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VOL 22, No. 1174
March 31, 2017
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INDIANS ACCUSED OF 'GAMING' H-1B
WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump supports a bill that proposes a massive hike in the minimum salary for those employed on H-1B visas, an influential American lawmaker has said while alleging that Indian companies have "gamed" the "flawed" US immigration system. Congressman Darrell Issa, who recently introduced the legislation, insisted that his move would bring the best talents to the US and help fix the flaws in the existing H-1B system. "The president supports (the bill). I think we will have strong support in the Senate," he told a Washington
audience at an event hosted by Atlantic Council at the Capitol Visitor Center. He alleged that Indian companies have "gamed the system" and made the "best use of this flawed immigration system". "You can't have 75 per cent of a program going to an Indian-owner, Indian operated, Indian employee visas and not say that this is distortion," Issa said, adding it's common sense to hire the best and not the other way around.
Periodical Postage
Warm Springs station opens new option Details on page 16
Details on page 5 Gurdeep Chawla
The favorite Interpreter of world leaders
Vanita Gupta to head leaders meet
Details on page 24
UK move against Pak occupation of Gilgit-Baltistan
Details on page 5
Pak sees IndiaUS logistic pact as a threat
Details on page 6
CONTENTS Bollywood ---------------------- 28-29
Details on page 6
Classifieds ------------------------- 52 Community Post ----- 16-23,46-47
INDIA POST SURVEY
Date Book -------------------------- 39 Edit Page --------------------------- 54
survey@indiapost.com
HealthScience Post --------- 12-14
This week’s question
Horoscope ------------------------- 51
Do you agree with the charge that Indians misused H1B?
Immigration Post ------------- 48-50 Life Style ----------------------- 30-33
Last week’s result
Can Yogi Adityanath restore law and order in UP? YES 67%
NO 33%
Philosophy ------------------------- 53 Publisher’s Diary ------------------ 4
BEAUTY & THE BIKE: Women in traditional attires participate in a community parade (Shobha Yatra) to celebrate the Maharashtrian New Year Gudi Padwa, in Mumbai on March 28.
Real Estate -------------------- 40-41 TechBiz Post ------------------- 34-38 Travel & Hospitality Post ---- 42-45
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Publisher’s Diary
or every job that is being done there's always someone who thinks that he or she can do it better. We know it to be true, especially in politics where the stakes are so high that it involves - more than money and ideology - power. And where we know a calling to public service takes an inglorious back seat. Anyway, for the still-new Trump administration it wasn't supposed to go like this. The promise was of a head-spinning victory parade right through the tenure, but 60 days into the new job, President Trump is yet to savor a single score, let alone an out and out win. Two court-ordered reversals of an attempted travel ban, the failure of the Republican healthcare bill, a slow start on deportations of illegal immigrants, and no sign of any activity on the construction of that great border wall. After the healthcare bill debacle, next on the President's agenda seems to be tax reform and I am afraid to think of how much deeper the chasm between the rich and poor and middle class will get. No, this is not about Trump bashing. If it was, I'd be talking about the cost of his Mar-a-Lago golf weekends, Ivanka Trump's disgruntled new neighbors, Melania's wardrobe, and well, his utter lack of oratorical vocabulary. Rather, this is about the things that affect the daily lives of millions of American who are living with the sword of uncertainty hanging over their heads. What I don't understand is this ridiculous rush to show spectacular results in the first 100 days of a new government. Sustainable governance comes from sustainable policy and sustainable management, not from dramatic or drastic actions. Yields on populism do not have to be like the box office collections of a new movie on the first weekend.
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INFO-CENTER
HIGHLIGHTS Bollywood: Break-up kar liya Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh, who were in a strong relationship, have finally called it quits.
Cover Story: 'Gaming' H-1B An influential American lawmaker has alleged that Indian companies have "gamed" the "flawed" US immigration system.
Community: New station The Warm Springs BART station in Fremont officially opened to the public on Saturday March 25
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Life style: Wedding planners It is no longer difficult to find a wedding planner specializing in specific cultural celebrations
Techbiz: F-16 sales to India Two top Senators have urged the Trump administration to push for the sale of F16 fighter jets to India
Travel: Kufri Kufri is a small picturesque hill station known for its pleasing climate located near the majestic Shimla.
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March 31, 2017
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Indians accused of 'gaming' H-1B WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump supports a bill that proposes a massive hike in the minimum salary for those employed on H-1B visas, an influential American lawmaker has said while alleging that Indian companies have "gamed" the "flawed"
ing H-1B system. "The president supports (the bill). I think we will have strong support in the Senate," he told a Washington audience at an event hosted by Atlantic Council at the Capitol Visitor Center. He alleged that Indian compa-
"It would be interesting that India would be concerned that a relatively simple change (in H-1B visas) that does not target India, somehow happens to be accommodation for India," he said US immigration system. Congressman Darrell Issa, who recently introduced the legislation, insisted that his move would bring the best talents to the US and help fix the flaws in the exist-
nies have "gamed the system" and made the "best use of this flawed immigration system". "You can't have 75 per cent of a program going to an Indianowner, Indian operated, Indian
employee visas and not say that this is distortion," Issa said, adding it's common sense to hire the best and not the other way around. "It would be interesting that India would be concerned that a relatively simple change (in H-1B visas) that does not target India, somehow happens to be accommodation for India," he said. "Today 75 per cent of all H-1Bs are coming in about USD 6065,000, which is pretty absurd considering these are high-skilled visas... If they were told to write USD 100,000 and you will get your H-1B, they will write that cheque," he said. The lawmaker from California called for fixing the system and removing the country-based caps. He also said increasing the salary would raise the quality of people coming to the US.
US university is not going to take a job with USD 60,000 salary. And that's the reality," said the Congressman. The H1B visa is a non-immigrant visa that allows American firms to employ foreign workers in occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise. The technology companies depend on it to hire tens of thousands of employees each Congressman Darrell Issa year. -PTI
"An auction system is not a bad way to go," he said. "A graduate with a STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) degree from a
Vanita Gupta to head India not participating 'Leadership Conference' in UN nuclear meet WASHINGTON: Indian-American Vanita Gupta, who headed civil rights division in the Department of Justice in the Obama Administration, has been appointed as president and CEO of 'The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights', becoming the
threatened in such fundamental ways, The Leadership Conference is a vital nerve center of the broad swath of civil and human rights organizations that are fighting for justice, fairness, and equality around the country," Gupta said. "Civil and human rights work
Vanita Gupta
first woman to head the prestigious organization. Known for her fearless advocacy of all human beings, 41-yearold Gupta will replace Wade Henderson who is stepping down after more than two decades. Gupta, who will also lead its sister organization 'The Leadership Conference Education Fund', will begin her new role on June 1. "At a time when our nation's ideals and progress are being
has never been easy, and these unprecedented times demand clarity of vision, strategy, and solidarity that the Leadership Conference coalition is uniquely positioned to champion," she said in a statement. Henderson, who will step down after 21 years, said leaders had the responsibility to cultivate, encourage and make paths for the next generation to lead and to thrive. "That time has come for me,
and I could not be more pleased to pass the baton of leadership to Vanita, a talented litigator, strategic visionary and tireless advocate who is deeply committed to building a country as good as its ideals, the mission of The Leadership Conference," he said. Eric Holder, the former US Attorney General, said throughout her career Gupta has pushed the nation to live up to its promise of equal justice for all. "Her fearless advocacy for the rights of all Americans, while at the helm of the Civil Rights Division, proves that she will be able to lead the important coalition of the Leadership Conference member organizations," Holder said. As head of the civil rights division, Gupta oversaw a wide range of criminal and civil enforcement efforts to ensure equal justice and protect equal opportunity for all during one of the most consequential periods for the division. She did critical work in a number of areas, including advancing constitutional policing and criminal justice reform; prosecuting hate crimes and human trafficking; promoting disability rights; protecting the rights of LGBTQ individuals; ensuring voting rights for all and combating discrimination in education, housing, employment, lending and religion. Cont’d on page 9
UNITED NATIONS: India is not participating in the first UN conference in more than 20 years on a global nuclear weapons ban which opened here amid objections from major nuclear powers. More than 120 nations in October last year voted on a UN General Assembly resolution to convene the conference to negotiate a legally binding treaty to prohibit nuclear weapons, leading towards their total elimination. Britain, France, Israel, Russia and the US voted no, while China, India and Pakistan abstained from
the commencement of negotiations in the Conference on Disarmament on a Comprehensive Nuclear Weapons Convention, which in addition to prohibition and elimination also includes verification. It had said that international verification was essential to the global elimination of nuclear weapons. India feels that the current process does not include the verification aspect. The US, France and the UK led a group of over 40 nations that are strongly protesting the UN talks. The US' envoy to the UN Nikki Haley said the Assem"bad actors" cannot be bly "suddenly" wants to have a hearing to allowed to keep their ban nuclear weapons nuclear weapons while and while as a mother other nations try to maintain and daughter, she wants a world with no peace and safety nuclear weapons, one also has to be "realisvoting on that resolution. tic". In its Explanation of Vote (EoV) She said given the current given for its abstention on the reso- times "bad actors" cannot be allution in October, India had said lowed to keep their nuclear weapthat it was "not convinced" that ons while other nations try to the proposed conference could maintain peace and safety. address the longstanding expec"We would love to have a ban on tation of the international commu- nuclear weapons but in this day and nity for a comprehensive instrument time we cannot honestly say that we on nuclear disarmament. can protect our people by allowing India also maintained that the the bad actors to have them (nuclear Geneva-based Conference on weapons) and those of us who are Disarmament (CD) is the single good trying to keep the peace and multilateral disarmament negotia- safety not to have them," Haley told tion forum. reporters. Cont’d on page 8 It had further said that it supports
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Pak sees India-US logistic pact as a threat ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has said the logistic agreement signed between India and the US, that enables them to use each other's military assets and bases for repair and resupply, has jeopardized the idea of an 'Asian Century'. Its National Security Adviser Lt Gen (retd) Nasser Janjua said the growing cooperation between India and the US - including with the Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement (LEMOA) signed in August last year - has jeopardized the idea of an 'Asian Century'. The LEMOA agreement enables India and the US to use each
other's land, air and naval bases for repair and resupply. Speaking at a conference on
significant investments in blue water navies by countries like India have brought oceans into fo-
The growing cooperation between India and the US - including with the Logistics Exchange Memorandum of Agreement (LEMOA) signed in August last year - has jeopardized the idea of an 'Asian Century' 'Maritime Security in the Indian Ocean: Challenges and Prospects for Pakistan', Janjua said, "Interstate tensions in the region and
UK move against Pakistan occupation of Gilgit-Baltistan LONDON: A motion has tempts to change the demograbeen tabled in the UK parliament phy of the region in violation of condemning Pakistan's "arbi- State Subject Ordinance and trary" move to declare the stra- forcibly and illegally to build the tegic Gilgit-Baltistan region, China-Pakistan Economic Corribordering disputed PoK, as its dor, which further aggravates fifth province. and interferes with the disputed Bob Blackman, a Conserva- territory." tive Party MP, who regularly Other British MPs are exspeaks out in support of the pected to sign the EDM as a rights of Kashmiri Hindus in the show of support to the motion. House of Commons, tabled the A spokesperson for Early Day Motion (EDM) titled Blackman s office indicated that 'Annexation of Gilgit-Baltistan a formal debate on the issue is as by Pakistan as its fifth frontier' on India has termed as "entirely March 23. EDMs are formal unacceptable" any possible motions tabled in the attempt by Pakistan to House of Commons declare the Gilgit-Baltistan as a means of drawing attention to a parregion, bordering disputed ticular issue or cause. PoK, as the fifth province The motion said that Gilgit-Baltistan has been illegally occupied by also likely. Pakistan since 1947 and the Pakistan's minister for intercountry is attempting to annex provincial coordination Riaz the already disputed area. Hussain Pirzada on March 14 The EDM reads: "That this told Pakistani media that a comHouse condemns the arbitrary mittee headed by Advisor of announcement by Pakistan de- Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz had claring Gilgit-Baltistan as its proposed giving the status of a Fifth Frontier, implying its at- province to Gilgit-Baltistan. tempt to annex the already disHe also said that a constituputed area." tional amendment would be It noted that "Gilgit-Baltistan made to change the status of the is a legal and constitutional part region, through which the USD of the state of Jammu and Kash- 46 billion China-Pakistan Ecomir, India, which is illegally oc- nomic Corridor (CPEC) passes. cupied by Pakistan since 1947, India has termed as "entirely and where people are denied unacceptable" any possible attheir fundamental rights includ- tempt by Pakistan to declare the ing the right of freedom of ex- Gilgit-Baltistan region, borderpression." ing disputed PoK, as the fifth It further said that the at- province.-PTI
cus as sensitive security space." The conference was held to analyze the challenges in the realm of maritime security emanating from militarization and nuclearisation of the Indian Ocean and power projection in the region, emerging alliances and threats to the Beijing-backed USD 45 billion China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). Janjua said the idea of an 'Asian Century' was under threat because "security architecture and strategic stability of the region had come under stress", adding India and the US have "carved out space to preposition themselves in this ocean. India is being propped up as a counterweight to China through geo-political, economic and military moves." Sehar Kamran, President of the Centre for Pakistan and Gulf Studies - one of the organizers of the conference, said fulfillment of the vision of 'Asian Century' needs a focus on 3Cs connectivity, cooperation, and communication. The conference recommended to place special emphasis on modernization of the Pakistan Navy. "Pakistan should increase and modernize its naval fleet, and pursue technological advancements in sea-based deterrents to ensure an assured second strike capability, especially in the context of the growing threats by the belligerent India," said Kamran. Federal Minister for Defense Production Rana Tanveer Hussain claimed "competitors" were opposed to the CPEC and were "already seeking to sabotage it." Former deputy chief of naval staff Vice Admiral (retd) Iftikhar Ahmed said, "If we have the requisite infrastructure and enabling environment at Gwadar and the region, Gwadar will surely emerge as the economic hub of the region." He stressed that the Iranian port of Chahbahar, being built by India and Iran, posed no challenge to Gwadar and the two could compliment each other. -PTI
US plans export of natural gas to India WASHINGTON: The Trump Pradhan had also discussed administration is expected to give with Perry energy cooperation beits consent for major export of tween India and the US, Indian innatural gas to energy-hungry In- vestment in Liquefied natural gas dia, a senior US official has said, (LNG) and Shale sectors, and the underling that energy sector is possibility of the US exporting likely to be a major area of bilat- LNG to India from early next year. eral co-operation. Perry had said co-operation "Watch for it," the official said. between India and the US in the His comments came as US energy sector is in mutual interPresident Donald Trump is set to est as India's energy need is set sign an executive order to wipe to see a rapid increase as the out his predecessor Barack economy expands. Obama's climate change legacy. "The policy tomorrow will look No decision yet has been taken on Trump Perry had said co-operation administration's combetween India and the US mitment to the Paris Agreement on climate in the energy sector is in change. And same is mutual interest as India's the case with the varienergy need is set to see ous cooperation that the US has been doing a rapid increase with other countries including India on clean energy and climate change issues, back and look forward," the offithe official said on condition of cial told reporters on the eve of anonymity. the signing of the clean energy The official, however, said that executive order. energy sector is likely to be a ma"Energy independence is the jor area of co-operation between goal," the official said, adding that India and the US. the new energy policy is driven Minister of State for Petroleum by economy. and Natural Gas Dharmendra Trump, the senior administraPradhan, during his visit to the US tion official said, believes that this month, had discussed with there are many clean energy polinew Energy Secretary Rick Perry cies of the Obama administration the possibility of importing LNG that should be reviewed or should from the US and Indian investment be "taken off the books to the exin the energy sector there. tent we can".-PTI
US scholarship program for Indian women WASHINGTON: A top US body in international education and global investment banking has announced a scholarship and mentoring program for the Indian women university students in science and technology-related fields. Under the scholarship 'WeTech Goldman Sachs Scholars' -announced by the Institute of International Education (IIE) and Goldman Sachs, 25 Indian women will receive a merit-based USD 1,500 scholarships for the 2017-18 school year and be connected with an experienced mentor from Goldman Sachs for a six-month mentorship from June through December 2017, a statement said. "Engaging women at various stages from their academic years to a career is a critical step in
addressing the gender gap often seen in the technology industry," said Shubha Iyer, managing director in the Technology division at Goldman Sachs in Bengaluru. "IIE and Goldman Sachs believe that providing young women university scholarships toward a degree in a STEM field and offering real-world career advice has tremendous impact on their ability to thrive in the global workforce," said Allan Goodman, IIE president and CEO. "This comes at a time when the tech industry around the world needs more women who are educated and trained to entering into STEM careers and work with peers across many different countries and cultures," Goodman added. -PTI
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No change in stand AAP Chanda Bandh volunteers protest on Kashmir: China BEIJING: China has defended its ambitious USD 46 billion CPEC project, saying President Xi Jinping's pet initiative was aimed at improving livelihood of people in the area and will not affect Beijing's stand on the Kashmir issue. Reacting guardedly to a motion tabled in the UK parliament condemning Pakistan's "arbitrary"
Gilgit-Baltistan has been illegally occupied by Pakistan since 1947 and the country is attempting to annex the already disputed area. Commenting on the motion, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said it was a motion moved by a member and not a resolution. Skirting any references to Pakistan's move to merge GilgitBaltistan, the spokesperson's of-
"China's position on the issue of Kashmir is consistent. It is an issue between India and Pakistan left over from history and it should be properly handled by them through dialogue and consultation," the ministry said in written response to a PTI query about the motion move to declare the strategic GilgitBaltistan region as its fifth province, China said its position on the issue of Kashmir is consistent. The motion introduced by Conservative MP Bob Blackman, who regularly speaks out in support of the rights of Kashmiri Hindus in the House of Commons, said that
fice said there is no change in China's stand on the Kashmir issue as a result of the CPEC project. Pakistan media reports had said the move to incorporate GilgitBaltistan as new province after seven decades of independence followed pressure from China over
the disputed status of the two areas which formed part of the CPEC. "China's position on the issue of Kashmir is consistent. It is an issue between India and Pakistan left over from history and it should be properly handled by them through dialogue and consultation," the ministry said in written response to a PTI query about the motion. The motion further said that the attempts to "change the demography of the region in violation of State Subject Ordinance and forcibly and illegally to build the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, which further aggravates and interferes with the disputed territory." Delinking CPEC from the Kashmir issue, the Ministry said, "it is a cooperation framework set up by China and Pakistan with eyes on long-term development of all round cooperation, with a purpose to improve local infrastructure, livelihood and promote local economic and social development." "The building of the CPEC will not affect China's position on the Kashmir issue," it added. -PTI
‘Indian, Israeli cultures share many similarities’ WASHINGTON: Indian and Israeli cultures share "many similarities" and people of both the countries believe in professionalism and rarely "back down from a fight", US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley has said. Highlighting her Indian connection, 45-year-old Haley said while there were many "good things" about the people of the two countries, they were also "aggressive" and "stubborn". "I am the daughter of Indian parents, who reminded my brothers, my sister and me everyday how blessed we were to live in this country. The truth is, I have seen so many similarities between the Israeli culture and the Indian culture," Haley said in her address to Americans Israel Public Affairs Committee Policy Conference. "We're very close knit. We love our families. We have a strong work ethic. We believe in professionalism and philanthropy, and giving back. So that's all the good things.
We're aggressive. We're stubborn. And we don't back down from a fight," Haley said in response to a question. She also rued that the Iranian deal had only empowered the Iranians. "It's concerning. And the reason it's concerning is because when the Iran deal took place, all it did was empower Iran, and it empowered Russia. And it Nikki Haley
emboldened Iran to feel like they could get away with more," she said. "It is - you can put sanctions on a country. To take sanctions away, it's very hard to go back and put sanctions back on. So what we have said is, we're going to watch them like a hawk. We're going to make sure that every single thing they do is watched, processed and dealt with," she said. Noting that there are a lot of threats to peace and security, Haley said the US will not take its number one democratic friend in the Middle East and beat up on them. "I think what you're seeing is they're all backing up a little bit. The Israel-bashing is not as loud. They didn't know exactly what I meant outside of giving the speech, so we showed them. So when they decided to try and put a Palestinian in one of the highest positions that had ever been given at the UN, we said no and we had him booted out," she said. -PTI
NEW DELHI: Chanda Bandh Satyagraha successfully organized a general meeting of Aam Aadmi Party volunteers in the ND Tiwari Memorial Hall, DDU Marg, New Delhi. Hundreds of volunteers including the discontented Aam Aadmi Party workers showed up and discussed how the party has systematically deviated from its principles, said Dr. Munish Raizada, convener of Chanda Bandh Satyagraha and Deepak Panchal, an organizer in an after-meet Press Conference. This meeting was held as an initiative 'AAP Bachao Aandolan' whose purpose is to restore Aam Aadmi Party's fundamentals. Old and steadfast party workers and volunteers openly stated in the meeting that the corrupt party leadership has systematically diluted its cardinal principles of clean money, Swaraj (inner party democracy) and internal vigilance (internal Lokpal). Lack of transparency has led to these malicious practices."
MCD election, the AAP Bachao Aandolan has demanded the following from the leadership of the party: Restore Financial Transparency: Chanda Bandh Satyagraha convener Dr. Munish Raizada has been demanding the party to make donors' list online. It may be noted that the party has concealed its donors' list since June 2016. Also it asked for restoring Swaraj (inner part democracy) Ticket selling: For the upcoming 'Municipal Corporation Elections' in Delhi, Aam Aadmi Party has allocated tickets to new faces or to members from other parties. This has created discontentment among the core volunteers and ardent supporters of the party. The party has given tickets to paratroopers and newcomers in the name of 'winnability', but it smacks of a deeper malaise of ticket selling and exchange of money. Also, volunteers have cast aspersions on the nomination process of selection of candidates, saying that it is fake and does not conform to the principle of Swaraj that AAP
After talking to the media, all the invited volunteers and AAP workers went to protest silently in front of Aam Aadmi Party Headquarters. There, they raised slogans against the illicit methods of the party. Recent dismal Punjab and Goa election results for AAP have hastened the disdain among old volunteers who had been watching in exasperation the systematic dilution of core principles of the party. In view of the upcoming
so dearly vouches for. They are asking if it were not for ticket selling and nepotism, how come the party has ignored the committed party workers who have been toiling hard since last four years. Has the party failed to groom leaders even at the ward level (for MCD elections), asks Raizada. Restore Internal Lokpal: The party's internal Lokpal system is practically collapsed, thus there is no authentic mechanism for the volunteers to get the complaints heard.
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MJ Akbar warns on aggressive nationalism NEW DELHI: Union Minister M J Akbar has said nationalism is the only answer to terrorism but aggressive nationalism can prove to be counterproductive. The Union Minister of State for External Affairs said those who abandon nationalism won't be able to fight the menace of terrorism.
'Nation and Nationalism' at the Vivekananda International Foundation here. His comments assume significance amid the contentious debate on nationalism in the country. "Those who abandon nationalism won't be able to fight the current menace of terrorism be-
"Those who abandon nationalism won't be able to fight the current menace of terrorism because the only answer to terrorism is going to be nationalism," he said, adding this feeling towards one's nation reaffirms one's commitment "When nationalism begins to wobble, it is when it becomes aggressive nationalism. So the problem is not in nationalism, but it is in aggression," he said. When nationalism becomes aggressive, it becomes counterproductive, he added. He was delivering a lecture on
cause the only answer to terrorism is going to be nationalism," he said, adding this feeling towards one's nation reaffirms one's commitment to deal with the problem. The Minister said non-Left regimes in the world gave much more space to nationalism unlike
the Communist nations. Without naming former Kingfisher Chairman Vijay Mallya, whose extradition India is currently seeking from the UK, Akbar also dwelt into the concept of crony capitalism. "In fact, one of the important problems created by the nonLeft (regimes) were the increasing view that there was new class of industrialists that had risen, who make their money out of national resources, out of national markets, but had the ability to escape the national law when they were found to be guilty. "And this is the popular demand to get them back...you can't be above nation's law," Akbar said. He also said the Non-Alignment Movement started by countries that wanted to stay away from either of the power blocks could never find its feet in true sense. India was one of the leaders of the NAM. -PTI
M J Akbar
India not participating in UN nuclear meet Cont’d from page 5
Indian-origin anti-apartheid activist dies JOHANNESBURG: Ahmed Kathrada, veteran Indian-origin South African activist who was sentenced to life along with Nelson Mandela during the apartheid era, has died at a hospital here after complications following a brain surgery. Kathrada, 87, died at the Donald Gordon Hospital, his foundation said. Kathrada, one of the longest serving political prisoners in the country, was admitted to the hospital on March 4 initially for dehydration but doctors later picked up a clot on his brain which was subsequently removed. After the operation, he had "experienced several health-related setbacks", the foundation said. "This is great loss to the ANC (African National Congress), the broader liberation movement and South Africa as a whole. Internationally, he was staunch in his support for the Palestinian struggle," Neeshan Balton, Executive Director of the Ahmed Kathrada Foundation, said. "'Kathy' was an inspiration to millions in different parts of the world," said Balton. President Jacob Zuma condoled the death of Kathrada, praising him for serving "selflessly throughout his adult life". He declared a special official funeral for him. The President in-
structed that the national flag fly at half-mast during the official memorial service. Kathrada, who frequently referred to Mandela as his 'elder brother', was among three political prisoners who were sentenced to life imprisonment together with
"We are deeply saddened to learn this morning of the passing on of our dear friend and founding trustee, Ahmed Kathrada," said the Nelson Mandela foundation on Twitter. Kathrada was born on August 21, 1929 in Schweizer-Reneke, a
Ahmed Kathrada
the South African anti-apartheid icon after the infamous Rivonia Trial of 1964. The two others were Andrew Mlangeni and Denis Goldberg. They played major roles in shaping the country's policies after Mandela's election as the first democratic President of South Africa in 1994.
town in the North West Province of South Africa, and introduced to politics as a young boy when he joined a non-racial youth club run by the Young Communist League. At the tender age of 17, Kathrada participated in the 1946 Passive Resistance Campaign led by the South African Indian Congress.-PTI
UN High Representative for Disarmament Affairs Kim Won-soo highlighted that creating a world free of such weapons is a common obligation of all States both nuclear and non-nuclear and called for their inclusive engagement. "Let us all work harder and more creatively, so that we can achieve our common goal of a world, safer and more secure, without nuclear weapons, and better for all," he said. Speaking on behalf of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, he also expressed hope that the instrument will also strengthen the
Haley, joined by UK's Ambassador to the UN Matthew Rycroft and her French counterpart Francois Delattre, spoke just before the General Assembly convened its first substantive session of the conference. "We have to be realistic. Is there anyone who believes that North Korea would agree to a ban on nuclear weapons? So what you would see is that the General Assembly would go through, in good faith, trying to do something but North Korea would be the one cheering and all of us and the people we repWhile the US would want to resent would be the ones at risk," she said. see a world without nuclear She said Washingweapons, the time for it is ton believes in the Nuclear Non-Prolifera- not today and it will defend its citizens as well as its tion Treaty and had reduced its weapons by friends and allies 85 per cent since the treaty went into place. She added that while the US Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty would want to see a world with- and advance the world closer to out nuclear weapons, the time for the total elimination of nuclear it is not today and it will defend weapons and that it would make its citizens as well as its friends important contribution to nuclear and allies. disarmament and to the ultimate "One day we will hope we no objective of general and complete longer need nuclear weapons. But disarmament. today, in this day and time, in the Permanent Representative of situations that we are in, we un- Costa Rica to the United Nations fortunately don't have the ability Office in Geneva Elayne Whyte to do that," she said. Gomez is presiding over the conycroft said his country was not ference. participating in the talks "because It is taking place in the context we do not believe that those ne- of an absence of concrete outgotiations will lead to effective comes from two decades of multiprogress on global nuclear disar- lateral nuclear disarmament negomament". tiations within the framework of At the start of the conference, the United Nations.-PTI
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Pak victim's family pardons Indians DUBAI/ISLAMABAD: Ten Indian youths in the UAE may escape the noose for murdering a Pakistani man in 2015 after the victim's family accepted bloodmoney amounting to 200,000 dirhams and agreed to pardon the convicts, according to media reports. Mohammad Riaz, the father of Mohammad Farhan, appeared in the Al Ain appeals court on March
22 and submitted a letter of consent to pardon the accused Indians, a senior Indian Embassy official told Gulf News. "It was unfortunate that I lost my son. I appeal the young generation not to indulge in such fights. I have forgiven these 10 individuals. In fact, Allah has saved their lives. Lives of at least 10 people, including a wife and children, hinge [financially] on
India, Russia hold disarmament talks NEW DELHI: India and Russia have held annual talks on disarmament and non-proliferation during which issues relating to nuclear energy, weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and terrorism were discussed extensively. The deliberations came amid reports that Russia is trying to convince China to support India's
broad spectrum of related issues on the international agenda including nuclear and WMD terrorism, nuclear energy," the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement. Though majority of member countries have backed India's NSG membership bid, China has been blocking it on the grounds that New Delhi is not a signatory to the Russia and the US have Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty (NPT). been strongly backing Mikhail Ulyanov, India's NSG bid and even Head of the Departreached out to many coun- ment of Non-Proliferation and Arms Control, tries to support New Delhi's of Russia's Foreign Ministry was here entry into the elite group March 23-24 for the annual consultations entry into the Nuclear Suppliers on disarmament and non-prolifGroup (NSG). eration. The talks take place alterRussia and the US have been nately in Delhi and Moscow. strongly backing India's NSG bid Pankaj Sharma, Joint Secretary and even reached out to many (Disarmament and International countries to support New Delhi's Security Affairs) in the Ministry entry into the elite group. of External Affairs led the Indian "The consultations covered a delegation.-PTI
Vanita Gupta to head 'Leadership Conference' Cont’d from page 5
She regularly engaged with a broad range of stakeholders in the course of this work. Prior to joining the Justice Department, Gupta served as Deputy Legal Director and the Director of the Center for Justice at the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). She joined the ACLU in 2006 as a staff attorney, where she subse-
quently secured a landmark settlement on behalf of immigrant children from around the world detained in a privately-run prison in Texas that ultimately led to the end of "family detention" at the facility. Gupta graduated magna cum laude from Yale University and received her law degree from New York University School of Law, where later she taught a civil rights clinic for several years. -PTI
one person [who comes to work in the UAE]," Riaz said. On behalf of the accused, an Indian charity organization deposited the blood money in the court and the case has been ad-
tence," Kumar said. On December 8, 2016, the murder allegedly took place during a brawl over bootlegging in Al Ain. Eleven men from Punjab were convicted in the case but one
All the convicted young Indian men are from poor families and worked in Al Ain as plumbers, electricians, carpenters and masons. Most of them in their twenties had paid huge sums to recruitment agents journed for further hearing on April 12, said Dinesh Kumar, Counselor, Community Affairs at the Indian Embassy in Abu Dhabi. "It is expected that the court may commute the death sen-
was spared the death sentence. S P S Oberoi, Chairman of Sarbat Da Bhala Charitable Trust that donated blood money for the accused men, said it was a tough task to obtain pardon from the Pakistani family.
Oberoi, a Dubai-based businessman, said Riaz had been invited from Pakistan three days ago, with all arrangements, including a visa and accommodation being made by his trust. "We somehow made him agree...and as per the Sharia law, have submitted Dhs 200,000 as blood money in the court," Oberoi said. He said his Pakistani manager traveled to Peshawar and talked to the family and their relatives to secure the pardon. All the convicted young Indian men are from poor families and worked in Al Ain as plumbers, electricians, carpenters and masons. Most of them in their twenties had paid huge sums to recruitment agents in India to secure a visa to reach the UAE. -PTI
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India's seventh Test series win in a row DHARAMSALA: A clinical India regained the BorderGavaskar Trophy, beating Australia by eight wickets in the deciding fourth Test here to clinch one of the most controversial and hard-fought bilateral contests in recent times. It was India's seventh Test series win in a row - continuing the dominance that started in 2015 with Sri Lanka, South Africa, West Indies, New Zealand, England and Bangladesh being annihilated. Needing 87 runs on the fourth day to reach a modest victory target of 106, opener Lokesh Rahul (51 not out) dominated from the start with a flurry of boundaries and finished with six half-centuries in the series. The match ended in just three days and a session, a reflection of India's distinct upperhand in the 2-1 triumph. There were some hiccups when Murali Vijay (8) and Cheteshwar Pujara (0) were out in quick succession but stand-in skipper Ajinkya Rahane (38 off 27 balls) came in with the intent of hammering the bowlers into submission. Rahane and Rahul added 60 runs for a third wicket partnership which took the team to victory in 23.5 overs. Fittingly, Rahul finished the match with a hard-run three and celebrated wildly. Regular skipper Virat Kohli, who sat out of the contest due to a shoulder injury, and the rest of the Indian team gave Rahul a standing ovation. In fact, Rahul ran in towards the Australian dressing room before taking off his helmet and letting out a wild war cry - an indi-
Virat Kohli with team mates and officials pose for a group photo after winning the series against Australia on the 4th day of last Test match at HPCA Stadium in Dharamsala on March 28
cation of how intensely the series had been fought. But putting aside the hostilities that started with the infamous 'Brain Fade' of rival captain Steve Smith, the two teams shook hands at the end of an aggressively-fought series. Rahul's innings of 76 balls had nine fours while Rahane hit four boundaries and two huge sixes of Pat Cummins. It brought the curtains down on a very productive home season in which India won 10 out of the 13 Test matches with two draws and the only defeat coming on a Pune dust-bowl against Smith's side. The victory was even more special as skipper and team's premier batsman Kohli was unavailable in the deciding contest. A reticent Rahane, completely different in character from Kohli,
marshaled his resources well in what could be termed as the best
The two captains share a moment after the end of the series, India v Australia, 4th Test, Dharamsala, 4th day, March 28
Trump congratulates Modi on UP win WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump has called Prime Minister Narendra Modi to congratulate him on his party's recent electoral success in state elections, the third telephonic conversation between the two leaders since the new administration took over in Washington. White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer told reporters that Trump congratulated Modi and German Chancellor Angela Merkel on their electoral victories. "The president spoke with German Chancellor Merkel and Indian Prime Minister Modi to congratulate them on their parties' success in recent elections," Spicer said.
The two leaders are expected to meet on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Germany in July. Following the elections, Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party formed the
government in four states: Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Goa and Manipur.
out of the 13 Test wins. More so because the condi-
It, however, lost Punjab to main rival Congress. Merkel's Christian Democrat party easily won an election in the Saarland state, dealing an early blow to centre-left hopes of ending her more than decade-long reign. Previously, Modi and Trump talked by phone on January 24, when they had resolved to stand "shoulder-to-shoulder" in the global fight against terrorism and for defense and security. According to a White House statement then, Trump had "emphasized that the US considers India a true friend and partner in addressing challenges around the world." .-PTI
tions were more Australian than Indian and the home team punted on rookie Chinaman Kuldeep Yadav, risking a batsman less in the playing XI. The day started with a Rahul back cut off Josh Hazlewood followed by a square cut. A swept boundary off Steve O'Keefe set the tone for the day and an imperious pull shot off Hazlewood showed why Rahul is rated so highly. Once India were 46 for 2, Rahane came in and showed uncharacteristic aggression, taking on the bowlers from word go. Cummins was pulled and then slashed over the cover region for a couple of sixes, leaving the entire Australian team stunned. A paddle sweep off Lyon by Rahane was a delicate one after the brutal assault he unleashed on the speed merchant. -PTI
'Trump effect' sparks racial attacks in Aus MELBOURNE: An Indian-origin man who was assaulted by a group of teenagers in Australia in an alleged hate attack has said that the racial mood is changing in the country and it could stem from the "Trump effect". Li Max Joy, who is pursuing a nursing course and working as a part time taxi driver in North Hobart in Tasmania, alleged that five people including a girl hurled racial abuses like "you bloody black Indians" at him and assaulted him up at the McDonald's restaurant. The 33-year-old who hails from Kerala said the increasing racial hostility could stem from "the
Donald Trump effect", the Advertiser newspaper reported. "The racial mood is definitely changing. It is continuous now. Many other drivers have been abused but not everyone reports it to the police," he said. Joy said that he has been living in Hobart for eight years with his family and also narrated another such incident that happened with him a week ago. "Last week in Glenorchy, I was waiting for a fare when a primaryschool aged boy put water in his mouth and then came over to the car window and spat it out on me," Joy said.-PTI
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Republicans target NY in health bill WASHINGTON: House Republican leaders want to shift more than $2 billion in Medicaid costs from upstate counties to the New York State government. The provision would help mostly Republican-controlled counties that have struggled to subsidize Medicaid payments for the poor. New York City wouldn't get the same relief. GOP leaders made the change in the health care bill to win over Republicans. Democrats quickly labeled it the ``Buffalo Bribe.'' The proposal evoked memories of the ``Cornhusker Kickback,'' a Medicaid sweetener added to the Democratic health care bill in 2009 to secure support from then-Sen. Ben Nelson of Nebraska. Republicans slammed the Nebraska proposal as a backroom deal - a charge that Democrats hurled back at them eight years later. Democratic Rep. Louise Slaughter called it ``a political sleight of hand.'' -AP
SF woman dies after taking herbal tea SAN FRANCISCO: A San Francisco woman who fell critically ill after drinking tea from a Chinatown herbalist has died. The San Francisco Department of Public Health says the tea leaves bought at Sun Wing Wo Trading Co. contained the plant-
Health Science 12 India Post
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Par panel for hike in healthcare research Details on Page 13
Self-inflicted collapse chokes GOP effort to undo Obamacare WASHINGTON: House Republicans passed roughly 60 bills over the past six years dismembering President Barack Obama's health care overhaul. Other than minor tweaks, they knew the measures would go nowhere because the Democrat still lived in the White House. With a bill that counted last Friday, they choked. It was an epic, damaging, self-inflicted collapse that smothered the GOP effort. ``We're going to be living with Obamacare for the foreseeable future,'' a flustered Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., told reporters after abruptly yanking the legislation off the House floor to avert a certain defeat. ``I don't know how long it's going to take us to repeal this law.'' The measure would have erased much of Obama's 2010 law, eliminating its unpopular requirement that people buy coverage, ending its Medicaid expansion and trimming federal assistance to people to help pay medical bills. It represented the culmination of seven years of unsuccessful GOP attempts to craft a replacement bill the party could rally behind - a unity that ended up eluding them.
President Donald Trump responded to the failure by repeating his dire predictions for Obama's law. He followed up Saturday, adding a more optimistic twist: ``ObamaCare will explode and we will all get together and piece together a great healthcare plan for THE PEOPLE. Do not worry!'' the president tweeted. Vice President Mike Pence
sounded as though the repeal-andreplace effort would continue unabated, telling a group at a small business in West Virginia on Saturday that ``we will end the Obamacare nightmare and give the American people the worldclass health care that they deserve.'' He acknowledged that ``Congress just wasn't ready. ... We're back to the drawing board.''
House Freedom Caucus Chairman Rep. Mark Meadows, R-N.C., center, whose conservative faction of the GOP bucked the Republican health care bill, heads to caucus meeting in the basement of the Capitol before House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., announces that he is abruptly pulling their troubled health care bill off the House floor, in Washington
While some parts of the Affordable Care Act have obvious problems, others are working well and have brought the country's rate of uninsured people to a record low. With Trump serving alongside a Congress controlled by the GOP, the bill was the party's first genuine opportunity to repeal Obama's statute. Ryan shelved it amid defections from centrist Republicans who thought it went too far and conservatives who considered it too weak, plus solid Democratic opposition. Its rejection was fueled by nonpartisan congressional analysts concluding it would cause 24 million people to lose coverage in a decade and drive up costs for poorer and older people. There was also opposition from doctors, hospitals, consumer groups and AARP. One problem facing the GOP is repercussions from the party's voters. For nearly a decade, they've heard countless Republican congressional candidates promise to repeal Obama's statute, a pledge that became a centerpiece of Trump's presidential campaign. Cont’d on page 14
Kids to be educated on high salt intake based toxin Aconite. The woman in her 50s became sick within an hour of drinking the tea in February. She grew weak, then had life-threatening abnormal heart rhythms that required resuscitation and intensive care. A man in his 30s had identical symptoms after drinking tea from the same herbalist. He recovered and was released from the hospital March 12. Their names weren't released. Aconite, also known as monkshood, helmet flower and wolfsbane, is used in Asian herbal medicines. It must be processed properly to be safe. -AP
NEW DELHI: A pilot program involving 15,000 schoolchildren to educate them about the harmful effects of high salt intake will soon be launched, a global health body said. "In order to create awareness about salt consumption among children and to determine whether an education program targeted at schoolchildren will help in lowering the salt intake in them as well as their families, the institute plans to extend their National Salt Reduction Program to children," the George Institute for Global Health, India said. As part of this program, a pilot will be conducted across 15,000 schoolchildren in Delhi and Hyderabad to educate them
about the harmful effects of high salt intake and the risk of contracting lifestyle diseases at a young
age. "In India, we are fighting against habits which are deep-
rooted. Unmonitored lifestyle, easy access to packaged food full of salt, sugars and harmful fats are responsible for the high prevalence of lifestyle diseases. "Educating children early in life on the ill effects of high salt usage can help them make healthy dietary choices early in life," said Vivekanand Jha, Execu-
tive Director, George Institute for Global Health, India. Various studies on the salt intake of children and adolescents in developed countries have reported that salt intakes are high and above the WHO recommendation. Salt intake among schoolchildren in India has increased due to greater consumption of fast foods, salty snacks, processed and street foods, the institute said. Processed and junk foods are affordable and accessible which attract children easily and the preference for salty food among children is established very early due to change in the dietary patterns, it added. -PTI
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Par panel for hike in healthcare research NEW DELHI: A parliamentary panel has asked the Centre to increase budgetary allocation for critical healthcare research after it found "huge" mismatch between demand and allocation of funds for schemes of Department of Health Research (DHR). The panel recommended increased investments in health research to provide affordable and quality healthcare and noted that in the USA, the budget of National Institute of Health, which functions like that of Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) under DHR, is 32 billion dollars per year. The parliamentary panel also supported the DHRs demand for additional funds to the tune of Rs 835 crore for 2017-18. "The committee notes that against the 12th Plan Outlay of Rs 10,029 crore, only Rs 3,575.17 crore was allocated to the department at Budget Estimate stage which was further reduced to Rs 3,266.50 crore in the Revised Estimate (RE) (around 32 per cent of the approved outlay)," the panel on Demands for Grants 2017-18 for DHR said. "The actual expenditure was Rs 3,180.99 crore up to February, 2017.
The committee observes that there is a huge mismatch to the tune of Rs 6,762.50 crore between 12th Plan outlay and the RE allocation made to the department," it said. India's rapidly growing economy has thrown up huge health challenges and DHR has a "crucial" role to play in ensuring healthcare service to the population by way of generation of new knowledge and its translation into health projects. The committee, chaired by Ram Gopal Yadav, noted that there is a "huge, persistent and recurring" mismatch between the projected demand for funds and actual allo-
to DHR from 2012-13 to 2016-17 and the total approved outlays for the 12th Five Year Plan and its impact on the department's vision to bring modern technology to the people through innovations," it said. "The department has informed that it (funds constraint) has impacted implementation of DHRs schemes by restricting sanctioning of new units on priority, providing recurring grants to ongoing ones, upgrading ICMRs health research infrastructure and pendency of extramural proposals due to non availability of budgetary allocations," the panel said. "The committee is of the view
SHIMLA: The new National Health Policy is people-oriented with stress on preventive steps to fight non-communicable diseases responsible for over 50 per cent of deaths, Union Health Minister J P Nadda said here. It also includes mental health, geriatric health care, palliative care and rehabilitation care services. He said pharmaceutical companies would be persuaded to adopt 'Make in India' which would help
sive primary health care packages. "To provide access to financial protection, the policy proposes free drugs, free diagnostics, and free emergency and essential health care in all public hospitals," Nadda said adding the policy aims to achieve the highest level of good health and well-being through a preventive and promotive health care orientation in all developmental policies. "The policy also targets univer-
The committee, chaired by Ram Gopal Yadav, noted that there is a "huge, persistent and recurring" mismatch between the projected demand for funds and actual allocation of schemes of DHR. cation of schemes of DHR. "The government owes an explanation to the committee on the reasons behind such a huge gap between the budgetary allocation made
that funds constraint should not be a hurdle in prioritizing health research and developing new drugs, vaccines and diagnostics," the panel said. -PTI
Govt launches dental & oral health portal NEW DELHI: An interactive portal has been launched by the government to raise awareness and educate the masses about the dental and oral health. On World Oral Health Day, the Health Ministry, which also launched Information, Education and Communication (IEC) material for raising awareness on the issue, said it was integrating oral health program with other such schemes to minimize conditions arising from poor health. "Oral health is integral to the overall health of a person and contributes to the all-round development of the nation," Minister of State for Health Faggan Singh Kulaste said while launching the IEC material, the National Dental and Oral Health Information IVR portal and a toll free number for addressing oral health related queries. Kulaste said that India has taken huge strides in the healthcare sector by initiating new programs to improve health outcome of the country and it is now among the nations that have a dedicated
Health Policy peopleoriented: Nadda
program on the oral health. "Raising awareness about dental health is the need of the hour and these information initiatives will go a long way in encouraging people to adopt positive and healthy habits," he said. Noting that oral diseases are becoming the leading health problems, Union Health Secretary C K Mishra said that these can be attributed mainly to rapidly changing lifestyles, widespread use of tobacco and increased consumption of alcohol.
"The Ministry is integrating the oral health program with other programs so that adequate steps can be taken to mitigate and minimize the conditions arising from poor health. "We need to combine preventive measures with emphasis on the education to create oral health awareness among the various segment of the population," Mishra said, adding oral diseases pose a major threat to public health due to their prevalence and incidence. -PTI
Minister of State for Health & Family Welfare Faggan Singh Kulaste launched a toll free number (1800-11-2032) for addressing oral health queries, on the occasion of World Oral Health Day, in New Delhi on March 20
Jagat Prakash Nadda, Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare.
in making medicines affordable and accessible. Nadda said that the new policy envisaged providing larger package of assured comprehensive primary health care through the health and wellness centers and focuses on important changes from very selective to comprehen-
sal access to good quality health care services at affordable costs and looks at problems and solutions holistically with private sector as strategic partner and seeks to promote quality of care with focus on emerging diseases," he said in an informal chat here with the media. -PTI
Bill to protect health care providers PHOENIX: The Arizona House make sure health care providers has approved legislation that acting on those decisions would would protect health care provid- not leave their jobs at stake. ers from discrimination when reOpponents say the legislation fusing to assist in any service or would threaten patients' rights and providing items that result in the could leave them without the abildeath of a person. ity to fulfill Advocates of their final Senate Bill 1439 say wishes. it would further T h e shield doctors, House's 32-24 nurses or medical favote sends the cilities exercising legislation to personal conscience Gov. Doug in not participating Ducey's desk in end of life situabecause the tions. Senate apSponsor Republiproved it on a can Sen. Nancy 16-14 vote earBarto of Phoenix lier this says the bill would month. -AP Nancy Barto
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Self-inflicted collapse chokes GOP effort to undo Obamacare Cont’d from page 12
``It's a really good question,'' Ryan said, asked how Republicans could face constituents after failing to deliver on years of promises. ``I wish I had a better answer for you.'' Democrats, loyal defenders of Obama's law, were literally jumping for joy. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., removed her shoes and took a victory leap while meeting activists outside the Capitol. Obama's statute has spread coverage to 20 million people and required insurers to cover numerous services and barred them from refusing policies to the very sick. Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., said that ``at some point'' lawmakers have to address the costs and availability of health care and said he was willing to work with the administration and both parties to do that. He issued the statement, he said, after a conversation with Trump. But top congressional Republicans mostly conceded the measure's demise meant it was time to move onto other issues. Among them was Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., who has spoken
repeatedly about how unraveling Obama's law was a top priority for his chamber. In a statement, he expressed only gloom about the effort's future. ``Obamacare is failing the American
with President Trump on the first pro-growth tax reform in a generation.'' But there was no easy path ahead. Retooling America's health care system - it comprises one-sixth of the nation's economy - is a Boehner said last month that while Republi- m u l t i - t i e r e d puzzle. cans would fix some problems of Obama's On the economic side, it inlaw, a repeal and replacement is ``not govolves refashing to happen.'' He added, ``Republicans ioning how providers, patients never ever agree on health care.'' and federal programs should people and I deeply appreciate the efforts interact. And a political balance must be of the speaker and the president to keep struck between conservatives eager to erase our promise to repeal and replace it, Obama's law and push the system toward a ``McConnell said. ``I share their disappoint- free-market approach, and GOP moderates ment that this effort came up short.'' wary that would strip coverage from some Two chief House authors expressed no voters and drive up out-of-pocket costs for taste for diving back into the issue. ``D-O-N-E done. This bill is dead,'' said Rep. Greg Walden, R-Ore., who heads the House Energy and Commerce Committee. House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Kevin Brady, R-Texas, said Republicans ``are moving full speed ahead
others. Earlier this month, Ryan thought he would find that balance. ``We'll have 218 (votes) when this thing comes to the floor, I can guarantee you that,'' he said, referring to the House majority usually needed to pass legislation. Ironically, the outcome hewed more closely to a prediction by Ryan's predecessor, former Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio. Boehner was forced out of office in 2015 largely by the hard-right House Freedom Caucus, the same group whose opposition was largely responsible for the crumpling of the GOP bill on Friday. Boehner said last month that while Republicans would fix some problems of Obama's law, a repeal and replacement is ``not going to happen.'' He added, ``Republicans never ever agree on health care.''-AP
NEW DELHI: The government has no roadmap for ensuring financial resources to transform 1.5 lakh health sub-centers into wellness centers as announced by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and it reflects "dichotomy" of budget announcements, a parliamentary panel has said. The committee noted that against the projected demand of Rs 34,315.66 crore for 2017-18 under National Health Mission (NHM), the total allocation in Budget Estimates (BE) 2017-18 is only Rs 26,690 crore, leaving a "shortfall" of Rs 7624.96 crore. In comparison to the Revised Estimates (RE) 2016-17 allocation of Rs 22197.95 crore, the increase in BE 2017-18 is only Rs 4492.75 crore which is "insufficient", the committee on Demands for Grants 2017-18 of Department of Health and Family Welfare said. "It would be pertinent to point out that though in his budget speech the Finance Minister has proposed to transform 1,50,000 health sub-centers into health and wellness centers and promote generic drugs, there is no solid roadmap for ensuring adequate financial resources for these initiatives and this is where the dichotomy of the budget announcements gets reflected," the committee chaired by Ram Gopal Yadav said. The committee noted that the shortfall in allocations for NHM for 2017-18 vis-a-vis its projected demand for funds will "adversely impact" a number of health initiatives. These include upscaling of health facilities to Indian Public Health Standards, establishing sub-health, primary and community health centers as per norm, rolling out Universal Health Coverage pilot projects, scaling up free drugs and diagnostic initiatives among others, the committee said.
The committee noted that though the resource availability from state share has increased from Rs 4570.00 crore in financial year 2012-13 to Rs 10,522.00 crore in 201617, the reduction in central plan allocation for NHM has not been fully compensated by the increase in state health budgets. It is due to the revised Centre-state funding pattern from 75:25 to 60:40 post hike of share of states in the central taxes divisible
Parl panel sees no funds for wellness centers
Ram Gopal Yadav
pool from 32 per cent to 42 per cent in the form of united funds, it noted. The committee highlighted that as per the latest National Health Accounts estimates (2013-14), 35.7 per cent of the total health expenditure is on medicine purchase and as per National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) data, nearly 71 per cent of the out of pocket (OOP) burden is due to expenditure on medicines. "The committee is of the view that the BE 2017-18 allocation of Rs 26,690.70 crore is grossly inadequate. It is in this context that allocation of additional financial resources for NHM for 2017-18 makes a compelling case," it noted. -PTI
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Desi News IAS spreads cultural awareness ASHWIN PATEL
ST LOUIS: India Association of St. Louis (IAS) collaborated with Mehlville High School for their Global Coffee House International Fair celebrations on March 15. The event celebrated different nationalities and ethnic groups within the community and included live performances and booths to commemorate cultural diversity. Twenty six countries were represented this year. A Tarana Kathak dance tuned to Raag Malkaunse by IAS members Amoolya Pandurangi and Ankita Pandurangi gave a glimpse of the beauty of Indian music and dance to the audience. IAS President Shailee Saran Varanasi outlined this as one of the steps for outreach by the organization to spread awareness and interest in Indian culture. The performance was very well appreciated and applauded by the attendees.
Community protests CNN's weird version of Hinduism RAMESH SOPARAWALA India Post News Service
CHICAGO: Members of Hindu community at large across the world have been so much enraged and upset at a blatant and one sided version of Hinduism aired during a documentary by CNN three weeks ago that there are protests and protests against CNN everywhere, and the Chicagoland community could not be an exception. Details on page 18
Jani bids for 2nd term as Schaumburg town trustee RAMESH SOPARAWALA India Post News Service
CHICAGO: Nimish Jani, Candidate for a second term as a Trustee, Township of Schaumburg is pepped up with huge community support and is facing confidently the scheduled election on April 4. He is through his first fouryear-term as a Trustee, Township of Schaumburg, Illinois, and he is "not taking anything for granted." He is focused on a specific agenda in aid of the residents of this thriving township. Details on page 19
COMMUNITY ACROSS AMERICA
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iCAN Awards Night was a dazzling affair
March 31, 2017
Details on page 20
Warm Springs station opens new transportation option in East Bay
India Post News Service
FREMONT, CA: The Warm Springs BART station in Fremont officially opened to the public on Saturday March 25, marking a new transportation option for commuters in the East Bay. The station, which marks the first extension on the Fremont line since BART started service in 1972, was unveiled during a ribbon-cutting ceremony earlier. When service started, the train schedule on the Fremont-Daly City and FremontRichmond lines were altered by a few minutes to accommodate the new station. It's been over seven years since BART broke ground on the $790 million Warm Springs station. It was completed $100 million under budget, officials say. With the beginning of workweek, BART will run 10-car trains between Fremont and Daly City each weekday morning during commute hours. "The new station and 5.4 miles of new track will be a differencemaker in addressing the gridlock on interstates 880 and 680 by taking thousands of cars off the road each day, said BART Director Tom Blalock, who serves Fremont and has been a leader in making the extension a reality. "We're also helping people reduce their carbon footprint by making the station fully accessible to pedestrians, bus riders and bike riders." The new station includes 2,082 parking spots, including 42 solar-powered electric vehicle charging stations (opening within a couple of weeks) as well as in-
ter-modal connections to AC Transit and private shuttles. The station is located right near the Tesla auto factory in the heart of the Warm Springs Innovation Dis-
trict. City officials say 4,000 new homes are already slated to be built nearby. They also project that 20,000 new jobs will open up when compa-
nies move in to the area. Anywhere from 5,000 to 7,000 people are expected to use this station on a typical weekday, officials say. "This gets us that one step
closer to the job center of the Bay Area," said BART board member Robert Raburn at a station-opening event. He said the combina-
tion of Warm Springs and BART's 10-mile extension into Santa Clara County - scheduled to open late this year, with stops in Milpitas and San Jose's Berryessa neighborhood - will create new opportunities for those going to and from work in Silicon Valley. "I think it will open up a reverse commute that we haven't seen before at BART," says Raburn. BART is supposed to extend another 10 miles south to San Jose, but that construction is on hold. The $1.5 billion set aside for BART and VTA was cut from President Donald Trump's recently released budget. Open fields Today much of the area immediately around the new Warm Springs BART Station is open fields but that is going to change. "BART and Warm Springs Station are the linchpin of the whole plan and it's probably worth mentioning that the city has invested years of planning in this area to make the most of the opportunity. We won't get another one of these and so we really want to make the most of it," said Fremont Economic Development Director Kelly Kline. A hub for green and other cutting-edge technology is already blossoming between typically crowded interstates 680 and 880. Kline says the innovation district immediately surrounding the Warm Springs BART Station is about two-and-a-half times the size of Mission Bay in San Francisco. Cont’d on page 23
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Community Across America
March 31, 2017
www.indiapost.com RAMESH SOPARAWALA India Post News Service
CHICAGO: Members of Hindu community at large across the world have been so much enraged and upset at a blatant and one sided version of Hinduism aired during a documentary by CNN three weeks ago
Community protests CNN's weird version of Hinduism two hours long march and demonstration was so peaceful and organized despite seething anger that even a members of the Chicago Police paid compliment to organizers for not letting emotions get better of reason. Members of the Indian community from far and wide, not only from Chicagoland but also from neighboring states of Indiana and Wisconsin, came to participate forgetting all their differences of , caste , creed, class,
gender, or regional affiliations. Their sole aim was to have their voice heard at the right quarters in CNN so that either they come out with a corrected version or do not repeat the same mistake again in future Reza Aslan from CNN, who claims to be the religious scholar, went to Banaras, India and showed most weird and grotesque practices of select five individuals: eating human flesh,
CNN protest in Chicaogo downtown addressed by Dr Bharat Barai. -Pics Asian Media USA
that there are protests and protests against CNN everywhere, and the Chicagoland community could not be an exception. There was a simmering of anger and a strong urge for action on the part of the enlightened community members here to make CNN officials aware that their ill conceived documentary had hugely hurt the religious feelings and beliefs of millions of
followers of this oldest religion and that they should take steps to discipline the person responsible for creating this documentary for reasons best known to him. To voice their grievances and anger, hundreds of demonstrators braved rains and inclement weather on Sunday March 26 and staged peaceful demonstration in front of CNN office in Chicago Downtown. The near
Community members at the CNN protest
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Jani bids for 2nd term as Schaumburg trustee residents of this vibrant, multicultural township," Jani says. A Republican, he is a strong CHICAGO: Nimish Jani, Candi- proponent of grassroots level indate for a second term as a Trustee, volvement by the Indian AmeriTownship of Schaumburg is cans and all other ethnic commupepped up with huge community nities. He believes America's democracy offers everybody a fair chance, from the village-township level right up to the U.S. Congress and Senate. A resident of Schaumburg Township for the past 28 years, Jani is intimately familiar with local issues and what it might take to address them. With a population of about 140,000, residents of Indian origin constitute about 18 percent of the population or about 25,000 who represent all the wellknown high performance demographic indicators in terms of education, median inNimish Jani with Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner come and overall professional and entresupport and is facing confidently preneurial success. Of this poputhe scheduled election on April 4. lation only about 4200 have regisHe is through his first four- tered to vote. One of Jani's passionate advoyear-term as a Trustee, Township of Schaumburg, Illinois, and he is cacies has been to encourage In"not taking anything for granted." dian Americans and other South He is focused on a specific agenda Asian Americans in Schaumburg in aid of the residents of this thriv- to get involved in local government, institutions and boards. "It ing township. "For me the upcoming elections is my cherished goal to see that are like a wholly new challenge. each of the township's agencies One has to work as if one is doing has at least one member of our Init for the first time. I owe it to the dian American and South Asian RAMESH SOPARAWALA India Post News Service
American community working. It is a pity that as a community, we fall woefully short when it comes
cies in the school curriculum about subjects related to India and South Asia can creep in and re-
While members of the U.S. Congress and Senate are important, "for our daily lives and the overall standards of living, it is at the level of the township and village that we need to pay much more attention." to getting involved in the affairs of the township,"Jani says. He specifically points out that while members of the U.S. Congress and Senate are important, "for our daily lives and the overall standards of living, it is at the level of the township and village that we need to pay much more attention." One of his favorite examples is to bring to the notice of his constituents that the annual property tax that the residents pay includes over a dozen other levies that people do not even realize are included as well. Those levies pay for services that frequently go unused. More often than not, since the Indian American community stays away from local involvement, their cultural needs in terms of local services remain unaddressed. "The importance of having representations on all township boards and bodies as well as employees lies in being able to help craft policies that help our community. Without that level of involvement and commitment our case will go by default," he says. He cites specific examples such as how in the event of inaccura-
main uncorrected if there is no one forcefully representing the community's demographic interests. "Remember, all policies are made according to the demographics," he says. Other than the signature promise of a balanced budget, lower
ber of elderly Indian Americans who may not speak English. He wants to address that. A health issue unique to the South Asian community is one of a high incidence of heart diseases. It is a well-known fact in the world of medicine that there is a certain genetic predisposition among South Asians towards heart ailments. TRUSTEE CANDIDATES The Republican team for trustee candidates that Mr. Jani is a member of consists of Diane Dunham, W. Robert Vinnedge and Jeffery S. Mytych. VOTING The in-person voting is scheduled for April 4 but early voting has already commenced as of
Nimish Jani with a group of supporters
taxes and efficient services, Mr. Jani says he wants focus on community-specific services of particular interest to the Indian Americans. Language barrier often makes availing townships services difficult for a large num-
March 20 through April 3 at the Trickster Art Gallery, 190 S. Roselle Road in Schaumburg or the Hoffman Estate Village Hall, 1900 Hassell Road in Hoffman Estate on Monday through Saturday between 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Jyoti Dharod's unique knee camps in India RAMESH SOPARAWALA India Post News Service
CHICAGO: US based Perfusionist and ECMO Specialist Jyoti Dharod created history
organizing the first of its type three-days Knee Camp in Kutch Gujarat treating knee patients with her own innovative method that involved no invasive surgery. Interestingly, all the patients
Jyoti Dharod, the main organizer with husband Mohit Gala
coming to the camp were not charged any fee. This was possible because the expenses were taken care of by charitable organizations, some donors and volunteers rendering no cost services. Machine kits and medicines were taken from USA to rural areas in India. Explaining the procedure essentially developed by Jyoti Dharod with the help of her colleagues and eminent medicos including orthopedic surgeon Dr Nwaneri Ucchena, she said that in a shorter form it is called PRP that involves "drawing 50 ml blood from patient. Centrifuge it and prepare Platelet Rich Plasma. (PRP)" The treatment was preceded by a small preparatory talk and question answer sessions with the patients and other participants.
The Knee Camp team and volunteers
In India she was in a position to enlist the help of qualified orthopedic surges and medicos including Dr. Suresh Shetty, Dr. Dhurmin Sangoi and local physicians.
The three-day camp was organized on February17 and 18 at Bidada, Kutch, Gujarat while culminating on February 19 at Gandhidham, Kutch, Gujarat. Cont’d on page 46
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iCAN Awards Night was a dazzling affair ASHFAQ SYED
The ICAN Leadership team Girish Kapoor, Sanjeev Singh, Ravi Rawat, Rita Singh, Jassi Parmar, Bhavesh Patel, Neil Khot and Nilesh Topiwala. -Pics Mohinderjit Singh Rakalla
CHICAGO: The first of its type fabulous performances, entertainiCAN Finale Night held at Mead- ment and glamour, iCAN honored ows Club in Rolling Meadows (a the contributions of these commuNorthside suburb of Chicago) was nity heroes by giving away its 1st a dazzling affair as the crème-de- iCAN Trophies to the most dela-crème of Chicagoland added to serving social workers, commuthe glamour quotient and made it nity leaders and performers across a memorable evening. The event on March 18 was launched in association with Star plus & Life OK, two of the leading TV channels, along with 40+ local sponsors. It started with a red carpet welcome for all the iCAN nominees, reminding one of any film awards night. All the nominees and their families were specially treated as heroes for that evening. The evening celebrated the achievements of real community heroes -200 Plus Award nominees - in presence of close to 1000 attendRavi Rawaat, one of the lead organizers ees among whom were with Award prominent personalities from Chicago's Indian American various categories. political, social, business and enIndian Consul General Ms. tertainment community. Amidst Neeta Bhushan was the Chief
Guest. Jassi Parmar and Mohan Rawat, the very versatile and highly talented EMCEE's, made the evening a memorable experience for all. With about 700 nominations in various categories and over 100,000 votes, the event had all the trappings of the world famous Academy Awards. The electrifying performance of 150 artists was an icing on the cake. The presence of the 40 generous sponsors was a great morale booster for all. It's a moment of great pride to bring the community leaders from different walks of life under one roof and to recognize their spectacular services to the community in a grand function. A total of 38 awards were presented in the field of dance, music, community, health, performing arts et al. The awards ceremony started with presenting Lifetime Achievement Award to Dr. Bharat Barai-Panna, a recipient of President Award. Barai thanked iCAN team for encouraging all the young talent in the community.
Dr Bharat Barai with Mrs Doctor Panna Barai after receiving Lifetime Achievement Award from CG Neeta Bhushan & Rita Singh
Dr Deepak Kant Vyas, Chairman & CEO of Redberri Corporation, getting Special Jury Award from CG Neeta Bhushan & Rita Singh
Cont’d on page 23
Verandah Retirement Community recognized DEVESH SHAHSTRI ADDS:
D
Dr Anuja Gupta receiving I CAN Award
r. Anuja Gupta, Founder & CEO of Verandah Retirement Community was awarded Best Entrepreneur Female by Indian Community Awards (ICAN) Chicago. The award highlighted the project Verandah which is Chicago's first property development to offer customized options for Indian preferences. Anuja Gupta was selected as the winner amongst many other prominent business women and entrepreneurs. In her words, "I think Verandah was selected because it's a unique project in our community which will be impactful in contributing to the life-style of our senior community."
Verandah marketing team member Hema Shahstri was also recognized as Best Community Promoter by ICAN.
Hema Shahstri gets recognized as Verandah marketing team member
Moon Khan getting Community Leader Award
Local talent groups enthralled and mesmerized audience with their scintillating entertainment
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BAPS conference inspires & empowers women India Post News Service
CHINO HILLS, CA: The BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Chino Hills, CA held its annual Women's Conference themed Resolutions: Bonds that Liberate. The conference centered on positive resolutions that transform lives by transforming habits: accepting ownership, performing hard work, and making sacrifices. Distinguished speakers discussed
how one's resolve to take ownership, perform hard work, and make sacrifices can strengthen character and develop grit. The conference was led by keynote speaker Dr Nandini Rajagopalan, Professor of Management and Organization in the Marshall School of Business at the University of Southern California. In her speech, she mentioned, " Resolutions need to reflect the priorities in your life and these priorities can change. The resolution
should be consistent with your career stage, your life stage, your family stage‌ Focusing on what we can do rather than focusing just on the desired outcome gives us a greater sense of fulfillment." Reflecting on her conference experience, Dr. Rajagopalan later expressed, "we [many Indian women] grew up in a society where we didn't talk about our failures, emotional challenges, and certainly not about topics like dealing with adversity. I've found that meeting in a place like this and sharing our successes and failures is not just inspiring, but empowering, honest, and truthful." Akta Patel, a clinical nurse man-
ager and business owner, focused on how individuals can cultivate personal accountability within family, community, and spiritual growth without feeling burdened. Ms. Patel noted, "Knowing that everyone has different issues, different concerns, and different situations going on in their lives gives us an opportunity to learn from and thrive off each other." The audience learned that hard work requires drive and dedication, a commitment to finding the solution without giving up, from Dhwani Shah, a student at the Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry. Dr. Indira Mehta, a former Research Biologist and lecturer at the University of California, Irvine concluded the conference by discussing value of sacrifice, specifically the empowerment found in putting others' needs before one's own. The Women's Conference was
organized by local youth and women volunteers of BAPS. They dedicated weeks of their time leading up to the conference to organize a professional forum where women could share their strengths and empower one another. The diversity of speakers invited to present at the conference appealed to a wide variety of interests among audience members. Their personal experiences and
adherence to cultural values inspired young women to strive for success while imbibing spirituality into their daily lives. "What really stood out to me was the quality of the speakers, the messages, and especially the fact that there were a lot of young women here. I feel that when we teach a woman, we teach a village. Cont’d on page 47
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Avalon holds seminar for medical students HEMA SHAHSTRI
CHICAGO: Avalon University School of Medicine, owned and operated by practicing, teaching physicians, hosted an educative and informational seminar to acquaint the potential medical students and medical fraternity about its program and activities on Sunday March 19 in Elk Grove Village, a Northside suburb of Chicago The University based in Curaçao, one of the most developed and modern islands in the Caribbean, offers a 5-year Premed/MD Program for high school graduates, and a 4-year MD Program for college
graduates or eligible college students, who have completed the required undergraduate coursework. The well attended seminar had presentations, talks and question answer sessions with attendees and among others was attended by the University representatives including Robert Debiec, Mir Ali and Dr Avi Verma. AUSOM was founded in 2003 and is chartered by the government of Curacao. The faculty of AUSOM consists of professors who are qualified doctors with extensive experience and
the leadership to provide students with the level of medical knowledge, facts, concepts and principles essential to their future in a successful medical practice. With its small class size average of 35 students per class, the students experience a personalized education and individual attention they need to succeed. The goal is for all students to be molded into well-rounded physicians who exhibit the compassion, integrity and honesty essential for becoming a great medical doctor. Avalon University School of Medicine is listed with: • ECFMG (Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates) • IMED (International Medical
Community protests CNN's weird version of Hinduism Cont’d from page 18
drinking alcohol and urine from skull as portrayal for over a billion practitioners of Hinduism while projecting them as fighters against Hindu caste system. Without consulting any authority or a scholar, he painted a completely inaccurate and unsubstantiated picture of Hinduism. Hinduism is a religion, or a way of life found most notably in India and Nepal. Hinduism has been called the oldest religion in the world and some practitioners and scholars refer to it as Santana Dharma, "the eternal law," or the "eternal way, beyond human origins. Today 1.25 billion Hindus all over the world comprise world-renowned scientists, entrepreneurs, educators, businessmen, medical doctors, engineers, software engineers, accounting professionals and so on. Dr Bharat Barai, senior community leader stated, "Instead of trying to show all positives elements of Hinduism, it showed extreme and cannibalistic practices of only five individuals as Hinduism. The grotesque practices of five individuals have nothing to do with Hinduism; they are not part of any Hindu scriptures or Hindu teachings. The caste system was based on the profession, not birth when it started 5000 years ago. After Independence, Hindu society in India has been reforming itself. The Constitution of India treats everyone as equal and in fact the socalled Dalits today enjoy special opportunities in education, employment and elected bodies."
Avalon University School of Medicine team Robert Debiec, MD Director of Student Affairs, Mir Ali Admission Coordinator, Dr (Hon.) Avi Verma, Chairman North Shore Medical Education, at the seminar in Chicagoland Elk Grove Village
Education Directory) • WHO (World Health Organization) • MCC (Medical Council of Canada) • MCI (Medical Council of India) These listings allow the graduates to practice medicine in North America, and in most countries around the world. AUSOM Graduates have obtained residencies and licensure in the United States, Canada and internationally.
Avalon Clinical Program is one of the strongest in comparison to others in the area, including many international medical schools. "We guarantee our clinical rotations at exceptional teaching hospitals and rotations are available in the United States and in Curaçao. Illinois is an IMG friendly state and we currently have clinical rotations in the Chicago area, and spots are available," observed Avi Verma, a spokesman here.
Hindu Aarti held weekly at Harvard NEELA PANDYA
A large number of women protestors also came to voice their feelings
"CNN and Reza Aslan have responsibility to make accurate, fair and balanced presentation on any topic. This was a highly biased and extreme presentation to sensationalize the practices of few isolated people as Hinduism. CNN and Reza Aslan had plenty of resources available to know about over billion Hindus worldwide, their scriptures, their practices and their real lives." said Dr Shamkant Sheth, President of VHPA-Chicago. He demanded CNN to consult the scholars and immediately apologize for this gross blunder.
The protest was actively supported and attended by many highly respected community leaders including Shalabh Kumar, Vandana Jhingan, Krishna Bansal, Hemant Patel, Jitendra Diganvker, Jitendra Bulsara, Sailesh Rajput, Amitabh Mittal, Nirav Patel, Shridhar Damle, Amar Upadhya, Haribhai Patel, Narsibhai Patel, Ramanbhai Patel, Santosh Kumar, Hina Trivedi, Sunil Shah, and many more. Suresh Bodiwala also contributed to this report
CAMBRIDGE, MA: A weekly Aarti is reportedly held at Harvard University (HU), one of the world's top and United States' oldest institution of higher education, established in 1636. Organized by Harvard Dharma (Harvard's Hindu Students Association), it is held in Dharma Prayer Space at Canaday Basement in Harvard Yard of HU in Cambridge (Massachusetts) on Fridays at five pm. Aarti is a Hindu worship ceremony/offering performed in adoration/ honor of deity/deities by circular movement of a lighted lamp accompanied by hymn singing and may include sounding of handbells and other instruments. Worshippers pass their hands over the flames of the lighted lamp and then touch their faces/ heads with these hands, thus transferring the deity's blessings. Harvard Dharma, focusing on Hindu spiritual and cultural life at Harvard University, also celebrates various Hindu festivals like Deepavali, Holi, etc.; organizes discussions and speaker events about Hinduism and related issues
on the campus; etc. Priyanka Kumar, Gunjari Raychaudhuri and Aniket Zinzuwadia are Co-Presidents. HU, whose motto is Veritas (Latin for "truth") and which has about 22,000 students, boasts of "48 Nobel Laureates, 32 heads of state, 48 Pulitzer Prize winners". The Harvard Library-claimed to be the "largest academic library in the world"-includes about 20.4 million
volumes. Drew Gilpin Faust is the HU President, while Kenji Yoshino is President of its Board of Overseers. It was named after John Harvard, a Christian minister. Applauding Harvard, Rajan Zed, President of Universal Society of Hinduism and Sohan Joshi, former head of National Federation of Indian Associations, said that it is a step in the right direction as it involves an intersection of spirituality and education, which was important in Hinduism.
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iCAN Awards Night was a dazzling affair Cont’d from page 20
Dr. Deepak Kant Vyas, Chairman & CEO of Redberri Corporation was given Special Jury Award. Dr. Deepak referred to the following famous quote of Ethel Percy Andrus: "What I spent is gone; what I kept, I lost; but what I gave away, will be mine forever". Harold D'Souza was given the iCAN Humanitarian Services Award. "Humanitarian service is the service to the God and it is a reward in itself. One should keep serving the society irrespective of any appreciation", said D'souza Pride of Community Award was awarded to Sonal Rawal. The win-
Lifetime Achievement Award 2 for Outstanding Humanitarian Service was presented to Satnam Singh Aulakh. He said that the event is professionally conceived and efficiently delivered. The Jury Award 2 was given to Ami Patel. Best Entrepreneur Female was awarded to Dr. Anuja Gupta, Fashion Icon Female was awarded to Ms Aishwarya Sharma. iCAN Jury Award 2 for Outstanding Community Service was presented to Hemangini Shastri, iCAN Youth Achiever Award was given to Saloni and Savani Nagarkar sisters who teach kids about coding. Youth Icon Award was won by
Full iCAN team at the end of the iCAN awards night
ner of the Best Community Promoter Award was Dr. Uma Katiki. The awards night continued with Best Restaurant Award - and the winner was Cuisine of India Rahul Sehgal. Best Chef award was given to Chef Raghu Singh from India House. Community Health and Fitness award was presented to Vidya Nahar. iCAN Friend of India was Mayor Bill McLeod from Hoffman Estates. He said he was very proud and humbled to receive this award on behalf of the people of Hoffman Estates.
Suhanee Patel. Student of the Year Award winner was Nipun Dubey. ICAN Jury Award 3, Young Achiever award was presented to Roni Akurati. Best Singer Male was Mandeep Singh Saini, Best Singer Female was Nipa Shah, Best Volunteer award winner was Rajeev Bharel and Lifetime Achievement Award for Outstanding Senior Service was Haribhai Patel. Best Dancer Female was Kajol Topiwala, Best Choreographer was Sweta Bhagwakar, Best Entrepreneur Male was Rahul Wahi,
Best Innovator was Anil Oroskar. Lifetime Achievement Award 4 for Outstanding Community Service was Jayantilal Thakkar. Best Performing Artist was awarded to Ashley Singh. Most Emerging Personality winner was Natasha Trikha. Fashion Icon Male was Syed Hussaini. Most Humble Person was Swapna Pula. Social Media King winner was Noman Khan, Social Media Queen was Farah Khan, Best wife Biwi No 1 winner was Farhana Bukhari, Best Couple Jodi No 1 winner was Puneet and Sim Sabarwal. Best Show Promoter Group was Sahil and LA TAN; Best Dance Group/ Academy was Kalashree D a n c e Academy. Best Community Leader was awarded to M o o n Khan. Best Community Organization was Blind Foundation for India. iCAN Jury Award for Best Community Volunteer Organization was Sant Nirankari Mission, Chicago. The iCAN Awards Night continued with Neil Khot and Rita Singh as MCs. It ended on a very high note as local talent groups enthralled the audience with their scintillating entertainment. In the midst of a high energy event, the audiences also got a chance to hear some anecdotes/ powerful notes from distinguished members of the iCAN executive team. The Leadership of iCAN which includes Ravi Rawat, Jassi Parmar, Sanjeev Singh, Rita Singh,
San Jose artist presents sketch to SPB India Post News Service
SAN FRANCISCO, CA: Arvind Kotha, a well known artist from San Jose who specializes in pencil sketches, presented a portrait to Dr.SPB Garu (S P Balasubrahmanyam) on the occasion of the SPB 50 World Tour 2017 (completing 50 years of his musical career). The World Tour is produced by his son SPB Charan Garu. The artist received appreciation from the entire SPB crew, SPB Charan Garu, SP Sailaja Sudhakar Garu & Chitra Garu. Arvind Kotha made a name for himself in the pages of Guinness Book of Records and Limca Book of Records by continuously sketching for 108 hours, 5 days without sleeping in Hyderabad in the year 2004.
Bhavesh Patel, Neil Khot, Girish Kapoor and Nilesh Topiwala, thanked all the guests, volunteers, sponsors, and community leaders
who attended the event. They also promised to present the next edition of the Ican awards night on a still better note.
Warm Springs station opens new transportation option in East Bay Cont’d from page 16
The most well-known company in the district is Tesla. The electric-car maker anchors the district at the former New United Motor Manufacturing plant. The company recently came out with plans to roughly double its footprint in Fremont. But for city planners the arrival of BART means Tesla is just the beginning.
ers, they like to live in the City," Gerald said. "They don't like to drive. They want to get on from their home into a train station and then go out and go to work and comeback. So absolutely this will help this area quite a bit." The overall plan calls for more than just new jobs. "A significant amount of the development that you're going to see close by the station are public plazas, beautiful streets, bike trails, pedestrian connections. Things that really breathe life into the district and make it not only an employment center and a transit hub but also this kind of 21st century workplace," said Kline." It's also a place that thousands of people will call home. Fremont planners say eventually some 12,000 people will live in the Warm Springs area. That includes about 4,000 housing units that have been approved and are
Hub for innovation Warm Springs is emerging as a hub for innovation that has attracted large companies such as Thermo Fisher Scientific. The biotech firm employs about 700 people at its campus on Kato Road. Company general manager John Kody says the arrival of BART is huge when it comes to attracting and retaining employees who want real transit options. "Traffic is the number The Warm Springs BART one topic," said Kody. "Having moved from the Station will grow in imporMidwest, everyone speaks about the tance as the transit weather. Here they agency extends its reach speak of traffic. And when I asked them where into Silicon Valley. I should live everyone starts talking the traffic patterns. So the ability to access in close proximity to the Warm BART and to have the BART train Springs BART Station. More than come this far down to our facility 500 of those units will be offered as will make a big difference in affordable housing. everyone's lives." Warm Springs is also becoming Expectations are rising for a destination for travelers. Fremont growth in the innovation district. Marriott Silicon Valley sales direcThere are an estimated 20,000 jobs tor Clark Rabano says extending already there and Fremont officials BART south means a big increase say that number could double in in out-of-town visitors. "Just the convenience of it. the years ahead. That's where BART comes in, We're literally five minutes away. to give those employees a way to So we see that as an opportunity avoid gridlock. Smaller companies to actually bring in more of the say it will help with hiring and con- groups that might now be in San ducting day-to-day business. Francisco or along the Peninsula Bastin Gerald is the founder of where there are actually higher hoApptivo. His business-software tel rates. We think we give them a company employs about a dozen lot of value," said Rabano. people in Fremont. He says in some He and others say the Warm cases even offering higher pay is Springs BART Station will grow in not enough for job candidates if it importance as the transit agency means they'll be struck in traffic on extends its reach into Silicon Vala regular basis. Gerald is excited ley. New BART stations in Milpitas about the arrival of BART. and San Jose's Berryessa neighbor"In this area, a lot of our young hood are expected to open later this talent, innovators and digital think- year.
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SATYAGRAH SOULS Indian Americans Making A Difference
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ATYAGRAH SOULS is a monthly political series presented by Silicon Valley's community leader, Saratoga Councilmember Rishi Kumar, in highlighting the community involvement and success of Indian Americans in the United States. This series seeks to inspire us in giving back to our local community. We Indian Americans are going through a transitional evolution, as we get entrenched in a new world, embracing new culture, exerting zealous work ethics, supporting the American economy as entrepreneurs, high tech geeks, doctors, lawyers and more.
We are definitely imposing the positive intentions and good citizen values upon this fantastic country and making a huge impact. But can our involvement run a bit deeper with issues near and dear to our hearts, perhaps within our local city, or with the local public school that our children attend? Do we sometimes hear our conscience imploring, "Am I doing enough?" Yes we can get involved just a bit more, push our comfort zone and enhance the learning and impact our involvement. Our involvement can simply start with developing a healthy curiosity in our local community, instead of being 'busy' bystanders.
The favorite Interpreter of world leaders G
urdeep tell us how did you find the path to not so well trodden path of translation and Interpretation When I look back to my last 25 years of life with a vision 20/20, it appears that I was destined to join the field of interpretation even though it had never ever struck me as a career as a student. While I was pursuing my Masters' in English Literature at St. Stephen's College, Delhi University, I happened to glance at an advertisement posted by the Lok Sabha (House of Representatives), Indian Parliament for Translators' position. All it required was a College Degree in English or Hindi literature. For fun sake, I wanted to just try it out. I had no plan to join there as I always wanted to return to my alma mater as a Professor and my dad was pushing me to sit for Civil Services Exam and be a bureaucrat like him. As luck would have it, what just began as a fun-sake attempt, pulled me towards it manifold and I qualified all tests and interviews. I was still in my final year of Master's Degree when I received the invitation to
join the Parliament as a Translator. Thinking of just giving it a try and leave it once I get my Master's Degree, I joined the Parliament. It was a whole new world as I transitioned between college and the Parliament job. I was seeing legendary Parliamentarians like Mr Advani, Mr Vajpayee, Mr Rajiv Gandhi, Mr Jaswant Singh, Mr Mani Shankar Aiyar etc walking and eating in the same corridors, library and cafeteria as I was exploring as a young (still a student) employee with trepidation. This was simply mesmerizing. My first visit to the Lok Sabha visitors' gallery exposed me to the possibility of live, simultaneous interpretation of the proceedings of the House of Representatives. I found it amazing how real men and women were churning out live proceedings in a different language without any loss of time or terminology. What appealed to me even more was the fact that whatever the interpreters spoke was picked by the Press and reported same day on TV and newspapers. Cont’d on page 25
Gurdeep interpreted during PM Modi's first visit to White House, September 2014
Once we get involved, we will quickly discover, how easy it is for us to make progressive change happen and how receptive everyone around is, to leverage our skills for it. There are leaders waiting to be discovered, why not "me", by taking that first step? The give-back experience can be freeing, energizing - personally rewarding and transformative at the same time. There are many who have made their mark in doing just that. With this monthly series, we want to highlight these SatyAgrah souls who are showing us the path. Here is a SatyaGrah soul, who has found the calling:
A MONTHLY POLITICAL SERIES - BY RISHI KUMAR
Passion for debates & public speaking G urdeep Chawla SA Diplomatic Interpreter, bridging linguistic and cultural gaps for world leaders, was born and raised in New Delhi, India to parents who immigrated from pre-partition India. Life was not easy as her parents were going through the trials and tribulations of settling down and making a living for a joint family of 14 members in a 2 bedroom house. It was in this extended joint family that Gurdeep picked up four different languages: Hindi, Punjabi, Urdu, and English. After her high school education from State run schools, she got chosen by the prestigious St. Stephen's College to pursue her degree in English Literature, with scholarship, followed by two Masters' Degrees in English Literature and Political Gurdeep Science. Her passion for debates, and public speaking opened doors to a job as a Parliamentary Interpreter in the Indian Parliament. She moved to the US in 1996 with her husband and soon started working for the US Department of State as an Interpreter. Gurdeep has interpreted for American President Barack Obama and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at several bilateral talks in the White House, Washington DC, and at the Presidential Palace in India, as well as at the UN General Assembly, the Climate Change Summit, the Nuclear
Security Summit, in the US, and Paris. Gurdeep also had the unique honor of interpreting Indian PM Modi's maiden speech in Hindi at United Nations, Madison Square Garden, the US India Business Council, and Council on Foreign Affairs. Her talent got her invited by the Canadian Government to interpret for the Canadian Prime Minister Mr Stephen Harper and for the Governor General of Canada Dr. David Johnston, during PM Modi's State Visit. Gurdeep also interpreted for Canadian PM at the G20 Summit. She interprets regularly for the World Bank and for numerous multinational Chawla companies. She figured prominently in international media when she travelled to India with President Obama during his State Visit as chief guest for the Republic Day Parade in January 2015 and earlier in 2010. She was commended for her 25 years of services by the City of Saratoga and City of San Jose last year. Gurdeep also acts as an Analyst for news channels on issues related to politics, elections, women and children. She runs her own translation and interpretation company "Indian Languages Services" out of San Jose and Saratoga.
March 31, 2017
SATYAGRAH SOULS Indian Americans Making A Difference
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I thought to myself, "Wow! these guys are learning and making news before it takes the form of News!" The challenge to interpret every word correctly with no delay, was just awesome and drew me towards it with a magnetic force. Soon I was a frequent visitor in the Gallery listening to live interpretation. Sure, I now wanted to try this art. I sat with a few Senior Interpreters in Rajya Sabha (Senate) one afternoon, and practiced a prerecorded passage of the proceeding. Guess what, I was told I gave a great coverage-90 percent! That meant I still had to work hard to cover the remaining ten percent. But this was very encouraging. I decided I wanted to pursue this as a career. The path to success was not easy as there were translators with several decades of experience who were trying to test for Interpreter's position and I was a novice. But as they say, "if you want something with true heart, the entire Universe will work towards making it a success." That's exactly what happened with me. I put my best efforts, sat for a number of tests for Interpreter's position in the Indian Parliament and the Universe made it a success. Rubbing shoulders with international leaders of the world whether President Obama or PM Modi. How has the experience been like for you? What have you learnt? It has been a very humbling experience rubbing shoulders with world leaders. You see them and work with them from such close quarters, sitting next to them on the same table during bilateral talks. The focus at that point is not that you are sitting with the Head of the State, but the fact that you are shouldering a huge responsibility of conveying each and every word most accurately because in diplomacy, every word counts and every word has so many nuances. A little distraction can ruin the relationship between two countries. From President Obama, PM Modi and other world leaders like PM Harper (Canada) I have learnt persistence in what you believe in, self-sacrifice to achieve what you believe in, and being passionate about what you do, besides modesty, friendliness, and self-discipline. Are there one or two incidents that stand out in your interaction that you would like to share with our readers? Yes, one incident that stands out in my interactions with world leaders is when I
Favorite Interpreter of world leaders was traveling in the Air India One - official plane of the Indian PM with PM of India Mr Modi and PM of Canada, Mr Stephen Harper to interpret as we flew from Ottawa to Toronto. I was hired by the Canadian PM's Office for interpretation. As I took my seat, PM Modi pointed towards me and very proudly told the Canadian PM Harper, "She is from our Parliament." This came as a surprise to Mr Harper since he apparently was going to introduce me to PM Modi as his interpreter from Canada. What impressed me and everyone around was that PM Modi does his homework and knows very well who is going to be working with him. Similarly after I interpreted for the first bilateral talk between President Obama and PM Modi in the White House, I had the opportunity to interpret for the Canadian PM and PM Modi at G20 in Australia. As soon as PM Modi saw me,
At Hyderabad House in New Delhi during bilateral talks between US and India led by Obama and Modi.
Amongst all the conferences, meetings you have attended, which particular global event had you the most excited, and stands out as a life defining moment for you? Each conference and meeting has been unique because it offered something different. However the one that excited me the most and stands out the most is when I interpreted PM Modi's maiden speech from Hindi to English at the United Nations in 2014. The entire world was eager to hear what the newlyelected PM of India had to With President Obama, PM Modi and former PM Manmohan Singh say and the entire internaat Rashtrapati Bhavan Mughal Gardens in New Delhi during President Obama's State Visit in January 2015. tional media was broadcasting my simultaneous (before the bilateral talks began) he smiled interpretation along with his speech. and said (in Hindi "Aap vahan bhi or yahan bhi, dono deshon mein?") "You are present Which global leader inspired you the most there as well as here, in both the countries?" and why - the one you would like to meet I along with everyone else was surprised at again and again his amazing memory. President Obama and PM Modi both have inspired me the most due to their simplicity, clarity of thoughts, yet a very powerful vision and efforts in the direction of global issues like terrorism, climate change, nuclear security, health, poverty, and making this world a global village. Gurdeep thank you! We wish you success with all future endeavors. *****
Aboard Air India1 facilitating interpretation for Canadian PM Stephen Harper and Indian PM Modi
Dear Readers, Do you have a story to share? We invite you to introduce us to folks in your community who are making a difference - we would love to profile them. Are there similar stories you are familiar with locally. The ones who helped address
a simple issue in the community to make life a bit better. Perhaps someone you know decided to make a run for school board, was appointed to the planning commission. Provide us your insights on Indian Americans locally and nationally who are making things happen. These perspectives will help construct roadmaps for our community to empower ourselves, to hopefully ignite a desire in all of us to represent our local communities as doers, leaders, establish and entrench ourselves in this glorious country of America and help make it a better place ***** ABOUT RISHI: Rishi is an elected city councilmember in Saratoga, CA and politically active in the state of California, as a board member on a few state and national political organizations. He continues to follow his passion for community service, seeking to provide services to his constituents cheaper, faster and better, in making a difference. Rishi has diligent service, community outreach and engagement a key focus for his political leadership as a strong independent voice. As Silicon Valley's community organizer, Rishi is host of many social, educational, cultural community events, many of which are free and always inclusive usually addressing a need or a cause. Rishi's day job is as a Silicon Valley hi-tech executive but his zeal for service effervescent. Rishi is also the President of the Bay Area Indian American Democratic Club (www.baiadc.org) whose charter is to further the interests and values of Indian Americans, work towards political empowerment and advance ethical standards in the political system. You can reach him via his website www.RishiKumar.com.
March 31, 2017
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TOP TEN HINDI FILM SONGS
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eepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh, who were in a strong relationship, have finally called it quits. Due to Deepika's busy schedule, their relationship was going nowhere. None of them was happy with each other as they got to spend very little time with one another. Deepika's Hollywood venture and spending more time in the West has taken a toll in their relationship. Now that she is back, the 'Piku' actress is spending more time with her family and friends rather than spending quality time with her rumored beau. Ranveer Singh has undergone dental surgery but the long legged actress did not feel the need to enquire about his well-being. Sometime back, Ranveer was in Switzerland holidaying with his boy squad while Deepika was busy doing a tour the globe for various assignments. The two are now totally focused in their respective works. The couple will however be reuniting on-screen for Sanjay Leela Bhansali's 'Padmavati.
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atrina Kaif is being her gorgeous self in the picturesque mountains of Austria, where she is shooting for 'Tiger Zinda Hai' with Salman Khan . The lady who has been on the path to wellness for the last two years makes no compromise when it comes to staying fit and eating right. Katrina has taken her fitness trainer Reza Katani to Austria to ensure she does not skimp on the workout. Like 'Ek Tha Tiger', its sequel too will have plenty of action sequences. Reportedly, Katrina's trainer is getting her to master the art of doing the plank, an exercise where one holds their body parallel to the ground, giving the illusion that you are floating mid-air. Plank ensures a comprehensive core workout that helps tone and strengthen the chest, shoulders, upper back, lower back and the glutes. And she does need the perfect 10 fit bod for performing stunts opposite Salman Khan, who we hear will reportedly be taking on a pack of wolves for a particular sequence in the movie.
March 31, 2
1 Tamma Tamma: Badrinath Ki Dulhaniya 2 Zaalima: Raees 3 Badri Ki Dulhania: Badrinath Ki Dulhaniya 4 Enna Sona: OK Jaanu 5 Laila: Raees 6 The Humma Song: OK Jaanu 7 Bawara Mann: Jolly LLB 2 8 Humsafar : Badrinath Ki Dulhaniya 9 Kaabil Hoon: Kaabil 10 Dum Dum: Phillauri
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ecoming a target of social media trolls isn't new for Sunny Leone, who got drawn into a controversy earlier this month when filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma wrote a distasteful tweet about her on International Women's Day. But the actress has a smart way to tackle haters - just block them. Varma landed himself in hot soup after his controversial comment: "I wish all the women in the world give men as much happiness as Sunny Leone gives." The comment triggered a storm of protests on Twitter, and even attracted complaints against Varma. Sunny says "I can't do anything about stereotypes. That's just how the world works everywhere." However, she is proud of her husband Daniel Weber and their team for their hard work to push her career. Sunny will next be seen in 'Tera Intezaar' where she shares screen space with Arbaaz Khan.
"I wish all the women in the world give men as much happiness as Sunny Leone gives." The comment triggered a storm of protests on Twitter
Bollywood
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H
rithik Roshan, who played a visually impaired man Rohan Bhatnagar on the silver screen in his recently released film 'Kaabil', received a handwritten letter from a boy whose actual name is Rohan Bhatnagar. A college student from Ranchi, he has expressed gratitude to Hrithik for having made such a common name which he always wanted to change, so special with such a loved performance in Kaabil. He also expresses how he felt a sudden shift in the way people around him reacted to his name post 'Kaabil' release. When asked about it, Hrithik shared, "As an actor we play a character and we ourselves don't know in what possible ways it will connect with people. I couldn't have thought of something like this. When our work lives amidst people and touches their lives in some manner, it is a matter of great satisfaction for an actor or for that matter for any creative person."
"As an actor we play a character and we ourselves don't know in what possible ways it will connect with people. I couldn't have thought of something like this
A R
icha Chadha says the Hindi film industry didn't consider her good looking because of her skin color and body type. "For the longest time, for most of the industry, I was not good looking. I was good looking only for my mom and dad, because I was dusky, didn't have a model-like figure." Asked if there is a difference between the approach of male and female directors, Richa says her myth busted soon while working with Mira Nair. "My third big job in life was to work with Mira Nair to assist in a short film, which hasn't been released yet. I observed how she walked into the set and commanded respect without ever raising her voice. "It was a bustling crew which would often fall silent, not out of fear but respect... I saw this woman director, who could be my friend, could also be maternal towards me and I learnt so much from that. It's fun to work with good directors, irrespective of gender."
lia Bhatt says she would like to have multiple dimensions to her personality rather than being known as just an actress. "I don't want to be known as an actor. I have told this to my mother many times that I need to have layers to my personality. Whether it is producing something on TV, singing, social work or anything. So, I always wanted to have something which is not about me but about others," Alia says. Post the success of 'Badrinath Ki Dulhania' she is going on a short holiday. The actress in collaboration with a game developer, has launched her own experiential game 'Alia Bhatt: Star Life'. "I can't play games that frustrate me. I need the game to calm me down. I have played farmville and candy crush. I have a hectic life so I want to play games to relax." When it comes to playing games with her father Mahesh Bhatt, Alia is too competitive and wants to win every game that she plays.
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RENÉE SYLVESTRE-WILLIAMS
TORONTO, Canada: When Toronto-based lawyer Anjli Patel and her husband, Parambir Keila, were planning their Sikh wedding ceremony, they wanted to keep it simple and have it downtown. But they didn't look specifically for a South Asian planner familiar with their cultures. "We found our wedding planner through a listing on Wedluxe.com," says Patel. It wasn't necessarily the norm for Patel to have a planner. She says traditionally South Asian weddings were organized by families and, in some cases, the entire village. But since her 2012 wedding, she says having a planner instead of relying on family has become more accepted in South Asian communities. "There are South Asian wedding planners, like Sapna [Weddings], but we went with our planner [Melissa Haggerty from Spectacular Spectacular], even though ours was their first South Asian wedding, because we wanted to get married in a downtown venue, and our planner had a lot of experience planning events in downtown venues." Spectacular Spectacular has planned a few South Asian weddings each year since.
Anjli Patel and Parambir Keila
That choice, and that distribution of knowledge, wasn't available 10 or 15 years ago, when Vicki Singh was planning her wedding. She was inspired to start her own wedding planning business after trying to find suppliers who could cater to the South Asian market. As more immigrants settle in Canada, they're looking for planners who can help plan weddings that incorporate all aspects of their cultures. With the Canadian wedding industry worth $5 billion and catering to an average of 160,000 couples annually (according to a survey in Wedding bells magazine), the industry has evolved beyond the white dress. And while it's easy for many people to find a planner who understands their wishes in their countries of origin, it can be difficult to find planners in Canada who fully appreciate clients' varied needs and cultural sensitivities. "This year will be our 15th anniversary [of the business]," says Singh, who has published two books on the subject, Cultural Weddings and The South Asian Wedding Planner. "This issue kept coming up. Cont'd on Page 33
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Anushka Sharma values privacy C
ricketer Virat Kohli shared a romantic Valentine's Day message with a photograph of Anushka Sharma and then, on International Women's Day, he tagged her in a social media post. But the actress has always chosen to stay mum about their bond. She said, she values privacy. "I value privacy, so I will always hope that people let me be when it comes to my personal space," Anushka said in an e-mail interview, when asked if she finds it stifling being constantly under scrutiny, and how she handles it. Having said that, Anushka feels blessed to get the love and affection of her fans. "Scrutiny might not be easy, but it's a minor aspect of a much more gratifying experience in the long run," she added. In the recent past, Bollywood celebrities have spoken out more openly about their personal issues - be it about relationships or dealing with depression. "I think it's a
personal decision that each celebrity takes individually," said the actress. Talking about her journey, she said, "What I have realized so far is that one should just let one's work do all the talking. I stayed focused on choosing to work in roles that made a difference to a film, and in films that entertained and engaged viewers." Giving the roles and scripts priority has paid off for her. "I have worked with filmmakers who matter today and have won audience approval with my commercial successes. So, hard work above all else is the mantra to success. That's perhaps my biggest learning,"
Anushka added. Be it as the vivacious Taani from 'Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi', fun-loving Shruti from 'Band Baaja Baaraat' or the strongheaded Meera from
her maiden production 'NH10', Anushka has always shared equal ground with male actors. Is that a conscious decision? "I wanted to become an actor, to be part of films that will remain with an audience much after they have left the theatre, films that you remember with fondness. So, my decision to take up roles that have something to say and make a difference to how a film shapes up, emerges from that." Anushka says she took her chances by focusing
on strong, empowered and easyto-relate-to roles. "Since audiences today remember the characters that I have played, and the roles that I have done, it indicates that I chose the right direction. I hope to continue to be part of films where what I play matters," she said. Anushka's next film is 'Phillauri' under her home banner Clean Slate Films, and she features in it as a friendly ghost. Besides her, the film also stars Diljit Dosanjh, Suraj Sharma and Mehreen Pirzada. "It's a funny and entertaining role with an element of intrigue also in play," Anushka said of the family entertainer. Then there is filmmaker Imtiaz Ali's upcoming film with superstar Shah Rukh Khan. "At this stage, I can't say anything about Imtiaz Ali's film other than the fact that it's been absolutely fantastic collaborating with them. The film is visually and emotionally rich and engaging," she said.
Sidhu can continue his TV innings: AG CHANDIGARH: Punjab Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu can continue as a celebrity-judge on a popular TV comedy show and there is no conflict of interest in it, according to state's Advocate General Atul Nanda. "The Chief Minister has confirmed that he has received the report from the AG on the issue. Now there is no hindrance to Sidhu's continuation on TV shows, nor there is any need to change his culture portfolio," Chief Minister Amarinder Singh's Media Advisor Raveen Thukral said here. "There was, in the opinion of
the AG, no violation of the Constitution of India, the Representation of the People Act, 1951 or the Code of Conduct in this case," he said. As per the AG's opinion, Sidhu faces no legal barrier in continuing with his work on the show. "There is no conflict of interest between his work on the show and his office and discharge of duties as the Minister of Local Government, Tourism, Cultural Affairs, Archives and Museums for the State of Punjab," Thukral said citing the AG's four-page report. Singh had asked the Advocate General to give his opinion on
whether there was any prohibition or restriction in continuation of Sidhu's work as a celebrity guest on "The Kapil Sharma Show". The report noted that the role and function of a celebrity judge on the show is "not an office of profit under the Government of India/the State Government". "It is not even an office under the Government of India/ State Government. Hence the continuation of such work would not invite the disqualification of holding of an office of profit within the meaning of Article 191(1)," it said. The AG opined there is "no im-
Madhuri: Film industry has become disciplined
M
adhuri Dixit, who ruled the silver screen in the late '80s and '90s, has said the film industry has become more "disciplined" over the years. "Today films are being made on time and everyone has become punctual. There is discipline. Also, different kinds (concept) of films are being made and are doing well. It is not just about song and dance, they have started focusing on the story too. "Today women (actress) are coming in the forefront and producing films, which is wonderful. You get a bound script, you are aware about your role,
your look and actors just have to focus on their performance. The industry is moving in the right direction," Madhuri said. Madhuri, 49, who was present at F I C C I Frames 2017 along with her husband Sriram Nene,
spoke about her online dance academy and life after marriage and motherhoood. The dancing diva noted more writers are taking interest in writing women-centric roles. "Change doesn't happen overnight. I see more roles are being written with actresses in mind. Today women are not just a mother, they take care of the home, kids and everything and people are taking cognizance of this," she said. Madhuri, who was last seen in "Gulaab Gang", will return to the big screen provided there is a good role for her.-PTI
Punjab Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu
pediment to the minister continuing with his work on the show in terms of the Representation of the Peoples Act, 1951, which sets out various disqualifications under Sections 8, 8-A, 9, 9-A, 10, 10-A,
11-A". "The minister's continuation of work on the show also does not violate Clause 1(b) of the Minster's Code of Conduct," he noted.-PTI
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Women have to be their own heroes: Taapsee you worried about getting injured on the set? Neeraj (Pandey, writerproducer) sir would immediately stop the shoot if he felt that a stunt was tricky or had the potential to go awry. Cyril, the French stuntman who trained me, ensured that all precautionary measures were in place. The kind of trouble they take to ensure safety can drive you nuts. I have never gotten injured while shooting for the film. Also, I had trained hard to get into the skin of my character. However, basic bruises and clotting were
T
aapsee Pannu's big Bollywood debut in 2013 failed to leave a mark. It wasn't until a cameo in the 2015 thriller 'Baby' and an authorbacked role in last year's social drama, 'Pink', that she tasted success and critical acclaim. This year, she is all set to come into her own with a lead role in the 'Baby' spinoff, 'Naam Shabana'. In a no-holds-barred chat, Taapsee holds forth on why she doesn't fit into the mould of the quintessential Hindi film heroine, her action avatar, empowerment of women and nepotism in Bollywood. Excerpt: How did you land the role in 'Naam Shabana'? I didn't zero in on the role, it zeroed in on me. After seeing the response to Shabana (her character in 'Baby'), the makers decided to come up with a full-fledged film on her. This film is the perfect example of what audiences can do. 'Naam Shabana' was not thought of by the filmmakers, the audiences made them think about it. That's why I always say, 'jiska koi nahi hota, uska audience hota hai.' I don't have a Godfather in Bollywood. My audience is my Godfather. This being an action film, were
common. Were you intimidated by the fact that you were sharing screen space with accomplished actors like Akshay Kumar, Anupam Kher and Manoj Bajpayee? It was intimidating, as I was surrounded by accomplished actors. I don't get intimidated by the biggest of stars, but when I know that I am sharing my workspace with brilliant actors, it's tough not to be in awe. Neeraj doesn't scream or shout, but his sarcastic one-liners can be potent. It was one of the most serious sets I have ever been a part of. Even the jokes were delivered with a poker straight face. On the other hand, I am somebody who talks a lot and laughs out loud. I think I was the most I dramatic person on the film's set. 'Naam Shabana' is a female protagonist-driven film and the responsibility of its box-office performance rests on your shoulders. Are you nervous? The stress and pressure of the film's box-office performance is being taken care of by two pairs of strong shoulders - Akshay Kumar and Neeraj Pandey. I know that the film is in safe hands. Why did you choose a film that showcases you in an action ava-
tar? Frankly, I didn't get roles in commercial films after my debut, as there were already many beautiful girls who were doing well in that space. So, I have made the most of the opportunities that I got. I believe there are two ways of going about it. You either accept roles that present you as the most glamorous or desirable person or you do the hard-hitting ones because then, people have no other option but to notice you. I have taken the latter route. How do you manage to seamlessly traverse diametrically opposite worlds created by directors like David Dhawan and Neeraj Pandey? I have no qualms in admitting that I am a director's actor. If that gets interpreted as 'She doesn't know her job and that's why she relies on the director', so be it. I use my faculties to choose the right director and script. After that, I surrender myself to a David Dhawan or a Neeraj Pandey because they are the masters of their respective genres. As far as improvisation is concerned, I do it when I relate to a character on a personal level. On Neeraj sir's sets, it was pretty much by the book as I didn't relate to Shabana on a personal level. The number of female-centric films that will hit screens this year is staggering. What do you think has changed over the years for this trend to have set in?
Our audiences have changed; they have started watching Hollywood films. There, the number of female protagonist-driven films is high. Writing a film with a woman at the centre of the narrative is a complex process as women have many layers to their personality. If executed well, it makes for
lains in each other's lives. Women empowerment in the real sense can be achieved only if one woman aims to empower another. Kangana Ranaut recently spoke out against Bollywood being nepotistic. What's your take? I am a proud outsider, nobody
Women have to be their own heroes. They should stop expecting a knight in shining armor to come to their rescue. That's not going to happen. good content. Talking of women, does empowerment mean that they have to protect themselves and not rely on men to come to their aid? Women have to be their own heroes. They should stop expecting a knight in shining armor to come to their rescue. That's not going to happen. We need to take charge of our own safety and lives. Women should stop seeking permission to live their lives the way they want. We can't keep waiting for approval when it comes to making choices, be it in terms of careers or, for that matter, even something as simple as going on a holiday. We can't keep waiting for approval from husbands and in-laws because that's bizarre. Also, women have to stop becoming vil-
forced me to come into the industry. I was aware of the nepotism that exists in the industry and even then, I decided to be a part of it. I don't like playing the victim card. There are filmmakers who happily work with outsiders like Shoojit Sircar and Neeraj Pandey. You might lose out on some projects because of nepotism, but something else will come your way. You can't keep blaming nepotism for not getting work. I wasn't even passionate about acting and probably, that worked in my favor because I didn't see films as the be all and end all of my life. You will get your fair share of work despite having no connections in the industry and I am the living example of that. It is a game and nepotism is part of it. Play your outsider card if you have to.
Indian film wins big at 15th HAF GUWAHATI: Assamese filmmaker Rima Das' film "Village Rockstars" has been officially selected for the 2017 Marche du Film (Cannes) Work-In-Progress Lab at the 15th Hong Kong-Asia Film Financing Forum. Rima's film was among the eight shortlisted WIP Lab projects that are in the later stages of production at this year's HAF, which announced its collaboration with Festival de Cannes to present the "Hong Kong Goes to Cannes" program. The program, aimed at offering valuable screening opportunities for promising film projects at the HAF, revealed the first round selection of the movies from the WIP Lab for presentation and pitching at the Cannes Film Festival in May, which also included "Village
Rockstars". "We have won two awards at Hong Kong Asian Film Forum (HAF), including post-production fund award from White Light Studio and a place in the Hong Kong to Cannes Film festival program where we will be presenting our film at the Marche du Film's WIP Lab this May," Rima said. White Light Studio will offer post-production services valued at USD 15,000 to Rima film. The movie is about a girl, Dhunu, who has grown up in deprivation. She learns to fend for herself in the hostile surroundings while nurturing her dream to own a guitar someday. "She (Dhunu) considers herself as capable as boys in a patriarchal society. She was brought up by a non-conformist mother who gave
her full freedom of expression," Rima said. The director, now living in Mumbai, grew up in the same village as the character Dhunu and became inspired to make a film about the children in the village after her trips back to her hometown. She realized that what began as her "journey to explore the growing up days of a child, soon turned out to be a project to educate, rehabilitate and focus attention on the kids". "Village Rockstars" was shot, directed and produced by Rima with the help of her cousin and young actors from the village. The director said that she had to record even the sound on her own and used mostly natural lighting due to the lack of a lighting crew. -PTI
March 31, 2017
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Wedding planners is the in-thing Cont'd from Page 30
Finding suppliers who wanted and could cater to Indian weddings was a challenge. Instagram wasn't as prevalent, so there were fewer ways to find out about new services and ideas. We were counting a lot on word of mouth to find people to do video, makeup - and the referrals weren't always of the best quality." "We helped plan a Sikh wedding last year where the photographer had never done this kind of wedding before," Singh explains, describing one typical example. "She was adamant she knew what to do, but there are certain things you need to know beforehand that she never got to: in a Sikh wedding you remove your shoes, cover your head, et cetera, during the ceremony. She came to the venue not knowing any of that." Alison McGill, editor-in-chief of Weddingbells, says couples who've wanted a diverse wedding have been chronically underserved by the industry, but that is changing. "Diversity has always been a key factor in Canadian weddings, and with more and more couples wanting to incorporate their cultures into their celebra-
tion, there has definitely been a shift in the wedding marketplace ‌ Offerings are more multicultural today than ever before, and it is now not as difficult to find a wedding planner specializing in specific cultural celebrations." She also said that wedding shows - often the place where couples find vendors and suppliers - are becoming more varied, offering services specific to differ-
creased," she says. "What I'm seeing is more wedding coordinators getting involved. We're seeing a shift towards having a wedding coordinator handling the [culturally specific] details - and not necessarily always a wedding coordinator of the couple's culture." What has changed, in other words, is that wedding coordinators are educating them-
more weddings that blend eastern and western traditions - "more western-style weddings with the
ent cultural backgrounds. Danielle Andrews, co-founder of the Wedding Planners Institute of Canada, has seen firsthand how the industry has changed. "I don't know that multicultural weddings themselves have necessarily in-
selves about different cultures. They might have training in (and until recently, cultural familiarity with) western wedding mores, but now they're expanding their expertise and range of services. Andrews says they're seeing
Chinese tea ceremony included," for instance. "It's not heavy on customs, but it's definitely incorporating customs." Couples are picking and choosing which customs they want incorporated into their wedding.
Patel and Keila chose not to include extravagant Sikh or Hindu traditions into their wedding, which often include a week of events leading up to the ceremony. Instead, she and her husband kept the wedding small, celebrating at the Art Gallery of Ontario with 150 people, and even skipping the cake. She says working with Haggerty might have sounded risky, but it worked out: "We had a South Asian officiant and we all met a number of times to review the ceremony in detail. We had many design meetings where we discussed the big-picture look and feel and details as well. Having said that, our vision was never beyond her comprehension because we have the same aesthetic sensibility. We were always on the same page." Singh, the one who started her own wedding planning business, may have had trouble finding suppliers who could help plan weddings, but now, people can get her books everywhere. "We have brides who get our books at the Bay or Bed Bath and Beyond. And [then they] will have their nieces use it - a progression of people." Renee Sylvestre-Williams is a writer living in Toronto. Her work has been published in The Globe and Mail, Canadian Living and Quartz. This story is the product of a partnership between TVO.org and New Canadian Media.
'Controversial' tag doesn't bother Deepa Mehta
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ndo-Canadian filmmaker Deepa Mehta says she does not get bothered anymore about being called a 'controversial director'. "As a filmmaker you don't
think this (controversy) might happen. I have been called a controversial filmmaker and perhaps it is right. But at this point in my
life I don't care about it but earlier on it used to really offend me," she said. "Because that meant I chose subjects that would make me controversial and my films were never
judged on their own merit but judged for the controversy. She must be making this to become controversial. Now it doesn't
bother me‌ now I have grey hair," she adds. Her 2005 film 'Water' was set in the late 1930's and it was about widows in an ashram. Filming began in Varanasi but it met with protest and she chose to do the film in Sri Lanka. Mehta, 66, draws similarities between the protest that she faced while doing 'Water' and Sanjay Leela Bhansali's 'Padmavati', whose sets were vandalized in Rajasthan and Kolhapur. "We made 'Water' in Sri Lanka as when we were doing the film in Varanasi we got shut down. It is pretty much (same) what happened to Mr Sanjay Leela Bhansali when 'Padmavati' was shut down," she says. "Nobody read the script and nobody knew nothing and just a group of people felt strongly they (makers) were upholding the faith. Same was the
case with 'Water' where people had no idea about the film and they felt the film was antiwomen," she adds. The 'Midnight's Children' director thinks one shouldn't make a film just to have message in it. "Messages are important in a
"We all must be empowered if we want change in the society and it is not just about mobilizing hundreds of women and saying we want equality. It is important but practically let's start it (equality) at home, lets involve our husband and brother at home," she
"We all must be empowered if we want change in the society and it is not just about mobilizing hundreds of women and saying we want equality.� film but if they are lost in a dramatic presentation in the film then it may become extremely boring or else one should make a documentary to convey a message. I want to make film that I feel passionate about," she adds. Mehta feels strongly about the equality of women in the society at large and says that equality should start from one's own house.
says. "I have always been asked why do I make films and I would say why you want to work? For me the reason is subjects that I am curious to know about and I don't know enough about be it sectarian war, war in Bangladesh or Pakistan war or gang war or domestic violence... it's all reality of life," she adds.
Tech News Mobile phones go back to the future
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here's a fork in the road for cell phones: cutting edge or keeping simple. At the annual phone-fest of Mobile World Congress, there's no shortage of new tech: AI voice assistants of Google and Amazon proliferate, a new wave of modular designs emerge, and a concept demonstrates gigabit cellular connections. At the other end, a kind of technorebellion, with LG eschewing unique features and opting for utilitarian priorities like battery capacity. Then, of course, there's the rebirth of the iconic Nokia 3310-with no 3G, certainly no AI, but, yes, Snake. -MIT Technology Review
Silicon industry shares for success
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ough times for U.S. chipmakers have bred unusual innovation strategies. In recent years, high domestic taxes and foreign government subsidies have pushed U.S. chipmakers overseas, while competition from abroad has also increased. A White House task force is trying to help, but the New York Times reports on how American semiconductor companies have been trying to weather the storm themselves. And, while waiting for Trump's tax reforms to help them out, that has even involved sharing facilities. -MIT Technology Review
The laserguided car problem
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here's a sensor famine in the autonomous car industry. Most self-driving car firms (Tesla being a notable exception) use lidar-which maps physical space in 3-D by bouncing laser beams off objects-to enable vehicles to see their surroundings. But there's a hitch: the waiting list for the expensive sensors is increasing because suppliers can't keep up with now dizzying demand for the hardware, creating "lidar lag." Cue massive investment into lidar manufacturers, in-house teams dedicated to building new devices, and explosive lawsuits over stolen intellectual property. -MIT Technology Review
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Reversing paralysis, for real
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cientists could soon restore the freedom of movement that spinal cord injuries take away. One of the 10 breakthrough technologies of 2017 is the use of brain implants that can decipher intentions to move in the brain, then convert them into bursts of electrical stimulation to bring motion to previously still limbs. While it was once a science fiction dream, Antonio Regalado visited the laboratories where this research is taking place and found that the technology can now help a paralyzed monkey to walk once more. -MIT Technology Review
Trump admin asked to push for F-16 sales to India WASHINGTON: Two top Senators have urged the Trump administration to push for the sale of F16 fighter jets to India to build its capability to counter security threats and balance China's growing military power in the Pacific. Senators Mark Warner from Virginia and John Cornyn from Texas in a joint letter to US Defense Secretary James Mattis and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said, the Trump administration must make the fighter jet acquisition a priority during initial bilateral discussions with India. India has launched an effort to expand its combat aircraft fleet and the competition has reportedly narrowed down to Lockheed's F16 and Saab's Gripen. Noting that the last F-16 for the US Air Force rolled off the production line in Fort Worth in 1999, the two Senators said India remains the only major F-16 prospect customer. "A primary factor in India's de-
cision will be compliance with Prime Minister Modi's 'Make in India' initiative, which will require establishing some level of local production capacity," Warner and Cornyn wrote. "Given the strategic significance of India selecting a US aircraft as the mainstay for its future Air Force and the
potential for a decision this year, we ask that the administration make the fighter acquisition a priority during initial bilateral discussions," they said. Warner, who is a Democrat and Cornyn from the Republican Party are the co-chairs of the influential Senate India caucus, the only country specific caucus in the US
"We urge you to weigh in forcefully with the White House on the strategic significance of this deal, both to America s defense industrial base and to our growing security partnership with India"
Senate. "We urge you to weigh in forcefully with the White House on the strategic significance of this deal, both to America s defense industrial base and to our growing se-
capability in the Pacific," they said. India, they said, increasingly serves as an integral partner in the United States' security architecture in the volatile South Asia region, helping to protect our joint interests and deter common threats, and has emerged as a critical trading partner, they noted. As such "it is in our national interest to work with India to progress democratic principles through regional security partnership and burden sharing," they said.
curity partnership with India," said the letter dated March 23. Making a strong case for the sale of F-16s to India, the two Senators said this would represent a historic win for America that will deepen the US-India strategic defense relationship and cement cooperation between our two countries for decades to come. "It would increase interoperability with a key partner and dominant power in South Asia, build India's capability to counter threat from the north, and balance China's growing military
"To this end, we support the co-production of our legacy F-16 aircraft in India to help sustain the United States' current fleet of aircraft and aid a critical Indian security need with a proven American product," Cornyn and Warner wrote. The competition for the fighter jets, they wrote, presents an opportunity to solidify and strengthen the significant gains made in the bilateral US-India defense relationship over the two previous administrations, they said. -PTI
'Make in India' conference in Houston HOUSTON: A first-ever conference was held here bringing together various constituencies that have an interest in India and discussing the latest developments and the best practices of doing business in India. The two-day Houston India Conference was hosted by Asia Society Texas Center. The theme of the Conference is 'Make in India The Inside Story'. "Texas has a vibrant IndianAmerican population that has
contributed immensely to the understanding between our two countries across business, academia, the sciences. We would
like to take Texas Can do spirit back home," Consul General of India in Houston, Dr Anupam Ray said.
Indo-US relations will be the defining partnership of the 21st century, he added. Speakers included, included Manjari Chatterjee Miller, an assistant professor of internal relations at Boston University, along with Nisha Biswal, former Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs and Nagaraj Naidu, Joint Secretary, Economic Diplomacy Ministry of External Affairs, Cont’d on page 38
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Aadhaar verification for mobile subscribers NEW DELHI: All existing subscribers of mobile services will have to go for Aadhaar-based reverification soon, with the government instructing telecom operators to initiate the process. Cellular operators' body COAI said its members will meet to discuss the modalities of rolling out the verification process for the existing one billion-plus mobile phone users.
ers - through advertisements in print and electronic media as well as SMS - about the order of the Supreme Court for re-verification activity. They have also been asked to upload the details of the exercise on their website. The Supreme Court, in an order in February this year, had observed that, "an effective process has been evolved to ensure the identity verification, as well as, the
When contacted, cellular operators association COAI said that the industry supported the move, but pointed out that the entire exercise will cost Rs 1,000 crore for infrastructure and training, which will have to be borne by the operators. "...all licencees shall re-verify all existing mobile subscribers (prepaid and postpaid) through Aadhaar-based eKYC process...," a notification issued by the telecom department said. It added that all licencees will have to inform existing subscrib-
addresses of all mobile phone subscribers for the new subscribers. In the near future, and more particularly within one year from today, a similar verification will be completed, in case of existing subscribers". The telecom department has
said the operators will use and share common device eco-system through mutual agreements, and will work out mechanisms to avoid public inconvenience and long queues. When contacted, cellular operators association COAI said that the industry supported the move, but pointed out that the entire exercise will cost Rs 1,000 crore for infrastructure and training, which will have to be borne by the operators. "The issue of fake subscribers will go away. We will try our best to cover the entire base within the stipulated time frame of one year but in case we cannot, we may ask DoT for an extension," COAI Director General Rajan Mathews said. For re-verification through Aadhaar-based eKYC process, the operator will send a verification code to the mobile number of the subscriber. Prior to starting the eKYC, the operator will verify this code from the subscriber so as to confirm the SIM card of the mobile connection is physically avail-
able with the subscriber. "After the completion of the eKYC process, before updating or overwriting the old subscriber detail in database with the data received through eKYC process, the
than one mobile connection in one service area through a single eKYC but not bulk connections. For issuing additional mobile connections to re-verified subscriber, the operator would have to follow
licencee will seek confirmation from the subscriber about the reverification of his/her mobile number after 24 hours through SMS," the notification said. The operator can re-verify more
a separate eKYC process. Verification of a subscriber would not be required in case of conversions - that is pre-paid to postpaid connections or vice versa, it clarified. -PTI
HAL plans to speed up aircraft production NEW DELHI: State-run aerospace behemoth Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has finalized a major plan to manufacture nearly 1,000 military helicopters and over a hundred planes, in tune with government's focus on speeding up defense indigenization. HAL Chairman and Managing
Director T Suvarna Raju said the company has also ramped up its infrastructure to deliver 123 Tejas Light Combat Aircraft to the India Air Force with an annual delivery of 16 jets from 2018-19 onwards. In the next five years, the HAL will also carry out major upgrade
of almost the entire fighter fleet of IAF including Su-30MKI, Jaguars and Mirage jets, making them more lethal, he said. "Next five years will be really vibrant time for HAL. We are upgrading almost every major platform including Sukhois, Jaguars, Mirage and Hawks. "We are going to build around
1,000 helicopters including Kamov 226, LCH (Light Combat Helicopter) ALH (Advanced Light Helicopter) in the next 10 years," Raju told PTI in an interview. The HAL and Russian defense firms have finalized a Joint Venture agreement for production of light weight multi-role 'Kamov 226T' helicopters in India which will replace the aging fleet of Cheetah and Chetak choppers.
The inter-government agreement for the deal was signed during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Russia in December, 2015. On manufacture of Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas, the HAL chief said its production will be doubled from current eight aircraft
p e r year to 16 from 2018-19. Tejas, the smallest and lightest of its class, was inducted into the IAF in July last year. The HAL has an order from IAF to supply 40 Tejas. The government has also approved the procurement of 83 Tejas Mk-1A taking the total number of the aircraft to be manufactured by HAL to 123. Raju said besides enhancing infrastructure for redouble manufacturing of Tejas, HAL has also outsourced manufacture of some major components including wings and fuselage of the jet to private industry which will further speed up rate of production. Calling Sukhoi upgrade a major program, he said the fleet will be equipped with missiles, avi-
onics and sensors. Both India and Russia have been in negotiation for upgrade of the Su30MKI to a near fifthgeneration level. Earlier this month, India and Russia signed two key agreements for long-term maintenance and technical support for the Su-30MKI fleet. India is one of the largest importers of arms and military plat-
Tejas production
liberalizing FDI in defense sector. Reflecting government's focus in the area, Defense Minister Arun Jaitley earlier this month had said India was not happy with the
On manufacture of Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas, the HAL chief said its production will be doubled from current eight aircraft per year to 16 from 2018-19. Tejas, the smallest and lightest of its class, was inducted into the IAF in July last year forms globally. The government has been focusing significantly on promoting defense indigenization by taking a slew of reform initiatives including
label of world's largest importer of weapons system and had asked the industry to take advantage of government's policy to promote defense production. -PTI
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India is the 3rd largest domestic aviation market
NEW DELHI: India has become the third largest aviation market in terms of domestic passenger traffic, beating Japan, an industry re-
port has said. India's domestic air passenger traffic stood at 100 million in 2016 and was behind only the US (719
million) and China (436 million), Sydney-based aviation think-tank Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation (CAPA) said in its latest report.
Automobile firms told not block BS IV roll out NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court has asked automobile companies not to frustrate the government's initiative to check increasing levels of pollution by selling BS-III vehicles which they are holding in stock. The apex court, which was hearing pleas of automobile manufac-
government's initiative to check increasing pollution levels by selling around 8.2 lakh BS-III vehicles which they are holding in stock," a bench of Justices Madan B Lokur and Deepak Gupta said. The automobile companies have approached the apex court to dispose of their stock as the
turers seeking permission for disposing of around 8.2 lakh BS-III vehicles which are being held in stock, indicated that either it will ban registration of such vehicles or impose costs to compensate for the health hazards created by pollution. "The Centre had spent thousands of crores of rupees to upgrade technology to produce BSIV fuel and the companies could not be allowed to frustrate the
Bharat Stage IV (BS-IV) emission norms are to come into force from April 1. During the hearing, the bench said three options were available before it. These were either taking a drastic step to ban registration of BSIII vehicles or allow their registration but ban plying of such vehicles in major cities or ask the companies to pay costs for creating health hazards and reimburse
the Centre which spent enormous money in upgrading fuel standard. The amicus curiae, assisting the court in the matter, urged the bench to ban manufacture and sale of BS-III vehicles as the Centre had spent around Rs 18,000 to 20,000 crore for producing cleaner fuel. Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) had submitted data on manufacturing and sale of BS-III vehicles on a monthly basis from January 2016 and told the court that the companies were holding stock of around 8.24 lakh such vehicles including 96,000 commercial vehicles, over six lakh two-wheelers and around 40,000 three-wheelers. The manufacturers told the court that they were allowed to sell their stocks with old emission norms when new technology was brought in force on the previous two occasions at the time the industry had switched to BS-II and BS-III in 2005 and 2010. They also contended that they had stopped manufacturing BS-III vehicles. -PTI
India acquired the third spot globally by unseating Japan, which flew 97 million domestic passengers in 2016, CAPA said. Domestic air traffic has shown a consistent growth of 20 -25 per cent throughout 2015 and 2016, peaking in January this year at 25.13 per cent. However, the domestic travel demand rose 16 per cent in February this year, ending the long streak of over 20 per cent. According to CAPA, India which enjoyed the fourth position in terms of overall air passenger traffic (both domestic and international) along with the UK, has also inched closer to becoming the third largest one by March next year. "India will become the third largest market 2-3 years ahead of what was projected. This is because the growth has been much higher," Kapil Kaul, head of CAPA India, said. Japan, which flew 141 million passengers in 2016, was ahead of
India whose total air passenger traffic was 131 million in the previous year, as per CAPA. United States with 815 million passengers in 2016 enjoyed the top position, followed by China with 490 million, according to the report. "While we will reach the third
The domestic travel demand rose 16 per cent in February this year, ending the long streak of over 20 per cent. spot for both domestic and international air travel ahead of the projected period, we will remain at that position for a very long time because it will not be easy to surpass China and the US," Kaul said. -PTI
Railway to have integrated software for data NEW DELHI: The Railways is cial purpose vehicle (SPV) to defirming up an integrated software, velop it. a first-of-its-kind for the national 'One ICT' will cover all the ascarrier, for data collection in fast- pects, including cost analysis, est possible time. attendance, accounting, asset Various functions of the rail- management, medical manageways such as passenger reserva- ment and land management, of tion, movement of goods trains the Railways. and asset management will be Better capacity and asset utibrought within the ambit of the lization would help the Railways software. run more trains, carry more Named as 'One ICT', the so- freight, provide better and reliphisticated software would cost able services to passengers, inabout Rs 5,000 crore over the crease its revenues and make its next five years and will cover the operations safer. entire gamut of functional reThis will be ensured by the quirements of the railways, said 'IR-OneICT' platform with the a railway ministry official. The software will The software will use digital use digital technology technology for better confor better connectivity of goods and services nectivity of goods and with the market and efficient internal manservices with the market agement, leading to and efficient internal manhigher customer satisfaction, he added. agement, leading to higher "Numerous standcustomer satisfaction alone softwares have been developed by the railways for various purposes. For the first time, we help of best-in-class technology are moving towards an inte- and world class business grated software which will be like analytics, advanced software a single-window system," said solutions available and autothe official who is involved in mated data collection from a the project. single source with real-time To develop the software, the availability, said the official. Railways is organizing a conferThe public carrier has scaled ence involving leading software up its IT expenditure from Rs 336 companies here to draw the crore in 2016-17 to Rs 513 crore in roadmap. It is likely to form a spe- the 2017-18 fiscal. -PTI
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PM for intensifying fight against black money NEW DELHI: Asking the people to take the fight against black money and graft to the "next level", Prime Minister Narendra Modi has urged them to use less cash in their daily lives and continue to support the movement towards digital payments started after the note ban. In his monthly 'Mann ki Baat' program, he also spoke of building a 'New India', which he said can be achieved when 125 crore Indians take a pledge and unitedly work towards it. "My dear countrymen, we must take our fight against black money and corruption to the next level. .... We should contribute towards ensuring reducing the use of cash, of currency notes," the Prime Minister said. Asking the people to pay school fees, buy medicines or items from fair price shops or purchase air and
limate change is pushing Earth into "uncharted territory." That's according to a new analysis by the World Meteorological Organization, which points to "extreme and unusual" climate-related measurements from 2016 which are continuing into 2017-including record high temperatures, unprecedented sea ice lows, and
become a brave soldier in the fight against black money and corruption." Observing that the budget had announced that there would be 2500 crore digital transactions this
year, he said if 125 crore countrymen can resolve, "they need not wait for a year; they can do it in six months."
Expressing gratitude to the people, Modi said over the last few months the country has witnessed an atmosphere in which people in large numbers have participated in the digital payment, 'Digidhan' movement. "There has also been an increase in curiosity about cashless transactions. The poorest of the poor are making attempts to learn, and people are gradually moving towards doing business without cash. There has been a surge in various modes of digital payment after demonetization," he said, adding that the BHIM App, launched about two and a half months ago, has already been downloaded by one and half crore people.-PTI
Air India's subsidiary Alliance Air, regional carrier TrueJet's holding company Turbo Megha Airways and budget airline SpiceJet are among other operators which have won the bids for the UDAN flights, the sources said. While the first RCS (Regional Connectivity Scheme) flight is likely to be operated by Alliance Air to Bhatinda from the Indira Gandhi International Airport here soon, full-scale operations are expected to commence from May, they said. In all, as many as 70 routes have been allocated to five operators for
43 airports, the sources said. The scheme, known as UDAN (Ude Desh Ke Aam Naagrik), seeks to connect unserved and underserved airports and make flying more affordable. Ticket price is capped at Rs 2,500 for one-hour flights. The Airports Authority of India (AAI) is the implementing agency for the scheme. It had received 43 initial proposals from 11 bidders for 43 airports which would offer RCS flights. Of these, 31 are unserved airports and rest under-served. According to sources, Air Odisha is likely to fly on at least 25 routes under the scheme, while Deccan Charter, owned by G R Gopinaath, the founder of low-cost airlines in India, has bagged flights for not less than 21 routes.-PTI
the highest CO2 levels in 4 million years. Even as the effects of El NiĂąo wane, it appears the world continues to warm. The result won't just be sea level rises and struggling crops, thoughthe upheaval to the planet will also bring economic uncertainty and increased social tensions.
Ad boycotts tackle offensive content
Prime Minister Narendra Modi
Deccan, Alliance Air to fly regional routes NEW DELHI: Private charter firms Deccan Charter and Air Odisha together are learnt to have bagged around 50 regional air routes to propel the government's ambitious regional connectivity scheme, UDAN. The process of selection of the routes and the operators is nearly complete and the government is likely to make an announcement on this issue soon, sources close to the development told PTI here.
Unprecedented warming, unexpected impacts
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"There has also been an increase in curiosity about cashless transactions. The poorest of the poor are making attempts to learn, and people are gradually moving towards doing business without cash.� train tickets digitally, he said "we can do this in our day to day lives. You can't imagine how you can serve the country in this way and
Tech Briefs
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ometimes, money can be power. Offensive content remains a significant problem for Internet giants like Facebook and Google, but a particularly galvanizing solution to the problem may come from big-name companies boycotting advertising. A number of banks and telecom companies in the UK
have pulled ads from Google and YouTube over concerns that their promotions are appearing next to extremist material. The news has left executives at the search firm-which makes most of its income from ads-reeling, with a quick fix solution already issued but some tough decisions ahead.
Taking the edge off of drone collisions
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hen a drone hits your face, bad things happen. As the aircraft become increasingly fast and agile, the problems caused during a crash increasejust ask the test dummies that regulators are now using to understand what happens during human-drone collisions.
An obvious solution is to enclose the rotors of the vehicles, but alternatives are now being suggested by researchers: some have developed drones that can soften on impact, while others think that inflight airbags could save the day.
Life gets longer, for some
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ife expectancy is increasing-unequally. New research published in the Lancet shows that the global population will all live longer by 2030, with the gap between men and women narrowing. But breaking the findings down by nations is fascinating: South Korean women will be first to hit a 90-
year average, while the U.S. will have the lowest life expectancy of all the rich countries. Still, there's hope for those who can pay: a recent study suggested that there may be no theoretical limit to life extension, and there's no shortage of researchers toiling to find the fountain of youth.
-MIT Technology Review
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sraeli automotive technology is making waves after Intel's acquisition of the Israeli company Mobileye for a record $15 billion. The Israeli startup Autotalks announced that it completed a $30 million fundraising round. Its technology, which helps cars communicate with each other, will be increasingly
with a number of car manufacturers to include its technology in their lines. As technology becomes a more important component of cars, Israel's value as a center of research and development for car makers has increased too. Avi Jorisch, a senior fellow at the American Foreign Policy Council, observed earlier this month that Israel Future cars will use less was becoming a global center for automosheet metal and iron and tive technology. Cenrely more on software. Engi- tral to this developneers must overcome huge ment is a push by auto manufacturers to dechallenges to seamlessly velop autonomous vehicles. integrate cutting-edge Jorisch explained: computer chips Future cars will use less sheet metal and iron and rely more on important in the future due to the software. Engineers must overU.S. Department of come huge challenges to Transportation's mandate that seamlessly integrate cuttingsuch technology be included in edge computer chips, communiall new light vehicles by 2023. cation devices, and data Autotalks has concluded deals analytics, all while protecting ve-
Florida group helps veterans start businesses ORLANDO, Fla.: A Florida busi- death,'' said John Burns, who ness group is helping veterans owns a tech-firm. ``You go back to start businesses. those times and remember how The group, Veterans Florida, you got through a particular situstarted this year after receiving $1 ation and you adapt.'' million in funding from the state. Veterans also have an advanIt offers veterans starting a busi- tage in that many already have ness seven bi-weekly meetings government clearance for governfollowed by a continuing ment-contracting jobs. mentorship. Veteran Ruby Homayssi said a Homer Boone, a veterans out- group like Veterans Florida is reach manager for CareerSource needed because of stereotypes Central Florida, said veterans have that some people have of vetera camaraderie that translates into ans. easy communication with each other. Veterans also have an The Orlando Sentinel reports that Small advantage in that many Business Administraalready have government tion data shows veterans' share of new busiclearance for governmentnesses has been decreasing in recent years. contracting jobs. It was more than a third of all new businesses in 2007, but only a fifth of new busi``You mention the word `vetnesses in 2013. eran' to some people and they are Veterans Florida hopes to fill afraid they will fly off the handle,'' the gap with mentorships and said Homayssi, a 72-year-old vetother programs. eran who served in the Navy and ``Most business owners fly by wants to open a tea room. ``But the seat of their pants,'' said Ed- vets are well grounded, well disciward Sanchez, 34, an Army veteran plined and they know what they who wants to start a business sell- want to do.'' ing T-shirts to children. ``With our Making vets aware of the promilitary background, we lay out a grams remains a challenge, said plan and then work out that plan.'' Boone, who served in the Marine Some veterans said their back- Corps. ground helps them in business. ``There is still work to do, but ``It helps you problem-solve in we are getting better and have come situations where it's not life or a long way,'' Boone said. -AP
Cars which communicate with each other
hicles and drivers from potential cyberattacks. Israel's strong military and academic culture, along
General insurance premium to go up NEW DELHI: Car, motorcycle and health insurance will cost more from April 1 with regulator Irdai giving go-ahead to insurers for revision in commission for agents. The change in premium after modification will be limited to +/- 5 per cent of the existing rates. The increase will be in addition to the enhanced third party motor insurance rates, which too will come into affect from April. The Irdai (Payment of Commission or Remuneration or Reward to Insurance Agents and Insurance Intermediaries) Regulations, 2016 comes into effect from April 1, 2017. The regulations, the regulator said, bring about certain revisions in commission/ remuneration rates and also introduce the reward system. These may trigger insurers to revisit the pricing of their products in so far as the costing input relating to commission or remuneration is concerned, said the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (Irdai). However, the change in premium due to the new regulations should be "limited to +/- 5 per cent of the existing premium rates of products/add-ons", it said. Further, insurers will have to give a certificate that there is "no detrimental change" in premium rates or any other provision of policies already sold. -PTI
with its edge in information technology and cybersecurity, gives it a competitive advantage. Israel has more than 5,000 startups and 750 venture-capital-backed companies, and the country attracts more venture money than any other country in the world relative to the size of its economy. In addition, Israel's so-called Silicon Wadi, or valley, has the second largest number of technology startups per capita, right behind California. Even though Israel lacks a native automobile production industry, companies focusing on this global sector comprise about 15 percent of Israel's industry sector businesses, and their numbers are growing steadily. In the last two years, Israeli automotive startups have raised
$820 million, according to Yoram Oron, founder of Vertex Ventures and a member of the Singaporean sovereign wealth fund Temasek Holdings. In addition, over 500 Israeli companies are currently focused on creating the infrastructure for driverless vehicles. Some of the world's top car makers have set up research and development centers in Israel, including General Motors, Honda, Volvo, and Daimler, which owns Mercedes-Benz. Last year, Ford bought an Israeli startup that specializes in machine learning. Globes also reported that BMW (which was already working on driverless cars with Intel and Mobileye) is considering opening a "smart car" development center in Israel. -Courtesy thetower.org
'Make in India' conference in Houston Cont’d from page 34
Kalikesh Singh Deo MP, World Bank South Asia Executive Director SC Garg in Houston and Dhruva Jaishankar, Fellow for foreign policy at the Brookings Institution India Center, New Delhi. The Conference brings serious dialogue on India and Make in India to Houston, the organizers said. "Conference was the brain child of the Consulate General of India in Houston, Dr Ray in partnership with non-profit group India House, Indo-American Chamber of Commerce of Greater Houston," according to the conference Chair, Jiten Agarwal. Though the sentiment among panelists, which included political
commentators and Indian government officials, was positive for the future of US-India relations, they noted that there's uncertainty over how such they will evolve under President Donald Trump's administration. Houston India Conference is designed to bring together the various constituencies that have an interest in India, and discuss with them the latest developments and the best practices of doing business in India. The central focus of the conference is to provide a collaboration platform and share today's India story with the audience in Texas who are interested in investing in India, by the people who are playing an important role in shaping up the modern. -PTI
Datebook
March 31, 2017
India Post 39
www.indiapost.com
NEW JERSEY Upcoming
NEW YORK
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
Upcoming
Upcoming
Upcoming
Fri, Mar 31 • Royal Dinner and Musical Sufi Night
Sat, Apr 01 • Movie On Stage – The Magic Of Flavors
Sat, Apr 01 • IndiaFair - Nj Convention & Expo Center
Fri, Mar 31 • Testing Additonal Options(% of order value)
Venue: NJ Convention & Expo Center, 97,Sunfield Ave, Raritan Center, NJ 08837 Time: 11:00 am
Venue: Tester Venue, 123 W 42nd St, New York, NY 10036 Time : 01:00 pm
Venue: Royal India Miramar / Royal Banquet, 8990 Miramar Rd, San Diego, CA 92126
Sat, Apr 08 • Rahat Fateh Ali Khan Remembering Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan
Sat, Apr 08 • Swayamvar- Indian & South Asians Singles Event
Time: 07:00 pm
Venue: Nirvana, 346 Lexington Avenue, New York, NY 10016 Time : 05:00 pm
Sat, Apr 01 • SIFA Presents Music Maestro Vidwan T.M.Krishna
Fri, May 05 • Madhura Delights Presents Girls night out
Sun, Apr 09 • Gujarati Comedy Play "The Waiting Room"
Venue: Carrington Hall, Sequoia high
Venue: Rasoi III Restaurant, 620 Georges Rd, Monmouth Junction, NJ 08852 Time: 07:00 pm
Venue: North Brunswick High School, 98 Raider Road, North Brunswick, NJ 08902 Time : 05:00 pm
Time: 03:30 pm
Venue: New Jersey Performing Arts Center, 1 Center Street, Newark, NJ 07102 Time: 07:30 pm
Contact: 619-487-0000
CHICAGO
Venue: Santa Clara Convention Center Theater, 5001 Great America Parkway, Santa Clara, CA 95054 Time: 1:00 pm
Sat, Apr 08 • Devotional Songs Nada Sudha School of Music Venue: CET Auditorium, 701, Vine Street,
school, 1201 Brewster Avenue, Redwood
San Jose, CA 95110
City, CA 94062
Time: 08:15 pm
Fri, Apr 07 • Baisakhi Festival w/ Jai Ho! Dance Party
ATLANTA Upcoming
Venue: Queen Bee's Art & Cultural Center,
Fri, Apr 07 • Arijit Singh Live Concert Atlanta GA - First Time Ever!
3925 Ohio Street, San Diego, CA 92104
Venue: Infinite Energy Arena, 6400
Time: 09:00 pm
Sugarloaf Parkway, Duluth, GA 30097 Time: 09:00 pm
Sat, Apr 08 • Katha Kacheri Smt. Suchitra Balasubramanian Venue: CET Auditorium, 701, Vine Street, San Jose, CA 95110 Time: 11:00 am
Sat, Apr 08 • Radha Mangeshkar Hrishikesh Ranade Venue: Berkmar High School Auditorium, 405 Pleasant Hill Road, Lilburn, GA Time: 07:00 pm
Sun, Apr 08 • Bollywood Euphoria Glow Party
Sat, Apr 15 • TAMA Ugadi Utsavaalu 2017
Venue: Miami Beach Nightclub, 417 South
Venue: Lambert High School, 805 Nichols
1st Street, San Jose, CA 95113
Road, Suwanee, GA 30024
Time: 10:30 pm
Time: 10:00 pm
ILLINOIS Upcoming 1st and 3rd Sunday of Month • Chicago Children's Bal Mukund Character Building Program and Hindi Literacy Classes Venue: Vogelei Center, 650 W. Higgins Road, Hoffmann Estates, IL 60192 (Next to Nissan Dealership) Contact: Ajay & Arti Chandhok @ 630-561-4807
Mondays and Fridays • Free ESL - English as Second Language Classes Metropolitan Asian Family Services Venue: 9015 N Milwaukee Ave, Niles, IL, Time: 10:30am to 12:30pm Contact: 773-465-3105
Mondays and Fridays • Free ESL - English as Second Language Classes Where: Metropolitan Asian Family Services Venue: 9015 N Milwaukee Ave, Niles, IL, Time: 10:30am to 12:30pm Contact: 773-465-3105
Swami Ishatmananda • Bhagavad Gita: Philosophy of life Venue: Public Library-95th Street 3015 Cedar Glade Rd Naperville IL 60564 Time: 1st friday of every month 7-8 pm Contact: 630-637-0662
• India Eternal: From the Vedic Age to the Present Venue: Hindu Temple of Greater Chicago 10915 N. Main Street Glendale Heights, IL 60139 Time: 10:00 pm Contact: 630-655-8822
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Realty Tidbits
Run-down Detroit house for $5million DETROIT: A dilapidated Detroit house near the new Little Caesars Arena is back on the market for $5 million, making it the priciest house listed in the city. Housing agent Darren Johnson said he re-listed the property. The house has been on and off the market in past years, each time returning with a higher price. It was last de-listed in May after failing to sell for $4 million, the Detroit Free Press. Land records show the property last sold for $25,000 to a family partnership in June 2002, years before talks of the new $635 million arena. Johnson said the new asking price reflects the increased value of the lot since the Detroit Pistons announced in November that the NBA team would be joining the Red Wings at the arena later this year. ``That brings more value because that means there are more days of traffic down there,'' he said. The housing agent is marketing the property not because of the house, but because the lot would likely be dedicated to the arena district. Johnson said a commercial buyer would need a zoning change to use the lot as part of the arena district. The home's current occupant is living there rent-free in exchange for guarding the property from scrappers. He declined to comment, and a message left for the owners by the Detroit Free Press wasn't returned. The new neighboring arena will be home to the Pistons and the Red Wings in September. -AP
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Opelousas Authority to build 45 new homes OPELOUSAS, La.: The Opelousas Housing Authority plans to address a desperate need for affordable housing by building up to 45 new homes for low-income families within the next few years. The pedestrian-friendly development will feature homes with two-car garages. The Housing Authority acquired property and now it's put together a nonprofit to offer home ownership to tenants living in public housing. KLFY-TV reports a mandate will soon kick in causing the flat rent for people with a 120 percent income level to go up to market rate. At a meeting about home ownership at the OHA, experts will discuss the importance of buying a home, how to get a free down payment and how to get tax credits if buying a home. -AP
Real Estate 40 India Post
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March 31, 2017
Blacksburg town wants to be a city BLACKSBURG, Va.: Blacksburg officials are again considering making the town a city, a change that would increase the number of services it would have to provide. The Roanoke Times reports the town council discussed the issue and directed the town manager to prepare a presentation on the possibility. Towns provide policing, utilities, trash pickup and recreation. Cities must also provide schools, courts and jail, and constitutional officers such as a sheriff, prosecutor and Circuit Court clerk. -AP
William Lyon announces 'Ovation, a Lyon active adult community' India Post News Service
ORANGE COUNTY, CA: William Lyon Homes recently announced its new focus on the emerging 55+ active adult market "Ovation, a Lyon Active Lifestyle Community" and in the Pacific Northwest, "Ovation, a Polygon
Active Lifestyle Community." By leveraging its experience in product design and place-making, William Lyon Homes will differentiate Ovation from traditional "cookie-cutter" active adult communities by cultivating an appealing brand lifestyle for 55+ buyers who prefer a more intimate, unconventional and contemporary residential environment, says a Press
release by William Lyon Homes. It says, "With a significant segment of the population age 55 and older, coupled with their preference to own versus rent and a strong desire to seek new housing opportunities that will enable them to age in place, William Lyon Homes recognized the opportunity to respond to this increasing buyer segment with a new approach. The William Lyon Homes team is focusing their development expertise to create and deliver active adult communities that will address a specific niche opportunity within the 55+ segment market, namely by offering small to midsized scale communities located close to urban and suburban areas enabling convenient access to the greater area amenities. "In addition, the Ovation com-
munities will feature architecture, amenities and ambiance that are innately different from the competition. Contemporary product design brimming with natural light, private indoor/outdoor living spaces and smart technology will be a defining characteristic." "At William Lyon Homes, we take great pride in understanding the needs of consumers and tuning in to their aspirations," said Matthew Zaist, CEO for William Lyon Homes. "Today's 55+ homebuyers are sophisticated and vital, and they're searching for something different. We feel confident that these new Ovation communities will fill that niche with an entirely new interpretation of what a modern active adult community should be." William Lyon Homes is entering the 55+ active adult market with the debut of several new Ovation active lifestyle communities in highly desirable markets including Phoenix, Arizona, Las Vegas, Nevada, Lacey, Washington and Orange County, California. The builder's commitment to a standard of beautiful aesthetics and quality craftsmanship ensures
these communities will be set apart from competitors, offering distinctive single -story residential designs with open living spaces, abundant natural lighting, private outdoor spaces, quality finishes, energy-efficient amenities and useful technology features. The homes offered at all Ova-
"At William Lyon Homes, we take great pride in understanding the needs of consumers and tuning in to their aspirations," said Matthew Zaist, CEO for William Lyon Homes. tion active lifestyle communities will assure buyers are not limited to "down-sizing," giving them the opportunity to "right-size" with a home that fits their individual lifestyle. Cont’d on page 41
Indian investors top UAE realty market DUBAI: Indians have emerged the top foreign property investors in Dubai, spending over USD 3.2 billion last year alone, according to the Dubai Land Department. The total real estate investments last year reached Dh91 billion (USD 2.4bn) from 55,928 investors and Indians were ranked highest in terms of both volume and value among foreign investors with Dh12 billion (USD 3.2 bn) worth of property transactions from 6,263 buyers. In an effort to attract more investments from Indians, the 13th edition of the International Property Show will be held from April 2-4 this year. "The UAE's safe haven status, stable economic growth
and bottomed out prices have been the key factors for attracting Indian realty investments in Dubai. In addition, many Indians find Dubai as their base for business between India and the wider
ing a favorite destination with Indians for a number of reasons, including high capital gains, great return on investment, taxfree environment, proximity to India, and transparent deals
Europe and Middle East," said Dawood Al Shezawi, CEO, Strategic Marketing & Exhibitions, organizers of the International Property Show. Dubai is increasingly becom-
amongst many others. "The profits on properties in Dubai in the form of rents and resale are high," Al-Shezawi said. 13th edition of the International Property Show is expected
to be the biggest since its return, with over 200 exhibitors from 50 countries to participate. It was noted that while the investments from Indians spearheaded the Dubai realty market, GCC citizens contributed Dh35 billion (USD 9.5 bn) from 12,768 investors, of which 3,294 investors from Saudi Arabia made transactions worth Dh8 billion (USD 2.1bn). Gulf Cooperation Council's (GCC) member states are Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. Pakistan contributed Dh4.4 billion (USD 1.1bn) from 3,372 investors, while British investments amounted to Dh5.8 billion (USD 1.5bn) from 3,372 investors. -PTI
Real Estate Post
March 31, 2017
India Post 41
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Sahara warned Aamby Valley will be auctioned NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court has warned the Sahara Group that it would auction its prime property worth Rs 39,000 crore at Aamby Valley in Pune if Rs 5092.6 crore is not paid by the company by April 17 as promised. A bench headed by Justice Dipak Misra also directed the international real estate firm, which had shown willingness to buy Sahara's stake in New York- based Plaza Hotel for USD 550 million, to deposit Rs 750 crore in the SEBI-Sahara refund account instead of the apex court registry to show its bonafide. "We will auction your (Sahara) Aamby Valley project if the money is not deposited within the stipulated time period as promised," the bench, also comprising Justices Ranjan Gogoi and A K Sikri, observed. The top court had earlier directed attachment of Sahara Group's prime property for realization of money to be paid to its investors. The apex court had also asked Sahara Group to provide it within two weeks the list of "unencumbered properties" which can be put for public auction to realize the remaining over Rs 14,000 crore of the principal amount of around Rs 24,000 crore that has
to be deposited in the SEBI-Sahara account for refunding money to the investors. The court had on November 28 last year asked Roy to deposit Rs 600 crore more by February 6 in the SEBI-Sahara refund account to remain out of jail and
Tihar jail on March 4, 2014. Besides Roy, two other directors - Ravi Shankar Dubey and Ashok Roy Choudhary - were arrested for the failure of the group's two companies - Sahara India Real Estate Corporation (SIRECL) and Sahara Housing
Sahara boss Subrata Roy
warned that failure to do so would result in his return to prison. It had on May 6, 2016 granted a four-week parole to Roy to attend the funeral of his mother. His parole has been extended by the court ever since. Roy was sent to
Investment Corp Ltd (SHICL) - to comply with the court's August 31, 2012 order to return Rs 24,000 crore to their investors. However, director Vandana Bhargava was not taken into custody. -PTI
US home sales slowed in February WASHINGTON: Americans retreated from buying existing homes in February, a pullback after sales in January had surged to the fastest pace in a decade. But over the past 12 months, sales are up solidly. Sales of existing homes fell 3.7 percent last month to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.48 million, the National Association of Realtors said. The decline may represent just a temporary slump after the sharp sales increase in January. Stable hiring and a recovering economy have fueled greater demand among homebuyers. Over the past year, purchases have risen 5.4 percent. At the same time, sales growth has been restricted by a shortage of homes on the market. ``The underlying story is still very positive for the housing market,'' said Jennifer Lee, a senior economist at BMO Capital Markets. ``The February drop is just a blip in the overall trend.'' The limited inventory and
risks of rising mortgage rates may actually cause the spring homebuying season to begin with a sprint this month. Unlike last year when average 30-year mortgage rates held below 4 percent, buyers may this year feel forced
The supply of homes for sale has fallen on an annual basis for the past 21 months. With inventories squeezed, home values have been rising at levels that are putting greater financial pressure on would-be buyers. to act swiftly before even higher loan rates and prices make home ownership less affordable. The number of listings for sale
has tumbled 6.4 percent over the past year to 1.75 million homes, a figure only slightly higher than in January when listings declined to the lowest level since the Realtors began tracking the data in 1999. The supply of homes for sale has fallen on an annual basis for the past 21 months. With inventories squeezed, home values have been rising at levels that are putting greater financial pressure on would-be buyers. The median sales price has risen 7.7 percent from a year ago to $228,400, more than double the pace of average wage gains. Lower mortgage rates had eased some of that pressure last year. But the average 30-year fixed rate mortgage carried an interest rate of 4.3 percent last week, up from an average of 3.65 percent last year, according to mortgage buyer Freddie Mac. In February, sales of existing homes slumped in the Northeast, Midwest and West, while the South eked out a slight gain. -AP
Housing starts rise led by single-family homes WASHINGTON: U.S. builders broke ground on new homes at a faster pace in February, a sign that developers expect solid sales growth this year despite higher mortgage rates. Housing starts rose 3 percent last month to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.3 million, the Commerce Department said. Almost all of those gains came from construction of single-family houses, which rose 6.5 percent. Construction of apartment buildings fell 7.7 percent in February. More Americans are looking to purchase homes as the job market has improved, but the supply of properties for sale has been relatively low even with additional construction. The increase in construction starts points to greater sales this year even though mortgage rates have climbed upward from recent lows, making monthly housing payments higher and hurting affordability. Housing starts are running 7.5 percent higher than they did during the first two months of 2016. Builders last year started the most new homes since 2007, the year
the Great Recession began as the housing market began to teeter. Construction surged last month in the West, offsetting declines in the Northeast, Midwest and South that were largely caused by a decline in apartment building starts. Still, growth in home building also appears to be tempered. Building permits - an indicator of future home construction - slipped 6.2 percent in February to an annual rate of 1.2 million. Builders have been adding supply to the market, just not enough to address the tight inventory of existing homes that make up the bulk of the real estate market. The National Association of Realtors has reported that the number of existing homes on the market is near its lowest level since 1999, while the inventory of new homes on the market is near an eight-year high. Demand among homebuyers has been strong as the unemployment rate has dipped to a healthy 4.7 percent. Yet buyers will likely borrow at higher rates than last year, a factor that could restrict the extent of price and sales growth.-AP
William Lyon announces 'Ovation, a Lyon active adult community' Cont’d from page 40
Ovation active lifestyle communities will also be characterized by a liberating and refreshing atmosphere that focuses on individual choice, fun and spontaneity. Each community location will be less remote and self-contained than typical active adult settings and will ensure lifestyle priorities are accommodated with access to retail, restaurants, outdoor recreation, medical centers, airports and more. Since approximately 70% of this market segment expects to postpone retirement, they will also be within comfortable proximity of business centers. To learn more about Ovation, A Lyon Active Lifestyle Community, visit www.OvationLiving.com for details.
It matters who your builder is and William Lyon Homes is a company built upon a legacy of pride and integrity. A team of visionaries who are passionate about homebuilding and committed to providing a high quality homebuying and homeownership experience, William Lyon Homes has earned a solid track record for outstanding construction and customer service since 1956. The company expands its wellrespected brand beyond California, Arizona, Nevada and Colorado into other market areas across the Western region with the acquisition of Polygon Northwest Homes, its division in Washington and Oregon. William Lyon Homes' shares are publicly traded on NYSE under the symbol WLH. For updated information and to learn more, visit www.lyonhomes.com.
42 India Post
K
ufri, a small picturesque hill station at the foothills of Himalayas, is located at the southern part of the state of Himachal Pradesh. It is known for its pleasing climate and scenic beauty. It is a pleasant location near the majestic hill station Shimla. Perched at a height of 2,510 m above the sea level, Kufri is known for its picturesque trekking and hiking trails. Adventurous travelers prefer to visit Kufri during winters to experience and enjoy the skiing and tobogganing along its snow clad mountainous slopes. Exquisite nature
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parks and scenic spots in the backdrop of natural settings are prime attractions in Kufri. Kufri is a summer resort away from the busy life of urbanized regions. Those who seek secluded vacation in a cool and pleasant ambiance, picturesque environs and regions offering challenging and adventurous activities can opt for travel to Kufri. Tourists can enjoy the majestic panoramic views of the verdant valley and the snow clad foothills of Himalayas. A horseback ride to explore the awesome hilly regions is an experience not to miss. Hiking and trekking through lusting green dense forests sur-
March 31, 2017
rounding Kufri are really challenging. Popular spots to visit in and around Kufri are The Himalayan Nature Park and Indira Tourist Park. Kufri comes alive during the winter season when a number of skiing enthusiasts visit this place. Winter sports festival in February is a major draw. To make your holiday more exciting, also include Manali tour package in HP. Cont’d on page 43
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Cont’d from page 42
Attractions Fagu: Fagu is a small place located around 23 kms from Shimla and 6 kms from Kufri. It is famous for its scenic views. It is a day excursion from Kufri and serves as a base camp for trekkers, campers and naturalists. Just above Fagu there are a few temples dedicated to the local god - Banthia devta that tourists can visit. The intrinsic wooden carving on the walls of these temples depicts the great craftsmanship of the Himachali people. Indira Tourist Park: Located close to the Himalayan National Park, Indira Tourist Park is known for striking views of the Himalayas. Pleasant climate, calm ambiance
and a charming coffee shop, called CafĂŠ Lalit of Himachal Tourism board are the main attractions of the park. Indira Tourist Park is around 19 kms from Shimla and 6 kms from Fagu and it is easily accessible from all parts of the state. The Himalayan Nature Park: The Himalayan National Park is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Himachal Pradesh. Boasting of 180 species of birds and rare mammals, the national park is a great bio-diversity and eco tourism hub. Tourists can look forward to see musk deer and the elu-
order to explore the highland. Starting from the base of Himalayan National Park, tourists can enjoy a visit to the apple orchards and temples. If you are lucky to visit on a clear evening, the mesmerizing sunset at the Himalayan ranges can also be enjoyed.
to discover the beauty of nature that cannot be visited by any other means. There are no expert crafted trekking tours in Kufri and tourists can very much explore these areas on their own. The most common trekking route in Kufri is to reach Kufri from
sive snow leopards, besides rare and endangered species of plants and animals. Horse Riding: Horse riding is one of the most popular activity tourists can enjoy here. This is not only a leisure but to reach some places horses are the sole means of travel. While in Kufri horse riding is a must in
Skiing: Skiing in Kufri is a highly entertaining adventurous sport beckoning the adventurous tourists to participate. In winter, thousands of travelers flock to Mahasu Bridge in Kufri for skiing in the snow capped slopes. Tobogganing: This is an upcoming sport that can be enjoyed on the snow slopes of mountains at Kufri. The powdery snow peaks in Kufri are ideal for this adventure. Tobogganing is nothing but a revised form of sledging where simple sledges (contrary to the skis and sleds that have runners attached to them) ride directly on snow. Trekking: Trekking is a wonderful way
Shimla, which is 19 kms away. Best time to visit: The best season to visit Kufri is from March to November. How to reach By Train: The nearest railhead is at Shimla in narrow gauge rail route and broad gauge railway station is at Kalka (100 km). By Air: The nearest airport to Kufri is Jubbarbhatti near Shimla, at a distance of about 13 km. Regular flight is available from this airport to Delhi. By Bus: Buses link Kufri with Shimla, Narkanda and Rampur. State owned transport buses and private deluxe buses are available from Shimla to Kufri.
Travel & Hospitality Post
44 India Post
March 31, 2017
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PM to launch Asia's longest road tunnel NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will dedicate to the nation Asia's longest bi-directional road tunnel on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway on April 2, which will cut down travel time between the two by two hours. The Rs 2,519-crore all-weather tunnel is equipped with worldclass safety features and has been built in a record four years on the hilly terrain of Jammu and Kashmir, Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari said at a press meet here. "This state-of-the-art 10.89-km tunnel between Udhampur and Ramban in Jammu and Kashmir, an engineering marvel on the most difficult terrain of the Himalayas, was built in a record four years," the minister said. Gadkari was accompanied by Minister of State in PMO Jitendra Singh, a parliamentarian from
Jammu. "The project will result in a saving of Rs 27 lakh per day based on traffic estimates and would cut the travel distance between Jammu and Sringar by 41 km," Gadkari
said. He said the tunnel will be equipped with advanced scanners to ward off any security threat. The project forms part of the proposed widening of NH-44 (old NH-1A) from Jammu to Srinagar. The longest highway tunnel in India also happens to be Asia's longest bi-directional highway tunnel with fully transverse ventilation system, he said. It also comes with fully-integrated tunnel
control system with ventilation, Constructed by IL&FS, the tunTravel will cost an LMV vehicle communication, power supply, in- nel is all set to be handed over to Rs 55 for one side and Rs 85 for tocident detection, SOS call box and National Highway Authority of and-fro journey and Rs 1,870 for fire fighting. India (NHAI) soon after its formal one-month travel. Fitted with intelligent traffic inauguration by the Prime MinisBigger vehicles like mini buses mechanism, the tunnel will have ter. will have to pay Rs 90 as one side fully automatic smart control and "The formal trial run was suc- toll and Rs 135 for both sides. no human intervention will be re- cessfully completed for peak and Buses and trucks will have to quired for its operations. off-peak hours between March 9 shell out Rs 190 as one-side trip The minister added that very and March 15," Project Director, and Rs 285 for a two-way journey. few tunnels in the world have fully integrated tunnel control and the Jammu one is fitted with world-class safety features for detection of accidents and fire with a parallel 9-km long escape tunnel. Elaborating, Gakdari said it will boost economic activity and tourism in the state, adding that it has precluded largescale deforestation as tree cutting was not Chenani-Nashri: India’s longest road and tunnel will be inagurated on April 2 required. The work on the twin-tube tunnel, which is part of a 286-km-long four- IL&FS, J S Rathore said. Rathore said Infrastructure Leaslane project on the highway, Once the tunnel becomes op- ing and Financial Services (IL&FS) started on May 23, 2011, in the erational, it will reduce traffic jams has set up a well-equipped fullylower Himalayan mountain range. on National Highway-1A caused computerized operation room for The tunnel is located at an el- by snowfall and avalanches in surveillance of vehicles inside the evation of 1,200 meters. winter at Patnitop, he said. twin tubes. -PTI
Stephen Hawking plans to travel to space LONDON: British physicist Stephen Hawking is planning to travel into space onboard Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic spacecraft. Hawking, 75, said he had not expected to have the opportunity to experience space but that the
Virgin boss had offered him a seat. "I thought no one would take me but Richard Branson has offered me a seat on Virgin Galactic, and I said yes immediately," Hawking was quoted as saying by ITV News. "My three children have
Stephen Hawking
brought me great joy - and I can tell you what will make me happy, to travel in space," the leading cosmologist and physicist said. Hawking had earlier announced plans to build the most detailed 3D map of the early universe using a supercomputing centre he founded at Cambridge University. Earlier this month, Hawking said that the aggressive instincts of humans, coupled with the fast pace of growth in technology may destroy us all by nuclear or biological war, adding that only a world government may prevent this impending doom. -PTI
4 cr tourists visited Rajasthan in 2016 JAIPUR: Rajasthan has recorded increase of 17.93 per cent and 2.60 per cent in the inflow of domestic and foreign tourists, respectively in two years. Rural Development minister Rajendra Rathore informed the House that 3.66 crore tourists visited the state in 2015, while the number of tourists was four crore last year. He said in the year 2015 and 2016, the inflow of tourists has increased. Replying to a question during the Question Hour, Rathore said Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje has increased the budget of the tourism department by 22.37 per cent in the state budget 2017-18. "As per the report of the government of India in 2015, Rajasthan ranks 6th in the country for the number of tourists. Barring Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan is ahead from other neighboring states of Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana and Punjab in terms of the arrival of
tourists," he said. Rathore informed the House that the state government was working on improving intra-state air connectivity to boost tourism and the tourists spots are well connected by road and rail. Replying to a question on upgradation of schools, the School Education Minister Vasudev Devnani said no school has been closed in the state. He said the government merged those schools where the number of students was low. During the Question Hour, BJP MLA Hira Lal insisted the health minister Kalicharan Saraf to upgrade a primary health center to community health center in Jhilai area in his constituency Niwai. He said he has repeatedly requested Saraf to make the announcement to upgrade the PHC to CHC but the minister said that any decision will only be taken on the basis of merit and the availability of financial and other resources. -PTI
March 31, 2017
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'Airfares in India among lowest globally' NEW DELHI: India has one of the lowest and "most competitive" airfares in the world despite high cost of planes and fuel, Union Minister Jayant Sinha said here. "These are the two most important costs for an airline. Our taxes are also quite high," said the Minister of State for Civil Aviation. "But when you look at pricing in India, as far as Indian airlines are concerned, I can assure you that we are among the lowest and most competitive air fares in the world," he added. In efforts to make air travel more affordable as well as connect unserved and under-served airports, the government has come out with the regional connectivity scheme. Under the scheme - UDAN (Ude Desh Ka Aam Naagrik) - fares are capped at Rs 2,500 for onehour flights. "Our effort is to provide air services at an affordable cost and the regional connectivity scheme UDAN is aimed at that only," Sinha said. At an event organized by All India Management Association (AIMA), Sinha said the country's economy is delivering high quality products and services at very affordable prices for the consumers.
"We are frugal economy because we are poor country... So we have to deliver product and services at price points which are affordable. This forces us to really think about affordability and cost management at all the time," he noted.
"It effectively means that the contribution that the Indian economy is going to make in the next decade in terms of relative contribution of growth rate of the US economy, is 180 per cent," he noted. Further, he said that India's
GUWAHATI: Belgium Ambassador to India Jan Luykx has hailed the tourism potential of Assam and said it could be used to strengthen the ties of the people of both sides. Appreciating the tourism potential of the state, the ambassador said it could be used to facilitate people to people contact between the two demographies. He made the statement when he called on Assam Governor Banwarilal Purohit and discussed with him various sectors, including inland water transport and river
port development, an official release said. As the governor cited several other sectors which might be explored, the envoy said he would request industrialists of his country to invest in Assam. A delegation of investors is most likely to visit an investment summit in the country, he said. The governor said that it would be a pleasure if King Philippe of Belgium could get time out for Assam during his proposed visit to India. -PTI
Good snow helps Aspen resorts recover Jayant Sinha
In terms of purchasing power parity, India's GDP is around USD 8 trillion while it is about USD 18 trillion for both the US and China. According to Sinha, India is growing at 7-8 per cent while the US is expanding at 2.5 per cent and in the case of China the growth rate is pegged at 6 per cent.
contribution to global GDP growth in PPP terms in the next decade would be almost twice what the US is going to add. "...it is 60 per cent of China, which is still going to be larger. But we are 60 per cent of China, which is a much larger piece of USD 18 trillion," he added. -PTI
Jet inks codeshare agreement with Jetstar NEW DELHI: Private carrier Jet Airways has announced its codeshare agreement with Singapore-based low-fares airline Jetstar Asia for flights from the city-state. Following the tie-up, travelers can now fly from India to Singapore on a Jet Airways plane and onward to Hong Kong or Bangkok on a Jetstar Asia flight. Passengers can also return to India on Jet Airways d i rectly from H o n g Kong or Bangkok, all on a single itinerary, according to the airline. Codesharing allows an airline to book its passengers on its partner carriers and provide seamless travel to destinations where it has no presence. As per the agreement, Jet Air-
Belgian envoy hails tourism potential of Assam
ways will place its marketing code '9W' on Jetstar Asia flights operating from Singapore to 11 destinations across Asia Pacific region, a statement said. The destinations include Bangkok and Phuket in Thailand; Perth and Darwin in Australia; Jakarta, Denpasar Bali and Surabaya in Indonesia; Ho-ChiMinh City in Vietnam; Kuala Lumpur and Penang in Malaysia;
and Hong Kong. With this codeshare, Jet Airways will extend its codeshare foot-print to three new destinations - Darwin, Phuket and Penang, the airline statement said. "Our guests will now be able
to conveniently tap into this extensive network to explore new and exotic destinations across Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Hong Kong and Australia via Singapore," Chief Commercial Officer, Jet Airways, Jayaraj Shanmugam said. Jetstar Asia currently flies to 25 cities in Southeast Asia, China and
Australia. This is the second major code share agreement for Jet Airways in the recent past. Last month, it had tied-up with Hong Kong airline enabling Indian fliers to travel seamlessly to New Zealand, Japan, Indonesia, Vietnam and Thailand. -PTI
ASPEN, Colo.: Good snow helped ski tourism rebound in Aspen in January and February though the number of visitors lagged behind the pace last winter. Aspen Skiing Co. spokesman Jeff Hanle says lift-ticket sales and season-pass use soared in January. Business hit a lull in February after the Winter X Games but overall has recovered since lack of
snow caused ski season to start late last fall. The Aspen Times reports business was down 10 percent in November and December. Colorado Ski Country USA reports cumulative skier visits for its 22 member resorts were up 1 percent in January and February. Skier visits to those resorts are down 2 percent for the season to date. -AP
Tourism earns Rs 15k cr foreign exchange NEW DELHI: Foreign Exchange Earnings (FEEs) through tourism increased by 12 per cent at over Rs 15,200 crore in February in comparison to the same month last year, the government has said. "FEEs during the month of February 2017 were Rs 15,260
crore as compared to Rs 13,627 crore in February 2016," the Tourism Ministry said in a statement. During the January-February period, the FEEs were Rs 31,357 crore, recording a growth of 14.9 per cent as compared to Rs 27,296 crore during the same period last year, it said. -PTI
Opposition grows to hotel on highest peak CONCORD, N.H.: A proposal to build a luxury hotel a mile from the summit of New Hampshire's Mount Washington has environmentalists and hiking groups crying foul, complaining it would damage the fragile alpine ecology and destroy the scenic views. The 25,000-square-foot hotel is being proposed by the owners of a historic cog railway that climbs up Mount Washington, the highest peak in Northeastern U.S.
Located at an elevation of 5,600 feet on land abutting the railway, the 35-room hotel would be open from late April through November. It could be ready by July 3, 2019, to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Mount Washington Cog Railway. Since the proposal was announced in December, opposition has grown steadily, with one petition against it gathering more than 8,000 signatures. -AP
46 India Post
Community Across America
March 31, 2017
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Rare Kuchipudi-Odissi jugalbandi in US PM SWAMY
NEW YORK: Bengaluru-based dancers Shubha Nagarajan and Srividya Angara will be performing a rare jugalbandi of KuchipudiOdissi classical dance across the US between 22 April and 22 May. Titled Samaagati - a Sanskrit word for 'taking steps together', is a synergy between the two dancers as they share stage and energy and synergy in presenting the very graceful and lyrical classical Indian dance forms of Odissi and Kuchipudi in the US. The duo presents this unique concept in their maiden tour of the US. In the six weeks that is the span of their tour, they are sched-
uled to perform at six venues covering major towns along the East Coast including New York City before heading to the West Coast where they perform at Los Angeles and San Francisco, amongst other cities. Kuchipudi is the state dance style of Andhra Pradesh. Marked by dramatized expression and intricate footwork, this ancient dance-drama tradition came into being around the 15th century AD. Odissi, the lyrical and sensuous dance form from Odisha, in the eastern part of India is characterized by fluidity of upper torso, graceful gestures while displaying
Shubha Nagarajan and Srividya Angara
Jyoti Dharod's unique knee camps in India
strength in footwork. Both Ms. Nagarajan and Ms. Angara are graded artists with the Doordarshan - India's national television network. Together they set out to juxtapose these ancient and celebrated styles that share between them a similarity in lightness of technique, while remaining discrete on how this technique is exercised within the plane of movement. Samagati brings to fore the immense scope of expression that Kuchipudi and Odissi have, and when presented together, gives the audience a clear view of how close
and yet how distinct the two styles are. The concept showcases traditional and original choreographies in both styles, with the dancers coming together to share stage for the finale. Shubha and Srividya wear their passion on their sleeve, holding their technique and their love for the art, close to their heart. But combine this with an element of risk-taking, and the resulting brew has endowed these two dancing mothers with the determination and fortitude to step out and take on the world in a way only they can.
200 families attend visa camp in St. Louis
Cont’d from page 19
The host organizations were Shree Bidada Sarvodaya Trust (India) Bidada International Foundation. "But for active help from Chairman Shree Vijaibhai Chheda, Trustee Shree Harakchandbhai Sawla and the full team comprising of Pankaj Dharod, Mohit Gala, Jaya Vora, Harsha Dharod, Upen Sawla, Khyati Sawla, we could not have achieved the success that we did ," Jyoti Dharod told this paper. The Coordinators for Guru were Pradeep Bhai Mehta and Harakchandbhai Sawla. The success is measured by the number of patients treated and the success achieved thereafter. "We treated in all 55 knees - 13 Jain monks, and 22 patients among whom were big businessmen, industrialists and common men all
Jyoti Dharod with Dr Uchhena Nwaneri
Temple volunteers, community members with Consulate members at Visa camp India Post News Service
Jyoti Dharod with Chairman Vijaibhai Chheda, Trustee Shree Harakchandbhai Sawla
under one roof. Interestingly all Jain monks from different paths came for treatment and expressed huge satisfaction thereafter. The consensus was that it has made history", Jyoti added. Encouraged by the huge response and success that the camp had, Jyoti Dharod is planning organizing more such camps in the near future. "But that would be after one year as at present we will wait and watch results. Another innovation could be to have treatment with the same procedure but using bone marrow and Adipose (Fat) also," she said. After the camps, Jyoti Dharod took time to address medical fraternity at three difference hospitals in Mumbai sharing her expertise as Perfusionist, ECMO Specialist and Scientist. On March 1 she had a talk on ECMO - How to manage and wean off ECMO, for three hours at Nanavati Hospital. It was organized by COO Dr. Rajendra Patankar and Medical Director Dr Deepak Patkar. On March 2, she gave a talk on the
same subject at Lilavati Hospital. It was organized by COO Lt. Gen Dr. V . Ravishankar and medical Director Dr. Conrad Rui Vas. On the same day she addressed a meet at SNDT University for four hours, about her India trip and camp . It was organized by Principal Dr. Sachin Laddha.
The Knee treatment in progress
ST LOUIS: Hindu Temple of St. Louis organized a community outreach program with Indian Consulate (Chicago) on Sunday March 19. A team of Consulate comprising officials from Chicago consisting of Consul Vishav Pal, Vice Consul Arun Kumar Saxena and Santhos visited St. Louis to conduct this free community camp. The event turned out to be a huge success with about 200 families coming to seek answers to some of their questions. Temple provided the copying services, notary services and other help as needed by the community. Consulate officials answered their questions and provided help on the spot to mitigate some of
the difficulties faced by the Indian community in regard to OCI and visa. It is always good for the consulate to meet the Indians, listen to their issues which in turn help Consulate to formulate their programs for the community help as well as provide a positive image of Indian consulate among Indian Diaspora. The temple plans more such events where both sides can interact and be helpful in providing service and feedback. Consulate visit was helped by the temple volunteers led by Sharath Rao, president of the temple, Ashwin Patel, Prasad Bokka, Jignesh Patel, Krishna Rao Moharir, Mrs. Padma Sai Dammaapatil, Puran Luthra, Phani Raju Nachu, Danunjay, Kantha Rao and Srinivas.
Attendees at Visa camp
March 31, 2017
Community Across America
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EventGuru announces Diwali at Times Square NEW YORK: EventGuru Inc. has announced Saturday October 7 as the date for this year's Diwali at Times Square celebration. Diwali the "Festival of Lights," is the one holiday that unifies the diversity of Indian regional cultures. This annual celebration is the largest celebration of Diwali
outside of India, and it brings the South Asian community together fora fun-filled day showcasing cultural dance and musical performances, a Diwali bazaar, and mouth-watering Indian cuisine. The celebration lights up Times Square with interactive, traditional Diya (lamp) lighting cer-
emonies, and the world's best digital fireworks display. There will be a Bollywood celebrity filled evening concert, and opportunities to interact with favorite stars. The fun will begin at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, October 7in Times Square! Diwali at Times Square was
established in 2013 by Neeta Bhasin -a nationally recognized business leader specializing in multicultural marketing. She wanted to bring the most vibrant, national festival of India to the "Center of Universe" - New York's Times Square - to showcase India's rich culture, heritage,
and arts to the world, while invoking a sense of pride among South Asians. This historic event is managed by ASB Communications, a New York-based multicultural marketing agency now celebrating its 20th anniversary which was founded by Ms. Bhasin.
Preparations on for 3nd International Yoga Day ARVIND PATEL
BAPS conference inspires & empowers women Cont’d from page 21
We may not be in a village anymore, but each one of us is impacting a village. Whether it's our daughters, husbands, brothers, or employees. I think events like these are critical for empower[ing] women, and an empowered women will create an empowered environment, period," said Sumita Batra, the CEO of Ziba Beauty. Jankee Pandya, a local volunteer from the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, mentioned, "One of our most important goals for this year's Women's Conference was to have every attendee find this conference worthwhile and meaningful in some way and I truly believe that we were successful in doing that. All of the speakers brought something unique to the conference and were able to relate to an audience of a wide age range." Mansi Patel, a young audience member who attended the conference articulated, "Initially, I wasn't very interested in attending the
Women's Conference. I'm a freshman in college and did not think the material would be very relevant to my life right now. But after hearing about the speakers' experiences and how they became so successful through hard work, I felt so motivated! Hearing about their dedication and commitment made me want to work harder and pursue a career that is meaningful to me." After the conference, audience members were able to network with the speakers and other professional women who attended the event. The Women's Conference program connected with members of the audience to bring them together and inspire them. His Holiness Pramukh Swami Maharaj encouraged events as such to strengthen and support women to, in turn, support the backbone of our society. Today, his beliefs are persevered by His Holiness Mahant Swami Maharaj who encourages all to lead a life infused with spirituality and integrity.
Meet for celebrating Third International Yoga Day
CHICAGO: The first preparatory meeting for celebration of the 3rd International Yoga Day in US Mid-West was held here on March 27 and it was chaired by Consul General, Mrs. Neeta Bhushan. The participating organiza-
tions which attended the curtain raiser event were Brahma Kumaris Meditation Centre, Gayatri Gyan Mandir, Isha Foundation, Sahaja Yoga Meditation, Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh, SEWA International, Science of Spirituality, Eye on India, Temple of Har-
mony, Balaji Temple, Shri Swaminarayan Mandir BAPS and Hindu Temple of Greater Chicago. The 3rd IYD will be celebrated under the umbrella of the Consulate on June 24 [Saturday] at Sports Complex, Naperville Yard, Naperville, IL.
In Brief Australia resettling 12,000 Syrian refugees CANBERRA, Australia: Australia is close to resettling the 12,000 refugees from the war in Syria and Iraq it promised to urgently take over a year ago. Immigration and Border Protection Minister Peter Dutton said all 12,000 have been issued visas and over 10,000 have already been brought from Mideast refugee camps to Australia. The remainder will be resettled in the coming months. The refugees are in addition to the 13,750 refugees Australia accepts each year. Former Prime Minister Tony Abbott announced in September 2015 that the 12,000 refugees would be resettled as quickly as possible. Abbott was replaced by Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull less than a week later. Peter Shergold, coordinatorgeneral for refugee resettlement in New South Wales, Australia's most populous state, said careful screening would hold up the resettlement process. -AP
„ Providence mayor supports immigrants PROVIDENCE, R.I.: The mayor of Providence has signed a proclamation declaring the city's ``solidarity with the immigrant community.'' Democratic Mayor Jorge Elorza signed the proclamation in a ceremony with police and state and local officials in attendance. Elorza says his proclamation was part of coordinated effort by 60 mayors in 31 states to take simi-
Democratic Mayor Jorge Elorza
lar action on the same day to highlight their concerns about a stricter enforcement of federal immigration laws. The proclamation comes after the federal government included Providence on a list that cited examples of immigrants who were said to have been released from custody by local jails despite requests from federal agents. Elorza said federal immigration officials ``cast a very broad net'' in who they included on the list. -AP
Immigration 48 India Post
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March 31, 2017
US revoking citizenship of PakAmerican Details on page 50
Bill against outsourcing jobs reintroduced in US House WASHINGTON: A bill seeking to prevent US companies from outsourcing jobs overseas by "abusing" H1-B program has been re-introduced in House of Representatives by two lawmakers. Introduced by Democratic Congressman Derek Kilmer and his Republican colleague in the US House of Representatives, Doug Collins, the bill aims at stopping employers that are awarded temporary visas through the H-1B program from using them to train workers in the US then move those jobs to another country. "The Keeping American Jobs Act protects American workers by preventing bad actors from abusing the system in order to offshore jobs," said Collins in a statement, days after 60 Minutes in the PBS aired a documentary on H-1B visa program that allows skilled workers from countries like India to fill high-tech jobs in the US. "Protecting American jobs is crucial in order for our economy
to continue to gain strength and momentum," said Collins. "Companies have the opportu-
available, but we can t allow the law to be exploited to displace American workers and send their
A bill seeking to prevent US companies from outsourcing jobs overseas by “abusing� H1-B programme has been re-introduced in House of Representatives by two lawmakers.
nity to bring workers from overseas on H-1B visas in the event that qualified Americans aren't
jobs abroad," he said. "Our policies should promote jobs in America," said Kilmer.
"They shouldn't be about sending jobs done by hard working Americans overseas. That s why I m continuing my push with Representative Collins to keep H-1B visas from ever being used to send any job to another country," he said. Noting that H-1B visas allow American businesses to hire foreign professionals if skilled American workers are unavailable to fill job openings, a Congressional statement said the employees must have expertise in fields like science and technology and generally have college degrees. "This week, 60 Minutes reported that unscrupulous employers have utilized the program to bring foreign workers in and displace American jobs. This follows reports last year that American workers were forced to train H1B visa holders to do their job so that the jobs could be permanently outsourced to foreign workers," the statement said. -PTI
Argentina welcomes Syria migrants SAN LUIS, Argentina: George S. walks on the dark tarmac holding his sleepy 7-year-old son Fadi in his arms. ``From the bottom of our hearts, welcome to San Luis!'' a smiling crowd yells at the airport in this Argentine city to welcome them and 10 other Syrians. While U.S. President Donald Trump has slammed the door shut on Syrian migrants, the governor of Argentina's San Luis province is happily receiving them through what is seen as the most generous migrant program of its kind in South America. The province is paying for migrants' flights from Syria and providing housing, jobs, health services, psychological assistance and Spanish lessons so the people escaping civil war can make a new start.
``We feel like we're alive again,'' George said through an interpreter earlier this month after he and his wife and children arrived in San Luis. ``I'm relieved
tions refugee agency, as well as authorities in San Luis province, insisted that George, like the other Syrians accepted into the migrant program, be identified
Syrian migrants Fadi, from left to right, Judy, Hosip and Mikl, wave from the back of a vehicle in La Punta, Argentina. The United Nations' child relief agency recently said that 2016 was the worst yet for Syrian young people, with at least 652 children killed.
and surprised by so much kindness.'' Officials with the United Na-
only by their first name and the initial of their last name because of concerns about the safety of
relatives still in Syria. Syrians recently marked the sixth anniversary of their country's civil war, which has killed more than 400,000 people and displaced millions. A bomb destroyed George's sewing machinery repair shop in Aleppo, among the country's fiercest battlegrounds. The incessant bombing, lack of water and electricity exasperated George and two other Syrian Christian families who began looking for options to escape. The final push came from a priest living in Aleppo, who told them a province in his native Argentina was welcoming Syrian migrants of all faiths. Financed by the province's government, the program also accepts contributions from private donors. -AP
Immigration Post
March 31, 2017
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LA mayor expands immigrant protections LOS ANGELES: Mayor Eric Garcetti has expanded protections for immigrants who are in the country illegally, emphasizing the city's refusal to help enforce the Trump administration's immigration crackdown. An executive directive asks the fire chief and chiefs of the airport and port police to follow the Police Department's decades-old policy of not investigating individuals solely to determine their immigration status. Los Angeles ``champions inclusiveness and tolerance, and welcomes everyone who seeks to realize their dreams and build their families here, regardless of national origin or immigration status,'' Garcetti's directive said. Immigrants are the ``engine'' of the Los Angeles economy, with nearly two out of three residents foreign-born or children of immigrants, Garcetti said. The directive bars any city employee from cooperating with the
enforcement of federal civil immigration laws or allowing use of city money or resources for such enforcement unless legally required
unless legally required to do so. Jails and police agencies around the U.S. have opted in recent years not to cooperate with
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti
to do so. Additionally, workers cannot give federal immigration agents special access to any city facility
immigration authorities, in some cases citing federal court rulings that immigrants cannot be held in those jails strictly because of their
immigration status. Other jurisdictions have passed local ordinances barring cooperation. Police agencies and civil rights groups have argued that immigration crackdowns - such as recent federal raids that included arrests at courthouses - spread panic in minority communities and make it harder for police to earn trust and fight crime. At a news conference, Police Chief Charlie Beck said that so far this year, reports of sexual assault by Hispanics have dropped 25 percent while domestic violence reports have fallen by 10 percent. Hispanics are believed to comprise the largest segment of Los Angeles residents who entered the country illegally. The relationship between police and the immigrant community is strained when an officer ``knocks on the front door to get witness information and to talk to a victim and people run out the back door'' because they are afraid
they will be arrested and deported, Beck said. ``And that is what we fear the most is happening in our city.'' President Donald Trump has said he plans to crack down on so-called ``sanctuary cities'' and other jurisdictions that do not cooperate with immigration authorities and has threatened to eliminate access to some federal grants. Immigration officials released a list of 206 cases of immigrants released from custody by ``non-cooperative'' public agencies before federal agents could intervene. Garcetti said the report was trying to pin a ``scarlet letter'' on those agencies and would harm relationships between federal and local governments. Meanwhile, Garcetti and dozens of other mayors taking part in the U.S. Conference of Mayors are urging Trump and Congress to fix what they termed a ``broken'' immigration system. -AP
Scared Latinos report fewer sex crimes LOS ANGELES: The police chief of Los Angeles, a city that is half Latino, found himself in the middle of the national immigration debate after saying there's a correlation between the Trump administration's call for stiffer immigration policies and a drop in the number of Hispanics reporting sexual abuse and domestic violence. ``Imagine your sister, your mother, not reporting a sexual assault for fear that their family will be torn apart,'' LAPD Chief Charlie Beck said. Since the beginning of this year, sexual assaults reported by Latinos in Los Angeles have dropped 25 percent, and domestic violence reports by Latinos have decreased by 10 percent compared to the same period last year. Crime statistics show there were 164 sexual assaults reported by Latinos in the first two months of 2016, compared to 123 in the first two months of 2017. There was also a decrease of 118 reports of domestic violence during the same periods among Latinos. Beck said there was a ``strong correlation'' between the timing of the decreased reporting and fears about President Donald Trump's efforts to crack down on the estimated 11 million immigrants living illegally in the U.S. However, Jessica Vaughan of the Washington-based Center for Immigration Studies, which lob-
bies for less immigration to the U.S., said it is ``extremely speculative'' to draw a connection between the drop in crime reporting and fears regarding accelerated efforts to round up and deport immigrants. She questioned Beck's reasoning for announcing the figures. ``This seems to be somehow politically motivated to try to get people to think increased enforce-
crime statistics by the ethnicity of victims, but some other large-city police departments do not keep the same types of reports. In Philadelphia, police statistics showed 50 less reports of violent crime, including homicides, rapes, robberies and aggravated assaults, made by Latinos in January 2017, compared to the year before. Immigrant advocates counter
terrified and that is not an exaggeration,'' said Marisa Cianciarulo, a law professor who runs a domestic violence clinic for immigrants at Chapman University. ``These are historically underreported crimes and there are even fewer of them being reported.'' Cianciarulo said victims have not only said they fear reporting the crimes to the police could land them on the radar of federal immigration officials but also are afraid that their attackers will report them as living in the U.S. illegally. Los Angeles County Sheriff Jim McDonnell told The Associated Press earlier this month that gang members have also been preying on immigrants and telling them they will be deported if they report crimes to police. Jorge-Mario Cabrera, with the
advocacy group CHIRLA, said the organization has seen ``immigrant families potentially being so afraid of the ultimate punishment, which deportation represents, that they may forego their chances of justice.'' Cianciarulo says outreach events, like the LAPD's community forums focusing on immigration, are necessary to combat anti-immigrant rhetoric and restore faith in immigrant communities. In St. Paul, Minnesota, police have posted videos online in several languages, including Spanish, to let people know they should not be afraid to call police if they need help. Beck, a native of the Los Angeles area whose father was a deputy police chief, has repeatedly reiterated that the Police Department will not act as de-facto immigration agents. -AP
PRADEEP ROY-SINGH B.A. LL.B. M.B.A. J.D. Attorney-at-Law
Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck speaks at a news conference in Los Angeles, Beck said that reports of sexual assault and domestic violence by Latino residents have dropped amid concerns that those in the country illegally could face deportation if they interact with police.
ment is causing problems in the community,'' Vaughan said. ``I think it is really a stretch to connect this decline with perceptions of increased immigration enforcement.'' Los Angeles breaks down its
that the unease of those living in the U.S. illegally is forcing victims of violent crimes to fear that any interaction with police could cause them or their loved ones to be deported. ``My sense is that people are
Former Assistant StateÂ’s Attorney
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US revoking citizenship of Pak-American WASHINGTON: In a rare move, the US has initiated the process to revoke the citizenship of a Pakistani-American who was involved in militancy in Kashmir and is serving a 20-year prison term on terrorism charges. Iyman Faris, who became an American citizen in 1999, was in 2003 convicted of conspiracy to provide material support to alQaeda and sentenced to 20 years of imprisonment. Federal prosecutors said in his naturalization application he concealed that he participated in militancy in Kashmir in the 80s and was affiliated to the Harkat-ulJihadi al-Islami. The Department of Justice filed a civil action before a federal court in Chicago against Faris, urging the judge that his citizenship be revoked. Faris, 47, was a resident of Chicago until he was arrested. Under the Trump administration, this is the first known case of
the Department of Justice moving to withdrawing the citizenship of a naturalized American. The civil complaint alleges that
he willfully misrepresented the circumstances under which he entered the country on subsequent applications for immigration ben-
Under the Immigration and Nationality Act, a naturalised US citizen’s citizenship may be revoked, and his certificate of naturalisation cancelled, if the naturalisation was illegally procured or procured by concealment of a material fact or by wilful misrepresentation, the Department of Justice said.
Faris entered the US fraudulently by using another's passport that
efits, and that he twice testified falsely to obtain immigration ben-
efits. "The Department's Office of Immigration Litigation will continue to pursue naturalization proceedings against known or suspected terrorists who procured their citizenship by fraud," said Acting Assistant Attorney General Chad A Readler. US Attorney S Boyce said it was important to ensure the path to legal naturalization remains secure and free of fraud. Under the Immigration and Nationality Act, a naturalized US citizen's citizenship may be revoked, and his certificate of naturalization cancelled, if the naturalization was illegally procured or procured by concealment of a material fact or by willful misrepresentation, the Department of Justice said. Once Faris's citizenship is revoked, he would be subject to deportation to Pakistan after he serves his sentence. According to court docu-
ments, Faris was born in Karachi in 1969. In March 1994, he entered the US from New York using a passport and visa belonging to another person, Iyman al-Ibrahim al-Ali, whom he had previously met in Bosnia. Four months later, he applied for asylum, in which he lied, federal prosecutors said. After becoming a US citizen in 1999, Faris travelled to Pakistan and Afghanistan in 2000 to meet Osama bin Laden and other senior alQaeda leaders. "At the request of this senior al-Qaeda operational leader," he "researched information about ultra-light aircraft and knowingly provided that information to al Qaeda," federal prosecutors said. Thereafter he visited Pakistan in December 2001 during which he sought to obtain extensions on airline tickets for various other people, knowing that the tickets were for use by al Qaeda members. In 2002, he again met senior al Qaeda operational leaders. -PTI
Embassies told to ramp up visa screening WASHINGTON: The State De- groups and others who've accused partment has ordered American Trump of discriminating against embassies and consulates around Muslims through his now-susthe world to draw up criteria for pended ban on travelers from six "population sets" needing extra predominantly Muslim countries. scrutiny before receiving visas to The cable calls for consular travel to the United States, accord- chiefs at each post to immediately ing to a recent diplomatic cable. convene working groups to "deThe message also instructed US posts overseas to review the social media accounts of visa applicants who are suspected of terrorist ties or of having been in Islamic State group-controlled areas. The guidance was sent in a March 17 cable to all US diplomatic missions to help American officials satisfy President Donald Trump's memorandum for enhanced vetting of visa applicants. The Associated Secretary of State Rex Tillerson at the State Press obtained a copy of Department in Washington, DC the cable. The State Department wouldn't comment be- velop a list of criteria identifying yond saying it was working to sets of post applicant populations meet the Trump memorandum's warranting increased scrutiny" requirements and that "visitor and "attempt to identify individual screening and vetting procedures applicants that fall within the popuare designed to effectively iden- lation set during the course of a tify individuals who could pose a consular visa interview." threat to the United States." Even if the applicant otherwise The cable, which was first re- qualifies for a visa, those identiported by Reuters, does not de- fied as meeting the criteria would fine "population sets." But it require additional scrutiny and quickly drew criticism from rights possible denial.
Amnesty International has called for the department to publicize the guidance. "These measures could provide license for discrimination based on national origin and religion," the human rights group said in a letter to Secretary of State Rex Tillerson. "They could provide a pretext for barring individuals based on their nonviolent beliefs and expression. Social media checks, as well as demands for social media passwords at US borders, have significant implications for privacy
and freedom of expression." The instructions tell posts to refer any visa applicant who "may have ties to ISIS or to other terrorist organizations or has ever been present in an ISIS-controlled territory" to a Fraud Prevent Unit for a mandatory social media review. The results of that review are to be flagged and entered into the applicant's file. Additionally, the cable says consular officers must take into account if an Iraqi visa applicant "was ever present in a territory at
the time it was controlled by ISIS." If the applicant was, such information must be flagged for additional review. The Trump administration originally included Iraq among the countries affected by its proposed travel ban. After a court blocked the effort, a second executive order removed Iraq from the travel ban. That order also has been suspended by a court. The cable anticipates the new requirements may cause backlogs in visa processing. -AP
Cape May sheriffs to enroll in immigration program CAPE MAY, N.J.: A New Jersey sheriff's office is enrolling in a federal program so its corrections officers can enforce immigration laws. The Cape May County Sheriff's Office application was approved to join the program, The Press of Atlantic City reported. Immigration and Customs Enforcement will train three corrections officers to investigate, detain and process for deportation county jail inmates who are in the country unlawfully. ICE is ``very active'' in the jail in the summer when the county's population and seasonal economy spike, Sheriff Gary Schaffer said in statement. Officers won't go out
looking for ``undocumented persons.'' ``Families should relax,'' Schaffer said. ``The only persons impacted are individuals who commit serious and violent crimes.'' But some social justice activists are still concerned. The program, however limited, will create an environment of anxiety for immigrants, they said. ``Basically, what Sheriff Schaffer is doing is building a wall through communities in Cape May County,'' said Georgina Shanley, coordinator of the county's Amnesty International chapter. ``We're definitely going to fight it.
We're not going away.'' Activists have questioned the program following a January executive order signed by Republican President Donald Trump calling for its expansion. Though opponents of Cape May County's application have voiced their concerns at recent freeholder meetings, the county's governing body may not get a chance to weigh in on the matter because Schaffer isn't sure whether he'll bring a resolution about the program to them. ``I don't think it's required,'' Schaffer said. ``As of now, we're in the program.'' -AP
Horoscope
March 31, 2017
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The stationary transit of Rahu and Ketu is in effect till April 2017, Sudden setbacks, obstructions are likely. Drive safely. Be patience.
March 31st - April 06th 2017 Please send your birthday, place of birth and time, so I can give you your zodiac sign, according to Vedic astrology. Send to Jaysastrology@gmail.com
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ake it easy and relax. children bring happiness. Those of you who are in foreign lands are likely to have good opportunities. Avoid involvement in vices such as gambling, drinking and smoking. It is better to avoid haste, conflicts and unnecessary driving. As transit rahu/ketu can cause sudden mishap. Obstruction are likely to continue in income up to August, 2016.
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ou may get professional opportunities related to foreign lands. The child may cause concern. Avoid speculative investments. Some sudden developments are likely to disturb in the matter of health and relationship. It is better to avoid unnecessary driving. Exercise patience. The prolonged transit planetary influences caused by Rahu/Ketu are quite difficult.
rofessional matters are looking up. Some of you are likely to get promotions. Week is good for those who are in foreign lands or are dealing with foreign lands. Some new professional opportunities and gains through investments are likely. week may bring some good news for bachelors. week is good for students and for those who are appearing in selections.
rofessional matters are looking up. Some gains through real estate are likely. Handle relationship and health with patience. Child may need help. Avoid haste, conflicts, speculation, aggressive behaviour and unnecessary driving. Health and financial concerns are likely to continue. Enemies are likely to trouble. Conflicts will put you to harm. Manage with patience.
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rofessional matters look good. week brings good news of a rise for the spouse. child may also bring some happy news. Additional income is likely through new business opportunities. Those appearing for selection may get good news. week is good for those who are in foreign lands. incidence of conflicts may harm you. Work with patience. Take care of your health
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ome new business opportunities are likely. Good for investments in long term assets. incidence of difficulties is indicated for those who are in foreign lands up to Septmber, 2016. week is good for those who are in job or are looking for a job. Better to avoid unnecessary driving. Take care of your health and relationship matters. Some immune disorder is likely
ood developments are likely for those, who are in foreign lands or are dealing with foreign lands. Some gains in real estate income is likely. week is good for students and women. You are likely to join some course for your knowledge. New business opportunities face obstructions. Things are moving a bit slow.Exercise patience and avoid unnecessary driving.
he professional matters may encounter sudden conflicts. Take care of your health and exercise patience. Avoid aggressive behaviour and haste up to August, 2016. Some sudden developments are likely to disturb your income. Don't be at wrong place at wrong time as transit of planets is weak. The prolonged transit planetary influences caused by Rahu/ Ketu are quite difficult.
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our professional matters are likely to be okay and they may help you in managing your problem areas. Some sudden health and conflicts continue to disturb you and make the week difficult. Keep new ventures and property deals pending. Some mental stress is likely. Avoid haste, conflicts, unnecessary driving/ travel. Take care of your health. Some additional expeses are likely.
rofessional matters are looking better. Fortune helps to some extent. Some additional income is likely. Be careful in new ventures to avert losses. The child may need attention upto August, 2016. Patience is the best medicine . prolonged transit planetary influences caused by Rahu/Ketu are quite difficult. Some income constraints are likely. transit weakness of planets.
ortune helps. Some good developments are likely in professional matters. Some new business opportunity is likely. The week is good for students, women and for those who are looking for marriage. The prolonged transit planetary influences caused by Rahu/Ketu are quite difficult Sudden mishap as transit planets are weak, be patientance and avoid unnecessary places at wrong time.
ome good developments are likely in professional matters for some of you. The spouse is likely to get recognition or promotion or a pay raise. The week is good for those who are dealing with foreign lands. Some sudden financial gain is likely. The incidence of conflicts, health concerns, obstructions and sudden setbacks continues ,It is better toavoid unnecessary journey.
This weekly horoscope is more focused and accurate as these are based on ascending signs. The ascending sign is worked out on the basis of your date, time and place of birth. You will find the predictions at other places based on your Sun sign or Moon sign. The Sun remains in one sign of zodiac for one month whereas the Moon remains in one sign for about 54 hours. It is the ascending sign, which changes every couple of hours." That is how this site offers you more focused predictions.
JATIN P - ACHARYA MIHIR • JAYSASTROLOGY@GMAIL.COM • 630-675-7148
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Philosophy
March 31, 2017
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he love of Rama and Sita is love; it is not marriage. Tulsi and many others have written versions of the Ramayana after Valmiki, but all those Ramayanas have lost the purity of Valmiki's Ramayana. Valmiki's version is pure because he is not concerned about morality or religion. Valmiki narrates the Ramayana in the spirit of Rama himself. Tulsi, however, is too preoccupied with preserving Rama's image, so that whatever he feels to be detrimental to Rama's moral character he has left out. Tulsi has removed from the Ramayana every detail, however small, that might tarnish Rama's image. You may find yourself troubled by many features of Valmiki's narrative because so many of the events surrounding Rama and Sita will defy your imagination. Rama comes to the city where Sita lives and, wandering in a garden, see Sita and falls in love with her. This is inconceivable to us, this is the kind of thing that any vagrant boy might do - to set eyes on a girl and immediately fall in love. Is this any way for a Rama to behave? But so it was! Love happened to Rama before marriage. Marriage came afterwards just as a supplement. To Sita too, love happened the moment she saw this young man. Their two hearts met - the essential meet-
ing had already happened - before they married, before society played the part of the formal witness. After what had happened between the two, if Sita had to marry someone else, that would have been merely a superficial marriage. The freshness, the virginity of the meeting of these two hearts would not have been there. It would have been only a business transaction, something just on the body level. This is why, even if Ravana
could have been able to marry Sita, he could not have had her; that event had already happened, her giving of herself. And likewise, had Rama married another woman, he would have missed the music of the meeting of two hearts' what was spontaneous and unplanned would not have been possible in any other marriage. Rama and Sita have never been studied in this dimension, because
cult. A scholar came to me, a devotee of Krishna and opponent of Rama. This is just the way scholars behave; if he is a devotee of Krishna he will be opposed to Rama, and if he is devoted to Rama he will oppose Krishna. The scholar is always for one party and against the other. They have no heart which can understand, otherwise they would see that Rama
matters, but he certainly is not a lover, because what kind of love is this?" I don't think the scholar was able to understand my answer when I told him, "To me, this is one of those rare acts of love. Only a lover could do this." It was difficult for the scholar to catch my meaning. Rama Navami will be celebrated on April 4
NIRMALA
that everything is just different expressions of one field of nondual Being. But what about your experience right now? Is it possible to realize this subtle oneness or nonduality in ordinary experience? It is, if you set aside the expectation of a dramatic awakening to the experience
they one thing? To take this further, where does your hand stop and your forearm begin? Can you experience the oneness of your hand and your forearm? If these are not separate, then what about other parts of your body? Are your feet and your ears really one even though they are so different?
you are seeing. If you are seeing something, where does the seeing stop and something else called the eye begin? If you are hearing sounds, where does the sound start and the ear stop? Perhaps the hearing, the sound, and your ear are all one thing. Yes, the ear is different from the sound, but in the
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hat is Advaita, or nonduality? Advaita means nondual or "not two." This oneness is a fundamental quality of everything. Everything is a part of and made of one nondual consciousness. Often the question arises, "If it is all one thing, why don't I experience it that way?" This is confusing oneness for the appearance of sameness. Things can appear different without being separate. Just look at your hand for a moment. Your fingers are all different from each other, but are they separate? They all arise from the same hand. Similarly, the objects, animals, plants and people in the world are all definitely different in their appearance and functioning. But they are all connected at their source-they come from the same source. This one Being that is behind all life has an infinite number of different expressions that we experience as different objects. To continue with the hand analogy, your fingers are all made of the same substance. They are made up of similar tissues, cells, atoms, and at the deepest level, subatomic particles. Similarly, when your experience of reality becomes more subtle, you discover
love is something we do not study - we want to avoid such things. Their falling in love with each other is the very first thing between Rama and Sita, and all that unfolds afterwards between them has to be understood in this light. If we ignore the fact that first and foremost they have fallen in love with each other, then many apparently meaningless issues arise in the lives of Rama and Sita, and to resolve these becomes very diffi-
and Krishna are one. This scholar said to me, "Everything is Rama's life seems fine to me, except for his expulsion of Sita to the jungle on basis of gossip spread by a worthless washerman. On the strength of hearsay and rumor, Rama sent his pregnant wife away from their home. "This is a very unworthy act of Rama's part - this shows that his love fell short. Rama may have been kingly and skillful in worldly
Love of Rama and Sita is not marriage
Rama
After what had happened between the two, if Sita had to marry someone else, that would have been merely a superficial marriage. The freshness, the virginity of the meeting of these two hearts would not have been there.
Realizing nonduality in ordinary experience As an experiment, just notice your fingers and the palm of your hand. Can you say where one starts and the other ends, or are they one thing? To take this further, where does your hand stop and your forearm begin? of oneness and explore the nondual nature of reality a little bit at a time. Just as even a single drop of water is wet, you can experience oneness in even simple everyday experiences, since oneness is a fundamental quality of everything that exists. As an experiment, just notice your fingers and the palm of your hand. Can you say where one starts and the other ends, or are
Now notice if there really is a separation between your thoughts and your head. Where does your head stop and something else called thought begin? What about feelings or desires? Are they really separate from you or your body? Now, notice the simple sensations you are having: the sounds you are hearing, the sensations of touch, and the objects and events
Nirmala
act of hearing, they become one thing. if a bird is singing outside your window, where does the bird stop and the sound of its song begin? Or are they one thing? If the bird and its song are one thing, and your hearing and the song are one thing, then is it possible that you and the bird are also one thing? Nirmala is an Advaita spiritual teacher in the US.
You cannot see That which is the Seer of seeing; you cannot hear That which is the Hearer of hearing; you cannot think of That which is the Thinker of thought; you cannot know That which is the Knower of knowledge. This is your Self, that is within all; everything else but This is perishable. -Brihadaranyaka Upanishad
Brahman is not grasped by the eye, nor by speech, nor by the other senses, nor by penance or good works. A man becomes pure through serenity of intellect; thereupon, in meditation, he beholds Him who is without parts. -Mundaka Upanishad
Just as, my dear, by one nugget of gold all that is made of gold is known, the modification being only a name, arising from speech, while the truth is that all is gold -Chandogya Upanishad
Supreme Reality, omniscient, all-powerful, free from all phenomenal characteristics such as hunger and thirst, eternal, pure, illumined, free, unborn, undecaying, deathless, immortal, fearless, and nondual." - Shankaracharya
Eternal peace belongs to the wise, who perceive Him within themselves-not to others. - Katha Upanishad
May I be many; may I grow forth. -Aitareya Upanishad
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Congress won Punjab due to strong regional leader NIHARIKA TAGOTRA
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he Punjab elections have given a clear mandate to the Congress which secured 77 of the 117 available seats. Congress' overwhelming victory came despite the prevalent political wave favoring BJP at the national level, and AAP's success in Punjab during the 2014 parliamentary elections. This demonstrates that in India, state elections still work differently than national elections. Punjab proved to be the last man standing for the Congress party, and there are several key takeaways from this election result. Captain Amarinder Singh's leadership has been endorsed by voters cutting across caste and community lines, evident from the Congress' vote share among both the Sikh and Dalit voters. The Congress dominated the Majha, Doaba and Malwa regions, winning 22(out of 25), 15 (of 23) and 40 (of 69) seats respectively, outpacing both the Akalis and the AAP. AAP was expected to put up a strong fight in Malwa, but was unable to secure the necessary support from the region's Dalit voters, winning only 18 seats. The fact that Congress won despite a weak central leadership can be largely attributed to Singh's popularity in the state. Moreover, the central leadership's decision to announce Singh as the chief ministerial candidate only a week before the elections were to commence shows why even less credit should be given to them for this success. This holds important lessons for the Congress, which is staring at a "full blown political crisis" nationwide. Strong regional leaders like Singh need to be given greater prominence for the party to regain its credibility in the country. The party must reach out to its periph-
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ith the buzz on the privatization of stateowned airline Air India (AI) erupting again, aviation experts say it is the right time for such a move but wondered whether investors would have the appetite for it or whether politically and strategically it would be the right overture. Even as presentation for divestment of government stake in
eral leaders and consolidate its regional votes. Singh as an obvious alternative to the corrupt Akali BJP regime, despite AAP's strong presence in the state, could signal a chance for Congress' revival. Only, it will have to move away from the top-down hierarchical command chain that it has established for itself. The Punjab election results also delivered a blow to AAP's aspirations in the state. The failure to project a local face as a chief ministerial candidate cost AAP dearly. The fact that later in the campaign, Arvind Kejriwal was projected as the potential chief minister (CM)
Strong regional leaders like Singh need to be given greater prominence for the party to regain its credibility in the country gave strength to the "outsider-asa-CM" narrative, significantly undermining its electoral prospects. AAP's internal politics, such as the party's state chief and crowd puller Sucha Singh Chhotepur's unceremonious exit, and revelation of AAP's linkages with the Punjabi Diaspora, who were earlier accused of funding militant groups in the state, also dented its image. The bomb blasts that rocked Bhatinda on 31 January, killing five, were also indirectly attributed to the Kejriwal's close ties with Gurinder Singh, a former Khalistani militant. The party was accused of trying to mainstream the extremists and give more political space
to the Khalistani movement to fulfill its own political ambitions; something that evidently did not go down well with the voters in Punjab. Finally, the anti-incumbency factor weighed heavily against the Akalis in the state. With a tally of 15 seats, SAD performed worse than in 2002, when the party lost the elections but won 41 seats. The decade-long Akali regime in the state was accused of largescale corruption. Despite the claims of boosting urban and rural developmental projects, the state suffered from lack of governance. The Badal government has also been held responsible for Punjab's massive drug problem. The alleged involvement of Akali state parliamentarians, including Bikram Singh Majithia, in a drug scam as well as allegations of nepotism and severe maladministration contributed to the massive antiincumbency. That Punjab resisted the "Modi wave" successfully is an important indicator of the voter mindset, which works differently at the state and national levels. In the 2014 parliamentary elections, Akali-BJP was able to secure 5 out of the 14 seats, while the AAP managed 4, and the Congress could garner only 3 seats. The result in the 2017 state elections has been the complete opposite of 2014; a scenario that will require introspection by both the winners and the losers. A border state with strong separatist undercurrents and increasing economic problems presents the country with a multitude of security challenges. This scenario presents the next government with opportunities and challenges in abundance. The writer is Researcher, IPCS
His own man
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he appointment of Yogi Adiyanath as chief minister of Uttar Pradesh was a shock for many. He is a known hardliner of Hindutva and some of his statements against minorities, particularly Muslims, have been repeatedly highlighted in the mainstream English press which loves to demonize him. But the way he has gone about his work, taking over 50 decisions within a week has forced even his detractors to sit up and take notice. Although the ban on illegal slaughter houses has earned screaming headlines, there are a host of initiatives he has taken so early in his tenure which are forcing a reassessment of the ability of a sadhu in religious robes to take to robust politics. Many of his decisions are of great merit for public welfare and one wonders why no previous leader had attempted them because they seem so necessary. It matters that the yogi is not a politician in the sense that is generally understood. His being morally upright is also a great departure from the generally accepted behavior of politicians who see nothing wrong in taking advantage of their position. Political leaders, after their elevation to high posts, are known to function as deal makers and forget all about working for the general public once they have won the election. The actions of the new chief minister are therefore like a refreshing fresh breeze. It matters that he is a tough guy and you need such a strong man in an unruly state like Uttar Pradesh. The overwhelming victory of BJP in Uttar Pradesh was rightly credited to the charismatic campaigning of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and it was expected that a Modi confidant would be imposed on the state to carry out Modi's plans. However after the yogi has taken over, there is hardly any talk of mode or his influence. Yogi is showing himself to be his own man and is functioning with an agenda of his own. He himself is greatly popular in the state due to his integrity and incorruptibility. Narendra Modi must be relieved at this situation otherwise he would have to do back seat driving in Uttar Pradesh. It would have added additional burden on him to make the UP government a success. There is a tendency to view negatively whatever he does. The motives, therefore, behind his decisions need to be highlighted. It is not a meat ban but ordering closure of illegal abattoirs so that only hygienic outlets are allowed to function. The guideline for AntiRomeo squads is protection of girls from goons but there is not to be "unnecessary harassment" of boys and girls who are together. Officials have been asked to ensure that 30 districts of the state are open defecation-free by December. He also banned the use of pan and tobacco in government offices, hospitals, schools and colleges. Aren't these steps good for society?
Time is ripe for privatization of Air India the airline was reportedly being made to the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) and the finance ministry, telecom experts believe a staggering debt of around Rs 64,000 crore -as per the latest financial numbers released in 2014-15 - there would not be many takers for the national carrier except for the deep-pocketed Gulf carriers such as Emirates, Etihad and Qatar Airways. Pankaj Pandit, an ex-Air India
employee who now works as an airline consultant, feels the timing for it would right as AI's operations had finally become cash positive after a long time and the overall aviation sector was doing well because of softer fuel prices and healthy air passenger traffic growth. For instance, in fiscal 2016, the airline reported an operational profit of Rs 105 crore after a long time while its losses were down to
Rs 3,587crore from Rs 5,859 crore in the previous year. "At least, it (AI) is not losing cash and is cash positive. That is the least you can expect from AI, which has a huge debt. It would be a good move for the government to get out of such a capitalintensive business that is ruled by employee unions." Pandit feels that public sector undertaking (PSU) airline was in
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debt trap, which was bleeding by over Rs. 5,000 crore every year just to service the debt. A telecom expert cited the example of automobile major Maruti Suzuki, saying if government equity in Maruti had not been sold to Japan's Suzuki at the right time, its value would not have appreciated so much. Frank Fernades Mumbai, India
March 31, 2017
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