for India where they were as large as $41billion in 2007-08, having risen 20 fold in less than 2 decades", he added. (For details logon to www.indiapost.com)

IDF will streamline Diaspora giving: Jaipal Reddy India Post News Service

NEW DELHI: Overseas Indians have been facing problems as the FCRA has proved a stumbling block and a deterrent to their efforts towards contributing to the development of India. The India Development Foundation (IDF) for overseas Indians is a mechanism put in place to resolve problems they faced. And the Ministry

Jaipal Reddy

of Overseas Indian Affairs will be more than willing to address any further irritants. This was stated by Jaipal Reddy, Minister for Urban Development, at the session on "Thousands of Fireflies: Diaspora Philanthropy" at the Eighth Pravasi Bharatiya Divas. Having met Diaspora based in several countries, Reddy said he was aware that a majority were

very eager to contribute to India's development, but the question was how to chanelize the resources, be it funds, management or professional skills or any other. An institutional mechanism was the need to tap this, and IDF was the single window platform to enable this. He further said that the umbilical cord tying the Diaspora to India has to be maintained not only for contributions, but for those who may have left our shores but remain rooted here. Maurits Safdar Hassankhan, Minister for Interior, Suriname, presented the perspective of philanthropy from the point of view of a descendant of indented laborers. He said that having belonged to the lower strata of society both in the country of origin - India and in the host country, they had always taken care of the community. The general perception of the Diaspora was that of their being prosperous, but this was not always the case and there were instances of their being marginalized. He added that many would still like to do something for their ancestral villages but needed organizations in different countries to help not the rich class but the middle classes who wanted to contribute in different ways. (For details logon to www.indiapost.com)

PBD

January 22, 2010

2010

India Post 11

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'Diaspora should have started helping India much earlier' ABHISHEK MUKHERJEE

very year the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas is cel ebrated on January 9 to commemorate the return of Mahatma Gandhi to India on this day in the year 1915. This year the threeday program had the ingredients to connect with the pravasis in a more meaningful manner. As Deo Gosine, Chairman of India/Trinidad &Tobago Chamber of Industry and Commerce (ITTIC), now settled in USA, mentions, "We Indians are too myopic to look at our country from a detached level. It would have been much better had the Indians enticed this foreign community, the way it is doing, a lot earlier. Nevertheless, it is definitely a wonderful means of putting in efforts to develop the nation into a superpower, which I think it potentially already is." Being a CoChairman of the Global Organisation of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO) Business Council, Trinidad and USA, he has been actively participating in converting those efforts into financial and

other results. From sessions on the need for nine percent economic growth to grievances of NRIs and PIOs, thrust to strengthening the cultural and social ties with them, the role and expectations from the Diaspora to the implication of the Global India Network for Knowledge, much was exchanged in terms of ideas and plans. A humungous Indian population has traditionally meant that suggestions and plans take time to work, and most of the time there is dilution. Gosine, however, stresses that it is time it was viewed differently. "We need to look at population as an asset, and rightfully so. When I see aimless people on the Delhi streets it tells me of the importance of skilled labor." The Pravasi Bharatiya Divas also saw an exciting revelation from the Prime Minister - a "hope" that NRIs would finally be able to exercise their right to vote, and thus significantly take part in the electoral process, before the next election term. Min-

ister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor, however, cautioned a group of NRIs at the Divas that if the draft bill was not changed, it would not be a real gift for the pravasis. He mentions that the Draft bill still has it as a mandate that they would have to come back to India to caste the vote.

‘We need to look at population as an asset. When I see aimless people on the Delhi streets it tells me of the importance of skilled labor’ Financial responsibilities and interests of the Indian community abroad are also discussed upon (in context with the thrust of 9 percent economic growth). The 25 million sizeable global presence of the Diaspora with its economic might is the reason for its growing strategic clout. Migration and

Diaspora co-operation can boost global growth India Post News Service

NEW DELHI: "The scope of cooperation between the India and her Diaspora can boost growth not only in India but for countries of their settlement as well", said Anil Bachoo, Minister for Public Infrastructure, Local Transport and Shipping, Government of Mauritius. He was speaking at a session titled Returning to 9% Growth: Diaspora Connect, as a part of the 8th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas organized by the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs, jointly with Confederation of Indian Industry and the Government of NCT of Delhi. Bachoo urged the Indian Diaspora to be attentive to science, increase spending on it and encourage innovation in areas such as nano technology. Highlighting the importance of the Indian Diaspora, he added, "Indian Diaspora is an intangible asset that keeps the image of a vibrant India alive and provides a reliable market, a steady flow of remittances and tourism exchange". The Mauritian Minister further pointed out that of the USD 81 billion FDI made in India since April 2000, USD 35.18 billion had

been routed through Mauritius, making it the main contributor of FDI to India. Lord Meghnad Desai., Professor Emeritus, London School of Economics, said that while India's growth story had been characterized by long plateaus of growth rates at 3.5% and 5.5% , the growth story post 1991 has been fantastic. Lord Desai added that India would grow despite

‘Highlighting the future of India, Lord Bilimoria added, "You are lucky to be born Indian as India is the future’ the constraints of infrastructure and other such constraints. India's proportion of poverty has come down as the growth has helped reduce poverty. The key to growth is the transformation of India's rural sector, he pointed out. Highlighting that India had received USD 54 billion from its Diaspora in the last one year, Pratip Chaudhuri, Deputy Managing Director & Group Executive (International Banking),

State Bank of India said, "India has become the number 1 recipient of funds from its Diaspora." Emphasizing the role that Indian banks were playing in Indian industry's global forays, Chaudhuri said that Indian Banks had been at the forefront of providing financial services to India Inc when they made overseas acquisitions. Brian Hayes, National Chairman, Australia India Business Council, said "Australia needs to continue and strengthen its engagement with India through research, professional links and cooperation and needs more than ever now to understand and work together with India". This is where the Indian Diaspora has not only a role to play but one which is essential in maintaining strong links, he added. Pointing out that India was by far the most complex and diverse country in the world, Lord Karan Bilimoria, CBE, Chelsea, urged the Indian Diaspora to contribute to India's growth. "India has made us, we must make India" he said. Highlighting the future of India, Lord Bilimoria added, "You are lucky to be born Indian as India is the future." (For details logon to www.indiapost.com)

brain drain have helped the foreign economies and the professionals individually, but with regard to the Indian economy, remittances have been the Diaspora's biggest contribution. The rise in both volumes of migration as well as earning capacities of migrants has positively influenced remittances. Apart from non-resident deposits and remittances, the influence of the Diaspora to the Indian economy has been limited. It is, thus, extremely essential for the pravasis to realise and analyse the needs and expectations from them to the Indian economy. Prime Minister's assurances on social security net for them would also be helpful. NRIs also have a major concern on healthcare facilities. Says Vinod K. Shah, President of the American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI), "A better global participation on healthcare projects in India is the need of the hour. I am convinced that formation of bigger bodies through more people will

enable us to technologically and financially reach the poor." Having recently met Barack Obama on a project of the AAPI to engage in a venture to develop various financially viable technological solutions for the poor in India, Shah encourages and plans further future projects to help the cause of the under-privileged in the country. On the need for better emergency care, George P. Abraham, a doctor settled in the US and also running an institute in India on emergency medical services, mentions that there is no dearth of good quality medical resources in the country, but the need for emergency care. "Teaching of lifesaving techniques, development of quick ambulance services and the kind are as important as producing good doctors in the country," he says. As we wait for the next edition of the grand Divas, there would be a requirement of assessing the output of this year's event. Both communities want a strengthening of bond and an improvement of the nation.

India and Gulf - Sharing socio-economic similarities India Post News Service

NEW DELHI: The eighth edition of the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas emerged as a platform for addressing and discussing the concerns and issues related to approximately five million Indians residing in the Gulf region. Extending a warm welcome to the Indian Diaspora at the session "Indians and the Gulf", E. Ahmed, Minister of State for Railways, stated that Gulf countries cannot be ignored at all as we share a lot with this region of the world both in social and economic terms. Gulf has been a major investor in India and

adds to the economy of India a lot. "We will do whatever possible for the sake of our people living in these countries and the Government is committed to extend every possible help in this direction", said Ahmed. Dr Shashi Tharoor, Minister of State for External Affairs, speaking during the session said, "The Gulf region is part of our extended neighbourhood; it is home to about 4.5 million Indians and is the source of some $22 billion in remittances and 70% of our energy imports. No wonder it is an area of special focus for India's foreign policy". (For details logon to www.indiapost.com)

'Indian women Diaspora to be a change agent' India post News Service

NEW DELHI: The Indian Women Diaspora can be a crucial "Change Agent" in binding the Indian women together towards their progress, said Krishna Tirath, Minister of State for Women & Child Development. "We must join hands to make world a better place", added Tirath. The minister was speaking at a concurrent session on "Diaspora Women in Cross-Cultural Environments"

during the 8th Pravasi Bhartiya Divas, organized by Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs jointly with Confederation of Indian Industry and Government of NCT of Delhi. Indian economy, apart from growing at the second fastest pace in the world, has also seen commendable improvement in quality of life of its citizen and empowerment of its women. (For details logon to www.indiapost.com)

Desi News

'Jai Ho' Rahman coming to Chicago in June SURI SWAMY India Post News Service

Cow protection campaign evokes huge response SURENDRA ULLAL India Post News Service

2010 Census Road Tour across nation

COMMUNITY ACROSS AMERICA

12 India Post

Details on page 16

January 22, 2010

Details on page 17

Babu Lal Jain made UN advisor for MDGs India Post News Service

NEW YORK: Babu Lal Jain, president of World BPO Forum, New Delhi, has been appointed as Senior Advisor to United Nations Office for Partnerships (UNOP). He will advise the world body on forging key partnerships and alliances with private sector to promote UN Millennium Development Goals. Jain is the only Indian advisor appointed to achieve the MDG goals. Jain has an extensive career in international business, consultancy and entrepreneurship. Currently, executive positions he holds within the private sector include: Chairman, Entrepreneurship Committee of the Associated Chamber of Commerce and Industry of India, and Senior Member, Managing Committee,

ASSOCHAM, New Delhi. Jain is also a member of the Advisory Board, Kins Group, New York. The UN member-states are sig-

Babu Lal Jain

natories to MDGs to achieve the objectives by 2015. The objectives of the MDGs are to end poverty and hunger, provide universal

education, to support gender equality, to promote child and maternal health, to combat HIV/AIDS, support environmental

The objectives of the MDGs are to end poverty and hunger, provide universal education, to support gender equality, to promote child and maternal health, to combat HIV/ AIDS, support environmental sustainability and global partnership sustainability and global partnership. Reflecting the changing world and growing role of civil society,

the Secretary-General Ban kiMoon designed an Advisory Board comprised of UN high-level representatives and outside experts from the fields of philanthropy and academia. The UNFIP Advisory Board is responsible for the following functions that include to provide broad policy guidance to the SecretaryGeneral and monitor operations and activities of UNFIP; advise the Secretary-General on the review of project proposals; contribute to identifying projects and activities to be funded and supported by the Foundation, based on new developments and factors that may arise from time to time. The Members of the Advisory Board are appointed by the Secretary-General and serve for a term of two years. Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d on page 13

US Ayurveda delegation going to India RAMESH SOPARAWALA India Post News Service

India Post News Service

www.indiapost.com

St. Louis Indians celebrate New Year with gusto

CHICAGO: Dr. Navin C. Shah, a former president and a founding member of the American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI) will lead a US delegation of six directors of Complementary Alternative Medicine (CAM) and Integrative Medicine (IM) of six major medical schools to India on January 27. Dr. Shah, in a talk to this paper, said that the purpose of the visit is to explore the possibilities of introduction of evidence-based Ayurveda, Yoga, meditation, and oil massage treatment in the US medical education, research, and patient care areas, as also to study

the possibilities of joint Indo-U.S. research under NIH funding. He said members of the delega-

Ayurveda colleges and manufacturing facilities. It will also meet senior government officials and

The purpose of the visit is to explore the possibilities of introduction of evidence-based Ayurveda, Yoga, meditation, and oil massage treatment in the US Dr. Navin Shah

tion will meet experts in the field of Ayurveda besides visiting

ministers. The meetings will take place from January 28 through

February 3. The participants are top-notch U.S. medical educators and researchers. They are : Dr. David Eisenberg of Harvard Medical School, Dr. Anastasia RowlandSeymour of Johns Hopkins University, Dr. Benjamin Kligler of Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Dr. Aviad Haramati Georgetown University, Dr. Victoria Maizes of University of Arizona and Dr. Anne Nedrow of Oregon Health & Science University. During these five days of meetings the delegates will hear evidence-based presentations by the Ayurveda experts on Ayurveda, Yoga, meditation and oil massage treatments. Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d on page 13

January 22, 2010

Community Across America

India Post

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Surya seeks Democratic endorsement for Congress India Post News Service

NEW YORK: Those familiar with the reality television show The Apprentice will recall the spunky Indian American contestant Surya Yalamanchili, who did not - of course - win the contest but managed to make an impression on viewers. Yalamanchili is now hoping to win another kind of contest - the race for US Congress from the Ohio 2nd District. Yalamanchili is the sixth Indian American Democrat to run for Congress in 2010. Although he started off as an Independent candidate because, as he says, "his deep frustration with the current state of our political system and its inability to address our serious national challenges", he is now seeking the Democratic endorsement. "I am excited to announce that I will seek the Democratic endorsement for the Ohio 2nd District US House seat," he says on his website. As I've made my way across the 2nd district, it has become clear to me that I can do the most good from within the Democratic Party. By fighting for pragmatic solutions to our significant policy challenges, I am confident that I can be the leader the 2nd district

deserves." The marketing executive further says, "This campaign started with the goal of making real progress on our long-term challenges by elevating policy over politics. Over the past few

tics." Yalamanchili says he's lived the American dream, a life that began in Pennsylvania. After studying at Rutgers, he moved to Cincinnati in 2001 to spend the summer at Procter & Gamble and fell in

‘We will take the federal government and the Democratic Party in the right direction and run a winning campaign that the people of the second district deserve-- one focused on solutions and not politics’ Surya Yalamanchili

months, my belief that our campaign will be successful has only strengthened. We will take the federal government and the Democratic Party in the right direction and run a winning campaign that the people of the second district deserve-- one focused on solutions and not poli-

love with the place. After success in the private sector, including serving as one of the youngest executives at several leading corporations, Yalamanchili says he now "feels compelled to serve the public by taking action to change the direction in which our country is headed."

US Ayurveda delegation going to India Cont’d from page 12

The focus will be on treatment benefits of Ayurveda in five major diseases and also benefits of five herbs (simple or in combination) in treatment of various diseases. A special lecture will deal with the role of diet in both health and diseases. One day is allotted for presentation of ten proposals by the Ayurveda experts for joint IndoU.S. research. This will help the Indian Ayurveda institutions and faculties to interact with their United States counterparts for research collaborations. NIH has shown interest in such joint projects. On the same day, the U.S. delegation will provide details on methodology of research and publication in the U.S. journals for Ayurveda research. The delegation will visit Ayurveda Medical College and Hospital in Jaipur to understand Ayurveda education and patient care (both outpatient and inpatient). There are 150 Ayurveda colleges, fifty post-graduate Ayurveda institutions, seventy thousand students, ten thousand faculty members and 3,000 Ayurveda hospitals in India. The delegation will also visit one Ayurveda pharma factory to

have the first hand feel of the drug formulation, production, preservation, safety, and research areas. On the last day all the presenters and participants will interact with the U.S. delegation about the visit, and draw up a plan for future interaction and activities. Dr Navin Shah said that in October 2010, two Ayurveda professors will visit six U.S. institutions

The Ayurveda professors will provide evidence-based lectures to medical students, faculty members, and the practicing physicians (of the six delegates) for a period of three days at each institution. The Ayurveda professors will provide evidence-based lectures to medical students, faculty members, and the practicing physicians. In addition, they will interact with U.S. faculty members for joint Indo-U.S. research projects. Dr. Navin Shah is Medical Education Director, Metropolitan Urologic Institute and a Past President, The American College of International Physicians (ACIP).

Babu Lal Jain made UN advisor for MDGs Cont’d from page 12

Current members include Dr. Asha-Rose Migiro, Deputy Secretary-General (chairperson); Ambassador Sylvie Lucas, President of the Economic and Social Council; Dr. Lincoln C. Chen, President of the China Medical Board of New York, Director, Global Equity Initiative; Ms. Angela Kane, Undersecretary-General for Management; Ambassador Uche Joy Ogwu, Chairman of the Second Committee, UN General Assembly ; Ms. Mary Oakes Smith, Fellow, Information Technology for Education and Health, World Bank; Mr. Franklin A. Thomas, Head of the Ford Foundation Study Group; Sha Zukang, Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs and Amir Dossal, Executive Director of the UN Office for Partnerships "UN can achieve this by 2015 with the support of corporate sector. Government can at best be a catalyst. Information technology and enabling services will be the

tools to accelerate the process of work in reaching the targets of MDGs," Jain said on his appointment. "There is a great deal of economic activity and business development in MDG sector which could reach $100 trillion."

Jain was chosen by UNOP and Secretary General Ban ki Moon is keen on implementing the objectives of MDGs and he is ably assisted in the task by Deputy Secretary General Dr. AshaRose Migiro Over the years, Jain has nurtured and guided world class businesses. As part of his career as a business consultant, he conducted risk management seminars for various public sector and private sector banks and officials of

the Finance Ministry. His reputable consultancy services in Fashion, Pharmaceutical, Gem and Jewelry endeared him to clients from Europe, United Arab Emirates and the US. Jain was chosen by UNOP and Secretary General Ban ki Moon is keen on implementing the objectives of MDGs and he is ably assisted in the task by Deputy Secretary General Dr. Asha-Rose Migiro and Executive Director Amir Dossal and Senior Executive for UNOP William Kennedy. Dossal has been a champion advocating participation of the corporate world for MDGs for better world. The UNOP team is supported by International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) and its Chairman Victor Fung and ASSOCHAM of India. Jain is planning with ASSOCHAM to hold a global forum for steel, coal and environment and an international seminar on gender equality and empowerment of woman under aegis of UNOP in 2010.

OHLOCNE ollege We offer what matters to you.

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January 22, 2010

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'Jai Ho' Rahman coming to Chicago in June SURI SWAMY India Post News Service

CHICAGO: A long wait for Chicagoans seems to be getting over as "Jai Ho" Rahman is finally coming to Chicago very soon. Allah Rakha Rahman sang Jai Ho at White House just a few months ago during the very well attended reception hosted by President Barack Obama in honor of visiting Indian PM Manmohan Singh and it turned out to be an exhilarating experience for all those attending the event. Short of presenting him one more award, India PM said he was thrilled to listen to Rahman's inspirational music. "When I heard Rahman in the White House, you cannot imagine the sense of joy and achievement...," Dr. Singh said, conferring the CNN-IBN Indian of the Year award on the Oscar-winning music director recently in New Delhi. AR Rahman who has bagged numerous award including the prestigious Oscar is credited with the view that his thrust is "lessening the divide" among people

AR Rahman with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh

through music. The 'Mozart of Madras' is coming to North America in the first week of June and is scheduled to come to Chicago after performing in New York and Houston in the middle of June, it is reliably learnt from entertainment industry circles. It was over year that the

Kevin Raj, a young Indian American who has been attending rather unfailingly the performances from top notch Indian artists says, ‘I am tired of the Mega stars as they have become monotonous. I had almost decided to stop attending their high priced shows but I am making an exception for Rahman and I would surely attend his live performance wherever and whenever it takes place in Chicago’ Chicagoans expected and waited for this once in a Century musician to come and have a live performance in the city. Kevin Raj, a young Indian American who has been attending rather unfailingly the performances from top notch Indian artists says, "I am tired of the Mega

World Harmony Run torch was lit at volcano

World Harmony Run International Group India Post News Service

NEW YORK: In a spectacular launch of the 2010 World Harmony Run, the runners from 26 countries carried the World Harmony Torch to the Pakaya Volcano in Guatemala for 2010 Torch lighting ceremony. The Torch was lit from the molten lava at the Volcano.

The World Harmony Run was started by Indian Guru Sri Chinmoy in 1987 with his students from more than 60 countries. The aim was to promote harmony between people of different culture, nationalities, faith and to take India's ancient message "The world is one family" to all over the world. Sri Chinmoy (1931-2007) dedi-

cated his life for spiritual uplifting and world peace through his Meditation, Music, Books, Paintings, and meetings at the United Nations. He saw sports as a powerful instrument for Global harmony and World Harmony Run is a part of his multifaceted approach toward world peace. Cont’d on page 17

stars as they have become monotonous. I had almost decided to stop attending their high priced shows but I am making an exception for Rahman and I would surely attend his live performance wherever and whenever it takes place in Chicago." And Kevin is not an exception. The last really big show that attracted thousands of avid Bollywood fans was a thundering show by Bachchans, Aishwarya Rai and others a couple of years ago. The shows thereafter were not big nor did they attract big crowds. Rahman is expected to attract equally big audience, says, Dhittu Bhagwakar, one of Bachchan show organizers. Allah Rakha Rahman was born A.S. Dileep Kumar on January 6, 1966, in Madras (now Chennai), to a musically affluent family. Dileep started learning the piano at the age of 4.He joined Ilayaraja's troupe as a keyboard player at the age of 11. He traveled all around the world with various orchestras. He accompanied the great tabla maestro Zakir Hussain on a few world tours and also won a schol-

arship at the Trinity College of Music at Oxford University, where he studied Western classical music and obtained a degree in music. India's most famous directors, Mani Ratnam asked Rahman to compose the music for his next, Roja (1992). He went on to compose several great hits for Tamillanguage films before composing the score and songs for his first Hindi-language film, Rangeela (1995). The enormous success of his first Hindi venture was followed by the chart-topping soundtrack albums of films such as Bumbai (1995), Dil Se (1998), Taal (1999), Zubeidaa (2001), and Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India (2001), which was nominated for best foreign-language film at the 2002 Academy Awards. More recently, he worked with Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber and Shekhar Kapur (director of Elizabeth (1998)) on a musical called "Bombay Dreams." At 36 years old, A.R. Rahman has revolutionized Indian film music and one can only expect this musical genius to reach greater heights.

Rajan Zed reappointed Advisor on Nevada RTC India Post News Service

NEVADA: Indian-American statesman Rajan Zed has been reappointed to Regional Transportation Commission (RTC) Citizens Advisory Committee for a second three-year term in Nevada (USA). The reappointment letter, signed by Jack M. Lorbeer, Acting Planning Director of RTC, said: "We appreciate your interest in the community transportation issues…You are making a notable contribution to this community." Zed is chairperson of Indo-American Leadership Confederation. This Committee provides input on policy issues relative to public transportation, regional street and highway system, and transportation planning. RTC, founded in 1979 by legislation approved by Nevada Legislature, is responsible for public transit services; transportation network; maintaining and improving road network; and anticipating, forecasting, and planning for current and future transportation needs. Rajan Zed is also on the Board of Directors of Northern Nevada International Center and Nevada World Trade Council, elected to office of General Improvement District Trustee of Verdi TV District, member Reno Police Chief Advisory Board, Director of Interfaith Rela-

tions of Nevada Clergy Association, etc. He was invited by President of European Parliament, Hans-Gert Pottering, in December 2008 in Brussels (Belgium) for a meeting to promote interfaith dialogue. Zed is one of the panelists for

Rajan Zed

This Committee provides input on policy issues relative to public transportation, regional street and highway system, and transportation planning "On Faith", a prestigious interactive conversation on religion produced jointly by Newsweek and WashingtonPost.com. He has been bestowed with "World Interfaith Leader Award".

Community Across America

January 22, 2010

India Post 15

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Cow protection campaign evokes huge response SURENDRA ULLAL India Post News Service

CHICAGO: On the eve of Vishwa Mangal Gou Gram Yatra, more than 10 cores (100 million) signatures have been collected, said Sridhar Damle, a Chicago based community activist here. A digital signature campaign has also been launched at the website of Vishwa Mangal Gou Gram Yatra (www.gougram.org) which too has received tremendous response, he added. He urged all Indian Americans as well as the organizations against violence to animals to sign the online petition. This silent signature campaign will set a new world record of highest number of collected signatures. In spite of globalization, automation, electronic revolution, computerization and industrial revolution, cow has been and will be important part of village life and agricultural society. The founder of Arya Samaj, Mahrishi Dayanand Saraswati had once called upon countrymen to collect two crore signatures for cow protection. He hoped that the collection of the signatures in such a huge quantity would force the gov-

ernment to ban cow slaughter. But unfortunately two crore signatures could not be collected then. After that, many signature campaigns were conducted demanding ban on cow slaughter. The biggest record of such campaigns was the collection of two crore signatures in 1952 by eminent social and religious leader Shri Guruji.

Only in Surat Mahanagar of Gujarat over ten lakh signatures were collected. Similarly, in Mangalore center of Karnataka over ten lakh signatures were collected But the Vishwa Mangal Gou Gram Yatra is going to break this record and will set a new world record. As per the initial indications, the signatures being collected will be in at least nine digits. The signature campaign is getting

tremendous response all over India and abroad, specially US, UK and other Indian populated countries. "There is no lack of people signing the memorandum, rather the number of workers collecting the signatures is falling short," Damle pointed out. The success of this campaign can be gauged from the fact that there are some centers where more than ten lakh signatures have been collected. Only in Surat Mahanagar of Gujarat over ten lakh signatures were collected. Similarly, in Mangalore center of Karnataka over ten lakh signatures were collected. If we talk about districts, normally more than three lakh signatures have been collected at district level. Over four lakh signatures were collected in Ratnagiri district of Maharashtra. In Dhule district of the State too, over three lakh signatures have been collected. At the meeting in Rajkot, Shri Raghaveshwara Bharati Swamiji was handed over 12.65 lakh signatures collected from Rajkot city, Amareli and Jamnagar districts. A cow of 'Geer' breed was adored at this function. The unique attraction of this function was that a total of 492 goubhaktas donated blood equal to the weight of this cow.

Vande Gou Mata Yatra

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Lord Ganesha exhibition in Idaho SOHAN JOSHI

KETCHUM: Sun Valley, one of the best ski resorts in USA, is showing an exhibition on Hindu Lord Ganesha till February 20. On display at Sun Valley Center for the Arts in Ketchum (Idaho), are artworks "ranging from centuries-old sculptures to contemporary photographs" illustrating the spiritual significance of Ganesha around-Discovering Ganesha: Remover of Obstacles. Lord Ganesha, the elephant-

headed god, is worshipped as god of wisdom and remover of obstacles and invoked before the beginning of any major undertaking by Hindus worldwide. As a part of this exhibition, a session on "Meditation, Yoga & Ayurvedic Healing" will be held on January 8 and a "Sari Tying" event is planned on January 30, 2010. Commending the efforts by the Center to educate the world about Lord Ganesha through various art forms, members of the Indian community

say that the main stream Americans would get a deeper insight into the concepts of Hinduism. Sometimes referred as "The American Shangri-La", Sun Valley is the oldest arts organization in central Idaho's Wood River Valley whose mission is "to provoke and stimulate the imagination while opening hearts and minds through excellence in diverse arts programming." Hinduism has about one billion adherents worldwide and moksha (liberation)

is its ultimate goal. This Center is the oldest arts organization in central Idaho's Wood River Valley whose mission is "to provoke and stimulate the imagination while opening hearts and minds through excellence in diverse arts programming." Bill Ryberg is the Executive Director, while Trina Peters is the President of Board of Directors. Hinduism has about one billion adherents worldwide and moksha (liberation) is its ultimate goal.

January 22, 2010

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2010 Census Road Tour across nation India Post News Service

NEW YORK: The 2010 Census Portrait of America Road Tour set out last week from New York City's Times Square, launching a crosscountry interactive experience designed to increase awareness and encourage participation in the nation's once-a-decade population count. During the next four months, the tour will be part of the largest civic outreach and awareness campaign in U.S. history - stopping and exhibiting at more than 800 events nationwide. From local parades and festivals to major sporting events like the Super Bowl and NCAA Final Four, the Census Bureau will attempt to motivate America's growing and increasingly diverse population to complete and mail back 10-ques-

tion census forms when they arrive in mailboxes March 15-17. "The Road Tour seeks to educate and empower every person

During the next four months, the tour will be part of the largest civic outreach and awareness campaign in U.S. history - stopping and exhibiting at more than 800 events nationwide living across our country to take part and participate in the 2010 Census," Census Bureau Director Robert Groves said. "Attendees

at Road Tour events will learn about the census, how it affects their local communities and even share their personal stories about why the census is important to them at interactive kiosks and exhibits." Regional launch events include vehicles departing from national landmarks across the nation, such as the USS Constitution in Boston, Independence Mall in Philadelphia, the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, Santa Monica Pier in Los Angeles and the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. Altogether, more than 3 million people will have the opportunity to share their photos and stories, explaining why the census will make a difference in their communities. This constantly changing "portrait of America" will be captured during all Road Tour events.

Applications open for Washington Leadership Program India Post News Service

NEW YORK: The Washington Leadership Program (WLP) is accepting applications from highpotential South Asian college students for the 2010 summer leadership program scheduled to take place from June 12, 2010 to Aug 6, 2010. The WLP cultivates the

South Asian American community's next generation of leaders by placing them in Congressional offices for eight-week summer internships and a structured leadership training curriculum. The students gain a firsthand view of the process behind creating tangible change in America. Applications are available online

at www.thewlp.com. The deadline for submitting applications is Feb8, 2010. The WLP is a new nonprofit organization founded in memory of the late publisher-philanthropist Gopal Raju by alumni of Raju's acclaimed Capitol Hill internship program. The new program is very similar to the original and succeeded in its inaugural year in placing five promising students in Democratic and Republican congressional offices for the summer of 2009. All students who are either US

The WLP is a new nonprofit organization founded in memory of the late publisher-philanthropist Gopal Raju citizens or legal permanent residents are encouraged to apply. Selection to the WLP is highly competitive and not limited to students pursuing majors in social sciences. The backgrounds of past participants have ranged from medical school to art and social work. Interns will receive a total stipend of $1,500 and will be required to complete 2-3 short writing assignments during the internship. Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d on page 17

Community Across America

January 22, 2010

India Post 17

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St. Louis Indians celebrate New Year with gusto ASHWIN PATEL

World Harmony Run torch was lit at volcano Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d from page 14

In 2010 this global torch relay will reach to more than 100 nations

in six continents and will cover over 56000 kilometers, inspiring millions, specially children. In past many world leaders have participated in World Harmony Run Functions such as President Michael Gorbachev, President Nelson Mandela, Mother Teresa and Pope John Paul II.

Torch lighting at Volcano

Applications open for Washington Leadership Program Members of Indian community welcoming New Year at MG Center

ST. LOUIS: Celebrations of New Year Eve have become more popular in the Indian community in the past one decade. And the Indian community in St. Louis cannot be an exception. N e w Ye a r E v e w a s c e l ebrated with great gusto and zeal by the St. Louis Indian Community at Mahatma Gandhi

Center. The event was hosted by Mahatma Gandhi Center & India Association of St. Louis. It was attended by over 250 community members from young children to seniors. Activities included games & fun with clown for children & entertainment by DJ Halla Re from St. Louis.

Adult members had fun with Dance & DJ while children enjoyed their time with clown till midnight. New Year Eve celebrations were the perfect blend of western and Indian culture. This yearly event is organized by MGC & IAS every year to bring community together on these holidays.

Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d from page 16

The WLP has over 180 alumni who have interned for notable elected officials including Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY), Rep. Frank Pallone (D-NJ), Sen. Bill Frist (R-TN), and Rep. Bobby Jindal (R-LA). The original program built a strong reputation on both the Hill and in the community and continues to re-

ceive favorable reviews from former participants. Former House Democratic Leader Dick Gephardt (D-MO) called the WLP "the best program of its kind on the Hill." The 2009 program received generous support from alumni, the community-atlarge, and community organizations and corporations such as the Asian American Hotel Owners' Association and Landis-Gyr.

Community Across America

India Post

January 22, 2010

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To profile or not to profile? HUSSAM AYLOUSH

Executive Director, Council on American-Islamic Relations, Greater Los Angeles Area

he Christmas Day at tempted bombing aboard Northwest Airlines Flight 253, thankfully disrupted, has set into motion vehement calls for religious profiling and misguided policies that do little to protect our nation. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) last week implemented new guidelines that require travelers from 13 Muslim-

majority nations and Cuba to go through additional security checks before flying. The guidelines are a form of back-door profiling and will target American Muslims looking to reconnect with relatives in those countries or traveling to Mecca to perform religious rites. But before we debate the effectiveness and legality of profiling, let's step back and ponder what

went wrong in the hours and days leading up to the attempted bombing.

In face of this security system failure, those who jump to advocate racial and religious profiling are either shortsighted, or are seeking to exploit fear of Muslims and give a false sense of security Existing security procedures failed to catch alleged bomber Umar Farouk Abdulmuttallab, al-

though behavior profiling - a legitimate tool - would have worked. For instance, Abdulmuttallab's father had become concerned about his activities and reported him to Nigerian and American authorities. His name was then added to the U.S. National Counterterrorism Center's watch list, but to no avail. He reportedly bought a one-way ticket with cash and had no checked luggage - both red flags. He was also, to Americans' shock and dismay, able to bring a powerful PETN explosive on board. President Obama said last week that the security system failed in "a potentially disastrous way" and previously said proper intelligence-sharing before the bombing wouldn't have allowed Abdulmuttallab to board the plane. In face of this security system failure, those who jump to advocate racial and religious profiling are either shortsighted, or are seeking to exploit fear of Muslims and give a false sense of security. Simply put, racial and religious profiling does not work. How can it? For one thing, there is no one profile of a Muslim or Muslim

ties? Even the Bush-era Justice Department acknowledged that profiling is not an effective law enforcement tool, and former Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said in an interview that the Christmas day bombing "illustrates the danger and the foolishness of profiling." Moreover, profiling is an insult to the basic freedoms granted to all Americans by our time-honored Constitution. Are we going to let the terrorists make us abandon the freedoms our country was founded upon? The right way to protect our nation is by conducting a thorough assessment of our security procedures, address the holes in our security system and revamp ineffective and outdated policies. For instance, the infamous Counterterrorism Center's watch list of over 500,000 names, including Abdulmuttallab's name, is ineffective and must be cleaned up. Hurdles to proper and timely information-sharing among law enforcement and intelligence agencies must be dealt with. Profiling is counterproductive and serves to alienate American Muslims, who constitute one of

Even extremists do not fit a profile. The hijackers behind the 9/11 attacks were clean-shaven and frequented night clubs. Al-Qaeda member Adam Gadahn, who wears a beard and a turban, is Caucasian and has Jewish roots. Jose Padilla - convicted of aiding terrorists - is Latino

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American. Muslims hail from all races and backgrounds - Caucasian, black and every shade of color in between. Contrary to popular misconceptions, Arabs are a minority of the Muslim population worldwide - 18 percent. Middle-Eastern Jewish and Christian minorities would falsely fit the profile too. Even extremists do not fit a profile. The hijackers behind the 9/11 attacks were clean-shaven and frequented night clubs. Al-Qaeda member Adam Gadahn, who wears a beard and a turban, is Caucasian and has Jewish roots. Jose Padilla - convicted of aiding terrorists - is Latino. And would-be shoe bomber Richard Reid is half English, half Jamaican. The argument generally made in favor of profiling states: It wasn't some Swedish grandma who committed terrorist acts. True, but what is the profile of a terrorist when we know they come in all ages, races, and nationali-

the first lines of defense in protecting our homeland. Muslims and Islam have been part of America's patchwork heritage for the past 200-plus years. Over the years, Muslim Americans have stepped up to the plate and answered the call of duty by working with and in law enforcement agencies around the country and serving in the Armed Forces. In fact, a 2007 study by the Pew Research Center offers a pretty encouraging picture of the state of American Muslims. Titled, "Muslim Americans: Middle Class and Mostly Mainstream," the Pew report concluded that American Muslims are basically well-integrated into the fabric of the American society, consider it a land of opportunity, believe hard work leads to success and are content with their lives. So, let's do the right thing by advocating good security, not profiling.

India Post 19

January 22, 2010 www.indiapost.com

Tech News Australian firm to implement Pilat Media's IBMS

ustralia's Special Broadcast ing Service (SBS), an Australia's multicultural and multilingual public broadcaster has implemented Pilat Media's IBMS to manage sales, traffic, and content as a cornerstone of the public television network's new centralized file-based operation initiative known as STrAPS (Sales, Traffic, Automated Presentation System). Pilat Media Global plc. develops, markets, and supports business management software solutions for content and service providers in the media industry. Widely known as "the voice and vision of multicultural Australia," SBS offers a wide range of programming in more than 60 languages to viewers throughout the continent.

Plazamedia to show Germany's virtual studio

ith a long list of first-class outdoor, studio, and sports productions created for customers around the world, Plazamedia the Munich-based company is well known for using its Open Houses as sneak previews for the most exciting developments in the industry, has planned to demonstrate a real time 3D stereoscopic HD virtual studio with Vizrt. Vizrt creates leading-edge content production tools for the digital media industry - from awardwinning 3D graphics & maps through integrated video workflow solutions and online publishing tools. "We knew that Plazamedia planned to demonstrate its new real-time HD virtual studio.

TV2GO outfits new truck with FOR-A

V2GO Inc., an international satellite transmission and video production company, debut its 31-foot uplink mobile truck in October featuring the FOR-A HVS300HS compact HD/SD switcher and the MV-410HS HD/SD highresolution quad multi-viewer. "In a truck, anything that saves space, weight, and energy for air conditioning is important," said Lawrence Partington, TV2GO partner. "Even with its small footprint, the FOR-A HVS-300HS switcher handles any SDI signal, standard or high-def. It has an auto-sensing feature, so we can mix them all up on the same switcher, which is very cool."

TechBiz

5% Indians hold 23% of total Indian income: CMIE survey Details on page 23

20 India Post

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January 22, 2010

IIT Chennai team wins NYC Next Idea competition India Post News Service

NEW YORK: A team from the Indian Institute of TechnologyChennai has been selected as the winner of NYC Next idea 20092010, an inaugural global business plan competition launched by New York City last year. The team -- Greenext Technology Solutions - comprising entrepreneurs Aashish Dattani, Sriram Kalyanaraman and Vinayshankar Kulkarni, devised a new system to allow utility companies and energy producers to store and distribute energy through remote sites across the five boroughs safely and efficiently, and was selected by a panel of judges from New York City's venture capital community to receive a $20,000 cash prize. The NYC Next Idea competition was announced in February 2009 as part of a suite of initiatives dedicated to strengthening New York City's entrepreneurial community. The competition was launched to raise the visibility of the City as an international center for innovation and entrepreneurship and showcase the talent from business and engineering schools around the world, while also encouraging innovative business ventures that can launch and operate here. Mayor Michael Bloomberg was joined at the announcement at Columbia Business School, which helped administer the competition, by Deputy Mayor for Economic Development Robert C. Lieber, New York City Economic Development Corporation President Seth W. Pinsky, Mayor's Office of Immigrant Affairs Commissioner Fatima Shama, Columbia University Senior Executive Vice President Robert Kasdin, Laura Resnikoff, director of the Columbia Business School Private Equity Program and the three finalist teams from India, Spain and France. "Cities around the world hope to be a place of innovation where

IIT Chennai campus

entrepreneurs want to go to launch businesses," said Mayor Bloomberg. "New York City doesn't have to hope - we are that place. Just look at the talented teams from the world's leading business and engineering schools that participated in our NYC Next Idea inaugural global business plan competition. But it's not enough to be a place entrepre-

opportunity even to try." Greenext Technology Solutions is clean-technology proposal that is pioneering specialized software and hardware solutions to utility companies, renewable energy producers, energy storage manufacturers, and energy traders. Their product, XEstor, serves as a common interface to store energy from any

Greenext Technology Solutions is clean-technology proposal that is pioneering specialized software and hardware solutions to utility companies, renewable energy producers, energy storage manufacturers, and energy traders neurs want to go; we also have to make sure our city - and our country - is a place they can go. â&#x20AC;&#x153;That's why we are committed to working with the Obama Administration to pursue sensible immigration reform. No one can say for sure whether the finalists' ideas will translate into successful job-creating businesses. What a shame, though, if they and countless others are denied the

source across New York City into large battery storage sites. The product communicates with the electric grid and combines realtime consumer demand information with current energy prices to charge or discharge electricity into the grid. This flexible mechanism to produce or store energy based on demand can act as a backup power source to bridge supply

gaps and maintain the grid's reliability through ancillary services such as regulation and emergency response. Teamsters Dattani, Kalyanaraman and Kulkarni strongly believe that today's challenges in the energy sector can be addressed through clean-technology solutions such as smart grids that hold the potential to meet growing energy demands. They are convinced that with energy demand continuing to rise rapidly on the one hand and both energy availability and supply efficiency struggling to meet it on the other, financial incentives and deregulation of electricity markets will make their solution a highly viable one in the future. And New York City is a prime locale for such technology because of its burgeoning population and energy needs, as well as an electric grid in need of innovative upgrades. Interestingly, the team members of one of the two other finalists, Harleen Jolly and Ankit Bisht from France, are also of Indian origin. Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d on page 21

TechBiz Post

January 22, 2010

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Indian Business Assn honored in NJ State Senate India Post News Service

NEW JERSEY: The Indian Business Association (IBA), the umbrella organization which represents the Indian businesses on Oak Tree Road in Iselin and Edison, New Jersey, was presented with a Joint Legislative Resolution by Senator Barbara Buono (D-Middlesex) at the New Jersey State House on Jan 11. The IBA has been honored for their promotion of commerce, civic engagement, and community activism, on the Senate floor. For the

past fifteen years, the Indian Business Association has been committed to promoting a supportive economic climate for businesses in the Oak Tree Road area of Edison Township, as well as preserving Indo-American culture. The Indian Business Association was founded to serve the needs of growing community. In the past 15 years, the Indian Business Association has encouraged civic activity, volunteerism, and cultural celebration. It has worked effectively to develop policies to support the Townships of Edison

IIT Chennai team wins NYC Next Idea competition Cont’d from page 20

BioFont is a biotechnology proposal that has developed a ground-breaking product that can be used to screen individuals for infectious diseases in an expeditious and accurate manner. With pandemic outbreaks of infections increasing in frequency, there is a clear need for screening tools to detect individuals with infectious diseases, especially in densely populated and highly interconnected urban areas such as New York City. Though methods exist to screen large numbers of people for potentially contagious illnesses, none are affordable, quick, or easily used without detailed training. BioFont is taking advantage of the latest breakthroughs in biotechnology, and the major paradigm shift in the healthcare sector away from laboratory tabletop blood analyzers to develop a product that is affordable, simple to use, and provides accurate and quick results. The product is a combination of a portable electronic analyzer and disposable test strips, which process and display results in a simple yes/no format. Beyond the healthcare sector, BioFont envisages a demand for this product in New York City's schools, airports, public places, households, and workplaces. Fifteen leading business and engineering universities from countries across Asia, Latin America, and Europe signed up to participate in NYC Next Idea 2009-2010, and ten teams submitted final proposals. The three teams of finalists representing business and engineering schools in France, Spain, and India were in New York City last week to present their plans. Business plans targeted sectors such as Financial Services,

Media & Technology, Green Technology and Bioscience, and included a new screening product for infectious diseases, a zeroemission bike-share program, and new telecom technology. In addition to the cash prize, the winning team will be offered free space within one of the City's new business incubators for two years. The competition, administered by the New York City Economic Development Corporation and supported by Columbia Business School, was open to new, independent ventures in the concep-

Fifteen leading business and engineering universities from countries across Asia, Latin America, and Europe signed up to participate in NYC Next Idea 2009-2010, and ten teams submitted final proposals tual, seed, start-up, or early growth stages, and business concepts that included the expansion of an existing venture into New York City. Criteria for judging the applications included commercial viability of the product or service; market analysis and a need for the product or service in New York City; comprehensiveness of the company's sales and marketing plan; the company's competitive differentiation over other players in the market; caliber of team members and advisors; financial analysis; and coherency of the final presentation.

‘The Indian Business Association plays a fundamental role in promoting cultural awareness. The Annual Official New Jersey India Day Parade highlights the beautiful traditions of the Indo-American culture and helps preserves Indo-American heritage in the community, as well as generations to come,’ said Senator Buono

and Woodbridge, and the County of Middlesex. "In these tough economic times, it is organizations like the Indian Business Association that help small businesses prosper. Through their members and staff, the Indian Business Association has worked tirelessly to make Middlesex County a model for economic success," said Senator Buono. "It is important to recognize organizations like these for their continuing leadership in promoting community activism and economic prosperity." The Indian Business Association has made tremendous efforts to revitalize Oak Tree Road through their cooperation with local officials and area law enforcement to help secure free public parking, eliminate vandal-

ism, and promote marketing activities. It has also been the proud sponsor of the Annual Official New Jersey Indian Day Parade since 2004, helping to celebrate Indo-American heritage and promote civic activity. "The Indian Business Association plays a fundamental role in promoting cultural awareness. The Annual Official New Jersey India Day Parade highlights the beautiful traditions of the Indo-American culture and helps preserves Indo-American heritage in the community, as well as generations to come," said Senator Buono. "This parade is just one of many wonderful events hosted by the Indian Business Association which displays their unwavering dedication to community activism."

TechBiz Post

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January 22, 2010

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72 vehicles were launched at Delhi Auto Expo India Post News Service

NEW DELHI: The curtains came down on the 10th Auto Expo held in New Delhi from January 5 to 11 with close to 72 vehicles being launched. Among these, there were more than 10 global launches comprising passenger vehicles and two-wheelers. The show was organized by the Automotive Component Manufacturers Association, the Confederation of Indian Industry and the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers. Addressing the valedictory ceremony of the Auto Expo, Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Jyotiraditya Scindia observed "It is clear that the Auto Expo is indeed rapidly emerging as one of the key events of the global auto industry and this, as

you and I know, is testimony to the emergence of India as an economic powerhouse in the global arena", he stated. Scindia pointed out that while most of the key markets in the US and Europe are still struggling with negative growth, India and China are perhaps the only two auto markets that have shown sign of quick recovery from the slowdown. "Even today India has only seven car owners per thousand citizens. Compared that with China's 27 cars per 1000 citizens and you'll realize that the car market in India is still relatively virgin. Little surprise, global majors continue to show heightened interest in the Indian market," he said. The Minister said that the number of new models launched at the 2010 Auto Expo underlines

the robust recovery of the Indian auto market and the growing stature in the world. "Low cost, design innovation and economies of scale are now becoming the hallmark of the Indian automobile industry. In fact, thanks to the

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Even today India has only seven car owners per thousand citizens. Compared that with China's 27 cars per 1000 citizens and you'll realize that the car market in India is still relatively virgin. Little surprise, global majors continue to show heightened interest in the Indian marketâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Indian ingenuity in design and engineering, the nation is fast becoming a manufacturing hub for passenger cars, especially small cars," Scindia added. Scindia said the government aims to give full support to the automotive SME and particularly to technology upgradation. "The government has already been encouraging cluster based geographical development for enterprises having similar lines of business enabling technical, administrative and financial economies. Besides, to facilitate easy avail-

ability of funds, the government is also encouraging banks to adopt a cluster-based lending approach," he said. The Minister also noted that the emergence of the Indian auto components industry as a serious

advantage and quality assurance," he concluded. On the culmination of the silver jubilee edition of the auto expo, several exhibitors were honored with silver plaques for their various contributions to the

Tata Motors unveiled 'Aria', a cross-over between a multi-utility and sports utility vehicle and billed it as a four-wheeler built for Indians by Indian engineers.

global player was equally impressive. "Today the components industry already earns more than $ 3 billion a year through exports. And it is just about reaching the takeoff stage. Besides, the global downturn has forced more international car makers to go back to their drawing boards and explore ways to cut costs without denting quality and the $ 19 billion Indian auto component industry has caught their fancy like never before. Major global majors have already marked India as their component hub thanks to the cost

show. The awards were given away by the Minister. Ashok Leyland and Tata Motors were recognized for their continuous support to the show since its inception in 1986. Tata Motors and Maruti Udyog Ltd., also recognized for having the largest display area for the 2010 show. The largest country pavilion award for the 2010 show went to VDA and the Indo-German Chamber of Commerce for the German pavilion. Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d on page 23

'Trade liberalization will increase rich-poor gap' India Post News Service

NEW YORK: Trade liberalization could exacerbate the rich-poor gap, if not backed up by a strong sectoral response in manufacturing industry and in services, agriculture and development of natural resources, according to Anjali Prasad, Joint Secretary, Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion, Ministry of Commerce and Industry, India. Addressing the General Conference of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) in Vienna recently, Prasad said the global economic crisis had brought manufacturing industry centre stage and had underscored its importance in sustainable economic growth. Prasad further emphasized the significant contribution that manufacturing, including small and me-

dium enterprises, has made to India's continuing robust growth and cautioned against protectionism. In response to the economic

Developing countries need technology solutions that are appropriate, affordable and effective and they have to be backed by appropriate financial arrangements to facilitate technology transfers slowdown, countries are increasingly resorting to protectionism instead of strengthening trade rules to control protectionist ten-

dencies. India believes that protectionism does not work and has amply demonstrated its commitment to open trade by refraining from resorting to protectionist measures despite the slowdown in exports. In order to accelerate green industrial growth, India has called for effective transfer of technology from the developed to the developing world. The guiding principle of India's National Action Plan for Climate Change is to protect the poor and vulnerable sections of society through an inclusive and sustainable development strategy - sensitive to climate change. Developing countries need technology solutions that are appropriate, affordable and effective and they have to be backed by appropriate financial arrangements to facilitate technology transfers.

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January 22, 2010

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5% Indians hold 23% of total Indian income: CMIE survey India Post News Service

NEW YORK: A survey of Indian households conducted by the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy's (CMIE's) reveals that the richest 5 per cent of households in India account for 23.1 per cent of the total income. CMIE's data for 2008-09 shows 50 per cent of households from the bottom account for 18.7 per cent of the total income, but 58.2 per cent of the total income is earned by 45 per cent of households. The data shows household income in India in the last financial year was Rs. 28 billion (US$ 602.15 million), the average per household income being Rs. 1,40,000 (US$ 3010.75). The survey of Indian households under the series called "Consumer Pyramids" covering household income, expenditure, sav-

ings, asset-holding and debt status, estimates household income directly and by including incomes of all household members and not just the head of households. Some of CMIE's findings are:

CMIE's data for 2008-09 shows 50 per cent of households from the bottom account for 18.7 per cent of the total income, but 58.2 per cent of the total income is earned by 45 per cent of households 1. Break up of Indian household's total household annual income: • Food expenditure (excludes money spent on eating out): 25 per cent • Power and fuel expenses: 7.6 per cent • Expenditure for paying off Bank loans (under equated monthly installments): 1.4

Airfone ties up with T- Series

V Airfone India Private Lim its, a prominent player in Telecom Industry has tied up with T- series, the market leader in Indian music industry to offer its exceptional services for the music lover generation. Airfone is a new generation mobile phone company offering a striking collection of multi-feature, incredible looking mobile handsets reasonably priced for almost every niche. Now with Airfone's newly launched mobile handset, AF - 27 users will get a T-Series loaded 2 GB Micro SD Card with 5 year standard warranty as standard accessory which is worth Rs 475 for free. This Micro SD card will consist of chart buster albums such as, 3 Idiots, Tare Zameen Par, Delhi-6 etc alongside 10 Ring tones, 20 Wallpapers & 10 Animations. Commenting on this association with T- Series, Vishal Chitkara, Director of the company said, "Our association with T -Series will enable our consumers to get legally loaded content with our phones which ensure perfect quality music and videos."

AF- 27 mobile handset comes with e features like; Java, which enables you to play online games, chat with people around the world, calculating mortgage interests & view images in 3D, Mobile Tracker enabling your to track your lost mobile phone with the unique mobile tracker application, M Gurujee an application for serious 7 fun based learning such as preparation for MBA or IAS etc & M Astro offering astrology services on mobile phone. Along with that AF - 27 offers true music bliss with MP3 playback, FM Radio & expandable memory which provides you with complete freedom of enjoying music on the go. With this handset you can also hook up your headphones or attach speakers to make presence felt wherever you are, as it comes equipped with a 3.5 mm jack & music presets. This new generation classy mobile handset is available in red, Black+ Red, Black+ Grey combinations with 1.3 mega pixel digital camera, Bluetooth, dual Sim Connectivity.

72 vehicles were launched at Delhi Auto Expo Cont’d from page 22

In the vehicle component category, companies that were presented the silver plaque for their continuous support included Fiem Industries, GNA Axles, Indication Instruments Ltd, Mutual Industries Ltd, Talbros Automotive Components Ltd, TVS and Uni Deritend Ltd. In the SME segment ACEY Engineering Pvt Ltd was honored for its support. The award for the largest display in

per cent • Health expenditure: 1.5 per cent • Education expenditure: 3.21 per cent • Expenses on buying newspapers: 0.22 per cent

the components segment went to Motherson Sumi and TVS & Sons. Earlier in his welcome address Sunil Kant Munjal, Past President, CII observed that the Silver Jubilee edition of the Auto Expo has set a new milestone in the Indian automotive industry. It has placed the sector on the global auto industry map. It will be the springboard for the future development of the industry as well as the manufacturing sector in India.

• Recreation expenses: 0.64 per cent • Expenses on alcohol: 0.6 per cent • Expenses on eating out: 1.02 per cent • Expenditure on employing domestic help: 0.57 per • Transport expenses: 1.74 per cent Significantly, the national household sav-

ings rate is at 40.41%, with Delhi and Maharashtra being high savings states (47.72 per cent and 49.72 per cent savings rates respectively), while Bengal and Andhra Pradesh (27.45 % and 22.03%) are significantly low savings states. Nearly 59 per cent of households in India are investing households, the data shows and while over 26 per cent of households described themselves as borrower households, of these over 70 per cent borrowed from friends, relatives, moneylenders and just over 25 per cent from banks. On the consumer spending front, the survey shows home theatres are owned by only 0.02 per cent households. Nearly 43 per cent of Indian households own one or more kitchen appliances ranging from refrigerators to toasters. While 64.55 per cent of households own a TV, only 3.17 per cent own an LCD or plasma TV.

UPenn honor for Mukesh Ambani India Post News Service

NEW YORK: Mukesh D. Ambani, chairman and managing director of Reliance Industries Ltd., has been awarded the inaugural Dean's Medal from Eduardo Glandt, dean of the University of Pennsylvania School of Engineering and Applied Science. Ambani was recognized for visionary leadership in the application of engineering and technology for the betterment of mankind. The medal was awarded at a gala ceremony at the Trident Hotel in Mumbai, India. The medal, Glandt said, acknowledges Ambani's ingenuity and initiative to usher in Reliance's vertical-integration journey from textiles into fibers, petrochemicals, petroleum refining and eventually oil and gas exploration and production. Today, Reliance is a global leader in polyester, petrochemicals and refining, including the world's largest petroleum refinery complex at Jamnagar. Ambani is widely considered the architect of the company's aggressive energy exploration program, which resulted in the world's largest gas discovery in 2002. The field eventually doubled gas production in India, a step towards Ambani's vision of energy security for India. "Mukesh Ambani embodies what the engineering profession can contribute to a country, as someone who seeks to apply technology for the betterment of society," Glandt said. Ambani is currently steering Reliance's development of a panIndia retail network, a transformational initiative connecting rural and urban India. He was also instrumental in the formation of Reliance Infocomm Ltd., one of the largest information and communications initiatives in the world.

"I will treasure this medal," Ambani said in his acceptance speech. "It is much more than the recognition of the modest contribution of a chemical engineer from India. It recognizes the collective achievement of the Reliance family and the creativity of over 25,000 engineers in Reliance. I dedicate

"ET Business Leader of the Year" Award by the Economic Times and the first NDTV-Profit "Global Indian Leader Award" in 2006. Ambani was the co-chair of the World Economic Forum in Davos in 2006 and received the 2004 World Communication Award as the "Most Influential Person" in

Mukesh Ambani

this Medal to the indomitable spirit of our founder chairman, Dhirubhai Ambani, and each and every member of the Reliance family."

‘Mukesh Ambani embodies what the engineering profession can contribute to a country, as someone who seeks to apply technology for the betterment of society,’ Glandt said Among Ambani's numerous honors are the 2007 US-India Business Council "Global Vision" Award for Leadership, the 2006

Telecommunications by Total Telecom. In 2008, Ambani was elected vice chairman of the Executive Committee of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development. In India, he is a member of the Prime Minister's Council on Trade and Industry and of the Board of Governors of the National Council of Applied Economic Research. He is also chairman of the Board of Governors of the Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore, and a member of the Indo-US CEOs Forum, the International Advisory Board of Citigroup, the International Advisory Board of the National Board of Kuwait and the Advisory Council for Stanford University's Graduate School of Business, among other appointments.

1 Mann Ka Radio - Radio

6 Shaam Ho Chali Hain - Radio

2 Zoobi Doobi - 3 Idiots

7 Pankhon Ko - Rocket Singh

3 Hichki Hichki - Paa

8 Aal Izz Well - 3 Idiots

4 Paisa - De Dana Dan

9 Tu Jaane Na - APKGK

5 Rasiya - Kurbaan

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10 Sabse Peeche Hum Khade - AWK

January 22, 2010

aran Johar, asked why he set out to make a serious film like My Name Is Khan, says that earlier he had made internal films about relationship and about people he knew. "As one grows older one knows more about the world and a stage comes when one's concern for the world outweighs that for your own self and your people around you." "My Name Is Khan is a love story. In my other films I had incorporated unreal elements but in this film one will get to see real elements because this is the most real film of my career till date. I'd say that it is a different film because I had to externalize and also set out to analyse. It has been a journey of growing up for me as a filmmaker. I feel that I was judged far too early and dubbed a bubble gum filmmaker though I have made just one bubble gum film- Kuch Kuch Hota Hai. "My Name Is Khan is not a film on terrorism though it addresses the issue in an emotional manner. It is more about a layman and humanity and not about a super hero because Rizwan hails from Kandivali west, a distant suburb in Mumbai and not Malabar Hill which is a posh area in Mumbai. "Though it was quite tough for me to direct Shahrukh Khan, it was far more tough for Shahrukh to remain in the character of Rizwan Khan and express love without even looking at Kajol. I'd not hesitate to confess that it is by far the toughest film that I have shot till date. "Kajol is playing the character of Mandira who is Rizwan Khan's wife. Mandira is quite human in nature and reacts to the circumstances around her in her own way and is in no way negative. I do not think I could have cast any other actress in place of Kajol because she suits the role to the T."

hile shooting for her film Endhiran opposite Rajnikant recently, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan had to go through some tough time. Buzz, is that the former beauty queen was shooting at a location that was not motorable and thus her vanity van had to be parked at a distance. This meant that even the basic amenities were not available for the top actress. So, when things became really difficult, the crew members chalked out some contingency plans. This meant that for basic requirement like the use of a loo, open spaces were demarcated. The shrubbery had to be put to optimal use for the privacy of the actress. Despite, the challenging topography, Aishwarya Rai had little to complain to the makers. This clearly goes to prove that when the going gets tough, the beauty queen surely knows how to tackle the situation.

January 22, 2010

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India Post 25

January 22, 2010

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Antigua College prepares docs to practice in US

Front courtyard of the new AUA campus India Post News Service

he healthcare industry is changing and physicians are going to play an increasingly important role in determining its future. Currently, a dire physician shortage afflicts every country including the United States. In fact, The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) estimates that at least 16,000 more primary care physicians are needed today. According to the AAMC, there will be shortage of roughly 125,000 physicians by 2025. The American University of Antigua (AUA) College of Medicine was founded in concert with Manipal Education with this crisis in mind; AUA is dedicated to graduating capable, ethical physicians who will be able to practice in the United States, helping underserved communities hardest hit by the shortage. Globalization has leveled the commercial playing field-and education is no exception. More students are graduating from post-graduate programs than ever before. Educational institutions have adapted by offering programs online and by consolidating efforts with like-minded establishments. In that light, AUA and Manipal Education give students the opportunity to take their US-modeled Basic Science courses in India at Kasturba Medical College - International Center (KMCIC) or in Antigua (an island in the Caribbean) and return to the United States for clinical clerkships at one of AUA's affiliated teaching hospitals and ultimately become practicing medical doctors in the United States. AUA has affiliations with some of the finest teaching hospitals in the United States-including San Juan Bautista (SJB), a US medical school accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME), which allows AUA students to participate in clinical clerkships as enrolled visiting students at SJB's clinical sites in Florida and Puerto Rico. This is the first agreement of its kind for an international medical school-the kind of part-

nership that pays dividends to our students and the healthcare industry. The next ten years will witness medical advances that are unimaginable today. AUA takes part in this advance-

According to the AAMC, there will be shortage of roughly 125,000 physicians by 2025. The American University of Antigua (AUA) College of Medicine was founded in concert with Manipal Education with this crisis in mind ment by harnessing technology to provide a comprehensive learning environment that is unparalleled, and that is why the National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME) made

AUA the first international medical school to administer a web-based NBME exam. None of the aforementioned accomplishments and benefits would mean much if AUA didn't take extreme care in selecting its students. While MCAT scores are helpful in determining an applicants potential, they are not an admissions requirement. AUA does a holistic review of the candidates, placing a premium on dedication. AUA students have done extremely well, their average USMLEâ&#x201E;˘ pass rate is 98.6*, they've obtained residencies at the most prestigious programs in the world like Mount Sinai in New York, and many AUA students spend their free time participating in community outreach initiatives like blood drives and free clinics. As an incentive to spur that kind of achievement, AUA has created several scholarships opportunities, including the AAPI/AUA/KMCIC Scholarship, which provides 50% of the tuition for qualified students of Indian descent. AUA students appreciate the effort put in by our administration and faculty. Seema Kumar, MD, is a graduate of AUA's 2008 class has this to say, "The small class sizes made sure that I didn't feel like another number. The faculty was generous - one of my professors had office hours on Saturday night. We began interacting with patients in our first semester and when I began my clinical rotations at one of AUA's affiliated teaching hospitals, I had a huge advantage. All these things make AUA the definitive alternative to US medical schools." To exhibit its commitment to its students and the global healthcare community, AUA opened the most modern campus in the Caribbean this January. It houses over 75,000 square feet of Wi-Fi enabled classrooms, a multi-story library, a fully equipped learning center, study rooms, student government, and administrative and faculty offices-all footsteps from some of the most beautiful beaches in the world. During the Campus Inauguration, AUA President Neal Simon said, "I'm still not sure this is not a dream; this campus will be the largest and most impressive campus throughout the Caribbean and rivals schools throughout the world." To find out more about The American University of Antigua and Kasturba Medical College International Center, you may visit ExploreAUAmed.com or call 800-497-7112 *Average USMLEâ&#x201E;˘ pass rate for AUA students with a GPA of 3.0 and higher

Kasturba Medical College International Center, Manipal

January 22, 2010

India Post 27

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Datebook

India Post

January 22, 2010

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NEW YORK Upcoming

ILLINOIS Upcoming

Fri Jan 22

Sat Jan 23

• Yaatra

• Pongal Vizha Kondattam 2010

Venue: Joyce SoHo, 155 Mercer Street, New York City Time: 8pm Contact: (301) 469-8529

Venue: Balaji Temple, 1145 W. Sullivan Road, Aurora, Ill Time: 5:30pm Contact: 815-436-3135

Fri Jan 30

Sun Jan 24

• Russell Peters: Green Card Tour

• Ratha Sapthami Celebrations

Venue: Radio City Music Hall, 1260 Avenue of the Americas, New York Time: 8pm Contact: 212-930-5180

Venue: Balaji Temple, 1145 W. Sullivan Road, Aurora, Illinois Contact: (630) 844-2252

Sat Feb 6 • Thyagaraja Aradhana Venue: Ps 115, 8051 261st St, Floral Park, New York Time: 3pm Contact: sreenadh@shrutilaya.org. Highlights: This will consist of group singing of the Pancharatna Krithis, followed by three one hour concerts by our local artists Smt. Saavitri Ramanand, Smt. Meena Malladi and Smt. Shobana Raghavan. They will also be accompanied by local artists Sri.Balaskandan on the violin, Sri. Murali Balachandran on mridangam and Sri.Balaganesh on the morsing.

Sat Feb 27 • Mohamana (Infatuated Love) Venue: Simple Studios, 134 West 29th street, NYC Time: 7pm Contact: (800) 838-3006

Sat March 6 • Bharata Natyam Student Recital 2010 Venue: City Center Studios, 130 West 56th street, studio #3, NYC Contact: (917) 214-6466

Sat May 1

NEW JERSEY Upcoming Fri Jan 23 • Dance Pe Chance Venue: Performing Arts Center, 108 Stirling Rd, Warren, NJ Time: 6pm Contact: 732-369-6626 Highlights: Dance Pe Chance Competition from Rab Ne Bana De Jodi, competition how it changes lives!

Sun Jan 24 • A New Year! A New You!

• Kirtilals...Diamonds and Jewelry

Venue: Trinity Lutheran Church, 131 Mountain Way, Morris Plains, New Jersey Time: 4pm to 5:15pm Contact: 973-400-9191

Venue: Marriott, 1401 W. 22nd Street, Oakbrook, Illinois Contact: 630-573-8555

Sat Jan 30

• Open MIC Karaoke

Sat Feb 13 • Valentine Party Venue: The Best Westren Hotel, 5105 S. Howell Avenue Airport, Milwaukee, Wisconsin Time: 8:30pm to 1am Contact: 414-336-5982

Venue: Marathi Vishwa Community Center, 143 State Route 35, Laurence Harbor, New Jersey Time: 2pm 6pm Contact: 732 438 6867

Sat March 27 • Marathi Vishwa-Vasantotsav 2010

WASHINGTON DC Upcoming

Venue: Crosroads Middle School- South, 195 Major Road, Monmouth Junction, New Jersey Time: 3pm to 8pm Contact: 732-355-9844

Fri Jan 23

Sat March 27

• Sanskriti Saraswati Puja

• 2010 Spring Festival

Venue: Quince Orchard High School, 15800 Quince Orchard Road, North Potomac, Maryland, WDC Time: 8:30pm to 10pm Contact: 301-983-0142

Venue: Ocean Township High School, Ocean, New Jersey Time: 3pm to 9pm Contact: 732-801-4694

Sat May 29 Fri Jan 29

• Vishwa Marathi Natya Sammelan

Venue: Art of Living Center, 9502 Claychin Court, Burke, Virginia, WDC Contact: 703-644-1615 Highlights: The Art of Living Course gives participants the practical knowledge and techniques to unlock their deepest potential and bring fullness to life.

Venue: Raritan Center, New Jersey Convention Center, 97 Sunfield Avenue, Edison, New Jersey Highlights: The VMNS will be hosted and executed by the US branch of ABMNP, led by Dr. Meena Nerurkar and her team. It will have an attendance of some V.V.I.P.s in the entertainment industry, about 200 top notch artists from Maharashtra, the chief minister of Maharashtra and government representatives.

• 9th Muslim Matrimonial Hosted by MillanUS.com

Sat Jan 30

Sat March 20

Venue: Adria Hotel & Conference Center, 220-33 Northern Blvd., Bayside, New York Time: 3pm to 9pm Contact: 516-840-0396

Venue: Hindu Temple, Virginia Beach, Virginia, WDC Time: 6:30pm to 10pm Contact: 757-382-7777

• Dancing STAR ka Damaka Venue: Shreenath Enterprise Inc, 220-15, 92 ave queens village, New York Time: 7pm Contact: 347-513-8526

Sun May 2

• Art of Living Course

• Republic Day Celebration

• Naach Revolution Venue: Union County Arts Center, 1601 Irving Street, Rahway, New Jersey Time: 6pm to 9pm Contact: 732-763-0118

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA Upcoming Sat Jan 23 • Pioneer Bhangra 2010 Venue: Chabot College Performing Arts Center, 25555 Hesperian Blvd., Hayward Time: 6pm to 9pm Contact: 510-459-4198

Wed Jan. 27 • Robin Sukhadia: "What Next for Global Cinema, Politics and Culture? Time: 7pm Venue: Saint Mary's College of California, Soda Center Activity Center, 1928 St. Mary's Rd, Moraga, CA Contact: 925-631-4222

Fri Jan 29 • Sarode Concert with Ben Kunin Venue: Sangati Center, 3049 22nd Street, San Francisco, CA Time: 8pm

Sat Jan 30 • Carnatic Saxophone Concert with Prasant Radhakrishnan Venue: Sangati Center, 3049 22nd Street, San Francisco, California Time: 7:00PM

Sat Jan 30 • Kitty Party Venue: kitty party, Sunnyvale, California Time: 7:30pm to 10pm Contact: 650-669-0281

Sun Jan 31 • Bharatanatyam Dance workshop Venue: PAMPA Dance Academy Studio, 520 Lawrence expressway, Suite 311, Sunnyvale, California Time: 11am to 3:30pm Contact: 408-318-2873

Fri Feb 4 • Young Audiences School Demonstration/Performance Venue: Santa Rita School, 700 Los Altos Avenue, LA, CA Time: 10:30am Contact: (408) 871-5959

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA Upcoming Every 4th Sat every Month • Durga Mata Ka Jagaran Venue: 2335 S. Diamond Bar Boulevard, DBC Center, Diamond Bar, CA Time: 6:30pm Contact: 909-519-1579, 626-810-2345

Every Sat (start from Sat Aug 8) • Gurukul Classes for Children Venue: Sindhu Center, South California Time: 2pm to 4pm Contact: 818-541-1754 & 909-576-1114 Highlights: Children between the ages of 5 and 18. Children will be taught the Fundamentals of Hinduism, Prayers, Shlokas, Bhajans and Values of our culture.

Sat Jan 23 • Life Bliss Program Venue: 23015 Wrencrest Drive, Calabasas, California Time: 9am to 6pm Contact: 818-357-0644

Fri Jan 29 • Biggest Desi Party in Orange Venue: 210 Dance Club, 32124 Paseo Adelanto, Orange County, California Time: 10:30pm Contact: 714-200-9086

Sat Jan 30 • India's Republic Day 2010 Venue: Royal Delhi Palace, 22323 Sherman Way #11, Canoga Park, California Contact: 661-349-3437

Sat Feb 6 • Russell Peters's Stand Up Comedy Show Venue: Nokia Theatre, 777 Chick Hearn Ct, Los Angeles Time: 8pm Contact: (213) 763-6020

Sat Feb 6 • Music Concert with Shujaat Khan & Abhiman Kaushal Venue: Herrick Chapel, Occidental College, Los Angeles Time: 8pm Contact: 626-449-6987

he romantic city of Shillong is one of the important tourist destinations in the northeast. It is often referred to as the “Scotland of the East” due to its striking similarity with the Scottish highlands. The city derives its name from “Leishyllong”-the Superpower or God who is believed to reside on the Shillong peak, overlooking the city. Lying in the cradle of the tall pine conifers and pineapple shrubs, Shillong’s undulating terrain is a constant source of attraction for tourists from both home and abroad. The Khasi, Jaintia and Garo tribes add color to this hilly city. The capital of Meghalaya, Shillong lies on the eastern part of the state. Perched at an altitude of 1,520 meters (4,990 feet) above sea level, the city stretches for about 6 km on an elevated tract. It is situated on a plateau bound on the north by the Umiam gorge, on the northwest by the great mass of the Diengiei Hills that rise up to a height of 1,823 meters (6077 ft.) above sea level, and on the northeast by the hills of the Assam valley. The

India Post

Umshyrpi and the Umkhra rivers, which finally merge and form the Umiam River, water it. Shillong is at distance of 104 km from Guwahati, 295 km from Kaziranga, 578 km from Siliguri and 658 km from Darjeeling. The climate is hot and humid during summers. The monsoons arrive in June and it rains almost until the end of August. It is

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it was chosen as the capital of the new administration. An earthquake destroyed the city in 1897, necessitating its complete rebuilding. In January 1972, Shillong became the capital of the newly formed state of Meghalaya. Tourists attractions Waterfalls: The Crinoline Falls is about

Lying in the cradle of the tall pine conifers and pineapple shrubs, Shillong’s undulating terrain is a constant source of attraction for tourists from both home and abroad. The Khasi, Jaintia and Garo tribes add color to this hilly city quite cold during winters. Shillong was a small village until 1864, when it became the new civil station of the Khasi and Jaintia hills. It remained the summer capital of Eastern Bengal and Assam for many years. In 1874, on the formation of Assam as a Chief Commissioner’s Province,

12-13 m in height and lies to the west of the Survey of India Office. There is a swimming pool at the base of the falls. The Gunner’s Falls 1 is about 24-26 m in height and is near the military establishment on the Upper Shillong road. It is about 1.6 km from the GPO.

January 22, 2010

The Gunner’s Falls 2 lies a km away from the Happy Valley amidst picturesque locales. The Spread Eagle Falls or Sati Falls is located about a mile away from the Polo Ground. It is a famous picnic spot. The Sweet Falls (also called “Weitden,” in the native dialect) is the most beautiful of all the waterfalls in Shillong. It lies about 5 km from the Happy Valley and is about 96 m in height. The Elephant Gait and the Elephant Falls are located near Upper Shillong. These are beautiful sights especially in the rainy season and are favorite picnic spots among the locals. Beyond the Elephant Falls, one can also view the Upper and Lower Elysium Falls. The Beadon Falls lies about 2 km from Bara Bazaar. There is a hydroelectric powerhouse at the base of the falls. The Bishop Falls is also nearby and together they mingle and flow into the Umiam River. Cont’d on page 31

Travel & Hospitality Post

India Post

January 22, 2010

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Luxury tents for Games visitors at Surajkund NEW DELHI: Visitors to the Commonwealth Games in the capital later this year will be able to stay in luxurious tents modeled on those put up during the Pushkar fair at two areas in the National Capital Region. Two places in the NCR -Surajkund in Faridabad and Dondahera near the National HighIf You are looking For the BEST & the MOST AUTHENTIC VEGETARIAN RESTAURANT IN TOWNCome to One and Only One Place

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way-8 -- have got the approval of the Tourism Ministry for setting up luxury tents for visitors to the Games. "We have sanctioned about Rs eight crore as part of the tented accommodation project to Haryana government for developing basic facilities in Dondahera and Surajkund," said a senior Tourism

Ministry official. Earlier, the ministry was planning to have tented accommodation at the Parade Ground in Delhi Cantonment and the Territorial Army Area in Chattarpur. However, permission was not granted by the Defense Ministry, so other options were explored, the official said. While 48 acres of land have been identified at Dondahera near

Two places in the NCR -Surajkund in Faridabad and Dondahera near the National Highway-8 -- have got the approval of the Tourism Ministry for setting up luxury tents for visitors to the Games Delhi-Jaipur highway, about 50 acres of land is being readied at Surajkund for setting up luxury tents. Haryana Tourism Secretary Keshni Anand Arora said, "We have received Central assistance for developing facilities including water and electric connection for the tented accommodation at these two places." Giving details about the project, she said, "There are many reputed players, including ITC, who had set up similar tented accommodation the Pushkar fair and have shown interest in our project. -PTI

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Gujarat to develop Buddhist sites VADODARA: The Gujarat Government will develop historic Buddhist heritage sites in the state to attract tourists from the country and abroad. The sites include the museum in the Department of Archaeology and Ancient History of Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, where a casket containing ashes of Lord Buddha is kept, Tourism and Health Minister Jaynarayan Vyas told PTI in an interview. The state expects tourists and pilgrims from China, Japan, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Bhutan and other parts of the world. "The casket, in which ashes of Lord Buddha were discovered, was excavated from a site in Devnimori near Shamlaji in north Gujarat. R N Mehta and S K Chaudhary, two professors of the Ancient History Department of the university had excavated the site in 1963," Vyas said. -PTI

January 22, 2010

Travel & Hospitality Post www.indiapost.com

Shillong: Scotland of the East Cont’d from page 29

Peaks: Shillong Peak, the highest point of Shillong, is located 5 km to the south of the city and is 1961 meters (6,433 feet) in altitude. Being the highest peak in the district, it is often surrounded with fog. The Sohpetbneng Peak is 1343 m in altitude and is regarded as sacred by the Hynfiiewtrep tribe. It is a picturesque location. The Dingei Hill is situated near the Umiam stream. Two paths lead to this hill from Shillong. One is the narrow tract that leads straight to the gorge through Umiyangka village. The Dumpeep Peak is the highest in Swer and is 5100 feet above sea level. The Kyllang rock lies 78 km from Shillong. The rock is a steep bare cliff of granite, 200 m in height and rises abruptly from plain grassy downs. Lakes: The Ward Lake is an important tourist site of Shillong. It is a horseshoe-shaped artificial lake lying beneath the Raj Bhavan (Governor’s Residence) and the Accountant General’s (AG) Office, with little isles and a bridge over it. The lake abounds in fish (grass carps) and feeding the fish from the bridge is a favorite pastime of the tourists. Seventeen kilometers before Shillong is situated Umiam or Barapani-a large lake formed after a hydroelectric dam was built across a stream. In recent years,

this has become an increasingly popular place for outings and weekend visits. The Orchid Lake Resort, designed by the famous architect Charles Correa, and constructed amongst pinewood, overlooks the lake. Other attractions: The State Museum is located at the State Central Library complex in

The Ward Lake is an important tourist site of Shillong. It is a horseshoe-shaped artificial lake lying beneath the Raj Bhavan (Governor’s Residence) and the Accountant General’s (AG) Office, with little isles and a bridge over it. The lake abounds in fish (grass carps) and feeding the fish from the bridge is a favorite pastime of the tourists Laichumiere and visitors can catch a glimpse of the heritage and lifestyle of the Khasi tribe here. The Butterfly Museum at Riatsamthiah holds a rare collection of butterflies and moths. In front of St. Edmund’s College, one can visit the fruit garden, maintained by the Department of Agriculture. During

spring, one can see the trees in full bloom. There are many reservoirs filled with natural spring water that have the dual purpose of watering the gardens and functioning as a nursery-known as “Fishdale”-for the raising and breeding of fish, notably hill-trout and carps. Shillong is also famous for its churches. The most beautiful church is that of the Cathedral of Mary Help of Christians. Directly below the hill is the Grotto Church. The All Saints Church opposite the State Central Library is an attractive structure made out of wood. Fairs & Festivals: The festivals vary according to the tribes. Christmas, Easter, Good Friday and the New Year Day celebrations are the most important. Ka Pomblang Nongkrem, or the Nongkrem dance, is one of the most important Khasi festivals. Shad Sukmynsiem is another important festival of the Khasis. Behdiengkhlam, the festival of the Jaintias, is celebrated in July. Wangala is the festival of the Garos and is dedicated to the Sun God. How to reach Air - The nearest airport and railhead is Guwahati in Assam. Road - The Guwahati-Shillong Road connects the two cities. Pineapple plantations and pine trees on both sides line the road. There are buses every half an hour to Guwahati. Best time to visit October-November and March-April

India Post

Travel & Hospitality Post

January 22, 2010

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SITA awarded Green Globe Certification India Post News Service

LOS ANGELES: Recognizing the Tour Operator's commitment to operating at the world's highest environmental standards, SITA World Tours (www.sitatours.com), based in Los Angeles, California has received the prestigious Green Globe Certification award. Having cleared a stringent process and third party verification, the company's Chairman & CEO states, "We are very proud to have this certification issued to us, as it is an important testament to what is good for our guests, staff and the many countries we operate in." Adding to that, Laudie Hanou, the company's Vice President noted that "It was well worth the effort and changes required by our staff. We are excited about continuing to seek out new and innovative ways to continue as an environmentally responsible company." With over seven decades of experience as a tour operator, SITA World Tours provides luxurious and customized programs to destinations worldwide. SITA's

(Left to right) SITA's President Mok Singh; CEO of Green Globe Certification Guido Bauer and SITA's CEO/Chairman Roger Mahal.

myriad of exotic itineraries take travelers to India, Africa & the

Mediterranean, Asia and South America.

Replica of Eiffel Tower in Puducherry PUDUCHERRY: A replica of one of France's famous landmarks, Eiffel Tower, is coming up at Yanam, an enclave of erstwhile French colony Puducherry in Andhra Pradesh. Construction of the Rs 25-crore replica, which will stand 101 meters tall (a little over 330 ft) at Giriyampetta in Yanam is part of the Puducherry government's efforts to promote tourism and strengthen its French connection. Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) has sponsored the project, which is expected to be completed by October this year on the site provided by the Puducherry Administration. Sources at RIL, which has taken up the project under its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) program, told PTI that the structure would stand amidst a lush green park and attractive landscape which would attract more tourists. Two phases of the structure including laying of pile foundation to a depth of some 57 feet had been completed. The replica would have, among others, a two-storeyed building

with a circular multi-cuisine restaurant and a gallery to view the natural environ. Tourists can use an elevator to reach the viewing gallery from the basement. But they would be permitted only till the viewing gallery, situated at a height of 50 feet for safety reasons, RIL sources said. Tourists would be able to see through telescopes from the gallery the scenic beauty of river Godavari, the confluence of the river and the Bay of Bengal, and also coconut groves in Konaseema island, they said. The remaining phases -- III and IV -- would be completed soon and it would be thrown open to tourists by October this year, officials said. On completion of work, RIL would hand over the structure, which could, perhaps, be the tallest replica, to the Puducherry Tourism Department at whose request the whole scheme was conceptualized and work taken up, they said. The Eiffel Tower, one of the most visited monuments in Paris, is 1,063-feet high. -PTI

Karnataka to roll out caravan tourism BANGALORE: Karnataka Government is mulling caravan tourism that would enable tourists visit forest and other remote areas where hotel accommodation is a major hurdle. The caravan would provide basic amenities like beds, toilet, microwave, TV and refrigerator, Department of Tourism Director K Viswanatha Reddy told reporters on the sidelines of a FICCI meeting on hotel infrastructure investment here. The government would welcome private partners to operate caravans. "To start with, we are looking at operating 10 caravans," he said adding that the government on its part would provide the parking zone after ensuring due clearance from various bodies including the forest department. The investment for each caravan would depend on the size, it could start from Rs 67 lakh and go up to Rs one crore. No route had been identified and the government would wait for a feedback from private partners to identify the parking zones. He said government had also taken up promotion of "heli-tourism" using choppers, covering heritage, coastal, pilgrim and Malnad circuits. "We will shortly finalize bids for it," he said. To improve air connectivity, six more airports and 23 helipads were under construction, Reddy said.

The government also plans to encourage cruise tourism. It was looking at two cruises from Mangalore to Karwar covering places like Udupi, Kundapur, Murdeshwar and anchor cruises on high seas off Karwar.

The investment for each caravan would depend on the size, it could start from Rs 6-7 lakh and go up to Rs one crore. No route had been identified and the government would wait for a feedback from private partners to identify the parking zones He said a green police exclusively dedicated to providing security to tourists had been formed, with the personnel drawn from homeguards and ex-servicemen. The force would be deployed in 36 tourist destinations, he said. -PTI

PREM KISHORE

he Grace of Four Moons is an exploratory study , a lavish and exuberant tribute to dress adornment and the art of the body in modern India. The product of a scholar's eye and a sociologist's mind, this is an important pioneering book of 498 glossy pages which reveals the significance of visual communication, a coded language that helps one to understand religions, culture and the extraordinary clothing decisions made by women of India. "Part of what clothing does, is mark the boundaries and accentuates them. When you dress in a certain way, you're communicating that to the outside world," says author, Pravina Shukla, an associate professor of folklore and ethnomusicology at Indiana University as she documents with meticulousness and detail ,the male realms of production and commerce, the weavers, merchants, goldsmiths and the individual woman who adorns herself. The daily routine of order and ornamentation in the home, rites of passage, are daily celebratory events for women ,while there is not much specialized clothing to designate the stages of a man's life. There is a marked change in dress in the lifecycle of an Indian woman, according to the social critic Vrinda Nabar whom Shukla quotes. Girl, adolescent, wife, daughter in law, mother in law, married yet un-widowed and finally widow. The changes are marked by bodily decoration. Wedding jewelry worn before, during and after dominates a woman's life. Certain types of jewels have an auspicious meaning and are worn at important religious ceremonies. She interviews with a rare intimacy the female aspects of ornamentation before and after a wedding Married women wear 'compulsory" wifely items of jewelry to ensure that no harm will befall the husband. Most widows abstain from bright colors and all types of jewelry and even do away with the red bindi on the forehead. For ten years, Shukla interacted and studied different social, economic classes, different genders, castes and religions. She draws attention to the fact that no matter what strata of life a woman belongs to, body art and dress is essential and important to a woman. Instead of being a dull, factual book Shukla makes it large, swirling and entertaining as we listen into her thought provoking conversations with the people and we are startled at the many illuminating takes of 21st century Indian women who are evaluated by social dynamics and aesthetic complexities. Shukla has an insatiable appetite for exploration and in her book she deepens the experience of her study with quotes, and stories. We are not intruders but share this understanding of people, places and a country. Shukla is amazed in the course of her documentation how women are able to express themselves to accomplish their lives in spite of hardships. The book is a stunning work and in the introduction, Shukla writes "What amazes me is how women are able to express themselves, to accomplish their lives in spite of the hardships." Most of the fieldwork is in Benares, (Varanasi) where her family lives. Benares has long been the center of pink

India Post

enameling(gulabi mina), exquisite gold brocaded saris and jewelry. The population is 60 percent Hindu and 40 percent Muslim. Shukla focuses on the fact that it is a center for Muslim" kundan" jewelry making. The weavers are Muslim in this holiest of Hindu cities. Two hundred thousand Muslim weavers according to an estimate by weaver Shameem Akhatar Ansari work here. Most of them are men and yet they coexist with Hindus at times with tension among

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for all the varieties of ornaments, defined by shape, size and location of the body. Again, Shukla argues that adornment -what appears to be oppressive tradition "is in reality a powerful vehicle of self-realization, at once subtle and firm. By adorning the body with clothes and jewels, the Indian woman gains self esteem, love, happiness and a psychologically enabling perception of power." Getting dressed requires a complex series of choices. The audience for a woman is large.

Language of clothing

January 22, 2010

true nature? What does she feel? What family does she come from? Is she educated? What is her lifestyle? Is she educated? And this is how people connect when they meet by looking at clothes and ornamentation. Other fascinating chapters tell us of sarees, the various styles of wearing it, the process of shopping, the design , quality, the methods of weaving, the workshops, the sales strategies, artisans, craftsmen in the jewelry trade, the spontaneous collaboration between the craftsmen, and more. India has certainly provided a rich database for a study of the lively and complex tradition of contemporary body art for Shukla. I end with a few lines from her book "Small daily acts of self-adornment fill with volition and meaning. They employ the language of a shared culture and system of aesthetics to produce a self-conscious communication of the self."

Exploring dress sense of the Indian woman Shukla argues that adornment what appears to be oppressive tradition â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;is in reality a powerful vehicle of self-realization, at once subtle and firm. By adorning the body with clothes and jewels, the Indian woman gains self esteem, love, happiness and a psychologically enabling perception of powerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Her family, friends, people outside the home and this would include the shopkeepers, vegetable sellers, and servants. Communication of religion through clothing classifies people. Trained eyes of the beholder categorizes. For example, Mathuri whom Shukla interviews. When Mathuri sees a woman these are her questions. .Is she dressed according to her the rituals, incense, death, casteism prayer and abstinence. A Hindu woman , says Shukla wears clothing made by men, a lot of them Muslim. The question is - Is she truly representing herself? The five part book begins with reminding us that adornments plays a critical role in communications and symbolically integral to the lives of Indian people. Indeed, the spectrum of adornment makes instant identification possible. And body art, a personal expression is like a vast data base easily accessible not stored in the archives. It is visually available to sight communicating, religious, social, caste and economic status in the teeming streets of India. The Hindi language, itself Shukla says contains almost one hundred different terms

CELEBRATING LOHRI: Preity Zinta and Cherie Blair celebrating Lohri, the harvest festival with widows in New Delhi. The actress and the wife of the former British Prime Minister are both members of the Loomba Trust, which works to help widows across the globe

Pravina Shukla

And the title? The Grace of Four Moons? When a woman adds a bindi to her forehead, she increases her beauty fourfold, adding the grace of four moons ( char chand) to her face.

January 22, 2010

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In Brief Immigration policy case headed to Neb. high court OMAHA, Neb.: Attorneys for a Nebraska city will take their arguments to the state's high court in hopes of defeating a proposal to control illegal immigration. The Nebraska Supreme Court will hear arguments in an appeal filed by the city of Fremont. The city wants to overturn a Dodge County district judge's ruling. Judge John Samson said last April that he couldn't stop a special election on a proposal to ban renting to and hiring illegal immigrants within city limits. Residents collected enough signatures to put the proposal on the ballot after the City Council rejected a similar policy. -AP

Immigrants in sweep said to be stadium shovelers FOXBOROUGH, Mass.: Gillette Stadium has canceled a contract with a vendor whose workers were detained by federal immigration authorities while on their way to shovel snow before the New England Patriots playoff game. A Guatemalan official says dozens of immigrants were pulled over in Massachusetts during a search for fugitives from deportation. Patriots spokesman Stacey James told The Associated Press that the stadium had ended its contract with the vendor for failing to live up to its contract. He said it was the responsibility of the vendor to vet its employees. He would not identify the vendor. -AP

Immigration 36

India Post

January 22, 2010

www.indiapost.com

Plan for immigration jail in Yakima irks locals YAKIMA, Wash.: The federal government's plan for a new immigration detention facility in Yakima is not being welcomed by local residents. Details on page 38

New airport security screenings cause concern SRIREKHA N. CHAKRAVARTY India Post News Service

NEW YORK: Organizations that work closely with Muslim, Sikh, and South Asian communities, expressed serious concerns regarding the new screening standards announced by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). "We believe that these standards, made effective on January 4, will lead to the racial and religious profiling of airline passengers from certain countries and religious faiths," they said in a joint statement. According to information currently known about the new standards, all passengers traveling to the United States from 14 countries will be subject to heightened security screenings, including fullbody pat-downs and luggage searches. These countries include Afghanistan, Algeria, Cuba, Iraq, Iran, Lebanon, Libya, Nigeria, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Somalia,

Sudan, Syria, and Yemen. "The new standards will undoubtedly lead to the targeting of passengers from Muslim-majority countries. Rather than developing more effective policies that focus on behavior, the new standards categorically target individuals for additional scrutiny based upon

communities have endured since September 11, 2001," the statement said. "In developing and implementing policies aimed at protecting the country's safety, we urge TSA, the Department of Homeland Security, and the Administration not to rely upon profiling tactics." Organizations endorsing this

United Sikhs says it has received more reports of Sikhs, American citizens, who have been subjected to detainment and questioning, when traveling domestically or entering from Canada and European countries ethnicity, religion, and country of origin. Moreover, the measures promote existing misperceptions about these communities as threats to security and harm the U.S. government's reputation, both domestically and abroad, towards ensuring civil rights and equality. These standards continue a pattern of profiling that our

statement include Chhaya CDC, Coney Island Avenue Project, Maitri, Shakti Peer Group, The Sikh Coalition, South Asian Americans Leading Together (SAALT), South Asian Network, United Sikhs. Meanwhile, Sikhs are facing unwarranted attention at airports while traveling, with an increase of reports of harassment at border entry

points and during airport screening, says a statement from the Sikh advocacy group, United Sikhs. United Sikhs says it has received more reports of Sikhs, American citizens, who have been subjected to detainment and questioning, when traveling domestically or entering from Canada and European countries. "We are filing complaints on behalf of these individuals with government agencies as they occur," said the statement urging affected Sikhs to submit their complaints to the organization. While many Sikh travelers already face "discretionary" screening of their turbans, as "bulky clothing," 100% of the time at certain airports, the new screening standards inclusion of Pakistan as a country that mandates additional screening puts all Sikhs who have visited Pakistan under special scrutiny. Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d on page 38

Naturalization applications filing address changed CYRUS D. MEHTA

City could be poised to tackle immigration LEWISVILLE, Texas: Another Dallas area city may soon be grappling with the issue of immigration. The Lewisville City Council next month will discuss requiring city contractors to ensure that their employees are working legally in the country, The Dallas Morning News reported. John Gorena, an opponent of illegal immigration who narrowly won a seat on the council last year, wants the city to expand its use of E-Verify, a federally maintained electronic database system used by the government for large contracts. His proposal is modeled after a program in Mission Viejo, Calif., which became one of the first in the nation to require contractors to check the immigration status of their workers with the government verification system. -AP

.S. Citizenship and Immigration Ser vices (USCIS) an nounced on December 17, 2009, revised addresses for applicants filing an Application for Naturalization (Form N400) at USCIS Lockbox facilities in Phoenix and Dallas. The filing address change took effect immediately. Applicants who previously filed their applications at the Lewisville Post Office (P.O.) Box will now file their applications at a P.O. Box in Dallas. In addition, USCIS noted a change to the USCIS Phoenix Lockbox address. Starting immediately, applicants filing an N-400 at the USCIS Dallas or Phoenix Lockbox must submit the application and all supporting documents and fees to the new addresses, based on where they live. The new addresses are available at the link below.

The U.S. Postal Service forwarded mail from the Lewisville Post Office to the new post office in Dallas until December 31, 2009. After that date, USCIS noted, the Postal Service will forward the mail through normal channels, "which will likely delay receipt at the Dallas Lockbox facility."

Lockbox facility may elect to receive an e-mail and/or text message notification that the application has been accepted. The applicant must complete an E-Notification of Application/Petition Acceptance (Form G-1145), and attach it to the first page of the application. The N-400 form instructions

Starting immediately, applicants filing an N-400 at the USCIS Dallas or Phoenix Lockbox must submit the application and all supporting documents and fees to the new addresses Applicants filing an N-400 under military provisions (Section 328 or 329), should file their application at the Nebraska Service Center, P.O. Box 87426, Lincoln, NE 68501-7426, regardless of where the applicant lives. This includes current military spouses regardless of geographic location or jurisdiction. Those filing an N-400 at a USCIS

have been updated to reflect the new filing locations. The new addresses are available at http:// www.uscis.gov/portal/site/uscis/ m e n u i t e m . 5 a f 9 b b 95919f35e66f614176543f6d1a/ ?vgnextoid=91cc1c5944e95210 V g n V C M 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 82ca60aRCRD&vgnextchannel=6 8439c7755cb9010VgnV CM10000045f3d6a1RCRD.

Did USCIS Immediately Deny Your Adjustment of Status Application Following a Change of Employment? The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) ombudsman's office reported that it has received reports of the agency not issuing Notices of Intent to Deny following a change of jobs, as required by the American Competitiveness in the 21st Century Act (AC21) and USCIS policy guidance, but instead is immediately denying pending Form I-485 (Application to Register Permanent Residence or Adjust Status) applications. If a foreign national is (1) the beneficiary of an approved Form I-140 (Petition for Immigrant Worker); and (2) has an I-485 pending for 180 days or more, the ombudsman notes, he or she is eligible to change to a same or similar position. Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d on page 37

January 22, 2010

Immigration Post

India Post

www.indiapost.com

India clarifies new tourist visa rules NEW YORK: In view of the continued confusion among travelers to India with regard to the country's new tourist visa rules, issued last month in an attempt to curb terrorist movements, the Government of India has clarified

Naturalization applications filing address changed Cont’d from page 36

If the underlying approved I140 is withdrawn, and no evidence of a new qualifying offer of employment was submitted, then USCIS must issue a Notice of Intent to Deny the pending I-485. However, the ombudsman understands that USCIS may deny the I-485 in cases of portability (the ability to change jobs) before first issuing a Notice of Intent to Deny in certain limited circumstances. These include, for example, where the beneficiary is ineligible for the benefits of the I485 by statute, or the I-140 is withdrawn before the I-485 was pending for 180 days. USCIS's ombudsman asks that those who think their cases may have been denied erroneously to forward the ombudsman a case problem using Department of Homeland Security Form 7001 (http://www.dhs.gov/files/programs/editorial_0497.shtm) with the subject line, "AC21 Evidence of Immediate Denial." The complainant should include a copy of the denial notice, detailed information on the reasons for the immediate denial and, if appropriate, evidence that a Motion to Reopen or Reconsider was submitted. If the ombudsman's office considers the case to be an erroneous denial, it will forward the case directly to USCIS for further review. For more information, see http:/ /www.dhs.gov/xabout/structure/ gc_1221837986181.shtm#2. * Cyrus D Mehta, may be contacted at 212-425-0555 or info@cyrusmehta.com

that the two month gap between India plan to visit another counvisits to India will remain un- try and re-enter India before fichanged. nally exiting, may be permitted According to the Indian gov- two or three entries, as the case ernment, these strict measures may be, by the Indian Missions/ have been introduced to curb Posts, subject to their submismisuse of tourist visas in India. sion of a detailed itinerary and The two months gap is applicable supporting documentation only to Tourist Visa holders and (ticket bookings). not to PIO/OCI card holders and The Immigration authorities foreigners holding business, em- in all the Immigration Check ployment, student and other cat- Posts in India have also been egories of visa. India's Ministry of Home Affairs The Immigration authorities in all has confirmed the Immigration Check Posts in that the new rule will apply to all India have also been authorized categories of tour- to allow tourists to make two or ist visas, not just long term five and three entries, as the case may 10 year tourist vi- be, based on production of an sas. In response to itinerary and documentation a question on the new guidelines on long-term authorized to allow tourists to tourist visas the official spokes- make two or three entries, as the person said, "According to the case may be, based on producnew guidelines on Tourist Visa tion of an itinerary and docuissued on 4th November, 2009, a mentation (ticket bookings) two month gap between two vis- substantiating the need for its is mandatory for foreigners tourism related travel". holding long term multi entry The new regulations also reTourist Visas. quire frequent applications for To facilitate bonafide tour- tourist visas, within one month ists, it has since been decided of visa expiry, to be referred to that foreigners holding Tourist the Ministry of Home Affairs for Visas, who after initial entry into clearance.

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January 22, 2010

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Plan for immigration jail in Yakima irks locals Affidavit of Support Adjustment of Status ALL IMMIGRATION FORMALITIES U.S. CITIZENSHIP/GREEN CARD

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YAKIMA, Wash.: The federal government's plan for a new immigration detention facility in Yakima is not being welcomed by local residents. The Yakima Herald-Republic reports that US Immigration and Customs Enforcement is considering building a new facility in an industrial sector of Yakima. The new detention facility on a 4.3-acre site would have guardhouses and four holding cells for detainees being held temporarily. But local residents say that the new facility would create increased traffic to an area heavily used by trucks, and the idea of people being held in cells is not sitting well. ``I call it a prison,'' said Neill Hauff, who owns a company located near the spot of the proposed

new facility. Hauff, who owns a company that that makes wind machines and orchard sprayers, said he's concerned about having a deten-

ICE spokeswoman Lorie Dankers described the facility as an office building and temporary holding facility tion facility near the Carpenters Training Center, a place where high school students learn a construction technology program.

The plan is under review by the city of Yakima. The city sent property owners near the proposed site a letter stating that the facility would see 41 people either ``reside or work'' at the nearly 24,000square-foot building. ICE spokeswoman Lorie Dankers described the facility as an office building and temporary holding facility. ``There's no capacity or interest in holding anyone there for any period of time,'' she said this week. But Hauff's main concern is that the new building will add more vehicle and pedestrian traffic. He points out that plans call for bus stops and sidewalks on streets often used by trucks to haul products and materials. -AP

New airport security screenings cause concern Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d from page 36

Certain Sikhs have complained of being unlawfully placed on watch lists, for no apparent reason, and also have complained that they are detained on multiple occasions for two to four hours upon entry into the USA, despite being American Citizens, and being cleared for entry every time. The new screening standards create an entirely new problem of profiling on the basis of country of origin, instead of using behavior or better intelligence sharing as a method to promote security, to the benefit of all Americans, the organization states. Pakistan was the birthplace of Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism. With half of Sikh histori-

cal Gurdwaras (places of worship) located in Pakistan, many American Sikhs and Sikhs from throughout the world travel to Pakistan for religious purposes. Additionally, due to the current humanitarian crisis in Pakistan, many organizations are working in the South Asian country to provide humanitarian relief to the civilian families suffering due to the ongoing war on terrorism. The current practices of the Border Security and TSA officials have shown that Sikhs who have visited Pakistan are now being subjected to additional scrutiny. This creates a problem for Sikhs who want to visit Pakistan for religious reasons, and also discourages volunteers, Sikh and non-

Sikh, from lending a helping hand to civilians in Pakistan who have lost their homes and means of livelihood due to the war, it says. Commenting on the situation, Jaspreet Singh, United Sikhs Staff Attorney stated, "United Sikhs is highly concerned about the safety of fellow Americans and supports the Government's efforts to make this country and the world a peaceful place to live. However, people are continuously singled out based on country of origin, race, and religion, rather than behavior or better intelligence sharing. Furthermore, we've seen little ability to effectively redress civil rights complaints resulting from these ineffective policies."

Sports Track Ponting named best batsman of the decade MUMBAI: Australia captain Ricky Ponting has been chosen as the "ESPN Cricinfo Player of the Decade for the 2000s" by a 38strong panel of experts, including current and former players. Ponting beat back the challenge of other current greats of the game including senior Indian batsman Sachin Tendulkar, who is placed sixth in the list. Sitting at the top, the Australian fetched highest 60 points, 23 more than the second placed Protea all-rounder Jacques Kallis (37) who was followed by Ponting's compatriot Adam Gilchrist (29). Over the past decade, Ponting has scored more runs and centuries in both forms of the game than any other batsman and is the only player to go past the 9000-mark in both forms. -PTI

Dhoni hits back at Chappell on bowlers MIRPUR: India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni has hit out at former Australia skipper Ian Chappell for his comments that India do not have champion bowlers to sustain their Test number one status. Talking to reporters after the team lost the tri-series final against Sri Lanka last night, Dhoni defended his bowlers and said Chappell was unnecessarily harsh in his judgment. "It is not a fair statement. I agree that our bowlers are struggling now. But we have become the Test number one also because of the bowlers and not only due to our batting," Dhoni said. -PTI

SPORTS 39 India Post

www.indiapost.com

January 22, 2010

Dish Network Cricket Camp takes off in Bay Area India Post News service

NEW YORK: If the enthusiasm of lads like 14 year old Keshav Tirumurti is any indication, the Dish Network Cricket Camp 2009 in San Jose has been just the kind of training that aspiring cricketers in the region have been waiting for. The camp, organized by DreamCricket Academy in partnership with leagues in the Bay Area, is the first of its kind in California. International Coach Ian Pont uses special ABSAT techniques to help the boys harness their full potential by improving strength and accuracy. By using a combination of drills, biomechanics and video analysis, Coach Pont enables cricketers to expand their ammunition vastly. A certified international cricket coach, Ian worked with Essex in United Kingdom for 3 years as the club's bowling coach. He was also Assistant Head Coach to The Netherlands, helping take the Dutch to the 2007 ICC World Cup in the West Indies. Ian is currently the Head Coach to the International Cricket Camp, Potchefstroom, South Africa,

explained Coach Pont. "There is clearly decent talent here crying out for expert guidance and I hope this can be the first of many such events. It's really heartening to find cricket alive and well in California."

ance of his mentor Ian Pont. Two boys, Gauranshu Sharma and Karteek Kankanala, who received training from Coach Pont just completed a tour in India at the invitation of Gujarat Cricket Association.

By using a combination of drills, biomechanics and video analysis, Coach Pont enables cricketers to expand their ammunition vastly "The advantages in training with a world-class coach are not only in learning advanced skills but also in serving as an eye opener in regards to the opportunities that lie ahead," Bayya said, adding that

Mayawati to give Rs 5 crore to hockey team LUCKNOW: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati has announced a financial assistance of five crore rupees for the national hockey players and also offered to sponsor the team for the next two years. Annoyed by the official apathy, the hockey players had pulled out of the World Cup preparatory camp before reaching an agreement with the Hockey India. "The state government is also ready to sponsor the hockey team for the next two years with an objective of supporting the team and its players," Mayawati said in a statement here after making the announcement about the financial assistance. -PTI

Sri Lankan Captain Kumar Sangakkara holds up the Champion Trophy offered by Bangladesh Cricket Board President A.H. M Mostofa Kamal (1st L) after the final the match against India in the Tri-Nations tournament one day international at The Sher-e Bangla National Stadium in Dhaka on January 13

The Dish Network Cricket Camp, divided into two categories - Under15 and senior cricketers, was held at the MVP Arena in San Jose between December 28th, 2009 and January 3rd, 2010. The camp attracted more than 25 cricketers who aspire to play professionally. Several youngsters also signed up

for the 1-to-1 sessions with the Coach. The private sessions focused on enhancing the specific skills of the individuals. Added a parent whose kid attended the pace bowling camp thought the "singular focus on bowling has been a good change. For one, we get some batting help from other coaches, but lack someone who can find specific flaws and suggest a change. In future I am hoping that Ian can also offer a batting course. I found his way of teaching shots to be very good with the kids in NJ." The cost of conducting the camp was subsidized by a title sponsorship by Dish Network, which demonstrates the company's support of grassroots efforts to develop the game in the US.

Sania Mirza to quit tennis after marriage

which features world-class coaches like Corrie Van Zyl, Gary Kirsten, Graeme Pollock and Jimmy Cook. "It's important that local cricketers can get development coaching to help them improve. Thanks to Dish Networks and DreamCricket.com we have been able to deliver something truly worthwhile in the Bay area, which I hope those who attended will remember for a long time to come."

Ian Pont is always on the lookout for new talent at his camps. DreamCricket Academy players Rushi Amin and Nomi Iftikar were spotted by Ian from Summer Camp 2008 and were offered a chance to play in cricket in England. Another DreamCricket Academy youngster Cameron Mirza has received a Gray Nicolls equipment sponsorship, and has played overseas under the careful guid-

NEW DELHI: India's most successful female tennis player Sania Mirza has revealed that she will hang up her racquet after getting married. Sania, who got engaged to childhood friend Sohrab Mirza in July 2009, did not elaborate when she plans to marry but said she will bid adieu to the game after tying the nuptial knot. "As of now, I don't intend to play professionally after marriage but that is still some time away," Sania told PTI. Before getting engaged to the Indian tennis diva, Sohrab had said that Sania will have complete freedom in making her career decisions.

"She has my complete support and backing in whatever she wishes. It is completely her decision for how long she wishes to play," Sohrab had told PTI in June. So when asked if it was purely her decision to quit the game after marriage, Sania's father Imran Mirza said, "It's her decision for now. If later she decides to play after marriage, it's her choice." Ever since turning pro in 2003, Sania has been the face of Indian tennis on the WTA circuit. She also became India's first female Grand Slam winner when she won the Australian Open mixed doubles title with compatriot Mahesh Bhupathi last year. -PTI

Â&#x201E; Health

Line

Louisville hospital ends child heart transplants

LOUISVILLE, Ky.: Kosair Children's Hospital, which performed the nation's second successful heart transplant on an infant 24 years ago, will no longer perform such surgeries. The Courier-Journal reported that hospital officials said they decided to stop performing pediatric heart transplants due to low patient volume, but the hospital also had two infants die after the operation last year and there was a change in the program's leadership. The hospital has now become ``inactive'' for pediatric heart transplants in the United Network for Organ Sharing, which oversees transplants. ``The main reason (for becoming inactive) was that it still was a relatively low-volume program,'' said Dr. Mark Slaughter, a University of Louisville professor of surgery and chief of the division of thoracic and cardiovascular and surgery. -AP

Â&#x201E; Va. nursing shortage may be less than expected RICHMOND, Va.: Virginia's nursing shortage over the next decade may not be as bad as anticipated, according to a state study. The Virginia Department of Health Professions recently released a study showing many registered nurses in Virginia plan to remain in the profession longer than anticipated due to the economic downturn. A shortage of between 10,000 and 12,000 registered nurses is expected in the next 10 years, said department Director Sandra Whitley Ryals. But that's down from a 2007 state report that predicted a shortage of 22,600 nurses. The recession has forced many registered nurses to delay retirement, others are re-entering the work force and the number of nursing graduates has dramatically increased over the past four years, Ryals said. -AP

Health Science 40

India Post

www.indiapost.com

January 22, 2010

Health officer says swine flu cases declining CHARLESTON, W.Va.: The head of the Kanawha-Charleston health department says swine flu cases have been steadily declining in the area since hitting a peak in October. -AP

Youth now have more mental health issues, study says CHICAGO: A new study has found that five times as many high school and college students are dealing with anxiety and other mental health issues than youth of the same age who were studied in the Great Depression era. The findings, culled from responses to a popular psychological questionnaire used as far back as 1938, confirm what counselors on campuses nationwide have long suspected as more students struggle with the stresses of school and life in general. ``It's another piece of the puzzle that yes, this does seem to be a problem, that there are more young people who report anxiety and depression,'' says Jean Twenge, a San Diego State University psychology professor and the study's lead author. ``The next question is: what do we do about it?'' Though the study does not provide a definitive correlation, Twenge and mental health professionals speculate that a popular culture increasingly focused on the external -from wealth to looks

and status - has contributed to the uptick in mental health issues. Pulling together the data for the study was no small task. Led by Twenge, researchers at five universities analyzed the responses of 77,576 high school or college students who, from 1938 through 2007, took the Minnesota

ety and unrealistic optimism (from 5 percent of students in 1938 to 31 percent in 2007) and depression (from 1 percent to 6 percent). Twenge said the most current numbers may even be low given all the students taking antidepressants and other psychotropic medications, which help alleviate

Twenge and mental health professionals speculate that a popular culture increasingly focused on the external -from wealth to looks and status - has contributed to the uptick in mental health issues Multiphasic Personality Inventory, or MMPI. The results will be published in a future issue of the Clinical Psychology Review. Overall, an average of five times as many students in 2007 surpassed thresholds in one or more mental health categories, compared with those who did so in 1938. A few individual categories increased at an even greater rate with six times as many scoring high in two areas: "hypomania,'' a measure of anxi-

symptoms the survey asks about. The study also showed increases in ``psychopathic deviation,'' which is loosely related to psychopathic behavior in a much milder form and is defined as having trouble with authority and feeling as though the rules don't apply to you. The percentage of young people who scored high in that category increased from 5 percent in 1938 to 24 percent in 2007. Twenge previously documented

the influence of pop culture pressures on young people's mental health in her 2006 book ``Generation Me: Why Today's Young Americans Are More Confident, Assertive, Entitled _ and More Miserable Than Ever Before.'' Several studies also have captured the growing interest in being rich, with 77 percent of those questioned for UCLA's 2008 national survey of college freshmen saying it was ``essential'' or ``very important'' to be financially well off. Experts say such high expectations are a recipe for disappointment. Meanwhile, they also note some well-meaning but overprotective parents have left their children with few real-world coping skills, whether that means doing their own budget or confronting professors on their own. ``If you don't have these skills, then it's very normal to become anxious,'' says Dr. Elizabeth Alderman, an adolescent medicine specialist at Montefiore Medical Center in New York City who hopes the new study will be a wake-up call to those parents. -AP

NYC asks food manufacturers to cut salt content NEW YORK: New York City health officials have battled trans fat and high-calorie fast food. Now, they're taking on salt. The health department planned to release draft guidelines suggesting the maximum amount of salt that should be in a wide variety of manufactured and packaged foods.

New York City's program is modeled in part after a similar initiative in the United Kingdom that has been under way since 2003. The recommendations call for sizable reductions in the sodium content of many products, from a 20 percent drop in peanut butter to a 40 percent decline in the salt content of canned vegetables. Unlike the city's recent ban on trans fat in restaurant food or rules implemented last year requiring chain restaurants to post calorie information on their menus, this initiative is purely voluntary. But even though there will be no penalties for companies that ignore the guidelines, health officials say they think some manufacturers may be motivated to make changes. ``They all fully recognize that sodium is a major health problem that they need to address,'' said the city's health commissioner, Dr. Thomas Farley. Seventeen national health or-

ganizations and 25 other city or state health agencies have joined with New York City in the effort, called the National Salt Reduction Initiative. It aims to reduce the average American's salt intake by 20 percent in five years.

The city isn't suggesting that all products be less salty there's no call for a ban on New York's beloved salt bagels Everyone needs some salt in his or her diet, but experts say Americans now eat about twice as much as they should. That can lead to problems including high blood pressure and an increased risk of heart attack and stroke. The guidelines suggest that manufacturers lower salt content gradually over several years so

consumers won't notice, and they aren't asking for big changes in every category. For example, under the city's standards, by 2014 no restaurant hamburger should contain more than 1,200 milligrams of salt. Nearly every burger sold by McDonald's already meets that guideline, although there are exceptions like the double quarter pounder with cheese, which has 1,380 milligrams of salt. The city isn't suggesting that all products be less salty there's no call for a ban on New York's beloved salt bagels. Instead, Farley said, the city's recommendations are intended to encourage companies to cut salt where it isn't needed or just give consumers more low-salt options. He said he's sure some processedfood manufacturers can cut salt content without making their products less tasty. ``We think people won't notice,'' he said. -AP

Health Science Post

January 22, 2010

India Post

www.indiapost.com

Phoenix breast center designed around patients PHOENIX: Voluntarily getting your breasts squished is not fun. The new John C. Lincoln Breast Health and Research Center tries to ease the mammography experience with comfortable amenities. The ambient music is soothing, and the fluffy white robes are a nice touch. Everything from the calm voice while you're on hold when calling the center to the lovely chandeliers is meant to be relaxing and reassuring. But somewhere between the plump pink pillows in the waiting room and the stark X-rays glowing on the screen, every woman will feel that gnawing worry: What if they find something? All it takes is one brusque response or 20 minutes being ignored and freezing on a table and a woman's terror will metastasize faster than any cancer cell. That's why the most important aspect of the new center is not the decor or the technology. It's time. The center aims to reduce the amount of time that women spend worrying. The center has two radiologists on staff who are specialists in

breast images. Women who get typical screening mammograms all of which are digital _ know the results within 24 hours. If the radiologist finds something of concern, a follow-up diagnostic mammogram is scheduled, and patients get those results right away. If a biopsy is required, it's scheduled right away, and the re-

The most important aspect of the new center is not the decor or the technology. It's time. The center aims to reduce the amount of time that women spend worrying sults are almost always back within 24 hours, rather than the five or more days typical for many biopsies. If surgery is recommended, patients are referred to an oncologist who will see them within five days. All this is to reduce the tremendous stress and anxiety

that women suffer as they wait for results, for their appointment, for information on what to do next. The center's director, Sherry Gage, is a breast-cancer survivor, and she consulted other survivors on how the center should work. Their experiences influence nearly every aspect of care. ``For me, it was lying on the biopsy table, freezing to death and watching dust bunnies on the ceiling while everyone walked in and out,'' Gage says. So there's a huge blanket warmer for women who are lying on the ultrasound and biopsy tables, which are chilled to keep the equipment functioning properly. The ceiling has a lovely image of cherry-blossom branches. The all-female staff keeps patients updated on what they are doing and what will happen next and why patients have to wait. The survivors also complained that they were treated like robots _ told what to do but not why. So the John C. Lincoln center hired a patient-care coordinator. Each patient gets a binder with all her test results, as well as information

ranging from maps to the surgeon's office to a list of questions to ask the oncologist to suggested Web sites. Nobody is told to get a second opinion and then turned loose without a way to navigate. One empowering aspect of the experience is the center's partnership with the Translational Genomics Research Institute in

The all-female staff keeps patients updated on what they are doing and what will happen next and why patients have to wait Phoenix. As part of the joint venture, patients at the breast center can consent to anonymously donate tissue from their surgeries to TGen for research. Heather Cunliffe, investigator and head of TGen's Breast and Ovarian Cancer Research Unit, says breast tumors typically are diagnosed while they're quite

small, and most if not all of the tumor removed by surgery is needed to complete the diagnosis. On occasion, after the pathologist has examined the tissue, there is enough left over to be used for research. ``Very few hospitals have the capacity to preserve excess surgical specimens that are not needed by the pathologist,'' Cunliffe says. ``They don't have any way of banking or archiving the material. We're providing them with the materials and the logistics to do that.'' Usually a few hundred milligrams of breast tissue are donated. TGen performs very highresolution diagnostic tests on the tissue. ``We're trying to get an accurate view of the disease biology operating in these breast cancers,'' Cunliffe says, adding that TGen would like to collect 300 samples. ``The women who consent to donating excess surgical specimens are the heroes, because they're helping to develop better diagnostic tests that will refine treatment decisions.'' -AP

Â&#x201E;

Realty Tidbits

Carlson to open luxury brand Regent in India

NEW DELHI: Global hospitality chain Carlson has announced plans to open its luxury brand Regent in India with the opening of a hotel in Gurgaon in 2013. The Carlson has tied up with real estate major Pioneer Urban Land and Infrastructure (PUIL), which would be investing Rs 230 crore, for building the hotel while the USbased hospitality group would operate it. "The Regent brand has strong historical roots in Asia. This is the first Regent brand in India. The Regent Gurgaon will have 160 rooms and the project will be completed in three years from now," Carlson President and CEO Hubert Joly said. Carlson was here to sign a Memorandum of Agreement (MoU) with Gurgaon-based PUIL. About the funding, PUIL CMD Manish Periwal said the investment would be funded in the debtequity ratio of 1:1 and most of the equity portion would come from internal accruals.-PTI

Â&#x201E; Court issues show-cause notice to Omaxe NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court has issued a notice to real estate major Omaxe asking why the company should not be wound up over the issue of refund of money to its customer due to the alleged delay in construction. A single-member bench of Justice S K Mishra has issued notice to Omaxe Construction (now Omaxe Ltd) directing it to file its reply on it. "Let notice (be) issue(d) to the respondent (Omaxe) to show cause why the company be not wound up," he said. The court's direction came on a petition by Ritika Pvt Ltd, which had booked space in Omaxe Mall, Ludhiana, for a showroom. As per the agreement, Omaxe was to complete construction and hand over possession by December 2007, Ritika Pvt Ltd submitted before the court. -PTI

Real Estate 42 India Post

www.indiapost.com

January 22, 2010

DLF to split into 3 organizational units

fter deciding to split its parent firm into functional verticals, DLF Ltd has now identified an overall new organizational structure to house them and further sharpen their functioning. The country's largest real estate firm will now be broadly divided into three unitsDevco, Rentco and the holding firm dealing with corporate functions, according to an internal circular issued by DLF vice-chairman Rajiv Singh.

NRIs complain of cheating by builders, red tape in approvals NEW DELHI: Property issues dominated the first day of the annual Pravasi Bharatiya Divas here attended by nearly 1,500 delegates from over 40 countries. The NRIs complained of cheating by builders and complexities involved in succession and inheritance of properties, red tape in approval of investment proposals and bottlenecks in acquiring land for various projects. The delegates called for simplifying procedures to facilitate their involvement in India's development. A group of NRIs from the US, the UK, Australia and some Gulf countries strongly raised the issue of non-delivery of flats sold to them by Maytas Properties, the real estate firm promoted by kin of disgraced Satyam founder B Ramalinga Raju. "More than one year has

passed but not a single brick moved into Maytas Hill County in Hyderabad. Over 300 NRIs are trapped into this tragedy and the government has done nothing," claimed Srinivas Reddy, an NRI from Britain. Assuring the Diaspora of all possible help, Overseas Indian

On the complaint of non-delivery of flats by Maytas, Khurshid said he was "confident of finding a solution to the problem as soon as possible". Taking note of problems like illegal occupation and encroachment of their properties in India, Ravi said his ministry has asked

Most of the complaints were related to real estate sectors and some delegates even urged the government to set up a regulatory body or grievance redressal system to address the problem Affairs Minister Vayalar Ravi, Corporate Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid and Minister of State for External Affairs Praneet Kaur said the government would address all the grievances of NRIs and PIOs.

the state governments to address the grievances of the Diaspora on priority basis. "Most of the issues relating to property and land are under the jurisdiction of the state govern-

ments and we are regularly asking them to extend maximum help to the Diaspora," he said in his address to the eighth edition of the annual flagship event of his ministry. Khurshid said "we are really concerned about your problems. Please go back with full confidence that your watchman (government) is here; your properties are fully safe." Most of the complaints were related to real estate sectors and some delegates even urged the government to set up a regulatory body or grievance redressal system to address the problem. "My lifetime savings and future savings in the form of loan, is in my house in Maytas Hill County in Hyderabad. I request the government to immediately address the problem," said Srinivas Rao, an NRI based in Washington.-PTI

Fastest property price rise in Kolkata

roperty values in Kolkata have risen at the fastest pace among Indian metros since 2007, according to the National Housing Bank's (NHB) Residexan index of property prices. Property values in Kolkata rose by an average of 16.8% while those in Bangalore fell by 15.6% in the period. Fewer speculative deals and lower base prices saw the eastern Indian metropolis outpace hotter property markets such as Mumbai and Delhi, where property values rose at a comparatively sedate average of 7.5% and 7.3%, respectively. The NHB residex, which was launched in July 2007, measures

property prices in six-monthly intervals. The index currently captures data submitted by a variety of sources, including housing finance companies and real estate agents, for 15 cities, with plans to widen the index to 63 so-called tier I cities and state capitals in the future. Of the 15 cities, only the West Bengal capital Kolkata,

(over 2007 levels) in the JanuaryJune 2008 reporting period. Prices fell 3.4% in the six months between July and December and declined another 38.3% in the first six months of January. Analysts, however, said high prices in some of the smaller cities could be a combination of low starting prices and low supply leading to higher price growth.

One of the reasons for Kolkata's numbers was people investing the proceeds of the Sixth Pay Commission payouts last year. Cities such as Jaipur, on the other hand, saw declines because of massive oversupply, said Raj Pal, a principal adviser Faridabad in the national capital region, and Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh saw average doubledigit growth in this period. NHB officials said one of the reasons for Kolkata's numbers was people investing the proceeds of the Sixth Pay Commission payouts last year. Cities such as Jaipur, on the other hand, saw declines because of massive oversupply, said Raj Pal, a principal adviser with NHB. Jaipur saw prices rise 19%

"The base is very low, so when prices in these cities move even slightly it seems like a big increase. While in Mumbai even if prices shoot up, the increase is not so much because of the high base," said Anshuman Magazine, managing director of real estate consultant CB Richard Ellis. "Also, in a lot of smaller cities it is difficult to get land because of zoning issues. The cost of land is very high in, say, an area such as Benares, where infrastructure

is limited and there are zoning issues. It is very difficult to buy clearly titled land in smaller cities which restricts the supply of land, therefore pushing up prices," Magazine said. Others said that the majority of the real estate boom was restricted to the main metros. "The growth went to secondary and tertiary markets after a while." said Aditi Vijayakar, executive director, residential, for consultancy Cushman and Wakefield. Developers such as DLF Ltd, Parsvnath Developers Ltd and Omaxe Ltd went into Kolkata and offered housing after launching projects in the main metros, Vijayakar said. "So, basically tier II or III cities have been late in the real estate cycle. Prices after June have started to decline in places such as Kolkata. "Also, there is a lot more speculation in mature markets such as Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore. Chennai and Kolkata are more conservative markets. Chennai has smaller developments and high rises are coming up only in suburbs of the city. The market is largely dependent on people working in the IT/ITES sectors.

Horoscope

January 22, 2010

India Post

www.indiapost.com

ARIES Mar 21-Apr 20 Running around will not go waste and you will be rewarded for efforts recently made. Planets are very favorable for all financial matters. You may make big money in stocks or win some money in lottery. A female will provide you with some inside information and will be helpful in reaching your goals in short period of time.

LEO Jul 23-Aug 22 You may find yourself in a situation where it may become difficult to defend yourself. Do not get involved in any activity which can hurt your image. Expenses will not leave you alone and you may also need to answer some legal queries also. Take help of an expert before making any big move. You will be calling overseas more frequently.

SAGITTARIUS

January 22 to January 28

Nov 23-Dec 22 Very favorable week for all financial matters. Venus in second will give you few chances to make money without much effort. You may also discard some items collecting dust and make some money. Minor medication will keep health issues under control but you should be looking for a long term solution instead.

Australia to closely track intake of Indian students MELBOURNE: Australia has said it will closely monitor Indian students' intake in the new academic year following a slew of attacks on the community that has affected the billion-dollar education industry here, even as it insisted it remains a "safe" destination to pursue studies. "Obviously we are going to track the number of students coming to this country, including Indian students, as we are moving into the new academic year," Deputy Prime Minister Julia Gillard said. She said it was important that students had accurate information when deciding whether to study in Australia. "I can understand that if you were a family in India and you were sending your young person to some other country that you would be very, very focused on how safe they are going to be when they were there," she was quoted as saying by the media here. "This is why we have to try and get the message through that overwhelmingly Australia is a very safe place," Gillard said. She said the government had

taken steps to ensure Australia continued to offer quality education to international students. Gillard said she was not prepared to speculate at this stage of the academic year as to what might be student number. "In very high numbers international students say they enjoy their time here, that they got the quality education and they would recommend Australia as a

Australia experienced a huge 46 per cent decline in Indians applying for student visas in the country last year study destination," Gillard said. Amid a string of attacks on Indians, the Immigration Department said recently that Australia experienced a huge 46 per cent decline in Indians applying for student visas in the country last year. The total number of student visa applications from around the world also dropped by over 20 per cent -PTI

TAURUS Apr 21-May 20 You will receive help from people in power. Boss will not hesitate to make the necessary recommendations. You will arrange a small get together with some close family members and few friends. Weather will have temporary effect on health and you will need to take help of some over the counter medications. Offer only weeks away.

VIRGO Aug 23-Sept 22 Strong competition and obstacles will stress you out. Do not loose confidence and keep working on your plans. You will hear some encouraging news from a distant place. Some of you will be getting ready for an upcoming important business trip also. Do not ignore any legal notice but reply promptly or a financial penalty will be imposed.

CAPRICORN Dec 23-Jan 19 You are really going to enjoy this week. Venus in first will clear all obstacles and help you move closer to your goals. Most of money will be spent on family. A loan may finally come through. You will need to deal with a government agency to clear some confusion. You may start fresh relationship with person from different culture.

GEMINI May 21-Jun 20 You will need to do lots of juggling in order to meet financial commitments. Some expensive electric item will need to be replaced in the house. You will be slowly working towards making big commitments with like minded person. A long distance trip is in the air. Spouse will support all ideas and will be behind you on an important issue.

LIBRA Sept 23-Oct 22 You may be seriously thinking of getting rid of some assets becoming a big liability and that may be the wise thing to do. You will take a trip to a nice area to meet an old friend with family. Car will need service or minor repairs. It will be slight difficult to choose between right and wrong people. You will enjoy some good food.

AQUARIUS Jan 20-Feb 18 You will be tempted to take a chance but will change your mind on the last minute. There will be dramatic and favorable turn in ongoing legal matters. Response from other side will finally come with a small condition. Some one close will call to seek your advice on an important issue. Right time to invest in property.

CANCER Jun 21-Jul 22 You should be little careful when it comes to relationships. Do not get too emotional and too quick as you are prone to getting hurt in the process. You will be working extra hard to meet or beat the deadline. People prone to blood pressure problems will need to monitor things closely for some time. There will be some delay in legal cases.

SCORPIO Oct 23-Nov 22 Confidence level will shoot up as new deals will bring cheers. Clearance you had been waiting for long, will finally come causing excitement in life. If you are ready to relocate, the opportunity is yours. Twisting facts little bit will get the job done quicker. You will have an important visitor at your place this week.

PISCES Feb 19-Mar 20 You will send out many payments and will still have some left in the bank. Some one will quit making room for your promotion. You will be tempted to call and old friend who at one time helped you in the past. Spouse may complain of little aches and pain in the body. You will be completely focused on career and continue negotiations.

Classifieds

India Post

January 22, 2010

www.indiapost.com

MATRIMONIALS BRIDEGROOM WANTED

Parents looking for a groom for their beautiful daughter, American Citizen, 31years, 5'3" tall, Caste No Bar. Please send your picture and biodata to P.O.Box # 342, India Post 29274 Union City Blvd.,

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Nai Sikh 5.1’ 25 Girl B.M.I.T.; P.G.D.C.A., from India. M.B.A (I.T) From USA. Has Student Visa and work permit Trying for H-1B Visa Brother Dentist in India. Father & Mother in USA Seeks Suitable Immigrant boy from USA or CANADA. Contact at Email: shoti53@yahoo.com with Bio data and Photo

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Classifieds

January 22, 2010

India Post 45

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Executive Chef San Francisco based restaurant looking for a EXECUTIVE CHEF/culinary graduate. Must have 10 YEARS of experience.

(650) 271-2849

BUSINESS FOR SALE Quiznos in a prime location in Inland Empire area for sale. Only interested parties, CONTACT

MOTEL FOR SALE A 62 units economy Franchise motel on Interstate I 80 / 35 in Des Moine Iowa with two separate houses near to it is for sale. Good business. Owner relocating. Asking $2.2 million ONLY SERIOUS INQUIRY

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January 22, 2010

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Philosophy

48 India Post

January 22, 2010

www.indiapost.com

Page Sponsored by Sahanis upset? Certain equilibrium has been reached between you and your surroundings. Change disturbs that equilibrium. A new equilibrium needs to be established. Sometimes it may become a problem. You are doing these exercises to bring peace to yourself and your surroundings. The contrary may happen. This is not what you may have planned for. I want you to know this beforehand so that you can prepare yourself for what may

(Cont'd from last week) here are two things that might happen to you or anyone doing these exercises and you have to recognize them and be prepared to handle the fallouts from these: 1. There is going to be a change in your behavior, a change in how you deal with and process thought waves. You are going to be less predictable once that happens. This might affect relationship with close ones. Your spouse might find your behavior strange. Your wife comes home late and you are not disturbed. In the past you might have thrown tantrums if that happened. Now you know better. You will simply find out what happened. There might be a good reason for her to have been late. Your wife may have a pleasant surprise. Situation may take a turn. There may be occasions when someone may want to see you upset. Why are you not

DR KRISHNA BHATTA

Suddenly the world changes. You used to get up at 8 am in the morning. Now you get up at 5:30 am and are ready to do your yoga or meditative exercises before you go to work

come in your life. A new balance may need to be reestablished in certain relationships. You can handle it better if you understand that it might happen. 2. As mentioned above a change happens inside you by practice of meditative exercises. This change affects your outlook to life. Suddenly the world changes. You used to get up at 8 am in the morning. Now you get up at 5:30 am and are ready to do your yoga or meditative exercises before you go to work. It feels so good. You are full of

You have helped yourself by doing these exercises. It is good to share, but it is also good to resist imposing yourself on others. A balance has to be reached.

practical life on Earth does not accept this definition of human life. What is human? Normal means to make mistakes. Superior value of life is in the religions. This shows that man is made in the image of God. The only human right is to be Divine on the functional level of life. This definition of life has not been realized on

First experience God, then one will know to do right action. Transcendental Meditation is the tool which unlocks the inner experience, enabling one to transcend the mind into the Supreme Nature of Bliss and awareness of Divinity. The inner knowledge gives one the direct experience of truth and this process goes on con-

Exercise 3: Knowing the Mind

This is to know what kind of traffic goes through your mind. This exercise is very individual. Honesty is the best policy here. Just watch what kind of thoughts your mind allows. You may be a gateway for negative thoughts. You may be a posi-

Divinity is the real character of human life MAHARISHI MAHESH YOGI

human life. Human is all Divine. From earliest ancient times it was known man is Divine. The Divinity of man is not a human concept, it is a Divine concept. The Divine in man, the Divinity, is the real character and quality of human life. Human life has to be in the waves of Bliss. This is the real nature of life on earth. But, the

tive person. No explanation or judgment is needed. A pure screening of who you are is the purpose. Awareness of thoughts is important. Thoughts often flow like waves, uninterrupted and abundant. Eyes closed and in meditative pose, watch the thoughts travel your mind. Attempt this exercise for at least half an hour each day in the first week that you practice it. You have to make sure that you do not get

Be prepared to handle the fallouts

he material value of a human is what is usually thought of as important, but man is made in the image of God. The physiology of man, mind, ego, outside and inside is the expression of supreme fulfillment which is on the level of Almighty God. Life has to Be in Bliss Eternal and this should be the flow of

positive energy. Now you want the whole world to behave this way. You want your son and daughter to also get up at the same time and get going the same way as you do. This impulse has to be recognized. You may want to share this newfound exercise with every one around you, but you need to resist enforcing on others you newfound love. You also need to avoid judging people according to your new standards.

The only human right is to be Divine on the functional level of life. This definition of life has not been realized on the level of human awareness. This is due to lack of education the level of human awareness. This is due to lack of education. Education as it is, has been teaching man to be a slave, to be another's slave. Due to the current education system, children are not made aware of their own character of life as a Light of God. Education to be proper must include the naturalness of life, which is the Light of God, the Will of God.

tinuously, unfolding a higher consciousness and reality. This gives a profound insight to life and an appreciation of nature and respect for all life. The Laws of God become natural as one understands the deeper realities of life. Total knowledge is the turnkey to make the Will of God natural in life, as was known in ancient times. This was a blossom of fullness and

attached to any thought. Also, don't stop or interrupt any thought. Let them run through your mind. The mind has a tendency to get attached to some kind of thought good or bad, try to remain neutral through this exercise. If you find yourself getting attached to any one thought, start afresh. The mind may get bored and you'll be tempted to abandon the exercise, but stay with it. Set the time as half an hour and persist with getting to know your mind. (To be continued) bliss. Since that time, the relationship between man and Divine was in education in Veda, knowledge; the Almighty side of consciousness. This education is the turnkey for this to become a reality on surface life. The knowledge of God, the technology of the practice (Transcendental Meditation) makes a concept of total value of life in Bliss on every level in human awareness. There has been a Tradition, called The Holy Tradition of Total Knowledge passed on throughout time from generation to generation of human life. The whole Tradition comes from one syllable, one single source that flows into relative life. Knowledge of these syllables is the seed. There is emptiness in the seed, from this emptiness is the unmanifest of creation which goes into manifest creation. Through memorization, the one word (sound) became the second word and on and on like a river that becomes the ocean. The 93rd birth anniversary of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi was observed on January 12

Religious people are those who believe that if milk is boiled and sugar is added and drunk, it will be tasty. Spiritual people are those who boil milk, add sugar, drink it and experience the taste. -Paramahamsa Sri Nithyananda Each day is a different one, each day brings a miracle of its own. It's just a matter of paying attention to this miracle. -Paulo Coelho Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see. -Mark Twain Dignity consists not in possessing honors, but in the consciousness that we deserve them. -Aristotle Choose as a guide one whom you will admire more when you see him act than when you hear him speak. -Seneca A 'No' uttered from the deepest conviction is better than a 'Yes' merely uttered to please, or worse, to avoid trouble. -Mohandas Gandhi I am the hole on the flute that Gods breath flows through. -Eckhart Tolle

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January 22, 2010

India Post 49

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China's interest in Afghanistan is resource driven GUNJAN SINGH

ne of the major debates today in world politics is the increasing role which the United States is assigning to China in South Asia. After Obama's visit to Beijing this was one point of contention in the flourishing Indo-US relations. Recently there have also been reports that suggest the United States is looking for a greater Chinese role in Afghanistan. This comes in the backdrop of the US contemplating increasing the number of troops deployed to Afghanistan. From the very start of 2009 Obama has been patiently trying to convince Beijing to undertake a major role in Afghanistan and also to get more involved in the

Karzai government was established, Kabul was not an important focus for Beijing till about 2006. The major shift in focus came about in the year 2007 when China paid almost 800 million dollars for Afghanistan's Aynak copper deposits located about 30 miles south of Kabul. This is regarded as the second largest copper deposit in the world. The deposits were discovered in the year 1974, but remained unexplored due to the start of the Soviet War in 1979. The discovery can help Afghanistan become one of the highest copper producers in the world. The right to mining this copper field also involves con-

Entrance to the offices of the State-owned Chinese company, China Metallurgical Group Corporation, at the site of a copper mine in Aynak, a former al-Qaeda stronghold southeast of Kabul.

overall reconstruction process. The US government is pushing for increasing humanitarian support on one hand and deploying military police in order to help train the Afghan police force. But this is a very recent development. Since the beginning of the century China has not been seen as being very interested in developments in Afghanistan. It has been quite supportive of the Karzai government as China itself faces problems of Islamic movements on its western borders. This cordial approach has been reciprocated by the Karzai government as well. Karzai has always asserted that he wants to emulate "America's democracy and China's economic success". Both sides have signed a number of agreements and they have also established a number of bilateral business councils and other similar institutions with the aim of establishing cordial bilateral ties. Though ties were cordial since the year 2001 when the

struction of communications links like roads and railways in addition to units to process the mined copper. With the passage of time China has invested a total of 4 billion dollars in this project. This increasing Chinese interest towards Afghanistan was welcomed by the Afghan mining minister Muhammad Ibrahim Adel. He claimed that this huge investment in the country would generate almost 2 billion in the form of taxes and other benefits by the year 2013. But questions have been raised regarding the conditions under which the contract was given to Beijing. Apparently, Beijing has also invested in other areas. Chinese companies like ZTE and Huawei, in collaboration with the Afghan Ministry of Communications, ventured to execute digital telephone switches. This project provided approximately 200,000 subscriber lines. Beijing was also involved in the Parwan irrigation project. This

project restored water supply in Parwar province and also in the reconstruction of the public hospitals in Kabul and Kandahar. The European Union has also hired Chinese firms for a number of construction projects in Afghanistan. This renewed interest in Afghanistan is resource driven. Afghanistan has untapped resources which Beijing requires in order to sustain its ongoing level of economic development. With Washington asking China to help it with the ongoing war in Afghanistan, entry into this region has become quite easy for Beijing. But recent events in Xinjiang have made China cautious about its involvement in Afghanistan as this might make it a terrorism target.

With Washington asking China to help it with the ongoing war in Afghanistan, entry into this region has become quite easy for Beijing. But recent events in Xinjiang have made China cautious about its involvement in Afghanistan as this might make it a terrorism target Afghans on the other hand, are more comfortable with Chinese presence than the American presence as Beijing does not tend to interfere in their internal matters. No doubt this is a serious matter of concern for India. New Delhi has been trying to prevent the overlapping of Indian and Chinese spheres of influence in South Asia. Historically Indo-Afghan relations have been quite warm. There have been cordial ties and there is mutual trust on both sides. But at present the most prominent player in this region is the United States. As the US is dependent on Pakistan's support to continue its war in Afghanistan vis-Ă -vis India, it weakens the Indian reach. Secondly the 2009 Obama's visit to Beijing and expecting more Chinese role in the region has further complicated the situation. One needs to wait and see what the ultimate outcome of this overlapping influence will be. The writer is Research Assistant, IDSA. Courtesy IPCS

India Post Two NRIs

t the recent Pravasi Bharatiya Divas there was a give and take between the government and NRIs about what they could do for each other. If the government wanted the NRIs to come and invest in India, the NRIs in turn expected the government to give them voting rights and certain other facilities. Even without the prodding of the government, the NRIs do come and invest in India. They set up private equity funds or real estate businesses or perhaps enter banking. Some others, moved by the plight of their ancestral villages, set up colleges, hospitals and arrange for welfare measures. But no one dared enter the rough and rumbustious world of Indian politics where you are expected to solve the problems of your constituents but generally end up feathering your own nest. There have been two notable exceptions - Union minister Shashi Tharoor and Punjab MLA Jassi Khangura. Shashi Tharoor belongs to the elite class with an illustrious UN career where he rose to become Under-Secretary-General. In 2006 he contested the prestigious office of UN Secretary General with India's support but lost. Having come with an international reputation it wasn't difficult for him to win the Thiruvanathpuram seat in his home state of Kerala with a thumping majority. Almost inevitably, he was named India's minister of state for external affairs at a comparatively young age of 53 by Indian standards. His love of twittering has brought him many controversies but at the same time won him half a million followers on the Internet and established him as the Congress party's connect with the modern youth which might bring great dividends in the future. Tharoor with his pioneering effort of putting into practice experiences learnt abroad has brought in a mini-revolution in Indian politics. According to New York Times, his enthusiasm for Twitter, "collapses the distance between the governors and the governed and dismantles the layers of protocol and decorum that keep elected officials and senior bureaucrats aloof from the everyday concerns of those they serve." This keeps creating constant tension between his direct, shoot from the hip type of conversation with the electorate, and his party, which is still used to the lifeless press release and the platitudes of the official spokesperson. It is fascinating to watch which way this battle is headed. Will Tharoor quit Twittering, bowing to the wishes of the "High Command" or quit his post and engage even stronger with his growing admirers among the youth? Or will the crusty old party bow before the modern, emerging new style of political engagement which cuts down intermediaries? By contrast to Tharoor, Jassi Khangura started at the bottom of the ladder, contesting to become the first ever NRI MLA from Qila Raipur near Ludhiana. A successful businessman and entrepreneur, he returned to India after 40 years in London, where he had grown up from age two. Having already built Punjab's first 5 star hotel in Ludhiana, he has now developed a sizeable dairy farm in his ancestral village to provide employment and rural uplift for the local population. Khangura is turning out to be a model politician. Acutely aware of the gaping chasm between the needs of the people and what politicians were providing them, he has jumped into the fray with the zeal of a crusader. He constantly attacks the Punjab Government's wasteful spending and false promises. He is outraged into writing strident and eloquent letters to State and Central leadership or newspapers on matters such as education, power, poverty reduction, healthcare and agriculture. His aim is to bring to the fore issues that are otherwise glossed over with political spin. Gandhi and Nehru brought their experience learnt abroad to good use for India's betterment. Are we seeing two more such catalysts in molding India's future?

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