The Indian Panorama

Month: December 2013

  • Shahbaz Sharif meets PM, extends invite to visit Pakistan

    Shahbaz Sharif meets PM, extends invite to visit Pakistan

    NEW DELHI (TIP): Pakistan Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Thursday and handed over an invitation from Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to visit Pakistan. Shahbaz Sharif, the younger brother of the Pakistan prime minister, was with Manmohan Singh for around 20 minutes in the morning. “He extended an invitation from Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to visit Pakistan and his village,” a source told IANS. Sharif called on the prime minister shortly after his arrival in New Delhi. Shahbaz Sharif “delivered a message of goodwill from Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif while emphasizing Pakistan’s desire to forge friendly and cooperative relations with India, in the interest of peace and prosperity of the people of the two countries and of the region”, said a Pakistan High Commission statement.

    The Pakistan Punjab chief minister also underscored the importance of resumption of dialogue and peaceful resolution of all issues. “The meeting was cordial, constructive and forward looking.” Shahbaz Sharif was accompanied by Special Assistant to the Pakistan Prime Minister Tariq Fatemi, Minister of State for Commerce Khurram Dastagir Khan and Provincial Minister for Education Rana Mashood Khan besides outgoing High Commissioner Salman Bashir. Shahbaz Sharif is here on the invitation of his Punjab counterpart in India, Parkash Singh Badal. He is to also to meet Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma. He is slated to be the chief guest at the World Kabaddi Championship final in Ludhiana Saturday.

  • TEJAS LCA WILL BE BATTLE-READY BY 2014: BROWNE

    TEJAS LCA WILL BE BATTLE-READY BY 2014: BROWNE

    SHILLONG (TIP): Tejas, India’s first indigenously designed and developed Light Combat Aircraft (LCA), would be fully battle-ready by 2014, Indian Air Force chief N.A.K. Browne said in the Meghalaya capital. “Tejas, a fourth-generation fighter aircraft, will replace MIG 21 … and the aircraft will be the LCA Mark I Type. Forty of them will be inducted by the IAF by end-2014,” Air Chief Marshal Browne told journalists at the Advance Landing Ground in Upper Shillong. “Eight days from now, I will head to Bangalore, where we are doing the acceptance of the initial operation clearance, the second operation clearance, for the Tejas LCA so Defence Minister A.K. Antony will also be there.”

    The air chief, who retires Dec 31, was here on a farewell visit to the Eastern Air Command headquarters. “We have already begun work to develop Tejas Mark Two aircraft which will be fitted with GE engines. The Mark II Type aircraft will be developed from the basic Mark I and it will have far better improvement in radar systems, powerful engines and even other features,” Browne said. “It (Tejas Mark II) will also have more fuel carrying capacity, a more powerful engine and that will actually be the future for the air force in terms of replacement for MIG 21,” he said. Apart from the Tejas aircraft, the Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) Rafale fighter aircraft would also be inducted to further strengthen the assets of the Indian Air Force, the outgoing air chief said. “Negotiations are going on with regard to the Rafale fighter aircraft.

    We have a little bit of a set back, as you know, the JSO (joint secretaryoperation) who was handling the case passed away two months back. However, a new joint secretary has been appointed last week to take charge of the negotiations. They are having meeting this time. I am hopeful that by next year we are able to wrap up this case,” Browne said. He said delivery of the French MMRCA Rafale fighter aircraft was expected to take place by 2017. On the phasing out of MIG-21 aircraft, Browne said: “It was a watershed moment for the Indian Air Force because this was the (MIG 21) aircraft which all our fighter pilots, including me and a generation of pilots, had been trained on. It has done its job well.” “So one major phase has passed, and now we look forward to the induction of the Tejas in the Indian Air Force,” he said.

  • FOODS TO AVOID IF YOU WANT SIX PACK ABS

    FOODS TO AVOID IF YOU WANT SIX PACK ABS

    There are some foods that you must avoid if you want six pack abs. Generally, we tend to consume these foods out of laziness and availability, but you can’t be careless when you’re working on your six pack. We have listed the foods that you should avoid if you want a toned defined midsection.

    Whole milk:
    To build abs you need to cut down on calories. So consume low fat milk and avoid whole milk due to its high calories.

    Commercial peanut butter:
    Peanut butter is one of the best foods you can consume if you want to build muscle, due to its high protein content. Peanut butter is also a great post workout snack. But try and avoid consuming commercial peanut butter. The packaged and ready-to-eat peanut butter is rich in fats, calories and additives.

    Diet foods:
    In order to build muscle, it is important to have a balanced diet which includes carbohydrates, proteins and fats. Diet foods and diet meal plans prevent you from consuming a balanced diet. Plus there is an urge to consume far more calories when you are on a diet.

    Crackers:
    Crackers are recommended for good digestion, but they are prepared with refined flour and sugar, both of which are not good for building muscle.

    High fructose corn syrup:
    This is the main ingredient in several processed foods, but this sugar has a different method of processing in the body compared to regular sugar. It doesn’t have nutritional benefits and does nothing for building muscle.

    Processed cheese:
    There is a different between fresh organic cheese and processed cheese. The worst enemy for building abs is processed cheese – it lacks nutritional value, contains fats, salts and excess calories.

    Processed starch food:
    Potatoes are rich in starch, which is healthy. But processed starch has no nutritional value and loads of calories. Avoid processed starchy food to build abs without gaining weight.

    Sausage:
    This again is a processed food and rich in calories and fats. Stay away from processed meats like bacon, sausages and salami if you want toned and defined abs.

    Artificial sweetener:
    Artificial sweeteners have no nutritional value and get you addicted to sugar and junk food. These sweeteners make you gain weight and prevent you from developing abs.

    High sugar breakfast cereals:
    Breakfast cereals that have additional flavours and artificial sweeteners only increase weight. Instead, buy wholegrain healthy cereals.

    Ice cream:
    It may be a tempting way to cool off, but it can prevent you from building abs. Ice cream is rich in calories, artificial sweeteners and flavours.

    Refined flour:
    Unlike flour sourced from wholegrain, refined flour lacks nutritional value. Refined flour increases your sugar levels and increases the storage of fat in the body.

  • Key NRI community leaders assemble for the ‘BIG IDEAS for a Better India’ event in Washington, DC Metro Area (USA)

    Key NRI community leaders assemble for the ‘BIG IDEAS for a Better India’ event in Washington, DC Metro Area (USA)

    NEW JERSEY (TIP): Overseas Volunteer for a Better India today announced that it will hold ‘Big Ideas for a Better India’ conference on December 22nd in Washington, D.C metro area. This event will bring together a panel of prominent leaders, decision-makers, and well renowned professionals from across the United States in a stirring conversation about ideas to bring change for a better India and further unifying these ideas into action. “World renowned humanitarian and spiritual leader Sri Sri Ravi Shankar will preside over the event as the keynote speaker.

    The other influential leaders including Rajiv Malhotra (philanthropist and founder of Infinity foundation) and Naveen Jain (innovator and entrepreneur) are the speakers in the conference. The event will include the unveiling of the “Vote for a Better India” android app and a presentation about ‘I Vote for a Better India’ campaign launched by VBI (Volunteer for a Better India). More than 100 Indian community leaders from 25 major cities in the U.S are expected to attend this event in Samuel Riggs IV Alumni Center at the University of Maryland, College Park. Representatives from lawyers and doctors associations, students’ representatives from over 50 US universities, cultural and regional associations, business owners associations, academicians, software professionals and fellow Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) from all walks of life are expected to attend the event that aims to bring about a positive change in India.

    The conference will provide a platform to discuss, and come up with practical ideas that can address some of the challenges ailing India today. One of the key focus areas will be how Volunteer for Better India (VBI) in conjunction with Election Commission of India is driving a huge effort to create awareness of the voter registration program in light of the upcoming general elections in India in 2014. “It’s important as NRIs that we come together and give back to our home country. India is our motherland and we must make every effort to bring meaningful changes at a time when our country needs our support,” said Naveen Jain, Inome and Moon express founder and CEO.

    Overseas Volunteers for a Better India (OVBI), an apolitical organization, was launched in May 2013 and is the overseas wing of the Indian organization VBI. It provides a global platform for the 23 million nonresident Indian (NRI) community worldwide; a platform to work toward a positive transformation. OVBI and its corps of volunteers are working tirelessly on a campaign to boost the voter registration, education and voter turnout for the 2014 India elections. With a target to increase the voter turnout by 100 million, the I Vote for a Better India campaign is gearing towards one of the largest nation building activity in 2014 to impact the future of India. For more details visit: www.overseasvbi.org

  • First grade boy suspended for ‘sexual harassment’

    First grade boy suspended for ‘sexual harassment’

    CANON CITY, CO (TIP): Six-year-old Hunter Yelton, a first grader at Lincoln School of Science & Technology in Canon City, Colorado, was recently suspended for kissing a girl in his class on the hand. Hunter spoke to KRDO Newschannel 13 and explained, “It was during class yeah. We were doing reading group and I leaned over and kissed her on the hand. That’s what happened.” The boy went on to take responsibility for what he did, “She sent me to the office, fair and square. I did something wrong and I feel sorry. I’ve been trying to be good at school.” Hunter got in trouble because his actions fit the elementary school’s definition of ‘sexual harassment.’ So now Little Hunter has a record with school district RE-1 as a sexual harassment offender.

  • Indian population up by 48% in New Zealand

    Indian population up by 48% in New Zealand

    WELLINGTON (TIP): The population of Indian ethnic group in New Zealand has risen by 48 percent to 155,000, latest census statistics show. The Chinese population rose by 16 percent to 171,000 while the number of Filipinos more than doubled to 40,000, reports Xinhua. New Zealand authorities said the country has more ethnic groups than there are countries in the world, with the Chinese and Indians joining the five largest groups in this year’s census results. The five largest ethnic groups were New Zealand European, Maori, Chinese, Samoan and Indian. The smallest included Greenlander, Sardinian and Latin American Creole, Statistics New Zealand said. “It’s interesting to note that there are more ethnicities in New Zealand than there are countries in the world,” an official statement said. “What that tells us is that New Zealand is a diverse place and getting more so all the time.”

  • A National Security Doctrine is Imperative

    A National Security Doctrine is Imperative

    There must be no further delay in finalizing the National Security Doctrine, on the basis of which integrated threat assessments can be made”, says the author

    Over the years, continuing efforts have been made by the Ministry of Defence (MoD) to promote jointness through integration of the planning, training and other systems so that, progressively, a triservice approach could get fully established. However, certain issues continue to affect the efficient functioning of the defence apparatus: There must be no further delay in finalising the National Security Doctrine, on the basis of which integrated threat assessments can be made. While some improvements have been achieved in the past years, the MoD must enforce strict measures to ensure that the DRDO, ordnance factories, defence public sector undertakings and other concerned agencies function efficiently to deliver supplies and services as per the envisaged time and cost schedules. Prolonged delays cause serious difficulties for the armed forces and large economic losses as the lack of certainty about supplies from indigenous sources compels expensive imports. While there have been notable advances in the rationalisation of the procurement policies and procedures, there is still need to ensure against prolonged acquisition proceedings as such delays altogether nullify the “make or buy” approaches.

    The individual services enjoy the autonomy of taking decisions to make their own selections of weapons, equipment and systems. The Integrated Service Headquarters must take effective steps to establish a tri-service approach in regard to such decisions as doing so will engender very significant financial savings.

    Defence planning process has still to get established. The X and XI Plans were implemented without receiving formal approvals. While the Long Term Integrated Perspective Plan has since been finalised, it is still viewed as a totalling up of the wish lists of the individual services. The Integrated Defence Staff (IDS) must devote urgent attention towards finalising a fully integrated defence plan with at least a 10- 15 year perspective.

    The services enjoy the authority of virtually settling their own manpower policies. The pro-rata percentage representation of arms and services in the Army needs to be modified as it is virtually a “quota system” which breeds group loyalties and cuts at the very roots of jointness within the service.

    While the functioning of the defence apparatus has been getting steadily refined, the continuing lack of consensus among the three services is thwarting the achievement of the vital objective of “jointness”. A number of joint service institutions have come into existence in the post Kargil War period. Among the new institutions, frequent references are made to the IDS, Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA), Andaman & Nicobar Command and the Strategic Forces Command. While it may be far too early to rejoice over these inter-agency institutions, it is disconcerting to learn that the individual services are not doing all that is required to see that these get fully established without facing delays and difficulties. A former Army Chief is quoted to say that the IDS is “a redundancy in military bureaucracy”; the founder Director of DIA is quoted to bring out that “the DIA cannot deliver as the intelligence agencies of the three services feel threatened by it” and about the IDS it is stated that “the services will never allow this body to function as they feel threatened that it will start examining the basis of their budgetary proposals, acquisition plans and force structures”.

    Consequences of economic meltdown
    The time has come for the individual services to close their ranks and get collectively concerned about the major threats and formidable challenges which we face in our close neighbourhood and beyond. The global security environment is continuing to become growingly complex and huge uncertainties loom large on various fronts. Our military has to be also concerned about the consequences of the economic meltdown and the strong likelihood of the allocations for defence facing a significant decline. In this scenario, to prepare for successfully meeting future challenges, it is of the highest importance that the individual services shed all reservations and establish meaningful jointness. A truly tri-service approach will reduce functional overlaps, wasteful duplications and redundancies. The IDS have already promulgated a joint doctrine for the armed forces, which is presently undergoing revision because of the differing views of the service headquarters on several issues. Any delay in this regard would come in the way of the armed forces preparing themselves fully for delivering an effective response when any emergency arises in the future.

    The defence ministry must realise the need to keep a very close watch on the rising cost of maintaining the military apparatus and ensuring that the high cost of the longer term acquisitions can be met from within the future availability of resources. Urgent attention needs being paid to reducing dependency on imports. This would require a very vigorous revving up of the ongoing indigenisation programmes. In the years past, only the Navy initiated systematic steps to foster indigenisation of their major platforms and systems and deserve all praise for the wonderful outcomes which they have already been able to achieve. It also needs being noted that India is not the only country which is engaged in dealing with problems relating to the functioning of the defence management apparatus. Many democracies have been facing such problems and, benefitting from their own past experiences, several countries have established strong parliamentary oversight bodies to monitor all important issues relating to their armed forces. Some countries have even inducted external experts to monitor their ongoing defence reform processes.

    Evolving a model for jointness
    India cannot and must not be left behind in doing all that needs to be done for strengthening and enhancing our national security interests. We need to develop our own model of defence management which vigorously promotes and sustains military professionalism while being fully in tune with our constitutional framework and in harmony with our glorious traditions and soldiering. The model to be evolved should also not be excessively encumbered with varied hierarchical fixations which are rooted in our colonial past. Considering the threats and challenges which loom on our horizon it is extremely important that our higher defence management structures are founded in the need to maintain a sensitive balance between the civil and military components and, side by side, ensuring that the entire military apparatus functions strictly within the parameters of “jointness”. It would be an ideal situation if the service chiefs were to collaborate closely and for the Chiefs of Staff Committee to itself take the various required decisions to pave the way for the future and establish jointness, brick upon brick.

    In the past over two decades many useful opportunities were lost because of the lack of convergence in the views of the service headquarters. If jointness and a tri-service approach cannot be achieved soon enough then, perhaps, the only option left may be to proceed towards replacing the existing single service Acts by an Armed Forces Act which would lay a statutory basis for achieving jointness and delineating the roles, duties and missions of the armed forces, as also the procedures and modalities relating to the functioning of the defence apparatus. In this context, it may not be out of place to recall that the US achieved its objectives by promulgating the Goldwater Nichols Act in 1986, after nearly four decades of experimentation under the aegis of its National Security Act. More recently, because of the serious budgetary problems faced by the country, UK has been devoting a high level of attention to reforms in its defence management apparatus. In this context, the Levene Report has sought to clarify the respective roles and responsibilities of ministers, civilian officers and the military at the policy, strategic and operational levels.

    A dedicated security cadre
    In so far as the tenure of civilians working in the MoD are concerned, a dedicated security administration cadre should be established by drawing in the best available talent from the civil services, defence services, DRDO, science and technology, information and communication technology, broadcasting and media, et al. This dedicated cadre should enjoy open ended tenures and those found fit should be enabled to develop specialisation in dealing with security related matters and be deployed in the MoD, Ministry of Home Affairs, Research and Analysis Wing, Intelligence Bureau, National Security Council secretariat and other security management related areas for their entire careers.

    This recommendation is contained in the Report of the Task Force on Internal Security (2000). It was accepted by the Group of Ministers (GoM) and after hearing it, the GoM had gone further and added that as “the assignments in these ministries/agencies are perceived as exacting and unattractive, the members of such a pool should, therefore, be appropriately compensated by provision of non-monetary incentives”. It is time to resurrect and speedily implement this decision of the GoM. Another factor noted by the GoM was related to the marked difference in the perception of roles between the civil and military officers. A task force was set up to work out the curricula for organising a continuing Joint Civil and Military Training Programme on National Security, which would be undergone by Brigadier and Major General and equivalent rank officers, IAS, IPS, IFS, central police forces and, as the training settled down, participants would also be drawn from the media, industry and other arenas. On the basis of this task force’s recommendations the first two-week programme commenced at the IAS Training Academy at Mussoorie, in February 2003. This programme has been successfully continuing for over a decade now and the 20th course commenced at Mussoorie in November 2013. It would be beneficial if the MoD reviews this programme and suitably recast its contents to meet the existing and emerging scenarios.

  • MAKE YOUR HOME LOOK COSIER IN WINTER

    MAKE YOUR HOME LOOK COSIER IN WINTER

    Give a warm new look to your home. If the lingering nip in the air isn’t reason enough, what is? There is a lingering nip in the air and it is the right time to give your home a warm look. Architect Ekansh Bansal of Ekansh Bansal Design gives us some tips to do up our homes this season. Winter is as good a time as any to redecorate your home, and the right visual elements will have your interiors looking chic, warm, inviting and cosy; even in the coldest months.

    Keep colours simple
    Paint is perhaps the best starting point for redecorating your home, and you should begin with a neutral and earthy colours like white, beige or very light blue. Keeping the colours simple gives you a lot of freedom to play with the rest of the elements.

    Bring in some warmth
    Decorating for winter is all about giving extra comfort and warmth to your interiors, especially since it’s so cold and harsh outside. Stock up on items like plush throws and rich quilts and place them on your couches and sofas.Decorating for winter is all about giving extra comfort and warmth to your interiors, especially since it’s so cold and harsh outside. Stock up on items like plush throws and rich quilts and place them on your couches and sofas.

    Use traditional furniture for glamour
    Add warmth to your interiors by breaking the straight lines of contemporary furniture with some more traditional pieces. The curves of the traditional pieces add a ‘glam’ factor to a space when used as a focal point.

    Use furniture with raw unfinished looks
    Use pieces which reflect the outside on the inside. By using accessories and furniture with raw and unfinished looks, we bring a bit of the nature and greenery outside, into our houses; especially a good idea for those who live in apartments and don’t have access to private gardens. Area rugs and reversible curtains Curtains, like area rugs, offer you a very simple way to add dramatic changes to any room. Because you’ll probably want to change the design every so often, you may want to get reversible curtains so that you just need to flip the curtain to get an entirely new look. But make sure to remember to get these in nice colours, to add to the cosiness.

    Opt for low height furniture
    Open spaces are interactive and cosier. Restrict using large and heavy space dividers; instead opt for low height furniture, like bookshelves or consoles to dictate your space divisions. This not only makes the overall space seem larger, but also the interaction between the spaces makes it nice and warm. Use more candles Accessories add the final but allimportant touches to your interiors for winter. Candles, for example, are particularly dramatic pieces in winter because they suggest light and warmth – two things that Mother Nature doesn’t provide that time of year.

  • MOODY’S ACQUIRES INVESTMENT RESEARCH FIRM AMBA INVESTMENT SERVICES

    MOODY’S ACQUIRES INVESTMENT RESEARCH FIRM AMBA INVESTMENT SERVICES

    NEW DELHI/ MUMBAI (TIP):
    NYSE-listed global credit ratings agency, Moody’s Corp has acquired Amba Investment Services, a provider of investment research and quantitative analytics for financial institutions, for an undisclosed sum underscoring large scale strategic appetite for big data and knowledge outsourcing start-ups. Even though financial details of the deal were not disclosed, sources aware of the agreement, say the deal value is estimated to be between $80 million and $85 million (Rs 490.5 crore and Rs 521.1crore).

    Upon completion, Amba’s existing venture capital backer, Helion Venture Advisors will completely exit the venture, along with its 4 original founders – all investment banking and equity research veterans from marquee institutions like Deutsche Bank, JP Morgan and Goldman Sachs – who had teamed up ten years ago. The venture fund had invested between $7 million (Rs 42.9 crore) and $10 million (Rs 61.3 crore) in Amba five years ago from its first fund – Helion – I.

    Amba will now operate as part of Moody’s Analytics subsidiary, Copal Partners, a company release said. Moody’s, in 2011, had picked up a majority stake in Copal. According to a statement released by Moody’s the deal, which is not expected to have a material impact on credit rating agency’s earnings per share, was funded from cash on hand. Amba expects to generate nearly $39 million (Rs 239.1 crore) of revenue in 2013. “Amba is highly regarded for its offerings to investment research firms and asset managers, and Copal is known for its strong services for corporate finance.

    Together, their scale, talent and resources offer global financial institutions a broader array of research and analytics,” said Mark Almeida, president, Moody’s Analytics. It was reported in August last year that Helion Venture Partners, India’s largest domestic venture capital firm with assets under management of $605 million (Rs 3,709.3 crore), was in talks to sell its stake in Amba, a potential deal which could also see the Bangalore and New York-based start-up’s founders exit the venture. Avendus Capital acted as the advisor for Amba Research.

    In the past, companies like Genpact pursued this buyout, but the initial valuation expectation of over $110 million (Rs 674.4 crore) turned out to be a deal breaker. Moody’s have been in exclusive negotiations with the Amba management for months. Founded in 2003 by four Wall Street veterans, Amba Research is today has emerged to be amongst the leading financial research and analytics outsourcing firms working with leading investment banks, hedge funds and asset management companies. Starting with a team of 10 in Sri Lanka, Amba currently employs over 900 employees. Its delivery centres are in Bangalore, Colombo San Jose, Costa Rica with sales offices in New York, London and Singapore.

    Fully benefiting from the founders’ own background, Amba’s service offering in its formative years was equity research support. Over the years, striving to widen its competitive edge, Amba has expanded its service offerings to include fixed income and credit research, quantitative research, sales and marketing, corporate finance, research production, compliance, and commercial lending support. Amba’s client base of 80-plus global clients includes seven of the top 15 global investment banks. Further, over 35 asset management firms, managing over $8.5 trillion, use their services.

    Over the last two to three years, the company has added corporate banks to its clientele, covering both investment banking and commercial banking support services. Analysts tracking the space say, the knowledge process outsourcing space is increasingly witnessing a bigger consolidation. After a string of deals in business process outsourcing, the KPO industry is now seeing some of the early founder-promoters exit. Unlike business process outsourcing, which relies more on scale, KPO is a more niche, focused play and attracts buyers in operating the same segment or bigger outsourcing players, which want to expand to acquire capability in that niche space.

    According to Nasscom-Crisil study, KPO sector is expected to grow at CAGR of 22% and reach $5.6 billion in revenues in 2015, with financial services being the largest contributor. In December last year, US consumer credit reporting agency, Equifax, acquired a majority stake in Bangalore-based data analytics and business intelligence firm Nettpositive for an undisclosed sum.

    Nettpositive also provides analytics and business intelligence solutions to the financial services, insurance, retail and telecommunications sectors. Separately, global private equity firm TA Associates shelled out $25 million (Rs 153.3 crore) to acquire a significant minority stake in advanced analytics company Fractal Analytics, earlier this year.
    Way back in 2004, Crisil had acquired iRevna while in 2011, following Moody’s, it again bought Coalition. Investment bankers specialising in such transactions said, typically deals take place at 2.5 to 3 times sales.

  • ENTRY OF FOREIGN UNIVERSITIES TO SET UP THEIR CAMPUSES IN INDIA

    ENTRY OF FOREIGN UNIVERSITIES TO SET UP THEIR CAMPUSES IN INDIA

    NEW DELHI (TIP):
    The Government has prepared the University Grants Commission (UGC) (Establishment and Operation of Campuses of Foreign Educational Institutions) Rules, 2013. Under the proposed Rules, Foreign Educational Institutions (FEIs) can set up campuses in India once the FEIs have been notified as Foreign Education Provider (FEPs) by the UGC, subject to fulfillment of certain eligibility conditions. The Rules would ensure that only high quality foreign educational institutions are permitted to set up campuses and offer education services in the country, since only the top 400 institutions as per global rankings would be eligible to open campuses in the country.

    Existence of high quality FEIs would contribute to enhancing existing capacity of higher education system; arresting the brain drain and drain of resources from the country; availability of education and research facilities of international standards; quality gains in Indian higher educational institutions through collaborations and partnerships etc. This would also facilitate higher investments in the higher education system including Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in the higher education system.

    Indian students would be benefitted with the entry and operation of FEP through access to globally renowned and quality academic institutions in Indian higher education sector at relatively lower costs. These FEPs would also add to the existing capacity in higher education in India. The Ministry had sought comments and observations of the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) and the Department of Economic Affairs (DEA) on the Rules. Both DIPP and DEA have supported the proposal.

  • Talks alone can solve Kashmir problem

    Talks alone can solve Kashmir problem

    In an address in Occupied Kashmir Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif reportedly said that the J&K issue could trigger a fourth war with India. The remark drew a prompt retort from Prime Minister Manmohan Singh that there is no scope of Pakistan winning any such war in his life time. Almost immediately after the report, Nawaz Sharif’s office clarified that the media report was incorrect. It added that any issue of conflict between Pakistan and India has to be resolved through peaceful means. Nawaz Shairf’s office also said that he considered Kashmir as his prime responsibility and hoped that it would be resolved in accordance with the wishes of the Kashmiri people and the UN resolutions.

    Sartaj Aziz, National Security Adviser, who was recently in India, added Indian forces in Siachen posed a serious threat to Pakistan’s environment and urged India to pull out its troops. India had dealt with this Siachen issue even earlier and said that this could be considered after the existing troop positions of both India and Pakistan are recorded. The Pakistan Army, which is the ultimate authority in Pakistan on political issues such as Jammu & Kashmir, had published its “mother document” which says that the growing Indian military power “disturbed (the) strategic equilibrium of the region” and that in the face of growing disparity, Pakistan may have to use nuclear weapons as a last resort. Nawaz Sharif’s obsessive approach to the Kashmir issue is known. He had earlier appointed Gen. Pervez Musharraf as the Army Chief of Pakistan overlooking several of his seniors. He had great faith in his capacity to deliver Jammu & Kashmir sooner or later. Sharif was fully in the loop when General Musharraf carried out the Kargil attack which misfired and forced Pakistanis to withdraw from Kargil.

    It was done at the instance of President Clinton after Sharif had rushed to him for relief after the Kargil debacle. The revelation of Pakistan’s special envoy to the US that President Obama had sent a secret message to President Asif Ali Zardari in 2009 that he would nudge India towards negotiations on Kashmir in lieu of it ending support to terrorist groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba had no impact on Pakistan. Obama told Asif Ali Zardari that fighting India through proxy groups was not sustainable any more. Addressing a gathering in Delhi on December 7, former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said that countries such as Pakistan that practiced embedded terrorism had to clean up their act and there was no choice in the matter. Pakistan’s obsession with Kashmir is not going to stop in the near future and it is the view of strategic observers that Pakistan would continue to infiltrate Kashmir with jihadi militants trained in POK and that after the snow melts in the upper reaches of Kashmir, infiltration of militants would increase. Having said that, the Kashmir issue has to be resolved sooner or later to the satisfaction of India, Pakistan and the people of Kashmir. There had been several attempts in the past to resolve this thorny issue.

    The Simla talks of 1972 failed to produce a lasting solution. Although India claimed that Zulfikar Ali Bhutto agreed to treat the Line of Control as the permanent international border between India and Pakistan and that he would get the political groups and the people of Pakistan agree to the new solution in due course, Bhutto repudiated India’s claim and denied any such understanding. Musharraf came out with a solution of his own. In an interview with Indian an TV channel he said Pakistan would give up the claim to J&K if India accepted a four-point formula: (1) Kashmir should have the same borders but people should be allowed to move freely across the region; (2) The region should have selfgovernance or autonomy but not independence; (3) Troops should be withdrawn from the region in a phased manner; and (4) a joint mechanism comprising representatives from India, Pakistan and Kashmir to be set up to supervise the implementation of such a roadmap for Kashmir. The formula was rejected by Dr. Manmohan Singh with the observation that that the borders of J&K cannot be redrawn.

    From J&K itself there were conflicting reactions. Syed Ali Shah Geelani repudiated the formula and said that it showed that Musharraf had lost selfconfidence and was in a state of mental depression. Sajjad Lone, chairman of the Jammu and Kashmir People’s Party, said that it was a welcome step and the Kashmir leadership should be fully involved. The Pakistan-based United Jihad Council, which is a coalition of terrorist groups, lashed out at Musharraf and said that Kashmiris would not compromise on their right to selfdetermination. On the other hand, Omar Abdullah stated that Musharraf’s proposal deserved a serious consideration and that he was in favor of an out-of-the box solution to the Kashmir issue. In Pakistan, Imran Khan of Tehreek-e- Insaf stated recently that back-channel discussions between the interlocutors of India and Pakistan had almost reached an amicable formula for the resolution of the Kashmir dispute when unfortunately the Mumbai attack of 2008 took place. It is known that India’s interlocutor Satish Lamba has been visiting Pakistan during the past three years. He has interacted with Nawaz Sharif even during his first term as Prime Minister. Lamba’s counterpart, Sartaj Aziz, was in Delhi in November this year and had met Foreign Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid.

    Khurshid reportedly expressed Delhi’s disappointment with the manner in which Pakistan was conducting itself on various crucial issues. Khurshid told Aziz that peace and tranquility on the Line of Control was one of the most important confidence-building measures which had been regrettably ignored by the Pakistan Government and its armed forces. The 136 ceasefire violations in 2013 alone were the highest in the past eight years. It was pointed out to Sartaj Aziz that the understanding reached in New York after the two brief meetings Dr. Manmohan Singh had with his counterpart on October 5 and 11 had not yielded any results. Sartaj Aziz had a brief meeting with Dr. Manmohan Singh on November 13 but no discussions took place between them, since Salman Khurshid had already conveyed to him whatever was to be said to Pakistan. It is obvious that the Kashmir problem has to be resolved only through negotiations between the two Prime Ministers or through interlocutors.With the recent election results from the four states going against the UPA, it is likely that Pakistan may not make an effective push towards a solution of the Kashmir issue and that it may well wait till the next parliamentary elections are over and a new government is in power.

  • Over to Parliament Remove the stain on jurisprudence

    Over to Parliament Remove the stain on jurisprudence

    By upholding Section 377 of the IPC, the Supreme Court has put the brakes on the progressive march of human rights in India. The Delhi High Court decriminalized homosexuality in 2009, and had the support of the Union Government, which decided not to challenge the verdict. It helped society come out of the stigma of ‘shame’ attached to gay relationships. The two- judge bench led by Justice G S Singhvi reversed this decision on Wednesday by re-criminalizing oral and anal sex between two consenting adults.

    The regressive verdict puts 3 to 5 per cent population of the country in the category of criminals and takes away their fundamental right of equality promised under the Constitution on the mere basis of their sexual activity. To protect human rights, society needs support from the legislature, the executive and the judiciary. The verdict of the SC that only Parliament can change the law is baffling. By hiding behind the constitutional morality in this case, the court has lost the moral ground it gained on the basis of judicial activism in the recent past. It has dictated policies to the executive and questioned the administration for upholding the rights of the citizenry. By citing a flimsy logic that the harassment and humiliation meted out to homosexuals is at a miniscule level, the court has only made admission of its ignorance.

    Scores of gays and transgenders become victims of police brutality and social injustice under Section 377. No society can become progressive keeping double standards – enjoying fruits of financial equity brought through globalization and pushing a section of society back to the closet in the name of cultural and moral protection. Progress requires the acceptance of change. While the court has given up, Parliament should take up the challenge and erase this stain from the Indian jurisprudence by removing Section 377 that even the British have done away with. Getting a political consensus on such a sensitive issue is going to be an uphill task. Responses from a few young parliamentarians have come in support of removing the vintage law of 1860.

  • April to be Sikh Heritage Month in Ontario

    April to be Sikh Heritage Month in Ontario

    TORONTO (TIP): The month of April in the Canadian province of Ontario will be observed as Sikh Heritage Month every year. A bill brought by Brampton New Democrat Member of Provincial Parliament (MPP) Jagmeet Singh to have April recognised as Sikh Heritage Month was approved Tuesday in the legislative assembly of Ontario, the Brampton Guardian reported Thursday. Singh had introduced the bill in the assembly last April. He said that April is an important month for the Sikh community as the festival of Baisakhi is celebrated in this month, which also marks the creation of the Khalsa.

    Sikh Canadians widely celebrate Baisakhi, also known as Khalsa Day. “This will be an opportunity to remember, celebrate and educate future generations about Sikh Canadians and the important role that they have played and continue to play in communities across Ontario,” Singh was quoted as saying after the bill was passed. “Sikh Canadians have made significant contributions to Ontario’s social, economic, political and cultural fabric,” said Singh. Statistics Canada puts the Sikh population in Ontario at nearly 180,000 based on the 2011 National Household Survey.

  • ‘INDIA TO SPEND $3.9 BN ON CLOUD SERVICES BY 2017’

    ‘INDIA TO SPEND $3.9 BN ON CLOUD SERVICES BY 2017’

    HYDERABAD (TIP): Around $3.9 billion will be spent on cloud services in India from 2013 through 2017, of which $1.7 billion will be spent on software-as-a-service (SaaS), according the latest outlook of IT research and advisory company Gartner Inc. The public cloud services market in India is on pace to grow 33.6% in 2013 to touch $404 million, an increase of $101 million from the 2012 revenue of $303 million. Infrastructure-as-aservice (IaaS), including cloud compute, storage and print services, is expected to grow 33.9% in 2013 to $59.2 million, it said. “The public cloud services market continues robust growth in India through over the forecast period of 2011 through 2017.

    While SaaS dominates as the largest cloud segment, the high growth rates of IaaS and platform-as-a-service (PaaS) make them important markets to watch,” Ed Anderson, research director at Gartner, said in a release on Wednesday. According to Gartner, cloud services in India will be strong across all cloud segments through 2017. While business-processas- a-service (BPaaS) is expected to grow from $63.6 million in 2013 to $168 million in 2017, SaaS is expected to grow from $174 million in 2013 to $552 million in 2017. IaaS is forecast to grow from $59.2 million in 2013 to $156.3 million in 2017.

    The Indian market has shown particularly strong growth for the past few years and is predicted to continue to be one of the fastest growing countries in Gartner’s cloud forecast. IT spending on public cloud services in India is expected to reach $1.3 billion in 2017, it said. Gartner also said that the serial inkjet and page printer, copier and multi-function product (MFP) market in India totaled 861,212 units in the third quarter of 2013, a 13.2% increase from the corresponding quarter of last year. “Indian organisations are still largely paper-driven.

    But there is an increasing importance of digitisation and the need to access information anytime, anywhere. This represents an opportunity for print providers to expand their services into optimising the document workflows that support business processes,” said Zalak Shah, research analyst at Gartner.

  • British government blocks MPs from quizzing spy chief

    British government blocks MPs from quizzing spy chief

    LONDON (TIP): The British government has blocked a parliamentary panel from questioning the head of domestic spy agency MI5 about the Edward Snowden leaks, the committee chairman said today, branding the decision “not helpful”. MI5 Director General Andrew Parker had been called before the home affairs committee to expand on evidence he gave to lawmakers last month about the intelligence released by the fugitive former US analyst. However, Home Secretary Theresa May, the interior minister, has written to the committee to decline the invitation, saying she did not believe it was “appropriate or necessary”. Prime Minister David Cameron also declined a request to question his national security adviser, Kim Darroch.

    Committee chairman Keith Vaz, a lawmaker with the opposition Labour Party, said he was “disappointed” by the responses, “which are not helpful to the committee’s inquiry into counterterrorism”. He added: “Ministers should take care not to dictate to parliamentary committees which witnesses can be called and for what reasons. “Witnesses, no matter how senior, should not be afraid of answering questions from MPs.” Parker appeared before parliament’s intelligence and security committee (ISC) in November, alongside the chiefs of the MI6 external spy agency and the GCHQ listening agency, for an unprecedented televised grilling. That was sufficient scrutiny, May argued, adding: “I do not believe that it would be appropriate or necessary for the oversight provided by the ISC to be duplicated by another committee.” The spy chiefs made headlines when they claimed that Al-Qaeda and other enemies were “lapping up” Snowden’s revelations about the extent of surveillance by the United States and its allies, and were using them to change the way they operate.

  • Queen Elizabeth went nuts over nibbles, court told

    Queen Elizabeth went nuts over nibbles, court told

    LONDON (TIP): Britain’s Queen Elizabeth was so incensed with royal police officers eating nuts from bowls left out in the corridors of Buckingham Palace that she drew lines on the sides in a bid to catch them out, a London court heard on Thursday. In emails submitted to the phone hacking trial of journalists at Rupert Murdoch’s now defunct News of the World tabloid, its royal reporter said he had learnt that a memo had been issued to all officers telling them to “keep their sticky fingers out”. To laughter in the court, judge John Saunders told the jury that these were “unfounded allegations”.

    “Queen furious about police stealing bowls of nuts and nibbles left out for her in the BP (Buckingham Palace) Queen’s corridors,” an email from royal reporter Clive Goodman to then editor Andy Coulson said. It said staff had put out a selection of nuts including cashews, almonds and Bombay mix around the palace for the 87-year-old queen. “Problem is that police on patrol eat the lot. Queen so narked (annoyed) she has started marking the bowls to see where the levels dipped,” it said. The emails were read out to the long-running phone hacking trial, where eight people including former News of the World editors Rebekah Brooks and Andy Coulson are facing charges related to the interception of voicemails. The eight all deny the charges. Buckingham Palace declined to comment.

  • Paintings stolen from UK gallery

    Paintings stolen from UK gallery

    LONDON (TIP): Two Damien Hirst paintings worth £33,000 have been stolen from an art gallery in London. The signed artworks were stolen from the Exhibitionist Gallery in Notting Hill in the early hours of Monday. The two pieces, which form part of Hirst’s ‘spot paintings’, are painted with mutli-coloured dots on a white background.

    The larger of the two artworks, “Pyronin Y”, was created in 2005 and is worth £15,000. The other painting, entitled “Oleoylsarcosine”, was created in 2008 and is valued at £18,000. A suspect entered the gallery by forcing the front doors and drove the items away in a dark-coloured hatchback-type vehicle, according to the police. Det Sgt Jon Lightfoot said: “It appears the suspect has specifically targeted the two pieces. The items would have been visible in the car and we are appealing for witnesses to come forward.”

  • SRI GURU GRANTH SAHIB

    SRI GURU GRANTH SAHIB

    Naam Dayv’s Lord and Master has settled my inner conflicts. Drink in the sublime elixir of the Lord, O deceitful one. || 3 || 4 || AASAA: One who recognizes the Supreme Lord God, dislikes other desires. He focuses his consciousness on the Lord’s devotional worship, and keeps his mind free of anxiety. || 1 || O my mind, how will you cross over the world-ocean, if you are filled with the water of corruption? Gazing upon the falseness of Maya, you have gone astray, O my mind. || 1 || Pause || You have given me birth in the house of a calicoprinter, but I have found the Teachings of the Guru. By the Grace of the Saint, Naam Dayv has met the Lord. || 2 || 5 || AASAA, THE WORD OF THE REVEREND RAVI DAAS JEE: ONE UNIVERSAL CREATOR GOD. BY THE GRACE OF THE TRUE GURU: The deer, the fish, the bumble bee, the moth and the elephant are destroyed, each for a single defect. So the one who is filled with the five incurable vices – what hope is there for him? || 1 || O Lord, he is in love with ignorance.

    His lamp of clear wisdom has grown dim. || 1 || Pause || The creeping creatures live thoughtless lives, and cannot discriminate between good and evil. It is so difficult to obtain this human incarnation, and yet, they keep company with the low. || 2 || Wherever the beings and creatures are, they are born according to the karma of their past actions. The noose of death is unforgiving, and it shall catch them; it cannot be warded off. || 3 || O servant Ravi Daas, dispel your sorrow and doubt, and know that Guru-given spiritual wisdom is the penance of penances. O Lord, Destroyer of the fears of Your humble devotees, make me supremely blissful in the end. || 4 || 1 || AASAA: Your Saints are Your body, and their company is Your breath of life. By the True Guru-given spiritual wisdom, I know the Saints as the gods of gods. || 1 || O Lord, God of gods, grant me the Society of the Saints, the sublime essence of the Saints’ conversation, and the Love of the Saints.

    || 1 || Pause || The Character of the Saints, the lifestyle of the Saints, and the service of the servant of the Saints. || 2 || I ask for these, and for one thing more – devotional worship, which shall fulfill my desires. Do not show me the wicked sinners. || 3 || Says Ravi Daas, he alone is wise, who knows this: there is no difference between the Saints and the Infinite Lord. || 4 || 2 || AASAA: You are sandalwood, and I am the poor castor oil plant, dwelling close to you. From a lowly tree, I have become exalted; Your fragrance, Your exquisite fragrance now permeates me. || 1 || O Lord, I seek the Sanctuary of the company of Your Saints; I am worthless, and You are so benevolent. || 1 || Pause || You are the white and yellow threads of silk, and I am like a poor worm. O Lord, I seek to live in the Company of the Saints, like the bee with its honey. || 2 || My social status is low, my ancestry is low, and my birth is low as well.

    I have not performed the service of the Lord, the Lord, says Ravi Daas the cobbler. || 3 || 3 || AASAA: What would it matter, if my body were cut into pieces? If I were to lose Your Love, Lord, then Your humble servant would be afraid. || 1 || Your lotus feet are the home of my mind. Drinking in Your Nectar, I have obtained the wealth of the Lord. || 1 || Pause || Prosperity, adversity, property and wealth are just Maya. Your humble servant is not engrossed in them. || 2 || Your humble servant is tied by the rope of Your Love. Says Ravi Daas, what benefit would I get by escaping from it? || 3 || 4 || AASAA: The Lord, Har, Har, Har, Har, Har, Har, Haray. Meditating on the Lord, the humble are carried across to salvation. || 1 || Pause || Through the Lord’s Name, Kabeer became famous and respected. The accounts of his past incarnations were torn up.

    || 1 || Because of Naam Dayv’s devotion, the Lord drank the milk he offered. He shall not have to suffer the pains of reincarnation into the world again. || 2 || Servant Ravi Daas is imbued with the Lord’s Love. By Guru’s Grace, he shall not have to go to hell. || 3 || 5 || AASAA: How does the puppet of clay dance? He looks and listens, hears and speaks, and runs around. || 1 || Pause || When he acquires something, he is inflated with ego. But when his wealth is gone, then he cries and bewails. || 1 || In thought, word and deed, he is attached to the sweet and tangy flavors.When he dies, no one knows where he has gone. || 2 || Says Ravi Daas, the world is just a dramatic play, O Siblings of Destiny. I have enshrined love for the Lord, the star of the show. || 3 || 6 || AASAA, THE WORD OF DEVOTEE DHANNA JEE: ONE UNIVERSAL CREATOR GOD. BY THE GRACE OF THE TRUE GURU: I wandered through countless incarnations, but mind, body and wealth never remain stable. Attached to, and stained by the poisons of sexual desire and greed, the mind has forgotten the jewel of the Lord.

    || 1 || Pause || The poisonous fruit seems sweet to the demented mind, which does not know the difference between good and evil. Turning away from virtue, his love for other things increases, and he weaves again the web of birth and death. || 1 || He does not know the way to the Lord, who dwells within his heart; burning in the trap, he is caught by the noose of death. Gathering the poisonous fruits, he fills his mind with them, and he forgets God, the Supreme Being, from his mind. || 2 || The Guru has given the wealth of spiritual wisdom; practicing meditation, the mind becomes one with Him.

    Embracing loving devotional worship for the Lord, I have come to know peace; satisfied and satiated, I have been liberated. || 3 || One who is filled with the Divine Light, recognizes the undeceivable Lord God. Dhanna has obtained the Lord, the Sustainer of the World, as his wealth; meeting the humble Saints, he merges in the Lord. || 4 || 1 || FIFTH MEHL: Naam Dayv’s mind was absorbed into God, Gobind, Gobind, Gobind. The calico-printer, worth half a shell, became worth millions. || 1 || Pause || Abandoning weaving and stretching thread, Kabeer enshrined love for the Lord’s lotus feet. A weaver from a lowly family, he became an ocean of excellence. || 1 || Ravi Daas, who used to carry dead cows every day, renounced the world of Maya. He became famous in the Saadh Sangat, the Company of the Holy, and obtained the Blessed Vision of the Lord’s Darshan.

    || 2 || Sain, the barber, the village drudge, became famous in each and every house. The Supreme Lord God dwelled in his heart, and he was counted among the devotees. || 3 || Hearing this, Dhanna the Jaat applied himself to devotional worship. The Lord of the Universe met him personally; Dhanna was so very blessed. || 4 || 2 || O my consciousness, why don’t you remain conscious of the Merciful Lord? How can you recognize any other? You may run around the whole universe, but that alone happens which the Creator Lord does. || 1 || Pause || In the water of the mother’s womb, He fashioned the body with ten gates. He gives it sustenance, and preserves it in fire – such is my Lord and Master.

    || 1 || The mother turtle is in the water, and her babies are out of the water. She has no wings to protect them, and no mik to feed them. The Perfect Lord, the embodiment of supreme bliss, the Fascinating Lord takes care of them. See this, and understand it in your mind || 2 || The worm lies hidden under the stone – there is no way for him to escape. Says Dhanna, the Perfect Lord takes care of him. Fear not, O my soul. || 3 || 3 || AASAA, THE WORD OF SHAYKH FAREED JEE: ONE UNIVERSAL CREATOR GOD. BY THE GRACE OF THE TRUE GURU: They alone are true, whose love for God is deep and heart-felt. Those who have one thing in their heart, and something else in their mouth, are judged to be false.

    || 1 || Those who are imbued with love for the Lord, are delighted by His Vision. Those who forget the Naam, the Name of the Lord, are a burden on the earth. || 1 || Pause || Those whom the Lord attaches to the hem of His robe, are the true dervishes at His Door. Blessed are the mothers who gave birth to them, and fruitful is their coming into the world. || 2 || O Lord, Sustainer and Cherisher, You are infinite, unfathomable and endless. Those who recognize the True Lord – I kiss their feet. || 3 || I seek Your Protection – You are the Forgiving Lord. Please, bless Shaykh Fareed with the bounty of Your meditative worship. || 4 || 1 || AASAA: Says Shaykh Fareed, O my dear friend, attach yourself to the Lord. This body shall turn to dust, and its home shall be a neglected graveyard.

    || 1 || You can meet the Lord today, O Shaykh Fareed, if you restrain your bird-like desires which keep your mind in turmoil. || 1 || Pause || If I had known that I was to die, and not return again, I would not have ruined myself by clinging to the world of falsehood. || 2 || So speak the Truth, in righteousness, and do not speak falsehood. The disciple ought to travel the route, pointed out by the Guru. || 3 || Seeing the youths being carried across, the hearts of the beautiful young soul-brides are encouraged. Those who side with the glitter of gold, are cut down with a saw.

    || 4 || O Shaykh, no one’s life is permanent in this world. That seat, upon which we now sit – many others sat on it and have since departed. || 5 || As the swallows appear in the month of Katik, forest fires in the month of Chayt, and lightning in Saawan, and as the bride’s arms adorn her husband’s neck in winter; || 6 || Just so, the transitory human bodies pass away. Reflect upon this in your mind. It takes six months to form the body, but it breaks in an instant. || 7 || O Fareed, the earth asks the sky, “Where have the boatmen gone?” Some have been cremated, and some lie in their graves; their souls are suffering rebukes. || 8 || 2 || ONE UNIVERSAL CREATOR GOD. TRUTH IS THE NAME. CREATIVE BEING PERSONIFIED. NO FEAR. NO HATRED. IMAGE OF THE UNDYING.

    BEYOND BIRTH. SELF-EXISTENT. BY GURU’S GRACE: RAAG GUJRI, FIRST MEHL, CHAUPADAS, FIRST HOUSE: I would make Your Name the sandalwood, and my mind the stone to rub it on; for saffron, I would offer good deeds; thus, I perform worship and adoration within my heart. || 1 || Perform worship and adoration by meditating on the Naam, the Name of the Lord; without the Name, there is no worship and adoration. || 1 || Pause || If one were to wash his heart inwardly, like the stone idol which is washed on the outside, his filth would be removed, his soul would be cleansed, and he would be liberated when he departs. || 2 || Even beasts have value, as they eat grass and give milk. Without the Naam, the mortal’s life is cursed, as are the actions he performs.

    || 3 || The Lord is hear at hand – do not think that He is far away. He always cherishes us, and remembers us. Whatever He gives us, we eat; says Nanak, He is the True Lord. || 4 || 1 || GUJRI, FIRST MEHL: From the lotus of Vishnu’s navel, Brahma was born; He chanted the Vedas with a melodious voice. He could not find the Lord’s limits, and he remained in the darkness of coming and going.

  • M.A.D. Playhouse to stage Mohan Rakesh’s Half-Hearted

    M.A.D. Playhouse to stage Mohan Rakesh’s Half-Hearted

    NEW YORK (TIP): After a successful run of their first play this summer, M.A.D Playhouse brings us another South Asian family drama Half-Hearted written by Mohan Rakesh, and directed by Hafiz Karmali at The Cherry Lane Theater from December 19 through December 22. Set in 1969 India, Half-Hearted depicts the story of a family in crisis with the sharp, multi-layered subtext of a Chekhov play, the ease and naturalism of a great film script, moments of farce that recall traditional Commedia dell’Arte, and characters that feel equal parts original and universal. Bringing this beautiful story to a New York audience for the first time is M.A.D. (making a difference) Playhouse.

    Savitri, named after a mythical goddess who rescues her husband from death, is in this case doomed to a failing marriage and dysfunctional family. Of all her suitors, she happens to have married an unfortunate businessman. Her elder daughter eloped, and has returned disappointed; her son is an artistic soul trapped in domestic hell; the youngest daughter is a spoiled brat. Savitri longs to escape her halfhearted, unfulfilled, incomplete, regretful existence. She continues to receive gentleman callers as she attempts to balance the cultural needs of her family with her own desires for a better life. Her plight is the plight of all women at this time torn between tradition and modernity. The question remains: must one accept fate and shape desires to events, or can one fashion life’s events to suit one’s desires? Cast: Aizzah Fatima (Dirty Paki Lingerie, The Good Wife) as Savitri, Ashok Kumar Chaudhary(Parts and Parts of Stitches, Hot L Baltimore) as Mahendra, Dipti Mehta (Honour, Golden Boy) as Binni, Akshay Reddy (The Passport, Italian American Reconciliation), Prince Vaghani (Chaos in Gotham Part I), Robin Johnson (The Four Seasons, The Death of William Poole) & Yarin Brosh.

    Show times for this run are:
    Thursday, December 19    @ 6:30pm
    Friday, December 20    @ 6:30pm
    Saturday, December 21    @ 6:30pm
    Sunday, December 22    @ 6:30pm

    The creative team includes: Sets by Laura Greenfield, Costumes by Sherry Martinez, featuring Music by Ashique Khudabuksh.

  • INDIA CONTRIBUTES US$ 1 million to UN Women

    INDIA CONTRIBUTES US$ 1 million to UN Women

    NEW YORK (TIP): Ambassador Asoke K Mukerji, Permanent Representative of India to the UN handed over, December 6, a check for US$ 1 million towards Government of India’s contribution to the core voluntary budget of UN Women (United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women) for the financial year 2013- 2014. This contribution constitutes the fourth installment of India’s multi-year pledge to provide five million US dollars as core predictable funding to UN Women’s resources, and takes our existing contribution to US$ 4 million to UN Women, so far.

    The check was received on behalf of UN Women, by H.E. Ms. Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, Under Secretary General and Executive Director of UN Women. On this occasion, Ambassador Mukerji also reaffirmed the Government of India’s steadfast commitment to the goals of gender equality, the empowerment of women and gender mainstreaming, as enshrined in the mandate of UN Women. He also encouraged UN Women to focus on increasing the use of ICT and new technologies for empowerment of women. India was one of the founding members of the Executive Board of the UN Women.

  • Verizon to Pay Additional $1.4M in Fees: Liu

    Verizon to Pay Additional $1.4M in Fees: Liu

    NEW YORK, NY(TIP): Comptroller John C. Liu announced, December 9, the results of a new audit which found that Verizon had significantly underreported revenue as required by its cable franchise agreement with the City and underpaid fees owed to the City. Verizon has agreed to pay the City $1.41 million in additional franchise fees. “Franchise agreements with the City must be enforced both to deliver quality service to our residents and to ensure that City taxpayers are getting their fair share of revenues from these franchises,” Comptroller Liu said. “Our audit spells out why Verizon owes the City $1.41 million in franchise fees, and I’m pleased that Verizon has agreed to pay up.”

    Verizon is required to pay New York City a franchise fee of 5 percent of gross revenue as part of its agreement to deliver cable service throughout the City. The 12-year nonexclusive agreement, via the Department of Information Technology and Telecommunications (DoITT), began in 2008. This audit by the Comptroller’s office found that from July 2008 to June 2013, Verizon understated advertising revenue on the quarterly reports that it submits to the City by approximately $28.2 million, resulting in underpayment of $1.41 million in franchise fees owed to the City. Specifically, the audit found that Verizon understated $17.1 million in advertising commissions that should have been included in gross revenue and did not report $11.1 million in foregone revenue from the value of advertising retained for its own use.

    The audit called on Verizon to immediately pay the $1.41 million it owes the City, report all revenue as required by its franchise agreement, track the value of its own advertising, and provide DoITT with access to all necessary records. DoITT agreed with the audit’s findings and said it would ensure that Verizon accurately reports its revenue and complies with its franchise agreement. Verizon disagreed with the audit’s findings, yet has agreed to pay the City the full $1.41 million. This payment is in addition to the recent $60 million settlement between Verizon and the City for cost overruns caused by the company’s delays on the Emergency Communications Transformation Program project. Comptroller Liu credited Deputy Comptroller for Audit Tina Kim and the Audit Bureau staff for presenting the findings.

  • The Forum at Borough Hall

    The Forum at Borough Hall

    Queens Borough President Helen Marshall (next to plaque) presided over dedication of “The Forum at Borough Hall,” Monday, December 9th. “The Forum at Borough Hall” is the new multifunctional, indoor meeting space that has been constructed in the rear courtyard of Borough Hall. It is the first addition to the building since it opened more than 70 years ago and will serve as a location for government hearings, community meetings, cultural performances and other public events. The ceremony included a performance by the Frank Sinatra School of the Arts choir and the unveiling of a plaque that will be erected inside The Forum. Joining Marshall at the ceremony were (from l. to r.) Edna Wells Handy, commissioner of the New York City Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS); David Resnick, deputy commissioner of the New York City Department of Design and Construction(DDC), and New York City Comptroller John Liu.

  • Bejan Daruwalla at India International Centre

    Bejan Daruwalla at India International Centre

    On his recent visit to New Delhi, His Holiness Dalai Lama met the internationally acclaimed astrologer Bejan Daruwalla at India International Centre. The Dali Lama, a picture of great grace, dignity and humbleness asked Daruwalla for his good wishes who said he completely surrendered himself to the Dalai Lama seeking his blessings.

  • Naseeb Dance Group performs at SIAEA Gala

    Naseeb Dance Group performs at SIAEA Gala

    Naseeb Dance Group provided thrilling entertainment at the SIAEA Gala on November 16. Naseeb Dance Group provides Indian neoclassical, fusion, and Bollywood hip-hop performances at corporate, cultural, and charity events.


    12

    Clientele include JPMorgan, New Yorkers For Children, The CORE Club, and SIAEA. www.naseebdancegroup.com

  • New York Seniors celebrated Mahatma Gandhi and Sardar Patel Jayanti

    New York Seniors celebrated Mahatma Gandhi and Sardar Patel Jayanti

    New York Seniors celebrated Mahatma Gandhi and Sardar Patel Jayanti on October 30, 2013. Under the auspices of 15 organizations at Hanuman Temple, Glen Oaks, New Hyde Park, was organized by Shashikant Patel and Gopi Udeshi. Excerpts of bhajans sung by a group and a solo by Ghanshyam Joshi Suno Suno Ya Duniya Walo, memories from biographies of both leaders, were recited by Gopi Udeshi, Deepak Dave and Shashikant Patel. Shashikant Patel proposed Vote of Thanks.


    10

    New York Seniors celebrated Mahatma Gandhi and Sardar Patel Jayanti New York Seniors held Active/ Wellness Health Seminar on November 27 Group- Left to right-Usha Shah,Dr.Sunil Patel, Dr Girish Desai, Shandhya Patel, Khandu Patel Dr Mangubhai Patel Standing Left to right– Jitendra Zaveri, Laxmabhai Patel,Bhart Patel, Gopi Udeshi, Shashikant Patel, Hashmukh Shah and Brahmkumari Madhvi