The Indian Panorama

Month: April 2016

  • Google’s new Fiber Phone service allows unlimited domestic calling

    Google’s new Fiber Phone service allows unlimited domestic calling

    SAN FRANCISCO (TIP): Google has unveiled a new landline telephone service aimed at helping consumers stay connected in the Internet cloud.

    The new Fiber Phone service will be made available to a few US markets and later expanded to other cities where Google offers high-speed Internet. The service will provide unlimited local and nationwide calls for $10 per month (around Rs 660).

    The new service adds a few high-tech features to the landline, such as transcribing voice mails and delivering them as written messages, and connecting with mobile phones when consumers are away.

    “While mobile phones have pushed us toward the future, home phone service is still important to many families,” Google’s John Shriver-Blake said in a blog post. “Landlines can be familiar, reliable and provide high-quality service, but the technology hasn’t always kept up,” he said. “That’s why today, we’re introducing Fiber Phone as a new option to help you stay connected wherever you are.” The new service enables “getting access on the road, in the office, or wherever you are,” Shriver-Blake said. “Your Fiber Phone number lives in the cloud, which means that you can use it on almost any phone, tablet or laptop. It can ring your landline when you’re home, or your mobile device when you’re on-the-go,” he added. Google Fiber, which offers ultra-fast service, is now available in four US cities, with several others set to come online soon.

  • YOUR SMARTPHONE COULD SOON REPLACE YOUR PASSPORT

    YOUR SMARTPHONE COULD SOON REPLACE YOUR PASSPORT

    LONDON (TIP): Forgot your passport on way to the airport? Relax as De La Rue, a Britain-based commercial banknote printer and passport manufacturer, is working on a technology that can store “paperless passports” in smartphones.

    The technology would allow travellers to do without the booklets and switch to “paperless passports” that would act similar to mobile boarding cards enabling a tourist to travel through an airport without documents of any kind, the Telegraph reported.

    “Paperless passports are one of many initiatives that we are currently looking at, but at the moment it is a concept that is at the very early stages of development,” a spokesman of the company was quoted as saying.

    However, the potential for forgery, global barriers and the distinct possibility of losing one’s smartphone mean the security challenges present big hurdles, the report added. “Digital passports on your phone will require new hardware on the device in order to securely store the electronic passport so it cannot be copied from the phone,” David Jevans from security company Proofpoint was quoted as saying.

    “It will also have to be communicated wirelessly to passport readers, because doing it onscreen like an airline ticket QR code can be copied or spoofed, he added. The “paperless passport” service is already under the testing mode.

  • BANKERS UNHAPPY WITH MALLYA’S ‘SWEETENER’ DEAL OF RS 4,000 CRORE

    BANKERS UNHAPPY WITH MALLYA’S ‘SWEETENER’ DEAL OF RS 4,000 CRORE

    MUMBAI (TIP): Embattled liquor baron Vijay Mallya’s proposed ‘sweetener’ deal of Rs 4,000 crore has not gone down well with bankers.

    Mallya offered on Wednesday to repay more than half of the Rs 7,000 crore his now-defunct Kingfisher Airlines (KFA) owes creditors. Mallya’s lawyers told the Supreme Court he is ready to pay by September Rs 4,000 crore of the Rs 6,903 crore taken as loans by KFA. However, together with interest and other dues, the loan amount comes to around Rs 9,000 crore.

    The court has asked banks to respond within a week to Mallya’s proposal.

    “He (Mallya) has just said it but there is no concrete plan on how will we see the actual money,” said a public sector bank official.

    “To consider the settlement offer, there are certain guidelines on one-time settlement that have been laid out and we need to follow the due procedure,” a senior SBI executive said. “There are rules that we have to follow with regard to the principal loan amount, interest, value of the property, value of the assets, securities, discounted value of cash flows, etc…which is a complex calculation that needs to be done. Only then we can come to a conclusion.”

    “It has just been proposed yet…Let us see what the offering has to say. We are dealing with public money so we cannot just settle or take a haircut.It’s too primitive to say anything currently, ” another senior public sector bank executive said.

    A former SBI official who was involved in dealing with the KFA loan account said Mallya’s offer “will not be acceptable because banks will have to write-off about Rs 3,000 crore plus some interest.”

    “Out of the Rs 4,000 crore that he is offering, about half of it is already with the courts. About Rs 600 crore in the form of properties is lying with the courts and another Rs 1,300-1,400 crore worth of shares are attached, which is very liquid. I doubt banks will accept it,” he added.

    Lenders can also attach Mallya’s personal assets since he has given a personal guarantee on the loans. However, since a large number of assets are abroad, it would be difficult to attach them, bankers said.

    “Going by the reports, if you take Rs 7,000 crore as loan dues and what has been recovered, it needs to be seen how much the banks are willing to write-off,” said an executive of a company, which specialises in restructuring and turnaround of stressed firms.

    Mallya’s luxury Airbus A319 being auctioned to recover dues

    The service tax department is set to auction defunct Kingfisher Airlines chairman Vijay Mallya’s luxury Airbus A319 to recover part of dues of over Rs 800 crore. The department hopes to raise Rs 150 crore from the auction. Over a dozen monogrammed towels and napkins bearing the initials of Vijay Mallya, a copy of Ambani & Sons by Hamish McDonald and DVDs of over 100 films curated by Mallya himself will be sold along with the aircraft on May 12.

    The service tax department, which seized the Airbus A319 in December 2013, has appointed Air India as technical consultant for sale of the aircraft. Air India has also been entrusted the task of cleaning the aircraft before potential buyers begin physical inspection.

  • GOVERNMENT TO MONITOR UTILISATION OF FUNDS BY PSUS’ MONTHLY

    GOVERNMENT TO MONITOR UTILISATION OF FUNDS BY PSUS’ MONTHLY

    MUMBAI (TIP): The government has decided to monitor the utilisation and management of capital expenditure by public sector units (PSUs) on a monthly basis.

    Besides, it is also keeping an eye on the investments of these companies with a view to yield better returns amid fiscal constraints. After the buyback of 25% shares in Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) and Bharat Dynamics Ltd (BDL), which garnered almost Rs 5,300 crore, the government is looking for more such cases, sources said.

    Over Rs 2 lakh-crore surplus cash is lying idle with PSUs. The government is likely to aggressively follow the buyback model to achieve its disinvestment target of Rs 56,500 crore for the current financial year (2016-17).

    The state-owned units have been asked to send a detailed report to the Centre on their investments and capex plans.

    The Prime Minister’s Office is also keeping a close watch, sources added.

    The PSUs have also been asked to strengthen their balance sheets by restructuring capital wherever applicable, while expanding their business activities by leveraging their net worth.

    “Keeping in mind the focus of the government on management of its investments in PSUs, a professional approach to capital management and capital restructuring is of great relevance,” said Neeraj Kumar Gupta, secretary, department of disinvestment.

    With the buyback of shares from HAL and BDL, total disinvestment revenue stands at Rs 24,000 crore for 2015-16, compared to the revised estimate of Rs 25,312 crore.

    “The government has responded positively by participating in the buyback (in HAL and BDL),” Gupta added.

  • CHINA MANUFACTURING EXPANDS FOR FIRST TIME IN 9 MONTHS

    CHINA MANUFACTURING EXPANDS FOR FIRST TIME IN 9 MONTHS

    BEIJING (TIP): China’s manufacturing activity expanded in March for the first time in nine months, official data showed on Friday.

    The official Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI), which tracks activity in factories and workshops, rebounded to 50.2 last month, figures from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) showed.

    It was the highest figure in nine months and the first expansion of manufacturing activity since June 2015.

    The result beat the median expectations of 49.4 in a Bloomberg News survey of economists.

    A reading above 50 signals expanding activity in the vital sector, while anything below indicates contraction. Investors watch the index closely as the first available official indicator of the country’s economic health each month.

    It was a rebound from February’s 49.0 figure, which was the seventh consecutive month the official index showed contraction.

    NBS analyst Zhao Qinghe said in a separate statement that the March PMI showed “some positive signs have started to emerge”.

    “Manufacturing production and (the) market warmed up as companies started working after the Spring Festival and the recent acceleration of supply side reform.”

    A rebound in fixed-asset investment and the property market have also boosted production and consumption to some extent, Zhao said, but added the expansion was partly due to seasonal factors.

    “We should be aware that there remain many difficulties in companies’ production and operation.”

    Firms are still facing tight financing, insufficient demand and rising labour costs, Zhao added.

    Chinese stocks were lower Friday morning despite the improvement, with the benchmark Shanghai Composite Index slipping 0.23 percent.

    China’s economy, a vital driver of global expansion, grew 6.9 percent last year, its weakest rate in a quarter of a century.

    Some analysts pointed to an increase in government investment as signalled at the March National People’s Congress, with SG Global Economics saying in a note before the release that infrastructure and housing investment would “lend some support” to the industrial sector.

  • JAITLEY SEES FY16 GDP GROWTH AT 7.6%

    JAITLEY SEES FY16 GDP GROWTH AT 7.6%

    CANBERRA (TIP): Pegging India’s GDP growth rate at 7.6 per cent for the fiscal 2015-16, finance minister Arun Jaitley today said it is “much less” than its potential and expressed hope for better numbers next year.

    Jaitley also said that India earlier had a bad reputation of not being the best place to do business, but the governments at the Centre and states have made considerable headway in reforming the system.

    “As the current financial year ends today, we hope to finish this year at 7.6 per cent growth rate which is much less than our potential… we are hopeful that we will do better than this next year.

    “Our current account deficit is well under control, inflation rate is under control. In last 16 months, the wholesale price index has been negative. Consumer index has been in the range of 4-5 per cent… interest rates are slowly coming down,” he said.

    “We had to reform our systems. There is a considerable amount of ease which has come in and we have moved up in global rankings,” Jaitley said while delivering a KR Narayanan Oration series lecture here on the topic of ‘New Economics of Financial Inclusion in India’.

    The Narayanan Lectures are hosted by the Australian National University in honour of the former Indian President KR Narayanan. The annual oration is delivered by eminent Indian thinkers and the past speakers include Raja J Chelliah, Jagdish Bhagwati, UR Rao and P Chidambaram.

    In his speech, Jaitley further said, “We had a fairly aggressive tax system which we have rationalised.”

    Stressing on the importance of GST, Jaitley said its implementation could further add to the growth story of India.

    Elucidating on long term vision for India, Jaitley indicated that there were very challenging tasks for the ruling government to bring and integrate rural India with similar facilities with urban India.

  • RBI relaxes norms for firms raising foreign funds for infrastructure

    RBI relaxes norms for firms raising foreign funds for infrastructure

    MUMBAI (TIP): The Reserve Bank on Wednesday relaxed overseas borrowings norms to help companies raise funds for infrastructure projects in the country.

    The central bank said it has reviewed the extant external commercial borrowing (ECB) guidelines in consultation with the government after “taking into account prevailing external funding sources, particularly for long-term lending and the critical needs of infrastructure sector of the country”.

    Now firms in infrastructure sector, non-banking financial companies -infrastructure finance companies (NBFC-IFCs), NBFCs-asset finance companies (NBFC-AFCs), holding companies and core investment companies (CICs) will also be eligible to raise ECB with minimum average maturity period of five years, subject to 100 per cent hedging.

    Further, ‘exploration, mining and refinery’ sectors which are not included in the list of infrastructure sector but were eligible to take ECB will be deemed as in the infrastructure sector, and can access ECB as applicable to infrastructure sector, RBI said.

    “Companies in infrastructure sector shall utilise the ECB proceeds raised under Track I for the end uses permitted for this Track. NBFCs-IFCs and NBFCs-AFCs will, however, be allowed to raise ECB only for financing infrastructure,” it added.

    Holding Companies and CICs shall use ECB proceeds only for on-lending to infrastructure special purpose vehicles (SPVs).

    Track I refers to Medium term foreign currency denominated ECB with minimum average maturity of 3/5 years.

    The individual limit of borrowing under the automatic route for these companies is $750 million.

    Only those NBFCs which are coming under the regulatory purview of the Reserve Bank are permitted to raise ECB.

  • GANGAUR #Hinduism

    GANGAUR #Hinduism

    Gangaur is a festival celebrated in the Indian state of Rajasthan and some parts of Gujarat, West Bengal and Madhya Pradesh.

    Gangaur is colourful and one of the most important festivals of people of Rajasthan and is observed throughout the state with great fervour and devotion by womenfolk who worship Gauri, the consort of Lord Shiva during March–April. It is the celebration of spring, harvest and marital fidelity. Gana is a synonym for Lord Shiva and Gaur which stands for Gauri or Parvati who symbolizes Saubhagya (marital bliss). The unmarried women worship her for being blessed with a good husband, while married women do so for the welfare, health and long life of their husbands and for a happy married life. People from Rajasthan when migrated to Kolkata in West Bengal started celebrating Gangaur. This celebration is now more than 100 years old in Kolkata.

    Rites and Rituals

    The festival commences on the first day of chaitra, the day following Holi and continues for 16 days. For a newly-wedded girl, it is binding to observe the full course of 18 days of the festival that succeeds her marriage. Even unmarried girls fast for the full period of the 18 days and eat only one meal a day. Festivity consummates on 3rd day of Shukla Paksha of Chaitra Month.Fairs (Gangaur Melas) are held throughout the 18 day period. Numerous folklores are associated with Gangaur which makes this festival deeply ingrained into the hearts of Rajasthan, and parts of Madhya Pradesh, Haryana & Gujarat.

    Images and Paintings

    Images of Isar and [Parvati |Gauri]are made of clay for the festival. In some Rajput families, permanent wooden images are painted afresh every year by reputed painters called matherans on the eve of festival. A distinct difference between the idols of Teej and Gangaur is that the Idol will have a canopy during the Teej Festival while the Gangaur idol would not have a canopy.

    Mehandi

    The ladies decorate their hands and feet by drawing designs with Mehndi (myrtle paste). The figures drawn range from the Sun, Moon and the starts to simple flowers or geometrical designs. Ghudlias are earthen pots with numerous holes all around and a lamp lit inside them. On the evening of the 7th day after Holi, unmarried girls go around singing songs of ghudlia carrying the pots with a burning lamp inside, on their heads. On their way, they collect small presents of cash, sweets, jaggery, ghee, oil etc. this continues for 10 days i.e. up to the conclusion of the Gangaur festival when the girls break their pots and throw the debris into the well or a tank and enjoys a feast with the collection made.

    Gauri’s Departure

    The festival reaches its climax during the last three days. The images of Gauri and Isar are dressed in new garments especially made for the occasion. Unmarried girls and married women decorate the images and make them look like living figures.

    At an auspicious hour in the afternoon, a procession is taken out to a garden, bawdi or johad or well with the images of Isar and Gauri, placed on the heads of married women. Songs are sung about the departure of Gauri to her husband’s house. The procession comes back after offering water to the first two days. On the final day, she faces in the same direction as Isar and the procession concludes in the consignment of the all images in the waters of a tank or a well. The women bid farewell to Gauri and turn their eyes and the Gangaur festival comes to an end.

    The festival celebrates the union of Shiva and Parvati which gives young girls and boys an occasion to interact with each other. It is an elaborate occasion and there are several rituals associated with it.

    These rituals include:

    • Collecting ash from Holika Dehan and burying seeds of wheat and barley in it and protecting them by watering till the seeds germinate.
    • Songs in praise of Shiv and Parvati are sung by women who also carry pots on their heads.
    • Women make clay images of both Shiva and Parvati.
    • A procession is taken by young girls and all of them place an earthern pot with holes and lamp inside on their heads. They distribute cash and other gifts on their way.
    • The final day of the festival sees images of Gauri being taken out in a procession accompanied by camels, bullock carts, horses and elephants. The procession is symbolic of return of Gauri to her husband’s (Shiv’s) home.
    • To mark the end of the procession, the girls break their pots.
    • Apart from these rituals, newly married women fast for the whole eighteen days of the festival and even unmarried women fast and eat only one meal a day in the hope to find a good husband. During this festival in Jaipur, a popular sweet dish called ‘Ghewar’ is distributed between families, relatives and friends.

     

  • CHAITRA SHUKLA PRATIPADA OR GUDI PADWA

    CHAITRA SHUKLA PRATIPADA OR GUDI PADWA

    Gudi Padwa, the first Holy festival which marks the beginning of the New Year, new month and new day for the Hindus falls on Chaitra Shukla Pratipada. (8th April 2016) It is known as Gudhi Padwa (in Maharashtra), Ugadi (in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh). [In other parts of country it is celebrated during Nau Roz (Kashmir), Baisakhi (Punjab), Cheti Chand (Sindhi), Naba Barsha (Bengal), Goru Bihu (Assam), Puthandu (Tamil Nadu), Vishu (Kerala)] On this very day Lord Brahma created the Universe. Therefore for Hindus, this day carries special importance. The day is celebrated with an auspicious bath, followed by decorating the doorway with a ‘toran’, performing ritualistic worship and hoisting the Gudhi.

    Gudhi Padwa is celebrated as Ugadi (or Yugadi) in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. The day, begins with ritual showers (oil bath) followed by pooja to god and Panchanga Shravana. Houses are decorated with Mango Leaves and Rangoli and everyone in the family wear new clothes and celebrate the festival by wishing each other New year greetings.

    The eating of a specific mixture called Bevu-Bella (Neem and Jaggery) in Kannada, symbolizes the fact that life is a mixture of good and bad, Happiness and Sorrow. Eating Neem and Sweet Jaggery means one need to take both Good and Bad or Happiness and Sorrow should be accepted together and with equanimity through the New Year. The special mixture consists of:

    Neem Buds/Flowers for its bitterness, signifying Sadness

    Jaggery which is sweet, signifying Happiness

    In Karnataka a special dish called Obbattu or Holige (Puran Poli), is prepared on this occasion. It consists of a filling (gram and jaggery/sugar boiled and made in to a paste) stuffed in a flat roti like bread. It is usually eaten hot/cold with ghee or milk topping or coconut milk at some places of Karnataka.

    To ensure that the beginning of the New Year begins on an auspicious note, celebrate it according to the Hindu scriptures, on Chaitra Shuddha Pratipada as per the Hindu lunar calendar. This date is glorious in all ways – as per the cycle of Nature and it also has historical and spiritual significance. All this contributes to endowing the one celebrating it, as per the Hindu scriptures, with several benefits. It is the duty of each individual to arrest the loss being caused to society due to blindly emulating Westerners.

    ‘Gudi Padwa’ is the day on which the universe was created. Since on this day Shri Brahma created the universe and the Satyayug began, it marks the commencement of the New Year.

    The Divine consciousness emanating during sunrise, absorbed at that time lasts longer. Thus the Gudi should be worshipped within 5-10 minutes after sunrise !

    On Gudi Padwa, the waves consisting of the fire principle (Tej tatva) and the creative Prajapati waves are activated on a large scale. The Divine consciousness emanating during sunrise, absorbed at that time lasts longer. This consciousness is stored in the body cells and is used as required. Hence the Gudi should be worshipped within 5-10 minutes after sunrise.

    Page sponsored by ARISH K. SAHANI | “If Hindus don’t maintain Hinduism, who shall save it? If India’s own children don’t cling to their faith, who shall guard it? Indian alone can save India, and India and Hinduism are one.”

  • WORLD T20: ‘TODAY WAS MY DAY’ – LENDL SIMMONS

    WORLD T20: ‘TODAY WAS MY DAY’ – LENDL SIMMONS

    MUMBAI (TIP): “It could have been a different ball game if I were out.” Lendl Simmons called it as he saw it. One line question, one line answer. The reference was, of course, the two reprieves he got during his match-winning innings of 82 off 51 balls against India in the second semi-final of the ICC World Twenty20. Ones that MS Dhoni termed as “very disappointing” and which should haunt India for some time to come.

    Playing his first international innings since West Indies were eliminated from the ODI World Cup in the quarter-finals on March 21, 2015, and having only reached India a few days ago as replacement for the injured Andre Fletcher, the 31-year-old Simmons chose the cauldron of the tournament semi-final, against the pre-tournament favourites India, to produce what could be his defining international performance.

    But it needed some generous slices of luck. Chasing 193, West Indies lost Chris Gayle for five and Marlon Samuels for eight to be 19/2 after three overs. Simmons walked in No 4 and had Johnson Charles for company. The pair went on to forge the defining partnership of the chase, worth 97 in 67 balls, with Charles scoring a key 52. Simmons, much to Dhoni’s disappointment, was given lives on three occasions. It is harsh to term the third one a chance, but the first two were serious blunders.

    On 18, Simmons flashed a cut at an inviting delivery from R Ashwin. At short third man, Jasprit Bumrah dived and caught the ball low as he fell forward. It was a superb catch from the man identified last week by Dhoni as one of India’s weakest fielders. The Wankhede erupted. Simmons was almost down to the boundary line when he was called back, for the TV replays showed that Ashwin had over-stepped. Chance No 1 for Simmons, in his first match of the tournament.

    Simmons was on 50 when his second reprieve came. Hardik Pandya bowled a full toss that Simmons slapped straight to Ashwin at cover to cue more Indian celebrations. But then the umpires called for a replay and sure enough, the TV showed that Pandya had overstepped by a big margin. The result was a free hit, which Simmons wound up for and swung over deep midwicket for six. He was living a charmed life, and by this stage you got the feeling he was going to run away with the lottery.

    The 18th over stared with West Indies needing 32 runs from 18 balls. Bumrah bowled three dot balls which left Simmons under pressure to make the next three count. On the fourth, he heaved hard at a slower ball and send it towards wide long-on. Ravindra Jadeja ran around to his left and got hands to it, but as he tipped over the boundary line he lobbed the ball back up for Kohli to complete the catch. It looked a superb effort, but then replays showed that one of Jadeja’s feet had touched the boundary line just after he caught the ball. Six was signalled.

    Simmons’ seventh and final four closed out the over, and Andre Russell finished the chase by smacking two sixes and two fours in the span of five balls. This was, as Simmons put it, his day. His attacking methods left India on the defensive – in particular, his cutting and pulling were eye-catching -and an ability to nudge the good deliveries for singles meant that Simmons didn’t get bogged down. He backed himself to deliver, and did so with an innings that sends West Indies to meet England in Sunday’s final at Eden Gardens bristling with confidence.

    “When I went out to bat I had a clear mind of what I wanted to do because we had a target to chase,” said Simmons. “But before the game I was a bit nervous. I was under a bit of pressure as the guys said I came here for a job. But in all it was good. We had a target to chase and we got there. Today was my day. Every cricketer has his day and today was mine. I had a bit of luck on my side and I rode my luck and things went the way I wanted it. Seeing this is my home ground as well, I know the conditions, think I read it well.” (PTI)

  • World T20: MS Dhoni invites Aussie journalist on stage, engages in banter

    World T20: MS Dhoni invites Aussie journalist on stage, engages in banter

    MUMBAI (TIP): In what was a surprise move that left the pack of media assembled in the basement of the Wankhede Stadium stunned and clamouring to take photos with their smartphones, MS Dhoni responded to a question from an Australian journalist by inviting him to sit next to him on the dais.

    The question asked by Samuel Ferris of cricket.com.au was about whether after the Indian team’s exit from the ICC World Twenty20 semi-finals, Dhoni, at 34, was keen to play on. At first Dhoni responded by asking Ferris to repeat the question, and when he did, the following played out.

    “Come here, let’s have some fun,” said Dhoni, beckoning to Ferris to join him. Ferris blinked and looked taken aback. Dhoni pushed aside one of the chairs next to him and said: “I am serious, come here.”

    A somewhat sheepish Ferris got up and joined Dhoni as cameras clicked. This was unprecedented in any media briefing for cricketers. That it was the captain of India calling a journalist out of the crowd made it all the more incredulous.

    The Australian sat down and Dhoni put an arm around him. “Do you want me to retire?”

    “Not that I want. That’s what I want to ask you,” replied Ferris.

    “I was hoping it was an Indian media guy because I can’t really ask you if you have a son or a brother who is a wicketkeeper. Do you think I am unfit, looking at my running?” asked Dhoni as giggles rippled around the room.

    “No. You’re very fast.”

    “Do you think I can survive till the 2019 World Cup?”

    “You should, yes, sure.”

    “Then you have answered the question.” With that, Dhoni patted Ferris’ back and the Australian got up and walked back to his seat.

    Dhoni wasn’t finished, though.

    “I wish it was an Indian media person,” he added, clearly in reference to the number of times his place has been questioned after a defeats and the times journalists have asked him questions about his future. “Then I would have asked if he has a son who is a wicketkeeper and ready to play. He would have said no, then I would have said maybe a brother who is a wicketkeeper and who is ready to play. You fired the right ammunition at the wrong time.”

    It is a moment that will find plenty of airplay over the next 24 hours, and countless viewing, no doubt, on YouTube. As for Twitter, well you can bet Dhoni’s brief chat with Ferris is going to kick up a lot of laughs.

  • Azlan Shah, CT will serve as Olympic preparations: Sardar

    Azlan Shah, CT will serve as Olympic preparations: Sardar

    BENGALURU (TIP): With an eye on the Olympics, the India hockey team skipper Sardar Singh on Thursday said that the upcoming tournaments like Sultan Azlan Shah Cup and Champions Trophy will serve as important preparatory events in the run-up to the Rio Games.

    Sardar said while the immediate aim is to win a gold in Sultan Azlan Shah Cup at Ipoh from April 6-16, the larger goal is to come up with a medal-winning show in the Champions Trophy, to be played in London from June 10-17.

    “We have a very busy schedule over the next few months. So, we need a very strong core group of players around which the team will revolve. Though the immediate focus of our preparation is the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup, but we are also looking ahead at the Champions Trophy that will be played in June,” Sardar said at the training-cum-conditioning camp, which is currently underway at the SAI Centre.

    The Indian team has enjoyed considerable success in the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup, winning the tournament five times — 1985, 1991, 1995, 2009 and 2010. Last year, India finished third and Sardar said his team’s target is to do better this time around.

    “We have a good record in the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup. Our target is to do better than last year when we won bronze. We lost some close matches against New Zealand and Malaysia. But this year our aim is to come back with gold,” he said.

    This year, besides India, defending champions New Zealand, 2012 Olympic bronze medallist, Australia, Pakistan, Japan, Canada and hosts Malaysia will be taking part in the tournament.

    The skipper feels that the preparations are in the right direction to win the upcoming tournament.

    “The core group of players are shaping up very well. This team has the right balance of experience and youth and the youngsters are willing to stand up to be counted. We have a great chief coach in Roelant Oltmans, who is a very astute reader of the game.

    “I can confidently say that the team is working in the right direction and is making 100 per cent effort to win the tournament,” said the veteran of 236 international games.

    Sardar said that the team has been working on a few grey areas like conceding early and late goals, and the inability to create more scoring chances by earning penalty corners inside the opponent’s striking circle.

  • Consul General Riva Ganguly Das chalks out open door policy to solve community issues

    Consul General Riva Ganguly Das chalks out open door policy to solve community issues

    NEW YORK CITY, NY (TIP): Ambassador Riva Ganguly Das, who recently took over as the Consul General of India in New York, in her maiden formal interaction with media persons, called upon Indian American media to be an effective bridge of communication between the Consulate and the community.

    Addressing a well-attended gathering of mediapersons at the Consulate in New York, March 30, Mrs. Das said that cooperation of the media was crucial in maintaining harmonious relationship with the community. She pointed out that her office would like to utilize the channel of Indian media to effectively communicate with the community on important people related issues.

    Giving an example, she said that there were unclaimed OCI documents in the Consulate. “With the help of newspapers we would like to reach out to those applicants who never turned up to pick up their documents”, she said, “Such documents can be stored at the Consulate for a limited period of time, after which they would be destroyed.”

    Ambassador Ganguly Das said that her office was proud to ensure that most emergency visa applications were processed within 15 minutes provided paper work was completed as per application guidelines.

    “The application process for passport and visa is going through a transitional phase as a new outsourcing company was selected to take over the responsibilities”, informed Dr. Manoj Kumar Mohapatra, Deputy Consul General of India in New York.

    According to Dr Mohapatra, a new service was launched to expedite the process of new passports. He claimed that ‘Tatkal’ service was aimed at facilitating the completion of passports within two hours of submitting applications. “Any delay caused might be due to noncompliance of guidelines or lack of supporting documents needed to process the applications”, he added.

    The Consul General spelled out a number of initiatives to strengthen public diplomacy efforts some of which were continuation of efforts initiated by the former Consul General Ambassador Dnyaneshwar Mulay. She said that community outreach program initiated by her immediate predecessor has proved to be effective in connecting with the Indian American communities in far flung States, such as Ohio and Massachusetts. “We will soon organize outreach events in cities like Cincinnati and Boston.”

    Ambassador Ganguly Das underscored the importance of increasing trade and commerce between India and the United States. “In order to strengthen these ties I plan to work with chambers and organizations dedicated to trade and commerce.”

    Attracting young people to Consulate activities was also under her priority list of things to do. “We want to engage young people in our activities for which we would like to utilize the facilities offered by social media channels”, said the Consul General, who appealed to the media persons to participate in posting activities related with the Consulate.

    Mrs. Ganguly Das expressed her support to the forthcoming International Hindi Conference and said that she was happy to be involved in preparatory activities immediately after taking over. A green peacock logo was placed on the home page of Consulate website that opens up the pages of the International Hindi Conference which will take place at the Consulate Ball Room from April 29 to May 1st. The conference is being organized in collaboration with Hindi professionals and the Indian American community.

    She also informed the audience that her office was planning to hold impressive public programs on the occasion of Yoga Day on June 21st.

    Ambassador Das who took questions from the media persons was candid in her answers. When a media person pointed out that Indian Americans hailing from various regions of India liked to celebrate the foundation day of their native states, the Consul General didn’t hesitate to congratulate people who came from a specific Sate of India and favored celebrating formation day of individual states. However, she politely pointed out that all people of Indian origin should celebrate their connection with India as one nation.

    Prof. Indrajit S Saluja, Editor of The Indian Panorama made an impassioned plea for liberalizing grant of passport and visa to those who had sought political asylum who had nothing against India but just because they wanted to obtain a permanent residence in the US.

    Mr. Vikas Nangia of TV Asia suggested that the Consulate should arrange meetings of the visiting dignitaries from India with the media to enable the media here to understand the Indian government’s views on various issues and to convey to them the Indian American viewpoint. He was promptly supported by Prof. Saluja.

    Many others asked questions and made suggestions which the Consul General and other officers of the Consulate listened to and responded.

    The Consul General said she was all in favor of an open door policy. She told the audience that she was open to sort out any complaints that werebrought to her notice. “Our doors are open and everyone was welcome to contact us with specific complaints.”

  • Trump terms Pakistan as a ‘very, very vital problem’

    Trump terms Pakistan as a ‘very, very vital problem’

    WASHINGTON (TIP): Nuclear-armed Pakistan is a “very, very vital problem”, Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump has said and asserted that the country needs to “get a hold of” its situation.

    “Pakistan is a very, very vital problem and really vital country for us because they have a thing called nuclear weapons. They have to get a hold of their situation,” Trump told CNN during a town hall in Wisconsin, where the Republican presidential primary is scheduled for April 5.

    “When I see that and when I see it put in a park because it was mostly Christians, although many others were killed other than Christians, I think it’s just absolutely a horrible story,” he said referring to the terrorist attack in Lahore on Easter Sunday that claimed 74 lives and injured over 300 others.

    “I’m talking about radical Islamic terrorism. I will solve it far better than anybody else running,” Trump said in response to a question.

    A large number of people were present at the crowded Gulshan-e-Iqbal Park of Allama Iqbal Town in Lahore when a powerful blast took place on Sunday. A large number of Christian families were present in the park due to Easter Sunday.

    The brutal attack by a suicide bomber-believed to be in his 20s – was claimed by the Jamaatul Ahrar, a splinter group of the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

    Earlier this month, Trump had said that the “US needs to stay in Afghanistan because its immediate neighbor Pakistan has nuclear weapons which have to be protected”.

    “I think you have to stay in Afghanistan for a while, because of the fact that you are right next to Pakistan, which has nuclear weapons and we have to protect that. Nuclear weapons change the game,” he said. Last year, Trump had called Pakistan the most dangerous country in the world. In an interview, he had indicated that Pakistan needs to be denuclearize.

  • Indian-Origin Professor Appointed UN Adviser on Human Rights and Businesses

    Indian-Origin Professor Appointed UN Adviser on Human Rights and Businesses

    NEW YORK (TIP): An India-born academician has been named by the UN Human Rights Council as an adviser to one of its working groups on the issue of human rights and transnational corporations and other business enterprises.

    Surya Deva has been appointed by the Geneva-based UNHRC as the Asia-Pacific representative of the UN Working Group on the issue of human rights and transnational corporations and other business enterprises.

    Deva is an associate professor at the School of Law of City University of Hong Kong and his research interests lie in Business and Human Rights, Corporate Social Responsibility, India-China Constitutional Law, and Sustainable Development.

    Deva recently wrote a background paper for India’s National Framework on Business and Human Rights and in 2014. He was elected a Member of the Executive Committee of the International Association of Constitutional Law.

    President of the Human Rights Council Choi Kyong-lim informed in a letter to all permanent representatives to the United Nations Office at Geneva last week about Deva’s appointment.

  • Nepal army chief leaves on China visit

    Nepal army chief leaves on China visit

    KATHMANDU (TIP): The Nepal army chief, General Rajendra Chhetri left on a week-long visit of China on Sunday, the day Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli returns from his official tour of the neighbouring country. This is Chhetri’s second foreign visit since September last year when he was appointed the chief of the army staff.

    One of his mandates has been to strengthen military ties with Nepal’s powerful northern neighbour.

    China would increase slots of military training for the Nepal army, said a statement from the Nepal army.

    General Chhetri’s visit to China is taking place exactly two months after his trip to India, where he was conferred with the honorary rank of general of the Indian Army. According to Nepal army spokesperson Tara Bahadur Karki, the visit is aimed purely at strengthening the relations between the national defence forces of the two neighbouring countries. No long-term deal is on the cards, he said. Since the abolition of century-old monarchy in Nepal, China is looking for political stability in Nepal to anchor its relations with its smaller neighbour.

    Pro Shree Dhar Khatrai, an expert in international relations, says that China is still seeking a stable political force in Nepal and in that respect it had tried to establish relations with Maoists in the past and with the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist) later.

  • Htin Kyaw sworn in as Myanmar’s president

    Htin Kyaw sworn in as Myanmar’s president

    NAYPYITAW (TIP): Htin Kyaw, a confidante of Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, was sworn in Wednesday as Myanmar’s president, ushering in the first democratically elected government into office after decades of military rule.

    The 70-year-old Htin Kyaw took the oath of office in a joint session of Myanmar’s newly elected parliament with his two vice presidents at his side, as Suu Kyi sat watching in the front row. “I, Htin Kyaw, will be loyal to the union and the people of the union,” he said, reading from a written pledge, while repeating after the house speaker Mann Win Khaing Than. “I will respect this constitution and the laws of the nation.”

    The same pledge was simultaneously read by First Vice President Myint Swe and Second Vice President Henry Van Tio. Later in the day, outgoing President Thein Sein will formally hand over the presidency to Htin Kyaw.

    Rightfully, the job belonged to Suu Kyi, who has been the face of the pro-democracy movement and who endured decades of house arrest and harassment by military rulers without ever giving up on her non-violent campaign to unseat them. But a constitutional provision barred Suu Kyi from becoming president, and she made it clear that whoever sits in that chair will be her proxy. She has said repeatedly she will run the government from behind the scenes.

    Still, Htin Kyaw will be remembered by history as the first civilian president for Myanmar and the head of its first government to be elected in free and fair polls. Suu Kyi’s party, the National League for Democracy, won a landslide victory in elections last November, in a reflection of Suu Kyi’s widespread public support. The constitutional clause that denied her the presidency excludes anyone from the position who has a foreign spouse or children. Suu Kyi’s two sons are British, as was her late husband. The clause is widely seen as having been written by the military with Suu Kyi in mind.

    The democracy that Suu Kyi and her colleagues are building is still not a complete package. The military has reserved 25 percent of the seats in parliament for itself, guaranteeing that no government can amend the constitution without its approval. Also, it ensured that one of Htin Kyaw’s two vice presidents is a former general, Myint Swe, a close ally of former junta leader Than Shwe. Myint Swe remains on a U.S. Treasury Department blacklist that bars American companies from doing business with several tycoons and senior military figures connected with the former junta.

  • Bangladesh court seeks arrest of Khaleda Zia over bus attack

    Bangladesh court seeks arrest of Khaleda Zia over bus attack

    DHAKA (TIP): A Bangladeshi court on March 28 issued arrest warrants for former prime minister Khaleda Zia and 27 other opposition party leaders on accusations they instigated an arson attack on a passenger bus during an anti-government protest last year. Dhaka metropolitan sessions judge Kamrul Hossain Mollah made the order after accepting the charges pressed by detectives that Zia instigated the violence when she asked her supporters to enforce a blockade to remove the administration of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

    Defence lawyers argued the case was politically motivated and the accused were not involved in any violence during the three months of protests that paralyzed the country beginning in early January a year ago. Prosecutors argued that during the protest some 150 people died, mostly in fire bombings by unidentified attackers, and Zia and her colleagues must take responsibility. The January 23 attack on a bus in Dhaka’s Jatrabari area killed one person and injured 30 others.

    It is unlikely that Zia will be arrested anytime soon. She could seek interim bail from the high court and such political cases usually get prolonged. The judge asked police to report to the court on April 27 on what has been done to execute the warrants. The protest and blockade came as Hasina’s government marked its first anniversary of returning to power. The January 2014 election was boycotted by Zia’s Bangladesh Nationalist Party and its partners, including the country’s largest Islamist party Jamaat-e-Islami.

  • Volume 10 Issue 13 | New York

    Volume 10 Issue 13 | New York

    Celebrating 10 Years of The Indian Panorama

    10 years

    This Week’s Print Edition

    Reimagined for the Web 

    Volume 10 Issue 13 | New York April 01

     

    Introducing Home Delivery Subscription:

    As a home delivery subscriber to The Indian Panorama, you enjoy the convenience and reliability of having the printed newspaper delivered to you first thing in the morning every Saturday.

    This incredible offer is available for 2016 at an introductory price of $5 per month (including shipping & handling – US Only). To know more email subscriptions@theindianpanorama.news

    Your subscription includes free Digital Access to www.theindianpanorama.news at no additional charge.

     

    Advertise with The Indian Panorama 

    Place your advertisement or message in The Indian Panorama and let us start delivering your best customers to you.

    For advertisers, The Indian Panorama has no rivals. Connect with our Advertising Sales team in order to learn more about who reads TIP and how your brand can connect with our audience.

    Our main print coverage is in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Dallas / Fort Forth among other major cities of The United States.

    The Indian Panorama is the 2nd most visited website by NRI’s & Indian Americans for Asian News, Immigration, Diaspora News in the United States much ahead of other newspapers like DesiTalk, NewsIndiaTimes, India Abroad, The Indian Express, South Asian Times etc (Source: Alexa Rankings)

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  • 2015’s Festival Sweetheart Film – “Miss India America” – Announces Limited Theatrical Release in D.C., Chicago & San Jose This Month

    2015’s Festival Sweetheart Film – “Miss India America” – Announces Limited Theatrical Release in D.C., Chicago & San Jose This Month

    (Los Angeles, CA – March 18, 2016) After 22 sold-out screenings at mainstream and South Asian film festivals around North America in 2015 and multiple audience and jury awards under its belt, the smart, witty, coming-of-age comedy feature, “Miss India America,” will have a special, red-carpet screening, followed by a Q&A with the cast/team, in Los Angeles on March 24th. The limited theatrical release will take place at theaters in Washington, D.C., Chicago and San Jose starting on Friday, March 25th, for a one-week run. Following the theatrical release, the movie will be available on the following broadband platforms starting Tuesday, April 5th: Amazon, GooglePlay, iTunes, Vimeo, Vudu, Xfinity and Sling.

    The brainchild of husband/wife creative team Ravi Kapoor (director/co-writer) and Meera Simhan (actor/co-writer), the cross-cultural comedy is set against the backdrop of the Indian beauty pageant world in Los Angeles. Inspired by Simhan’s one-woman-show of the same title, “Miss India America” stars Texas native Tiya Sircar (The Internship, 17 Again, Vampire Diaries) and Hannah Simone (of Fox television series New Girl fame), along with a supporting cast of talented actors, including Kosha Patel, Satya Bhabha, Cas Anwar, Rizwan Manji, Anjali Bhimani and Bernard White. Produced by Megha Kadakia and Saurabh Kikani and distributed by MarVista Entertainment, the feature film “establishes an authentic tone that pays respect to Indian cultural norms, while poking gentle fun at these traditions,” raves The Hollywood Reporter.

    Special Screening
    Thursday, March 24, 2016: 

    L.A. Market – Laemmle Monica Film Center
    1332 2nd Street,
    Santa Monica, CA
    7:30 p.m. – one-time screening

    ***Open to public – limited tickets available HERE!

    Theatrical Release Schedule
    Friday, March 25 to Thursday, March 31, 2016:

    D.C. Market – AMC Rio 18 with IMAX
    9811 Washingtonian Blvd.,
    Gaithersburg, MD
    3:00 p.m. daily

    Chicago Market – AMC Barrington 30 with IMAX
    175 Studio Drive,
    South Barrington, IL
    3:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. daily

    San Jose Market – AMC Mercado 20 with IMAX
    3111 Mission College Blvd.,
    Santa Clara, CA
    3:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. daily (show times may vary by 10 – 30 minutes)

    To purchase tickets in advance, click HERE!

    For a complete list of the film’s 2015 & 2016 festival run, please click HERE!
    For testimonials from top Hollywood writers and producers, please click HERE!