Voice of Asia Feb 07 2014

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FRIDAY, February 7, 2014 Read Congressional Budget Office Report On Affordable Care Act or Obama Care on Page 14 Or Call 713-771-2900.

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Vol. 27 No. 6 Friday, February 7, 2014 Published Weekly from Houston 713-774-5140 20 Pages ( 2 sections) 50 cents E-mail: editor@voiceofasiaonline.com

Secretary of State Nandita Ambassador Dr. Jaishankar joins HousBerry reminds Texas voters to tonians at India’s Republic Day reception take photo ID during voting

Texas secretary of state Nandita Berry during her visit to Rosenberg on Monday, Jan. 3, 2014. Photo by Shobana Muratee, VOA

by Shobana Muratee

R

OSENBERG – On January 3, Texas Secretary of State Nandita Berry was in Rosenberg giving an overview of elections preparations in the Fort Bend County, in advance of the March 4 Texas primary.

Berry and her team are on a monthlong “aerial tour of Texas.”

Berry’s responsibilities also include being the state’s chief election officer, liaison on Border and Mexican affairs and publishing government rules and regulations. While reminding the people of Texas she could not have put it simpler; “It is the law in Texas that they (voters) need a photo ID. So if they go to the polls they’ve got to take a photo ID along.”

With just about two weeks left before for the early voting which starts from February 18 – 28, Berry urged everyone to visit the VoteTexas.gov to learn more about the rules.

Here is a list of the acceptable forms of photo ID:

• Texas driver license issued by the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) • Texas Election Identification Certificate issued by DPS • Texas personal identification card issued by DPS • Texas concealed handgun license issued by DPS • United States military identification card containing the person’s photograph • United States citizenship certificate containing the person’s photograph • United States passport Berry and her team are expected to continue their tour to other cities in Texas including El Paso, San Antonio, Austin, Dallas and Fort Worth.

Berry is the first Indian-American to fill the state-level post of Secretary of State in the entire country. She was appointed by Gov. Rick Perry as Secretary of State in late 2013 and she took office Jan. 7, 2014.

HE. Dr. S Jaishankar, the newly appointed India’s Ambassador to the US, met with US Representatives at the residence of Hon. Consul General P Harish during his recent visit to Houston. Seen presenting Congressional Certificate are from L-R: Congressman Al Green, Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, HE. Dr. Jaishankar, Hon. P Harish, and Congressman Pete Olson. Photos by Bijay Dixit (Unique Photo Images).

By Shobana Muratee

H

OUSTON - Hosts Hon. Consul General P. Harish and Mrs. Nandita Harish gave a fitting tribute to India’s 65th Republic Day by having the newly appointed India’s Ambassador to the US, His Excellence Dr. S Jaishankar as the Guest of Honor at a reception held on Sunday, February 2, at the Hilton Hotel.

Welcoming the dignitaries and guests the Consul General said, “I think today is especially memorable as we have with us the Ambassador of India from Washington, who was appointed recently in December 2, 2013.

This is his first visit out of Washington,” he added.

Guru Pt. Suman Gosh (4th from rt.), was honored by HE. Dr. Jaishankar on Feb.1, 2014 when he gave a performance with his disciples seen L-R: Smt. Sucheta Roy , Smt. Sowmita Narayanan, Amiya Swami-Ghosh, Apurva Continued on Page 5 Swami-Ghosh, Bhavi Pandya , Prasun Kolhe and Reet Sinha.

IACCGH hosts reception in honor of India’s Ambassador to US, Dr. S. Jaishankar

Satya Nadella named Microsoft new CEO

Satya Nadella WASHINGTON — Microsoft moved Tuesday to reboot for a mobile future, naming Indian-born Satya Nadella chief executive as founder Bill

Gates shed his title of chairman for a more hands-on role.

Continued on Page 9

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L-R: Jagdip Ahluwalia, Executive Director, IACCGH, Felipe Bayon, Sr. VP, BP American and Head of Global Deepwater Response, John Minge, Chairman and President BP Americas, H.E.Ambassador Dr. S. Jaishankar, Consul General P Harish, Sanjay Ramabhadran, President IACCGH, Vani Rao, BP. Photo by Bijay Dixit (Unique Photo Images). Report on Page 8.

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OP-ED/OPINIONS/COMMENTARY

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Koshy Thomas Sherly Philip Shobana Muratee Sherine Thomas Jacob David Susan Pothanikat AR Vadlamani Priyan Mathew

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Voice of Asia assumes no liability resulting from action taken based on the information included herein. Published weekly by Free Press LLC, 8303 SW Freeway, Suite # 325, Houston, TX 77074. Tel: 713-774-5140. Fax: 713-7745143. Email for editorial submissions: voiceasia@aol.com; Email for advertising inquiries and submissions: advertisingvoa@aol.com

LETTERS Tortured till death While countries around the world are going about abolishing the capital punishment for its inhumane nature, we in India, one of the more ancient civilisations, are exacerbating the cruelty by torturing death-row inmates while they are alive, to boot. Many studies have shown that the death penalty is no real deterrent to crime.

If the courts still insist on sentencing our brethren to death for heinous crimes, the least they could do is to ensure that the double jeopardy of state-sponsored torture, which is a direct violation of the fundamental rights, does not seem to take place.

Prem Krishnan, Malappuram The article, “Condemned to die, but not to wait” (Feb. 5), brings out an incongruent duality in the Supreme Court’s adjudication.

On the one hand, it callously denies the country’s LGBT community the fundamental right to freedom, and on the other, it makes a show of adhering to niceties in sticking up for the rights of persons who have committed heinous crimes. If the Court displays any semblance of integrity of purpose, it is in continuing — in retaining the death penalty as well as discriminating against homosexual persons — to baulk the refinement of mindsets that has occurred the world over.

uesday’s announcement by Microsoft appointing India-born Satya Nadella as its CEO is the culmination of a five-monthlong search that began when Steve Ballmer announced his retirement in August last year.

After considering some wellknown names such as Ford Motor Company CEO Alan Mulally and Ericsson CEO Hans Vestberg, the company seems to have made a safe choice by settling for Mr. Nadella, a Microsoft veteran of 22 years. Mr. Nadella is known to be strong in technology, having headed less-glamorous but high tech businesses such as the Bing search engine and the cloud and enterprise business solutions. His appointment has elicited positive reactions from analysts and long-time observers of the company, but Mr. Nadella’s challenge has only begun. Microsoft, once an agile corporation quick on its feet, is now a lumbering giant that is

T

he ingestible pill camera from Given Imaging is designed to help doctors spot polyps and other early signs of colon cancer.

A kinder, gentler approach to one of the most dreaded exams in medicine is on the way — U.S. regulators have cleared a bite-size camera to help screen the large intestine of patients who have trouble with colonoscopies.

The ingestible pill camera from Given Imaging is designed to help doctors spot polyps and other early signs of colon cancer. The Food and Drug Administration cleared the device for patients who have had trouble with the cringe-inducing procedure, which involves probing the colon using a tiny camera on a four-foot long, flexible tube.

The pill camera was previously approved in 80 other countries, including in Japan, Europe and Latin America.

C.K. Deshmukh, Ranchi

Voice of Asia (USPS 010-215) (ISSN#10705058) is published every Friday (for a subscription rate of $30 per year) by Free Press LLC, 8303 SW Freeway, Suite # 325, Houston, TX 77074. Tel: 713-774-5140. Fax: 713774-5143. Periodical postage paid at Houston, Texas.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Voice of Asia, 8303 SW Freeway, Suite # 325, Houston, TX 77074 It is the policy of Voice of Asia to publish letters to the editor which evidence a variety of viewpoints. The opinions expressed in any particular letter to the editor are not necessarily those of the management. Voice of Asia welcomes letters in reply to issues raised in letters to editor. In as much letters to the editor are not articles written or researched by members of Voice of Asia, it is not the policy of the Voice of Asia to perform any investigation or confirmation of any facts or allegations contained in letters to the editor. Moreover, Voice of Asia reserves the right to edit letters to the editor as necessary to correct errors of fact, punctuation, spelling and to comply with space constraints.

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FRIDAY, February 7, 2014

Nadella at the top Mr. Nadella and other Indian immigrants before him in the U.S. could succeed thanks to the meritocracy that is the corner-stone of the American system. playing catch-up in the market.

The proliferation of hand-held devices such as tablets and smartphones at the cost of personal computers is posing a major threat to Microsoft. The $78 billion giant has but a marginal presence in operating software for mobile hand-held devices, which prompted it to acquire Nokia’s mobile business recently. Integrating this business with Microsoft seamlessly will be among Mr. Nadella’s first challenges. He has to wrest back a share of the consumer’s mind-space — and wallet — that Microsoft held during the glory days of the personal computer, grappling with the likes of Apple and Google.

In India, the reaction to the appointment has been on predictable lines with the media and the masses alike complimenting themselves on the elevation of “one of their own” to the top of the technology empire. While there is reason to be proud given that Mr. Nadella’s early education was in India and his parents still live here, it would be wrong to scream from the roof-tops that this is yet another event that marks the arrival of India on the world stage. To be sure, Mr. Nadella is not the first person of Indian origin to head a blue-chip American corporation, and nor will he be the last. We should also remember that Mr. Nadel-

U.S approves pill camera the company has pursued a more limited market for its PillCam — patients who have trouble undergoing standard colonoscopies.

The Food and Drug Administration approved the company’s PillCam Colon for patients who have experienced an incomplete colonoscopy. The company estimates 750,000 U.S. patients are not able to complete the procedure each year, due to anatomy issues, previous surgery or various colon diseases.

Even with this limited indication, analysts estimate the new pillcam could grow to sales of over $60 million in North America by 2019, with room for expansion as the technology

improves. MorningStar analyst Debbie Wang said the company has shrewdly positioned the device as another tool in the gastrointestinal specialist’s tool kit, rather than a direct competitor.

“Given’s management understands that the traditional colonoscopy is the gastroenterologist’s bread and butter right now,” Ms Wang said. “So they didn’t want to do anything that would position this as a substitute.”

Ms Wang notes that Given’s PillCam costs $500, significantly less than the $4,000 for a colonoscopy. Eventually, she thinks doctors may use the device to attract adults who avoid

regular screenings due to fears of pain, embarrassment and general discomfort.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s guidelines currently recommend regular colonoscopies beginning at age 50 and continuing until age 75, though the majority of American adults don’t follow the recommendations. In December, Irish medical device firm Covidien said it was buying Given for about $860 million. Given, headquartered in Yoqneam, Israel, markets seven lines of medical devices and surgical supplies, including pillcams to screen the oesophagus and small intestine.

Source: AP

The Israeli company’s technology, developed from missile defence systems, uses a batterypowered camera to take highspeed photos as it slowly winds its way through the intestinal tract over eight hours. The images are transmitted to a recording device worn around the patient’s waist and later reviewed by a doctor.

While Given’s wireless, image-beaming system may sound like science fiction, it’s actually more than a decade old. In 2001, the company received FDA approval for a similar device used to get a close-up view of the small intestine.

At that time, analysts expected Given’s approach to grow into a direct competitor with traditional colonoscopy. But company studies found that the images taken by the mini-camera were not quite as clear as those from the in-office procedure. As a result,

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la has spent half his life in the U.S. and earned his spurs there.

We need to introspect whether this story of an individual — forget an immigrant — rising to the top at so young an age through sheer merit would have been possible in the Indian system. Mr. Nadella and other Indian immigrants before him in the U.S. could succeed thanks to the meritocracy that is the corner-stone of the American system. While we may have our occasional quibbles with America, we need to appreciate and learn from that country on how to respect and reward talent and merit, in any field of human endeavour. Courtesy: The Hindu

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VOICE OF ASIA 3

FRIDAY, February 7, 2014

Second Front Page

Friday, February 7, 2014

Email: voiceasia@aol.com

Tel: 713-774-5140

GOPIO Houston Chapter’s Indian Ambassador visits Sri Meenakshi Temple in New Executive Board Elected Pearland

Seated: Exe. Board members L-R: Som Nair, S.K. Trehan, Mitra Panchal and Uma Mantravadi, Standing: Advisors L-R: Koshy Thomas, Sam Kannappan, Mehesh Shah and Chad Patel.

HE Dr. Jaishankar and Hon. Consul Gerneral P Harish being received at the Meenakshi temple.

P

EARLAND - Indian Ambassador to the USA, HE Dr. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar visited Sri Meenakshi Temple in Pearland on Sunday February 2nd. He is the fourth Indian Ambassador to visit Meenakshi temple adding to the list of its distinguished visitors in its thirty seven year history. MTS board members and devotees gathered near the Rajagopuram entrance. As the cavalcade of vehicles pulled up with the distinguished visitor,

several children and ladies welcomed the group with roses in their hands. The priests greeted the guests with the traditional Poorna Kumbam when they entered through the Raja Gopuram.

The Ambassador was accompanied by Honorable Consul General Sri. Parvathaneni Harish, Pearland Mayor Tom Reid and Eminent physicist Dr. E.C. G. Sudharshan.

priests led them with the vedic chant where they had the dharshan of the deities in the main temple and took part in the aarthi.

They were given on a short tour of the temple by MTS chairman Dr. Vaduganathan to the New Ganesh Temple, the Ratham and Visitor center. The Ambassador was thoroughly engaged during the tour and asked lots of questions about the MTS history.

The distinguished visitors entered the main temple as the

A group of children, who are students of Vidushi Smt. Raja-

HOUSTON - On February 4, 2014, GOPIO (Global Organization of People of Indian Origin), Houston Chapter at its General Council meeting held elections for positions in the GOPIO Executive Board for the next two-year term in accordance with GOPIO’s By-Laws.

The results of the elections are as follows:

President: Ms. Mitra Panchal, Vice President: Mr. S.K. Trehan, Secretary: Ms. Uma Mantravadi (to continue), Treasurer: Mr. Som Nair (to continue).

GOPIO is a non-partisan,

non-sectarian global organization with chapters in several countries, actively promoting the interests of people of Indian origin worldwide by monitoring and addressing current critical issues of concern, and by enhancing cooperation and communication between groups of Indians living in various countries.

rajeshwari Bhat, sang an invocatory prayer song and rendered beautifully both the Indian & American national anthems.

The Ambassador and the guests were felicitated with Ponnadai (silk shawl), a copy of book by Dr. Bala N Iyer and other small

temple gifts. The Ambassador thanked all and acknowledged Sam Kannappan for facilitating the visit.

For more information, contact GOPIO HOUSTON CHAPTER at gopiohouston@gmail.com or mitravinay@gmail.com.

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FRIDAY, February 7, 2014

The People’s Lawyer www.peopleslawyer.net Richard M. Alderman Interim Dean of the Law Center

Be careful where you jog Q. A policeman told me I was jogging on the wrong side of the street. Is there really a law about which side of the street you jog on?

A. Yes, there is a law and it applies to any pedestrian, whether he or she is jogging, walking, running or skipping. Under the law, a pedestrian must stay on the sidewalk. If there is no sidewalk, you may use the street but you must go in the direction facing traffic. If you were jogging in the street in the same direction as traffic, you were violating the law.

Q. I have been married for ten years. I am currently considering divorce. Last month my father passed away and I inherited a large sum of money. If I file for divorce will my husband be entitled to half of the money I inherited?

A. When you file for divorce, you basically split all of your “community” property.

Most of what you or your spouse acquire after you are married is consider community property. Money you inherit, however, is “separate” property and does not get divided.

You should be able to keep the money you inherited, even if you get divorced.

Q. I owed a credit car company $1,500. I could not afford to pay the full amount, so I sent a check for $1,000 clearly marked “paid in full.” They cashed the check. Now they say I still owe $500. I think the matter was settled when the bank cashed my check. Who is right?

A. Under the law, paying someone with a check clearly marked “accepted as payment in full” to settle a dispute might discharge the obligation. That means that in some cases, if a business cashes the check it may not recover any additional money. In your case, however, this rule does not apply.

For the “payment in full” rule to apply the check must be offered in “good faith” and the claim must be in dispute. In other words, it must be a good faith attempt to resolve a dispute about how much money is owed. Simply offering less than the full amount owed is not a good faith attempt to resolve a dispute. For example, if you and your mechanic have a dispute about how much you owe for repairs, he says $700 and you say $500, a $600 check marked “payment in full” would satisfy your obligation.

If the mechanic cashed your check, he would not be legally entitled to any additional money. On the other hand, if you owed the mechanic $1,500 and the amount is not in dispute, you may not offer $1,000 to settle the undisputed amount. Even if the check is clearly marked “payment in full,” the mechanic may cash the check, and then seek to recover the additional $500. The bottom line-- the credit card company is right and you still owe the $500.

Q. Isn’t there a law that says I am entitled to paid sick leave?

A. There is no law entitling an employee to a paid sick leave. Federal law, however, does require that certain employees be given unpaid leave for up to six months, for things like illness or birth of a child. The law is called the Americans with Disabilities Act. You may learn more about this law at www.ada.gov.

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Continued from Page 1 Introducing H.E. Dr. Dr. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar as “the most dynamic diplomat of the Indian Foreign Service,� Hon. P Harish spoke of his distinguished reputation as a diplomat, held for more than 30 years while he represented India’s interests and fostered friendly working relationships in countries around the world. “It is a unique occasion with the Indian American youth, who are pursuing classical arts and music, will be performing,�

Hon. P Harish said.

The Consul General also welcomed elected ofďŹ cials: Harris County Judge Ed Emmett, Harris County Sheriff Adrian Garcia, representatives of Senator Ted Cruz, David Schumer, Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee’s representative Michael Halpin and Congressman Al Green’s representative, Sam Merchant. On the occasion, two special guests, Padma Shri AK Mago of Dallas and Dr. Renu Khator, University of Houston president and recipient of Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award in India recently were honored.

The CG also mentioned that US Representatives Sheila Jackson, Al Green and Pete Olson had meet the Ambassador and spent time with him the previous day at his residence.

Addressing the gathering, H.E. Dr. Jaishankar said, “I have been associated with Indian Americans for more than 30 years now. Looking back, it has changed beyond recognition, and for the better. One reason is its Indian community. It is the community that has shaped how the average American thinks about India. They made it positive,â€? he said. “I am conďŹ dent that the relationship will be taken to new levels.â€?

Describing Indo-US relationshi, he said, “We think alike on international relations and economic partnership. We share the same bonds of responsibility for freedom.� Stressing that much still needs to be done in certain areas, he said, “We need to get stronger in security relations, stronger in business relations and stronger in educational relations.� He urged Indian Americans to step forward and support efforts in these areas. About Houston he said that it had a special place in Indo-US relationship. “I’m here for the renewal of my relationship with US and Texas,� he said.

On the occasion, H.E. Dr. Jaishankar recognized Padma Shri AK Mago, Chairman and CEO of Dallas-based business and investment consulting company Mago & Associates, who is acclaimed for his philanthropic contri-

Ambassador Dr. Jaishankar joins Houstonians at India’s Republic Day reception

HE Dr. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar honors Padma Shri AK Mago. Also seen here are Mrs. Mago and Hon. Consul General P Harish.

Dr. Renu Khator, chancellor of the University of Houston System and president of the University of Houston, has received the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Award, the highest honor conferred on overseas Indians. On the occasion, Ambassador Dr. Jaishankar congratulated and honored her.

Keerthana Bhat and Kruthi Bhat singing the Following the messages of National Anthem. the dignitaries was an enchanting presentation of a combinawas choreographed by their guru Ratna tion of classical dance, music and Kumar. singing. Earlier, Keerthana Bhat and The best was for the last; a classical Kruthi Bhat, students of guru Mrs. Vidhushi RajaRajeswari Bhat rendered vocal presentation by guru Pt. Suman the two national anthems of India and Gosh and his disciples Smt. Sucheta the USA. An ensemble of tabla art- Roy, Smt. Sowmita Narayanan, Amiya ists: Anuraag Shah, Jason Zinn, Arun Swami-Ghosh, Apurva Swami-Ghosh, Sabapathy,Rahul Gupta, Sumedh Sau- Bhavi Pandya , Prasun Kolhe and Reet rabh , Manan Mehta,Yash Kakodkar, Sinha.

Johaan Pally, Tejas Kolhatkar,Sanath H.E. Dr. Jaishankar honored all the Aithala ,Nikhil Balasubramanyam gurus and the artists on the memorable gave a breathtaking performance with occasion. Mrs. Nandita Harish detheir guru Pt. Shantilal Shah. A classi- scribed the dedication with which each cal dance group: Rachna Penmestha, and every one - even the very youngest Ravali Bhavaraju,Riya Mandalapu, worked to achieve such perfection on Amani Parvathaneni,Swara Mukka- the occasion. mala and Milinda Nutalapati, students The program was efďŹ ciently emceed from the Anjali School of Performing Arts, presented the most colorful of the by Ganga Parne, Marketing OfďŹ cer, items. The dance saluting Mother India Consulate General of India.

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HE Dr. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar Dr. Renu Khator. Seen here with husband Dr. Suresh Khator and Hon. Consul General P Harish.

butions and for helping raise millions of dollars for Dallas-area Indian American organizations.

This year, seven out of ďŹ ve Padma awards were awarded to Indian Americans, the Ambassador mentioned.

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COMMUNITY

VOICE OF ASIA 6

It is a great pleasure to be back at the Carnegie Endowment, as indeed in Washington itself.

I was last here more than six years ago, speaking at this very institution as our nuclear agreement was nearing conclusion.

Since then, I have watched the India-U.S. relationship evolve with great interest and some sense of ownership. The size of the briefing books they gave me as I was preparing to come to Washington led me to believe that we have a good story to tell. Sentiment, as they say in the markets, however, seems less positive than I would have hoped, for a variety of reasons.

What is clear is that there is much work to be done.

2.

Looking back at the growth of Indo-U.S. relations in the last decade and a half, it is as if we were fated to come together. Now, that has not always been our history. If we closely examine the three key drivers of our ties today, the reality is that each one has a specific context. First & foremost is our geo-strategic and political convergence, something that could only manifest itself after the Cold War. The second is our intersecting economic interests. These are the consequence of higher Indian economic growth rates as well as the broader rise of Asia. The third is a mix of our shared values and societal contacts.

These reflect the expanding Indian-American community and the growing middle class in India. Each one of these factors evolved over a period of time.

But their coming together created the basis for the current phase of our ties. It is not as if all of this happened on its own. On the contrary, the new level of our relationship was animated by strategic vision in both nations. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh only recently singled out the coming together of the two countries, in the form of the civilian nuclear agreement, as the best moment of his whole tenure. This vision became reality due to the commitment and diligence on the part of many - on both sides.

I stress this to drive home the point that our ties can neither afford dilution of attention nor weakening of faith.

3.

So, where are our relations today? Politically, there is no question that our comfort levels are higher than they have ever been before. From the highest levels of the Government to the legislature and bureaucracy, we see a frequency, intensity and candor of contacts that speak for themselves. Our dialogues have moved well beyond orthodox stocktaking of bilateral issues and an exchange of views on global ones. We are now talking defense cooperation, counter-terrorism and homeland security with as much ease as we are energy, education or health. That we discuss East Asia regularly reflects our confidence levels as much as our doing trilateral dialogues with Japan and with Afghanistan. Expanding such conversations to cover the Indian Ocean region is the next step in this direction. Our economic interactions have similarly undergone a transformation. A greater sectoral focus and engagement on specific policies and regulations underline that this is for real. Where civil society is concerned, the physical flow of people has been magnified by virtual communications. There is truly cause for satisfaction about the level our ties have reached.

4.

Why then is there a problem of sentiment? The fact is that to a considerable degree, we are victims of our own success. The India-US relationship arrived - some would say, at last - and by doing so, ended the romance of the phase of courtship. The change is visible in the less integrated approach we take, leaving each department or agency to handle its counterpart. That no longer allows the luxury of cutting some slack on an account that matters, expect-

FRIDAY, February 7, 2014

Speech by Ambassador Dr. S. Jaishankar on U.S.-India Relations at the Carnegie Endowment 29 January, 2014 ing to make up elsewhere. The willingness to take risks also decreases as there is no longer a great cause to pursue. And grand strategy, once achieved, quickly changes from rocket science to a no-brainer! As we settle into the partnership, it takes a different mindset to address the less exciting chores of maintenance, upkeep and progress. The danger here is that individual problems that may well have been dismissed in the earlier era can now dominate the narrative.

5. This explanation, however, does not suffice in itself.

There is also the reality, often glossed over when it comes to our ties, that the world situation changed profoundly even as the relationship was in the making. I refer here to the 2008 financial crisis and its aftermath. This had a particularly sharp impact on American priorities, and with some time lag, on India as well. Conversations changed from grand strategy and geo-politics to more mundane issues of market access and investment conditions.

Economic concerns assumed centre stage and every business dispute acquired a greater resonance. As it was bound to happen, this also created fertile ground for sometimes exaggerating the nature of problems and their implications. The big change that I see returning to this account is the salience of tax disputes, localization and IP concerns on the US end and immigration reform, market access, protectionism and totalization on the Indian one.

6. I am also aware that there is considerable disappointment that our nuclear understanding has not translated into substantial business for US companies so far. The debate, as many of you know, revolves around our civil nuclear liability law and its implications. There are discussions underway on how this issue can be addressed to the satisfaction of suppliers and recipient alike, taking into account the Indian legal and regulatory framework as well as the international convention. The nuclear initiative has surmounted past challenges and speaking from experience, it must be approached with a positive spirit. Let me make another point in this context that is often overlooked. I recall our Prime Minister telling Secretary Kerry - then a U.S. Senator - that our nuclear differences were a thorn stuck in the throat of our relationship.

By reaching an understanding, the way was cleared for a much warmer relationship between us. To my mind, the indirect benefits flowing from the IndoU.S. civil nuclear agreement far outweigh the direct ones.

7. Another issue that dampened sentiment somewhat was our not choosing an American supplier for our medium multi-role combat aircraft. As someone involved in the initial phase of that exercise, let me testify to the process difficulties at the US end and the challenge of creating a template for a country like India. There was also a sense of entitlement on the American side, which the last time I checked, is the prerogative of the customer. Subsequent events have disproven the political inferences that many drew from that episode.

The Indian Air Force is today second only to the USAF in its fleet of C17 Globemaster heavy lift aircraft. The Indian Navy introduced the P8 Poseidon maritime surveillance aircraft at the same time as did the US Navy. We have just cleared an additional order of C130J Super Hercules aircraft. Unlike many other recipients of

American military hardware, India actually pays for these acquisitions. Nor does India ever given cause for technology protection concerns. It is also encouraging that an India-specific acquisition and co-production template is now under development in the Pentagon. The rest of the defense relationship is doing well too. The United States is the country with which our Armed Forces conduct the maximum number of exercises. These, I might add, have been growing in complexity. This year, India would be a full participant in the RIMPAC exercises for the first time, deploying naval assets in that regard. . Our policy dialogues and military exchanges have also grown in their frequency and comfort level.

8. Geo-strategic convergence is still the core of our relationship even if it is more circumspectly expressed in day-to-day diplomacy. Looking across the global expanse, our concerns overlap to a large extent as do sources of our threat. As a result, our national security structures are engaged in the broadest possible sense. Even as the U.S. recovers economically and strategically, the case for working with India has only gotten stronger. There is a broad consensus in this town that any future security strategy has to be more partnership based. To our West, there are uncertainties arising out of the 2014 drawdown scenario from Afghanistan and its consequences. To our East, maritime claims and disputes have heightened tension in the Indo-Pacific region.

Overall, Asia has become politically more volatile, yet economically more central. How India’s ‘Look East’ policy meets the United States’ rebalancing will have a significance beyond our individual interests.

In addressing that and other pressing challenges, we would serve each other’s interests best by being ourselves. After all, India and the United States do have a common commitment to a peaceful, pluralistic and progressive world. And no one should dispute that, as a liberal democratic society, India’s rise poses no challenge to American values.

9.

In the nearer term, our diplomats and strategists are naturally confronted with a myriad of issues of international politics. We seem to agree

on many of these issues but differ on some. That should not be surprising as our broad political and security goals are not in contradiction. At the same time, we must also acknowledge that our experiences, understanding and interests are not identical. Differences can, of course, be played up by a constituency pushing a particular cause. There is also the temptation to be transactional under pressure. On issues of economic development, we cannot ignore the plain truth that we have very different situations at home. This makes us often sit on opposite sides of the table. It is important to understand that negotiations on some of the more difficult issues are independent of our bilateral ties. At the end of the day, our overall relationship is larger than the individual problems we examine and debate. Having said that, it is also important that we resist calls to return to arguments of the past. The current phase of our ties came about precisely because there was a more acute understanding of the growing weight and potential of India by the United States. That must continue if we are to forge ahead.

10. Our economic cooperation is based on a counterpart of this broad vision. This has allowed the relationship to foster an exchange of goods, capital and services and build new constituencies of support.

Trade has quadrupled to $100 billion in the last seven years.

Investments have crossed the $ 50 billion mark. While putting behind us the famous description of economic cooperation being as flat as a chapati, we do have to contend today with the compulsions of the post-2008 era. As a result, we are now entering a period that established partners of the U.S. are more familiar with but which is still a novel experience for us Indians.

11. Let me make four big points here. One, we do recognize that the slowdown in India is not just the result of the global crisis. Reviving growth through increasing investment is our foremost priority.

An empowered committee has cleared 286 stalled infrastructure projects worth $ 97 billion last year. Our government’s fiscal deficit, a serious source of concern, has also been brought down sharply. An improvement in the economic mood back

home will surely lift our bilateral interactions. Two, India is concerned about its reputation, and we mean to act to show that we are open to international business. That is evident from the recent announcement of “Safe Harbor” rules, the clarification of transfer pricing regulations, efforts at limiting the impact of the ‘Preferential Market Access’ policy for IT and telecommunications on the private sector, and maintaining the 100% FDI limit on brown field pharmaceutical acquisitions. An important mechanism to discuss and resolve tax disputes has been reactivated and will be meeting in Washington next fortnight. And discussions on the Bilateral Investment Treaty are also set to resume very shortly. Three, we could continue a public argument on trade and investment issues both sides have their own narrative of woes - or move to a more constructive, if less public, dialogue. In my early contacts with the Administration, I have made clear our preference is for the latter. But if presented with the former, I fear that as naturally argumentative people, we could be well be tempted to respond in kind. Four, on some issues, we need to find an acceptable compromise because the fact is that we are coming at it from different places. The pharmaceutical business is a good example and triangulating affordability, profits, and respect for intellectual property is a challenge that merits more consideration.

12. Since the economy is now so central to our ties, I would also like to make it very clear that India’s interests warrant supporting an early American recovery. Not enough credit has been given to the investments that Indian companies have made here since 2008. A recent study of 68 Indian companies revealed that their collective investments in the US exceed $ 17 billion. One third of them are actively engaged in R&D here, spending about $ 350 million in that respect.

Similarly, the Indian aircraft orders that I spoke about earlier alone support 40,000 jobs in the defense industry. A fair dialogue should also take into account Indian priorities and concerns. Here, the bottom line is that the costs of doing business in the United States are systematically under pressure from competitors. A worrying

sign is the tendency by some to demonize the business climate in India. This tactic could well end up being counterproductive.

13. You could reasonably ask what I would say about our ties to an Indian audience. To them, I would make two basic points. One, that to realize India’s four key priorities - energizing the economy, raising our technology and management capabilities, securing the homeland, and ensuring a favorable balance of power - the United States is the indispensable partner. Two, these big Indian goals are not at odds with the interests of the US. In fact, these could even be complementary.

14. Relationship building is never without challenges.

Some of it is structural; the rest emanates from our different histories. The U.S. has to overcome its inclination to view ties through the lens of alliance practices.

Indians perhaps have to indulge themselves less in compulsive ambiguity. Ironically, American complaints on that score usually come when it too is considering hedging.

Building ties requires a degree of give and take that can test officialdoms. Appreciating each other’s interests can be more difficult than we generally assume. And contrary to what many seem to believe here, domestic politics is not just the prerogative of the United States.

15. In going about my task as Ambassador, I draw support from the vast goodwill that now characterizes the attitudes of our societies to the other. The grand strategy underwriting our ties is fundamentally sound. It needs maintenance and from time to time, an upgrade. That puts the emphasis on detailing and problem solving.

16. For those of us who have devoted time and energy to building Indo-U.S. ties, the last few weeks have been truly distressing. What I have encountered since my arrival is the sense that this situation should never have happened.

But since it did, we will now have to work through this problem. That is part of the conversations underway. But what the issue does highlight is the need for greater sensitivity, for better understanding and for stronger oversight of our ties. I rest my case on that note.

Press, Information and Culture). Embassy of India

COMMUNITY

VOICE OF ASIA 7

FRIDAY, February 7, 2014

The India Culture Center Holds I-Fair celebrating India’s 65

ICC President Charlie Patel giving his message. Photos by Priyan Mathew, VOA.

by Shobana Muratee

S

TAFFORD – India Culture Center (ICC), Houston’s longest standing Indo-American organization held its signature event I-Fair 2014 on Saturday, February 1st commemorating India’s 65th Republic Day at the Stafford Center in Stafford, Texas.

The formal session started with the lighting of the lamp by Mrs. Nandita Harish, wife of Hon. Consul General P Harish, ICC’s Chief Trustee Meera Kapoor and PV Patel.

The day’s program started at 11 AM with children’s programs, a magic show, and later the Grand Parade held within the premises of the Center and with ICC partnering organizations participating.

Welcoming the gathering, PV Patel, ICC’s outgoing president expressed his pleasure and gratitude in serving ICC especially during ICC’s 40th anniversary year. “During the year (2013) we did a lot of activities. We participated in many IndianAmerican local organizations and conducted programs together. And ICC’s 40th year celebration was the best we ever had,” he said. “It was a collaborative effort of all the past presidents, trustees, directors and volunteers to make it

we should all get together and work.” He quoted the example of the incident wherein four Houston firefighters had lost their lives in a fire accident and the Indian American community had come together, raising over $57,000 in donations.

Highlighting this year’s theme “Unity in Diversity’, Charlie Patel, ICC’s Incoming president spoke on ICCs mission and ideology. “ICC has focused on being inclusive and participated,” he said, “This entire decade has seen ICC collaborating and coordinating for serving the community. ICC is a platform where I see people joining in and giving back to the community.” He made a special mention of the major organization that ICC has been working closely which include India House, IAPAC, IACF, IACCGH, Gujarati Samaj, Jain Society, BAPS, Punjabi Society, Tagore Society, Hindus of Greater Houston, TCA, and MG Library to name a few. Coming together and celebrating events has its advantages like having larger turnouts, avoiding duplication and most importantly, conserving funds and resources, he pointed out.

Prasad Kalva, Event chair said “On the Republic day, India prompted its Constitution. This Constitution was a part of the heart work of so many talented

The Grande Parade, one of the highlights of the celebrations was participated by ICC’s partnering organizations.

ICC’s Board of Directors, Trustees, and representatives of its partnering organizations. exhibited ethnic-wear jewelry, plus also delicacies from India.

Prasad thanked the ICC president and the director for giving him the opportunity to conduct the event.

Jasmeeta Singh was the Emcee for the afternoon part of the

Mrs. Nandita Harish, Chief Trustee Meera Kapoor and PV Patel seen lighting the lamp.

Members of the leading Indian American organizations were honored on the ocassion.

Elected officials and dignitaries sing the national anthems of India and the US with ICC members such a huge success.” He mentioned that the ‘Jatin Pandit, Live’ concert was the highlight of the anniversary celebration.

Conveying his message as the outgoing president he said, “We as Indians must be united in every way. When we come out in public we are referred to as an Indian, not as a Gujarati, Marathi, or a Telugu. When we are facing any natural calamities related to American community

leaders and thinkers, and provided the citizens of India with fundamental rights - justice, equality and liberty. When we left India to come to the United States, we were blessed with the same fundamental rights, that include freedom of religion and freedom of speech among other liberties. So this Republic Day is the celebration of the people of two democracies, the largest and the oldest, to salute the

Constitution and the leaders and thinkers who framed these constitutions.” Kalva expressed his thanks to ICC directors and volunteers who helped him put the event together. Ramesh Akaparu served as the Event Co-Chair.

He went on to explain that this program which included the grand parade, a vibrant cultural program showcasing the young talent of the children, and the

program which comprised the formal and cultural program. As always, the program was very colorful with patriotic songs and other dances that enhanced the mood. Elected officials including Stafford Mayor Leonard Scarcella, Councilman Ken Mathews,Sugar Land Council-

men Harrish Jajoo and Himesh Gandhi spoke on the occasion and presented proclamations to the organizers. Sen. John Cronyn’s representative, Jay Guerrera and Congressman Al Green’s representative, Sam Merchant also presented messages on the occasion.

WORLD/US

VOICE OF ASIA 9

FRIDAY, February 7, 2014

Satya Nadella named Microsoft new CEO will assume the job of chairman at the tech giant.

Nadella, who takes over from the retiring Steve Ballmer, said, “Microsoft is one of those rare companies to have truly revolutionized the world through technology, and I couldn’t be more honored to have been chosen to lead the company.”

He added, “The opportunity ahead for Microsoft is vast, but to seize it, we must focus clearly, move faster and continue to transform. A big part of my job is to accelerate our ability to bring innovative products to our customers more quickly.”

Bill Gates with his former CEO Steve Ballmer (far rt) and incoming CEO Nadella at MS event.

Continued from Page 1 Gates “will devote more time to the company” in his new role on the board as “founder and technology advisor,” a company statement said.

Nadella, 46, who becomes the third CEO at Microsoft, has been executive vice president of its Cloud and Enterprise group.

The moves come with Microsoft losing ground to rivals like Apple and Google amid a shift away from the traditional personal computer to mobile devices and cloud services.

Juveniles rescued, 45 arrested in Super Bowl vice raid

FBI Assistant Director Ron Hosko speaks during a press conference

New York — Sixteen juveniles were recovered and more than 45 people arrested during a crackdown on child prostitution linked to the Super Bowl, the Federal Bureau of Investigation said Tuesday.

An FBI statement said the youngsters aged between 13 and 17 had been found in an operation targeting commercial child sex trafficking during the American football showpiece.

“High-profile special events, which draw large crowds, have become lucrative opportunities for child prostitution criminal enterprises,” Ron Hosko, assistant director of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division, said in a statement.

“The FBI and our partners remain committed to stopping this cycle of victimization and putting those who try to profit from this type of criminal activity behind bars,? he added.

The FBI worked with more than 50 law enforcement agencies in four states during the crackdown ahead of Sunday’s NFL season finale in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

Several of the 45 people arrested admitted to traveling to New Jersey “specifically for the purpose of prostituting women and children at the Super Bowl,” the FBI said.

The teenagers recovered during the raid included high school students and children who had been reported missing by their families.

Additional enforcement actions also led to the recovery of international human trafficking victims, the FBI added.

Last week US lawmakers warned child prostitution networks were exploiting events like the Super Bowl, with congressman Christopher Smith describing the event as a “sex trafficking magnet.”

Smith cited figures from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, which reported that more than 10,000 women and girls were trafficked to Miami for the 2010 Super Bowl.

Carol Smolenski, of the nonprofit End Child Prostitution and Trafficking-USA, testified before lawmakers that around 100,000 children are trafficked into the US sex trade ever year.

“As the industry changes we have to innovate and move forward,” Gates said in a video released on the Microsoft website.

“I’m thrilled that Satya has asked me to step up. I’ll have over a third of my time available to meet with product groups.”

The 58-year-old Gates said that “during this time of transformation, there is no better person to lead Microsoft than

Satya Nadella.”

He called Nadella “a proven leader with hard-core engineering skills, business vision and the ability to bring people together.”

Gates stepped down as CEO in 2000 and left day-to-day operations in 2008 to devote more time to his multibillion-dollar Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

Microsoft said John Thompson, lead independent director,

The shake-up at Microsoft drew positive responses from analysts.

“I think this is a terrific development for the company,” said Greg Sterling at Opus Research.

“Nadella also seems to have encouraged the new Gates role, which will be good for the company too. Personally, Nadella is a more humble and understated figure than Ballmer, which will be good for the company’s image. I also think Nadella brings a strong mix of business and technology expertise to the role.”

Frank Gillett at Forrester Research said Nadella has shown “a willingness to shake things up, so that seems positive to us.”

Gillett added that by using Gates as a key advisor, “he’s reaching for Gates’s experience in running the company but also in the successes in that era.

But by having him in an informal role, it also says we are in a new era. All in all, it seems quite positive.”

Roger Kay at Endpoint Technologies Associates said Nadella will need to articulate a vision for Microsoft, which under Ballmer was undergoing a transformation from software to “devices and services.”

“Nadella has to come up with the vision,” Kay said. “Gates’s vision was appropriate for the 1970s and 1980s.”

Kay said Nadella “admits that he is green in asking support from Gates but that’s OK. I think people can come into a job green and grow into it.”

Nadella “has been the enterprise guy, so I would expect him to go in that direction.

They may even spin off the consumer business.”

Deutsche Bank analyst Karl

Keirstead said Nadella was a “good choice.”

“Although Microsoft is a big ship to turn, in our view Nadella will push to make Microsoft more innovative and agile, more like Apple and less like IBM,” Keirstead said in a research note.

Matthew Hedberg at RBC Capital Markets called Nadella “a safe choice” and said his background “could mean a bigger emphasis on cloud and enterprise than Microsoft has had in the past.”

Hedberg added that the shift in roles for Gates would be a “bigger positive for investor sentiment.”

In late morning trading, Microsoft shares were up 0.33 percent at $36.60.

Nadella heads the team that runs the public, private and service provider clouds for Microsoft. Previously, Nadella was president of Microsoft’s $19 billion server and tools business.

He is a native of Hyderabad, India and earned degrees from Mangalore University, the University of Wisconsin in Milwaukee and the University of Chicago.

VOICE OF ASIA 10

FRIDAY, February 7, 2014

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VOICE OF ASIA 11

FRIDAY, February 7, 2014

Vol. 27

No. 6 Friday, February 7, 2014

Section 2

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In India, a Pilgrimage to a Feast for Thousands

by Guy Trebay, (The New York Times)

R

AYAVARAM, India — Palaniappa Chettiar has always been goal oriented, and when he turned 97 three years ago, he set himself a new one.

No one within memory in his family, extended clan or village had reached 100. Determined to get there himself, he cut down on the yolks in the raw eggs he swallows daily for breakfast, took extra care on his daily four-mile walk to the local Hindu temple and started planning for a party the likes of which few here (or anywhere, for that matter) have ever seen.

Early in January, Mr. Chettiar celebrated his century, and threw open the

Mr. Chettiar. His birthday feast cost $100,000, or roughly $14 a head.

Among the Chettiar merchants and traders, celebrations with 1,000 or more guests may be considered intimate. “For my daughter’s wedding, 8,000 ate breakfast,” said Alagu Muthu, a former president of the National Association for the Blind, and a Chettiar. “We had 5,000 for lunch.”

People love my grandfather, and so the cooks provided the tables and chairs for free,” Mr. Kasi said.

“They only charged for the labor and ingredients,” he added, noting that there was no need for utensils because in much of South India, people eat with their right hand.

doors to his pillared ancestral home in this remote village in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu, to what appeared to be every person he had ever met — about 7,500 of them.

Summoning a local cook his family has turned to over the decades, he and one of his numerous grandsons chose a menu and settled on a rough guest list that included immediate family; members of both his extended clan and the larger community of prosperous traders known as Chettiars; friends from neighboring cities like Chennai, Madurai and Tiruchirapalli, and people from the numerous small villages surrounding his own.

“He’d issued so many verbal invitations, actually, we had no way of knowing how many would turn up,” Mr. Chettiar’s grandson Arunachalam Kasi said recently as a steady stream of guests arrived at the Chettiar house seeking blessings from the old man.

When the first estimate of 1,500 became 3,000 and then ballooned to 5,000, the organizers stopped count-

“

A feast of epic proportions at the birthday party of Palaniappa Chettiar. ing. By the time the big day rolled around on Jan. 2, they had already quadrupled their order of the banana leaves they use as plates. “We were prepared for anything,” Mr. Kasi said.

Six months earlier, Mr. Kasi and his wife had begun planning in earnest, organizing a vegetarian feast served in shifts at tables set inside the Chettiar house and in a striped tent over an adjacent courtyard. The menu aimed to showcase a richly aromatic and highly spiced cuisine that has inspired an adage in India: You are lucky to eat like a Chettiar.

There would be three kinds of rice: white, savory and sweet; North Indian-style biryani, and dollops of dal.

There would be sambar and a selection of five different curries, at least one a hearty dish made with eggplant, or brinjal. There would be individual bowls of fresh curd, or yogurt, and crisp papadums on the side. There would be, of course, the various pickle relishes without which no Indian meal is complete.

Supersize parties are unexceptional in a country where “go big or go home” may as well be an immutable verity, a place where religious pilgrimages, like last year’s Kumbh Mela in Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh, routinely draw

ASIANET

scores of millions. What set Mr. Chettiar’s wingding apart were the crowds it drew to a dusty village two hours by road from a major city.

“I don’t know why you’re surprised,” Mr. Chettiar said good-naturedly, waving away a visitor’s amazement.

Among the Chettiar merchants and traders, celebrations with 1,000 or more guests may be considered intimate. “For my daughter’s wedding, 8,000 ate breakfast,” said Alagu Muthu, a former president of the National Association for the Blind, and a Chettiar. “We had 5,000 for lunch.”

Last year, when her 28-year-old nephew, Karthik Meyyappan, a descendant of the rajah of Chettinad, married Parvathi Saravanan, a 21year-old from Bangalore, the two families descended on their ancestral homes like an occupying force.

The secret weapon in that case was Mr. Meyyappan’s grandmother Meenakshi Meyyappan, a redoubtable septuagenarian who runs the Bangala, an internationally known 25-room hostelry in the clamorous town of Karaikudi.

After decades of organizing weddings, reunions and Shashti Poorthi (as the highly significant 60th birthday celebrations for male Chettiars

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are known), Mrs. Meyyappan has large-scale feeds down to a system.

“First you book the cook,” she said.

“There is always a fight for the cook,” a fact that owes to the brevity of the local wedding season here and a general clamor for astrologically auspicious days on which celebrations can be held. A contract is drawn up over a bowl of nuts and betel leaves, Mrs. Meyyappan added, and “then you create a menu and get to work.”

For Mr. Chettiar’s birthday, there were 220 people in the kitchen under the supervision of another head cook. “Seven thousand is nothing much,” Natesan said through an interpreter. “We did a wedding once for the daughter of a politician, and so it was expected that all the people from the local villages would come.” For that party, Natesan and team cooked 35,000 meals.

As at Mr. Chettiar’s feast, they were proper meals, not soup-kitchen-style buffets. Seated in shifts, diners were served by waiters wearing starched white shirts and traditional male garments called dhotis who, in unison, spooned out delicacies from pots of clay or stainless steel.

The list of ingredients was truly eyepopping. Among the 85 itemized components were 200 lemons; 400 snake

gourds; 77 pounds of green chiles; 200 bags of tomatoes; 75 pounds each of chile and coriander powder; 375 pounds of potatoes; 640 pounds of red, white or raw rice flour; 7,500 banana leaves, and 500 coconuts.

“People love my grandfather, and so the cooks provided the tables and chairs for free,” Mr. Kasi said. “They only charged for the labor and ingredients,” he added, noting that there was no need for utensils because in much of South India, people eat with their right hand.

For his part, Mr. Chettiar distributed 500 saris and an equal number of dhotis, and funded a new wing for the local school. The feast cost $100,000, or roughly $14 a head, a sum that barely fazed the centenarian, who spends mornings trading on the Indian stock market and evenings glued to cricket matches on television.

“Of course, it was worth it,” Mr. Chettiar said of his big day, pronouncing himself well contented with the way it all turned out. “Full satisfaction!” he said.

Young Life

VOICE OF ASIA 12

Friday, February 7, 2014

Section 2

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MassMutual Study Sheds Light on How Asian Indians Prioritize their Investments, Savings Parents List Children’s College Education as Priority

S

PRINGFIELD, Mass., Jan. 22, 2014 – Asian Indians make up the highest earning segment of American multicultural groups, according to a 2010 Pew Research Center survey, and much of their higher household income goes toward saving for their children’s college education, according to a recently released study from Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company (MassMutual), the third biennial 2013 State of the American Family Study that offers a broad snapshot of Americans’ financial views.

This heavy emphasis on higher education, however, leads to times when Asian Indians prioritize saving for their children over saving for themselves.

The study indicated that Asian-Indians are savers; 33percent of Asian Indian respondents indicate that they have six months or more of their monthly living expenses set aside as savings, and their top two financial priorities for their savings are for their children’s college education and keeping the family financially shielded. As a result, one quarter of Asian Indians struggle between saving to pay for their children’s college education and saving for their own retirement.

“Being an Asian Indian myself, I know and understand the importance that the community places on putting family first and the difficult financial decisions that often result,” said Nimesh Trivedi, director of multicultural market support, U.S. Insurance Group at MassMutual. “With the current cost of a college education, it can be challenging for parents to provide for several children’s education and still be left with a surplus for their own future.”

Asian Indian’s savings rate is not coincidental; as a group they are hands-on, when it comes to their finances. An overwhelming 70 percent of Asian Indian respondents want to be actively involved in all decisions regarding their finances, while just over half indicated that they tend to do their own research and make their own decisions about insurance and investments.

Yet, in spite of having some solid financial planning in place—they are more likely to own mutual funds, individual securities and college savings

• Three quarters of Asian Indians believe that it is important to educate their children about finances to ensure a strong economy in the future.

Casey Galindo by: Casey Galindo, Wells Fargo Education Financial Services

• Seventy percent feel it is important not to burden their own children with the cost of caring for them when they get older.

A

s millions of college graduates begin repayment of their student loans, many will view the experience as a juggling act; and make multiple payments to multiple lenders on multiple dates each month. Today’s savvier graduates, who are scouring the Internet on tips and best practices for saving money on their loans, are finding that the incentives associated with consolidating student loans helps to bring the juggling act under control and better-manage payments.

To learn more about AsianIndian families from the 2013 State of the American family Study, visit massmutual.com/ familyfinances. For information about planning your financial future, logon to massmutual.com/asianindian.

Methodology The State of the American Family study is a biennial survey conducted in 2009, 2011 and 2013 for MassMutual by the Forbes Consulting Group, LLC. The 2013 study was conducted between February 4 and 25, 2013 via a 20minute online questionnaire.

The survey comprised 1,337 interviews with American households with children under age 18 for whom they are financially responsible. Interviews were conducted among men and women aged 25-64 as of 2013 with household incomes greater than $75,000 (50 completes were allowed among 25-32 year-olds with HH incomes falling between $50,000 and $75,000). Respondents had to contribute at least 40% to decisions regarding financial matters in their household to qualify. Results were weighted to the 2010 US Census distributions for age, gender, ethnicity, region, and same sex married/ partnered couples to be representative of American families in this age and income bracket.

This study includes trending data for survey waves conducted in 2009 and 2011.

About MassMutual Founded in 1851, MassMutual is a leading mutual life

What does private student loan consolidation mean?

Consolidating private student loans allows a borrower to refinance a single private student loan or multiple private student loans from multiple lenders into one new loan, with a single lender, and to make one monthly payment.

Graduates aim to simplify finances and save According to the Consumer Bankers Association, since 1980, the average cost of tuition and fees has risen 1,100 percent, or more than four times the rate of inflation. In another context, between 1986 and 2011, inflation increased 115 percent and the cost of college increased 498 percent. If that trajectory continues, the cost of tuition could double in ten years.

insurance company that is run for the benefit of its members and participating policyowners. The company has a long history of financial strength and strong performance, and although dividends are not

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MassMutual Financial Group is a marketing name for Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company (MassMutual) and its affiliated companies and sales representatives. MassMutual is headquartered in Springfield, Massachusetts and its major affiliates include: Babson Capital Management LLC; Baring Asset Management Limited; Cornerstone Real Estate Advisers LLC; The First Mercantile Trust Company; MassMutual International LLC; MML Investors Services, LLC, Member FINRA and SIPC; OppenheimerFunds, Inc.; and The MassMutual Trust Company, FSB.

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guaranteed, MassMutual has paid dividends to eligible participating policyowners consistently since the 1860s. With whole life insurance as its foundation, MassMutual provides products to help meet the financial needs of clients, such as life insurance, disability income insurance, long term care insurance, retirement/401(k) plan services, and annuities. In addition, the company’s strong and growing network of financial professionals helps clients make good financial decisions for the long-term.

For more information, visit www.massmutual.com or find MassMutual on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube and Google+.

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With institutions costing more than $40,000 per year to attend, coupled with other associated and unknown costs, students may need additional financing to pay for their education. If a federal loan doesn’t cover the full cost, private student loans are available to help fill the gap.

• Sixty-seven percent of Asian Indians think about what is best for the family when making financial decisions.

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Consolidating Student Loans: An increasingly attractive option to manage repayment

Additional findings from the survey further illustrate Asian Indians’ strong tendency to put family first:

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Attending graduate school, medical school, or enrolling in a post-doctorate program following the completion of undergraduate studies can double the cost of going to college, leaving many graduates with multiple private student loans to manage. Financial institutions today, like Wells Fargo, offer private student loan consolidation and single-loan refinancing, which may lower payment amounts to a more affordable level – potentially saving graduates thousands of dollars in the long-term.

When student loan customers consolidate their private student loans with Wells Fargo between January 2 and February 28, 2014, they’ll receive an additional 0.25% interest rate discount.

Customers can also add this discount on to certain other discounts they receive from Wells Fargo, which may result in an interest rate discount of up to 0.75%. However, customers who aren’t current Wells Fargo customers will receive the 0.25% discount, just for consolidating.

It’s these types of incentives that are providing graduates with some financial relief on monthly payments and leaving a little extra cash in their pocket to afford that first apartment, new car, or to invest towards their retirement. Let us not lose sight that college is an exciting time in a person’s life.

Worrying about how to pay for college once you graduate shouldn’t diminish the excitement of that experience.

For more information on Wells Fargo’s private student loan consolidation offer, please visit www.wellsfargo.com/ student/private-loan-consolidation/.

Teens who skip breakfast more likely to develop metabolic syndrome in adulthood

A

new study published in Public Health Nutrition found that teenagers who skipped their morning meal were 68 percent more likely to develop metabolic syndrome as adults.

Metabolic syndrome is characterized by abdominal obesity, high blood pressure, high blood sugar levels or a resistance to insulin. According to the American Heart Association, someone with three or more of these risks is considered to have the syndrome.

Researchers at Umea University in Sweden started their study in 1981, asking 889 16year-old students about their breakfast habits. Overall, 9.9 percent of respondents reported

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poor habits, including skipping meals or only eating or drinking something sweet.

In 2008, researchers checked back with participants. Those who didn’t eat breakfast as kids were 68 percent more likely to have developed metabolic syndrome. Researchers found that abdominal obesity and high fasting blood sugar levels were most associated with missing the morning meal.

Though more studies are needed, Maria Wennberg, the study’s main author from Umea University, said in a statement. “…our results… suggest that a poor breakfast can have a negative effect on blood sugar regulation.” Source:FoxNews.com

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VOICE OF ASIA 13

FRIDAY, February 7, 2014

Friday, February 7, 2014

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Pri’s bringing sexy back: She was overlooked at the 2014 Golden Globes but Priyanka Chopra was the star of the 2014 Filmfare Awards.

Tel: 713-774-5140

IIFA to take place in Tampa Bay Florida from April 24 to April 26

The Bollywood actress hosted the annual event in Mumbai, India on Friday and made sure all eyes were on her on and off the red carpet.

Before she got to her hosting duties, the GUESS girl stomped all over the red carpet in a slinky black Alexander McQueen gown that featured gold embellished hips and a mermaid skirt.

With her dark hair pushed elegantly to one side, the 31-year-old looked as if she would fit right at home at the 2014 Grammys which took place on Sunday.

Priyanka Chopra Dazzles In Alexander McQueen At 2014 Filmfare Awards. (Courtesy: The Huffington Post Canada).

Being the show’s host, the “Exotic” singer changed into a modern-day warrior ensemble when she performed for the audience.

She’s fearless!

Aishwarya and Deepika on list of world’s most beautiful women

Rajender Singh, president, Star Promotion, Viraf Sarkari director of IIFA, Mayor of Tampa Bob Buckhorn and CEO of IIFA Andre Timmins.

T

he International (North) Indian Film Academy Awards, also known as the IIFA Awards, are a set of awards presented annually by the International Indian Film Academy to honour both artistic and technical excellence of professionals in Bollywood, the Hindi language film industry. The ceremony is held in different countries around the world every year. This award ceremony has been organized by Wizcraft International Entertainment Pvt Ltd – one of India’s premier event management and entertainment agencies – since its inception.

In 2014, IIFA would visit Tampa Bay, USA and become the first Indian Award Show to do so.

For the very first time the most awaited event IIFA is taking place in Tampa Bay Florida from April 24 to April 26 .Tampa will have the opportunity to catch stars descend on the American soil.

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Deepika Padukone

by Chandni Prashar

B

ollywood actresses Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Deepika Padukone are among the World’s 30 Most Beautiful Women of 2014 in a poll conducted by the website Hollywoodbuzz. While Ash clinched the fourth position - after Italian actress Monica Belluci, model Kate Upton and Hollywood star Angelina Jolie - Deepika ranked 29 on the list.

A statement from an elated Ash read, “The results of this poll by Hollywood Buzz was brought to my notice in fact by my well-wishers whatsapping me, believe it or not, and I must admit it’s overwhelming to hear that over 4 million people across the globe have voted and listed me amongst their top choices with such beautiful and talented women.

I say a huge loving thank you to all my well-wishers (fans) for making me smile and al-

Proof

ways being there for me. More power to our love.”

Ash and Deepika are the only Indian women to figure in the list which consists largely of Hollywood names including actresses Charlize Theron, Amber Heard, and Jennifer Lawrence. The list of 30 also includes musicians Beyonce, Katy Perry and Rihanna, with a sprinkling of models like Adriana Lima, Irina Shayk and Miranda Kerr.

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Bollywood actoress Priyanka Chopra with Rajender Singh

To officially announce its commencement a press conference was organized in SLS Hotel Los Angeles which saw Leading actors of Bollywood Anil Kapoor, Priyanka Chopra, IIFA host Dr. Kiran Patel, Country Commissioner Al Higginbotham, President and Chief Executive, Santiago Corrada, Director, Wizcraft International Entertainment Pvt. Ltd., Viraf Sarkari, Andre Timmins directors and Houston’s entertainment mogul, Rajender Singh president, Star Promotion, reputed to have brought high caliber shows to North America for the last 20 years, were all present in Tampa Bay. (by Rachana Srivastava).

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VOICE OF ASIA 14

Friday, February 7, 2014

Section 2

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US regulators probing cardio risks in testosterone products

W

ASHINGTON, February 1, 2014 (AFP) - US federal regulators said Friday they were investigating products containing testosterone after recent studies suggested a higher risk of strokes and heart attacks in men being treated with the hormone.

The Food and Drug Administration stressed, however, that it has “not concluded that FDA-approved testosterone treatment increases the risk of stroke, heart attack or death.”

“FDA is providing this alert while it continues to evaluate the information from these studies and other available data,” it said in a safety alert, referring to two related studies.

Patients undergoing testosterone therapy should not stop their treatment without consulting their physician first, the FDA recommended.

in the United States between 2008 and 2010, also revealed a sharply increased risk among younger men with a history of heart disease.

Health care professionals were also asked to consider whether the benefits of FDAapproved testosterone treatment were likely to outweigh the possible risk of treatment.

In November, a separate clinical study in the Journal of the American Medical Association reported that older men using testosterone, including many with a history of heart problems, faced a 30 percent greater chance of mortality, heart attack or cardiovascular event.

The announcement followed publication of a study on Wednesday by the PLOS ONE science journal suggesting that men aged 65 and older being treated with testosterone were twice as likely to suffer heart attacks in the month after they began treatment.

The study, which analyzed findings from 56,000 men

A US government-funded study to determine whether men using testosterone gel to build muscle and increase strength was halted in 2009 after the high rate of cardiovascular problems related to the treatment.

Vitamin D Linked to Skin Cancer

By Michael Smith, North American Correspondent, MedPage Today Higher levels of vitamin D, still within the normal range, are associated with an increased risk of nonmelanoma skin cancer, researchers reported.

to cause skin cancer, but it also increases cutaneous vitamin D synthesis, the researchers noted, adding that the relationship between vitamin D and skin cancer is complex and studies have yielded conflicting results.

In a cohort study, people with higher serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) were more likely to develop squamous cell or basal cell carcinoma, according to Melody Eide, MD, and colleagues at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit.

Indeed, some research suggests that vitamin D might reduce the risk of basal cell carcinoma, but other studies have had the opposite outcome.

But other factors – such as increased exposure to sunlight – probably complicate the relationship, Eide and colleagues reported online in Archives of Dermatology.

To help clarify the situation, Eide and colleagues analyzed data, over an average of 9.8 years of follow-up, from 3,223 white members of a health maintenance organization who had a high probability of developing nonmelanoma skin cancer.

Ultraviolet B light is known

The participants had sought

counseling for osteoporosis or low bone density between January 1997 and December 2001, and their assessment included levels of serum 25(OH)D, a marker for vitamin D intake and storage.

The researchers used the HMO’s claims database to track incident cases of basal cell and squamous cell carcinoma.

When they were assessed, 2,257 participants did not have a sufficient vitamin D level, where sufficient was defined as at least 30 nanograms of 25(OH)D per milliliter of serum.

All told, the researchers found, 240 patients developed nonmelanoma skin cancer, including 49 with squamous cell carcinoma, 163 with basal cell

carcinoma, and 28 with both.

Most cases -- some 80% -- occurred in sites frequently exposed to the sun.

When patients were divided into four groups according to their 25(OH)D levels, there was a trend linking the higher levels and skin cancer risk that was significant at P=0.02.

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Congressional Budget Office Report on Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) The Congressional Budget Office is out with its latest report on the Affordable Care Act, and here are a few bottom lines:

Compared with the lowest quartile, the highest (less than 19 nanograms per milliliter versus 31 or higher) had an odds ratio for cancer of 1.6 (95% CI 1.1 to 2.3), Eide and colleagues found. Intermediate quartiles also had elevated risks, but they did not reach significance compared with the lowest quartile.

— The ACA is cheaper than it expected.

Logistic regression analysis found that having a vitamin D level that was just above the cutoff for deficiency – less than 15 nanograms of 25(OH) D per mL of serum – was associated with an increased risk of nonmelanoma skin cancer.

Specifically:

Given all this, why are the first news headlines on the CBO report depicting it as calling Obamacare a job killer?

For both types combined, the adjusted odds ratio was 1.8 (95% CI 1.1 to 2.9, P<0.05).

For squamous cell carcinoma alone, the odds ratio was 1.7, but it did not reach significance with a 95% confidence interval from 0.7 to 4.0.

For basal cell carcinoma, the odds ratio was also 1.7 but reached significance at P<0.05 (95% CI 1.00 to 2.9).

The findings add “to the limited and conflicting epidemiological investigation regarding the relationship between vitamin D and [nonmelanoma skin cancer],” Eide and colleagues concluded.

They added that, aside from UVB light, the finding might also be confounded by such things as participants’ vitamin D levels over a lifetime and consumption of vitamin D supplements, which they were unable to investigate.

Eide and colleagues also cautioned that the study was conducted at a single institution and that people who seek counseling for osteoporosis risk represent a self-selected group that may not be a representative population.

American Eyes Optical

FRIDAY, February 7, 2014

— It will “markedly increase” the number of Americans with health insurance.

— The risk-adjustment provisions, which Congressional Republicans want to overturn as a “bailout” of the insurance industry, will actually turn a profit to the U.S. Treasury.

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incentives they will face and the financial benefits some will receive.” That translates into about 2.5 million full-time equivalents by 2024 — not the number of workers, because some will reduce their number of hours worked rather than leaving the workforce entirely.

The CBO projects that the act will reduce the supply of labor, not the availability of jobs. There’s a big difference.

In fact, it suggests that aggregate demand for labor (that is, the number of jobs) will increase, not de- For extra help The overall impact crease; but that on Affordable on the community will many workers be muted, moreover, Care Act or would-be because most of that workers will Call: be prompted 713-771-2900 effect will be seen at the lowest levels of the by the ACA to wage-earning scale. leave the labor The effect will be force, many of “small or negligible for most them voluntarily. categories of workers,” the As economist Dean Baker CBO says, because there will points out, this is, in fact, a be almost no impact on workbeneficial effect of the law, and ers who get their insurance a sign that it will achieve an from their employers or who important goal. It helps “older earn more than 400% of the workers with serious health federal poverty line (for a famconditions who are working ily of three, that’s $78,120), the now because this is the only point at which eligibility for way to get health insurance. federal premium disappears.

And (one for the family-values As for labor demand, the crowd) many young mothers who return to work earlier than CBO estimates that on balthey would like because they ance, the ACA will increase need health insurance. This is aggregate demand for goods and services, in part by relieva huge plus.” ing lower-income people of The ACA will reduce the the burden of health insurance total hours worked by about or healthcare expenses, so they 1.5% to 2% in 2017 to 2024, can increase their spending on the CBO forecasts, “almost other things. In turn, that will entirely because workers will “boost demand for labor,” eschoose to supply less labor — pecially in the near term, while given the new taxes and other the economy remains slack.

Memorial Hermann Southwest Hospital celebrates American Heart Month

A

s one of the nation’s 50 Top Cardiovascular Hospitals according to by Truven Health Analytics, Memorial Hermann Southwest Hospital celebrates American Heart Month in February with the following special events: Wearing Red in FebruaryAll month long, the towers at Memorial Hermann Southwest Hospital will be lit up in red at night.

Campus Heart Walk, Feb. 11, noon – 1 p.m. -Add a healthy activity to your day by walking one mile around the Memorial Hermann Southwest Hospital campus located at 7600 Beechnut Street in Houston. The event begins in the breezeway between the Heart & Vascular Institute and the Breast Center entrance.

The Heart of the Matter @ Whole Foods, Feb. 15, noon

– 6 p.m.- Have heart-to-heart discussions with cardiologists and dietitians from Memorial Hermann Southwest Hospital and Memorial Hermann Sugar Land Hospital about heart disease and prevention. The event takes place at Whole Foods Market near Highway 59 and Highway 6 in Sugar Land.

Memorial Hermann is one of the world’s leading providers of cardiovascular care performing more than 50,000 heart procedures annually.

Every year, about 715,000 Americans have a heart attack.

About 600,000 people die from heart disease in the United States each year—that’s one out of every four deaths.

Heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women.

The five major symptoms of a heart attack are: Pain or discomfort in the

jaw, neck, or back.

Feeling weak, light-headed, or faint.

Chest pain or discomfort.

Pain or discomfort in arms or shoulder.

Shortness of breath.

Read more health stories on our website: www. voiceofasiaonline .com

VOICE OF ASIA 15

TECH & SCIENCE

New social network aims for real-time connections

by Rob Lever ASHINGTON, (AFP) Walk into a room of people, and your smartphone can tell if you have a connection to any of them, if it can find the right data.

A social networking app called SocialRadar released Thursday analyzes smartphone users’ social networks including Facebook and Twitter, and correlates that with location data, to let people know in real time about their connections to those around them.

While some apps already use geolocation data, SocialRadar aggregates information from major social networks and matches that with a smartphone’s location for “real-time intelligence.”

This means you can see in real time the people around you with whom you share a connection across several services.

“There are over a billion people with smartphones, and more than two billion social media profiles in the cloud, but no intersection of that information,” says SocialRadar founder and chief executive Michael Chasen.

Chasen, 41, who founded the education software tool Blackboard in 1997 and sold it in 2011 for $1.7 billion, says SocialRadar can be useful for business networking as well as for socializing.

“I can walk into a restaurant and find three people I’m connected to,” Chasen told AFP in an interview in SocialRadar’s office in downtown Washington.

“All this is in the cloud if you can connect this information.”

Chasen said he believes SocialRadar may be used for dating, “but I think it will be used for business too. It is the ultimate networking tool.”

SocialRadar aggregates and merges data from top social networks including Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, Foursquare and Google+ with live location information from smartphones.

This enables users to find colleagues, friends, and friends of friends if they are connected on one of the networks.

For technical and privacy reasons, SocialRadar provides this information only where users already have a connection, such as on Facebook or another network, or if they use SocialRadar. But Chasen said that still represents a lot of connections.

“What I want to know is who is near

W

Best is yet to come, says Facebook’s Zuckerberg

by Glenn CHAPMAN SAN FRANCISCO, February 4, 2014 (AFP) - The decade-long adventure since the founding of Facebook has been an “amazing journey,” but the best is still to come, Mark Zuckerberg said.

The founder and chief executive of the world’s biggest social network celebrated Tuesday’s milestone in a post on his own Facebook profile.

Facebook’s shares also joined the party, rising 2.07 percent to an alltime closing high of $62.75, giving a company founded by college buddies a market value of more than $150 billion.

“Today is Facebook’s 10th anniversary... and I’m so grateful to be a part of it,” Zuckerberg wrote.

The 29-year-old executive said Facebook succeeded because “we just cared more about connecting the world than anyone else. And we still do today.

Michael Chasen, founder and chief executive of SocialRadar, poses in his offce in Washington, DC, on January 24, 2014 (AFP/File, Rob Lever) me and how I am connected,” he said.

The app can create alerts or search within a specific radius -- from a few hundred meters (yards) to several kilometers (miles) -- for people with connections.

SocialRadar has been released in North America for the iOS platform for iPhones, and a version is in the works for Android and for Google Glass -- which would enable users to get information delivered for easy viewing.

Chasen said he is acutely aware of privacy concerns, especially about location information, and that SocialRadar allows its users to determine if they want to be visible or not to their social networking friends and connections.

“One of our top priorities in building this was allowing people to have complete control of their privacy,” he said.

The app can be set to allow a user to be public, seen only by friends, to be anonymous or invisible.

But Chasen said that during a beta test of the app using 500 people, the overwhelming majority chose to remain public.

“People don’t always want to meet everyone, but they want to know who is there,” he said.

International versions of the app are in the works, but Chasen said the app can be used by international travelers -- for example to find someone who speaks their language, or friends who might be in the same location.

The company, which has 20 employees in Washington, has received $12.75 million in venture capital funding in a first round led by New Enterprise Associates, Grotech Ventures and SWaN & Legend Ventures. Among the investors are AOL co-founder Steve Case and sports magnate Ted Leonsis.

Chasen said his work on SocialRadar benefited from his experience at Blackboard, which is used by millions at 30,000 educational institutions.

“I got to spend a lot of time on college campuses and saw a lot of tech trends,” he said.

He learned that “students who were sharing their personal information on social networks were also sharing their location information,” which opened the door to a service like SocialRadar.

FRIDAY, February 7, 2014

“That’s why I’m even more excited about the next 10 years than the last,” he added.

He said the first decade was “about bootstrapping this network. Now we have the resources to help people across the world solve even bigger and more important problems.”

Zuckerberg said he is often asked if he knew Facebook would become what it is today and he responds, “No way.”

“I remember getting pizza with my friends one night in college shortly after opening Facebook. I told them I was excited to help connect our school community, but one day someone needed to connect the whole world.”

“When I reflect on the last 10 years, one question I ask myself is: why were we the ones to build this? We were just students. We had way fewer resources than big companies. If they had focused on this problem, they could have done it.”

Zuckerberg said he sees a different role for Facebook in the future.

“Today, social networks are mostly about sharing moments. In the next decade, they’ll also help you answer questions and solve complex problems,” he wrote.

The company’s own Facebook page carried a short message, saying “Turning 10, Thanks to You: Our 10th birthday only happened because of all your friendships, stories and memories along the way. Thank you.”

The page also showed a video of a birthday party of 10-year-old children.

For each user, Facebook provided a “Look Back” video with highlights from items shared on the network.

Facebook, which has some 1.23 million users worldwide and has grown into one of the biggest technology firms, was planning a low-key celebration.

“Just as we do every year, we will have an internal party on Friday afternoon,” Facebook spokeswoman Arielle Aryah told AFP in response to a query regarding the company’s birthday celebration plans.

Facebook broke ground late last year on an expansion to its campus in former Sun Microsystems digs in the Silicon Valley city of Menlo Park. The new West Campus was designed by respected architect Frank Gehry.

A Pew Research Center survey released Monday suggests no slowing momentum, even though more than half of US users said they are turned off by over sharing and didn’t like the fact that they showed up in pictures without giving permission.

According to the research firm eMarketer, Facebook has become the second-largest recipient of digital advertising spending behind Google, and is particularly strong in mobile ads.

Ben Harper at the research firm Socialbakers said Facebook got where it is because of its constant innovation.

“It’s easy to forget that features such as timeline, graph search and business pages haven’t always been there for us to use,” Harper wrote in a blog post.

“For businesses, Facebook has become a platform for reaching and engaging with current and potential new customers,” he said.

“For users, Facebook has changed the way we interact with friends, family and our favorite brands. We’re sure Facebook has many more innovations and surprises coming in the near future.”

VOICE OF ASIA 16

BUSINESS

FRIDAY, February 7, 2014

Friday, February 7, 2014

Section 2

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Emerging currencies hit as time runs out for US easy-money for countries such as Turkey and South Africa with elevated current account deficits,” said economist Lee Hardman at The Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ in London.

All eyes on Turkey rate decision The beleaguered Turkish lira recovered from all-time lows on Tuesday amid expectations that the nation’s central bank will raise interest rates at midnight, a move that could support the lira.

The Turkish lira has plunged further in recent weeks, pressured also by the political crisis rocking Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s government.

People are reflected on a sign displaying the rate of exchange between the Argentine peso and the US dollar at a foreign exchange house in downtown Buenos Aires, Argentina, Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2014. Emerging economies scrambled to prop up their currencies on Tuesday as time runs out for US Federal Reserve stimulus, exposing them to capital outflows. AP Photo.

by Roland JACKSON

L

ONDON, January 28, 2014 (AFP) - Emerging economies scrambled to prop up their currencies on Tuesday as time runs out for US Federal Reserve stimulus, exposing them to capital outflows.

The prospect of a further tightening of US monetary policy on Wednesday brings closer the risk that stimulus tapering would vacuum more cash from emerging economies, slow global growth and dent the eurozone’s recovery.

Several top emerging markets have already suffered from capital outflows as the US central bank curbs its so-called quantitative easing (QE) bondbuying stimulus.

That policy had fed flows of US money abroad in search of high returns.

The currency turmoil is hurting emerging economies in Asia, Latin America, Russia and South Africa as investors pull out funds out of riskier investments, analysts said.

India’s central bank announced a surprise quarterpoint increase in its key rate to 8.0 percent on Tuesday The worries over markets such as Argentina, Brazil, India, Russia, South Africa, Thailand, Turkey, Russia and Ukraine come as the eurozone is emerging from the worst of its sovereign debt crisis.

In addition, Turkey, Thailand and Ukraine have all faced political unrest in recent weeks.

The Fed has already cut its stimulus this month by $10 billion (7.3 billion euros) to $75 billion a month on signs of a pick-up in the US economy, the world’s biggest.

Traders are now on tenterhooks to see whether the Fed will announce further stimulus cuts at the conclusion of its two-day monetary policy meeting on Wednesday.

Economists are also pricing in tighter monetary policy from the Bank of England (BoE), with Britain’s economic recovery expected to pick up more speed this year.

“Quantitative easing can be likening to a tide of cheap money across risky assets. So, when the tide goes out we can see who is swimming naked,” Rabobank analyst Jane Foley told AFP. “If cheap money is being wound down, emerging market counties will be more exposed.”

She added: “These countries rely on foreign savings to finance their deficits and when foreigners lose their nerve and pull their money out, the currencies adjust lower.”

Argentina adds to pressures The turmoil intensified last week when Argentina implemented a sharp devaluation in an attempt to stabilise its peso currency, which held steady on

Tuesday.

rency hit a five-month trough.

However, the fallout of Argentina’s problems and global monetary tightening continued to hit other emerging markets this week, most notably neighbour Brazil where the real cur-

South Africa’s rand hit a fiveyear low point on Monday, while Turkey’s central bank called a crisis meeting after its heavy intervention failed to halt a run on the lira.

“The Fed’s decision to taper QE, combined with the increasing likelihood that the BoE is moving closer to tightening monetary policy, is serving to further reinforce investor concerns over external financing

“Emerging markets continue to be the economic front line in the current market,”said Alistair Cotton, analyst at traders Currencies Direct.

“Fed tapering is driving capital flight and putting downward pressure on many emerging market currencies.”

However, despite growing emerging markets turmoil, eurozone nations are not worried about contagion, Eurogroup chief Jeroen Dijsselbloem in-

sisted this week.

“Of course we are worried about this from the perspective of the emerging countries,” said Dijsselbloem, whose Eurogroup comprises the finance ministers of countries that use the single currency.

“I am not particularly worried about the risk of contagion. I think the position of the eurozone is different and that we have to maintain our progress.”

He added that recent tapering of the US stimulus programme was partly responsible, but that emerging economies also had to tackle “structural imbalances”.

Analysts expressed caution over the eurozone outlook.

“Dijsselbloem and other politicians probably feel obliged to give reassuring messages to investors,” said Foley.

“Although it can not be said with complete certainty that there will be no contagion into the eurozone, the region’s large current account surplus, the fact that there has been little sign of systematic risk on the eurozone for a while, and the improving economic data are reassuring.”

FEATURE

VOICE OF ASIA 17

FRIDAY, February 7, 2014

Your Horoscope (For week beginning Friday, February 7, 2014)

Hardik Vyas, Astrologer Cell : 832-298-9950

As per Indian Vedic Astrology the Moon sign is considered, in which every Rashi has control over certain letters, which are initials of your name. Whereas in Western system of Sun Sign, all the people born in one month belong to the same sign. For example, every year approximately around 21 of March to 20th April, the Sun is moving in the Aries Constellation. So all the people born in that month belong to the Sign of Aries. If you were born in between those two dates then you are a Aries born.

Aries (A,L,E) 21 March to 20 April Changes in your career objectives, Your skills are a valuable asset to any team on which you’re a player. Hold off on making your report final until you have listened to others concerns. There will also be changes in your domestic affairs. A chance meeting will be the start of a fresh new things. Spend some quality time & realize how special you feel. Your entire outlook will be transformed. Gatherings may be heated, refuse to take sides in family disagreements.

It’ll only cause you to make bad feelings.

Taurus (B,V,U) 21 April to 20 May Use your wit & wisdom to help make others feel comfortable with new ideas. Invite others to join you while you step into a new realm of learning. Stress your independence, creativity and style. Your personality will be bubbling. Take on the leadership role & make sure you listen your own words. Relax and make yourself feel at home.

Be aware of the limits to which a business relationship can be stretched. Be open to new experiences, and remember to say thank you. By week’s end you’ll have an extra burst of energy.

Gemini (K,CHH,GH) 21 May to 20 June Transform information and data into a valuable opportunity. Take the time you need to streamline procedures and improve techniques. Once you do, you’ll be able to reap rewards beyond your expectations. Gather together with others who share your passion and want to succeed. Your ability to encourage them will pay off in many ways. Their gratitude will be overwhelming and surprising. Family members will try to bring you into their web. Be careful with whom you share personal secrets, as the consequences of your actions could tarnish your reputation.

Cancer (D,H) 21 June to 22 July You’ll be able to achieve your immediate goals if you learn to listen closely to others.

Verify your information and obtain written reference material. There’s no reason to take everything quite so personally. Don’t jump to any conclusions right away, allow some time to soften your overall view of things. You’ll need the time to digest your thoughts & emotions. Patience will be required in order to understand others perspective. Reconnect with what excites you and rejoin the life that’s going on outside your door.

Leo (M) 23 July to 22 August Share your creative ideas. Everyone will be fascinated with your conversations. Your showmanship & flair may be questioned by those in authority. Exhibit the benefits of the new venture. Peers may try to question your motives, respond with positive financial data. Collect & study the facts, you may be tested to remember, later. Don’t be too ready to accuse someone without knowing the facts, but you probably shouldn’t trust everything you hear. If you are selling something, you are likely to close the deals and get top dollar.

Virgo (P) 23 August to 22 September Try to Accept others misgivings, honestly. The attention you receive will be encouraging rather than distracting. Your judgments could play a big role in their lives. A high level of confidence will announce to others that you’re ready to get down to business. Communicate your intentions clearly from the very beginning. The secret to your success will lie in finding a compatible partner to bounce off of. If you continue to argue on every point, then you may need to look elsewhere.

Libra (R,T) 23 Sept to 22 Oct With new beginnings and a reconnection to the past, You could ruin your chances by using your most effective ammunition too early in the week. Rude or impulsive behavior is not easily excused. Regrets have a way of softening the hard edges. An old wound may be slow to heal. No one ever said it was going to be easy, but you know it’ll be worth it.

Open your eyes to the reality that exists not what you perceive through your rose colored glasses. Look deeper and you will be able to make needed changes.

UMA MANTRAVADI

Scorpio (N,Y)23 Oct to 21 Nov

Attorney and Counselor at Law

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You may connect with a new network of learning. Once you do, you’ll feel more confident in who you are. Volunteer work looks good on your resume, which can not only help others, but yourself, as well. By removing money from the equation, you allow yourself new avenues of exploration and expression. New friends can lead you to new avenues of social & professional exposure. Be yourself & you’ll be accepted & loved by all. Encourage others to pursue their talents. Community spirit might be upstaged by individuals who lacks rational.

Sagittarius (BH,F,DH,TH) 22 Nov to 21 Dec Opportunities for travel, romance & communications. Whether it be for business or for pleasure, take advantage of the situation before you. Set the standards, keep the flow positive & don’t try to preach your morals to others. Keep your private life private and your social life social. Your excess energy might put you in danger of saying or doing something inappropriate. Others may not be in a mood to have their limitations challenged.

Capricorn (KH,J) 22 Dec to 20 Jan Put things into a better perspective. Accent is on using your personality to open new doors of opportunity. Your cycle is high. You need to be cautious about who you trust with your personal & financial matters. Time is on your side, so don’t rush any big decisions. Remember that a relationship is as much about friendship as it is about obligation. Use your imagination & you’ll come up the winner. Small details, errands and ‘minutia’ that MAY lead to misunderstandings, arguments and certainly disagreements are possible.

Aquarius (G,S,SH) 21 Jan to 19 Feb Time, schedules and your ability to have discipline in your life, This is the way to achieve your immediate goals. Talk to a trusted friend about their experiences. If possible, try to get an extension on your deadline. Hasty actions could be worse for you than not acting at all. If you have more time, try to devote it to getting it right. Someone close to you will disappoint you. There’s no point in pretending to be objective, but at least you can be fair with your feelings. Partners in an intense friendship have many ways to communicate.

Pisces (D,CH,Z) 20 Feb to 20 March Gain valuable information, as You are a survivor. Try looking up in reference books or on the internet. Remind others of how inventive you can be when you have to be. Enjoy the learning and bring the light to those who share your ideas. Check security issues and viable solutions will come to you. Everything will seem to be going in the opposite direction from what you had anticipated. Instead of letting it get to you, look on the bright side and be dazzled by what you see. Quick thinking could save everything. Strategy will take over once you can no longer accept the way things are. It’s possible to make changes without causing damage.

Some of your efforts may seem to have disastrous results and not only that ‘backfire’ with extra work, misunderstandings and launch you into ‘faceoffs’ , most likely because they could be struggling with ‘issues’ themselves.

COMMUNITY EVENTS

VOICE OF ASIA 18

FRIDAY, February 7, 2014

RELIGIOUS INSTITUTES & ORGANIZATIONS OF HOUSTON - call Voice of Asia 713-774-5140 Sri Meenakshi Temple Prog:Feb 7th Friday: 7:00 PM; Thai Sukravara Deepa Pooja Feb 27th Thursday: 6:30 PM; Maha Sivarathri Location: 17130 McLean Road Pearland, TX 77584 Contact: (281) 489-0358 Web: www.meenakshi.org

Hare Krishna Dham (ISKCON) Prog: Everyday, 7 Aratis and bhoga offerings daily. Sunday Festival: 5.30 p.m. to 7.30 p.m.

Location: 1320 West 34th St, Houston, TX 77018.

Contact:281-433-1635/E-mail harekrishnadham@gmail.com Website: www.iskconhouston. org

Shri Radha Krishna Temple Prog: Location:11625 Beechnut, Houston, TX 77072 Phone: 281-933-8100 Website: www.SRKT.org.

Arsha Vidya Bharati Prog.:Sanskrit classes and special worship sessions for all ages Location: 2918 Renoir, Sugar Land, TX 77479 Contact: 281-606-5607 or AVB.Houston@gmail.com Web: https://sites.google.com/ site/avbtexas/classes

Arsha Vidya Satsanga Prog: Website: www.avshouston.org Contact: 713-412-2923 / Email: ArshaVidyaHou@gmail.com

Chinmaya Mission

QR

Prog: Location:10353 Synott Road, Sugar Land, TX77498.

Phone: 832.541.0059.

Website:www.chinmayahouston. org.

Sri Saumyakasi Sivalaya Temple Hrs: 9 am to noon and 5 to 9 pm.;Sri Astalaksmi puja: 7 pm. Sri Laksmi Archana will be performed on request all day.

Location:same as Chinmaya Mission.

Website: www.saumyakasi.org;

Hindu Temple of The Woodlands Location: 7601 S. Forest Gate Drive at Woodlands Parkway, Spring, TX 77382.

Contact: info@woodlandshindutemple.org, 832-585-0001 Website: www. woodlandshindutemple.org.

VPSS Houston Location VPSS Vallabh Hall, 11715 Belfort Village Dr. Houston 77031.

Contact:713-530-2900 Website:www.vpsshaveli.org

Ahmadiyya Muslim Community Baitus Samee Mosque Prog: Friday Prayer - 1:30 PM Children’s Classes | Interfaith meeting | Location: 1333 Spears Rd, Houston, TX 77067 Imam - Mohammed Zafarullah Contact : Work: 281-875-3400 | Cell: 713-874-4363 Zafarullah_Hanjra@hotmail.com www.Alislam.org

Dr. Ambedkar International

Mission Inc. U.S.A Prog: Location: India House 8888 West Bellfort Avenue Houston, Texas 77031

Ashirwad - A Blessing Temple Prog: Regular prog :Sloka Classes for kids and teens.

Location: Katy, Hwy 249 & Sugar Land.

Contact: 281.995.0930/ 281.808.2159

Vedanta Society of Greater Houston Prog: Vedanta teachings Sundays at 10:30 AM Location: at 14809 Lindita Dr. Houston, TX -77083.

Website: www.vedantahouston. org.

ISSO Prog: Darshan daily from 7.30 a.m. to 12.30 p.m. and 4 p.m. to 8.30 p.m.; Aarti daily from 7.45 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Location: 10080 Synott Road, Sugar Land, TX 77478 Phone: 281-530-2565 Web:

Shri Satyanarayan Sai Puja Darshan Prog: Daily from 10:00 a.m. to 1:p.m. and 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

Every Thursday Abhishek Location: 16338 Kensington Dr, Ste 110, Sugar Land 77479.

Phone: 713-933-8821 / 9359.

Gurdwara Sahib of SW Houston Prog: Sundays Dewan 10:00 11:00 a.m. 1:00 p.m. Langar Location:14811 Lindita Drive, Houston, TX 77083 Phone: 281-498-5200 Website: www.gurdwaraswh.com

Sri Ashtalakshmi Temple Prog: Sri Vishnu Sahasranama Stotra Parayanam: daily 6.30 p.m. Location:10098 Synott Road. Sugar Land, TX 77478 Phone: 281- 498-2344 Website: www.ashtalakshmi.org

Hindu Worship Society Prog: Open all days except Thursdays (by appt). Regular Puja and Prasad. Sunday Service 11:30 AM to 1:30 Location: 2223 Wirtcrest Lane Houston TX 77055.

Barsana Dham Houston Chapter Prog: Satsang every Sunday from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Location: India House, 8888 West Belfort 77031 Phone: (713) 855-9818 for details Website: www.jkphouston.org Weekly Radio Program-1460 AM Saturdays 10-11 a.m.

Divinity Website: www.godivinity.org

Lakshmi Narayan Mandir Prog: Every Friday Satsangh from 7:30 pm to 9 pm. Bhajans and Devi Puja, Discourses.

Location: 12530 Ann Louise Road, Houston, 77086.

Phone: Contact Vishnu at (832) 309- 7181.

JVB Preksha Meditation Center Prog: Location: 14102 Schiller Road, Houston TX 77082

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Patanjali Yogpeeth Center Prog: Free Yoga Classes every Sat/Sun from 8 am to 9:30 am Location: Arya Samaj @Schiller Road.

Contact: 281-579-9433.

Websites: www.pyptusa.org

Jain Center of Houston Location: 3905 Arc St. Houston, TX 77063 Contact: 281-606-JAIN; Email: ecjsh@jain-houston.org Website:www.jain-houston.org

Durga Bari Society Prog: Sandhya Arati at 6:30 p.m.; Sunday: 9:00 a.m.- 7:00 p.m.

Location: 13944 Schiller Road.

Contact: 281-597-8100 Website:www.houstondurgabari. org

Gayatri Pariwar of Houston Prog: Sundays Satsang, Bal-Sanskar Shala, from 11am to 1pm.

Location: 5645 Hillcroft, Suite # 307, Houston, TX 77036.

Website: http://www.gayatripariwarhouston.org/ “

Sri Guruvayurappan Temple Prog: Bhajans: Sat.7:00 -8:00 p.m.; Sundays 9:00 a.m.-1:00 a.m.Location: 1620 Ormandy Street, Houston, TX 77035 Contact: 713-729-8994

Govindaji Gaudiya Math

Prog: Satsang every Sunday evening from 5 - 7 p.m. Vedic heritage classes for kids 5-14.

Location: 16628 Kieth Harrow blvd. Houston, TX 77084 Contact: 281-499-3347/281-4914114.

Sathya Sai Baba Centers Prog: Sundays from 3:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. at two locations Contact: (North) 832-418-3842 or (South) 281-788-4786.

Website:www.saicenterofhouston.org

Telugu Christian Fellowship Prog; Every third Saturday 6:30 PM. Worship is in English Location: The Triumph Church, 10555 West Airport Boulevard, Stafford, TX 77477.

Contact:713-301-6444 Website:

Brahma Kumaris Meditation Center Prog: Daily classes in Raja Yoga Meditation To register call or email.

Contact:832-379-8888/ Email: houston@bktexas.com Website: bktexas.com

Bethesda Houston Tamil Church Prog: Prog: Sundays Tamil Worship: 5 – 7pm Sunday school : in English. Bethesda Family Fellowship: in English 10.30 am-12.30 pm Free Tutorial for all children Mondays & Wednesdays 5-6 pm. Ladies Bible Study: Thur 9 am.

Location: 1092, Suite F&G, Stafford. Tex 77477 Tel:281-317-7331, 281-317-7331 Website:bethesdahoustontamilc hurch.org

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Seeking Bride Friends matrimonial invite for Gujarati Vaishnav Young Man age 37, height 5’4” UT Grad, successfully self-employed, born and raised US Citizen. Strong family values, well cultured, understanding, good social skills, generous, kind, pleasant personality and a positive outlook on life. Seeking a kindhearted young lady from the San Antonio, Dallas, Austin, and Houston areas, ONLY. Send bio and photo to: GreatMatrimony37@gmail.com Or call: (713) 204-8116 or (713) 204-8110

Job Opportunity Soil and Concrete Technician wanted.

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Subcontractors Needed Ditta Meat is soliciting Subcontractors that are M/WBE for the upcoming HISD Project Bid # 14-01-04.

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Reliable Caretaker Needed A family needs a reliable Caretaker full time to take care of home, cook meals - breakfast, lunch and dinner, do some light house work, weekdays and weekends. Timings are: 7:30 AM - 5:30 PM daily, flexible some evenings. Must be able to cook South and North Indian dishes. Please have a few references.

Long term employment preferred.

For details, call: 832-419-7537

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