The Indian Panorama

Year: 2017

  • Bill Gates Disappointed with Trump’s decision to end DACA

    Bill Gates Disappointed with Trump’s decision to end DACA

    NEW YORK (TP): Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates expressed his disappointment on Donald Trump’s decision to end the DACA program and expressed hope that Congress will quickly pass a permanent fix so that hundreds of people do not get separated from their families, friends, and communities.

    “I’m very disappointed with today’s decision to end DACA. Hundreds of thousands of young people who have been educated in the United States and have played by the rules their whole lives will be forced to live under the threat that they will be separated from their families, friends, and communities”, Gates wrote on a Facebook post.

    “Melinda and I have been incredibly impressed by the Dreamers we have come across in our work with Microsoft, the foundation, and other programs we have supported over the years. They have been raised as Americans and have taken that responsibility seriously. Dreamers represent the best instincts of this country and the tradition that the great experiment of the United States is made better by people from other places coming here to dedicate their talents and commitment to continuing to move our country forward”, he further added.

    “I hope that Congress will quickly pass a permanent fix to allow these young people to stay in the country without the destructive fear of deportation”, he wrote.

    Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) is an American immigration policy established by the Obama administration in June 2012. DACA allows certain illegal immigrants who entered the country as minors to receive a renewable two-year period of deferred action from deportation and eligibility for a work permit.

    The USICS has announced that they are no longer accepting initial requests for DACA, but will adjudicate initial requests for DACA accepted by Sept. 5, 2017. They will no longer approve advance parole requests associated with DACA. They are only adjudicating DACA renewal requests received by Oct. 5, 2017, from current beneficiaries whose benefits will expire between Sept. 5, 2017 and March 5, 2018.

  • Indian American Democrat congressional candidate Aruna Miller endorsed by Emily’s List

    Indian American Democrat congressional candidate Aruna Miller endorsed by Emily’s List

    MARYLAND (TIP): Aruna Miller, an Indian-American politician and a member of the Maryland House of Delegates representing District 15 in Montgomery County, Maryland, picked up the endorsement of the women’s political group Emily’s List in the race for Maryland’s 6th District congressional seat.

    Miller, a former Montgomery County transportation engineer, is the only woman running in the race to replace Rep. John Delaney, who is running for president.

    Miller was sworn in as a member of House of Delegates on January 12, 2011 and appointed to the Ways and Means Committee (revenue, transportation & education subcommittees). She is a member of the Land Use and Transportation Committee of the Montgomery County Delegation and a member of the Women Legislators of Maryland where she serves on the executive board.

    After re-election in 2014, Miller was appointed to serve on the Appropriations Committee where she is Chair of the Oversight of Personnel Subcommittee and vice-Chair of the Transportation & Environment Subcommittee and in 2016 was appointed as vice-Chair of the Capital Budget. In the 2017 Miller was elected to Chair of the Women’s Legislative Caucus.

    In 2011, while serving as a Delegate, Miller encouraged strengthening economic and cultural development between Maryland and India and accompanied Governor Martin O’Malley on six-day trade mission to India, which resulted in nearly $60 million in business deals for the state of Maryland. Delegate Miller took a lead role in working with the Office of the Secretary of State and the Department of Economic Development to coordinate the Governor’s arrangements for his first stop to Hyderabad.

    In 2013 Delegate Miller was one of ten Maryland lawmakers named to the Maryland Business Climate Workgroup designed to make recommendations and develop long-term plans to streamline business regulations, encourage business innovation, and develop public-private partnerships to finance infrastructure.

    In 2013 Governor Martin O’Malley appointed Delegate Miller as a Commissioner to the Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin (ICPRB). The ICPRB’s mission is to enhance, protect, and conserve the water and associated land resources of the Potomac River and its tributaries through regional and interstate cooperation.

    Miller maintains her activism in community organizations, including serving on the boards of the Black Rock Center for the Arts, the Montgomery County Public Schools Educational Foundation, & the Indian Biomedical Association. She is a graduate of Leadership Montgomery (class of 2013) and in 2012, Miller served as an at large Delegate to the 2012 Democratic National Convention.

     

  • Indian American Professor Included in All-star Team of Rising Researchers

    Indian American Professor Included in All-star Team of Rising Researchers

    BOSTON (TIP): New Chemical Engineering Professor Ashish Kulkarni of University of Massachusetts at Amherst recently has been included among the so-called “Talented 12”, an international “dream team” of rising all-stars in chemistry, as chosen by Chemical & Engineering News. Dr. Kulkarni’s baseball-card-style photo on the lively Talented 12 webpage nicknamed him the “Cancer Crusher.” He comes to UMass Amherst after serving as an instructor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and an associate bioengineer at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. Kulkarni’s research efforts have been focused on the development of pioneering, structure-activity, relationship-inspired nanomedicine for cancer therapy.

    “Disease develops in our body if there is an imbalance in the immune system,” Kulkarni said in his Chemical & Engineering News profile. “I’m developing dual-function nanoparticles that can allow us not only to create a balance in the immune system but also to monitor whether the drug is working in real time.”

    As Chemical & Engineering News explained its Talented 12: “This team of up-and-comers has big ideas for using chemistry to solve global problems. Welcome to the third annual Talented 12 issue. It took us months of scouring the globe to collect all 12 of the rising stars in chemistry featured here.”

    As a postdoc at Harvard, he designed nanoparticles that could act as cancer immunotherapies; meaning drugs that prompt the immune system to find and attack cancer cells. But, although cancer immunotherapies known as “checkpoint inhibitors” dissipate tumors in many people with cancer, they don’t work for all. Researchers have been searching to find a good diagnostic or biomarker to predict and track people’s responses to the treatments.

    The 36-year-old academic, who completed his undergraduate work at the Institute of Chemical Technology in India before earning his doctorate at the University of Cincinnati, grew up loving cricket. Kulkarni can include his addition to the Talented 12 super team on his list of distinguished awards. Among other honors, he is the recipient of the Hearst Foundation Young Investigator Award, Dana-Farber/Harvard Cancer Center Career Development Award, American Association of Cancer Research Scholar-in-training Award, American Society of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics Young Scientist Award, and the Melanoma Research Alliance Young Investigator Award.

  • Indian American Returns to New York after solo flight around the world

    Indian American Returns to New York after solo flight around the world

    BUFFALO, NY (TIP): Ravinder K. Bansal, a retired entrepreneur of Indian origin, who embarked on a solo flight around the world to raise money for a hospital in Haryana, has completed a six-week  tour after raising $160,000. He will donate the money to the Rotary Ambala Cancer Hospital in Haryana, India, to purchase an urgently needed MRI machine.

    On July 4, Bansal, a resident of Buffalo, New York, embarked on a solo flight around the world in a single-engine Cessna 400 and returned on August 21. During the 19,878-mile trip he flew across England, France, Italy, Greece, Jordan, the UAE, and Oman and ended in India. He also had stopovers in Thailand, Malaysia, Philippines, Japan, Russia, and Canada during his return trip to the United States. He planned the mission after his daughter-in-law was diagnosed with life-threatening cancer. “This mission for me is very personal as it not only is an adventure that I have been dreaming about for a while, but will also help bring awareness about cancer in the rural community around Ambala and get the hospital a needed MRI machine now. Above all, it will generate publicity for the hospital that will hopefully continue to bring donations/support from the local and international community and Rotarians to keep the hospital operating and growing in future”, he wrote.

    “It has been a dream of mine for years to do this Round the World trip. I am finding it hard to believe that I have done it and come back home safely. I have lots of people to thank for helping me fulfill my dream. First and foremost is the unflinching support of my family, my wife Pratibha, my sons Rohan and Nitin, my brothers, sister and their families. My logistics team Eddie Gold and Ahmed Hassan of GASE, my friends in Buffalo, the new ones I made along the way and most of all God Almighty who watched over me through this entire journey. Thank you, Thank you, and Thank you all for helping make my dream come true”, he wrote in his blog.

    Bansal is a Ph.D. holder in mechanical engineering from the Georgia Institute of Engineering, is a retired entrepreneur with a passion for flying and a wannabe Drummer.

  • Indian American Vas Narasimhan appointed CEO of Novartis

    Indian American Vas Narasimhan appointed CEO of Novartis

    BASEL, SWITZERLAND (TIP): The Board of Directors of Novartis has appointed Indian American Vasant (Vas) Narasimhan, M.D., Global Head of Drug Development and Chief Medical Officer, as CEO of Novartis, effective February 1, 2018.

    Dr. Narasimhan is a member of the Executive Committee and joined Novartis in 2005. He will replace Joseph Jimenez who has been CEO since 2010. The 41-year old Narasimhan who heads the Drug Discovery division runs one of the industry’s largest drug development programs—overseeing 9,600 employees, 143 projects, 500 ongoing clinical trials and a nine billion dollar budget.

    Dr. Narasimhan said, “I would like to congratulate Joe and express my gratitude to Joe, Joerg, and the Board of Directors. I feel honored and humbled to be asked to lead Novartis. We will continue our legacy of bringing leading innovation to patients around the world. With our recent launches, our strong pipeline, broad capabilities, world-class leadership team, and committed people, I am very confident about our future.”

    Dr. Narasimhan has held numerous leadership positions across Novartis in commercial, drug development and strategy roles. Prior to his current role he served as Head of Development for Novartis Pharmaceuticals. Before joining Novartis in 2005, he worked at McKinsey & Company. He received his medical degree from Harvard Medical School in the US and obtained a master’s degree in public policy from Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government. In addition, he holds a bachelor’s degree in biological sciences from the University of Chicago, also in the US. During and after his medical studies, he worked extensively on a range of health issues in developing countries. Dr. Narasimhan is an elected member of the US National Academy of Medicine. He is a US citizen born in 1976, married with 2 children, and lives in Basel, Switzerland. Among the string of US FDA approvals under his watch this year there is a potential blockbuster heart-failure drug Entresto. Narasimhan brought a new dynamic to drug discovery by using big data and technology extensively by partnering with tech companies like Microsoft, Google and Qualcomm.

  • Parents travel from India to US to help son beat wife

    Parents travel from India to US to help son beat wife

    TAMPA, FL (TIP): An Indian woman in Florida was rescued on Sept 2 after the authorities received a call from India that she was beaten and held against her will by her husband and his parents. According to reports, 33-year-old Silky Gaind, was found “badly beaten and bruised over her entire body” from beatings by her husband Devbir Kalsi and his parents. Police has arrested Devbir, his father, Jasbir Kalsi, 67, and mother, Bhupinder Kalsi, 61. Gaind and her 1-year-old child, who was found unharmed, have been moved to a safe place, according to the Sheriff’s Office.

    According to investigation report, the parents had traveled from India to “counsel and discipline” Gaind at their son’s request. Devbir Kalsi had told his parents that his wife was being disobedient. While beatings by her husband continued, Gaind was held against her will by his parents. The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s office said Gaind called her parents in India on Saturday, Sept 2 to tell them of the abuse. They then called authorities.

    According to an arrest report, Devbir Kalsi and his wife got into an argument on Friday night, during which he struck her “repeatedly and forcefully.” When the woman tried to defend herself, Devbir Kalsi’s parents began hitting her, too, causing bruises on her face, neck and torso before Jasbir Kalsi threatened to stab her with a kitchen knife, the report said.

    Deputies arrived about 6:30 a.m. Saturday at their home but nobody opened the door after repeated knocks. Gaind tried to open the door and “screamed for the deputy to save her and her child,” the Sheriff’s Office said. A deputy then forced the door open to find Devbir. When Devbir tried to push the door closed, the deputy began arresting him before being confronted by his parents.

    Both Devbir and Jasbir Kalsi face charges of false imprisonment, child abuse and denying access to 911. Devbir Kalsi faces an additional charge of felony battery, and Jasbir Kalsi is accused of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon. Bhupinder Kalsi faces charges of battery domestic violence and failure to report child abuse.

  • Indian American appointed as U.S. Magistrate Judge in New York

    Indian American appointed as U.S. Magistrate Judge in New York

    NEW YORK (TIP): Indian American lawyer Sanket Bulsara, who recently served as acting general counsel to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, has been appointed as a magistrate judge in the Eastern District of New York and is the first South Asian American to serve on the bench in the Second Circuit.

    “We are thrilled to welcome Judge Bulsara into the Eastern District family,” Chief Judge Dora Irizarry said. “Judge Bulsara was chosen by the Board of Judges from among five highly qualified and stellar candidates recommended by the Magistrate Judge Merit Selection Committee composed of members of the bar and citizens of the Eastern District.”

    Judge Bulsara received an A.B. degree magna cum laude in 1998 from Harvard College and a J.D. degree cum laude from Harvard Law School in 2002.  He is a graduate of Edgemont High School.

    Upon graduating from law school, Judge Bulsara was a law clerk to Judge John G. Koeltl of the Southern District of New York.  Thereafter, he was an associate at Munger Tolles & Olson in Los Angeles and Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr in New York, where he worked from 2005 to 2015, including as a partner of the firm.  In 2015, he became the Deputy General Counsel for Appellate Litigation, Adjudication, and Enforcement at the Securities and Exchange Commission in Washington, DC.

    As the Acting General Counsel of the SEC, he served as the agency’s chief legal officer.  He also oversaw the agency’s appellate, adjudication and enforcement related legal policy functions.  Bulsara also served as Special Kings County Assistant District Attorney while he was at Wilmer Hale and successfully tried felony and misdemeanor cases.

    Bulsara received several awards related to his numerous pro bono matters that have included working on prisoner rights cases and a Hague Convention child abduction matter.

  • Second Indian student Shalini rescued from Texas lake dies

    Second Indian student Shalini rescued from Texas lake dies

    HOUSTON (TIP): Shalini Singh, a 25-year-old Indian student died on Sept 3, days after she was rescued along with another Indian student Nikhil Bhatia from a swollen lake in Hurricane Harvey hit Texas on Aug 26. Bhatia was rescued from the Lake Bryan along with Shalini Singh on Saturday, Aug 26. Bhatia succumbed to his injuries on Wednesday, Aug 30. Shalini, who continued to be in a critical condition, was declared dead late Sunday night.

    Bhatia, a PhD student at the Texas A&M University, completed his schooling from Jaipur’s St. Anslem’s Pink City Senior Secondary School in 2011 and did his B. Tech in Vellore, had recently graduated from Texas A&M University in Water Management and Hydrological Science. Shalini was pursuing master’s degree in public health from the same university. She came to the US only last month to pursue the two years Masters program after her degree in Dental Surgery from I T S Dental College in Greater Noida.

    Bhatia, originally from Jaipur, along with Shalini from New Delhi, were swimming in the lake when a sudden current of water pushed them deeper. The friends accompanying them noticed that the duo were in distress and flagged down nearby police officers. Bryan Police officers were able to rescue and provide cardiopulmonary resuscitation to the victims until medics arrived, according to Bryan Mayor Andrew Nelson. Both were admitted to a hospital in a critical condition. Dr Anupam Ray, the Consul General of India in Houston, was attending to their medical needs.

    At least 100,000 Indian-Americans living in and around Houston area have been severely affected by the tropical storm.

    The life-threatening storm has affected around 13 million people, with rains turning streets into rivers. At least 50 flood-related deaths have been confirmed by local officials.

  • Indian American gets 6 months prison term for Illegally Hiring Immigrants

    Indian American gets 6 months prison term for Illegally Hiring Immigrants

    FORDS, NJ (TIP): Sanjay Gupta, an Indian American resident of Fords, New Jersey, was sentenced for illegally hiring twelve unauthorized aliens to work at his company, Doon Technologies located in Iselin, New Jersey. U.S. District Judge J. Garvan Murtha sentenced Gupta to a six-month term of incarceration and a $10,000 fine. Judge Murtha also ordered that Gupta pay restitution totaling $14,200 to foreign workers from whom Gupta obtained illegal fees and payments.

    According to Court documents, Gupta, 51, admitted to recruiting 12 foreign workers with information technology expertise to work in the United States at his company Doon Technologies. Gupta then submitted forms and documentation to United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to obtain H1-B visas for the foreign workers with the stated purpose of working for Doon Technologies. USCIS has a visa processing center in St. Albans, Vermont which processed some of the applications submitted by Gupta. The applications Gupta submitted claimed that Doon Technologies would employ the foreign workers in the State of New Jersey, and that the foreign workers would be paid within 30 days of admission to the United States, as required. However, Gupta had no intent to follow these assurances, and instead placed the foreign workers at worksites outside the State of New Jersey, and paid the foreign workers only when work was available. Gupta’s misrepresentations to USCIS were material, in that H1-B visa allocations are designed to allow the employment of foreign workers in specialty occupations only when there are insufficient U.S. Citizens and Lawful Permanent Residents to work in those positions.

    In addition, Court documents reflect that Gupta submitted fraudulent documentation to USCIS to obtain H1-B visas, specifically by forging fictitious contracts with purported customers in an effort to demonstrate that work would be available for foreign workers when they began work for Doon Technologies. Further, court documents reflect that Gupta demanded prospective H1-B visa beneficiaries pay Gupta an illegal fee for submitting the H1-B visa applications to USCIS. Gupta also demanded that H1-B visa beneficiaries pay him hundreds of dollars to retain their visas, or risk deportation.

  • Indian American Former Campaign Guru Sentenced for Money Laundering in San Diego Mayoral Election

    Indian American Former Campaign Guru Sentenced for Money Laundering in San Diego Mayoral Election

    WASHINGTON DC (TIP): Political consultant Ravneet Singh, former CEO of ElectionMall Technologies, was sentenced Aug 31 to 15 months in prison and ordered to pay a $10,000 fine for his role in funneling more than $600,000 in illegal foreign campaign contributions from Mexican citizen Jose Susumo Azano Matsura to candidates in the 2012 San Diego mayoral election.

    U.S. District Court Judge Michael M. Anello ordered the defendant to report to prison on October 12, 2017, to begin serving his sentence.

    In September 2016, after six weeks of trial and five days of deliberations, a federal jury in San Diego returned guilty verdicts against Singh, Azano and Azano’s son, Edward Susumo, who were convicted of felony counts associated with a series of illegal campaign contributions by Azano to the campaigns of Bonnie Dumanis and Bob Filner.

    “American elections are not for sale,” said Executive U.S. Attorney Blair Perez. “We will not allow our sacred electoral process to be compromised. This prison sentence underscores an important message: Anyone who tries to manipulate the American electorate will pay a high price.”

    According to evidence presented at trial, Azano, Singh, and others conspired to inject hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash and in-kind consulting services to the Bonnie Dumanis and Bob Filner campaigns, despite the fact that Azano’s foreign national status made such contributions illegal. To conceal his connection to these contributions, Azano arranged with his son Edward Hester and others to funnel this illegal foreign money through corporate and third person “straw donor” contributions. The conspirators, moreover, arranged for at least $267,000 worth of Singh’s in-kind consulting services to be secretly funneled to the campaigns.

    In return for his political contributions, Azano sought to buy political influence. For example, he wanted support for his vision of Miami West – a San Diego waterfront development project with a yacht marina, a branded five-star hotel, and luxury bayside condominiums that promised Azano millions in profit. In other instances, Azano wanted access, like the ability to call on influential political figures or obtain letters of reference to secure his son’s admission to the University of San Diego.

    Ultimately, with Azano’s help, Filner won the election, though he was forced to resign shortly thereafter.

    For his part, Singh used his specialized skills and knowledge to facilitate the crimes. Evidence at trial demonstrated that Singh used code names for the Dumanis and Filner work that Azano paid for but never for any other domestic candidate for office; harshly reprimanded employees for using those code names in emails; and on one particularly candid occasion, referenced the “legal ramifications” of discussing these topics. Singh further concealed the payments from Azano by structuring the wires from a Mexican company, Broadlink, controlled by Azano, which had nothing to do with electoral politics, to company Singh controlled, not Election Mall, but eSolutions, which primarily developed software from India.

  • Hardeep S Puri-Just Minted Minister of State for Housing & Urban Development

    Hardeep S Puri-Just Minted Minister of State for Housing & Urban Development

    By Ravi Batra

    Ambassador Hardeep S Puri, now Minister of State with Independent Charge of Housing and Urban Affairs in the rejigged Cabinet of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, was India’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations from 4 May 2009 – 27 February 2013. His four years at the United Nations were eventful for Indian diplomacy when India pushed for a permanent seat on Security Council, and contributed hugely to furtherance of UN agenda. Outside the UN, Ambassador Puri was an admired and much-loved person for his qualities of head and heart, and an affable and winsome nature.

    The news of Mr. Puri’s induction in Modi cabinet immensely pleased his friends and admirers in New York. One of his closest friends, attorney Ravi Batra, sent in his comment to The Indian Panorama which we are hugely pleased to publish here. Mr. Puri assumed office on September 3.

    The Indian Panorama has had a long association with Mr. Puri who the newspaper featured a couple of times while he was stationed in New York. We are glad to see him in the select group guiding the destiny of a great democratic nation of 1.3 billion people. We wish him all success and happiness. We also congratulate his wife Ambassador Lakshmi Puri.  –EDITOR

    PM Narendra Modi has tapped H. E. Hardeep Singh Puri as the Minister of State for Housing and Urban Development – directly answerable to him.  It’s a deeply happy and proud moment for all of us who know and love Hardeep, and who wish India well always (especially, to be America’s indispensable ally). This most difficult of assignments has been given to a man who was born to serve and has much to contribute to humanity – now, at least to 1.3 billion Indians who are impatient to realize their version of the American Dream.

    Like Ian Flemings’ 007 James Bond, Hardeep is India’s, to achieve the difficult goal and do it beyond expectations. My wife, Ranju and I were with him and Lakshmi in 2010 in the UNGA hall for the Security Council vote and witnessed that even as the Ballots were being given out, as India’s Permanent Representative, Hardeep (and DPR Manjeev Puri) was walking up and down the aisle to give that last “warm touch” of friendship to each nation’s PR. The result was that India won on the first ballot – with a near-unanimous support of 189 countries entrusting India with global peace and security – because of Hardeep Singh Puri. Our joy and love was palpable and overflowing. We saw nation after nation coming over to greet and celebrate him. The SC seat he won, he worked hard and earned a reputation for uncommon maturity in policymaking and a healthy distaste for regime change – even if it came camouflaged as Responsibility to Protect.

    Everybody knows of Hardeep’s service to India – from Sri Lanka, to Ambassador in London and Brasilia, and as Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Geneva and New York.  Now, India has entrusted an intractable portfolio to a man who, like Bond, always rise to the challenge to succeed handsomely. His innate ability to first harness the challenges, develop an action plan, and then effectuate it with sufficient perseverance, and sometimes with needed flexibility, to reach the goal beyond expectations. Knowing Hardeep, from friend to family, and more, PM Modi just harnessed the personal and professional relationships of a global superlative fiduciary of India to provide affordable housing and develop urban centers that comport to the Paris Accord and latest technology.

    Unlike the telephone sector success, when India escaped the landline telephone shortage and misery to 21st century digital mobile phones, in Housing & Urban Development there is no way to succeed by going 100% digital – as land will remain analogue, even if we embed it with digital upgrades.

    Yet, every Indian has the right to a roof over their head, clean water to drink, clean air to breathe and a waste management system worthy of a nation on a hasty march to enjoy her destiny with youthful vigor of an educated citizenry.

    To all who have played the game of obstruction of this Portfolio, beware as Hardeep-the-diplomat will overcome you – in his unique authoritative style. Perhaps, India noticed that the very evening of his Oath-taking, he held his first meeting with his top subordinates to harness the landscape and obstacles. The rest, as they say, will soon enough be history-making success for India – as entrusted to Hardeep by PM Modi.

    (Ravi Batra is a Lawyer; Chairman, National Advisory Council South Asian Affairs, and Greenstar Global Energy Corp.; and Pro Bono Advisor to the Ukraine Mission to the UN in New York. He can be reached at ravibatralaw@aol.com)

     

     

     

     

     

  • Work Visa to Green Card route getting tougher from October 1

    Work Visa to Green Card route getting tougher from October 1

    With 2.47 lakh applications, Indians are top H-1B visa applicants till July 2017

    NEW YORK (TIP): Heretofore, thousands every year transited to US Green Card through their work visa in the country. H1 B route was found to be quite convenient to obtain a green card. But it appears it is not going to be the same “easy and convenient” route anymore.

    As reported in The Indian Panorama earlier, from October 1, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) has made an in-person interview mandatory in such cases. In technical parlance, it refers to an I-485 adjustment of status interview. This announcement was made on August 28 and was reported immediately by The Indian Panorama

    On another front, US immigration attorneys are seeing an uptick in number of ‘Requests For Evidence’ (RFEs) being issued by the USCIS. These RFEs relate to petitions (applications) filed on or about April 2017 for H-1B visas that will be valid from October 1, 2017.

    As regards the amendment made for adjustment of status to that of a green card, NPZ Law Group managing attorney David H Nachman explains, “USCIS currently requires interviews for family-based green card and naturalization (obtaining citizenship) processes. But most of the time, it waives the interview requirement for the above category of applicants. While interviews for those transitioning from employment-based visa status to green cards were standard a decade ago, waivers have been regularly granted since then. Under the new policy, there will be no further waivers. Thus, the new process will lengthen the waiting time for green card applicants.”

    A vast majority of those to whom green cards are allotted comprise those who are already working in the US on temporary visas.

    During the four-year period up to 2014, over 2 lakh green cards were allotted to H-1B visa holders, according to a report by the Bipartisan Policy Centre.

    Latest available data released by the USCIS shows that during 2015, as many as 34,843 Indians adjusted their temporary visa status and obtained green cards. Of this, 25,179 were holding jobs in the US (primarily under the H1-B category).

     Immigration.com managing attorney Rajiv S Khanna says, “A new wrinkle in the inquiries is that, as USCIS had warned, they will not accept level-1 wages to be given in H-1B cases easily. They are questioning level-1 wages almost uniformly.”

    He explains the various levels and illustrates the wages. Level-1 category relates to entry-level jobs and, at the other end, is the level-4 category which calls for a more technical and leadership role.

    The prescribed wage at level 1 for a software developer in San Jose is $88,733 a year, which rises to $155,147 annually at level 4. Khanna adds, “It is the USCIS position that level-1 salary indicates a non-professional position that does not require a specific college degree and is a job that would be inappropriate for an H-1B visa.

     There are often situations where level 1 is indeed the appropriate level — even the largest consulting firms in the US do send out entry-level professionals for assignments.”

    NPZ Law Group has seen a sharp hike in the RFEs — by 55% to 65% as compared to the past numbers.

    Nachman explains, “The question that continues to arise in the RFEs is to prove that the position that the H-IB applicant will be taking is in a specialty occupation. The new set of questions that we are seeing has to do with why the level-1 wage has been chosen if the position is a ‘specialty position’ calling for a complex set of duties. As you can see, the US government is requiring us to argue that the position is ‘complex’ and then, on the other side, asking that if it is so complex why is a lower salary being assigned?”

    The increase in inquiries is an administrative cost for all, and is especially challenging for those employers (mid-tier companies) that had designated level 1 even for more experienced visa applicants.

    (TIP Bureau compilation)

  • MOVIE REVIEW: THE DARK TOWER

    MOVIE REVIEW: THE DARK TOWER

    CAST: Matthew McConaughey, Tom Taylor, Idris Elba
    DIRECTION: Nikolaj Arcel
    GENRE: Fantasy
    DURATION: 1 hour 40 minutes

    STORY

    New York kid Jake (Tom Taylor) is gifted. He sees visions that revolve around a mysterious ‘man in black’ Walter (Matthew McConaughey) and his attack on the Dark Tower by using the power siphoned from telepathic children. As Jake’s nightmarish visions come to life, he comes across Roland (Idris Elba), the Gunslinger, who is immune to Walter’s psychic powers and has the ability to safeguard the tower that holds the universe together. The two must protect the world from Walter’s destructive plans.

    REVIEW

    Based on Stephen King’s The Dark Tower book series, the film is about the eternal fight between good and evil. Those who protect versus those who destroy. Can life (Roland and Jake) win over death (Walter) or is death the ultimate conqueror? The metaphors are aplenty.

    Though the film is a fantasy, what essentially works for it is the father-son bond between Jake and Roland. Idris Alba’s charisma and effortless screen presence lends gravitas to the script and salvages the otherwise predictable plot. Matthew McConaughey makes bad look sexy. Sadly, his contrived and vague character fails to make an impression and ends up as a weak link.

    About the story, you don’t have to read the books to understand this one, which works. On the flip side, despite being gripping, it’s quite underwhelming. While The Matrix like action and slowmo bullet battles keep you hooked, the story fails to work on a deeper level as motives remain unexplained (perhaps for sequels to follow).

    The Dark Tower keeps you engaged but fails to go beyond offering you some generic escapism.

  • BRIE LARSON: SUCCESS MAKES YOUR LIFE EASIER

    BRIE LARSON: SUCCESS MAKES YOUR LIFE EASIER

    Actress Brie Larson said being successful makes an individual’s life easier, especially in terms of monetary benefits.

    The 27-year-old Oscar-winning Actress , however, said success has not altered her expenditure patterns but she is glad that she does not have to worry about paying the bills.

    “It makes you life much easier on a practical level. Not that I’ve changed my spending habits dramatically or live differently now from the way I used to, but at least I don’t have to worry about money any more.

    It’s not pleasant having to live under that pressure when you’re trying to find good roles and wanting to prove yourself,” Larson said.

    Source: PTI

  • REESE WITHERSPOON TO STAR IN ‘THE MINDY’S PROJECT’

    REESE WITHERSPOON TO STAR IN ‘THE MINDY’S PROJECT’

    Reese Witherspoon has finally found her next Television skit. The Emmy-nominated actress is all set to guest star on the final season of ‘The Mindy Project’. The series creator and star Mindy Kaling announced the news on her Instagram profile.

    She posted a photo and captioned it as, “Our latest The Mindy Project guest star is the only woman I would want to be trapped in a cave with. (This is weirdly the second cave we have acted in together!)” In the photo, Kaling is holding a cell phone and wearing a puffy vest, while Witherspoon is wearing an off-the-shoulder red dress. Both stars appear to be in a cave.

    The first cave Kaling is referring to is likely from ‘A Wrinkle In Time,’ where she and Witherspoon play Mrs. Who and Mrs. Whats it, respectively.

    The show has been known to attract A-listers throughout its six-season run. Other guest stars included Seth Rogen, James Franco, Shonda Rhimes, Freida Pinto, Stephen Colbert, Greta Gerwig and Joseph Gordon-Levitt.

    ‘The Mindy Project’ will mark Witherspoon’s latest television appearance since her Emmy-nominated role as Madeline Mackenzie in HBO’s ‘Big Little Lies’.

    Source: ANI

  • KANGANA: WOULD’VE PROUDLY SAID SO HAD I DIRECTED ‘SIMRAN

    KANGANA: WOULD’VE PROUDLY SAID SO HAD I DIRECTED ‘SIMRAN

    National Award winning actress Kangana Ranaut, who was earlier slammed by writer Apurva Asrani for taking the co-writer credit in ‘Simran’, said she didn’t take part in the direction of the film and would have proudly said it openly if she had done it.

    Kangana was slammed by Asrani after the poster of Hansal Mehta’s ‘Simran’ released, showing Kangana’s name as co-writer. Apurva took to Facebook to raise objections to it and slammed the actress for taking undue credit.

    Kangana said: “I have not done anything to do with direction in ‘Simran’. I have acted in it and written it. If I had directed the film, I would have proudly said it, but I have not done it.”

    Kangana, who comes from a non-filmy background and hails from Mandi district of Himachal Pradesh, also spoke about her background.

    “Big cities are money-oriented, small towns are more concerned about what people — buaji, mausiji — will say? I come from an extreme environment, a conservative background. I felt stifled and just wanted to be free,” said the National Award winner.

    Kangana, who has been appreciated for films like ‘Fashion’, ‘Queen’ and ‘Tanu Weds Manu Returns’, said she tries to be away from award shows.

    “There is a lot of manipulation in our award shows. Like they will tell you in advance that you will get this award, but will ask to perform for them. I try to stay away from all this.”

    Source: IANS

  • DEEPIKA PADUKONE IS NOT YET OVER WITH ‘PADMAVATI’ SHOOT

    DEEPIKA PADUKONE IS NOT YET OVER WITH ‘PADMAVATI’ SHOOT

    No, Deepika Padukone is not yet over with the shooting of her upcoming Sanjay Leela Bhansali film ‘Padmavati.’

    Earlier in the day, it was reported that the Mastani of Bollywood has wrapped up the shooting for her upcoming movie.

    A spokesperson of the movie has rubbished all such reports and clarified , “the reports are completely untrue. All the primary cast members of the movie still have a few scenes to shoot for.”

    The spokesperson labeled all such rumours as speculative and baseless. For the uninitiated, it was reported that

    “Deepika has wrapped filming for her part. The actress has reserved additional three to five days for any patchwork if required. Patch work will be shot only after Ranveer and Shahid have finished shooting their respective portions”.

    ‘Padmavati’ is an upcoming Indian period drama film jointly produced by Bhansali Productions and Viacom 18 Motion Pictures.

    The film features Deepika as Rani Padmini, alongside Ranveer Singh as Alauddin Khilji and Shahid Kapoor as Rana Rawal Ratan Singh.

    Source: ANI

  • MOVIE REVIEW : A GENTLEMAN

    MOVIE REVIEW : A GENTLEMAN

    CAST: Sidharth Malhotra, Jacqueline Fernandez, Hussain Dalal, Darshan Kumar, Suniel Shetty
    DIRECTION: Raj & DK
    GENRE: Action Comedy
    DURATION: 2 hours 12 minutes

    STORY

    Gaurav is a strait-laced techie who has picket-fence dreams of a wife, two kids and a dog; Rishi kills for a living in the seedy lanes of south-east Asian cities. How will their paths cross?

    REVIEW

    A Gentleman is a lazy title for this action-comedy, which is an improvement on the leave-your-brains-at-home genre that we have been (just as) lazily lapping up.

    Directors Raj & DK introduce the two Sidharths with light humour and low-key intrigue. Gaurav is a good boy with slicked-back hair, tucked-in shirt, a safe mini-van and a big house. He’s passively wooing Kavya (Jacqueline).

    Rishi enters the scene jumping off a railing and knocking a security guard unconscious; he’s a rough, risk-taking contract killer for Unit X headed by Colonel (Suniel Shetty), but he’s a goon with a golden heart who has had enough.

    A Gentleman has a lot of moving parts; it cuts between the two Sidharths with some thrill and a dose of dry humour in the first half. Special points must be given out for not resorting to slapstick or physical comedy. The connection between the two — a smoothly executed sequence halfway through the movie — is the highlight.

    The directors could have easily used the big suspense as the climax, however, they take a chance by making it their story’s interval.

    But the downside of that risky reveal is that the intrigue is sucked out of the movie. The second half steadily declines into the usual action fare with stolen hard drives, close-quarter combats and heists in big glass buildings. However, the action sequences will keep you hooked.

    The film’s lead pair will also keep your eyes on the screen. Sidharth plays the two parts with distinctive skills and puts his charm to good use. Jacqueline’s sincerity is palpable and she makes for a breezy addition here. Hussain Dalal provides comic relief and Darshan Kumar’s one-tone villainous act is satisfactory.

    The film would have been a perfect entertainer had it held its cards closer to its chest. However, it still has plenty bang for your buck.

  • DEMO, GST DRAG GROWTH TO THREE-YEAR LOW

    NEW DELHI (TIP): Unable to recover from frequent policy disruptions, which started with demonetisation last November to Goods and Services Tax (GST) destocking and the new real estate law among others, India’s economic growth dropped to a three-year low of 5.7 per cent in April- June and in the process falling below China’s growth rate.

    This is much lower than the revised growth of 7.9 per cent in the first quarter of 2016-17. Even on a sequential basis, the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth was 6.1 per cent in the preceding quarter.

    Following the abysmal numbers, several analysts and brokerages said they would revise downwards the full-year numbers for GDP forecast.

    Crisil said for fiscal 2018, it was in the process of revising down its GDP growth forecast of 7.4 per cent. Part two of the Economic Survey has already warned that reaching the upper end of the 6.5-7.5 per cent GDP forecast would be difficult.

    Ever since the shock decision of demonetisation, the economy, which was already sluggish, has slumped further as businesses and consumers are adjusting to new disruptions, which at least in the short term are hurting growth.

    Given the latest RBI figures, stating that only Rs 16,000 crore worth of scrapped Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 notes did not return to the system, the amount gained is miniscule compared to a much higher loss due to a hit in economic activity caused due to the note ban.

    So while there was a fading impact of demonetisation left to be absorbed by industry, especially the informal sector, the fresh uncertainty came in the form of GST, which has been rolled nationwide as the indirect tax system.

    Manufacturing has been worst hit in the first quarter of 2017-18 as the GST implementation from July 1 led to destocking of inventories much in advance. Manufacturing fell sharply in the quarter from 10.7 per cent to 1.2 per cent with the predominant pressure coming from the private sector small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) segment.

    Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said the 5.7 pc GDP growth in Q1 was a matter of concern. Manufacturing was down due to GST impact on destocking and with GST implemented, the curve could turn for better, he added.Crisil Research said in a note that the government had also revised down gross value added (GVA) growth for the fourth quarter of last fiscal by 50 basis points (bps) to 5.6 per cent, suggesting that the impact of demonetisation on the economy was more than earlier estimated. Source: The Tribune

  • Modi’s $87 billion river-linking project set to take off as floods hit India

    Modi’s $87 billion river-linking project set to take off as floods hit India

    NEW DELHI (TIP): After years of foot-dragging, India will begin work in around a month on an $87 billion scheme to connect some of the country’s biggest rivers, government sources say, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi bets on the ambitious project to end deadly floods and droughts.

    The mammoth plan entails linking nearly 60 rivers, including the mighty Ganges, which the government hopes will cut farmers’ dependence on fickle monsoon rains by bringing millions of hectares of cultivatable land under irrigation.

    In recent weeks, some parts of India and neighbouring Bangladesh and Nepal have been hit by the worst monsoon floods in years, following two years of poor rainfall.

    Modi has personally pushed through clearances for the first phase of the project – which would also generate thousands of megawatts of electricity – the sources say, despite opposition from environmentalists, tiger lovers and a former royal family.

    That will involve construction of a dam on the Ken river, also known as the Karnavati, in north-central India and a 22- km (14-mile) canal connecting it to the shallow Betwa.

    Both rivers flow through vast swathes of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, ruled by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and the prime minister hopes the Ken-Betwa scheme will set a template for other proposed river interlinking projects, one of the sources said.

    “We have got clearances in record time, with the last round of clearances coming in only this year,” Sanjeev Balyan, the junior water resources minister, told Reuters. “The Ken- Betwa interlinking tops the priority list of the government.”

    Government officials say diverting water from bounteous rivers such as the Ganges, Godavari and Mahanadi to sparse waterways by building a clutch of dams and a network of canals is the only solution to floods and droughts.

    But some experts say India would be better off investing in water conservation and better farm practices. Environmentalists and wildlife enthusiasts have also warned of ecological damage.

    The 425-km (265-mile) Ken flows through a tiger reserve nestled in a verdant valley. The government plans to clear out 6.5 percent of the forest reserve to build the dam, relocating nearly 2,000 families from 10 remote villages.

    Around half a dozen clearances, including on environmental and forest protection, have been obtained for the scheme to link the Ken and Betwa, according to two sources and documents seen by Reuters.

    Modi’s cabinet is likely to give its final go-ahead for the project within a couple of weeks, sources say, after which he will flag off construction at the site about 805 km (500 miles) from New Delhi, currently marked only by rows of red concrete slabs placed on the ground.

    Source: Reuters

  • Bofors: SC to hear plea challenging dropping of charges against Hindujas

    Bofors: SC to hear plea challenging dropping of charges against Hindujas

    NEW DELHI (TIP): In a fresh turn of events, the Supreme Court on Friday agreed to hear an appeal filed by BJP leader Ajay Kumar Agarwal challenging a 2005 Delhi High Court order quashing charges against Europe-based industrialists–the Hinduja brothers–in the politically sensitive Bofors pay-off scam case.

    A bench comprising Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices AM Khanwilkar and DY Chandrachud said it would list the appeal for hearing in the week commencing October 30.

    The order came on an interim application filed by Agarwal seeking early hearing and adjudication of the appeal filed against the Delhi High Court order in the Rs 64-crore scam case.

    The CBI, which investigated the scam, had not filed any appeal in the top court against the quashing of charges against certain accused within the stipulated 90- day period.

    Agarwal, in his personal capacity, filed the appeal which was admitted by the apex court on October 18, 2005.

    The Rs 1,437-crore deal between India and the Swedish arms manufacturer AB Bofors for the supply of 400 155mm Howitzer guns for the Indian Army was sealed on March 24, 1986. The Swedish Radio had on April 16, 1987 claimed that the company had paid bribes to top Indian politicians and defence personnel.

    The CBI had on January 22, 1990 registered the FIR for the alleged offence of criminal conspiracy, cheating, forgery under the Indian Penal Code and other sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act against Martin Ardbo, the then President of AB Bofors, alleged middleman Win Chadda and the Hinduja brothers.

    The CBI had alleged that certain public servants and private people in India and abroad had entered into a criminal conspiracy between 1982 and 1987 in pursuance of which the offences of bribery, corruption, cheating and forgery were committed.

    The first chargesheet in the case was filed on October 22, 1999 against Chadda, Ottavio Quattrocchi, then Defence Secretary SK Bhatnagar, Ardbo and the Bofors company. A supplementary chargesheet against the Hinduja brothers was filed on October 9, 2000.

    A special CBI court in Delhi had on March 4, 2011, discharged Quattrocchi from the case saying the country could not afford to spend hard-earned money on his extradition which had already cost Rs 250 crore. Source: PTI

  • Arms sale to Pakistan has strings

    Arms sale to Pakistan has strings

    WASHINGTON (TIP): The Trump administration notified Congress on August 30 that it was putting $255 million in military assistance to Pakistan into the equivalent of an escrow account that Islamabad can only access if it does more to crack down on internal terror networks launching attacks on neighboring Afghanistan.

    The dueling messages sent to Pakistan — promising aid but attaching strings if the country’s counter terror efforts fall short — are part of an increasingly confrontational turn in an alliance that has long been strained.

    The United States has provided Pakistan more than $33 billion in aid since 2002. But the annual funding has declined in recent years as Washington became increasingly disenchanted with Pakistan’s quiet support for the Haqqani network and the Taliban, whose attacks have been responsible for the deaths of US troops in Afghanistan.

    Still, US officials have long recognized that Pakistan has tried to crack down on terror groups, and plays an important role in facilitating supply shipments to the US military in Afghanistan.

    Last week, in announcing his new strategy for the war in Afghanistan, President Donald Trump excoriated Pakistan.

    “We can no longer be silent about Pakistan’s safe havens for terrorist organizations, the Taliban, and other groups that pose a threat to the region and beyond,” Trump said.

    He added: “We have been paying Pakistan billions and billions of dollars at the same time they are housing the very terrorists that we are fighting. But that will have to change, and that will change immediately.”

    State Department officials said that Trump’s promised changes would bring explicit conditions on military aid. Once Pakistan more aggressively pursues the Taliban and Haqqani network, the aid will be released — a determination to be made by Secretary of State Rex W Tillerson, officials said.

    Last week, Tillerson suggested that the United States’ patience with Pakistan was nearing a breaking point.

    “We’re going to be conditioning our support for Pakistan and our relationship with them on them delivering results in this area,” Tillerson said. Critics of US aid to Pakistan said the administration was still not being tough enough. “I would have preferred that the money just disappeared,” said C Christine Fair, an associate professor at Georgetown University. “But if they’re going to do this, they should have said Pakistan can’t buy strategic weapons that could be used to attack India, such as F-16s.”

    The $255 million in military assistance was the largest portion of $1.1 billion in aid authorized by Congress in 2016 that also included money for counternarcotics operations and health initiatives. If the State Department had failed to notify Congress in the next few weeks of its intention to spend the money, it would have been returned to the US Treasury.

    Rather than lose such a carrot, Trump administration officials said they wanted to use the money as incentive for Pakistan to change its behavior. By effectively putting the funds into escrow, the Trump administration also allows its own ongoing review of its policy toward Pakistan to continue unaffected by aid concerns, officials said Wednesday. (AP)

  • Pervez Musharraf declared fugitive in ex-Pakistan PM Benazir Bhutto’s murder trial

    Pervez Musharraf declared fugitive in ex-Pakistan PM Benazir Bhutto’s murder trial

    ISLAMABAD (TIP): Pakistan’s former military ruler Pervez Musharraf was on August 31 declared a proclaimed offender by a special anti-terrorism court which sentenced two senior police officers to 17 years in jail in the Benazir Bhutto murder case, nearly 10 years after her assassination.

    Bhutto, a two-time prime minister, was killed in a gun and bomb attack in Rawalpindi’s Liaquat Bagh during an election campaign rally on December 27, 2007. She was 54.

    The case was registered soon after the assassination and the trial went through many ups and down until concluded yesterday in Rawalpindi.

    Judge Asghar Khan announced the verdict in court, where former Rawalpindi CPO Saud Aziz and former Rawal Town SP Khurram Shahzad — suspects out on bail — were also present.

    Aziz and Shahzad were sentenced to 17 years in prison and ordered to pay a fine of Rs 5 lakh each.

    While five other accused have been acquitted, former president Musharraf has been declared a proclaimed offender, with an order to seize his property. (PTI)

  • Vegetarian Vision Convention on September 9 and 10 in New York

    Vegetarian Vision Convention on September 9 and 10 in New York

    NEW YORK CITY (TIP): Vegetarian Vision, a 501 (C ) Non-Profit Organization, will have a 2-day Health and Wellness EXPO to celebrate its 25th anniversary – International Vegetarian Convention at the Penn Plaza Pavilion (401 Seventh Ave. at 33 St., NYC) on Saturday, September 9 and Sunday, September 10, 2017. The weekend will highlight Food for medicine – Health Talks by over 50 renowned speakers, compassion, healthy living and will feature non-stop food, fun, fitness, and wellness. The family-friendly festivities will include demonstrations, classes, tastings, fashion show, pageant, kids’ activities, youth activities and live cultural performances, beginning at 10 AM daily. Tickets are $15 for one day and $25 for the weekend. Additional information can be found on their website at www.vegetarianvision.org.

    During the two-day event, renowned celebrities, dignitaries and political leaders will be on hand to celebrate all things vegetarian. An expected 100+ merchants and vendors will be on site to introduce guests to the pleasure of vegetarianism. Over couple dozen food vendors will serve up plant-based, vegetarian and vegan fare from around the globe. Indian, Chinese Japanese, Indonesian, French, Kosher and American chefs will conduct cooking demonstrations and offer tasty samples throughout the day and adults will also be able to taste various vegan wines from a variety of purveyors while children enjoy various activities in the “Kids’ Corner.”

  • Koo visits South Asian Council for Social Services Summer Youth Leadership Program

    Koo visits South Asian Council for Social Services Summer Youth Leadership Program

    CM Koo and Sudha Acharya at the first S. Asian food pantry in NYC. CM Koo contributed funding to the pantry in the latest budget cycle