The Indian Panorama

Month: June 2013

  • Gm Fungi: New Way To Produce Cheap Biofuel

    Gm Fungi: New Way To Produce Cheap Biofuel

    WASHINGTON (TIP): Researchers are manufacturing genetically modified fungi to produce significantly cheaper biofuel. Biofuel is often obtained from starchy plants — but this places fuel production in competition with food production. At the Vienna University of Technology , genetically modified mold fungi are created, which have the ability to break down long cellulose and xylan chains into smaller sugar molecules .

    This could make the production of biofuel a lot cheaper. Lignocellulosic waste such as sawdust or straw can be used to produce biofuel — but only if the long cellulose and xylan chains can be successfully broken down into smaller sugar molecules. To do this, fungi are used which, by means of a specific chemical signal, can be made to produce the necessary enzymes. Because this procedure is, however, very expensive, researchers have been investigating the molecular switch that regulates enzyme production in the fungus.

    As a result, it is now possible to manufacture genetically modified fungi that produce the necessary enzymes fully independently, thus making biofuel production significantly cheaper. Manufacturing biofuel from lignocellulose is therefore a preferable option.

  • Coming Soon: A Camera That Doesn’t Require Flash

    Coming Soon: A Camera That Doesn’t Require Flash

    NEW YORK (TIP): Researchers have developed a cheap imaging camera sensor which is 1,000 times more sensitive to light than those available at present — and could make it possible to click clear and sharp pictures even in dim lighting. The new sensor developed, at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, is highly sensitive to both visible and infrared light, and could be used in everything, from the family cameras to surveillance and satellite cameras.

    The sensor gets the high photoresponse from its innovative structure. It is made of graphene , a superstrong carbon compound with a honeycomb structure that is as flexible as rubber, more conductive than silicon and which resists heat better than a diamond, Tech- NewsDaily reported. The sensor’s “light-trapping” nanostructures hold onto light-generated electron particles for much longer than conventional sensors. This results in a stronger than usual electric signal, which can be processed into clearer, sharper photographs.

  • Astronomers Spot 15 New Extremely Dark Galaxies

    Astronomers Spot 15 New Extremely Dark Galaxies

    TOKYO (TIP): Scientists using the ALMA telescope have discovered 15 previously unidentified, extremely dark galaxies buried deeply in cosmic dust. Researchers observed a field named “Subaru/XMMNewtown Deep Survey Field,” located in the direction of the constellation Cetus. As a result, they succeeded in finding 15 extremely dark galaxies that were unidentified until now.

    “It is thanks to the high performance of The Atacama Large Millimeter/sub-millimeter Array (ALMA), which is proudly said to be the best in the world, that observations like this have been made possible,” said Bunyo Hatsukade Post-doctoral fellow, Kyoto University. The team successfully measured the number density of galaxies approximately 10 times darker than the millimeter wave research results up to now. The new results agree well with the prediction by the theories of galaxy formation.

  • Indian Scientist Raises Hope Of Creating Artificial Human Liver

    Indian Scientist Raises Hope Of Creating Artificial Human Liver

    LONDON (TIP): In a big leap towards creating an artificial human liver, a scientist of Indian origin from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has for the first time managed to keep live liver cells functional outside the body. Dr Sangeeta Bhatia, who is presently professor of health sciences and technology has identified a dozen chemical compounds that can help liver cells not only maintain their normal function while grown in a lab dish but also multiply to produce new tissue.

    The liver is the only major organ in the human body that can regenerate itself if part of it is removed. However, researchers trying to exploit that ability in hopes of producing artificial liver tissue for transplantation have repeatedly been stymied. Mature liver cells, known as hepatocytes, quickly lose their normal function when removed from the body. “It’s a paradox because we know liver cells are capable of growing, but somehow we can’t get them to grow outside the body,” says Bhatia, from MIT’s Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research.

    Dr Bhatia, who originally belongs to a Sindhi family in Mumbai said “The main finding is that we identified chemicals that make liver cells grow outside the body. Cells grown this way can help can incorporated into engineered livers that we are building to treat patients with liver disease. The human liver cells (hepatocytes) can also be used for drug testing to improve drug safety”. “We have showed that human liver cells could be used to build engineered liver tissue and that this liver tissue could function once implanted in the body. So far, we are able to do this in mice.

    We need to make them bigger in order to help patients with liver disease.” She added “Tissue engineering has already created artificial skin and cartilage and bone that has helped many millions. Artificial trachea and bladder and blood vessels are also in humans. We will follow the same path that others have laid out for us for the liver”. “The main challenges are to get the liver cells to function like liver cells so they can support the patient, getting enough liver cells for a patient (billions are needed), and ways to implant them so they have enough nutrients through blood vessels (this is called vascularization).

    We think we have made good progress on the functional side begins to address the cell sourcing and vascularization issues,” she added. Bhatia has developed a way to temporarily maintain normal livercell function after those cells are removed from the body, by precisely intermingling them with mouse fibroblast cells. They studied how 12,500 different chemicals affect liver-cell growth and function. The liver has about 500 functions, divided into four general categories: drug detoxification, energy metabolism, protein synthesis and bile production.

    David Thomas from the Broad Institute, measured expression levels of 83 liver enzymes representing some of the most finicky functions to maintain. After screening thousands of liver cells from eight different tissue donors, the researchers identified 12 compounds that helped the cells maintain those functions, promoted liver cell division, or both. Two of those compounds seemed to work especially well in cells from younger donors. Publishing their breakthrough in the journal Nature Chemical Biology, the team says cells grown this way could help researchers develop engineered tissue to treat many of the 500 million people suffering from chronic liver diseases such as hepatitis C.

  • MADURAI

    MADURAI

    THE GLORY OF PANDAYAS

    Madurai is Known as Athens of the East, Madurai is a place of great historical and cultural importance. It is the oldest city in Tamil Nadu and Madurai lies on the banks of the River Vaigai. Madurai is one of the liveliest cities in South India it was originally known as Kadambavanam or the “forest of Kadamba” or the Nauclea kadamba. Legend says that Lord Shiva appeared in the dream on the king, Kulasekhara Pandya.

    The king was amazed to see drops of nectar or madhu falling down of earth from Lord Shiva’s matted hair. The “madhu” was so sweet that the place where it fell came to be known as Madhurapuri, which in course of time became “Madurai.” Tamil and Greek documents record its existence from the 4th century B.C. Being in the heart of Tamil Nadu, Madurai has fostered an essentially Dravidian and Tamil culture. Famous for its cultural and scholarly pursuits, the city had an academy consisting of critics, poets and savants highly esteemed both by kings and commoners.

    It was in Madurai that three successful conferences of Tamil scholars called sangams flourished under benevolent royal support. Madurai is famous for housing one of the five traditional dance halls where Lord Siva, in his form as the Silver Hall or the Velli Ambalam. It is situated within the Meenakshi Temple. Madurai was the capital of the dynasty. The Meenakshi-Sundareswarar Shrine is its central glory. The Muslims invaded Madurai in the 14th Century. Later it came under the rule of the Nayaks, and the rule of Thirumalai Nayak, who is remembered as the maker of modern Madurai, was an eventful one.

    Madurai was known to be the centre of learning and pilgrimage for centuries. Today, Madurai is a modern commercial and industrial city, with a vast University campus and is renowned for its weaving mills and dyeing industry. The chungadi cotton sarees are the speciality of this city with its colourful tie and dye motifs. Handicrafts, brassware, bronze items and the famous wooden toys of Madurai are some of the notable artefacts.Madurai is 450 kms from Chennai.

    Gandhi Museum
    Gandhi museum is a great master piece in Southern India and it has great historical background and mythology in its background. There are several Gandhi museums across the nation and the Gandhi museum of the southen India is basically a Tamukkam bungalow which means summer house in Tamil, which is the local language of the place. The museum is square in share and created at the height of 5 metres from the ground level and it has a wonderful dome in the centre which is about 7 metres diagonally. It was constructed by Nayak Queen Rani in the earlier 1700 AD. Great cost was incurred in establishing the museum and it was all invested by the government of India, in memory of Mahatma Gandhi, the father of the nation.

    Thirumalai Nayak Mahal
    Thirumalai Nayak Mahal was constructed way back in the 17th century. Several buildings and temples had been constructed by him in the region and they have been splendid piece of construction. It was constructed by kings of muslim dynasty which covered several regions of coimbatore, Madurai districts and other few places in southern Tamil Nadu. It is a great piece of art and all of the sculptures are encarved in the Madurai style. Several old temples too have been renovated in this new style and the whole city seems to have the construction of the similar make, which is a good feature of the place.

    Vaigai Dam
    Vaigai dam is a giant dam constructed on the river Vaigai and is situated near Andipatti in southern India. The dam has been the life line of the agricultural lands in the neighbourhood and because of it the areas have flourished in leaps and bounds. It provides clean and fresh drinking water to whole of the region of Madurai and Andipatti. Agricultural research institution too has been developed near the dam so as to research on a wide variety of crops including cereals and pulses. Several issues about the water supply in the dry seasons have been curbed down after the construction of the dam and it has provided life to the region of southern India.

    Alagar Koil
    Alagar Koil is a beautiful temple situated in the north east of Madurai. The temple is the abode of Lord Vishnu and is the sacred place for several followers of Lord Vishnu in the region. It is situated in the Alagar hills and is also known as Azhagarkovil. The statue of the lord is made of stone and is a great masterpiece created from kallalgar. Several different statues in different postures of the Lord are all kept in the temple under the same roof and is the best form of distinct temples in southern India. The people of the region consider Lord Vishnu to be a wonderful king or ruler of the earth and offer holy prayers from the bottom of the heart. The temple has wonderful halls and other facilities to perform different rituals with sacred mantras in the holy environment.

  • Movie Review – Cinderella 3D

    Movie Review – Cinderella 3D

    Cast: Yolande Moreau, Alexandra Lamy, Isabelle Nanty, Antoine de Caunes, Michel Boujenah
    Direction: Pascal Hérold
    Genre: Animation
    Duration: 1 hour 21 minutes

    STORY: The classic Cinderella story is given a cowboythemed, Wild West style makeover. This time, it is Cinderella who does the rescuing, along with a group of friends. MOVIE REVIEW: This is probably the most extreme deviation from the classic Cinderella tale that you will have seen so far. Made by the French (its original French title is Cendrillon au Far West), with English overdubbing in curious accents, this avatar of Cinderella is no cowering wallflower.

    She’s a cowgirl who swaps the ball gown for a pair of jeans. Life is fairly humdrum for everybody until she hops on an actionpacked quest to save the mother of a prince who has been kidnapped by a group of gorilla pirates. Another big change – the glass slipper here is a missing tooth. And there’s no fairy godmother; here, Cinderella has a simpering shaman to help her with the bits involving magic. The rendering and colours, though saturated, are several pegs below the kind of top-notch work that lovers of the animation genre expect to see in films these days.

    The animals are all anthropomorphic and yet, it’s not easy to figure out who is what. For example, Cinderella looks like a talking dog with pigtails that rides what seems to be an ostrich. The pirates, dressed in seafaring garb, operate in what looks like an arid desert and for some reason mariachi music seems to permeate most of the film. It’s a puzzling combination that does not sit right. While creative adaptations to fairytales are all very well, this one is just too much of an aggregation of parts that does not make up a wholesome whole.

  • Penelope Cruz To Be The Oldest Ever Bond Girl

    Penelope Cruz To Be The Oldest Ever Bond Girl

    Penelope Cruz is set to play Bond girl – at 40. With this, she would become the oldest actress to take on the role, taking the title from Brit Honor Blackman who was 39 when she starred as ‘Pussy Galore’ in 1962’s gold finger, the Sun reported.

    Cruze, who is ready to give birth to her second child, will start work on the follow-up next April.

  • Kelly Brook Tweets Pic Of Famous Cleavage

    Kelly Brook Tweets Pic Of Famous Cleavage

    Kelly Brook has tweeted a busty bikini image from her recent holiday to Tobago with Danny Cipriani. In the picture, the ‘Piranha 3D’ star is seen hiding her eyes behind sunglasses and a baseball cap making sure that she captures her famous cleavage in the frame, the Sun reported.

    Her boyfriend, Ciprialso uploaded a picture that features the rugby ace in swimming trunks and a mask and snorkel, showing off his tattooed left arm in the process.

  • MOVIE REVIEW – Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani

    MOVIE REVIEW – Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani

    Cast: Ranbir Kapoor, Deepika Padukone, Aditya Roy Kapur, Kalki Koechlin
    Direction: Ayan Mukerji
    Genre: Romance
    Duration: 2 hours 41 minutes

    STORY: Four friends take off for adventure sport and discover little-known personal aspects of one another. Years later they reunite and this time the equation is even more combustible. Youth is a many splendoured thing. An alive, fresh vibe dominates Ayan Mukerji’s Yeh Jaawani Hai Deewani invigorating you through it’s entire run. The story is not novel, but the treatment is A-grade. Ranbir Kapoor(Kabir Thapa aka Bunny), Deepika Padukone (Naina), Kalki Koechlin (Aditi) and Aditya Roy Kapur (Avi) go on a trek.

    While Bunny, Aditi and Avi have always been close, Naina, the staid, studious girl is a last minute addition to the group. The group just wants to live life king-size. Early enough in the film, Bunny announces—marriage at 25, children at 30, retirement at 50 and then waiting for death—is not how he sees his life playing out. He wants to travel the world, he wants to be free. Aditi and Avi share his thinking to a degree. But Naina is different.

    She is studying to be a doctor, believes in family and is a rooted young lady with traditional values. The first half of the film is a fun-ride. Watching Madhuri Dixit do a ghagra number with Ranbir is a ceeti-moment. At intermission point, the film rightly leaves you yearning for more. The first twenty minutes of the second half is mundane. But the action comes together again at Aditi’s wedding. Against the backdrop of the big, fat Indian wedding in picturesque Udaipur, the friends unite for the festivities.

    But the chinks in the armour show by way of their mixed ideologies and changed priorities. Of course there’s no battle big enough that friendship cannot surmount. So, between tears and cheers, Bunny, Naina, Aditi and Avi forge equations that are more real with one another and with the audience. Ranbir is delectable and a true-blue superstar. This pedigreed actor dances like a dream, looks terrific and emotes effortlessly. Watch out for the scenes with his father Farooque Shaikh. Deepika is first-rate as is Kalki. Evelyn Sharma and Kunal Roy Kapur provide humour.

  • Katrina Wants To Be With Boys

    Katrina Wants To Be With Boys

    Keeps aside a chunk of dates for the much-awaited sequel to the Abhishek- John starrer Dostana Buzz was that Dostana2 has traded its desi girl Priyanka Chopra for Katrina Kaif. Now there are the telltale signs of rumours turning into reality. Katrina, who is shooting for Siddharth Anand’s Bang Bang with Hrithik Roshan, has not signed any other film yet.

    It is assumed that she is keeping her dates open for Tarun Mansukhani’s sequel to the 2008 hit. The film is likely to go on floors in late October. The preproduction of the film has already started. A source told us, “Katrina wants to be a part of this heroine-centric film. It will give her a lot of scope to perform. The actress is waiting for the final nod from the producers. She has not allotted any dates between October and January to any other filmmaker.” The much-awaited sequel to Dostana has been in the making for a long time.

    Initially there were reports that the script had not shaped up to Karan Johar’s liking. Then there was also the long-drawn casting process, and other than Abhishek and John, no one else had been finalised. Katrina according to reports has been showing her eagerness to take up the project. Other than Bang Bang and Dhoom 3, she has not signed up any new film yet. In the off chance that Kat does not do the film, at least it would not be for the lack of dates or initiative on her part.

  • Skip Away Calories

    Skip Away Calories

    It’s not only the least expensive and most effective workout ever, skipping also improves your agility and reflexes. If you think only a well-quipped gymnasium with the latest expensive exercise equipment can make you lose weight, think again. A simple, inexpensive jump rope and some nice music can help you too, if you are consistent with it and do it right.

    Here are some points you need to keep in mind…
    – An hour of skipping burns off over 1,000 calories. And 10 minutes of it burns around the same amount of calories as running a mile for that duration.
    – Start off by skipping for a few minutes daily and gradually increase the duration.
    – Remember to keep changing your skipping style every 30 to 40 seconds to avoid getting tired faster.
    – Skipping can do wonders for your arms
    — it gives a great workout to your shoulders and also works wonders for your legs and abs.
    – It increases coordination between your feet and hand movements, improves your agility, reflexes, posture and flexibility and is also known to strengthen your bones.
    – Being an amazing cardio workout, it allows your body to burn fat more effectively, when you are doing other less intense exercises. Besides, it increases your endurance levels and makes you more vigilant.
    – Avoid jumping on the carpet (you could slip or twist your ankle), grass, concrete, or asphalt. Your exercise surface should be a wooden floor or an impact exercise mat.
    – You need to consult your doctor before you take up skipping especially if you have problems with your knees, ankles and legs.

    How to jump rope:
    – Jumping rope needs coordinated movements and if you are new to it, you need to do both movements separately first and then merge them together. – Jump without the rope first and later, hold the rope handles and swing it. Later combine both movements. Why skip? – For skipping rope, you do not need a gym; you can skip and jump anywhere – It exercises your entire body – You do not need an expensive trainer to tell you how to do this — just take a rope and skip away – It is the least expensive workout ever created You don’t have to worry about the weather, like you do when you have to go for walks. Tip: Don’t jump too high — ideally, it should not be more than an inch off the floor

  • 20 Ways To Quit Smoking For Men

    20 Ways To Quit Smoking For Men

    To quit smoking is one of the biggest challenges to human willpower. Like any other addiction, the quitting smoking will cause actual physical and mental counter reactions to the body. There are a lot of methods that will help you quit smoking. These include nicotine patches, hypnosis and prescription medication etc. However little do we know that there every single day we can fight against this addiction without the use of and medication. Dr. Arun Kumar, Fitness Head, Snap Fitness India takes the initiative to provide 20 easy ways to quit smoking for men.

    Make a plan
    To successfully detach from smoking, you need to identify and address your smoking habits, the true nature of your dependency, and the techniques that work for you. Take the time to think of what kind of smoker you are, which moments of your life call for a cigarette, and why. This will help you to identify which tips, techniques or therapies may be most beneficial for you.

    Exercise/workout to beat cravings
    Physical activity can reduce nicotine cravings and ease some withdrawal symptoms. When you want to reach for a cigarette, put on your running shoes instead, or just run on the spot. Even mild exercise is helpful, such as walking the dog or weeding the garden. The extra calories you burn will also ward off weight gain as you stop smoking.

    Bet with a friend
    You can even place a bet with a friend and set a date to quit smoking by a particular deadline. Let the friend serve as your support system to take you through it.

    Avoid alcohol and fizzy drinks
    Alcohol is one of the most common triggers, so try to drink less when you first give up. Fizzy drinks, cola, tea and coffee all make cigarettes taste better. So when you’re out, drink more water and juice. Some men find that simply changing their drink affects their need to reach for a cigarette.

    Manage stress
    One reason people smoke is that the nicotine helps them relax. Once you give up, you’ll need another way to cope with stress. Try getting regular massages, listening to relaxing music or learning yoga or tai chi. If possible, avoid stressful situations during the first few weeks after you stop smoking.

    Baking soda cocktail
    Baking soda increases the pH in urine, which will slow the elimination of the nicotine already existent in the body. This results in less craving for nicotine. Consume a half teaspoon of baking soda three times daily. Another way to use baking soda to break the habit of smoking is to take two tablespoons of it, mixing it with a glass of water, and drinking this mixture after every meal.

    Fruits and vegetables
    Milk, Celery, Carrot, Fruits and vegetables when taken before smoking, develops a bitter after taste compelling the smoker to extinguish the cigarette half way through because of the horrendous taste it leaves in the mouth.

  • How Much Water Should You Drink Every Day?

    How Much Water Should You Drink Every Day?

    It’s important to drink water according to your lifestyle rather than follow the 8-glass water rule, say nutritionists. Water is your body’s principal chemical component and a natural detoxifier but not many are aware about how much water should we ideally drink everyday. Moreover, the popular 8 by 8 rule which says that one should drink eight glasses, each consisting of eight ounce of water, may not suit every individual. Says nutritionist Venu Adhiya Hirani, “While the general belief is to drink eight to 10 glasses of water, it is advisable to drink 12 to 15 glasses of fluids which includes water, tea, buttermilk, soup, etc. This would amount to an intake of around 2.5 litres of fluids everyday.”

    Drink according to lifestyle

    According to nutritionist expert Nupur Krishnan, one’s lifestyle plays an important role in deciding the amount of water that one should consume. “If you have a sedentary lifestyle and work in an airconditioned environment where there is no scope for water loss via sweat, drinking more than 2 to 2.5 litres of water is not advisable. It will end up accumulating in your kidney and cause edema,” says Krishnan. For moderate workers like salespersons, who are required to do physical activity, it is important to drink around three litres of water.

    Water consumption
    Also, it is necessary to change water consumption habits with the change in seasons. For instance, it is important to keep oneself hydrated during summers. “If you do not suffer from diabetes or blood pressure, you can have electrolyte or glucose water or drink nimbu paani. It is not only refreshing but also increases your energy levels,” says Krishnan. Moreover, it is important to drink maximum amount in the morning. Hirani says, “After waking up, it is important to drink around two to four glasses of water within the early part of the day. You could also add some amount of lemon, honey and cinnamon in it.

  • Aesthetic Path To Enlightenment

    Aesthetic Path To Enlightenment

    Siddartha Gautama, who was to later become the Buddha,on his first exposure to the world outside his palace — where he was surrounded by opulence and luxury — saw three men: a sick man, an old man and a dead man. This for him defined samsara or the phenomenal world, manifestation of dukha that was to become the first of the four noble truths of Buddhist teaching. The resolution of this suffering was to come from the sight of the fourth man, a rishi, who looked peaceful, composed and beyond suffering.

    The core of the Buddhist world view and doctrine is that despite suffering, humankind is capable of experiencing nirvana or freedom through meditation. Nagarjuna postulated the doctrine of sunyata pointing to the emptiness of worldly experiences. Both ideas were enough to lead Buddhism as the dominant religion of India and beyond. Both dukha and sunyata were responsible for the concept of karuna or universal compassion, which was the sine qua non of Buddhist thought.

    While one cannot deny the validity of old age, disease and death as the defining features of samsara, a Hindu could question the image of the rishi, or the sage person, as the perfect man who has overcome suffering through meditation. Is that the only way out of suffering? Or is it just one of many ways? What about the bhakta and the rasika? Later, Buddhism brings in bhakti as a valid source of knowledge and therefore moksha, but surprisingly avoids aesthetic discourse and does not advocate the undertaking of aesthetic experience despite the fact that Buddhists were the most prolific image makers and mural painters.

    Asvaghosa’s Budhacharita is considered to be one of the first poetic compositions in Sanskrit, rich with flourishes of language. Sanchi, Amravati, Nagarjunakonda and Ajanta, among others, stand out as testaments of Buddhist visual art. Despite this Buddhsim does not undertake a formal aesthetic discourse and does not recognise art as a valid or transcendent experience. Hinduism on the other hand takes a firm stand on aesthetics very early in the tradition.

    The vedas recognise the kavi or poet as prajapati or leader. The Upanishadic sentence ‘rasaivo saha’ is considered the seminal concept of rasa which was to come later. However it was Bharata’s Natyashastra, moving on to Anandavarsha’s Dhyanyaloka and then to Abhinavagupta’s Abhinavabharati and ending with Pandit Jagannatha’s concept of ramaniyata, that the rasa doctrine becomes the flag bearer of Hindu aesthetics and remains unchallenged.

    The central plank of rasa is that the refined aesthetic experience that arises from embracing the rasa of art objects, be they sahitya, kavya, shilpa, natya or chitra, is akin to brahamananda, the bliss of Brahmn itself. The only concession Hindu aesthetics makes is that the rasananda is brahmananda sahadora, the twin brother of Brahmn and this makes the rasa experience one step removed from the experience of Brahmn. Hindu art in its manifold aspects remains life-affirming, sensually beautiful but always pointing to serene spirituality, bridging the gap between the sacred and the spiritual.

  • The Right Way

    The Right Way

    The smaller your ego, the more your potential to become an ideal leader, says Osho The more you are — as an ego — the less you are capable of leading. The less you are, the more you are capable of leading. When you completely disappear, there is only the function of leadership; you are not there.

    Vehicle of Force
    In fact, the leader will be more there when you are not. It is the ego of the leader, it is the doer, that disappears. When the doer disappears, then the leader is in tremendous spontaneity.

    The leader becomes a vehicle, a vehicle of the unconscious forces of the participants. Then the leader becomes a mirror and reflects those depths which the participants cannot penetrate themselves. Then the participant is not really being led by somebody else, the participant is being led by his own unconscious forces, and the leader has just become instrumental in it. Everybody is carrying his own inner searchlight, but nobody is aware of it.

    The whole effort is to make the participant aware that all that he’s seeking is already the case, that it is not really that he has to solve problems; the only problem is to understand that he has not to create them. And life is not a problem. To look at it as if it is a problem is the beginning of stupidity.WALife is a mystery to be lived.

    Life Is A Mystery
    So when the leader is not a doer, he himself becomes a mystery. Suddenly he will feel that when he was there, people were resisting, the participants were in a sort of resistance, because when you are there, the participants feel defensive.

    There is a subtle underground fight between your ego and the ego of the participant. He does not want to surrender. Why should he surrender? Who are you? On the surface he may try, but deep down he goes on resisting. Even if he tries, he tries reluctantly, and that dissipates much energy unnecessarily. When you see a leader who is not there at all, immediately the resistance in the participant disappears — because there is nobody to surrender to, so now you can surrender easily.

    There is nobody who is going to enjoy your surrender, who will feel enhanced in his ego by your surrender, so what is the point of resisting?

    Zero Resistance
    The problem is there because you think that if you are not there, how will you be able to lead? You need not be worried about it. Only then will you be able to lead — and the leadership will have such a beautiful quality. It will have no violence in it. Otherwise there is violence — when you look at somebody as being a participant and you are a leader, there is violence. Then you are to interpret, you are to judge, you have to show the way.

    He is the ignorant one and you are the know-all; then you have the upper hand. It is you who is going to decide whether he is moving rightly or wrongly, whether he is following the right path or not. It is you who is going to evaluate. The patient is just nobody and you have to put a label on him. You can call him a neurotic , a psychotic or whatsoever you like, and he is just to comply with it. He has no say in it.

    When You Are Not
    When you are not, you don’t judge.You are not an observer and you have no authority. When you don’t have any authority you help tremendously — because authority is destructive. You are simply love, not knowledge — that is the difference. When the leader is, he is knowledge. When the leader is not, and only a function of leading is there, then there is simply love. Then you go on showering your love.

  • Swimming Champion, Movie Star Esther Williams Dies At 91

    Swimming Champion, Movie Star Esther Williams Dies At 91

    LOS ANGELES (TIP): Esther Williams, whose experiences as a young swimming champion led to a career of Hollywood “aqua-musicals” designed just for her, died on Thursday in Beverly Hills, California, at the age of 91, her spokesman said. Williams, one of the biggest box-office stars of the 1940s and 1950s, died peacefully in her sleep and had been in declining health due to old age, spokesman Harlan Boll said. Williams became known as “Hollywood’s Mermaid” and “The Queen of the Surf.”

    At her peak, the woman with the wide smile and bright eyes was second in earnings only to Betty Grable and often in the top 10 box-office draws. Williams’ aqua-musicals were escapist comedies in lush color, with lavish song and watery dance numbers and lots of footage of synchronized swimming. They were so popular that some credited her with a jump in the popularity of home swimming pools.A typical finale featured Williams diving into a pool or lagoon and surfacing to a crescendo of music with waterdrops glistening on her smiling face and sleek body.

    She dismissed her talent, saying “I can’t act, I can’t sing, I can’t dance. My pictures are put together out of scraps they find in the producer’s wastebasket.”But after watching the films decades later, she softened that self-deprecating assessment, saying: “I look at that girl and I like her. I can see why she became popular with audiences. There was an unassuming quality about her. She was certainly wholesome.” Williams was born in the Los Angeles suburb of Inglewood on August 8, 1921.

    As a young swimmer, she set what were then world records in the 100-meter freestyle and 880-yard relay. She also worked as a model. With future “Tarzan” star Johnny Weissmuller, Williams began appearing in Billy Rose’s Aquacade live water shows, where she attracted the attention of MGM movie executives. She married pre-med student Leonard Kovner and turned down movie offers for a year.

  • US House Of Representatives Votes To Resume Deporting Immigrants

    US House Of Representatives Votes To Resume Deporting Immigrants

    WASHINGTON (TIP): The Republican-controlled House of Representatives voted on Thursday to resume the deportation of hundreds of thousands of immigrants brought illegally to the United States as children, the first immigration-related vote in either chamber of Congress this year and a measure of the daunting challenge facing supporters of a sweeping overhaul of existing law on the subject.

    The party-line vote of 224-201 was aimed at blocking implementation of President Barack Obama’s 2012 electionyear order called the DREAM Act to stop deportations of many individuals who could benefit from it. Democrats on the House floor reacted with boos when the provision was added to a routine spending bill for the Department of Homeland Security. The vote was largely symbolic, since the administration has threatened to veto the overall legislation on budgetary grounds.

    It nevertheless stood as a stark warning from conservatives who dominate the ranks of the Republican House majority about attempts in the Senate to grant a chance at citizenship to an estimated 11 million immigrants residing in the country illegally. And the White House reacted sharply, saying the House-passed measure would affect “Dreamers” who are “productive members of society who were brought here as young children, grew up in our communities, and became American in every way but on paper.”

    Rep. Steve King, a Republican, said in a statement that the vote prohibits the administration “from implementing executive amnesty” without congressional action. “Bipartisan support for my amendment is the first test of the 113th Congress in the House of Representatives on immigration. My amendment blocks many of the provisions that are mirrored in the Senate’s `Gang of Eight’ bill. If this position holds, no amnesty will reach the President’s desk,” he said.

    The vote took place as Senate leaders set Friday for the opening of debate on White House-backed legislation that would create a chance at citizenship for those in the country unlawfully, at the same time it takes steps to assure the borders are secure against future illegal immigration. The measure was drafted by a bipartisan group of eight senators, then approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee last month on a vote of 13-8.

    It also creates a new low-skilled guestworker program, expands the number of visas available for high-tech industry workers and reorders the system for legal immigration that has been in place for decades. Debate is expected to consume weeks on the Senate floor as lawmakers of differing views try to change it more to their liking. Notably, Sen. Marco Rubio, a Florida Republican who was part of the group that drafted the legislation and is a potential presidential candidate in 2016, is saying he wants changes before he will support it on final passage.

    His office did not respond to a request for reaction to the House vote. In the House, 221 Republicans and three Democrats voted for King’s proposal, while 195 Democrats and six Republicans opposed it. “I can’t believe they just did that,” said Sen. Dick Durbin, a Democrat and a leading supporter of the DREAM Act. Ana Avendano of the AFL-CIO labor federation, said in a statement that King and his allies are playing to “a dwindling base of anti-immigrant Republican primary voters.

  • Extremely Active Atlantic Hurricane Season Predicted

    Extremely Active Atlantic Hurricane Season Predicted

    70% CHANCE OF THERE BEING 13 TO 20 NAMED STORMS, 7 TO 11 LIKELY HURRICANES, 3 TO 6 LIKELY MAJOR HURRICANES
    The six-month hurricane season “officially” begins on June 1, though of course, storms follow their “rules”, not human-created ones. The numbers in the 2013 outlook are significantly higher than the seasonal average – 12 named storms, 6 hurricanes and 3 major hurricanes.

    The 2013 Atlantic hurricane season is gearing up to be an extremely active one according to NOAA’s Atlantic Hurricane Season Outlook, which was released May 24. The outlook, issued by NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center, states that there is a 70% chance of there being 13 to 20 named storms this year. Out of these, 7 to 11 will likely become hurricanes, of which 3 to 6 will likely be major hurricanes. By “major hurricanes” the report means Category 3, 4 or 5 storms – winds of 111 mph or more. The six-month hurricane season “officially” begins on June 1, though of course, storms follow their “rules”, not human-created ones.

    The numbers in the 2013 outlook are significantly higher than the seasonal average – 12 named storms, 6 hurricanes and 3 major hurricanes. The prospect of another major storm, such as Hurricane Sandy, striking the US is likely in the back of many people’s minds, especially considering that not much has really been done to improve coastal resiliency since that storm.

    “With the devastation of Sandy fresh in our minds, and another active season predicted, everyone at NOAA is committed to providing life-saving forecasts in the face of these storms and ensuring that Americans are prepared and ready ahead of time.” said Kathryn Sullivan, Ph.D., NOAA acting administrator. “As we saw firsthand with Sandy, it’s important to remember that tropical storm and hurricane impacts are not limited to the coastline. Strong winds, torrential rain, flooding, and tornadoes often threaten inland areas far from where the storm first makes landfall.”

    Larger, and more intense, storms are predicted to occur with increasing frequency in the coming years as result of climate change. Such storms can be devastating on their own, but when you factor in the other associated effects of global climate change, such storms are likely to have a truly profound effect on many people’s lives in the future. With regards to the 2013 hurricane outlook, the primary cause of the extremely active season is the convergence of three separate “climate factors”.

    These factors are: – “A continuation of the atmospheric climate pattern, which includes a strong west African monsoon, that is responsible for the ongoing era of high activity for Atlantic hurricanes that began in 1995.” – “Warmer-than-average water temperatures in the tropical Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea.” – “El Niño is not expected to develop and suppress hurricane formation.” “This year, oceanic and atmospheric conditions in the Atlantic basin are expected to produce more and stronger hurricanes,” said Gerry Bell, Ph.D., lead seasonal hurricane forecaster with NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center.

    “These conditions include weaker wind shear, warmer Atlantic waters and conducive winds patterns coming from Africa.” Something to keep in mind – NOAA’s seasonal hurricane outlook doesn’t predict how many hurricanes will make landfall, simply how many will form. Those predictions can’t be made until the weather patterns that cause hurricane formation are already in action. Such forecasts, for all of the individual storms, will be provided throughout the season by NOAA’s National Hurricane Center.

    “New for this hurricane season are improvements to forecast models, data gathering, and the National Hurricane Center communication procedure for post-tropical cyclones. In July, NOAA plans to bring online a new supercomputer that will run an upgraded Hurricane Weather Research and Forecasting (HWRF) model that provides significantly enhanced depiction of storm structure and improved storm intensity forecast guidance.” “Also this year, Doppler radar data will be transmitted in real time from NOAA’s Hurricane Hunter aircraft.

    This will help forecasters better analyze rapidly evolving storm conditions, and these data could further improve the HWRF model forecasts by 10% to 15%.” “The National Weather Service has also made changes to allow for hurricane warnings to remain in effect, or to be newly issued, for storms like Sandy that have become post-tropical. This flexibility allows forecasters to provide a continuous flow of forecast and warning information for evolving or continuing threats.”

  • Bjp Sweeps Gujarat Bypolls, Rjd Triumphs In Bihar

    Bjp Sweeps Gujarat Bypolls, Rjd Triumphs In Bihar

    NEW DELHI (TIP): The ruling BJP in Gujarat has swept five of the six seats — two Lok Sabha and three assembly seats — to which bypolls were held last Sunday, while the JD(U) in Bihar is all set to suffer a setback in Maharajganj Lok Sabha seat. BJP is also leading in the sixth assembly seat of Dhoraji, which fell vacant after Vithhal Radadia left Congress to join BJP and resigned as an MLA.

    BJP candidate Pravin Mankadia is fighting against Congress rival Haribhai Patel on the seat. The party is leading by 6,803 votes after 26 rounds of counting. All the six seats were earlier with the Congress party. The BJP registered a significant win in the Porbandar Lok Sabha seat where Vithhal Radadia, who was caught brandishing his gun at a toll booth last year when he was a Congress MP and later crossed over BJP, won the seat with over 1,28,000 votes.

    The Sabarkantha Lok Sabha seat, which fell vacant after the death of Congress MP Mukesh Gadhvi, was won by Haribhai Chaudhary of BJP with the margin of more than 71,000 votes over his Congress rival Krishna Gadhvi, wife of Mukesh Gadhvi. BJP’s Jayesh Radadia, who also defected from Congress with his father Vithhal Radadia, won the Jetpur assembly seat defeating Jagdish Pambhar of the Congress. Nimisha Suthar of the BJP won the Morva Hadaf (ST) assembly seat by defeating Congress candidate Bhupendrasinh Khant.

    The seat was held by Bhupendrasinh’s mother Savita Khant, who died during the counting of assembly elections last December. Former state minister and BJP leader Kiritsinh Rana won Limbadi seat by defeating Congress candidate Satish Patel. The byelection was necessitated after Congress MP Soma Patel, who won Limbadi assembly seat too, resigned as an MLA. Congress had fielded his son Satish Patel on the seat.

    Trinamool wins Howrah seat

    In Bengal, Trinamool Congress candidate Prasun Banerjee won the Howrah Lok Sabha seat defeating his nearest rival, CPM candidate Sridip Bhattacherjee, by over 27,000 votes. Though official results were still to be declared, Election Commission sources said that Prasun Banerjee secured 4,26,273 votes and Sridip Bhattacherjee 3,99,258 votes. Congress candidate Sanatan Mukherjee was in third spot polling 96,727 votes. The sources said that counting of 300 votes in one EVM which developed a technical malfunction would be taken up before the official declaration of the result.

    The seat fell vacant following the death of TMC MP Ambika Banerjee. Senior TMC leader and panchayat minister Subrata Mukherjee told reporters that the poll result would give a boost to the party before next month’s crucial panchayat elections. The result prove that people reposed their faith on the performance of Mamata Banerjee government in the past two years, he also said.

  • Gujarat, Bihar, Tripura, Chhattisgarh Cms Oppose National Counter Terrorism Centre

    Gujarat, Bihar, Tripura, Chhattisgarh Cms Oppose National Counter Terrorism Centre

    NEW DELHI (TIP) Chief ministers belonging to parties not partners or allies of the ruling UPA alliance at the centre on June 5 expressed strong reservations over the proposed National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC), arguing that the mooted set-up was against the principle of federalism. Many chief ministers of opposition parties also pointed out that Naxalism was one of the biggest security threats facing the country. Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi said: “On the NCTC, I think the new draft circulated has taken into consideration some of the concerns raised by the states.

    However, even on the new draft, some concerns remain. We have strong reservations about the proposed structure and functioning of the NCTC.” He said: “The proposed structure of the NCTC is not in congruence with the principles of federalism and the clear division of powers between the union and the states as envisaged under the constitution, as it essentially creates a federal police, a concept totally alien to our country”. Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar stuck to the apprehensions he had expressed on the NCTC last year.

    “I had expressed serious apprehensions about the structure, powers and functions of the proposed NCTC. The draft order still suffers from several serious flaws,” he said at the Chief Ministers’ Conference on internal security here. Tripura chief minister Manik Sarkar said: “The state government fully appreciates the need for an effective mechanism for sharing intelligence between the centre and the states. However, the state government had expressed opposition to the manner in which the Ministry of Home Affairs had sought to set up the NCTC”.

    The chief ministers identified Naxal violence as one of the biggest security threats facing the country. Nitish Kumar said: “We are all aware that tackling the problem of Left-wing extremism is the acute need of the hour. Recent incidents have raised grim challenges. The complicated and widespread problem of LWE defies easy and superficial solutions that are often applied or prescribed for it”. “…it warrants a multi-disciplinary, multi-departmental and holistic approach,” he said. Chhattisgarh chief minister Raman Singh said: “Naxalism is the biggest threat to internal security.

    It is not just Chhattisgarh’s problem, but that of several states. It requires a single national policy to tackle this menace.” “We have always adopted the combined strategy of security and development to fight against Naxalism and we have worked continuously on both aspects. I firmly believe that Naxalism is a direct threat to the nation. To fight it, we have to put up a nationally united front and strong national policy,” he said.

    Modi claimed that the equitable distribution of benefits of development and progress to remote parts of his state had frustrated the designs of Left-wing extremist organisations in Gujarat, but the unveiling of an urban plan by the CPI (Maoist) was a matter of serious concern. “The spread of the benefits of development and economic progress to even the remotest parts of the state and a pervasive sense of socio-economic well-being have been the prime factors which have repeatedly and resolutely frustrated the designs of left-wing extremist organisations trying to enter Gujarat,” he said. “I would like to express my very serious concerns about the unveiling of the urban plan by the CPI (Maoist), which is a very innovative shift of strategy,” he said.

  • Nephew Acted On His Own: Bansal

    Nephew Acted On His Own: Bansal

    NEW DELHI (TIP): CBI investigators were stumped on June 5 when former railway minister Pawan Bansal claimed his nephew Vijay Singla was acting independently in an alleged case of cash-for-appointment scandal despite telephone intercepts showed frequent references to the leader. Tapes with CBI have recorded conversations in which Bansal’s name has been used to allegedly clear the posting of suspended railway board member Mahesh Kumar in lieu of money, but Bansal maintained during a meeting with investigators that “Vijay Singla was acting independently”.

    Bansal was questioned for the first time for six hours at CBI’s Jamnagar guest house here in the railway bribery scandal and the former minister denied all the allegations leveled against him. Sources say Bansal was interrogated in the capacity of a ‘suspect’ and was quizzed mainly on two aspects of the ‘jobs-for-sale’ scam. He was asked if he was aware of transactions between Singla and Kumar, and if norms were followed in the appointment of the arrested railway official. Sources said, “Mahesh Kumar’s appointment as member staff has no irregularities as he was the senior-most member in line.

    We asked the former minister about additional charge of GM (West) and promise made by Singla to Kumar that he would be made Member (Electrical) after retirement of present Member (Electrical). He has denied having any knowledge about any deal”. Singla had received Rs 90 lakh bribe collected by middlemen on behalf of Kumar when he was arrested by CBI. The deal was fixed for Rs 10 crore to make Kumar Member (Electrical).

    “The movement of file which led to appointment of Mahesh Kumar as Member (Staff) and the GM had happened even before money was delivered. We have not found anything yet to suggest that norms were not followed by Bansal but we have to verify several things,” said a source. Bansal was also asked number of questions about his meetings with Kumar and other suspected persons being probed by agency. Officials say that to probe former railway minister’s role as a suspect in the case, they have to find the money trail to him.

    The sources said Bansal was called at 11am at the CBI guest house located five km from the agency’s headquarters to avoid presence of heavy contingent of media that had gathered outside the headquarters and he was questioned in two sessions. They said he was grilled till 6.45pm with a break of about one and a half hours in between for lunch. Bansal was also reportedly confronted with recorded conversations between Singla and other arrested accused. Bansal has claimed during questioning that his meetings with Kumar during his Mumbai visits were part of protocol as Kumar was the GM and it was imperative for him as the railway minister to meet him.

  • I Will Encourage Dialogue: DNYANESHWAR MULAY

    I Will Encourage Dialogue: DNYANESHWAR MULAY

    Abrilliant career diplomat, a much honored multilingual prolific writer and a celebrity in his own right, Mr. Dnyaneshwar Mulay aroused a lot of expectations in USA even as his name surfaced as the Consul General of India in New York to succeed Mr. Prabhu Dayal early this year. Mr. Mulay was held back in Maldives where, as India’s High Commissioner, his presence was required to deal with a sensitive diplomatic situation in that country.

    The Indian American community, meanwhile, expectantly waited for him to arrive. And when Mr. Mulay came, he conquered the hearts of the Indian American community who have great admiration for his scholarship and friendly disposition towards the community. His reputation as an astute diplomat, a great writer and a perfect gentleman also helped in ready generation of admiration and warmth for him.

    At all the events that he went to he emphasized that he would work to “communicate more and better” and create “goodwill within the Indian American community and with local government”- views that endeared him further to the Indian American community in just a few weeks and a couple of appearances at social events. The Indian Panorama earlier this month spoke with Mr. Mulay to know his thoughts and views on a number of issues of importance to the Indian American community , India and USA.Mr. Mulay was extremely candid and forthcoming.

    Here are some excerpts from the interview. You are a prolific writer in at least three languages- Marathi, Hindi and English. I believe you have written around 15 books. Some of these have been translated in to many other languages. What are the subjects you like to write on? When did you start writing? And how has Foreign Service contributed to your writing prowess?
    Ans. I started writing much before I joined the Foreign Service. But Service broadened the horizon. Foreign service has provided me immense opportunity to look at various aspects of life in different milieu and environs. As a diplomat the opportunity we get to create the bridges is immense. I think we have a unique opportunity in the Foreign Service as a diplomat to reach out.

    It gave me immense amount of raw material, mines and mines of gold mines to write about. As a diplomat the canvass we get is huge. That way Foreign Service really enriches you. How you want to use that knowledge is up to an individual. I personally feel my observations as of today are important which must be shared with others. You can wait up to retirement to write. I write basically in all forms. Short prose, like essays.

    Long prose. Poetry. I have been writing columns also. When I write a column I take precaution not to write on a political or sensitive issue because I am in the Service. My intention is not to sensationalize but to inform and pass on the knowledge which I obtain as a privileged member of the Indian Foreign Service. There are enough topics and material outside politics to write about. There is a variety of people to write about.

    You have been here for some time now and have had the opportunity to come in contact and interact with a cross section of Indian American community. What is your impression of the Indian American community here?
    Ans. I must say, first, the community is fairly large in number which is really a positive thing because numbers are strength. Two, it has tremendous talent. Number three, it is hugely diversified. Even though Indians are known to be good in certain areas like academia and IT but they are seen across the board.

    I have seen them working with New York government, in City administration, in small businesses and various other professions. I have seen them involving themselves in interesting charity and promotional work. It is the number, the vibrancy, the quality and the diversity of the Indian American community that fascinates me. The community has contributed hugely. It contributed to the inking of the Indo-US Nuclear agreement.

    It has successfully lobbied for India and also for the United States. It has bridged communication gap between the two countries and successfully built bridges between the two countries. But I still feel there is a huge untapped energy within the diaspora which remains to be explored and exploited in the interest both of India and US; and in the end, to bridge the two countries and to make the relationship between the two more substantial. Since 1992 when the liberalization program started, there has been a kind of awakening among the diaspora.

    Indians abroad felt a new era has dawned and they began reconnecting with India and returning to the fold. More and more from the diaspora got involved. Realizing the importance of the vast diaspora, government of India in 2004 formed a separate ministry to address the issues of the diaspora. I must say the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs has done commendably well in a short span of time. It has brought the diaspora together. It has introduced a number of welfare measures, in particular for workers and women.

    Introduction of OCI and PIO cards are good examples of the right step in the right direction of attracting diaspora back in to fold. All this has created momentum for the next level- a much higher level of cooperation between India and US. Time has come when the two countries need upgrade their cooperation to a higher level in various fields like, transfer of knowledge, pharmaceuticals, agriculture, food processing, automobiles, etc. India needs new technologies in agriculture, food processing and various other sectors. Involvement of diaspora will certainly be helpful. I would emphasize equal opportunity for the diaspora to promote in US the traditional Indian technology, for example, in the field of healthcare, of which yoga, ayurveda and naturopathy are parts.

    Some organizations have submitted memoranda outlining the irritating issues, including the one relating to OCI cards. What is your comment on their concerns?
    Ans. Let me explain. Decision making is in the hands of New Delhi. We have forwarded the concern of diaspora. The issues raised concern various ministries. Ministry of Home Affairs, Law ministry and Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs- all are involved in certain matters. It does sometime cause delays and at times, the procedures recommended prove to be cumbersome. However, the concern is to have a process that does not trouble people. I recognize the inconvenience caused with regard to certain procedures required for the OCI card.

    I have conveyed the concern of the diaspora and we are awaiting a response. I cannot give a time frame though. However, it will be wrong to presume that all problems perceived by the community will be solved. We work within parameters not necessarily set by us. I would like to be communicative. I would like to communicate more and communicate better with the community. I would bring in more efficiency, more transparency and communicate with the community so that the community knows we are working for it. I will have empathy for the community and a desire to solve its problems. There you will not find us wanting.

    How about communicating with various religious and community groups with a view to combating any false propaganda against India?
    Ans.As a representative of Government of India, it is my duty to promote peace and harmony. I will encourage dialogue to that end. We have to give a sense of belonging to everybody.

    How about having a periodic dialogue with media?
    Ans.We can do that. I would like to be communicative with each stakeholder.

    Are you going to allow use of Consulate premises for promotion of personal business?
    Ans.When it comes to selling wares by a businessman, no. We do not promote personal business. However, we have a promotional role when it comes to helping Indian businesses in USA. Economic diplomacy is as important as political diplomacy. In fact, it has become more important. We cannot be blind to this fact. We will promote exchange of knowledge, thoughts and ideas between Indian and US businesses. Ultimately, we have to reach out to the American society.

    Will you allow the use of Consulate premises for community events?
    Ans. Yes. Community events when India promotion is involved are welcome.

    Have you established any contact with local government?
    Ans. I am trying to work out issues and concerns. Once, it has been done I will get in touch with the concerned authorities. The idea is to bring substance to relationship. Promotion of interests and creating goodwill among communities is possible only through the power of communication and we will establish good working relationship with local government.

    What is your message to the Indian American community?
    Ans.We value the role you are playing both for India and USA and for the Indian American community here. The way you are living as a peaceful community in this country is commendable and does proud to India and Indians. But I feel there is a large untapped energy which needs to be explored and put to the right use. What we should have in mind is our community should live in peace and harmony. What we should have in mind is the relationship between India and USA should grow stronger. Consulate of India will be happy to take this cooperation between the two countries to a higher level.

  • Suu Kyi announces bid for Presidency

    Suu Kyi announces bid for Presidency

    NAY PYI TAW (TIP): Myanmar’s prodemocracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi on Thursday said that she aspires to be the president of Southeast Asian country although the Constitution bars her from contesting elections in 2015. The Nobel laureate’s candidature for the job has been speculated for the past few weeks. “I want to run for president and I’m quite frank about it. If I pretended that I didn’t want to be president I wouldn’t be honest,” she said at a conference organised by the World Economic Forum, an event seen to bring Myanmar into the mainstream after five decades of military rule.

    The 67-year-old leader, who studied at Delhi’s Lady Shri Ram College, recognized her bid for the top office wouldn’t be easy given that the military still controlled 25% of the seats in Parliament and major Constitutional amendments, required to enable her to contest, required at least 75% support. It then had to be followed by a referendum where at least 50% voters would have to support the move. At present, Myanmar nationals with a foreign spouse or children are barred from holding the top job.

    “I am told it’s the most difficult Constitution to amend… Twenty-five per cent (MPs) are unelected military appointments. What we need is that all the civilian seats are filled and we have an agreement on the amendments. Then, we need at least one brave soldier who must support it. It’s very difficult, but not impossible,” she told reporters later in the evening. For a country that is in the midst of change, there is growing expectation, especially abroad, that she would be elected president and the army would ease out of power.

    After keeping Suu Kyi under house arrest for 15 years, the rulers not only released but even allowed to contest elections and she has been a member of parliament since 2010. Her party, National League for Democracy, is widely expected to come to power if free and fair elections are held. Although Myanmar is changing, Suu Kyi called for faster pace of reforms so that the benefits of inclusion reach everyone. “The government can do more. It has concentrated enough on good intentions but the results are not as fantastic as they can be.

    Three years is not a short period… We don’t want people to lose faith in the reforms process,” she told journalists while identifying job creation as the biggest challenge. Asked identified better infrastructure, improved healthcare and education systems as well as land reforms as the other priority areas. Suu Kyi is hailed across the world, her recent silence over ethnic violence has been criticized. But she defended it saying she did not want to come out in support of one group or another as it would result in more extremism. “At the moment nobody seems to be very satisfied with me because I’m not taking sides… It’s just that they are not hearing what they want to hear from me.”

  • Seven Georgian Troops Killed In Afghanistan Suicide Blast

    Seven Georgian Troops Killed In Afghanistan Suicide Blast

    TBILISI (TIP): Seven Georgian troops were killed and nine were wounded in a suicide attack in Afghanistan when insurgents attacked their base, the pro-Western Caucasus country’s army chief said on Thursday. “Seven military servicemen were killed” when a “suicide terrorist” blew up a truck loaded with explosives outside a Georgian military base in Afghanistan’s Helmand province, General Irakli Dzneladze, chief of the Georgian army joint staff, told a news conference.

    The incident brings to 30 the death toll of Georgian soldiers serving in the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan (ISAF). On May 13, three Georgian soldiers were killed in a similar suicide attack on their base in southern Afghanistan. “I offer my deepest condolences to the families of our fallen heroes and to all of Georgia,” Georgia’s staunchly pro-Western President Mikheil Saakashvili said in a televised address. “Our duty to their memory is to continue our path towards NATO membership,” he said.

    Georgia has 1,570 troops serving in Afghanistan’s Helmand province, making the small Caucasus country of 4.5 million the largest non-NATO contributor to ISAF, according to the defence ministry. Around 100,000 US-led NATO troops are fighting a Taliban-led insurgency in Afghanistan in a conflict that began a decade ago.

    Despite the stubborn insurgency, war-weary international forces are seeking to hand control of security to Afghan forces by withdrawing their combat troops by the end of 2014. Georgia has said it is willing to continue deploying troops to assist local security forces after the NATO-led combat mission formally ends. NATO has promised Georgia membership at an unspecified point in the future.

  • Barack Obama And Xi Jinping Seek To Build New Ties

    Barack Obama And Xi Jinping Seek To Build New Ties

    PALM SPRINGS (CALIFORNIA) (TIP): President Barack Obama and Chinese President Xi Jinping, seeking a fresh start to a complex relationship, are retreating to a sprawling desert estate for two days of talks on highstakes issues, including cybersecurity and North Korea’s nuclear threats. Obama’s efforts to press Xi to halt China’s alleged hacking against the US could be overshadowed by revelations that Obama’s own administration has been secretly seizing phone records from millions of Americans.

    There are significant differences between China’s reported cyberattacks against US interests and the Obama administration’s court-approved domestic surveillance program. But both underscore the vast technological, and in some cases, legal, powers that governments have to access information covertly from individuals, companies and other governments. The setting for the talks that begin Friday is the 200-acre (80.94-hectare) Sunnylands estate just outside Palm Springs, marking a departure from the formality that typically greets Chinese leaders during state visits at the White House.

    US officials hope the relaxed atmosphere will facilitate a more candid and free-flowing discussion between the leaders of the world’s two largest economies. Obama was due to arrive Friday afternoon following a health care event and a Democratic fundraiser in Northern California. He and Xi will hold a bilateral meeting on Friday evening, then take questions from reporters. They’ll also have discussions during a working dinner Friday night and hold additional talks Saturday morning.

    The media availability with reporters will likely mark Obama’s first public comments on the revelation that the National Security Agency, under the cover of a topsecret court order, is accessing the telephone records of millions of US customers of Verizon. White House spokesman Josh Earnest said Thursday that the NSA phone record program is a “critical tool” in keeping Americans safe. “The top priority of the president of the United States is the national security of the United States and protecting this homeland,” Earnest said.

    “And we need to make sure that we have the tools we need to confront the threat posed by terrorists, to disrupt plots that may exist and to otherwise protect the homeland.” The debate over US governmentsanctioned surveillance will be juxtaposed with Obama’s warnings to Xi against Chinese spying on the American government and businesses. China has publicly denied that it is using computer network technology to spy on the US But Obama administration officials say they’ve seen some signals in private meetings with Chinese counterparts that Beijing may be ready to address the issue.

    The economy is also expected to be a major topic during the talks, with Xi likely to press China’s claims of business discrimination in US markets. The leaders are also certain to discuss North Korea’s provocative nuclear threats. Obama and Xi first met before the Chinese leader took office in March. They weren’t slated to meet again until September, on the margins of an international economic summit in Russia, but both countries saw a need to move up their first meeting of the year, given the myriad issues that define their relationship.

    The China summit kicks off a heavy foreign policy-focused stretch for Obama that includes trips to Europe and Africa later this month. It also comes as the White House grapples not only with the NSA disclosure, but also controversies over the Internal Revenue Service’s targeting of conservative political groups, the Justice Department’s seizure of phone records from Associated Press journalists, and the resurgent investigation into the attack on Americans in Benghazi, Libya.