IndiaPost-04-20-2012 by Ghanshyam Bisht

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Tantalizing show at Varli’s Indian Food Festival Details on page 24

USIBC warns India on rules for procurement Details on page 18

India seeks details from foreign entities

VOL 17, No. 918

April 20, 2012

50¢

Periodical Postage

BOMB THREAT AT INDIAN EMBASSY

India Post News Service

The security authorities arrived promptly and conducted a thorough on-site inspection of the building and concluded that there were no findings to suggest any bomb threat, the Embassy said. The Embassy has since resumed its normal functioning. Indian Ambassador Nirupama Rao was not present on the premises at the time as she was on her way to Indiana. Details on page 5

US, India health initiative strengthened Details on page 40

India drags US to WTO on visa fee hike Details on page 19

Art from NGMA, National museum goes online Details on page 5

Details on page 22

7 officers posted abroad over black money

Kirit Patel charged with fake collection

Details on page 6

Philanthropic leaders pledge $1m to AAPI

CONTENTS Bollywood ---------------------- 38-39 Classifieds ------------------------- 47 Community Post --------------- 9-17

Details on page 34

Date Book -------------------------- 46 Edit Page --------------------------- 49

INDIA POST SURVEY

HealthScience Post --------- 40-43

survey@indiapost.com

Horoscope ------------------------- 28

This week’s question

Immigration Post ------------- 34-36

Will India win visa case in WTO?

Life Style ----------------------- 24-27 Philosophy ------------------------- 48

Last week’s result

Can the community influence a judge? YES 37%

NO 63%

Publisherís Diary ------------------ 4 Real Estate -------------------- 44-45

BAISAKHI IN L.A.: Crowds in large numbers participated in the Grand Parade during Baisakhi celebrations which were held at the Los Angeles Convention Center with piety and enthusiasm. -Report on page 16

TechBiz Post ------------------- 18-23 Travel & Hospitality Post ---- 29-31

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April 20, 2012

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BIGGER

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George W. Bush 43rd President of the United States

Join Us For His Informative Insight, Unique Perspective & Powerful Recollections Also experience a passionate political debate:

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AAHOA ANNUAL CONVENTION & TRADE SHOW MAY 2-5, 2012 ◆ ATLANTA Omni Hotel At CNN Center & Georgia World Congress Center

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Moderated by Jonathan Karl ABC News Senior Congressional Correspondent

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BETTER is how you will feel as

you enjoy exceptional Indian cuisine and three nights of exciting entertainers direct from India, including:

r Unforgettable Yaadon ki Baarat on Thursday night

r Legendary Pankaj Udhas on Friday night

r Dynamic Javed Ali plus

BOLDER

is how you will feel as you see the latest products and services during our two-day Trade Show – and as you network with industry leaders, friends, and colleagues.

Anup Shankar and his band of Sa Re Ga Ma Pa fame, together in North America for the first time

What are you waiting for? Make your reservations today!

Visit the AAHOA website www.aahoa.com/convention for complete Convention information, especially the Early Registration Discount

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April 20, 2012

IndiaNewsweekly Post Mission Statement To empower the Indian Diaspora and make their voice strong and effective in countries of their adoption. RJ Media conglomerate offers a credible, professional and complete package of news, opinion, entertainment, networking and information.

Publisher’s Diary

hat do Warren Buffett, Bill Gates, George Soros and Michael Bloomberg have in common? Money, right? Yeah, they are all billionaires. But there's something else that's common among them. They want to pay more taxes. If it sounds ironic, it is indeed ironic, because rallying behind what has now come to be called the 'Buffett Rule', billionaire CEOs stood with President Obama last week when he asked Americans to push their lawmakers to pass the new tax policy in Congress. At the staged White House event with a few of the country's richest men representing the top 1%, and their secretaries - representing the rest of the 99% Americans - in attendance, President Obama explained for the umpteenth time the Buffett Rule. So we have all heard that America's second richest man Warren Buffett pays taxes at a lesser rate than his secretary. And if you have heard President Obama once, you have heard him a hundred times harping on this to drill his point about everybody getting a fair shot, and everybody doing their fair share, and everybody playing by the same set of rules. "It's simple," he explained. "If you make more than $1 million a year, you should pay at least the same percentage of your income in taxes as middle-class families do. If you make less than $250,000 a year - like 98% of families do your taxes shouldn't go up. That's all there is to it. That's pretty sensible. Most Americans agree with me, so do most millionaires." And to good measure, the President added that one survey found that two-thirds of millionaires support this idea; so do nearly half of all Republicans across America. Simple, really. But somehow the opposition rhetoric that Obama is raising taxes invariably is heard louder than the truth that he has in fact cut taxes for small business owners not once or twice, but 17 times! What's not to understand in that? Happily posing millionaires are hardly convincing, Mr. President. What you need is political rhetoric if you want to beat special interests. That's the only language spoken and understood in Washington DC.

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HIGHLIGHTS Bollywood: Pehle aap Now that Saif and Kareena have postponed their wedding, younger sis Soha is planning a 2012 wedding.

Cover Story: Bomb threat The Indian Embassy in Washington D.C. received a bomb threat through an anonymous telephone call on the morning of April 10.

Community: Passport services The Embassy of India in Washington DC has engaged VFS Global for availing passport related services.

Health: Health initiative US Health Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and Ambassador Nirupama Rao agreed to strengthen Indian-US health initiative.

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Life Style: Varli Fest The Varli Food Festival pulled off a sold out show proclaiming in all its spicy splendor that Indian food has arrived.

Techbiz: India warned Global business groups are warning India over its new restrictive regulations on government-purchased technology.

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Travel: Puri Puri, situated in the state of Orissa, is one of the four holy dhams of Hinduism and the hallowed seat of Lord Jagannath.

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Bomb threat at Indian Embassy in DC India Post News Service

NEW YORK: The Indian Embassy in Washington D.C. received a bomb threat through an anonymous telephone call on the morning of April 10. The call indicating that there was a bomb on the Embassy premises came at 10:30 am, the Embassy said, following which they immediately notified the local security authorities for necessary inspection of the Embassy. The security authorities arrived promptly and conducted a thorough on-site inspection of the building and concluded that there were no findings to suggest any bomb threat, the Embassy said. The Embassy has since resumed its normal functioning. Indian Ambassador Nirupama Rao was not present on the premises at the time as she was on her way to Indiana. At a US State Department briefing the same day, spokesperson Victoria Nuland said appropriate

threat was a hoax while stating that there would be an investigation into the incident. Agency reports quoted Embassy sources saying that prelimi-

The security authorities arrived promptly and conducted a thorough on-site inspection of the building and concluded that there were no findings to suggest any bomb threat

law enforcement personnel responded immediately and that all three of the Indian official loca-

tions - the chancery, the Ambassador's residence and the visa office - were cleared, mean-

ing no explosive device was located. Nuland could not say if the

nary investigations revealed the threat call was made from Utah and that the person who spoke appeared to have been of South Asian descent since he spoke 'Hinglish'. The US Secret Service as well as the local Metropolitan Police Department of Washington D.C. are investigating the case.

Art from NGMA, National museum goes online NEW DELHI: Artworks from the National Musuem and the National Gallery of Modern Art would now be accessible at the touch of a keystroke with Culture Ministry announcing a partnership with Google, that allows people to view art and stroll through museums across the world, online. The two art institutions have joined Google's Art Project that features over 30,000 artworks in gigapixel super high resolution with street view images from 151 partners in 41 countries, including the art collection of the White House and Palace of Versailles in France. "The partnership is not just about bringing people to the museums but taking the National Museum and the NGMA to people across the globe. From a child accessing the web from an internet cafe in Mumbai to a student in New York looking for inspiration for a thesis, the project will connect a cross section of art enthusiasts," Culture Minister Kumari Selja said after inaugurating the project at NGMA here. She pointed out that it was unfortunate that in recent times art has become inaccessible for a variety of reasons. "A substantial body of artwork is locked up in private collections that are not easily accessible. In public museums a vast majority is kept away from public view in reserve collections and even what

is on display is subject visiting time limitations and traveling to these museums can be expensive and time consuming," she said. The project uses street view technology to enable people to move around the gallery virtually to view high quality digitized images and accessing information

keystroke. The project illustrates Google's commitment to bringing culture online and making it accessible to widest possible audience." While the first stage of the Art project's Indian chapter has put online digitized images of 250 artworks NGMA and National

Currently, the National Museum has more than 200,000 artifacts and the NGMA has over 17,000 works and in the first stage of the partnership. Commenting on the partnership Pavin Srivastave, Director General National Musuem said, "The association allows us to give world-

Amrita Shergill creation (right) and self portrat (left) at the NGMA

about the artworks. Some iconic artworks such as M F Husain's landmark 1955 work "Zameen" or Bhupen Kakkar's "Man with Plastic Flowers (1975) along with works by artists like Jamini Roy and Amrita Shergill would be available for viewing. . Rajan Anandan, Managing Director and VP- Sales and Operations, Google India said, "There are 120 million Indians on the internet everyday and with the Art Project they can go around museums worldwide at the touch of a

Musuem, the Minister said she has asked the two institutions to put up at least 10,000 works each. "We have a rich heritage of artifacts and art and we need to share them with the world. We are considering along with the Google team a number of other projects and we are confident of quick progress. We will be able to dedicate them to the public within months if not weeks," said the minister. "It should also inspire and encourage people to come and visit museums," said Selja.

wide virtual access to moments in India's history. We are extremely happy to be part of this endeavor that enables universal access to Indian art and culture." Rajiv Lochan, Director, National Gallery of Modern Art said, "The NGMA houses and showcases masterpieces of the changing art forms spanning over 150 years. It endeavors to create sensitivity, awareness and understanding among national and international audiences towards Indian idiom

and art expression, and the Google Art project uses sophisticated technology to help us." For those who are not clued in about art the project can be an immersive experience. "People can view all the 32,000 artworks available ranging from miniature paintings of Mughal era to contemporary art in a magazine format and discover artists and also the space inside museums," said Amit Sood, head of the Google Art Project. For the project, a special street view trolley took 360 degree images of the interior of selected galleries that were then stitched together enabling smooth navigation of over 385 rooms within the museums. The art project is not linked to the internet search giant's ad revenue and does not allow permit users to download or print images. "We license the works directly from the museum and the project is purely educational and there is no monetization of revenues through ads," said Sood, who declined to give the total cost involved in the project. Other collections in Google's Art Project includes the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the National Gallery in London, the Palace of Versailles in France, the White House in Washington DC, and the collection of the Museum of Islamic Art in Qatar among others. -PTI

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April 20, 2012

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Indian-American charged with making fake debt collector calls WASHINGTON: An IndianAmerican and his two companies have been charged with making threatening fake debt collection calls to tens of thousands of Americans from India and fraudulently collecting more than USD 5.2 million in the past two years. Following complaints from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), a US district court halted an operation of the California-based Ran Phantom Debt Collection Scheme, which collected phantom payday loan debts that consumers either didn't owe to the defendants or didn't owe at all. The FTC has charged California-based Kirit Patel and two companies he controls with violating the FTC Act and the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. According to FTC, Patel and his two companies scheme involved more than 2.7 million calls to at least 600,000 different phone numbers nationwide. In less than two years, they fraudulently collected more than USD 5.2 million from consumers, many of whom were strapped for cash and thought the money they were paying would be applied to loans they owed, according to FTC documents filed with the court. The court order temporarily stops the illegal conduct and

freezes the operation's assets while the FTC moves ahead with the court proceedings and seeks refunds for consumers.

Another caller said there were 55 warrants out for my arrest. "Sometimes my caller ID would indicate that the call was from the

"The callers threatened me and claimed they would arrest me if I didn't pay them the alleged debt. One of the callers even contacted my neighbors and told me he was watching my house" Often pretending to be American law enforcement agents such as "Officer Mike Johnson" or representatives of fake government agencies like the "Federal Crime Unit of the Department of Justice," callers from India who were working with the defendants would harass consumers with back-to-back calls, according to the FTC. . One consumer reported that the caller threatened to have her children taken away if she did not pay, according to court documents. Another consumer told the FTC, "The callers threatened me and claimed they would arrest me if I didn't pay them the alleged debt. One of the callers even contacted my neighbors and told me he was watching my house."

FBI. Because the callers knew so much about me, I believed they were police officers or FBI agents. The calls scared me and I was often shaking when I hung up the phone." In difficult economic times, consumers may turn to high-interest, short-term payday loans between paychecks. The FTC alleges that information submitted by consumers who applied for these loans online found its way into the defendants' hands. Because the callers had this information - which often included Social Security or bank account numbers - and because many of the victims already were in a tenuous financial situation, they often believed that they owed the defendants the money, according to the FTC.

7 officers for I-T units abroad over black money NEW DELHI: The government has deputed seven senior IRS officers to officiate as First Secretaries at the newly created Income Tax overseas units in countries like the US, the UK and Germany, as part of its efforts to curb the problem of black money and illegal funds stashed abroad.

take place soon, official sources said. Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee during his Budget speech had made a big allocation for setting up these I-T overseas offices. While the initial budgetary allocation for these units was Rs

The Income Tax officials, having tenure of three years, will function from the Indian Missions in Washington DC (the US), London (the UK), Berlin (Germany), Paris (France), The Hague (Netherlands), Abu Dhabi (the UAE) and Cyprus (Nicosia) The Income Tax officials, having tenure of three years, will function from the Indian Missions in Washington DC (the US), London (the UK), Berlin (Germany), Paris (France), The Hague (Netherlands), Abu Dhabi (the UAE) and Cyprus (Nicosia). The deputation of an Indian Revenue Service (IRS) to the eighth country -- Japan -- will also

2.41 crore in the last fiscal, it has been raised to Rs 18.20 crore in the current year. "The officials deputed are adept at handling tax evasion cases and international tax treaties and will also help the department liaise with authorities of these countries in tax cases including various high-profile cases which the I-T is currently investi-

gating," a senior I-T official said. The officials at these units will also help investors from abroad understand Indian tax laws and procedures so that they can make informed decisions, the official said. The units would also obtain information on tax and financial data of investments made by individuals and institutions in these countries and facilitate any data on investment or routing of money in the country and viceversa. "This information helps during investigations in cases of tax evasion and ensuring tax compliance under the provisions of the Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement (DTAA) and other tax treaties," the official said. As a number of I-T probes are linked to these countries, the Finance Ministry expects that by having an office in these nations, it would help expedite the investigation process. Two such units in Singapore and Mauritius are already operational since 2010. -PTI

The FTC alleged that of the USD 5.2 million the defendants collected, almost USD 1 million was returned or charged back by their merchant processor, resulting in consumer injury totaling more than USD 4.2 million. The defendants typically demanded several hundred dollars and, in violation of federal law,

routinely used obscene language and threatened to sue or have consumers arrested, according to the FTC's complaint. They also threatened to tell the victims' employers, relatives and neighbors about the bogus debt, and sometimes followed through on these threats, the FTC alleged. -PTI

Minister says India not 'under-prepared' NEW DELHI: Noting that China has more resources to dedicate for modernization of its defense forces, the government has asserted that India is not "underprepared" in anyway and is also acquiring capabilities to build its infrastructure along the border for security needs. "China's budget is four times that of India so they will definitely have larger resources dedicated to that (for modernisation purposes)," Minister of State for Defense M M Pallam Raju told reporters here. He was replying to a question on rapid modernization of military infrastructure by Chinese Army along its border with India which was mentioned in the recently released Annual Report of Defense Ministry for the year 2011-12. Raju emphasized that all efforts are being made by the Indian government to improve military infrastructure in the bordering areas. Stressing that India is not "under-prepared" in anyway, he said "we are also gathering momentum in the way we are acquiring capabilities and the way we are building our infrastructure." In the Annual Report-2011-12, the Defense Ministry has highlighted the way China is increasing its footprints in India's imme-

diate neighborhood. "Rapid infrastructure development in Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) and Xinjiang province has considerably upgraded China's military force projection and application capability against India and improved their overall strategic and operational flexibility," the report had said. Underlining that India desires

"Rapid infrastructure development in Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) and Xinjiang province has considerably upgraded China's military force projection and application capability against Indiaâ&#x20AC;? a peaceful and cordial relation with China, the report had said, "Chinese footprints in India's immediate neighborhood are increasing progressively due to its proactive diplomacy through political, military and economic cooperation and engagement." -PTI

CLB refers Unitech, Uninor dispute to arbitration NEW DELHI: In a set back to Norwegian firm Telenor, the Company Law Board has allowed its estranged partner Unitech's plea for settling dispute over control and transfer of assets of their joint venture Uninor through arbitration at Singapore. Observing that Telenor had gone "berserk" in filing its petition seeking ouster of its partner Unitech after Supreme Court cancelled telecom licenses of their JV, CLB Chairman D R Deshmukh

held that an arbitrator alone can decide if 'Share Subscription Agreement' and 'Share Holders Agreement' had been vitiated or not due to fraud. The Supreme Court had in February held that the process of allocating 122 2G licenses including those to Uninor was 'arbitrary and unconstitutional' and cancelled all of them. Telenor, which bought stake in Uninor that was allocated 16 of those licenses, sued Unitech for breach of warranties. -PTI

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India, Pak new visa regime for businessmen soon NEW DELHI: India and Pakistan are expected to formally announce by next month finalization of a new visa regime to facilitate movement of businessmen from both the countries, visiting Commerce Secretary Zafar Mahmood said here. "In principle, the visa things are finalized. But it needs to be formally announced and approved. This would be done by the Interior Ministry of Pakistan and the Home Ministry of India,"

ways welcome to do investment in Pakistan, but "for us there are restrictions in India". Meanwhile, inaugurating the exhibition, Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma said he would discuss all the issues, including allowing trade of power and petroleum products, with his Pakistani counterpart Makhdoom Amin Fahim. "We are talking about trade in petroleum products. We are also working towards opening

Indian woman look at Pakistani-made ready made clothes and textiles on a stall during the inaugural day of 'Lifestyle Pakistan' in New Delhi on April 12. Pakistan's first ever premium exhibition, Lifestyle Pakistan has been inaugurated in the Indian capital with over a hundred exhibitors from Pakistan showcasing products in fashion apparel, home textiles, leather goods, furniture and marble handicrafts

Mahmood said. He was speaking to reporters after the inaugural function of the four-day 'Lifestyle Pakistan' exhibition here. Mahmood said there are possibilities, under the new agreement, that a businessman from either country would get visa for more than one year and that too for more number of cities. "We expect that the meeting (between the Interior Ministry of Pakistan and the Home Ministry of India) would take place in April or May and this would be formally announced," he added. India and Pakistan are working towards revising the existing bilateral visa agreement that was signed in 1974 to facilitate travel by bona fide businessmen from both the countries. Mahmood said now the movement of people is restrictive wherein "a (Pakistani) businessman coming to Delhi cannot even go to Gurgaon (in Haryana)." He also said that there is need to improve the infrastructure at borders to boost the movement of goods like cement. When asked about prospects of investments from Pakistan, Mahmood said Indian businessmen are al-

up of bank branches of both the countries. The central banks of both the countries are in dialogue to finalize the modalities. We will be discussing all these

"We expect that the meeting (between the Interior Ministry of Pakistan and the Home Ministry of India) would take place in April or May and this would be formally announced," he added issues," Sharma said. The minister also said that the informal trade between the countries exceeds the official trade and there is a need to address the issue. Bilateral trade between the two countries at present is around USD 2.8 billion, although the informal trade, mainly via countries like Dubai and Singapore, is estimated to be USD 10 billion. -PTI

No differences between govt and armed forces: Raju NEW DELHI: Notwithstanding the various controversies, the government has said that there are no differences between it and the armed forces and it is working in harmony with the three services. "There are no differences at all between the establishment and the armed forces and we are working in harmony," Minister of State for Defense M M Pallam Raju told reporters here. He was responding to a query on whether there was any role of an insider in the leakage of Army Chief Gen V K Singh's letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. "I do not want to speculate on speculative reports," Raju told reporters after inaugurating an NCC seminar. Gen Singh's letter on the state of preparedness of the armed forces to the Prime Minister was leaked to the media sometime back. The letter was leaked at the time when Gen Singh had alleged that he was offered a bribe of Rs 14 crore by a defense lobbyist to clear a proposal for purchase of a tranche of trucks for the Army. The Defense Minister has ordered a CBI inquiry into the bribe issue, even as another controversy erupted last week with a media report claiming unusual troop movement towards Delhi in January. The government has rubbished the report saying that it was part of a regular drill. Earlier, Defense Minister A K Antony had also stated that the government and the forces were working in a very cordial environment. The Defense Ministry has also asked the Intelligence Bureau (IB) to investigate the leakage of Gen

Minister of State for Defense M M Pallam Raju

Singh's confidential letter. On the outcome of the inquiry, Raju said, "I do not know anything

Gen Singh's letter on the state of preparedness of the armed forces to the Prime Minister was leaked to the media sometime back about it. I have just come back from a tour." While addressing the seminar,

Raju exhorted the gathering of NCC trainers, officers and cadets to understand the need for enhancing its curriculum to suit the present requirements of the country. "The aim must not be to provide the youth of the country with military skills only, but rather to teach them basic life skills that are required in a work environment with the military environment used as a platform to instill discipline, routine and work ethics," he said. Raju said the NCC cadets must stretch beyond their current range of knowledge and skills and have opportunities to test and master their skills in the real world. -PTI

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India willing to talk Kashmir with Pak: Mathai WASHINGTON: India is willing to advance its peace talks with Pakistan and discuss the Kashmir issue, but the main stumbling block is Islamabad's failure to clamp down on militant groups, Foreign Secretary Ranjan Mathai has said. In an interview to 'The Wall Street Journal,' Mathai said that Pakistan's recent moves, including an agreement to open its markets to Indian goods, was a signal that it was serious about improving ties with India. Asserting that Pakistan needs to take serious action against militants using its soil to attack India, he said that it was deeply troubling to India that LeT founder Hafiz Saeed, mastermind of the 2008 Mumbai attacks, was able to address public gatherings and appear on television in Pakistan. "If the (Pakistani) army didn't want Hafiz on TV issuing threats to one and all, they'd be able to do something," Mathai said. He said Pakistan's failure to clamp down on militant groups that have attacked India is the

major roadblock to peace talks. Mathai said the US decision to put a USD 10 million bounty on Saeed shows that Washington has come round to India's view about the high level of threat from Pakistan-based militant groups.

He said that it was deeply troubling to India that LeT founder Hafiz Saeed, mastermind of the 2008 Mumbai attacks, was able to address public gatherings and appear on television in Pakistan "It does demonstrate that much of what concerns us is a broader international concern," he said. At the same time, Mathai referred to Pakistan's recent moves indicating its willingness to improve bilateral ties, including

Looking forward to solving issues with India: Pak ISLAMABAD: Building upon the recent talks between President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Pakistan has said it was looking forward to resolving all issues, including Kashmir, through dialogue with India. "Both President Zardari and Prime Minister Singh, following their meeting (on April 8), reiterated their mutual desire to have a pragmatic and practical dialogue process and move forward towards resolving all the core issues which continue to bedevil our relations," Foreign Office spokesman Abdul Basit said during a weekly news briefing. He said this reiteration of the commitment by the two leaders would "help push the peace and dialogue process forward because at the end of the day, the effectiveness, importance or credibility of any dialogue process hinges on its results". Pakistan is looking forward to achieving results through the dialogue, he said adding Islamabad is hopeful that as the dialogue process moves forward, the two countries will be able to move beyond confidence-building measures as it is important for them to "settle issues and move forward". Zardari had made a day-long private visit to India, where he met Prime Minister Singh over

lunch and offered prayers at a Sufi shrine in Ajmer. The two leaders reviewed the ongoing peace process during their meeting. Zardari was the first Pakistani head of state to visit India since 2005. Basit noted that Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar had expressed the hope that the India-

Abdul Basit said this reiteration of the commitment by the two leaders would "help push the peace and dialogue process forwardâ&#x20AC;? Pakistan dialogue would be "uninterrupted and result-oriented". Responding to a question on whether an avalanche on Siachen that buried 138 people, most of them Pakistani soldiers, would spur efforts to end the military standoff on the glacier, Basit said the Siachen issue was already part of the dialogue with India but the two sides were not discussing anything "specific" at the moment. -PTI

The President of Pakistan Asif Ali Zardari meeting Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in New Delhi on April 8

those on trade. "I wouldn't have been as optimistic six months ago," he said, speaking about prospects for the latest round of peace talks, which began a year ago. "The fact the (Pakistan) government is able to move on the trade track shows there's a greater willingness to take things forward

by all the players," Mathai said. As the talks with Pakistan develop, India would consider reopening a serious discussion on Kashmir, he said. India, he said, "would be happy" to start talks toward a deal to keep Kashmir's borders as they are but allow greater trade and movement of people across the

Line of Control. The paper quoted Pakistan Foreign Office spokesman Abdul Basit as saying that while there had been progress in the "tone and tenor" of the discussions, Pakistan believed that "unless the Jammu and Kashmir issue is resolved, we cannot expect lasting peace in South Asia." Mathai also spoke about the back-channel talks between India and Pakistan on the Kashmir issue during the Musharraf regime. "It was a very useful channel of discussions," he said. "They made progress." Basit, however, was quoted as saying that he had no knowledge of the 2007 back-channel diplomacy. Mathai said India believes it is now "up to the Pakistanis to decide how to proceed" on peace talks. The Foreign Secretary said India is looking for "something solid" to announce before Prime Minister Manmohan Singh visits Pakistan. Singh accepted the invitation of President Asif Ali Zardari to visit Pakistan when the latter visited New Delhi and Ajmer. -PTI

Press Council to challenge order on reporting army NEW DELHI: Terming as "not correct" the Allahabad High Court order which prohibited all media reports related to troop movements, Press Council of India (PCI) chairman Justice Markandey Katju has said that the Council would soon challenge it in the Supreme Court. "The Press Council of India will be challenging the order of the Allahabad High Court in the Supreme Court of India very shortly," the PCI chief, who is a former Supreme Court judge, said in a statement. Katju said that "with great respect to the High Court, I am of

the opinion that the order of the High Court is not correct." He said that the Indian Army was not a colonial army, but the army of the Indian people who pay the taxes for the entire defense budget. Hence, the people of India have a right to know about Army affairs, except where they compromise national security. Katju noted that the media has done an excellent job in exposing the Adarsh and Sukhna scams in which senior army officers were involved and they were well within their fundamental right of freedom of the media under Article 19(1)(A) of the Constitution to do so.

The court had directed Secretaries in the Home Affairs and I & B ministries along with Principal Secretary (Home) of the UP Government to ensure that there is no reporting or release of any news item related to movement of troops. He said that reporting troop movement near the Indian border or during war time should be prohibited as that may aid the enemy and cause harm to the armed forces by compromising national security. "However, in my opinion there can be no general prohibition of reporting of all troop movements," he said. -PTI

Turner shuts down Imagine TV in India NEW DELHI: US-based media giant Turner Broadcasting System has said it has decided to shut down its general entertainment channel Imagine TV. The company said, however, that it is committed to future investment in India. Imagine TV (in India) together with its international feed 'Imagine Dil Se' has ceased to operate from April 12. "Imagine TV has not performed and grown as per expectations. While some programs delivered

satisfactory ratings, overall the channel was unable to achieve the ratings consistency needed to sustain the business and support continued investment," Turner International Managing Director South Asia Siddharth Jain said in a statement. As a result, Turner made the carefully considered decision to cease operations of the channel, it said. NDTV Network, which earlier owned majority stake Imagine TV, exited the general entertainment space by selling its part in the chan-

nel to Turner International in 2010. "The company remains committed to future investments and long-term participation in India," Turner said. Turner International currently operates popular channels like HBO, CNN, Cartoon Network, POGO, WB, TCM and Boomerang in India. "We will continue to be leaders in the media and entertainment industry and to explore expansion opportunities in this important market," it said. -PTI

Desi News Tarble Arts Center exhibiting Hindu gods & goddesses

COMMUNITY ACROSS AMERICA

NAND KAPUR

Ram Navmi celebrated at Rama Temple SURI SWAMI

CHICAGO: The Hindu Temple of Greater Chicago celebrated Ram Navmi, the three-day Lord Ram Janmotsav festival, with lot of devotion and enthusiasm. The celebrations marked the culmination of nine day-long-auspicious Chaitra Navaratra festival with Ram Katha discourse by Pandit Ram Parsad Sastri and Sundara Kanda paarayanam by Priest Narasimhacharyulu. Sundara Kandam comprising 2885 shlokas or verses is significant in Ramayana. Sage Valmiki speaks about the achievements of Hanuman. Details on page 13

Details on page 16

India Post

ASHWIN PATEL

ST LOUIS: India Association of St. Louis hosted the Spring Festival 2012 on March 17 which was attended by over 200 members and guests representing different regions of India. The event started with a Rangoli competition held in two separate categories for adults and children. The winners of the competition were awarded certificates. The event also featured a variety of stalls including food delicacies and merchandise. Later in the evening, a magnificent and colorful entertainment program highlighting the spirit and mood of Holi was organized, in which several participants from different age groups participated. Details on page 15

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April 20, 2012

Indian Embassy, Consulates outsource passport services India Post News Service

NEW YORK: As part of the efforts for the convenience of Indian citizens in the US, the Embassy of India in Washington DC has engaged VFS Global as an outsourcing agency for availing passport related services.

effect from April 16 in Washington DC, and for the Consulates General in Chicago and New York. For the Consulates General at Houston and San Francisco, the operations would begin from April 30, 2012. The address of VFS Global in Washington, DC is Suite 103, 1625

Miscellaneous Services like Attestation of Power of Attorney would continue to be extended by the Embassy and Consulates General of India directly, for which no prior appointment is required VFS Global will handle the initial receipt and processing of applications on behalf of the Embassy in Washington, DC and its Consulates General in other parts of the country. The Outsourcing Agency would begin its operations with

K Street NW Washington DC 20036. Its website http:// www.vfsglobal.com/india/usa and a Call Centre number 202-800-7412 would be functional from April 9, 2012 for providing assistance to passport services seekers. Applications would be accepted by VFS

Global in person or delivered by mail. Addresses of VFS Global at other locations in support of the Consulates General would be available on their respective websites. The Visa/OCI/PIO services will continue to be handled by Travisa Outsourcing company as before. Miscellaneous Services like

Attestation of Power of Attorney would continue to be extended by the Embassy and Consulates General of India directly, for which no prior appointment is required. Any information on these services can be accessed from the websites of the Embassy and Consulates General.

GOPIO to honor five for contribution to society India Post News Service

Spring festival celebrated in St Louis

Baisakhi celebrated with piety & enthusiasm

NEW YORK: Five Indian Americans will be honored at the sixth anniversary celebration of the Global Organization of People of Indian Origin Connecticut Chapter (GOPIO-CT), for their achievements and contributions to the community. The honorees are Vivek Maru, Dr. Faquir Jain, Chandra Prasad, Neena Singh and Malika Bhandarkar. Dr. William "Vijay" Pinch will be honored with a Friend of India award. "The award selection is a rigorous process conducted by an independent committee which evaluates all nominations and we are glad we select the best possible candidates every year," said GOPIO-CT President Shailesh Naik. "Every year we gather together to celebrate the achievements of some fine, distinguished individuals from our community, to congratulate them and let them know that we are proud of their achieve-

ments in their careers and day today life and we would love to emulate and show them as role models to our next generation," Naik

Dr. Faquir Jain

added Vivek Maru is Chief Executive officer of Namati, an international organization that tests the potential of legal empowerment through

innovative interventions and research. Namatis' work seeks a better understanding of the impacts of legal empowerment and to cre-

in the Justice Reform Group of the World Bank and clerked for Judge Marsha Berzon on the ninth Circuit of the US Court of Appeals,

"The award selection is a rigorous process conducted by an independent committee which evaluates all nominations and we are glad we select the best possible candidates every year," said GOPIO-CT President Shailesh Naik Dr. William Pinch

ate the most effective mechanisms for achieving them. Maru graduated from Harvard College, magna cum laude, and Yale Law School. He has served as senior counsel

among his many accomplishments. Maru is being recognized in the category of Social Entrepreneur. Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d on page 11

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New IAC board installed with dignified oath ceremony RAMESH SOPARAWALA India Post News Service

CHICAGO: A no profit body of Indian Americans in Chicago, the Indo-American Center (IAC), installed its new executive team on Sunday April 1 in quite a dignified manner with a good number of community members flocking to the Center's facility to show their support. The first female Indian-American judge in the United States, Rena Van Tine, conducted the oath ceremony for the Executive Committee which now comprises Dr. Basanti Banerji, President; Dr.

IAC Executive Director Jay Luthra addressing the gathering

IAC Staff members: (L to R) Tanvi Shah, Rachael Bruketta, Loknath Agarwal, Kemel Huric, Chirayu Patel

rating with other like-minded community efforts: the Citizenship and Immigration Program, being Board of Immigration Appeals accredited, has recently established an MOU with Apna Ghar, allowing IAC to continue outreach of serving our community and providing attainable assistance to low-income individuals.

IAC Office Bearers Dr Basanti Banerji, Ralph Nicholas and Ravi Shankar

Rajendran Raja, Vice-President; Prof. Ralph Nicholas, Secretary; and Ravi Shankar, Treasurer. "The installation of officers and directors is an opportunity for our entire organization to reaffirm our full commitment to the community and to deliver the most meaningful services and programs," stated IAC Executive Director, Jay Luthra. He briefly recounted number of community oriented projects and services being offered by the Center. One such activity is the Civics Education Program that has a 96 percent passing rate on the U.S. Naturalization Test, higher than the 93 percent USCIS national average. Another success story showed that the Youth Program was not

only operating at maximum capacity, but was also doing so with increasing success, demonstrated by students' high performance in school. Similarly, the Computer Education Program has grown by about 45 new students in the past year, learning computer skills that allow them to engage in various webrelated activities ranging from applying for jobs to communicating with family overseas. In the coming days, the Center plans a new Workforce Development Program that will prioritize the development of English language literacy skills and employability skills, such as with resume writing, interviewing techniques, and finding sustainable employment

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options. In addition, the upcoming summer will mark the beginning of the new Family Summer Literacy Program to encourage multi-generational learning and provide an opportunity for parents and children to come together to improve their reading and literacy. Moreover, IAC will continuously strive to make a diligent effort in reaching out and collabo-

those who helped raised funds as also the life-time donors without whose generosity IAC endeavors would not be possible. Finally, before those in attendance enjoyed a buffet-style meal of Indian food cooked on-premise by those who cook for the Seniors' Golden Diners Program, Dr. Banerji welcomed the new Board of Direc-

In her address as the newly inducted IAC President, Dr. Banerji observed that no organization can accomplish its goals without the commitment and support of the people working there and paid rich tribute to the staff, program coordinators, volunteers, Board of Directors, and L21 Board alike In her address as the newly inducted IAC President, Dr. Banerji observed that no organization can accomplish its goals without the commitment and support of the people working there and paid rich tribute to the staff, program coordinators, volunteers, Board of Directors, and L21 Board alike. Equally important, IAC recognized

tors to the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead in doing their part for IAC. IAC serves the South Asian immigrants through services that facilitate their adjustment, integration, and friendship with the wider society, nurture their sense of community, and foster appreciation for their heritage and culture.

Indo Family Club to launch e-commerce website SURENDRA ULLAL

CHICAGO: The Indo Family Club will soon be launching a specially designed website that seeks to target the Indian community for providing unique services. Among the services to be offered, Indofamilyclub will majorly produce fresh farm vegetables and fruits grown under the surveillance of experts at its own green houses, according to Girish Ray, CEO of the Club. "Our focus is to grow vegetables and fruits that are rare in the Indian ethnic market like, suran, mogri, red tuvar, surati-kand, etc.," he said. Besides, fresh vegetable plans

are also to have homemade snacks and sweets hitting the market soon (prepared the day before

Indofamilyclub will majorly produce fresh farm vegetables and fruits grown under the surveillance of experts at its own green houses delivery) "We will also make available Pita Inn sandwiches, grocery items, exclusive cookware," Ray

added. In order to serve the Indian American and even the broader immigrant community, the Club plans offering immigration attorney services on its website. "Apart from these services to be provided on our e-commerce website we are in the process of adding more services that are not already available to the Indian community across Chicago. All these services will be available to our members just at the "click of a button" and delivered "right to the homes of our members," said Girish Ray

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Tarble Arts Center exhibiting Hindu gods & goddesses NAND KAPUR

CHICAGO: Tarble Arts Center of Eastern Illinois University in Charleston is holding an exhibition containing paintings of various Hindu gods and goddesses through May 27. The exhibition, titled "Three Folk Art Traditions of Northeast India", depicts folk paintings of Hindu deities Vishnu, Shiva, Brahma, Jagannath, Durga, Ganesh, Krishna, Rama, Hanuman, Kali, etc. These folk Madhubani paintings, Noya village patas and Puri patachitras from Bihar, West Bengal and Orissa respectively portray Krishna lifting Mount Govardhana; Ganesh and consort; Rama releases Ahalya from the curse; Ferryman takes Rama, Sita, and Lakshmana across the river; Radha and Krishna; Vishnu's 10 incarnations; Yashoda and baby Krishna; Krishna subduing Serpent Kaliya; Krishna rides in a

chariot made of the cowherd girls' bodies; Vishnu appears to Arjuna as a Composite Animal; Rama chases the deer; Durga slaying the buffalo demon Mahisha; etc. A portable Jagannath shrine is also

The exhibition, titled "Three Folk Art Traditions of Northeast India", depicts folk paintings of Hindu deities on display. This exhibition is the subject of the 2012 Fifth Grade Enrichment program open to area schools. The Tarble Arts Center claims to be "a major cultural arts resource serving east-central Illinois" and its founding purpose is

"to take the arts to the people." Michael Watts is the Director while Bernard Cesarone is the guest curator of this exhibition. Consistently ranked in the top three of Midwest universities in its class, Eastern Illinois University on a 320-acre campus offers a textbook rental system and its student graduation and retention rates are said to be well above national averages. William L. Perry is the President. Presented in conjunction with Celebration: A Festival of the Arts and EIU's observance of Asian Heritage Month, curator Bernard Cesarone will make a brief presentation about the exhibition followed by a dance performance by Sharbari Ganguly. Based on Indian folk songs, a narrator will provide context for each dance performed. This presentation is co-sponsored with EIU's Office of Minority Affairs

Sharbari Ganguly presenting classical Indian dance

GOPIO to honor five for contribution to society

Vivek Maru Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d from page 9

Dr. Faquir Jain, professor in the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department at the University of Connecticut is being recognized in the category Applied Science and Research. He is involved with design and fabrication of microelectronic/optoelectronic devices and ICs. He has collaborated to form Biorasis Inc. to commercialize a minimally invasive glucose sensor for real time, continuous glucose monitoring. Chandra Prasad is a multi-talented writer whose work has received praise in Booklist and USA Today. She created the popular career guide "Outwitting the Job Market" and has written scores of articles on diversity and the workplace. She has published several books and is currently developing a novel for young adult readers. Prasad is being recognized in the category of Arts and Letters.

Malika Bhandarkar

Neena Singh

Chandra Prasad

Neena Singh is being recognized for her community service here and in India. She has volunteered in many non-profit activities - helping visually impaired senior citizens; tutoring under-privileged teens; cook-

munity building activities in Wilton and Stamford. President's Young Person Award is being given to Malika Bhandarkar, an accountability expert who influences decision mak-

tries, at the invitation of governments, with national Ministries and civil society organizations, to build responsive accountability systems that monitor and enhance gender equality and women's empowerment. She is about to embark on a 10-country pilot initiative to further set and implement new standards and practice. Friend of India Award is being given to Dr. William "Vijay" Pinch, professor of History and Chair of the History Department at Wesleyan University. Dr. Pinch's principal areas of research and teaching are South Asian history, religion and history, and maritime world history. Dr. Pinch was born in India. He is author of numerous book chapters, essays and reviews as well as articles. He has published three books: Warrior Ascetics and Indian Empires, Peasants and Monks in British India and Speaking of Peasants; Essays in Indian History and Politics in Honor of Walter Hauser.

Chandra Prasad is a multi-talented writer whose work has received praise in Booklist and USA Today. She created the popular career guide "Outwitting the Job Market" and has written scores of articles on diversity and the workplace ing and serving in soup kitchens; and raising funds for local charities and for project - Pingalwara in Amritsar, a home for the underprivileged and mentally challenged. Singh is co-President of the PTA of the Greens Farms Academy and co-Leader of the Girls' Scout Troop and is active in com-

ers at all levels to amplify the message "Women Count for Peace". With a Masters in International and Development Economics from Yale in 2005, Bhandarkar joined President Clinton's Tsunami Recovery Office at the United Nations in New York. She and her team work in post-conflict coun-

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Ram Navmi celebrated at Rama Temple SURI SWAMI

Devotees flock to Lemont temple

reminds us of self-confidence, faith and devotion to Rama, fearlessness and trustworthiness. Reading one chapter or sargam of Sundara Kandam is equal to chanting Gayatri japam 1000 times. The power of Rama Nama Japa is well known. Priest Sri Krishnarajan narrated, "In the epi-

Abhishek

In Ashtaakshari "Om namo NaaRaarayanaaya 'Raa' is the Beejaakasharam. Similarly Ma is Beejasksharam in Shadaskshari "Om NaMashivaaya.

The two Beejaaksharaas together is "Raama". Letter 'Raa' has a value of 2 and letter Ma has a value of 5. Multiplied together makes it 10. Singing Raama,

tures and significance. Flower alankaram of 2012 Ram Navmi gave a moment of bliss and memories to last long. Kalyanotsavam came to conclusion with a delicious

Sundara Kandam comprising 2885 shlokas or verses is significant in Ramayana. Sage Valmiki speaks about the achievements of Hanuman (also known as Sundara) Pandit Ram Parsad Sastri and Sundara Kanda paarayanam by Priest Narasimhacharyulu. Sundara Kandam comprising 2885 shlokas or verses is significant in Ramayana. Sage Valmiki speaks about the achievements of Hanuman (also known as Sundara), whose attitude always

logue to the great Vishnu Sahasra Nama, Parvathi asks Lord Shiva: How do the wise chant the thousand names in brief? And Lord Shiva responds with the wellknown couplet "Sri Rama Rama Rameti, Rame Raame Manorame" Rama Nama, he says, is singularly equal to the thousand names.

Women devotees conducting celebrations

Hindi essay competition on mother GURBACHAN KAUR NEELAM

CHICAGO: Hindi Lovers Club of Illinois has announced its first Hindi essay competition for kids from grade to high school. The subject is: The Significance of Mother in Your Life (aapki jindagi men maa ka mahatva).The essay should be

between 150 to 200 words in Hindi. There are three prizes of $200, $100 and $50 respectively. The winners will be notified by phone or email. The last date of entry is Friday May 18. The award ceremony will be held on Friday May 25 at Devon Bank 6445 N.Western Ave.,

Chicago 60645 from 7 p.m. The winners will have to be present at the award ceremony and write a few lines in Hindi. Send your entry by email: sanhitaji@gmail.com, fax: 773 508 5999 or mail: 2723 W.Devon Ave, Chicago IL 60659.

Grant to study heart life style intervention HARISH RAO

CHICAGO: Metropolitan Asian Family Services (MAFS) has been given a Grant from North Western University to study South Asian Heart Lifestyle Intervention. "We encourage friends and

family to participate in this important study for ourselves and our future generation - to reduce the risk of heart disease, blood pressure, blood sugar & cholesterol," said Himali Bharucha, a spokesperson of

MAFS. Men and women between ages 18 to 59 are welcome for the study. For further information, please call MAFS at (773) 465-3105 or Dr. Swapna Dave at (312) 503-6995 (312) 503-6995

Raama, Raamethi would make it 1000 {(2x5) x (2x5) x (2x5) =1000} Ram Navami was celebrated with great pomp as devotees presented offerings to Lord Ram at dawn and continued throughout the day. At noon, when Lord Ram is said to have been born, devotional songs were sung in his praise. The festival is celebrated by performing Sita and Rama's Kalyanam. Bridal ceremony by Sumangalis preparing bride Sri Sita Devi on the 30th March and Kalyanotsavam on March 31st by over 800 devotees under the guidance of Priest Narasimhacharyulu with chanting and support by Sayekrishna, Murali Kidambi also was a celebration for one and all. Such celebrations have been an education to youngsters and local communities to learn other cul-

kalyana bhojanam made possible by many Annadanam devotees. Celebrations concluded with Sri Rama Pattabhishekam on April 1

Devotees presented offerings to Lord Ram at dawn and continued throughout the day. At noon, when Lord Ram is said to have been born, devotional songs were sung followed by Sri Rama's ardent devotee Sri Hanuman carrying Sri Sita Rama parivaara on his shoulder around the temple prakaaram.

April 20, 2012

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Indian students put up great ethnic show Asian Media USA

CHICAGO: Indian Students Association (ISA) at the University of Illinois in Chicago presented a beautiful cultural show of dance styles prevailing all across India and featured other talents such as singing and comedy skits. This dance and music program was held at the UIC auditorium on Saturday, March 31. The theme this year was "The Beginning of the End. It all ends on 3.31.12, are you ready?" Along with Bollywood music, the show was fused with mainstream hits by American artists that helped to define this growing generation of Indian students. Family and friends of performers packed the UIC Forum on campus for the show. The auditorium was hustling with excited parents and friends of the performers and invitees. The show featured acts such as the Jungli Jawanis, M6 Crew, Brownwashed, Pyaar Mein Twist 2, Dhalumni, Sandburg Fusion, UIC Nazaara, Chicago Dhamaal, Dilinois, UIC Dangeraas and UIC Bhangra. Many were from other Chicago universities like DePaul also.

Mr and Mrs Sunil Shah with group of students at University of Illinois (Pic Asian Media USA)

The show had twelve main acts. Most of the teams were not exclusively UIC students and so many of the acts had students from DePaul University. Along with the main events, the emcees did a remarkable job entertaining the crowd with hilarious sketches in between. There was also widespread use of videos each of the teams created to introduce their members before they performed, making the show very multi-mode. Sunil Shah, Founder President of F.I.A, Chicago, was recognized

Sunil Shah has supported volleyball and cricket tournaments all over USA. He has helped and served with several temples and religious institutions

and applauded for his moral support, sponsorship and community work. Avi Verma the associate dean at Aureus University was also Sponsor and Speaker at the event. With the show and the after party at Bar Louie's was a great success, the Board and the dancers can finally return to their books and friends knowing that the end of the world might not be so bad after all. One noteworthy thing that was mentioned about Sunil Shah re-

lated to his unswerving support to anyone and anywhere for any noble cause. He has sponsored several events and functions not only in Chicago but in different states too. He has supported volleyball and cricket tournaments all over USA. He has helped and served with several temples and religious institutions, whether it is Jain temple, Swami Narayan temple, Manav Sewa Mandir, Gurudwara, Hindu temple or mosque He has sponsored several Gujarati dramas, Hindi plays cultural programs and musical shows also. ISA Board Members: Karan Thakkar (Co-President), Dhruv Kavi (Co-President), Lisa Patel (Secretary), Krishna Patel (Treasurer), Shivam Thakkar (Webmaster), Shani Chibber (Publicity Chair), Alex Oommen (Publicity Chair), Trupti Patel (Community Outreach), Ami Shishodia (Social Chair), Anish Shah (Social Chair), Bansri Thakkar (Cultural Chair), Harsh Joshi (Cultural Chair), Ritika Kapoor (Lead Cultural Chair), Janesh Rahlan (Fundraising Chair),Selwyn Varghese (Freshman Rep), Shivani Patel (Freshman Rep) and Krishna Modi (Freshman Rep.)

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New York Telugus celebrate Ugadi India Post News Service

NEW YORK: The Telugu Literary and Cultural Association (TLCA) celebrated the 2012 Nandana Naama Samvatsara Ugadi (Telugu New Year) program at the Hindu temple Auditorium, in Flushing recently.

cluded traditional sweets like bobbatlu, poota-rekulu, and the traditional Ugadi Pachadi. Later, priests conducted the auspicious reading of the Telugu panchangam (calendar) Veloor Nagendra Gupta, President of TLCA said the organization has always been the torch

The event also featured a unique fusion of music, drama and dance depicting the lives of the Telugu Sankeertanacharyulu (composures). The drama, Vaageyakarulu, was brilliantly presented on stage by director Srinivas Guduru More than 1000 people from the Tri-State area flooded the auditorium to watch local talent as well as performances by celebrities invited from India including movie stars. Entertainment included a talent contest and a choreographed medley of songs from 80 years of Telugu cinema. The sumptuous Ugadi feast in-

bearer for the promotion and nurturing of the Telugu community. Talking about TLCA's welfare programs he said this year TLCA will conduct two medical camps for the benefit of the community. TLCA will also conduct a program called 'Effective Speaking in Telugu for Youth'. The event also featured a

unique fusion of music, drama and dance depicting the lives of the Telugu Sankeertanacharyulu (composures). The drama, Vaageyakarulu, was brilliantly presented on stage by director Srinivas Guduru. It was a unique blend of drama with dance superbly

choreographed by the well known classical dance teachers of New York and New Jersey, Guru Sadhana Paranji, Guru Satya Pradeep and Guru Indira Dixith. The play portrayed the most important events of the lives of the three renowned Vaggeyakaras of Telugu Bhakti

Movement time, Annamayya, Thyagayya and Ramadasu. On the occasion, businessman, philanthropist Babu Rao Mandava was honored on his being selected by the US Government for the prestigious Ellis Island Medal of Honor for 2011.

Telugus celebrate Ugadi & Ram Navmi HARISH RAO

CHICAGO: Ugaadi and Sri Ram Navmi cultural event was organized by the Tri State Telugu Association (TTA), Chicago, on April 7 at Hindu Temple of Greater Chicago in Lemont, a north side

The 2012 Tri-State Telugu Association's Board of Directors were introduced to the members and guests along with a brief financial report of the organization suburb of Chicago, presenting a multi-talented, multi-faceted cultural program of dances and inspiring music.

The Samarathi Auditorium was packed with over 500 art lovers. Amazing performances by the local talents ranging from classical to semi-classical dances, theme based productions on "Vasanthotsavalu & Sri Rama Charithalu" as well as movie dances kept the crowds mesmerized.

The 2012 Tri-State Telugu Association's Board of Directors were introduced to the members and guests along with a brief financial report of the organization. The emcee for the evening, Anantha Sonti, did a marvelous job compeering the entire show and kept the interest of the audience sustained throughout with

his knowledge of Ugaadi and Sri Ram Navmi significance, cultural references and his knowledge of current day music trends. Event sponsors were Sulekha.com and Liberty Mutual Insurance. Stage props with original creations by Mrs. Saroja Ravi, Mrs. Prasuna Gollakota and Ms. Aashmita Chitturi with set up help

by Bhaskar Reddy Karri and Mrs. Usha Pariti added a nice touch to the stage dĂŠcor. Stage management by Bhaskar Reddy and event coordinator Mrs. Padmaja Sonti along with CCTV coverage by Raghu Angara and slide show management by Mrs. Usha Pariti kept the flow of the program unhindered. Video coverage was provided by Dr. Nag Rao and photography coverage was provided by Sai Vadlamani of PlanetinPixels.com. The relentless efforts of the TTA Cultural committee, Food, Registration and Volunteers committees, were appreciated in the vote of thanks delivered by the event cultural coordinator, Mrs. Padmaja Sonti. The volunteers who served dinner to guests that evening in a short time of around one hour did a great job. The event ended with the rendition of 'Indian National Anthem'.

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Spring festival celebrated in St Louis ASHWIN PATEL

Cultural program in progress

Two artists

children. The winners of the competition were awarded certificates. The event also featured a variety of stalls including food delicacies and merchandise. Later in the evening, a magnificent and colorful entertainment program highlighting the spirit and mood of Holi was organized, in

which several participants from different age groups participated. The diverse cultural program had 24 items, ranging from classical devotional music to fast beat Bollywood remixes. A young student performed a comedic routine, and enthralled the audience with his charisma and

Hindu temple celebrates Ugadi & Ram Navmi ASHWIN PATEL

More than 700 devotees attended the pooja. Security and surplus parking was arranged to accommodate the devotees. Annadanam was served at the end of the pooja. Additional parking

Ram Navmi and Ugadi celebrations at St Louis Hindu Temple

was arranged in the nearby Church. Sri Ramanavami was celebrated on Saturday, March 31. In the morning, Ramabhishekam was performed. In the evening, Sita Rama Kalynanam was witnessed by all the devotees. Temple received many devotees on both of these festivals.

sense of humor. Many solo songs were performed through the evening, and there was a significant amount of youth participation, which is always welcome in our community. The performances were complimented by the two MCs, who did a great job of informing

Sri Dakshinamurthy Utsava Vigraha is currently in Dhanya Dhivasam. The Prana Prathishta is scheduled for three days (April 24, 25 and 26). Two lectures are planned on April 27 and April 29. Hindu Temple will be hosting Health Fair at Mahatma Gandhi Center on May 5 from 9 am to 2 pm with support of Mahatma Gandhi Center

and engaging the audience throughout the function. The evening ended with a few groups performing on folk dances from different parts of India. The event was a big success and the performances kept the audience enthralled and spellbound for over two hours.

Hindu Baccalaureate Service at Reno enters fifth year India Post News Service

ST LOUIS: Hindu Temple of St. Louis celebrated Chandramana Ugadi with Ganesh Pooja on March 23. Panchanga Sravanam was recited by Priest Janardhana Charylalu.

Sri Ramanavami was celebrated on Saturday, March 31. In the morning, Ramabhishekam was performed. In the evening, Sita Rama Kalynanam was witnessed by all the devotees. Temple received many devotees on both of these festivals

Rangoli participant

NEW YORK: The one-of-itskind in the world Hindu Baccalaureate Service (Dikshant Utsav) has entered its fifth year this month at University of Nevada-Reno (UNR). Organized by Universal Society of Hinduism in collaboration with Indian Student Organization of UNR, the event April 15 will bless graduating class in the traditional Hindu style, complete with applying tilak (religious mark) on the foreheads of graduates. Besides keynote address by a distinguished Hindu monk from California, it will also include blessing prayers by Christian, Muslim, Buddhist, Jewish, and Native American religious leaders. Well known musician Jim Eaglesmith is expected to chant a kirtan number in Sanskrit with audience following him in the chant. Starting with 'Gayatri Mantra' recitation by Rajan Zed, President of Universal Society of Hinduism, and traditional lamp lighting before the statue of goddess Saraswati, patron of learning and the arts, the service will include blessing the upcoming graduates with wisdom from Vedas, Upanishads and Bhagavad-Gita.

Washoe County issued a special Resolution to mark the significance of First Annual Hindu Baccalaureate Service of UNR. Education in Hindu tradition has been deep rooted, Rajan Zed says and adds that after many important universities in ancient India, like Taxila, Nalanda, Sarnath, Amaravati, Banaras, Kanchi and Ujjain; great Indian universities also flourished in medieval period, like Odantapura (745 CE), Vikramasila (810 CE), Somapura (480 CE), Jagaddala (1090 CE). The purpose of this Baccalaureate Service is to root the graduating class in divine spiritual and cultural tradition so that they have a spiritually meaningful life in addition to material success, Zed stresses. The flagship institution of the state established in 1874, UNR is one of the top 120 universities in America for funded research having internationally known researchers in renewable energy, earthquake engineering, environment, etc. It is helping to create the world's most accurate atomic clock and is home to one of the largest earthquake-simulation labs. Various Hollywood movies have been shot at UNR, which has about 18,000 students with Marc Johnson as interim President.

Community/California

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April 20, 2012

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Baisakhi celebrated with piety & enthusiasm

The main float

JS BEDI India Post News Service

LOS ANGELES: Baisakhi was celebrated with piety and enthusiasm here at the Los Angeles Convention Center April 8. The day began early at 3.40 am

am, followed by Jaap Sahib by the Ashram Jatha. Shabad Kirtan began shortly thereafter. Melodious Kirtan was provided by kids' jathas and local So Cal Raagi Jathas from So Cal gurdwaras. It was by the best of the best.

The Majestic Diwan of Sri Guru Granth Sahib

Bhai Sahiba Bibi Inderjeet Kaur was also presented a Siropa and she and Siri Sikdar Sahiba Guru Amrit Kaur Khalsa congratulated the sangat on the occasion.

Siropas and certificates were presented to community members for their service to the community. Throughout the day there was Langar serving meals snacks and

Shabad Kirtan began shortly thereafter. Melodious Kirtan was provided by kids' jathas and local So Cal Raagi Jathas from So Cal gurdwaras. It was by the best of the best. The highlight of the day was Kirtan by Bhai Kultar Singh, Hazoori Raagi and a joint performance by all the leading So Cal jathas with the recital of Japji Sahib at the Sri Guru Ram Das Ashram. This was followed by Asa Di Vaar. Festivities at the Convention Center began with the Prakash of Sri Guru Granth Sahib at about 7.30

The highlight of the day was Kirtan by Bhai Kultar Singh, Hazoori Raagi and a joint performance by all the leading So Cal jathas. After the speeches, local politicians were presented Siropas.

The scriptures

Bibi Ji and Bhai Kirtan Singh Khalsa

Protesters

beverages. The event also featured a Bazaar where vendors set up booths to sell a variety of items. Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d on page 17

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India Post 17

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Voting co-ordinator at Baisakhi celebrations

Hinduism Summit at Fremont Temple

India Post News Service

LOS ANGELES: Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder Community and Voter Education Outreach Coordinator, Humara Ahmed attended the Baisakhi Celebration at the Los Angeles Convention Center Sunday April 8. She presented information about the upcoming Presidential Primary Election June 5, 2012 and the Presidential Election November 6, 2012. Los Angeles County currently provides election materials in Hindi language. To request election materials translated in Hindi or other languages, please call (800) 481-8683. If an organization needs information about the upcoming elections, please contact Humara Ahmed via email at hahmed@rrcc.lacounty.gov

FREMONT: A Hinduism Summit will be held on Saturday, May 12 from 2:30 to 4:45 pm at the Vedic Dharma Samaj, Fremont Hindu Temple, Fremont, California. This free event, held by the Fremont Temple and Forum for Hindu Awakening, will commence with conch blowing, Vedic recitations and lamp lighting. It will feature presentations by

Hindu leaders, videos and exhibitions on topics ranging from the tenets of Hinduism, maintaining Hindu identity in USA, to Hindu spiritual healing remedies on health, relationship or financial problems. The Summit welcomes everyone interested in understanding Hinduism. Visit w w w. h i n d u a w a k e n i n g . o rg / events or call 877 303 3342 to register.

Humara Ahmed

Baisakhi celebrated with piety & enthusiasm

Shabad Kirtan Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d from page 16

This year there was a local travel company advertising a pilgrimage to the Five Takhts scheduled October this year. Based on Century Boulevard in the Westin Hotel, Laxpress Travels is promoting a two week pilgrimage to the Five Takhts. Taking to India Post, Tours Director Roshie Dhillon said their aim is to do at least two pilgrimages every year to Sikh, Hindu and Muslim holy shrines. Log on to www.laxpress.com for more details. It does appear to be an exciting proposal and many people are expected to sign up for this trip. Prior to the Grand Parade there was exhibition Gatka, the Sikh martial art, performed by students of the various gurdwara schools. Dozens of protesters carrying placards and banners in support of Bhai Balwant Singh Rajoana. Support for Rajoana is snowballing internationally as is the opposition to capital punishment. It may be recalled that recently leaders and members of Canadian Parliament crossing the party lines joined Sikhs in demanding India to abolish the

death penalty. More than five thousand Sikhs from all over Canada gathered at Parliament Hill in solidarity with Bhai Balwant Singh Rajoana who is on death row in India. Canadian MPs who attended the rally included Liberal leader Bob Rae, Jim Karygiannis, Dr. Kirsty Duncan, Justin Pierre James Trudeau and Irwin Cotler of Liberal Party; Parm Gill from Con-

Air India's Neelaj Sharma and Laxpress Travel's Roshi Dhillon with other visitors to the bazaar.

decorated with pictures of sacred shrines and verses from the scriptures. The floats also carried appeals for world peace and universal brotherhood and equality of mankind. Led by the Panj Pyaras the parade wound its way around to the beating of the Dhol and chants of Bole So Nihal. This year it is estimated that at least 12 to 15 thousand devo-

Led by the Panj Pyaras the parade wound its way around to the beating of the Dhol and chants of Bole So Nihal. This year it is estimated that at least 12 to 15 thousand devotees attended the festivities. Each year it's getting bigger servative Party and from NDP Jasbir Singh Sandhu, Jinny Sims, Rathika Sitsabaiesan, Don Davies and Wayne Marston, the Human Rights Critics of the party. The day ended with a Grand Parade and Nagar Keertan featuring floats, each representing a gurdwara or an organization. Each float was meticulously

tees attended the festivities. Each year it's getting bigger. Vaisakhi is an ancient harvest festival in Punjab. It also marks beginning of a new solar year and new harvest season. Baisakhi is a Sikh religious festival. It falls on the first day of the Baisakh month in the solar Nanakshahi calendar, which corresponds to April 14 in the

Gregorian calendar. In Sikhism, it is one of the most significant holidays in the Sikh calendar commemorating the establishment of the Khalsa at Anandpur Sahib in 1699, by the

10th Sikh Guru, Sri Guru Gobind Singh. It also marks the beginning of the Sikh New Year. This year was the 313th anniversary of that historic day and events that took place in 1699.

Tech News Now watch videos in 3D on YouTube

iewers can now watch their favourite videos on YouTube in 3D. The online video streaming service from Google Inc has added automatic 3D conversion for short-form videos uploaded in 1080p. According to a report in rapidtvnews.com, the addition is available for all users. Users now have to simply select the 3D viewing option in the quality settings on their YouTube player. To get the 3D effect, YouTube uses a combination of video characteristics such as color, spatial layout and motion to estimate a depth map for each frame of a monoscopic video sequence. Machine learning then helps the system to learn video depth characteristics and apply them in depth estimation.

Govt plans $30 bn investment to develop airports NEW DELHI: Buoyed by the success of implementation of Public Private Partnership (PPP) model in airport development, the Indian government plans to invest USD 30 billion in next 10 years with more existing airports being opened up for modernization, a top official said. "In 10th and 11th five-year plans, the government has invested USD 10 billion. The airports developed under the public-private-partnership model are presently handling 60 per cent of the passenger traffic in the country. The government has planned to invest USD 30 billion in next 10 years," Civil Aviation Secretary S N A Zaidi said while addressing the 3rd International Aviation Economics Conference here. -PTI

No plan to end Coal India monopoly: Jaiswal NEW DELHI: Coal India Ltd (CIL) may have been given a government direction to commit a minimum fuel supply to the power producers, but the government has put on hold its plan to end CIL monopoly in the wake of stiff opposition from the trade unions and political parties. "Opening up of coal sector for commercial mining is not possible now in the wake of stiff opposition by trade unions and lack of consensus among political parties," Coal Minister Sriprakash Jaiswal told PTI. -PTI

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April 20, 2012

Datawind blames IIT-Rajasthan for Aakash delay

he blame game has finally started and just before the Aakash tab lets have reached the hands of the students, Datawind has stated that IIT-Rajasthan should be blamed for delay and exaggerating the concerns over the tablet quality and functionality to favor other firms. The over enthusiastic students have not yet received Aakash 1. Only 100 lucky students could run their hands on it and to make more buzz about the tab the govt. announced its interest to come up with the upgraded version of the Aakash tablet.

New procurement rules may harm Indian economy: USIBC India Post News Service

NEW YORK: Global technology and business groups are warning India that its new restrictive regulations on governmentpurchased technology could have spillover effects on the country's broader economy and, depending on their application, would be at odds with the nation's World Trade Organization (WTO) obligations. In a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, the groups urged the Indian government to reconsider its new preferential market access (PMA) rules that would tip the scales strongly in favor of domestically manufactured electronic goods for government purchase. The groups also noted the potential application of these rules to private entities, including "telecom licensee" and "managed service provider," which would contravene the WTO. "India has exemplified the benefits of competition and regulatory reform as demonstrated by the tremendous growth in the telecommunications and IT services sector over the past fifteen years. We urge India to remain, and push forward, on this path. India's economic growth and ability to continue to be competitive in the global ICT sector depend on it," the letter said. "Indian industry has demonstrated its capacity to compete on a global scale through its growing participation and influence in global markets. India should avoid policies that would unnecessarily restrict competition at home which could also spark reciprocation by other countries that enact similar regulations. “Such a result could negatively affect the ability of Indian ICT companies to export their products and services. It would be ironic if the rule intended to help Indian industry ultimately hurt its exports abroad," the letter stated. The Information Technology Industry Council (ITI), Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA), U.S.-India Business Coun-

cil (USIBC), and 32 other associations from the United States, Europe, Japan, Canada, Australia, Hong Kong, and Korea sent the letter to PM Singh. The PMA rules culminate a series of similar Indian policy proposals during the past year that have proposed discriminatory government procurement policies as a means to stimulate domestic manufacturing of electronics and telecommunications equipment at the expense of foreign companies. The groups urge India to rescind the PMA and initiate a consultation process with the private sector and other stakeholders to develop policy approaches that will promote ICT sector growth without creating market-distorting policies. "India's discriminatory preference policies work to undermine what has been a mutually benefi-

"India has exemplified the benefits of competition and regulatory reform as demonstrated by the tremendous growth in the telecommunications and IT services sector over the past fifteen years” cial relationship between India and the global tech sector. That country's economic strength and technical sophistication have led all of the world's major tech companies to invest there and deliver products and services that positively impact how its citizens work, play and participate in its democracy," Dean Garfield, ITI President and CEO stated. "There is no debating the importance of the Indian market, but India's indigenous innovation policies are off course and cannot be accepted. Left unchecked, these policies carry with them the very real potential for a

contagion effect, encouraging the Indian government to issue similar policies affecting other sectors and providing rationale for other countries to mirror this unfortunate behavior." TIA President Grant Seiffert noted, "In recent years, India's telecommunications market has exploded, connecting hundreds of millions of Indian citizens who previously never had access to telecommunications and spawning a world class Indian IT services industry. “India's PMA threatens the ability of India's telecommunications service providers to cost effectively build out their networks and serve India's enterprise and individual consumers in a cost competitive basis." Seiffert further warned that "India's PMA threatens to kill the proverbial goose that laid the golden egg of India's successful ICT services industry." US-India Business Council President Ron Somers said, "If the discriminatory mandate applies to private sector procurement it will not only restrain direct foreign investment in India but violate the nation's WTO obligations. A more realistic approach to create a domestic manufacturing base for electronic goods would promote infrastructure improvements, incentives for capital formation, and appropriate worker training." Joining ITI, TIA, and USIBC in signing the letter to Prime Minister Singh are: AMCHAM India; Australian Services Roundtable; Australian Services Roundtable; Business Software Alliance; Business Europe; Canada-India Business Council; Canadian Services Coalition; Consumer Electronics Association; Communications and Information Network Association of Japan; Computing Technology Industry Association; Coalition of Service Industries; Digital Europe; European-American Business Council; Emergency Committee for American Trade; European Services Forum; The Federation of Korean Information Industries; Global VSAT Forum; Hong Kong Coalition of Service

Industries; Information Technology Association of Canada; Korea Information Technology Service Industry Association; Korea Software Enterprise Association; Japan Business Machine and Information System Industries Association; Japan Electronics and Information Technology Industries Association; Japan Information Technology Service Industry Association; Korean Software Industry Association; National Foreign Trade Council; Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International; Semiconductor Industry Association; Software and Information Industry Association; Taipei Computer Association; TechAmerica; and the United States Council for International Business. The Information Technology Industry Council (ITI) is the premier voice, advocate, and thought

The Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) represents the manufacturers and suppliers of global information and communications technology (ICT) networks through standards development leader for the information and communications technology (ICT) industry. ITI is widely recognized as the tech industry's most effective advocacy organization in Washington D.C., and in capitals around the world. The Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) represents the manufacturers and suppliers of global information and communications technology (ICT) networks through standards development, policy and advocacy, business opportunities, market intelligence, and events and networking.

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ICC, BIAC write to Pranab on retrospective tax NEW DELHI: Concerned over the impact of the Indian government's decision to amend the Income Tax Act with retrospective affect, International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) and another industry body BIAC want to engage with the Finance Ministry to workout a solution to the issue. "Dialogue is the best forum to solve differences of view. Let us work together to find a solution which raises necessary revenues while maintaining India's good climate for investments," they have said in a letter to Indian Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee. While ICC represents about 1,00,000 companies spread over 130 countries, BIAC represents OECD's business community. They have raised the concerns about the impact of Mukherjee's Budget proposal to amend the IT Act with retrospective effect to bring into tax net Vodafone-type

Indian Commerce Minister Anand Sharma discussed the visa issue with his US counterpart John Bryson when he visited New Delhi last month.

Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee

included India assets for around USD 11 billion, has attracted tax of Rs 11,000 crore. "Our organizations are ready to discuss with you and your staff how best to approach the balance

Let us work together to find a solution which raises necessary revenues while maintaining India's good climate for investments," they have said in a letter to Indian Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee merger and acquisition deals involving domestic assets. UK-based Vodafone, which in 2007 bought Hong Kong-based Hutchison's telecom business that

between the financial needs of your country, as exemplified by the unexpected retroactivity of tax rules, and the optimal position of your country in attracting new in-

vestments not only by foreign investors (FDI) but also by investors resident in your country," the letter said. They have also urged the minister to include a representative of ICC as member of the advisory group of international taxation and transfer pricing. Recently, several global business associations have also sought reconsideration of the retrospective amendment of the Act. The issue was also raised by UK Chancellor of Exchequer George Osborne with Mukherjee. However, the Finance Ministry has maintained that India is neither a zero tax country nor a tax haven. -PTI

Another US-based body writes to PM on Voda case NEW DELHI: Batting for Vodafone, another US-based organization TEI has written to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh objecting to the government decision to amend the I-T Act retrospectively to bring into tax net overseas M&As involving domestic assets. "...a government is free to change its tax policies, but fairness demands that the change should be prospective where the changes will have a significant negative effect on taxpayers," said the Washington-based Tax Executives Institute (TEI) which claims that it represents the interest of 3,000 largest companies around the world. Stating that the power to amend tax laws retrospectively should be

India drags US to WTO on visa fee hike

exercised with restraint, the TEI in its letter to Singh and other ministers said, "Regrettably, the appropriate restraint is missing from the Finance Bill 2012, some provisions of which would retroactively

change the tax law of India as back as 1962." The letter is in reference to a proposal in the Budget to amend the I-T Act to tax Vodafone-type overseas deals involving domestic assets with retrospective effect.

The amend seeks to reverse the Supreme Court ruling in the Rs 11,000-crore tax case in favor of UK-based telecom giant Vodafone. Recently, several other global organizations, including International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), BIAC (which represents OECD's business community) have also written to Singh, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee and others, expressing concern over the government's proposed move. The issue was also raised by UK Chancellor of Exchequer George Osborne with Mukherjee earlier in the month. The Finance Ministry, however, has been maintaining that India is neither a zero tax country nor a tax haven. -PTI

NEW DELHI: India has dragged the US to World Trade Organization (WTO) challenging the visa fee hike which discriminates against the Indian software companies sending professionals to the US on short-term contracts. "Yes, we have sought consultations with the US on the issue,"

categories of visas for applicants which employ more than 50 persons in the US or have more than 50 per cent their employees admitted on non-immigrant visas (the 50:50 rule). Before India's complaint goes to the Dispute Settlement Body (DSB) of the Geneva-based WTO,

Some of the top Indian companies - TCS, Infosys, Wipro and Mahindra Satyam - were affected by the US action on visa fee. The US is the largest market for the Indian software exports a senior Commerce Ministry official said. As per the procedure of the WTO, consultation is the first stage of a complaint launched in the global trade body. The US had raised visa fee in 2010 to fund its enhanced costs on its securing its border with Mexico under the Border Security Act. India has been protesting against the measure and raising its concern for the last 18 months. The law substantially increased the fees for H1B and L1

the parties to the dispute are required to engage into bilateral consultations. The process takes about two months. "The date and place (of these consultations) have not been finalized," the official said adding the US measure is violating of the WTO rules. Some of the top Indian companies - TCS, Infosys, Wipro and Mahindra Satyam - were affected by the US action on visa fee. The US is the largest market for the Indian software exports. -PTI

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Infinity Cars appointed MINI dealers in India India Post News Service

MUMBAI: After a successful association with the BMW Group over the last five years, Infinity Cars, one of India's leading BMW dealers, was appointed the first dealership for MINI in India. Infinity Cars introduced the iconic MINI cars in style - MINI, MINI Convertible and MINI Countryman - at their showroom off Santacruz Linking Road, Mumbai's fashion high street. Car enthusiasts also had the opportunity to experience the iconic brand first hand. The 12,000 square foot, two-storey facility in Mumbai is the home to Mini's entire line-up for India. The showroom with its uber cool vibe will soon have an international cuisine all day dining restaurant, giving it a contemporary lifestyle experience for its patrons. With this distinctive concept, Infinity Cars hope to bring life's great passions for cars, food and music together in a unique environment unseen in Mumbai. The dealership is run by the

Mrs. Pooja Choudary and Dr. Andreas Schaaf with Mini Cooper

dynamic and versatile entrepreneur Mrs. Pooja Choudary, Managing Director, Infinity Cars. She

sive Aston Martin dealership in India.

"When we think Mumbai we think 'Unstoppable', 'Iconic', 'Standout'. When we think MINI, we think 'Unstoppable', 'Iconic', 'Standout'. MINI is meant for Mumbai" is the wife of Mr. Lalit Choudary, MD, Performance Cars, the exclu-

Speaking about the launch, Pooja Choudary commented: "It

brings me great pleasure to announce the arrival of MINI into Mumbai, opening its first dealership in India." She further adds "When we think Mumbai we think 'Unstoppable', 'Iconic', 'Standout'. When we think MINI, we think 'Unstoppable', 'Iconic', 'Standout'. MINI is meant for Mumbai." Dr. Andreas Schaaf, President, BMW Group India has brought the world's most premium small car brand to India. According to him,

no other brand exhibits the attributes and essence of a modern urban lifestyle like MINI and there is no doubt that it is one of the world's most emotional auto brands. Infinity Cars sets a benchmark in quality with its cutting edge efficiency and vouches to deliver uncompromising service to its clientele in India. Service centers for the Mini will be situated in Worli and Chembur

Facebook plays offense & defense in single deal SAN FRANCISCO: Is it crazy for Facebook, a startup that has not yet even gone public, to be throwing $1 billion at Instagram, an even younger startup? To some, the rich price tag on the deal was yet more evidence of a bubble in the technology industry, especially because Instagram, a mobile app that allows people to share their smartphone snapshots with friends, has not made any revenue. But the history of Silicon Valley suggests that expensive purchases of startups by startups may not always be so crazy. In 2002, the hot startup turned juggernaut was eBay, then an online auction service. It bought a small online payments company, PayPal, for $1.5 billion. The PayPal division of eBay now brings in almost as much revenue as eBay's merchandise. In October 2006, a year after it went public, Google paid $1.65 billion for YouTube, a video uploading site that had no revenue and little prospect of profit. At the time, the price raised eyebrows. But YouTube

dominated the competition and became a significant online advertising platform for Google. Reid Hoffman, a co-founder of PayPal who went on to found LinkedIn, the social networking site, said in an interview that acquisitions were made partly to gain something valuable, but also to stave off the

an older tech giant, they know they can be killed, or at least severely injured, by that which lurks in the rented office space of Silicon Valley - an even hotter, younger technology company. In part, that anxiety feeds the guiding logic here: Eat the new startup before it eats you, or before a competitor grabs it.

In 2002, the hot startup turned juggernaut was eBay, then an online auction service. It bought a small online payments company, PayPal, for $1.5 billion. The PayPal division of eBay now brings in almost as much revenue as eBay's merchandise competition. "History shows they fail most of the time, but when they win it's very valuable," he said. "There's always the blended question of opportunity and threat." Young hot technology companies are nothing if not aware of their mortality. Because so many started out by wounding

And be sure to keep extending your reach if you want to stay relevant. "Anything they can do they will do to keep customers coming back - that's extremely valuable to these companies," said Len Lodish, a marketing professor at the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.

In this way, Facebook's purchase of Instagram was an effort to push into a new area before its rivals. As YouTube and PayPal did for Google and eBay, Instagram offers something that Facebook desperately needs. The Instagram app offers a seamless way to upload photos on mobile devices, a task that is unwieldy on the Facebook mobile application. Never mind that Instagram has no immediate promise of making money. Facebook had to make another calculation before going public, which is expected to happen in the coming months, and confronting new pressures from impatient shareholders, said David Charron, who teaches entrepreneurship at the Haas Business School at the University of California, Berkeley. That calculation was whether it was worth a billion dollars to be sure that Instagram would not lure away Facebook users. But in the unpredictable world of Silicon Valley, sometimes buying the newcomer does not work.

Xpress Money's flat fee for remittances to India DUBAI: A money remittance service provider Xpress Money has introduced a flat fee of Rs 208 for remittances of any denominations to India. The revised fee comes on the heels of the company's decision to discontinue its earlier slab system of differential pricing based on the amount being transferred.

Working with a network of banks and non banking financial institutions, Xpress Money has a country-wide network in India comprising more than 35,000 agent locations. It has presence in more than 125 countries. Sudhesh Giriyan, Head, Xpress Money Business, said: "One of the fastest-growing economies in

UAE is one of the largest 'send' markets in the world, having a sizeable Indian population with a clear need to send money back home

the world, India is also the largest 'receive' market in the remittance industry having received upwards of USD 58 billion in 2011." Similarly, he said, UAE is one of the largest 'send' markets in the world, having a sizeable Indian population with a clear need to send money back home. The company offers remittance

through 'Cash-to-Cash', 'Cash to Bank Account', 'Cash-to-Mobile', and 'Online Money Transfer' modes. "Introduction of a flat fee for all transactions to India is an endeavor to further strengthen our presence in these regions and offer our customers a unique advantage in terms of affordability," Giriyan said. -PTI

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Twitter launches legal assault on tweet spammers NEW YORK: Twitter is cracking down on spammers. The company has filed a lawsuit in federal court in San Francisco against five of its most aggressive spam enablers. The defendants include JL4 Web Solutions, based in the Philippines and referred to in the suit as "TweetAttacks." Other defendants include Tennessee-based Skootle Corporation, referred to as "TweetAdder"; "TweetBuddy"; and the individuals James Lucero and Garland Harris. The lawsuit takes aim at the people building spamming tools, such as software that latches on to trending topics and starts injecting irrelevant marketing messages into the mix. "With this suit, we're going straight to the source. By shutting down tool providers, we will prevent other spammers from having

these services at their disposal," Twitter said in a blog post. "Further, we hope the suit acts as a

TweetAttacks, TweetBuddy, and a site operated by Lucero - were offline. TweetAdder's site was still

Performics, a company that monitors its clients' brands on social platforms, says it sees significantly more spam on Twitter than on Google and Facebook deterrent to other spammers, demonstrating the strength of our commitment to keep them off Twitter." By afternoon, several of the websites named in Twitter's suit -

running, as were several of Harris' sites. The site operators could not immediately be reached for comment. Twitter says it has spent around

FII investment up to 23% allowed in commodity exchanges NEW DELHI: Streamlining the procedure to boost foreign investment into the country, the Indian government has allowed Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) to invest up to 23 per cent in commodity exchanges without seeking its prior approval. Besides, to discourage import of substandard machinery, the government decided to withdraw the facility of giving equity in lieu of import of second hand equipment, according to the new edition of the consolidated FDI policy. The policy document has been produced by the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP). The government has also made certain other procedural changes in the circular and incorporated announcements made with regard to 100 per cent Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in single brand and relaxation of guidelines for pharmaceutical sector. As regard the commodity exchanges, at present, foreign investment, within a composite (FDI and FII) cap of 49 per cent, under the government approval route is permitted in commodity exchanges. "Such investment (up to 23 per cent) by FIIs, in commodity exchanges, will, therefore, no longer require Government approval," it said. However, FDI will continue to need the approval of the FIPB. "It has now been decided to liberalize the policy and to mandate the requirement of government approval only for FDI component of the investment," it said. DIPP has also decided that the consolidated FDI circular will be announced every year instead of six-monthly basis. The next policy would be on March 29, 2013. Experts said that there were no major changes in the circular. "DIPP has done only procedural changes," PwC executive director Akash Gupt said. The policy has clarified that subject to

the sectoral foreign holding cap, companies will now need prior permission from Reserve Bank of India (RBI) for an overall FII holding of beyond 24 per cent. After RBI permission, the companies can allow FIIs to hold more than 24 per cent after the approval for the same by their boards and shareholders. In order to discourage import of sub-standard machinery, the government has decided to withdraw the facility of giving equity in lieu of import of second hand equipment. "With a view to incentivise machinery embodying state-of -the-art technology,

The government has also made certain other procedural changes in the circular and incorporated announcements made with regard to 100 per cent Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in single brand compliant with international standards, in terms of being green, clean and energy efficient, second- hand machinery has now been excluded from the purview of this provision," it said. In March last year, relaxing the rules for FDI in the country, the government had allowed issuance of equity to overseas firms against imported capital goods and machinery including second-hand machinery. Industry has raised concerns with the government that the Indian capital goods sector, including the machine tools industry, construction and textile machinery, has been suffering because of import of cheaper second hand machinery, which is often substandard. -PTI

$700,000 in anti-spam efforts to combat the defendants' marketing blitzkrieg. It is seeking injunctions against each defendant as well as monetary damages. Twitter is starting to take its spam problem - a longtime annoyance - more seriously. In January, the company acquired Internet security company Dasient, a deal aimed at bringing in new technology to fight off spammers. Performics, a company that monitors its clients' brands on social platforms, says it sees significantly more spam on Twitter than on Google and Facebook. "You have to eliminate all the irrelevant content to see what people are really saying," said spokesman Dan Malachowski. "On Twitter, a lot of it is irrelevant spam." Twitter said on its blog that its engineers have recently launched

new anti-spam measures "to more aggressively suspend a new type of @ mention spam." The company is also using its t.co link shortener as a defense: It tracks what's tweeted and tries to shut down links to malware or malicious content. According to PeekYou, a search company that monitors Twitter's spam levels, the efforts are noticeable. "Twitter has gotten a lot better over the last six months," CEO Michael Hussey said. "I think they're more quickly detecting and deleting lots of spam." But it's still pretty far from perfect. "You can go on eBay today and type 'twitter followers' or 'buy twitter followers,' and you can pump up your number," Hussey said. "Those are great examples of completely spam accounts."

MassMutual offers $150,000 in scholarships India Post News Service

SPRINGFIELD, Mass.: Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company (MassMutual) has announced that its MassMutual Scholars program is now a national scholarship program for high achieving African-American, Asian/Pacific Islander and Hispanic students interested in careers in the insurance and financial services industry. This year, the program, which was previously only available in nine metropolitan areas in the United States, will offer thirty $5,000 college scholarships to high-achieving students across the country. "Education is key to developing a successful career path," said Nick Fyntrilakis, Assistant Vice President, of Community Responsibility at MassMutual. "By taking our MassMutual Scholars program to a national level, we are able to reach more students of diverse backgrounds and provide them with the financial support they need to achieve their dreams." Now in its fourth year, the MassMutual Scholars program began as a pilot program in four metropolitan areas across the country and later expanded to nine. This year the scholarship is open to students of all majors, who are of African-American, Asian/ Pacific Islander or Hispanic decent and attending college in the United States. However, applicants must meet certain academic criteria, such as maintaining a 3.0 or better GPA, express an interest in careers in the insurance and financial services industry, and demonstrate financial need. "MassMutual is making great headway in making our company and agencies more representative of the communities we work in," said Chris Mendoza, Assistant Vice President of Multicultural Market Development for MassMutual. "As a national program, these scholarships will not only help

college students obtain their degrees, but also help MassMutual continue to build a strong network of potential financial professionals and clients from diverse backgrounds, while reinforcing our commitment to serving diverse communities." The application deadline is May 4, 2012, and winners will be notified in late summer. To be eligible, applicants must: • Be of African-American, Asian/Pacific Islander or Hispanic descent; • Be a U.S. citizen or legal permanent resident with a permanent resident card or passport stamped I-551 (not expired); • Have a minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale; • Have plans to attend full-time a degreeseeking program at a U.S. accredited institution in the U.S., Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin

Now in its fourth year, the MassMutual Scholars program began as a pilot program in four metropolitan areas across the country and later expanded to nine Islands, or Guam during the 2012-2013 academic year; • Be entering sophomore, junior, senior or fifth-year-senior at a four-year university or be a community college student; • Demonstrate leadership and extra-curricular activities; and • Apply for federal financial aid by completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). • Students of all majors will be considered. • Preference will be given to students whose essays demonstrate their interest in pursuing a career in the insurance and financial services industry.

TechBiz Post

India Post

April 20, 2012

www.indiapost.com

Nokia leads dual-SIM phone market

ne June afternoon last year, as the summer sun beat down mercilessly on scores of shoppers, a group of 200 bikers in blue colored uniforms waving blue flags descended on the narrow main market street of Azamgarh in Uttar Pradesh. The deafening sound of crackers and dhols (drums), along with a group of bhangra dancers, made many believe that yet another political rally was afoot. This was no political procession though, but a 'Nokia Blue Brigade Rally' to announce the launch of the Finnish giant's dual-SIM handsets, a potent weapon conspicuous by its absence in the handset major's India arsenal. Such systematic carpet bombing across the country has helped Nokia pull off something that was inconceivable a few years ago, to come from nowhere and claim a leadership position in the dualSIM handset market. In the process, the iconic brand is fighting to regain ground it lost to multinational rivals as well as domestic Johnnie-Come-Latelys. "We may have been late, but we have redefined the game," boasts Viral Oza, marketing director at Nokia India, who lets on that in the first month of launch, the company covered some 1.7 lakh Nokia outlets. Nokia launched its first dualSIM handset last June, two-anda-half years after the likes of Micromax and Gfive made a splash. But in less than a year it has dethroned the first movers. According to Gfk, a market research firm, Nokia led with a 23% share in the dual-SIM segment in January 2012. Samsung, GFive and Micromax followed with shares of 12.7%, 9.8% and 8.7%, respectively. Gfk pegs the market for dual-SIM handsets at 7.5 million in January of a total handset pie of 13.4 million units. In 2010, shipments of multi-SIM handsets stood at close to 50 million, constituting a little over 30% of overall handset shipments, according to research and consulting firm Frost & Sullivan. That fig-

ure almost doubled last year, with the contribution of multi-SIM accounting for half of overall shipments. Various research houses have slightly different estimates of the size of the Indian handset market. IDC places it at 183 million units for 2011, and Strategy Analytics at 176.1 million units. Both these firms don't have break-ups for the dual-SIM segment. Cybermedia Research says the dual-SIM market size is 57% of 183 million units. According to Cybermedia, in 2011, in the overall India mobile handsets market, Nokia retained

set makers. The almost suicidal delay in launching dual-SIM handsets only compounded the problems. But when the dual-SIM foray did happen it not only helped Nokia in stemming the slide in India but also in its global turnaround efforts. Nokia CEO Stephen Elop had reportedly said during his second visit to India last September that the dual-SIM success in India has rubbed off on other products. "We get those dual-SIM devices and what do we see? Not only dualSIM (sales) rocketing, but also other parts taking off as well," said

dual-SIM handsets into the script. This was followed by demonstrations of the device and also prizes for those who purchased on the spot. "The activity had a massive response; we reached out to more than three lakh people," says Oza, adding that the firm was able to sell over 5,300 dual-SIM handsets on the spot. The handset major had roped in local artists of Chhattisgarh, from the Lok Kala Sanstha, to perform more than 36 Nukkad Nataks in local languages for the branding of dual-SIM handsets. In rural Maharashtra, it spread awareness

Elop. "So you get the halo back into the positive direction." Back home, Nokia has gone all out to prove it still has the marketing chops to create a big impact. Even as its bikers generated buzz in the small towns of Punjab, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, it relied on street plays and torch rallies at night for consumer engagement. For instance, the company undertook a massive Nukkad Natak (street play) activity in 575 towns and villages across six North Indian states. A group of stage artists would enter a crowded market area and enact a comedy play, which smartly weaved the benefits of

using torch rallies, with 75-100 people participating. For cities like Delhi, Jaipur, Lucknow and Bhopal, the Finnish company had a different strategy. It ran digital and radio campaigns, inviting twins to launch C2-00 and X1-01 dual SIM phones, and become Nokia's brand ambassador for a day. In Delhi, the 'Nokia's Twins Day Out' festival saw 63 pairs of twins come together on June 4. In fact, Nokia claims to have entered the Limca Book of Records for organizing the largest gathering of twins in India at a single venue. Says Babita Baruah, vice president & client services director,

In Delhi, the 'Nokia's Twins Day Out' festival saw 63 pairs of twins come together on June 4. In fact, Nokia claims to have entered the Limca Book of Records for organizing the largest gathering of twins in India at a single venue

leadership position with a 31% share of sales, followed by Samsung with 15% and Micromax at No 3 with 5%. It's been a make or break period for Nokia in the world's second largest handset market, when its share slipped by over half in 2011. This was from a position of domination with a 70% chunk in 2005. The beleaguered handset maker has been losing traction globally due to the onslaught of Androidbased handsets led by Samsung and the falling popularity of its Symbian operating system. And in markets like India it has been facing stiff competition from low-cost local and Chinese hand-

JWT Delhi: "Our biggest challenge was to position Nokia as a thought leader, especially after being late in the launch of dualSIM. So, we created a campaign around the 'No Compromise' tagline." That positioning was reflected in all Nokia dual-SIM TV commercials that talked about all the features that Nokia's rivals didn't have, adds Baruah. Nokia soon realized that given its late-mover disadvantage, it needed to come up with something beyond what the existing players had on offer. It roped in a consumer research agency to conduct a country-wide market survey about consumer expectations from dual-SIM handsets. The study threw up some startling facts. While some handsets lacked quality, others were found wanting in features such as music and style. "Users compromised while buying a dual-SIM handset," says Oza. "This gave us a golden opportunity to come up with a differentiated offering." Being relatively late in the day also helped Nokia throw in features that no other handset maker had provided. For instance, its Easy Swap feature placed the second SIM slot on the side of the phone rather than under the battery. This allows users to change SIMs without having to take out the battery. Also, its handsets remember settings of up to five SIMs; Micromax and GFive handsets can store settings of just one SIM. What is more, Nokia threw in its Ovi services, Nokia maps and 'touch-and-type' feature as valueadditions. "Brand Nokia enjoys high credibility, especially at the low end," says Abhishek Chauhan, senior consultant, ICT Practice, Frost & Sullivan, South Asia & Middle East. An extensive distribution network of over 200,000 outlets gave the entire portfolio enough visibility and reach, he adds. Agrees Rahul Gupta, senior manager (emerging markets) at Strategy Analytics: "Nokia has always been a very strong player in low-cost handsets."

Govt seeks details from foreign entities in India NEW DELHI: Amid allegations of suspicious dealings by some foreign entities having their offices in India, the Government has initiated moves to get from all the foreign entities details of their interaction during the course of their duties in the country. The Union Home Ministry has asked the entities to furnish details about their interaction with

Government departments, public sector undertakings and also civil society. A circular from the Internal Security division of the Ministry makes it mandatory for the entities to furnish all the details of those employed for carrying out liaison work in the country. The circular came against the backdrop of allegations that some

of the foreign entities engaged in corrupt practices to get tenders while some were suspected to have funded civil societies for fanning agitations like at Kudankulam nuclear project in Tamil Nadu. The circular has been sent to various ministries including Ministry of Communication asking them to ensure security clearance before foreign entities set up liai-

son, branches or project offices in India. The Ministry has also handed over a fresh two-page form which all foreign entities are required to fill. The form seeks details of the employees working with the Indian office besides asking them to provide details about the foreign nationals who had visited India from that company.

The new circular seeks details from the companies about their contacts with government departments and public sector undertakings which also includes providing names of the officials. It also seeks details from the foreign entities whether they had any contact with civil society, trusts or non-governmental organizations. -PTI

TechBiz Post

April 20, 2012

India Post

www.indiapost.com

'Pak industry facing visa problems for India visits' NEW DELHI: Pakistan industry has complained of non-tariff barriers including difficulty in getting visa, while doing business with Indian counterparts. "Both the countries have the potential to take the bilateral trade to a higher level. But there are few issues hindering the trade between the two nations and India needs to address them," Leader of Pakistan delegation to India, Abdul Qayyum, said at a function organized by PHD Chamber here in national capital. These issues include delay in customs clearance of goods and difficulties in issuance of visa to businessmen, he added. Qayyum is heading a 30-member business delegation from Faisalabad, which is the textiles hub of Pakistan. Pakistan High Commissioner to India, Shahid Malik, said to boost the two-way trade, both the nations are expected to finalize a new visa agreement. This is aimed at making it easier for certified businessmen from both sides to get one-year multipleentry, non-reporting visas. Talking about the informal trade

via third countries like the United Arab Emirates (mainly Dubai), Qayyum said: "The informal trade is higher than the direct bilateral trade between the two countries.

Pakistan High Commissioner to India Shahid Malik

Therefore, we need to address this issue to give a fillip to our trade relations". Currently, the bilateral trade between the neighbors is pegged at USD 2.7 billion, which is largely in favor of India. However, the two-way trade through third country is estimated to be USD 10 bil-

lion. Besides, Pakistan is expected to grant India the Most Favored Nation (MFN) status by this year-end, paving the way for a direct, com-

Currently, the bilateral trade between the neighbors is pegged at USD 2.7 billion, which is largely in favor of India. However, the two-way trade through third country is estimated to be USD 10 billion prehensive and broad-based economic engagement. It has recently notified its negative list for India, which means barring 1,209 items, New Delhi can now export all products to the neighboring country. The negative list contains products like automobiles and textiles. -PTI

India, Qatar to boost cooperation in oil & gas sector

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh with QatarĂs Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani during signing of agreements in New Delhi.

NEW DELHI: A pact to enhance cooperation in the key sector of oil and gas exploration is among the six agreements inked between India and Qatar, which has the world's third-largest natural gas reserves after Russia and Iran. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Emir of Qatar Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani held comprehensive talks on a whole gamut of bilateral ties, including boosting trade as well as energy cooperation and welfare of Indian workers. There are around 500,000 Indians in the Gulf country.

After the talks, Petroleum Minister S Jaipal Reddy and Qatar's Energy Minister Mohammed Bin Saleh al-Sada signed an MoU to establish a cooperative framework to facilitate and to enhance bilateral cooperation in the oil and gas sector for mutual benefit. It envisages cooperation in the areas of upstream and downstream oil and gas activities. It is expected to encourage and promote investment and cooperation between two ministries of oil and gas and through affiliated companies. Qatar is the largest supplier of

LNG to India, which buys 7.5 million tonnes/per year of LNG from it. India wants to have huge additional supply of oil and LNG from Qatar but pricing is an issue. Other pacts are in the areas of educational exchanges, cultural contacts, promoting tourism and cooperation in legal affairs. An MoU was also signed between the Reserve Bank of India and Qatar Central Bank for sharing of supervisory information and enhancing cooperation in the area of banking supervision. -PTI

Anonymous to continue attacks on Chinese websites

nonymous has announced that it will launch more attacks on Chinese government websites so as to uncover corruption and lobby for human rights. Earlier last week the group had attacked and defaced several Chinese government websites. The group is also known for its earlier attacks on several financial and government websites around the world. According to a report in Reuters, the group used a Twitter account "Anonymous China" to make the attacks public. It posted links to data files that contained passwords and other personal in-

formation from the hacked websites. (twitter.com/#!/ AnonymousChina) Anonymous hacker "f0ws3r" told Reuters that the group will continue its attacks on Chinese websites and added that the plan was to take down the "Great Firewall of China." Several social networking sites like Twitter, Facebook and YouTube are blocked in China as the country claims that it helps in maintaining social stability. The hacker did not provide any further details about the next attacks but hinted that the group would target bigger targets.

in Manhattan on April 5 to get a sampling of a variety of Indian savories, sweets, main course dishes and spirits being served out from booths of over 60 fine Indian restaurants, with at least 20 award winning celebrity chefs from the US, Canada, UK and India in attendance.

www.indiapost.com

India Post

April 20, 2012

The ambience was one of an Indian mela and the mood very festive as attendees went tizzy between the food and dessert tastings, full open bar, wine kiosks, and cooking demonstrations where the featured chefs showed off their skills at crafting signature dishes, displaying the unique art of Indian cooking Among the big draws were Master Chef Sanjeev Kapoor and Celebrity Chef Vikas Khanna who titillated fans with their cooking demonstrations. Personally manning and serving food from their respective stalls were well known chefs Hemant Mathur, Jehangir Mehta, Maneet Chauhan, Hari Nayak, Aliya Leekong, Prasad Chirnomula and Vikram Vij. Television personality Padma Lakshmi,

SRIREKHA CHAKRAVARTY India Post News Service

NEW YORK: The humble yet cheeky and quintessentially Indian Chicken Tikka Masala may have achieved the status of UK's most favorite dish, but its rightful recognition has been long overdue in the US,

which is only recently waking up to the spicy flavors of Indian cuisine.

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For those with a gourmet palate or even the mildly adventurous foodies wanting to venture into the overwhelming expanse of "curryland", the fault has mostly been with the smattering of mediocre desi restaurants for not popularizing Indian food in America. So finally here's a platform, right in the heart of food lovers mecca, New York City, that lays to rest any stereotyped apprehen-

although publicized as the host of the event, managed a breezy VIP appearance and stayed long enough to taste some of the food. The ambience was one of an Indian mela and the mood very festive as attendees went tizzy between the food and dessert tastings, full open bar, wine kiosks, and cooking demonstrations where the featured chefs showed off their skills at craft-

sions one might have and proves that Indian food can not only be wildly exotic, but sophisticated and wholesomely nutritious all at the same time. The said platform, the Varli Food Festival, pulled off a sold out show for the second year in a row, proclaiming in all its spicy splendor, that Indian food has arrived among the connoisseurs of food. More than 2,000 people with tickets $100 and up thronged the Metropolitan Pavilion

ing signature dishes, displaying the unique art of Indian cooking. Festival attendees got a chance to try exotic foods such as seared, wine marinated Kangaroo loin with fenugreek cream curry on celeriac purée and Butter Pepper Maine lobster with Himalayan Pink salt and micro cilantro and sipped on a Varlitini created exclusively by Chef Prasad Chirnomula for the festival.

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Cont’d on page 25

April 20, 2012

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Mom's the word The four-month-old daughter, said to have been named Aaradhya, is keeping Rai occupied and work has taken a backseat for the actor. The former beauty queen has visibly put on post-pregnancy weight and would have to shed it before she gets back in front of the cameras. Her husband, Abhishek Bachchan, says she is happy playing mom for now and would only return to work when she feels like it Aishwarya Rai-Bachchan

t's a role you haven't seen them in. Away from the limelight, life is all about chang ing diapers and nurturing their little ones for Bollywood's glamour girls like Aishwarya Rai-Bachchan, Lara Dutta and Celina Jaitley who have just stepped into motherhood. Jaitley gave birth to twin boys in Dubai, and the mother and children are doing well health wise, according to the actor's husband, hotelier Peter Haag. They have named their twins Winston and Viraaj. Dutta delivered a baby girl Sara in January and she has been spending time with her bundle of joy. However, she is already back to reading scripts. "Back to hearing scripts and making decisions. Exciting things to look forward to. On another note, nothing smells better than a Johnson's Baby," Dutta wrote on Twitter last month. The actor-producer, married to tennis ace Mahesh Bhupathi, was extremely excited about her pregnancy; her face had a glow every time she stepped out confidently with her baby bump.

Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d from page 24

Even the humble dosa got a sophisticated makeover as did the gajar ka halwa that was dressed up, fancy cupcake style. Also memorable were the fusion desserts from Sweet Silk Confections and AMR catering. Guests got to take home an array of gifts including, a celebrity cook book, a free Gift Certificate Booklet ($500 value) and a bag of goodies from the Varli Spice Market. They also got to enjoy a Yelp Photo booth, participate in a silent auction and watch a live cooking demonstration by Master Chef Sanjeev Kapoor. A new introduction to the Food Festival this year is the Varli Cook Off, which took place the following day, at the Hilton in Melville, New York. Eight aspiring chefs competed in a live cooking competition to win the prize of Varli Star Chef and various other prizes with over 700 attendees cheering on. Esteemed Chefs Kunal Kapur, Prasad Chirnomula, and restaurateur Rajesh Bhardwaj, were joined by Chef Sanjeev Kapoor, as the official judges of the Varli Cook Off. Niru Kumria was a runner up,

Lara Dutta

Actor Aishwarya Rai, who chose to keep away from the shutterbugs during her pregnancy, is busy doting upon her daughter, born in November 2011. The four-month-old daughter, said to have been named Aaradhya, is keeping Rai occupied and work has taken a backseat for the actor. The former beauty queen has visibly put on post-pregnancy weight and would have to shed it before she gets back in front of the cameras. Her husband, Abhishek Bachchan, says she is happy playing mom for now and would only return to work when she feels like it. "When she wants to come back is completely her decision, as and when she decides, when she sees a script she is inspired by - the decision is entirely hers. Currently she is very happy doing what she is doing," Bachchan said recently. Shilpa Shetty, married to London-based Raj Kundra, is preparing for her D-day. She announced her pregnancy on Twitter in December 2011, calling it the "most beautiful phase" of her life.

Indian fizz & flavors

while New York based Saira Malhotra took home the grand prize. "It was humbling to com-

pete with fellow cooks in the presence of some of the world's most renowned chefs. The platform Varli

has provided chefs, restaurateurs and upcoming chefs is pivotal for the culinary scene," said Malhotra

Celina Jaitley

of her new fame as Varli Star Chef. The brainchild of Varli Singh, founder of Varli magazine, the Varli Food Festival aims to showcase the vibrancy and diversity of Indian cuisine. "We are very thankful for the support we receive from the chefs, restaurants and community each year. Our aim is to bring Indian cuisine to the forefront and we are proud to be making strides in reaching those goals," says Varli Singh. Varli magazine partnered with the Food Bank For New York City for the second year and will be donating 100 percent of the net proceeds from the silent auction, 10 percent of proceeds from VIP ticket sales, plus a donation of $5000 personally from the Varli management. The Varli Brand includes Varli magazine, the first publication dedicated to news and reviews on Indian cuisine, the Varli Card, a card providing dining discounts and exclusive deals at participating Indian restaurants, and Varli Online, an interactive website with restaurant reviews, e-magazine, restaurant links and much more.

India Post

April 20, 2012 www.indiapost.com

IPL gets lowest TRP in 5 years MUMBAI: Public response to the Indian Premier League (IPL) seems to be going on a downward spiral. The latest ratings show a marked slump in the television viewership for the Twenty20 extravaganza. The TRPs for the first week of IPL-5 in different parts of the country is at an all-time low. The latest Tam Sports ratings, widely accepted figures for television viewership, indicate a drop in about 19% in the first week of the tournament. The first six matches of IPL-5 have recorded an average rating of 3.76. In the corresponding period last year, the average TRP or TVR (Television Viewership Ratings) was 4.63. The 18.7% fall from last year's rating is galling considering that IPL-4 started less than a week after an emotionally draining World Cup, won by India. Last year's low ratings were attributed to the fatigue caused by the World Cup. In such a backdrop, there is little explanation for this year's fall in TVRs other than diminishing viewer interest in the IPL. "The IPL viewership figures have been going downward for some time. The development is not

surprising," said Ajit Verghese, managing director, Maxus. "It is too early to come to a conclusion, but there could be various reasons. Nowadays, people are watching matches in different places and using different platforms such as hotels, theatres and mobile phones. If there are some good matches in the future, the ratings might improve. But overall, the viewership for Indian

cricket has been going down." The cumulative viewership of the league has also suffered a considerable drop. Compared to 1,01,774 last year - maximum in IPL history - the first week of IPL-5 has recorded a cumulative viewership of 90,130. What's more, the opening ceremony of IPL-5 had a pathetically low rating of 1.16. Last year, it was a healthy 3.03. Programs of that genre like film awards with Bollywood flavor generally attract a much higher rating.

April 20, 2012

India Post

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'Stupid' burglars strike at Pu La's house But the burglars, it seems, were keener to lay their hands on cash and jewellery, and not on the precious documents, books and collections belonging to the great writer, all of which they left untouched. The "inch-perfect" plan to rob Pu La's house at Malti-Madhav Apartments came to light after the society's secretary, Ramchandra Joshi, spotted the lock of the flat opened. Joshi promptly alerted Lokare, who has a flat directly opposite Deshpande's. Lokare said, "The burglars may have struck in the wee hours. They had

locked three adjacent flats from outside before breaking into Pu La's flat. They rummaged through the two bedrooms and the kitchen." The burglars tried their luck by opening the cupboards, but again, were left disappointed. The 3 BHK flat comprises cupboards, beds, chairs, refrigerator, sofa and a microwave. "The burglars did not show any interest in the household items either. It seems they wanted only cash or jewellery," Lokare added.

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Pu La Deshpande

PUNE: This gang of burglars had its plan chalked out, operating on the simple assumption that someone who owned a flat in the city's posh Bhandarkar Road area must be wealthy enough to have a fair bit of cash and jewellery at home. In the end, however, the burglars were hoodwinked by their own ignorance, not knowing that the house, an empty one, belonged to the late Pu La Deshpande, one of the best Marathi writers of all time and a model of austerity. Pu La Deshpande died in 2000 and his writer wife, Sunitabai, passed away in 2009. The flat has been empty ever since. A close relative of Deshpande, Ashwin Lokare, believed that the failed robbery attempt also had something to do with the burglars' "non-Maharashtrian sensibilities." "Chor nakkich Maharashtrian nasanaar. Konata Marathi manus Pu Lanchyaa ghari chori karel? Aani jari keli asati tar tyanni pustake tari chorli asti. (The thieves must not be Maharashtrians. Which Marathi manus would think of burgling Pu La's house? And even if somebody thinks of it, he would have stolen the books)," said Lokare.

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ow that Karisma Kapoor is all set to make a comeback in her upcoming flick Dangerous Ishq, the actress is busy with her Bollywood duties, attending events, film promotions, etc. At an event she replied to her sister Kareena's comment about Raj Kapoor being partial towards her. Karisma said, "I think she meant it a nice way! But I guess I was the first grandchild and then I had my grandfather's eyesâ&#x20AC;Śand then there was a bit of a gap and then Kareena, Ranbir, Riddhima happened in quick succession so I was the special one for a while." Also at Sachin Tendulkar's 100th 100 celebration, Karisma said, she would want to gift Salman Khan with almonds being brand ambassador for California almonds. When she was asked by the media if she ever sent almonds to Sally (Salman's tweet, somedays back, - 'Pass word bhool gaya tha , badam khaya toh yaad ah gaya'), Karisma replied: "Ok, I will send him California almonds."

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Horoscope

India Post

April 20, 2012

www.indiapost.com

Your Weekly Future by Pandit Parashar

APRIL 20TH - APRIL 26TH (November 23 to December 22)

(March 21 to April 20)

hings can start going backward instead of moving forward in career this week. Your plans could backfire so be careful with what you discuss with boss. this does not mean that you are wrong or there is something wrong with your plans, its just the planets. Financially you will continue to do well and may make money through stocks.

lanets are in right mood to help you out with almost every thing. You will be excited the way things will go in your favor this week. Gamble will pay off and you will lay your hands on large chunk of money. A child will be the source of your happiness. You may travel to a nice area with family this week to see a friend.

(April 21 to May 20)

(December 22 to January 19)

ou will continue to gain edge over your opponents and may be selected out of number of applicants for the prestigious job. Mind will stay cheerful as you will get help and support from every one you call. You may buy some new furniture or decorative items for the house. A big deal can also take the final shape.

ou will be working extra hours in order to finish the project on time. Hard work will not go waste and the rewards will come soon. You may buy some fine quality item for the house or replace some furniture. Money wise you will continue to do well. People in business will experience better sales this week.

(May 21 to June 20)

(January 20 to February 18)

ou will sign a big contract this week. Things will continue to move in right direction in career and people applying for new jobs will be called for second interview. Final offer is also on its way. It will be another fruitful week for brokers. Spouse may join a health club to get in better shape. bank balance will grow.

ou will start to enjoy company of a new friend and find lot of compatibility immediately. Things will be more relaxing at work this week and you will be close to finishing the assignment on hand. Meetings will go well and business trips will be instant success. Just be little extra careful when handling and machinery or tools.

(February 19 to March 20)

(June 21 to July 22)

ou should be careful with money and do not put everything at stake in one deal. Avoid taking any chance with law and drive within limits. You will make some interesting plans with family for the weekend and may travel to a nice place. An old friend may call to seek your advice on an important career related matter.

oan application will be approved and you will sign the final documents. You may also receive a big refund in mail or see the deposit in your account. Financially it looks like a promising week and you will be just lucky in all money matters. Your search for a better job will continue and changes are just around the corner.

(July 23 to August 22)

ou will get encouraging news from every where. Legal matters can be settled to your satisfaction. People in business will see and upward trend. A new client will give you big business. You may be able to shed few pounds with the help of little exercises. New colleague or subordinate will impress you with his efficiency.

Chitrangada's charisma will be at an all time high

(August 23 to September 22)

inancial relief will come in a dramatic way and from totally unex pected place. You will benefit from advice given by some one lot younger in age. It will take some more time for bachelors to find the right soul mate. Some one will call from overseas to deliver a good news. Big refund will also show up in your bank account. (September 23 to October 22)

ard work will not go waste. Business will pick up and new partners will be economical and efficient. You will also gain friendship of an influential person this week. Any attempt made half heartedly will fail so think positive and use all you got before trying. A big property deal can also close this week.

(October 23 to November 22)

ith the help of an exalted Sun in sixth, you will overcome some hurdles at work. Time very favorable to appear for any competitive exam. You will also overcome minor health issues with the help of over the counter medication. Outcome from legal matters will be favorable and you will be offered the right kind of deal.

eductive looks, superb acting skills and oodles of talent are how you define one of the most gorgeous actresses of Bollywood, Chitrangada Singh. This dusky Arian is one actress who packs a punch in both looks as well as her acting skills. Having bowled over one and all with a brilliant performance in Sudhir Mishra's Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi, Chitrangada announced her arrival in Bollywood with an impressive debut.

Pandit Parashar, CEO & COO Astro Scan USA is also available for individual consultations. He can be reached at: parashar@parashar.com

Born on March 28, 1976, she is an Aries with ruling number 1. This number is governed by the Sun and having born under it, she is highly original, active, energetic, motivated, artistic and brilliant. She is attracted towards the intellectual types. She is not likely to let her heart rule her head. She has an unyielding will power and carries out projects through to her logical conclusion. She is also fiercely self-reliant and self-sufficient. The future of this dusky damsel in 2012, too, seems pretty promising with upcoming projects like Sudhir Mishra's Dhruv with Kareena Kapoor and Farhan Akhtar. With a director like Sudhir Mishra and costars like Kareena Kapoor and Farhan Akhtar, Chitrangada has only bright things to look forward to in 2012. In 2012, all her qualities come to the fore post March. Her charisma will be at an all time high. She will make it to the top easily as she is innovative and enterprising. By constantly being active she can tire herself out and may have to deal with stressrelated issues. April and May will be lucky months for her.

925-833-7170

website: www.parashar.com

29 India post

The famous Rath Yatra or the Car Festival is held every year as a part of the festival of the great Jagannath temple. It draws good number of pilgrims from all over the world. The yatra forms an integral part of the India images

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uri, situated in the eastern part of the state of Orissa, is one of the four holy dhams of Hinduism and the hallowed seat of Lord Jagannath. Washed by the waters of the Bay of Bengal and embraced by causarina-fringed beaches, it is located at a distance of 60 km from the state capital Bhubaneshwar. It is a famous beach on the eastern coastline of peninsular India. The famous Rath Yatra or the Car Festival is held every year as a part of the festival of the great Jagannath temple. It draws good number of pilgrims from all over the world. The yatra forms an integral part of the In-

April 20, 2012

dia images. India images since times immemorial have depicted devotees. Puri was once part of the kingdom of Kalinga, formed by Emperor Ashoka of the Mauryan Empire in 260 BC. The Sabaras, a tribe belonging to pre-Aryan and preDravidian Austric linguistic group, inhabited the region. The region came under British rule in 1803. The Raja of Khurda rebelled in 1804, and there was a peasant uprising in 1817-18. The Orissa famine of 1866 claimed many lives in Puri. Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d from page 30

Travel & Hospitality Post

India Post

April 20, 2012

www.indiapost.com

Kashmir Mughal Gardens thrown open SRINAGAR: The famed Mughal Gardens of Kashmir have been thrown open to public a week earlier than the scheduled date due to heavy rush of tourists. Authorities expect that the number of tourists visiting Kashmir would surpass 20 lakh this year. Indira Gandhi Memorial Tulip Garden witnessed the maximum footfall as the flowers in this garden, popularly known as "Chotta Holland" here are in full bloom, and the weather was also pleasant, an official of the Gardens and Parks department said. "The life of Tulips is not more than a month. So everyone - tourists as well as locals - wants to visit this garden before they die out," he said. More than 3,000 tickets were sold by noon at the Tulip garden and hundreds more were waiting in queue. Although on a smaller scale, the scenes were no different at other Mughal gardens like Chashmashahi, Nishat and Shalimar. "I don't think there is a place on earth

more beautiful than Kashmir. It is amazing how much it has to offer in such a small area around Dal lake," Amit Kumar, a resident of Punjab, said. Kumar, who got married last month and

has come here for honeymoon, said it was his first visit to Kashmir but asserted that it would not be his last. "I am surely coming back to this place whenever I can," he added. Among the thousands of tourists who

have visited the Valley this year have been high profile personalities like Anil Ambani and Aamir Khan. The Tourism Department is organizing cultural events at some of the gardens for entertaining the tourists while acquainting them with local culture and traditions. A musical - 'Jashne Aamad-e-bahaar' - was organized at the 'Badam Waer' (Almond Alcove) in the foothills of Hariparbat fort in old city where renowned Kashmiri singers Abdul Rashid Hafiz, Mohammad Abdullah Shaksaaz and Gulzar Ahmad Ganaie performed. Stalls showcasing Kashmiri arts and crafts and foods were also set up for the visitors.Authorities here are expecting that 20 lakh tourists will visit Kashmir this year, in comparison to last year's tally of 13 lakh. "Last year was the best for tourism trade in more than two decades and this year is going to be better. Let us hope that peace prevails in Kashmir," Mohammad Umar, a travel agent, said. -PTI

Puri: Famous for Rath Yatra & white sand beaches Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d from page 29

Location: Puri has the Bay of Bengal and the rice-growing alluvial plain on its east, Khurda district on its west, Sambalpur on its south and the state capital Bhubaneshwar on its northern side. The forest area lying to the west of Puri provides bamboo and sal. The district of Puri encompasses most of the Chilika Lake, Asia's largest freshwater lake. Bhubaneshwar is also located in Puri district. Tourist attractions The fine white sands of Puri beach and the roar of the breakers rolling in from the Bay of Bengal have fascinated visitors throughout the years. The local fishermen, with their catamarans and widebrimmed cane hats, are also expert masseurs. With excellent hotels and guesthouses, the Puri beach is an ideal holiday spot. However, what attracts most tourists to this place is the majestic temple of Jagannath. Even before one enters Puri, this 65-meterhigh structure makes its presence felt. The 12th-century temple built by Chodaganga, to commemorate the shifting of his capital from south to central Orissa, stands in a compound on the Nilgiri Hill, and is surrounded by a 20-foot-high wall, within which lie several smaller shrines. A traditional porch, shrine, hall of offerings and a pillared hall of dance form the rest of this temple. Unfortunately, Jagannath is not open for nonHindus, who must contend themselves viewing it from a vantage point, outside its precincts. Another place worth visiting is Ananda Bazar, the largest food market in the world.

Gundicha Mandir is one of the temples closely related to the festivity of the Rath Yatra of Puri. It is a holy place where "God" resides for seven days during the festival. This garden is regarded as the place of lord Jagannath's aunt. Balighai Beach, 8 km from Puri, is at the mouth of the river Nuanai. It is a popular picnic spot, fringed by lovely causarina trees. Sakshi Gopal (literal meaning, the witness lord) is a place 20 km away from Puri where a life-size image of the child Krishna is being built. This was to commemorate the incident when Lord Krishna came to this place as a witness to clear out a dispute of two Brahmans. Later it is said that Lord liked this place so much that he decided to stay there for a while. Besides the places of the city, there are a number of tourist sites outside the city boundary. Balighai, also known for its sea turtle research center, is located just 8 km away from the temple town. Chilika Lake, the largest brack-

ish water lake in Asia (65 km long, 8-20 km wide, about 2 m deep), is situated just a few kilometers away from Puri and is a place worth visiting. It has been affectionately called as the "honeymooners' paradise" and "breakfast island." The simmering blue water makes it an excellent site to have a break from the monotonous daily routine. For someone interested in local handicrafts, a visit to the small village of Pipli near Puri is a must.

This place is famous for the appliquĂŠ work of the traditional Orissa style. Another craftsmen's village is Raghurajpur. This small village is situated just few kilometers from Puri. This place is famous for the Patta Chitra art of Orissa. Besides these, Brahmagiri, a holy shrine; Satyabadi, another shrine and temple; and Baliharachandi are some of the sites to visit near Puri. Fairs & festivals: The Rath Yatra and Nava Kalebara are the famous festivals of Puri. Both these events are related to the reigning deity, Lord Jagannath. Commemorating the journey of Lord Krishna from Gokul to Mathura, the Rath Yatra is celebrated on the second day of the bright fortnight of Asadha (JuneJuly). The image is placed in a heavy chariot and the efforts of hundreds of devotees are required to move it. The journey takes several days, and thousands of pilgrims participate. Perhaps many people will be surprised to know that the English word juggernaut, with its connotation of a force crushing whatever is in its path, is

derived from name Jagannath, meaning "lord of the world." The Nava Kalebara festival is an immensely significant religious ritual, wherein the idols of the three deities - Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra - change their external forms. New idols are carved out of specially sanctified chandan/ neem trees, following certain regulations. The 'daru' (wood) is then transported to the temple in full regalia. Puri Beach Festival is celebrated annually in early November. Orissan craft, cuisine and cultural evenings are the highlights of the event. Best Time to Visit: October to March (June and July to witness the Rath Yatra) How to reach: Air - The nearest airport is at Bhubaneshwar (60 km), the state capital. Road - Puri is connected with Bhubaneshwar, Konark, Berhampur, Taptapani, Sambalpur and Kolkata by road. Rail - Puri is also linked to other cities in Orissa and the country by train.

April 20, 2012

Travel & Hospitality Post

India Post

www.indiapost.com

High air fares to Kashmir anger dept, industry NEW DELHI: Jammu and Kashmir tourism department and industry are angry at "high" air fares on Kashmir circuit, fearing that this would destroy the state's tourism season and are seeking the intervention by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in the interest of the nation. The state tourism department and the industry say the prices have been increased just when the peak season for visiting the valley was approaching. "It is unfortunate that airlines are increasing air fares to and fro Kashmir valley. As a result of this, the tourism industry will suffer," Jammu and Kashmir Tourism Director Farooq Shah said here. He said the air fares were "substantially high" and continuing to rise, even touching Rs 17,000 one way between Delhi and Srinagar which was more than that between Delhi and Malaysia or Singapore. "The rates cannot be fixed arbitrarily. There should be some ceiling on the fares," he said, adding that the high rates would badly affect tourist flow to the valley

during the peak summer season. President of Travel Agents Society of Kashmir Abdul Khaliq Wangnoo alleged that the airlines were taking "undue advantage" of

Nazir Bakshi, chairman of travel bodies of Kashmir, said there should be intervention by the Prime Minister as Kashmir was returning to normal tourism after two decades of turmoil and the high air fares could not be allowed to sabotage that process the situation since there is no rail link to Kashmir and the only alternate mode of travel is by bus. "We have only two-three months of peak tourist season but such high rates would badly af-

fect the inflow," he said. He said he had requested state Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to take up the issue with the Prime Minister and threatened agitation if some remedial steps were not taken. Nazir Bakshi, chairman of travel bodies of Kashmir, said there should be intervention by the Prime Minister as Kashmir was returning to normal tourism after two decades of turmoil and the high air fares could not be allowed to sabotage that process. "The issue needs sensitive handling. It is in the interest of the nation to keep air fares low so that more people can visit the valley," he said, adding good tourism would highlight the normalcy in the valley. "Making Kashmir unaffordable for travel would have a huge impact," he said. Bakshi suggested that if the airlines wanted to ensure that they do not make losses, they could fix single fares for the whole year instead of making these "exorbitant" during the peak tourist season. -PTI

29 per cent surge in Oz tourists to India MELBOURNE: India is fast emerging as a favorite travel destination for Australians with a 29 per cent surge in tourists from Australia to the country, according to official figures. According to 'Herald Sun' report, the latest radical reshaping of Australian tourist and business travel has put India at 10th most visited destination with 17,400 visits a month which was mere 4,000 tourists ten years ago. Country's Bureau of Statistics figures have disclosed that in February this year more Australians visited China or India than the conventional UK. "India, Thailand and China are by far our fastest growing destinations with annual growth rates of 15, 14 and 13 per cent respectively," it said. Australia has 47,000 visitors a month from China (and a further 15,000 from Hong Kong), well in excess of the 40,000 that come from the US and close to the 49,000 who come from Britain. China was on track to replace the UK as the biggest source of visitors to Australia after New Zealand. According to Tourism minister Martin Ferguson, "New aviation agreements mean there are now 900,000 seats per year between

China and Australia, and we are funding businesses to become China-ready through the 'Welcoming Chinese Visitors Project'. "The number of Australians vis-

"When it came to overseas tourists coming to Australia, growth in arrivals from New Zealand, Japan and South Korea helped to offset a fall in Chinese visitors. Down Under also saw more tourists from Korea, India and Italy. "This clearly demonstrates the need to continue to promote Australia in a variety of markets iting India surged by 29 per cent while the Philippines increased by 26 per cent. Tourism and Transport Forum chief executive John Lee said, Asian destinations like Indonesia,

Thailand, Vietnam and the Philippines have been investing in new accommodation and are able to provide high levels of service to visitors. "We need support for investment in accommodation and other tourism products in Australia to help us remain competitive or we risk being left behind by our regional rivals," he said. "New hotels and attractions can help to attract international visitors and encourage more Australians to holiday at home. "When it came to overseas tourists coming to Australia, growth in arrivals from New Zealand, Japan and South Korea helped to offset a fall in Chinese visitors. Down Under also saw more tourists from Korea, India and Italy. "This clearly demonstrates the need to continue to promote Australia in a variety of markets and that a ramping up of activities in China must be supported by additional funding, not by shifting resources from other areas," Lee said adding, "Many countries have recognized the potential of China as a source market and while Australia undoubtedly needs a strong presence there that should not come at the expense of campaigns in other countries." -PTI

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In Brief Immigrant tuition bill passes Colo. Senate DENVER: Senate Democrats approved legislation that would allow illegal immigrants in Colorado attend college at a discounted tuition rate. The bill passed on a party-line vote with Republican opposition. The bill heads to the Republicancontrolled House. The proposal would let illegal immigrants who graduate from Colorado high schools attend college at a rate lower than the outof-state price, but slightly higher than the in-state rate. The students must sign an affidavit saying they are seeking legal status. It would be up to colleges whether to participate in the tuition program. Supporters say illegal immigrants who grew up attending state schools deserve a chance to attend college at an affordable rate. But opponents say the bill rewards illegal behavior. -AP

Lied about illegal-immigrant worker CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa: A 30year-old eastern Iowa man faces up to five years in federal prison for lying to an immigration agent. Federal prosecutors say Richard Weber, of Dubuque, has pleaded guilty. Weber admitted lying to an agent of the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The agent was inquiring about an illegal immigrant who worked for Weber's concrete business. Officials say Weber told the agent in February 2010 that the worker had been laid off about two months earlier and that Weber had not talked to the worker since. -AP

Protest set over Arizona's immigration law PHOENIX: Immigrant rights advocates plan to hold a protest in downtown Phoenix on the day that the U.S. Supreme Court hears arguments over Arizona's 2010 immigration enforcement law. Organizers of the April 25 rally say they will protest the state's immigration law and other state and federal policies that they contend erode civil rights. On that same day, the U.S. Supreme Court will hear arguments in Gov. Jan Brewer's appeal of a ruling that blocked police from enforcing the law's most controversial elements.

Immigration 34

India Post

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April 20, 2012

Philanthropic leaders pledge $1m to AAPI communities India Post News Service NEW YORK: With newly released figures from the US Census Bureau indicating that the Asian American population experienced a 43 percent increase and that of Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders experienced a 30 percent increase from 2000 to 2010, on April 2, the nation's top foundations pledged an initial $1 million and the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders convened its first National Philanthropic Briefing to draw attention to this fastest growing racial group in the country. Co-chair of the White House Initiative on AAPIs and Assistant to the President Chris Lu addressed the over 200 participants, including philanthropic leaders from more than 50 foundations. "This effort is historic in that it is the first time the White House is bringing together foundation leaders, federal officials and community experts to discuss the

needs of this often-overlooked group." He remarked, "We must work together to make sure that no community is invisible to its government." Embracing the collaborative spirit, the Ford Foundation, the W.K. Kellogg Foundation and the Kresge Foundation together committed $1 million "to support follow up program planning for some

Arne Duncan spoke about models of partnerships between foundations and federal agencies. "You and your organizations can help make the smart, strategic investments that will drive the transformational change we are talking about today." Participants learned about the White House Initiative's unprecedented engagement with over

Participants learned about the White House Initiative's unprecedented engagement with over 25,000 AAPI community members across the country. They brainstormed with Administration officials of the outstanding ideas that emerged from the White House event that will improve the quality of life of AAPI communities," said Ford Foundation President, Luis UbiĂąas. US Department of Education Secretary and Co-chair of the White House Initiative on AAPIs

25,000 AAPI community members across the country. They brainstormed with Administration officials and foundation leaders on ideas for partnerships - from building community capacity to improving language access, to tackling significant disparities among Native Hawaiians, Pacific Islanders

and Southeast Asian Americans, to combating discrimination and bullying and harassment of South Asian and Muslim communities. Moving forward, as W.K. Kellogg Foundation Vice President - Program Strategy Dr. Gail Christopher underscored "will require both philanthropic and governmental organizations to evaluate their strategic plans to ensure that the critical needs of these marginalized communities are addressed." Reflecting on this important effort, Kresge Foundation President Rip Rapson observed that this "momentous conversation between federal and philanthropic leaders addressing the critical needs of the AAPI community marks the beginning of what we hope is a long and productive partnership." President Obama signed an executive order in October 2009 reestablishing the White House Initiative to improve the lives of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders underserved by federal resources.

FY 2013 H-1B filing season begins CYRUS D. MEHTA

mployers can now file capsubject H-1B petitions for fiscal year (FY) 2013, for employment starting October 1, 2012, or later. On November 22, 2011, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) received a sufficient number of petitions to reach the statutory cap for FY 2012. USCIS also received more than 20,000 H-1B petitions on behalf of persons exempt from the cap under the advanced degree exemption as of October 19, 2011. With the improving economy, H-1B numbers could run out faster this year. CDMA recommends that employers file early and allow time for the labor condition application process. Contact our firm now for guidance and help with the process. Department of State Amends Fees for Consular Services The Department of State has issued an interim final rule amending the schedule of fees for consular services for nonimmigrant

visa applications, border crossing card applications, and immigrant visa applications. The rule increases from $140 to $160 the fee for processing most non-petition-based nonimmigrant visas (machine-readable visas, or

Mexican citizen minors who apply in Mexico, and whose parent or guardian already has a BCC or is applying for one, based on a congressionally mandated surcharge. The interim final rule is effective April 13, 2012. Written com-

With the improving economy, H-1B numbers could run out faster this year. CDMA recommends that employers file early and allow time for the labor condition application process MRVs) and border crossing cards (BCCs) for Mexican citizens 15 years of age and above. The rule also amends application processing fees for certain categories of petition-based nonimmigrant visas and treaty trader and investor visas (all of which are also MRVs), and amends tiered application processing fees for immigrant visas. Finally, the rule increases from $14 to $15 the BCC fee charged to

ments must be received on or before May 29, 2012. Visa Interview Waiver Pilot Program Expanded to New Delhi, India The U.S. Embassy in New Delhi, India, announced that the Visa Interview Waiver Pilot Program has been expanded to that post, effective immediately. Under the program, certain qualified foreign visitors who were interviewed

and screened in conjunction with a previous visa application may be eligible to renew their visas without undergoing another interview. The embassy explained that the pilot program permits consular officers to waive interviews for qualified nonimmigrant applicants worldwide who are renewing their B-1/B-2 visas within 48 months of the expiration of their previously held visa, and within the same classification as the previous visa. The pilot does not entitle any applicant to a waiver of personal appearance. Consular officers retain the authority to interview any applicant whom they determine requires a personal appearance. India, China EB-2 Category Expected To Retrogress Soon The State Department's Visa Bulletin for April did not continue the dramatic forward movement of India and China EB-2 priority dates that has been observed for the past several months. Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d on page 36

Immigration Post

April 20, 2012

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Ala. immigration changes address religious concern MONTGOMERY, Ala.: Legislation being pushed by the governor and other Republican leaders to revise Alabama's immigration law addresses some of the concerns raised by religious leaders, but it doesn't go far enough to erase their belief that the state is trying to keep them from following the biblical commandment to look after ``the least of these.'' Republican Rep. Micky Hammon of Decatur introduced the bill in the House with the support of Gov. Robert Bentley, House Speaker Mike Hubbard, Senate President Pro Tem Del Marsh and other key leaders. It came after the law, signed by the governor in June 2011, drew criticism from religious leaders, law enforcement and business groups for being unclear and unworkable. The governor's legal adviser, Cooper Shattuck, said the changes should alleviate many concerns about religious organizations getting into trouble for ministering, providing food or offering other services to illegal immigrants. He said the changes clarify that religious organizations don't have to verify the legal residency of people they serve, and that they won't get into trouble for having an illegal immigrant in ministry or mission work, as long as the person is not paid as an employee.

Shattuck said another change clarifies language on when a violation occurs. The new language says someone must conceal, harbor or shield a person from detection while knowing the person is in the country illegally or with reckless disregard to the person's status. ``These changes go a long way to address their legitimate concerns,'' Shattuck said.

Some of the changes appear to offer protection to church leaders, but the wording of the bill makes her concerned the protection is not extended to church members The Rev. Angie Wright from the Beloved Community United Church of Christ in Birmingham said the changes don't go far enough and in some cases make the law harsher. That includes levying a felony punishment for aiding five illegal immigrants, when the current law provides for aiding 10 or more. ``It is deeply disturbing to me, especially during Holy Week, that

legislators have shown no remorse for the massive suffering caused by HB56,'' she said, referring to the bill number for the law. Wright is an organizer of Faith Leaders for a Welcoming Alabama, which is running TV ads criticizing the law. She said the proposed changes won't stop criticism because even if the changes are enacted, the law will still interfere with the role of churches by creating fear in immigrant communities. ``This is the work of the Lord _ looking after the least of these,'' she said. Kitty Rogers Brown, an attorney for Episcopal Bishop Henry Parsley Jr. of the Diocese of Alabama, said the revision legislation is a sign that state officials are listening to religious leaders' concerns. ``But it does not go far enough,'' she said. Brown said some of the changes appear to offer protection to church leaders, but the wording of the bill makes her concerned the protection is not extended to church members. Brown represents Parsley in his suit where he joined Roman Catholic and Methodist church leaders in challenging the law. The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta is waiting on a U.S Supreme Court ruling on Arizona's immigration law before ruling on the challenges to Alabama's law. -AP

Nebraska City prepares for immigration ordinance OMAHA, Neb.: Fremont officials continue to work out how to implement an ordinance requiring businesses to double-check the citizenship of new employees. City Attorney Paul Payne told the City Council that he's obligated to begin enforcing the requirement May 4, but he's still trying to determine what resources are needed and what the enforcement process should entail. ``We don't have a lot of guides out there to take a look at this and to look at other communities, because I've looked and I don't see a whole lot of them actually enforcing,'' Payne said. The requirement that employers use the E-Verify system to screen for illegal immigrants is part of an ordinance approved by Fremont voters in June 2010 but put on hold until now so that lawsuits challenging it could be heard. A federal judge approved most of the ordinance in February, but rejected one part of the rules requiring potential renters to swear they are legal residents and pay $5 to obtain a renting permit. So, those housing rules remain on

hold while the city and American Civil Liberties Union appeal. City officials have estimated it will cost about $450,000 in the first year to put the new regulations in place because new forms will have to be developed and new employees will be needed to make sure

Census figures show that the Hispanic population in Fremont has grown tremendously over the past two decades businesses are using the citizenship checks. Payne told the City Council that he anticipates starting enforcement by sending letters to Fremont businesses asking them to comply with the ordinance and provide proof of E-Verify registration, according to the Fremont Tribune (http://bit.ly/HeJjpX ). Strongerworded letters or face-to-face meetings could follow for businesses

that don't comply, with prosecution for employers who refuse to conform to the new law. City Administrator Dale Shotkoski cautioned that Payne has other duties as city attorney and shouldn't tie up all his time with the ordinance. ``This is one ordinance,'' he said. ``There are a whole bunch of them out there. There are also contracts he reviews and a lot of other things he's doing for us, so we can't have him spending 90 percent of his time on the ordinance, then we aren't getting the benefit of having a city attorney.'' Census figures show that the Hispanic population in Fremont has grown tremendously over the past two decades, but it's not clear how many illegal immigrants might live in the city of 26,000 about 35 miles northwest of Omaha. Fremont's Hispanic population grew from 165 in 1990 to 1,085 in 2000 and 3,149 in 2010. Census figures show that 1,259 noncitizens live there, but that figure includes illegal immigrants as well as lawful permanent residents, foreign students and refugees in the U.S. legally. -AP

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Immigration Post

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FY 2013 H-1B filing season begins Dem Senate hopeful seeks Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d from page 34

The Alliance of Business Immigration Lawyers has also learned that the Visa Office is predicting a retrogression of priority dates in the India and China EB-2 category to a 2007 priority date, effective in the May or June Visa Bulletin. For the month of April, the India and China EB-2 category remains steady at May 1, 2010. For May, the Visa Office recently announced that the priority date will retrogress, or be set earlier, possibly as early as August 2007. Priority dates are not expected to advance again until October 1, 2012, at the earliest, when the new fiscal year begins. If an I-485 Application for Adjustment of Status is filed while the person's priority date is current, it will remain pending until the priority date is current again. Because the I-485 will remain pending, the applicant can continue to apply for interim benefits, such as work authorization and advance parole, while the priority date is retrogressed. CDMA recommends that anyone with a priority date before March 2010 who is eligible to apply for adjustment of status do so immediately, because the opportunity to file such applications will likely end by May 1, 2012, and will not return until at least October 1, 2012 (and possibly much later). Contact our firm for assistance. Business Organizations Send Letter on L-1 Issues to Obama Administration Sixty-four business organizations signed a letter on L-1 legal and policy issues sent on March 22, 2012, to President Obama and the Secretaries of Commerce, Homeland Security, and State. New proposed L-1 guidance is anticipated from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Among other things, the letter notes that it has become increasingly difficult for companies to procure visas to transfer existing employees in the United States to continue work. A significant concern, the letter notes, is that an "inconsistent and improperly narrowed" definition of specialized knowledge is being used to determine which employees qualify for L-1B status.

When visas for key staff already employed in an organization are inexplicably delayed or denied, such delays or denials do not enhance compliance or enforcement and "do nothing except disrupt carefully laid business plans and create significant costs to the company and the American economy," the letter states. USCIS Releases Guidance on Maximum Period of Stay for Nonimmigrant Religious Workers U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services released a policy memorandum on March 8, 2012, for Immigration Service Officers who adjudicate religious worker (R-1) nonimmigrant petitions for those coming to the United States temporarily to perform religious work, and their dependents. The memo outlines the procedure to be used for "recapturing"

USCIS explained that the R-1 nonimmigrant classification is for those seeking to enter the United States for a period not to exceed five years time spent outside the United States by R-1 nonimmigrants when seeking an extension of their R nonimmigrant status. The guidance applies to all R-1 petitions seeking to recapture time that are currently pending with USCIS or to new petitions filed on or after March 8, 2012. "Recapturing" is used in the memo as "short-hand" for the period of time spent outside the United States that the worker seeks to have subtracted from his or her maximum period of stay in R-1 status, to have that period of time added back ("recaptured") when he or she requests an extension of R-1 status. USCIS explained that the R-1 nonimmigrant classification is for those seeking to enter the United States for a period not to exceed five years solely to work as a minister or in a qualifying religious occupation or vocation. In calcu-

lating the five-year maximum period of stay, USCIS has not subtracted time in which the R-1 religious worker was traveling or residing outside of the United States following his or her initial admission in R-1 status. USCIS noted that certain nonimmigrants who have spent the maximum period of stay authorized by their nonimmigrant classification are prohibited from having a new petition in the same status filed on their behalf until they have remained outside of the United States for a specific period of time (also known as a "limitation on admission" or "limitation on total stay"). Currently, USCIS policy guidance provides that H-1B and L-1 nonimmigrants and their dependents may recapture time spent outside of the United States when calculating their maximum period of authorized stay. USCIS said the policy of allowing recapture is intended to permit a qualifying nonimmigrant to spend the maximum permitted period of time allowed by his or her classification in the United States before he or she must spend a specific period outside of the United States to file a new petition for the same status. USCIS said it has determined that extending the recapture policy to the R-1 nonimmigrant classification is "appropriate, and that such a policy is consistent with R-1 statutory and regulatory language and the purpose and intent of the R-1 visa classification." USCIS has further determined that the spouse or minor child of a principal who recaptures periods of time spent outside the United States toward an extension of R-1 status may receive periods of R-2 stay coextensive with that of the principal. The USCIS memo may be an effort to settle or moot a class action lawsuit filed earlier this year that challenged the agency's prior refusal to allow R-1 religious workers to recapture time spent out of the United States. See Society of the Divine Word v. Napolitano (N.D. Ill. filed Jan. 3, 2012). * Cyrus D Mehta, may be contacted at 212-425-0555 or info@cyrusmehta.com

immigration law fix BOSTON: A federal immigration law mandating that fingerprints taken from crime suspects by local law enforcement officials be turned over to the FBI creates barriers between police and immigrant communities and should be improved before being fully implemented next year, Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Elizabeth Warren said. Warren, a Harvard law professor and consumer advocate, was asked about the Secure Communities law after appearing at a Statehouse event sponsored by the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition, or MIRA, which calls itself New England's largest organization promoting the rights of immigrants and refugees. Under the Secure Communities program, the FBI would share a crime suspect's fingerprint information with the Department of Homeland Security. If it appeared that the crime suspect was in the United States illegally, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, could initiate deportation proceedings. U.S. Sen. Scott Brown and other state Republicans have targeted Warren's positions on immigration issues in recent days. Brown is seeking re-election after winning the seat in a 2010 special election to succeed the late Democratic Sen. Edward Kennedy. Brown has stated that Warren opposes Secure Communities. But the Democrat has crafted a more nuanced position, saying she believe the FBI and ICE should be allowed to share information that would help remove dangerous criminals from the streets. But she also has said that many community leaders and some law enforcement officials have expressed reservations about the program as currently designed. ``There are many who are worried that the way it is directed right now ... it doesn't focus on violent offenders and it builds walls between communities and those who police them,'' Warren told reporters. ``And it's very important in order to have truly safe communities that the police and the communities are working closely and have ongoing relationships that are deep and lasting and based on trust.'' Critics of Secure Communities, including some police officials, worry that it will lead to greater mistrust of law enforcement and discourage some immigrants from reporting crime or assisting in criminal investigations. ``What Secure Communities does is actually make communi-

ties less secure,'' said Marisa DeFranco, an immigration attorney from Middleton who also is seeking the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate and appeared at the advocacy event. Immigrants, even if legal, ``are not going to come forward as witnesses in crime or help police if a crime has been committed because even if they are documented, someone in their family isn't,'' she said. DeFranco accused Brown of being ``uninformed'' on immigration issues but also criticized Warren for not taking stronger stands on Secure Communities and other issues. Brown met last week with three Republican Massachusetts sher-

U.S. Sen. Scott Brown and other state Republicans have targeted Warren's positions on immigration issues in recent days. Brown is seeking reelection after winning the seat in a 2010 special election to succeed the late Democratic Sen. Edward Kennedy iffs who have called on the state to adopt Secure Communities immediately. Proponents have pointed to several incidents they say could have been prevented had the law been in place, including the death in Milford last August of a motorcyclist who police said was struck and dragged by a pickup truck driven by an illegal immigrant who was drunk and did not have a license. The Massachusetts Republican Party also released an online video targeting Warren's opposition to a border fence, her support for in-state tuition for illegal immigrants and her support of the DREAM Act, a proposal to offer young illegal immigrants paths to citizenship through college education or military service. Warren responded: ``I believe people who are in the United States who do not have legal status through no fault of their own, who were brought here as children, and they want either to serve in the military or better themselves through higher education and help make this a more prosperous country should be encouraged to do that.'' -AP

April 20, 2012

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India Post 37

TOP TEN HINDI FILM SONGS

India Post

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April 20, 2012

1 Chikni Chameli: Agneepath 2 Hosanna: Ek Deewana Tha 3 Jhoom Jhoomta Hun Main : Players 4 O Saiyyan: Agneepath 5 Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu : Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu 6 Aromale: Ek Deewana Tha 7 Kal Chalna Shuru Tu : Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu 8 Zara Dil Ko Thaam Lo: Don 2 9 Dil Yeh Bekarar Kyu Hai : Players 10 Sharminda Hoon : Ek Deewana Tha

ow that Saif Ali Khan and his ladylove Kareena Kapoor have postponed their wedding to 2013 (according to rumors), it is heard that Saif's younger sis Soha Ali Khan is planning a 2012 wedding. If buzz is to be believed, Soha might enter matrimonial bliss with her longtime beau Kunal Khemu, in November. Both Kunal and Soha's families have approved the match and are keen on taking things forward. Post Tiger Pataudi's death (Saif's father Mansoor Ali Khan), it's Saif who will take up the responsibilities of his sister's wedding. If the news is true, we will get to witness two back-to-back weddings, very soon.

angana Ranaut is considered one amongst BTown's most known fashion icons. Always making a statement, she has often been noticed to dress up in diverse and unique styles of her own. This fashion diva also has two tattoos inked on her. She has fondness for tattoos from the time she was in her teens which has persuaded her to have two of them inked on her body. The first one is a cross with angels, sword, crown and wings and is engraved on the nape of her neck. The other is a more recent one, on her ankle. This one is an angel with wings. She got the new one done recently and it is a testament to Kangana's fetish for angels and wings! "Yes, I have the second tattoo as an angel with wings. I love the concept of having wings, so I got this done and this angel is the one with curly hair" she adds with a wink. Curly hair bears resemblance to Kangana. Meanwhile she is busy promoting her upcoming action thriller 'Tezz' where she plays lady love interest to Bollywood's Singham and the biggest prankster, Ajay Devgan.

FETISH

FOR

TATTOOS

ITEM BIPASHA

ost the break-up, Bipasha is going to do an item number in John Abraham's film. Yes, you have heard it right. The exes are all set to work together in Ekta Kapoor's film 'Shootout at Wadala'. Bollywood is filled with many examples where the exes share a good professional bond such as we have seen Shahid Kapoor-Priyanka Chopra, Salman Khan-Katrina Kaif, Ranveer SinghAnushka Sharma and Ranbir KapoorDeepika Padukone working together in films after the split. Ekta Kapoor's film is presently on floors and the filming is on high heels. Kangana Ranaut plays the main lead opposite John. Bipasha has been roped in to do one scene that leads to an item song. But sources claim that Bipasha has some more scenes in the film and she is scheduled to enact face to face with Abraham.

Bollywood

April 20, 2012

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BUDDING

AUTHOR

onam Kapoor, besides being a fashionista, is also a voracious reader. And she is keen on penning down her auto biography some day. So what would Sonam want to include in her book? Clothes, fashion??? Well, NO. The actress said, "Clothes and style is just my personal choice. It is not something I am obsessed with. May be romance," Reading has always been a part in Sonam's life, right from her childhood days. "I was being read to at a very young age by my mother. She would always read fables that had a meaning. She would always ask me what was the point behind the story," said Sonam. "In the meantime, I was little annoyed with my momâ&#x20AC;Ś then she tried to make me more of a voracious readerâ&#x20AC;Ś she would not finish the story and I used to get anxious to know the rest of it. So, I had no choice but to read it myself. So that's how I started reading so much," she added.

SECOND STINT A

nushka Sharma will be joining Shahrukh Khan and Katrina Kaif in Yash Chopra's next untitled film. This will be Anushka's second film with SRK. The actress is all kicked up about it and can't wait for the shoot to begin. 'Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi' was Anushka Sharma's first flick with SRK. "I didn't think I will get a chance to work with Shah Rukh again after my first film, but I did. So, I am the lucky one. I look forward to it. Mr. Yash Chopra is an institution in himself. I guess I would get to learn a lot from that film," Anushka unveiled in India Today's women health magazine. "I have not started the shooting yet. I will be joining the crew from May onwards right after my birthday, which is on May 1. So I will start shooting from May 2. I am very excited. I think it is any actor's dream to work with Yash Chopra," she added.

MOST

INFLUENTIAL A recent survey declared Priyanka Chopra as the top most influential Indian in social media. While Priyanka Chopra tops the list, Shashi Tharoor is second while legendary actor Amitabh Bachchan comes in third reports Pinstorm India. The list consists of 100 people ranging from Aamir Khan to Salman Khan to film critic Taran Adarsh and may more. What sets Priyanka apart is that she has one of the highest number of followers 2228363 on twitter which is more than Sachin Tendulkar. However, this hasn't stopped the leggy damsel who has been working round the clock shooting for Krissh 3, Kunal Kohli's Teri Meri Kahaani and giving time for her endorsement commitments.

Â&#x201E; Health

Line

Possible bacterial meningitis case at NY College WHITE PLAINS, NY: Health officials are investigating a possible case of bacterial meningitis at a suburban New York college after a student was hospitalized with possible symptoms of the severe disease. Westchester County Health Department spokeswoman Heather McGill told the Journal News that they won't be able to confirm whether the Berkeley College student has bacterial meningitis for several days. The college that has a campus in Westchester County issued a statement saying it was working to identify any ``close contacts'' of the person who was potentially infected with the disease. -AP

Â&#x201E; 3 new rabies cases in western Arkansas HOT SPRINGS, Ark.: New cases of rabies have Garland County officials warning residents to beware of wildlife. According to the Arkansas State Department of Health, more than 50 animals have tested positive for rabies so far this year, just 10 less than last year's total of 60 cases. KTHV-TV reports that the most recent cases were found in Garland County. Hot Springs Animal Services director Dan Bugg says his agency submitted two bats and a skunk for rabies testing and the results came back positive. Officials found the infected animals outside of Hot Springs city limits. -AP

Health Science 40

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April 20, 2012

Autism may be linked to obesity during pregnancy CHICAGO: Obesity during pregnancy may increase chances for having a child with autism, provocative new research suggests. Details on page 42

US, India health initiative ensured smooth implementation India Post News Service

NEW YORK: The Secretary of US Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius and Indian Ambassador Nirupama Rao agreed to strengthen the India-US Health Initiative mechanism to share information, identify and address policy concerns, establish new technologies, and share international best practices. Ambassador Rao and Secretary Sebelius met April 9 at the HHS office to discuss and ensure smooth implementation of issues for bilateral cooperation. Extending a warm welcome to Ambassador Rao, Secretary Sebelius recalled her visit to India in January this year, which she mentioned had helped her to understand the complexities of Indian health system and its challenges. She lauded the Indian effort for eradication of Polio over the last one year, which resulted in removal of India from the polio affected nations by World Health Organization (WHO). She also expressed her satisfaction in progress of the Global Disease Detection (GDD) - India Center, which has been established in collaboration with the US Center for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC).

Ambassador Nirupama Rao with US Secretary for Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius on April 9

Ambassador Rao highlighted the importance of vibrant India-US health cooperation in strengthening the strategic dialogue and addressing the challenges of global health such as Rotavirus vaccine development Ambassador Rao highlighted the importance of vibrant India-US health cooperation in strengthening the strategic dialogue and addressing the challenges of global

health such as Rotavirus vaccine development, solution for HIV/ AIDS, non-communicable diseases containment. In order to further broaden and deepen the bilateral

health cooperation and to ensure better health at affordable costs for the people, she mentioned about emerging collaboration opportunities in areas of Cancer research, specifically cooperation in development of the Indian National Cancer Institute; Low Cost Biomedical Technologies and Health Informatics. Ambassador underscored the opportunity for development of cooperation in the field of traditional medicine, which has immense market potential in the US.

Study says health care law would raise deficit WASHINGTON: Reigniting a debate about the bottom line for President Barack Obama's health care law, a leading conservative economist estimates in a study that the overhaul will add at least $340 billion to the deficit, not reduce it. Charles Blahous, who serves as public trustee overseeing Medicare and Social Security finances, also suggested that federal accounting practices have obscured the true fiscal impact of the controversial legislation, the fate of which is now in the hands of the Supreme Court. Officially, the health care law is still projected to help reduce government red ink. The Congres-

sional Budget Office, the government's non-partisan fiscal umpire, said in an estimate last year that repealing the law actually would increase deficits by $210 billion from 2012-2021. The CBO, however, has not updated that projection. If $210 billion sounds like a big cushion, it's not. The government has recently been running annual deficits in the $1 trillion range. The White house dismissed the study in a statement. Presidential assistant Jeanne Lambrew called the study ``new math (that) fits the old pattern of mischaracterizations'' about the health care law. Blahous, in his 52-page analy-

sis released by George Mason University's Mercatus Center, said, ``Taken as a whole, the enactment of the (health care law) has substantially worsened a dire federal fiscal outlook. ``The (law) both increases a federal commitment to health care spending that was already unsustainable under prior law and would exacerbate projected federal deficits relative to prior law,'' Blahous said. The law expands health insurance coverage to more than 30 million people now uninsured, paying for it with a mix of Medicare cuts and new taxes and fees. President Barack Obama

Cont'd on page 43

April 20, 2012

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Azad calls for regional coop in health MALE: Seeking collaboration among SAARC countries in health care sector, India has said that a strong and vibrant public health care system can cope with the enormous challenges emanating from demographic and epidemiological transition in the region. "We should collaborate amongst ourselves to find our own concrete solutions which are feasible, cost effective and suitable for our region," Health and Family Welfare Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad said addressing the 4th Health Ministers' conference at the Maldivian capital here.

The Minister added that full advantage should be taken of the strength and vibrancy of SAARC in addressing the common health problems of the region. The President of Maldives Mohammed Waheed inaugurated the Health Ministers' Conference. Taking note of the large burden of communicable diseases and unacceptably high levels of maternal and child mortality particularly India and Pakistan, Azad stated that adopting a comprehensive strategy for Diseases Surveillance for Prevention and Control of Communicable Diseases is the need of the hour. It is of paramount impor-

tance to develop and put in place a comprehensive strategy for surveillance, early detection and response to such diseases and infections, he emphasized. Among the strategies discussed during the Health Ministers' Conference include capacity-building, effective response, laboratory support, information sharing, cross border collaboration, monitoring and research. Azad suggested that Health Ministers of the region meet more often to deliberate upon a selected theme or subject of common interest and agree on an action plan. -PTI

techniques such giving a sugar pill, suckling on a dummy, or breast-feeding are used. Sugar is one of the most common treatments used, however, there have been concerns about its effectiveness. In this trial at the University of Chicago Comer Children's Hospital, 47 healthy infants were split into three groups - warming, sugar and suckling for their hepatitis B vaccination. Those in the warming group were placed under a medical "infant warmer system" before the injection. The other babies were either given sugar drops or a dummy. The babies responses to the injection crying, grimacing and heart rate -were recorded.

The babies who were warmed stopped crying and grimacing earlier than babies in the other groups. Nearly a quarter did not cry at all whereas all the babies given sugar cried. In all the groups the heart rate rapidly rose after the injection and then decreased at broadly the same speed for each treatment. The authors concluded that: "Providing natural warmth to newborn infants during a painful procedure decreases the crying and grimacing that normally accompanies a painful vaccination. "We have shown that exposure to natural external warmth is as effective, if not more effective, as the analgesic and calming properties of sucrose taste and pacifier suckling."

TIP OF THE WEEK

Prevent PMS Warmth 'gives babies pain relief' during vaccination with yogurt

eeping a baby nice and warm while giving injections may offer better pain relief than the techniques doctors currently use. Research, published in the journal Pain, showed warmer infants cried and grimaced less than babies given sugar pills or a dummy before vaccination. The small trial was in 47 healthy newborns. The authors said warming was "natural, easy and performed better" than other treatments. Doctors try to ease the pain to babies during routine procedures such as blood tests and vaccinations. There are concerns about using drugs while the brain is still developing so other

p to 80 percent of women will struggle with premenstrual syndrome and its uncomfortable symptoms, report Yale researchers. The reason: Their nervous systems are sensitive to the ups and downs in estrogen and progesterone that occur naturally every month. But snacking on 2 cups of yogurt a day can slash these symptoms by 48 percent, say researchers at New York 's Columbia University. "Yogurt is rich in calcium, a mineral that naturally calms the nervous system, preventing painful symptoms even when hormones are in flux," explains Mary Jane Minkin, M.D., a professor of gynecology at Yale University.

Health Science Post

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April 20, 2012

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Autism may be linked to obesity during pregnancy CHICAGO: Obesity during pregnancy may increase chances for having a child with autism, provocative new research suggests. It's among the first studies linking the two, and though it doesn't prove obesity causes autism, the authors say their results raise public health concerns because of the high level of obesity in this country. Study women who were obese during pregnancy were about 67 percent more likely than normalweight women to have autistic children. They also faced double the risk of having children with other developmental delays. On average, women face a 1 in 88 chance of having a child with autism; the results suggest that obesity during pregnancy would increase that to a 1 in 53 chance, the authors said.

The study was released online in Pediatrics. Since more than one-third of U.S. women of child-bearing age are obese, the results are potentially worrisome and add yet an-

obesity during pregnancy with stillbirths, preterm births and some birth defects. Dr. Daniel Coury, chief of developmental and behavioral pediatrics at Nationwide Children's Hospital

Obesity, generally about 35 pounds overweight, is linked with inflammation and sometimes elevated levels of blood sugar. Excess blood sugar and inflammation-related substances in a mother's blood may reach the fetus and damage the developing brain, Krakowiak said other incentive for maintaining a normal weight, said researcher Paula Krakowiak, a study co-author and scientist at the University of California, Davis. Previous research has linked

in Columbus, Ohio, said the results ``raise quite a concern.'' He noted that U.S. autism rates have increased along with obesity rates and said the research suggests that may be more than a

coincidence. More research is needed to confirm the results. But if mothers' obesity is truly related to autism, it would be only one of many contributing factors, said Coury, who was not involved in the study. Genetics has been linked to autism, and scientists are examining whether mothers' illnesses and use of certain medicines during pregnancy might also play a role. The study involved about 1,000 California children, ages 2 to 5. Nearly 700 had autism or other developmental delays, and 315 did not have those problems. Mothers were asked about their health. Medical records were available for more than half the women and confirmed their conditions. It's not clear how mothers' obesity might affect fetal de-

velopment, but the authors offer some theories. Obesity, generally about 35 pounds overweight, is linked with inflammation and sometimes elevated levels of blood sugar. Excess blood sugar and inflammation-related substances in a mother's blood may reach the fetus and damage the developing brain, Krakowiak said. The study lacks information on blood tests during pregnancy. There's also no information on women's diets and other habits during pregnancy that might have influenced fetal development. There were no racial, ethnic, education or health insurance differences among mothers of autistic kids and those with unaffected children that might have influenced the results, the researchers said. -AP

Spartanburg teen wins meet Mo. Senate panel backs changes to blind benefits 7 months after surgery SPARTANBURG, SC: Jaquan Jackson's outlook on life changed dramatically last summer. He doesn't take things for granted any more. He listens more intently to his mother. And, both mentally and physically, he's stronger than ever. Earlier this year, the Spartanburg High School junior found out just how strong he's become. He won the Region III4A strength meet - just seven months after heart surgery. ``I thought he was done when I heard heart surgery,'' said Spartanburg High strength and conditioning coach Jimmy Anderson. ``He kept saying that he was going to be back. He's got some heart because he hasn't batted an eye, backed down or whimpered.'' Jackson had just wrapped up a morning football practice on June 28 when he decided to go see his father at work. Jackson, 16, rode his father's motorcycle down Highway 29 to drop it off at a nearby gas station where he worked. As Jackson was attempting to make a turn in front of a Burger King location when a van pulled out in front of him. ``I didn't realize it couldn't turn there until it was too late because there was an island blocking it,'' Jackson said. ``When I got (within a foot) of it, I blacked out.'' Jackson said upon impact he was thrown 20 feet over the van and landed on the pavement. He suffered a ``badly bruised chest and hip'' and ``road rash every-

where.'' He said he has no recollection of what happened. ``I woke up in an ambulance and was hurting and didn't want to believe it,'' he said. ``I had tears in my eyes, and they were telling me to just be still and try to relax. I can remember just wanting to go back to sleep after that.'' Jackson was transported to Spartanburg Regional Medical Center, where he spent five days in the intensive care unit. He spent a total of nine days in the hospital

Jackson said his doctor told him to initially get as much rest as possible. After an amount of time went by, he was allowed to begin doing five push-ups at a time to begin getting back into shape and did not attempt to walk until six days after the wreck. ``I was traumatized and gained about 20 pounds in the hospital,'' Jackson said. ``The Fourth of July was the first time I got up out of the bed. I looked out the window at the fireworks. After that, I tried to move around as much as I could.'' Jackson said a few days after the holiday that an

echocardiogram was performed on his heart. He was subsequently released, but his stay at home did not last long. ``The doctor tried to get me to come back for another (echocardiogram),'' Jackson said. ``He said he wanted to run another after looking at the first one. It showed that a right valve was torn in my heart due to the impact of the accident and that I needed heart surgery. The first Wednesday in September, I went to (the Medical University of South Carolina) in Charleston and had the surgery. After three days there, I came back home.'' Jackson said his doctor told him to initially get as much rest as possible. After an amount of time went by, he was allowed to begin doing five push-ups at a time to begin getting back into shape. At the end of October and into November, he began getting back in the weight room at school on a light schedule. In November and December, Jackson said he was fully recovered and back on a regular schedule with his teammates. Jackson then began preparations for the Region III-4A strength meet, which took place last month. The previous strength meets that he participated in resulted in third- and second-place finishes, respectively. This year, however, was different. After participating in four events, Jackson totaled enough points to win the 170-pound weight class. -AP

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo.: Blind Missouri residents could have to start paying premiums of more than $100 monthly to remain eligible for state health care coverage, under a budget-cutting plan put forth by a Senate committee. The plan embraced by the Senate Appropriations Committee could represent a middle ground with the House, which had sought to eliminate the blind health care benefits and replace them with a new, substantially slimmed down program. But the new plan does not appear to be backed by the administration of Gov. Jay Nixon, who has been outspoken against any cuts to blind benefits. For more than 50 years, Missouri has paid for the health care of blind residents who earn too much to qualify for the Medicaid health care program for low-income residents - a cutoff of about $755 a month, according to the Department of Social Services. The state also provides a separate, roughly $700 payment to the blind. More than 2,800 blind residents currently are covered by the special health care program. The Republican-led House voted last month to eliminate the roughly $30 million blind health care program, arguing that the money was needed to help balance the budget and noting that no comparable benefit was available to people with other types of disabilities. The House instead voted to fund a new $6 million blind health care plan, funded largely by a tax increase on newspaper publishers. Nixon, a Democrat, called the

House budget cut ``dead wrong.'' The Senate Appropriations Committee scrapped the House plan, deciding that it seemed unlikely that the newspaper tax increase could pass. Instead, the Senate version would provide about $18 million for the blind health care benefits while assuming that nearly $10 million of additional funding could be generated by charging deductibles, premi-

Senate appropriations staff said the estimate was based on a $600 deductible and a monthly premium of $111 the same amounts currently paid by many state employees ums and insurance co-payments. Senate appropriations staff said the estimate was based on a $600 deductible and a monthly premium of $111 the same amounts currently paid by many state employees for health, vision and dental coverage. The plan was put forth by Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Kurt Schaefer, R-Columbia, who said it was his understanding that some blind people currently receiving the state-funded health care plan could be eligible for Medicaid, which receives more than 60 percent of its funding from the federal government. -AP

April 20, 2012

Health Science Post

India Post

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UNC health changes narrowly OK'd by House panel RALEIGH, NC: A divided legislative committee has recommended placing more oversight and restrictions on the University of North Carolina Health Care System after legislators and a privately-held rival hospital questioned a series of expansions by the state-owned hospital chain. The proposal approved by a House study panel would prevent the public system from using available funds to enlarge the geographic area where it does business without the approval of the full General Assembly. The panel also voted to back legislation to scale back the size and inherent power of the health care system's board of directors and shift more control to the University of North Carolina Board of Governors. Rep. Harold Brubaker, R-Randolph, said it was reasonable to consider whether the system's current governance structure was appropriate. He chairs the committee that began meeting last fall to study whether it made sense to sell state-owned assets. Brubaker said the panel voted 8-7 in favor of the legislation, which also directs UNC Health Care System to operate ``without unduly competing'' with health care systems not owned by the state. A handful of House members didn't feel comfortable supporting the bill and a powerful state senator made clear the bill in its current form was dead on arrival should it pass the full House when the Legislature reconvenes next month. ``I am concerned that additional govern-

ment intrusion into the state health care market will create even more uncertainty, making it more difficult for health care providers to treat patients, search for cures, and train doctors,'' Senate Rules Committee Chairman Tom Apodaca, R-Henderson, said in a news release. The chief of staff to UNC Health Care System chief executive Dr. Bill Roper said after the meeting the system would vigorously fight the bill, which he said would

'UNC is a health care system that is working and it's working well,'' FitzGerald said. ``We have demonstrated tremendous health care to citizens across the state ... this is going to limit our ability to do basic business as hospitals" ``gut our system.'' Kevin FitzGerald said the flexibility the UNC Health Care System received in 1998 from the Legislature to expand and be more fiscally nimble would be gone if the bill became law. ``UNC is a health care system that is working and it's working well,'' FitzGerald said. ``We have demonstrated tremendous health care to citizens across the state ... this is going to limit our ability to do basic business as hospitals. It's going to add unnecessary layers of bureaucracy to the system.'' The panel was created by House Republican leaders after WakeMed Health & Hospitals made a $750 million cash bid for Raleigh

Study says health care law would raise deficit Cont'd from page 40

Blahous cited a number of factors for his conclusion: * The health care's law deficit cushion has been reduced by more than $80 billion because of the administration's decision not to move forward with a new longterm care insurance program that was part of the legislation. The Community Living Assistance Services and Supports program raised money in the short turn, but would have turned into a fiscal drain over the years. * The cost of health insurance subsidies for millions of low-income and middleclass uninsured people could turn out to be higher than forecast, particularly if employers scale back their own coverage. * Various cost control measures, including a tax on high-end insurance plans that doesn't kick in until 2018, could deliver less than expected. The decision to use Medicare cuts to finance the expansion of coverage for the uninsured will only make matters worse, Blahous said. The money from the Medicare savings will have been spent, and lawmakers will have to find additional cuts or revenues to forestall that program's insolvency. Under federal accounting rules, the Medicare cuts are also credited as sav-

rival Rex Healthcare, which was acquired by UNC Health Care a dozen years ago. UNC Health Care rejected the unsolicited bid last August. WakeMed has complained UNC Health Care has an unfair financial advantage by being an arm of state government. WakeMed didn't comment publicly on the committee's action. UNC Health Care also operates UNC Hospitals in Chapel Hill - the UNC medical school's primary teaching hospital - but

ings to that program's trust fund. But the CBO and Medicare's own economic estimators already said the government can't spend the same money twice. Blahous served in the George W. Bush

Officially, the health care law is still projected to help reduce government red ink. The Congressional Budget Office, the government's non-partisan fiscal umpire, said in an estimate last year that repealing the law actually would increase deficits by $210 billion from 2012-2021 White House from 2001-2009, rising to deputy director of the National Economic Council. He currently is a senior research fellow at the Mercatus Center. His study was first reported by The Washington Post. -AP

it's also expanded its reach into other communities by owning Chatham Hospital in Siler City and managing Pardee Hospital in Hendersonville, where Apodaca lives. He said in an interview he's been thrilled with the operating agreement Pardee reached with UNC. ``I haven't seen any signs of abuse,'' Apodaca said. The bill would limit the health care system's board of directors to no more than 12. There can be as many as 29 members under the current rules. The number of exofficio members would be reduced and include the state treasurer. The 32-member

UNC Board of Governors, the policy-making body for the university's system 17 university campuses, would have the option to keep or delegate power now held by the health care board. Rep. Tim Moffitt, R-Buncombe, who promoted cutting the board's membership, said the more board members, ``the less flexible they are, the more balkanized they are (and) the more cumbersome they are.'' The health care system also would be required to provide ``a proportional share'' of indigent care to patients compared to other hospitals in the counties where it provides medical services. FitzGerald said the legislation could actually lead to less uncompensated care. UNC Hospitals is receiving $18 million from the state this fiscal year. The House debate didn't fall upon party lines, as both Republicans and Democrats raised questions about moving forward on a bill they said they barely had time to read. Rep. Marilyn Avila, R-Wake, said that although she wanted to vote on the measure later, she was concerned about whether the UNC Health Care System should be directly competing with private entities. ``I don't know if the state needs to be in the statewide health care business,'' Avila said. ``We're looking at competition in areas where there are existing facilities.'' The vote happened after the committee rejected a request by Rep. Bill Owens, D-Pasqoutank, to table a motion recommending the bill. -AP

Realty Tidbits

Foundation laid for financial city near Bangalore

BANGALORE: Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee laid the foundation stone for the country's first financial city, being built by the state-run IFCI Infrastructure Development Ltd (IIDL) at the Hardware Park near the international airport at Bagalur, about 30 km from Bangalore. "We are developing India's first financial city as a premium urban infrastructure in association with leading banks and institutions on 50 acres of land, provided by the Karnataka government," IFCI chief executive and IIDL chairman Atul Kumar Rai said on the occasion. The ambitious project is scheduled to be completed in three years.

Ecnon to invest on three projects in NCR NEW DELHI: Real estate company Ecnon says it will invest Rs 350 crore to develop three projects in national capital region over the next 3-4 years. "We will invest Rs 350 crore to develop three projects. Out of these, a group housing and an office project will be developed in Noida, while another office complex will be built in South Delhi," Ecnon CEO Kushal Dev Rathi told PTI here. The company will construct 850 housing units in the residential complex, proposed to be built in Noida, he added. Rathi said the company is in talks with Noida Authorities to acquire land for the said two projects in the area.-PTI

Real Estate 44

India Post

April 20, 2012

CHANDIGARH: Haryana Cooperation Minister Satpal Sangwan has announced One Time Settlement Scheme (OTS) for the loanee members of the Haryana State Cooperative Housing Federation Limited. While stating this, a spokesman of the federation said that as per the scheme, the loan amount of the loanee members would be calculated as on November 1, 2011.-PTI

Yamuna Expressway to become operational this month

amuna Expressway, the rapid transit corridor between Delhi and Agra, will be operational soon, as the new government in Uttar Pradesh has shown it the green flag. It was originally scheduled to be operational by December 2011. Once Yamuna Expressway is open, the drive from Greater Noida to Agra will take just 90 minutes. One of the key infrastructure projects of Mayawati government in the public-private partnership, the Yamuna Expressway, besides connecting Delhi to Agra through Noida-Greater Noida Expressway, will touch 1,182 villages of Gautam Budh Nagar, Bulandshahar, Aligarh, Hathras (Mahamaya Nagar) and Mathura district. The 165kmlong Yamuna Expressway is one of the longest access-controlled six-lane rigid pavements in India. The expressway can be extended to 8 lanes in future and would provide direct access to the forthcoming Yamuna Economic Zone and the international airport and aviation hub at Jewar, which are slated to be constructed along the Yamuna Expressway. The expressway will also ease traffic on Delhi-Agra NH-2, which is already congested and runs

Lemon Tree plans to open 100 hotels by 2020 NEW DELHI: Hospitality chain Lemon Tree Hotels has said it plans to open 100 hotels in India by 2020, with a total room capacity of 10,000. The company that currently owns and manages 18 hotels under Lemon Tree Premier, Lemon Tree and Red Fox brands also said it has put on hold plans to foray into real estate in partnership with US-based investment firm Warburg Pincus. "By 2020 we plan to open 100 hotels in India with an inventory of around 10,000 rooms," Lemon Tree Hotels Chairman and Managing Director Patu Keswani told PTI on the sidelines of the Hero Mindmine Summit 2012.

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OTS for members of Haryana Cooperative Housing

This year the company is opening two more hotels, he said without sharing details on the investment that would be required for the expansion. Keswani, however, said the company plans to raise money from financial institutions or may even go public in the next twothree years. "In the next 2-3 years, we might look at public listing," Keswani said. At present, the company's total room capacity is around 2,000. On the company's proposed real estate foray, he said: "We have put that housing project in cold storage. It is not the good time to start a project like that." -PTI

through the heart of cities like Faridabad, Ballabgarh and Palwal in Haryana. It will reduce the travel time between two cities, New Delhi and Agra. Both these places have an enormous potential to generate traffic and economic development. The world-famous heritage monument, Taj Mahal, will be a mere 100 minutes from the proposed Yamuna International Air-

etc, by a network of national highways. This, along with the expressway, will provide high-level connectivity to all these destinations from Delhi, especially when the proposed ring road around Agra town comes into being. To promote residential and commercial developments along the Yamuna Expressway, five land parcels (500 hectares each) have been given to the JP Group in the

The expressway can be extended to 8 lanes in future and would provide direct access to the forthcoming Yamuna Economic Zone and the international airport and aviation hub port near Jewar through this expressway. The expressway will provide a safe and an uninterrupted movement of passenger and freight traffic between the national capital Delhi and Agra. Once the expressway is opened for traffic, it is expected to boost the socio-economic development of districts like Gautam Budh Nagar, Aligarh, Mathura and Agra along the expressway. Agra is already well connected to Kolkata, Mumbai, and Jaipur,

jurisdiction of Gautam Budh Nagar, Aligarh, Mathura and Agra. JP will use these land parcels for township projects. Rama Raman, former CEO of Yamuna Industrial Development Authority, said: "The developing urban conglomerates at Noida and Greater Noida, which are in close proximity to the NCT of Delhi, are in need of an uninterrupted direct route to Agra. "This will boost the economic development of Uttar Pradesh.

The Yamuna Expressway provides this opportunity. Opening of Yamuna Expressway will bring in a lot of benefits to the people in terms of good connectivity and faster transit, and give a leg up to tourism." With the expressway aligned with the proposed Taj Economic Zone and the Taj International Hub Airport, and all these within easy reach of Delhi, Noida and Greater Noida, the Yamuna Expressway project will accelerate the overall development of the region. The Yamuna Expressway lies between the high density vital traffic corridors of the national highway connecting Delhi and Agra and the old Sher Shah Suri Road (NH-91) connecting KanpurAligarh-Khurja-BulandshaharGhaziabad and Delhi. The expressway has a great potential of attracting traffic from all these routes." The Yamuna Expressway along with the existing NH-2 and NH-91 and interconnectivity between all three of them will form a good network of roads which, in turn, would open up a vast area to allround development in places like the urban conglomerates in Noida and Greater Noida.

CREDAI writes to PM seeking reforms NEW DELHI: The realty body CREDAI has written a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh listing out concerns of the industry such as delay in project sanctions, liquidity crunch and high input cost and has sought various reforms to boost growth in the sector. The Confederation of Real Estate Developers' Associations of India (CREDAI) has submitted a letter to the Prime Minister detailing the roadblocks, the solutions and the way forward for the growth of the housing industry, the association said in a statement. The letter pointed out that issue like delay in approvals of realty projects that escalates housing costs substantially and compulsory reservation of 20 per cent land/floor-area ratio (FAR) for economically weaker sections and

lower income group in every private sector development project. It has also brought to notice the narrow approach of Real Estate Regulatory bill and artificial esca-

Jain said that CREDAI would follow up with the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) to intervene. "...In case of failure, we will go on one day strike” lation of cement prices. Through the letter, CREDAI has suggested reforms that can bring lasting solutions to the real estate sector. CREDAI has pitched for e-

based standardized single window approval process, removal of FAR and bringing land reform measures, rationalization of taxes, clearing of restrictive banking provisions along with grant of infrastructure status to realty sector to boost growth. "This representation to the Prime Minister is an effort by the developer community to bring forth the impediments and the roadblocks in front of the esteemed leader of the country," CREDAI President Lalit Kumar Jain said, adding that letter also contain suggestions. Jain said that CREDAI would follow up with the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) to intervene. "...In case of failure, we will go on one day strike and then indefinite strike," he added. -PTI

Real Estate Post

April 20, 2012

India Post

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Master Plan of Delhi to offer options to homebuyers

he Master Plan of Delhi 2021 has been in force since 2007. Once this is reimplemented with the new land development policy, Delhi will also offer options to thousands of homebuyers. The capital city has still 27,628.9 hectares of land to fulfill the dreams of thousand of homebuyers. According to the projections in the master plan, nearly 24 lakh residential units are required for an estimated 23 million people by 2021. According to the master plan, Delhi will be slum-free in the next 10 years by provid-

holistic planning, DDA intends to set new records and provide more amenities to people. Ram Gopal Gupta, a policy maker and city planner, says: "In the last 40 years, DDA constructed only 3.5 lakh flats. However, these did not suffice even for 1% of Delhi's population. Due to lack of housing facilities in Delhi, 10 lakh people are dependent on nearby sates and metro cities in the NCR belt. According to records, DDA was constructing 10,000 flats every year 15 years ago, while in the last 10 years it managed to build 54,000 flats.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Today, DDA is not in a position to construct even 5,000 flats a year. The dramatic growth in Delhi's population has led to congestions and shortages of civic amenities. One of the main causes for this spurt in population is the migration of people into the city from Bihar, UP, Punjab, J&K, West Bengal, Orissa, etc" ing rehabilitation packages (built-up houses with all civic facilities) to slum dwellers. For this DDA has identified 23 sites (slum areas) for rehabilitation. The master plan of Delhi includes chapters like regional and sub-regional frame, population and employment, Delhi urban area 2021, social and physical infrastructure, mixed land-use regulations, development code and plan review and monitoring. The master plan 2021 has allocated 277 sq km for future urbanization by 2021. In the last fifty years, DDA has acquired 75,609.84 hectares and developed it for residential, recreational, commercial and institutional purposes. Now, with better and

Today, DDA is not in a position to construct even 5,000 flats a year. The dramatic growth in Delhi's population has led to congestions and shortages of civic amenities. One of the main causes for this spurt in population is the migration of people into the city from Bihar, UP, Punjab, J&K, West Bengal, Orissa, etc." Today, the NCR cities are best suited to take the burden of housing from the national capital. The NCR has a total area of 33,578 sq km and includes parts of three states, Haryana, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh, with Delhi as a full state. The NCR is also characterized by the presence of ecologically sensitive areas like

the extension of the Aravali ridge, forests, wild life and bird sanctuaries; the river systems of Yamuna and Hindon, and is a dynamic rural urban admixture. In recent times, there has been a tremendous growth of Delhi and the NCR in terms of infrastructural developments and with the advent of major realty players like DLF, Ansal API, Ansal Housing, Unitech, BPTP, Amrapali, Supertech, Gaursons, Assotech, Parsvnath, Ashiana, TDI, Anantraj Group, Omaxe, JP, Antriksh, etc, the areas have been much in news. Areas like Gurgaon, Noida, Greater Noida, Manesar, Faridabad, East Delhi Extension, etc, have been the areas fulfilling the hous-

DB Realty seeks vacation of attachment NEW DELHI: Real estate firm DB Realty, embroiled in the 2G spectrum allocation case, has moved the Delhi High Court for vacation of a Rs 223 crore attachment order of the Enforcement Directorate against it under money laundering laws. The Delhi HC has now issued a notice to the ED on the Writ petition filed by the firm and their associates. The agency had attached immovable properties and bank accounts of the firm in January this year under the stringent provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in connection with its probe into the alleged bribe of Rs 200 crores paid to Kalaignar TV. The ED, according to sources, is now considering legal opinion on the issue. A Writ Petition has been filed in the Delhi High Court by Dynamix Realty and others praying that orders be issued directing the Enforcement Directorate to accept and issue acknowledgement for FDRs issued in favor of Reserve Bank of India by them for Rs 223 crores against their properties in the 2G case, a spokesperson for DB Realty told PTI. It also pleaded that the proper-

ties which are subject to the attachment order dated January 10, 2012 be released, the spokesperson added. "The firms have asked for this relief on their accounts and properties so that they can operate

"As per the charge sheets of CBI, a bribe of Rs 200 crore was given by Swan Telecom Pvt. Ltd. (now M/s Etisalat DB Telecom Pvt. Ltd.) to Kalaignar TV through a number of intermediary companies in the garb of loan or share application money these assets and carry on their businesses," a source privy to the development said. The value of properties attached of these companies are Dynamix Realty (Rs 134 crore), Conwood Construction and Developers (Rs 22 crore), Nihar Con-

structions (Rs 1.10 crore), DB Realty (Rs 52 crore) and Eversmile Construction Company (Rs 13 crore). Sources said there has been one precedent in the recent past where the ED has taken off its attachment orders allowing a similar plea in a case related to Kidney scam kingpin Amit Kumar. The agency had made the CBI charge sheets in this regard as the basis for their order. "As per the charge sheets of CBI, a bribe of Rs 200 crore was given by Swan Telecom Pvt. Ltd. (now M/s Etisalat DB Telecom Pvt. Ltd.) to Kalaignar TV through a number of intermediary companies in the garb of loan or share application money. "However, the same was returned to Dynamix Realty (a company of Shahid Usman Balwa and Vinod Goenka)," the ED had earlier said in its order. "The details of the charge sheets show disclosures made by the intermediary companies in the movement of the bribe money under the garb of loan or share application money do not substantiate genuine and bonafide financial transactions," the order had said. -PTI

ing needs of millions of people who live in and around Delhi. With the pressure of increasing population, unavailability of land, and lowering of water table, etc, developers are migrating to new places in the NCR to raise residential and commercial projects. A novel project proposed by DDA, the "in situ" rehabilitation scheme, moves away from the agency's previous model of shifting slum dwellers to the city's fringes as part of rehabilitation package. For this, DDA has identified 23 sites (slum areas). Consultants have already been appointed for 13 sites. The Kathputli colony near Shadipur Depot of North Delhi has been taken up in first phase.

Datebook

India Post

April 20, 2012

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NEW YORK

NEW JERSEY

Upcoming

Sun April 22 • Pandit Jasraj: Masters of Music Venue: Peter Norton Symphony Space, 2537 Broadway@95th street, New York Time: 7pm Contact: 212-545-7536

Wed April 25 • Pandit Ramesh Misra: Sound of a Hundred colors Venue: Leonard Nimoy Thalia @ Peter Norton Symphony Space, 2537 Broadway @ 95th Street, New York, Time: 7:30pm Contact: 212-545-7536

Sun April 21 • India Fair 2012 Venue: NJ Convention & Expo Center, 97 Sunfield Ave, Raritan Center, Edison, NJ Time: 11am Contact: 609-240-2350

Fri April 27 • Maharaniís Night Venue: Fire n Ice Restaurant Lounge, 583 Ford Ave, Fords, NJ 08863 Time: 7pm Contact: 347-724-5202

Sat April 28

• Vishu Festival 2012

• Pankaj Udhas in New York

Venue: Crossroads North Middle School Auditorium, 635 Georges Road, Monmouth Juction New Jersey Time: 3pm Contact: 732-333-3952

Venue: Colden Auditorium, Queens College, 65-30 Kissena Blvd, Flushing, New York Time: 8pm Contact: 732-277-6687

ILLINOIS

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA

Upcoming

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA Upcoming

Thurs April 26

Sun April 22

Fri April 20

• Apna Ghar will be holding 4th Annual Taste for life Gala

• Vedika Sangha: Open Participation Ayurveda Forum

• Tadasana Festival

Venue: River East Art Center, 435 E. Illinois Street, Chicago, IL Time: 6pm to 10pm Contact: 773-334-0173 X 226 Highlights: A Live Chooking challenge with three Chicago Chefs: Hiran Patel, Martin Cabrera and Suzy Singh.

Venue: Vedika Global, Inc. 5950 Doyle St, Studio 2, Emeryville, CA 94608 Time: 2pm to 5pm Contact: 877-708-3342

Fri April 27 • Pankaj Udhas A Live Ghazal Concert Venue: The Meadows Club, 2950,W.Golf Road, Rolling Meadows, IL 60008 Time: 8:30pm Contact: 815-404-3473

Sat April 28 • Vaisakhi 2012 Venue: TAFT High School, 6530 West Bryn Mawr Avenue, Chicago, Il Time: 7pm Contact: 224-388-9393

WASHINGTON DC

Upcoming

Sat April 21 ï Ustad Rahat Fateh Ali Khan Live In Concert Venue: SJSU Event Center, 290 South 7th Street, San Jose, CA95192 Time: 8pm Contact: 209-604-2543

Sat April 28 ï Kailash Kher Kailasa Venue: Chabot College Performing Arts Center, 25555 Hesperian Blvd, Hayward, CA94545 Time: 8pm Contact: 510-509-1990

Venue: The Tadasana Village 2600 Barnard Way, Santa Monica, CA Time: 8am Contact: 415-533-4052

Sat April 28 • Javed Ali in Concert Venue: Palace Theater, 61 Atlantic St. Stamford, CT 06901 Time: 8pm Contact: 203-325-4466

Sat April 28 • Kailash Kher Live in Concert Venue: Chabot College performing Art Center, 25555 Hesperian Blvd., Hayward, CA Contact: 510-453-1521 Highlights: Winner to winn Greet and Dinner with Kailash Kher

Sat May 5 • Vaisakhi 2012 Celebration

ï Amjad Sabriís Qawwali Program

Venue: Birminghuam Charter High School, 17000, Haynes Street, Van Nuys, CA Time: 3pm Contact: 818-835-3374

Venue: India Community Center, ICC, 525 Los Coches St. Milpitas, CA Time: 9pm Contact: 510-754-0129

Sun June 10 • Songs & Dances from Vibrant Gujarat

Mon May 14

Venue: Palace Theater, Stamford Time: 8pm Contact: 203-322-9862 Highlights: Gujarat, the Land the Legends: Mahatma Gandhi, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Vikram Sarabhai, Jamshedji Tata and visionary Dhirubhi Ambani go down in history. But, Gujarat also stands for its literary tradition in the form of folk songs, narratives and theater.

Sat April 21

Sat July 14

• Yamandu Costa, Classical Guitarist

ï Summer Picnic

Venue: 8000 York Road, Towson MD, Baltimore, WDC Time: 8pm Contact: 443-296-2247

Venue: Lake Elizabeth Park, 4000 Paseo Padre Pkwy, Fremont, CA Time: 10am Contact: 510-713-2686

Sun April 29

Sat May 12

• Priyadarshini Govind (Bharathanatyam Dance)

ï Hinduism Summit (Dharmajagruti Sabha)

Thurs Sept 27 • Ballet Folklorico De Mexico

Venue: Kresge Auditorium, MIT, 48 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA Time: 4pm Contact: 857-205-9731

Venue: Vedic Dharma Samaj Fremont, Hindu Temple, Fremout, California Time: 2:30pm to 4:45pm Contact: 877-303-3342

Venue: Palace Theater, 61 Atlantic St. Stamford, CT 06901 Time: 8pm Contact: 203-325-4466

April 20, 2012

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uestioner: Maharaj, you are sitting in front of me and I am here at your feet. What is the basic difference between us? Maharaj: There is no basic difference. Q: Still there must be some real difference, I come to you, you do not come to me. M: Because you imagine differences, you go here and there in search of superior people. Q: You too are a superior person. You claim to know the real, while I do not. M: Did I ever tell you that you do not know and, therefore, you are inferior? Let those who invented such distinctions prove them. I do not claim to know what you do not. In fact, I know much less than you do. Q: Your words are wise, your behavior noble, your grace allpowerful. M: I know nothing about it all and see no difference between you and me. My life is a succession of events, just like yours. Only I am detached and see the passing show as a passing show, while you stick to things and move along with them. Q: What made you so dispassionate? M: Nothing in particular. It so happened that I trusted my Guru.

SWAMI RAMDAS

schoolmaster came for a discussion. He belonged to the Arya Samaj started by that great Saint, Swami Dayananda Saraswati. This friend, in the course of a talk, became very hot and excited. The point was about the Shuddhi movement set on foot by Swami Shraddhanandji. Ramdas was clearly opposed to this movement as he is, in fact, opposed to every effort on the part of anybody to create differences in religious faiths. That all faiths lead to the same goal is a most beautiful and convincing truth. At the close of the discussion, the friend exceeded the limits of decent talk. However, Ramdas was cool and collected by the grace of Ram. At parting, he assured the friend that he loved him most dearly in spite of any objectionable words used by him. Next day, about the same time, this friend came again in a great hurry. He could scarcely talk. He could only whisper; his throat was choked up. His condition was pitiable. "O Maharaj," he exclaimed falling at the feet of Ramdas: "God has punished your slave for having used

He told me I am nothing but my self and I believed him. Trusting him, I behaved accordingly and ceased caring for what was not me, nor mine. Q: Why were you lucky to trust your teacher fully, while our trust is nominal and verbal? M: Who can say? It happened so. Things happen without cause and reason and, after all, what does it matter, who is who? Your

consciousness in which everything happens. It is quite obvious and within the experience of everybody. You just do not look carefully enough. Look well, and see what I see. Q: What do you see? M: I see what you too could see, here and now, but for the wrong focus of your attention. You give no attention to your self. Your mind is all with things, people and

not continuous, though it is a useful pointer; it shows where to seek, but not what to seek. Just have a good look at it. Once you are convinced that you cannot say truthfully about your self anything except I am, and that nothing that can be pointed at, can be your self, the need for the I am is over - you are no longer intent on verbalizing what you are. All you need is to get rid of the

Nothing that can be pointed at, can be your self Once this obsession with the body goes, you will revert to your natural state, spontaneously and effortlessly. We discover it by being earnest Nisargadatta Maharaj

high opinion of me is your opinion only. Any moment you may change it. Why attach importance to opinions, even your own? Q: Still, you are different. Your mind seems to be always quiet and happy.And miracles happen round you. M: I know nothing about miracles, and I wonder whether nature admits exceptions to her laws, unless we agree that everything is a miracle. As to my mind, there is no such thing. There is

ideas, never with your self. Bring your self into focus, become aware of your own existence. See how you function, watch the motives and the results of your actions. Study the prison you have built around yourself by inadvertence. By knowing what you are not, you come to know your self. The way back to your self is through refusal and rejection. One thing is certain: the real is not imaginary, it is not a product of the mind. Even the sense I am is

tendency to define your self. All definitions apply to your body only and to its expressions. Once this obsession with the body goes, you will revert to your natural state, spontaneously and effortlessly. We discover it by being earnest, by searching, enquiring, questioning daily and hourly, by giving one's life to this discovery. The 115th birth anniversary of Nisargadatta Maharaj was observed on April 9

rough words to you yesterday. See how my throat is choked and I can't speak out properly". "O friend, Ramdas is really sorry to hear this, but be assured of this - God never punishes. God is love and is always kind. Our own doubts are our enemies and create a lot of mischief. The so-called evil is of our own making."

From this time onwards the friend became very much attached to him and was very kind. O Ram, Thy ways are so wonderful that Ramdas gets utterly bewildered at times. The friends at Jhansi, whom he met daily in that city, were all very charitable in disposition - especially were they kind and hospi-

might know what true charity and humility meant in actual practice. Ramkinker - the young friend who accompanied him on his pilgrimage to the Himalayas made it a rule to utilize about 10 per cent of his salary for charity. This is really a beautiful hint for all. While speaking of charity, the ideal of charity followed

God never punishes; He is always kind Swami Ramdas

Ramkinker - the young friend who accompanied him on his pilgrimage to the Himalayas - made it a rule to utilize about 10 per cent of his salary for charity. This is really a beautiful hint for all

At once, pulling out Ramdas' right hand, the friend rubbed the palm on his throat and, strange to say, his throat cleared and he began to talk more clearly and in a few minutes he was all right! "Behold! Maharaj, how powerful you are!" he cried exultantly. "You make a mistake, dear friend," replied Ramdas. "Ramdas is a poor slave of Ram, possessing no powers at all. Your faith alone has cured you and nothing else."

table to Sadhus. When he was living with Mahadev Prasad, he found this friend a pattern of charity and humility. Mahadev would never send away a hungry man from his door without feeding him. He would forego his own meal to satisfy a hungry man. His heart was so soft and so tender. Mahadev's humility was exemplary. Ram certainly gave Ramdas the society of this friend so that he

by the householder of northern India is indeed very noble and lofty, the ideal of the ancients, viz. that the householder has no right to exist as such if he does not share his food everyday with a hungry man of no means, such as a beggar or a Sadhu. Excerpted from In Quest of God. The 128th birth anniversary of Swami Ramdas was observed on April 10

If here before me stand both- my Guru(teacher) and Govind (the almighty), I'd first prostrate my Guru!, because, it is He, who revealed to me, the Govind!! -Kabir There is pleasure when a sore is scratched, But to be without sores is more pleasurable still. Just so, there are pleasures in worldly desires, But to be without desires is more pleasurable still. -Nagarjuna A consistent thinker is a thoughtless person, because he conforms to a pattern; he repeats phrases and thinks in a groove. -Jiddu Krishnamurti When you lose touch with inner stillness, you lose touch with yourself. When you lose touch with yourself, you lose yourself in the world. -Eckhart Tolle When your last breath arrives,Grammar can do nothing. -Adi Shankara You are not a separate being. You are Being, and never separate. This is the Enlightenment, the happiness, in which all apparent things consist -Greg Goode The truth is that you already are what you are seeking. -Adyashanti

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April 20, 2012

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India's offer of electricity to Pak will build goodwill ALOK BANSAL

he recent decision of the Government of India to of fer 5000 MW of electricity to Pakistan to meet its urgent requirements on the sidelines of the Second Nuclear Security Summit in Seoul is a step in the right direction. It will go a long way in bringing the two embittered neighbors together, while ameliorating the hardships faced by Pakistani citizens due to long hours of load shedding as the temperatures are rising in Punjab. India let go a wonderful opportunity to build goodwill amongst the Pakistani masses when it refused to lease locomotives to haul the Pakistani Railways (PR) out of the woods. Even if the Indian Railways had no spare locomotives, it made tremendous sense to offer some to Pakistan at a time when the PR had come to a grinding halt on account of serious malfunctioning of Chinese locomotives. After all, the two railway systems were part of a common network and strong complementarities exist between the two. Since March 24, when the gap between the demand and the supply of electricity in Pakistan exceeded 50 per cent, there have been riots across Pakistan, especially in Punjab, the most populous province of Pakistan. Throughout opposition-ruled Punjab, citizens fed up with long hours of power cuts (which extend up to 16 hours in urban areas and up to 20 hours in rural areas) have been burning tires on the roads and blocking traffic in protest for the past one week. On 24 March the demand shot up to 14000 MW as against a power supply of 8000 MW. The tripping of two thermal power plants and low production by various Independent Power Producers (IPP), accentuated the problem. Lahore city was without power for five hours at a stretch and traders joined demonstrators leading to a closure of most of the markets. Most of the industrial units came to a standstill rendering thousands of daily wage workers jobless. Absence of power led to acute water shortages as pumps could not be operated. Power cuts coupled with a shortage of piped gas have forced many households in urban Punjab to resort to firewood to keep the kitchen fires burning. Although generation capacity in Pakistan has risen since 2007, the actual power generated has come down, primarily on account of circular debt. Most IPPs generate electricity using Furnace Fuel

Oil (FFO) and supply it to Pakistan Electric Power Company (PEPCO), which distributes power to other downstream users. Over the years PEPCO has not been able to pay the IPPs for the power supplied, because, firstly, it has not been able to receive its dues from consumers and secondly, the tariffs were not sufficient to make good the cost of power purchased. As a result, IPPs have not been able to pay oil marketing companies for the oil

ished considerably. There is a need to fill up the reservoirs as water will be required for Rabi crops; as a result the discharge from the dams and consequently the power generated is of a bare minimum. The severe power shortage is not only crippling industry in Pakistan, but is also affecting normal life. This provides India a good opportunity to provide succor. Indian electricity can easily be transmitted across the border in Punjab, without much additional

Policemen walk across a petrol station gutted in power riots in Faisalabad, Pakistan

consumed; consequently, oil companies which have liquidity crunch of their own, with inadequate cash reserves to import oil, have curtailed supplies to them. As on March 15, the circular debt had risen to INR 396.7 billion.

The goodwill generated should be used to push in closer trade relations. The common man should be able to derive benefit from the increased trade. Power supply can be followed by supply of railway locomotives and other such items, which will make a visible impact on the masses of Pakistan This has resulted in most IPPs operating at almost a quarter of their capacities; this coupled with rising demands has created an acute power shortage. To aggravate matters, both Tarbela and Mangla, the two major reservoirs of water in Pakistan, have virtually reached dead levels and hydro power generation has dimin-

infrastructure and consequent delays. The advantages will be clearly visible on the ground and will lead to enormous goodwill for India amongst the masses and will deflate the campaign being launched by Difa-e-Pakistan against trade with India. The goodwill generated should be used to push in closer trade relations. The common man should be able to derive benefit from the increased trade. Power supply can be followed by supply of railway locomotives and other such items, which will make a visible impact on the masses of Pakistan, so that the massive campaign being launched against trade with India can be defeated. As the movement of petroleum products, food stuff and pharmaceutical products start, the masses in Pakistan will reap the benefits of cheaper fuel, food and medicines, thereby turning them into proponents of a liberal trade regime. India on its part must do all it takes to allay the apprehensions Pakistan that its non-tariff barriers restrict Pakistani exports to India. Better trade relations between India and Pakistan would not only usher in peace and prosperity, but could usher in South Asian economic union in times to come. The writer is a Security Analyst. Courtesy IPCS

India Post Chinese stake

he short trip of Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari to India recently has been wholeheartedly welcomed not only by the United States but even by Pakistan's "all-weather" friend China. This is intriguing. So far China has been known to create problems for India vis-Ă -vis Pakistan by such acts as sending troops to Pakistan occupied Kashmir, supplying stapled visa to Kashmiris and generally not supporting in international fora India's campaign against terrorism emanating from Pakistan. The Chinese foreign affairs ministry's refrain has been that it "appreciates Pakistan's efforts in the war against terrorism," whenever the issue of Pakistan origin terrorism in India is raised. However, ever since Pakistan origin terrorists started creating trouble in China's Xinjiang region and the lukewarm response of Pakistan to demands for controlling these elements, the attitude of China has begun to change. It has blamed militants of the East Turkistan Islamic Movement (ETIM) trained in Pakistan based terror camps for creating unrest in Muslim Uygur majority state of Xinjiang. Beijing has also signaled its dissatisfaction over the Pakistan government's reluctance to curb militancy along the Chinese border. And top Chinese leaders seem to have decided that internal security is more important than diplomacy. Analysts are pointing out that the new found enthusiasm in Pakistan for trade with India owes its origin to some prodding by China. Concerned at the situation that might develop in the Af-Pak region with the imminent withdrawal of US forces from Afghanistan, China has developed stakes in stability in the area. And an IndoPakistan entante could be a precursor to such a security scenario, which would help in managing the mischief by Islamic militants in areas bordering Pakistan. China has put up to Pakistan its own model of relationship with India. Although there are many major differences between India and China including those relating to contentious borders, the two countries have decided to move ahead in a big way in their trade relationships, without compromising with their stated views or differences. Pakistan Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani openly admitted that, "Our best friend China, whose own trade volume with India has touched $ 75 billion, has advised us to promote trade relations with India." America, despite its decades long munificence of delivering dollars to Pakistan and its overlooking the jihadi growth to the detriment of India, has not been able to change its mindset of hatred for India. Indebted to America for much of its economy, Pakistan has even then politically taken a confrontationist attitude to that country. But it is happily working on Chinese advice for improving relations with India through trade links. This change in Chinese attitude is bringing a change in Pakistani attitude. The visit of President Zardari has to be viewed in this light. Although powerful forces like the army and the dozens of Jihadi organizations and even the country's Supreme Court are ranged against the present civilian government, it is to the credit of its top leaders that they are persisting with improving trade relations with India. Much is being made of the meeting of the scions of ruling dynasties of India and Pakistan, Rahul Gandhi and Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, during the Pakistani leader's visit. The youthful Bilawal seemed more rhetoric prone, like his mother, and Rahul, much older, had reason to keep his peace, soon after some rebuffs in elections. But it would be too much to expect that they are the future leaders in the volatile India-Pakistan region. The two countries are changing rapidly and the two young men, caught in their ancestors' views, could be harping back to old, failed remedies.

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