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VOL 22, No. 1175
April 7, 2017
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PROGRAMMERS NOT ELIGIBLE FOR H-1B
Nikki Haley
Veto won't bar US to act against terrorists Details on page 6
'US will try to reduce IndoPak tensions'
WASHINGTON: The US has ruled that being a simple computer programmer would no longer qualify as a specialist profession, which is a must for the issue of an H-1B work visa, in a move that could have far-reaching implications for thousands of Indians applying for such a visa. The ruling reverses the US' more than decades and a half old guidelines, that were issued in the context of addressing the new millennium needs. The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has ruled that an entry level computer programmer posi-
tion would not generally qualify as a position in a "specialty occupation". The clarification on what constitutes a "specialty occupation" superseding and rescinding its previous guidelines of December 22, 2000 was issued by the USCIS through a new policy memorandum on March 31. The move could have far reaching implications on thousands of Indians applying for H-1B work visas for the next fiscal beginning October 1, 2017, the process for which has already started. Details on page 5
Periodical Postage
Mattis-Doval discussed Chinese bullying Details on page 7
China told to respect 'One India' policy Details on page 5
Details on page 6
US steps to detect H-1B visa fraud Details on page 5
All clear to Barak missiles for Navy
See pages 27-31
CONTENTS Bollywood ---------------------- 24-25
Details on page 7
Classifieds ------------------------- 52 Community Post ----- 16-23,34-35
INDIA POST SURVEY
Date Book -------------------------- 15 Edit Page --------------------------- 54
survey@indiapost.com
HealthScience Post --------- 32-33
This week’s question
Horoscope ------------------------- 46
Do the H-1B law changes hit Indians hard?
Immigration Post ------------- 48-51
Last week’s result
Do you agree with the charge that Indians misused H1B? YES 34%
NO 66%
Life Style ----------------------- 36-39
ALL-WEATHER LINK: Prime Minister Narendra Modi
Philosophy ------------------------- 53
waves after inaugurating the country's longest 9-km-long 'Chenani-Nashri' road tunnel between Kashmir and Jammu on April 2. (Details on page 7)
Real Estate -------------------- 40-41
Publisher’s Diary ------------------ 4 TechBiz Post ------------------- 10-14 Travel & Hospitality Post ---- 42-45
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omebody please stop her. Hillary Clinton, that is, from doing whatever it is that she is trying to do again in the public sphere. Ever since President Trump took oath of office, every liberal pundit, Hollywood-types and late night comedian worth a joke is telling America what to make of the new President, his family, his aides and administration officials ostensibly creating an atmosphere of uncertainty and confusion. And the last thing anyone in America or around the world that might care, wants to hear is what Mrs. Clinton thinks of President Trump or his policy attempts. One can understand the immense frustration a diehard politician like her would feel if told to hold her tongue, especially when she arguably feels she would've done a better job in the Oval Office. Like former Presidents, it behooves the losing candidate in the election to maintain a dignified distance from the shenanigans of the current administration. And Clinton should know better than anyone else about timing in politics. Bogged down by taint and moral ineptitude, the Trump administration is on shaky Washington DC terrain and critics are watching to see if it collapses under its own unpopularity before its first 100 days are up. Politically speaking, all the Democrats need to do is watch from the wings, while strengthening their own rank and file and fresh leadership. Among voters, there is still enough anger on all sides - conservatives who hate her and love Trump, liberals who hate Trump but are disappointed in her, conservatives suffering buyer's remorse over their choice of Trump, and centrists who wanted to give Clinton a chance. So any political commentary by her at this juncture would be counter-intuitive and distracting from truth. No offense, but my advice to Clinton: Stick to serving at soup kitchens for now. Romesh K Japra
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HIGHLIGHTS Bollywood: Rapping Bitwa Nawazuddin Siddiqui is venturing into freakishly unfamiliar territory rapping in Hindi for an upcoming film.
Cover Story: Programmers barred The US has ruled that being a simple computer programmer would no longer qualify as a specialist profession for H-1B
Community: Potential Governor Chicago Councilor Ameya Pawar has decided to jump into the Illinois Governor race with backing from communities.
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Life style: Baywatch is craziest The cast of ``Baywatch'' took the stage alongside scantily clad men and women sporting the classic red bathing suits
Techbiz: Trade 'cheaters' President Trump has signed an order seeking review of trade deficit with 16 countries, including China and India
Travel: Mandu Fairy tale love story of a Muslim prince with a local poor shepherd girl brings the mythological face to Mandu.
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Programmers barred from H-1B jobs WASHINGTON: The US has ruled that being a simple computer programmer would no longer qualify as a specialist profession, which is a must for the issue of an H-1B work visa, in a move that could have far-reaching implications for thousands of Indians applying for such a visa. The ruling reverses the US'
The clarification on what constitutes a "specialty occupation" superseding and rescinding its previous guidelines of December 22, 2000 was issued by the USCIS through a new policy memorandum on March 31. The move could have far reaching implications on thousands of Indians applying for H-
The clarification on what constitutes a "specialty occupation" superseding and rescinding its previous guidelines of December 22, 2000 was issued by the USCIS through a new policy memorandum on March 31 more than decades and a half old guidelines, that were issued in the context of addressing the new millennium needs. The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has ruled that an entry level computer programmer position would not generally qualify as a position in a "specialty occupation".
1B work visas for the next fiscal beginning October 1, 2017, the process for which has already started. Issued just one business day before the USCIS started accepting H-1B visa petitions, the policy memorandum titled 'Rescission of the December 22, 2000 Guidance memo on H1B computer related
positions,' has sent shocked waves across the companies and immigration attorneys, as their application was based on the 2000 guidelines on what constitutes a specialty occupation. "The fact that a person may be employed as a computer programmer and may use information technology skills and knowledge to help an enterprise achieve its goals in the course of his or her job is not sufficient to establish the position as a specialty occupation," the USCIS Policy Memorandum ruled. "Thus, a petitioner may not rely solely on the (current version of the) Handbook (that describes specialty occupation) to meet its burden when seeking to sponsor a beneficiary for a computer programmer position. Instead, a petitioner must provide other evidence to establish that the particular position is one in a specialty occupation," the memorandum said. According to the USCIS, the December 22, 2000 memorandum
entitled 'Guidance memo on H-1B computer related positions' is not an accurate articulation of current agency policy. "USCIS is rescinding it to prevent inconsistencies in H-1B and
2000 memorandum was based on 1998-1999 and 2000-01 editions of the Occupational Outlook Handbook, which is now obsolete. The 2000 memorandum, it said, did not accurately portray essen-
H-1B1 adjudications between the three service centers that currently adjudicate H-1B petitions," it said. The USCIS argued that the
tial information from the Handbook that recognized that some computer programmers qualify for these jobs with only "2-year degrees." -PTI
US steps to detect H-1B China told to respect 'One India' policy visa fraud WASHINGTON: The US has announced multiple measures to "deter and detect" what it described as "fraud and abuse" of H-1B work visas, the most sought after by Indian IT firms and professionals. The announcement by the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) comes on a day on which the federal agency started accepting applications for H-1B visas for the fiscal year beginning October 1, 2017.
Asserting that its multiple measures will further "deter and detect H-1B visa fraud and abuse", the USCIS said the H-1B visa program should help US companies recruit highly-skilled foreign nationals when there is a shortage of qualified workers in the country. "Yet, too many American workers who are as qualified, willing and deserving to work in these fields have been ignored or unfairly disadvantaged. Protecting American workers by combating
"Yet, too many American workers who are as qualified, willing and deserving to work in these fields have been ignored or unfairly disadvantaged” The USCIS announcement indicated that the US government is going to be tough and stringent in approval of H-1B visas this year. The USCIS has a Congressional mandate to issue 65,000 H1B visas in general category and another 20,000 for those applicants having higher education masters and above - from US universities in the field of science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
fraud in our employment-based immigration programs is a priority for the USCIS," a statement said. The USCIS also announced the launch of an email helpline against abuse and fraud of H-1B visas. The USCIS will now onwards take a more targeted approach when making site visits across the country to H-1B petitioners and the work sites of H1B employees. The USCIS will focus on cases
where it cannot validate the employer's basic business information through commercially available data; H-1B-dependent employers (those who have a high ratio of H-1B workers as compared to US workers, as defined by statute); and employers petitioning for H-1B workers who work off-site at another company or organization's location. Targeted site visits will allow USCIS to focus resources where fraud and abuse of the H-1B program may be more likely to occur, and determine whether H-1B dependent employers are evading their obligation to make a good faith effort to recruit US workers, a media release said. Noting that it will continue random and unannounced visits nationwide, USCIS said these site visits are not meant to target nonimmigrant employees for any kind of criminal or administrative action but rather to identify employers who are abusing the system. "Employers who abuse the H1B visa program negatively affect US workers, decreasing wages and job opportunities as they import more foreign workers," it said. Cont’d on page 6
NEW DELHI: Amid a row over Arunachal Pradesh, said the state the Dalai Lama's visit to is "not a disputed territory" and Arunachal Pradesh, the govern- is part of the Union of India and a ment has asked China not to in- "full-fledged state". terfere in its internal affairs, say"There may be some differing it respects the "One-China" ences of opinion between India policy and expects Beijing to re- and China over the boundary. But ciprocate. China has no locus standi over Making a statement on the visit Arunachal Pradesh," he said. of the Dalai Lama to Arunachal Rijiju said talks between New Pradesh, Minister of State for Delhi and Beijing on the boundHome Kiren Rijiju said here that ary dispute are going on and the the Tibetan spiritual leader's visit people of Arunachal Pradesh are to the border state is completely religious “Arunachal Pradesh is an and no political motive inseparable part of India should be ascribed to it. "There is no political and China should not obangle behind His Holiness's visit to ject to his visit and interfere Arunachal Pradesh. It is in India's internal affairs," completely religious. Rijiju told reporters here Arunachal Pradesh is an inseparable part of India and China should not ob- expecting that soon it would be ject to his visit and interfere in resolved. India's internal affairs," he told "I appeal to China not to rake reporters here. up Arunachal Pradesh issue unRijiju said India has never in- necessarily as status of the state terfered in China's internal affairs can't be questioned," he said. and it expects China to reciproThe Dalai Lama is visiting cate. Arunachal Pradesh during which "We respect Beijing's 'One- he is holding religious discourse China' policy and we expect China with devotees in Tawang, Bomdial to reciprocate," he said. and other areas. Cont’d on page 7 The minister, who hails from
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Veto won't bar US to act against terrorists UNITED NATIONS: The US has said that countries using veto to scuttle sanctioning of terrorists will not "preclude" it from taking actions, amid continued Chinese opposition to efforts to get Pakistan-based JeM chief Masood Azhar banned by the UN. "The administration very much is looking at all of these avenues and some of the things we have talked about is sanctions and
she said. Haley made the remarks while addressing a press conference after assuming role of President of the Security Council for the month of April. She was asked about efforts to get terrorists, particularly those in the South Asian region, sanctioned under UNSC's sanctions list and how another permanent member scuttles these
"Are we going to have people that veto certain issues? Yes. But that doesn't preclude the US from acting and it certainly does not preclude us from trying to see if we can change that as well," Haley said. "Our goal is to get more done together than we do separately� who is on the list and how we have managed that," US envoy to the UN Nikki Haley told reporters here. "And that is part of what we are going to try and find our place with is that we do want to make sure that we are calling out those that we need to call out,"
efforts by using its veto power, a veiled reference to China blocking moves to ban Jaish-eMohammed chief Azhar. "Are we going to have people that veto certain issues? Yes. But that doesn't preclude the US from acting and it certainly does not preclude us from trying to see if
we can change that as well," Haley said. "Our goal is to get more done together than we do separately. If we cannot get it done separately then we just move in another direction to still get the same things done," she said. The US wants to make sure that it is leading towards a "result" and "not sitting back" and allowing things to happen. "I think you are obviously seeing a very aggressive administration because we feel like in order to lead we need to act and in order to act we need to make sure we have those conversations with the National Security Council and we are having those conversations with the National Security Council," she said. Haley noted that a lot has happened in the last two months of her assuming the UN ambassador's role under the Trump administration and a lot will continue to happen "but it is all about how we can make sure we are moving the ball". Haley also brought up her Indian heritage when she asked about her qualities of being able to speak freely and openly and
'US will try to reduce Indo-Pak tensions' UNITED NATIONS: The US has said that it would try and "find its place" in efforts to de-escalate Indo-Pak tensions and not wait till "something happens", indicating that President Donald Trump could play a role in such endeavors. "It's absolutely right that this administration is concerned about the relationship between India and Pakistan and very much wants to see how we de-escalate
part of that (de-escalating tensions)". "We don't think, we should wait till something happens," she said while addressing a press conference after assuming the role of President of the Security Council for the month of April. She made the remarks when asked if the US can make any efforts to get India and Pakistan together for peace talks as tensions between the two South Asian
"It's absolutely right that this administration is concerned about the relationship between India and Pakistan and very much wants to see how we de-escalate any sort of conflict going forward," any sort of conflict going forward," US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley told reporters here, signaling an apparent change in the US stance of not engaging in Indo-Pak disputes. Haley, a senior Indian-American member of the Trump Cabinet, said she expects that the administration is going to be in talks and try and "find its place to be a
neighbors over Kashmir have risen. "We very much think that we should be proactive in the way that we are seeing tensions rise and conflicts start to bubble up and so we want to see if we can be a part of that," Haley said. "So I think that will be something that you will see members of the National Security Council
participate in but also wouldn't be surprised if the President participates in that as well," she said. The remarks are the first time that Haley, as a member of the Trump Cabinet, has addressed tensions between India and Pakistan. The previous administration under President Barack Obama had maintained that Kashmir was a bilateral issue between the two South Asian neighbors. Former State Department spokesman John Kirby had said that the issue of Kashmir was for the two nations to work out and the US had no role to play in it. The US had also said it was for India and Pakistan to determine the pace, scope and character of talks on the Kashmir issue. India has strongly maintained that Kashmir was a bilateral issue with Pakistan and has ruled out any third party mediation, including either by the UN or the US. Pakistan, on the other hand, constantly raises the Kashmir issue at various UN fora and was ready to have interlocutors from both the world body as well as from Washington to resolve the issue. -PTI
whether she was offered the role of Secretary of State by Donald Trump. "Every position that I have ever had, people have assumed that I'm looking towards something bigger when in reality I'm
Haley also described Syrian President Bashar al-Assad as a "war criminal", saying what he has done to the people of his country is disgusting. Asked about US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson's remarks in
US envoy to the UN Nikki Haley
the daughter of Indian parents who said to me 'whatever you do be great at it and make sure people remember you for it'. That is all I am trying to do," Haley said. "That is all I have ever known how to be is to try and just do my job to the best of my ability and if that comes out blunt and if that comes out strong - I'm one of two brothers and a sister - my parents raised us all to be strong," she said. Haley said the original call she received to go to Trump Tower following Trump's election win last November was to discuss the position of Secretary of State but she was not offered the post. "No he (Trump) did not offer it (post of Secretary of State). It was the discussion that we were having at the time. So when we went in, that was the position that we were discussing," she said.
Ankara where he said that Assad's status would be decided by the Syrian people, she said, "It's that we don't think the people want Assad anymore; we don't think that he is going to be someone that the people want to have." "We have no love for Assad. We've made that very clear. We think that he has been a hindrance to peace for a long time. He's a war criminal. What he's done to his people is nothing more than disgusting," she said. Haley said that the goal of the Trump administration is to do what needs to be done to defeat ISIS. "I don't know that our goal is to talk to Assad in doing that...Now that could change and the administration could think otherwise, but right now Assad is not our No.1 person to talk to," said Haley. -PTI
US steps to detect H-1B visa fraud Cont’d from page 5
"To further deter and detect abuse, USCIS has established an email address which will allow individuals (including both American workers and H-1B workers who suspect they or others may be the victim of H-1B fraud or abuse) to submit tips, alleged violations and other relevant information about potential H-1B fraud or abuse," it said.
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 year. During his election campaign, President Donald Trump had promised to increase oversight of our H-1B and L-1 visa programs. PTI
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Mattis-Doval discussed Chinese bullying WASHINGTON: Presence of terror safe havens in Pakistan, aggressive Chinese behavior and the Afghanistan situation dominated last month's meeting between US Defense Secretary Gen (retd) James Mattis and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, according to an American defense official. "They talked a lot about China...the concern about China sometimes bullying some of its neighbors in the region. There
the two major topics of discussion between the two leaders, the official said. "They talked about Pakistan," the official said, adding that Doval "talked more" on the issue than Mattis. "There was not a whole lot specifics. We have a number of concerns with respect to Pakistan...counter-terrorism, nuclear weapons. They talked a little bit about that. It is obviously a concern of India's and it is an
"They talked a lot about China...the concern about China sometimes bullying some of its neighbors in the region. There was concern about that," a US defense official told PTI was concern about that," a US defense official told PTI about the Mattis-Doval meeting at the Pentagon on March 24. This was the highest-level interaction of Mattis with a top Indian official after becoming the Defense Secretary. China is also very important to the US with regard to the North Korea situation, said the defense official, who spoke on condition of anonymity. Pakistan and Afghanistan were
important player in the region and the world," the defense official said. The US would like to see Pakistan in a situation with it where they can have a productive relationship, the official said. "They talked a lot about Afghanistan...and the need to try to get it...just finish it (the war). It has been going on (for) too long," the defense official said. The official explained that this meant "finish the operations and leave (Afghanistan) in a stable
state". While successive US administrations have praised India's developmental assistance in Afghanistan, some recent media reports both in India and the US have referred to Trump Administration's desire of enhanced military role of India in the war-torn country. The official said he "did not recall" any such conversation during the Pentagon meeting. Reflecting on the meeting, the official said the Defense Secretary is "very keen on India". Mattis "recognizes the important role that it plays in the region and the world and its unique position vis-a-vis Pakistan, vis-a-vis China," said the defense official. Secretary Mattis wants to have a solid defense relationship with India, the official said. The Secretary was interested in listening from the NSA what India's perspective was on most of these issues, both regional and global. "I think, the NSA probably did most of the talking. It bodes well for the future. I think, he (Mattis) wants to have a solid defense relationship with India," the official said in response to a question. Doval made a quiet visit to the United States for a few days around March 20, during which he also met the Homeland Secu-
All clear to Barak missiles for Navy NEW DELHI: The government has approved procurement of a fresh batch of Barak surface-toair missiles for Naval warships from Israel to enhance India's maritime capability in view of the changing security dynamics in the Indian Ocean region. A meeting of the Defense Acquisition Council (DAC), chaired by Defense Minister Arun Jaitley, approved capital acquisition proposals totaling over Rs 860 crore, including for the purchase of Barak missiles. The clearance to procure Barak missiles from Israeli firm Rafael Advance Defense Systems Limited at an approximate cost of around Rs 500 crore comes ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's expected visit to the Jewish country. Almost all ships of the Indian navy will be equipped with these missiles. Chairing the DAC meeting af-
ter taking charge as defense minister on March 14, Jaitley also issued directions to speed up procurement of military platform and weapons, defense ministry sources said. The DAC, which is Defense Ministry's highest decision making body for capital acquisition, also accorded Acceptance of Ne-
cessity (AoN) for procurement of equipment such as underwater robot to counter mines in the sea. The equipment is being procured as a repeat order with 'buy
global' categorization at a cost of approximately Rs 311 crore. At the meeting, Jaitley took stock of various procurement proposals and issued directions for close monitoring and expeditious clearance of pending capital acquisition cases, said the sources. He particularly asked for close monitoring of the proposals which are with CFA (Competent Financial Authority) and CNC (Contract Negotiation Committee). The sources said DAC also reviewed several old proposals and gave instructions for their speedy processing. The DAC also cleared procurement of 'Expendable Bathythermograph Systems', a small torpedo-shaped device that holds a temperature sensor and a transducer to detect changes in water temperature, for the Indian Navy which will be acquired from the US. -PTI
rity Secretary Gen (retd) John Kelly and US National Security Advisor Lt Gen H R McMaster. According to the defense official, there was unlikely to be any major change in the US assistance to Pakistan when it comes to fund-
United States after Donald Trump became the 45th President of the US in January. Soon after his election in November, Doval had made a trip to the US during which he had met the then NSA-designate Gen
NSA Aijt Doval (right) during his US visit met US Defense Secretary, Gen (rtd) James Mattis
ing it for counter-terrorism operations. "I do not see it changing. The way that counter-terrorism aid works that they (Pakistan) have to show progress. We give it to them in parts and pieces. They have to demonstrate certain progress when we reach the next level," the official said. Doval, during his visit, also met Senator John McCain, Chairman of the powerful Senate Armed Services Committee, and Senator Richard Burr, Chairman of the powerful Senate Select Committee on Intelligence. This was his first visit to the
Michael Flynn, who resigned a few weeks after he took over the job due to the controversy surrounding Russian diplomats during the transition period and the election campaign. Flynn was quickly replaced by McMaster, who according to the officials, has a very positive view about India. Doval and McMaster during their meeting at the White House "committed" to work together as partners to "combat the full spectrum" of terrorist threats, affirming that both great democracies stand together in the fight against terrorism. -PTI
China told to respect 'One India' policy Cont’d from page 5
Earlier, the Chinese Foreign Ministry had warned India that the visit of the Dalai Lama to Arunachal Pradesh, which Beijing claims as part of Tibet, will cause "serious damage" to bilateral ties. The minister said the Dalai Lama is visiting Arunachal Pradesh at the invitation of the people of the state. "As a democratic country, India can't interfere in religious affairs of any community," he said. Rijiju said that the Dalai Lama will confine himself to only religious discourse and he will not make any political statement. He said the people of Arunachal Pradesh want good neighborly relations with China
and want reopening of trading points along the McMahon line which have been closed since 1962. "The trading points were beneficial. People of Arunachal Pradesh are looking toward cooperative attitude from China," he said. Rijiju said the Arunachal Pradesh government has accorded state guest honor to the Dalai Lama and is making arrangements for his stay there. Rijiju said that the Tibetan spiritual leader will also visit his (Rijiju's) village in West Kameng district where he will inaugurate a Buddhist monastery. The Dalai Lama had last visited Arunachal Pradesh in November 2009. -PTI
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Choose tourism not terrorism; PM tells Kashmiris UDHAMPUR (J&K): Asserting that "40 years of bloodshed" had not benefitted anyone, Prime Minister Narendra Modi sent out a message to the misguided youth of Kashmir, asking them to choose tourism over terrorism so that the
longest road tunnel between Kashmir and Jammu, used the occasion to tell the stone-pelters of the valley that stones can be used for better purposes - building infrastructure. Addressing a rally here after
Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressing a public rally at Battal in Udhampur, Jammu on April 2
state could achieve new heights of progress. He again invoked former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's slogan of 'Kashmiriyat, Jamhooriyat, Insaniyat (Kashmirism, democracy and humanity)' and said it will be the "prime motto" in moving ahead "with harmony, with brotherhood, with strong will and determination for the brighter future of the youth" and "no obstacle can stop us". Modi, who was on a brief visit here to inaugurate the country's
inaugurating the 9-km-long 'Chenani-Nashri' tunnel, he told the Kashmiri youth that if they ignore the "invaluable tradition of Sufi culture", they would "lose the present and put your future into darkness". In a veiled manner, the Prime Minister also hit out at the rulers of Pakistan who are eyeing Kashmir, saying "they can't even take care of themselves". He said his government was committed to ensure fast-paced development of Jammu and Kash-
1.5 lakh apply for 5,000 posts in J&K police NEW DELHI: As many as 1,50,000 youths in Jammu and Kashmir have applied for 5,000 posts in new police battalions to be raised in the state. The process of recruitment in the five India Reserve Battalions (IRBs) has started and authorities have received around 1,50,000 applications, 40 per cent of which are from the Kashmir Valley. "This is a very encouraging response as there are 30 applicants against one post," a senior government official said. The IRBs are being raised with an aim to provide jobs to the local youths and 60 per cent of vacancies in the new battal-
ions will be filled from border districts of the state. The cost of raising each battalion is around Rs 61 crore and 75 per cent of it will be provided by the Central government. Personnel of India Reserve Battalions are normally deployed in their respective states but they can be deployed in other states too if there is a requirement. At present, there are 144 India Reserve Battalions in various states. In addition, four IRBs each are being raised in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, 12 in Maoist-hit states besides the five battalions in Jammu and Kashmir. -PTI
mir, which would also tell the people living under "occupation" in the other parts of the state (PoK) how they are being destroyed. At the event attended by Governor N N Vohra, Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti and some union and state ministers, Modi promised to stand shoulder-to-shoulder in the development of Jammu and Kashmir and sought the cooperation of the people in this regard. "I want to tell the misguided youth of Kashmir valley, realize the power of a stone. On one hand, there are some misguided youth who pelt stones, on the other hand, there are youth from the same Kashmir who carve stones to build infrastructure," he said. The message was clearly for the youth who indulge in stonepelting in the Kashmir valley, a trend that is growing. "I want to tell the Kashmiri youth, there are two paths in front of you which can determine your future - one is tourism, the other is terrorism," he said. "Over last 40 years, there has been lot of bloodshed. My own Valley has been blood-soaked, my Kashmir's beloved youth, my Hindustan's beloved youth. Nobody has benefitted from this
"Yeh sirf infrastructure network nahi, yeh dilon ko jodne wala network hai (This is a network, not only of infrastructure, but to connect the hearts)," he said amid chants of "Modi, Modi' bloodshed," the Prime Minister emphasized. He said if the people of Kashmir had devoted the same 40 years to development of tourism, the valley would have been blessed with tourism of world class. Describing as "fate line" the allweather tunnel which will reduce the journey time by two hours, he said nine such projects are planned for the state as part of infrastructure development. "Yeh sirf infrastructure network nahi, yeh dilon ko jodne wala network hai (This is a network, not only of infrastructure, but to connect the hearts)," he said amid chants of "Modi, Modi'.-PTI
Celebrities mourn Amonkar's death MUMBAI: Melody Queen Lata Mangeshkar has expressed her grief over the demise of legendary singer Kishori Amonkar, saying her death is a huge loss to Hindustani classical music. Renowned classical vocalist, Amonkar, passed away on Monday April 3 at her home here after a brief illness. She was 84. Taking to Twitter, Mangeshkar prayed to the almighty to give
Kishori Amonkar
peace to the departed soul of Amonkar. "I just got to know that legendary classical singer Kishori Amonkar is no more. I feel really sad. She was an extremely talented singer. Her demise is a huge loss to the Hindustani classical music.
May God bless her soul." Many other singers and celebrities like Shreya Ghoshal, Shabana Azmi, Vishal Dadlani too shared their thoughts on Amonkar's demise. "What a loss. Have been her ardent fan and consider myself fortunate to have lived in a time I could here Kishori Amonkar sing," wrote Azmi. Ghoshal posted, "#KishoriAmonkar ji no more. One of my biggest inspirations. Her voice and mellifluous gayaki has been a part of my life since childhood." "RIP the legenda r y #KishoriAmonkar ji. The world of music, dims without her light," wrote Dadlani. Singer Kailash Kher tweeted, "One of the greatest singer performers of classical has left this world for her heavenly abode. An institution of music. #RIPKishoriAmonkar." Music composer and singer Salim Merchant said, "Kishori Amonkarji has departed... Her music is immortal and will continue to influence generations. She is our Bharat Ratna! Will miss her." -PTI
Adityanath's saffron look creating 'misconceptions' NEW DELHI: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has said "misconceptions" have been created about him due to his saffron-clad look and promised to win hearts of "all sections" by spreading a new idiom of happiness and prosperity. He also said those who have been "insulting" India's traditions in the name of secularism are feeling threatened after he assumed office. "Many misconceptions are created about me. Many people say I am saffron-clad, so there are many in the country who are averse to saffron," Adityanath said in an interview to RSS affiliated weekly 'Organiser'. He said, those who were insulting India's tradition and culture in the name of secularism and appeasement are feeling threatened
after he took office. "We will win hearts of all sections of people with our style of working. We would spread a new idiom of happiness and prosperity," the 44-year-old Adityanath, considered a Hindutva hardliner, said. Noting that for him power was not for fun and frolic, he said, "We are not in politics to run after prestigious positions and posts." Listing out the priorities of his government, Adityanath said protection of "rashtra" (nation) will be the main "dharma" (religion) of his government. "This is focal point of humanity. In UP we would provide corruption-free administration and rid the society of goonda raj," he said, adding plans have been made and their impact will be visible in the next two months. -PTI
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Liquor vends ban evokes divergent reactions NEW DELHI/MUMBAI: The drive to close down liquor outlets along highways continued across the country evoking divergent views, even as restaurant and hotel owners, who are staring at losses, looked towards state governments for support. The clampdown continued across major cities while long queues of tipplers were visible outside vends still selling liquor. Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar supported the Supreme Court order barring the sale of liquor within 500 meters of national and state highways, found appreciation but added that such "piecemeal attempts" would not serve much purpose and sought a total ban
on alcohol in the country. Speaking to reporters, Nitish, who has banned alcohol in Bihar, said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi should implement it as a tribute to Mahatma Gandhi. BJP MP Kirron Kher differed as she questioned the logic of not allowing liquor sale in five star hotels. It is a question of "more than a million jobs", she said pointing out that the hotel industry is a major job generator. Kher's party colleague and MLA from Indore Sudarshan Gupta however demanded from Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan a complete ban on liquor in M a d h y a Pradesh. In Delhi, several bar and restaurant owners contested the 500
Kerala seeks time on SC liquor order THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Kerala government says it will seek time from the Supreme Court to implement its order banning the sale of liquor along highways, taking into account the "special situation" in the state. The decision to move the apex court was taken at a high-level meeting held by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Excise Minister G Sudhakaran and top officials, including the Excise Commissioner Rishi Raj Singh. It was also resolved in the
It had exempted the hill states of Sikkim, Meghalaya and Himachal Pradesh and areas having population up to 20,000. Sudhakaran said the Excise Commissioner has been entrusted with the responsibility to take necessary steps for approaching the Apex Court to seek time to implement the directive. Asked about resistance from people in some areas, the excise minister said, "The outlets will be relocated with the cooperation of the people." The excise department has estimated a The excise department revenue loss of Rs has estimated a revenue 5,000 crore to the state a result of the Suloss of Rs 5,000 crore to the as preme Court order which will also necesstate as a result of the sitate the relocation of Supreme Court order 1,956 outlets. Meanwhile, Tourism meeting to shift as many liquor Minister Kadakampalli Surendran outlets as possible in accordance has said that the apex court order with the law, sources in the Chief would "wreck" the tourism sector Minister's Office said. in Kerala. "The circumstances in Kerala Talking to reporters at a tourare different from other states and ism promotion function here, he it needs time to shift liquor outlets said government would take steps and implement the directive," to sustain the industry as it the Sudhakaran said after the meeting. state's responsibility to do so. The Supreme Court in its March "The apex court order will ad31 order had said that liquor vends versely affect not only the tourwithin 500 meters of national and ism sector, but also hit the transstate highways would have to port sector that relies on it," shut down from April 1. Surendran added. -PTI
meters distance as measured by the excise department and made representations. Their claims are being verified. Over 100 liquor bars and outlets have been told not to serve liquor in the capital, most of them located on the National Highway 8 stretch between Airport and Mahipalpur. In Mumbai, the Hotel and Restaurant Association of Western India (HRAWI) has decided to take up the issue with Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis. "We will be meeting the Chief Minister to discuss the impact of liquor ban on employment and other issues related to the industry," HRAWI President Dilip Datwani said. Around 9,925 restaurants and bars in Maharashtra have been impacted after the Supreme Court
order, including nearly 50 star rated hotels, according to industry estimates. In Punjab, the wedding season is in full swing and marriage palaces owners claim that the excise department's action asking them not to provide liquor is not in the right spirit.
marriage palaces do not sell or purchase liquor. "Customers who organize functions in palaces serve liquor to their guests. Therefore, marriage palaces should not be barred from serving liquor," said Sukhdev Singh Sidhu, president, Punjab Marriage Palace and Resort As-
Around 9,925 restaurants and bars in Maharashtra have been impacted after the Supreme Court order, including nearly 50 star rated hotels, according to industry estimates "In the SC order, there is no mention of marriage palaces which have been barred from serving liquor. Moreover, there is a ban on sale of liquor in the order while
sociation. The Excise department in the state has now sought the opinion of the state Advocate General on the matter, officials said.-PTI
Tech News Consumerism's toll on Eastern air
W
estern desire for cheap goods is causing pollution that kills. Industrialization and widespread use of coal mean that countries like India and China struggle with awful air quality that kills millions of people every year. Now, a new analysis shows that economic consumption in the West was linked to 100,000 premature deaths due to air pollution in China during 2007. Could Donald Trump's ambitions to reclaim manufacturing and ease environmental regulations bring some of those effects a little closer to home? -MIT Technology Review
The promise & pain of applied AI
A
rtificial intelligence is transforming many sectors-but turning it into commercial reality can still prove challenging. At MIT Technology Review's EmTech Digital conference in San Francisco, Nvidia's Kimberly Powell explained how deep learning systems look set to give medicine a shot in the arm, while IBM's Dario Gil described how Watson is accelerating materials research. But, as Will Knight has described, turning those kinds of projects into real commercial entities is still proving tough-just look at driverless cars. -MIT Technology Review
Melding mind with machine
A
s robots learn faster than ever, humans will need new ways to keep up. At least that's what Elon Musk thinks: as Vanity Fair reminded us, he has deep concerns about what could happen when we summon the AI demon. In fact, the great man reckons, perhaps the only way for humans to avoid engineering their own obsolescence is to find a way to meld mind with machine. Right on cue, the Wall Street Journal reports (paywall) that Musk's hotly anticipated neural lace-a piece of hardware to provide a link between brain and computer-is finally taking shape at a new company called Neuralink. -MIT Technology Review
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Anti-aging pill being developed
A
drug derived from Easter Island bacteria extends the life of animalsand humans could be next. Two years ago, Novartis carried out tests to see if a drug could turn back the clock on the immune system of elderly people. Then, just recently, a Boston venture capital company said that it was licensing drugs from the pharmaceutical firm with plans to test them against age-related disease. -MIT Technology Review
Trump signs twin executive orders targeting trade 'cheaters' WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order seeking a comprehensive review of the massive trade deficit totaling more than USD 500 billion per annum with 16 countries, including China and India. He also signed a second order that seeks to strictly enforce antidumping laws. It would ensure that the US fully collects all duties imposed on foreign importers that "cheat", Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. The announcement, which comes just days ahead of Trump's first meeting with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, is widely seen as targeting China, even though US officials have insisted that it does not single out that country. "They're cheaters. From now on, those who break the rules will face the consequences and there will be very severe consequences," Trump said without naming any country. The first order directs the Department of Commerce and the Office of the US Trade Representative to examine the factors causing the trade deficit that totals more than USD 500 billion per annum and submit a report within 90 days. The review of the factors and violations behind the trade deficits will be led by Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, Trump said. "We're going to investigate all trade abuses, and based on those findings, we will take necessary and lawful action to end those many abuses. I'm not beholden to any political or financial interest. I don't care. I'm here to do a job," he said while insisting that he was acting for the "American worker". White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer said the Department of Commerce and US Trade Representative will submit a "comprehensive report" to the president on the causes of the "unduly large deficit" within 90 days. Spicer also said countervailing duties were put in place to address the problem of other countries
"dumping undervalued goods" into US markets, which makes it "impossible" for homegrown businesses to compete with "artificially low prices".
markets with artificial cheap steel, for example, they price American companies out of the system," Spicer said. The announcement says the
President Donald Trump
"This is especially a problem in countries whose governments subsidies exports into our country. So to discourage this practice, the US Customs and Border Protection Agency has a mechanism for assessing these type of transactions and imposing financial penalties, known as countervailing duties, when it's determined that this kind of mali-
US must address the challenges to economic growth and employment that may arise from large and chronic trade deficits and the "unfair and discriminatory" trade practices of some of their trading partners. Talking to White House reporters, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross insisted that the executive orders were not just about China.
He had identified 16 major countries with which the US has significant trade imbalances, while noting that the communist nation was the number one source of the deficit. Ross also named India down the line with a trade deficit of USD 24 billion cious dumping has occurred," he said. Since 2001, the US Customs and Border Protection Agency has not collected over USD 2.8 billion in these duties, he said. "We could do a lot by maximizing this enforcement power for our country. So we need to do a better job on behalf of the American worker. If a foreign company, often due to its being partly or entirely government-run or subsidized, is able to flood American
A day earlier he had identified 16 major countries with which the US has significant trade imbalances, while noting that the communist nation was the number one source of the deficit. Ross also named India down the line with a trade deficit of USD 24 billion. The US has a massive trade imbalance of USD 347 billion with China, followed by Japan with USD 68.9, Germany (USD 64.9), Mexico (USD 63.2 billion), Ireland (USD 35.9 billion) and Vietnam
(USD 32 billion). Other countries mentioned in the list were Italy, South Korea, Malaysia, Thailand, France, Switzerland, Taiwan, Indonesia and Canada. Responding to questions, Ross said there is no need to take any action on some of the trade deficit countries. "For example, some of our deficit comes from the fact that we import a lot of oil. Well, even now with the shale oil, we are not selfsufficient. So that portion of our imports is real, it has nothing to do with any bad behavior," he noted. "Also, there are some products that are just not made in the United States, so it's a little bit hard to say that something is an evil-doer, because they're providing a product we can't. And, in some cases, it will simply be that they are better at making the product or can do it far cheaper than we can," Ross said.-PTI
NRIs can exchange old notes till June NEW DELHI: The limited period window for exchange of junked Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes by Indians who were abroad ended on March 31 with many failing to do so because of limited counters and lack of procedural awareness. However, additional time period of three months is available to non-resident Indians (NRIs) with a rider of exchange of Rs 25,000 per individual. The exchange window for NRIs will close on June 30. Long serpentine queues of people were seen outside five RBI offices in Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai and Nagpur - the designated offices for exchange of scrapped notes. Cont’d on page 12
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Army to purchase 1500 anti-materiel rifles NEW DELHI: The army has started the long-delayed process to procure around 1,500 anti-materiel lightweight rifles capable of damaging targets like battle tanks, low-flying helicopters and bunkers. The rifles are being procured to strengthen the army's overall infantry and will particularly help it
at least 1.8 kilometers with a caliber of 12.7 mm/0.50. At present, the army is using South African weapons which are not very light and that is why it was decided to procure the lightweight rifles whose weight will not be more than 15 kg each. As per the RFI, the ammunition which should be available for the
As per the RFI, in case of foreign vendors, the army asked them to explain whether they will be ready to offer transfer of technology (ToT) to the Indian industry for licensed manufacturing of the weapons in operations in Jammu and Kashmir. A Request for Information (RFI) for purchasing the rifles has been issued according to which the weapons should have a range of
riffles include armor piercing incendiary and tracer, saboted light armor penetrator, armor piercing explosive incendiary and high explosive armor piercing incendiary. The interested manufactures
have been asked to respond to the RFI by May 15. The procurement of the antimateriel rifles has been long overdue after the government had scrapped a deal for it in 2005. South African firm Denel was banned by the UPA government in 2005 after alleg a tions that it had paid kickbacks to secure a deal with the Indian Army in 2002 to sell 1,000 NTW-20 anti-materiel rifles, along with 3,98,000 rounds of ammunition. Under the deal, 700 rifles were to be purchased directly and the remaining 300 licenseproduced in one of the factories of India's state-owned Ordnance Factory Board. Only 400 rifles had been inducted into the army and the remainder put on hold after the 2005 blacklisting.
An anti-materiel rifle (AMR) is a rifle that is designed for use against military equipment (materiel) than against enemy troops. As per the RFI, in case of for-
The manufacturers have also been asked to give details about cost of annual maintenance, product support package and training of the crew. State-run Ordnance Factory,
eign vendors, the army asked them to explain whether they will be ready to offer transfer of technology (ToT) to the Indian industry for licensed manufacturing of the weapons. They have also been asked to whether ToT will be offered for sub-systems.
in association with the Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO), had developed an anti-materiel rifle called Vidhwansak in 2007. The rifle was offered to the Indian Army but it chose not to induct it due weight issues. -PTI
GST Council approves five rules NEW DELHI: The all-powerful GST Council has approved five amended rules for the Goods and Services Tax regime and gave "tentative" nod to the remaining four as the central government sprints to meet the July 1 rollout target. The final nod to the four rules as also fixation of GST rates for major commodities and services will be done in the next meeting in Srinagar on May 18-19, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said. Headed by Jaitley and comprising representatives of all states, the Council gave final approval for changes in rules for filing tax returns in the new regime, registration of entities, payment of GST, invoicing and refunds to make them compatible with GST laws approved by the Lok Sabha last week. The remaining rules on how input tax credit is to be calculated and claimed, valuation of supply of goods and services, method for intimation for opting for composition levy and transitional rules were given "tentative" approval, Jaitley told reporters after the 13th meeting of the Council. He said the five rules which received final nod from the Council were originally cleared at the September 30, 2016 meeting but had to undergo minor changes following stakeholder comments and bringing them in line with model GST law. In the registration rules, the changes approved include certification of registration being digi-
tally signed by proper officer and procedure for grant or cancellation of unique identify number. The changes in rules for filing returns says that certain category of persons need not file annual returns. Also, the requirement of registration of debit/credit card for payment of tax with the GST-Network has been omitted from the pay-
ment rules. Refund rules now provide for new norm for refund of advance tax deposited by non-resident taxable person, while the changed invoice rules provide for consolidated tax invoice on daily basis instead of individual invoices for supplies less than Rs 200. "GST input tax rules, valuation rules, transitional provisions, com-
Rs 61,000 FDI received in defense sector NEW DELHI: The defense sector has received just Rs 61,000 of Foreign Direct Investment between July 2016 and January 2017, post revision of FDI policy last year, the government informed the Lok Sabha. In a written reply, Minister of State in the Defense Ministry Subhash Bhamre said the FDI policy was last reviewed on June 24, 2016 and as per the revised policy, foreign investment up to 49 per cent is permitted under the automatic route. "Foreign investment beyond 49 per cent and up to 100 per cent is permitted through government approval, wherever it is likely to result in access to modern technology. "FDI in defense sector is subject to industrial license under
the Industries (Development & Regulation) Act, 1951. From July 2016 to January 2017, FDI to the amount of Rs 0.61 lakh (61,000) has been received from M/s Elbit Systems Land and C41 Ltd, Israel in M/s BF Elbit Advanced Systems Pvt Ltd," Bhamre said. He added around 36 FDI proposals or joint ventures have been approved in defense sector for manufacture of various defense equipment. In response to another question, Bhamre said one of the reasons for delay in Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) Unmanned Ariel Vehicles (UAV) Rustom II was export denial of critical items and delay in procurement of imported payloads. -PTI
position... Those rules have been tentatively approved by the GST Council," Jaitley said. He said the Council has decided that the final corrected drafts be put up for industry to make suggestions. "Once we incorporate the suggestions, if any, then this tentative approval that we have made would in the next meeting be taken
up for consideration and affirm for final approval," he said. Stating that five sets of rules registration, return, refund and invoice, debit and credit have been approved, he said these were prepared prior to formulation of the GST laws. "These rules had to be altered to bring in consonance with the Acts."-PTI
Tax amnesty scheme declarations disappoint MUMBAI: Disclosures under the second tax amnesty scheme (IDS-II), which closed on March 31, have turned out to be a damp squib, with Mumbai region netting under Rs 500 crore while the total adding up to less than Rs 13,000 crore from across the country. The low collection is against the Rs one trillion target set by the government, according to sources in the Income Tax department. Officially, however, no target had been announced. Meanwhile, the CBDT has extended the deadline to file the returns to April 10 for those who have paid the penalty under the scheme. Mumbai tax officials said the low declarations at under Rs 500 crore from the city, which contributes more than 33 per cent of total Income Tax collection, is surpris-
ing. "We believe the disclosures under the Income Tax Declaration Scheme-II so far would be somewhere near Rs 13,000 crore," a department official from New Delhi told PTI. An official here attributed the cold response to the scheme to a delayed start. "The scheme came into effect on December 16, but proper information with details of bank deposits started pouring in only from the last week of February. So we were left with very short time to meet the deadline," he said. The department issued a notification extending the last date of filing returns to April 10 considering the rush at banks on the last day of the financial year, which is also the last date for making the declaration under IDS-II.-PTI
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NITI Aayog for globalization, not protectionism NEW DELHI: India believes in globalization and foreign direct investment in the country will grow "unabated" despite talks on "protectionist" policies in the West, NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant has said. Addressing a gathering of se-
President Donald) Trump talking of protectionism. But, we believe in globalization and we have opened up India's economy. "Our FDI growth has gone up by 60 per cent while the world FDI has fallen by 16 per cent. So, our FDI regime will grow unabated
The NITI Aayog CEO also said India has become a centre of "frugal engineering" and technology will help it "leapfrog" in multiple sectors, including health and innovation nior diplomats from various countries and business leaders at the annual Ambassador's Meet here, he also asserted India is young and ambitious and it wants to keep the growth rate target of 9 per cent. "We have seen Brexit, and (US
despite trends to do the reverse being seen globally, at places elsewhere," Kant said. The NITI Aayog CEO also said India has become a centre of "frugal engineering" and technology will help it "leapfrog" in multiple
sectors, including health and innovation and make the country more prosperous. Kant also emphasized on the economic roadmap of India, saying, "Mobile telephony and biometric-driven services" would be the future. A Trade and Investment Facilitation Service (TIFS), a one-stopshop portal set up by the PHD Chamber of Commerce, was also launched on the occasion. High Commissioner of Canada to India Nadir Patel said Indo-Canadian ties were "booming, thriving and getting stronger". "All metrics are going in the right direction but Canada and India can do more together. And also collectively with multilateral cooperation. I also hope business chambers in both countries would work closely together," he said. Acting Deputy Chief of Mission, US Embassy, George N
Tata Motors aims to become number 3 KOLKATA: Tata Motors is eyeing to be the number three car manufacturer in the country by the end of 2019, a senior official of the company said here. "By the end of 2019, we want to be the No. three manufacturer in the country. Right now we are at the No. 4 position both country-wise as well as in West Bengal," Tata Motors Head Marketing Passenger Vehicle Business Unit Vivek Srivatsa said.
one year (April '16-Feb'17) has grown twice as big as the automotive industry growth in the country. "In other parts of the country Tata Motors was growing close to 20 per cent whereas the industry growth is about seven-eight per cent. Exactly the same situation prevails in West Bengal," Srivatsa said. He said that in the last one year Tata Motors was the fastest grow-
Asked which brands contributed to the growth, Srivatsa mentioned Tiago, launched last April, and Hexa, introduced last January. The official said that both Tiago and Hexa had been accepted "very strongly" Srivatsa, who was here in the city for the launch of Tata Tigor in West Bengal, said that a couple of years back the company was the No. 6 or No. 7 manufacturer in the country. In fact, Tata Motors in the last
ing manufacturer in West Bengal at 22 per cent compared to the general industry growth. Incidentally, the national market share of Tata Motors is of around four per cent which is the same in West Bengal, he said.
Asked which brands contributed to the growth, Srivatsa mentioned Tiago, launched last April, and Hexa, introduced last January. The official said that both Tiago and Hexa had been accepted "very strongly". The company is consistently selling about 5,000 units per month, he said pointing out that in the first year Tiago had received 83,000 bookings in 12 months. "We have delivered so far 50,000 Tiago cars. Hexa on the other hand has contributed to the growth in a small way," he said. With 120 units being sold per month, the official said that Zest was their fastest growing car in West Bengal with a national figure of 2,000 cars a month. On the future of Nano, Srivatsa said that the company would continue making the car as long as there was a demand from customers. "Our strategy is very simple. As long as the customer demand is there, we will continue manufacturing it. And there is still a demand for it," he said. -PTI
Sibley, said, America wants to be "player and not a spectator" in helping India on its growth story. "Prosperity of India is in our national security interest. And, growing ties in trade and other areas is in our interest. Amar Sinha, Secretary, Economic Relations, MEA, said, "Energy security, food security, and
defense production were three main sectors in which India seeks cooperation with other counties." The meeting hosted by PHD Chamber was attended among others by about 5-10 Ambassadors and nearly 50 other senior diplomats from the European Union and African countries, a senior official of the chamber said. -PTI
No service charge on online train tickets NEW DELHI: The withdrawal of service charge on online booking of train tickets has been extended till June 30. To promote use of digital modes of payment, the government had decided to give incentive to the passengers for booking tickets online by withdrawing service charge on them from November 23, 2016 to March 31, 2017. "We have received instructions from Ministry of Information and Technology advising railways to extend the incentives at least till June 30, 2017," said a Railway Ministry official. Service charges on booking train tickets online through IRCTC
ticketing site ranges from Rs 20 to Rs 40 per ticket. The government had waived the service charges after demonetization in November last year to encourage digital modes of payment for booking. As per the government's decision, existing incentives will continue and there will be no change till June 30. Approximately, an amount of Rs 184 crore has not been realized from passengers on account of service charge and service tax thereon on reserved tickets booked online between November 23, 2016 and February 28, 2017, according to railways data. -PTI
NRIs can exchange old notes till June 30 Cont’d from page 10
People had to travel long distances due to limitation of designated branches to deposit scrapped currency notes. In many cases, people had to wait for 6-7 hours and in some cases it took days for exchange due to lack of required documents. Earlier, Minister of State for Finance Arjun Ram Meghwal had informed the Rajya Sabha that ineligible persons queuing up at the Reserve Bank were responsible for long queues. The minister said RBI had posted detailed instructions on its website clearly showing the eligibility parameters and other necessary documents required to be tendered for exchange of old notes. "Long queues are formed in Mumbai and Delhi only as a number of persons from the neighboring states are turning up here. Several staff members have been engaged to attend to the large number of people
at the counters," Meghwal had said. After scrapping old notes of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 on November 8, the government had permitted people to deposit the same in banks up to December 30, 2016. Meghwal stated that while there was no monetary limit for exchange of currency notes for residents who were abroad during the demonetization period, there was a cap for NRIs as per FEMA regulations. NRIs coming to India are required to come through Red Channel disclosing to the Customs authorities at the airport the amount of now-defunct notes and secure a certificate to be tendered at the RBI at the time of exchange. The exchange facility till June is subject to the Foreign Exchange Management (Export and Import of Currency) Regulations, 2015. As per these regulations, bringing back such currency into the country is restricted to Rs 25,000 per person.-PTI
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80,000 gram panchayats provided broadband NEW DELHI: The government says 80,000 gram panchayats in the country have been provided with broadband connectivity under BharatNet program and the rest of the targeted 1 lakh villages will be given the facility by next
month. Communications Minister Manoj Sinha said in the Rajya Sabha that under phase-I of the plan, one lakh gram panchayats
were to be provided with broadband connectivity under BharatNet by March end this year. The government finally intends to provide such broadbank connectivity to 2.5 lakh gram panchayats across the country.
"For providing internet-based services to citizens in rural areas, WiFi hotspots are proposed to be set up in all Gram Panchayats in the country, leveraging the infra-
Mehbooba for tech to boost production SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti has stressed on more technology transfers in horticulture sector to boost production. "With the adoption of new technologies and discoveries, the scale and scope of horticulture industry in the state could be increased by a great measure. From planting of saplings to fruit harvesting, these new technologies once used with precision would not only increase the yield and capacity of the plants, but also increase the shelf life of the produce, thereby increasing the its marketability," she said. Mehbooba was chairing an appraisal meeting regarding various technology interventions in vogue in horticulture sector around the world. She said 'High Density Apple' trees have the potential to revolutionize apple production in the state. "The government, with the sole objective of improving the per unit yield of apple, launched the scheme early this year," Mehbooba said and expressed
hope that with its efficient adoption, the scheme would give optimum results. During the meeting, Minister for Horticulture Syed Basharat Bukhari informed the Chief Minister about various steps the Department has been taking to incor-
Mehbooba Mufti
porate the emerging technologies and interventions in the field to increase the fruit production and extend the shelf life of fruit after it is harvested. On the occasion, the meeting was briefed about various technologies in vogue in USA, Canada and other European countries as a result of which the fruit quantity and its shelf life have enhanced considerably. -PTI
structure of BharatNet, in the phase II of the BharatNet scheduled to be completed by December 2018," he said in a written reply. Sinha said cable-laying work in many states like Kerala, Karnataka, Chhatisgarh, Haryana, parts of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh is almost 100 per cent complete. He said a total of 1,127 WiFi hotspots in various gram panchayats will be set up in the coming days and a total of 25,000 public WiFi hotspots at rural telephone exchanges are to be installed and 5,000 WiFi 'chaupals' are to be set up. He added that preference is also being given to areas affected by left-wing extremism. The Minister, however, admitted that West Bengal has lagged behind in broadband connectivity but efforts will be made to speed up the work soon. He added that a total of Rs 71.71 crore has been earmarked for increasing connectivity in West Bengal during the year 2016-17. PTI
Twitter eases 140-character limit in replies NEW YORK: Twitter has found more creative ways to ease its 140character limit without officially raising it. Now, the company says that when you reply to someone - or to a group - usernames will no longer count toward those 140 characters. This will be especially helpful with group conversations, where replying to two, three or more users at a time could be especially difficult with the character constraints. When users reply, the names of the people they are replying to will be on top of the text of the actual tweet, rather than a part of it. Last year, Twitter said it would stop counting photos, videos, quote tweets, polls and GIF animations toward the character limit. Twitter also said it would stop counting usernames, but the change did not go into effect until now. Twitter, which has been struggling to attract new users, has been trying to appeal to both proponents and opponents by sticking to the current limit while allowing more freedom to express thoughts, or rants, through images and other media.-AP
Tech Briefs SpaceX has reused first rocket
S
paceX has recycled its way into history. Overcoming any fears of unreliability, the company successfully launched a refurbished rocket into spaceand landed it again-for the first time ever. For Elon Musk, the approach, which was one of ten breakthrough technologies in
2016, is a major step towards driving down the cost of space travel. In the future, reused rockets should allow SpaceX to launch satellites into space more profitably, perhaps even setting it on course to achieve its longterm vision of flying people to Mars.
Digital eyes & ears that sip power
S
ensor makers want your charge to go further. Qualcomm's new Glance system packages up a lens, image sensor, and low-power computer-vision processor. The resulting package can be used to, say, help detect your face to unlock a phone while using a fraction
of the power of a regular camera module. Meanwhile, Boston startup Vesper has developed a new kind of piezoelectric microphone that doesn't require a constant energy supply-and, perhaps best of all, won't break if you spill your beer on it.
Robots win friends, influence people
Y
our next role model may be robotic. As artificial intelligence systems become increasingly human, their abilities to influence people also improve. And it's working: researchers from Tel Aviv University show that children who play with a robotic companion ac-
quire its unremitting can-do attitude. A new study in Australia is using humanoid robots to coach people to eat more healthily, and Will Knight has found that chatbots with social skills can make particularly compelling suggestions.
Even AI needs to innovate
I
s artificial intelligence stuck in a rut? That's what Gary Marcus, former head of Uber's AI Lab, thinks. Speaking at MIT Technology Review's EmTech Digital conference in San Francisco, he explained that current machine learning trends and short-termism among compa-
nies trying to commercialize AI are limiting progress. Others are more sanguine: at the same event, Apple's director of AI, Ruslan Salakhutdinov, described how new ways to imbue neural networks with qualities like memory and general knowledge could push the field forward.
Rush for, not gold, but lithium
F
orget gold-the new rush is for lithium. Driven by insatiable desire for gadgets, electric cars, and grid storage, the elements required for battery production are in ever increasing demand, and are often pulled from the ground at high human cost. But while lithium has traditionally been
mined across Australia, Chile, Argentina, and China, the world's largest suppliers of the metal are now struggling to keep up with demand. Prices have quintupled in two just years, so now, Bloomberg reports, prospectors are pinning their hopes on reserves in Nevada.
-MIT Technology Review
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TechBiz Post
India Post
April 7, 2017
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Self-driving crash ignites regulations debate PHOENIX: A crash that caused an Uber self-driving SUV to flip onto its side in a Phoenix suburb serves as a stark reminder of the challenges surrounding autonomous vehicles in Arizona, a state that has gone all-in to entice the company by promising minimal government regulation. The crash was blamed on the driver of an oncoming SUV that turned left in front of the Uber vehicle carrying two test drivers and no passengers. There were no serious injuries and the driver of the other car was cited for a moving violation. But images of Uber's Volvo SUV rolled onto its side reverberated heavily on social media. Uber responded by briefly suspending its self-driving cars in its three testing locations - Arizona, San Francisco and Pittsburgh - as
it investigated the accident. Uber's self-driving car program is rolling out amid questions about how much government regulation it should endure on issues such as accidents, insurance and reporting instances in which the person behind the wheel in test cars needs to take control of the vehicle.
The San Francisco-based startup endured a shaky December rollout in California - including running red lights - that culminated in a standoff between Uber and state regulators who wanted more transparency and reporting. Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey
seized the opportunity and used lax regulations to entice Uber, which decided to ship more than a dozen SUVs to metro Phoenix. ``California may not want you, but Arizona does,'' said Ducey, who took the first ride as a passenger in Uber's self-driving cars recently. Uber spokeswoman Taylor Patterson said the company is operating more than a dozen of the 21 vehicles it has registered in Arizona. Some pick up passengers. In Arizona, companies such as Uber only need to carry minimum liability insurance policies to operate self-driving cars. They are not required to track crashes like the one that occurred in Tempe on or report any information to the state. That means that self-driving test cars are essentially treated like all other cars on the road. Ducey spokesman Daniel Scarpinato said in a March 3 interview that the cars are safe and there is sufficient oversight under existing automobile rules. ``There's a driver in the car,'' he said. ``The state oversight is: There are not cars without drivers in them.''
John Simpson of the Californiabased advocacy group Consumer Watchdog said Ducey has abandoned his responsibility to protect the public by buying into the hype surrounding Uber. ``It's a fundamental responsibility of a governor of a state to make sure that when companies are using the state's public highways as their own private laboratories, that there is some obligation to protect
an annual tally documenting how many times test drivers had to take over. Also, unlike in Arizona and Pennsylvania, passengers are not allowed to ride in autonomous vehicles in California. Ducey doesn't believe selfdriving car testing needs extra regulations because drivers can take over if something goes wrong, but his office said after the
In Arizona, companies such as Uber only need to carry minimum liability insurance policies to operate self-driving cars. They are not required to track crashes like the one that occurred in Tempe public safety,'' Simpson said. ``There are no rules in Arizona.'' In March, Uber obtained permits for two of its Volvo SUVS to again hit the streets in San Francisco. California's rules for autonomous vehicles require a $5 million insurance policy, and the companies must report accidents to the state within 10 days and release
accident that ``public safety remains our top priority and we will continue to monitor the situation closely.'' Kevin Biesty, deputy director for policy for the Arizona Department of Transportation, said the state could set up a system to monitor local police accident reports involving self-driving cars but chose not to do so.-AP
Datebook
April 7, 2017
India Post 15
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NEW JERSEY
NEW YORK
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
CHICAGO
Upcoming
Upcoming
ILLINOIS
Upcoming
Upcoming
Upcoming
Sat, Apr 08 • Rahat Fateh Ali Khan Remembering Ustad Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan Venue: New Jersey Performing Arts Center, 1 Center Street, Newark, NJ 07102 Time: 07:30 pm
Sun, Apr 09 • Sredha's Exhibition Exlusive Sarees Venue: Hyatt House Parsippany East, 299 Smith Road, PARSIPPANY, NJ Time: 10:30 am
Sat, Apr 08 • Swayamvar- Indian & South Asians Singles Event Venue: Nirvana, 346 Lexington Avenue, New York, NY 10016 Time : 05:00 pm
Fri, Apr 07 • Thyagaraja Aradhana Festival 2017 Venue: CET Auditorium,701, Vine Street, SAN JOSE, CA Time: 07:00 pm
Sun, Apr 09 • Gujarati Comedy Play "The Waiting Room" Venue: North Brunswick High School, 98 Raider Road, North Brunswick, NJ 08902 Time : 05:00 pm
Fri, May 05 • Madhura Delights Presents Girls night out
Fri, Apr 14 • Nitin Mukesh Live Tour USA & Canada
Venue: Rasoi III Restaurant, 620 Georges Rd, Monmouth Junction, NJ 08852 Time: 07:00 pm
Venue: Local Cities throughout USA & Canada,4 Pennsylvania Plaza, NEW YORK Time : 01:00 pm
Sat, Apr 08 • Art of Living Happiness Program Venue: Private residence Northbrook IL,1201 Cedar Lane, NORTHBROOK, IL Time: 5:00 pm
Fri, Apr 07 • Baisakhi Festival w/ Jai Ho! Dance Party Venue: Queen Bee's Art & Cultural Center,
Sat, Apr 08 • Devotional Songs Nada Sudha School of Music
3925 Ohio Street, San Diego, CA 92104
Venue: CET Auditorium, 701, Vine Street,
Time: 09:00 pm
San Jose, CA 95110 Time: 08:15 pm
Sat, Apr 08 • Tarangini 2017Singing Competition
ATLANTA Upcoming
TBD,1601-1799
Fri, Apr 07 • Arijit Singh Live Concert Atlanta GA - First Time Ever!
Lincoln St, SANTA CLARA, CA
Venue: Infinite Energy Arena, 6400
Time: 05:00 pm
Sugarloaf Parkway, Duluth, GA 30097
V e n u e :
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
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
Desi News OFBJP celebrates BJP victory in States JAYANTI OJHA
CHICAGO: OFBJP (Overseas Friends of BJP) celebrated the historic victory of BJP in the recently concluded elections in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarkhand, Goa and Manipur. This event was held on Saturday March 25 at the Rana Reagan Center in Carol Stream, a suburb of Chicago. OFBJP National General Secretary Amar Upadhyay started with a warm welcome to the Bharatiya senior citizens group, United Senior Citizens group, OFBJP, VHPA and HHS members who were present at the event with a total strength of more than two hundred. He passed on his congratulatory message to the newly appointed Chief Minister of UP Yogi Aadityanath, Chief Minister of Uttarkhand Trivendra Singh Rawat, Chief Minister of Manipur N Biren Singh and Chief Minister of Goa Shri Manohar Parrikar. Details on page 20
Andhra Association celebrates its Anniversary BHANU SWARGAM
CHICAGO: Andhra Association of Chicago (CAA) celebrated its First Anniversary at the Hindu Temple of Greater Chicago in Lemont, (a Chicago suburb) last week enthralling 1000 plus audience with music, dance, drama, and dinner. Chief Guest Consul General Ms. Neeta Bhushan commended CAA for its success in preserving the culture as a service to Andhra Pradesh. She was presented with a "Bobbili Veena" as a memento. Dr. Prakasam Tata was honored with Lifetime Achievement Award for his dedicated services to tribal communities and waste water management. Frank Avila, Chairman, MWRD, Chicago also graced the occasion.
COMMUNITY
SFFILM to honor Shah Rukh Khan
ACROSS AMERICA
16 India Post
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Details on page 19
April 7, 2017
Ameya Pawar, potential Illinois Governor, exudes confidence RAMESH SOPARAWALA India Post News Service
CHICAGO: Ameya Pawar, the first ever Indian American to get elected as Chicago Councilor, has decided to jump into the Illinois Governor race with huge backing from Indian, Pakistani and other enlightened communities. At a meeting with South Asian media to discuss campaign for Governor at Mysore Woodlands restaurant on Devon Ave, Ameya
Discussing about his progressive platform, he said that ´"we cannot sit by and let politicians divide us, pitting one community against the next. While Bruce Rauner remains silent in the face of Donald Trump's Muslim ban, I will continue to stand up for the rights of immigrants and remind people of the ways immigrants of all backgrounds contribute to our state and country." For about an hour and a half, Pawar answered questions from the
than 21 months and the looming deficits and pension obligations, Pawar observed that Illinois has a
to reform our tax structure by imposing a progressive income tax like our neighboring States in or-
“We cannot sit by and let politicians divide us, pitting one community against the next. While Bruce Rauner remains silent in the face of Donald Trump's Muslim ban, I will continue to stand up for the rights of immigrants” Pawar, 47th Ward Alderman and Democratic candidate for Illinois Governor, exuded confidence of winning the Governor race relying more on his constructive agenda , his sincerity and honesty of purpose. He claimed in the meeting that he has enlisted a huger number of volunteers for the campaign, will be reaching out to electorates far and wide in the State and would be in a position to raise funds to meet the election expenses.
media on a range of issues, including his positions on immigration, visas and sanctuary cities. When asked about his position on supporting refugees, Pawar said "People fleeing war zones and oppression need our help. Refugees cross deserts and oceans in support of freedom, and Illinois should stand ready to give them the opportunity to pursue a brighter future." With the state of Illinois operating without a budget for more
Ameya Pawar addressing the Media
$700 billion economy, the 5th largest in the country. "So, the idea that our State doesn't have the means to balance a budget and pay our bills is false. The problem is our current tax structure unfairly burdens the middle class. We need
der to ensure the wealthy pay their fair share." With the change in the income tax structure, Illinois could raise billions of dollars more in revenue and meet most of its obligations, he asserted.
New CG making Consulate more efficient
Details on page 21
for OCI cards. In the course of six seven weeks, she and her consulate staff looked at each and every pending application and disposed off all of them. Earlier, Consul O.P.Meena welcomed the guests and introduced Mrs. Neeta Bhushan who joined as CG in Chicago on January 23. CG Bhushan then informed that her new initiatives include operation of one dedicated phone line from 9 am - 5:30 pm, immediate response of queries even received on social media and extension of community outreach program to one or two every month.
RAMESH SOPARAWALA
St Louis Indians spread cultural awareness ASHWIN PATEL
ST LOUIS: The Indian Association of St Louis (IAS) collaborated with Mehlville High School for their Global Coffee House International Fair celebrations on March 15, spreading cultural awareness about India Details on page 22
India Post News Service
CHICAGO: The newly appointed Indian Consul General Neeta Bhushan is making a fresh energetic bid to make the Indian Consulate in Chicago more efficient, more approachable and more amiable to the community at large and members of the Indian community in particular. Among the few steps she has already taken includes her first interactive meet with Desi Media here last week. Addressing the media members she informed that there was a pileup of nearly 5000 applications
Consul OP Meena introducing CG Neeta Bhushan
Cont’d on page 23
Community Across America
April 7, 2017
India Post 17
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Weather fails to dent FIA Holi enthusiasm MOON KHAN
CHICAGO: Enthusiasts of Holi don't care about weather or month and this was proved again on Sunday at the FIA hosted Holi event in Hoffman Estates, where hundreds of fans and half a dozen elected officials showed up to join the festivities. "It was a phenomenal event," said Sunil Shah, Founder President of the Federation of Indian Associations. "We brought India to the northwest suburbs." Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi was elated to see the
FIA Holi lamp lighting
huge crowd. "Your enthusiasm inspires all of us," he said. FIA President Mukesh Shah welcomed the audience, dignitaries, and the elected officials that included Consul D.P. Bhati, representing the Indian Consul General; Hoffman Estates Mayor Bill McLeod, State Senator Laura Murphy, and State Representative Michelle Mussman. The program started with the melodious Bollywood songs sung by Mahijit Singh Virdi, Geetanjali Maru, Bhupendra Singh,
FIA Holi revelers
Sameer Saini and Natasha Trikha. The singers regaled the crowd. Dances by little kids were superb. Special appreciation goes to two dozen performers and their dance team - SSR Chicago, and their Choreographer Chinu Thottam. FIA officials, guests and heads of numerous civic organizations came to the stage for the traditional lamp lighting ceremony. Noman Khan and Ravi Rawat entertained the audience with their masterful emceeing cues and jokes. The live orchestra led by Sunny Jhadav and his team of "Man Pasand Music Masti" entertained the crowd to the fullest. Rita Singh, former FIA President, was highly impressed with the band's performance. Cont’d on page 18
The FIA Group with guests and dignitaries
18 India Post
Community Across America
April 7, 2017
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Elephant adds to Holi fun at Penn State NEELA PANDYA
PENNSYLVANIA: A major public research-intensive university, Pennsylvania State University (Penn State, PSU), celebrated Holi festival with gusto in University Park campus on March 25 with an elephant present. Penn State South Asian Student Association (SASA) created in 1960 "to promote South Asian culture" had scheduled Holi from 11 am to four pm in HUB lawn of the Penn State campus and where the colors were provided. There was live DJ and performances by dance teams-Penn State Sher Bhangra, Penn State Ghaamudyaz, Penn State JaDhoom, R.A.M. Squad; and cultural booths. This was the first time for an elephant to be present at the Holi celebrations, which were dubbed as "a great celebration full of friends, colors, music." SASA was reportedly created in 1960 "to pro-
mote South Asian culture". PSU, founded in 1855, claimed to be ranked as one of the world's top universities, has 24 campuses with around 100,000 students. It offers about 410 doctorate, graduate, baccalaureate, associate and professional degrees. The festival of Holi welcomes the beginning of spring and starts about ten days before the full moon of Phalguna. Besides color play, ceremonies also include the lighting of bonfires, during which all evils are symbolically burnt. Holi also commemorates the frolics of youthful Lord Krishna and celebrates the death of demoness Putana, burning of demoness Holika and destruction of Kama by Lord Shiva. Holi fell on March 13 this year. Rajan Zed, President of Universal Society of Hinduism, commended efforts of SASA and the Elephant at Holi celebrations
campus Hindu community for keeping the religion-culture alive in Penn State by organizing such celebrations. He thanked PSU President Dr. Eric J. Barron and PSU Trustees Chairman Ira M.
Lubert for university support to Holi festival. He also welcomed the presence of elephant at the celebrations in the context that Elephant-headed Lord Ganesha was worshipped in
Hinduism as god of wisdom, remover of obstacles and is invoked before the beginning of any major undertaking.
Weather fails to dent FIA Holi enthusiasm Cont’d from page 17
"This is the out of world's presentation," she thought. Through Holi event, FIA promoted bone marrow donation drive for Kapil. Onkar S. Sangha, Founder and
Past President, appreciated the event's major advertisers, and sponsors. Prominent among them are: Wintrust Bank, New York Life, Power Plant Services, Wo r l d M o n e y E x c h a n g e , Schaumburg Bank, Medstar, D i r e c t F l o o r s , P o w e r Vo l t ,
FIA Holi revelers
Thumka Restaurant, Vinakom, Big Suchir, Shree Restaurant, Sai Saffron Restaurant, AA Salon & Spa, TV Asia, Asian Media, India Post, Hi India, Hello NRI, Desi Talk, Bamboo Garden and Metropolitan Asian Family Services.
Community Across America
April 7, 2017
India Post 19
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SFFILM to honor Shah Rukh Khan India Post News Service
SAN FRANCISCO, CA: SFFILM has announced that global superstar Shah Rukh Khan will be honored at the 60th San Francisco International Film Festival with a special onstage tribute. An intimate conversation with the actor, producer, and humanitarian exploring his unique balance between commercially-minded cin-
Executive Director Noah Cowan. "Above Shah Rukh Khan's fame as an actor is a man known for his pervasive curiosity about the world around him, about technology, about our collective future. Khan is among the most engaging figures in any field and this night, in conversation with Hollywood wizard Brett Ratner, will be among the most memorable of this year's Festival events."
The onstage tribute will take place Friday, April 14, 8:30 pm at the Castro Theatre, and will be followed by a screening of Karan Johar's 2013 film 'My Name is Khan' in which Khan offers an unforgettable performance ema and artistic values will be moderated by famed director and producer Brett Ratner. The onstage tribute will take place Friday, April 14, 8:30 pm at the Castro Theatre, and will be followed by a screening of Karan Johar's 2013 film 'My Name is Khan' in which Khan offers an unforgettable performance. "It is a great honor to welcome one of the world's most recognized film personalities," said SFFILM's
Often referred to as the "King of Bollywood," Shah Rukh Khan is an internationally renowned actor and producer. In a career spanning over 30 years, Khan has acted in over 70 Hindi films and won 14 Filmfare Awards-for excellence in cinematic achievements in the Hindi language film industry-from 30 nominations. In 2005 he was the recipient of India's second highest civilian award, the Padma Shri, in recognition of his
distinguished contributions to Indian cinema, and in 2014 he was the recipient of France's highest civilian award, the Knight of the Legion of Honor, in recognition of his outstanding contribution to cultural diversity across the world. One of India's most successful movie stars, Khan's cultural influence extends far beyond his home country. Eleven of the films he has starred in have accumulated worldwide gross earnings of over one billion dollars. His 2013 Bollywood-English-language crossover film 'My Name Is Khan' earned enough in its opening weekend to become the highestgrossing Bollywood film in North America, a record previously set in 2007 by the film 'Om Shanti Om' which also featured Khan in the leading role. In 2011, Khan was the first Indian citizen to be honored by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization with a special award-the Pyramide con Marni-for his charitable and social commitment towards providing education for children. Later that same year, Khan was appointed by the United Nations Office for Project Services as the first global ambassador to the
Concern at rollback of climate, energy policies India Post News Service
WASHINGTON, DC: A large number of community oriented organizations across the country expressed serious concern and dismay with the recent reversal of previously established policy initiatives towards lowering carbon emissions, protecting the climate, and transitioning to greater use of renewable energy sources. Among the latest to join the
Mat McDermott
"The Srimad Bhagavatam says chorus of concern is the Hindu very clearly, 'Ether, air, fire, water, American Foundation (HAF) "The recent rollback is coun- earth, planets, all creatures, directerproductive and dangerous on tions, trees and plants, rivers and many levels," asserted HAF Direc- seas, they are all organs of God's tor of Communications Mat body. Remembering this a devoMcDermott, and one of the au- tee respects all species,'" said thors of the 2015 Hindu Declara- McDermott. tion on Climate Change. "It's also at odds with "The Srimad Bhagavatam what the overwhelming says very clearly, 'Ether, air, majority of climate scientists say is required fire, water, earth, planets, to preserve a livable cliall creatures, directions, mate, as well as the goal of maintaining eco- trees and plants, rivers and nomic prosperity - both seas, they are all organs of of which are best God's body� served through climate-friendly policies HAF urged the Administration and renewable energy producto reverse course on its stated tion." McDermott added that the energy and climate policy assertnewly laid out direction contra- ing that it was critical to honor fully dicted what a solid majority of the the United States' commitments American people desired. Accord- under the Paris Agreement and ing to a recent NBC snap poll, 83 continue forward in making whatpercent of people surveyed dis- ever emission reductions were agree with this roll back of climate necessary to keep global temperature rise below 1.5°C. action.
Water Supply and Sanitation Collaborative Council, which advocates for improved sanitation and hygiene for the most vulnerable and marginalized people around the world. In 2008, Newsweek named Khan one of the 50 most powerful people in the world. Brett Ratner, moderating the onstage conversation, is one of Hollywood's most successful filmmakers and producers, whose films have grossed over $2 billion at the global box office. Shah Rukh Khan joins a stunning group of honorees being presented with public tributes at the 60th SFFILM Festival, which includes John Ridley, Gordon Gund, Ethan Hawke, and James Ivory.
Preeminent scientist Dr Karkhanis passes away PRAKASH WAGHMARE
FANWOOD, NJ: A preeminent scientist of Indian origin, Dr Yashwant Karkhanis, passed away on March 23 at his home in Fanwood, N.J. after a brief hospitalization. He was 86. He is survived by his wife of 56 yrs, Nalinee, children Nitin & Anita, nephew Sanjay and four grandchildren. Dr Karkhanis was world renowned for his ground-breaking work in the field of Immunology and Protein Chemistry. After his graduate studies in Mumbai, he came to USA in 1956 to pursue Doctorate studies in Biochemistry at 'Florida State University'. His research and inDr Yashwant tellect not only took him to prestigious 'Brookhaven National Laboratory' in Long Island, N.Y. and 'Albert Einstein Medical Center' in Philadelphia, but also, established him as a post-Doctoral Fellow at 'Harvard'. For major part of his career, he worked at 'Merck Pharmaceutical' in New Jersey, where he retired at the age of 70, as 'Research Director'. There are several 'patents' and hundreds of research papers to his credit. He
was once referred in 'Time' magazine, too. After retirement, he devoted his life to writing scientific articles in Marathi that could be of help to people, in everyday life. Dr Karkhanis was a Trustee and Former President of 'Marathi Vishwa', the largest and most prestigious social-cultural organization of Marathi community in USA. Highly respected, he was the toast of Marathi community in USA with his disarming down-to-earth disposition and childlike innocence. He believed that one owes to the community one lives in. Accordingly, his home was open to anyone seeking any kind of help. When the Karkhanis iconic Marathi singer-composure Sudlhir Phadke wanted to make a movie on the life of "Veer Savarkar", he devoted almost a decade of his life raising funds for it.Being a part of the earlier retinue of Indian immigrants in US, he always had interesting stories to share about his life in 1950s USA. He was very proud of his Indian heritage and truly admired American social environment. With his passing, the scientific world has lost a great 'thinker'.
20 India Post
Community Across America
April 7, 2017
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OFBJP celebrates BJP victory in States JAYANTI OJHA
CHICAGO: OFBJP (Overseas Friends of BJP) celebrated the historic victory of BJP in the recently concluded elections in Uttar
Reagan Center in Carol Stream, a suburb of Chicago. OFBJP National General Secretary Amar Upadhyay started with
Deep Prajavalan by L to R: Amar Upadhyay, Haribhai Patel, Dr. Bharatbhai Narsinhbhai Patel, Ramanbhai Patel and Rohit Joshi
Pradesh, Uttarkhand, Goa and Manipur. This event was held on Saturday March 25 at the Rana
a warm welcome to the Bharatiya senior citizens group, United Senior Citizens group, OFBJP, VHPA
and HHS members who were present at the event with a total strength of more than two hundred. He passed on his congratulatory message to the newly appointed Chief Minister of UP Yogi Aadityanath, Chief Minister of Uttarkhand Trivendra Singh Rawat, Chief Minister of Manipur N Biren Singh and Chief Minister of Goa Shri Manohar Parrikar. Upadhyay shared his experiences and hard work with Rohit Joshi and others during the UP election campaign. They took the time to go all the way to UP and does the leg work before the campaign. After the welcome speech a Deep Prajavalan ceremony was conducted where Rohit Joshi invited the Guest of Honor Dr. Bharat Barai, Khemchandji from the Delhi BJP unit along with Nirav Patel and others OFBJP members. Rohit Joshi in his address talked about some of the challenges that currently existed in UP
and the work that needs to be done after experiencing the situation first hand in this State. Nirav Patel highlighted the importance
BJP Communication cell Convener Khemchand talked about the upcoming elections for the Municipal cooperation of Delhi.
Nirav Patel presenting 'Shawl' to BJP Communication convener Khemchand Sharmaji
of contributing to the New India pledge as envisioned by PM Modiji. The hope and aspirations of New India need to be fulfilled by contributions from all, he observed.
Community leaders and organization representatives attending the meet
He also shared ways to contribute to this election campaign through social media, use of voluntary services by making phone calls and any resources that could make a positive impact for BJP Delhi unit. He also pointed out that Kejriwal had over promised and under delivered on those promises. To ensure Delhi sees a comprehensive development, it was important for Delhi to form a BJP government under PM Modiji's visionary leadership. Dr Bharat Barai shared his experiences with PM Modiji from way back in the 1990s when he was just a party Karyakarta. Even in those days he called on all overseas Indians to have a deeper connect with India and preserve its rich cultural heritage. He expressed great faith in the current BJP regime to lead India to a promising new dawn. The three-hour program concluded with a Vote of Thanks by OFBJP Chicago Youth convener Nirav Patel.
IABC to work with 'Mentor-on-road' project SURENDRA ULLAL
CHICAGO: Indian American Business Council [IABC] a nonprofit organization based in Chicago, signed a milestone 'Memorandum of Understanding' with the "Mentor-on-Road" project, India [MOR] - a grassroots advocacy group engaged in promoting entrepreneurship, women businesses, and inter-country collaborations via Indian Diaspora. The Indian American Business Council is the collaborator of the program in Mid-west. Mentor-on-Road project is being supported by U.S. Commercial Services (USCS), the US
Department of Commerce and the USIndia Importers' Council (USIIC). The Ahmedabad-based organization will undertake the 78-day-long drive across America in the June-September period in two legs crisscrossing 30 cities in 24 states. MOR Team will be in Chicago on September 5 and 6. Detailed agenda with location would be published online around April 15 at www.IABCouncil.org. A senior representative of Ministry of External Affairs, India, would be joining the MOR. IABC team that collaborates with Mentor-on Road Project
Cont’d on page 22
Community Across America
April 7, 2017
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Andhra Association celebrates its Anniversary BHANU SWARGAM
CHICAGO: Andhra Association of Chicago (CAA) celebrated its First Anniversary at the Hindu Temple of Greater Chicago in Lemont, (a Chicago suburb) last week enthralling 1000 plus audience with music, dance, drama, and dinner. Chief Guest Consul General Ms. Neeta Bhushan commended CAA for its success in preserving the culture as a service to CAA Board of Directors and Founders with Consul General Neeta Bhushan
Andhra Pradesh. She was presented with a "Bobbili Veena" as a memento. Dr. Prakasam Tata was honored with Lifetime Achievement Award for his dedicated services to tribal communities and waste water management. Frank Avila, Chairman, MWRD, Chicago also graced the occasion. Amidst a plethora of Telugu Diaspora organizations, CAA strives to stand unique with philanthropy on its mind, with its central foundation, APDFNA, working primarily on service-oriented projects in AP. CAA President, Sundar Dittakavi said that 25 cents of every dollar earned through the nominal annual membership to CAA would be spent on charitable causes. He emphasized the diversity in CAA by highlighting the fact that the board consists of equal number of men and women. Sahiti Kotha, Kiran Adimulam, Sairavi Suribhotla and Mrudulatha Mathukumalli held the audience's attention with their able emceeing and lively banter throughout the evening's program. Telugu pride and culture was showcased in a variety of stage performances - both classical and contemporary - starting from ages five to senior citizens. Ancient music kritis and compositions were evoked through vocal, violin and
Cultural performances at CAA First Anniversary Day Function
tabla jugalbandi renditions. Patriotic songs were performed by tiny tots with attractive costumes. Semi classical dances Krishna Leelalu, Shiva and Vishnu were performed by younger kids with perfection and dedication. Telugu folk songs on festivals were performed by teen girls. Folk songs from north, east, west, south parts of India were performed by nearly 28 participants. The "Beauty of Andhra" describing the greatness of the Andhra Pradesh State and senior citizens fashion show with "Unity in Diversity" theme on language integration lead by Ramanamurthy Yedavalli, Vani Dittakavi and Prasuna Vootkur evoked emotions with the audience giving a standing ovation. Cont’d on page 34
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St Louis Indians spread cultural awareness ASHWIN PATEL
Spreading Indian culture through classical dances
ST LOUIS: The Indian Association of St Louis (IAS) collaborated with Mehlville High School for their Global Coffee House International Fair celebrations on March 15, spreading cultural awareness about India 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.
Naperville plans grand Yoga Day
Yoga day Meet in Chicago
CHICAGO: The Indian Chancellery in Chicago has planned a grand celebration of Yoga on June 24 this year in Naperville (south west suburb of Chicago) and expectations are that it will be hugely better than the last two times. This will be the third International Yoga day which is being celebrated globally of late. The event last year at Sandwich was a dismal failure with attendance dwindling to a few hundred against about two thou-
sands in a previous year. The celebration for this year was announced by CG Neeta Bhushan at a meet at the Indian Consulate last week. Some of the participating organizations 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 Harmony, Balaji Temple, Shri Swaminarayan
Mandir BAPS and Hindu Temple of Greater Chicago. The Consulate sources expect the attendance should swell to 4000 to 5000 and efforts are afoot to reach out to mainstream Americans as well. According to "2016 Yoga in America Study", about 37 million Americans (which included many celebrities) now practice yoga. Yoga is also strongly correlated with having a positive self image.
IABC to work with 'Mentor-on-road' project Cont’d from page 20
waste management, to e-governance, etc. Indian Diaspora will get firsthand information on Indian villages' dynamics. The presentation will cover aspects like, which state is doing well in villages/towns? What are the business (cottage and small businesses) styles & approaches in different villages/ towns? Also very importantly, the responsibilities of an Adopter would be discussed. Such responsibility will ensure great benefits to the locals, and will help convert villages/towns into "smart villages/ towns".Other topics of discus-
In 2015-16, Jagat Shah, founder of Mentor-on-Road, had crisscrossed India covering 9,500-km across 24 states and 35 cities encouraging entrepreneurs, startups and SMEs to understand their challenges in ease of doing business and presented a report to the Centre with possible solutions for consideration as part of its 'Make in India' drive of Indian Government. The purpose is to meet Indian Diaspora in USA in each of the 30 cities is to encourage them to engage in Personal Social Responsibility (PSR) in India by contributing their time, Indian Diaspora will find experience, network and reasons to adopt their ideas to programs like Clean India (Swachh native home village/town in Bharat), Stand up India India to convert them into for women entrepresmart village/town in one neurs, Skill India, Digital India, Start-up India, to two years Smart cities / villages/ towns and "Make In Insions will include tech transfer dia". Indian Diaspora will find rea- from USA to India. sons to adopt their native home The entire team of IABC includvillage/town in India to convert ing Vice President Girish Kapur them into smart village/town in and Directors Keerthi Kumar one to two years where they will Ravoori, Mohammed Faheem, be helped with pain point diagnos- Harish Kolasani, Chacko Kurien, tic and financial inputs for the Nazneen Hashmi, Dr. Arshad project. They do not have to in- Qureshi, Maya Patel, and Attorvest any amount; only have to ney Afshan Khan is on board with manage the project. the project group. IAB Council works in collaboJagat Shah presentation will include topics like idea of smart ration with Chamber of Commerce cities, villages/towns and a snap- as well as other public and private shot of what type of investments organizations that facilitate trade should come. What are the fac- delegations. IABC is registered as tors which an adopter should con- a not-for-profit in the State of Illisider before adopting in such a nois and recently launched an Invillages/town. In the implementa- dia chapter. IABC works closely tion process, issues in villages/ with US Small Business Administowns will range from health care, tration (SBA), Ministry of Micro, sanitation, education, usage of Small, and Medium Enterprise and technology, water management, five Indian States.
April 7, 2017
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Embassy in Egypt launches Yoga courses India Post News Service
The Cairo Embassy of India has started eight-week long yoga courses for beginners and intermediate learners in Cairo from April 2. The courses are conducted at Maulana Azad Centre for Indian Culture (MACIC) of the Cultural Wing of the Embassy of IndiaCairo in Zamalek area of Cairo. These classes will not convene on Indian holidays. Opened in 1992, MACIC popularizes Indian culture. Its past events included Kathakali dances in last August. Yoga is reportedly becoming popular in Egypt and reports suggest that there are about 40 yoga studios/schools/facilities in Cairo area; with names like Shanti Yoga,
Mudra Yoga, Ashtanga Yoga, Yoga Khana, etc. and Yoga Vidya in Giza area. Yoga, although introduced and nourished by Hinduism, was a world heritage and liberation powerhouse to be utilized by all. According to Patanjali who codified it in Yoga Sutra, yoga was a methodical effort to attain perfection, through the control of the different elements of human nature, physical and psychiatric Currently Embassy of India is presenting till April 27 a "Festival
of India in Egypt" with the title "India by the Nile 2017" in Cairo, Giza, Alexandria, Port Said and Ismailia; which includes tales of Hindu gods-goddesses-demons through dance, a session including "spiritual discipline of Yoga", Sufi music, Bollywood Dance Workshop, Kuchipudi and Kathak dances, etc. "The program is rich and eclectic with a wide canvas spanning empowerment of women", an announcement says. Sanjay Bhattacharyya is Ambassador of India to Egypt.
No more fears! TB is curable
O
n World TB Day, Operation Asha together with Bollywood stars and musicians had a successful launch of a TB awareness jingle at Big FM radio station. This brings the message of hope and love, and dispels fears and stigma. Now we must all go the extra mile in disseminating this message. Links to listen to the Hindi and English jingles - TB Se Na Dariyo, and Stay TB Free.
New CG making Consulate more efficient Cont’d from page 16
Besides, Consul General would herself be available to meet people during Open House. She reiterated her commitment for welfare of Indian community and Diaspora residing in her Consul jurisdiction. She has not lost time to strike rapport with the dignitaries among whom would include meeting with Governor of Michigan Rick Snyder, Governor of South Dakota Dennis Daugaard, Governor of North Dakota, Doug Burgum, Governor of IOWA Terry Branstad, Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi, Lieutenant Governor of Illinois Ms. Evelyn Sanguinetti, and Secretary of State of Illinois Jesse White. She also had a chance to meet Governor of Indiana Eric Holcomb at NGA meet hosted by Ambassador
Navtej Sarna in Washington DC. Media was also told about the incoming and outgoing Trade delegations to and from Chicago. Neeraj Kumar Gupta, Secretary, Department of Investment and Public Asset Management is leading a delegation to Chicago to participate in Road Show on May 5. Rajiv Singh, CEO, Prasar Bharati is coming to Chicago CG Neeta Bhushan addressing Media on April 28 to
CG and Consulate officials with Media group
meet with media organization / public service provider. The proposed outgoing Trade delegations to India include high level Mission led by Governors of Michigan, Indiana, Minnesota and Illinois as well as Mayor of Indianapolis. Indian Consulate also plans a series of events during the current year like Ambedkar Jayanti on April 14, 350th Birth Anniversary of Guru Gobind Singh on June 11, 3rd International Yoga Day on June 24, India's 70th Independence Day celebrations on August 15, Kala Utsav on August 26 and Gandhi Jayanti celebrations on October 2. CG mentioned that India at 70 logo, designed in India, should be given prominence by Desi media. Consul General answered questions about Reza Aslan's report-
ing on Aghoris. She wondered if program among Indian Diaspora. the Consulate should or could intervene. She however informed that Amazon was selling floor mats with Indian flag that was withdrawn after protest from the Consulate. Consul Vishwapal also addressed the meet and talked about OCI and relevant matters. CG then thanked media for support in diss e m i n a t i n g Consulate's initiaConsul Vishwapal addressing Media tives, activities and
More Community stories on pages 34-35
TOP TEN HINDI FILM SONGS
1 Tamma Tamma: Badrinath Ki Dulhaniya 2 Zaalima: Raees 3 Badri Ki Dulhania: Badrinath Ki Dulhaniya 24 India Post
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April 7, 2017
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
"I have never danced in my life, and now not only am I dancing but also rapping
9 Kaabil Hoon: Kaabil 10 Dum Dum: Phillauri
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awazuddin Siddiqui is venturing into freakishly unfamiliar territory with Sabbir Khan's Tiger Shroff-starrer 'Munna Michael'. The 42-year-old actor plays a wannabe dancer in the film. Now, it is learnt that he is testing his vocal skills as he gears up to rap in Hindi for another upcoming film. Titled 'Humre Baap Ka Bitwa Bandookbaaz', the number, for the film 'Babumoshai Bandookbaaz' is expected to be a fun, peppy number. The film follows small-time contract killer Babu, played by Nawaz, his friends and rivals, and what happens when he falls in love and takes up a tricky assignment. "I love trying new things!" Nawaz exclaims while speaking to Mirror. "I have never danced in my life, and now not only am I dancing but also rapping. When you get down to actually doing it, you realize it's not that difficult," he says, adding that he has no problems in remembering long dialogues, so is not worried about remembering the rhyming lyrics of the rap.
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"My first attempt at singing! What do you think? "To this, proud sister Priyanka retweeted with, "PROUD OF YOU BABY! Your daddy will be proud! So would mine!"
riyanka Chopra has lauded her cousin Parineeti Chopra for her maiden attempt at singing in her upcoming film, 'Meri Pyaari Bindu'. Parineeti, 28, took to Twitter to share the YouTube link of her first song titled 'Maana ke hum yaar nahin'. "My first attempt at singing! What do you think? "To this, proud sister Priyanka retweeted with, "Proud of you baby! Your daddy will be proud! So would mine!" The younger Chopra sister wrote back saying that she was only following the path shown by the 'Quantico' actress. "Thankyou Mimi didi want to follow your footsteps!!! Papa is happy," Parineeti said. Actor Ayushmann Khurrana, who is paired opposite Parineeti in the Yash Raj film, also heaped praise on his co-star. He tweeted "Her voice resembles my novel's heroine - smooth and sexy!"
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new still from Apoorva Lakia's upcoming film, 'Haseena' was released and it shows Shraddha Kapoor as Haseena and brother Siddhant Kapoor as Dawood Ibrahim. The brother-sister duo totally live up to the expectation. Siddhanth Kapoor wears the brand black suit and sunglasses while Shraddha, who portrays the titular role, totally gets into the avatar of Haseena in black salwar suit. Shraddha has got the spark in her eyes, which the character demands. The first poster of Haseena: The Queen Of Mumbai was unveiled earlier in February. The actress will depict Haseena's life from the age 17 to 40. 'Haseena', directed by Aporva Lakhia is set to hit the screens on April 11.
April 7, 2017 February 3, 2017
Bollywood
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"I do want to settle down early (in life) because I have an advantage of having started off (in career) very early�
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lia Bhatt is just 24 but the actress has a big future plan. Alia said that she wants to settle down in life early as she has started her career too early. In an interview with Hindustan Times, Alia said, "I do want to settle down early (in life) because I have an advantage of having started off (in career) very early. That way, I can get done with it (getting married) and continue (in my career). Also, I don't want to settle down too late in life because that also has its own issues." However, at the same time the 'Dear Zindagi' actress added that she is not "thinking about it or planning as of now." Alia Bhatt's name is linked with Sidharth Malhotra ever since she debuted with 'Student of the year'. On various occasions, Alia and Sid are spotted together.
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outh actress Raai Laxmi is all set to make her Bollywood debut in Deepak Shivdasani's 'Julie 2'. It will be her 50th film and she says she couldn't have asked for a better landmark in her career. "However, I'd never planned my Bollywood debut. I was looking at women-centric scripts down South, when this offer came my way through common connections. I was aware that the first part had a lot of skin show, and insisted on this film being different. And, it is indeed different. 'Julie 2' may have a lot of skin show, but it also has a hard-hitting, relatable story. The film revolves around nepotism in the industry, which was recently talked about. She plays a small-town girl who faces many difficulties before achieving success as an actress.
bhay Deol, who is known to walk off the beaten path in films, has begun working on his next, 'The Field'. An American production by Guy J Louthan, the movie, helmed by Rohit Batra, is a crime drama revolving around land mafia. While Abhay plays a cop determined to bring down those in power, the film, set in Delhi, also stars Hollywood actor Brendan Fraser in a pivotal role. Further, it marks the return of veteran actor Prem Chopra to the screen after quite a while. 'The Field', touted to be Abhay's edgiest venture till date, is not the only international project in his kitty. His next, though in Hindi, is a Canadian production. A sci-fi, the film has him travelling back in time to solve a mystery. In between shooting, the actor is also busy presenting offbeat films on digital/theatrical platforms. Interestingly, Abhay, who has shot for only one movie 'Happy Bhag Jayegi' - in the last two years, is now doing three movies back to back.
April 7, 2017
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India Post News Service
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edical tourism is rapidly gaining popularity in the US because of low cost of treatment abroad plus high quality healthcare. US health care costs are often higher than the combined fee of traveling and receiving medical care abroad. For years, Singapore and Thailand have been the market leaders in Asia, providing medical care to patients across the globe at a fraction of the cost of the West. However, in the last decade, India has emerged as the future of medical tourism industry. Low cost has been a key driver in India's rise as a medical destination of choice. The cost savings can be up to 80-90%. India has one of the best qualified professionals in each and every field, and this fact has now been realized the world over. Cities like Chennai, New Delhi, and Mumbai as the new international medical value hubs providing advanced tertiary care on par with its Asian neighbors. According to an industry-wide study, the Indian market is likely to reap $7-8 billion in revenue by 2020, more than double its current level. Cost, quality, and access are the three cornerstones of an excellent healthcare system. Currently, India is not only offering the best combination, it is also more importantly pushing the boundaries without compromising on the outcomes. A large number of India's doctors have trained and practiced abroad. They are highly specialized in their fields, meaning patients can expect to receive the highest quality healthcare standards in the industry. Alongwith world-class health services at an extremely cost-effective rate is the attraction to vacation in the most scenic locales of India. Going a step further, large private hospital chains like Fortis, Apollo, and Max have adopted a holistic approach to providing care to international patients. Once the patient makes contact with the hospital they are provided with accommodation, round the clock interpreter services and their dietary and cultural needs are taken care of. Most of the patients are looking to get treatments like cosmetic surgery, hip replacement surgery, heart bypass surgery and knee replacement surgery. India remains a much favored destination for dental tourists,
April 7, 2017
offering savings between 60-80% on the procedures. Dental infrastructure in India is moderate to high, with all procedures being done there. In October 2015, India's medical tourism sector was estimated to be worth US$3 billion. It is projected to grow to $7-8 billion by 2020. According to the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII), the primary reason that attracts medical value travel to India is cost-effectiveness, and treatment from accredited facilities at par with developed countries at much lower cost. The
past decade seeking medical assistance. Accurate figures are hard to come by, but in 2014 and estimated 1,50,000 medical tourists were treated in India. The Indian Department of Tourism estimates that the average cost of healthcare in India is about one-fifth that of the West and multi-organ transplants are done for a tenth of the cost in the West. There is 'zero waiting time' for patients which is also a major driver of medical tourism in the country. A bone marrow transplant in India would cost around $26,000 in India, compared to about $2,50,000 in the US.
India is future of Medical Tourism The Indian Department of Tourism estimates that the average cost of healthcare in India is about one-fifth that of the West and multi-organ transplants are done for a tenth of the cost in the West. There is 'zero waiting time' for patients which is also a major driver of medical tourism in the country Medical Tourism Market Report: 2015 found that India was "one of the lowest cost and highest quality of all medical tourism destinations, it offers wide variety of procedures at about one-tenth the cost of similar procedures in the United States."
Among top three According to Biospectrumasia.com, India leads the way in orthopedic and cardiac surgeries. The nation's excellent medical care providers, beautiful beaches and ancient temples have all made India join the race with Thailand and Singapore to be listed among the top three destinations for medical tourism in the world in a survey conducted by KPMG and FICCI. Foreign patients have been streaming in the country over the
"Medical tourism has always been a low hanging fruit for India. The country is one among the most preferred destinations globally for Medical Value Travel," said Mr Vinod Y R. "India offers procedures at competitive cost without compromising the quality of clinical outcomes. There is an increasing thrust among Indian hospitals to go for national and international quality assurance certifications like NABH and JCI which eventually helps to attract international patients." Cardiac care is one specialty that draws patients to India. The country's chain of Fortis hospitals boasts of tending approximately 15,000 international patients annually. Apollo Hospitals Group also has a pan-India network attracting considerable amount of international patients. Cont’d on page 31
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Special Feature:
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n the resurgent Indian medical tourism scenario, Fortis Hospital has registered a remarkable position as international patients account for nearly 20% of all patient admissions. With the huge expanse of clinical expertise across specialties along with world class medical technology, Fortis has created a niche in providing clinical solutions & tertiary care for medical ailments. Fortis Memorial Research Institute (FMRI) in Gurugram near Delhi, is rated as one of the top two in a global survey to identify 30 most technologically advanced hospitals in the world.
Bhavdeep Singh, CEO, Fortis Healthcare
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Fortis leads in treatment of international patients A total of 18 Fortis Hospitals are National Accreditation Board for Hospitals & Healthcare providers (NABH) accredited and four hospitals are Joint Commission International (JCI) accredited. Fortis has also pioneered by adopting ICHOM, a global initiative to bring in objective measurement of clinical cases against a global benchmark. Fortis Escorts Heart Institute (FEHI), India's top rated cardiac care centre in private sector, has registered an impressive ZERO rate for Emergency Coronary Artery Bypass Graft (CABG) against a global benchmark of 1.2%. Fortis Malar Hospital in Chennai is India's largest heart transplant centre with more than 125 successful heart transplants till date. Together with Fortis Hospital, Mulund in Mumbai, which recently conducted its 41st heart transplant surgery, Fortis has done the maximum number of heart transplant sur-
award is published by Medical Travel Quality Alliance (MTQUA) to rank top hospitals in the world for medical tourists. According to Mr Bhavdeep Singh, CEO, Fortis Healthcare, "Fortis offers an integrated world class healthcare delivery system enabling the finest medical skills combined with compassionate patient care. Since our focus is on a patient-centric approach, we provide customized services for international patients."
geries in the country. Given the number of international patients that get treated, Fortis Hospital in BG Road, Bengaluru received International Medical Tourism recognition for fifth consecutive year reiterating its commitment towards our core value of patient care. This
Fortis Healthcare monitors Clinical Outcomes F
ortis Healthcare Limited, is one of the largest integrated, healthcare services providers in the country today. It aspires to drive clinical excellence through continuous improvement and enhancement of its clinical care and services. To strengthen its core value of Patient Centricity, Fortis became the first, privately held, Indian healthcare chain to introduce monitoring of its clinical outcomes - starting with Fortis Escorts Heart Institute (FEHI), New Delhi. This initiative reinforces organizational accountability and transparency towards both, its patients as well as the payers.
Clinical Outcomes are the globally agreed upon, evidence-based measurable changes in health or quality of life resulting from patient care. Reporting of outcomes and its continuous monitoring provides an opportunity for both assessing and improving quality of patient care. A user friendly reporting and monitoring structure leads to greater understanding of clinical outcomes, thereby facilitating rational decision making by patients. FEHI has been part of the ICHOM (International Consortium for Health Outcomes Measurement) Coronary Artery Dis-
List of Clinical Outcomes parameters for PTCA and CABG is as under: PERCUTANEOUS TRANSLUMINAL CORONARY ANGIOPLASTY (PTCA) Emergency CABG for failed procedure Vascular complication at puncture site requiring intervention (beyond simple compression) Acute vessel occlusion requiring emergency re-intervention Post procedure neurological stroke Post procedure Renal failure requiring hemodialysis Any Bleeding event requiring transfusion/intervention (within 72 hrs.) Delayed vascular complication at puncture site Readmission with acute Myocardial Infarction within 30 days Mortality during same hospital admission References: * US National Registry Data 2013 ** Cleveland Clinic Outcomes Report 2014 CORONARY ARTERY BYPASS GRAFT (CABG) Use of left Internal Thoracic Artery graft Need for a Bail out Intra Aortic Balloon Pump (IABP) Perioperative Myocardial Infarction Post procedure neurological stroke Need of Re-exploration surgery Deep sternal wound infection Predicted mortality (using Euroscore II) Observed mortality
ICHOM supports Value-Based Health Care Delivery framework for transforming world health care systems through standardized measuring and reporting of patient outcomes. Fortis Healthcare has now tied up with VitalHealth™, an ICHOM certified software provider for use of its Quest Manager software for reporting clinical outcomes data. This ensures that data collection and reporting methodology at FEHI conforms to the highest international norms and standards. Introduction of Quest Manager has added the feature of Patient Reported Outcome Measures (PROMs) to the Fortis outcomes Jan'16 - Jun'16 Benchmarks reporting initia0.00% 1.2%* tive, to ensure greater objectiv0.00% 1.1%* ity by adding the 0% Voice of Con0.06% 0.284%** sumer into the en0.13% tire initiative. 0.51% 4.0%* The ICHOM Standard Set for 0.00% Coronary Artery 0.13% Disease, imple1.34% 1.7%* mented at FEHI measures and monitors Clinical Outcomes for 2 Jan'16 - Jun'16 Benchmarks procedures, 80.25% 74.20%* namely: 0.31% • Coronary 0.00% 0.96%** Artery Bypass 3.40% 0.80%* Graft (CABG) 0.46% 3.50%* • Percutane0.15% 0.20%* ous Coronary In2.2% tervention (PCI, 2.01% PTCA)
ease Steering Committee and has become the first Asian hospital to implement the ICHOM Coronary Artery Disease set. This requires monitoring and reporting of internationally accepted outcomes for monitoring clinical quality, example, incidents of post-operative complications (kidney failure, heart attack, wound infections) in patients undergoing Cardiac Bypass Surgery. ICHOM is a non-profit organization founded by three esteemed institutions: • Harvard Business School • The Boston Consulting group • Karolinska Institutet
Jul'14 - Dec'14 0.07%
Jan'15 -Jun'15 0.06%
Jul'15 - Dec'15 0%
0% 0% 0% 0% 0.07% 0% 0% 0.26%
0.06% 0% 0.13% 0% 0.06% 0% 0% 0.97%
0.07% 0% 0.13% 0.07% 0.07% 0.07% 0% 0.26%
Jul'14 - Dec'14 78.50% 1.31% 0.16% 0% 1.97% 0.33% 2.24% 2.30%
Jan'15 -Jun'15 77.36% 0.99% 0.50% 0% 3.31% 0.50% 2.21% 1.82%
Jul'15 - Dec'15 79.01% 0.64% 0% 0.48% 3.50%* 0% 2.25% 2.54%
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rthopedic surgeries are the 2nd most popular category of medical procedures undertaken through medical tourism today. Patients from across the globe prefer travelling to countries such as India, Malaysia and Thailand to undergo orthopedic treatments at much lower prices than that charged in their home countries. The orthopedic centers in India bring focus to patient-centered care, interdisciplinary medicine, modern infrastructure, cutting edge technology and investigative research. You will receive top-notch treatment and the benefits of skilled surgeons and staff dedicated to getting patients back on their feet. Orthopedics is concerned with injuries in the musculoskeletal system, which is made up of bones, tissues, ligaments and joints. Orthopedics involves the use of both surgical and non-surgical means to cure spine diseases, infections, tumors and degenerative and sports injuries. The most common procedures performed are: knee arthroscopy and meniscectomy, shoulder arthroscopy and decompression, carpal tunnel release, knee arthroscopy and chondroplasty, removal of support implant, knee arthroscopy and anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction, knee replacement, repair of femoral neck fracture, repair of trochanteric fracture, debridement of skin/muscle/bone/fracture, knee arthroscopy repair of both menisci, hip re-
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Orthopedic 2nd most popular category Orthopedics is concerned with injuries in the musculoskeletal system, which is made up of bones, tissues, ligaments and joints. Orthopedics involves the use of both surgical and non-surgical means to cure diseases placement, shoulder arthroscopy/distal clavicle excision, repair of rotator cuff tendon. Shoulder/hip replacement and bilateral knee replacement surgery using the most advanced keyhole or endosopic surgery
and anthroscopy is done at several hospitals in India including the Fortis, Apollo, Sir Ganga Ram, Bombay Hospital, Leelavati and Hinduja Hospital in Mumbai and the Madras Institute of Orthoepaedics and
Trauma Sciences. A knee joint replacement costs about $6300 in India where's in the US, a similar surgery using the same implants and medical consumables costs around $20,000.
Separate counters to assist medical tourists NEW DELHI: India has decided to liberalize e-visa regime from April 1 by increasing the time limit for seeking the entry permit from existing 30 days to a maximum of four months. The duration of stay for foreigners, coming into the country through select categories of e-visa, has also been extended to two months from existing one month, the Union Home Ministry said in a statement. Separate immigration counters and fa-
cilitation desks to assist medical tourists have been provided at Indian airports namely, Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bengaluru and Hyderabad. There will be three new sub-categories for grant of e-visa, i.e. e-tourist visa, e-business visa and e-medical visa. In addition, two more new categories Intern or (I) visa and Film or (F) visa - will be granted for foreigners seeking internship in non-government organizations, and those seeking to shoot movies in India, respectively. Also, both business and medical visas will be granted within 48 hours of application upon urgent requests, it said. "The liberalization of the visa regime will considerably facilitate entry of foreigners into India for tourism, business and medical purposes. Consequently, the arrival of foreigners in India is expected to go up substantially in the coming years. "This will in turn give a boost to tourism, medical and business sectors resulting in substantial
increase in direct and indirect employment in these sectors," the statement said. Under the e-visa scheme, an applicant receives an email authorizing him or her to travel to India after it has been approved. The tourist can travel with a print-out of this authorization. On arrival, the visitor has to present the authorization to the immigration authorities who would then allow the entry into the country. E-visa facility has been extended to the nationals of 161 countries for entry through 24 airports, up from 16 airports allowing such entries, and three Indian ports i.e. Cochin, Goa and Mangalore to tap the potential of cruise tourism from different countries. "This service will also be provided from Mumbai and Chennai seaports shortly," it said. The window for application under e-visa scheme has been increased from 30 days to 120 days and duration of stay on e-visa has been increased from 30 days to 60 days with double entry on e-tourist and e-business visa and triple entry on e-medical visa, the statement said. The multiple entry tourist and business visas for a period of five years will now be available to nationals of most of the countries. Nine-four Missions having bio-metric enrolment facilities have started giving fiveyear tourist and business visas with effect from March 1, 2017. The remaining Missions will be providing this facility in due course. A new category of visa titled Intern or
(I) visa has been rolled out with effect from March 1, 2017 to a foreigner intending to pursue internship in Indian companies, educational institutions and NGOs, subject to certain checks and conditions. Another new category of visa, titled Film or (F) visa has also been introduced with maximum duration of one-year with multiple entry facility. -PTI
'Medical tourism grew 25 pc in 2 years' NEW DELHI: Medical and wellness tourism in the country has increased by up to 25 per cent in the last two years, the government told the Rajya Sabha. Tourism Minister Mahesh Sharma said the tourism sector has grown by over 10 per cent and in the last month, by over 15 per cent, which is much above the global average. He said a Medical and Wellness Tourism Board has also been set up for development of the sector. Responding to a question about Maharashtra, he said several projects including Bollywood city in Konkan, Zero Garbage for Mahabaleswar project, coastal circuit etc were in the pipeline. -PTI
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India Post April 7, 2017
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Dr Guleria is new director of AIIMS NEW DELHI: The country's premier medical institute, the All India Institute of Medical Sciences here, has got a new director with the appointment of Dr Randeep Guleria. Dr Guleria, who joined AIIMS as an assistant professor in 1992 and has been the HoD of the department of pulmonary medicine and sleep disorders since April, 2011, has taken charge of his office. "The Appointments Committee of the Cabinet has approved the appointment of Randeep Guleria, professor and head, department of pulmonary medicine and sleep disorders, at AIIMS, New Delhi to the post of Director, AIIMS," a DoPT order said. He has been appointed for five years
from the date of assumption of charge or till attaining the age of 65 until further orders, it said. "I will strive to take AIIMS to newer heights and will work collectively, taking everybody along," Dr Guleria said. His predecessor Dr M C Mishra retired from the post of AIIMS director in January after serving for over three years. Dr Guleria has worked as a personal physician to former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and has also treated Union ministers like Sushma Swaraj and Arun Jaitley. Guleria is the first Indian to get a Doctorate of Medicine (DM) in Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine.
India, US price comparisons
S
ignificant cost differences exist between the US and India when it comes to medical treatment. India is not only cheaper but the waiting time is almost nil.
This is due to the surge of the private sector which comprises hospitals and clinics with the latest technology and best practitioners
"The Department of Pulmonary Medicine and Sleep Disorders was created under his leadership in 2011 and was ranked as the best department in pulmonary medicine in 2014, 2015 and 2016 by the Nielsen survey published in Week," AIIMS said in a statement. Guleria received 'Padma Shri' award in 2015 and 'Dr BC Roy award' in the category "Eminent Medical Person" in 2014. This time, the appointment of the AIIMS director was mired in controversy with the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) seeking a clarification from the health ministry on the process followed in shortlisting of
names for the top job. The PMO had asked for the explanation after several senior faculty members of the medical institute approached it with a complaint that seniority has been bypassed in choosing the names for the director's post. Out of 53 applicants, the Institute Body, which is AIIMS' top decision-making body headed by Union Health Minister J P Nadda, had recommended HoD of pediatrics department Dr V K Paul, HOD of pulmonary medicine and sleep disorder Dr Randeep Guleria and professor of cardiology Dr Balram Bhargava for the top job. -PTI
India is the future of Medical Tourism industry
Cost Comparisons on some major procedure between India and US Procedure
US ($) approx.
India ($) approx.
Bone Marrow Transplant Liver Transplant Heart Surgery Orthopedic Surgery Cataract Surgery Smile Designing Metal Free Bridge Dental Implants Porcelain Metal Bridge Porcelain Metal Crown Tooth Impactions Root Canal Treatment Tooth Whitening Tooth Colored Composite Fillings / Tooth Cleaning
$2,50,000 $3,00,000 $30,000 $20,000 $2,000 $8,000 $5,500 $3,500 $3,000 $1,000 $2,000 $1,000 $800 $500 $300
$69,200 $69,350 $8,700 $6,300 $1,350 $1,100 $600 $900 $600 $100 $125 $110 $125 $30 $90
BREAST: Mastopexy Reduction Mammoplasty Mammoplasty Augmentation Replacement Of Implants
$7,500 $8,000 $8,000 $6,500
$2,800 $3,300 $2,750 $3,000 Cont’d from page 27
FACE: Blepheroplasty (Upper & Lower) Facelift Dermabrasion Total face) Canthopexy w/Orbicularis suspension Hair Transplant Endoscopic Brow lift Neck lift Otoplasty(For prominent Ears)
$6,000 $6,500 $5,500 $6,000 $50 Per graft $5,800 $6,100 $4,700
$2,000 $2,800 $2,150 $2,200 $3 Per graft $2,300 $2,400 $1,500
NOSE: Primary Rhinoplasty Tip Rhynoplasty
$7,300 $6,300
$2,900 $1,300
BODY CONTOURING: Abdominoplasty Thigh Lift (Bilateral) Total Lower Body Lift(Belt Lipectomy) Liposuction (One Region)
$7,700 $7,200 $9,500 $6,100
$3,200 $3,150 $6,000 $1,750
NON - SURGICAL PROCEDURES: Laser Hair Removal Laser Resurfacing/ Wrinkle Reduction Laser Acne Treatment Laser Scar Treatment Botox
$550 $550 $575 $500 $70 Per Unit
$225 $225 $230 $210 $8 Per Unit
* These costs are an average and may not be the actual cost to be incurred
The hospitals in Delhi, Chennai and Hyderabad have JCI accreditation. Popular among foreigners in India is Max Healthcare that has a chain of 11 hospitals in North India. Spread across 43 acres with 45 operating theatres, Medanta Medicity is another state-of-the-art center located in North India that offers a holistic approach to healing with its Ayurveda centers. "Our hospital offers 30 multi-specialities under one roof and we tend to approximately 5,000 international patients annually. Patients seek minimally invasive cardiac surgeries including CABG, Valve Replacements, Robotic Transplants, Gamma Knife, Radiation Oncology, knee/hip replacements," said Mr Navneet Malhotra, vice president and head, International Patient Services, Medanta. Wockhardt has a chain of super speciality hospitals in India and receives a considerable number of medical tourists annually. "Wockhardt has outpaced industry growth in the last two years and we are
strengthening our relationship with institutions like Partners Medical International to continuously match best global benchmarks in healthcare service delivery. Countries are recognizing that medical travel to India is not only economical but also with quality benchmarked to the best in the world," said Ms Zahabiya Khorakiwala, MD, Wockhardt Hospitals.
Recuperative Services Since India is the country of their origin, natural treatment methods such as Ayurveda, Naturopathy, and Yoga are provided here. These techniques are extremely relaxing and perfect for post-treatment recuperation. Josef Woodman, the author of "Patients Beyond Borders" confirmed that for a good experience, it is essential to research available doctors, inquire about success rates, and learn about the facilities beforehand. Medical tourism for USA citizens is a safe and affordable alternative when the necessary research and precautions are taken prior to the journey.
„ Health
Line
Sonia for making sanitary napkins tax-free NEW DELHI: Congress President Sonia Gandhi has supported a petition for scrapping of tax on sanitary napkins and recalled that during previous UPA government she had called for providing napkins free to BPL families. "I am extremely happy to know that you have taken up this case that I fully support. You would be interested to know that during the tenure of our UPA government I had again and again requested both Ghulam Nabi Azad, the then Health Minister, and Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit to provide sanitary napkins for free at least to BPL families," Gandhi said in a letter to party leader Sushmita Dev, who is now spearheading the petition. The Congress President also said, "I would like to reiterate my whole-hearted support to your initiative in this regard." Dev has initiated a movement and signed a petition urging the present government for making sanitary napkins tax-free.-PTI
Doctors bust breast cancer myths NEW DELHI: Can depression or wearing an underwire bra increase the risk of breast cancer? No, say medical experts. Doctors at a leading hospital here, while busting myths related to breast cancer, also underlined that stressful and erratic lifestyle, mothers not nursing babies adequately, smoking and pollution have put women at higher risk of this disease. "On Internet and various WhatsApp groups, many people are circulating unsubstantiated information on causes of breast cancer. And, a lot of that is sheer myth. "A popular one is that wearing of an underwire bra increases the risk of the disease. But claims that such bras compress the lymphatic system of the breast, causing toxins to accumulate, and lead to breast cancer have been widely debunked as unscientific," says Dr Seema Sud. Sud, Consultant in the Department of CT Scan and MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) at the Sir Ganga Ram Hospital said, women, old or young should not get swayed by such myths. "Then some people think depression or plastic surgery (for breasts) can increase the risk, but again these are all myths and people would do well to be cautious," she said.-PTI
Health Science 32 India Post
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April 7, 2017
Qutub Minar turns blue on Autism Day Details on Page 33
24 Mantra demonstrates benefits of Organic Farming Special Feature:
A
n organic farming and produce marketing company, 24 Mantra Organic is trying to transform the Indian agricultural industry into a sustainable yet profitable one. This came to fruition earlier this year when the Sikkim government announced that it had converted 100 percent of its agricultural land to organic farming, something that 24 Mantra had a large hand in. Hailing from a farming family and studying agriculture while graduating from IIM Ahmadabad, founder Rajsekhar Reddy Seelam knew he always wanted to work in the farming industry. He started at a company that manufactured and sold pesticides and fertilizers. "Working at that place made me realize that the situation of the farmer was quite bad in this country. I have seen farmers dipping potatoes and cabbages in pesticide solutions and sending it for cold storage and for selling it at the market," he says. After his father got diagnosed
with cancer, research showed him that pesticides played a big role in increasing the incidence of cancer across the world, and he swore to help the country turn organic, healthier agricultural practices. He founded 24 Mantra Organic in 2004 through which he
partnered with existing organic farmers to also create job safety and alleviate problems that farmers across the country faced. "It ultimately has to benefit farmers by creating a sustainable livelihood for them and increasing their quality of life. Second, it would
that is now organic in Sikkim, 24 Mantra converted 12,000 hectares. The positive results of which, Rajsekhar says, are plain to see: "Farmers are able to make 15-20 per cent more net income. Their financial risk comes down because they don't have to bor-
His CEO, N.Balasubramaniam, who joined the company shortly after its inception, adds, "We've signed an MOU with the Andhra Pradesh government and with the recent announcements in the budget about organic farming I think more and more state governments
Rajashekar Reddy Seelam
ensure that we are able to give pure, healthy food to consumers," Rajsekhar explains. They not only train farmers but learn from them, and using their practices to help others in various parts of the country. They also have a team of scientists at hand to advise farmers through their representatives about what to do if they face any difficulties. Over a span of 12 years, the company now works on more than 40 projects across 15 states, covering 1.75 lakh acres of organic farming land. And this is not counting the work they have done in Sikkim - out of 75,000 hectares of agricultural land
row money for fertilizers and pesticides." Their experience has helped them turn skeptics into believers, even convincing the unbelieving scientific community to see the benefits of organic farming. "Organic is also about science, the only difference is that we need to respect nature and that science is in tune with nature," Rajsekhar says.
will look at organic land conversion. Telangana state, Kerala and Tamil Nadu governments also have shown interest and the ball will start rolling now." While their focus will always be on organic farming, Rajsekhar also looks at bettering the quality of these farmers' lives through health screening camps, educating school kids, engaging women in the family and more.
April 7, 2017
Health Science Post
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New pictorial warnings on tobacco products NEW DELHI: Replacing the existing images, the Health Ministry has released a new set of pictorial warnings for mandatory display on packets of cigarettes, bidis, and chewing tobacco with effect from April 1 this year. Under the new rules, manufacturers will now need to display graphic pictures of throat cancer on cigarette and bidi packets and pictures of mouth cancer on chewing
tobacco packets. According to the public notice on the Health Ministry's website, the government notified the new health warnings on October 15, 2014 and issued a notification dated September 24, 2015 for mandatory display of new health warnings covering 85 per cent
of the principal display area on all tobacco products from April 1, 2016. "As per Rules, during the rotation period of 24 months, two images of specified health warnings as notified in the Schedule, shall be displayed on all tobacco product packages and each of the images shall appear consecutively on the package with an interregnum period of 12 months. "Further as per notification dated March 24, 2017, all tobacco products manufactured on or after April 1, 2017 shall display the second image of specified health warning," the notice said. It further said any person engaged directly or indirectly in production, supply, import or distribution of cigarettes or any other tobacco products shall ensure that all tobacco product packages have these specified health warnings. "Violation of the provisions is a punishable offence with imprisonment or fine as prescribed under section 20 of the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution) Act 2003," it said.-PTI
Qutub Minar turns blue on Autism Day NEW DELHI: The Qutub Minar was lit in blue colored lights to observe the ninth annual World Autism Awareness Day as a part of the international #lightitupblue campaign to raise awareness about the disorder. "Lighting up the minaret in blue is a symbolic representation towards inclusion for disability and a real attempt to create a shift in consciousness," Archana Nayar, Founder, Autism Centre of Excellence (ACE), said. Recognized internationally, World Autism Awareness Day witnesses events across the globe that attempt to sensitize people towards the disorder as well as aim at increasing acceptance of autistic individuals in the mainstream society. "The #lightitupblue campaign is an internationally led effort to create awareness about autism involving architecturally significant structures. "The Qutub Minar is a unique historical monument which is a visible and accessible part of our capital city
while being a popular landmark," she said. ACE has associated with Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment to light up the monument. The move, Nayar said, was an expression of India's support for the global autism community. Keeping in mind the spirit of inclusion and acceptance, ACE has also collaborated with PVR Cinemas for a sensory friendly screening of the 2016 American 3D computer-animated musical comedy "Sing" at PVR Sangam here. "For us to have a proper movie experience, the sounds qualities are higher as compared to the lights and viewers are obviously not allowed to move around the movie theatres. But, for autistic people, it is the other way round," Nayar said. The screening was slightly modified wherein the lights were turned up while the sound was turned down, and the viewers were able to move about freely.PTI
Community Across America
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April 7, 2017
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AT&T to build Network for police, firefighters Special Feature: DALLAS: AT&T has been selected by the First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet) to build and manage the first broadband network dedicated to America's police, firefighters and emergency medical services (EMS). The FirstNet network will cover all 50 states, 5 U.S. territories and the District of Columbia, including rural communities and tribal lands in those states and territories. This is a much needed investment in America's communications infrastructure to support millions of first responders and public safety personnel nationwide who protect and serve more than 320 million people across the U.S. This significant publicprivate infrastructure investment is expected to create 10,000 U.S. jobs over the next two years from
AT&T's work for FirstNet. The network buildout will begin later this year. Randall Stephenson, AT&T chairman and CEO, said, "We are honored to work with FirstNet to build a network for America's police, firefighters and EMS that is second to none. This is an unprecedented public-private investment in infrastructure that makes America a leader and public safety a national priority."
"Today is a landmark day for public safety across the Nation and shows the incredible progress we can make through public-pri-
vate partnerships," said U.S. Department of Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross. "FirstNet is a critical infrastructure project that will give our first responders the communications tools they need to keep America safe and secure. This public-private partnership will also spur innovation and create over ten thousand new jobs in this cutting-edge sector." Today, first responders use commercial networks - the same
ones used by consumers and businesses - for mobile data and applications. That can be an issue when a significant public safety
crisis happens and commercial networks quickly become congested. It makes it difficult for first responders to communicate, coordinate and do their jobs. Plus, first responders use more than 10,000 networks for voice communications. These networks often do not interoperate, which severely limits their ability to communicate with each other when responding to a situation. FirstNet's mission is to fix this. Through this new public-private partnership with FirstNet, AT&T will deliver a dedicated, interoperable network and ecosystem that will give first responders the technology they need to better communicate and collaborate across agencies and jurisdictions - local, state and national. "There's no connection more important than one that can save a life," said Kay Kapoor, president, AT&T Global Public Sector. "FirstNet is unprecedented in its vision, scope and importance to our nation and the future of public safety communications. We're honored to be selected for this historic and critical initiative." "This partnership brings to-
gether FirstNet as the voice of public safety and a global technology team with a proven track record and commitment to public safety," said FirstNet CEO Mike Poth. "Together, FirstNet and AT&T will move with precision and urgency to deliver this muchneeded infrastructure to those who need it the most: the first responders we rely on in disasters and emergencies."
Dr Austin Prabhu gets another recognition HARISH RAO
CHICAGO: Lions Clubs International held their 39th Lions last month at UN in New York at the Grand Hyatt grand ballroom. 856 Lions were gathered to attend Lions Day with the United Nations the next day at the Assembly Hall where world leaders come to speak. Dr. Yamada from Japan, who is the Chairman of Lions Clubs International Foundation, awarded recognitions during International Fellowship Banquet. Dr. Austin
Andhra Association celebrates its Anniversary Cont’d from page 21
This was followed by a series of memorable performances that captured the hearts and minds of the viewers. Participation by boys in semi classical items like "Shiva Sthutis", "Satakarni" broke the tradition of girls only items. A variety of items including Tollywood were enacted through
"Jute Bag" as a token gift specially imported from India which was hand made by mentally challenged craftsmen. Highly energetic youth presented outstanding performance on "Krishnashtami". Skits on modern-day challenges such as academic rigor for students and weight-loss struggle for adults was tackled humorously in
Vani Dittakavi successfully led the entire program managing 290 participants making it an amazing show. The classic stage decoration was led by Bhargavi Nettem, Sunitha Rachapalli, Kiran Vankayalapati and Malleswari Pedamallu. CAA successfully integrated inclusiveness and national unity into the program
Koppaka" from Andhra Pradesh. Youth volunteers and their team gave great hospitality to members. The events team lead by Sunitha Rachapalli executed the overall event with meticulous planning .Sumptuous Andhra dinner with Andhra delicacies like Purnamboori, Mysorepak was another big highlight. CAA Vice President Uma Katiki and Dr Austin Prabhu
CAA Vice President Dr Uma Katiki felicitating Seniors Group for "Unity in Diversity" performance
classical, semi-classical and fusion dance items. The entire program ran with a theme and there was excellent flow owing to a well-organized stage. CAA appreciated each choreographer with a fancy
"LavuokkaInchiayinataggaledu" a skit directed by Smt. Lakshmi Naag. Cultural team lead by Sahithi Kotha, Sirisha Kola, Neelima Boddu, Sujatha Appalaneni and
with the children's rendition of a one-India depicting the costumes, dance and music traditions of regional India. Members were welcomed with traditional gift made in "Eti
Founders committee Chairman Srinivas Pedamallu, Secretary Dinkar Karumurit thanked all sponsors, volunteers and attendees and concluded the event with US and India National Anthems.
Prabhu received his 61st Progressive Melvin Jones Fellow recognition. Among international personalities who spoke to Lions of the World was Dr. Timothy Shriver, chairman who spoke on Special Olympics. Other speakers were Maher Nasser - UN Director of the Outreach Division of the Department of Communications and Public Information, Lakshmi Puri - Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations & Deputy Executive Director of UN Women and Mina Emad Fernan Bhagat - Athlete, Special Olympics, Netherlands. Lions International Essay Contest and Peace Poster Contest winners were awarded with a certificate, memento and $5,000.
April 7, 2017
Community Across America
India Post 35
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PULSE improving life of rural Indian women MADELINE LITTRELL
F
or Swathi, being empowered as a woman in India is some thing she's learned through education and work. She's also learned that many women in her country don't have those same opportunities. So she decided to do something about it. Swathi works for AT&T in Bangalore, India. She recently joined People United to Lead, Serve and Engage of India, or PULSE, on the group's day of service to empower women in poverty. PULSE is an AT&T employee network group. She and nearly 3 dozen other men and women from AT&T crammed into a few cars on a hot Saturday in March and drove for 2 hours outside of Bangalore. Their destination was a small farm for women and children in need. "When we were going there, we didn't even feel the heat," said Swathi, who's a part of the AT&T's International Leadership Development Program (LDP). "We were ready to share their problems and understand them try to bring a smile to their faces. I think we s u c ceeded." T h e event was the first of its kind for the group, w h i c h wanted to give back to honor International Women's Day. The employees partnered with the Mitra Foundation, a nonprofit rural development farm working to meet basic needs
for women and children. They spent the day serving underprivileged women and their children, playing games, talking about personal health and the importance of education and opportunities for women. "It was a memorable day for me," said Usha who works with Global Delivery & Assurance team, "The ladies shared their stories and how important this was for their children - particularly girls." Topics like women's health are typically taboo in India, said Kavitha, HR Business Partner and PULSE of India's President. She noted the employees' attitude was crucial to the day's success. "The key is teamwork and friendliness," Kavitha said. "Everybody plays an important role by talking freely. When we approach the women by showing we care and talking freely, they open up and start sharing with us. This
was the first time they've seen such a large group from a city come to help. It was nothing to do with getting something out of it. It was about us coming to share what we
have with no expectations but to spend time with them." Kavitha and her team gave the women new saris-traditional Indian dresses-donated by employees of AT&T, Bangalore. They also served a healthy lunch for everyone at the farm. "This is true collaboration. A culture we are trying to build here at AT&T," Kavitha said. "There is a lot more than showing up and doing your regular job. We can't be disconnected. We must have a way to collaborate through community and give back to society. That touches a chord around the world." PULSE plans to continue serving and promoting people in need. Their next step: volunteering to support with teaching the women at Mitra trade skills - like basket weaving - for the months when they're not working on the farm. "I'm grateful for the opportunity," said Arpan, another member of AT&T's International LDP pro-
gram. "I feel we have been able to make a small but very meaningful difference. We hear so much about feminism and equal rights for women around the world. I believe the biggest beneficiaries should be rural women. They need it most. The fact that we've been able to help them is something we can be proud of. We need to build aware-
ness of the kinds of opportunities that are available." Swathi says she's looking forward to doing it again. "Personally, the thing I learned is it's about finding time and how much you're willing to do," she said. "If all of us are willing to do it, this is going to be a great world and a great place to be."
BA launches direct Oakland-London flight India Post News Service
SAN FRANCISCO: British Airways has launched nonstop flight from Oakland to London-Gatwick from March 27. The new flight is in addition to BA's recently deployed daily 787 Dreamliner nonstop between San Jose International and Heathrow, as well as its two dailies between SFO and Heathrow using an Airbus A380 or Boeing 777. This means that you can now fly BA to London from all three Bay Area airports -no other carrier offers that. It also means that British Airways now flies about 1,250 seats per day, each way, between San Francisco Bay Area and London. The new Oakland flight allows BA to tap into the populous and wealthy East Bay suburbs
travelers. BA is the only carrier at OAK offering lie-flat business class seats to Europe. The new Oakland-Gatwick flights will operate four days a week using a Boeing 777-200ER that seats 275 passengers: 203 in economy, 24 in premium economy and 48 in business class. British Airways' premium economy is in a separate cabin, bigger seats with 38-inch pitch, in-seat power, and choice of meals from the business class menu. BA Club World (business class) travelers flying out of Oakland receive up to five days of free parking in OAK's Premier Lot, an added value of $190. They also get complimentary access to a new Escape lounge located in Terminal 1 near BA gates. One-time passes to the lounge go for $45.
36 India Post
LAS VEGAS: CinemaCon just got a little less dressed. The cast of ``Baywatch'' took the stage alongside around two dozen scantily clad men and women sporting the classic red bathing suits to preview the film for exhibitors and theater owners at the annual convention. Star Dwayne Johnson told the audience of theater owners and exhibitors that their movie is going to be the craziest, sexiest, funniest R-rated comedy of the summer. Johnson called their group the ``'Avengers'
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of the beach.'' He also introduced new footage in what they called a ``fuschia band'' trailer, riffing on the risque nature of the NSFW ``red band'' trailer. Indeed, there was a fair amount of skin in the footage - including a naked male cadaver that Zac Efron's character has to inspect - which highlighted both its self-aware comedy and action/adventure on the beach.
April 7, 2017
``Baywatch'' also stars Alexandra Daddario and Priyanka Chopra. It hits theaters on May 26. Paramount Pictures in their presentation put the spotlight on a different kind of heat, too, debuting the first trailer for Al Gore's ``An Inconvenient Sequel,'' which comes out July 28. The former Vice President, who walked out to Nelly's ``Hot in Herre,'' was
on hand to introduce the ad, saying that he hopes the film ``will be a tool for galvanizing action in our communities.'' Audiences also got an extended look at ``Transformers: The Last Knight,'' the fifth film in the franchise, which imagines that transformers fought alongside King Arthur. Mark Wahlberg stars alongside Anthony Hopkins and comedian Jerrod Carmichael in the film out June 23. The studio, now under the new leadership of Jim Gianopulos, also made sure to highlight its more prestigious films on the slate, like ``Ex Machina'' director Alex Garland's ``Annihilation,'' a sure to be mindbender starring Natalie Portman and Oscar Isaac, and Alexander Payne's ``Downsizing.'' Matt Damon and Payne were on site to preview footage from the satirical ``Downsizing,'' out in December, which imagines a world where people can literally shrink themselves down to save money and lead a better lifestyle. Damon also joined Julianne Moore and George Clooney to discuss ``Suburbicon'' - a Coen brothers-scripted and Clooney-directed dark crime comedy set for a Nov. 3 release. Clooney noted that their Nov. 3 release
puts them up against the superhero pic ``Thor: Ragnarok'' which comes out the same day. ``Thor is a handsome, good looking man with a hammer ... and we have Matt,'' Clooney deadpanned. -AP
April 7, 2017
India Post 37
Joshi, Pawar, Kohli conferred Padma awards NEW DELHI: Political stalwarts Sharad Pawar, Murli Manohar Joshi and the late Lok Sabha Speaker P A Sangma, cricketer Virat Kohli and Bollywood singer Anuradha Paudwal were among the 39 people who were conferred this year's Padma awards here. Joshi, Pawar, Sangma (posthumous) and former Chairman of ISRO Prof. Udipi Ramachandra Rao were conferred Padma Vibhushan, the country's second highest civilian award, by President Pranab Mukherjee at a special function held at Rashtrapati Bhavan here. Yoga guru Swami Niranjanananda Saraswati, Thai princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn and the father of laparoscopic surgery in India Tehemton Erach Udwadia were conferred Padma Bhushan awards. Vice President Hamid Ansari, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Rajnath Singh, senior BJP leader L K Advani, Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan, several Union ministers and top bureaucrats attended the event. Indian cricket team Captain
Virat Kohli, former Lok Sabha Secretary General T K Vishwanathan,
nology Anant Agarwal, and vicepresident of Kanyakumari's
trepreneur Mohan Reddy Venkat Rama Bodanapu, Madhubani art-
Recipients during Padma Awards 2017 function at Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi.
well-known endocrinologist M M Godbole, French historian Michel Danino, former professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Tech-
Vivekananda Rock Memorial Nivedita Raghunath Bhide were conferred Padma Shri. Folk singer Basanti Bisht, en-
ist Baoa Devi, folk artist of Halakki tribe in Karnataka, Sukri Bommu Gouda, 'Bike ambulance dada' of Jalpaiguri district in West Bengal
Karimul Hak were also conferred Padma Shri award. Others who received the Padma Shri award include writer Narendra Kohli, para-athlete Deepa Malik, theatre artist Wareppa Naba, Kathakali exponent Chemancheri Kunhairaman Nair, Malayalam poet Akkitham Achyuthan Nambudiri, tribal artist from Kharkhan Mukund Nayak, environmentalist Balbir Singh Seechewal and well-known gynecologist Bhakti Yadav. The number of Padma awardees this year is 89, which includes seven recipients each for Padma Vibhushan and Padma Bhushan. The rest of the awardees will be conferred the awards on April 13. Out of the 89 awardees, 19 are women. The list also includes five persons from the category of foreigners, NRIs, PIOs and six posthumous awardees. The government had received 18,000 nominations this time out of which 4,000 were submitted online. The announcement was made on January 25 on the eve of Republic Day.-PTI
Deepika not leaving Bollywood for Hollywood
D
eepika Padukone, who made her debut in Holly wood with xXx: Return of Xander Cage in 2017, says working in the West is an extension of her creativity and talent, adding that she will never forget her roots. "I am very well aware of my home and my roots, so that's never going to change. I look at it (working in Hollywood) as an extension
of my creativity and the ability to work in a different environment with different people," Deepika said in a statement. She added: "But I think that the people in the film industry come together to tell amazing stories to touch and influence lives through the work that we do and that was one such opportunity for me." The actor talked about her ca-
reer when she was honored with the Entertainment Leader of the Year Award at the 12th edition of CNBC-TV18 India Business Leader Awards in New Delhi. When asked to pick between superstar Shah Rukh Khan and Hollywood action icon Vin Diesel, Deepika said: "Both." The actor, who made her foray into Bollywood in 2007 with Om
Facebook adds Snapchatlike features NEW YORK: Facebook is adding more Snapchat-like features to its app. The company says it
wants to let people's cameras ``do the talking'' as more people are posting photos and videos in-
stead of blocks of text. Facebook is adding a camera icon to the top left corner of its mobile app. Users can tap it to open their phone's camera to do a photo or video post. Users could post photos from the app before, it just took two taps. Facebook's other new Snapchat-copycat features are filters and animations that can be added to images, and a ``stories'' feature that lets users post photos and videos that stay live for 24 hours. Snapchat pioneered the camera-first sharing and is wildly popular with younger users. -AP
Shanti Om, went on to say that Shah Rukh gave her the platform
in Bollywood, and on the other hand she started her career in Hollywood with Diesel. The Piku star shared that her finances are managed by her father P r a k a s h Padukone, also a celebrated badminton player. She said that he takes care of the investments while her focus is only her work. Deepika will next be seen in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Padmavati, which also features Ranveer Singh and Shahid Kapoor.
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April 7, 2017 www.indiapost.com
Curtains down at iconic Regal Theatre NEW DELHI: After entertaining film lovers for more than eight decades, Regal Theatre signed off in style with a 'house-full' last show of Raj Kapoor's 1964 movie "Sangam." Built in the pre-independent era, Regal once hosted Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, his daughter Indira Gandhi and megastar Amitabh Bachchan. Situated in Connaught Place area of the central Delhi, Regal was designed by architect Walter Sykes George and opened in 1932. According to owner Vishal Choudhary, Regal had a great association with both Prithviraj Kapoor and his son Raj Kapoor. While Prithviraj used to perform all his plays in the Regal theatre, Raj made sure that the premiere of all his films were held in Regal Theatre. The cinema hall has stopped operating as a single screen. Manager Roop Ghai said it was a difficult moment for the Regal family but it was something that could not have been avoided. "Yes, it is the end of an era but
this is how it is." Ghai is not sure about the future of the 15-odd people employed at the theatre but hopes that the owners retain the old staff once Regal returns as a multiplex.
front-stall for Rs 80, the rear-stall for Rs 100, the balcony for Rs 120 and the box for Rs 200." Amar Singh Varma is busy settling accounts of the employees while attending to customers' calls
Despite it being the last day, the manager says they kept the rates of the tickets unchanged. "No, we have not hiked the prices. They are the same. The
just as diligently as he has been doing for more than four decades of his service as an accountant. "I have worked here as accountant for almost half the time this
theatre has been functioning. My main concern right now is to settle all dues of the employees. But the phone keeps ringing as people are still calling to ask for tickets." Varma says there are around 1015 people who have been actively working for the cinema hall, apart from the other staff. The grandeur and magic of the bygone era is still visible in its corridors, which are flanked by the black-and-white images of cine stars Nargis, Madhubala, Meena Kumari, Dev Anand and Raj Kapoor. When asked what films he has watched in the theatre, a mistyeyed Varma says, "I am a huge fan of Raj Kapoor and I don't like watching films that are being made today. I don't call them films. Tonight, I will watch 'Sangam', which is the last show." One would expect for a theatre as old and loved as the Regal to go out with some pomp and show. But the atmosphere is quiet and no special arrangements have been made for the final day. "We are just going to have an
intimate lunch with the staff and it will be our 'bidaai' (farewell)." He, however, wishes that they had a grand celebration but that is something the owner should have thought about. On saving single screens, Varma says it is going to be a difficult time as people do not wish to come to such cinema halls anymore. "Nobody cares. So, it gets difficult for us to survive in the changing market. Now, only the government can do something to preserve whatever is left of the single screens in the country. If they will not cut down the taxes, I don't see single screens sustaining for long." Veteran actor Rishi Kapoor took to Twitter to bid an emotional goodbye to Regal. "Demolish. Adios Regal Theatre, Delhi. A place where all the Kapoors theatre and cinema work was seen. Had 'Bobby' premiered there too! Thank you!," the actor posted on Twitter alongside a picture of the iconic cinema hall.-PTI
For tree lovers, there's beauty in a burl A
s you glance up into tree limbs, perhaps searching for some sign of spring in a swelling flower bud, your sight might be arrested by fat, rounded growths on the bark. On some trees, these hard, woody outgrowths - called burls stand out on an otherwise clear trunk like a goiter. On other trees, the whole trunk might be covered with these masses. If you've never noticed these growths before, don't be alarmed. They cause little or no harm to the tree. WHAT MAKES A BURL That said, burls might - just might - indicate that the tree has been under stress. All sorts of things have been implicated as the cause of burls. For instance, a burl could grow in response to a limb rubbing against the bark, to chewing by insects or some other physical injury. Perhaps the tree experienced or is experiencing some environmental stress - temperatures too cold or too hot, not enough food
or not enough sunlight, for example. Diseases have also been held responsible for burls. However, no pathogens are found inside burls when they are cut open. Still, a pathogen could have done its job of inducing a burl, and then skipped on to other adventures.
often sold as souvenirs. ODD STEM GROWTH We do know, though, how burls develop. Along any stem are buds that can elongate to become shoots, and each of these shoots similarly has buds that can become shoots themselves. Obvi-
straight shoots, they grow inward, twisting and turning under the bark and never emerging as branches. On the rare occasion when a shoot does elongate from a burl on a mature tree, the shoot usually expires from lack of sufficient light. Interestingly, redwood burls
We could also blame genetics, because some tree species are more prone to developing burls than others. Redwoods are renowned for their burls, which are
ously, not all buds on a plant stretch out; some remain dormant, at least for a while. In the case of a burl, instead of dormant buds expanding into
frequently sprout when cut from the tree and placed in a pan of water, almost as if the water reminds the cells that they can be shoots. On a tree, though, cells
within a burl generally just keep dividing with no obvious purpose or benefit to the tree. BEAUTY WITHIN Benefit to us humans is another story, though. Cut open a burl and instead of straight grain you find waves and swirls of wood, marbled and feathered wood, perhaps some ``eyes'' staring back at you. Woodworkers lust for burls, especially for turning on a lathe, where the appearance of the swirling tissue need not be constrained within the straight and sharp-edged geometry of sawn lumber. Burls are also frequently sliced into veneer. The beauty within a burl and the theories for what causes them could prompt you to try to induce them on a tree. Yet no one has been able to reliably do so. So burls are harvested from trees on which they have naturally formed. Because harvesting a burl can leave a large scar, cut burls only from trees that are being or have been cut down for other purposes. -AP
April 7, 2017
India Post 39 www.indiapost.com
Virat Kohli is costlier than Shah Rukh Khan V
irat Kohli, Indian cricket team cap tain, is set to rake in higher amounts having boosted his valuation with two new contracts. He is reportedly charging more than Shah Rukh Khan, Aamir Khan, Ranbir Kapoor and Ranveer Singh Virat Kohli's brand value has gone through the roof after his recent success, or at least his self-evaluation will indicate so. The Indian cricket team captain is said to have hiked his endorsement fee, now demanding Rs 5 crore a day for all new contracts he is signing. Earlier, he would charge brands between Rs 2.5 and Rs 4 crore a day. The hike will make the 28-year-old the highest paid brand ambassador in India,
companies requiring them to make appearances for two to four days in a year. On these contract days, celebrities are asked to shoot television commercials, make appearances at events, address the media and/ or speak with employees as the brand ambassador. Star value Kohli made waves last month when it was announced that he had signed an eight-year contract with German sportswear brand Puma. According to reports, the deal is expected to earn Kohli Rs 110 crore. In total, he endorses 18 brands which include Audi cars, MRF tyres, Tissot watches, Gionee phones, Boost milk drink, Colgate toothpaste and Vicks According to a report of India's most lozenges. He has also valued celebrities published by global invested in several companies valuation and corporate advisors Duff & including a chain of gyms called Phelps in October 2016, Kohli's brand value Chisel, a technolis estimated at $92 million ogy startup company called surpassing figures commanded by former Sports Convo, a fashion label named Wrogn captain MS Dhoni in his prime as well as and mobile game developer Nazara Techthose of Bollywood actors Ranveer Singh nologies which creates online cricket games. and Ranbir Kapoor. According to an esti- Brand value close to $92 mn mate, Shah Rukh Khan and Aamir Khan According to a report of India's most charge Rs 3-3.5 crore each per day. valued celebrities published by global valuAccording to a report in the Economic ation and corporate advisors Duff & Phelps Times, the hike in fee was confirmed by rep- in October 2016, Kohli's brand value is estiresentatives of two different brands that mated at $92 million. His recent success on Kohli recently signed contracts with al- the field and national team captaincy in all though the officials requested anonymity formats of the game is believed to have because of confidentiality clauses. driven up his valuation by at least 30%. By average industry standards, celebri- However, these values are mere estimations ties sign brand endorsement contracts with and not true figures.-PTI
He wanted to stab Virat Kohli with stump MELBOURNE, Australia: Recalling a run-in with Virat Kohli, former Australia opener Ed Cowan said he once felt like picking up a stump and stabbing the current India captain after being told something "highly inappropriate". India got the better of Australia 2-1 at home in one of the most intense but bitterly-fought series in recent years. Topnotch cricket aside, the series was marked by one controversy after another with the two captains - Kohli and Steve Smith - in the eye of a raging storm. Cowan was quoted as saying by Fox Sports, "I had a very sick Mum during one of those series and he said some-
thing that was inappropriate. What I make the point of 'lost in translation', he said something that was highly inappropriate." "A personal matter that was highly sensitive. Highly inappropriate. But he didn't realize that he'd overstepped the mark until the umpire came over and said - 'Virat that's
overstepped the mark' - and once that was said, he took a step back and apologized. "But, there was a moment I wanted to pick up the stump and stab him." The Australians have been targeting Kohli ever since he stopped short of calling Smith a 'cheat' following the DRS drama,
"A personal matter that was highly sensitive. Highly inappropriate. But he didn't realize that he'd overstepped the mark until the umpire came over�
involving the visiting skipper, in the second Test at Bengaluru. Cowan, who scored 1001 runs in 18 Tests with a best of 136, added that he is a big fan of the Indian. "I'm a huge fan of his cricket. Don't get me wrong he's a phenomenal cricketer. "I had a little bit of a run-in that was inappropriate when he toured Australia and the umpire had to intervene. "We forget that English isn't their first language. It's very easy to sit back and say as a player they're barking something at me that is inappropriate when we don't try and converse with them in Hindi."PTI
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Realty Tidbits
Godrej's new housing project in Pune NEW DELHI: Godrej Properties Ltd has said it has signed a new deal to develop a 15-acre housing project in Pune. The project will have 1.7 million sq ft of saleable area and will be developed in partnership with Godrej Residential Investment Program II. This is the third project under the USD 275 million fund launched last year, the company said in a filing to the BSE. Godrej Properties MD & CEO Pirojsha Godrej said this is the company's 12th project in Pune. "This project addition fits well with out strategy of strengthening our presence in the country's leading real estate markets," he said.
Pirojsha Godrej
Godrej Properties, the real estate arm of the Godrej group, is currently developing residential, commercial and township projects spread across 132.7 million sq ft in 12 cities. -PTI
„ LA relaxes homeless housing restrictions LOS ANGELES: Los Angeles has decided to allow emergency homeless shelters to stay open year-round instead of just during winter as the city copes with a soaring population living on the street. The Los Angeles Daily News says the City Council voted to relax restrictions for setting up emergency shelters. The old rules said the city could declare a shelter crisis - which allows nonprofit groups to open emergency housing - only from November to March, only at night, and only for 120 days at a time. The new changes allow the city to declare a 365-day crisis, permit day-time operations and add churches and other religious institutions to the list of groups that can set up the shelters. -AP
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April 7, 2017
Students build tiny homes as training LEBANON, Mo.: Students in Lebanon are picking up drills and hammers and learning big life lessons by constructing a tiny house. This class of juniors and seniors at the Lebanon Technology and Career Center are constructing two 12 by 32 homes. In the past, students in this class have built regularly sized homes, but it took about three years to complete. Details on page 41
Investment from China in Kushner Manhattan property is off NEW YORK: Talks with a Chinese company seeking a stake in a Fifth Avenue skyscraper owned by the family of Jared Kushner are over. The Kushner Cos. confirmed that negotiations with Anbang Insurance Group to help fund redevelopment of the family's office tower on Manhattan's Fifth Avenue have ended. The news was first reported by the New York Post. The talks had drawn criticism from lawmakers and government ethics experts. They saw it as a potential attempt by China to curry favor with the White House. Jared Kushner is President Donald Trump's son-in-law and a senior adviser. He stepped down as CEO of the real estate company in January and has sold stakes in several properties, including 666 Fifth Ave., to help allay concerns about conflicts of interest. Company spokesman James Yolles would not say why the Anbang talks were called off, only that the decision was reached by both parties. He said that Kushner Cos. is still negotiating with other potential investors. Kushner Cos. bought the prop-
erty in 2007 for a reported $1.8 billion when Jared Kushner was running the business. It was a big leap for a company previously associated mostly with garden apartments in the New York suburbs.
41-floor building to Vornado Realty Trust. Anbang has ties to politically powerful families in Beijing, and its ownership structure is unclear. The company has come under
President Donald Trump's White House Senior Advisors Jared Kushner, left, and Steve Bannon, right, arrive at a White House senior staff swearing in ceremony in the East Room of the White House, in Washington
It soon became apparent that the Kushner had overpaid. The debt taken on to land the property nearly crippled the company during the financial crisis. In 2011, Kushner Cos. sold a stake in the
scrutiny as it has moved to expand its holdings in the U.S. In 2015, Anbang bought Manhattan's iconic Waldorf Astoria hotel for nearly $2 billion. Four months after the close of
that sale, the State Department abandoned decades of tradition, saying that during the annual U.N. General Assembly in the fall, it would set up shop in another New York hotel other than the WaldorfAstoria. Officials with the State Department gave no reason. It was widely reported that Anbang was considering a $4 billion deal to help Kushner refurbish 666 Fifth Ave. Jared Kushner sold his stake in the building as part of his agreement with the Office of Government Ethics, but his family would have stood to benefit from an Anbang deal. A senior White House official told The Associated Press earlier last month that Kushner would recuse himself from any government business to which Anbang was a party if the deal went through. The official requested anonymity to discuss a personnel matter. The Kushner family owns or manages 20,000 apartments, 13 million square feet of office space and industrial properties in several states, including New York, New Jersey, Maryland and Illinois. -AP
Contracts to buy US homes hit a high WASHINGTON: More people signed contracts to buy U.S. homes last month as warm weather and rising confidence appeared to encourage consumers to look for houses. The National Association of Realtors said that its pending home sales index climbed 5.5 percent in February to 112.3, its highest point since April and its second-highest point since 2006. Lawrence Yun, the Realtors' chief economist, suggested that a rising stock market had helped bolster confidence. ``Last month being the warmest February in decades also played a role in kick-starting prospective buyers' house hunt,'' Yun said.
In addition, rising prices may have nudged some people into making offers for homes now out
of fear of having to pay more if they wait. The NAR's index of pending home sales rose 11.4 percent in the
Midwest, 4.3 percent in the South, 3.4 percent in the Northeast and 3.1 percent in the West. The U.S. housing market is looking strong despite a sharp rise in mortgage rates since the presidential election. The average on a benchmark 30-year fixed rate loan was 4.23 percent last week, up from 3.54 percent the week before the Nov. 8 vote. Investors bid up rates in part out of expectation that President Donald Trump's plans to cut taxes and increase spending on defense
and infrastructure would raise economic growth and inflation. The Realtors reported that sales of existing homes fell in February after having surged in January to the fastest pace in a decade. Sales were still up solidly from a year earlier. The supply of homes for sale is tight and is helping to drive prices up and affordability down. The number of listings for sale has tumbled 6.4 percent over the past year to 1.75 million homes last month, up only slightly from a record low in January. The supply of homes for sale has fallen on an annual basis for the past 21 months. AP
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April 7, 2017
India Post 41
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Conektindia appoints Jagdish Doshi as Advisor Special Feature:
C
onektindia - India's 1st multi city property man ager - has appointed Mr. Jagdish Doshi as an Advisor on Conektindia's Advisory Panel. Mr. Doshi is an US-Citizen since 1991 & an International Consulting Engineer with offices in New York, Los Angeles & Mumbai. Conektindia believes that Mr. Doshi's experience and knowledge of Indian populace across the globe would help to understand and serve the NRI population better through his professional team of subject experts. Conektindia a relatively new company, has launched its 1st Service module in the Real Estate Segment, where
needs related to existing new or ancestral properties. Here's what Mr Doshi had to say: Q: What made you come on board with Conektindia? A: In my career since 1956 I have travelled and stayed out of India and got my US Citizenship in 1991. During my travels from length and breadth of the globe I have come across, many friends, business associates who have been sharing their experiences and concerns in relation to their needs in India. When Mr. Vyankatesh Kulkarni, whom I have known since years and Mr. Subhashis Das discussed with me, I could relate with the vision of the company to serve the NRIs. Such professionally managed service is
They have a very good team of Legal Advisors & one of India's reputed law firms on board. They also have other reputed professionals on board including a prominent architect firm they would extend their services to assist in Buying, Modification, Maintenance & Tenant Management. This covers, both under construction property investments, and also caters to your
what we as NRI's have been missing and yearning for. Since I am now mostly based out of India I felt I can act as a bridge between the NRI population and ConektIndia.
Students build tiny homes as training LEBANON, Mo.: Students in Lebanon are picking up drills and hammers and learning big life lessons by constructing a tiny house. This class of juniors and seniors at the Lebanon Technology and Career Center are constructing two 12 by 32 homes. In the past, students in this class have built regu-
larly sized homes, but it took about three years to complete. Not only are tiny homes very popular right now, but they are just the right size to give the students the experience of building something from start to finish.
``Pride of ownership and pride of hands-on and doing it themselves,'' said Dave DeNooy, a Building Trades instructor. ``They've done everything, I kind of oversee things, but they're the ones building it.'' There's a morning class and an afternoon class and building the two houses side by side has turned into a bit of a competition. Both classes designed their tiny house, so the two homes are different in design, even though they're the same dimensions. The students have been working on them since the beginning of the school year. The students are interested in a variety of options after school, but to them, the hands-on experience is the most valuable part. ``We learn by doing it and if we do it wrong, then we do it again,'' said senior Raymond Lorenz. ``And it teaches you better that way.''-AP
Q: What are the key areas ConektIndia specialises in?
related issues are handled by Conektindia at a reasonable fee, which at times is less than cost of a to & fro air ticket to India. Q: What all services is Conektindia offering? A : They are offering very comprehensive annual service packages for Property Management starting with Advising on buying, up-gradation, modification, maintenance, tenant management, documentation and legal assistance. They have a very good team of Legal Advisors & one of India's reputed law firms on board. They also have other reputed profes-
sionals on board including a prominent architect firm, interior designer and CA. Q: ConektIndia is a new organisation and this concept is new to India. Do you think it would be able to provide services to the satisfaction of the NRIs? A: I can confidently say that they are well equipped to address most of the Real Estate related requirements of NRIs. The combined man-management and industry experience of the promoters is more than 60 years.
Mr Jagdish Doshi
A: They plan to introduce diversified services. However their current focus and thrust is on Real Estate Segment. The need for such unique, appropriate services at the lowest possible cost is quiet commendable. It would help our Indian brothers and sisters to peacefully concentrate on their professional and personal challenges in their current country and all their Real Estate related concerns in India would be professionally handled by Conektindia. This way they would be able to avoid huge spend of both, time and money while their property
Mahindra Lifespace hikes stake in JV firm NEW DELHI: Realty firm Mahindra Lifespace Developers Ltd has increased stake in its joint venture firm Mahindra Homes Pvt Ltd to nearly 75 per cent from 50 per cent. Mahindra Homes Pvt Ltd is a
In a filing to the BSE, the company informed that Mahindra Homes has allotted in its rights issue 411251 series A equity shares with voting rights. As a result, the company's shareholding in Mahindra Homes
50:50 joint venture company of Mahindra Lifespace Developers and SCM Real Estate (Singapore) Pvt Ltd. Mahindra Lifespace is a real estate arm of the Mahindra & Mahindra group.
has increased form 50 per cent to 74.98 per cent. Mahindra Lifespace informed that Mahindra Homes now has become its subsidiary and in turn a subsidiary of the parent company Mahindra & Mahindra. -PTI
Regulator demanded for real estate sector NEW DELHI: Lok Sabha saw a member demanding setting up of a regulator to fix the rates of construction materials like steel, cement, sand and bricks, saying it will insulate home buyers from exploitation by real estate firm. Raising the issue during the Zero Hour, BJP MP Sushil Kumar Singh said the time has come for setting up a regulator to fix the rates of construction materials as real estate sector was growing at a fast pace. He said the appointment of the regulator will streamline price variation help the overall construction sector. "It can be set up on the lines of TRAI (Telecom Regulatory Authority of India) and Electricity Regulatory Commissions," he said.-PTI
Home sales drop due to fewer listings WARWICK, R.I.: The number of single-family home sold in Rhode Island in February fell nearly 7 percent compared to the year-ago month. The Rhode Island Association of Realtors says 554 homes were sold in the state in February. That's 41 fewer than the number of homes sold in February 2016. The drop follows a more than
20 percent jump in home sales in January. The Realtors say fewer house listings, which fell by 20 percent compared with last year, contributed to fewer sales. Listings have been steadily decreasing for more than two years. More than 11,000 single-family homes were sold in the state last year. The median home price in-
42 India Post
F
airy tale love story of a Muslim prince with a local poor shepherd girl brings the mythological face to Mandu. Mandu, a small town on the edge of Malwa Plateau in Madhya Pradesh, is surrounded by forests and has a historical significance. History tells us that the founder of this cute, beautiful town was Raja Bhoj and it was once a royal retreat. Architectural marvel is the main attraction in this city. Remains of ancient architecture, way back to 10th century, are still visible. Mandu has the finest examples of Afghan architecture in India. The town is a monument of love, romance and affection as it
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is believed that this place is associated with the love legend of Prince Baz Bahadur and singer Roopmati, the beauty of the city. The relationship of the Muslim prince with the shepherdess Hindu girl was however destined to fail. The Mandu region has a number of wonderful palaces, baths, attractive canals and artistically crafted pavilions bringing out the age old fairy tale love story with all its beautiful pomp. Rock cut caves with enchanting paintings decorating the walls and ceilings are added attractions. Antiquity and artistry merges here to bring some marvelous structures. The
April 7, 2017
massive gateways to Mandu are an example of this ancient artistic excellence. It is a city of monuments like Alamgir, Bhangi, Rampol Darwaza, Jehangir Gate and
Tarapur Gate. Mandu is one of the few places where the very rare Baobab tree grows. Mandu welcomes the visitors
The Mandu region has a number of wonderful palaces, baths, attractive canals and artistically crafted pavilions bringing out the age old fairy tale love story with all its beautiful pomp
will all its charm and heritage. It is the perfect honeymoon destination as it is the city of love and delight. Climate Mandu experiences a tropical climatic condition all through the year. Summers (March to June) in Mandu are slightly hot, but overall pleasant due to its elevated position. Cont’d on page 43
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www.indiapost.com Jahaz Mahal
Cont’d from page 42
The temperature ranges from 35°C to 20°C during summers. Winters (October to February) are cool and pleasant. Maximum day time
changed to 'Shadiabad' (meaning happiness) by Alauddin Khilji, who gained control over the city in the 13th century. After the conquest by the Mughals in 19th century, the town
Roopmati's Pavilion
temperature is 22°C and temperature drops down to a minimum of 7°C during nights. Monsoons (July to September) have medium level annual rainfalls. Time to visit Mandu is all through the year and the best during July to March History The history of Mandu talks about the romantic tale of Rani Roopmati and Baz Bahadur, a poet-prince. The history of the 'City of Joy' dates back to 10th century, when it was founded by Raja Bhoj. Though the city finds its mention in the Sanskrit inscription of 555 A.D., not much of it has been retained. The city was referred as Mandavgarh under the rule of Parmara rulers in the 11th and 12th century. However, the name was
was ruled by Hoshang Shah, the son of Dilawar Khan. However, Akbar attacked the city in 1561 and gained control. Baz Bahadur fled from Mandu in order to save his life and the town of Mandu re-
after the Omayyed Mosque of Damascus. The best view of this monument is from the Ashrafi Mahal rising in front of it. Hoshang Shah's Tomb: A massive, foursquare monument with a huge dome, constructed in AD 1435, it is the oldest m a r b l e structure in India and depicts typical Hindu influences. An inscription on the right jamb of the door mentions the name of U s t a d Hamid who was involved with the building of the Taj Mahal in Agra. Jahaz Mahal: It is one of the most popular monuments in Mandu, this ship-like structure was erected by Ghiyas-ud-din, son of Mohammed Shah, for his harem. According to legend, this
a swing. According to legends, both the Jahaz and Hindola Mahal were popular with the Mughals for partying on monsoon evenings. Champa Baoli: Champa Baoli is
was the last independent king of Malwa who fell in love with an ordinary shepherdess called Roopmati. Unfortunately, their love had a tragic end when the great
Nilkanth Temple
an interesting step-well on the north edge of the tank situated there. It was a popular hot-weather retreat and featured cool wells and bathrooms. Baz Bahadur's Palace: The Rewa Kund is actually a tank of sacred water from the river Rewa, another name for the Narmada. This is the place where the love of poet-prince Baz Bahadur and Rani Roopmati flourished. Baz Bahadur
Mughal emperor, Akbar, moved by Roopmati's beauty, attacked Mandu and Baz Bahadur fled leaving his lover to poison herself. Baz Bahadur's Palace was constructed in 1509 beside the Rewa Kund. Roopmati's Pavilion: Roopmati's Pavilion, is situated on the very edge of Mandu Fort. It is a very romantic building, a perfect setting for fairytale romance! Cont’d on page 45
Hindola Mahal Hoshang Shah's Tomb
mained unoccupied for quiet some time. Tourist attractions Jami Masjid: Built in 1454, the Jami Masjid is the most majestic building in Mandu. It is designed
harem was home to 15,000 maidens. There are two lakes on the east and west side of the palace that create a perfect illusion of a ship with its rectangular shape. Hindola Mahal: It's a large hall supported by sloping buttresses which, resembles the supports of
Travel & Hospitality Post
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April 7, 2017
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UA bars 2 girls for wearing leggings WASHINGTON: United Airlines has barred two girls from boarding a flight because they were wearing leggings, sparking a firestorm of backlash online with users criticizing what they called an intrusive and sexist policy. The girls, whose ages were not specified, were not allowed onto the morning flight from Denver to Minneapolis as they were travelling under an employee travel pass that includes a specific dress code, airline spokesman Jonathan Guerin said. Another girl who was also wearing leggings had to change before she was allowed to board the flight. The airline's dress code bars pass travelers from wearing spandex or Lycra pants such as leggings, but its actions sparked a quick backlash on Twitter, New York Times said. Activist Shannon Watts of Denver tweeted that she witnessed the event and questioned United's decision to police
women's clothing. Watts said one of the girls' father was allowed to board while wearing shorts and called the airline's policy sexist.
refuse passengers who are not properly clothed". Angry netizens asked whether the airline was saying that it could deny service to paying customers
"I guess @united not letting women wear athletic wear?" Watts tweeted to her more than 32,000 followers. United Airlines responded by saying it "shall have the right to
just because they wore yoga pants. "Leggings are business attire for 10 year olds. Their business is being children," tweeted actress Patricia Arquette. "It's not going to be a pretty
sight, but I'm going to wear yoga pants for my next @united flight," said another citizen. Hours later, the airline said that the passengers who were flying "were not in compliance with our dress code policy for company benefit travel". T h e longstanding policy of the airlines requires those who enjoy the perks of airline employment, which include free travel passes for family and guests, to present themselves in a way that represents the airline well. According to the policy, "pass
riders" aren't allowed to wear clothing that doesn't look "neat and professional". That includes form-fitting lycra or spandex tops, pants and dresses, offensive or derogatory words or graphics on clothing, "excessively dirty" clothing that has holes or tears, or anything that is "inappropriately revealing." United Airlines said that "leggings are not inappropriate attire except in the case of someone travelling as a pass rider." But others weren't convinced the policy had merit. "We here at @united are just trying to police the attire of the daughters of our employees!" read a sarcastic tweet from actor and comedian Seth Rogen. "That's all! Cool, right?" United, a major American airline headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, is the world's third-largest when measured by revenue. -PTI
'Tourism can end exodus Travel ban keeps international from Uttarakhand'
students in US
PRESCOTT, Ariz.: Four international students at a well-known flight school in Prescott, Arizona, did not return home over spring break because of concerns about the travel bans proposed by President Donald Trump. Andy Fraher, director of EmbryRiddle Aeronautical University's Center for International Programs
and Services, told The Daily Courier that visas don't guarantee entry and there is a possibility that the students' visas wouldn't be honored. ``The students' biggest fear is,
`What if I need to go home, if my parents are sick or for my sister's wedding?' We try to be compassionate and understanding. But we say, `If you go, there's a chance of being denied entry back into the U.S.' The border patrol officer has total control of that decision,'' he said. No Embry-Riddle student from
any of the countries listed in the Trump administration's second travel ban has had to travel back into the U.S., Fraher said. The students will be able to remain in the country as long as they're enrolled
and doing everything they need to do while on a student visa, he said. ``We've called the students from the affected countries and advised them of their options,'' Fraher said. ``We try to support our students the best we can. We tell them, you're safer staying here than to visit your parents at home.'' Fraher asked the four international students who stayed in Prescott over spring break to speak with the Courier, but they did not respond. Embry-Riddle currently enrolls 189 international students from 36 countries, but that could be changing, said Fraher. ``We've lost a lot of Saudi students,'' Fraher said. ``We just have to wait and see what happens.'' He tells students to be cautious and to carry their passports and travel papers with them, even when travelling within the U.S., he said. ``You never know when immigration officers will stop and ask for your papers,'' Fraher said. -AP
DEHRADUN: Uttarakhand Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat has said stopping migration from the hills is a must in view of the strategic importance of the state and tourism can play a vital role in putting an end to the exodus from border villages. "Considering the strategic importance of Uttarakhand which shares borders with China and Nepal, migration is a big problem which can be combated only when we create education and health facilities be-
take to farming, he said. Noting that Uttarakhand was a state endowed with rare scenic beauty, the Chief Minister said it had great potential in bio-diversity tourism, winter sports tourism, adventure tourism, rural home stay and heritage tourism which can generate great employment opportunities for the local population at their homes and end the compulsion of leaving their villages in search of a livelihood. He also suggested developing
Uttarakhand CM Trivendra Singh Rawat said tourism can play a vital role in putting an end to the exodus from border villages.
sides employment opportunities for locals who have to desert their homes and move to the plains in search of work," Rawat said while addressing a seminar on 'Tourism, Agriculture and Livelihood' here. Agriculture will have to be made economically more viable with encouragement to aromatic plantation so that more and more people
tourism villages showcasing all that is special about Uttarakhand's culture to lure visitors to the state. Delegates from London Business School also participated in the seminar which was attended by Tourism Minister Satpal Maharaj, Chief Secretary S Ramaswamy and Principal Secretary Umakant Panwar. -PTI
April 7, 2017
Travel & Hospitality Post
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Black Hills facing shortage 'AA leaving standby passengers behind' of employees RAPID CITY, S.D.: Hospitality businesses in South Dakota's Black Hills area are having trouble finding enough workers for the busy tourist season. Many business owners look beyond U.S. borders to fill summer jobs, but the expiration of a federal law last September has reduced the number of temporary guest workers allowed into the country. The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service announced last week that it has already received enough applications from businesses to reach the 2017 cap for seasonal nonagricultural work, the Rapid City Journal reported. ``The workers just aren't here to be had,'' said Mike Atkinson, a Mount Rushmore Resort official whose company relies on foreign workers to clean rooms and do laundry. Some employees from overseas develop lasting ties with employers and return year after year for
the same seasonal work. The Palmer Gulch resort is just one tourism-reliant business that uses returning workers and has an on-site dormitory for its summer employees, who usually come from Mexico. The expired law was a demandbased exemption for the 1990 law
from Michigan introduced a returning worker exemption bill this week that was similar to past legislation granting exemptions to workers counted against the gap. Some lawmakers from both Democratic and Republican parties have opposed the guest-worker program because of anti-immigra-
capping foreign worker admittance at 66,000 per fiscal year. The 2015 exemption resulted in the issuance of more than 84,600 visas during the 2016 fiscal year. Republican Rep. Jack Bergman
tion rhetoric or using the system as indentured servitude. But employers in the Black Hills said their unique, local labor conditions make it difficult to hire U.S. workers. -AP
Wonderful palaces, canals & a fairy tale love story Nilkanth Temple: Nilkanth (literally, the blue-throated one; another name of Lord Shiva) is a shrine dedicated to Shiva. Time to visit Mandu is all through the year and the best during July to March. How to reach By train: Nearest railhead is Ratlam railway station, which is
American did not dispute that some passengers and employees flying standby get left behind. But, spokesman Matt Miller said, the company figure cited by the union president is ``significantly inflated'' because it includes people who signed up for standby but weren't in the gate area when the
Pilots Association, said. He called it intolerable. American carried more than 14 million passengers last month. The airline has been trying to improve its on-time performance. It ranked eighth among the nation's largest 12 airlines at ontime arrivals in 2016, but rose to third in January, the latest month for which government figures are available.
door shut. Carey said standby passengers are left behind on about one in six flights, and he blames the airline's policy of closing the door from the gate area to the jet bridge 10 minutes before scheduled departure. He says gate agents are under extraordinary pressure to close the door no matter what, but that passengers should not be left behind if there are empty seats. -AP
Some employees from overseas develop lasting ties with employers and return year after year for the same seasonal work. The Palmer Gulch resort is just one tourism-reliant business that uses returning workers
Mandu Cont’d from page 43
DALLAS: The head of the pilots' union has said that American Airlines is leaving thousands of standby passengers at the gate to make sure that flights depart on time. Nearly 20,000 passengers were denied boarding in February even though there were empty seats, Dan Carey, president of the Allied
about 125 km from Mandu. It is well connected to the rest of the major cities in India and is an important junction in the western railways. By Air: Indore Ahilyabai Holker Airport is the nearest airport to Mandu. Mandu is about 100 km from the airport.
770 foreign tourists visited Mizoram By Bus: State owned buses connect many cities in Madhya Pradesh to Mandu. Deluxe buses are available from Indore (100 km), Bhopal (278 km), Ratlam (125 km) and Ujjain.
AIZAWL: Mizoram Tourism Minister John Rotluangliana informed the state assembly that 770 tourists from abroad visited Mizoram in nine months from April,
from Mizo National Front (MNF) member K Beichhua, Rotluangliana said that efforts were being made to concentrate on eco tourism, adventure tourism and rural tourism to attract more tourists, both domestic and foreign. He said Integrated Development of New EcoTourism under Swadesh Darshan - North East Circuit was being undertaken at Thenzawl and South Zote villages in Serchhip district and Reiek village in Mamit district. Implementation of Rural Home Stay Scheme was being taken up in six villages in Champai district on Myanmar border Vantawng Falls at Thenzawl, Mizoram with fund from the New Economic Development 2016 to January 2017. Policy (NEDP) of the state governIn a written reply to a question ment, he added. -PTI
Horoscope
46 India Post
April 7, 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.
April 07th - April 13th 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
he professional matters need care.The promotion is likely to be delayed.Some additional expenses are likely.Take care of your health. Do not create conflicts. Those who are looking for marriage may find some more delay. Explore them with patience.It is better to avoid new ventures upto October, 2017. The child may need help, focus on them and give attention.
T
T
he professional matters are ok.Some sudden problems may come up. You have to be careful in the matter of status, driving and relationships. Avoid new opportunities, might be to good to be true. Those who have some planets around 23 degrees in any of the zodiac signs that is Virgo, Capricorn, Pisces and Taurus are likely to have problems concerning children, emotions, business.
T
he professional matters look better.Some of you may get due promotion/recognition in the coming weeks. Some additional income is likely. Some long journey is also likely. Take care of the health of your family.Avoid haste, conflicts and unnecessary driving.Patience is the Mantra for you up to October 2017. Continue to perform peace making remedies for Rahu, Ketu and Mercury.
rofessional matters look ok.Some of you may get promotion/recognition. Some additional income is likely.Some new rewarding opportunity is likely.Friends and elder brother is helpful. The health concerns start easing. The child may bring happiness. Continuously propitiate Rahu and Ketu. Strengthen your birth planets through a Special Power Kavach as transit weakness
P
he profession and rela tionships matters look OK. Excercise patience in dealing with obstructions. Keep new ventures pending that includes relationships. Students and those who are appearing in selections need to work hard. The prolonged transit planetary influences caused by Rahu/Ketu are difficult for those whose ascending degree is around 7 or some planet is around 7
T
he professional matters look better.Some of you may join some Training programme. It is important to stay away from conflicts and disputes. Child may need help.Some delay in gains and some additional expenses are likely. Continue to perform peace making remedies for your functional malefic planets Mars, Venus, Rahu and Ketu. Strengthen your birth planets.
T
T
T
T
he professional matters look ok.Some easy gains are likely. Work with patience. Avoid manipulations and avoid conflicts at all levels. The new ventures should be kept pending. The health may cause concerns. Avoid haste, unnecessary expenses and driving/travel. The prolonged transit planetary influences caused by Rahu/Ketu are difficult for those whose ascending degree is around 7 degrees.
T
T
T
he job/profession mat ters need care. Mental peace needs care, Avoid conflicts and disputes. Those who are in foreign lands may have new concerns.Handle relationship matters with patience.Child needs extra care and help. Emotional stress is likely.It is better to avoid unnecessary driving. Take care of your health. Continuing peace making remedies for malefic planets.
he professional matters look better.Some of you are likely to get promotion/ recognition. The aggressive behaviour will harm you. Manage conflicts with patience. Always remember the silence is golden. Be alert to avoid new ventures and manipulations. Some disputes may arise in inheritance matters.Avoid haste, speculation and unnecessary driving.
he professional matters look ok.Some additional income is likely. Friends are likely to be helpful. Some new opportunities are also likely. Avoid speculation and playing stock market. Always invest in safe assets.The child may need help, give attention too them. Continue to perform peace making remedies for your functional malefic planets Moon, Rahu and Ketu.
he professional matters look better.Some new opportunities are likely.Handle relationship matters with care. Obstructions are likely in the sources of income. Manage with patience. Avoid manipulations and driving.You are vulnerable to health problems. The transit planetary influences caused by Rahu/ Ketu are difficult for those whose ascending degree is around 7.
he professional matters look ok.Some of you may get due promotion. Some unexpected gains are likely.Avoid unnecessary journey and driving. Some additional expenses and health concerns are likely. Manage things with patience and avoid conflicts in job. The transit planetary influences caused by Rahu/Ketu are difficult for those whose ascending degree.
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
April 7, 2017
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In Brief 'Maryland immigration bill won't pass as is' ANNAPOLIS, Md.: A bill in Maryland's legislature that adds protections for people in the United States illegally won't pass the state Senate in its current form, the Senate president said. Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller said the state needs to allow immigrants ``to live in freedom,'' but not protect felons who are in the country illegally and end up in the judicial system. A bill that has passed the House would prevent authorities from stopping people solely to ask about their immigration status. Supporters say the bill is needed, because immigrants are afraid to report crimes out of fear of being deported. The measure would also block jails from holding an immigrant for up to 48 hours beyond when they would be released at the request of federal immigration officers. ``I want them to be able to go to school. I want them to be able to report crimes without fear of being arrested, but in terms of hampering law enforcement, in terms of hampering the judicial system, Maryland is not going to become a sanctuary state, and that's not my fiat,'' Miller, DCalvert, said, adding he is confident he knows how the votes stand in the Senate committee that is weighing the legislation.
„
Cont'd on Page 51
Hundreds protest immigration official SACRAMENTO, Calif.: Hundreds of people gathered to protest the country's top immigration enforcement official during a stop in Sacramento. The Sacramento Bee reports that Acting Immigration and Customs Enforcement Director Thomas Homan appeared at a public forum in Sacramento bringing crowds of people who are upset about the Trump administration's stance on refugees and undocumented immigrants. This was Homan's first public event since he was appointed. Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg and state Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de LeĂłn joined protesters outside the event condemning the administration's policies with speeches, chants and songs. The protest outside the event remained peaceful and law enforcement patrolled its perimeter on bikes and motorcycles. Inside the forum, some people booed and several protesters were escorted out after yelling at speakers. -AP
Immigration 48 India Post
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April 7, 2017
Muslim immigrant in Lt Gov race Details on page 51
Indian govt talking to U.S.; no policy yet to curb visas NEW DELHI: The Indian government has sought to allay the fears among Indian IT professionals, saying the US administration has not implemented any policy yet to curb jobs and efforts were underway to dissuade it from doing so. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said in the Rajya Sabha that the Indian government is talking to the Trump administration as well as the US Congressmen, giving proper data and reasoning to press home the point that the relationship between Indian IT companies with the US is mutually-beneficial. "I do agree that there is an atmosphere of uncertainty and there is a fear of job losses," she said while responding to concerns expressed by the members over the move by the Trump government to curb H1B visas that will adversely impact Indian IT professionals. "There is no policy an-
nounced by them (US administration) yet. There are four bills that have come up in the (US) Congress on visa restrictions but no bill has been passed yet. We are talking to the US administration and Congressmen,"
Swaraj said. She went on to add, "There have been no job losses yet and no policy has yet come in US. A total of 13 bills have come up in Congress that includes 6 bills on outsourcing, four bills on visa
External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj
and three bills on immigration." She said the Foreign Secretary accompanied by Commerce Secretary paid a visit to the US from February 28 to March 3 and held meetings with Cabinet Ministers and senior functionaries of the new US Administration as well as with the Congressional leadership. "We are not merely talking to them (the US administration); we are giving them proper arguments and figures... We are talking to them with data and reasoning while trying to save jobs of H1B visa holders," Swaraj told the members. The Minister said MPs should get satisfaction that the government is not just talking but giving proper data and reasoning to press home the idea that the relationship between Indian IT companies with the US is mutuallybeneficial. Cont'd on Page 50
Case against H-1B lottery dismissed WASHINGTON: A US court has dismissed a lawsuit that challenged the lottery system for determining successful applicants for H-1B visas, the most sought after by Indian IT firms and professionals. The ruling by a federal judge in Oregon means that there will be no change in the H-1B visa issuance process for the fiscal 2018 which begins on April 3. As a result, successful H-1B visa applicants are expected to be determined by the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) through a lottery system. The USCIS receives more applications for H-1B visas than the Congressional mandated limit of 65,000 in the general category and another 20,000 for those foreign students who have masters or higher degree from a US academic institution. The case against the lottery
system was filed by two firms from Portland - Tenrec Inc, a web development company and Walker Macy, a landscape architecture firm. In its 31-page order, US District
Court Judge Michael Simon upheld the USCIS's argument that an H-1B visa application is not considered as filed unless a lottery determines it. "Because Congress left to the discretion of the USCIS how to
handle simultaneous submissions, even if petitions are considered 'filed' immediately upon delivery, the USCIS has discretion to decide how best to order those petitions," Simon said. "Plaintiffs offer no suggestion of how to order 150,000 petitions being delivered on the same day that is less arbitrary than a random computer selection. If a carrier delivers bags of envelopes containing petitions, it is just as arbitrary to order them based on how the envelopes are removed from the delivery bag as it is to randomly select the petitions from a computer," the judge said. The USCIS resorts to a comput-
erized draw of lots if the number of H-1B visa applications crosses the Congressional allotted quota in the first five days after it starts accepting the petitions every year in the month of April. "The Court recognizes that the practical implication of this rule is that every petition will be subject to the random computergenerated selection process in years when the numbers of petitions needed to meet the statutory cap are met in the first five days," the judge said. Attorney Brent Renison, who represented the two Portland companies said the court did not say the lottery was the best way to distribute visas, only a permissible way. "While we disagree with the court's ultimate ruling which defers to the agency, we note that Congress can change the system for the better," he said. -PTI
Immigration Post
April 7, 2017
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H1B needs 'common sense' reforms: Ro Khanna WASHINGTON: Indian-American Congressman Ro Khanna has said the US needs to "remain open" to immigrants who contribute to creating jobs and help shape the economy, as he called for "common sense" reforms in the H1B visa system. Khanna, who represents the Silicon Valley where a large number of Indian techies and other immigrants work, said many Americans believe the H1B visa program needs to be reformed. His remarks came amid increasing calls in the US to review the work visa program, highly popular with Indian technology firms, and US President Donald Trump's campaign pledge to put "America First". Apart from the Trump administration's crackdown on immigrants, the H1B visa program has become a key issue in the tense ties between US tech firms and the White House. When Trump signed a controversial immigration order in January banning people from seven Muslim-majority nations - which had caused chaos and sparked protests before a US judge stopped its enforcement in February - tech firms had voiced their displeasure at the move. Trump, however, persisted with his decision and issued a "re-
vised" executive order with changes, excluding Iraq from the list of countries on which the travel ban was slapped. "Of course, we have to end the abuses. We shouldn't have companies that have more than 50 per cent H-1B visas and we should
and many Americans believe in, let's fix the system, end the abuses but make sure we recognize the role of immigrants in creating jobs," he said. The H1B is a non-immigrant visa that allows American firms to employ foreign workers in occu-
Khanna, who represents the Silicon Valley where a large number of Indians and other immigrants work, said many Americans believe the H1B visa program needs to be reformed
make sure that they are paid the prevailing wage," Khanna, a firsttime Congressman, told PTI in an interview. "These are common sense reforms that even people like Venk Shukla (TiE Silicon Valley leader)
pations that require theoretical or technical expertise. It is highly popular among Indian techies and the technology companies depend on the program to hire tens of thousands of employees each year. Khanna, who was elected to the
US House of Representatives last November and was sworn-in as a Congressman this January, said, "We have to remain open to immigration, people coming here who can contribute jobs and help the economy." According to a report by The National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine in September, immigrants contributed USD 2 trillion to the US economy in 2015-16 and Indians were the "most entrepreneurial" of all groups. Khanna also pushed for strong relations between India and the US, in particular the trade ties. "There's a strategic partnership in advancing market security interests. India provides a large export market for American products with a large growing middle class. That can help create jobs in the United States," he said. "They both share values of democratic pluralism of a respect and tolerance for different faiths, a respect for dissent, a respect for robust journalism, a respect for spirituality. I think that there are the common values also," Khanna said, adding he looks forward to visit India soon. Condemning the recent hate crimes against Indian-Americans and Indians, he said the community has tremendously contributed
to jobs, innovation, and service to the armed forces. "There's been an outpouring of support, both from Democrats and Republicans, to say that hate crimes and hate speech have no place in the United States," he said. Khanna is working with other Indian-American lawmakers Pramila Jayapal and Raja Krishnamoorthi, Ami Bera, and with Congressman Joe Crowley to make sure they have a federal task force that deals with hate crimes. "We've had tremendous support in a coalition, republican and Democrat colleagues, from people like John Lewis, and from the Hispanic-American caucus. It's a broad coalition. From the JewishAmerican community, there are concerns about anti-semitism. It's a broad coalition that believes that this country doesn't have any place for hate, or hate speech," he said. The election of a record number of five Indian-Americans to the Congress for the first time, is giving the community a lot of confidence, he said. "A sense of inspiring young people to seek careers in public service, to go into the military, to go into foreign service. It has really inspired, I think, many young folks to answer the call to service," Khanna said. -PTI
Indian doc couple wins a reprieve HOUSTON: Two prominent Indian-American doctors here facing deportation as their travel documents had expired have been given a rare last minute-reprieve by the US administration that granted them a 90-day extension on humanitarian grounds. Dr Pankaj Satija and his wife Dr Monika Ummat, both neurologists, have been working legally in the US for 15 years. They have a 7-year-old son and 4-year-old daughter. The problem started when they visited India to see Pankaj's sick father in October last year. On their return they were stopped at the Bush International airport by Customs and Border Protection officials because their travel documents had expired, the Houston Chronicle reported. The Customs and Border Protection officials stamped their travel document saying that it would expire in June this year, when in fact the US Citizenship and Immigration Services noted that their document actually expired in June, 2016. Upon returning to the US about
a week later, a Customs and Border Protection official at the airport noted the discrepancy. The officials, however, allowed them to enter temporarily to correct the error. Pankaj and his wife had been abruptly told by immigration officials that they had 24 hours to leave the US. They were told that under a new
policy, they could no longer extend their temporary permission to stay while they waited for permanent authorization, local media reported. However, as they were about to board a plane for India, they were granted a 90-day extension on humanitarian grounds. The couple had called on their legislators and had taken the me-
dia along with their attorneys to plead their case. They reported, as ordered, to customs officials at Bush Intercontinental Airport, where they were told the agency had suddenly reversed course. "Somebody at a higher level has made that decision," they were told by an agent. "I understand that you are physicians and a lot of lives are at stake." The agency offered the couple three months of humanitarian pa-
role, a rare measure allowing immigrants, who are otherwise not permitted to enter the US, the opportunity to do so due to a "compelling emergency" to sort out their paperwork. "It was an unusual act of grace from an administration that has so far seemed intent on removing as many immigrants as it can, making few exceptions, even for those, like the Satijas, with good reasons to stay," the Houston Chronicle said in its report. -PTI
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Dr. Pankaj Satija and his wife Dr. Monika Ummat and their children.
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Nikki's mom was denied judgeship in India NEW YORK: US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley has claimed her mother, who had studied to be a lawyer in India, was not allowed to sit on the bench as a judge because she was a woman. "I am a big fan of women. I think there's nothing they can't do. And I think any democracy that has allowed themselves to really lift up women has benefited from it," Haley said when asked about the role of women following her speech to the Council on Foreign Relations here. She went on to briefly narrate the story of her mother's life in India where she was among the first female judges but was not allowed to sit on the bench as she was a woman. "And so I think, this is near and dear to my heart because my mother you know, when you didn't have a lot of education in India, my mother actually was able to go to law school. And she was actually put up to be one of the first female judges in India, but because of the situation with women she wasn't allowed to sit on the bench. But how amazing for her to watch her daughter become gov-
ernor of South Carolina and US ambassador to the United Nations," Haley said. Haley was born Nimrata Randhawa to Ajit Singh
Chandy was the first female judge in India and also the first woman in India to become a high court judge. She was appointed as a munsif in Travancore in
US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley speaks to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) policy conference in Washington on March 27
Randhawa and mother Raj Kaur Randhawa, who had emigrated from India to Canada and then to the US in the 1960s. However, Justice Anna
1937. Haley added that nations' goal should always be to empower women and show how they can be fantastic leaders,
"and to help them get there and when they are successful, support them on it and encourage them on that." Underscoring that legal immigration is the fabric of America, Haley added that she is the "proud daughter" of Indian immigrants and stressed that people should not be banned from countries due to their religion. "I'm the proud daughter of Indian immigrants who reminded my brothers, my sister and me everyday how blessed we were to be in this country," Haley said responding to questions. She said she believes that the fabric of America is "legal immigration. So from that standpoint that is something that is near and dear to my heart and I very much support." Haley was asked if Trump's immigration policies and vetting people coming in from Muslim majority nations carry the risk of alienating the three million Muslim-Americans already in the country. "We should never ban based on religion. Period. I don't think that's what this is," she said add-
ing that there are another dozen Muslim countries that could have been on the list of the seven countries on Trump's executive order but are not. "We will never close our doors in the US but what we did do is take a pause and say how are we going to keep our people safe," she said adding that she hopes the vetting process gets better and the administration moves forward with it. She said Trump's travel ban aimed to make sure that no danger comes into the country. "This is not about not wanting people in. This is about keeping the terrorists out," she said. Haley referred to the recent terror attack in London, saying "when you look at situations like what happened in London, not just the president but everyone is trying to make sure we are keeping our people safe." The attack on the UK Parliament, however, was perpetrated by a man identified as Khalid Masood who, according to media reports, was not an immigrant but born in the county of Kent in southeast England. -PTI
Immigration officials release 2 activists Indian govt talking to US; BURLINGTON, Vt.: Two advoPresident Donald Trump, a Recates for dairy farm workers were publican, has pushed to expand released on bond following their ICE's role and has called for thouarrests by Immigration and Cus- sands of new border patrol and ICE toms Enforcement about two agents. He has said his immigraweeks ago. tion and deportation policies are Zully Palacios and Enrique necessary and are meant to keep Balcazar, who are in the United the United States safe. States illegally, said they were still Palacios is from Peru, and fighting for the release of a third Balcazar and Sanchez are from activist, who remained behind Mexico. Balcazar spoke about bars. Trump's policies through a SpanPalacios and Balcazar, leaders of ish-English interpreter. immigrant rights group Migrant Justice, were arrested by plainclothes ICE officers over immigration violations. They don't have criminal records and weren't charged with criminal offenses. They said they believe ICE targeted them because they are activists. The third activist, Cesar Alexis Carrillo Sanchez, was taken into custody when he arrived Immigrant justice activists Zully Palacios and at a courthouse to face a Enrique Balaczar embrace at a news now-dismissed drunkenconference March 28, in Burlington Vt. Both were detained and then released later by driving charge. A judge Immigration and Customs Enforcement on denied Sanchez bond, and alleged immigration violations Migrant Justice organizers said they believe he remains in a ``We, as an immigrant commuNew Hampshire detention center. nity, are facing very difficult times ICE said Sanchez told them he with the executive orders from the entered the United States illegally Trump administration,'' Balcazar and is facing deportation. said in Spanish.
At the news conference at which Balcazar spoke, the National Education Association awarded Migrant Justice the Cesar Chavez Human and Civil Rights Award, one of its most prestigious awards. The NEA said it gave the award before it usually does in June to call attention to Migrant Justice and the nationwide arrests of immigrants. ``We denounce in the strongest terms possible the arrest of these activists and call for the immediate release of the detained Migrant Justice leaders,'' NEA president Lily Eskelsen Garcia said. U.S. Sens. Bernie Sanders, an independent, and Patrick Leahy, a Democrat, and U.S. Rep. Peter Welch, also a Democrat, said in a statement they have expressed serious concerns to ICE officials over the arrests. They also are asking about the potential impact in Vermont of Trump's executive order calling for increased immigration enforcement. ``Instead of focusing on removing those people who pose a threat to public safety or national security, the Trump Administration is targeting all undocumented persons, including the people that help keep our dairy farms and rural economy afloat,'' their statement said. -AP
no policy yet to curb visas Cont'd from Page 48
Swaraj said Indian companies have made investments to the tune of USD 2 billion in US from 20112015 and have paid taxes worth USD 20 billion, while Indian IT professionals have contributed USD 7 billion as social security money. Likewise, she said the US companies doing business in India are earning USD 27.5 billion and "we are only telling them that all this is mutually-beneficial partnership. If you break this, then even you will be at a loss." She said Indian IT companies have given direct employment to 1,56,000 Americans and 4,11 lakh supporting jobs and the US recognizes their contribution to US economy. Swaraj said the discussions between the Foreign Secretary and US authorities covered all issues of common interest in India-U.S. relations, including those relating to mobility of high-skilled professionals. "The new Trump Administration has so far not announced any comprehensive policy changes impacting non-immigrant work visa programs. "In our interactions with the US
Administration as well as the Congress, we have conveyed our interest and concerns and highlighted the mutually-beneficial nature of this partnership," she said in her written reply. The Minister said the Government has emphasized that Indian skilled professionals have contributed to the growth and development of the US economy and have helped the US retain its competitive edge and innovation advantage. They are a big stakeholder in India-US relations and their backward linkages to India have helped US businesses, she said, adding that the US side has conveyed that they recognize and value the positive contributions of Indian students and IT professionals. "Government of India is closely monitoring the developments that may have a bearing upon the movement of Indian workers and professionals to the US. We remain in active dialogue with the US Administration and the US Congress at senior levels to safeguard the interests of Indian workers and professionals in the US," she said including those relating to commitments made by US under General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS) of World Trade Organization. -PTI
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April 7, 2017
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Muslim immigrant in Lt Gov race LOS ANGELES: A Pakistanborn doctor has announced that he is joining the 2018 race for lieutenant governor on a platform of saving the Affordable Care Act, providing free community college education and fighting what he termed ``Donald Trump's hate.'' ``I am a proud Muslim and I love America,'' Dr. Asif Mahmood said at a news conference in front of the downtown federal building that houses a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement field office. ``President Trump continues to attack people like me: immigrants, people of color and Muslims,'' Mahmood said. ``I say President Trump has it all wrong. It's time to get tough on hate. California must be the leader of the Trump resistance, and I will fight him every step of the way.'' The pulmonologist said he came to the United States because he wanted his family to live in a place ``that celebrates diversity and tolerance.''
Born in a small, rural village, Mahmood moved to Kentucky in the 1990s to complete medical school. He came to Southern California in 2000 and lives near Los
Angeles with his wife and three teenage children. As a first-time candidate, Mahmood's challenge is to build a statewide coalition, potentially
Dr. Asif Mahmood, a physician who came to the U.S. from Pakistan, announces he is joining the 2018 race for California's lieutenant governor in front of the downtown federal building that houses a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement field office in Los Angeles Wednesday, March 29, 2017. Dr. Mahmood is promising to run on his Muslim faith, immigrant past and career as a health care provider.
Arpaio's remarks are fair game at trial PHOENIX: Prosecutors are opposing former Sheriff Joe Arpaio's bid to prohibit comments he made about immigration on the campaign trail from being mentioned at his upcoming criminal trial for defying a court order to stop his immigration patrols. Lawyers for the U.S. Justice Department said in a court filing that Arpaio repeatedly boasted about his immigration enforcement efforts when he thought it was in his best interest. They said Arpaio can't escape the consequences of his actions by arguing that allowing such statements at trial would have a chilling effect on protected political speech. Arpaio is scheduled to be tried on a criminal contempt-of-court charge for ignoring a 2011 court order in a racial profiling case to stop his patrols. Instead, the patrols were allowed to continue for 17 months. The judge who issued the order has previously said Arpaio violated his order because Arpaio believed continuing his immigration efforts would help his 2012 campaign. The 84-year-old Arpaio, who
would face up to six months in jail if convicted, has acknowledged prolonging the patrols, but insists he did so unintentionally. To win a conviction, prosecutors must prove that Arpaio intended to violate the order. ``The defendant is not being prosecuted for expressing politi-
Sheriff Joe Arpaio
cal opinions - he is being prosecuted for intentionally disobeying a court order,'' wrote Raymond Hulser, chief of the Justice Department's public integrity section. The lawman enjoyed solid popularity for nine years by locking up immigrants in the U.S. illegally and regularly telling news
reporters that no one would stop his crackdowns. An Arpaio attorney said in a court filing late last week that it would be prejudicial to use Arpaio's comments during campaigns at his trial and that the remarks ``were campaign posturing and not made under oath.'' The defense attorney didn't specify which statements he wants excluded as evidence in Arpaio's trial. The Justice Department also asked a federal judge to reject Arpaio's request to bar two people illegally detained in his immigration patrols from testifying at trial. Lawyers for Arpaio said allowing such victim testimony would prejudice their client and be irrelevant in determining whether he committed a crime. They said the purpose of their testimony is to ``inflame the court's sense of passion.'' The federal lawyers said the detentions of the two victims after Arpaio was told that such arrests violated a court order are evidence of the lawman's guilt. AP
anchored to civil rights. He starts as a virtual unknown and Muslims make up a tiny percentage of people living in California. To be competitive and grow beyond a niche candidacy, he must craft a message that resonates with the large, diverse pool of voters in a state that is home to 1 of every 8 Americans. Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom, the incumbent, is barred by term limits from seeking a third term and is running for governor. Mahmood, a Democrat, said he did not think his religion would be an obstacle in a state known for diversity. Mahmood said his experience running a medical practice and volunteering at free clinics that treat poor populations gave him the credentials to campaign for health care reform. He supports protecting Obamacare and expanding Medicare to cover everyone. California's lieutenant gover-
nor post is largely ceremonial, but the lieutenant governor leads the state when the governor travels outside it and can break tie votes in the state Senate. The lieutenant governor also has a seat on the board of regents of the 10-campus University of California. Mahmood said he would use it to influence higher education reform. Mahmood said he wants to provide a free community college education and doesn't support fee hikes, such as the recent California State University tuition increase. ``I believe that education is the main asset that any nation can have, any society can have,'' he said. State Sen. Ed Hernandez, also a Democrat, is the only other declared candidate for lieutenant governor. The field is sure to grow ahead of the November 2018 vote. -AP
'Maryland immigration bill won't pass as is' Cont'd from Page 48
The Senate president's comments were made two days after U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions urged Maryland not to pass the bill. ``Maryland is talking about a state law to make the state a sanctuary state,'' Sessions told reporters at the White House. ``I would plead with the people of Maryland to understand that this makes the State of Maryland more at risk for violence and crime - that it's not good policy.'' The legislation in Maryland is being considered at a time when a rape case that allegedly happened in the bathroom of a Maryland high school has received national attention after the White House called it an example of why President Donald Trump wants to crack down on illegal immigration. Officials say one of the suspects charged in the case came to the U.S. from Guatemala illegally. Trump has signed a pair of executive orders aimed at illegal immigration, and his Homeland Security Department has made clear that just about any immigrant in the country illegally is a priority for deportation. Meanwhile, Maryland's Democrat-controlled legislature gave final approval to measures aimed at protecting the state from policies of the Trump administration.
One measure sent to Republican Gov. Larry Hogan provides $1 million a year beginning in fiscal year 2019 to the Maryland attorney general's office to hire more staff, in case the attorney general decides to sue the federal government. Earlier this session, the General Assembly empowered the state's Democratic attorney gen-
Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller
eral to sue the federal government without permission from the governor. A separate measure creates a commission to monitor federal actions that could affect health care in Maryland. The panel would include findings and recommendations in a report at the end of each year. -AP
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Philosophy
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question is raised whether an Avatar and a God-realized soul possess the same power and vision and carry out the same mission in this world. Surely, so far as the knowledge of God is concerned, both are on the same plane, but in the field of action the Avatar brings down the light and power of the supreme Truth to a greater mass of humanity than a God-realized soul does. The Avatar embodies not only the inner perfection of the Spirit but also exercises all the power and glory of the Divine: whereas a God-realized soul throws the light and power upon a smaller portion of humanity and works under certain limitations. It is rightly said that the God-realized soul can be compared to a well and an Avatar to a river in flood: while the former can satisfy the thirst of a few who seek the well, the swollen river spreads out its water all over the country allaying the thirst of innumerable beings and creatures. So in the spiritual awakening of humanity the work of an Avatar is decidedly more extensive and farreaching than that of a God-realized soul. Moreover there is a clear assertion made by the Avatar that he has descended on the earth with the special mission of liberating mankind from ignorance and bondage. A God-realized soul does not make such a declaration. HERMANN HESSE
G
reat masses of people these days live out their lives in a dull and loveless stupor. Sensitive persons find our inartistic manner of existence oppressive and painful, and they withdraw from sight… I believe what we lack is joy. The ardor that a heightened awareness imparts to life, the conception of life as a happy thing, as a festival… But the high value put upon every minute of time, the idea of hurry-hurry as the most important objective of living, is unquestionably the most dangerous enemy of joy. Our ways of enjoying ourselves are hardly less irritating and nerve-racking than the pressure of our work. "As much as possible, as fast as possible" is the motto. And so there is more and more entertainment and less and less joy… This morbid pursuit of enjoyment [is] spurred on by constant dissatisfaction and yet perpetually satiated. Let not the man who subscribes to a weekly theater series feel that he is losing something if he makes use of it only every other week. I guarantee: he will gain. I would simply like to reclaim an old and, alas, quite unfashionable private formula: Moderate enjoyment is double enjoyment.
We see that the great Avatars like Krishna, Christ, Buddha, Mohammed, and Zoroaster are saviors of humanity and redeemers of all fallen souls. Again if we study their teachings, we find Avatars have a message for the whole world. They preach universal love as the highest attainment which alone can establish unity, harmony, and brotherhood in the world. Some people would have us believe that the Avatars never existed
which the assumption of a physical body imposes upon Him. God, who is all in all, is at once limited and unlimited, finite and infinite, personal as well as impersonal. Encased in relative and perishable bodies as Avatars, God has through them exhibited omnipotent powers. They have done miraculous things which, judged by the unalterable laws of Nature, are impossible. Some may doubt whether the miracles did happen at all. They
lous powers. Apart from the power of performing miracles which Avatars possess, they release a world-redeeming spiritual force by which they transform men steeped in ignorance and sin into veritable angels of purity, wisdom, love, and peace. Whoever comes in contact with them even in thought and meditation becomes illumined by their light and power. Avatar is God Himself in human form.
Avatar releases light & power of Supreme Truth
Swami Ramdas
The Avatar embodies not only the inner perfection of the Spirit but also exercises all the power and glory of the Divine: whereas a God-realized soul throws the light and power upon a smaller portion of humanity
and that their lives have only an allegorical meaning and relate the inner transformation of a soul from ignorance to higher divine nature. This opinion also is not true. All the Avatars, after whom the principal religions of the world are founded, are historical personages. Their historicity is denied because it is hard for some people to accept that God who is infinite and impersonal could manifest Himself within the limitations
even go to the length of opining that they are sheer concoctions. This view cannot carry much weight with those faithful devotees who, after a sufficient advance on the spiritual path, have experienced the wonders of the inner life. They know that in the realm of the Spirit nothing is impossible. In the light of the writer's unique realizations, he can boldly declare that a person inspired by the spirit of God can reveal miracu-
Give your thought entirely to God and you are bound to realize that you are God Himself. Before the glory of this attainment, all other aspirations of man are flat and childish. The mind which constantly contemplates upon God, imbibes into its being His immortality, joy and love. Excerpted from The Divine Life. The 133rd birth anniversary of Swami Ramdas will be celebrated on April 10.
And: Do not overlook the little joys! The ability to cherish the "little joy" is intimately connected with the habit of moderation. For this ability, originally natural to every man, presupposes certain things which in modern daily life have largely become obscured or lost,
willing, an inexhaustible source of pleasure. When I walk to work in the morning I see many workers who have just crawled sleepily out of bed, hurrying in both directions, shivering along the streets. Most of them walk fast and keep their eyes on the pavement, or at most on the clothes
the scent of morning freshness that is bestowed on you between sleep and labor. Pay it some heed if you will have for the rest of the day a remnant of satisfaction and a touch of coexistence with nature. Gradually and without effort the eye trains itself to transmit many small
Moderate enjoyment is double enjoyment
Hermann Hesse
and faces of the passers-by. Heads up, dear friends! Just try it once - a tree, or at least a considerable section of sky, is to be seen anywhere. It does not even have to be blue sky; in some way or another the light of the sun always makes itself felt. Accustom yourself every morning to look for a moment at the sky and suddenly you will be aware of the air around you,
The only thing that is ultimately real about your journey is the step that you are taking at this moment. That's all there ever is. -Eckhart Tolle
I'm here to tell you that the path to peace is right there, when you want to get away. -Pema Chödrön
If you miss the present moment, you miss your appointment with life. That is very serious! - Thich Nhat Hanh
Practice is this life, and realization is this life, and this life is revealed right here and now. - Maezumi Roshi
If you want to change the world, start with the next person who comes to you in need. - B. D. Schiers
The high value put upon every minute of time, the idea of hurry-hurry as the most important objective of living, is unquestionably the most dangerous enemy of joy
mainly a measure of cheerfulness, of love, and of poesy. These little joys … are so inconspicuous and scattered so liberally throughout our daily lives that the dull minds of countless workers hardly notice them. They are not outstanding, they are not advertised, they cost no money! Our eyes, above all those misused, overstrained eyes of modern man, can be, if only we are
This is the real secret of life to be completely engaged with what you are doing in the here and now. And instead of calling it work, realize it is play. -Alan Watts
delights, to contemplate nature and the city streets, to appreciate the inexhaustible fun of daily life. From there on to the fully trained artistic eye is the smaller half of the journey; the principal thing is the beginning, the opening of the eyes. Excerpted from My Belief: Essays on Life and Art. Hermann Hesse was a German-born Swiss poet, novelist, and painter.
My experience is that the teachers we need most are the people we're living with right now. - Byron Katie
Throughout this life, you can never be certain of living long enough to take another breath. - Huang Po
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Let's ask for religious freedom in Saudi Arabia DR JOSEPH D'SOUZA
D
uring the past 20 years, eight British universities - among them Ox ford and Cambridge have taken more than $292 million from Saudi Arabia and other Islamic governments. These contributions represent "the largest source of external funding to UK universities," according to the director of Brunel University's Center for Intelligence and Security Studies. This phenomenon is also not confined to the United Kingdom: Harvard alone has received more than $30 million from the Saudi government. Stop and think about this. Money used to fund professorships, scholarships and centers of study is coming from regimes with long histories of violating religious freedoms. As well-intentioned as the contributors might be, it is clear these contributions are not arriving without strings attached. A cynic might say that they are buying off professors and universities in order to advance their own agenda, even while forbidding similar activities within their own countries. They are happy to exploit Western freedoms in order to strengthen their own theocracies. They're not just doing it via the academy, either. Saudi Arabia also plays a significant role in the establishment of mosques - the centerpieces of Muslim communities - across the world. According to a hearing conducted before the Subcommittee on Terrorism, Technology and Homeland Security in 2003, the vast majority of mosques in the United States were then under Saudi influence. In all, it is estimated that Saudi Arabia has spent more than $100 billion to spread the country's worldview. Saudis want and enjoy free-
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am totally supportive of the broad objectives of Swarjya Abhiyan that seeks to have clean, honest and transparent government in India. The crusade for a cleaner and responsive government moved well but there was a bit misfiring in that Kejriwal got at the helm of affairs. He did not live up to the ideals he advocated and betrayed them while getting into power.
doms around the world, but we must ask ourselves: Where is the equal religious freedom offered by the Saudi government toward people of Buddhist, Hindu or Christian faith, or even atheists, in their own country? Rather, Saudi Arabia remains one of the most oppressive regimes in the world when it comes to freedom of conscience. A recent USCIRF report on the country says Saudi Arabia "continues to prosecute, imprison and flog individuals for dissent, apostasy, blasphemy and sorcery." The Kingdom has been designated as a "country of particular concern" by
Money used to fund professorships, scholarships and centers of study is coming from regimes with long histories of violating religious freedoms the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom. Not long ago, I learned about a group of Indian Christians who were arrested in Saudi Arabia during a raid conducted on a private home worship service. While they were all eventually released, the Saudi authorities notified them that their permits for working and living in the country would not be renewed. Once they expire, the Indian Christians have to leave the country. On the other hand, right now an extremist religious preacher wanted by the Indian government - who has received massive funding from the U.K. and Saudi Arabia - enjoys safe haven in Saudi Arabia.
And while cases like these freely happen in Saudi Arabia, the Kingdom is allowed to funnel billions of dollars to countries to promote their brand of Islam - that exportation certainly contributed to the 9/11 attack on New York. This hypocrisy must end. The free exportation of extremist ideologies -religious or atheistic - is what drives people to violence and the curtailment of freedoms. The international community must adopt a reciprocal approach to religious tolerance in response to those nations that abuse our freedoms while forbidding freedom among their own. It is high time that the West, with its evolved understanding of freedom of conscience and liberty, begins to ask for this kind of reciprocity in bilateral relations with nations. The "Religious Freedom International Reciprocity Enhancement Act," introduced last July in the U.S. Congress, is an example of the type of action that nations may take to protect themselves from the inadvertent importing or exporting of ideology promoting bigotry, intolerance and persecution. The act would forbid a national of any country that limits the free exercise of religion from spending money in the United States to promote a religion. Money is also raised in America and the U.K. among Diaspora communities to fund religious extremist groups (not just Islamic groups) in Asia, the Middle East, Africa and Europe. America needs to act and not be focused on economic considerations only. More countries need to adopt similar and other measures. Rev. Dr. Joseph D'Souza is the Moderating Bishop of the Good Shepherd Church and Associated Ministries of India.
Proactive US U
S Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley is throwing broad hints about how the US foreign policy under the new Trump administration is changing. Recently she made two statements which could have a bearing on its relations with India; good or bad cannot be gauged at this moment. At a press conference she was asked about permanent members of UN Security Council vetoing efforts to get terrorists sanctioned. It was a veiled reference to China scuttling Indian and US efforts for a UN ban on Pakistan based terrorist leader, Jaish-e-Mohammed's Masood Azhar. Nikki Haley said a veto "doesn't preclude the US from acting and it certainly does not preclude us from trying to see if we can change that as well." This was a big departure from US practice of looking helpless after a veto is used in the Security Council. This Haley approach is absolutely new. Here she was saying a UN veto will no longer bar the US from acting the way it wants to in a situation. She said the US would prefer that the UN Security Council acted jointly, but if it doesn't do so it will act on its own, which means defying the veto. "Our goal is to get more done together than we do separately. If we cannot get it done separately then we just move in another direction to still get the same things done," she asserted. This should send some chill down some spines in Pakistan who have been depending on Security Council member China to bail them out even as they continue to spread terror in India and its neighborhood. Haley clearly spelled out that the new government was "a very aggressive administration because we feel like in order to lead we need to act." Another point Nikii Haley made at the press conference was US intention to intervene to reduce tensions between India and Pakistan. This should ring alarm bells in India. She said the US would try and "find its place" in efforts to deescalate Indo-Pak tensions and not wait till "something happens", indicating that President Donald Trump could play a role in such endeavors. The previous Obama administration had maintained that Kashmir was a bilateral issue between the two South Asian neighbors and it was for them to resolve it. Both answers relating to India indicate that the US administration is not going to sit back and see international developments taking place without its participation. No longer laissez faire, the US is going to be proactive in international affairs in a big way. But it is not only China which should beware; India may also have to deal with a proactive US and should be feverishly doing its home work.
Swarajya Abhiyan should support Modi & BJP Shanti Bhushan and Prashant Bhushan supported Aam Aadmi Movement and exited once they realized that it is not going in the direction that it should. They started Swarajya Abhiyan which is a good move but it is directing its criticism at the BJP government and PM Modi who could be their natural allies. The aim should be to dismantle the corrupt edifice created by Congress and its unprincipled
allies. AAP leader Kejriwal fits into that category the way he somersaulted on many of his promises by seeking to cling to power. As for the Modi government, one has to understand that five decades of misrule, dirt and loot by previous leaders could not be wiped out easily whoever be at the helm. The crying need of the time is to change our Constitution to remove many discrepancies. Rede-
fining secularism and ensuring real adherents to the idea, ending caste based reservation and finding ways and means to lift socially and economically backward people, getting a strong center , preferably a Presidential form of government, that will do away with directionless Parliament hobbled by parties with communal and caste affiliations. We need not only a purposeful government but also a strong
Disclaimer :- India Post does not endorse opinions expressed in the letters.
government that upholds our Sanatan values and age old time tested norms. Bhushans are lawyers and many of us wish they use their time and energy to help the country and right minded Indians across the world to feel secure that Bharat is one piece, maintaining its rightful place in the world community. Surendra Ullal Chicago
April 7, 2017
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