The Indian Panorama

Month: October 2015

  • Ghulam Ali Concerts – Mumbai, Pune Cancels | Delhi Invites Him

    Ghulam Ali Concerts – Mumbai, Pune Cancels | Delhi Invites Him

    Ghazal King Ghulam Ali & the organizers “Panache Media” have cancelled the concerts in Mumbai & Pune after Shiv Sena threatened to disrupt it, warning that no artist from that country will be allowed to perform in the city till terror emanating from across the border is stopped.

    The decision was taken despite a snub to Sena by Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis who said adequate protection would be provided to Ali and that the concert, organised in memory of late ghazal singer Jagjit Singh, would be held according to schedule. Despite this assurance, Shiv Sena’s threat has won the cancellation.

    “My government is willing to give full protection to Ali’s concert in Mumbai. The show must go on. It is unfortunate to drag a world-class, renowned ghazal singer into Indo-Pakistan politics… Pakistan artists are always welcome. Our singers and actors also go to Pakistan and perform. We should respect each other’s culture and talent. Why bring politics into culture?” Fadnavis said.

    Shiv Sena spokesperson said in the media, “We can’t have cultural ties with Pakistan when they kill our soldiers.”

    Organisers of the event had announced the cancellation after a meeting with Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray.

    Shiv Sena’s film indutry arm named the Chitrapat Sena, had submitted a letter to the admin department of the Shanmukhananda Hall, asking them to cancel the function and threatened that if their demand will not be followed, they will launch a protest in ‘Sena style’. On the other hand, an official from Pune’s Ganesh Kala Krida Manch stated, “We have not been contacted by any representatives of Shiv Sena. We have just received a letter from the organisers which states the concert has been cancelled.”

    The Arvind Kejriwal Government on Thursday (October 8) invited Pakistani singer Ghulam Ali to perform in the national capital, saying “music has no boundaries”.

    Delhi Culture Minister Kapil Mishra said the Pakistani Singer is welcome to come to Delhi for holding a performance. “Sad that #GhulamAli is not being allowed in Mumbai, I invite him to come to Delhi and do the concert. Music has no boundaries. #BanTheBan (sic),” he wrote on Twitter.

    “Ghulam Ali’s programme has been cancelled. Neither Ghulam Ali nor any Pakistani artiste will be performing at the October 9 event,” organiser Randhir Roy had said.

  • Dead fetus found inside 4 yr boy

    Dead fetus found inside 4 yr boy

    A dead fetus has been removed from the stomach of a four-year-old boy after he complained of pain in West Bengal, India. A CAT scan revealed, what was suspected as a tumor to be a dead foetus inside his abdomen.

    “The dead embryo which had hands, legs, nails and a partially formed head was removed from the child’s body after a long operation,” Dr Shirshendu Giri told International Business Times. “The boy is all right now, still under close observation.”

    Doctors said the boy suffered from the rare medical condition, “fetus in foetu” (baby within a baby), in which a malformed foetus is found in the body of its twin. In the early stages of pregnancy, one of the twin foetuses may absorb the other. The enveloped twin becomes a “parasite” that relies on its host.

    The abnormality has an incidence of one in 500,000 live births, with less than 100 reported cases worldwide, according to a 2005 case report in ANNALS Academy of Medicine Singapore.

    In June 2009, a man in India named Sanju Bhagat underwent surgery to have a parasitic twin, which he carried inside his body for 36 years, removed. In March 2006, doctors in Pakistan removed two foetuses from inside a two-month-old girl.

  • India’s Economy Impacted by Terror Attacks: Moody’s

    India’s Economy Impacted by Terror Attacks: Moody’s

    In a report dated 6 October 2015 Moody’s says “more than 60% of all (terrorist) incidents in 2013 were concentrated in just four countries. Iraq (24% of terrorist incidents, Pakistan 19%, Afghanistan 12% and India 5.8%.” With India facing fourth largest number of terror attacks across the world in 2013, such incidents have a significant and long-lasting negative impact on the economy, according to Moody’s Investors Service.

    India has been mentioned with terrorist havens like Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iraq; However, unlike these three nations, India does not harbor and nurture terrorists. By Moody’s algorithm, every developed country would be termed as a terror state whereas the truth is they are victims, actual or potential, of terrorist attacks.

    India in 2013 faced 690 terror attacks. Topping the list was Iraq with 2,852 incidents, followed by Pakistan (2,212 attacks) and Afghanistan (1,443 incidents). In 20 years (from 1994 to 2013), India faced 6,024 attacks, a little less than tenth of 68,962 incidents worldwide.

    “Even normalised by the size of the country, Iraq and Afghanistan are at the top of the list with 82 and 47 incidents per million people, respectively, in 2013. This compares with a global average of 2.4 incidents per million people in 2013,” it said. Terrorist attacks, it said, are diverse in terms of the personal and property damage inflicted. Moody’s said its study shows that terrorist attacks significantly weaken economic activity, with long-lasting effects on the economy.

    The study measures the impact of terrorism on a country’s economic growth, investment growth, government expenditure and government cost of borrowing. “For example, in 2013 the 10 countries most affected by terrorism took an immediate and significant hit to growth, dampening GDP between 0.5 and 0.8 percentage points,” says Moody’s Merxe Tudela.

    “Even worse is that the negative impact continues for years after the attack, taking up to five years for the effects to peter out.” Investment growth takes an even greater immediate hit, with Moody’s estimating for the same episodes that investment growth declines between 1.3 and 2.1 percentage points.

    “Terrorist events of the type and frequency seen in the top ten most terrorism-inflicted countries just in 2013 immediately weaken GDP growth between 0.51 percentage points (pps) and 0.80 pps; they further deteriorate growth between 0.37 pps and 0.59 pps after one year, and by 0.05 pps and 0.07 pps after three years,” it said. Terrorist attacks reduce investment growth (and hence impair potential growth) on the year of the terrorism event, by between 1.31 pps and 2.07 pps, for the top ten most affected countries.

    Terrorist events lift the government cost of borrowing. In the most terrorist-inflicted countries, the cost of borrowing jumps between 41 and 65 basis points within one year and by 51-81 bps after one year of the event.

  • Wipro Sued for Sexual Discrimination by An Indian Woman in UK

    Wipro Sued for Sexual Discrimination by An Indian Woman in UK

    London: An Indian woman employee at the London office of IT major Wipro has filed a suit agains the company seeking over a million pounds as compensation for alleged sexual discrimination, unequal pay and unfair dismissal.

    Shreya Ukil alleged she was subjected to a “deeply predatory, misogynistic culture” and forced into an affair with a married boss at the Bangalore-headquartered firm’s U.K. division.

    The 39-year-old told an employment tribunal in London this week how her boss called her “a seductive dancer from Indian mythology.”

    “Women who are confident, capable and express their viewpoints are often called ’emotional’, ‘psychotic’ or ‘menopausal’. Women who supported women are called ‘lesbians,’ ” Ukil said.

    Ukil claimed she was manipulated into an affair with a married senior vice-president. On one business trip to Stockholm in 2013, the 54-year-old allegedly told her the silk blouse she was wearing was “too tight” for her body type.

    The India-born woman said she embarked on the affair despite finding his conversation “inane” and that he suffered on occasion from a “certain body odor”, the Daily Telegraph of London reported.

    The former sales and market development manager, who handled outsourcing business deals for Wipro, said she was treated like “dirty goods” after ending the affair and lodging complaints about her treatment.

    She also claimed she was paid far less than male staff, earning up to 75,000 pounds per annum rather than the typical 150,000 pounds paid to male equivalents.

    However, Wipro refused to comment on the lawsuit. “Wipro does not comment on its ongoing lawsuits and Wipro is committed to the principle of equal employment opportunity and provides all our employees with a work environment that is free from discrimination and harassment of any kind. Wipro is defending these allegations before the court,” a statement by Wipro Ltd said.

    “Following an impartial inquiry, both were relieved from the services of the company after it was established beyond reasonable doubt that they had violated the stated policy,” the statement said.

    “The company has built its business over the years by ensuring it adheres to the highest standards of integrity, fairness, and ethical corporate practices. Any transgression of these beliefs and policies are dealt with expeditiously and with the strictest action,” the statement said.

  • Indo-American Press Club holds Media Conference & Awards Function in New York

    Indo-American Press Club holds Media Conference & Awards Function in New York

    NEW YORK: Eminent journalists and media experts from the US, Canada, India, Australia and the UAE will hold an International Media Conference organised by the Indo-American Press Club (IAPC) from Oct 9 through 12 at the Clarion Hotel and Conference Center, Long Island, New York.

    The Indo-American Press Club provides an effective platform for Indian American journalists and media professionals to associate and network with a sense of belonging, according to the media release.

    It is designed as a uniquely valuable professional development opportunity, featuring educational seminars and workshops, discussing and analyzing new trends and methods with a rare insight into the work of media across the world, it said.

    Public Works Minister V K Ibrahim Kunju has been selected for the Minister of Excellence Award. The Karmashreshta Award is for social worker Daya Bhai and the Sadbhavana Award for Boby Chemmannur.

    Ibrahim Kunju has been chosen for the modernisation activities related to the development of basic infrastructure in the state for the past four years. Daya Bhai has been chosen, taking into account her initiatives among the adivasis in Northern India.

    Topics such as News Reporting and Writing Techniques, Exploring Social and Environmental Causes through Documentaries, Politics and Media, Social Media Impact on Journalism, Live Streaming, Social Activism as a Way of Life, Freedom of Expression, will be addressed by experts in their fields during the seminars and workshops.

    IAPC has envisioned for itself a significant role in recognizing and nurturing the true potential of journalists and media professionals in the US and Canada, while collaborating with media fraternity across the globe, it said.

  • Indian American Sikh shot dead in California’s Oakland city

    Indian American Sikh shot dead in California’s Oakland city

    A 45-year-old Indian American was shot dead by an unidentified gunman in California, prompting police to announce a USD 10,000 reward money for information leading to the arrest of the killer. SF Gate reported earlier today, Oct 8, that Oakland police investigators have identified a 23-year-old man ‘Joevan Lopez’ for shooting 45-year-old Jasvir Singh. Lopez was described as 5 feet 7 inches tall and 158 pounds, with dreadlocks.

    Jasvir Singh was fatally shot inside his ice-cream van on Saturday in California’s Oakland city, San Jose Mercury News reported. According to residents of the locality, a gunman approached Mr Singh, shot him inside his van and ran away through the backyards.

    Local residents described the horror of the broad day-light killing and expressed their fears of rising crimes on the streets of Oakland city.

    “I don’t understand why someone would murder our ice cream man,” said Paula, a nearby resident.

    “I heard five shots and came to my front door. I just feel really bad; he was doing his job, and now he’s gone,” she added.

    “There is something especially poignant when someone engaged in a positive and innocent act — like painting a mural or driving an ice cream truck — falls victim to senseless violence,” Mayor Libby Schaaf said in a statement.
    Police were told that Mr Singh immigrated to the US 17 years ago, was unmarried and had a 13-year-old daughter. He was a resident of Marysville, but also lived in the East Bay area.

    Singh was the second man killed last week while working on an Oakland street. Artist Antonio Ramos was fatally shot on Tuesday while painting a mural in West Oakland. So far this year, Oakland has recorded 74 homicides – 15 more than at the same point last year.

     

  • GOPIO calls for Community Campaign on Immigration Issues like SIJS, H1-B, STEM OPT…

    GOPIO calls for Community Campaign on Immigration Issues like SIJS, H1-B, STEM OPT…

    NEW YORK:  Indian American group GOPIO have called for a campaign on immigration issues affecting the Indian diaspora including use of H-1B visa by technology companies from India and growing backlog of family visas.

    An immigration seminar was organized by Global Organization of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO-New York), South Asian Council for Social Services (SACSS) and the Kerala Centre in Elmont, New York on Sep 27. The panelists included attorneys Michael Phulwani and David Nachman of NPZ Law Group, P.C. (Ridgewood, NJ) and Anand Ahuja (Law Offices of Anand Ahuja, Hicksville, NY) and was moderated by GOPIO International Founder President Dr. Thomas Abraham.

    Attorney Anand Ahuja, who also serves as GOPIO-New York president, spoke on business and investment visas and special immigrant juvenile status. Attorney Michael Phulwani spoke on the topics such as how to read the visa bulletin which is available to everyone, H-1B alternatives, present status of DACA and DAPA. Attorney David Nachman spoke on AC-21, STEM OPT issues/changes, provisional wavers, President Obama’s immigration reform initiatives and consular processing issues.

    Grass-root actions were also required to support President Barack Obama’s executive actions that were announced in November 2014, participants said.

    While immigration reform holistically seems to be stalled, Obama’s executive actions are designed in a piecemeal manner aimed at improving the overall immigration law system.

    The participants also hoped that extreme backlogs for Indian nationals in many visa classifications may be reduced in some fair manner.

    These backlogs have resulted in families being separated for long periods of time despite one of the major tenets underlying US immigration law being family unity.

    H-1B non-immigrant professional and specialty occupation work visas continue to be scrutinized heavily by such agencies as the US Homeland Security, State, and Labour departments, the seminar noted.

    Additionally, many of the largest users of the H-1B visa are very significant technology companies from India, the seminar noted.

    Grassroots efforts should be made to help the government understand that India is not the only user of these technology visas, it suggested.

    Attempts to avert a form of reverse discrimination should be undertaken soonest, the participants suggested.

    Among other issues raised was India’s exclusion from Treaty Investment and Treaty Trader category for the immigration visa purpose.

    It is not clear why Bangladesh, Pakistan and Sri Lanka all have E visas but India does not, the participants noted.

    It was resolved that GOPIO and other community groups must campaign on these issues.

    “It is important for the Indian American community to take up such issues with Obama administration and elected officials and make them aware of importance of such issues for the country as a whole,” said GOPIO’s Founder President Thomas Abraham.

  • Two Indian Americans Plead Guilty to Extortion Scam

    Two Indian Americans Plead Guilty to Extortion Scam

    Two Philadelphia Indian-Americans men admitted their roles in a conspiracy to extort victims to load prepaid debit cards with funds that were stolen as part of the scheme, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced.
    Two  today pleaded guilty to charges of conspiring to extort their victims to load prepaid debit cards with funds that were stolen as part of a scam running into more than USD 5.8 million.Alpesh Kumar Patel, 31, and Vijay Kumar Patel, 40, pleaded guilty before a US District Judge in New Jersey to the charges of conspiracy to commit the wire fraud.

    The conspiracy to commit wire fraud charge is punishable by a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison and $250,000 fine, or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense.

    According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: The duo — who are not related — admitted that from September 2013 through March 2014, they were part of a conspiracy to steal money using reloadable debit cards. First, conspirators would purchase reloadable Green Dot Cards, and register them in names other than their own. The conspirators contacted victims by phone and used threats or deceit to induce them to put money on MoneyPak cards, which are used along with assigned PIN codes to add funds to Green Dot Cards.

    Both admitted that they obtained the Green Dot Cards and used them to purchase money orders. Afterwards, they deposited the funds into bank accounts associated with the scheme.

    Phone numbers and IP addresses connected with the conspiracy were tied to approximately 2,500 Green Dot Cards that were funded in excess of $5.8 million.

    Sentencing has been scheduled for January 15, 2015.

    U.S. Attorney Fishman credited special agents, detectives and investigators assigned to the Joint Terrorism Task Force, under the direction of FBI Special Agent in Charge Richard M. Frankel in Newark, and FBI Special Agent in Charge William F. Sweeney Jr. in Philadelphia, as well as special agents of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Kevin Kelly in Newark, with the investigation leading to today’s pleas.

  • Indian American Muslim Council Condemns Dadri Mob Killing

    Indian American Muslim Council Condemns Dadri Mob Killing

    NEW YORK:  The Indian American Muslim Council (IAMC), a US based advocacy group, has strongly condemned the anti-minority violence in India, in the form of a mob lynching of a Muslim man and his son in Dadri, Uttar Pradesh, over mere suspicion of having eaten beef.

    “Beyond the mob’s inhuman behaviour, it is alarming to note that the police have sent the meat from the victim’s refrigerator to a forensic lab to be tested, out of apparent respect for the mob’s feelings,” a statement posted on the IAMC website said.

    “This effectively turns the victim into the accused, despite the fact that even if the family were in possession of beef, they were not in violation of the Uttar Pradesh Cow Protection Act,” the statement added.

    The IAMC also accused the authorities for their inaction, calling on the media to “expose the larger design behind the incident”. The State Government is of Samajwadi Party (SP) & the Centre or National Government is of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), both SP and BJP have been found responsible for the mass violence that claimed over a 100 lives and resulted in the displacement of over 50,000 people in Muzaffarnagar in 2013 by The Sahay Committee.

    A week ago, Mohammad Akhlaq, a resident of Bisara in Greater Noida, was dragged out of his house after a mob of over 200 people alleged he had killed a cow in his house. They beat Akhlaq to death, while his 22 year-old son Danish was injured and is in critical condition. Another son of Mohammed Akhlaq is a serving corporal in the Indian Air Force.

    The IAMC said the incident was made to appear like a spontaneous act of violence by an unruly crowd but there are strong indications that this was a planned act.

    Indian-American Muslim Council (IAMC) is the largest advocacy organization of Indian Muslims in the United States with chapters across the nation, “dedicated to safeguarding India’s pluralist and tolerant ethos”.

  • Indian Scientists Dispute Decade-Old Cancer Biology Principles

    Indian Scientists Dispute Decade-Old Cancer Biology Principles

    Cancers figure among the leading causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide, with approximately 14 million new cases and 8.2 million cancer related deaths in 2012, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO). The number of new cases is expected to rise by about 70 per cent over the next 2 decades, according to WHO.

    Indian scientists at Columbia University in the US have challenged a decade-old dogma in cancer biology by showing that a gene critical for preventing cancer did not work as thought of previously.

    The gene whose role in cancer development has till now baffled scientists around the world is commonly known as A20 or TNFAIP3.

    It functions properly in healthy individuals. However, individuals develop cancer if for some reason the gene fails to function. Thus, many cancer patients are known to carry a dysfunctional variety of the gene.

    The scientists came up with the first animal model of A20 to understand how this gene works in the body. Based on results over the past decade, they expected that these animals would develop cancer. But to their surprise, they found that the animals had a largely healthy life-span.

    The work was carried out by Indian scientist Arnab De, during his doctorate study at Columbia University with renowned Indian-American immunologist Sankar Ghosh.

    Chozha Rathinam, also of Indian origin, and Teruki Dainichi, currently at the Kyoto University, are the other authors of the report and who supported the research study.

    The research work was highlighted by the peer-reviewed European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO) Reports, which highlights only articles considered to be of “fundamental relevance to a general readership”.

    Professor Henning Walczak, Scientific Director of Cancer Research UK and Chairman of University College London, noted the importance the work.

    “If A20 cannot function as a result of hereditary mutations or infection, it results in serious pathologies, including cancer,” he said.

    “Before this work, there was no animal model to understand how this critical tumor suppress or works.

    “Having an animal model now, significantly improves our ability to investigate how A20 works and this study already goes a long way in clarifying how A20 fails to work properly in patients and, as a consequence thereof, in developing potential cancer therapeutics,” Prof Walczak said.

    The WHO website states that more than 100 different types of cancer exists, each requiring unique diagnosis and treatment.

  • 4 Indian-Origin People Selected for Fellowship in Canada

    4 Indian-Origin People Selected for Fellowship in Canada

    TORONTO:  Four Indian-origin professionals in Canada have been selected for a fellowship for a Toronto-based firm that hires civic leaders to tackle issues in Toronto.

    The four Indians, Anita Abraham, Ritesh Kotak, Mrinalini Menon and Pam Sethi, are among the 27 of the region’s top rising leaders as the next cohort of DiverseCity Fellows selected by CivicAction.

    “These passionate leaders were selected who try to shape their community and provide it with the toolkit and network,” a statement on the official website of CivicAction said.

    CivicAction is a coalition of civic leaders in the Toronto region. CivicAction has worked with business, government, community, labour, and academia to address social, economic and environmental challenges in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area.

    Mr Abraham is executive director of Meal Exchange (MX), a non-profit organisation that works in more than 40 communities to use university campuses as a leverage point to build sustainable food systems and fight poverty.

    She is the lead architect for studio impact since 2011 and works with vulnerable youth to teach them about systems thinking and community impact.

    Mr Kotak is a cyber whiz for the Toronto Police and he wants to use the fellowship time to help people like his parents.

    “I see them. I hear their stories. If I can actually do something to help them by eliminating some of these employment barriers to entry, I feel that will have a systemic, positive impact in society,” the 27-year-old was quoted as saying.

    Mr Menon works as a talent sourcing manager at the Royal Bank of Canada and volunteers with the Royal Ontario Museum and Canadian Stage Company.

    She has worked and studied in seven cities around the world, from Washington to Mumbai.

    Mr Sethi has over 10 years of experiences in healthcare and works in health policy, system planning and strategic development with the Ontario government.

    In 2013, she co-founded Lean In Canada, a non-profit organisation geared towards creating a community for women to improve gender equality in the workplace.

  • AAP Leader Somnath Bharti gets bail in the domestic violence and attempt to murder case

    AAP Leader Somnath Bharti gets bail in the domestic violence and attempt to murder case

    AAP leader Somnath Bharti on Tuesday, Sep 6, termed the domestic violence and attempt to murder case against him as a “BJP-sponsored litigation” and had sought bail again before a Delhi Sessions court.

    Additional Sessions Judge Anil Kumar after hearing the arguments on bail yesterday had reserved the order and granted him bail today.

    During an over two-and-a-half hearing on bail plea, advocate Vijay Aggarwal appearing for Bharti claimed it was a case of an “on-and-off relationship” which was blown out of proportion due to political motives and alleged that it was a “BJP-sponsored litigation”.

    “I am an MLA and have to look after the work of my constituency. I have deep root in the society and if granted bail, I will not flee from the justice…Everyone recognizes me where will I escape,” he said.

    “I will join the investigation as and when called by the Investigation Officer and there is no point of influencing the witnesses. If court wants, it can bar me from leaving Delhi or it can confine me at my residing place that is Malviya Nagar constituency,” the lawyer said.

    While citing some transcripts of recorded phone calls and SMSs exchanged between Bharti and his wife Lipika Mitra, he said “the dog in question ‘Don’ was being fed by Lipika, then how can it bite her? She also kept wearing all the jewellery, which meant these were with her.”

    The lawyer also alleged it was Lipika who had threatened to cut herself after which Bharti had called her mother and brother to intervene and settle the matter.

    “Both (Lipika and Bharti) kept on talking in normal terms even after the complaint and FIR was registered. This shows that everything was normal,” he said.

    Opposing Bharti’s plea, Additional Public Prosecutor Shailendra Babbar said when Bharti was not in police custody he tried to misuse his liberty.

    Maintaining that Bharti’s conduct has been “very dubious”, the prosecutor asked “what would he do if he is granted bail.

    “In case he is enlarged on bail, he would influence the witnesses as he is a very influential man. There are witnesses who are not coming forward to depose because of his influence. Granting him bail will hamper investigation which is at a primitive stage,” Babbar said.

    The AAP MLA was arrested in the wee hours on 29 September after the apex court ordered him to surrender.

    Bharti had on 23 September moved the apex court seeking protection from arrest in the case and a direction to restrain the police from arresting him till his plea challenging the High Court order was decided.

    The Supreme Court, however, had on 1 October denied interim bail to AAP MLA and sought the presence of his wife before it to explore the possibility of mediation.

    On 22 September, the Delhi High Court had rejected Bharti’s plea for anticipatory bail, observing that the allegations against him were backed by “documentary proof”.

    Terming the allegations against the legislator by his wife as “very serious”, the high court had said she has been tolerating his “cruelty” and “brutal assault”.

  • Stanford University Lab to provide foldscopes to Indian students

    Stanford University Lab to provide foldscopes to Indian students

    Undergraduate students from all parts of the country will soon be able to take a peek through a microscope that they can carry with them, thanks to an initiative by Indian government’s Department of Biotechnology & PM Modi.

    This low-cost paper folding-microscope has been developed by Prakash Lab, a research group at Stanford University.

    Foldscope is provided as a kit where a student starts by first building the actual unit from the kit; and can explores questions surrounding the microscopic world in physics, chemistry and biology. The users build an online community and share insights, projects, questions and scientific discoveries with the community at foldscope online platform.

    It will be used as an educational and training tool to understand physics, chemistry, biology and instrumentation. The DBT will ensure that foldscopes are provided to students of its Star College Scheme, some 80 of them across the country. This will be done in phases based on the availability of foldscope.

    “Our vision is to bring a microscope into the hands of every single kid in the world,” Prakash said.

    The thought came to Prof. VijayRaghvan of the Department of Biotechnology, who then sent a tweet to Manu Prakash of Prakash Lab on August 12. “Hi, can we discuss using Foldscope widely in India? I am at the Department of Biotechnology, Government of India”.

    The letter of intent to distribute Foldscope through DBT’s star college and other programmes was exchanged between the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) and the Prakash Lab in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit to Silicon Valley in USA in Sep, 2015.

    The letter of intent to distribute Foldscope through DBT’s star college and other programmes being exchanged between the Department of Biotechnology (DBT) and the Prakash Lab in the presence of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi during his visit to Silicon Valley in USA - Sep, 2015.

    “Partnering with Prakash Lab’s foldscope is an exciting new adventure for the Department of Biotechnology. It is ‘Citizen Science’ at its best. The foldscope is torchlight in the hands of human curiosity that allows each and every one of us to explore our planet at the microscopic level, just as the telescope allows us to explore the stars.

    “The beauty we see and the science underneath it will create a new generation of young scientists in India,” said VijayRaghavan.

     

  • Wells Fargo to Help send Smiles to India on Diwali with Operation Smile

    Wells Fargo to Help send Smiles to India on Diwali with Operation Smile

    Wells Fargo is helping to kick off the Diwali season by continuing its collaboration with Operation Smile, an international medical charity, to help provide life-changing surgeries for children and young adults in India born with cleft lip and cleft palate.  The collaboration between Wells Fargo and Operation Smile is expected to fund hundreds of surgeries in India.

    Wells Fargo also will be celebrating Diwali with the Asian Indian community by participating in a series of regional events, including some of the largest melasand concerts throughout the country.

    This year, Wells Fargo will continue the holiday tradition of offering its customers with an opportunity to order Diwali-themed debit cards, with several new designs for 2015.

  • Hero Cycles Registers highest ever monthly sales

    Hero Cycles Registers highest ever monthly sales

    New Delhi, 6th October, 2015: Hero Cycles, world’s largest bicycle manufacturer, witnessed the highest monthly sales by any cycle company in India after managing to sell 5.39 lakh cycles in September. The jump in sales saw the company, already India’s largest cycle seller, clock 41 percent of the sales generated by the entire industry in September, thereby strengthening its leadership status in the market. The latest monthly sale for the cycle industry in India is pegged at approximately 13.14 Lakh units.

    Hero Cycles’ marquee brands Sprint and Jet witnessed highest sales which also makes them world’s top selling cycle brands with combined sales of more than one and half million units per year. While Jet belongs to roadster category, Sprint caters to the premium cycle category which in itself has seen a significant growth from past few years in India.

    According to Mr Pankaj Munjal, Chairman and Managing Director, Hero Cycles, “We are pleased to announce that this month we have not only maintained our dominance in the market but have also become the first ever company to achieve sales of 5.39 lakh units in a month. Recovering rural and semi-urban demand along with newer customer initiatives has helped Hero Cycles to clinch this mark. Last few months have witnessed our aggressive sales and acquisition strategy and we are hopeful that the next few quarters will continue to bring the good news for the company.”

    Speaking on the achievement, Mr Raman Awasthi, National Sales Head of Hero Cycles said, “Our customer centric approach and practice of setting highest benchmarks for product quality and technology have helped us reinforce our brand among the customers. We have witnessed growth in both rural as well as urban areas. While mainstream cycle brands like Jet continue to attract significant sales, premium cycle brands such as Sprint have started contributing considerable share of sales.”

    Hero Cycles had posted turnover of around Rs 3000 crore during the last financial year. Last year, the company produced around 5.5 million cycles. With its recent announcement of entry in European market and acquisition of Firefox in India and Avocet Sports in UK, Hero Cycles aims to grow by Rs 8000 crore by 2018. It has also recently announced Bollywood actor Arjun Kapoor as its brand ambassador.

  • Indian American Couple Chandrika and Ranjan Tandon Gift USD 100 Million to New York University’s College

    Indian American Couple Chandrika and Ranjan Tandon Gift USD 100 Million to New York University’s College

    Perhaps the largest philanthropic gifts by a member of the Indian American community, a NY couple has donated USD 100 million to the New York University’s School of Engineering.

    Chandrika and Ranjan Tandon’s donation will principally support faculty hiring and academic programs and is intended to build on the engineering school’s existing practice of cross-disciplinary innovation and entrepreneurship, NYU President John Sexton and the school’s dean Katepalli R Sreenivasan said in a joint statement in New York.

    The school will be re-named the NYU Tandon School of Engineering in recognition of the Tandons’ generosity and their belief in the school’s mission and promise. The University has agreed to a challenge from the donors to raise an additional, separate $50 million, which will be principally focused on scholarship aid.

    A former partner at McKinsey and Company, Chandrika is chair of Tandon Capital Associates, a financial advisory firm she founded in 1992. She also is a Grammy-nominated musician, with an album, Soul Call, nominated for Best Contemporary World Music in 2011. Ranjan is an engineer by training and a graduate of the Harvard Business School. He is founder and chair of Libra Advisors, a hedge fund he founded in 1990 that is now a family office.

    Chandrika Tandon is also the sister of PepsiCo CEO Indra Nooyi, who is the CEO of PepsiCo   and on Fortune’s Most Powerful Women list.

    Chandrika Tandon is a member of the Board of Overseers of NYU’s business school, a member of the NYU Board of Trustees, and leads the NYU President’s Global Council.

    Ms. Tandon said, “We feel privileged to be able to participate in the transformation that is happening at NYU and at the School of Engineering. As a Trustee of NYU, I have had a front row seat to the energy and excitement of the Global Network University and the scale of possibility it presents.

    “Getting to know the engineering school was truly electrifying. The imagination and inventiveness of the students and faculty as they worked together on real world problems; the cutting- edge work being done both within the school and collaboratively across schools in such diverse areas like the arts, medicine, education, incubators; the entrepreneurial spirit that pervades the place — all this inspired us so. We truly believe that these students with the benefit of NYU’s global vision will make the world a better place.

    “We also deeply respect the school’s extraordinary history and are honored to have a part in moving it forward with the visionary leadership team at the school and at the University.

    “More broadly, Ranjan and I are great believers in STEM education, in the applied sciences, and in the analytic and creative disciplines that such an education develops. And we want to give back to the city that has given us so much. Our hope is that this gift will bring many more of us together to reinvent engineering, advance New York’s efforts to become a science and tech capital, and foster the talents of young innovators, applied scientists, and entrepreneurs. We believe this is just the beginning.”

    Sreenivasan said the Tandons’ act of generosity is remarkable not only because of the size of the gift, but also because it recognises the importance of a school with which they had no prior affiliation.

    Funds from the gift will be used to further enhance programs, including wireless, cybersecurity, and digital education and gaming and enhance interdisciplinary programs such as financial engineering, technology management and innovation, and entrepreneurship in important areas such as clean energy.

    In 2010, Harvard Business School had received a gift of USD 50 million from Tata Companies, the Sir Dorabji Tata Trust and the Tata Education and Development Trust, philanthropic entities of the Tata Group. The gift was the largest from an international donor in the School’s 102-year history.

    Press Release Link: http://www.nyu.edu/about/news-publications/news/2015/10/05/100-million-gift-to-nyu-school-of-engineering-from-chandrika-and-ranjan-tandon-.html

  • Edelweiss starts Real Estate Fund

    Edelweiss starts Real Estate Fund

    Edelweiss Alternative Asset Advisors Ltd, part of diversified financial services firm Edelweiss Group, is raising up to $1 billion for its first residential real estate fund, a top executive said. Also, Edelweiss Financial Services is raising Rs 500 crore from domestic institutions, high networth individuals and family houses for a fresh fund to invest in mid and large-cap stocks.

    Edelweiss Real Estate Fund is a structured credit, offshore fund that is looking at investment opportunities in five property markets—National Capital Region (NCR), Mumbai, Pune, Bengaluru and Chennai with $15-75 million investment in each transaction. In the Edelweiss fund, structured credit means returns are structured keeping in mind the cash flow of the project. It keeps 1.5 to 2 times its investment amount as collateral and has control of the project cash flows.

    “We are looking to partner mid-sized developers in real estate projects that have already got the key approvals. The fund will not provide capital to buy land or invest in an early stage of a project,” said Venkat Ramaswamy, executive director and co-head of global asset management, Edelweiss Financial Services Ltd.

    “Edelweiss is a meaningful investor in all our alternative credit funds, and our fund size is decided on the basis of what we can deploy. We have an extremely good team with strong real estate market connects in our five addressed cities, which is essential in terms of deploying and recovery of capital,” said Ramaswamy.

    PE funds that invest in real estate projects typically opt for equity investments, which carry higher risks and returns; debt investments with lower but guaranteed returns; or structured transactions, which are a mix of both.

    For home-grown firms such as ASK group and Edelweiss that are raising their first offshore funds, it will be interesting to see how they tap the LP network in today’s challenging conditions, a property consultant said.

    “Funds have taken longer to raise offshore capital in recent times as most LPs are not willing to write large cheques and commit upfront capital,” said Shashank Jain, partner, transaction services, PricewaterhouseCoopers India. “Most of them give out smaller amounts, and keep monitoring the fund’s performance and as and when good transactions take place, they commit more money. As a result of which, the final closing of a fund happens in a staggered manner.”

  • Social Media Abusers “Uncool” | Shah Rukh Khan to Fans

    Social Media Abusers “Uncool” | Shah Rukh Khan to Fans

    Shah Rukh Khan is irked by social media users taking the virtual route to abuse other celebrities in order to show unethical support for their favorite star. The superstar requested all his fans to refrain from belittling his colleagues and other films.

    The 49-year-old actor took to Facebook to express his views, and termed people’s acts “uncool.”

     
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    The post read: “On social media you do/say what you feel, free expression blah blah, But will request my people not to deride or abuse other films and colleagues. Not cool.”

    The actor, who is busy shooting for his next “Dilwale,” said that he is not active on the social networking site to teach manners, but wants to keep “idiots” away from the his circle of fans.

    “But your life your rules. Am not here to teach manners. But I deal with idiots with sarcasm. ‘M*d*r B*h*n’ users are low on vocabulary and status,” he shared further.

    SRK to Fans
    Khan said he treats the social medium as a bridge to connect with his fans and admirers by giving out information about his personal as well as professional life.

    This is not the first time that an actor has come forward to warn fans against abusing other celebrities. Salman Khan also spoke up about the issue and even warned fans in June that he will quit Twitter if the practice is continued.

  • Indian American Professor Sridhar Kota to Lead US Manufacturing ‘Think-and-do’ Tank

    Indian American Professor Sridhar Kota to Lead US Manufacturing ‘Think-and-do’ Tank

    An Indian American engineering professor will lead an US consortium that will identify new technologies to enhance the country’s innovative ecosystem, manufacturing competitiveness and national security, the White House has announced.

    Prof. Sridhar Kota, Herrick Professor of Engineering and director of the Institute for Manufacturing Leadership at the University of Michigan, will lead MForesight: The Alliance for Manufacturing Foresight, the White House said Oct. 2.

    “In this ‘think-and-do’ tank, we will identify emerging technologies early on so the nation can invest public and private sector dollars in a way that builds the infrastructure, knowledge and workforce skills needed to anchor manufacturing technology in this country,” Mr Kota said.

    Mr Kota served as assistant director for advanced manufacturing at the White House from 2009-2012. He helped create Obama’s Advanced Manufacturing Partnership in 2011 and the Manufacturing Innovation Institutes in 2012.

    The US Commerce Department’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the National Science Foundation (NSF) said the consortium will commission teams of national subject matter experts to provide technology roadmaps and reports on selected emerging technologies that outline projections for development, application and economic impacts.

    NSF and NIST are funding MForesight with a three-year, $5.8 million cooperative agreement.

    “With collective access to over 30,000 subject matter experts across a wide range of industries, MForesight will serve as a continuous mechanism for research coordination across the public and private sectors,” Mr Kota said.

    The group will examine a broad range of technologies. It could, for example, investigate how to cost-effectively improve quality control in drug-making in order to reduce shortages in certain cancer medications.

    It could explore how best to manufacture emerging platform technologies such as flexible electronics, which have a wide variety of applications in places like consumer goods, defense and even health care.

    Technologies will be evaluated based on economic impact, job growth, likelihood of co-investment by the private sector, impact on multiple industry sectors, and the likelihood of the U.S. gaining a first-mover advantage, among other criteria.

    “Engineering and scientific advancements based on fundamental research have been the main drivers of U.S. economic growth over the past half century,” said France Cordova, director, National Science Foundation.

    “Thanks to innovative technologies enabled by manufacturing research, production has grown at its fastest pace in more than a decade, creating significant economic value for the nation. To continue to reap these benefits, we must seek new research frontiers for manufacturing and pursue them for high-impact U.S. manufacturing innovation and economic competitiveness,” Cordova noted.

  • Angela Merkel in India, Modi welcomes with ‘Namaste’ Tweet

    Angela Merkel in India, Modi welcomes with ‘Namaste’ Tweet

    German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who is on a visit to India got a digital welcome with Minister Narendra Modi tweeting “Namaste” in welcome as German Chancellor Angela Merkel landed in New Delhi on Sunday night, Oct 04, on a three-day visit. A wide range of issues including security and defence, with special focus on boosting trade ties are to be discussed between the two G-4 member states.

     

    Germany is the only country with which India conducts these bi-annual joint cabinet meetings. 

    Merkel is accompanied by a large delegation comprising six cabinet ministers, and businesspersons, and will also be visiting Bengaluru on Oct 06 before heading back. Modi will also travel to Bengaluru.

    India-Germany bilateral trade is currently pegged at around $18 billion

    This is Ms Merkel’s first visit to India since the Narenda Modi government came to power. The leaders met in April when PM Modi visited Germany, where he sought to draw more investment towards his “Make in India” campaign. Both leaders are also likely to exchange views on regional and global issues including climate change.

    “The prime minister has a very ambitious economic development program for India and Germany intends to contribute to it and support it,” Merkel said, mentioning agriculture, economy, defense and internal security as some of the areas in which the two countries could cooperate.

    Germany is India’s largest trading partner in the European Union and the seventh-largest foreign investor in India.

    But for Germany, Europe’s largest economy, India last year ranked just 25th on the list of countries with which it does business.

  • KAAS PLATEAU: THE VALLEY OF FLOWERS

    KAAS PLATEAU: THE VALLEY OF FLOWERS

    Once the monsoon casts its spell on the Sahyadris, the entire region puts on a brilliant show for anyone who has the time to stand and stare. Teeming and bustling with life, it is home to everything from lush rainforests and waterfalls to an incredible diversity of flora and fauna. But hidden in the heart of the Western Ghats is a picturesque plateau that blooms into a riot of colour only once a year. And the time to visit is right now.

    As you are reading this, just over 280km from Mumbai, a natural phenomenon is painting an area of 1,000 hectares into a picture-perfect postcard that you can stroll into. The Kaas Pathar (‘pathar’ translates to plateau) is an ecological marvel houses over 850 varieties of plant life, of which around 600 are flowering plants.

    KAAS PLATEAUPicture this: dramatic, cloudy skies overlooking a green landscape that suddenly gets carpeted with colours to rival a rainbow— a splash of cheery yellows, tranquil whites, brilliant purples and more, as butterflies and birds flit about all around you. This is the sight that greeted us as we reached this conserved area which is listed among the UNESCO Biodiversity Heritage Sites.

    The road to heaven

    The route to Kaas was a revelation in itself as we made our way up the ghats from Satara, the nearest town. We had intended to take the local bus from Satara to Tetli that stops en route to the Kaas Plateau. However, the Satara bus stop was a confused bustle of activity which neither had any signage in English nor any helpful staff. If you speak Marathi, you should manage just fine. Otherwise, it’s a bit of a challenge trying to find your way around here.

    So, we hired an autorickshaw for `350 to climb up the 24km ghat route. As we made our way up, civilization shrunk away below, and the landscape started transforming rapidly. The air started getting cleaner and breathtaking views of the flat tabletop plateaus of the Sahyadri range opened up. We got a sneak peek of what we had in store in the form of tiny wildflower dotting the entire landscape. As auto rides go, this one was hard to beat.

    We made it to the top of the hill to reach the Kaas Plateau, which is referred to only as the ‘Valley of Flowers’ for some reason on a board erected by Maharashtra Tourism. But you should know you’ve reached Kaas just with the view. All you can see is a green landscape, with an unbridled view of the open skies and, of course, lots of flowers.

    Under nature’s spell

    The Kaas Plateau makes for the most idyllic countryside stroll that would have had the Wordsworths and Coleridges of the world waxing lyrical and spouting odes. Once we bought the entry tickets (Rs10), we walked through the trail in the picket-fenced meadows leisurely. Endless beds of happy flowers cushion the slopes, interrupted only by winding creeks that add to the beauty.

    The slower we walked, the more we noticed flowers that we would have missed at first glance. There was a surprise waiting for us everywhere we looked. Some of the tiniest blooms were no bigger than ladybugs. After walking for an hour or two, we took a break and plopped ourselves on a rock at the edge of the plateau overlooking the valley below.

    Today, environmentalists warn that due to rapid climate change and man-made imbalances in the ecosystem, the Kaas Plateau won’t stay this pristine for long. Even this year, the flowers were delayed by the sparse rains. Many of the endemic flowering species are already considered endangered.

    It makes us hold on to the memory of sitting at that spot — amid the incredible but transient beauty — that much more fiercely.

    How to get there from Mumbai

    By car: Around 4 hours | Drive down the Mumbai-Pune Expressway and take the NH4 upto Satara, where you can ask for directions to Kaas. From Satara, Kaas is a 22km drive up the hill.

    By bus: Around 7 hours | There are plenty of overnight buses plying on the Mumbai-Satara route with boarding points all across the city. Switch buses at the Satara bus stand and catch a bus to Bamnoli. Check redbus.in.

    By train: Around 8 hours | Catch the Koyna Express that departs from CST at 8.40am and arrives at Satara station by 4pm. You can catch a state transport bus to Bamnoli from Satara bus stand.

    KAAS PLATEAU2Flower spotting
    MICKEY MOUSE FLOWERS (SMITHIA HIRSUTA):     Cheery yellow and blooming in abundance, these flowers earn their Disney name from their unique red speckles that make them look like everyone’s beloved mouse.

    SITA’S TEARS (UTRICULARIA PURPURASCENS): These pretty purple flowers are a far cry from the melancholy picture their name paints. Sita’s Tears are carnivores that feed on protozoa swimming in the wet soil.

    TUBEROUS PIPEWORTS (ERIOCAULON TUBERIFERUM): Whimsical as a dream, these tiny ball-like blooms are spread over the Kaas landscape like a blanket of white.

    Bombayensis (Senecio Grahamii): Akin to miniature sunflowers, the Sonki is a flowering plant of the Western Ghats that adds a splash of yellow to green landscapes during the monsoon.

    INDIAN SUNDEW (DROSERA INDICA): The insectivorous Flycatcher — which uses sparkling dewdrop-like sticky liquid as a decoy to trap insects — makes for a super cool spotting.If you want to know the flowers even better, read Kaas: Plateau of Flowers by Dr Sandeep Shrotri, a guide with exhaustive information on the flowers of Kaas.

    KAAS PLATEAU1Dos and Don’ts at Kaas

    • Be a sensitive and sensible traveller in this biodiversity hotspot. Always follow the trail and don’t wander off as you may trample or damage delicate flowers and plants that are not easily visible to the eye.
    • Please don’t pluck the flowers. They are not souvenirs to bring back to Mumbai.
    • Eat your wafers if you must, but do not litter.
    • Don’t be loud. And don’t blast Yo Yo Honey Singh from your phones. Others might have come here to enjoy the natural marvel in peace.
  • SHRADH | Pitr Paksh | Hinduism

    SHRADH | Pitr Paksh | Hinduism

    As per Hindu belief, the body is destructible but soul is eternal. It can neither be created nor can be destroyed. Lord Krishna in Bhagwat Gita clearly states, “The soul is unborn, eternal, ever existing and primeval.” it is believed that Pitra Paksha rites liberate a soul from the vicious circle of life and death and helps it in attaining salvation. The Shraddha during Pitra Paksha involves oblations to three preceding generations by taking their names and also by taking name of the family tree or Gotra.

    These rites are performed by current generation to repay the debts of ancestors. It is said that ancestors (Pitrs), gods (Devas) and ghosts (Pretas) when propitiated- bestow health, wealth, wisdom, longevity and eventually salvation to the native.

    Legends associated with Pitr Paksh 

    As per Hindu mythology, a zone called Pitr loka exists between earth and heaven. All the departed souls or Pitrs dwell at this place. This zone is governed by Lord Yamraj or god of death. In this zone the soul serves out its karmic correction sentences. Here Pitras are not able to get relief from the sensory demands and conditions of the body such as hunger, thirst, heat, cold, fatigue, pain etc. They are waiting to be liberated from their condition so that they can once again get a material body through which they may create positive karma to progress towards their freedom from the karma syndrome.

    In search of relief, they are attracted to living entities on the earth planet that are their descendants from previous and current lifetimes and are karmic debtors to them. The ancestors are fed once a day (once in 24 hours) according to their time zone. This is equivalent to every 12 months on the earth plane. This once-a-year period is recognized as the ‘Shradh’ period.

    The Pitra Paksh starts with Sun entering the zodiac sign Virgo. At advent of this Paksh the departed souls or forefathers leave the Yamaloka and descend to earth to acknowledge the rites performed by their descendants and remain here till Sun-Moon conjunction happens in Sign Virgo.

    It is believed, that during this period Lord Ganesha’s withdraw certain energies from the planetary surface transferring it to the core of the earth thus permitting the Pitras to approach their descendants very closely. In this context taking note of Symbolic representation of Lord Ganesha, his belly represents the whole cosmos, the seven realms above and below. Further seven oceans are inside Ganesha’s cosmic belly. These are held together by the cosmic energy (kundalini) symbolized by the huge snake around him. The snake that runs round his waist represents energy in all forms.

    The ‘Ganesha-Visarjan’ Ananta Chaturdashi is an acknowledgment of this event.

    As per another legend, Daanveer Karn (supposedly brother-akin to Pandavas) did numerous charity of jewels, currency, land etc during his life span. When he died and ascended to Pitra loka, he received all that he gave in form of charity in multiples.

    But, he didn’t obtain meal in view of the reality that he did not give food-charity. He starved for days and eventually requested “Yamraj” to find an opportunity to create for this deficiency. Yamraj granted him 14 days return to earth and do the needful charity. These 14 days had been used by Karn to provide numerous meal-charities. When he again returned again, there was plenty of meal obtainable to him.

    Difficulties one May face –if Shradh is not performed 

    As per classics if Shradh is performed with whole devotion, the ancestors bless the native with comforts of life. It is imperative for person to perform Shradh to safeguard oneself and preceding generations from Pitr Dosha. If Pitra dosha is present in chart native himself and his family members may encounter various problems like-Inability to get married, Marital concerns, infertility, problems in begetting child, loss of Job and finances, critical health concerns etc.

    Rituals of Shradh 

    The rituals of Shraddha are generally performed by an eldest son or an eldest male member of the family.

    While performing Shradh, one should pay special attention to three things – piety, control over anger and avoiding hastiness. Meditation, mantra repetition and prayer are done for the peace and attainment of salvation by departed soul.

    Bhramins are offered food, new clothes, sweets, fruits and dakshina, for it is believed that whatever is given to the Brahmins reaches the departed souls.

    In addition one can also do Mahadaan. The Mahadaan offerings give relief to the ancestor, person get freed from curse of Pitra Dosha or did not face hardships on account of cursed by pitras. In additional this bestows positive luck to descendants. The Blessings by Pitra’s can greatly help the individual to progress in life and his/her problems are reduced to a Great extent. The items of Mahadaan consists of Ganga Jal , Mustard Oil , Ghee , Rice ,Wheat , Salt , Sugar, Chana, Kali Urad Dal, Umbrella, Shoes/socks or chappals, Steel utensils-5 (glass,plate,spoon,katori,lota), Blanket, White cloth-dhoti+gamcha, Towel, Fruits, Mithai, Coconut, Banana, Cooked food-mathi/sag/poori halwa, Dals (dry-5), Vegetables- 5, Milk , Yogurt , Bangles/suhaag things or janau , Comb, Mehndi ,Nav Ratan , Gold, Silver , Jaun , Kale Til, Supari/Paan , Lavang, Ilaichi , Dhoop/aggarbatti (incense stick)

    Things to be avoided during Pitr Paksh 

    During the period of Shraadh, usually people avoid buying or wearing new clothes, hair-cut shall also be avoided.

    Auspicious activities like marriage, settling marriage, any kind of birth ceremony etc. are prohibited during this period

    Abstain from Non Veg food, Hard Drinks and Products containing Tobacco.

    Avoid eating as Guests at others place. it is said that during the shradh while eating at another’s home the host’s Pitr get transferred to the guest, and then the guest takes on an unwanted Pitr with him/her and eventually fall in ‘salt-debt’. this is only removed by an balancing act or Remedial Puja’s

    It is believed that if shraadh is performed with whole devotion, ancestors feel satiated and they bless the person with wealth, children, knowledge, joys, pleasures and a total life.

    Objectives of performing Shraddha

    Providing momentum to the deceased ancestors present in the Pitru region so that they can progress to a higher sub-plane of existence, through the means of Shraddha.

    Satisfying wishes and desires of the souls of the deceased ancestors from ones’ family who are trapped in the negative regions due to unfulfilled desires and providing momentum for their further progress.

    Importance and need of performing Shraddha

    Repaying the debt to ancestors is as important as repaying the debt to God, Sages and the society. It is the duty of descendants to respect their ancestors, make donations in their name and to undertake activities that will please them. Performing Shraddha is a part of obeying Dharma, as per science of Dharma.

    Ancestors’ soul becomes satisfied only after receiving pinda and water from their son. In relation to this, following is a verse in the holy text Mahabharat that describes ‘who qualifies to be called as son’ :

    Benefits of performing Shraddha

    The ritual of Shraddha is sacrificial fire performed for deceased ancestors and it is sacred, beneficial bestows blessings for conceiving a baby boy. The benefits derived after performing the ritual of Shraddha are mentioned in Smrutichandrika and other holy texts.

    If the ritual of Shraddha is performed on the day of an eclipse, the host derives benefit similar to the one obtained after donating a piece of land to someone.

    This page is sponsored by ARISH SAHNI – New York Life Insurance Agent

    sahani108@gmail.com

     

     

  • SIGNS OF LIQUID WATER FOUND ON SURFACE OF MARS, SCIENTISTS SAY

    SIGNS OF LIQUID WATER FOUND ON SURFACE OF MARS, SCIENTISTS SAY

    Despite its reputation as a forebodingly dusty, desolate and lifeless place, Mars seems to be a little bit wet even today.

    Scientists reported definitive signs of liquid water on the surface of present-day Mars, a finding that will fuel speculation that life, if it ever arose there, could persist to now.

    “This, I think, gives a focus of where we should look more closely,” said Alfred S McEwen, a professor of planetary geology at the University of Arizona and the principal investigator of images from a high-resolution camera on Nasa’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter.

    In a paper published in the journal Nature Geoscience, McEwen and other scientists identified waterlogged molecules — salts of a type known as perchlorates — in readings from orbit.

    “That’s a direct detection of water in the form of hydration of salts,” McEwen said. “There pretty much has to have been liquid water recently present to produce the hydrated salt.”

    By “recently,” McEwen said he meant “days, something of that order.”

    Although young Mars was inundated by rivers, lakes and maybe even an ocean a few billion years ago, the modern moisture is modest. Scientists have long known that large amounts of water remain — but frozen solid in the polar ice caps. There have been fleeting hints of recent liquid water, like fresh-looking gullies, but none have proved convincing.

    In 2011, McEwen and colleagues discovered in photographs from the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter dark streaks descending along slopes of craters, canyons and mountains. The streaks lengthened during summer, faded as temperatures cooled, then reappeared the next year.

    They named the streaks recurrent slope linae, or RSLs, and many thousands of them have now been spotted. “It’s really surprisingly extensive,” McEwen said.

    Scientists suspected that water played a critical role in the phenomenon, perhaps similar to the way concrete darkens when wet, with no change in the shape of the surface, and returns to its original color when dry.

  • PLASTIC EATING WORMS COULD SAVE THE WORLD

    PLASTIC EATING WORMS COULD SAVE THE WORLD

    A tiny worm, which is actually the larva of a beetle, eats Styrofoam and other forms of polystyrene, a Stanford University researcher has found. Microorganisms in the worms’ guts biodegrade the plastic in the process. This first ever finding holds out hope for a world that is being swamped by plastic.

    These findings, published studies in Environmental Science and Technology, are co-authored by Wei-Min Wu, a senior research engineer in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Stanford. “Our findings have opened a new door to solve the global plastic pollution problem,” Wu said.

    The world produced nearly 300 million tonnes of plastic according to 2013 data published by the Worldwatch Institute. In Europe, 26 percent, or 6.6 million tons, of the post-consumer plastic produced in 2012 was recycled, while 36 percent was incinerated for energy generation. The remaining 38 percent of post-consumer plastics in Europe went to landfills. In the United States, only 9 percent of post-consumer plastic (2.8 million tons) was recycled in 2012. The remaining 32 million tons was discarded.

    The new discovery is the first to provide detailed evidence of bacterial degradation of plastic in an animal’s gut. Understanding how bacteria within mealworms carry out this feat could potentially enable new options for safe management of plastic waste.

    “There’s a possibility of really important research coming out of bizarre places,” said Craig Criddle, a professor of civil and environmental engineering who supervises plastics research by Wu and others at Stanford. “Sometimes, science surprises us. This is a shock.” In the lab, 100 mealworms ate between 34 and 39 milligrams of Styrofoam – about the weight of a small pill – per day. The worms converted about half of the Styrofoam into carbon dioxide, as they would with any food source.

    Within 24 hours, they excreted the bulk of the remaining plastic as biodegraded fragments that look similar to tiny rabbit droppings. Mealworms fed a steady diet of Styrofoam were as healthy as those eating a normal diet, Wu said, and their waste appeared to be safe to use as soil for crops.

    Researchers, including Wu, have shown in earlier research that waxworms, the larvae of Indian mealmoths, have microorganisms in their guts that can biodegrade polyethylene, a plastic used in filmy products such as trash bags. The new research on mealworms is significant, however, because Styrofoam was thought to have been non-biodegradable and more problematic for the environment.

    Researchers led by Criddle, a senior fellow at the Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment, are collaborating on ongoing studies with the project leader and papers’ lead author, Jun Yang of Beihang University in China, and other Chinese researchers. Together, they plan to study whether microorganisms within mealworms and other insects can biodegrade plastics such as polypropylene (used in products ranging from textiles to automotive components), microbeads (tiny bits used as exfoliants) and bioplastics (derived from renewable biomass sources such as corn or biogas methane).

    As part of a “cradle-to-cradle” approach, the researchers will explore the fate of these materials when consumed by small animals, which are, in turn, consumed by other animals.

  • MUSHROOMS MAY BE KEY TO LONG-LASTING BATTERIES

    MUSHROOMS MAY BE KEY TO LONG-LASTING BATTERIES

    WASHINGTON (TIP) : Portabella mushrooms may be key to making efficient and longer-lasting batteries that could power cellphones and electric vehicles, scientists say.

    United States researchers at the University of California have created a new type of lithium-ion battery anode using portabella mushrooms, which are inexpensive, environmentally friendly and easy to produce.

    Engineers were drawn to using mushrooms as a form of biomass because past research has established they are highly porous, meaning they have a lot of small spaces for liquid or air to pass through.

    That porosity is important for batteries because it creates more space for the storage and transfer of energy , a critical component to improving battery performance.

    In addition, the high potassium salt concentration in mushrooms allows for increased electrolyte-active material over time by activating more pores, gradually increasing its capacity.