IndiaPost_02-24-2012 by Ghanshyam Bisht

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Gurdwara vandalized in Michigan Details on page 12

India, Pak to ease biz visas; MFN status later Details on page 20

India Group gifts $10 m to UCF for India Studies

V O I C E

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I N D I A N S

W O R L D W I D E

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VOL 17, No. 910

February 24, 2012

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BIG RISE IN L-1 & H-1B DENIALS TO INDIANS

India Post News Service

dation for American Policy (NFAP), an Arlington, Va.based policy research group. The report used official data from US Citizenship and Immigration Services. The data indicate much of the increase in denials involves Indian-born professionals and researchers. "The high denial rates belie the notion adjudications have become more lenient," said Stuart Anderson, NFAP's executive director and former head of policy and counselor to the Commissioner of the INS. Details on page 36

Details on page 5

Nirupama Rao

Amb. Rao reaches out to US Senators Details on page 5

Feds, mortgage servicers’ relief to homeowners Details on page 17

Sahara, Turner join hands to build townships Details on page 18

Mumbai world's 2nd least expensive city Details on page 7 DELHI CORPORATE GAMES: Capt Krishan Sharma (MD, India Post), Silver Medalist in running, receiving the Best Team Award from Chattisgarh Governor Shri Shekhar Dutt, on behalf of the Siri Fort Team

CONTENTS Bollywood ---------------------- 42-43 Classifieds ------------------------- 47 Community Post -------------- 12-16 Date Book -------------------------- 11

Details on page 40

Edit Page --------------------------- 49 HealthScience Post --------- 25-30

INDIA POST SURVEY

Horoscope ------------------------- 41

survey@indiapost.com

Immigration Post ------------- 36-39

This week’s question

Life Style ----------------------- 44-46

Indo-Pak trade will ease tensions?

Philosophy ------------------------- 48 Publisherís Diary ------------------ 4

Last week’s result

Does the US discriminate against India’s IT industry? YES 65%

NO 35%

Real Estate -------------------- 17-19

TWO NOBEL MEN: Amartya Sen, the Indian economist and Nobel Prize winner, receives the 2011 National Medals of Humanities award from US President, Barack Obama, at White House on February 13. (Details on page 10)

Sports Post ------------------------ 40 TechBiz Post ------------------- 20-23 Travel & Hospitality Post ---- 31-33

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f ever while surfing the channels you come across "Doomsday Preppers" on National Geographic, just continue surfing - these are a bunch of people who I thought were more depressing than reassuring. They will convince you against your karma theories - of the inevitability of war, natural calamity, a financial meltdown or nuclear fallout in your immediate lifetime, and the need to be prepared. They are no boy/girl scouts. These are women training in self-defense including use of guns against rampaging rapists in times of riots; men building fully equipped bunkers under mountains in case of a nuclear attack; families training to cut wood and grow vegetables in case of a blackout; preserving tons of vegetables, meat and other foods in case of food shortage or contamination; and then there are those breeding honey bees for bartering if all currency fails. Call them pragmatic, practical or plain insane, but they are real people. And maybe I don't blame them. Just a cursory search on the internet pops up thousands of discussion boards and blogs discussing the potential devastation of a very possible war with Iran. Potent images of President Ahmadinejad with dozens of clueless-looking men in white lab coats and face masks in a so called nuclear facility; jittery, provocative statements from Israel and cautiously emphatic warnings of war as an option by the US only reinforce those fears. This war, if it were to happen, could well be the mother of all wars in recent history and its rolling consequences will be all of those doomsday scenarios as feared by these "preppers" and for people across the world. Fear mongers they might be, but they don't seem to trust prayers or their political leaders to do the right thing. They have decided to take care of themselves perhaps knowing that it is the political leaders who would bring about the doomsday situation. On second thoughts, really, I think these guys are the ultimate optimists. Because, even in the ruins of war, economic doom and nuclear what have you, they expect to survive that too with mounds of chocolate stocked in their underground pantries.

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Deepika version Deepika, who has left 'Race 2' says she didn't have any other option as the film was delayed by one-and-a-half years.

Cover Story: Indians denied USCIS has dramatically increased denials of L-1 and H-1B petitions over the past four years to Indian professionals.

Community: Hate crime A hate crime investigation has been sought into the vandalism and defacing of a gurdwara in Sterling Heights, MI.

Health: Contraception debate President Obama's political shifting over contraception coverage has united conservative Republicans in protest.

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Travel: Palampur Palampur is known not only for its numerous tea gardens and paddy fields but also for its colonial architecture and temples.

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February 24, 2012

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Amb. Rao reaches out to US Senators India Post News Service

NEW YORK: Indian Ambassador Nirupama Rao has been doing the rounds of Capitol Hill in Washington DC meeting up with key Senators in an ongoing effort to strengthen political ties between India and the US. On Feb 14, she met with Senator Marco Rubio (R-Florida) and a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. The previous day she had met with Senator Chris Coons (D-Delaware), who is a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and its Subcommittee on Near Eastern and South Central Affairs which deals with US relations with India. Sen. Coons also chairs the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on African Affairs and is known for his deep understanding and interest in Africa. He is also a member of the Senate India Caucus. Discussions between Amb. Rao and Sen. Rubio mainly focused on India-US relations, which the Senator described as an "extremely important" relationship based on shared values and synergies. Calling India a shining example of democracy in its region and the world, Sen. Rubio said India was one of the countries that people in America often cited to describe the new world. Amb. Rao mentioned that India's key priority was to ensure inclusive development and deliver the fruits of economic

lations with Latin America. Senator Rubio invited Ambassador Rao to visit Florida. He also referred to the large Indian American community in that state, which he described as a strong bridge between the United States and India. Ambassador Rao invited Senator Rubio to visit India. The Senator said he looked forward to an early visit.

Meeting with Sen. Coons

Indian Ambassador to the US, Nirupama Rao, meets Florida Senator Marco Rubio at the Capitol Hill in Washington

growth to all its people. In fulfilling these goals, India also attached great importance to relations with the United States which was an indispensable partner. Sen. Rubio said that India's development was in the interest of the US, and noted that there was political commitment on both sides to invest in the relationship. Rao and Rubio also discussed the regional situation in South

Sen. Rubio welcomed India's positive contribution to Afghanistan's reconstruction and described a strong USIndia partnership as an important factor

Asia and East Asia. They agreed that the emergence of an open, balanced and inclusive architecture in the Asia-Pacific region was in the interest of both India and the US. Sen. Rubio welcomed India's positive contribution to Afghanistan's reconstruction and described a strong US-India partnership as an important factor for Afghanistan's peace and prosperity. The discussions also briefly touched upon India's re-

Besides discussing the positive trajectory between the two countries, Amb. Rao and Sen. Coons also touched upon the partnerships that both India and the US have with Africa. Amb. Rao gave an overview of India's close engagement with, and investments in, Africa's development and capacity building, through regular Summit-level dialogue with African leaders under the Africa-India Forum Summit. Sen. Coons invited Rao to visit the state of Delaware and expressed his interest in building closer links between Delaware and India, particularly in the field of economic, trade and peopleto-people relations. He referred to the presence of a large Indian American community in Delaware as an important bridge between the United States and India. Amb. Rao accepted the invitation, and in turn, invited Senator Coon to visit India, a visit which he agreed to undertake at a mutually convenient time.

India Group gifts $10 m to UCF for India Studies India Post News Service

NEW YORK: Four years after launching an India studies program, the University of Central Florida (UCF) will establish a center devoted to the country's politics, economy, technology, culture and more, according to the UCF website. In response to the overwhelming popularity of and support for The India Program, the center has been made possible by a major gift, an annual fund and an endowment totaling $10 million, provided by The India Group, an alliance of prominent business and professional leaders organized by Anil Deshpande, president of Deshpande Inc. He and his wife Chitra have long supported global initiatives at UCF, including the original India endeavor. A wide variety of activities is envisioned for The India Center, including public presentations and other community outreach, an annual India forum, and schol-

arly and research activities. Anticipated activities also include exchanges of scholars and students with institutions in India, new courses and fellowships for UCF students, a sister-university

The center has been made possible by a major gift, an annual fund and an endowment totaling $10 million, provided by The India Group, an alliance of prominent business and professional leaders relationship in India and an expanded permanent India collection at the UCF Library. President John C. Hitt described the project as an ambi-

tious undertaking that aims to enhance partnerships with the Indian community in Central Florida, the nation and throughout the world. "Such connections are of key importance in light of India's rise to global prominence and its position at the forefront of growth in many fields," he said. Tony Waldrop, provost and executive vice president, said, "The India Center will enhance the academic experience for our students by providing greater opportunities to develop a global cultural awareness." John C. Bersia, special assistant to the president for Global Perspectives, led the effort to secure the major gift and develop the center concept, and he will serve with Political Science Professor Roger Handberg as interim co-chairs of the center. "We have already demonstrated that we take India studies very seriously at UCF," Bersia said. "The enthusiasm for our efforts is clear in the thousands of

people - students, faculty, staff and community members - who have participated in our India-related programs. Now, we are ready to take on a larger role, that of helping to shape and define the

Deshpande said the center will bring immense benefits to the UCF and Central Florida communities. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;We have worked hard to help build a strong foundation for India studies at UCF, and it is time to reach in new directionsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; field." Handberg added that The India Center is a multidisciplinary undertaking that will "equip students to deal with issues in na-

tional security, foreign policy, economics and culture at all levels of education - undergraduate, graduate and the community." The center's areas of emphasis will include politics, economics and business, technology and communication, culture and health care. P.N. "Vaidy" Vaidyanathan, an assistant vice president for Research and Commercialization and a member of the advisory board for the new center, called it "a welcome expansion of efforts at UCF to educate students and the general public about the multifaceted cultural, educational and technological developments that are available through ties with India." Deshpande said the center will bring immense benefits to the UCF and Central Florida communities. "We have worked hard to help build a strong foundation for India studies at UCF, and it is time to reach in new directions," he said.

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February 24, 2012

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'Yoga Room' at San Francisco airport India Post News Service

SAN FRANCISCO: The San Francisco International Airport (SFO) here has launched a "Yoga Room" at the airport terminal. An airport release states that this "first of its kind Yoga Room" in Terminal Two "affords visitors the opportunity to easily step into a space devoted to contemplation and self-reflection" and provides "travelers the opportunity and space to relax and decompress on their own terms". Enveloped in a calming blue color with light levels set low, its "floating wall symbolizes a buoyant spirit and enlightened mind". Directional signs for "Yoga Room" at the airport use a unique pictogram of a stylized

image of a person in the Lotus position. SFO, a department of the City and County of San Francisco, offers non-stop links with over 31 international points and 69 US cities on 29 international and 20 domestic airlines respectively. John L. Martin is Airport Director, Larry Mazzola is Airport Commission President, Naomi M. Kelly is City Administrator, while Edwin M. Lee is Mayor. According to USA's National Institutes of Health, yoga may help one to feel more relaxed, be more flexible, improve posture, breathe deeply, and get rid of stress. According to an estimate, about 16 million Americans, including many celebrities, now practice yoga.

A sign is posted in front of the new Yoga Room at San Francisco International Airport's terminal two

Travelers pratice yoga inside the new Yoga Room at San Francisco International Airport's terminal two

Terror cells active in India, US, India set up S&T Endowment Fund warns Israel India Post News Service

JERUSALEM: Terror cells are "active" in India, a senior Israeli minister has said, underlining that the recent attack on a diplomat in New Delhi should spur the two nations to step up counterterrorism cooperation.

information on terrorism. Tel Aviv has recently emerged as one of the major suppliers of counter-terrorism weaponry to New Delhi. The minister described terrorism as an "existential challenge" for both India and Israel and said, the two countries had shared inputs on incidents like Delhi and Mumbai attack of 2008. Such terror strikes, Landau asserted is not going to in any way deter cooperation between the two countries, but will only make engagement more vigorous. "We have many joint interests - economic, political, cultural, and we are also exposed to mutual threats, so the cooperation between India and Israel in all probability will continue, and so vigorously", he said. "What happened in Delhi a few days ago will only step up Israel's engagement with India Bystanders tend to an Israeli diplomat (partially obscured, on ground) following a car explosion near the Israeli embassy in New Delhi on February 13 to further enhance our relationship in all possible fields and at "The incident (attack on an Is- the diplomats to function. the same time we will continue to raeli diplomat in Delhi) makes it He declined to outline the intercept those terrorists wherever clear that there are terrorist cells steps, but the media reported that they are with the cooperation of in India. They have targeted re- Israeli diplomats in some coun- security services all over the cently us but in the past they have tries had been ordered to work out world", said the Israeli minister. also targeted Indian citizens and of their homes and avoid travel to Terrorism is not something others. the local embassy. new to India or Israel and the two What one can see here is a The Israeli cabinet minister's countries are "developing our growing joint interest of India and visit will come days after the ter- lives as democracies, our Israel, who are both exposed to ror attack in the Indian capital in economy, under threats of interror threats", Israel's Minister which for the first time magnetic creasing terrorism". for Energy and Water Resources, bombs were used. His tour to In"This is now the challenge, an Uzi Landau, said, ahead of his dia will follow a visit of a high level existential challenge, for all those three day trip to India. Landau had Israeli security team. who belong to the civilization of earlier served as Public Security India and Israel have a con- democracy and rule of law", he minister. tinuing dialogue and sharing of stressed. -PTI Landau's comment came as the Israeli Foreign Ministry said it had stepped up security for its diplomats posted overseas. Ministry's spokesman said, that Tel Aviv is taking "whatever measures are required" to allow

Healthy individual: Affordable biomedical devices, diagnostic / preventive / curative measures, or food and nutrition products to improve health. (Drug development and clinical trials are not eligible activities in this category). Empowering citizens: Reducing the digital/technology divide. This could include amongst others, information and communication technologies with societal impact in areas such as water, agriculture, financial inclusion, and

NEW YORK: India and the US have established an Indo-US Science & Technology Endowment Board & Fund for Joint Research and Development, Innovation, Entrepreneurial and Commercialization activities in Science and Technology under the India-US Science and Technology Cooperation Agreement (2005). Set up through the US Department of State and India's Department of Science & Technology, the Endowment Fund aims to The Fund will promote joint strengthen and expand activities that would lead to S&T cooperation for innovation and technopublic good through science and technology preneurship through the R&D entrepreneurial application of science and activities intended to lead to the commercial- technology. The aim of the ization of technology Fund is to support and foster that will develop susjoint applied R&D to genertained partnerships between US and Indian ate public good through scientists and entrepre- commercialization of neurs for the mutual benefit of both coun- technology tries. The Fund will promote joint education. Grants given will be up to Rs. activities that would lead to innovation and techno-preneurship 2.50 crore or $ 500,000 and northrough the application of science mally there would be a reasonable and technology. The aim of the balance in the grant for Indian and Fund is to support and foster joint US partners. Grants will be released in a applied R&D to generate public good through commercialization phased manner based on successof technology achieved through ful completion of milestones sustained partnerships between (which may include requirements US and Indian researchers and to raise/ invest funding to match Endowment grant at some stage), entrepreneurs. Priority areas for the joint en- as specified by the Endowment Board. deavor are:

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Mumbai world's 2nd least expensive city, Delhi 4th NEW DELHI: A high rate of inflation may be pinching hard on day-to-day life of people in the country, but a global survey has named two Indian cities - the financial hub Mumbai and the national capital New Delhi - among the four least expensive places across the world. As per the worldwide 'cost of living' survey by Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), Mumbai, in the western Indian state of Maharashtra, is the second least expensive city globally, while New Delhi is ranked fourth. Karachi in Pakistan has been named as the cheapest destination globally, while Zurich in Switzerland is the most expensive place across the world, as per the survey. Inflationary pressures have figured among the key concerns facing the government as well as the public in India for many months now, although the rate of inflation has declined a bit in recent past. The country's headline inflation fell to 6.55 per cent in January 2012. It had stood at 7.47 per cent in December 2011. Despite the drop in inflation in January, Indian Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee had said the rate of price rise is "still not at acceptable level" and hoped for further dip. Headline inflation was near double digit for most of 2010 and 2011. The apex bank hiked key policy rates 13 times, totaling 350

basis points between March 2010 and October 2011, to tame inflation. In the EIU surv e y , three of the four cheapest locations globally - Karachi, Mumbai, Tehran and New Delhi are from the Indian subcontinent. "India has been such a target of labor outsourcing, relocation and FDI over the last decade," EIU said. "With cheap labor and land costs making India and Pakistan

Mumbai

have retained their positions from the previous year's list. However, Zurich has toppled Tokyo as the world's most expensive city, although both of them have become relatively expensive in the past one year. "Both Japan and Switzerland have seen strong currency move-

The survey compared over 400 individual prices across 160 products and services. They include food, drink, clothing, household supplies and personal care items, home rents, transport, utility bills, private schools, domestic help and recreational costs incredibly attractive to those bargain hungry visitors or investors willing to brave some of the security risks that accompany such low prices, especially in Pakistan," it added. All the four cheapest cities

ments over the last few years which have made them relatively more expensive," EIU said. After Karachi, Mumbai, Tehran and New Delhi, the report has named Muscat, Dhaka, Algiers, Kathmandu, Panama City and

New Delhi

Jeddah among the least expensive cities. In the list of ten most expensive cities, Zurich and Tokyo are followed by Geneva, Osaka Kobe, Oslo, Paris, Sydney, Melbourne, Singapore and Frankfurt. The survey compared over 400 individual prices across 160 products and services. They include food, drink, clothing, household supplies and personal care items, home rents, transport, utility bills, private schools, domestic help and recreational costs. . The main reason behind low cost of living in the Middle Eastern cities was the use of price controls and the pegging of currencies to the US dollar, the report said. This year's list interestingly features cities from the Asia Pacific region (including Australasia) in the ten most expensive cities, while on the other hand, three of the four cheapest locations hail from the Indian subcontinent.

"Although Asian hubs are making their presence felt at the top of the cost of living stakes, another kind of Asian hub is making its presence felt at the bottom, EIU said. Singapore's presence in the top ten most expensive cities highlights a shift away from Western Europe towards Asian hubs, the report said. "Cities from the Asia Pacific region (including Australasia) now make up half the ten most expensive," EIU said adding Western Europe still accounts for 24 of the most expensive cities in the top 50, with 14 hailing from Asia. Interestingly, despite Eurozone weaknesses German and French cities are still relatively expensive with Paris and Frankfurt holding firm in the ten most expensive. Besides, Oslo, which was considered the world's most expensive city only a few years ago also sits towards the top of the ranking. PTI

Ministry move for FDI from Pakistan Pak police recover stolen Indian NEW DELHI: In a significant move aimed at improving bilateral economic ties with Pakistan, the Industry Ministry has written to its finance counterpart to permit foreign direct investments (FDI) from the neighboring country. "The Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) has sent a proposal to Finance Ministry for changes in FEMA to allow FDI from Pakistan," a top official said. The government, the official added, could change the Foreign

Exchange Management Act (FEMA) regulations to allow FDI from Pakistan by "simply issuing a notification." India has been taking steps to improve trade relations with Pakistan. Commerce, Industry and Textiles Minister Anand Sharma is currently visiting Pakistan along with a big industry delegation. Sharma is the first Indian Commerce Minister to visit Pakistan. In order to address the security concerns over investments

from Pakistan, the official said, the FDI proposals from the neighboring country can be routed through the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) which is headed by Economic Affairs Secretary in the Finance Ministry. As per the present FDI policy, a non-resident entity, other than a citizen of Pakistan or an entity incorporated in there, can invest in India. The government had earlier allowed investments from Bangladesh under the FIPB route. -PTI

NRI among 4 jailed in UK alcohol scam LONDON: An Indian-origin man is among four members of a criminal gang to be jailed for their role in one of the biggest alcohol smuggling frauds ever uncovered in the UK. The complex scam was worth an estimated 50 million pounds a year in unpaid duty and VAT and allowed the men to buy fast cars and luxury homes, investigators said.

The four men jailed included Davinder Dhaliwal, 32, who had pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy to cheat the public revenue and fraudulent evasion of excise duty. The other three are Kevin Burrage, Gary Clarke and Michael Turner. They used their positions and contacts in the alcohol trade to conceal dozens of truckloads of

alcohol being moved into Britain without paying tax or duties in a scam known as diversion fraud. Sentencing them, Judge Michael O'Sullivan of the Canterbury Crown Court said: "All four of you were involved in a criminal enterprise to cheat the revenue. Alcohol was diverted in the UK without paying duty or tax due to the revenue."-PTI

diamond necklace LAHORE: Pakistanis were "With the help of the National saved from embarrassment after Database and Registration Authorpolice cracked a theft case within ity, we identified the main accused 48 hours and recovered a diamond and arrested them from Lahore's necklace worth Rs 1 million sto- Ferozpur Road area," he said. len two days back from an Indian Shakil told reporters he planned trader at an India Show here. the robbery with Salim after learn"We arrested two men named ing that diamond jewellery was on Mohammad Shakil and Mohammad Salim and recovered the neck- The crime was solved in less lace," Superintendent than 48 hours since the theft of Police Liaquat Malik told a news conference at the Expo Center's in Punjab's provincial 'The India Show' was capital Lahore. The crime was reported, Malik said solved in less than 48 hours since the theft at the Expo Center's 'The India Show' display at the Indian exhibition. was reported, Malik said. A trader named Kamal Kant of The timely action by police had ND Diamonds had lodged an FIR saved Pakistan from embarrass- about the theft. At least 60,000 ment, he said. people visited the three-day trade Shakil had allegedly stolen the show, the largest ever India-spenecklace with the help of Salim, cific exhibition organized in PakiMalik said. stan.-PTI

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Indians have over $ 500 bn in banks abroad: CBI NEW DELHI: Indians are the largest depositors in banks abroad with an estimated USD 500 billion (nearly Rs 24.5 lakh crore) of illegal money stashed by them in tax havens, CBI Director A P Singh said here. India, in particular, has suffered from the flow of illegal funds to tax havens such as Mauritius, Switzerland, Lichtenstein, British Virgin Islands etc. "It is estimated that around 500 billion dollars of illegal money belonging to Indians is deposited in tax havens abroad. Largest depositors in Swiss Banks are also reported to be Indians," CBI Director A P Singh said speaking at the inauguration of first Interpol global program on anti-corruption and asset recovery. He said getting information about such illegal transactions is a time taking process as investigators have to peel each layer by sending judicial requests to the country where such deposits

have been made. "53 per cent of the countries said to be least corrupt by the Transparency International Index are offshore tax havens, where most of the corrupt money goes.

‘It is estimated that around 500 billion dollars of illegal money belonging to Indians is deposited in tax havens abroad. Largest depositors in Swiss Banks are also reported’ The tax havens include New Zealand which is ranked as the least corrupt country, Singapore ranked number five and Switzerland number seven," Singh said.

He said there is a lack of political will in the leading tax haven states to part with the information because they are aware of the extent to which their economies have become "geared to this flow of illegal capitals from the poorer countries." The CBI Director said tracing, freezing, confiscation and repatriation of stolen assets is a legal challenge, a complex process which requires expertise and political will. "Managing the asset recovery investigation is complex, time consuming, costly and most importantly requires expertise and political will. There are many obstacles to asset recovery. Not only is it a specialized legal process filled with delays and uncertainty, but there are also language barriers and a lack of trust when working with other countries," Singh said. He said global financial markets allow money to travel faster and further making tracking the money

Nasheed now 'much more satisfied' with India's approach MALE: Days after he expressed disappointment with India's stand on the Maldives' political crisis, ousted President Mohammed Nasheed has now said that he is "much more satisfied" with the approach of New Delhi, whose top diplomat held wide-ranging talks with all key stakeholders here. "It was very promising," 44-

Mohammed Nasheed

year-old Nasheed said following his meeting with Foreign Secretary Ranjan Mathai for nearly an hour at the Indian High Commission here. Shortly after his arrival, Mathai had met new President Mohammed Waheed Hassan at his residence. That meeting too lasted for nearly 60 minutes. Nasheed, who had earlier expressed disappointment with India's approach, said he was "much more satisfied" now.

"I now fully understand how things may be brought into a proper alignment and I am much more satisfied," he told PTI when asked if he had conveyed his unhappiness to Mathai. Asked if he was satisfied with India, Nasheed said, "I am more than satisfied with India and I believe that Indians have (in mind) the best interest of Maldivian

a slew of diplomatic visits here from various countries, including the US. Maldivian leaders were now increasingly looking up to New Delhi to help find a solution to the crisis that has gripped this archipelago nation.. "We will welcome any helpful role that they can play in this," Leader of Opposition in the People's Majlis or Parliament, Ahmed Thasmeen Ali, told PTI We will welcome any after his meeting with helpful role that they Mathai. He was replying to can play in this," Leader a question as to of Opposition in the whether he expected India to help find a soPeople's Majlis or lution to the crisis here. Parliament, Ahmed Abdullah Yamin, Thasmeen Ali, said after half-brother of former ruler Maumoon Abdul meeting Mathai Gayoom and an MP from the Progressive Party of Maldives people." (PPM), also held talks with Earlier, Prime Minister Mathai. Manmohan Singh had dispatched Asked how the meeting with his special envoy M Ganapathi Mathai went, he said, "We are tryhere. ing to find a settlement to all of Ganapathi, Secretary (West) in these things. We know India is the Ministry of External Affairs, very keen, very sincere friend and had held talks with both Hassan India was on the ground. and Nasheed and sought a peace"They know the story very well ful solution to the complex situa- and I have complete trust that they tion here. have Maldives at their heart and I Since Nasheed stepped down think Indians will take very serias President in what he claimed ously the events that happened was a coup d'etat, there have been here on the 7th." -PTI

trail in such cases even more difficult which necessitates the organization of such global training programs as they enhance the knowledge of investigators in tracking assets created out of cor-

‘For criminals all it involves is setting up of a few shell companies and then making layered transfers from account to another in a matter of hours as there are no boundaries in banking’ rupt and criminal acts. Singh said criminals are using the territorial issues of investigating agencies to their advantage by spreading their crimes to at

least two countries and investing in a third. "In some of the recent important cases being investigated by the CBI such as 2G, CWG and Madhu Koda, we find that money is taken to Dubai/Singapore/ Mauritius from where it goes to Switzerland and other such tax havens. "For criminals all it involves is setting up of a few shell companies and then making layered transfers from account to another in a matter of hours as there are no boundaries in banking transactions," he said. He said the World Bank estimates the cross border flow of money from criminal activities and tax evasion is around 1.5 trillion US dollars of which 40 billion US dollars is bribe paid to government servants in developing countries. Singh quoted the report to say that only five billion US dollars of this money has been repatriated during 15 years. -PTI

Obama proposes USD 2.2 bln aid to Pak WASHINGTON: Unveiling its annual budget of USD 3.8 trillion that calls for tax hikes on the rich, the Obama administration has proposed USD 2.4 billion in financial aid to Pakistan for the fiscal year 2013. Of this, USD 2.2 billion is in assistance to strengthen democratic and civil institutions that provide a bulwark against extremism and support joint security and counterterrorism efforts, including USD 800 million for the Pakistan Counter-insurgency Capability Fund, the State Department said soon after the White House sent the budgetary proposals to the Congress. In addition to this, the budget also proposes USD 197 million support to the US government's civilian presence, as well as programs for engagement with civil society, it said. In all, the budgetary proposals of President Barack Obama provides USD 8.2 billion for Overseas Contingency Operations to support the extraordinary and temporary costs of civilian- led programs and missions in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan.

The budgetary proposals are for the fiscal year 2013 beginning October 1, 2012 and this needs to be approved by both the chambers of the US Congress - the House of Representatives and the Senate - before it is implemented. Obama's budgetary proposals also include USD 4.6 billion for Afghanistan. This includes USD 2.5 billion in assistance for counterterrorism-related programs, economic growth, recon-

ciliation and reintegration, and capacity building, as well as to support progress in governance, rule of law, counter narcotic, agriculture, health and education. USD 2.1 billion is proposed for supporting the expansion of the diplomatic and interagency presence, the extraordinary costs of security in a conflict zone, and public diplomacy programs to build long-lasting bridges with civil society. -PTI

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Swiss Embassy says black money UK-India-US announce estimates lack evidence research awards NEW DELHI: Days after CBI Chief's statement that Indians are the largest depositors in Swiss banks, Switzerland has said such estimates and statistics lack evidence and are uncorroborated. In an unusual step, the Embassy of Switzerland here issued a press release saying, "It wishes to make a clarification in view of unsubstantiated media reports that have been recently published about Switzerland and Swiss Banks." But, the release, which did not mention CBI Chief's statement, said that Switzerland is not a tax haven. "There have been several speculations about the amount of wealth held by Indians in Swiss Banks. Such estimates and statistics lack evidence and are uncorroborated," it said. At an Interpol program here on February 13, CBI Director A P Singh had said: "It is estimated that around 500 billion dollars of illegal money belonging to Indians is deposited in tax havens abroad. Largest depositors in Swiss Banks are also reported to be Indians." Without indicating the source of the estimate of the illegal Indian money abroad, he had said

India, in particular, has suffered from the flow of illegal funds to tax havens such as Mauritius, Switzerland, Lichtenstein and British Virgin islands. While there have been various estimates of Indian black money stashed abroad, the statement by

The Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement (DTAA) between India and Switzerland provides a legal framework within which administrative assistance can be sought in particular cases of tax evasion or tax fraud, it added the CBI Director was significant that for the first time someone in authority in the country had come out with an estimate. . "The Swiss government has been forthcoming in its co-operation with all foreign governments in cases of tax evasion as well as cases of tax

fraud, that have been presented within the framework of bilateral treaties," the release said. The Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement (DTAA) between India and Switzerland provides a legal framework within which administrative assistance can be sought in particular cases of tax evasion or tax fraud, it added. The DTAA was revised in August 2010 and came into force on October 7, 2011. The revised treaty allows for exchange of information on tax fraud as well as on tax evasion cases. The earlier treaty did not include tax evasion, but only tax fraud. Swiss law makes a distinction between tax fraud and tax evasion. According to the release, the provisions of the revised agreement apply in India to income originating in tax years which start on or after April 1, 2012. In Switzerland, they apply to income originating in tax years which begin on or after January 1, 2012. "In the case of the exchange of information, the provisions apply to information referring to tax years which start on or after January 1, 2011," the release noted. PTI

Amitabh speaks of fresh medical issues MUMBAI: A day after assuring fans that all is well with him post his abdominal surgery, Amitabh Bachchan has said he is now facing "fresh medical issues". The 69-year-old megastar, who has been bravely updating his

Amitabh Bachchan

fans on his hospital stay, posted a brief entry on his blog saying that he won't be detailing on his medical condition further. "I seek forgiveness... I will not be detailing any more... Some fresh medical issues have come up, and I need to concentrate on the treatment now," he wrote last night. Bachchan was operated on at the Seven Hills hospital after which he had tweeted that he was

in pain. His tweet indicated that he was on his way to recovery but it seems that Bachchan will have to spend some more time at the hospital. Bachchan has been battling a string of stomach ailments since his near fatal intestinal injury while filming a fight scene in 1982 movie "Coolie". His latest condition is also a result of the same accident. -PTI

India Post News Service

NEW YORK: The UK India Education and Research Initiative (UKIERI) announced recently, a new Trilateral Research in Partnership (TRIP) Awards with the United States. Ten awards of up to ÂŁ50,000 (USD $75,000) in funds will be available to support multidisciplinary research projects between UK, US and Indian higher education institutions. This trilateral award aims to support the increase of mobility of PhD and post-doctoral students in all three countries, and develop

sustainable institutional links. Proposals have been invited across subject areas, including the humanities, social sciences, science and technology, and multidisciplinary research projects. Deadline for submission of proposal is on 13th April, 2012. UKIERI was started in April 2006 with an aim to enhancing educational links between India and the UK. In recognition of the substantial achievements and building on the success of this initiative in the first five years, the program has been extended for another five years from 2011 to 2016.

Tumor is almost out of my system: Yuvraj NEW DELHI: Indian cricketer Yuvraj Singh has revealed that the malignant lung tumor, for which he is undergoing chemotherapy in the Unites States, is "almost out of his system" after the first cycle of treatment. "Got very good news from dr lawrence today! The tumor is almost way out of the system Aftr reading my todays scan !Second cycle has started," Yuvraj, being treated at the Boston Institute of Cancer Research, wrote on his twitter account. The 30-year-old, who went to US last month, has gone bald during the treatment, which will go on till the last week of March before the process of rehabilitation starts in April. The dashing batsman had earlier got a message from US cycling

legend Lance Armstrong, whose own inspirational triumph over cancer is well-documented, wishing him a speedy recovery. "Message from @lancearmstrong makes me feel better! Thank you lance means a lot hope we can meet," tweeted Yuvraj. A photo of the Armstrong's message, posted by Yuvraj, read: "Yuvi, I want you to know that the entire LIVESTRONG team is here for you. "We say it all the time, and truly believe in it: Knowledge is power, Unity is strength, and Attitude is everything. Please know that we are here to help you and your family in any way possible. Go Yuvi!! Livestrong." Yuvraj was named Player of the Tournament in the World Cup, scoring 362 runs and grabbing 15 wickets in nine matches. He has so far scored 8,051 runs in 274 onedayers and 1,775 runs in 37 Tests since making his international debut in 2000. After being diagnosed with the illness, Yuvraj has not played competitive cricket since taking part in two of three home Tests against the West Indies in November. PTI

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February 24, 2012

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Obama honors Amartya Sen New society to promote outbound tourism with Humanities Medal India Post News Service

WASHINGTON: India-born Nobel laureate Amartya Sen was on February 14 felicitated with the prestigious National Medals of Arts and Humanities award by US President Barack Obama for his efforts to increase the understanding of fighting hunger and poverty. Sen, who won Nobel Prize in economics in 1998, was given the award at a glittering White House function here. "We even have an economist, which we don't always get on stage," Obama said referring to 78-year-old Sen, before he presented the 2011 National Medal of Arts and National Humanities. "Sen is being awarded the 2011 National Humanities Medal for his insights into the causes of poverty, famine, and injustice. By applying philosophical thinking to questions of policy, he has changed how standards of living are measured and increased our understanding of how to fight hunger," said the citation, read by a military aid of the US President. The two Nobel Laureates (Obama and Sen) were seen chatting on some issues during the

Amartya Sen, the Indian economist and 1998 Nobel Prize winner in economics, speaks with US President, Barack Obama, after receiving the 2011 National Medals of Humanities award at a glittering White House function, in Washington

award ceremony. Sen also attended the White House reception hosted by President Obama on this occasion. The First Lady, Michelle also attended the awards ceremony. The 2011 National Medal of Arts were also awarded to Will Barnet, Rita Dove, Al Pacino, Emily Rauh Pulitzer, Martin

Puryear, Mel Tillis, United Service Organization and Andre Watts. And the 2011 National Humanities Medal were given to Kwame Anthony Appiah, John Ashbery, Robert Darnton, Andrew Delbanco, National History Day, Charles Rosen sand Teofilo Ruiz besides Sen. -PTI

Bhangra singer among 16 Indians held in UK LONDON: A singer from Punjab is among 16 Indians arrested in a series of operations by Britain's immigration officials for offences that include entering into arrangements with EU nationals to register bogus marriages in order to stay in the UK. Official sources here said operations were carried out in recent months at various places in Britain, including companies where some of those arrested were working illegally. Garry Sandhu, 29, described as a "rising Bhangra star", had been sent back to India because he did not have permission to be in the UK. He first came to the UK under a different identity and claimed asylum, which was refused by the UK Border Agency. He was then placed on immigration bail but absconded. He came to the attention of the immigration officials several years later when he was caught driving without insurance, a press release said. Six Indian nationals were arrested for working illegally, and

jailed for taking part in bogus marriages. The six men were arrested in enforcement operations in South Wales. On February 9, the men were found working illegally in shops

worked illegally now face fines of up to 10,000 pounds for each illegal worker, unless they can prove that they carried out the correct pre-employment checks. A UK Border Agency spokes-

NEW DELHI: The newly constituted Society of Foreign Tour Operators (SFTO) here has announced various important initiatives to promote outbound tourism from India beginning with the international tourism calendar for 2012. SFTO also announced its new council of members that comprises top Indian travel agents who have played pivotal role in the growth of Indian outbound tourism. Mr Ajay Jaipuria, Founder, Travel Oytser was named as President, SFTO and Mr Rajesh Sethi, Director, and Carnation Travels as Senior Vice President. Other key people on board are: Vice President: Mr Sandeep Jain of ad-Voyage Travels Gen. Secretary: Mr Kapil Berera of Astral Travels P Ltd Joint Secretary: Mr Sankiv Nangia of Saltours International Treasure: Mr. Devroop Soni of

Coronation Travels P Ltd Sr. Advisor: Mr Sanjay Gupta of Simran Travels P Ltd The new team will work closely with Indian travel trade to promote new and niche global destinations. The association will also organize business events in Mumbai, Bengaluru and New Delhi in March-April as part of this strategy. SFTO will hold their first-ever overseas workshop event with business-to-business meetings at Helsinki (Finland) and Tallinn (Estonia) in the third week of September 2012. The partners for this event are Finland Tourism & Estonian Tourism (Tourism Boards), Finn are (international airlines), Tallink Silja Line (Local Shipping line) Tallinn City Tourist Office & Convention Bureau (Tallinn) and two local DMC companies (Reisiekspert & Baltic ELL). The event will further enhance the position of India as a strong outbound tourism market.

Dow not responsible for Bhopal gas tragedy: IOC NEW DELHI: The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has appreciated Indian Olympic Association's (IOA) concern for the victims of 1984 Bhopal Tragedy but maintained that Dow Chemicals had no ownership stakes in Union Carbide till 2000. IOC also said that its relationship with Dow Chemicals is well over 30 years and "we were aware of the Bhopal tragedy when discussing the partnership with Dow". IOA has repeatedly expressed its opposition to the Dow Chemicals as one of the sponsors for the London Olympics, because of its ownership of the infamous

Union Carbide which was responsible for the worst industrial disaster in India. IOA had urged the IOC and London Organizing Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) to withdraw Dow as Games Sponsors. In a letter to IOA acting President Vijay Kumar Malhotra, IOC chief Jacques Rogge has said that "IOC recognizes that the Bhopal tragedy in 1984 was horrific event for India and the world. The Olympic Movement sympathizes with the grief of the victims' families and regrets the ongoing suffering people face in the region."-PTI

BJP announces internet TV channel for youth Garry Sandhu

in Caerphilly. They had committed immigration offences, including overstaying their visas and working in breach of their visa conditions. All six men have been detained pending their removal from the UK. The shops where they

person in South Wales said: "This series of successful raids shows that our officers will track down immigration offenders wherever they are. Any business that takes on a foreign national without permission to work is breaking the law and faces a heavy fine." -PTI

NEW DELHI: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has launched an internet TV channel titled "Yuva", to grab the attention of the younger generation. The channel will include programs, speeches and rallies of the party. BJP President Nitin Gadkari, while announcing the launch of the channel, said that education of the masses was of prime importance. He added that the party will

try to spread the views of its leaders and also that of other people who are busy in doing work for the good of the country. Speeches of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee would also be telecast in the channel to inspire the party and its supporters. Yuva TV would be aired between 5 to 7 PM daily. The programs are available at www.yuva4india.tv.

Datebook

February 24, 2012

India Post

www.indiapost.com

NEW YORK

ILLINOIS

Upcoming

Sun March 25

Sat March 3

• Holi Hai 2012

• A Classical bharatnatyam Recital by A Lakshman

Venue: 1 Dag hammarskjold Plaza 47th Street between 1st & 2nd Av, New York Time: 12pm Contact: 212-372-8001

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

Sat April 7 • Best of the Best 2012 Venue: Tribeca Performing Arts Center, 199 Chambers Street, New York Time: 6:30pm

Venue: Temple Auditorium, Sri Venkateswara Swami (balaji) Temple, Aurora, Illinois Time: 6pm Contact: 630-844-2252 Highlights: Ms L Subhasri (Violin), Sri N. Gigamani (Mridangam), Sri Sakthivel Muruganandhan (Vocal) & Sri G G Praveen

NEW JERSEY

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA

Upcoming

Fri March 9

Sat Feb 25

• Bura na Mano Holi Hai

ï Bhangra Madness!!

Venue: Dorrian’s Red Hand, 55 Washington Blvd, Jersey City, NJ Time: 9pm Highlights: Dance Hip-Hop Desi Party, Colors and Friends.

Venue: Indian Kitchen, 3878 Walnut Ave, Fremont, CA 94538 Time: 9pm Contact: 408-768-6839

Sat March 31 • Arif Lohar/Sanam Marvi Ensemble

Sat March 24 • Carnatic Ftute Concert Venue: Veluchamy Auditorium, Sri Venkateswara Swami (balaji) Temple, Aurora, Ill Time: 5:30pm Contact: 630-844-2252 Highlights: Avaneeswaran Vinu (Violin), Shantala Subramanyam (Flute) & Melakkaveri Balaji (Mridangam)

Venue: Pollak Theater, 400 Cedar Ave, West Long Branch, New Jersey Time: 8pm Contact: 732-263-6889

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

WASHINGTON DC

Upcoming Sun March 11 • Rang De Mujhe Rang De (Holi) Venue: MANTRA Restaurant, 52 Temple Place, Boston, MA Time: 11am Contact: 617-935-9193

Sat April 7 • Swar Bahaar

Sun Feb 26 • Ballet Folklorico De Antioquia Venue: Palace Theater, Stamford Time: 7pm Contact: 203-3325-4466 Highlights: A critically acclaimed for its perfection, elegance, excellence and breathtaking artistry, Ballet Folklórico de Antioquia brings to you authentic live music, ritualistic dance and dramatic physical theater accentuated with brilliantly colored costumes.

Sun Feb 26 ï ICC High School Dance off! Venue: India Community Center, 525, Los Coches Street, Milpitas, CA Time: 10am Contact: 408-934-1130

Sat March 3 ï 7th Annual Mumbai Salsa Venue: Avalon Night Club, 777 Lawrence Expressway, Santa Clara, CA Time: 9pm Contact: 408-368-6865

Sun March 4 ï Kids Art Contest 2012

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA Upcoming Fri Feb 3 to Sat Feb 25 • Buddha: Triumph & Tragedy in The Life of the Great Sage Venue: Bootleg Theater, 2220 Beverly Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90057 Time: 7:30pm Contact: 800-838-3006 Highlights: Written & Performed by Evan Brenner, Directed by John C. Reilly, Presented by the Bootleg Theater.

Sun Feb 26 • Gabriela Dance Theatre Presents ìAbstractî Venue: Sally Fields Performing Arts Center 17000 Haynes St., Van Nuys, CA 91404 Time: 2pm Contact: 818-538-9993

Fri March 2 • Art of Living Course Venue: Art of Living Center Los Angeles, 948 W. Adams Blvd, Los Angeles, CA Time: 7pm Contact: 310-820-9429

Mon, March 19 • The Wedding Salon Venue: SLS Hotel Beverly Hills, 465 South La Ciengega Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA Time: 4pm Contact: 212-631-7777

Sat March 31 • Jashan A celebration

Venue: Littleton High School Auditorium, 56 King Street, Littleton, MA Time: 4pm Contact: 617-905-4305

Venue: 525, Los Coches St. Milpitas, CA Time: 3pm Contact: 408-934-1130

Sat April 21

ï Amjad Sabriís Qawwali Program

Fri April 20

• Yamandu Costa, Classical Guitarist Venue: 8000 York Road, Towson MD, Baltimore, WDC Time: 8pm Contact: 443-296-2247

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

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

Mon May 14

Venue: Pearson Park Amphitheater, 401 North Lemon Street, Anaheim, CA Time: 5pm Contact: 714-368-3424

• Tadasana Festival

Desi News Pro and anti-LTTE factions clash in FETNA PRAKASH M SWAMY

Electrifying dance show by Kalapadma students Asian Media USA

CHICAGO: Kalapadma Dance Academy Chicago celebrated its 17th Annual day with members and their families, friends and prominent leaders of Indian community on Saturday, February 11 in Niles West High School Auditorium in Skokie, with lot of enthusiasm. Students of Kalapadma, ages ranging from 3 to 50 years, adorned in colorful costumes, dazzled the audience of about 600 art lovers of Greater Chicago land area. It was three hours of entertainment consisting of the Indian classical as well as folk dances, Gujarati and Hindi bhajans, patriotic songs. Details on page 14

India Association celebrates R-Day in St. Louis ASHWIN PATEL

ST LOUIS: India Association of St. Louis celebrated India's 63rd Republic Day on January 28 at Mahatma Gandhi Center, St. Louis. The event was a huge success with a good representation of local Indian community including kids of all ages and also prominent members of the society. The celebration commenced at 11 am with enthusiastic kids parading with American and Indian flags to the stage where it was hoisted. Details on page 15

COMMUNITY ACROSS AMERICA

Sikh women "fill the purses, spread the cheer" Details on page 16

12 India Post

www.indiapost.com

February 24, 2012

Gurdwara vandalized in Michigan India Post News Service

NEW YORK: The Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund (SALDEF) has called on local and federal authorities to initiate a hate crime investigation into the vandalism and defacing with

The new site of the gurdwara has been under construction and is due for completion this summer, leaving it uninhabited when the crime took place. The construction has been ongoing, and recently the exterior had been painted, with the graffiti now taking up a large area on the building's front wall graffiti of a gurdwara (Sikh congregational place of worship) in Sterling Heights, MI. According to reports directly from the gurdwara management

committee, the vandalism happened between the evening of Feb 5 and the morning of February 6. The graffiti included vulgar language, racial epithets, the use of what appears to be a cross, a large drawing of a gun, and references to the attacks of September 11. The words "Don't Builed" and "Mohmed" were also written on the wall. The new site of the gurdwara has been under construction and

is due for completion this summer, leaving it uninhabited when the crime took place. The construction has been ongoing, and recently the exterior had been painted, with the graffiti now taking up a large area on the building's front wall. No witnesses have come forward yet, but SALDEF has urged anyone with information regarding this situation to contact the Sterling Heights Police Depart-

ment. "Attacks and vandalism against any of the nation's houses of worship must be condemned by all Americans. This type of crime strikes at the very foundation of religious tolerance, the foundation this country was built upon," said SALDEF Associate Executive Director Jasjit Singh. Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d on page 13

Community concern at CG indifference over hunger-strike death SURENDRA ULLAL

CHICAGO: Members of the Indian community in Chicago are irked by the indifference shown by the Indian Consul General Mukta Datta Tomar, who did not attend the recent meeting to express concern at the passing away of Lyvtia Gomes on January 3 after 15 days of alleged hunger strike at the Lake County Jail. Dr. Austin D'Souza Prabhu, a community activist, expressed his strong concern and said that he was shocked to see that Consul General did not attend this very serious meeting of Indian community activists from Chicagoland. About 20 community leaders and members at-

tended the meeting. India Post was told that Ms. Gomes' failure to appear at jury summons had triggered this unfortunate occurrence. Among oth-

of Indian Catholic Association of America, and Dr. Jaychand Pallekonda, President, Indo-American Christian Federation of North America, and Queenie Mendonca,

Lyvtia Gomes was kept in the jail's medical unit for a week under close observation without providing intravenous feeding knowing she was dehydrated and mentally incapable to make any decisions ers, Usha Kumaria, President of Indian Community of Niles township, Dr. Kusum Patel from Chicago Pariwar, Community activist, Dr. Peter Noronha, Past President

Immediate Past President, Mangalorean Konkan Christian Association, expressed their concern. Lyvtia Gomes was kept in the jail's medical unit for a week under

close observation without providing intravenous feeding knowing she was dehydrated and mentally incapable to make any decisions. Had she been given proper hydration on time, she could still be alive today. Jan Susler, one of the attorneys appointed by the Gomes family from the People's Law office was present. She informed they have started the investigation and they are following appropriate procedure to obtain the medical records from the hospital and detail records from the Lake county jail during Ms. Gomes incarceration. Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d on page 13

February 24, 2012

Community Across America

India Post 13

www.indiapost.com

Pro and anti-LTTE factions clash in FETNA PRAKASH M SWAMY

WASHINGTON DC: NEW YORK: Dr. Pazhani Sundaram of Connecticut, national president of Federation of Tamil Sangams of North America (Fetna) -the umbrella organization of Tamil Associations in North America - along with two other board members - Dr. Muthuvel Chelliah of Washington DC, a former Fetna President himself and Vijay Manvivel website coordinator- have resigned from the organization owing to severe groupism and infighting that has reached a crescendo. The three were up in arms against Balagan Arumugaswamy, a Washington DC based leading CPA who was unanimously chosen as Fetna silver jubilee convention coordinator in the delegates meeting held last year. The silver jubilee convention is to be held in Baltimore in July 2012 and the trio wanted control of the agenda and funds much against the wishes of the delegates and various member association presidents. Also, the coordinator was against converting the convention into yet another pro-LTTE forum where India bashing would go on unabated as in the past conventions and put his foot down that irritated the trio. Last year, the Government of India abruptly cancelled the Indian visa of Dr. Muthuvel Chelliah, a

naturalized US citizen for his continuous anti-India tirade and support to banned anti-Indian organizations that perpetrate violence and terrorism. He has filed a case against the Home Ministry in the High Court of Madras pleading that his Indian visa be restored so that he can meet his aged mother in Tamil Nadu. Support to Tamil Eelam and LTTE has been the undeclared agenda of Fetna in the past and member associations who

visa for her anti-India rhetoric and Professor Francis Boyle who advocates Tamil Eelam were regular speakers every year at Fetna annual conventions and prime time were allotted to their fiery speeches much against the wishes of Indian Tamils. This year the coordinator Balagan wanted to downplay the pro-LTTE image of Fetna that did not go well with the pro-Eelam supporters who were gunning for

The three were up in arms against Balagan Arumugaswamy, a Washington DC based leading CPA who was unanimously chosen as Fetna silver jubilee convention coordinator in the delegates meeting held last year. The silver jubilee convention is to be held in Baltimore in July 2012 and the trio wanted control of the agenda and funds do not subscribe to its views were either reprimanded or removed. Various pro-Eelam leaders such as New York based Rudra Kumaran, "Prime Minister" of Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam (TGTE), a government in exile of Tamil Eelams; Dr Elyn Shandler, a fiery pro-LTTE speaker and Jewish-American rabble rouser who was also denied Indian

his head. Finally Balagan secured majority support and those opposed him were forced to quit. Vice President Dr Dhandapani Kuppuswamy was chosen as interim president and elections were called for to choose new set of office bearers. In his communication to Fetna board, association presidents and delegates, Dr. Sundaram said:

Community concern at CG indifference on death in Jail Cont’d from page 12

It is not clear if Ms. Gomes was on hunger strike or what really went on inside the jail. Many community activists and concerned leaders were present including Queenie Mendonca, Immediate Past President, MKCA, USA , Susan Pereira, President, Goan Organization of America,

Godwin Rego, President, Mangalorean Konkan Christian Association, USA, Rev. Dr. David V. Sagar Dadipogu, Pastor, Antioch Telugu Baptist Church, Dr. Jayachand Pallekonda, President, IndoAmerican Christian Federation of North America, Varghese Chacko, Community Activist, President and CEO of Prompt Services, Dr. Peter

Noronha, Past President, India Catholic Association of America, Usah Kamaria, President of the Indian Community of Niles Township, Dr. Kusum Patel, Global Gayatri Pariwar, Jean Puthenparambil, Keralite American Association, Shirley Saldanha, Past President, India Catholic Association of America. Austin D'Souza Prabhu, Ph.D. organized the meeting.

Gurdwara vandalized in Michigan Cont’d from page 12

"We call upon local and federal law enforcement agencies to rightfully classify this incident as a hate crime and bring the perpetrators to justice to show that hate and violence are not tolerated in our society." SALDEF has been in contact with the Sterling Heights Police Department, Department of Justice, and the US Attorney's Office

to urge their action on this matter and to offer support in the investigation. The Michigan chapters of the Council on American-Islamic Relations and the American Jewish Committee also condemned the vandalism. "We condemn the vandalism of the Sikh house of worship in Sterling Heights and call on local and federal law enforcement to use their full resources to apprehend

the perpetrators of this hate crime," Dawud Walid, executive director of the Muslim council was quoted in a local newspaper. "The attack on any house of worship in our community is despicable, and we are pained to see the Sikh community targeted," Kari Alterman of the Jewish committee was also quoted. "We look to law enforcement to investigate this act, and arrest those responsible."

"Now that the events have reached climactic proportions due to drama created by a few mean spirited delegates and life members orchestrating and totally controlling all the actions …FeTNA as an institution has come to a stand still. I also understand that there are also concerted and coordinated efforts underway to embarrass me even more publicly…." "We as board, tried to accommodate all the requests by delegates for the past one and half years. Still, there is arrogance and attitude among many delegates and life members who were bent on disrupting the convention activities and their interference has significantly and negatively impacted the ongoing silver jubilee convention activities. "Convention activities have not progressed as FeTNA had ex-

pected despite repeated requests to expedite and above all actions by some have caused confusion by aligning with the ill spirited delegates who have no interest or responsibility for the success of the convention. At this important juncture, especially when the ground situation in DC area is not promising, no unity among Washington DC group, and I have been openly and publicly embarrassed many times by delegates, I have been contemplating withdrawing myself from the title. With this as a backdrop and with great pain and anguish, of accepting my inability to continue any further, I am closing my last day as president," Dr Sundaram said in his communication to association presidents and life members signaling end of his tenure.

Community Across America

14 India Post

February 24, 2012

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Electrifying dance show by Kalapadma students

A group of artists Asian Media USA

dazzled the audience of about 600 art lovers of Greater Chicago land area. It was three hours of entertainment consisting of the Indian classical as well as folk dances, Gujarati and Hindi bhajans, patriotic songs, Bollywood thumka, tribal and fusion dances presented by more than 105 students. Dr. Jayashree Raju was the Chief Guest. The students and the Artistic Director, Ruth Varghese, the President, Santosh

Lamp lighting ceremony done by guests

Varghese, and all those who were involved in the presentation of the show deserve kudos. The event started at 3:30 pm with a welcome speech by Santosh Varghese followed by an address from Raja Krishnamoorthi. Lamp Lightning ceremony was performed by Dr. Jayashree Raju, Narendra Patel and his wife Usha Kamaria, Santosh Varghese, Sachi Patel, Shivani Thakker,

Hiteshshree Patel and Trisha Modi. Kalapadma Dance Academy students dressed in colorful costumes and gorgeous make up, presented a beautiful medley of about 18 dances. The program opened with "Pushpanjali and Ganeshvandana" in raag Andolika Tal Tishratriputa and raag Jog and Tal Adi respectively. The show concluded with "Om Shanti", a prayer for peace, fol-

and kept them glued to their seats for three hours. Ruth Varghese is the artistic director of Kalapadma Dance Academy, Chicago. Audience comments for today's program was that "Kalapadma dance academy, with its innovative Choreography and experimentation within the frame work of the rules of classical is making the complex art of Bharatnatyam more accessible and interesting".

lowed by patriotic number "Bharat ko ek Salam". Santosh Varghese, the President of Kalapadma Chicago, was the Emcee for the evening. The signature patriotic con-

The students who performed their "Arangetram" last year are Sachi Patel, Shivani Thakker, Hiteshshree Patel and Trisha Modi. Kalapadma was launched in

A group of artists

Kalapadma Dance Academy students dressed in colorful costumes and gorgeous make up, presented a beautiful medley of about 18 dances cluding item of Kalapadma, "Aisa Des Hai Mera" was the highlight of the show. The dancers dressed in the national flag colors, brought the audience to their feet. About a hundred children ranging from 4 years to 17 years dazzled the audience

February 1960. It was established with the objective of promoting classical Indian dances and to train children and youth in it. The institution's founder-President was Vashalakshi Johri, sister of the well known Rukmini Devi Arundale.

February 24, 2012

Community Across America

India Post 15

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India Association celebrates R-Day in St. Louis ASHWIN PATEL

Sudhir Brahmbhatt addressing the meet

Children participating in Republic Day celebration

The celebration commenced at 11 am with enthusiastic kids parading with American and Indian flags to the stage where it was hoisted. This was followed by rendition of the American and Indian national anthems by a group of children along with the attendees at the event.

The program continued with a welcome address by the President of India Association, Sundar Varanasi who invited the Chief Guest Dr.Sudhir Brahmbhatt, President Bal Vihar, to address the gathering. Dr. Brahmbhatt who has contributed immensely towards the local Indian community gave

World record in front of Taj Mahal

Ashrita Furman from New York created a new world record in front of the iconic Taj Mahal in Agra, India. Furman is the word's No.1 Guinness world record holder, currently holding more than 130 records on all the continents including Antarctica. This is his first visit to India for the 21 kilometer skipping (jumping rope) record. Furman credits his remarkable strength and endurance to meditation and his Indian Guru Sri Chinmoy. He says, "Sri Chinmoy has shown me that if one can be in touch with one's inner spirit, then nothing is impossible." (pic: Nikhil Divekar)

an enlightening and inspiring speech which was very well received by the attendees. This was followed by two youth members of Bal Vihar presenting their views on India's Republic Day celebration. The event concluded with refreshments for everyone. The India Association also an-

nounced its Board of Directors for the year 2012-2013: PresidentSundar Varanasi, President ElectGayatri Chintakunta, SecretarySundari Nori, TreasurerVijayaKumar Buddhiraju, Members- Hema Patel, Pradip Das, Girija Kasinadhuni, Radhika Rao and Paritosh Sheth.

Community/California

16 India Post

February 24, 2012

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Sikh women ‘fill the purses, spread the cheer’

Sikh women at purses donation drive. India Post News Service

LOS ANGELES: "Fill the Purses, Spread the cheer!" This was the SikhWomenNow's slogan that recently reverberated through the cities of Southern California. SikhWomenNow.com is a nongovernmental, non-profit, international Sikh women organization committed to promoting better understanding of diversity through dialogue and community

service. They organized an unprecedented event to collect 250 donated purses and toiletries to help support "Joanie's Purse Project" initiated by the YWCA of Orange County. Joanie's Purse Project is an outreach program that provides purses filled with personal care items to women in Orange County shelters and transitional living programs. Compassionate hearts poured out their generosity that stunned the vol-

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unteers of this project. People came with bag full of donations, consisting of brand new purses with tags still on, designer bags such as Coach, Kenneth Cole, Douney and Bourke et.al, and boxes of toiletries for everyday use. Volunteers from several counties, including Orange, Los Angeles and San Diego, worked tirelessly to collect, sort, organize and coordinate the donations to the YWCA in time. Poonam Sodhi, a volunteer in Santa Ana, cited an incident in which a young woman, not want-

Compassionate hearts poured out their generosity that stunned the volunteers of this project ing to miss this service opportunity, emptied out her own purse to donate for the project. Maria Carina Abenes, Executive Director of the YWCA of Orange County, thanked SikhwomenNow for their "generous donation of toiletries for Joanie's Purse Project." Your generosity of spirit has greatly contributed to the wellbeing of the women we serve and will allow us to continue serving our community to meet future needs throughout Orange County." Sikhwomennow will be organizing this annual purses and toiletries donation drive on Diwali day at all major gurdwaras in Southern California.

Realty Tidbits

Noida clears land for Metro link to south Delhi

Real Estate

he Noida authority has com pleted preparations for a new Metro link between Noida and south Delhi. The land department of the authority has approved allotment of 30,000 square meter of land. The department has submitted details and its no objection certificate (NOC) to the authority. The authority now expects NOCs from various other departments, including those looking after sewer, electricity and water supplies. "Once these formalities are completed, the authority will sign a MoU with the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC). Work on the new line will begin soon," said a Noida authority official. The entire line will be elevated. The maximum speed for Metro trains will be 85 kmph.

Dwarka makes a master plan pitch

esidents of Dwarka have written to the ministry of urban development, complaining that Delhi Development Authority (DDA) has failed to implement any of the provisions of Master Plan Delhi 2021, which aimed at giving Dwarka a robust infrastructure. With the review of the Master Plan already underway, residents now want DDA to relook at the promises made to them and at least provide them basic facilities like potable water and healthcare. "DDA has made a mockery of the Master Plan. If Dwarka was created as a sub-city, it should have been self-sufficient with all basic facilities so that the residents were not required to go out.

Technical team says high-rises in city quake-proof NOIDA: In an attempt to ensure that buildings in Noida are being constructed keeping the safety of residents in mind, a technical team from the Noida Authority has been making site visits and providing structural clearances. The team also visited the North Eye project, a 60-storey tower, which is expected to be the tallest residential building in North India. Besides the Authority's technical team, six professors from IIT Roorkee have also studied the project's foundation and given it thumbs up.

India Post

www.indiapost.com

February 24, 2012

Housing disputes top consumer court list

ince its inception in 1997, the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum, Panchkula has handled 5,290 cases, 2,019 among these were property disputes Residents are knocking the door of District Consumer Disputes Redressal Forum, Panchkula, mostly for settling housing disputes. After the establishment of the Forum, in 1997 the highest number of complaints received pertained to the various housing disputes.

Feds, mortgage servicers agree on $25 billion homeowner relief India Post News Service

NEW YORK: US Attorney General Eric Holder, Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Shaun Donovan, Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller and Colorado Attorney General John W. Suthers announced last week that the federal government and 49 state attorneys general have reached a landmark $25 billion agreement with the nation's five largest mortgage servicers to address mortgage loan servicing and foreclosure abuses. The agreement provides substantial financial relief to homeowners and establishes significant new homeowner protections for the future. The unprecedented joint agreement is the largest federalstate civil settlement ever obtained and is the result of extensive investigations by federal agencies, including the Department of Justice, HUD and the HUD Office of the Inspector General (HUD-OIG), and state attorneys general and state banking regulators across the country. The joint federal-state group entered into the agreement with the nation's five largest mortgage servicers: Bank of America Corporation, JPMorgan Chase & Co., Wells Fargo & Company, Citigroup Inc., and Ally Financial Inc. (formerly GMAC). "This agreement - the largest joint federal-state settlement ever obtained - is the result of unprecedented coordination among enforcement agencies throughout the government," said Attorney General Holder. "It holds mortgage servicers accountable for abusive practices and requires them to commit more than $20 billion towards financial relief for consumers. “As a result, struggling homeowners throughout the country will benefit from reduced principals and refinancing of their loans. The agreement also requires substantial changes in how servicers do business, which will ensure the abuses of the past are not repeated." "This historic settlement will

President Obama speaks about the mortgage settlement with, from left, Attorneys General George Jepsen of Conn. and Roy Cooper of N.C., U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder and HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan looking on.

provide immediate relief to homeowners - forcing banks to reduce the principal balance on many loans, refinance loans for underwater borrowers, and pay billions of dollars to states and consumers," said HUD Secretary Donovan. "Banks must follow the laws. “Any bank that hasn't done so

keeping with the Homeowners Bill of Rights recently announced by President Obama - a single, straightforward set of commonsense rules that families can count on." "This monitored agreement holds the banks accountable, it provides badly needed relief to homeowners, and it transforms

The joint federal-state agreement requires servicers to implement comprehensive new mortgage loan servicing standards and to commit $25 billion to resolve violations of state and federal law should be held accountable and should take prompt action to correct its mistakes. And it will not end with this settlement. “One of the most important ways this settlement helps homeowners is that it forces the banks to clean up their acts and fix the problems uncovered during our investigations. And it does that by committing them to major reforms in how they service mortgage loans. These new customer service standards are in

the mortgage servicing industry so now homeowners will be protected and treated fairly," said Iowa Attorney General Miller. "This settlement has broad bipartisan support from the states because the attorneys general realize that the partnership with the federal agencies made it possible to achieve favorable terms and conditions that would have been difficult for the states or the federal government to achieve on their own," said Colorado Attor-

ney General Suthers. The joint federal-state agreement requires servicers to implement comprehensive new mortgage loan servicing standards and to commit $25 billion to resolve violations of state and federal law. These violations include servicers' use of "robo-signed" affidavits in foreclosure proceedings; deceptive practices in the offering of loan modifications; failures to offer non-foreclosure alternatives before foreclosing on borrowers with federally insured mortgages; and filing improper documentation in federal bankruptcy court. The agreement requires the mortgage servicers to implement unprecedented changes in how they service mortgage loans, handle foreclosures, and ensure the accuracy of information provided in federal bankruptcy court. The agreement requires new servicing standards which will prevent foreclosure abuses of the past, such as robo-signing, improper documentation and lost paperwork, and create dozens of new consumer protections. Cont’d on page 18

Real Estate Post

18 India Post

February 24, 2012

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Sahara, Turner join hands to build townships across India struction services and lead in the development of townships. Over time the company will serve clients in other markets such as infrastructure, healthcare and hospitality. "We are extremely excited with the partnership we have established with Sahara Prime City and look forward to making a significant contribution to the construction market in one of the world's fastest growing economies," said Nicholas Billotti, President and CEO of Turner's International division.

Sahara Group Chairman, Subrata Roy (R) with Nicholas Billotti, Chief executive officer, Turner Construction International, at a press conference in Mumbai on February 9. Turner has entered a joint venture with Sahara Prime City the realty development arm on the Sahara India group, to undertake building work in India for the Sahara Group and elsewhere. Sahara Turner Construction plans to build projects worth $25 billion over 20 years in India. India Post News Service

NEW YORK: Sahara Prime City Limited, a Sahara Group company and one of India's leading real estate developers, Turner Construction Company, a leading general builder in the United States and Acropolis Capital Group, a financial investment firm, have announced the formation of Sahara Turner. Sahara Turner will lead the development

and construction of multiple townships across India with an approximate value of $2.5 billion over the next five years, according to an official Turner release. The partnership will be managed by Turner, according to a Turner Construction Company release. The formation of this company underscores Sahara Prime's commitment to the delivery of affordable housing at a high standard of quality and on a timely basis. The company will provide integrated con-

Indian real estate and infrastructure sector." Anant Jain, Managing Partner, Acropolis Capital Group, also commented, "This association is of great significance, and will help in making the Indian infrastructure and Housing projects more effective in cost, time and quality." Turner is the leading general builder in the U.S., ranking first or second in the major segments of the building construction field. Turner annually completes $8 billion of construction and is the only builder offering

"We are extremely excited with the partnership we have established with Sahara Prime City and look forward to making a significant contribution to the construction market in one of the world's fastest growing economies," said Nicholas Billotti, President and CEO of Turner's International division Speaking at the launch of Sahara Turner Construction Limited, 'Saharasri' Subrata Roy Sahara, Managing Worker & Chairman, Sahara India Pariwar said, "It gives me great pleasure to announce the launch of Sahara Turner Construction Limited. This joint venture is the coming together of people who believe in providing the best available international quality and technology to India. I am sure that this venture will offer the most effective solutions and services to the

clients a network of offices across the US. Sahara Prime City Limited is part of the Sahara India Pariwar, a major business conglomerate in India with assets having the market value of $23 billion. The Sahara Group has operations in multiple sectors, including financial services, life insurance, mutual funds, housing finance, print and television news media, entertainment channels, cinema production, consumer merchandise retail and healthcare.

Punjab's realty sector to miss revenue target CHANDIGARH: It will be difficult for fund- starved Punjab to achieve the target of Rs 2,900 crore from property transactions for 2011-12 as Election Commission's tough measures for curbing misuse of money in elections led to a big drop in property buying and selling, officials said. Although the state government officials maintained they were hopeful of meeting the revenue target, they attributed the significant drop in property buying and selling to the Election Commission's tough measures for curbing misuse of money in elections last month. "There has been a significant impact on business transactions in the real estate market in Punjab because

of heavy seizure of unaccounted cash on the directions of EC last month," a senior official of the Punjab Revenue Department said. Till December, 2011, the collection from stamp duty and registration fee stood at Rs 2,349 crore. Property experts pointed out that in the wake of sluggish market conditions, it would be tough for Punjab to collect Rs 550 crore in three months (January till March) to meet revenue collection target. During the last fiscal, Punjab failed to meet the revenue collection of Rs 2,300 crore from stamp duty and registration fee with actual collections reaching about Rs 2,200 crore. Confiscation of huge amount of unaccounted cash by surveillance

Confiscation of huge amount of unaccounted cash by surveillance teams to curb misuse of money power in Punjab elections had almost paralyzed the real estate market, with buyers refraining from entering into any business deals

teams to curb misuse of money power in Punjab elections had almost paralyzed the real estate market, with buyers refraining from entering into any business deals. "Seizure of cash ahead of elections in Punjab hit the property market hard because people were scared of making any investment. There was hardly any property transaction taking place in the month of January," Punjab Property and Colonizers Association Chairman Anil Chopra said. Even after the polls that were held on January 30, things have not improved for the real estate

sector as majority of investors, including NRI's still not committing investments until next state government comes in. "Property investors are waiting for the formation of new state government before putting in their money into real estate projects," said Chopra. Spiraling interest rates coupled with slackening demand for property has already made a significant dent on property market in Punjab, with sales prices of real estate products dipping by 15-20 per cent in the past six-seven months, property experts said.

Feds, mortgage servicers agree on $25 billion homeowner relief Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d from page 17

The new standards provide for strict oversight of foreclosure processing, including third-party vendors, and new requirements to undertake pre-filing reviews of certain documents filed in bankruptcy court. The new servicing standards make foreclosure a last resort by requiring servicers to evaluate homeowners for other loss mitigation options first. In addition, banks will be restricted from

foreclosing while the homeowner is being considered for a loan modification. The new standards also include procedures and timelines for reviewing loan modification applications and give homeowners the right to appeal denials. Servicers will also be required to create a single point of contact for borrowers seeking information about their loans and maintain adequate staff to handle calls. The agreement is part of enforcement efforts by President Barack Obama's Financial Fraud

Enforcement Task Force. President Obama established the interagency Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force to wage an aggressive, coordinated and proactive effort to investigate and prosecute financial crimes. The task force includes representatives from a broad range of federal agencies, regulatory authorities, inspectors general and state and local law enforcement who, working together, bring to bear a powerful array of criminal and civil enforcement resources.

Real Estate Post

February 24, 2012

India Post

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Delhi-Jaipur townships aim to boost key areas

he Road Transport and Highways (RTH) Ministry has decided to establish integrated townships adjacent to the proposed greenfield expressway between Delhi and Jaipur. The townships would be created on the 230-km expressway for cross-subsidizing the anticipated viability gap funding of the project. The decision was taken after RTH Minister CP Joshi met road developers, builders and construction companies to explore the construction and innovative financing of the expressway. RTH Secretary AK Upadhyay, DG (Roads) C Kandasamy and senior officials of NHAI and Rajasthan also attended the crucial meeting. The decision has been taken in view of the high cost implications on the construction as well as land acquisition. The Ministry's innovative approach is an attempt to look beyond the conventional mode of implementation of a typical PPP project.

However, sources said, the Government would not play any role in the acquisition of land for the purpose. Instead, the concessionaires would have to seek permission for land acquisition. According to the concept note on the

In addition to the townships, trauma centers and restaurants would also be constructed along the expressway. Unlike the construction of townships, the concessionaires would not be required to seek separate permission for land acquisition for trauma centers and restaurants project, the proposed expressway being access-controlled facility, the entry and exit to the township could be regulated through grade-separated interchanges, which will boost the economy of the adjacent areas, besides subsidizing the high costing in-

Adanis exit realty, to sell Mumbai sites AHMEDABAD: After making a grand foray into real estate and taking up several township projects, industrialist Gautam Adani's flagship company Adani Enterprises (AEL) has decided to exit the real estate sector and focus on its core infrastructure business - mainly ports and power. The announcement surprised market watchers in Ahmedabad, Mumbai and Gurgaon, where the group has large land-holdings and ongoing projects, which are being executed by subsidiary Adani Infrastructure and Developers (AIDL) . "The board of directors has approved the proposal. The move

volved with expressway construction. The consultants have identified a few such locations near Delhi, Gurgaon, Dharuhera, Rewari, Behror, Kotputli, Shahpura and Chomu. The proposed expressway not only envisages providing

will infuse additional liquidity in the company. We would be able

The announcement surprised market watchers in Ahmedabad, Mumbai and Gurgaon, where the group has large land-holdings to focus on our core businesses," Devang Desai, executive director, AEL, said.

high-speed, access-controlled traffic flow between Delhi and Jaipur connecting important towns in Delhi, Haryana and Rajasthan, but also being a catalyst for economic development of the region as a whole. The Delhi-Jaipur expressway is a part of

the Center's approval for the construction of 1000-km expressway under NHDP VI on the basis of traffic volume. Delhi-Jaipur was identified as one of the high density corridors of the country for construction of expressway. In addition to the townships, trauma centers and restaurants would also be constructed along the expressway. Unlike the construction of townships, the concessionaires would not be required to seek separate permission for land acquisition for trauma centers and restaurants. The NHAI would acquire land for these two facilities, the sources said. In another meeting, it was decided to prepare a document for EPC (Engineering, Procurement and Construction) Agreement. The document would be prepared jointly by RTH Ministry and Planning Commission in consultation with the Finance and Law Ministries. The document might be included in the upcoming Budget, the sources added.

Reclaim land in 43 illegal colonies, Govt tells DDA NEW DELHI: The Delhi government has asked Delhi Development Authority (DDA) and other government agencies to reclaim their land in 43 unauthorized colonies whose provisional regularization certificates were cancelled following a probe. Confirming this, a senior official said Chief Secretary P K Tripathi would write to the agencies to reclaim the land. "All landowning agencies have been told to take possession of the land in 43 unauthorized colonies whose PRCs (provisional regularization certificates) were cancelled," a se-

nior official said. Delhi Urban Development Minister A K Walia, however, said steps would be taken to regularize the remaining land in these colonies. "We have given DDA around 15 days to earmark their land on ground and on the maps submitted by the Residents' Welfare Associations of these colonies, so we can regularize the rest of the land,'' he said. Ahead of state elections in 2008, Sheila Dikshit's government offered assurance of amnesty to 1,239 illegal colonies that are

home to nearly a fourth of the Capital's electorate. The government handed PRCs to representatives of these colonies, committing that the settlements will be declared legal in subsequent years. But a report by Divisional Commissioner Vijay Dev, who was asked by Dikshit to probe complaints of irregularities, found that the Urban Development department, which managed the scheme, "completely abdicated its responsibilities" and "conveniently ignored" amnesty guidelines.

Gurgaon expressway toll plaza to have more lanes

nder pressure from various quarters for not being able to ease traffic flow on the Delhi-Gurgaon Expressway, especially at Delhi border toll and Kherki Dhaula, DS Constructions has come out with a 12-point decongestion plan. The company said it will add three more lanes, and two additional reversible lanes, to the Delhi-Jaipur side for easing the traffic flow. Work on the project will start in March. Similarly, construction work on three more lanes at the Kherki Dhaula toll plaza has already been initiated. Of the three lanes, two would be towards Delhi, and one towards Jaipur. Work will be completed by April, the company said. A study conducted by the company revealed vehicles taking a U-turn at the Delhi border toll plaza constituted a major hindrance to the traffic flow. Nearly 1,300 vehicles take a U-turn from the main carriageway and service lanes near Ambience Mall, creating congestion at the toll plaza. "A Uturn option is being provided at the DLF

Phase-III turn between 5-8 pm. Other interventions, which include regulating the flow of two-wheelers near the toll plaza, are being tried out. The initial results have been positive," a company statement said. DS Constructions has also been experimenting with the concept of mobile ticket-

the toll window, especially after 9 pm, the mobile ticketing concept could make a difference in the processing rate. We will conduct mobile ticketing trials for heavy vehicles in the coming week," the company said. DS Constructions has also been focus-

DS Constructions has also been focusing on the toll collector training program over the last quarter. Toll collectors have processed up to 900 vehicles per hour per lane during peak hours, which is several times the processing rate stipulated in the concession agreement, it said ing, wherein toll is collected from vehicles before they reach the toll window. Initial trials on light vehicles suggested that as the processing rate at the toll window was already very high, mobile ticketing does not substantially improve it. "But for heavy vehicles that spend more time at

ing on the toll collector training program over the last quarter. Toll collectors have processed up to 900 vehicles per hour per lane during peak hours, which is several times the processing rate stipulated in the concession agreement, it said. The company has identified two main

reasons for congestion on the expressway - traffic volume beyond estimated levels and lack of lane discipline, especially the entry of cash users in tag lanes. It said toll expansion and issuing challans to errant cash vehicles in tag lanes was the only option left for them. Other measures of the plan include installation of 10 boom barriers, which are faster than current ones. These boom barriers have a cycle time of 0.6 seconds as compared to the earlier cycle time of 1.2 seconds. Other points include providing more power to traffic marshals, lane assistants and the corridor control team. At present, the total count for traffic marshals and lane assistants are 151and 61 respectively. Similarly, in order to cater to breakdowns and accidents, the patrolling team has been increased to 132. DS Constructions has introduced six new patrolling bikes with public address systems and safety lights. Also, steps have been taken to install hi-tech CCTV cameras, remove illegally parked vehicles, and install more signboards.

Tech News Emaar MGF created 10 companies to usurp prime land NEW DELHI: Reality firm Emaar-MGF (EMLL) had allegedly created 10 companies in the name of its employees on directions of its MD to usurp prime land being developed near Hyderabad, causing loss to a state-run firm, the CBI has said in its charge sheet. The CBI alleged that as per the agreement dated January 29, 2005, over 100 villa plots under Andhra Pradesh Industrial Infrastructure Corporation (APIIC) were to be sold at the prevailing market rates and it was the responsibility of EMLL to fix the rates in accordance with the prevailing market rates. However the company did not take any action in this regard.-PTI

Halal certified sugar from India reaches Gulf DUBAI: World's first halal certified sugar from India which contains no Islamically forbidden ingredients has entered the Gulf region. Warana Sugar Gulf Trading, which is part of Warana Sugar (India), has unveiled its halal certified sugar. It also announced plans to penetrate the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) market this year, immediately after launching in the UAE. GCC includes Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Qatar and Bahrain. According to a statement released here, Kazi Mufti Mohamed Kifayathullah Baqavi, a recognized official, has issued a two year halal certificate to Warana Sugar valid from November 20, 2011, which confirms that Warana sugar is lawful and permitted for human consumption and fit for Muslim community.-PTI

Google to promote Pak Punjab

oogle has signed an agree ment with Pakistan to enable the country to promote historical and tourist sites across the province of Punjab using Google Maps. Google Inc and the Punjab provincial government signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for cooperation in information technology at the Arfa Karim Software Technology Park in Lahore. According to the agreement, Google Inc use Google Maps to promote Punjabâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s historical and tourist sites on the internet.

TechBiz 20 India Post

www.indiapost.com

February 24, 2012

Apple to launch 4G iPad in March

pple Inc plans to announce a fourth-generation (4G) version of its iPad in the first week of March, a report said, citing a person briefed on the matter. Verizon Communications Inc and AT&T Inc will sell the new iPad version that will run on the companies' 4G network, the paper reported, citing people familiar with the matter. AT&T and Verizon Wireless are the only two US carriers that currently sell the iPad, and are also the only two that offer the fast, next-generation wireless technology known as LTE.

India, Pak to ease biz visas; MFN status by year-end ISLAMABAD: Taking major steps towards boosting bilateral trade, India and Pakistan have agreed to ease visa regime for businessmen and Islamabad assured New Delhi of moving to negative list of imports by this month-end before phasing it out by year-end making way for MFN status hanging fire for over 15 years. The two countries also agreed to allow opening of two branches of their banks on reciprocal basis for which an understanding has been reached between RBI and State Bank of Pakistan. Visiting Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma, who is leading an over 120 people-strong business delegation, said that he has discussed the issue of visa liberalization with Home Minister and the two countries will completely revise the existing bilateral visa agreement that was signed in 1974 to facilitate travel by businessmen

Indian Commerce Minister Anand Sharma (L) and his Pakistani counterpart Makhdoom Amin Fahim (R) witness a signing agreement ceremony between Pakistan and India in Islamabad on February 15

from both the countries. "Visa agreement of 1974 will be revised and signed...I have discussed this matter with the Home Minister. Commerce, Home and External Affairs secretaries are in the final stages of deliberations," Sharma told reporters here.

The Joint Working Group (JWG) set up by the two countries to revise a Bilateral Visa Agreement in 1974, has finalized a draft and both sides have agreed to that, he added. "Once the agreement has been made, necessary approvals have

to be taken from the respective governments. This is for all people. Special dispensations would be made for businessmen, for business people we are making an arrangement which we have with our other partners," he said. ContĂd on page 21

'Sleepless nights' comment was in jocular vein: Pranab ALLAHABAD: Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee has said his remarks that rising subsidy bills were giving him "sleepless nights" were made in a lighter vein and asserted that the economy has the "resilience" to meet any challenge. "My sleepless nights remark was made in a jocular vein. I did not know it will make headlines. Our economy has the strength, the resilience and the fundamental skill to work its way out of any problem," Mukherjee, who was here to canvass for the Congress party on the last day of campaigning for third phase of assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, said. "Our economy is growing at the rate of 7 per cent when the US is not able to grow at more than 1.5 per cent and the European Union is faring no better. I do not wish to say that I am content with the current rate of growth, but that we are capable

of facing challenges," he asserted. Replying to a query, Mukherjee said, "It is wrong to say that the government has not done anything to control inflation.

is "losing sleep" over skyrocketing subsidy bill which could exceed budget estimates by over Rs 1 lakh crore in 2011-12. "As Finance Minister when I think of the enormity of the sub-

account of factors like subdued revenue collection, poor disinvestment receipts, high global commodity prices and increasing subsidy bill. The government had earlier

sidies to be provided, I lose my sleep. There is no doubt," he had said at a conference in New Delhi. The fiscal deficit, estimated at 4.6 per cent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), is expected to be around 5.6 per cent, mainly on

said that its subsidy bill is likely to increase by over Rs 1 lakh crore, over and above the original estimate of Rs 1.34 lakh crore, mainly on account of higher outlay towards fertilizer, food and oil. -PTI

â&#x20AC;&#x153;I did not know it will make headlines. Our economy has the strength, the resilience and the fundamental skill to work its way out of any problem," Mukherjee said To cite an example, food inflation was soaring at 22 per cent in 2010, but has been brought down to a negative rate in 2011." Worried over the impact of rising expenditure on the fiscal deficit, Mukherjee had earlier said he

TechBiz Post

February 24, 2012

India Post

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India Inc upset over Pak dilly-dallying on trade pact KARACHI: India Inc leaders, accompanying Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma, felt let down by Pakistan putting on hold a decision to normalize trade with India through a wide market access to Indian goods. While they arrived in Lahore with high hopes, they found political will, required for pursuing unrestricted trade, missing.

is sad because businessmen from both the countries are very enthusiastic about the economic relations. The Cabinet is not reflecting the true sentiments of businessmen of both the countries," he said. Ironically, the announcement of the postponement of the decision to prepare the negative list of trade with India has been made when the Indian "Yes, I am disappointed. Commerce Minister is here with a large busiThere are some political contingent. reservations, that need to be nessDelay in finalization resolved. Political will is very of the negative trade list would also result in important to boost bilateral grant of the most faeconomic relations," Presivored nation (MFN) dent of the Confederation of status by Islamabad to New Delhi. Indian Industry (CII) B As per a mutual unMuthuraman said derstanding in November last year, Pakistan "Yes, I am disappointed. There was to allow in February 2012, imare some political reservations, port of all Indian goods, exceptthat need to be resolved. Political ing a few items in the 'Negative will is very important to boost bi- List' giving boost to a paltry bilatlateral economic relations," Presi- eral trade of USD 2.7 billion. dent of the Confederation of InAt present, Pakistan follows a dian Industry (CII) B Muthuraman 'positive list' regime and permits said. import of only about 1900 items FICCI President R V Kanoria too from India, which gives almost full expressed his disappointment. "It access to Pakistani goods. -PTI

Indian Commerce Minister Anand Sharma (R) and his Pakistani counterpart Makhdoom Amin Fahim (C) visit the Indian Expo-Trade fair in Pakistan's cultural city of Lahore on February 13

India, Pak determined to normalize trade ties: Fahim LAHORE: Pakistan and India are determined to normalize trade

India, Pak to ease biz visas; MFN status by year-end ContĂd from page 20

On the time period for signing the final agreement, he said: "We are keen to do at the earliest". He said that apex chambers will endorse the name of the people and they would be given visas. "We have nominated FICCI and CII and Pakistan will also nominate two chambers for the same," he added. On trade front, Pakistan is expected to grant the Most Favored Nation (MFN) status to India by this year-end as it is likely to phase out the negative list by then. Once the negative list is phased out, the transition to MFN status will be automatically completed. At present, Pakistan follows 'a positive list' and permits imports of only about 1,900 items form India which gives almost full access to Pakistani goods. The joint statement said that Islamabad has agreed to move from a "positive list to a small negative list by February 2012" and it was expected that the phasing out of this list would be completed by the end of the year. Islamabad assured India that

the process for switching over to a negative list regime for bilateral trade is expected to be completed by end of the month as part of measures to normalize economic engagement between the two sides. Official sources told PTI that

The joint statement said that Islamabad has agreed to move from a "positive list to a small negative list by February 2012" and it was expected that the phasing out of this list would be completed by the end of the year the Indian side has raised the Pakistani government's decision to defer the finalization of the negative list and an assurance was given by Fahim that the Pakistani side is committed to the timeframe it had earlier given to the New Delhi.

The Pakistani Commerce Minister said that by February end, they would hope to complete this process. "I hope we are moving fast in this direction and I hope there will be no problem," Fahim said, adding that Pakistan is proceeding and it would not take very long. "The negative list is to be phased out; the timing for this will be announced in February, at the time the list is notified. It is expected that the phasing out will be completed before the end of 2012," said a joint statement issued after talks between Sharma and his Pakistani counterpart Makhdoom Amin Fahim. The statement said that Islamabad has agreed to move from a "positive list to a small negative list by February 2012" and it is expected to be phased out completely by 2012-end. Official sources told PTI that the Indian side has raised the Pakistani government's decision to defer the finalization of the negative list and an assurance was given by Fahim that the Pakistani side is committed to the timeframe it had earlier given to the New Delhi. -PTI

and economic ties and discus- region too should benefit from its sions are on to introduce multiple- growth, he said. entry visas for businessmen, Com"We should have trust and unmerce Minister Makhdoom Amin derstanding for the mutual benefit Fahim said here as he inaugurated of our people," Sabharwal added. the largest ever India-specific Fahim also acknowledged the trade exhibition in Pakistan. concerns of Pakistani traders and Nearly 200 Indian exhibitors are industrialists regarding moves to participating in 'The India Show' improve trade with India, saying at the Lahore Expo Centre. no decisions would be made in Diverse products, ranging from haste, but allayed fears that such gems and textiles to heavy machin- measures would kill Pakistani inery, are being showcased at the dustries. three-day exhibition. At the same time, Fahim urged Fahim said the exhibition is part some sectors like pharmaceutical of efforts to normalize bilateral manufacturers to bring down trade relations. Discussions were being held to introduce mul- Fahim also acknowledged tiple-entry visas valid for the concerns of Pakistani three years for the business communities of the traders and industrialists two countries, he said. regarding moves to improve Pakistan traders will trade with India, saying no go to India soon to organize a "Made in Paki- decisions would be made in stan" show, Fahim said. haste, but allayed fears that He acknowledged such measures would kill that the existing infrastructure at the Wagah Pakistani industries land border was inadequate for handling even the current volume of trade prices so that they could combut said things were improving. pete with Indian firms. Indian High Commissioner "Prices of medicines in India Sharat Sabharwal, in his address, are cheap and we should benefit said the two sides have the po- from things like that," he said. tential to boost bilateral trade to He further said that Pakistani USD 15 billion a year. traders had raised some issues reHe urged businessmen from lated to India's visa regime and cusIndia and Pakistan to explore new toms regulations and these should opportunities. India is a growing economy and other countries of the be resolved on a priority basis.-PTI

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February 24, 2012

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TransCanada asked to disclose if using Indian steel WASHINGTON: US lawmakers have asked a Canadian company to immediately disclose that it is not using steel made in India for transAmerica pipeline Keystone XL. At a Congressional hearing last December, TransCanada Corporation had told lawmakers that the steel to be used in trans-America pipeline - Keystone XL - would be produced in North America, not India. "New information however reveals that the steel may have been produced in India," Congressmen Henry Waxman, Bobby Rush, John Dingell and Mike Doyle said in a letter to Russell Girling, president and CEO of TransCanada Corporation, requesting that the company immediately disclose where the steel to be used in Key-

stone XL is manufactured. They request that TransCanada disclose where the steel for the pipeline is from before the House of Representatives considers legislation to approve Keystone XL as part of the Transportation Bill. In December, Alex Pourbaix of TransCanada testified before the Energy and Commerce Committee that "[W]e are using the latest technologies and the strongest steel pipe from American mills to build the pipeline". On February 2, TransCanada informed Committee staff that "approximately 74 per cent of the pipe required for the Project in the US was sourced from North American based mills - Evraz Regina Canada and Welspun Little Rock, US".

It stated, "We have not sourced any steel from India". New information obtained by Doyle indicates that these statements may not be accurate. On February 6, Welspun Tubu-

struction of the Keystone XL pipeline was produced in India. "Let's understand something. The steel is not being manufactured in Little Rock, Arkansas. There is no steel being manufac-

"As this is a privately funded project, TransCanada is entitled to decide where to purchase its materials. However, providing misleading information to Congress in order to obtain a legislative earmark for the approval of its pipeline would be clearly improper," the letter said lar LLC in Little Rock informed Doyle's office that some of the steel pipe to be used in the con-

tured there. They are taking steel that has already been manufactured in a foreign country, heating

it up and bending it and welding the seams. That is what is going on in Little Rock, Arkansas. There are approximately 200 to 300 jobs at that plant," Doyle said. "As this is a privately funded project, TransCanada is entitled to decide where to purchase its materials. However, providing misleading information to Congress in order to obtain a legislative earmark for the approval of its pipeline would be clearly improper," the letter said. "We believe this issue should be clarified before that vote. We therefore request that TransCanada immediately disclose where the materials to be used in Keystone XL are produced and the quantity of those materials," the Congressmen said. -PTI

GetHired.com launches video-based recruiting India Post News Service

PALO ALTO, CA: GetHired.com, a video-based social recruiting platform and job board, says it has raised $1.75 million in an oversubscribed round of seed funding. GetHired.com is a free service that empowers job seekers to differentiate themselves in the hiring process by creating video and audio profiles to accompany their resume - while assisting potential employers with applicant discovery and management. The hiring process often costs employers thousands of dollars per open position - from the expense of posting an available job online, to the time it takes to sort through stacks of resumes and navigate the interview process. GetHired.com is the first job board to embed video and audio capabilities directly into its social recruiting platform so that job seekers can record and submit personal, dynamic responses to an employer's most pressing prescreening questions at the start of the hiring process. As a result, employers are able to quickly find the most qualified candidates for their organization, significantly saving time and money. GetHired.com helps employers to: • Quickly, securely and at no cost post open positions online - even in conjunction with existing job boards; • Ask customized prescreening questions for specific positions, enabling job seekers to differentiate themselves with video, audio and written responses; • More efficiently search for, pre-screen and track top candidates; • Initiate and complete the interview process online, in realtime; and

• Connect with real candidates, not just a stack of resumes. "Job seekers who invest time and energy in completing more thorough job applications have an increased likelihood of getting interviews and getting hired," said Chris Morrow, vice president of

Suki Shah

GetHired.com also provides job seekers with real-time updates on the status of each application that they have submitted. Candidates are alerted when an employer has shown interest in their profile, and can track their progress in the hiring process until a position is closed business development at Boston Medical Group. "GetHired.com provides a unique insight into applicants that has helped us to get a better sense of which job seekers have the skills best suited for

our open positions. As a result, we have been able to hire candidates at a fraction of the time, and have saved tens of thousands of dollars in the process." GetHired.com also provides job seekers with real-time updates on the status of each application that they have submitted. Candidates are alerted when an employer has shown interest in their profile, and can track their progress in the hiring process until a position is closed. GetHired.com helps job seekers to: • Stay organized as they uncover jobs at top companies; • Stand out from other job seekers by creating a personal video and audio introduction to accompany their resume, providing a more dynamic perspective on their achievements and work experience; • Create a public video profile to use when applying to any online position; • Follow their favorite companies so that they are aware of any new or relevant positions available; and • Upload their availability for interviews in real-time so that employers may initiate and schedule telephone, virtual or in-person interviews in real-time. "Since job search came online nearly two decades ago, the space has not experienced significant innovation," said Suki Shah, cofounder and CEO at GetHired.com. "Utilizing the latest advances in Web technology, GetHired.com is revolutionizing the hiring process for both employers and job seekers. From the initial job post, to the pre-screening and interview process, to ultimately hiring top candidates for open positions, GetHired.com saves time and money - serving as a partner to employers and job seekers in the modern online job search."

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February 24, 2012

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Employees quitting jobs for want of empathy MUMBAI: The number of employees who want to change their jobs because of their hatred towards their bosses is on the rise across the globe, says a recent survey. Many employees around the world, including India, feel that

bosses are ineffective and lacking in empathy, or even the leadership skills, according to the latest report, "Lessons for Leaders from the People Who Matter" by the talent management firm DDI. "About 68 per cent want to change their job only because of

their managers' attitude, 34 per cent don't consider their manager to be effective at his or her job and only 40 per cent reported that their boss never damages their self-esteem," it said. Two out of every five respondents revealed that they had left a

the US, UK, Australia, Canada, China, India, Germany and South East Asia (Malaysia, Philippines and Singapore), covering over 1,250 full-time employees in nonmanagement positions. When asked if they feel motivated to give their best to their leader, 37 per cent employees said "only sometimes" or "never". This feeling afWhen asked if they feel fects the turnover, the remotivated to give their port says. Interestingly, more men best to their leader, 37 per than women felt they could cent employees said be a more effective leader than their current boss (53 "only sometimes" or per cent vs 34 per cent). "never". This feeling af"When asked if their fects the turnover, the leader handles workplace conflict effectively, 42 per report says. Interestingly, cent of employees surmore men than women veyed responded either felt they could be a more 'only sometimes' or effective leader than their 'never'," the report adds. The survey also found current boss that 60 per cent felt that their boss at least "somejob primarily because of their times" damages their self-esteem. leader, while 55 per cent said they And here is an interesting difhad considered leaving their jobs ference between male and female because of the leader. perceptions: Men were found to Only 56 per cent of the employ- be twice as likely as women (32 ees said that their current leader per cent versus 17 per cent) to say helps them to be more productive. that their leader's actions damage The survey was conducted in the self-esteem. -PTI

Microsoft India's retail website hacked NEW DELHI: In the latest case of website defacing in the country, software giant Microsoft India's retail website has been hacked, forcing the company to shut it down temporarily. According to reports, the company's retail website (www.microsoftstore.co.in), which sells Microsoft products, was hacked by a Chinese group called Evil Shadow Team. Confirming the attack, a Microsoft spokeswoman said the website has been taken down and "Microsoft is investigating a limited compromise of the company's online store in India." The store customers have already been sent guidance on the issue and suggested immediate actions and the team is diligently working to remedy the issue and keep customers protected, she said in an emailed statement. The Microsoft Store India website showed an error message "The Microsoft Store India is currently unavailable. Microsoft is

working to restore access as quickly as possible. We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused." Reports suggest that hackers may have access to user names and passwords. The spokesperson said the company was working on ensuring that the customer data is safe, but didn't comment

on the number of users the website has. Website hacking has been a troublesome arena for Indian government for some time now. Some top Indian websites, including that of the country's Central Bureau of Investigation, have been hacked in the recent past. According to government data, a total of 117 government websites were defaced during the period January-June, 2011. -PTI

No amnesty scheme for bringing FDI in multi-brand only matter of time: Sharma back black money

M Veerappa Moily

BANGALORE: The government has said an amnesty scheme for bringing back black money is not on the cards though it is working on regulatory mechanisms to eliminate its root cause in the face of "lots of legal impediments" to target those funds stashed abroad. Asked if there is a move for an amnesty scheme to bring back

black money, Union Corporate Affairs Minister M Veerappa Moily said, "Whether the amnesty scheme will bring back the money or it's healthy for a country is a matter still under debate." There are methods such as double taxation and "many other channels", he said. "Now, we got back the money," he said without elaborating.

"In fact, the present measures taken by the Finance Minister is helping us (to have go at black money). Ultimately, they (the measures) will also dissuade the black money being augmented. "Amnesty scheme is not the only answer," he said and stressed that in practical terms, one has to eliminate the root cause of black money, whose generation would have to be eliminated. He said the government is working on many systems, including regulatory mechanisms to ensure that such money is not only got back but they are not generated. "We are towards that. Not exactly how we can get that money back. There are legal impediments (to get the black money back from overseas). Law of our country may not be in consonance with some of the respective countries. So, getting the money back is not an easy thing," Moily said. "There are lots of legal impediments," he said. -PTI

NEW DELHI: Industry Minis- sensus on the decision to open ter Anand Sharma has assured In- the sector were on. dian and European Union CEOs Several European retail players that the government is building a like Carrefour and Tesco have exconsensus on opening the multi- pressed a keen interest in openbrand retail and it is only a "matter ing retail chains in India. of time" before the decision is noThe Department of Industrial tified. Policy and Promotion (DIPP) has Addressing the CEOs, Sharma started wider consultations with said the decision to put on hold FDI stakeholders including farmers, in multi-brand retail is "just a pause" and it has Several European retail "not been taken back". After widespread op- players like Carrefour and position, including from its own ally, the govern- Tesco have expressed a ment put on hold its de- keen interest in opening cision to allow 51 per cent FDI in multi-brand retail chains in India retail in November. "...When it comes to notify it consumers and food processing (decision on FDI in multi-brand industry. retail), as we did one (100 per cent The USD 600-billion segment is FDI in single brand retail), the sec- dominated by small kirana (mom ond one will also happen, it's a & pop) shops. The opposition has matter of time," he said. expressed concerns that allowing Recently in Chicago Finance majors global retailers would lead Minister Pranab Mukherjee too to unemployment among the unhad said that efforts to evolve con- organized sector.-PTI

24 India Post

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February 24, 2012

Health

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Herbal sexual enhancement supplement recalled

IRVINE, Calif.: A Southern California firm is recalling an herbal female sexual enhancement supplement because it contains a drug not listed on the label. Irvine-based Regeneca said it will voluntarily pull RegenArouse after a Food and Drug Administration analysis confirmed the presence of Tadafil. Tadalafil is an FDA-approved drug used as treatment for male erectile dysfunction. It is not listed among RegenArouse's ingredients. For some users, Tadafil could interact with nitrates found in some prescription drugs and lower blood pressure to dangerous levels. On its web site, RegenArouse is billed as an all-natural, drug-free intimacy enhancer for women. Regeneca has distributed the supplement in the U.S. and Puerto Rico via the internet since November 2011. -AP

Memphis center drops after-hours HIV testing MEMPHIS, Tenn.: The Memphis Gay and Lesbian Community Center will no longer provide HIV testing. That's because the center uses equipment and personnel provided by Planned Parenthood for the screenings. Planned Parenthood has covered those costs in the past with $150,000 in state grants aimed at preventing HIV and syphilis. The grants were dropped by the state in December, four months after being approved, and Planned Parenthood is suing the Tennessee Department of Health to regain them. -AP

Source of infection that killed student sought EAST LANSING, Mich.: Tests are under way to determine the source of a possible bacterial infection that killed a 19-year-old Michigan State University student. The Lansing State Journal reported that health officials in Ingham County are waiting to review the tests. Carly Glynn of Grand Rapids died at a Lansing hospital. University spokesman Kent Cassella said Glynn contracted what appears to be meningococcal disease, which can cause meningitis. Health officials are unsure of the exact illness. -AP

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Vt hospital gets $35k for breast cancer awareness RANDOLPH, Vt.: The hospital in the Vermont town of Randolph is going to use a $35,000 grant to help promote breast cancer awareness. -AP

February 24, 2012

Conservatives shrug at Obama birth control rewrite WASHINGTON: President Barack Obama's political shifting over contraception coverage has united conservative Republicans in protest even as they split over which GOP presidential hopeful should face him in the general election. The candidates themselves, campaigning for votes in the Conservative Political Action Conference's straw poll, competed to present themselves as most opposed to Obama's health care law. Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney won the straw poll, followed by former Sen. Rick Santorum, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and Texas Rep. Ron Paul, who did not attend the annual conference of conservative activists. After three weeks of controversy that pitted the nation's Catholic bishops against the White House, Obama revised his policy. Instead of requiring employers to cover contraception, the policy would now require insurance companies to provide free birth control coverage in separate agreements with workers who want it. Conservatives scoffed ``It's an accounting trick the

employer still plays the insurance,'' said Mike Gonzales of the Heritage Foundation. ``Do (White House officials) think people are stupid?'' The controversy, several said, is a natural outgrowth of what they consider the overreach of Obama's health care mandate. ``My problem is the coercion''

ees of religious organizations and everyone else, she said. Sarah Palin, the former Alaska governor and 2008 vice presidential nominee, closed the three-day CPAC gathering with a conservative call to arms full of derision for Obama. Palin did not endorse a presidential candidate. But she of-

The resentments erupted anew after the Obama administration on Jan. 20 announced that religious-affiliated employers, except houses of worship, had to cover birth control free of charge as preventive care for women in the broader overhaul, said Washington real estate agent Bruce Majors. Many shrugged off Obama's rewrite. ``It's not like they said, `We were wrong,'' said Spencer Larson, an investment adviser from Moraga, Calif. ``They said, `We can't afford this politically.''' ``Nothing in health insurance is free,'' agreed Cherylyn Harley LeBon, a lawyer. ``The cost is going to be passed on'' to employ-

fered little comfort to Romney, who is imploring Republicans to rally around his candidacy so he can start focusing on Obama and November. ``I believe the competition has got to keep going,'' Palin said to loud applause. ``Competition strengthens us,'' she said. ``Competition will lead us to victory in 2012.'' Palin decried ``the Washington of the permanent class,'' where she said people arrive with good intentions and stay to enrich them-

selves and their cronies. ``It's time to drain the Jacuzzi,'' she said. The whole debate over government health insurance has cost Obama plenty. His party lost the House majority in 2010 in part because of a backlash over the new law's demands on private industry and individuals. The resentments erupted anew after the Obama administration on Jan. 20 announced that religious-affiliated employers, except houses of worship, had to cover birth control free of charge as preventive care for women. These hospitals, schools and charities were given until August 2013 to comply. Under the revision, women will still get guaranteed access to birth control without co-pays or premiums no matter where they work, a provision of Obama's health care law that he insisted must remain. But religious universities and hospitals that see contraception as an unconscionable violation of their faith can refuse to cover it. Insurance companies will then have to step in to do so. Cont’d on page 29

Gov. Kitzhaber's health dream takes center stage SALEM, Ore.: With skyrocketing health care costs chewing an ever-larger share of Oregon's budget, Gov. John Kitzhaber has set out to remake the system in a way that might seem a bit counter-intuitive: Better care at a lower price. Kitzhaber's proposal comes before the state Legislature seven months after lawmakers overwhelmingly supported the concept and told the Democratic governor to return with more details. This time, however, the proponents face a steeper climb as a battle over medical liability limits threatens to knock the bill off track. ``I urge the full Senate and House to act quickly on this critical public priority,'' Kitzhaber said in a statement, after the bill cleared the Ways and Means

Committee. Kitzhaber wants to redesign Oregon's health care delivery and payment systems with a goal of coordinating patient care and preventing emergency room visits. By eliminating duplicated pro-

The changes would apply initially to 500,000 people on the Oregon Health Plan, the state's version of Medicaid for low-income patients, and proponents hope to eventually expand to government workers and the general

Kitzhaber's proposal comes before the state Legislature seven months after lawmakers overwhelmingly supported the concept and told the Democratic governor to return with more details cedures and catching problems before they become catastrophic, the theory goes, Oregon could reverse the trend of rising medical expenses what economists call bending the cost curve while also keeping people healthier.

public. The idea has its skeptics who worry it's being implemented too quickly, that there's not enough money or that patients will be denied care. Also, many Republicans say the governor's plan needs

strong protections for doctors against medical malpractice lawsuits, which they say also drives up costs. Proponents say the bill addresses those concerns and, to sweeten the deal, have dangled the possibility of up to $2.5 billion from the federal government to help with implementation costs. Because Congress picks up more than 60 cents of every Medicaid dollar in Oregon, the Obama administration has expressed interest in helping with upfront costs to smooth the path for future savings, Kitzhaber has said. Critics warn that Washington hasn't provided any guarantees and nothing is in writing. Cont’d on page 30

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February 24, 2012

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Vt. officials will choose among Lawmakers take stock of mental 3 health packages health diversions MONTPELIER, Vt.: The Shumlin administration described a key piece of its ambitious plan to improve the state's health care system, saying it would select an insurance benefit package from among three finalists. Robin Lunge, director of health care reform for the administration, said the benefit package she expects will be chosen by March 1 will be in effect from 2014 to 2016, in compliance with the federal health care

Lunge said Vermont will adopt an "essential health benefits'' plan covering doctor visits and outpatient care, emergency services, hospitalization, maternity and newborn care, mental health law that passed two years ago. That law calls on states to set up exchanges, or health insurance marketplaces, to help consumers navigate an often confusing array of insurance benefits and costs. Lunge said Vermont will adopt an ``essential health benefits'' plan covering doctor visits and outpatient care, emergency services, hospitalization, maternity and newborn care, mental health and substance abuse services, prescription drugs, reha-

bilitative and chronic disease care, labs, preventive and wellness services and pediatric services, including oral and vision care for kids. Still to be determined: how to pay for the system the state envisions and how much it will cost. The same questions hover over an even more ambitious plan passed in outline form last year that calls on the state to move as close as it can to a singlepayer health insurance system by 2017. The state will model the exchange benefit package after one of three currently offered in Vermont by the private health insurance industry: one offered by MVP Health Care, the Blue Care plan offered by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Vermont and the state employee plan offered by Cigna Health Care, Lunge said. Lunge was quick to say the benefit package was to apply only to the 2014-2016 exchange and that planning of benefits had not begun yet for the single-payer system the state wants to begin operating in 2017, called Green Mountain Care. ``We are not talking about the Green Mountain Care plan,'' she said. Stephen Kimbell, commissioner of the Department of Banking, Insurance, Securities and Health Care Administration, said in an interview later it was likely that the benefit package offered by Green Mountain Care will end up being similar to that offered under the exchange. -AP

TOPEKA, Kan.: Most of the troubled youths diverted from psychiatric residential treatment facilities after Kansas began reviewing the screening process for the homes have received some type of mental health service, a state official testified during a joint hearing of two state House committees following up on the matter. The SRS began reviewing residential treatment screenings last June amid concerns that the facilities, which are meant to treat children with psychiatric conditions, also were admitting those with other conditions, such as mental retardation, autism and drug addiction. Of the 220 youths ordered diverted from residential care from July through this month, 25 appealed the decision and 12 appeals succeeded, Gary Haulmark, the acting deputy secretary of the Kansas Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services, told the lawmakers. He said of the remaining 195 youths, all but 33 received some sort of community-based mental health services, while 14 of those 33 ended up in a residential facility within 30 days of diversion, The Topeka Capital-Journal reported. The committees also heard from Linda Davis, of Manhattan, who said her grandson attacked her in their home after he was twice denied admittance to a residential facility in favor of home-based services. He pleaded guilty to sexual battery and the ju-

venile justice system arranged for him to receive residential facility treatment. ``Our family is exhausted and traumatized,'' Davis said. ``We have been urged repeatedly over the years to just give up custody. But we acted responsibly, caring for our child ourselves. We asked for help only when we truly needed it, and then we didn't get it.''

"We have been urged repeatedly over the years to just give up custody. But we acted responsibly, caring for our child ourselves" She said her grandson, who has three mental disorders, was making progress in his third residential treatment facility when the new screening measures were enacted. ``Then, at that critical point, because of a change in state policy driven by finances, (he) did not screen for an extension of stay at the PRTF,'' Davis said. ``There was no option except for him to come home.'' After spending nine days in a private psychiatric facility, he was sent home, where his behavior steadily declined. -AP

February 24, 2012

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Conservatives shrug at Obama birth control rewrite Cont’d from page 25

A Fox News poll showed a large majority, 61 percent, of Americans approve of requiring employer health plans to cover birth control for women. Thirty-four percent disapproved. The nationwide survey was conducted by telephone among 1,110 registered voters Feb. 6-9 and has a margin of error of 3 percentage points, the network said. The furor was part of a recent resurgence of social issues, including gay marriage and the funding of Planned Parenthood, in the political discourse. For Obama, the uproar risked his clout with independents, women and Catholics in battleground states from Pennsylvania to across the Midwest. Republicans, meanwhile, roiling over a presidential nominating contest that shows no sign of settling, pounced on the issue.

From the House and Senate to the presidential campaign trail, they cast the contraception controversy as an assault on the freedom of religion. It was a battle cry the divided party could bellow in unison. At the CPAC convention in Washington, the political candidates made contrasting appeals to conservatives but vowed to repeal all or parts of what they call “Obamacare.” Former Sen. Rick Santorum, who swept three nomination contests earlier in the week, said that with the health care law, Obama “is telling the Catholic Church that they are forced to pay for things that are against their basic tenants and teachings.” “It’s not about contraception,” said Santorum, a Catholic. “It’s about economic liberty.” -AP

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February 24, 2012

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Roche warns of alien counterfeit cancer drug in US WASHINGTON: The maker of the bestselling cancer drug, Avastin, is warning doctors and patients about counterfeit vials of the product distributed in the U.S. but made abroad. Roche's Genentech unit says the fake products do not contain the key ingredient in Avastin, which is used to treat cancers of the colon, lung, kidney and brain. A spokeswoman said the counterfeit drug has been distributed to health care facilities in the U.S., although it is unclear how many products are in circulation or where they may be concentrated. The company is working with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to track down the counterfeit vials and analyze their contents. ``We're still analyzing what it is; we know it doesn't contain the active ingredient in Avastin,'' said Genentech spokeswoman Charlotte Arnold. Arnold said the company was alerted to the problem by foreign health regulators and believes the counterfeits were imported, although she could not specify a country of origin. Arnold said the company was alerted to the problem by foreign health regulators and believes the counterfeits were imported, although she could not specify a country of origin. Avastin is administered in doctor's offices and hospitals. The counterfeit products do not have ``Genentech'' printed on their packaging, which appears on all FDA-approved cartons and vials of the drug. Additionally,

legitimate Avastin contains a six-digit lot number with no letters. All the text on the product's packaging is in English. The company believes drugs labeled with the following lot numbers may be fake: B86017, B6011 and B6010. In a related action, the FDA said it has contacted 19 medical practices that may

The counterfeit products do not have "Genentech'' printed on their packaging, which appears on all FDA-approved cartons and vials of the drug. Additionally, legitimate Avastin contains a six-digit lot number with no letters have purchased unapproved drugs, including counterfeit Avastin, from a company called Quality Specialty Products. The foreign supply company may also do business as Montana Health Care Solutions, the agency said. ``FDA has requested that the medical practices stop using any remaining products from these suppliers,'' the FDA said in a statement.

The measure, Senate Bill 1580, would create new regional entities called coordinated care organizations that would be responsible for synchronizing the mental, physical and dental health care of Oregon Health Plan patients in their area. The organizations would be tasked with establishing community health workers to check in on patients with chronic illnesses to ensure they're taking medications and following doctor's orders. Proponents say the organizations would focus in particular on patients with chronic diseases, mental health conditions and addictions with a goal of aggressively managing their illnesses to keep them out of the hospital. Those patients, a small share of the total Medicaid population, have the highest health care costs. The plan aims to throw out the existing payment model, where doctors and hospitals are paid for each service they provide, replacing it with a structure that rewards providers for healthy patients. But critics worry that such a system would create a cost-saving incentive for denying care. Supporters also envision pooling money for physical, mental and dental health into a ``global budget'' that could pay for services that don't currently get much funding, like classes to teach diabetics how to manage the condition.

Basel, Switzerland. Doctors who suspect they have received counterfeit drug were advised to contact the FDA's criminal unit or Roche's quality assurance department. Avastin works by choking off the blood supply that feeds tumors. It was the first drug of its kind approved by the FDA. The injectable drug was the 14th best-

selling drug in the U.S. in 2010, according to data tracking firm IMS Health. Drug contamination and counterfeiting has become a growing concern for U.S. pharmaceutical companies as they have increasingly moved operations offshore. About 80 percent of the active ingredients used in U.S. prescription drugs are now manufactured overseas, according to congressional investigators. In 2008, a contaminated blood thinner called heparin was connected with dozens of deaths and hundreds of allergic reactions across the U.S. after being imported from China. An FDA investigation concluded the drug had been intentionally contaminated with an ingredient that mimics heparin ``to reduce the costs of production.'' Recent legislation introduced in the House of Representatives would give the FDA greater resources and authority to inspect foreign drug imports. Separate legislation would create a mandatory barcode system to monitor the authenticity of all prescription drugs moving through the U.S. supply chain. -AP

Bull in northwest Arkansas had rabies LITTLE ROCK, Ark.: The Arkansas Department of Health says a bull that died near Everton in northwestern Arkansas this week had rabies. A department news release says cases of rabies in cattle are rare. It says the last

Gov. Kitzhaber's health dream takes center stage Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d from page 25

Genentech was alerted to the problem by foreign health regulators and company officials believe the counterfeits were imported from abroad, though they could not specify which country. Genentech packages Avastin at U.S.-based manufacturing facilities and is based in South San Francisco. Its parent company, Roche Holding AG, is based in

In some areas, key players are already in discussions about forming coordinated care organizations. Groups in Bend, Salem, Roseburg, metro Portland and elsewhere have made various levels of progress, officials say. Generally, they include the local managed care organizations which currently administer Medicaid along with hospitals, dental organizations, county mental health specialists, and addiction treatment centers.

Proponents say the organizations would focus in particular on patients with chronic diseases, mental health conditions and addictions ``There will be a lot of difficulties in making those changes. ... But people are really hopeful that we can make them and really do a good job here,'' said Dr. Bob Dannenhoffer, chief executive of the Douglas County independent physician association, who is working on implementing a coordinated care organization there. Growing health care costs have taken a toll on the state budget, and Kitzhaber warns that schools, police and other services are harmed as Medicaid consumes a bigger slice of state finances. -AP

confirmed case was a cow that died in 2007 in Hempstead County. The department says rabies is most common in skunks and that a rabid skunk was found in January on property adjacent to the farm where the rabid bull was kept.

Rabies is a fatal virus that attacks the brain and spinal cord. The Health Department said there were 60 confirmed cases of rabies in Arkansas in 2011 with 53 of those found in skunks, six in bats and one in a cat. -AP

31 India

alampur is the tea capital of North India. This hill station is known not only for its numerous tea gardens and paddy fields but also for its colonial architecture and temples. One can enjoy the scenic beauty of the Dhauladhar range and the slopes of the Kangra valley from Palampur. Palampur and places around it are popular for adventure sports like hanggliding and trekking. Location: Palampur is located in the northwestern part of the state of Himachal Pradesh, in the northern region of India. It

is situated in the Kangra valley, near the Dhauladhar ranges. It is located at an altitude of 1,220 m above sea level. It is 30 km from Dharamshala. The weather in Palampur is moderate. Summers (April-June) are mild and winters (November-February) are cold but pleasant. It experiences southwestern monsoon rains in July-September. Best time to visit: Palampur has a mild climate and can be visited throughout the year. However, the best time to visit

www.indiapost.com

February 24, 2012

Palampur is between March to June and midSeptember to November. History: Palampur got its name from the word pulum that means abundant water. It was a part of the local Sikh kingdom and later came under British rule. Tourist attractions: The tourist can take a walk in Palampur and enjoy its colonial

architecture. The tea factory and St John's Church are important places to visit. A walk beyond the town will take one to the Bundla Chasm, where a waterfall drops into the Bundla stream. One can see the captivating Dhauladhar range from Neogal Park, which is 1 km from Palampur. Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d on page 33

Travel & Hospitality Post

32 India Post

February 24, 2012

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9 lakh visitors thronged Surajkund Mela

Work Hut, Nepal

TRIPTI PARULE India Post News Service

NEW DELHI: Curtains came down on the 26th Surajkund Crafts Mela last week with chief guest Governor Jagannath Pahadia dis-

Stall from Pakistan.

times to the previous year's record. More than 600 craftspersons from all states and abroad took part in the Mela in which Assam was the "Theme State" and Thailand was the "Participating Nation". Singh highlighted that the Mela

'Apna Ghar' Assam.

tributing prizes among craftspersons. Pahadia stressed on promotion of traditional arts and crafts. He said it provided opportunity of self-employment and such events strengthen the unity of the country. Performances by dance and cultural troupes from various states and abroad livened up the finale. Dhanpat Singh, Financial Commissioner and Principal Secretary, Tourism Department, said more than nine lakh persons visited the Mela this year, which was a record. The footfall of foreigners had also increased to three

to depict the spiritual and devotional aspect of Assamese culture. However, it became a centre of tourist attraction for patrons of art. The Mela, this year, had a special enclosure for artisans from SAARC Business Association of

Dokra craft.

had become a platform for art and crafts from across the globe. The last five days of the Mela focused on Dazzling Night of Cultural Events, Exotic Ambience, Women Craftspersons Shining Bright and National Workshop for Photography. The ambience of the Mela was soaked in the cultures of India. Distinct arts made by skilful craftspersons shaped up some elaborately designed works. A replica of 'Rang Ghar' was adorned to reflect the historic grandeur of the Theme State Assam which dated back to 13thCentury AD. 'Naam Ghar', a prayer hall was specially created by the Theme State-Assam

Peenaz Masani singing ghazal

Home Base Workers (SABAH), in association with Self Employed

On the occasion of Valentine's Day, there was a musical performance by Angaraag Mahanta, popularly called as 'Papon', at the Natyashala, the open air theatre Women's Association (SEWA), a SAARC division of Ministry of

The Bhutan stall

External Affairs, to display their products. The traditional and indigenous performances by hundreds of day performers from across the globe made the entire experience a splendid one. Cultural performances at

their spectacular performance. A National Photography Competition was conducted to give a platform to amateur and professional photographers. Around 25 photographers participated in the Photography Workshop which

Wife of CM, Asha Hooda at Surajkund Crafts Mela.

Choupal and Natyashala have been very integral to the popularity of the Mela. Thousands of visitors gathered in large numbers in and around Choupal and Natyashala everyday to witness some of the most dazzling performances. A highlight of these mega events was a performance by Peenaz Masani, the famous ghazal singer. Popular ghazals made many of the spectators sing along with her and created a majestic aura. Another highlight of the evening was the Qawwali by 'Nizami Bandhu' at the Natyashala, the open air theatre. The audience was mesmerized by

was conducted by one of the most famous advertising and fashion photographers, Munish Khanna. On the occasion of Valentine's Day, there was a musical performance by Angaraag Mahanta, popularly called as 'Papon', at the Natyashala, the open air theatre. Awards at the Surajkund Crafts Mela enshrine the history of the event. Anuradha Kuli Pegu from Assam was awarded Master Craftsperson for her outstanding contribution in Saree and Mekhala Chaddar. There were more awards like kala Mani Award, Kala Nidhi Award and Kala Shri Award.

Qawwali by 'Nizami Bandhu'.

Travel & Hospitality Post

February 24, 2012

India Post 33

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Shark attacks rising; study blames tourism WASHINGTON: Sharks killed twice as many swimmers and surfers last year than in 2010, with the increase due largely to a growth in tourism and changing shark patterns due to global warming. There were 12 deaths in 46 shark attacks in 2011, a mortality rate of more than 25 per cent compared to an average of under seven per cent in the last 10 years, according to statistics from the University of Florida. Countries that recorded shark attack deaths included Australia with three fatal out of a total of 11 attacks; South Africa, two fatal out of five; the French island of Reunion, two deaths in four attacks; and

Seychelles with two attacks both of which ended in death. Other countries with non-fatal shark attacks included Indonesia (3), Mexico (3), Russia (3) and Brazil (2). Three locations not normally associated with high numbers of shark attacks - Reunion, Seychelles and New Caledonia - registered a total of seven attacks with five fatal outcomes, according to Burgess. "Those areas were not traditional areas for tourism in recent years," the scientist explained. "Over the last decade, more and more tourists have been going there ... So we are getting more people coming to places where

there are sharks, and the local communities are not prepared for the number of people going into the water at this time." He added that medical facilities in these areas may not be developed enough to provide treatment in emergencies of this type. In addition to the influx of tourists, the effects of global warming has meant sharks migrating to regions where they were not normally seen. Last August, authorities even in the far east Russia reported three non-fatal shark attacks in the Primorye region - not a normal location for the predator. The United States experienced the most shark attacks last year with a total of 29 out

of 75 reported around world, but suffered no fatal cases, George Burgess, an ichthyologist from the University of Florida, which published the "International Shark Attack File," told AFP. "In the US and in Florida, where the most shark attacks occur in the US, we have seen a decline over a 10-year period," he said of the fatalities. According to Burgess, this could be a result of the economic crisis of recent years, which has reduced the number of tourists coming to Florida beaches. He noted that the United States had done a "good job" to ensure safety in areas where sharks and humans get together. -PTI

Palampur: Tea gardens, hang-gliding & beauty of mountains Cont’d from page 31

One can go on innumerable promenades along the tea gardens and the nearby forests or into the Dhauladhars. Places around: There are a number of places of tourist importance near Palampur: The village of Andretta, 13 km from Palampur, is an important craft center known for its pottery. A number of well-known artists had made their base in Andretta. Sujanpur Tira, which is 42 km from Palampur, is famous for its fort and old temples. The town of Baijnath is 16 km from Palampur and is known for its Shiva temple. A mini zoo is also located at Gopalpur, which is 13 km from Palampur. The Chamunda Devi

Mountains towards the town of Chamba. Some important treks are over the Sanghar pass to Bharmaur via Holi and from Baijnath over the Jalsu pass to

also an important center for hanggliding. How to reach: Palampur does not have an airport or railway station. The nearest railway station is at

The town of Billing, 42 km from Palampur and 14 km from Bir, is an important center for hang-gliding. It also has numerous Buddhist monuments and is famous for its Tibetan handicrafts Temple located on Baner River, 10 km from Palampur, is an important place to visit. There is a Tibetan monastery at Tashijong, which is 12 km from Palampur. The monastery complex is famous for producing traditional Tibetan handicrafts. Adventure: Several trek routes lead out of Palampur, particularly over the Dhauladhar

Bharmaur. A four-day trek will lead the traveler to Holi, via Waru La. Twenty-eight kilometers from Palampur is an important center for the adventure sport of hang/ paragliding. It also has numerous Buddhist monuments and is famous for its Tibetan handicrafts. The town of Billing, 42 km from Palampur and 14 km from Bir, is

Maranda, two km from Palampur and on the narrow-gauge line between Pathankot and Jogindernagar. The main bus station is located 1 km south of the main Bazaar. The bus service from Palampur to Dharamshala (2 hours), Mandi (4 hours), and Pathankot (4 hours) is frequent. Travelers can also make use of taxis to travel to these towns from Palampur.

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In Brief WA Illegal immigrant asks to be deported SEATTLE: US Border Patrol agents in Washington State got a rare request earlier this month: a man illegally in the country asked to be deported. According to a weekly report from Border Patrol's Blaine sector, the Mexican national walked into the Bellingham office on Feb. 2 and requested to return to his country. Agents then arrested him, saw he had a previous order of deportation, and processed him for removal. Blaine Border Patrol spokesman Richard Sinks says that he has not seen a similar case in recent memory in western Washington. He did not have more details from the February case. -AP

Court ruling could prompt reviews of deportation WASHINGTON: Immigration experts say a federal appeals court decision to delay deportation of illegal immigrants raises uncomfortable questions about the 12 million illegal immigrants in the United States. An appeals court in San Francisco has ordered the Obama administration to review cases involving seven people. The court asked whether the immigrants can avoid deportation under a policy meant to focus on deporting criminals and people who pose a threat to the country. Immigration lawyers say this ruling is likely to encourage more appeals. -AP

Ill. sheriff suggests changing immigrant policy CHICAGO: After 11 people suspected of being in the country illegally were released from custody under a controversial county ordinance and then arrested again, the Cook County's sheriff suggested tweaking the ordinance so he could alert immigration officials when a violent offender was about to be freed. At a county board meeting, Sheriff Tom Dart addressed critics' concerns that the provision forbidding the jail from notifying immigration officials when suspected immigrants are about to post bond, finish serving their sentences or have their cases dropped creates a public safety risk. -AP

Immigration 36

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Immigrant tuition proposal before CO Senate DENVER: Colorado's Democratic Senate has given preliminary approval to a measure that would set a new tuition rate for residents who are illegal immigrants. -AP

February 24, 2012

Dramatic rise in denial rates for Indian L-1 & H-1B petitions India Post News Service

NEW YORK: Analysis of new data obtained from US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) reveals the agency has dramatically increased denials of L-1 and H-1B petitions over the past four years, harming the competitiveness of US employers and encouraging companies to keep more jobs and resources outside the United States, according to a new report released by the National Foundation for American Policy (NFAP), an Arlington, Va.-based policy research group. The report used official data from US Citizenship and Immigration Services. The data indicate much of the increase in denials involves Indian-born professionals and researchers. "The high denial rates belie the notion adjudications have become more lenient," said Stuart Anderson, NFAP's executive director and former head of policy and counselor to the Commissioner of the INS. The dramatic increases in denials of L1 and H1B petitions from Indians, much more so than nationals of any other country. In FY

2006 the L-1B denial rate of new (initial) petitions (not extensions) for Indians was 1.7%, skyrocketing to 22.5% in 2009 even though there had been no change in the law or regulations. The denial rate remained high for new Indian L-1B petitions in FY 2010 at 10.5%, well above its historic levels, and rose to 13.4% in FY 2011.

1B petitions starting in 2009, those denial rate increases were far lower than for Indian nationals. L-1 visa issuance declined at US posts in India in 2011 but rose overall for the rest of the world. The next 7 highest filing countries of origin for L-1 petitions in recent years, after India, have been Canada, China, France, Germany, Japan, Mexico and the

Employers report the time lost due to the increase in denials and Requests for Evidence are costing them millions of dollars in project delays and contract penalties, while aiding competitors that operate exclusively outside the United States The USCIS denied more new L1B petitions for Indians in 2009 (1,640) than in the previous 9 fiscal years combined (1,341 denials between 2000 and 2008). Concern that L-1B petitions for Indians have been singled out might be alleviated if the data showed other countries have experienced similar increases. However, the data show that while other foreign nationals experienced an increase in denial rates for new L-

United Kingdom. Request for Evidence The evidence indicates adjudicators or others at USCIS changed the standard for approving L-1B and other petitions in recent years, beginning in 2008 and 2009. The report notes, "If one considers that in 2011 63% of all L-1B petitions received a Request for Evidence and 27% were issued a denial, that means USCIS adjudicators denied or

delayed between 63% to 90% of all L-1B petitions in 2011." "US Citizenship and Immigration Services adjudicators have demonstrated a capacity to keep skilled foreign nationals out of the United States by significantly increasing denials, along with often time-consuming Requests for Evidence, despite no change in the law or relevant regulations," said Stuart Anderson. Employers report the time lost due to the increase in denials and Requests for Evidence are costing them millions of dollars in project delays and contract penalties, while aiding competitors that operate exclusively outside the United States, the report found. "The dramatic increase in denial rates and Requests for Evidence for employment petitions without any change in the law or regulations raises questions about the training, supervision and procedures of the career bureaucracy that adjudicates petitions and the US government's commitment to maintaining a stable business climate for companies competing in the global economy," the report concludes. Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d on page 38

USCIS announces issue of EB-5 Green Cards CYRUS D. MEHTA

he Department of State is sued 2,364 EB-5 green cards between October 1, 2011, and mid-January 2012, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced at its quarterly EB-5 stakeholders meeting on January 23, 2012. At that rate, over 9,000 EB-5 visas might be issued this federal fiscal year, which is very close to the statutory cap of 10,000. USCIS refused to discuss what it would do about pending EB-5 petitions if Congress fails to renew the regional center pilot program by September 30, 2012. Approximately 92 percent of I-526 petitions (Immigrant Petition by Alien Entrepreneur) filed each year are filed by investors in regional

centers. Historically, about 80 to 85 percent of I-526 and I-829 EB-5 petitions are approved each year. The California Service Center (CSC) now has four teams of EB-5 adjudicators, an increase from one

geted employment area (TEA) for EB-5 purposes. The agency will check the data behind states' methodology, however. USCIS did not say whether a single census tract may qualify as a geographic

The USCIS acknowledged growing pains in determining what constitutes a "shovelready" project for EB-5 purposes. It hopes to address this issue team a year ago. Despite the increased staffing, case adjudication times have not improved because of the increase in case filings. USCIS also announced that it would defer to state determinations on what constitutes a tar-

area. USCIS said that would be covered in written materials not yet available publicly, and referred stakeholders to its December 2009 memorandum on its website for further details. USCIS acknowledged that

many regional center applications are being held up at headquarters pending resolution of economic methodology issues. The USCIS hopes to resolve those issues soon. USCIS is analyzing all the I924A forms submitted by regional centers and will draft a report that includes regional center-specific information sometime this year. The USCIS acknowledged growing pains in determining what constitutes a "shovel-ready" project for EB-5 purposes. It hopes to address this issue later this year when it revises the I-924 form to provide greater consistency. USCIS also released its latest data on EB-5 filings and regional centers (RCs): Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d on page 37

Immigration Post

February 24, 2012

India Post

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USCIS announces issue of EB-5 Green Cards Cont’d from page 36

• RC approvals continue to increase. As of January 28, 2012, there are 217 approved RCs operating in 40 states, including the District of Columbia and Guam. • The agency reported 41 initial RC proposal filings in the first quarter of fiscal year (FY) 2012, compared to 192 initial filings in all of FY 2011 and 110 initial filings in all of FY 2010. The number of amended RC proposal filings was 17 by the end of the first quarter; there were 86 filings received for all of FY 2011 and 42 filings received for all of FY 2010. • In the first quarter of FY 2012, the agency approved 14 of the 41 initial RC proposals and denied 22, an approval rate of 39 percent. In FY 2011, when USCIS approved 80 and denied 51, an approval rate of 61 percent. The approval rate of amended RC proposals in the first quarter of FY 2012 was 57 percent, with 4 approvals and 3 denials. By comparison, in FY 2011 USCIS approved 43 amended RC proposals and denied 7, an approval rate of 86 percent. • USCIS also reported significant increases in individual I-526s and I-829s (Petition by Entrepreneur to Remove Conditions). In the first quarter of FY 2012, USCIS received 1,293 I-526 petitions, compared to 3,805 for all of FY 2011. USCIS received 250 I-829 petitions in the first quarter of 2012. By comparison, USCIS received 2,345 I829 petitions in all of FY 2011. • In the first quarter of FY 2012, the agency approved 1,076 I-526 petitions and denied 222, an approval rate of 83 percent, while in all of FY 2011 USCIS approved 1,563 and denied 11, an approval rate of 93 percent. USCIS approved 1,067 I-829 petitions and denied 46 in all of FY 2011, an approval rate of 96 percent. The full list of RCs by state is available at http://www.uscis.gov/ eb-5centers/. The next USCIS stakeholder engagement meetings are scheduled for May 1, 2012 (general EB-5 discussion); July 26, 2012 (regional

center discussion); and October 18, 2012 (general EB-5 discussion). Provisional waivers for immediate relatives U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced on January 9, 2012, that it intends to change its current process for filing and adjudicating certain applications for waivers of inadmissibility filed in connection with an immediate relative immigrant visa application. Specifically, USCIS is considering regulatory changes that will allow certain immediate relatives of U.S. citizens to request provisional waivers before departing the United States for consular pro-

Launched in 2010, Global UGRADPakistan provides an international academic exchange experience at a U.S. college or university for 200 emerging student leaders from underserved demographic groups or geographic areas in Pakistan cessing of their immigrant visa applications. A person would be able to obtain such a waiver only if a Petition for Alien Relative, Form I-130, is filed by a U.S. citizen on his or her behalf and that petition has been approved, thereby classifying the person as an "immediate relative" for purposes of the immigration laws, and he or she demonstrates that the denial of the waiver would result in extreme hardship to the U.S. citizen spouse or parent "qualifying relative." The qualifying relative for purposes of the waiver is not necessarily the immediate relative who filed the immigrant visa petition on the relative's behalf. Pak students under Global

Undergraduate Exchange Program The Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs announced that 100 students from Pakistan have arrived in the United States and participated in the Global Undergraduate Exchange Program's (Global UGRAD-Pakistan) orientation in Washington, DC, from January 3-7, 2012. Launched in 2010, Global UGRAD-Pakistan provides an international academic exchange experience at a U.S. college or university for 200 emerging student leaders from underserved demographic groups or geographic areas in Pakistan. The undergraduate students participate in one semester of nondegree study in the United States. Half of the 200 participants arrived in August 2011 for the fall semester. While in the United States, participants take part in local community service projects, engage in cultural enrichment activities, and complete a U.S. studies course. The spring 2012 Global UGRAD-Pakistan Fellows will be placed at 71 accredited two-and four-year higher education institutions in 34 states. The Department said that through their programs of study and integration into U.S. communities, Global UGRAD-Pakistan students gain a broader, more nuanced knowledge of the United States, which will help them to increase mutual understanding between the United States and Pakistan in the future. The Global UGRAD-Pakistan program is a part of the Department's Global Undergraduate Exchange Program, a scholarship program enabling students worldwide to study for one semester or academic year at colleges and universities across the United States. The program is administered by the cooperating agency, the International Research & Exchanges Board (IREX). * Cyrus D Mehta, may be contacted at 212-425-0555 or info@cyrusmehta.com

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India Post

February 24, 2012

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Ala. lawmakers working on immigration law changes MONTGOMERY, Ala.: Alabama legislative leaders say a bill will be ready in a couple of weeks that will make changes to the state's new immigration law, taking into account the objections raised by religious leaders, law enforcement and others. House Majority Leader Micky Hammon, the House sponsor of the immigration bill, said the bill will not make major changes and is not aimed at softening the law. Some legislators and observers expressed surprise that Gov. Robert Bentley, who has suggested making changes to the law, did not mention immigration in his ``State of the State'' address. But after speaking to an Alabama Baptists legislative prayer luncheon the next day, the

governor said he is committed to making some changes in the immigration law, which supporters and opponents have called the toughest crackdown in the country on illegal immigrants. ``Basically I've already said

hill battle in the Republican-controlled Legislature, but hopes some who voted for passage last year will realize that the law is hurting the state. Beasley represents a mostly rural southeast Alabama district where farmers

Parts of the immigration law, such as a requirement for schools to track the immigration status of students, have been thrown out by the courts. But Hammon said the courts have not finished reviewing the legislation what we need to say on the illegal immigration law,'' Bentley said. An opponent of the immigration law, Sen. Billy Beasley, DClayton, has pre-filed a bill to repeal it. He admits he faces an up-

have complained the immigration law has stripped them of many workers they need to plant and harvest crops. The House Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee

took the first step toward making changes to the immigration law last week when it passed a bill that allows military identification cards to be shown for proof of citizenship when buying car tags or conducting other official business. Hammon said supporters of immigration reform had intended to include that in the original law. He said the language about military identification cards would be included in the overall bill making the changes. The Senate sponsor of the immigration bill, Sen. Scott Beason, R-Gardendale, said it didn't bother him that the governor failed to mention immigration in his speech. He said it's not unusual for legislators to have to come back in the next

House panel opens hearings on immigration

Contâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d from page 36

TOPEKA, Kan.: Kansas business groups have asked legislators to set up a program for placing illegal immigrants in hard-tofill jobs in agriculture and other industries as a House committee kicked off a week of hearings that are likely to highlight divisions among majority Republicans. The Federal and State Affairs Committee scheduled two days of testimony on a bill drafted by a coalition that includes agriculture groups and the Kansas Chamber of Commerce, and their measure also drew support from immigrant rights advocates. They said the proposal represents a realistic approach to dealing with an estimated 45,000 illegal immigrant workers in Kansas. But the committee also planned to begin hearings on four bills backed by Secretary of State Kris Kobach and his allies, designed to discourage illegal immigrants from staying in Kansas. Kobach, a Republican, is a former law professor who helped draft tough laws in Alabama and Arizona. Kobach criticized the bill backed by the business coalition as an amnesty measure for illegal immigrants and predicted it can't pass the House, where his fellow GOP conservatives are in the majority. But the state chamber is a major player in Republican politics, and the agriculture groups joining it not only lean toward the GOP but have strong influence among rural lawmakers. Chairman Steve Brunk, a Bel Aire Republican, said he's not yet sure which approach the committee will embrace. Republicans could be-

Given the resources involved, employers are selective about who they sponsor. The high rate of denials (and Requests for Evidence) come from a pool of applicants selected because US employers believe the foreign nationals meet the standard for approval. Denying employers the ability to transfer in key personnel or gain entry for a skilled professional or researcher harms innovation and job creation in the United States, encouraging employers to keep more resources outside the country to ensure predictability. The data in the report include only petitions at USCIS, not decisions made at consular posts. Most of the increase in denials involves Indian-born professionals and researchers, the data indicate. Explanation The USCIS data provide at least a partial explanation for the L-1 visa decline in FY 2011. After consecutive years of high denial rates from USCIS adjudicators, it appears many employers decided against pursuing an L-1 visa, either keeping the work abroad or, in some cases, applying for another visa for the individual. According to USCIS, the number of receipts for new L-1B petitions for Indian professionals fell by nearly 40% between 2010 and 2011. In the past, the official government response to the issue of denials has been to suggest that since the United States issues many visas in general in India and Indians receive a large percentage of the L-1 visas or H-1B petitions issued each year that means there is nothing wrong with the petition

come so split that none of the immigration bills ultimately will pass - a dynamic that's already prevented Kobach from seeing legislative successes in his home state even as he helps lawmakers in others. ``It's an issue that kind of crosses unusual political lines,'' Brunk said. The new program proposed by the business groups would create a pool of immigrant workers that businesses could tap after the state certifies a labor shortage in their industries. The state would

Some legislators want to pursue Alabama- or Arizonastyle measures, arguing that their constituents are frustrated with the federal government's failure to check illegal immigration support individual workers' requests from the federal government for authorization to continue working in the U.S., despite not being able to document that they are in the country legally. The measure is designed to help commercial dairies and feedlots in western Kansas, as well as landscaping, roofing and some construction businesses. Eric Stafford, a state chamber lobbyist, described the proposal as an alternative to ``harmful'' legislation that would hurt the

economy - a reference to the laws in Alabama and Arizona. Religious leaders called the business coalition's bill compassionate. ``This could be a model bill for other states to follow,'' Rep. Reynaldo Mesa, a Garden City Republican, said as he testified in favor of the measure. ``This is not about amnesty. This is not about citizenship. This is about dealing with reality.'' But Kobach said during an interview that the bill is an amnesty proposal because it would allow illegal immigrants to stay in Kansas. He said it makes little sense to direct them into hard-to-fill jobs when U.S. citizens who are out of work collect unemployment and benefits from the state. ``It seems to me we'd all be better off if these jobs went to U.S. citizens,'' Kobach said. And some legislators want to pursue Alabama- or Arizona-style measures, arguing that their constituents are frustrated with the federal government's failure to check illegal immigration. The committee is considering two bills that would require state and local government agencies and government contractors to use the federal e-Verify program to check the status of new workers. A third measure would make it a crime to knowingly harbor an illegal immigrant and require applicants for government assistance to provide proof that they're in the U.S. legally. A fourth bill would direct law enforcement officers to check the status of people they stop for other reasons if there is a ``reasonable suspicion'' that the people stopped may be in the U.S. illegally. -AP

year and make changes to comprehensive legislation such as the immigration bill. He said the bill making the changes has not been finalized. Parts of the immigration law, such as a requirement for schools to track the immigration status of students, have been thrown out by the courts. But Hammon said the courts have not finished reviewing the legislation and those provisions will not automatically be eliminated from the bill making the changes. A group of about 30 immigration protesters sang songs and held candles outside the Alabama Capitol as Bentley gave his ``State of the State'' speech. The demonstrators urged lawmakers to repeal the law. -AP

Dramatic rise in denial rates for Indian L-1 & H-1B petitions and visa approval process. However, simply because India has a large, growing pool of skilled professionals that employers find desirable to hire (or transfer) tells us nothing in particular about whether individual cases are decided properly and whether standards for approval have changed substantially. In November 2011, in response to a question from the National Foundation for American Policy about Indian refusal rates on L-1

Denying employers the ability to transfer in key personnel or gain entry for a skilled professional or researcher harms innovation and job creation in the United States, encouraging employers to keep more resources outside the country to ensure predictability cases, a spokesperson for the Bureau of Consular Affairs replied in writing: "On the question about decline, we have heard concerns from some companies that they are experiencing high refusal rates. We have seen an uptick in unqualified applicants in this category due to a much broader use of complex 'specialized knowledge' provisions as the basis of L-1 application, which may account for the perception of increased refusals."

Immigration Post

February 24, 2012

India Post

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Report highlights Md. immigrants' positive impact BALTIMORE, Md.: A new report highlights the positive impact of foreign-born residents in Maryland and criticizes efforts to deport or deny services to illegal immigrants and their children. The University of Maryland released the report by the Commission to Study the Impact of Immigrants in Maryland. It was prepared for Maryland lawmakers. While the report notes that some lower-income immigrants and their children may receive more in the way of services than they pay in taxes at times, it encourages lawmakers to take a longer-term view. ``Just because the typical 18 year old is a net cost to society today, does not necessarily mean they are a net fiscal burden over their entire life,''' the report said. Immigrants in Maryland tend to be either highly paid or low-income workers, who mainly complement and don't compete with the existing workforce. The report said both high- and low-paid immi-

grants are needed and that they have helped support growth in construction, medicine, information technology and farming over the past decade. ``Without the influx of foreign-born workers, expansion in these labor-intensive industries would have been choked off, increasing prices and discouraging growth across the economy,'' the report found. ``It is doubtful that without immigration, the state could have lured enough U.S.born workers from slower growing parts of the country to fill these positions.'' The report notes that in suburban Washington, average household income and property values rose rapidly during the same period that unauthorized immigration increased. Maryland was home to almost 804,000 foreign-born residents in 2010, or 13.9 percent of the population, compared to 12.9 percent of the population nationwide, the

report said. It cited a Pew Center estimate that 4.8 percent of the state's population was not authorized to live in the United States. Montgomery and Prince George's counties accounted for about 60 percent of the state's foreign-born residents with Baltimore city and the counties of

The report notes that in suburban Washington, average household income and property values rose rapidly during the same period that unauthorized immigration increased Anne Arundel, Baltimore and Howard accounting for most of the remainder. The commission was authorized by the state legislature in 2008 and formed in 2010 to provide policy analysis and recommendations to state lawmakers on immigration policy, which has become an issue of increasing debate.

Tentative deal in Miss. suit over illegal workers JACKSON, Mississippi: A Mississippi company that was the target of the largest U.S. workplace raid on illegal immigrants has reached a tentative settlement agreement in a discrimination lawsuit by four black women who claimed the company gave preferential treatment to Latinos, federal court records said. The lawsuit claimed that one of the plaintiffs, Charlyn Dozier, applied for a job at the Howard Industries electrical transformer plant in Laurel every three to six months beginning in 2002, but wasn't offered a position until after the 2008 raid. The other plaintiffs, Veronica Cook, Yolanda Phelps and Seleatha McGee, made similar allegations. Immigration agents detained nearly 600 illegal immigrants during the raid at the sprawling plant. Most of them were deported, though a handful faced identity theft charges. The company was fined $2.5 million in February 2011 after pleading guilty to conspiracy to violate immigration laws. A Feb. 9 filing in U.S. District Court in Jackson said a tentative deal has been reached and ``the parties anticipate submitting an appropriate motion for settlement approval in the near future.'' The filing made no mention of the terms of the settlement, and such deals are often confidential in civil lawsuits.

The women's attorney, Lisa Ross, said that the matter is before the court and it would be premature to comment. Attorneys for Howard Industries didn't immediately respond to messages. The discrimination lawsuit was filed Feb. 25, 2011, and claimed Howard Industries discriminated against American workers by giving preferential treatment to Latino applicants and workers, many of whom were illegal immigrants from Mexico.

The lawsuit claimed Howard Industries not only knew it was hiring illegal immigrants, but instructed some on how to get false identities Ross told The Associated Press for a story last year that there was more to the case than the company just preferring illegal immigrants. She said the company was acting on racial stereotypes that Latinos work harder than blacks and whites, and would put up with conditions that American workers may find objectionable. The lawsuit claimed Howard Industries not only knew it was hiring illegal immigrants, but instructed some on how to get false

Legislation passed last year that would allow illegal immigrants to pay in-state tuition at public colleges under certain conditions has prompted a petition drive against the law by Republican Delegates Neil Parrott and Pat McDonough. McDonough criticized the re-

identities and concealed the fact that hundreds of employees were illegal immigrants. Federal authorities made similar allegations against the company. In the days after the raid, hundreds of people lined up outside the plant to apply for jobs. Jobs at Howard Industries were among the most coveted in the area, which is in Mississippi's Pine Belt region and is home to a commercial timber industry and chicken processing plants. Howard Industries makes dozens of products, from electrical transformers to medical supplies. It had been considered one of Mississippi's most successful private companies. Howard Industries repeatedly denied knowing that illegal immigrants worked at the plant, and blamed the situation on its former personnel director, Jose Humberto Gonzalez. Gonzalez was the only company executive charged in the case and pleaded guilty in December 2009. He was sentenced last March to six months house arrest and five years on probation for knowingly hiring illegal immigrants. His fine was $4,000. Howard Industries has said the illegal immigrants used fake papers to circumvent numerous identification checks the company uses. But prosecutors said the company knowingly hired illegal immigrants. -AP

port saying that panel members are advocates for illegal immigrants and ignored or played down job losses, crime and other costs associated with illegal immigrants. ``They dismiss all of the burdens that are created and all of the programs that are designed to address these questions,'' McDonough said. ``So, it's a bi-

ased report, there's no question about that.'' The report also was critical of efforts to deport illegal immigrants, saying that would ``have only a very limited benefit.'' Instead, the authors recommended improved education and training programs and greater access to affordable health care. It also said the state must increase efforts to provide superior education to all regardless of immigration status to ensure Maryland's continued global economic and technical leadership. The children of illegal immigrants are most likely to be part of the labor force for decades, supporting the state and national economy as well as paying into the Social Security and Medicare programs, the report said. ``It would be foolhardy, then, for state and local communities to withhold education and other opportunities from those future workers,'' the report said. -AP

Legislative standoff dooms immigrant license bill SANTA FE, N.M.: Republican Gov. Susana Martinez isn't giving up on her proposal to stop New Mexico from granting licenses to illegal immigrants but her top House ally predicts the issue is dead for this year's legislative session. The Senate won't accept the governor's proposal although the House has approved it. Rep. Andy Nunez, a Hatch independent, said he expects the immigrant license issue to become a potent campaign topic this year. All 112 House and Senate seats are up for election. ``There are going to be a few from this chamber that won't be back because of that bill, I can almost guarantee that,'' said Nunez, who sponsored the legislation to overturn New Mexico's immigrant license policy. The Senate adopted an alternative to the governor's proposal. It will continue to allow driver's licenses for illegal immigrants but restricts the licenses to one year. Currently, a license can last four years or eight years. The Senate proposal also requires fingerprinting of immigrants applying for a license. The Senate approved the measure on a 27-15 vote, with all but one Democrat supporting it. Democrats hold a narrow majority in the House and Nunez said there is not enough support in the House to approve the Senatepassed bill likely ending chances

for any legislation to pass this session. Eleven House Democrats broke party ranks last week and joined Republicans in approving the bill backed by Martinez to end licenses for illegal immigrants. Martinez said she wouldn't sign the Senate proposal even if it passed the Legislature. ``New Mexicans do not want a law in place that continues to

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;There are going to be a few from this chamber that won't be back because of that bill, I can almost guarantee that,â&#x20AC;&#x2122; said Nunez provide driver's licenses to illegal immigrants, period,'' said Martinez. She wants New Mexicans to call their senators and urge lawmakers to approve her proposal before the session ends. But if nothing passes, the governor said she'll continue to push the issue in future legislative sessions. Martinez's term runs through 2014. ``I am going to fight at every opportunity to make sure this law is repealed,'' said Martinez. The governor contends it's a public safety risk to issue licenses to illegal immigrants. -AP

Sports 40

India Post

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February 24, 2012

Performance by Dance Troupe at the opening ceremony

Corporate Games held in India for first time

CEO Corporate Games Delhi, O.P. Bhatia welcoming athletes

ROSY LOHANI India Post News Service

NEW DELHI: Corporate Games, a multi-sport festival held annually in many countries, has now come to India. Athletes competed representing their companies. The Games offered the widest range of team building activities, and facilitating options. The India Corporate Games were held in Delhi at Siri Fort Complex from February 9 to 12. The organizers provided the logistics, the equipment, the facilitators, scorekeeping system and medals for the winners. The games were inaugurated by Chief Guest K.P Singh Deo, former Cabinet Minister. Hundreds of spectators were already seated awaiting marching-in of athletes. An army band from Gorkha Regiment was in attendance. Corporates/Companies/Organizations with 247 sports persons participated in the 2012 Delhi Corporate Games in 10 disciplines namely Athletics, Badminton, Billiards, Cricket, Soccer, Table Tennis, Tennis, Golf and Squash.

The players were divided in different pools and they played on league basis. Winners and runners-up of each pool were taken to play the semi-finals and at the end there was final match where the best displayed their sporting skills. Cricket was the most popular game. It included nine teams and matches were keenly contested with the final played between ONGC and HDFC Bank. ONGC won the final with a convincing margin. In the Golf tournament, men and women participated to play nine hole golf course. This too was keenly contested with Jaspal Kharbanda creating history by scoring a hole-in one. Matches in badminton, table tennis and tennis also had tough competitions. In running, women ran 1 km in different age category while men ran 2km. Two participating men were above the age of 60. Medal winners from different sports and games were invited to a special podium created for medal distribution and were given medals by different dignitaries. Medal distribution was adequately photographed and copies were sent to the players. Games Director O.P. Bhatia presented 'Sport For Life' award to Punj Llyod company which had sent 55 sports persons. He also gave away Trophies and Medals for categories in Division-1, Division-2, Division-3 and Division-4.

The Best Team Award went to Siri Fort members: (L to R) Sanjay Sharma, Director, Corporate Games Delhi 2012, Shri Shekhar Dutt, Governor of Chattisgarh, Jaspal S.Kharbanda (Golf), Capt Krishan Sharma, (Running/Golf), Dr Alkesh Choudhary (Golf), Ritu Dhawan (Running), Amita Jalta (Golf), Sangeeta Chopra (Golf), Vandana Gupta (Running), Pavi Singh (Golf), Gunjan Bijlani (Golf), Deepak Dhawan (Running) and Pali Singh (Tennis)

The best team award went to the Siri Fort members teams with a tally of nine medals. Mr Bhatia expressed gratitude

time to time to plan and organize the Corporate Games in Delhi in the same pattern and style as is being done world over for the last

Games Director O.P. Bhatia presented 'Sport For Life' award to Punj Llyod company which had sent 55 sports persons. He also gave away Trophies and Medals for categories in Division-1, Division-2, Division-3 and Division-4 to Mr. Ben Sedgemore, Richard Curzon, Fanny Marcout and Adrian from World Corporate Games Community, "who constantly helped and guided us from

two and half decades." The Closing Ceremony was presided over by Chief Guest, Governor of Chattisgarh Shekhar Dutt and Susmita Shekhar, Secre-

tary General of PHD Chamber of Commerce. Bhatia thanked the Delhi Development Authority, Siri Fort Sports complex and all the volunteers and staff of Corporate Games for their tireless efforts in making the games a success. The TCS team had a word of praise for the Games event, saying "Though we lost in the SemiFinals to ONGC, we had a wonderful time out there. We hope to be a part of this wonderful event ahead as well." Mr. Jannat Wadhwa, Team Leader of HDFC bank said, "Great Games. Look forward to join the next edition of Corporate Games.''

Horoscope

February 24, 2012

India Post 41

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Your Weekly Future by Pandit Parashar

FEBRUARY 24TH - MARCH 1ST (November 23 to December 22)

(March 21 to April 20)

ou will buy some nice gifts for others. Business trip will be an instant success. You will be offered a nice and easy part time consulting job. Confidence level will be on the peak and your advise will help a needy friend. You will be slowly getting ready for an upcoming big event and finalize travel plans also.

ou may receive a weak offer from a relatively new company. Mind will stay relaxed and you will enjoy food of your choice this week. You may also win a big favor from a government agency. Boss will take your side and agree with your plan. Some of you will be slowly getting ready for an upcoming presentation.

(April 21 to May 20)

(December 22 to January 19)

ome issues involving a close family member will keep your mind occupied and solution is no where in sight. You will have a chance to make some money little unorthodox way. Sign all papers after careful examination only. Boss will call you and have some serious talks. You will slowly gain edge over your opponents.

f you are not careful, you could make big commitment and find yourself under huge financial pressure. Things will keep improving at work, its the money you have to be careful with. You will get to meet an old friend after long interval this week. Do not disclose your plans and strategy to any one at work.

(May 21 to June 20)

(January 20 to February 18)

ave patience with partner whether its life or business as transiting Mars in seventh is disturbing. Mind will be slight restless as you will be looking for some easy solutions to problems. It will be better to stick to earlier plan and wait for the right opportunity to strike. Money will come and go fast.

ou will be fixing things in or around your home this week. You will feel tired of Almost no progress or the stale life and take some drastic actions. Results will be very favorable. You may seek help from some one lot younger to finish your project. You may also finish some important paper work and mail them out.

(February 19 to March 20)

(June 21 to July 22)

lanets will help those who are looking for change in career. If appearing for any competitive exam, chances are you will come out with flying colors. Advertising bills will be high and you may try to downsize everything. Weak Mercury in first will cause some nervousness in mind but you should stick to your guns.

hings will get little tough at work and the news will not be encouraging. Money wise another expensive week and you may have to use your reserves to meet fresh commitments. People in business will experience slow down and you may think of even changing your field. You may be in touch with a wise man for some advice.

(July 23 to August 22)

ar could give some trouble and need little repairs. People in business should keep an eye on employees this week. You will be working extra hours without much financial gains. Some of you will be travelling long distance to attend an important meeting. You may become double minded about attending an upcoming social event. (August 23 to September 22)

ou should continue to be very careful when it comes to money and avoid making any fresh commitments for some time. Running around will increase and you may have to do some amendment in paper work ready to go. You may be in market to replace an old vehicle also. It will be better to seek advice and help from experts. (September 23 to October 22)

xtra time spent at work will pay off. Boss will make necessary recommendation. Money wise you will continue to stay in comfortable zone. A child will need your help with home work or studies. People you try to get in touch may not return your call promptly. You will be introduced to an interesting personality this week.

(October 23 to November 22)

usiness will pick up little bit and you will have few new clients this week. Do not lower your expectations and stick to your terms when it comes to negotiating a deal. A friend will give very good advice. You will be desperately looking for ideal partners for your project. Spouse will plan a small get together this weekend.

Not good for Taylor Armstrong to get into a relationship

arb Powell in her Celebrity Psychic Predictions says the following about Real Housewives star, Taylor Armstrong: "Right now, Taylor is a hot mess and emotionally confused. She is leaning and listening to all the wrong people and my fear is that she's speeding down the long road of unhappiness. It's like a train wreck in slow motion. You see it coming but are unable to move to stop it". When it comes to love, what will Taylor Armstrong do next? Barb says, "I feel she knows it's not a good idea to get in to a relationship right now, but just as we know it's not good for us to smoke, or eat tons of junk food we still do it. It's an addictive, emotional pull, because we want to feel good even for a short period of time." What is Barb Powell's psychic advice for Taylor? She says, 'Taylor is a prime time for business people making big promises to build her brand. I don't care much for who she is trusting right now, if I was speaking with her, I would tell her to TRUST NO ONE! If you can't even trust yourself, how can you then trust another,

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

Taylor Armstrong

especially when it comes to career and money! Taylor, I sure hope you are in therapy. Not the yes ma'am therapy but the kind that tells you truth, even when it hurts. I have no doubt you were abused in the worse way regarding your marriage, seems only confusion is left and has settled."

925-833-7170

website: www.parashar.com

TOP TEN HINDI FILM SONGS

India Post

www.indiapost.com

February 24, 2012

eepika Padukone was called "unprofessional", and her action "unethical" by the 'Race 2' producer, Ramesh Taurani. Not just that. The filmmaker also went on to file a complaint with CINTAA (Cine & TV Artistes Association) against the actress, for leaving the project mid way. Deepika, who was playing the leading lady in Race 2, left the project after shooting for it for six days citing date issues. Breaking her silence, Deepy now reveals why she had done such a thing. The leggy beauty said that she never intended to opt out of the film. "I have tremendous respect for Rameshji and that was never my intention," she said. "I felt very bad when I was opting out of the film, but I didn't have any other option. The film has been delayed by one-and-a-half years and I have adjusted my dates all this time." "I would still do it but now those dates are committed to other films. I wasted four months last year that I had kept aside for this film, but now I cannot adjust anymore," she added.

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

Stunning Priyanka

Another couple

sha Deol and Bharat Takhtani are now engaged. It was a private ceremony that was restricted to only family members and was held at Hema Mailini's home in Juhu, Mumbai. Hema Malini told reporters: "We are very happy for Esha and Bharat. It is a happy moment for all of us. Bharat is a very nice person. It is a private function." Esha Deol was super excited. She said, "I am happy and I thank everyone for their blessings." In a recent interview Hema Malini was all praise for her would be son in law. She said what she loves most is "The fact that he loves my daughter! But, I also love his simplicity and his lack of inhibitions. He is unfazed about the fact that ours is a Bollywood family. The way he interacts with Dharamji, also speaks volumes about his down-toearth nature," The couple's wedding date is not yet fixed.

riyanka Chopra was in Berlin along with SRK, Gauri Khan and Farhan Akhtar for the premiere of Don 2. She flew to LA thereafter for the musical awards event, Grammy. In a dilemma what to don for the Grammy night, PC asked her fans on Twitter for suggestions. "Ok guys!! Grammy time! Just landed into LA.. options of gowns.. Indian designer or western..?Hmmm..I'm biased towards wearing Indian talent.." she wrote on Twitter. Well, PC stuck to her words. She did choose an Indian designer, Gauri and Nainika gown for the event.

February 24, 2012

Bollywood

India Post

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Female Hero

idya Balan, who has become a name to reckon with following some powerpacked female-oriented films, has found another admirer in music composer Shekhar Ravjiani who describes her as a "female hero". "If we are taking about female population, now we know that we have a female hero here with us who has taken over. I think with all the Khans and the Kapoors, we have Vidya Balan now," Shekhar, of the Vishal-Shekhar duo, said at the music launch of their latest film "Kahaani." After being down and out for a while, Vidya resurfaced and showed her versatility with "Ishqiya", "Paa", "No One Killed Jessica" and her masterstroke came in the form of "The Dirty Picture". The film was not only a commercial success, it also received all-round acclaim. Right now Vidya is on a winning sprees with most popular best actress awards falling in her kitty. The duo had composed the music for "The Dirty Picture" and Shekhar says they have tried to match the audiences' expectations with "Kahaani".

Sexiest vote S

exiest Man Alive: In the latest poll conducted by Hindustan Times, Bollywood heart throb Salman Khan has been voted the 'Sexiest Man Alive' by the youths of the country. Thousands of readers cast their votes to crown the indisputably hottest Khan who has alsobecome the most 'Wanted' actor for the producers (given his recent box office records). Garnering over 28% votes, Salman edged past the likes of Rahul Gandhi and Hrithik Roshan who stood 2nd and 3rd on the list respectively. Sexiest Woman Alive: Amongst the fairer sex, the princess of popcorn Miss Katrina Kaif had no competition as she thumped in over 33% votes to earn the coveted title of 'Sexiest Woman Alive'. She left runnersup Angelina Jolie far behind in the race since Brad Pitt's sinewy muse could only garner 15.3% votes. Dusky siren Bipasha Basu rounded off the top three. Top Role Models: In another category titled 'Top role models', actor Shahrukh Khan elbowed past APJ Abdul Kalam to claim the crown. With 15.4% votes in his kitty, he was marginally ahead of the former Indian President (14.8%). The 'God of Cricket' occupied the 3rd rung of the ladder with 11.3% votes.

hile the nation is awaiting Bollywood's next big fat wedding of Saif Ali Khan and Kareena Kapoor, the couple is not ready to speak anything about it. Recently during an interview, bride-to-be actress Kareena Kapoor slammed the media for over hyping their marriage news. After Riteish-Genelia got married, SaifBebo have been hitting the headlines with their upcoming wedding. There were several speculations over their royal marriage. The buzz was rife that the couple would get engaged on Feb 10, also Saif would announce their marriage dates after Agent Vinod's release. Things went too far when sources claimed that the couple might just push their marriage plans for next year. Instead of giving some hint about her much-awaited wedding with Saif, Bebo slammed the media as she feels that the media is imposing immense pressure on her beau Saif. Also she feels that the media is too worried about their marriage than anybody else. It seems like both Saif and Kareena are extremely miffed with the media for over hyping and publicising their personal relationships and plans.

Miffed couple

India Post

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February 24, 2012

made businessman who worked his way through college making pizzas and bartending; he now runs a successful business. It was this work ethic that Carishma learned early on that would pave the way for the singer's current - and future - success. The trained vocalist recorded her first song at 13 and a series of tracks for an independent label

continued to inspire Carishma. A graduate of The American Academy of Dramatic Arts and Stella Adler Conservatory of Acting, Carishma's resumé includes a long list of musicals and films that she hopes to continue in the near future. But that's the future. For now, the singer's latest offering is "Glow in the Dark", the buoyant, infectious pop track produced by Jerkins. Given that Carishma's dance-pop sound recalls the best of Britney Spears, Lady Gaga and early Janet Jackson - three superstars who have all enlisted Jerkins to help with their sound - the collaboration was a no-brainer. The track, according to MTV Buzzworthy, "mixes old-school Britney bubble gum with a dreamy guitar riff and sexy, hypnotic beat that perfectly matches Carishma's dance goddess-y persona." Directed by Taj Stansberry whose video for Jennifer Lopez's "On the Floor" is the second-most viewed music video of all time on YouTube, the "Glow in the Dark" video showcases the singer's unique beauty and fashion sense. A constant multi-tasker, Carishma co-designed much of

After recording with up-and-coming producers, word of Carishma's talent and hustle quickly spread, eventually reaching Timbaland. While most college-age performers plan for the future, Carishma was living hers now, flying down to Miami to record the propulsive, driving dancepop track "Keep Hangin' On" produced by and featuring Timbaland at the vaunted Hit Factory in Miami

India Post News Service

NEW YORK: Few unsigned singers can get über-producer Timbaland and legendary songwriter/producer Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins to produce tracks for

India Post News Service

NEW YORK: More than 200 New Yorkers from the city's finance, fashion, and business communities packed the Trump Plaza Penthouse the night of Feb 9 to celebrate the launch of Indian jewelry and accessories designer Amrita Singh's brand new home collection. Sponsored by Wells Fargo and hosted by South Asian Young Women Entrepreneurs (SAY WE), 'The Amrita Singh Pent-

them. But few have had the drive, energy, ambition and talent as Carishma. Her mother is a Bollywood singer and actress who always had music playing in the house and Carishma would dance to the latest pop and Bollywood tunes. Her father is a self-

before finishing high school. After recording with up-and-coming producers, word of Carishma's talent and hustle quickly spread, eventually reaching Timbaland. While most college-age performers plan for the future, Carishma was living hers now, flying

the fashion and jewelry seen in the video. "Keep Hangin' On" and "Glow in the Dark" are set for release in summer, 2012. An songwriter in her own right, the singer has been working with some of the best songwriters and producers in the game to-

down to Miami to record the propulsive, driving dance-pop track "Keep Hangin' On" produced by and featuring Timbaland at the vaunted Hit Factory in Miami. Meanwhile, the acting bug that began early in life in commercials and a HBO movie

day, including J.R. Rotem (Rihanna, Nicki Minaj), Rico Love (Beyoncé, Usher) and Claude Kelly (Britney Spears, Bruno Mars) to create an upbeat, exuberant album that, according to Carishma, "encompasses the feelings of young love."

Amrita Singh showcases home collection in NYC

house' event showcased the designer's hand-crafted, life-size and miniature, mosaic Buddha and Ganesh statues, along with special pieces of jewelry and accessories from Singh's illustrious, decade-long career. "As a woman and a jewelry designer, I understand what it means to adorn a woman's body with my pieces," said Singh. "Now, I'm working with a larger canvas - a woman's home, and there is no better way to engage a woman's soul than to help her adorn her home." Singh's inspiration for her home collection came to her during a recent trip to Bali. "More than 90 percent of the homes in Bali have their own, private temples. I wanted to bring some of that Eastern spirituality back to the West with my Buddhas and Ganeshas." SAY WE, a non-profit organization aimed to cultivate and foster strong relationships among South Asian women in New York who have entrepreneurial interests, hosted the preFashion Week event as a way to honor Amrita Singh. Cont’d on page 45

February 24, 2012

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Remembering Kabir, the poet mystic PREM KISHORE

abir might well be the essence of Mindful Meditation. Remembering and listening to the couplets (dohas) is an enlightened way of benefiting mental and emotional health. It is all about meditative awareness, practical understanding, insight, wisdom, pain and grief, expectation and contentment. And who is Kabir? Is he the guide to living a sacred balanced life? The one to transform energy and spiritual blocking, the authority to read the present, past and future? Is he the one to release past pain, support you with peace and calmness? Is he the trailblazer with inspiration and advice who will give you a sense of purpose, show you how to find strength, prioritize, educate, reconnect with nature and show you an entirely new approach to living? Kabir is the pathfinder to inspiration and motivation, who urges you to be renewed and find the best path for social, progressive change. Above all to live life and receive it as a gift from the Supreme Power, embracing all

knowledge. cultures, religions as one. Appraise the sword by its sharpness and leave the casThat is the message of Kabir. And again who is Kabir? Does the generation nurtured on Darth, Harry Potter, ing aside. The translator Lingayat then expands the idea in simple Pokemon, Ninja, and video games know of this weaver, born 1440CE , during the first half of the fifteenth century, per- terms and motivates the reader to ponder and examine the haps in Benares (Varanasi) in India, poorly educated, and purpose of the couplet. I am not in any temple, nor in any mosque, yet became a mystic poet remembered through the ages? I don't reside in Kaba nor in Kailas His followers are devoted to his poetry, ideals, religious Why are you looking for me and literary imagination. in the wrong places, when I am One such ardent follower is BOOK REVIEW right there before you. Anand Rao Lingayat who has The compilation of the coupublished 'Wisdom of Kabir plets in this slim book with Popular Doha-couplets' with En- Is he the guide to living a sacred cover illustration by Mahendra glish and Gujarati translations. balanced life? The one to transShah illustrates the art of learnThe book has been published ing from the inimitable wise one by Gunjan Publications in Dia- form energy and spiritual blockKabir. What Lingayat urges is mond Bar, Southern California. ing, the authority to read the to return to Kabir, to see beLingayat believes that yond the surface, focus on perKabir's poetry is relevant and present, past and future? Is he sonal growth, question our bea very present force in our the one to release past pain, liefs, and nurture a generous modern life. Despite his Musheart. These are simple truths lim background, Kabir rejected support you with peace and discovered by Kabir and organized religion in all its calmness? Lingayat captures the great forms. In his poems, Kabir uses imagery and metaphors and at times riddles, and paradoxes truths and helps us to try to comprehend the nature of everything in a simple, informal style. to help understand the Divine One. The water gushed into one's boat and the wealth surged In one of the translations, Lingayat writes Never ask a Sadhu or a monk-about his caste or about into one's home must immediately be emptied out by using his family background-Just ask him about his wisdom and both hands. That's the only wise and right thing to do.

Amrita Singh showcases home collection in NYC Cont’d from page 44

"The non-profit trade association provides a muchneeded platform for young women entrepreneurs to network, share their successes, and learn from each other," said Reema Rasool, Executive Director and Founder of SAY WE. "Amrita Singh is a smart entrepreneur who created a jewelry business, branched out into making accessories, and is now launching a home line. She is a great role model for other women who want to start their own businesses, and we are proud to welcome her on our Board of Directors." On the occasion, Rasool welcomed New York's crème de la crème to the event, thanked Rahul Baig, Managing Director of Wells Fargo's US Corporate Banking, who then introduced Amrita Singh and her new home collection. The two-storey penthouse was staged with pieces from the home line, and guests spent the evening drinking, dancing, and celebrating Singh's most recent success. Though jewelry making began as an "accidental love," it grew into a unique and compelling "passion" for her according to Singh. Her design interests are global, reflecting the city that she inhabits and works in: urban, culturally diverse, and infused with artistic inspiration. Her designer jewelry fuses Old World aesthetics with New World fashion, resulting in breathtakingly unique,

The success of her Bangle, Bollywood, and other designer jewelry has proved that her blend of influences and craft are distinctive and timeless. Singh graduated from Fashion Institute of Technology and also completed the prestigious two year executive training program at Bergdorf Goodman in New York City wearable works of art. The success of her Bangle, Bollywood, and other designer jewelry has proved that her blend of influences and craft are distinctive and timeless. Singh graduated from Fashion Institute of Technology and also completed the prestigious two year executive training program at Bergdorf Goodman in New York City. She has worked with world-renowned designers such as Oscar de la Renta and Christian Lacroix. Singh was nominated by FGI (Fashion Group International) for the Rising Star Award in the Fine Jewelry Category in 2006, 2007 and 2008.

February 24, 2012

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Varli Food Festival to be hosted by Padma Lakshmi India Post News Service

NEW YORK: After a tremendously successful event in 2011, the Varli Food Festival returns for a second year with Emmy-nominated television host Padma Lakshmi as host. Varli magazine brings another gathering of the Masters of Indian Cuisine on April 4 and 5 at the 2nd annual Varli Food Festival and Varli Cook Off in New York City. The Metropolitan Pavilion located in the heart of Manhattan will open its door to the exquisite flavors of India featuring over 60 fine Indian restaurants and 20 Award Winning Celebrity Chefs, from US, Canada, UK and India. "I'm really excited to introduce festival guests to the vibrancy and diversity of Indian cuisine" notes Varli Singh, founder and publisher of the popular Indian food magazine, Varli. A new introduction by the Varli Magazine is a Live Cooking competition between aspiring chefs at the first Varli Cook Off. Esteemed Chefs Kunal Kapur, Prasad Chirnomula, and restaurateur Rajesh Bhardwaj, will be joined by

internationally acclaimed Master Chef Sanjeev Kapoor, to be the official judges of the Varli Cook Off. Contestants will compete for the title of Varli Star Chef. The Varli Cook Off will be held on April 4, one day prior to the main Food Festival. The Festival will feature an array of food and dessert tastings,

Hemant Mathur, Vikram Vij, Hari Nayak and many others. There will also be a Celebrity Chef Photo Booth, a Silent Auction and a free Certificate Booklet ($500 value) granting exclusive access to the finest Indian restaurants. Varli magazine has partnered with the Food Bank For New York

World famous chefs will demonstrate their skills. These chefs include - besides Sanjeev Kapoor -Vikas Khanna, Suvir Saran, Jehangir Mehta, Maneet Chauhan, Hemant Mathur, Vikram Vij, Hari Nayak and many others

Emmy-nominated television host, Actress, Model and Cookbook Author Padma Lakshmi

cooking demonstrations by celebrity chefs, a free spice market, a Celebrity Chef CookBook, a full open bar, wine kiosks and many other surprises. World famous chefs will demonstrate their skills in crafting signature dishes, displaying first-hand the unique art of Indian cooking. These chefs include - besides Sanjeev Kapoor -Vikas Khanna, Suvir Saran, Jehangir Mehta, Maneet Chauhan,

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. Varli's mission is to serve as the ultimate guide to Indian dining, and significantly raise awareness and appreciation for Indian cuisine around the world.

Disney to acquire controlling Desi produced documentary gets Oscar nod interest in UTV India India Post News Service

India Post News Service

he Walt Disney Company announced earlier this month it will acquire, through a subsidiary, a controlling interest in UTV, one of India's premier media and entertainment companies. The acquisition will be completed through a successful delisting offer and will enable Disney to integrate UTV's current operations. In addi-

and brand multi-platform franchises, and deliver a rich library of content to the world's second largest population," said Bird. "We couldn't be more pleased that Ronnie, with his vast experience and proven track record, will now run our operations in India. Under his leadership, we will be able to deliver more programming on more platforms to this considerable audience." As a result of this acquisition

"In combining the creative capabilities of each company we will integrate a large stable of vibrant brands and franchises in the branded entertainment space," said Screwvala. "With the middle class expected to grow from 50 million to more than 500 million people by 2025, this market offers huge potential tion, UTV CEO Ronnie Screwvala has been named Managing Director, The Walt Disney Company India reporting to Andy Bird, Chairman, Walt Disney International. "Increasing our brand presence and reach in key international markets is a cornerstone of our growth strategy. This acquisition expands our footprint significantly and allows us to more effectively build, monetize

and building on UTV's success in the market, Disney will be India's leading film studio and will produce both UTV and Disneybranded local films. UTV is the leading TV producer in India with distribution in 20 countries in seven languages and across 27 channels. Its six owned channels have emerged as the fastest growing

cable and satellite network in India. In three years UTV has also become a leading broadcast network in the country. After the transaction, Disney will be one of the leading broadcasters reaching more than 100 million viewers weekly in households across India. Disney will also gain a significant presence in digital media with the addition of UTV's Indiagames, the country's number one mobile gaming company, to its portfolio. "In combining the creative capabilities of each company we will integrate a large stable of vibrant brands and franchises in the branded entertainment space," said Screwvala. "With the middle class expected to grow from 50 million to more than 500 million people by 2025, this market offers huge potential for us to deliver quality branded entertainment to consumers," he said. Disney currently owns India's leading kids' television networks Disney Channel, Disney XD and Hungama and is the largest retail character licensor in the country. The Company's mobile, internet and gaming division creates some of India's most popular content, including Club Penguin, the virtual world for kids that launched in India in 2010.

NEW YORK: Neeraj Kohli, a practicing physician-surgeon is one of the seven executive producers of the documentary "Undefeated" which has been nominated for an Oscar this year. Kohli is a practicing physiciansurgeon affiliated with Brigham

The documentary "Undefeated" was shown at the SXSW Film Festival in March 2011 and immediately picked up by the Weinstein Company. Set to be released February 17 and Women's Hospital in Boston. Although a well-known physician, he is an entrepreneur at heart. About two years ago, he had the opportunity to invest/produce in a documentary idea about an underprivileged high school football team who never had a winning season. Prior to signing on the project there was some hope that the team would have a positive season.

Kohli and two of his physician colleagues underwrote/produced the documentary. The documentary "Undefeated" was filmed and the story turned out beyond their wildest dreams. It was shown at the SXSW Film Festival in March 2011 and immediately picked up by the Weinstein Company. Set to be released February 17, the picture made the critics' choice award nomination list and is now one of five final nominees in the Best Documentary category for the Academy Awards. Since then, Sean "Diddy" Combs has signed on as an executive producer.

February 24, 2012

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Philosophy

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Page Sponsored by Sahanis JAMES SWARTZ

believe the conviction arising from legitimate spiritual experiences induced by drugs…that there is something beyond the realm of the senses and the mind's mad craving for pleasure and security…not drugs themselves, is the most enduring and important legacy of the Sixties and forms the basis of a spiritual revolution that continues today. In any case, a week before we arrived a psychologist, vowing not to move until he attained enlightenment, locked himself in a cabin and began meditating. A few days later, alerted by his screams, the authorities broke in and hauled him off to the state insane asylum a few miles down the road. "It is dangerous to take this sort of an attitude," said the Swami (Chinmayananda) of the incident. "Enlightenment does not come simply because you want it. You have to be prepared. This is why in our country we have the guru-disciple lineage. The disciple must cultivate the requisite ethical and moral standards, a keen sense of discrimination, dispassion, and a calm mind. And he should have a teacher, someone who has already successfully walked the path. This is typical of the independent and egocentric approach to life in America." "Why is it a science?" I asked one afternoon. "It seems more like a religion." THE MOTHER (Mirra Alfassa)

hat do you want the Yoga for? To get power? To attain to peace and calm? To serve humanity? None of these motives is sufficient to show that you are meant for the Path. The question you are to answer is this: Do you want the Yoga for the sake of the Divine? Is the Divine the supreme fact of your life, so much so that it is simply impossible for you to do without it? Do you feel that your very raison d'ˆetre is the Divine and without it there is no meaning in your existence? If so, then only can it be said that you have a call for the Path. This is the first thing necessary - aspiration for the Divine. The next thing you have to do is to tend it, to keep it always alert and awake and living. And for that what is required is concentration - concentration upon the Divine with a view to an integral and absolute consecration to its Will and Purpose. Concentrate in the heart. Enter into it; go within and deep and far, as far as you can. Gather all the strings of your consciousness that

"It is a science in this sense," he replied. "In science you have certain theories that have to be proven by experiment before they can be accepted as knowledge. Vedanta presents the theory that there is a God, which we call the self, and it provides methods for verifying the truth of that theory. If they are used properly, the practices and techniques will deliver the experience and knowledge of God."

at that time is no longer a theory, but knowledge." "Of course God can never die, but God has died here because faith has killed Him. If you believe God can only be known through faith, you rob yourself of the hereand-now experience of God." "The West has the idea that the physical universe is reality and that it is made up of matter only. And consciousness supposedly comes

ality is the material world and you explore that. The way you explore it is called science. And you have been very successful in exploring and explaining it using the scientific method. “We do not quarrel with you on this point. In practical ways your use of science has exceeded ours. This is why your standard of living is much better than ours. But long before there was a West-

An Ordinary person is ordinary because his instinct of self-preservation is much stronger than his inspiration of self-offering! -Swami Abhedananda

Vedanta is not a religion, it is a science ‘Enlightenment does not come simply because you want it. You have to be prepared. This is why in our country we have the guru-disciple lineage’

James Swartz

"Religion asks that you merely believe in the existence of something you cannot practically verify," he continued. "You are promised release later on in heaven, but the idea of actually knowing God intimately and directly as your own self is considered blasphemy. “Our idea is that God must be of practical use. Faith alone is not enough. We want to experience God, to live in the God as God. Only then can we accept the theory of God's existence, which

out of matter. To us this is a ridiculous idea because matter is insentient. How can sentiency, Consciousness, come out of matter? “Vedanta says that the universe is Consciousness from the very beginning. In fact, before the beginning. It does not evolve once the material universe gets to a certain stage. Even if it did how would the universe evolve without Consciousness? Evolution, any kind of change, implies Consciousness or energy." "So you think that the only re-

ern civilization our sages were exploring the inner world, the world of mind or consciousness with a scientific mentality. So over thousands of years we have developed a proven subjective science. “It is not just theories. It is not the opinion or system of some brilliant man, like Nietzsche or Sartre or Freud, or religious dogma, but the accumulated knowledge and experience of tens of thousands of subjective scientists." Excerpted from 'Mystic by Default'

are spread abroad, roll them up and take a plunge and sink down. A fire is burning there, in the deep quietude of the heart. It is the divinity in you - your true being. Hear its voice, follow its dictates. There are other centers of concentration, for example, one above the crown and another between the eyebrows. Each has its own efficacy

most part we are unconscious. It is this unconsciousness that keeps us down to our unregenerate nature and prevents change and transformation in it. It is through unconsciousness that the undivine forces enter into us and make us their slaves. You are to be conscious of yourself, you must awake to your nature

are the forces that pull you down and which help you on. And when you know the right from the wrong, the true from the false, the divine from the undivine, you are to act strictly up to your knowledge; that is to say, resolutely reject one and accept the other. The duality will present itself at every step and

First thing necessary is aspiration for the Divine The Mother

and will give you a particular result. But the central being lies in the heart and from the heart proceed all central movements-all dynamism and urge for transformation and power of realization. What is one to do to prepare oneself for the Yoga? To be conscious, first of all. We are conscious of only an insignificant portion of our being; for the

Concentrate in the heart. Enter into it; go within and deep and far, as far as you can. Gather all the strings of your consciousness that are spread abroad and movements, you must know why and how you do things or feel or think them; you must understand your motives and impulses, the forces, hidden and apparent, that move you; in fact, you must, as it were, take to pieces the entire machinery of your being. Once you are conscious, it means that you can distinguish and sift things, you can see which

at every step you will have to make your choice. You will have to be patient and persistent and vigilant-"sleepless", as the adepts say; you must always refuse to give any chance whatever to the undivine against the divine. The 134th birth anniversary of The Mother of Pondicherry will be observed on February 21

Better indeed is knowledge than mechanical practice. Better than knowledge is meditation. But better still is surrender of attachment to results, because there follows immediate peace. -Bhagwat Gita Be careless in your dress if you will, but keep a tidy soul. -Mark Twain Beware the barrenness of a busy life. -Socrates By three methods we may learn wisdom: First, by reflection, which is noblest; Second, by imitation, which is easiest; and third by experience, which is the bitterest. -Confucius India conquered and dominated China culturally for 20 centuries without ever having to send a single soldier across her border. -Hu Shih

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Iran's American 'problem' in Afghanistan ARYAMAN BHATNAGAR

ran views the presence of American forces in Afghanistan as detrimental and a threat to its interests. Iran's strategy towards Afghanistan is greatly influenced by this threat perception. The question that arises then is why is the American presence in Afghanistan seen as a national security threat by Iran? What is Iran doing to counter this perceived threat? The Threat The US troops and military bases and American access to military facilities in several countries in the region such as Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and Turkey in addition to Afghanistan, is seen by Tehran as a deliberate strategy to encircle and contain Iran. It fears that such a strategic positioning could enhance the American ability to monitor the Iranian nuclear program and launch attacks against Iran. President Obama's Afghanistan 'surge', which was announced in 2009 and which involved deployment of more troops along the Afghanistan-Iran border raised Iran's insecurity and fear of an impending American attack. The US efforts to construct a 300-hectare airbase in the desert area of Holand, in the Ghorian district of Herat province, just 45 kilometres from the Iranian border, which would completely dominate the Iranian air space, further heightened the Iranian concerns. Iran also alleges that the US is using its bases in Afghanistan (and Pakistan) to extend covert support to the Sunni or Balochi insurgents in Iran, such as the Jundullah. Such a threat perception has been reinforced by certain recent events. In December 2011, Iran captured an American RQ-170 Sentinel drone which was one of a fleet of stealth aircrafts that have been used to spy on Iran for years from the Shindad airbase in Afghanistan. This intelligence collection program was used to look for tunnels, underground facilities and other places where Iran could be producing centrifuge parts or enrichment facilities. US officials have admitted that the Shindad base was renovated and expanded to enhance the American capacity to keep an eye on the Iranian nuclear program and also launch special operations against Iran. Similarly, in 2010, the captured Jundullah leader, Abdolmalek Rigi claimed that his group had re-

ceived support from the US. Although, it is possible that such statements were made under duress, in 2007 reports had surfaced in the American media claiming that the US Congress had agreed to fund a major escalation of covert operations against Iran. Besides the security threat, Tehran is also concerned that the prolonged presence of the US in Afghanistan could be detrimental to its influence in the country, particularly in Western Afghanistan. This is particularly the case with Herat, which Iran considers as its

It has directly funded the development of Herat's electric grid and promoted trade and economic activities in the province. Such a positive approach is considered important by Iran to enhance and maintain its sway in its sphere of influence, especially at the expense of the Americans. Many US officials have admitted that Iran's "soft power" - aid, diplomacy and business - has contributed to its growing clout in the country. In fact, the US is already viewing Iran's growing influence in the region as a major threat.

Tehran considers Jundallah a terrorist organization linked to U.S. and Pakistani intelligence

traditional sphere of influence due to historical, cultural and ideological ties. It is no surprise then that the construction of an American consulate and the Shindad military base in Heart -the second largest in Afghanistan - are viewed by Tehran as a direct challenge to

Many US officials have admitted that Iran's "soft power" aid, diplomacy and business - has contributed to its growing clout in the country their influence in the region. The Response Iran has responded to this perceived American threat by engaging with Afghanistan on many prongs. It has played an active role in the reconstruction of Afghanistan post-2001, being one of the leading donor countries. In Herat, particularly, Iran has heavily invested in the rebuilding of infrastructure including mosques, roads and even houses.

On the other hand, not all of Iran's attempts at thwarting the American presence in the region have been constructive. It has been alleged that Iran is using its clout within the Afghan political setup and bribes to foment antiAmerican sentiments and convince parliamentarians to denounce long-term strategic agreement between Afghanistan and the US. But, it is Iran's measured support to the Taliban, which is the more intriguing development. Although, the Taliban and Iran were arch enemies during the 1990s, Tehran considers it far more important to prop up the Taliban to keep the Americans tied down in Afghanistan and divert their attention away from Iran. It is this rationale that has led Iran to provide training and weapons to the Taliban. Iran would most certainly not favor a Taliban-led or dominated government in Afghanistan in the future. However, if the American troops are allowed to stay on in Afghanistan post-2014, Iran is likely to continue fuelling the insurgency in its neighborhood. The writer is Research Officer, IPCS

India Post King & subjects

he use of bombast or more charitably, rhetoric, during election time is understandable. But when the head of a responsible investigative agency like the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) uses it, it gives credibility to the branding of Indians as argumentative, unnecessarily. It was at an anti-corruption program of the Interpol in Delhi that CBI chief Amar Pratap Singh picked up from old Indian wisdom the adage, "yatha raja tatha praja" (As the king so will be the subjects) and pronounced it valid for the state of things in the country. As the investigative chief of the country, Singh may have seen corruption at close quarters, particularly in high places. He may not have pleased his employers by implying that the rulers were corrupt. But more than that he has unwittingly branded the billions of suffering poor citizens of this country, the subjects, as corrupt. The adage may be more apt in a monarchy or in a dictatorship, but in a democracy it is not valid. The real picture is that while the rulers are corrupt, the ordinary citizens of the country suffer because of it. It is a minority which hitch their bandwagon to the corrupt and try to benefit, but the average citizens are not benefited. In a democracy, the rulers continue to be corrupt if the citizens are not vigilant. If the rulers are being seen as more corrupt today, it is because of the exposures brought about by some conscious citizens, NGOs and the anti-corruption crusades of the likes of Anna Hazare. It does not mean that the rulers have become corrupt. It means in this age of the internet and the social networking sites, they are unable to get away with it. More and more are being caught, as it were, with their pants down. And the ruling party doesn't mean the Congress alone. The BJP is equally venal as shown in the recent Karnataka case where ministers were seen watching porn during assembly session. If the dictum "as the king so the subjects" were true, millions would not have come out of their homes in Delhi last April to join Anna Hazare's movement. The opposite is proved that ordinary citizens, tired of the tricks of corrupt politicians, were rallying together to make the point, "no more of this." That more and more people are coming out to vote in the ongoing elections, even in a backward state like Uttar Pradesh, shows that the people have decided to show the door to the corrupt. It is ironical that the Gandhi family now campaigning in Uttar Pradesh, makes a huge list of corruption by the present incumbent Mayawati. But with what face do they face the electorate after the exposures of Congress hand in the recent cases like the 2G spectrum, Commonwealth Games scandal and black money stacking abroad etc, at the Center? The family claims the UP government has misused the money granted by the Central government. It was only recently pointed out by a senior functionary of the Mayawati party that the money was given by the Central government and not the Congress party. And also it was not a gesture of magnanimity because it was the sum generated from the taxes paid by the people of Uttar Pradesh. Attempts to fool the people believing them to be illiterate and ignorant will not succeed any longer. In the present context, the contrary of the adage is proved. The subjects are not at all like the king or the rulers. That is why the subjects are trying, with the power granted to them in a democracy, to change their kings.

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