Indiapost 09 19 2014

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Obama meets Spelling Bee champs Details on page 5

Kashmiris in US offer to J&K telemedicine Details on page 9

Dr Vyas sets up trauma training centers in India

VOL 20, No. 1044

September 19, 2014

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Periodical Postage

MAJOR BLOW TO BJP IN BYPOLLS Worst hit in Uttar Pradesh

NEW DELHI: The BJP was dealt a major blow in the Assembly by-elections in Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Gujarat, which it had swept in the Lok Sabha polls four months ago, as it lost 13 of the 23 seats held by it.

Considered yet another test of popularity of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the reverses come on top of the party's disappointing performance in the assembly by-elections in Bihar, Uttarakhand, Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh in

the last two months.

Out of the 32 Assembly seats across nine states for which counting of votes was taken up, BJP won 12, Congress seven and Samajwadi Party eight while TDP, Trinamool Congress, AIUDF and CPI(M) bagged one each. One seat in Sikkim was won by an Independent.

Counting in Antagarh in Chhattisgarh, held by BJP, will be taken up on September 20.

Details on page 5

Narendra Modi

Red carpet welcome awaits Modi Details on page 6

Modi's speech to be beamed live at Times Square Details on page 6

PM to speak in Hindi in UN Assembly

Details on page 16 Details on page 6

Krishna Bansal in fray; gets big response

China opposes India-Vietnam oil deal

Details on page 17

Details on page 9

Shah Rukh's San Jose show will be spectacular

CONTENTS Bollywood ---------------------- 28-29 Classifieds ------------------------- 52

Details on page 25

Community Post -------------- 16-26 Date Book -------------------------- 47

INDIA POST SURVEY

Edit Page --------------------------- 54

survey@indiapost.com

HealthScience Post --------- 32-35

This week’s question

Horoscope ------------------------- 51

Modi needs to control cadres in UP?

Immigration Post ------------- 44-46 Life Style ----------------------- 48-50

Last week’s result

Should J&K elections in December be put off?

YES 73%

NO 27%

Philosophy ------------------------- 53 Publisher’s Diary ------------------ 4

MASSIVE AIRLIFT: Rescued people onboard an IAF C-17 Globemaster aircraft being carried to Delhi from Srinagar on September 15. (Details on page 8)

Real Estate -------------------- 36-37 TechBiz Post ------------------- 12-15 Travel & Hospitality Post ---- 40-43

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September 19, 2014

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

Publisher’s Diary

T

hirteen years since terrorists ploughed airplanes into the World Trade Center buildings, several immigrant communities in the United States continue to suffer its after effects - in the form of hate.

Thousands of detentions, deportations, prosecutions; bombings in terror havens Afghanistan and Pakistan; and of course the killing of Osama bin Laden later, one would have thought people would find enough reason to move on.

Unfortunately, however, all the measures to secure America have failed to assure Americans, many of who are still on the edge when it comes to tolerance and rational thinking towards people who, they think, are different from them.

Sustained efforts over the years to create awareness, educate and extend outreach to mainstream communities have apparently been falling short considering there is an alarming rise in the number of hate crimes against Muslim and other South Asian communities that are increasingly facing a hostile climate in the country.

Giving statistical evidence is this worrisome report released last week by the advocacy group South Asian Americans Leading Together (SAALT) that found South Asian, Muslim, Hindu, Sikh, Middle Eastern and Arab communities are experiencing consistently high numbers of hate violence incidents and a surge in xenophobic political rhetoric aimed at these communities.

The report documents over 150 incidents of hate violence - about one every 3.5 days - and xenophobic rhetoric by political figures and government officials across the country, between 2011 and April this year.

Unfortunately, the threat perception from potential terror attacks is only too real to ignore what with newer movements gaining ground in Iraq and Syria.

While world leaders are conferencing to find a way to tackle a possible caliphate creation, at home we are facing a growing number of rabble rousing politicians whipping up hatred. The SAALT report actually found a 40% annual average increase in xenophobic political comments since its last analysis four years ago.

Considering all that has already been done and is being done by concerned groups and governmental agencies to foster tolerance, what else can one do to deal with this situation? I'm afraid there are no easy answers in today's anger filled world.

Romesh K Japra

rkjapra@indiapost.com

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HIGHLIGHTS Bollywood: Journalist-prostitute In Rajkumar Hirani's 'PK', it has been revealed that Anushka Sharma plays a journalist who is secretly a prostitute.

Cover Story: Blow to BJP The BJP has been dealt a major blow in the Assembly by-elections in Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Gujarat

Community: Trauma training Dr Dinesh Vyas plans opening two trauma training centers in India - one in Jaipur and the other in Himachal Pradesh.

Deportations slowed President Barack Obama has quietly slowed deportations by nearly 20 percent while delaying plans to act on his own

Life style: Miss America Miss New York Kira Kazantsev has won the Miss America pageant with the help of a red plastic cup.

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Top producer India is all set to beat China and become the top cotton producer this year, the US has said in a report.

Siliguri Siliguri, located in the Himalayan plains, is gateway to the main hill stations in the Himalayan ranges.

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September 19, 2014

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Major blow to BJP in bypolls Worst hit in Uttar Pradesh NEW DELHI: The BJP was dealt a major blow in the Assembly by-elections in Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Gujarat, which it had swept in the Lok Sabha polls four months ago, as it lost 13 of the 23 seats held by it.

Considered yet another test of popularity of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the reverses come on top of the party's disappointing performance in the assembly by-elections in Bihar, Uttarakhand, Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh in the last two months.

Out of the 32 Assembly seats

held for the first time in 12 years sans Narendra Modi.

All the seats in Uttar Pradesh (11), Gujarat (9) and Rajasthan (4) were held by BJP and the bypolls were necessitated after the MLAs were elected to the Lok Sabha.

Gloating over BJP's reverses, the Congress and Samajwadi Party called it a defeat of the communal forces. They said people had rejected the Narendra Modi Government and BJP's "politics of polarization".

The BJP, which is hoping to do well in the coming assembly elections in Maharashtra and

Entry in Bengal The only solace for BJP on an otherwise dismal day was its entry in West Bengal Assembly. BJP candidate Shamik Bhattacharya won the Basirhat Dakshin seat in North 24 parganas district by a margin of 1,586 votes against his nearest Trinamool Congress rival and former Indian soccer captain Dipendu Biswas. The seat was earlier held by CPI (M).

BJP retained the Vadodara Lok Sabha seat, vacated by Prime Minister Modi, albeit with a reduced margin. Ranjanben Bhatt

BJP activists dance in-front of their party office to celebrate their victory in Basirhat Dakshin Constituency in State Assembly by-election in Kolkata on September 16

across nine states for which counting of votes was taken up, BJP won 12, Congress seven and Samajwadi Party eight while TDP, Trinamool Congress, AIUDF and CPI(M) bagged one each. One seat in Sikkim was won by an Independent. Counting in Antagarh in Chhattisgarh, held by BJP, will be taken up on September 20.

It was Uttar Pradesh, where the BJP was on a high after a near-total sweep of the 80 Lok Sabha seats, that delivered a humiliating blow to the saffron party as it lost seven of the 10 seats held by it as well as one belonging to its ally Apna Dal to the ruling Samajwadi Party.

BSP's absence in the by-elections had made it a virtual straight fight between BJP and SP, which has bounced back after the drubbing in Lok Sabha polls. The saffron party's campaign on issues like 'Love Jihad' also apparently did not bring them any electoral gains.

Equally crushing was the defeat in Rajasthan where BJP conceded three of the four seats to Congress, which also managed to wrest three of the nine seats in Gujarat, where the elections were

Haryana, conceded that the bypoll results were not up to expectations and said that people had voted on local issues.

thumped her Congress rival Narendra Rawat by over 3.29 lakh votes. Modi had won the seat by 5.7 lakh votes.

In the other two Lok Sabha by-

Samajwadi Party supporters celebrate to mark party’s victory in UP Assembly elections in Lucknow on September 16

elections, Mainpuri in Uttar Pradesh, the stronghold of ruling SP, Tej Pratap Singh, the grand nephew of Mulayam Singh Yadav, defeated BJP's Prem Singh Skahkya by a margin of more than 3.21 lakh votes.

Mulayam had vacated the seat after he chose to retain Azamgarh.

In Medak Lok Sabha constituency in Telangana, the ruling TRS retained the seat vacated by party chief K Chandrasekhar Rao. Its candidate K Prabhakar Reddy won by 3,61,277 votes.

In Uttar Pradesh, out of 11 assembly seats, Samajwadi Party won eight seats and BJP three. In Gujarat, BJP won six seats and Congress three, while in Rajasthan Congress bagged three and BJP one. In Andhra Pradesh, ruling TDP retained the Nandigama seat.

In West Bengal, Trinamool and BJP won one seat each. The BJP also made other advances in east-

ern region wresting Silchar constituency in Assam from the Congress. The All India United Democratic Front and the ruling Congress retained Jamunamukh and Lakhipur seats respectively in the state.

CPI-M won the Manu (ST) Assembly constituency in Tripura while Independent candidate R N Chamling, brother of Chief Minister Pawan Kumar Chamling, won Rangang-Yangang assembly seat in Sikkim by 708 votes defeating his nearest Sikkim Democratic Front (SDF) nominee.

Last month, the saffron party suffered a 4-6 defeat at the hands of the RJD-JD (U)-Congress alliance in Bihar and yielded two strongholds to Congress in Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh in the by-elections. In July, it lost all the three assembly seats in Uttarakhand to Congress in the by-elections.-PTI

Obama meets Spelling Bee champs

President Barack Obama meets Spelling Bee co-champions, Sriram Hathway and Ansun Sujoe in the Oval Office (White House) on September 15

WASHINGTON: US President Barack Obama might be one of the world's most powerful men but he is no spelling champion as he failed to spell two words correctly given to him by this year's IndianAmerican co-champions of the prestigious Spelling Bee contest.

"He (the President) is very humble. I think he (Obama) is appropriate for the job," Sriram Hathway from New York told PTI in an interview, moments after he and co-champion of Scripps National Spelling Bee Ansun Sujoe from Texas met the US President at his Oval Office on Sept 15.

The two co-champions were accompanied by their proud parents in their interaction with Obama, who had invited them to the White House.

Soon after Sriram, 14, and Ansun,

13, were declared co-champions of this year's Spelling Bee, Obama had tweeted, "Congrats to Ansun and Sriram, the incredible co-champs of the #ScrippsNationalSpellingBee. You make us all proud!". This was for the first time since 1962 that the annual spelling contest had ended in a tie.

"The President greeted us. He is very nice. He talked to us little bit. He gave us some advice. He also spelled a couple of words for us. Like the two words we misspelled - corpsbruder and antigropelos. He did not spell them correctly.

But it was quite fun to hear it and to talk with the President and interact," Ansun told PTI outside the White House after his memorable meeting with Obama.

Cont’d on page 10

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Modi's speech to be beamed live at Times Square WASHINGTON: Prime Minister Narendra Modi's address to nearly 20,000 Indian-Americans in New York during his US visit will be beamed live on the giant screens of the iconic Times Square.

His speech at the Madison Square Garden in midtown Man-

subtitles.

For the audio, people can either dial a toll free number to listen the speech live or download an app on their smart phone, people familiar with the event told PTI. Modi is scheduled to address a 20,000 packed crowd inside the Madison Square Garden for which

Narendra Modi

hattan, New York, on September 28 will be shown at Times Square with Indian American Community Foundation (IACF), organizers of the mega event, signing a memorandum of understanding in this regard with Times Square Alliance.

The speech, shown live on the giant screens of the Times Square -considered to be the hub of New York City - would carry English

nearly 40,000 people had applied from across the nation.

The live telecast of the speech is expected to help some of these people to listen to Modi's speech at the Times Square - another historic venue of the New York City.

Meanwhile, it is learnt that IACF has raised about USD 1.5 million for the mega event, while donations are still pouring in from

PM to speak in Hindi in UN General Assembly NEW DELHI: Prime Minister to address the United Nations GenNarendra Modi will deliver his eral Assembly on September 27. speech at the UN General AssemThe Home Minister said 55 per bly in New York in Hindi, Home cent population of the country Minister Rajnath Singh said here. speaks Hindi while 85 to 90 per Addressing a function orga- cent people in the country undernized on the occasion of Hindi Di- stand Hindi even though it is not vas, the Home Minister said Atal Bihari Vajpayee was the first The Home Minister said 55 Prime Minister to deliver per cent population of the his speech in the United Nations in Hindi. country speaks Hindi while "I, as a Minister, once had delivered my 85 to 90 per cent people in speech in the United the country understand Hindi Nations in Hindi.... Our Prime Minister Narendra Modi will deliver his speech in their mother tongue.

United Nations in Hindi.

Singh said people like Bal "The Prime Minister also Gangadhar Tilak, Shyama Prasad speaks Hindi when he meets for- Mookerjee, Mahatma Gandhi and eign dignitaries," he said amidst N Gopalaswami Ayyangar had adapplause at a function organized vocated expansion and popularat Rashtrapati Bhavan. President ization of Hindi even though their Pranab Mukherjee was present at mother tongues were different. the function.

"Hindi is the common language The Prime Minister is expected of the country," he said. -PTI

across the United States. Thousands of people have made donations to IACF through its website.

Majority of the donations have come from individuals, an IACF official said on condition of anonymity, adding that they are very strict on corporate donations.

IACF is bringing out a souvenir magazine for the occasion and sponsors of the pages are being offered complimentary seats which are a few hundred.

Such is the response that IACF has run out of those pages in the souvenir and the associated complimentary seats for the Madison Square Garden event, according to one individual familiar with the planning.

IACF has already announced that money raised in excess would be donated to charitable and nonprofit organizations.

Tickets to the events are free, although prior registration is required.

Each attendee will be given a "souvenir", a glossy full color magazine with content that celebrates the Indian Diaspora, the common values of democracy, and content about the Prime Minister and the historic election which his party won.

Cost of advertisement in the souvenir range from USD 2,500 to USD 35,000. -PTI

Key issues of security to be discussed WASHINGTON: The US has said it shares a very broad relationship with India and key issues of security, economy and energy among others would be discussed during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's maiden visit to the country.

"We are all looking forward to welcoming Prime Minister Modi to Washington for a number of meetings," State Department Deputy Spokesperson Marie Harf told foreign correspondents at a news conference here.

"This is a broad relationship we have with India in a whole host of areas. Certainly security; I'm sure we'll talk a lot about security issues. Environmental issues, energy issues, economic issues - our relationship with India really is a very broad one where we talk about a whole range of topics," she said in response to a question.

The United States, she said, wants India to have good relationships with all the countries in the region, including China. -PTI

Red carpet welcome awaits Modi WASHINGTON: The Obama India, US officials say, under Administration is leaving no Modi would play a key role not stone unturned to woo Prime only in South Asia, but also in Minister Narendra Modi during South East Asia. his maiden visit to the US which In fact, India-US relationship is expected to take the strategic has been identified as one of the bilateral relationship to the next top four priorities by both level and unleash the potential Obama and Secretary of State of economic and trade ties.

John Kerry this year, officials The administration here is said. gearing up to give a red carpet "The two leaders will discuss welcome to Prime Minister Modi a range of issues of mutual inwhen he arrives in Washington terest in order to expand and on September 29 from New York deepen the US-India strategic where he would attend the an- partnership. They will discuss nual General Assembly session ways to accelerate economic of the United Nations. growth, bolster security coopThe discussion between eration, and collaborate in acModi and Obama over two days tivities that bring long-term benin Washington is expected to efits to both countries and the take the bilateral relationship to world," the White House had the next level in terms of defense said in a statement earlier while and strategic ties, co-operation formally announcing the visit. in the field of space and counter"They will also focus on reterrorism and unleash the potential of economic and The discussion between trade ties, sources Modi and Obama over two familiar with the preparations told days in Washington is exPTI. On September pected to take the bilateral 29, Obama is likely relationship to the next level to host Modi for a small working din- in terms of defense and ner, which is rarely accorded to a visit- strategic ties ing foreign leader.

The maiden meeting between gional issues, including current the two leaders on September developments in Afghanistan, 29 would help Obama and Modi Syria and Iraq, where India and to know each other and prepare the United States can work tothe ground for the next day's gether with partners towards a meeting at the White House. positive outcome," the White Soon after his electoral vic- House had said adding that tory, Obama had called Modi to Obama looks forward to workcongratulate him and invited ing with Modi to fulfill the promhim to visit Washington. ise of the US-India strategic Thereafter the two leaders partnership for the benefit of have not spoken over phone, both their citizens and the world. but there has been an exchange After a dinner on September of letters between the two.

29, the two leaders are schedObama, who of late has been uled to meet at the White House tied up on the foreign policy for a substantive talk on Sepfront over developments in the tember 30.

Middle East - Syria, Iraq, Iran, "The fact that there will be Israel-Palestine and Ukraine - is interactions over two days is a looking forward to meeting signal of the importance we Modi and exchange views on place on the US-India relationinternational issues of concern. ship," said Caitlin Hayden, Encouraged by the steps Spokesperson of the National taken by the Modi government Security Council. in its first 100 days, the Obama While Modi's Joint Address Administration sees an India to the US Congress could not that is of great strategic signifi- happen due to the November cance and can act as a stabiliz- elections, a large number of lawing force in the entire Asia Pa- makers are believed to have recific region. quested a meeting with the A strong and prosperous In- Prime Minister. dia, US officials argue, is in the Organizers of Modi's trip are best interest of the United having a tough time in schedulStates. ing these meetings.-PTI

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Life slowly moving to normalcy Need to boost bilateral trade to $1 tn: Think-tank in Kashmir SRINAGAR: After eleven days, life is slowly returning to normalcy in Kashmir but the extent of damage caused by devastating floods is still unfolding.

Water has receded to a large extent in Jhelum River and in the main flood canal, which kept over-

homes.

People can be seen enquiring about each other's well- being and their relatives and friends.

Each one has a story about how water suddenly started entering on September 6, first in the colonies and then into their houses.

Volunteers rescuing flood affected people in Srinagar on September 16

flowing for at least three days and caused unprecedented flooding in residential areas.

A number of areas have been cleared of water while dewatering is being done in several colonies of Srinagar city by pumps of ONGC and fire services.

Several areas still remain marooned, particularly in the old city, but relief material is being sent to the people who have been temporarily shifted to safe places within the flooded areas.

As the dewatering work is progressing, people, who had left their marooned houses or were evacuated, are now going back to check the damage caused to their

"We first thought water may rise to some level but nobody had imagined that it would come up to even 12 feet in some areas," said Mohd Shafi of Gogji Bagh area where dewatering is underway in full swing.

There are reports of thefts in the houses which had been vacated.

With many main roads being cleared of water, public transport has started plying in the areas where flooding has ended and movement of people has increased, leading to traffic jams at several places. Some key roads, like the one leading to the airport, continue to be inaccessible due

Kashmiri Americans offer telemedicine to flood victims WASHINGTON: As fears grew over potential spread of waterborne diseases in the flood-ravaged Jammu and Kashmir, the Kashmiri Americans have offered telemedicine facility through Skype and phone to the affected people in the state.

The Kashmiri Overseas Association (KOA), in partnership with Grand Opinion, has decided to provide free consultations to the flood-ravaged people in anticipation of medical and infectious diseases to avoid morbidity and mortality, a statement said.

"KOA has a database of Kashmiri Pandit physicians in almost all specialties and we will be happily providing such services

on a volunteer basis at no cost to the beneficiary and that too from the comfort of their homes," it said adding, medium that could be utilized ranges from telephones to Skype.

Grand Opinion will be providing the service 24x7 through KOA physician database and all physicians from the world over can participate in this service.

"I request all Kashmiri Pandit physicians all over the world to come forward and contribute in this humanitarian service and set a leading example of the core values of the community - universal brotherhood, benevolence, righteousness, truthfulness," said Surinder Kaul, President of KOA. -PTI

to water-logging.

The historic Lal Chowk and its adjoining areas and the vicinity of Badami Bagh Cantonment are still flooded.

Shops are also being reopened with the owners trying to retrieve whatever material has escaped the water fury.

The situation on availability of essential supplies, like vegetables and LPG which had suddenly become rare, is also improving. The power scenario is also better as also the communication network.

With life showing signs of returning to normalcy, security forces and police personnel are also back on the roads at various places.

However, the extent of damage is still unfolding.

There are reports about a number of houses collapsing. Also the exact number of those who perished is also being ascertained.-PTI

Vodafone ensuring connectivity for customers CHANDIGARH: Telecom major Vodafone has said it is ensuring connectivity for its customers by restoring its network and providing connectivity to other subscribers through the intra-circle roaming (ICR) arrangement in flood-hit Jammu and Kashmir.

The important towns where telecom services have been restored are Srinagar, Ganderbal, Anantang, Pahalgam, Ashmuqam, Seer, Mattan, Qazigund, Kukernag, Achabal, Pulwama, Tral, Awantipora, Chadoora, Budgam, Charare Sharif, Magam, Bandipora, Sopore, Pattan, Baramula, Gulmarg, Drugmulla, Keeri and Handwara, a company release said.

The important places where services were restored include Hazratbal, Lal Chowk, Budgam Railway Station and Airport.

Six out of eight Base Switching Centre of Kashmir have been made live and paired with Jammu's Main Switching Centre.

"We have approximately 700 sites (including ICR) providing coverage in the Valley. We have around 3 lakh active customer base, which is around 73 per cent of our total base before network went down," it said. -PTI

WASHINGTON: Ahead of the portunities in India, the think-tank meeting between Prime Minister said India needs to build a Silicon Narendra Modi and US President Swadesh - a robust entrepreneurBarack Obama later this month, an ial ecosystem, modeled on Silicon eminent Indian think-tank has Valley - to support homegrown said the two nations need to take innovation and entrepreneurship. steps to increase their bilateral According to the paper, India trade to USD 1 trillion by 2030. needs to build a ramp for poverty The paper titled The India-US alleviation which would enable the Partnership: USD 1 Trillion by 42 per cent of Indians that live 2030, by Mumbai-based Gateway under the World Bank poverty House, released here argues that line of USD 1.25 a day to access to elevate the bilateral trade from the services of NGOs and social USD 120 billion in 2013 to USD 1 entrepreneurs. trillion in 2030, the two countries "The country needs to take need to adopt a different path for advantage of next generation its bilateral trade. technologies for which it is well It says the paths should be suited, such as synthetic biology, based on hockey-stick curve more 3D printing, mobile, social and big typical of tech start-ups and one data, to create an industrial base that will bring India into the group of the three other countries outside The think-tank said India the G7, which have a deep economic tie with needs to build a Silicon the US: Israel, Mexico Swadesh - a robust and South Korea.

Authored by Nish entrepreneurial ecosystem, Acharya, a senior advimodeled on Silicon sor at Northeastern University, the paper Valley - to support identifies four positions for India and the US to homegrown innovation pursue for the success of the engagement. in India from which products and Technology, then as now, pre- services can be sold and jobs cresents the springboard for the fu- ated," it said. ture of a vigorous India-US partThe US is a pioneer in many of nership, it said. these technologies, and a fruitful In order to tackle India's devel- collaboration between the two opment challenges, it is necessary countries would involve mainly to create a 'surge' - a rapid and research and sales, the paper said. intense deployment of talented Observing that Indian-Ameriindividuals and technical experts cans have contributed largely to to address the critical and imme- the entrepreneurial, small busidiate challenges - in areas such ness and healthcare sectors in the as energy, infrastructure, US, the research paper says India healthcare and agriculture, the can continue to feed skilled propaper said. fessionals in the US. "A surge provides an opportuThe think-tank said the US can nity to invite companies and ex- leverage the customer base of 100 perts from the US to begin work- million Indians who study and work ing on these critical areas," it said. abroad and maintain a connection Noting that technologies can to the US throughout their lives as create millions of new jobs and op- their relatives reside there. -PTI

No proposal for Modi-Sharif meeting in New York NEW DELHI: Pakistan has said it was not aware of any proposal for a meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif in New York on the margins of UN General Assembly this month.

"As of this moment, I am not aware of any proposal on this (Modi-Sharif meeting)," Pakistan High Commissioner to In-

dia Abdul Basit said here at a function.

While Prime Minister Modi will be in New York from September 26 to 29, Sharif is scheduled to be there from September 22 to 27. Though there is an overlapping of small period when both the leaders will be there, a meeting is unlikely given the frosty ties between the two countries.-PTI

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China opposes India-Vietnam oil deal 'within its waters' BEIJING: China has made it clear that it will "not support" the India-Vietnam agreement to enable ONGC to explore two more oil wells if they fall within the waters of the disputed South China

try.

"We have noted President's (Mukherjee) visit to Vietnam. I would like to point out that China has indisputable sovereignty over Nansha islands and adjacent

The reference to Nansha islands is what Vietnam calls Paracel islands which are part of a major dispute between Beijing and Hanoi. It is not clear where the two oil wells will be located Sea administered by it.

Asked for his reaction to the agreement signed during President Pranab Mukherjee's current visit to Vietnam, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Hong Lei said China has no objection to any "legitimate and lawful" agreement between Vietnam and a third coun-

waters," he said.

"We hold no objection to legitimate and lawful agreement between Vietnam and a third country. But one thing is to be clear. If such agreement concerns waters administered by China or if such cooperation project is not approved by the Chinese govern-

Maldives gives GMRscrapped contract to China BEIJING: China has clinched the multi-million dollar deal to upgrade Male's international airport for which the Maldives had earlier contracted Indian firm GMR but unilaterally terminated the agreement in 2012.

During President Xi Jinping's just-concluded visit to the Maldives, China bagged a number of infrastructure projects and also secured Male's support for a grand plan of 21st century Mari-

China will examine the viability of building a bridge linking the capital Male to the nearby island of Hulhule, where the Ibrahim Nasir International Airport is located, Xi told his Maldivian counterpart Abdulla Yameen.

A preliminary contract agreement expanding and upgrading the airport was also signed, state-run China Daily reported. GMR was involved with the airport project but was asked to leave abruptly in

Chinese President Xi Jinping (left) shakes hands with Maldives President Abdulla Yameen at the President’s Office in the capital island Male on Sept 15

time Silk Road, which was expected to further Beijing's economic and strategic interests.

A housing and a road project involving China was unveiled which is part of a number of infrastructure projects that include building a landmark bridge and upgrading the main airport in the island country, official media here reported.

2012.The over USD 500-million airport development project was unilaterally scrapped by the then Maldivian government headed by President Mohamed Waheed.

A legal tussle is on between the Maldivian government and GMR over termination of the contract.

The two sides are currently in arbitration before the Singapore Court of Appeal.-PTI

ment, then we will be concerned about such an agreement and we will not support it," he said.

Hong separately clarified to Indian media later that this is China's stand about oil exploration agreements between Vietnam and any other country, not simply India.

The reference to Nansha islands is what Vietnam calls Paracel islands which are part of a major dispute between Beijing and Hanoi.

It is not clear where the two oil wells will be located.

China has conveyed similar objections about previous well allotted to ONGC by Hanoi.

China virtually claims almost all of the South China Sea. Its claims of sovereignty are firmly opposed

by Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei.-PTI

India, Vietnam ink 7 pacts; call for 'freedom' of navigation HANOI: Strategically important oil and gas cooperation and extension of a USD 100 million credit by India for defense purchases are among the seven pacts inked between India and Vietnam

Asia. They agreed that freedom of navigation in the East Sea/ South China Sea should not be impeded and called the parties concerned to exercise restraint, avoid threat or use of force and

'Oriental wisdom' can solve border dispute: China NEW DELHI: On the eve of its President's maiden visit to India, China has advocated "oriental wisdom" to resolve the contentious boundary dispute and said with enough willingness and determination, a proper solution to the issue would be found.

The thorny boundary question will be among the "substantive issues" that will be discussed when Chinese President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold talks first in Ahemdabad during a private dinner for the visiting dignitary and then in New Delhi on September 18.

In an interview to PTI, newlyappointed Chinese Ambassador to India Le Yucheng said, "As countries with a long history of civilization, China and India have inherited some problems from history, but more importantly we have inherited oriental wisdom on how to solve problems...I believe that, with enough willingness and determination, we'll find a proper solution to the boundary issues eventually."

"Practical experience has proved that as long as we respect and care for each other's concerns and insist on managing differences through dialogue and consultation, it is fully possible to handle the boundary-related issues properly, and create favorable conditions and atmosphere for the final settlement of the boundary as well as for the development of our bilateral relations," he said.-PTI

President Pranab Mukherjee raising a toast with his Vietnamese counterpart Truong Tan Sang during signing of agreements and MoUs in in Hanoi on September 15

as they called for "freedom" of resolve disputes through peacenavigation in the South China Sea, ful means in accordance with unia remark that could irk China versally recognized principles of which has been claiming territo- international law, including the rial sovereignty over the high UNCLOS-1982," said a joint seas. communiquĂŠ issued after the meetThe agreements were signed ing. during the second day of the fourChina has been exerting its inday state visit of President Pranab fluence in these waters which is Mukherjee who held talks with his not taken well by Vietnam and Vietnamese counterpart Truong other bordering countries like the Tan Sang here.

Philippines. Beijing has also obBoth the countries decided to jected to India's exploration strengthen and deepen bilateral projects in the Vietnamese oil ties on the basis of the strategic blocks. partnership with focus on politiAmong the seven pacts inked, cal, defense and security cooperation.

They decided to step China has been exerting up collaboration in the economic sector, sci- its influence in these waters ence and technology, which is not taken well by culture and people-toVietnam and other people links.

In a subtle message to China, India and Viet- bordering countries like nam, who established the Philippines strategic ties in 2007, asserted that the freedom of navigation in the disputed a Letter of Intent (LoI) was signed waters of the resource-rich South between the ONGC Videsh LimChina Sea should not be "im- ited (OVL) and Vietnam Oil and Gas peded" and called all the parties Group (PetroVietnam). "concerned" to exercise restraint The LoI is aimed at further conin this context. solidating cooperation between "The leaders reiterated their India and Vietnam in energy secdesire and determination to work tor and pave the way for future together to maintain peace, sta- collaboration between the two bility, growth and prosperity in countries. -PTI

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Ex-CAG is 'happy' over defamation notice NEW DELHI: Unfazed by Congress leader Sanjay Nirupam's legal notice to him demanding an unconditional apology, former CAG Vinod Rai has said he was rather "happy" about it as the purpose of his book was to initiate a public debate.

At the same time, Rai said that a larger issue needs to be debated on what is the recourse available to a public functionary like CAG "if somebody calls him names sitting in the Public Accounts Committee (PAC)".

The comments came a day after the former MP Nirupam slapped the defamation notice for remarks that the ex-CAG was asked by him to drop the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's name from 2G spec-

trum allocation report.

"See, in fact, I am very happy that he has sent a legal notice. I am very happy about it, because the purpose of writing this book was to initiate a public debate on a lot of issues that concerns the public and high individuals in government," Rai told PTI in an interview here.

A major controversy has erupted over the content of Rai's new book, titled, 'The Diary of the Nation's Conscience Keeper - Not Just an Accountant', on various issues he observed during his tenure as CAG from 2008-2013, including on the role of Singh.

On his next course of action, Rai said,

"Taking legal recourse is fine. It (notice) will be answered. What is the recourse that

Vinod Rai

an official can take when responsible people like members of Parliament make such allegations against us?"

Nirupam has also taken objection to Rai's remarks that Congress MPs used unparliamentary language in PAC against CAG, which forced the Chairman Murli Manohar Joshi to send a written complaint to the then Lok Sabha Speaker. "... Obviously it (notice) is a reality and I will have to answer it legally. I will do it, but another thing I want to say is that I held the office of CAG. I was in PAC meetings and that was my responsibility. These very members of Parliament seek parliamentary privileges when they are MPs, and similarly judiciary has its own privileges.

"For a high functionary like CAG, if somebody calls him names sitting in the PAC, then what is the recourse I can take," Rai said.

Without taking any names, Rai referred to a debate held on October 31, 2011, saying "these very members had said that we (CAG) were frauds, that our reports were politically colored, that our reports need to be withdrawn and also that reports were based on untruths".

The ex-CAG further said that "normally PAC discussions are privileged and secret.

These cannot be revealed in the public forum, but after media brought out the fact that legal notice has been issued to me, one of their colleagues who happened to be in the PAC at that time sent me a letter.-PTI

Obama meets Spelling Bee champs Cont’d from page 5

During the spelling bee competition this year both Sriram and Ansun stumbled one time with the words "Corpsbruder (a close comrade)" and "Antigropelos (waterproof leggings)" respectively. And both passed on these words to Obama for spelling.

For the Spelling bee champions, this was not a surprise.

"He (tried) to spell those two words. We got to shake hands with him. He greeted us very humbly...very welcoming. It was an honor to meet him," Sriram said.

Obama presented the two young IndianAmericans a book of constitutional amendments in which he wrote "Dream, Big Dreams."

For the past several years, Indian Americans have dominated the annual spelling bee contest.

"Just try to give your best. Do not give up your passion," Sriram said when asked about his message to other young IndianAmericans.

"Without hard work, you can't succeed.

If anybody is interested in spelling or any other competition, I would just tell them to persevere. Do not give up. Work hard at it and try the best," said Ansun, who wants to become a computer engineer like his father.

Sriram said he wants to become an ophthalmologist. "I have always been interested in the eye," he said. -PTI

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Indian-origin researcher in S Africa gets NRF Award JOHANNESBURG: An Indianorigin researcher in South Africa has won the prestigious 2014 National Research Foundation (NRF) Lifetime Achievement Award, which recognizes the lifelong research achievements of individuals and their impact on society.

Professor Hoosen Coovadia, the internationally-acclaimed researcher on HIV/AIDS particularly mother-to-child transmission, has been named as the joint winner of the prestigious award along with Professor Lionel Opie.

Coovadia is attached with the University of Witwatersrand (Wits) and the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) while Opie is at the University of Cape Town.

Another leading Indian-origin South African academic, Professor Fazal Mahomed of Wits, received the Champion of Research Capacity Development at South African Higher Education Institutions award, which recognizes the individual's efforts in helping nurture the next generation of talented researchers and impact of research outputs of students.

The annual NRF Awards celebrate leading researchers in their respective fields based on peer evaluation and according to inter-

national best practice.

The work of these researchers is assessed for, among other things, their contribution to the field of study focusing on quality and impact.

The awards are also aimed at inspiring and encouraging the

Coovadia has published papers on basic science and pathogenesis, clinical management, epidemiology, prevention, and contextual factors causing morbidity, disability and mortality continued culture of advancing South Africa's knowledge economy and technological innovativeness by rewarding those that make use of research for the advancement and betterment of humanity.

Coovadia is the Director of the Maternal, Adolescent and Child Health (MatCH) Health Systems

at Wits and Emeritus Professor of Paediatrics and Child Health; and Emeritus Victor Daitz Professor of HIV/AIDS Research at UKZN. He is also the Chairperson of the Board of the KwaZulu-Natal Children's Hospital Trust and a Commissioner for the National Planning Commission for the Presidency of the Republic of South Africa.

Coovadia has published papers on basic science and pathogenesis, clinical management, epidemiology, prevention, and contextual factors causing morbidity, disability and mortality among Africa's children.

Last year, Coovadia was honored by the American Association for the Advancement of Science for "his unwavering belief, in the face of opposition from his government, that sound science should guide public policy and his devotion to the health of the most vulnerable."

He has received numerous other awards, including the Star of South Africa for Contributions to Democracy and Health from former President Nelson Mandela in 1999 and the Lifetime Achievement Award at an HIV Congress in India in 2006. -PTI

Bank guarantee must to bring Indian maids to Kuwait DUBAI: To safeguard the welfare of its nationals, India has made it mandatory for employers in Kuwait to submit a bank guarantee of USD 2,500 before bringing a female domestic help to the Gulf nation.

A bank guarantee worth USD 2,500 (720 Kuwaiti Dinar) as security deposit would be submitted with the Indian embassy in Kuwait by the employer wishing to bring a female domestic worker from India to Kuwait, a statement released by the Indian embassy said.

The embassy cited instructions from the Government of India behind the move. The order was implemented with immediate effect.

This measure is being taken to

safeguard the welfare of female domestic workers in Kuwait, it said.

"The bank guarantee, provided by a bank in Kuwait, needs to be valid till such time the female domestic worker remains in Kuwait.

The Embassy will attest agreements for employment of female domestic workers in Kuwait once the above condition of Bank Guarantee is fulfilled," the statement said.

The total number of Indian expatriates in Kuwait is about 7.5 lakh, according to latest official figures. There are nearly 2.7 lakh employed in domestic sector, whereas about 3.6 lakh are deployed in private sector. There are about 1 lakh persons on dependent visas. -PTI

Indian workers in Singapore tour Indian ship SINGAPORE: Twenty-eight Indians working here got a guided tour of a coast guard ship "Samudra Paheredar" as part of an outreach program by the Indian mission.

"The visit was part of the outreach program of the High Commission of India," Ramesh Chaturvedi, Attache Welfare for the commission, said here.

The 10 officers and 91 sailors of the ship also hosted lunch for the visitors, he said.

"The visitors undertook a conducted tour of the ship and were briefed on the role, capability and purpose of ships visit to Singapore," he said.

This is the first time that Indian nationals working in Singapore were hosted on board a Coast Guard ship from India as the High

Commission has been increasing its interaction with them, he added.

The High Commission's outreach programs with the migrant workers from India includes visit to their dormitories at regular interval.

The outreach program also involves helping a small cross-section of the workers with cultural and other activities from time to time.

The High Commission said one of the significant parts of the India-Singapore dynamic relationship is the migrant workers from India who live and work in Singapore mainly in the construction and shipping industry.

These workers' contribution in the journey of Singapore has been immense, the High Commission added. -PTI

Terrorism, piracy to top agenda at SAARC meet

Hollywood star Arnold Schwarzenegger after meeting with Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa at Secretariat in Chennai on Sept 15. He was there for Audio launch of the Tamil movie on September 15

NEW DELHI: Terrorism, piracy, trafficking of drugs and women and children will top the agenda at the conference of Home and Interior Ministers of SAARC countries to be held in Kathmandu on September 19.

Home Minister Rajnath Singh will lead the Indian delegation at the conference where he is expected to flag issues like crossborder terrorism and dismantling of terror infrastructure operating from some SAARC nations.

Issues like suppression of terrorism, maritime security, piracy,

narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances, combating corruption, cyber crimes will be discussed threadbare at the ministerial-level and official-level meetings of the law enforcement authorities of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) countries.

Other issues to be discussed at the conference, include mutual assistance in criminal matters, trafficking in women and children and promotion of child welfare in South Asia, an official release said.-PTI

Tech News TCS opens Saudi Arabia's first all-women BPO MUMBAI: India's largest software exporter TCS says it has opened Saudi Arabia's first all-female business process centre, which will provide employment to up to 3,000 women in three years.

Saudi Aramco and GE are the center's first customers, TCS said in a statement here.

Both the clients have already surpassed their target of recruiting 100 women each, while the total number of those employed at the centre stands at 300, it said.

The Riyadh-based 3,200-sq mt facility will offer customers specialized finance and accounting, human resources, materials supply and office services to improve their operational efficiency, it said.

The centre was announced in September last year.

Saudi Arabia's Commerce and Industry Minister Tawfiq bin Fawzan Al Rabiah, Deputy Governor of Saudi Arabian General Investment Authority Prince Saud bin Khalid, Saudi Aramco's President and Chief Executive Khalid Al Falih and GE's Vice Chairman John Rice, were present on the occasion, the statement said. -PTI

India business growing but TCS on watch mode NEW DELHI: Despite rising revenues from India, IT services major Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) remains cautious on the country saying it is waiting for "more broad-based confidence" to come back.

The Mumbai-based firm, which registered revenues of over USD 3.6 billion in the April-June 2014 quarter, saw its India business grew at five per cent.

"Last quarter also, we had a growth in India and this quarter also, we expect to have growth in India; however, we want to still keep it on a watch mode because we are still waiting for more broadbased confidence to come back," TCS Chief Financial Officer Rajesh Gopinathan told analysts.

He added that though the company is witnessing some amount of momentum but it is "early days yet" to call it a big turnaround.

"However, it will grow and we expect it to grow better than average this quarter also," he said.

According to TCS' Annual Report for FY2013-14, India accounted for 6.71 per cent of the company's revenue (Rs 5,487.8 crore) compared to Rs 4,890.26 crore (7.76 per cent) of the total revenues in fiscal 2013.-PTI

TechBiz

Videocon Mobile Phones CEO Jerold Pereira and Business Head (West and South), Vivek Kapoor launch the Infinium smartphone in Bengaluru on

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September 16

India will oust China as top cotton producer this year: USDA BEIJING/WASHINGTON: India is all set to beat China and become the top cotton producer this year, ousting the communist nation from the number 1 position for the first time in over 30 years, the US has said in a report.

The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) data suggest that India will produce 30 million bales of cotton in the season starting August 1 while China will produce 29.5 million bales.

The USDA increased its prediction of Indian production from 29 million bales last month, while China's remained unchanged.

The reduction is largely due to the fewer incentives farmers are getting for planting cotton in China's eastern provinces, the report said.

Total area in China is projected to decline 11 per cent to 4.35 million hectares, with a record yield forecast at 1,477 kg per hectare.

While for India, the late monsoon will likely benefit cotton; some area originally expected to be de-

voted to alternative crops - with an earlier planting window - is now projected to move to cotton.

Meanwhile in Beijing, China's Ministry of Agriculture has admit-

purchasing policy" to prop up prices, said Pan Xiufen, a senior agronomist at MoA. Pan expected the growing area of cotton in China to continue its

ted to the decline in the country's cotton output.

The relatively low profitability of cotton on the government's decision to abolish its "temporary

declining trend in the next few years, state-run Xinhua News Agency reported.

China will remain a big consumer of cotton due to its large popula-

tion, growing incomes and increasing export demand, the MoA said, adding that the shrinking growing area would result in a big supply gap in the cotton market.

Observers say that this could create big demand for India to step up its cotton and yarn to China which already amounted to few billion USD. The MoA report said the cotton growing area in the Yangtze River Basin and the Yellow River Basin went down by about 12.1 per cent and 14.5 per cent, respectively.

Hebei and Jiangsu provinces, two of the country's major cotton regions, saw their growing areas decline at 16.4 per cent and 20 per cent respectively, the MoA officials said.

In Jiangxi Province, another important cotton growing region, cotton cultivation areas has fallen by at least 10 per cent, and some major cotton growers have cut their planting areas by nearly half.

-PTI

India's infrastructure market to reach $6.6 trn MUMBAI: India's infrastructure market is expected to touch USD 6.6 trillion by 2025, which will be nearly 12.5 per cent of the Asia-Pacific, says a report.

According to consultancy firm PwC, the Asia Pacific infrastructure market is expected to grow by 7-8 per cent a year over the next decade to over USD 53.6 trillion by 2025 and representing nearly 60 per cent of the world total.

The increase in infrastructure spends in the country is likely to be driven by sectors like housing, telecom, healthcare, education, transportation, among others, it said.

"Overall, India's share of the Asia-Pacific infrastructure market is expected to continue to grow, reaching around 12.5 per cent or USD 6.6 trillion by 2025," PwC said in its report.

According to the report, transportation and utilities investments are expected to triple over the coming decade as income and travel

as demand from households, is likely to drive investment in telecommunications infrastructure.

The population is expected to

demand will rise and the country's population will increasingly congregate in urban centers.

"The ongoing development of technology services sector, as well

grow much faster than other countries in the region, which will further boost demand for infrastructure sectors serving households," the report said.

While annual healthcare investment is forecast to grow around USD 37 billion by 2025, education infrastructure spending will likely to reach USD 18.9 billion.

The huge growth in infrastructure spending will be driven by key factors such as Asia's economic growing prominence, trade competitiveness, and the current widely recognized infrastructure deficit across the emerging markets of this region.

"Asia is now the world's primary growth engine, with China, India and Southeast Asia offering a very large consumer base and low-cost workforce, with high levels of natural resources," PwC India Leader Capital Projects and Infrastructure Manish Agarwal said. -PTI

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StanChart to decide soon on local subsidiarisation MUMBAI: With the RBI nudging foreign banks to operate as wholly-owned subsidiaries here, the largest offshore lender by branch presence, Standard Chartered, said it will come out with a final decision "pretty soon".

"We are reviewing it; there are various issues to (get converted into) a local arm norms, as well as home country. We will come up with a final decision pretty soon," Standard Chartered CEO (India and South Asia) Sunil Kaushal told reporters here on the sidelines of a banking summit.

"We are not running away from it," he added but refused to proffer a timeline.

The British bank, with nearly 100 branches, is the largest and the oldest foreign lender in the country and is also the only such bank listed on the domestic bourses through an Indian depository receipts (IDR) issue.

To ring-fence the country's financial system from any adverse developments in the large foreign lenders in their home market, the RBI since the 2008 credit crisis has been asking such lenders to adopt the wholly-owned subsidiaries route to operate in the country rather than working as branches of units registered overseas.

Towards this, the government and RBI have also resolved the tax and stamp duty issues that these lenders were demanding but last year the central bank had hiked

extended the mandatory priority lending norms for foreign banks to 40 per cent as well.

Last November, RBI had released a framework for large foreign banks with over 20 branches

One of the biggest worries for the foreign banks are the priority sector lending (PSL) requirements, under which they are mandated to lend 40 per cent of their loans to the marginalized sections like farmers to convert into wholly-owned subsidiaries and had set a cut off period of August 2010 under which those banks entering the country after this date would have to mandatorily become subsidiaries and not branches.

The framework said all foreign banks which move to a whollyowned subsidiary route will be given near national treatment apart from capital gains tax and stamp duty benefits.

RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan had said he was for nudging these lenders to go as a WOS and also threatened them to fall in line, saying the RBI can be tough if they do not comply. "...at some point in time if the carrot does not work, we may need to push a little harder, as some of the jurisdictions across the world have done," he had said.

One of the biggest worries for the foreign banks are the priority sector lending (PSL) requirements, under which they are mandated to lend 40 per cent of their loans to the marginalized sections like farmers, MSMEs and others. However, Rajan has hinted at lowering this requirement.

Another worry for the foreign lenders stems on the tax treatment if they were to convert as a WOS. As per the new criteria, only StanChart, HSBC and Citi out of the over 47 foreign banks have to mandatorily become subsidiaries.

However, so far not a single major foreign lender has evinced interest to adopt the WOS route.

While Standard Chartered has nearly 100 branches and is the oldest foreign bank in the country, the other two have over 50 branches. -PTI

Microsoft to buy Minecraft maker for $2.5 bn NEW YORK: Microsoft will acquire the maker of the long-running hit game Minecraft for USD 2.5 billion.

The technology company said it will buy Stockholm-based game maker Mojang.

Minecraft, which lets users build in and explore a Lego-like virtual multiplayer world, has been downloaded 100 million times on PC alone since its launch in 2009.

It is the most popular online game on Xbox, and the top paid app for Apple's iOS and Google's Android operating system in the US. "Minecraft is more than a great game fran-

chise - it is an open world platform, driven by a vibrant community we care deeply about, and rich with new opportunities for that community and for Microsoft," said Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella.

The deal is expected to close in late 2014. Microsoft expects the acquisition to be break-even in fiscal 2015.

In a blog post, Mojang said its founders, Markus Persson, known as "Notch," Carl Manneh and Jakob Porser, are leaving the company.

Microsoft is primarily known for business software like word processing and Outlook e-mail. But this acquisition will help Microsoft expand its gaming division which also includes game franchises such as the "Halo" shooter game and "Forza" racing game.

Microsoft said it will to continue to make "Minecraft" available across all the platforms on which it is available today: PC, iOS, Android, Xbox and PlayStation. AP

Rs 4,754-cr power transmission scheme for Arunachal, Sikkim NEW DELHI: The government transmission network," the official has approved a Rs 4,754.42-crore statement said. scheme for strengthening power It is necessary to strengthen transmission and distribution in the power transmission for proper Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim, a voltage management and lower decision that distribution will help in siglosses in both nificantly rethe states. duce electricity The project losses while would be implebeing supmented by plied.

Power Grid CorThe Cabiporation with net Committee its consultancy on Economic fee of 12 per A f f a i r s cent of the ex(CCEA), apecution cost. proved the After comscheme, an ofmissioning, the Piyush Goyal ficial statement projects would said. be owned and Power Minister Piyush Goyal maintained by state governments. said: "The current transmission The DONER (Ministry of Deand distribution (T&D) losses in velopment of Northeastern Rethe North-East are quite high, but gion) has conveyed its inability to with this strengthening I am sure finance the project due to budgetthese losses will certainly come ary constraints, the statement down." said, adding that it will now be The current installed power ca- taken up through a central sector pacity of Assam, Arunachal scheme under Ministry of Power.

Pradesh, Meghalaya, Manipur, The project is to be impleMizoram, Tripura, Nagaland and Sikkim is 4,364.07 MW. The current T&D losses in these states is 50 per cent of supply.

"This (scheme) will certainly bring it down, I cannot off the cuff the give the number," Goyal added.

"The intra-state transmission and distribution systems in the Northeastern states are very weak. Presently, 5 mented within 48 months from the out of 20 districts in Arunachal first FUND release to Power Grid Pradesh are connected to the Corporation. -PTI

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HCL employees generate ideas worth $500 mn NEW DELHI: India's fourth largest IT firm HCL Technologies is now focusing on "ideapreneurship" to encourage employees to come up with innovative solutions to customers' business challenges.

Under the initiative, the Noidabased firm has generated over

Human Resources Officer Prithvi Shergill told PTI. This culture is a key enabler of the company's strategy, he added.

"In a growth-constrained, postrecession world where many traditional sources of advantage are not as relevant, the best investment to succeed is the power of

32,000 innovative ideas since 2008 to deliver approximately USD 500 million of value to customers.

"It is a platform where our employees can share, collaborate and shape ideas in a structured manner to deliver value to our customers. It is at the heart of grassroots' ideas led revolution we are experiencing," HCL Technologies Chief

ideas," he said.

In 2005, HCL Technologies had introduced a new management model -- Employees First, Customers Second (EFCS) - aimed at making managers as accountable to employees as employees were to their bosses and transfer responsibility for change and value creation to front-line employees.

HCL acknowledges that putting the Employee First and engaging and empowering remains vital in today's environment, Shergill added.

"The ideas we see emerging could be something that helps solve a business problem, brings in a new way of doing business, or helps create competitive differentiation, it can be anything that adds value to the client," he said.

Shergill added that by channelising the energies of 95,000 employees, innovation is happening across teams.

"By giving them the right tools, and creating the right environment, HCL is enabling employees to collaborate, communicate and create value freely across teams and across boundaries," Shergill said.

He said the EFCS management model continues to attract the attention of academics (with Harvard Business School doing a case study) as well as analysts who continue to highlight the customer benefits emerging given the adoption of the tenets of this model.

"HCL is working with Cornell University to further enhance the yield of the ideas as they see this delivering to the promise they make to client of building 'relationships beyond the contract'," he said. -PTI

Apple: Record 4M orders of iPhones on 1st day NEW YORK: Apple had more than 4 million advance orders of its new iPhones in the first 24 hours, exceeding its initial supply, the company said.

The company said the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus will be deliv-

ered to customers throughout September, but many won't be delivered until October.

Apple's website had intermittent outages last Friday because of heavy traffic as orders began online. The company said the 4

million orders set a new 24-hour record.

It did not immediately say what the old record was. Last year, Apple sold 9 million phones in the first three days they were on sale.

The new phones have larger screens, faster performance and a wireless chip for making credit card payments at retail stores by holding the phone near the payment terminal. The phones start at USD199 with a two-year service contact.

The phones will initially be available in the US, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, Puerto Rico, Singapore and the UK Availability will expand to more than 20 additional countries a week later.

A free update to Apple's iOS software for phones will be available to existing users. The new phones will come with that update, iOS 8.-AP

IDFC to set up holding company soon MUMBAI: Infrastructure fi- nance to withdraw their applicanance company IDFC, which re- tion in the run-up to the licensing cently raised Rs 1,000 crore process that came after 11 years through QIP, will soon start the and saw just two out of the 24 approcess of transferring its assets plicants passing the RBI test. and liabilities to a new holding "With Rs 1,000 crore which was company as part of transforming raised, foreign ownership such as itself into a bank.

FIIs, FDI, NRIs, has come down "The next step (after QIP) in the to within the statutory limit that process of opening of the bank is has been imposed upon us as part transferring the assets and liabili- of the regulation to transform us ties on the IDFC's balance sheet into a bank," Lall said. to a subsidiary which will become the bank," IDFC chairman Rajiv Lall ‘With Rs 1,000 crore which told reporters on the sidelines of an annual was raised, foreign ownerbanking summit orgaship such as FIIs, FDI, NRIs, nized here by Ficci.

The city-based IDFC has come down to within recently completed its the statutory limit that has process to bring down the foreign holdings to been imposed upon us’ meet the regulatory requirement of converting itself into a bank, the license for He said that the foreign holdwhich was bagged the infra lender ing which was earlier 51 per cent in April along with the Kolkata- has come down to 49 per cent based microlender Bandhan. now.

The central bank has made it When asked why the QIP was mandatory for all those NBFCs offered at discount, he said, "the and other financial sector players cardinal rule of raising capital is which bag banking licenses, to that the people you raise it from surrender their existing business should be happy. So it is always by transferring the assets and li- good to leave a little bit of money abilities into a non-operative fi- on their table and not try to exnancial holding company. tract the last penny from investors.

This stringent demand made So in that spirit we gave a small some of the leading NBFCs like discount and it was a very sucTata Capital and Mahindra Fi- cessful issue." -PTI

Indian-origin persons fined by UK regulator LONDON: UK financial sector regulator FCA said seven insider dealers, which include at least five of Indian origin, have been ordered to pay 3.2 million British pounds (about Rs 32 crore) in confiscation.

These persons were convicted of making a combined profit of 732,044.59 British pound on trading between May 1, 2006 and May 31, 2008, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) said.

A case brought by the FCA and heard at Southwark Crown Court Confiscation Orders (the Orders) totaling 3.25 million British pounds were made by the judge between September 10-15 against Ali Mustafa, Pardip Saini, Paresh Shah, Neten Shah, Bijal Shah, Truptesh Patel and Richard Joseph, the regulator said.

Earlier, Ali Mustafa, Pardip Saini and Paresh Shah were sentenced to 3 years and 6 months imprison-

ment, while Neten Shah was sentenced to 18 months, and Bijal Shah and Truptesh Patel were sentenced to 2 years for offences relating to Insider Dealing.

Besides, Richard Joseph was sentenced to four years imprisonment for Insider Dealing offences.

His trading resulted in a net profit of 591,117 British pounds on trading between September 2007 and July 2008.

The total amount confiscated exceeds the profits generated as a result of the application of the confiscation regime which allows the court, in appropriate cases, to assume that the profits from other trading that took place within the same period represent the proceeds of crime.

In addition, Richard Joseph and Neten Shah were also ordered to pay a costs order of 200,000 British pounds and 100,000 British pounds, respectively.-PTI

September 19, 2014

TechBiz Post www.indiapost.com

Android One will make smartphones affordable WASHINGTON: Introduction of Android One phones in the Indian market is aimed at making powerful smart phones with latest technologies accessible and affordable to the people of the country, Google said here.

"By working closely with phone and silicon chip makers to share reference designs and select components, we're making it easier for our partners to build phones that are not just great to use, but also affordable," Sundar Pichai, senior vice president, Android, Chrome & Apps at Google said in a blog posted on the company's website.

Indian-American Pichai said the Android One phones launched in India have lots of processing power, so that users can get information quickly.

"They have high-quality front- and rearfacing cameras.

And for all those pictures, along with your apps and videos, Android One phones will have expandable storage. We also added

features that people in India will find particularly useful, like dual SIM cards, a replaceable battery and built-in FM radio," he said.

To help ensure a consistent experience, Android One devices will receive the latest versions of Android directly from Google,, he said, adding that as a result the users will get all the latest features, up-to-date security patches, and peace of mind knowing your stuff is always backed up.

"It also means Android One devices will be some of the first to be updated to the Android L release later this year.

"For our hardware partners, they'll be able to create customized experiences and differentiate their devices without having to change the core software," he wrote.

Pichai announced that in an effort to reduce data costs, if a user has an Airtel SIM card, they will get these software updates for free for the first six months.-PTI

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Desi News Shah Rukh's San Jose show will be spectacular India Post News Service

SAN JOSE: SLAM-The Tour is evoking tremendous interest in California and especially in the beautiful city of San Jose. Arrangements are in full swing for the Sept 28 show at SAP Center in San Jose starting at 7.30 pm. DBR Entertainment, the promoters have announced that the tickets are selling fast and people from as far as Florida, Los Angeles are coming to enjoy this extravaganza.

Dave Atwal with DBR says the people will enjoy a spectacular production where Shah Rukh Khan will be on the stage for more than an hour, which is the longest time he has been ever on stage in any concert on world tour. "This will be the biggest ever live-inBollywood concert people have ever seen in North America", assures Atwal.

Details on page 24

Hindi lovers celebrate Hindi Diwas in grand style

COMMUNITY ACROSS AMERICA

16 India Post

ASHOK JAIN & RAMESH S

DETROIT, MI: What Dinesh Vyas, an MD and assistant professor of surgery in the College of Human Medicine MI, experienced one night during his emergency department visit to India last February was quite revealing but still tragically common.

During the visit, he volunteered to spend two nights on call in a

India Post News Service

Details on page 19

Ride free permits expire September 30 HARISH RAO

CHICAGO: The Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) riders who have the Ride Free permits with the expiration date of September 30 need to apply again to ensure there are no interruptions in their service. This applies to the qualifying persons with disabilities and they need to apply for the State of Illinois Benefit Access Program (BAP) in advance of the rapidly approaching expiration date.

In June, the RTA extended the expiration date of Ride Free permits for people with disabilities to September 30.

Details on page 24

Details on page 22

September 19, 2014

Dr Dinesh Vyas setting up Trauma Training Centers in India

RAMESH SOPARAWALA

CHICAGO: Though in existence for over five years, the Hindi Premi Sangh turned Hindi Lovers Club celebrated Hindi Diwas, the birth anniversary of Hindi being declared national Indian language, in a grand style for the first time in Chicagoland last week.

The three-hour celebration at Ashyana Banquet Hall in Downers Grove was a grand affair partly because sustained efforts by the organizers to make it a memorable one and also it was blessed by the Indian Consulate which extended all possible help.

www.indiapost.com

SLAM 2014: A dream coming true!

Dr Dinesh Vyas

hospital's emergency room. Seventeen injured people arrived from two auto accidents. It had taken almost two and a half hours for them to reach the hospital and during that time they had received no medical care. As a result, 13 died of their injuries. It was his 14th visit in last six years.

This was not new to Vyas. He grew up in western India, trained as a physician there, and worked in its hospitals. He had seen too many trauma victims die because they did not receive proper care before arriving at the hospital.

"I've seen enormous loss of life from trauma," Vyas said. "I think it's my duty to do something about it." While data is hard to come by, he estimated that 1000 people needlessly die daily from injuries in India. With proper pre-hospital care, 80 percent could be saved, he said.

"In trauma, the first hour - the so-called golden hour - is critical," Vyas said. In India, there was no standard of emergency care. India is in the same phase as the US was in 1980 as regards to emergency medical care. And there are better cars that are responsible for worse accidents than cars in 1980.

If first responders - including police, paramedics, firefighters, security guards, ambulance drivers, even taxi drivers and others could be trained to properly care for injured patients before they arrive at the hospital, thousands of lives could be saved each year, he reasoned. And those who survived could have better quality of life by avoiding lifelong disabilities.

"I strongly felt it is imperative training as many people as possible," Vyas said. "It took me a while to figure out how to take it forward."

Eight or so years ago, he began designing a program with his own funds. While other American medical schools offer lectures in India, Vyas decided his program, to be effective, would have to be more hands-on using the best simulation for state-of-the-art training (better than training in any

Dr Vyas during live training in Jodhpur

sponders.

From Laerdal, a manufacturer of medical equipment based in Norway, he obtained a computerized manikin that breathes, bleeds, re-

If first responders - including police, paramedics, firefighters, security guards, ambulance drivers, even taxi drivers and others could be trained to properly care for injured patients before they arrive at the hospital part for the world, in many respects), and it must be delivered in the language of the first responders. This was a monumental task considering the hundreds of dialects spoken in India. Video recorded feedback was arranged and necessary tools provided for the first responder to deliver.

He developed a two-day course called the Pre-hospital Trauma Care Training Program which included videos, slide presentations, a manual and emergency medical care kits. In August, he and medical student Apoorva Aekka traveled to Jodhpur in western India. At the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, he first trained the medical school's deans and professors on how to teach the course.

After that, he and his new recruits began training the first re-

acts to treatment and even dies when it receives improper care.

The students practiced checking the manikin's vital signs,

opened its airway, inserted intravenous lines, applied tourniquets, immobilized its spine and learned other basic life-saving skills. The first day, he trained a dozen firefighters, police offices, nurses and ambulance drivers.

As word got out, more first responders showed up and asked to be trained. By the end of his visit, Vyas estimated 70 first responders had been trained.

Before leaving India, he received a call from one of his trainees, who said he had helped care for eight people, including three critically injured in an auto accident. All eight had survived.

First training center in Jodhpur

Cont’d on page 19

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Krishna Bansal getting big response for Nov fight RAMESH SOPARAWALA India Post News Service

CHICAGO: Krishna Bansal, an Indian American community activist in Chicagoland, sought an elective position at Naperville school board to address some of the issues that typically were faced by members of his own community at schools in the area.

He got narrowly defeated because of a little indifference on the part of the community members who later realized that it is important to have an effective representation at the different layers of the government to address the problems that they face.

They then decided to goad Krishna to get into the Illinois state legislature as the Republican Party blessed his candidacy from Illinois House District 84 for the November elections.

Krishna Bansal agreed and is in the fray playing Krishna Bansi in his door to door campaign touch basing with not only Indian Americans but even the main stream American voters. His simplicity and honesty of purpose have been a hallmark of his campaign attracting many a voter to his side.

His candidacy has been blessed among others by three US Congressmen from Illinois Peter Roskam, Randy Hultgren and Aaron Shock - Illinois House Republican Leader Jim Durkin and the director of National Federation of Republican women, Ms Patricia Fee. "The response that I get is really overwhelming and I am optimistic that I will have the honor to be the first Asian American to go to Springfield as Representative," he told members of Indian media at a press conference held at a Gandhi Marg restaurant on Devon Avenue in Chicago. Present with him were Sohan Joshi, president of National Federation of Indian Americans and Vandana Jhingan, often described as Jhansi Ki Rani of Chicagoland.

With an MBA besides PhD in international finance and multiple technology certifications under his belt, Krishna founded technology ventures Q1 and Tech Vega. His social activism has got him associated as Executive Member of Naperville Chambers of Commerce, Chainman Indian American Outreach Board City of Aurora and Chairman Indian American Outreach Naperville Mayor, Office among others.

In a talk to the media representatives, he outlined his position on some of the burning issues faced by Illinois State. He said that the current huge budgetary deficit faced by the State reflected gross financial mismanagement and needs to be addressed immediately and effectively. He was one for balanced budget and suggested that huge savings can occur by cutting down wasteful expenditure, including overhauling the Medicaid system.

The State should create business friendly atmosphere and attract lot of business from outside. The trend now is that the businessmen and professionals prefer leaving the State because of higher tax burden an unfriendly business environment.

Jobs are most important for generating revenue for the State. He was for rolling back the hike in income tax phasing out over the years. He was for pension reform replacing

Krishna Bansal (center) flanked by Sohan Joshi and Vandana Jhingan

the present antiquated system.

Friends of Krishna Bansal have rallied behind him and they have announced hosting a Dinner Reception to broadbase support. The event is scheduled on Monday September 22 at Ashyana Banquet in Downers Grove. Besides, the Campaign Organization has set up various sub committees for marketing, finance, e-Campaign among others. Top brass Republican leaders are also expected to come down to extend their support to Krishna. Among them is Bobby Jindal Governor Louisiana and a potential Republican candidate for President in 2016.

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September 19, 2014

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Bhagwat Katha a new feather in cap of Grays Lake Temple GEETHA PATEL

The Katha start with Kalash Yatra Krishna and Rukmani personified at the Katha with a group of devotees

CHICAGO: It was for the first time since its formation a decade ago that the Grays Lake Hindu temple organized Bhagwat Katha. It met with huge and enthusiastic response from members of the Indian community in the area inducing the management to have such programs more often from now on.

The week long Bhagwat Katha was conducted gracefully by a well-known Katha

Goswami Mridul Krishan and Mandir priests at Katha

Vachak Shri Mridul Krishan Goswami of Vrindavan, India. Every day about 400 people would come to attend the program and experience an unbelievable happiness and joy of listening to Lord Krishna's life episodes along with relishing sumptuous Maha Prasadam.

The program was started with Kalash Pujan with Vaidic rituals by Pt. Anil Joshi.

Later, the welcome of Goswami Ji was done by following all the Indian traditions and Kalash Yatra. Firstly, Goswami Ji visited the temple along with attractively dressed Kalash ladies and obtained blessings from all the deities. Later, Kalash Yatra entered a beautifully decorated Katha Sthal.

Bhagwat pujan and Vyas pujan were performed by Pt. Anil Joshi along with the sponsors. Then Goswami Ji started the first day Bhagwat Katha Vachan with utmost devotion. The devotees came in willingly to listen to Bhagwat Katha in spite of intermittent inclement weather of rains and cold during the week.

Goswami Ji elaborately explained the importance of Bhagwat Katha in the Pitra Masa.

Cont’d on page 20

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India Post 19

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Hindi lovers celebrate Hindi Diwas in grand style RAMESH SOPARAWALA India Post News Service

CHICAGO: Though in existence for over five years, the Hindi Premi Sangh turned Hindi Lovers Club celebrated Hindi Diwas, the birth anniversary of Hindi being declared national Indian language, in a grand style for the first time in Chicagoland last week.

The three-hour celebration at Ashyana Banquet Hall in Downers Grove was a grand affair partly because sustained efforts by the organizers to make it a memorable one and also it was blessed by the Indian Consulate which extended all possible help.

There were quite a few highlights of the program the foremost being Essay Speech contest among second generation children that

Lamp lighting ceremony at the Hindi Premi Sangh event

had an interesting theme - If I were to be PM For a Day. The other highlight was a proc-

Speech contestants

Dr Dinesh Vyas setting up Trauma Training Centers in India Cont’d from page 16

"Now I'm getting calls from five big institutions wanting to start a program there," Vyas said. "I don't want to turn people away." Vyas is in touch with their counterparts in India through teleconferencing, and he plans many return visits to conduct more training." I promised them I will be there within three to six months," he said.

His goal is to train 5,000 first responders the first year and for the program to grow exponentially, as the knowledge of proper emergency care spreads from trainee to trainee. Eventually, he'd like to introduce the program to other developing countries, including Nepal, Malawi, Sri Lanka, Peru and others.

"What we have to do is figure out how we can branch out and how we can collaborate" Vyas

said. "I think it has to be a national or international movement to get it going."

Although Michigan State University covered the cost of his travel to India, Vyas paid most of the additional expense - $15,000 to $20,000 - himself. He is applying for grants, which he hopes will cover the cost of expanding the program. "A lot of people die who shouldn't die," he said. "I want to save them, if I can."

This lone warrior would make a difference, many agree.

In a talk to this paper, Dr Vyas said that he plans opening two training centers in the country one in Jaipur and the other in Himachal Pradesh. "This is just a start. I would want to have two such centers in all major cities in India that would help trauma and accident victims greatly," he said.

lamation by Illinois Governor Pat Quinn presented at the event by his aide Ms Theresa Mah. Congratulating the organizers, the Proclamation underlined the importance of Hindi Diwas saying it was the second most spoken language in the world.

A remarkable thing was that the Sangh succeeded in presenting a cultural program that was participated by associations represent-

Theresa Mah presetting Illinois Governor Proclamation to Club president Vinita Gulbani

ing different regions and communities of India - UP, Rajasthan, Orissa, Bengal, Maharashtra, Telugu, Gujarat and Sindhi community.

Indian Consul General Dr Ausaf Sayeed stole the limelight with his beautiful address in Hindi which stood in contrast with English mixed Hindi by many other speak-

ers. Dr Ausuf said that Hindi has been the most popular language among Indian immigrants in different parts of the world while at the same time it has emerged as the acceptable link language in India with 70 to 80 percent of the Indian population speaking or understanding it.

Cont’d on page 20

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Hindi lovers celebrate Hindi Diwas in grand style Cont’d from page 19

He pitched for a unified approach to advance the cause of Hindi in India and abroad.

Earlier, Vinita Gulbani, president of the Sangh, welcomed the members and guests and related briefly the mission and objectives of the organization. She underlined the importance of language in preserving the culture and identity of the community. Vandana Jhingan, an active supporter of the Sangh, also extended welcome to all and announced the start of the program.

The commencement was with traditional lamp lighting that was done by the Club executive team, CG Dr Sayeed and an Indian guest Raj Shekhar who also later addressed the gathering in chaste Hindi. In attendance were 350 plus guests and Chicagoland elite.

Krishna Bansal, an IT person seeking elective position at the Illinois Assembly was there too.

The consensus among speech contest participants was that they would put a great emphasis on the spread of education, ensuring safety, preserving law and order, and rooting out corruption. It was a well done effort on their part in

Vinita Gulbani welcoming the guests

The first and second placed winners

trying to speak in Hindi which has become an 'alien' language for many. All of them got recognition certificates while the three first, second and third placed winners Shanker Siddharth, Reha Pillai and Shreyas Khatri - got Special prizes.

The cultural program was eye catching. Orissa, Rajasthan and Maharashtra performers evoking great applause. The group dance by members of Sindhi community was a grand culmination.

Gurbachan Kaur, the founding president, was recognized and she announced that the Sangh had finally got tax exemption. "This would enable us to move more

forcefully in propagating Hindi in this part of the world," she said.

In this context, Vinita Gulbani announced that Hindi classes have commenced at Lemont temple and

at her residence and she urged young people to take advantage of the same.

A vote of thanks was proposed by Gurbachan Kaur.

Gurbachan Kaur proposing vote of thanks

Sumptuous dinner was served under the active supervision Ashyana Banquet owner Surinder Jain and all those present really enjoyed it.

Members of the audience

Bhagwat Katha a new feather in cap of Grays Lake Temple Cont’d from page 18

He narrated Krishna Katha from birth until he became Dwarikadisha. Every day, devotees enjoyed and danced to the melodious tunes of songs sung by him and performed Garba as well. Special attractions of the Katha were the live 'Jhanki' performed by devotees as Dhruva and Lord Vishnu, Vasudev and baby Krishna, Yashoda and Nanda Baba performing Krishna Utsav with his villagers, Rukmini performing Devi Pujan and Lord Krishna-Rukmini Vivah.

On the last day, Goswami Ji

Illinois politician and leader Bob Dold at the Katha

Devotees attending the Katha

beautifully narrated Sudama Charitra. His mesmerizing Katha style made people to feel Lord Krishna's presence in the Katha Sthal and they thought that they are in Vrindhavan during the Katha time.

An Illinois politician and a respected leader Bob Dold along with his staff participated in the Bhagwat Katha and obtained blessings from Goswami Ji. They enjoyed Maha Prasadam along with all other devotees. Goswami Ji blessed and praised devotees for their devotional participation. Pt. Anil Joshi on behalf of temple committee thanked and

blessed Anil and Ajay Aggarwal and their families for the necessary arrangements and support.

He recognized Sanjeev and Smita Vyas for putting this Katha program together. He expressed his appreciation to all the devotees for their active participation and blessed them for their progress and happiness.

He also thanked volunteers for their time and hard work in making this program a grand success. He also expressed his thanks to Poonam Creations for decorating the Katha Sthal so nicely.

September 19, 2014

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September 19, 2014

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SLAM 2014: A dream coming true!

FAHAD ZUBERI

CHICAGO: Fans yearning for top Bollywood entertainers have now time to rejoice. SLAM a top most spectacular Bollywood event is now round the corner.

The show organizers - Lsahil and LA Tan - assure that it would be a complete entertainer.

According to Nick Patel CEO of LA Tan, this show is all about Shah Rukh Khan and his SLAM team giving love, connecting, and showing appreciation to their fans. "The star cast, which is headlined by King Khan has spent countless hours and sleepless nights to bring you an experience that you will remember forever," he said.

Shah Rukh truly loves his fans and wants to entertain them the right way, which is by giving them a live performance like never before, he said. The entire SLAM Team is currently in the United Sates. This weekend you will be watching many video

Mayur Patel, Shah Rukh, Nick Patel and Bhavesh Patel

highlights all over the internet from the shows in Houston (Friday, September 19), New Jersey (Saturday, September 20) and Washington (Sunday, September 21). The show will be in Chicago

on September 26.

"Don't miss your chance to be mesmerized by an amazing production put on display by the show organizers" urged Bhavesh Patel. The hype is

more than ever as Bollywood awareness continues to grow in the United States. The promotional videos from the stars are a good indication for the fans as to how excited the SLAM

Team are to come to perform in Chicago and showcase all their new acts, dances, and much more. The way this show is being promoted is very fresh and innovative.

The show has a new feel to it starting from the name of the show, SLAM. It is important that the Chicago audience shows up in their high numbers to be a part of this mega event. A lot of preparation has gone into this show from your favorite local promoters. Sahil & LA Tan (Nick, Bhavesh, Mayur, and Babu Patel team) have been bringing well organized Bollywood concerts for decades.

This has been a very successful year for the South Asian powerhouses in Chicago topping it off with SLAM 2014. "If you don't have a ticket to this unforgettable show, buy it today, it's almost show time. Get Slammed!" observed Babu Patel.

Shrinath excels in mridangam debut performance PM SWAMY

NEW YORK: As the audience stood up to drown out the emcee's voice with their applause, a shy 14 year old put down his mridangam and bowed. Shrinath Viswanathan, a student of guru A.R. Balaskandan of New York, presented his Mridangam Arangetram (debut performance) at the main auditorium of the Hindu Temple in Queens, New York on Saturday, September 6.

In attendance were several leading artists known both locally and world-wide including Rajeswari Sainath, a prominent Bharatanatyam dancer and dance teacher; Dr. C. G. Balachandran, a widely acclaimed New York based

mridangist and Usha Balachandran, a well-known dance teacher.

The chief guest was world-renowned mridangam maestro guru Karaikudi R. Mani, who is also Shrinath's Parama guru. Having Mani Sir at the event was a great

Shrinath had the privilege of training with Guru Sri Karaikudi Mani for a few weeks this summer.

"Even if I play one-hundredth as well as Mani Sir, I will be proud of myself," he said.

His attempt to emulate his Parama Guru was noted. Rajeswari

Rajeswari Sainath said,"Karaikudi Mani's unique style called 'Mani Baani' makes the mridangam sing. Shrinath's performance today showed a glimpse of this honor for Shrinath, his teacher and his family, said Balaskandan.

In order to improve his playing,

Sainath said, "Karaikudi Mani's unique style called 'Mani Baani' makes the mridangam sing.

Shrinath's performance today showed a glimpse of this. His tonal modulation of the vallinam, mallinam - dual tones of sweet and strong, was powerful. He has all that is required to be a great artist and I am sure that one day the Carnatic world will be proud to have him as a well established artist."

Shrinath was accompanied by singer Saavitri Ramanand, Sandhya Anand on the violin, and Sriram Ramesh on the kanjira. As is typical of an Arangetram, the young mridangist used the concert as a platform to exhibit the skills he acquired over years of training and practice.

Shrinath, a sophomore at Great Neck South High School, has been learning mridangam from Balaskandan since the age of five.

On his debut performance, Shrinath getting the rare mridangam from mridangam maestro Karaikudi Mani

The main piece of the Arangetram was Rama Katha Sudha, in Ragam Madhyamavathi. The song, which lends itself to an abundance of devotion, was lauded by the listeners.

At the end of this main song, Shrinath played a thaniavarthanam (intricate rhythmic solo), where Shrinath and Sriram exchanged various complex rhythmic patterns and culminated in a grand finale. Shrinath was extremely nervous playing in front of an audience that was no stranger to high-quality Carnatic music. "I did not want to let down

my teacher, and I knew that so many great musicians would be listening to my playing," he said. He received a certificate of accomplishment from his teacher, who put it eloquently, "Shrinath spoke for me through his mridangam."

Despite his worries, Shrinath's playing impressed all who heard it. Sri. Karaikudi Mani said, "The highlight of the event for Shrinath was the standing ovation from the crowd when Karaikudi Mani said "I extend my blessings to Shrinath by presenting him with a mridangam that I personally have played in concerts."

September 19, 2014

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Graceful performance by Samiksha at Arangetram PM SWAMY

NEW YORK: Samiksha Vittalraj, disciple of Guru Thejaswini Raj, presented her Bharathanatyam Arangetram on behalf of Shivajyothi Dance Academy in Queens last week.

The program commenced in Mallari with Ganapathi Mantra as Mallari is an invocatory item derived from the Nadaswaram tradition. She followed it with Alarippu - an invocatory rhythmic piece for salutation to God, Guru and the audience. She went on to perform Jatiswaram that is an ornamental dance item of Nritta and pure rhythmic segments.

Vittalraj continued her performance with Shabdam (Aazhi soozhndhida) an item praising the various forms of Lord Vishnu and Varnam a perfectly synchronized dance of Bhava (emotions), Raaga (melody) and Taala (rhythm) that glorifies the many divine plays of Lord Shiva. Her Padham (Muruganin Marupeyar Azhagu) an expressional dance that delineates the beauty of Lord Muruga won the praise of the audience.

Her Keerthanam (Sadhanadhamayi Chinmayi) - a Krithi on the Goddess of the Sarvarakshakara Chakra - the 6th

and competitions in the tristate area. Through Shivajyothi Dance Academy, Samiksha completed a certificate course in Bharathanatyam and received an A Grade from Alagappa Performing Arts Academy. By learning Bharathanatyam, she has devel-

Samiksha receiving the graduation certificate from her guru Thejaswini Raj

Avarana and Padham (Kai Koopi Thozhum) - a devotional dance that portrays the valor and great qualities of Lord Anjaneya was neatly executed. She completed her performance with Thillana that is a dance item of exuberant joy with intricate rhythmic variations.

Arangetram symbolizes a milestone; it is just the beginning of a dancer's artistic journey.

Thejaswini Raj is an accomplished professional dance

teacher with 30 years of teaching experience. She is well known for her excellent choreographic skills be it an intricate Nritta pattern or an in depth detailed abhinaya piece. She follows the Kaattu Mannar Koyil Muthukumaran Pillai style of Bharathanatyam.

Samiksha is learning Bharathanatyam for the past seven years from Guru Thejaswini Raj. She has participated in multiple Bharathanatyam programs

oped a deep understanding of her faith and culture, which has shaped her in many ways.

She is a sophomore in ScotchPlains Fanwood High School, Scotch Plains, New Jersey. She is part of Model United Nations, Medical Club and French Honor Society.

Community Across America

24 India Post

September 19, 2014

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Ride free permits expire September 30 HARISH RAO

CHICAGO: The Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) riders who have the Ride Free permits with the expiration date of September 30 need to apply again to ensure there are no interruptions in their service. This applies to the qualifying persons with disabilities and they need to apply for the State of Illinois Benefit Access Program (BAP) in advance of the rapidly approaching expiration date.

In June, the RTA extended the expiration date of Ride Free permits for people with disabilities to September 30. The extension al-

lowed more time for riders to apply for the BAP program as it could take between four and six weeks for eligibility to be approved. There will not be any more extension now, it is learnt.

Leanne Redden, Acting Executive Director of the RTA, said that the extension gave the riders the time they needed to apply through the BAP program to ensure there are no interruptions in their service. "If they have not applied yet, they should do so immediately, as time is running out .Seniors, (who have recently received a letter from

Seniors and persons with disabilities

RTA) are also strongly encouraged to apply," she told this paper.

Approximately 10,500 persons with disabilities have yet to renew their permits. If a permit has recently been renewed, no additional action is required. Additionally, Senior Ride Free permits, which originally expired on September 30, now expire on November 30, a date which is also approaching.

If a Senior Ride Free permit has recently been renewed, no additional action is required. Seniors, who have recently received a letter from the RTA, are also strongly encouraged to apply with the BAP

program, if they have not yet done so. The RTA is required by law to issue these permits to individuals who have been approved by the BAP program.

RTA is the only transit agency charged with regional financial oversight, funding, and transit planning for the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA), Metra and Pace bus and para transit. Riders take more than two million trips each weekday on the RTA region's transit system in six counties with 7,200 transit route miles throughout Northeastern Illinois.

AFA to release ANK stamp on Sept 20 BABU TANGEWALA

DALLAS: Akkineni Founda- customized special stamps can be tion of America (AFA), a non-profit used like any other regular postal organization, will be commemorat- stamps for mailing purposes. ing the 91st birthday of Padma Customized postage is proVibhushan, Nata Samrat Dr vided by licensees to the U.S. Akkineni Nageswara Rao with the Postal Service. Products they prorelease of a vide are not customized sold through US Postal U.S. Post OfStamp. fices.

AFA is Dr A.S. hosting a Narayana, Customized Padma Shree Postal Stamp awardee, a release funcclose associate tion in honor of late Dr ANR; of Dr Akkineni Hero Sumanth Rao on Satur(Grandson of day, SeptemDr ANR) and ber 20 from A d i t y a 3:30 pm - 5:30 Akkineni pm at Hilltop (Grandson of Indian ResDr ANR) will ANK stamp taurant, Irvgrace the occaing, TX, acsion. cording to Dr Prasad Thotukara, AFA is also screening Dr ANR's president AFA last super hit movie Manam to the Dr Thotukara clarified that the community as a complimentary ANR postal stamp is not being is- movie. The movie will be screened sued by the US Postal Department on Saturday, Sept 20 at 6:15 pm at but by AFA. It's a special, custom FunAsiA, 1210 E. Belt Line Road, made, commemorative, legal, valid Richardson. Complimentary movie postal stamp and will not be avail- tickets will be available at the theable in any post office. These lim- ater on a first come first served ited quantity stamps will be avail- basis, fifteen minutes before the able only through AFA. These screening.

September 19, 2014

Community Across America

India Post 25

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Shah Rukh's San Jose show will be spectacular

Indian Americans seek more school holidays NEELA PANDYA

India Post News Service

SAN JOSE: SLAM-The Tour is evoking tremendous interest in

California and especially in the beautiful city of San Jose. Arrangements are in full swing for the Sept 28 show at SAP Center in San Jose starting at 7.30 pm. DBR Entertainment, the promoters have announced that the tickets are selling fast and people from as far as Florida, Los Angeles are coming to enjoy this extravaganza.

Dave Atwal with DBR says the people will enjoy a spectacular production where Shah Rukh Khan will be on the stage for more than an hour, which is the longest time he has been ever on stage in any concert on world tour. "This will be the biggest ever live-inBollywood concert people have ever seen in North America", assures Atwal.

Another first of Bollywood live in concert in North America would be the spectacular moving LED panels as part of the light show.

Extensive use of pyrotechnics and numerous special effects will be the highlight of the show and the fans will see the best in

Bollywood show entertainment.

Bollywood, over the years, has not just entertained the Indian audiences but has also garnered a lot

However the Punjabi community is also eagerly waiting for the heart throb of the youngsters, Yo Yo Honey Singh and 'Village friend',

of love and support from the world audience.

SLAM-The Tour features Shah Rukh Khan, Deepika Padukone, Abhishek Bachchan, Malaika Arora Khan, Boman Irani, Sonu Sood, Vivian Shah, Yo Yo Honey Singh and Kanika Kapoor.

When it is all about Shah Rukh Khan, extravagance is obvious! He has a huge fan base and people from all communities love him.

Sonu Sood.

Other major companies that have joined hands include Desi 1170AM, Zee TV, DGN Technologies, Prospance, SGIC Cloud Tech, Shalimar Restaurant, Madhuban Indian Cuisine, Ananda Bhavan, Lucky Heaven Limousine, Meeka Studio, Silicon Valley Signs and Instant Karma. DBR says it appreciates all the sponsors and attributes the success of the show to its sponsors.

Tickets are available online at ticketmaster.com and sulekha.com. In person tickets can be purchased from DBR Offices in Fremont and Santa Clara. Tickets have also been placed at various outlets which include India Cash and Carry in Fremont, Sunnyvale and San Jose, New India Bazaar in Milpitas and Santa Clara, Punjab Bazaar Cash and Carry in San Jose, Kash Fabrics in Hayward, Kamal Spice in Pleasanton, Naz Beauty Salon in Sunnyvale, Sri Ananda Bhavan in Sunnyvale and Neelam Pacific market in San Bruno.

Another first of Bollywood live in concert in North America would be the spectacular moving LED panels as part of the light show.

Extensive use of pyrotechnics and numerous special effects will be the highlight

NEW JERSEY: Indian Ameri- a religious holiday must be given cans in New Jersey have urged the right to take an alternate test New Jersey State Board of Educa- or examination" and the absence tion (NJSBE) to add five more be recorded as an "excused abHindu festivals to its list of holi- sence". days.

The NJSBE, which meets NJSBE included following monthly in Trenton, "adopts the Hindu days in its "List of Religious administrative code, which sets Holidays Permitting Student Ab- the rules needed to implement sence from School" for the 2014- state education law". Such rules 2015 school year: Raksha Bandhan, cover the supervision and govKrishna Janmashtami, Ganesha ernance of the state's 2,500 pubChaturthi, Navaratri, Dussehra, lic schools, which serve 1.38 milDiwali, Makar Sankranti, Vasant Panchami, Maha Shivaratri, Holi, ‘Any student absent from Chandramana Yugadi, school because of a Ram Navami, Hanuman Jayanti and Souramana religious holiday may Yugadi. not be deprived of any Rajan Zed, president of Universal Society of award or of eligibility or Hinduism, listed the opportunity to compete for festivals to be added to this list of religious holi- any award because of days as: Naga such absence;’ Panchami, Guru Purnima, Goverdhan Puja, Pongal and Onam. This List lion students. Mark W. Biedron, contains total 107 religious holi- Joseph Fisicaro and Diane days during 2014-2015 belonging Shoener are President, Vice Presito various religions/denomina- dent and Director respectively of tions, and some holidays are as NJSBE. long as nine days.

Rajan Zed said that Hinduism According to the Board reso- was rich in festivals and festivals lution: "Any student absent from were very dear to Hindu families. school because of a religious holi- "Since families want to celebrate day may not be deprived of any these festivals together along award or of eligibility or opportu- with their school going children, nity to compete for any award be- we did not want our children to be cause of such absence;" and deprived of any privileges at the "students who miss a test or ex- school because of thus resulting amination because of absence on absences on these days."

26 India Post

Community Across America

September 19, 2014

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Pre-Diwali 'Mega Musical' on October 3 India Post News Service

HAYWARD, CA: Star Entertainment has announced PreDiwali 'Mega Musical Extravaganza 2'event with live band Melody Makers on Friday October 3 at Golden Peacock Hayward with music, dinner, fashion show,

Bollywood dances and DJ. Well-known Bay area singers Mandeep, Vikas, Rakesh, Neeraj, Tony, Steve, Meera, Jaya and Deepti will thrill the audience with their songs from the old to the latest Bollywood movies supported with the live band melody makers team of Rajeshvar, Rohit, Tom,

Ashu and Kishore.

Jyotica Bhatia of Malbis Couture will present Pre-Diwali Fashion show with known male & fe-

male models known of Bay Area Elena and Dance Dil Se will rock the audience with their dance numbers from Bollywood movies, and the Program will be emceed

by Nisha Gill and co-emcee RavSastre The door will open at 7:00 pm and the program will start sharp at 8:00 pm Star Entertainment has thanked the Grand sponsor of the event Dr. Charanjit Uppal of Uppal Dental,

the Platinum Sponsor Chaat Bhavan and Park Balluchi, alongwith Toni Sodhi of SGIC Cloud Tech and Gold sponsor Flavio Amaral of RE/Max. The other sponsors include Indian Chili and Ultimate Lounge and Pamela Sahu of Eve DĂŠcor.

The Media partners of this event are 1550 AM Radio Zindagi, Azmi Gill of US Urdu Newspaper, India Post, Diya TV, and INDTV USA.

HAF to host Miss America at Gala Dinner over, from human rights to The Bhutanese American Project to MILPITAS, CA: The Hindu the annual DC Advocacy Days, American Foundation (HAF) will HAF continues to provide a prohost Miss America 2014 Nina fessional and progressive voice Davuluri, the first Hindu American for our community.

"HAF's Annual Gala Dinner is to win the Miss America contest, at its Annual Northern California a unique opportunity to learn Awareness Gala Dinner on Sun- more about the world of Hindu American advoday, September 21 cacy and why it from 5 pm to 9 pm. matters for all of The event, which us," said Samir will be held at the Kalra, HAF's DiIndia Community rector/Senior FelCenter in Milpitas, low for Human California, will feaRights. "It's also a ture a keynote talk great occasion for

by Ms Davuluri attendees to hear and celebrate Nina Davuluri's HAF's achievejourney as Miss ments and advoAmerica 2014, and cacy on behalf of interact with comthe Hindu Amerimunity, interfaith, can community. and government HAF has seen leaders." many milestones Nina Davuluri The evening in 2014, including the successful passage through will include a social hour, a gourthe state legislature of California met Indian vegetarian dinner, and Senate Bill 1057, which seeks to feature a number of exciting guest update the state's nearly two de- speakers. The event is free and cades old history-social science open to all, and offers a separate content standards, and create text- babysitting room with entertainbook content that portrays all ment and activities for children groups fairly and accurately. More- ages 5 and up.

India Post News Service

September 19, 2014

www.indiapost.com

India Post 27

TOP TEN HINDI FILM SONGS

1 Tu Meri : Bang Bang 2 Samjhawan : Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania 3 Tere Ho Ke Rahenge : Raja Natwarlal 4 Yaar Naa Miley : Kick www.indiapost.com

28 India Post

I

t is known to all that Aamir Khan is playing an alien in Rajkumar Hirani's 'PK' and now Anushka Sharma's role in the film has been revealed. Anushka who was spotted with an altogether different hairdo for the film plays a journalist who is secretly a prostitute.

She is a bizarre journalist who loves to write on unusual subjects.

The story starts off with Anushka completing her journalism course from Bruges. Sushant Singh Rajput plays her boyfriend.

September 19, 2014 5 Aata Majha Satakli : Singham Anushka cannot marry him because of a number of barriers in her way. When Sushant wishes to marry her, she runs away fearing that he might know her secret.

Her love for 'unusual news' brings her to India where she meets naked PKaka Aamir Khan. PK is an alien who lands up on earth to find God. He asks different questions to Anushka of which she has no answer. The search for the answer takes Anushka and Aamir to a different journey.

Returns 6 Galliyan : Ek Villain 7 Fanny Re : Finding Fanny 8 Sawaan Aaya Hai : Creature 3D 9 Hangover : Kick 10 Aaj Phir: Hate Story 2

W

hen Hrithik Roshan returned to the sets of 'Bang Bang' six months after an apparently freak accident that led to a brain surgery, no one expected him to be up for any daredevilry.

But the actor left everyone awestruck when he jumped off the rooftops in Shimla on the very first day of the shoot.

To director Siddharth Anand's delight, his hero was ready for anything. "Just tell me what you want and how you want it done," was his constant refrain over the next few months as they went about filming the official remake of the Tom Cruise-Cameron Diaz action thriller, 'Knight And Day'.

In Bang Bang I have pushed myself to the extreme. This sequence called for mental and physical tenacity The film has several stunts, one of which has Hrithik on water skies being pulled along by a sky plane. It was shot in a lake in Prague. "Hrithik trained for four days, before the cameras rolled. He learnt to jetski with a speed boat pulling him along first. Then, an antiquated plane was brought in with an experienced pilot at the controls, so that it could be slowed down and speeded up at will. It was risky but worth the effort. The sequence is not out in the teaser yet," says Siddharth.

Hrithik said, "In Bang Bang I have pushed myself to the extreme. This sequence called for mental and physical tenacity.

The rush that I experienced while training and executing the sequence was out of the world."

Bollywood

September 19, 2014

India Post 29

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P

riyanka Chopra says that biopics on sports stars make them a household name, therefore, it is unfair to compare the monetary benefits. Priyanka has played boxing champion M.C. Mary Kom in Mary Kom. Now a section of people are talking about the disparity between the incomes of Priyanka and Mary Kom. Upset with the comparisons, Priyanka said: "It is very tragic that everybody watching the film had no idea who Mary Kom was and that she was a five-time world champion before we announced the film.

"So you should look at the fact that a film like this or Paan Singh Tomar or Bhaag Milkha Bhaag pick up icons and put them on a stage of the entire nation where today Mary being a relevant sports star, is getting the dignity she deserves," the 31-year-old said.

"One of the biggest reasons why this film was made and why is it so close to me is because Mary is a woman, and her career almost got over because she decided to get married and have children.

Why should that happen to women?" Priyanka said.

S

onam Kapoor recently revealed that whenever she is stressed out, she resorts to cleaning her room as it calms her nerves.

"I organize not only things in my room, but also start organizing the contents in my sister Rhea's bag. I even clean my

friend's magazine rack," she said. Talking about handling anxiety, she added, "I either talk a lot or don't talk at all when I'm stressed. I can't eat, sleep or be myself then. I like to be left alone and listen to music, see films or read when I want to de-stress."

P

ost Farah Khan's Happy New Year, Vivaan Shah will be seen in the film Mastan directed by debutant Rocky Khanna.

The film is set in the 1980s in Bombay in the golden period of bhaigiri and raw crime and will see Vivaan in a Bumbaiya bhaigiri avatar. Vivaan's character, based on a real person, will be playing a college kid who rose to big heights in the Bombay underworld.

What's interesting is that he got into this world, not due to financial reasons, but as he was a born bhai. Vivaan has been trying to persuade his father to play a role based on the Godfather of the Bombay underworld at that time, Karim Lala. Good news is that we last heard Vivaan say that he has got his dad to say a yes.

30 India Post

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September 19, 2014

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September 19, 2014

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NEWS at your doorstep www.indiapost.com

„ Health

Line

Legionnaires' case at NC nursing home WINSTON-SALEM, N.C.: A seventh resident of a WinstonSalem nursing home has been diagnosed as fighting the potentially fatal Legionnaires' disease Local media reports say the Forsyth County Public Health Department announced the latest case involving a resident of Oak Forest Health and Rehabilitation.

Earlier cases were announced in June and July.

Legionnaire's Disease is contracted by breathing in a mist of vapor containing the bacteria. It isn't spread from person to person

Most people exposed to the Legionella bacteria do not get the disease, and the center is admitting new residents and has not changed visitation policies.

A North Carolina health department spokesman says there have been 83 cases statewide this year, slightly above average. Six have been fatal.

The bacterium is usually found in hot water and in systems producing aerosols or mist. People can become infected when they breathe in a contaminated mist or vapor that has been contaminated. -AP

„ More hospitals restrict visitors due to virus INDIANAPOLIS: Several Indianapolis hospitals are restricting visits by children to prevent the spread of a severe respiratory illness that has sickened hundreds of children nationwide.

The Indianapolis Star reports that Riley Hospital for Children at IU Health and Franciscan St. Francis Health has banned all neonatal intensive care unit visitors younger than 18, except for parents. Other IU Health hospitals in Indianapolis, Bloomington and Lafayette will also limit visitors. IU Health Goshen Hospital had already restricted visitors age 12 and under.

State health officials announced that four children in Lake County had been confirmed as having enterovirus D68.

Enterovirus is similar to the germ that causes the common cold. The virus can be severe and require hospitalization in people with underlying medical conditions such as asthma. -AP

Health Science

Yoga may reduce post-traumatic stress disorder Details on Page 35

32 India Post

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September 19, 2014

Centre assures all-out health care assistance to flood-hit JK SRINAGAR: Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan has said all assistance will be provided to the state health authorities to tackle any possible epidemic in the aftermath of the devastating floods.

Vardhan was speaking at a meeting held with Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and senior officers at Hari Niwas to review the ongoing relief operations in the state, an official spokesman said.

The Union Minister took a detailed review of the health related relief measures and also took stock of essential medicines and other health care facilities provided.

The Chief Minister sought Central assistance to restore the health infrastructure affected due to floods and also to carry out an extensive measles vaccination

program for vulnerable age group of 0 to 15 years.

He also informed that almost 50 lakh chlorine tablets have been received in the state and mobile purification plants are being used

to provide safe drinking water to the people.

The authorities have been directed to press into service more pumps for dewatering and taking appropriate preventive measures

Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan meets flood victims during his visit to Poonch district hospital in Jammu & Kashmir on September 13

to check any epidemic outbreak, Omar said.

Vardhan was also apprised that supplies of emergency medicines have been dispatched to various district hospitals.

The Health Minister assured the state of all possible assistance and asked authorities to press medical teams to various affected areas so that much needed health care facilities is provided to the public.

He said it is important to inform the people about the water purification methods and other vaccinations to check diseases.

It was also informed in the meeting that general public should be sensitized that about one to two tablets of chlorine can purify about 20 liters of water. PTI

Faster way to create insulinSecret to long life may producing cells

lie in your waist!

LONDON: The key to a long life is having a waist no bigger than half your height, a new study has claimed.

Researchers said the rule applied regardless of a person's age, ethnicity or gender.

Dr Margaret Ashwell, co-author of the study, said that the evidence was so strong that it should provide the basis for a simple global health check, which anybody could perform with a piece of string if they did not have a tape measure: "Keep your waist circumference to less than half your height."

The study by Ashwell and researchers from City University London's Cass Business School analyzed 20 years of British medical records and measured the impact on life expectancy of obesity, as measured by the ratio between your waist and height, 'The Sunday Times' reported.

Researchers found that a 30-

year-old man who is 5ft 10in tall, should have a waist of no more than 35in - but if that expands to 42in, or 60 per cent of his height, he will lose 1.7 years.

His female counterpart, who is 5ft 4in tall, will die 1.4 years prematurely if she lets her waist expand from half her height, 32in, to 60 per cent of her height, 38.4in.

A man aged 30, of average height and a 56in waist, can expect to lose 20.2 years, while an obese woman of 30 with a waist of 51in will die 10.6 years early.

However, only 0.2 per cent to 0.3 per cent of that age group are so excessively overweight, researchers said.

The study demonstrated that Body mass index (BMI) is particularly poor at predicting early death from obesity for women, while waist to height provides accurate estimates for both sexes. -PTI

TORONTO: In an important advance in the fight against diabetes, researchers have developed a new method that can turn stem cells into reliable, insulin-producing cells in about six weeks.

Researchers from the University of British Columbia developed the method which turns stem cells into insulin-producing cells in about six weeks, far quicker than the four months it took using previous methods.

"We are a step closer to having an unlimited supply of insulin-producing cells to treat patients with Type 1 diabetes," said Timothy Kieffer, who led the research and is a professor in UBC's Department of Cellular and Physiological Sciences and the Department of Surgery.

The procedure, developed in collaboration with BetaLogics Venture, a division of Janssen Research & Development, LLC, transforms stem cells into insulinsecreting pancreatic cells via a cell-culture method.

The conversion is completed

after the cells are transplanted into a host.

"We have not yet made fully functional cells in a dish, but we are very close. The cells we make

in the lab produce insulin, but are still immature and need the transplant host to complete the transformation into fully functioning cells," said Kieffer.

An important next step for UBC researchers and their industry collaborators is to determine how to prevent the insulin-producing cells from being rejected by the body.

The research was published in the journal Nature Biotechnology.

-PTI

September 19, 2014

Health Science Post www.indiapost.com

Activating gene could delay ageing in body LOS ANGELES: Researchers, including one of Indian-origin, have identified a gene that can slow the ageing process throughout the entire body when activated remotely in key organ systems.

Researchers from the University of California, Los Angeles studied fruit flies and activated a gene called AMPK that is a key energy sensor in cells; it gets activated when cellular energy levels are low.

Increasing the amount of AMPK in fruit flies' intestines increased their lifespans by about 30 per cent - to roughly eight weeks from the typical six - and the flies stayed healthier longer as well.

The research could have important implications for delaying ageing and disease in humans, said David Walker, an associate professor of integrative biology and physiology at UCLA and senior author of the research.

"We have shown that when we activate the gene in the intestine or the nervous system, we see the ageing process is slowed beyond the organ system in which the gene is activated," Walker said.

Walker said that the findings are important because extending the healthy life of humans would presumably require protect-

ing many of the body's organ systems from the ravages of ageing - but delivering antiageing treatments to the brain or other key organs could prove technically difficult.

The study suggests that activating AMPK in a more accessible organ such as the intestine, for example, could ultimately slow the ageing process throughout the entire body, including the brain.

Humans have AMPK, but it is usually not activated at a high level, Walker said.

"Instead of studying the diseases of ageing - Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, cancer, stroke, cardiovascular disease, diabetes - one by one, we believe it may be possible to intervene in the ageing process and delay the onset of many of these diseases," said Walker, a member of UCLA's Molecular Biology Institute. -PTI

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Google Earth to help predict malaria on maps WASHINGTON: Scientists are developing an online platform, using data on Google Earth Engine, that health workers around the world can use to predict where malaria is likely to be transmitted.

The goal is to enable resource poor countries to wage more targeted and effective campaigns against the mosquito-borne disease, which kills 600,000 people a year, most of them children, researchers at the University of California, San Francisco said.

Faced with a multitude of public health needs, countries often make the mistake of cutting their malaria efforts just when they are close to eliminating the disease, said Hugh Sturrock, an assistant professor of epidemiology and biostatistics.

"This can have disastrous consequences, since malaria can quickly rebound, putting years

of expensive control efforts to waste," he said.

"But with these maps, health workers will know exactly where to target their scarce resources.

That way, they can keep fighting the disease until it's eliminated within their borders," said Sturrock.

online with tools for scientists, independent researchers and nations to mine this massive warehouse of data to detect changes, map trends and quantify differences on the Earth's surface.

With the malaria prediction platform, local health workers

By looking at the relationship between disease occurrence and factors such as rainfall, vegetation and the presence of water in the environment, the maps will also help health workers and scientists study what drives malaria transmission.

Google Earth Engine brings together the world's satellite imagery - trillions of scientific measurements dating back almost 40 years - and makes it available

will be able to upload their own data on where and when malaria cases have been occurring and combine it with real-time satellite data on weather and other

Mississippi board sues VA for radiology records JACKSON, Miss.: Mississippi's state Board of Medical Licensure has sued the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs over its refusal to release the names of patients who may have suffered because of the misconduct of a former radiologist at the G.V. (Sonny) Montgomery Medical Center.

The VA is apparently still fighting state efforts to get records,

VA claims Khan didn't properly read images and that some patients may have died as a result.

Multiple VA reviews have absolved Khan of wrongdoing, noting that all radiologists sometimes miss abnormalities. That didn't satisfy Dr. Charles Sherwood, former chief of ophthalmology at the hospital, who complained to medical licensure board and the VA's Office of Special Counsel.

Dr. Margaret Hatten submitted into evidence her notes claiming Khan wasn't reading all the X-rays, CT scans MRIs and other images that he claimed to read. Khan was paid in part based on how many images he read. despite a pledge by acting Secretary of Veterans Affairs Sloan Gibson that he would look into the matter when he spoke in July at the hospital. The licensure board says it needs the names to obtain patient records and complete its investigation into Dr. Majid A. Khan. The board could restrict, suspend or revoke his medical license.

A spokeswoman for the Jackson VA hospital declined to comment, citing the litigation.

Another radiologist who won a discrimination suit against the

The suit was filed July 29 in Hinds County Chancery Court.

The Department of Veterans Affairs filed to move it into U.S. District Court in Jackson on Aug. 29, saying it's a federal matter because it seeks to force action by a federal officer.

Khan worked at the hospital from 2003 to 2008. Today, he is the chief of the division of neuroradiology at the University of Mississippi Medical Center.

UMMC spokeswoman Ruth Cummins wrote in an email that Khan ``was subject to the same

recruiting procedures as other faculty hired at that time, including reference checks.''

The board cites state law allowing it to subpoena medical records. In this case, it's seeking an unredacted copy of an exhibit filed in a 2010 federal court case where three female radiologists sued the federal agency, saying the hospital's then-chief of radiology, Dr. Vipin Patel, discriminated against them and favored Khan.

The women jointly won a jury verdict of more than $183,000 in back pay. One of the women, Dr. Margaret Hatten, submitted into evidence her notes claiming Khan wasn't reading all the X-rays, CT scans MRIs and other images that he claimed to read. Khan was paid in part based on how many images he read.

The names of the 58 patients in Hatten's notes were blacked out in the court exhibit, and the state board wants an unredacted version.

The Department of Veterans Affairs has said it needs a court order, not a subpoena, to disclose records. The hospital did provide the board a report of a 2011 legal settlement of $87,500 paid to the survivors of Charles T. Smith, who sued after Smith died from colon and liver cancer in June 2007.

Khan failed to diagnose the cancer in March 2006. -AP

environmental conditions within Earth Engine to pinpoint where new cases are most likely to occur.

That way, they can spray insecticide, distribute bed nets or give anti-malarial drugs just to the people who still need them, instead of blanketing the entire country.

By looking at the relationship between disease occurrence and factors such as rainfall, vegetation and the presence of water in the environment, the maps will also help health workers and sci-

entists study what drives malaria transmission.

The new tool will be piloted in Swaziland, a country in southern Africa that has limited malaria to a few small pockets across the country through the malaria elimination program it launched in 2008 with help from the Global Health Group.

Plans are to make the tool available to health workers in other countries working with the Global Health Group's Malaria Elimination Initiative. The tool could also be adapted to predict other infectious diseases. -PTI

New type of human stem cell created in lab LONDON: Scientists have created a new type of human stem cell in the lab which they believe will be better at making replacement organs than existing stem cells.

In theory stem cells can develop into any kind of cell, so they could be used to repair damaged organs or even build them from scratch. But most stem cells are not that flexible, researchers said.

The best ones are "pluripotent", meaning they can turn into anything. Such cells have to be taken from embryos or made by reverting adult cells to their embryonic state, called induced pluripotent stem cells, 'New Scientist' reported.

But these pluripotent stem

for organs and tissues than existing embryonic stem cells.

"Nothing has been written or drawn on them to tell them what to do or become. These cells could be a better and more pristine starting point," said Smith.

Called naive stem cells, these have long been known in mice and rats, but they have never been found in humans.

To make them, Smith and his colleagues mimicked the process that creates their mouse counterparts.

They gave human embryonic stem cells extra copies of two genes, Nanog and Klf2, which triggered the gene network needed to make the naive cells.

To confirm that the cells were naive stem cells, the team tracked

Such cells have to be taken from embryos or made by reverting adult cells to their embryonic state, called induced pluripotent stem cells

cells still carry genetic baggage from their previous existence.

"This [baggage] has been one of the confounding problems in this area," said Austin Smith of the University of Cambridge, who led the team that developed the new cells.

The new cells have had their cellular memories wiped clean.

Their genes have been cleansed of most methylation markers, so they behave more predictably and transform more consistently into other tissues.

The team hopes that this will make them a better building block

which other genes were switched on.

Two genes called Klf4 and Tfcp2l1, which are active in mouse naive stem cells, were switched on in the human naive cells.

When the team examined human embryos at around 7 days old they found the genes were active, said Smith.

This suggests naive stem cells exist in natural human embryos.

In mouse embryos, 10 to 20 naive stem cells appear just before the embryos implant into the uterus, Smith said, adding that the human naive cells may appear at the same time. -PTI

September 19, 2014

Health Science Post

India Post 35

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Yoga may reduce post-traumatic stress disorder WASHINGTON: A breathing-based meditation practice called Sudarshan Kriya Yoga can be an effective treatment for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), according to a new study.

Individuals with PTSD suffer from intrusive memories, heightened anxiety, and personality changes.

The hallmark of the disorder is hyperarousal, which can be defined as overreacting to innocuous stimuli, and is often described as feeling "jumpy," or easily startled and constantly on guard.

Hyperarousal is one aspect of the autonomic nervous system, the system that controls the beating of the heart and other body

Kansas restricts travel to African countries MANHATTAN, Kan.: Kansas State University is restricting travel of university-sponsored students, faculty and staff to several African countries affected by the Ebola virus.

The university said in a letter to the Kansas State community that it will deny university-sponsored travel to Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, which have been placed on a federal travel alert list.

Travel requests to nearby Nigeria and the Congo will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

The university also said that anyone who has traveled to those countries in the last four weeks needs to be screened at the Lafene Health Center on the Manhattan campus.

The Manhattan Mercury reports that as of September 10, 16 people who were screened were found to be not at risk of contracting Ebola. AP

500 sites deliver new health care model COLUMBUS, Ohio: State officials say Ohio has more than 500 medical practices delivering a teamworkbased model of health care.

The approach is known in the industry as patient-centered medical homes.

The Ohio Department of Health says there were 513 medical homes in the state as of last month. That's up from 157 sites in June 2012 and 293 in June 2013.

Under the model, general-medicine doctors, physician assistants and nurses closely follow patients

to try to keep them from developing complications that require hospital treatment. The providers also coordinate to avoid duplicative tests or unnecessary emergency room visits.

Care is managed using patient databases and other technology to provide patients with help when and where it's needed.

Officials say the model helps reduce the overall cost of care through prevention and wellness. -AP

functions, and governs one's ability to respond to his or her environment.

Sudarshan Kriya Yoga is a practice of controlled breathing that directly affects the autonomic nervous system.

While the practice has proven effective in balancing the autonomic nervous system and reducing symptoms of PTSD in tsunami survivors, it has not been well studied until now.

Researchers from the Center for Investigating Healthy Minds (CIHM) at the Waisman Center of the University of Wisconsin-Madison were interested in Sudarshan Yoga because of its focus on manipulating the breath, and how that in turn may have consequences for the autonomic nervous system and specifically, hyperarousal.

This is the first randomized, controlled, longitudinal study to show that the practice of controlled breathing can benefit people with PTSD, researchers said.

"This was a preliminary attempt to begin to gather some information on whether this practice of yogic breathing actually reduces symptoms of PTSD," said Richard J Davidson, founder of CIHM and one of the authors of the study.

"Secondly, we wanted to find out whether the reduction in symptoms was associated with biological measures that may be important in hyperarousal," he said.

The tests included measuring eye-blink

startle magnitude and respiration rates in response to stimuli such as a noise burst in the laboratory.

Respiration is one of the functions controlled by the autonomic nervous system; the eye-blink startle rate is an involuntary response that can be used to measure one component of hyperarousal.

These two measurements reflect aspects of mental health because they affect how an individual regulates emotion.

The study included 21 soldiers: an ac-

This is the first randomized, controlled, longitudinal study to show that the practice of controlled breathing can benefit people with PTSD, researchers said. tive group of 11 and a control group of 10.

Those who received the one-week training in yogic breathing showed lower anxiety, reduced respiration rates and fewer PTSD symptoms.

The study is published in the Journal of Traumatic Stress. -PTI

„

Realty Tidbits

Navin's Housing to enter newer markets CHENNAI: Real estate developer Navin's Housing and Properties plans to foray into newer geographies over the next three years and intend to take up over six million square foot projects, a top company official said.

According to Navin's Housing and Properties, Managing Director R Kumar the company would adopt "franchise models" for its proposal to expand to newer markets.

"Anyone can join hands with us. We will offer the guidelines and they will be the business owners of that project. It will be cobranded. We are taking this model to reach more people," Kumar told reporters here.

He said such Joint Venture projects would be undertaken outside Chennai city while Navin's would focus on projects in the city.

Navin's Housing and Properties Director Viswajith Kumar said the the company would also look at taking up commercial projects.

"What we want is that in the next five years, commercial projects will be 10 per cent of our total business," he said.

The city-based property developer has completed over 100 projects over 2.5 million square foot, during the last 25 years and a new mascot was also released on the occasion. -PTI

„ Earth Infra plans foray into new biz NEW DELHI: Realty firm Earth Infrastructures plans to enter into new businesses, like solar energy and rail wagons manufacturing, in tie-up with Japanese firms and has earmarked investment of Rs 600 crore for diversification.

City-based Earth group is currently developing six housing and five commercial projects in Gurgaon, Greater Noida, Yamuna Expressway and Lucknow. Of this, four projects are expected to be delivered next year.

"We are looking to diversify into other businesses. We have identified certain sectors like solar energy, waste management and manufacturing of railway wagons as there is lot of opportunities," Earth Infrastructures Joint Managing Director Vikas Gupta said.

The company is in talks with few Japanese companies for technical collaboration to enter into new business, he added.

Gupta said the company would finalize the diversification plan in 3-4 months. -PTI

Real Estate 38

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September 19, 2014

Unitech flat owners protest against delays NEW DELHI: Protests over delays in completion of real estate projects has reached doorstep of government ministers, including Prakash Javadekar, when some aggrieved buyers used an industry conference to air their grievances. About two dozen flat owners of Unitech's two under-construction housing projects in Noida reached NAREDCO's annual convention at Ashok Hotel to petition Urban Development Minister M Venkaiah Naidu and I&B Minister Javadekar.

Details on Page 37

NRI investments may rise 35% this year NEW DELHI: Property developers are expecting a 35 per cent surge in real estate enquiries from NRIs, with Bangalore turning out to be the hot favorite, says an Assocham survey.

To tap the growing interest which comes at a time when the global economy is stabilizing and India is showing strong signs of revival, real estate companies are pulling out all stops by conducting property shows, exhibitions and opening overseas representative offices.

Developers are also expanding their existing distribution chains and entering into strategic partnerships to encourage investors from this cash-rich segment, it said.

The survey was conducted among nearly 850 real estate developers in Delhi-NCR, Chandigarh, Mumbai, Kolkata,

Bangalore, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, Pune, Dehradun and Chennai etc.

Bangalore is the most favorite property investment destination for NRIs, followed by Ahmedabad, Pune, Chennai, Goa,

for the high-end property and commercial buildings, according to developers.

"With the revival in global economy, especially in the United States and Europe, people are more optimistic and looking for

NRIs consider Ahmedabad as a safe place to invest in, with lenient government regulations for property investments. Pune takes the 3rd place (30.5 per cent), whereas Chennai (28 per cent) assumes 4th position Delhi and Dehradun, it added.

The enquiries are primarily coming from NRIs residing in UAE, the US, Singapore, Australia, the UK, Canada and South Africa.

This year, the demand is more

property to invest in.

"Both small and big developers are focusing on the NRI base in the US, the UK and Asia Pacific region this year," said Assocham Secretary General D S Rawat.

As per the findings of the survey, Ahemdabad (32 per cent) continues to be the most stable market in terms of demand and absorption of both residential and commercial spaces.

NRIs consider Ahmedabad as a safe place to invest in, with lenient government regulations for property investments.

Pune takes the 3rd place (30.5 per cent), whereas Chennai (28 per cent) assumes 4th position and Goa (23 per cent) is at 5th position.

In Delhi, there has been a 21 per cent rise in enquiries this year as opposed to last year from this segment and the majority of them have been for the residential segment.

Catering to the growing demand among high-end segment, Delhi has also emerged among promising markets for real estate, the survey added. -PTI

19 mn sq ft house projects unsold in Gurgaon NEW DELHI: Gurgaon housing market has unsold inventory of nearly 19 million sq ft, 28 per cent of the total area under development, due to slowdown in demand and a surge in supply, according to rating agency ICRA. However, ICRA Research said in its latest report on Delhi-NCR residential market that sales would outstrip demand in near term in Gurgaon.

"Golf Course Road Extension and New Gurgaon have remained the most active micro markets in Gurgaon witnessing maximum launches. The total area under development in the Gurgaon market stood at 66.11 million sq ft as on March 2014 end," ICRA said.

It estimated the total unsold inventory in Gurgaon at 18.82 million sq ft, with 63 per cent unsold inventory being in the Golf Course Road Extension and New Gurgaon.

The rating agency attributed the high unsold inventory to surge in supply in New Gurgaon and Golf Course Road Extension

take precedence over new launches," ICRA said.

The report highlighted that Gurgaon is witnessing major infra-

amid slowdown in real estate demand.

"We believe in the near term, improvement in sales velocity will

structure developments like KMP expressway and Dwarka expressway that are expected to create a positive impact on the overall mar-

ket scenario.

"Although there have been significant delays in completion of most of these infrastructure projects, the real estate market is expected to reap significant benefits post completion of these projects.

Overall in Delhi-NCR housing market, ICRA said the demand is expected to remain subdued in the medium term due to tight monetary policy and weak economic growth.

"Profitability of developers to remain under pressure as cost inflation remains stubbornly high leading to rise in cost of key inputs like steel and cement," it added.

ICRA also said that further funding avenues would remain scarce with tightening of lending norms by banks and reduced inflows from other sources such as private equity investments. -PTI

Real Estate Post

September 19, 2014

India Post 37

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Rate hikes not challenged Modi govt efforts in right direction: Crisil

by Texas commissioner AUSTIN, Texas: The Texas insurance commissioner has allowed the three largest home insurers to impose significant rate hikes on many policyholders despite the objections of a state consumer advocate.

Insurance Commissioner Julia Rathgeber can reject any new rates that are deemed excessive and order refunds. But her office

rates have been appearing on renewal notices since the start of the year.

The three companies have an overwhelming share of the homeowners insurance market in Texas with more than 2 million combined customers.

The companies say the rates are justified because of destructive weather patterns in Texas, in-

She said State Farm's new rates were excessive and based on projections that ``exaggerate future expected losses.'' Further, the company is citing unreasonably high expenses to justify its new rates, she said. has taken no action since learning of the increases late last year, and it's unclear whether she will do so.

State Farm policyholders have seen a nearly 10 percent increase this year, which follows a 20 percent increase in 2013. Farmers raised its rates an average of 14.9 percent early this year while Allstate hiked rates by 6.5 percent.

Rathgeber's office said that the rate increases are still under review, according to The Dallas Morning News. But the higher

cluding frequent hailstorms.

Patti Kelly, a State Farm spokeswoman, said the company had little choice but to seek an increase. She said State Farm is spending $1.11 for every dollar collected in premiums to take care of claims and business expenses. ``The costs of repairs we pay to help customers recover from unexpected (weather events) continue to rise, and have for some time. Additionally, the volume of claims and cost per claim are increasing,'' she told the Morning News.

Luis Sahagun, a spokesman for

Farmers, said the insurer needed to adjust its rates to account for the ``increasing costs associated with covering the risks faced by customers'' in Texas. That includes tornadoes and hailstorms. ``The costs associated with paying for losses resulting from fires and water damage have also kept growing,'' he said.

But Public Insurance Counsel Deeia Beck has objected to the increases as ``excessive.''

She said State Farm's new rates were excessive and based on projections that ``exaggerate future expected losses.'' Further, the company is citing unreasonably high expenses to justify its new rates, she said.

Farmers, meanwhile, is trying to reap a ``greatly excessive'' profit in Texas, she said. That includes substantial profit generated from management contracts between Farmers' holding company and its subsidiaries.

Beck filed documents protesting the increases in January. She said that she's received no reaction from the Department of Insurance. ``The rate increases do not meet legal guidelines under the Texas Insurance Code,'' she said. ``I had thought that we would hear something (from the commissioner) by now.'' -AP

Unitech flat owners protest against delays NEW DELHI: Protests over delays in completion of real estate projects has reached doorstep of government ministers, including Prakash Javadekar, when some aggrieved buyers used an industry conference to air their grievances.

About two dozen flat owners of Unitech's two under-construction housing projects in Noida reached NAREDCO's annual convention at Ashok Hotel to petition Urban Development Minister M Venkaiah Naidu and I&B Minister Javadekar.

Soon after the inaugural session was over, the buyers first approached Javadekar, who was on his way out of the conference venue. The Minister asked them to give their complaint in writing before driving off.

Later, the protesters tried to reach Naidu.

Unitech Uni Homes Buyers Association Secretary Pankaj Shrivastava said the Urban Development Minister promised to look into the matter.

This mid-income project, com-

prising about 3,000 flats, was launched in 2009 and is yet to be completed, Shrivastava added.

Buyers claimed that the developer had promised to give possession of the flats in three years.

Majority of the projects in

Delhi-NCR are significantly delayed due to slowdown in the property sector and consequent liquidity crunch faced by the developers.

When contacted, a Unitech spokesperson said: "We are in regular touch with our customers and keep updating them on the project's progress. There have been some delays due to certain regulatory issues being faced by most of the developers in NOIDA and are beyond the developer's control.

"This may be causing anxiety to some customers but we can assure them that they are well protected with the penalty clause under which penalty will be paid to the home buyers for any delay, as per their allotment letter," spokesperson added.-PTI

KOCHI: Efforts being taken by the Narendra Modi government to boost the real estate sector are in the 'right direction', a senior official of Crisil Ratings said.

"Efforts being taken by the government are in the right direc-

after handing over the seven star rating citation to V Sunil Kumar, Managing Director and Anil Varma, Executive Director of Asset Homes for their project 'Asset Kasavu', the first villa project in South India to get the Crisil rat-

tion. However, it will take some time to get the desired results," Anurag Jhanwar, director, Real Estate Ratings, Crisil told reporters here.

Pointing out that the sector was largely unorganized, he said

ing.

Seven star rating is the topmost real estate project rating given by Crisil, a Standard & Poor's company. Crisil Real Estate Ratings provide city specific all-round assessment of real estate projects and help buyers benchmark and identify quality projects within their cities.

The key factors evaluated in the Star Ratings process are quality of legal documentation, construction related risks, financial flexibility/visiblity of the project, innovative attributes of the project, besides the background and track record of the project sponsor.

"There is need for enhanced transparency in the real estate sector which can be achieved through self-regulation by developers. The good news is that we are now seeing developers coming forth and embracing this concept by opening themselves up for third party evaluation, which was a positive sign indicating dedication towards customer centricity and professionals", he added. PTI

The key factors evaluated in the Star Ratings process are quality of legal documentation, construction related risks, financial flexibility/ visiblity of the project, innovative attributes of the project, besides the background and track record the ease of funding is not there.

Of 100 files reaching a banks, only five are approved. There are no set benchmarks or practices, he said.

He was speaking at a function

38

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40 India Post

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September 19, 2014

S

iliguri is located ideally in Siliguri Corridor (Chicken's neck), which is a thin strip of land connecting the Mainland of India with the north east of India. Siliguri is a prominent town in the Darjeeling district of the state of West Bengal in India. It is known as the commercial centre of North Bengal. It is also the transit location to neighboring countries like Bangaladesh, Nepal, Bhutan and Mynamar.

Siliguri, located in the Himalayan plains, is gateway to the main hill stations in the Himalayan ranges. Gangtok, Mirik, Kalimpong, Darjeeling and Kurseong are the hills stations which can be approached only through Siliguri. Hence Siliguri is a significant halting place for the tourists and pilgrims.

Siliguri, one of the fastest growing cities in the north east, is famous for tea plantations. The cooler climate is ideal for the proper

growth of tea plants. Many tea brands with export quality are cultivated in Siliguri. The Mahananda River and Balasan River flow through the plains in Siliguri to make the land fertile.

Cont’d on page 42

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Brand USA eyes over 1 mn Indian visitors NEW DELHI: Aiming to attract over a million visitors from India, the US is undertaking various promotional initiatives to position itself as a premier travel destination.

Brand USA, established by the Travel Promotion Act 2010 as a public-private partnership responsible for promoting US, plans to develop online, social and digital programs to be followed by consumer advertising on electronic media in India.

"We are expecting one million and seventy thousand Indian visitors in USA during 2015. We are taking many initiatives for this," Brand USA Global Partnership Development Vice President Jay Gray told PTI.

During the current year Brand USA expects around 9,60,000 Indian travelers. In 2013, around 8,60,000 Indian visitors came to US, he added.

According to Brand USA, in 2013 India was ranked 11th among the top 20 tourist generating countries in the US, an increase of 18.6 over the previous year.

Indian visitors also ranked 10th globally in terms of money spent in the US. The average duration of Indian visitor was 20 nights in 2013, spending around USD 4,500 per person that amounted to a total of USD 5.6 billion in 2013, Gray said.

On being asked about the main reasons for which Indians visit

Innovation key to attract tourists to Kerala KOCHI: Innovation is the key to attract tourists to God's Own country - Kerala, where there is 'incredible' opportunity waiting to be tapped, a top official said here.

"We are looking at incredible opportunity as Kerala gets only 10 per cent of global visitors coming to India. More and more international visitors were now preferring developing economies," V Venu, Director General of National Museum and Vice Chancellor of Na-

tional Museum Institute under the Ministry of Culture, said.

Speaking at the Young Entrepreneurs Summit (YES) at a session on opportunities in 'Tourism', Dr Venu, former Tourism secretary of Kerala, said in tourism innovation was needed. Lot of enterprises, which were started in the sector, failed to take off due to 'herd mentality'.

Citing the example of houseboats, he said now there were too many houseboats in the state which were unsustainable.

Before starting up ventures, homework was essential. Tourism is a human centric business and requires 24x7 attention, he said.

Jose Dominic, who heads the CGH Earth group of hotels, said local and fresh ideas that come from the local community should be adopted as the Kerala model.

Shankar Thiruvillakkat, CEO of Assyst International Pvt Ltd and director at Banasura Hill Resort, said venturing into the hospitality sector was purely accidental.

The resort at Waynad was conceived as a ' c o m p a n y guesthouse' to provide a quiet weekend getaway but the concept turned out to become Asia's largest Earth Resort.

Young entrepreneur Maneesha Panicker, owner and founder of Silk Route Escapes, an experiential travel company specializing in travel through Kerala and India, said she offers a soul searching experience, helping global travelers discover, understand and connect with people and their culture.

Speaking on her latest 'Kayal' project, an island retreat in the backwaters of Kochi, she said 'Kakkathuruthu' is an island of crows, where fisherfolk and farmers share the stories of their lives with guests in cottages.

Funding and labor issues had come her way, but these were successfully handled, she added. -PTI

USA, Gray said: "It is leisure, business and meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions (MICE)."

The main drivers for growth are the diversity and affordable luxury experience which US offers

that makes it the greatest destination, he added.

"We are also promoting soft adventures, outdoors to the young Indians as India has a huge population which is under 35 years," Gray said.

The third annual India travel mission by Brand USA this year witnessed participation of 41 delegates representing 30 US companies including destinations attractions, hotels and receptive operators. -PTI

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SILIGURI

Crucial link of India with North East Cont’d from page 40

Siliguri is famed for military bases of Indian forces. The Indian armies, the Sashastra Seema Bal, the Assam Rifles, the Central Reserve Police Force and the Border Security Force have their bases at this place.

The population of Siliguri consists of local people of Indian origin and many foreign nationals from neighboring countries. Football is a great part of the life of the local people.

Kanchenjunga Stadium is an attractive sports complex and outdoor stadium in Siliguri.

Tea, Tourism, Transport and Timber are four main commercial activities in Siliguri. It is renowned as an ideal place to shop for cheap Chinese goods. Here one can get low cost imported items, handicrafts and local artifacts.

A huge inflow of tourists is found in this scenic town. A spectacular view of the majestic Kanchenjunga peak is visible from this place. Many imposing attractions like Madhuban Nature Park, Shorea-forest recreation center and Chapramari Wildlife Sanctuary make it a favorite tourist destination in the North East of India.

ATTRACTIONS Coronation Bridge: Coronation Bridge, also known as Sevoke Coronation Bridge, was built in 1930 over the renowned Teesta River at the confluence of Rangeet River and Teesta River in West Bengal to mark the Coronation of

Salugara Monastery

the King George V. This bridge, located close to Sevokeswari Kali Mandir in Siliguri, is a very important bridge in the north east region of India and connects Darjeeling with Jaipalguri.

Science City: Science City in Siliguri, also known as The North Bengal Science Centre, is a knowledge base of science and it is a

highly accomplished institution in north Bengal. This is located at the Northern suburbs of Siliguri town known as Matigara.

Madhuban Park: A spectacular park located in the outskirts of Siliguri was founded by Indian Army. It is well maintained and serves as an exquisite picnic spot in West Bengal. This is a significant place as many tourist land here en-route to Sikkim and north eastern regions.

Surya Sen Park: The Surya Sen Park, a favorite picnic spot among the local people, is located at Mahakal Pally near Siliguri. This is an eco-friendly place for fun, entertainment and increasing awareness about alternative energy sources. An exhibition in the park offers fundamental knowledge about the alternative energy sources.

Umrao Singh Boat Club: Umrao Singh Boat Club is located at Sukna in Siliguri. It is developed and maintained by Indian Army.

This boat club offers many facilities for fun boating and enjoyment.

Boats with different sizes and shapes are available for tourists to hire. Pedaled and engine fitted boats are available in plenty in this boating locality. Some official guides can accompany you while boating.

Mahananda Weir Wildlife Sanctuary: Mahananda Weir Wildlife Sanctuary, situated between Mahananda and Teesta Rivers, is a vast expanse of forest land enriched with lusting green undulating hilly regions in the foothills of Himalayan ranges.

Mahananda Weir Wildlife Sanctuary is a natural habitat of many varieties of wildlife fauna and flora.

The foliage includes thick woody trees and dense bushes.

Cont’d on page 43

Siliguri Junction

Scienc

e city

September 19, 2014

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Rajasthan to introduce 'Night Tourism' from Nov India Post News Service

JAIPUR: The Rajasthan government has decided to introduce 'Night Tourism' in the state from November to give an impetus to tourism. This would mean that the monuments which now close at 5 pm or 6 pm would remain open till 11 pm. The electrification / flood lighting work on the monuments has begun. This was announced

by Principal Secretary Tourism Shailendra Agarwal at the 49th FHRAI Annual Convention. He was speaking in a session 'Interaction with Central/State Government Tourism Officials' . Night tour-

Rajasthan's Principal Secretary Tourism Shailendra Agarwal (third from right) speaking at the 49th FHRAI Annual Convention. To his right are Secretary Tourism, Government of India Parvez Dewan and FHRAI President SM Sherwani

Govt announces focus on 50 tourist circuits India Post News Service

GOA: The Ministry of Tourism has identified 50 tourist circuits for development. These include Cruise Tourism for Goa, Core Buddhist Circuit, Pilgrimage circuits which include Varanasi Ghat etc.

The latter will help augment the initiative undertaken to reinstate the sanctity and development of the holy city.

Minister of State for Tourism and Culture Shripad Yesso Naik dis-

closed this at an interactive meeting organized by CII in Goa. The Minister said that India will be positioned as a global brand by making travel hassle free and user friendly through implementation of e-visa that will be introduced in a phased manner at nine airports in India including Goa very shortly. This will be a game changer for the tourism industry and will attract large number of foreign tourists.

Arjun Sharma, Co-Chair of CII National Committee on Tourism emphasized that for India to

achieve its goal of attracting 12 million foreign tourists annually, and to combat issues pertaining to taxation, visa, infrastructure, and other concerns, it is essential that the government and private sectors collaborate and work together to achieve the set targets and help India become a major tourist destination.

CII also suggested the creation of an empowered National Tourism Board comprising the government, public and private players who can work in partnership. A step by step approach and deliberation over the existing suggestions of cost of visa and its link to reciprocity, simplifying visa form and procedures, improvements in visa pro-

cesses, exempting hotels and tour operators from service tax on foreign exchange earnings and alleviating the problem of multiplicity of taxes at various levels will help the sector prosper and become a major foreign exchange earner for India.

Another suggestion made by CII was to create a task force on cleanliness and security and engage exservicemen who can provide insights to make an impact. Also, commercial tourist vehicles can make use of smart cards to facilitate seamless travel through state borders.

Liquor not a prerequisite for tourism: Stakeholders THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Amid growing concerns over the impact of Kerala Government's new liquor policy on tourism industry, many stakeholders in the sector believe that liquor is not a prerequisite for tourism promotion.

Some resort operators said the new policy, envisaged to cut short

ism will attract tourists to the state even during the summer months, he said.

Agarwal said that to woo repeat tourists, 'activity-based' circuits were being planned. To begin with there would be 'Handicraft Circuit', 'Birding Circuit' and 'Spirituality Circuit'. The tourists and visitors would get to see first hand how artisans make crafts in the villages and will also be ex-

Siliguri Cont’d from page 42

the availability of liquor, might affect the tourism industry in the initial stages but the impact could be overcome with proper awareness in the long run.

The success of tourism industry in Gujarat, where total prohibition exists, was the best example for Kerala to emulate, they said.

With regard to the anxiety that arrival of foreign tourists might be hit badly with the new policy, major tour operators pointed out that "foreign tourists are not crazy about liquor. As far as they are concerned alcohol is only a part of their food habit."

IATA Agents Association of India (IAAI) National Director P B Bose told PTI that it was wrong to say that foreign and domestic tourists were coming to Kerala just to savor liquor.

"Most tourists come to experience the culture and see places and watch development of each state," he said, adding, what was required now was to create awareness among potential tourists about the new law in the state.-PTI

posed to their lives in the rural hinterland. The 'Birding Circuit' will take the tourists to Keoladeo National Park, Sambhar Lake, Tal Chhapar etc. to indulge in the love of bird watching. The 'Spiritual Circuit' will take the tourists to the various temples for which the State is well known.

The Principal Secretary also offered 35 forts in the state to the private sector to develop them on lease basis or in a joint venture.

They were also available for an outright sale.

Rajasthan has excellent and varied tourism products by way of lakes, forts, palaces, forests, desert, etc. It is aptly recognized as the 'bread and butter' of the state. He said the revised Tourism Policy was under formulation. It will primarily address conversion issues of hotels and easy availability of land. The state also provides 100% exemption of luxury tax for a period of 7 years, 50% exemption from conversion charges and 20% wage / employment subsidy, among other such rebates.

The animals include rare mountain goat, Chetal, barking dear, fishing cat, sambar, tiger, elephant and Indian bison. This is a halting destination for many migratory birds during the winter season.

ISKCON Temple: An august reflection of serenity and sublime beauty, ISCKON temple in Siliguri attracts thousands of people. International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), also known as Hare Krishna Movement, manages the temple with dedication and reverence.

Salugara Monastery: Salugara Monastery, a sacred Buddhist destination near Siliguri, was established by Tibetal Buddhist Monks, the followers of the Tibetan religious leader Dalai Lama. The attractive feature of this monastery is the 100 feet stupa founded by the Tibetan Lama, Kalu Rinpoche. The stupa brings out five

kinds of relics.

Savin Kingdom: Savin Kingdom near Siliguri is a scenic location. The place nestles among spacious and serene tea farms. An amusement park within it offers many facilities for the enjoyment of the visitors.

Best season to visit: October to March.

HOW TO REACH

By Train: New Jalpaiguri railhead is the nearest railway station to Siliguri, which is 8 km away.

Jalpaiguri station is connected to all major stations in India including Delhi and Mumbai.

By Air: Siliguri domestic airport is located at Bagdogra, 12 km from the heart of the city. Siliguri is air linked to Delhi.

By Bus: Public road transport buses offer services from many cities in West Bengal to Siliguri.

There are regular daily bus services to Kolkata. Private tourist buses also connect many cities in North East to Siliguri.

ISKCON Temple

In Brief Driver's licenses mistakenly given to non-citizens

Immigration

Aliens could file an adjustment of status application

DENVER: Colorado mistakenly issued regular driver's licenses to 524 people who are not citizens and lack legal presence in the U.S., the latest problem in the state's rollout of a law allowing some motorists in the country illegally to get driver's licenses.

The Department of Motor Vehicles emailed those immigrants to return the erroneous licenses, which were mailed early this month, KCNC-TV in Denver reported.

The DMV says the error was caused by a software problem at a contractor, who is working with the DMV to retrieve the licenses and reissue correct IDs. They are supposed to be labeled ``Not Valid For Federal Identification, Voting or Public Benefit Purposes.''

The contractor said the printing error occurred Aug. 8.

The mix-up was the latest setback for Colorado's immigrant driver's license rollout. The state began issuing licenses or IDs to immigrants, regardless of whether they are here illegally or have temporary legal status, starting Aug. 1. Early on, many people complained of long waits to get an appointment with the DMV to get licenses. -AP

„ Philippines detains Canadian Islamist preacher MANILA: A Canadian Islamic preacher has been detained in the Philippines, where authorities deemed him a potential threat to national security, the immigration bureau said.

Jamaican-born Abu Ameenah Bilal Philips, who grew up in Canada, was arrested in the southern Philippine city of Davao shortly after his arrival there and would now be deported.

"Philippine government agencies asked us to deport him because he could be a potential threat to national security," bureau spokeswoman Elaine Tan told AFP. Tan said the bureau was aware Philips, described by Filipino police as being 68, had been blacklisted by a number of other countries.

The Canadian embassy said it was unable to comment due to privacy laws.

Philips was the second Islamic convert preacher to be detained by the Philippines since July, when it also arrested and later deported Robert Edward Cerantonio to Australia. -AFP

44 India Post

www.indiapost.com

September 19, 2014

Details on page 46

Obama has quietly slowed down deportations by nearly 20% WASHINGTON: President Barack Obama has quietly slowed deportations by nearly 20 percent while delaying plans to act on his own potentially to shield millions of immigrants from expulsion.

The Homeland Security Department is on pace to remove the fewest number of immigrants since 2007, according to an analysis of its data by The Associated Press.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the federal agency responsible for deportations, sent home 258,608 immigrants between the start of the budget year last Oct. 1 and July 28 this summer, a decrease of nearly 20 percent from the same period in 2013, when 320,167 people were removed.

Over 10 months in 2012, Immigration and Customs Enforcement deported 344,624 people, some 25 percent more than this year, according to federal figures obtained by the AP. Obama announced plans earlier this year to act on his own to slow deportations but now has postponed any changes until after November's elections. The delay is an effort to shield vulnerable Democrats from potential voter ire at his unilateral actions.

The removal figures, contained in weekly internal reports marked

``Official Use Only,'' reflect the marked decline in deportations even as Obama has delayed announcing what changes he will

fewer immigrants already are being deported: • The Obama administration decided as early as summer 2011

President Barack Obama

make to U.S. immigration policies.

Immigration advocates widely expect Obama to reduce the number of immigrants who are deported, a particularly sensitive issue in many states. Since Obama took office, his administration has removed more than 2.1 million immigrants.

There are two principal reasons

to focus its deportation efforts on criminal immigrants or those who posed a threat to national security or public safety. Many others who crossed into the United States illegally or overstayed their visas and could be subject to deportation are stuck in a federal immigration court system. Last month the backlog in that system

exceeded 400,000 cases for the first time, according to court data analyzed by the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse at Syracuse University. For each case, it now takes several years for a judge to issue a final order to leave the U.S. • As Border Patrol agents detain more people from countries in Central America, not Mexico, the volume and circumstances of the cases take more time for overwhelmed immigration officials and courts to process because, among other reasons, the U.S. must fly such immigrants home rather than letting them walk back across the border into Mexico. A surge in the number of immigrant families, mostly women and young children, has swamped temporary holding facilities, leading the Homeland Security Department to release many people into the U.S. interior with instructions to report back to authorities later.

White House spokesman Josh Earnest said the decrease reflected the President's decision to shift resources from the interior of the country to the border to address the surge in unaccompanied minors arriving on the border.

Cont'd on Page 46

Gabbard against visa-free travel for Europeans WASHINGTON: Citing the presence of a large number of Islamist extremists in European countries, a Democratic lawmaker has sought an immediate suspension of visa-free travel to the US from countries like Britain, Germany and France.

"I urge the Administration to immediately suspend the Visa Waiver Program for countries such as Great Britain, Germany and France, which have thousands of citizens fighting alongside Islamic extremist groups like ISIL, in the Middle East or around the world," Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard said.

Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard

Gabbard, a Democratic Congresswoman from Hawaii, is the first ever Hindu lawmaker in the US Congress.

"As things presently stand, Islamic extremists holding British, German, French or other European passports can simply get on a plane and fly to America without a visa.

This Visa Waiver Program puts the American people in great danger," said Gabbard, who as an Army National Guard captain served two tours of duty in the Middle East.

"By suspending the

Visa Waiver Program, all visitors from these countries will have to go through a visa application process before they are allowed to step on US soil.

Simultaneously, I will work with my colleagues to take action in Congress to address this issue and plug this gaping hole in our national security," she said.

The Visa waiver Program, administered by the State Department and the Department of Homeland Security, has 38 countries participating in it.

The program enables eligible citizens or nationals of those countries to travel to the US and stay for up to 90 days without first obtaining a visa. -PTI

September 19, 2014

Immigration Post

India Post 45

www.indiapost.com

Eyeing 2016, Sen. Rubio stresses border security MIAMI: Two years ago, immi- hard-line stands on immigration. lican calls to bolster security and gration activist Gaby Pacheco got Rubio has begun visiting South deploy the National Guard along a call from Marco Rubio. The Carolina and Iowa, early-voting the Mexican border to respond to Florida senator wanted advice as states in the 2016 nominating cal- the arrival of tens of thousands of he tried to develop a plan to help endar where immigration is an im- Central Americans. people like her: immigrants portant test for White House On a recent tour through cenbrought to the United States ille- hopefuls. tral Florida, an important swinggally as children.

Rubio was the only potential voting region with a fast-growing Now, Pacheco is aghast that Republican presidential candidate Latino population, Rubio told reRubio is taking a harder line on who helped write the immigration porters in English and Spanish that illegal immigration. The potential bill, which would strengthen bor- his emphasis on border security 2016 Republican presidential can- der security while also offering a is an acknowledgement that didate has abandoned the sweep- path to citizenship for many of the House conservatives do not suping bill he helped write and is call- 11.5 million people who are in the port a comprehensive immigration ing for an end to the Obama ad- U.S. illegally. bill. ministration program that lets Now, in a sign of how much the ``The votes aren't there,'' Rubio Pacheco stay in America. political climate has changed, the said. ``You're going to have to deal ``It's another Marco Rubio that party committee that's working to with the border first. Otherwise I just don't know,'' she said. elect Republicans to the Senate is we're going to continue to beat our After the firsthead against a wall term Cubanhere for another deAmerican senator cade without any saw his political changes or any standing fall progress being among conservamade.'' tives who balked At the Orange at his immigration County Republican advocacy, Rubio Party's Lincoln Day is now focusing dinner, that argument on border securesonated with many rity - more in line activists who prowith the Republipelled Rubio to the can activists who Senate four years wield great influago. ence in how a ``Leaders need to White House step up, and he nominee is picked. stepped up to the Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla. speaks on Capitol Hill in Washington. The Last month, plate,'' said Bertica potential 2016 Republican presidential candidate has abandoned a Rubio urged Cabrera Morris, who sweeping Senate bill he helped write President Barack chaired Rubio's camObama not to take actions that using that bill, which more than a paign along Florida's Interstate 4 would shield from deportation mil- dozen Republicans backed, in ads corridor, a crucial stretch of swing lions of people who entered the to attack Democrats as pro-''am- counties. ``I think he did as much U.S. illegally. Congress, Rubio nesty.'' as he could.'' said, should first ``make real The bill remains poisonous But the tough talk also threatprogress on stemming the tide of among some in the Republican ens to undercut Rubio's credibilillegal immigration.'' base, and Rubio's popularity has ity with Hispanic voters, a critical Rubio's aides say the senator plummeted in public polls. factor for the Cuban-American always has stressed border secuBut last month, Rubio won ap- lawmaker in a country that has yet rity and that he insisted on plause from conservatives in to elect a Latino president. tougher enforcement measures as South Carolina when he scolded Rubio has often felt the coma condition for his Senate vote last immigration activists for interrupt- peting pressures from the Hisyear. But immigrant advocates ing his speech at a Republican panic community and the consercontend that in emphasizing only fundraiser. ``You're doing harm to vative activists who elevated him border security and dismissing his your own cause,'' he told the pro- to the national stage. own bill, Rubio is effectively testers, who identified themselves As a state lawmaker, he supswitching sides in the heated de- as immigrants brought illegally to ported legislation to protect field bate. the country as children. ``You workers and to extend in-state tuThe shift comes as potential don't have a right to illegally immi- ition to college students who en2016 rivals such as Sens. Ted Cruz grate to the United States.'' tered the U.S. illegally. But in 2010, of Texas and Rand Paul of KenIn a series of appearances on as he surged toward a Senate seat tucky, who voted against the over- Fox News and conservative talk as a favorite of the ultraconservahaul that Rubio helped write, take radio, Rubio has embraced Repub- tive tea party movement, Rubio

derided a path to citizenship as a ``code for amnesty.''

Two years later, he softened his stance, floating a proposal to give legal status to children of some living in the U.S. without legal permission. ``No one's making the argument that these kids have a legal right to be here. They don't have a legal claim,'' he told The Miami Herald. ``I would make the argument, however, that they have a claim on our conscience.''

Rubio spent months meeting with Pacheco and other immigrant advocates. Obama pre-empted those efforts by announcing an executive action to temporarily defer deportations and grant work permits to hundreds of thousands of immigrants who were brought to the country illegally as children.

Rubio recently said he never formally introduced his own legislation because he could not fig-

ure out how to ``address the challenges that those children are facing without creating that incentive for more people to come.''

While the Obama program is only open to certain young immigrants who entered the country before June 15, 2007, Rubio argued that the administration should stop accepting new applicants to ``prevent that sort of message and ambiguity from getting back to Central America or any other country.''

When asked whether he supported a House bill that would effectively phase out Obama's executive order, however, Rubio cited concerns about the ``unintended consequences'' for youths who have already come forward and obtained work permits.

Nevertheless, he said, ``I certainly think at some point that will have to end too.'' -AP

PRADEEP ROY-SINGH B.A. LL.B. M.B.A. J.D. Attorney-at-Law

Former Assistant StateÂ’s Attorney

Civil & Criminal Litigation Felonies, Misdemeanors, Inc DUI 1 Personal Injury, Business, Divorce etc.

1 Property Tax for Commercial Properties 1 1

http://www.proy-singh.com

2335 W. Devon Ave., Suite 204, Tel: 773-381-1820 Chicago, IL 60659

Immigration Post

46 India Post

September 19, 2014

www.indiapost.com

Aliens could file an adjustment of status application

W

hile the Obama admin istration is working on unveiling administrative fixes to reform the immigration system, we wish to revive one idea, which we discussed in The Tyranny of Priority Dates (http:// www.scribd.com/doc/45650253/ The-Tyranny-of-Priority-Datesby-Gary-Endelman-and-Cyrus-D-

GARY ENDELMAN & CYRUS D. MEHTA

245(a)(3).

The only regulation that defines visa availability is 8 C.F.R. § 245(g) (1), which provides: "An alien is ineligible for the benefits of section 245 of the Act unless an immigrant visa is immediately available to him or her at the time the application is filed. If the applicant is a preference alien,

We propose that aliens caught in the crushing employment-based (EB) or family-based (FB) backlogs could file an adjustment of status application, Form I-485, based on a broader definition of visa availability Mehta-3-25-10.)

We propose that aliens caught in the crushing employment-based (EB) or family-based (FB) backlogs could file an adjustment of status application, Form I-485, based on a broader definition of visa availability. It would promote efficiency, maximize transparency and enhance fundamental fairness by allowing someone to file an I-485 application sooner than many years later if all the conditions towards the green card have been fulfilled, such as labor certification and approval of the Form I-140, Form I-130 or Form I-526.

We have also learned that the EB-5 for China has reached the cap, and there will be retrogression in the EB-5 in the same way that there has been retrogression in the EB2 and EB-3 for India. Systemic visa retrogress retards economic growth, prevents family unity and frustrates individual ambition all for no obvious national purpose.

Upon filing of an I-485 application, one can enjoy the benefits of "portability" under INA § 204(j) in some of the EB preferences and children who are turning 21 can gain the protection of the Child Status Protection Act if their age is frozen below 21. Moreover, the applicant, including derivative family members, can also obtain employment authorization.

We acknowledge that INA § 245(a) (3) only allows the filing of an I-485 application when the visa is "immediately available" to the applicant, and this would need a Congressional fix. What may be less well known, though no less important, is the fact that the INA itself offers no clue as to what "visa availability" means. While it has always been linked to the monthly State Department Visa Bulletin, this is not the only definition that can be employed.

Therefore, we propose a way for USCIS to allow for an I-485 filing before the priority date becomes current, and still be faithful to §

the current Department of State Bureau of Consular Affairs Visa Bulletin will be consulted to determine whether an immigrant visa is immediately available. An immigrant visa is considered available for accepting and processing the application Form I-485 [if] the preference category applicant has a priority date on the waiting list which is earlier than the date shown in the Bulletin (or the Bul-

letin shows that numbers for visa applicants in his or her category are current). An immigrant visa is also considered immediately available if the applicant establishes eligibility for the benefits of Public Law 101-238. Information concerning the immediate availability of an immigrant visa may be obtained at any Service office."

Under 8 C.F.R. § 245.1(g)(1), why must visa availability be based solely on whether one has a priority date on the waiting list which is earlier shown in the Visa Bulletin? Why can't "immediately available" be re-defined based on a qualifying or provisional date?

We are all so accustomed to paying obeisance to the holy grail of "priority date" that we understandably overlook the fact that this all-important gatekeeper is nowhere defined.

Given the collapse of the priority date system, an organizing principle that was never designed to accommodate the level of demand that we have now and will likely continue to experience, all of us must get used to thinking of it more as a journey than a con-

Lawyers for migrants?

Administration says yes, no WASHINGTON: Attorney of a group of migrant children. A General Eric Holder is arguing pub- ruling is pending. licly in favor of legal representaThe contradiction emerges betion for migrant children arriving tween what the administration arunaccompanied at the border even gues the children are constitutionas his department takes the oppo- ally entitled to, and what Holder site position in court. says he supports as a policy. He Holder said in a speech to the discussed a new $1.8 million proHispanic Nagram to help tional Bar Assolegal aid orciation that, ganizations ``Though these represent michildren may grant chilnot have a condren in stitutional right courts, and to a lawyer, we said the dehave policy reapartment is sons and a working ``to moral obligafacilitate action to insure Attorney General Eric Holder speaks cess to legal the presence of during a news conference at the Justice representaDepartment in Washington. counsel.'' tion for these Yet last week, Deputy Assis- children.'' tant Attorney General Leon Fresco Immigration advocates say the appeared before a federal judge in administration can't have it both Seattle to argue that providing le- ways. gal representation for immigrant ``They can try to distinguish children facing deportation could between their legal and moral obcreate open borders and send the ligation, but if you're saying message that no one here illegally there's a moral obligation to the would be removed. children, you're recognizing that ``It would create a magnet ef- in order for them to have a fair fect,'' Fresco said in court. hearing, they need an attorney,'' That argument before U.S. Dis- said Matt Adams, legal director at trict Judge Thomas S. Zilly came the Northwest Immigrant Rights in a lawsuit brought by a coalition Project, a plaintiff in the lawsuit in of immigrant advocates on behalf Seattle. -AP

crete point in time.

The adjustment application would only be approved when the provisional date becomes current, but the new definition of immediately available visa can encompass a continuum: a provisional date that leads to a final date, which is only when the foreign national can be granted lawful permanent resi-

categories like the India EB-3 may have no visa availability whatsoever. Still, the State Department can reserve one visa in the India EB-3 like the proverbial Thanksgiving turkey. Just like one turkey every Thanksgiving is pardoned by the President and not consumed, similarly one visa can also be left intact rather than consumed

Just like one turkey every Thanksgiving is pardoned by the President and not consumed, similarly one visa can also be left intact rather than consumed by the alien beneficiary dent status but the provisional date will still allow a filing as both provisional and final dates will fall under the new regulatory definition of immediately available. During this period, the I-485 application is properly filed under INA §245(a) (3) through the new definition of immediately available through the qualifying or provisional date.

We acknowledge that certain

by the alien beneficiary. So long as there is one visa kept available, our proposal to allow for an I-485 filing through a provisional filing date would be consistent with INA §245(a)(3).

To be continued

* Cyrus D Mehta, may be contacted at 212-425-0555 or info@cyrusmehta.com

Obama has quietly slowed down deportations by nearly 20% Cont'd from Page 44

``The shifting of those resources may have something to do with those numbers,'' Earnest said, adding that law enforcement officials make deportation decisions independent of the White House. The White House began shifting resources as early as May, although the decline in deportations began years ago.

Under U.S. law, immigrant children from Central America caught crossing the border alone can't be subjected to speedy removal proceedings without appearing before a judge. The government interviews Mexican and Canadian children to make sure they aren't trafficking victims; then they can be sent home quickly.

The administration instructed immigration officials starting in summer 2011 to prioritize deportation cases involving criminal immigrants. Deportations had been increasing since late 2008, but since that summer the overall number has dropped markedly.

It remains unclear exactly what actions Obama will announce after the elections. He said earlier this month the U.S. would be better off if immigrants - who in some cases, he said, have been in the U.S. for longer than 10 years and have American children - ``have a path to get legal by paying taxes and

getting aboveboard, paying a fine, learning English if they have to.''

But there are limits under U.S. law to actions that Obama could take without approval from Congress. He can't generally give large groups of immigrants blanket permission to remain permanently in the United States, and he can't grant them American citizenship.

He almost certainly could de-

The administration instructed immigration officials starting in summer 2011 to prioritize deportation cases involving criminal immigrants. lay indefinitely efforts to deport immigrants already in the U.S. illegally, and he could give them official work permits that would allow them to legally find jobs, obtain driver's licenses and file tax returns.

The President said this month that a partisan fight in July over how to address a surge in the number of immigrant children caught crossing the border had created the impression that there was a crisis - and a volatile climate for taking the measures he had promised. -AP

Datebook

September 19, 2014

NEW JERSEY Upcoming

NEW YORK Upcoming

Fri, Sep 26 • ICS Navratri 2014

Sat, Sep 20

Venue: Dunn Sports Center-NJ, 600,Pearl Street, Elizabeth, NJ 07202 Time: 8:00 pm Contact: 848-219-5000

Venue: West Hill High School Gymnasium, 125 Roxbury Rd, Stamford, CT 06902 Time : 07:30 pm Contact: (646) 226-0416

Sat, Sep 27 • Secaucus Navratri 2014

Sat, Sep 27 • The All Brown Comedy

Venue: Meadowlands Expo Center, 355 Plaza Dr, Secaucus, NJ 07094 Time : 08:00 pm Contact: 201-921-9918

Venue: Broadway Comedy Club, 318 W 53rd St, New York, NY 10019 Time : 7:00 pm

Sat, Oct

Sat, Oct 11

11

• NETAM Garba Night 2014

Throwdown

• A Tribute To Rd Burman

• A Tribute To Rd Burman

Venue: Colden Center Auditorium, 65-30 Kissena Blvd, Flushing, NJ 11367 Time: 8:00 pm Contact: 347-653-1309

Venue: Colden Center Auditorium, 65-30 Kissena Blvd, Flushing, NY 11367 Time: 8:00 pm Contact: 347-653-1309

India Post 47

www.indiapost.com

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

Upcoming

Upcoming

Fri, Sep 19 • Tihai 2014 Festival Venue: Reed L.Buffigton Visual and Performing Arts Center (Chabot College), 25555 Hesperian Blvd, Hayward, CA 94545 Timet: 6:30 pm Contact: 925-413-8875

Fri, Sep 26 • Bollywood Fiesta Theme Party

Venue: Club Metropolitan, 651 N La Peer Dr, West Hollywood, CA 90069 Time: 10:00 pm Contact: 323-205-5594

Sat, Sep 27 • Bharatiya Anugrah Samaroh Blessing Festival of India 2014 Venue: Urgency Youth Center, 161 Nortech Parkway, San Jose, CA 95134.

Time: 6 pm to 9 pm Contact: BlessingFestival2014@gmail.com.

Thu, Oct 2, 2014 • Gandhi Jayanti celebration Members of Gandhi Memorial Trust

Venue: McCormick blvd and Dempster in Skokie Illinois Time :10:00 am to 11:00 am Contact: 847 673 0811, 630 339 6526

Sat, Oct 4 • Raas-Garba With Jayshree Gohil & Group

Venue: Bren Events Center, 100 Mesa Rd, Irvine, CA 92617 Contact: 951-318-7375

Sat, Oct 4 • Vibha Dandia 2014 Venue: Centerville Junior High School, 37720 Fremont Blvd, Fremont, CA 94536 Timet: 7:30 pm Contact: 408-997-9992

Sat, Sep 20 • Lataa Voice Close To My Soul By Preetysha & Sameer Venue: Amaya Banquet and Lounge, 7850 Beach Blvd, Buena Park, CA 90620 Time: 7:00 pm.

Contact:510-894-5376

Sun, Oct 5 • KHALNAYAK - Bollywood Broadway Musical Venue: Carrington Hall, 1201 Brewster

ILLINOIS Upcoming • J K Yog Satsang and Bal Mukund Hindi Classes are held every 2nd and 4rth Sunday of Month Chicago Satsang Information: J K Yog, Chicago - Swami Mukundananda Venue: Clarion Inn/Waterford Banquets, Board Room, 933 South Riverside Drive, Elmhurst, IL 60126 Time: 3:30pm-5:30pm Contact: Ajay & Arti Chandhok @ 630-561-4807 Website: www.jkyog.org

Avenue, Redwood City, CA 94062 Time: 5:00 pm Contact: 408-329-7040

ATLANTA Upcoming Fri, Oct 17 • Raas Garba Night Venue: Ashiana Impact Banquet Hall, Global Mall, 5675 Jimmy Carter Blvd, Norcross, Ga 30071 Time: 10:00 pm Contact: 404-246-3256

Sat, Oct 04 • Navaratri Mela - 2014 Venue: Independence High School, 86 School Dr, Alpharetta, GA 30009 Contact: 404-786-7860 Time: 8:45 pm

Sat, Oct 6 • Sri Sita Rama Kalyanam Venue: Norcross High School, 5300 Spalding Dr, Norcross, GA 30092 Time: 9:00 am Contact: 404-916-9899

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

48 India Post

www.indiapost.com

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J.: Miss New York Kira Kazantsev won the Miss America pageant on Sep 14, with the help of a red plastic cup.

For her talent performance, Kazantsev sang Pharrell Williams' ``Happy'' while sitting cross-legged on the stage and banging a red plastic cup on the floor. That immediately touched off a furor on social media networks, where many were critical of her performance.

But Kazantsev said she was inspired by the 2012 movie ``Pitch Perfect'' in which Anna Kendrick's character auditions for an a capella group by performing rhythmically with a cup.

She also said she did it to show future contestants they can win the Miss America pageant by performing whatever talent routine they like, regardless of what others think of it. ``The reason why I chose to do that talent is I wanted every single little girl in America to be able to see that you can do that talent - you can do whatever talent you want on national television - even with a red cup - and still be Miss America and have the time of your life,'' Kazantsev said. ``I literally in that minute and 30 seconds had the most fun I've ever had, and that's because I stayed true to myself and I did what I wanted to do for my talent, no matter what everybody else told me, and it paid off. I'm very happy about it.''

Kazantsev, who named combating sexual assault in the military as the issue about which she would want female US Senators to press their male counterparts, won a $50,000 scholarship with which she plans to attend law school.

She also plans to speak out against domestic violence during her yearlong reign as Miss America.

Her victory marked the third year in a row that a contestant from her state has walked away with the crown in the nationally televised pageant. Kazantsev received the crown at Atlantic City's Boardwalk Hall from outgoing Miss America - and Miss New York Nina Davuluri Cont'd on Page 50

September 19, 2014

New

India Post 49

September 19, 2014 www.indiapost.com

Aamir to play a police officer too in 'PK'?

A

amir Khan seems to have a lot more in store than just his nude look in Rajkumar Hirani's most awaited film 'PK'.

In the new poster of the film, Aamir Khan is seen in a police uniform which is a complete contrast from the other two posters.

The first poster of 'PK' had created quite a stir as it showed Aamir Khan naked while hiding his modesty with a transistor. In the second poster, Aamir surprised his fans again as a bandwala dressed up in a Gujarati style.

Aamir Khan's contemporary Shah Rukh Khan recently took a dig at the 'Dhoom' actor's seminude poster for 'PK', when he launched the trailer of his own upcoming film, 'Happy New Year'.

SRK mockingly stated that posing naked would not be considered talent. Commenting on the

same, Aamir Khan said there are many things coming to my mind right now, but I will avoid. But the

actor did say: 'What happens to people who dig holes for others? I stay away from such digs.'

'Looking for a man who won't let me down'

T

he fashion diva and industry's favourite, Sonam Kapoor is an independent and a headstrong girl. She seems extremely clear about almost everything in her life.

Very early into Bollywood, she got the opportunity to experience it all. However, did you know - she is absolutely scared of being herself and seeks solace in acting as it allows her to be a completely different individual!

Sonam says she has big plans for her personal and professional life.

She quips, "I am single and on the lookout for a man who won't let me down. I would like to share all my stories with my children myself and

not the image that has been created of me. I also want to be a producer, eventually."

Sonam Kapoor

Modern designer, ready-to-wear clothes from Pakistan NEW DELHI: Young fashion designers from Pakistan believe a similarity between cultures and a shared history contributes to the popularity of their designs in India.

A handful of designers from across the border Adnan Pardesy, Wardha Saleem, Farnaz Mustafa and Mehreen Noorani showcased their creations here at a 'Pakistan Fashion Show' as part of the ongoing lifestyle exhibition hosted

by TRADE Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) and Ficci.

"Culturally we are not different.

I am now in India and don't feel out of place. From marriage to parties and other ceremonies, we do similar things. I feel our fashion designs will provide an alternative to those who want to try out something different yet similar," says designer Adnan Pardesy.

The designers, have brought with them a mix of ethnic wear, bridal wear as well as pret-a porter clothes for the show and exhibition.

"My style and work is more of Mughal embroidery like Aizar and Garah work. I am inspired by the Mughal era which connects both

Adnan Pardesy

India and Pakistan because our forefathers have the same history and culture," says designer Farnaz Mustafa who is currently showcasing at the exhibition at Pragati Maidan.

Contemporary Pakistani designers are also seen taking a break from the stereotype by reinventing and adding a modern edge to traditional garments such as the 'salwar kameez'.

"My design philosophy is getting inspired by old traditions and crafts with a modern twist. So the traditions don't die or fade away.

We try to bring the traditions for the woman of today," says designer Wardha Saleem.

Saleem says she has brought seven pieces from her bridal collection that she has not yet launched anywhere, not even Pakistan.

"I chose bridal wear, because at the end of the day, that is what one can relate with," she says.

With restrictions on one hand and an urge for experimentation on the other, designers feel that the real challenge lies in innovating and re-innovating the designs so that it reaches the masses and not just the 'niche'.

"Majority of women in our country wear the salwar kameez.

We have some restrictions culturally, so we go in for innovation of the salwar kameez every six

months or so that most people can wear with a modern twist," says Pardesy.

Designer Mustafa says "Pakistani fashion industry needs more exposure worldwide."

Mustafa is currently exhibiting traditional wear for both old and young. Jackets, jumpsuits, straight pants, tank tops and other trendy clothes for youngsters as well as straight kurtas with traditional embroidery and lace works are also in her kitty.

Cont'd on Page 50

50 India Post

September 19, 2014 www.indiapost.com

She won it with red cup Cont'd from Page 48

Kazantsev will begin a schedule that will see her travel 20,000 miles a month.

The first runner-up was Miss Virginia Courtney Paige Garrett.

Other top 5 finalists were Miss Arkansas Ashton Jo Campbell; Miss Florida Victoria

Cowen; and Miss Massachusetts Lauren Kuhn.

Miss North Dakota, Jacky Arness was chosen by her peers as Miss Congeniality.

The pageant shone a positive light on the struggling seaside gambling resort, which has been in the national news for all the wrong reasons lately: a rash of casino

closings, thousands of unemployed workers, and a domestic violence case involving a former NFL star.

For three hours Sunday night, America got a different look at Atlantic City. The Miss America pageant presented an upbeat view of the city where it began in 1921.

It featured iconic Atlantic City visuals

including its beach, Boardwalk, the Steel Pier, Black Fish Pier near Brigantine, and the Atlantic City Beach Patrol station. ``Atlantic City is facing a challenging economic climate and our hearts go out to all of those who have lost their jobs,'' said Sam Haskell III, CEO of the Miss America organization. ``We hope that our Miss America telecast ... will generate great interest for Atlantic City on a national scale as we showcase their beautiful beaches and Boardwalk.'' -AP

Modern designer, ready-to-wear clothes from Pakistan Cont'd from Page 49

Wardha Saleem

Designer Fazia Samee has brought two different set of collections for her India visit.

"There will be a lot of luxury pret for the exhibition geared for the upcoming festivals here like Karva Chauth and Diwali. I am showing a lot of bright and beautiful colors like pinks and fuchsias," says Samee.

The designer had earlier exhibited short tunics with ghararas, much of brocades and chiffons in "very detailed and some very exotic" work in jewel toned and understated colors like very deep turquoise in different cuts.

Other than this couture range and digital prints with handwoven fabrics has been brought by Pardesy.

Most designers want to expand their businesses across the border. While some designers say "setting up is a little difficult here," others believe "it is easy to set base in India, and problems are blown out of proportion."

"With better Indo-Pak relations the economy of both the countries will get a boost which will lead to more work for people and more work and exposure for us too," says Mustafa. -PTI

Horoscope

September 19, 2014

India Post

51

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Your Weekly Future

by Pandit Parashar

September 19th - September 25th, 2014 (March 21 to April 20)

S

pouse if a career person, will have better luck and may receive big promotion and may have to take a short trip this week. Money will keep disappearing fast mostly on children. Some one you know closely will contact and seek your help, first of all ignore it or do not stretch your limits in case you decide to help. You will continue your search for an ideal property for investment.

(April 21 to May 20)

Y

ou may have to twist facts only a little bit and the work will be done. You may make some money in stocks also. Spouse will be successful in shedding off some weight with the help of new diet plan and little exercises. A close friend may come up with a great business plan. You may participate in some religious activities also. Boss will pay attention to your plan and proposal.

(May 21 to June 20)

D

evelopments will bring confidence back. You may finally lay your hands on a nice property and make a serious offer. You may also dispose off some money making stocks and pocket the money. People in business will get huge orders. You may find something valuable and try to locate the rightful owners. Let the past go quickly if you want to make a big leap forward in life.

(June 21 to July 22)

M

ind will be little restless as you may not be confident about your moves, but accomplishment will quickly change the scenario. You may successfully get the work done from a government agency. Some of you may also take a very short trip to a neighboring city for urgent business. Spouse will continue to provide support and great ideas. You may also do some charity work.

(July 23 to August 22)

(November 23 to December 22)

A

void making any more big commitments as they will become hard to keep in the future. You will be making a small payment to a government agency also. You may have some changes done in or around your property. Business will continue to grow fast and new vendors will help reduce the cost. Do not hesitate to play few lottery tickets. You may benefit from a tall and slightly dark person.

(August 23 to September 22)

O

ngoing legal issues will take a favorable turn and the final decision could come any day. Some of you may join a short term program to enhance or update your knowledge. Offers could keep coming but from distant places only.

You may also start working towards an upcoming overseas trip. You may also visit a holy place with family.

(September 23 to October 22)

Y

ou may arrange a small get together. Try to stay on firm ground and make the move. People in business will add new inventory to stay ahead of competition. A child not doing so well lately will suddenly have better grip from now and on. You will continue your search for another opportunity in career. Sale of a property can bring much needed extra cash in your pocket.

(October 23 to November 22)

A

n influential person will help your cause. New avenues of income can open this week. You may help many with your expertise. You may also meet an interesting personality during the course of a trip or meeting. You will continue to work on a superb plan and keep looking for like minded investors. Some money could go towards legal expenses also to resolve an old issue.

PANDIT PARASHAR, CEO & COO Astro Scan USA is also available for individual consultations.

He can be reached at: parashar@parashar.com

Y

ou will get what you really deserved with slight delay.

New project will come with a deadline. Meetings with important people will go and you will be assured of quick relief. Money wise you will continue to grow but avoid going for a risky proposal given by a close friend. Expenses towards a child will keep escalating. You may also attend a small party with family.

(December 22 to January 19)

P

ositive changes you had been waiting for in career, will become clearly visible and you will start to feel the victory. There is a strong possibility of some money through legal channels. You may call overseas more frequently to inquire about an elderly person's health. A very matured and holy person will pay a short visit. You may delete few people from your list.

(January 20 to February 18)

Y

ou will have to make double effort to achieve even minor goals. It will better to stick to earlier plans and seek advice from a trusted person. You may plan a small get together with some colleagues from work. Extra time spent at work will be rewarding in many ways. You may be working on an upcoming long distance trip. Some of you may try to cut down on caffeine o nicotine.

(February 19 to March 20)

P

lanets are in perfect shape to make your dreams come true. help and guidance from an elderly person will steer your life in right direction.Very favorable week for people looking for an addition in the family. You will have great opportunity to learn some ropes from rich and famous people this week. Sale of a property will bring money for another project recently launched.

510-886-4370 www.parashar.com

52

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September 19, 2014

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A latest copy of curriculum vitae containing date of birth and other particulars may accompany the application.

Applications may be sent either through email oncci@indianconsulate.com or by post addressed to the Head of Chancery, Consulate General of India, 455 N Cityfront Plaza Drive (NBC Tower Building), Suite No. 850, Chicago, Illinois 60611

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Philosophy

September 19, 2014

India Post 53

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Page Sponsored by Sahanis NIRMALA (DANIEL ERWAY)

I

n every moment, there are two possibilities. One possibility is to have all of our curiosity, attention, and passion focused on what is happening. The other is to have that same curiosity, attention, and passion focused on what is not happening, what is not present, or what we think should or shouldn't be happening.

In every moment, the question is: What are you giving your attention to? Are you allowing what is or going to battle with it, trying to change it in some way?

When our focus is on what is, our experience of what is opens up and becomes bigger, richer, and more complete. But when it is on what is not (the past, the future, or any thought about what is), our experience of the moment contracts and becomes narrower and full of suffering and struggle, because inherent in a focus on what is not is a struggle with what is.

When we look, we discover that most of the time we are in opposition to what is and oriented toward what is not. Life is mostly about how to make things better and get more pleasure or how to get rid of things that are painful.

We are constantly evaluating our experience, looking to see what's wrong with it and how it could be improved. We tend to be focused on what's wrong with the RENEE SCHROYER

A

s I sit here in the evening thinking about going to work tomorrow, I am worried about what the next day will bring. I feel discomfort, a knot in my stomach. I'm wondering what surprises there will be to greet me and what challenges I will face.

Once I realize I am not in this moment but rather in an inexistent place and time, I turn my attention to this awareness in the moment.

I bring in the practice of mindfulness to help me be the observer of what is going on. I notice information coming from conditioned mind telling me something bad will happen and I won't have what I need or know how to deal with it. I notice these thoughts as well as the resulting fear and worry.

Becoming aware of my own conditioning, I see two main themes. First, conditioned mind has a lot to say about how I will perform at work. It scans the past looking for problems and issues searching specifically for difficult circumstances that have been or could be. I get the message that something bad will happen and I won't know what to do.

Once I become aware of these

moment or on what could be added to it to make it better. As a result, our attention becomes very narrow and our awareness limited.

Once we see how much time we spend struggling with what is, the tendency is to go to battle with that-to try to fix that tendency to try to change everything. But that only changes the content of our struggle: Now we are struggling with our tendency to try to change

part of what is.

Once we stop being in opposition to what is, it is possible to see how all our struggling comes from the idea of a me. Without the assumption that something is my experience, there wouldn't be much point in trying to change anything about the moment. Our effort and struggle to change what is only makes sense if there is a me.

we are at war with our tendency to identify. Instead of accepting what is (our tendency to identify), we are oriented toward how we think it should be.

Another possibility is to be really present to this tendency to identify without making any effort to change it. If that's what is happening, then that's what is happening. You just let it be that way.

You can even be amazed by it

When there is no struggle, there is no me We are still suffering because we are at war with our tendency to identify. Instead of accepting what is (our tendency to identify), we are oriented toward how we think it should be.

Nirmala (Daniel Erway)

things. We suffer over the fact that we are suffering.

The other possibility is to just notice how much you suffer, without trying to do anything about it. Just allow the fact that you don't allow much. Just recognize that that is the way it is. This struggling with what is, is just what we were conditioned to do, and this conditioning is also a

In fact, the struggle is the me.

When there is no struggle, there is no me. All of our suffering is the result of having and maintaining an identity. Once we realize this, the tendency is to try to fix this-to try to change our belief about who we are. We focus on getting rid of identification, which is focusing on what is not again.

We are still suffering because

all, including the fact that there is a sense of a me. You see how unreal this me is, but you don't struggle to be rid of it. There's no longer an assumption that something is wrong that needs to be fixed.

Excerpted from 'That Is That Essays About True Nature.'

Nirmala is an Advaita spiritual teacher.

messages, I realize they are all lies, convincing only because they are in my head. The actual truth is the opposite. I am good at my job and successful in my work. The truth is I do the right thing. I have all I need to succeed and all the capability to perform at high level.

What's all the fuss about?

The fuss is conditioned mind

through all the joy, success, accomplishment, and satisfaction in my work, no matter what it is, there is a miracle, a lesson, an AHA! I also notice a tendency to be resistant to what is. What "I" (conditioned mind) wants is silence and ease. "I" wants to hide from the world and have peace

reality. It is an imagined world we do not live in.

If my peace is dependent on the "whats" in my life, then peace is not really what I have. When I am enjoying comfort or pleasure, then conditioned mind is informing me about all the bad things that will happen.

Ah, freedom. What is it? For

My mind brings in scare stories which are not true is. What "I" (conditioned mind) wants is silence and ease. "I" wants to hide from the world and have peace and quiet or lie on a white sandy

trying to ruin my life. If I don't become aware of it and remain present, it will. The truth is my life is BLESSED! I work with awesome people who support me a thousand fold. I am admired and respected by my colleagues, superiors, and staff. When I am present through the conflict, anger, sadness, and disappointment and

and quiet or lie on a white sandy beach with blue, clear water.

It wants only pleasure and comfort; to get away from discomfort and unpleasantness to enjoy an easy life. It wants an endless supply of money, perfect health, vacations and no work. It wants what IS NOT. What conditioned mind wants and idealizes is not

The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched - they must be felt with the heart.

- Helen Keller I can't change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination.

- Jimmy Dean Put your heart, mind, and soul into even your smallest acts. This is the secret of success.

- Swami Sivananda Don't judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds that you plant.

- Robert Louis Stevenson God always gives His best to those who leave the choice with him.

- Jim Elliot

I also notice a tendency to be resistant to what

beach with blue, clear water.

Thousands of candles can be lighted from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared.

- Buddha

Renee Schroyer

me, it is freedom from conditioned mind. It is seeing what really is, not what conditioned mind says it is. Freedom is to accept what is no matter what is happening. No avoidance, no resistance, only acceptance.

Excerpted from ofspirit.com.

Renee Schroyer has been a Zen student for 12 years.

What lies behind you and what lies in front of you, pales in comparison to what lies inside of you.

- Ralph Waldo Emerson Even if I knew that tomorrow the world would go to pieces, I would still plant my apple tree.

- Martin Luther

You Insure all your Valuables, all are replaceable except YOU! So Insure yourself FIRST. Call Sahanis, (Arish, Priya or Shiv) for your Insurance needs 718- 271- 0453. Serving for last 35 yrs

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September 19, 2014

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Pakistan: The coup that didn't come off

India Post

D SUBA CHANDRAN

A

lmost after a month of intense politicking in Islamabad and the multiple calls to Azadi and Inquilab with few thousand men and women, why have Imran Khan and Tahirul Qadri failed to achieve their primary objectives? And why did the Khakis back off?

It appears very clear, that there is no revolution impending in the immediate or distant future in the political landscape of Pakistan.

Nor is Nawaz Sharif likely to resign, based on whatever has happened so far. It would be a different story that Sharif may be forced to resign at a future date for a dif-

Javed Hashmi episode clearly highlights that not everyone within his party agreed with Imran Khan. He has taken few decisions, contrary to what has been advised by his own party seniors.

The Establishment did not move in. According to some, including Najam Sethi, a section within the military including senior serving officials conspired to overthrow Nawaz Sharif using Imran Khan. However, the military high command did not agree to a strategy of engaging in open support to the revolutionaries against Nawaz Sharif. It is obvious from the fact that the protesters were

Parliament or support a movement leading to a coup. None of the political parties are willing to face another election in the near future nor are they willing to accept Imran Khan as their next Prime Minister. With less that 40 seats at the National Assembly, the PTI simply does not have the numbers to make any real difference to the composition of Parliament.

Fifth, there was fatigue, especially in the media and amongst the people. While a Jalsa may keep the attention of people for a short period, people did not have the patience to see such a tamasha being carried out on a daily basis.

There was so much buzz in the media in the initial days but later it became a drag.

Worse, the rains and floods have diverted the attention of the people.

Finally, there has been no international support forthcoming to Imran Khan and Tahirul Qadri. The biggest blow came when Pakistan's all weather friend decided to have a different look at the situation. China cancelled the visit of its President XI Jinping to Pakistan. Neither the US nor EU have been sympathetic to the cause of the revolutionaries. Perhaps, the miliPakistan’s fiery Muslim cleric Tahir-ul-Qadri (center) addresses his supporters during tary also took the cue.

Friday congregation outside the Parliament building in Islamabad, Pakistan, Sept. 12 Does the above mean, Sharif's position has been ferent reason; but certainly, he is raising slogans in favor of the mili- strengthened? Hardly. In fact, his not resigning and yielding to the tary when they were thrown out position is weaker than it was in "Container" democrats and revo- of the building they had occupied July this year. He should be well lutionaries. earlier even as Imran Khan and aware he has got another lease.

First and foremost, the primary Tahirul Qadri were waiting for the Only he would know what he has objectives of Tahirul Qadri and final decision by the "third" um- promised the military to ensure Imran Khan failed under their own pire. that the latter does not intervene. weight. Had they pitched for somePerhaps, the military used Imran The biggest question that he thing within the realms of possi- Khan and Tahirul Qadri to achieve should ask himself is - how did the bility, they would have achieved what they wanted. They used the situation come to this pass in Autheir objectives, or at least reached crisis to ensure that the political gust 2014, just one year after that a compromise closer to their posi- leadership approaches them in the mammoth electoral victory in May tion. Tahirul Qadri promised a revo- first place to arbiter, and later draw 2013? lution and Imran Khan asked for redlines in terms of what the ParThe earlier Sharif find answers Nawaz Sharif's resignation. liament could undertake and what to those factors that have caused Second reason for their failure should be left to the domain of the the turnaround in the last fifteen was their inability to engage their Khakis. Once they got embedded months, the better for democracy own party members and keep the into the political and foreign policy in Pakistan. Should he pursue venprotest movement coherent. Nei- decision making, the military is not detta politics and ensure ther Qadri nor Imran Khan could too keen in overtly overthrowing Musharraf gets a stronger sengalvanize their protests and sit-ins Nawaz Sharif. tence? Should he engage in crony into a larger national movement.

Lack of popular support to the politics and ensure that the instiThe numbers are sufficient protestors and their backers in the tutions are not strengthened? enough to create disruption, but Establishment could be another Should he follow a populist not large enough to usher in a reason. Projecting a rare stand of course and not engage in providrevolution. unity, political parties (except the ing better governance?

Worse, as it happened to the PTI) sided with the government.

Imran Khan and Tahirul Qadri PTI, there have been internal dis- The PPP, MQM, ANP, JUI and JI may be the problems. But the sosensions within the party in terms did come together and realized that lutions are with Nawaz Sharif. of what needs to be achieved. it is not in their interest to weaken The writer is Director, IPCS

Doing your duty

H

ave you been doing your duty or are you a Manmohan Singh? It is common for common people to shirk their duty. But when the highest functionary of a government is not doing what is expected of him/her, the consequences can be tragic. When asked about the charges laid at his door in a book by former Chief Comptroller & Auditor General Vinod Rai, the former Prime Minister reacted with the brief remark, "I did my duty."

There is difference between what the people consider is a prime minister's duty, what the Constitution stipulates about and what the occupier of the high office thinks about it. Obviously Singh's perception of doing his duty was waiting for the nod of Madam Sonia Gandhi and once he had done what she expected of him, he was satisfied. He is still smug about it. If the consequences have been ruinous for the economy, the ex-PM is least bothered. He has often been compared with Mahabharata's King Dhritarashtra, the father of the 100-strong clan of the Kauravas, who allowed his sons to rule by cheating out of his weakness for his progeny. Singh had no progeny to promote but still he allowed so many of the allies and their leaders to defraud the nation just so as to be able to continue being the most loyal servant of the Congress President.

It is said if everyone was just doing his or her duty; it would bring about miraculous changes. And if the government functionaries were doing their duty, it would make a huge difference. Instead government servants were feathering their own nests under the nose of the high functionaries who were doing the same.

The former PM is proud of his "integrity" in the sense that he did nothing to benefit his family. He was himself financially above board.

But as Vinod Rai points out in his book, "Integrity is not just financial; it is intellectual integrity, it is professional integrity. You have an oath of allegiance to the Constitution and that is important."

People in power are judged by history later but when they are actually enjoying power, they think what they are doing is in the best interests of everybody at that time. If they are put in high office not by their own competence but as a reward or by motives of being made use of, then obviously they would not be doing the duty that is expected from that high office but pleasing the potentates who put them there. The game thereon is not of serving the nation but somehow to continue in power.

One major element of Manmohan Singh's winking at the misdemeanors of ministers in his cabinet was keeping the allies in good humor. What could happen if the allies were to pull out? It could bring in the BJP. That was the major burden of all the UPA government's policies. To keep out the BJP, by hook or crook. They were aware the BJP was gaining ground; that their appeasing the minorities was being noticed. All efforts were being made to unite the minorities and keep the majority community divided. So Manmohan Singh and Sonia Gandhi were together in this mission to keep that flock of smaller communities together so as to deny any leeway to the party whom the majority might favor.

During his recent visit to Japan, Prime Minister Narendra Modi presented a copy of the Bhagvad Gita to Emperor Akihito. In a Twitter remark he thought the gesture would not have been liked by the secularists at home. Most of the occupants of high office in the UPA regime were foreign educated. So it would be embarrassing for them to acknowledge the value of Bhagwad Gita. For a lesson in doing one's duty it would be proper for a copy of the Gita be presented to former PM Manmohan Singh also.

September 19, 2014

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