The Indian Panorama

Year: 2018

  • Free Karachi Campaign Launches its Next Phase in the USA

    Free Karachi Campaign Launches its Next Phase in the USA

    #FreeKarachi Ads Appear on Massive Digital Billboards in Los Angeles

    WASHINGTON DC (TIP):  The Free Karachi Campaign has launched its next phase in the U.S.A. with billboards advertisements. As part of the campaign, “#FreeKarachi and Urban Sindh from State Atrocities in Pakistan” advertisements have appeared on several highway billboards in the U.S. West Coast city of Los Angeles.

    The Free Karachi Campaign had started on 15 January in the U.S. capital Washington, D.C. when a number of taxis and cars with #FreeKarachi banners participated in the city’s annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day parade.

    The Washington Post, one of the most prominent newspapers of the U.S., had also published a special supplement that had carried details of the injustices that Sindh Province’s people, Urdu-speaking Mohajirs in particular, have been facing in Pakistan. A digital advertisement of Free Karachi is still running on the official website of the Washington Times.

    Commenting on the latest phase of the campaign, Free Karachi spokesperson Nadeem Nusrat said that “Karachi is Pakistan’s most secular city where religious extremists have always failed to develop a stronghold. Pakistan’s Punjabi-dominated deep-state, however, is trying to change this great, tolerant trait of this city by promoting forces of religious extremism.”

    “While Dr. Shakil Afridi languishes in prison and thousands of Mohajirs and Balochs gone missing after being taken into custody by Pakistani security forces, the UNO and U.S.-designated terrorists are allowed to hold rallies in Karachi. This clearly proves why Free Karachi is necessary”, added Mr. Nusrat.

    “The taxes paid by Karachi and other areas of urban Sindh run Pakistan’s economy. Karachi alone pays over 90 percent taxes for the treasury of Sindh Province, but it has no representation in the federal as well as the provincial governments. Karachi is ranked by most independent organizations as the second most populace city in the world, but its population is always reduced in the official census figures by both Larkana-based Sindh and Islamabad-based federal government,’ said Mr. Nusrat.

    Criticizing Pakistani judiciary, Mr. Nusrat said that “while Pakistani supreme courts are known for taking suo-moto action over petty issues, they have failed to take notice of the brutal murder of Harvard-educated, elderly Professor Hasan-Zafar Arif who was abducted and killed recently in Karachi.”

    “Mohajirs –those whose ancestors had migrated from India to Pakistan in 1947 – are the ones whose forefathers not only made Pakistan a reality but also played a key role in sustaining Pakistan in its most turbulent times. These Mohajirs have now been barred from governments jobs and security institutions. Their young generation is blatantly admission in public-funded professional educational institutions and government jobs. As recently as last week, over one thousand Karachi students were denied admission at Karachi University and the seats were instead given to students from rural Sindh.” Mr. Nusrat continued.

    “It is not possible for Mohajirs to raise their voice against state-sponsored injustices in Pakistan. Political offices of Mohajirs’ mainstream political party, MQM, have been illegally demolished in Pakistan and the party is facing an illegal, unannounced ban. The Mohajirs living overseas now have to highlight the brutal and undemocratic policies of Pakistani State at every possible international forum,” Mr. Nusrat added.

    (Press Release)

  • Justice for Sreejith: Indian ends protest after 782 days

    Justice for Sreejith: Indian ends protest after 782 days

    THIRUVANANTHPURAM (TIP): A man from the south Indian state of Kerala has ended a 782-day protest after a federal agency began investigating his brother’s death.

    SR Sreejith alleges his brother was murdered by police who arrested him on the charge of stealing a mobile phone.

    His demand for an independent inquiry into his brother’s death picked up in recent months through the social media movement #JusticeforSreejith.

    He ended the protest after federal investigators recorded his statement.

    In the face of mounting public pressure, state lawmakers ordered an internal police investigation into his brother’s death. But Mr Sreejith refused, insisting that the case be transferred to India’s federal investigation agency, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

    Police had said Sreejeev, 26, committed suicide in custody after he was arrested, but his family says he was killed because he was in love with a woman who happened to be related to one of the police officers.

    He was arrested one day before she was scheduled to get married to someone else. He died in hospital the following day where he was admitted as a result of the “suicide attempt”.

    Human Rights Watch (HRW) said in an August report on India that suicide and illness are common causes listed by authorities to cover up deaths likely caused by police torture.

    In a country only too familiar with police brutality and custodial deaths – India’s National Crime Records Bureau says 591 people died in police custody between 2010 and 2015 – his protest generated particular resonance.

    In the past few weeks and months, pictures of him and his protest have been shared widely on Facebook and Twitter along with messages of solidarity, including from some very high profile figures in the state.

    (Source: BBC)

  • Anti – Sikh Riots 1984: Rs 10 crore allocated for enhanced compensation to victims

    Anti – Sikh Riots 1984: Rs 10 crore allocated for enhanced compensation to victims

    NEW DELHI (TIP): A modest Rs 10 crore has been earmarked for handing out enhanced compensation to victims of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots in the Budget 2018-19.

    The amount was allocated in the Budget, presented by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in Parliament on Thursday, February 1, and it would be distributed among victims of the riots.

    The riots broke out following the assassination of the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi by her Sikh bodyguards on October 31, 1984.

    Of the 3,325 victims, 2,733 were killed in Delhi while rest of the victims were from Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and other states.

    Soon after the Narendra Modi government came to power in 2014, it had announced an additional compensation of Rs 5 lakh each to the next of kin of victims of the anti-Sikh riots.

    The amount in the 2017-18 Budget was Rs 15 crore.

    Some of the anti-Sikh riot cases are still continuing in courts and many Sikh organizations have alleged that the key conspirators of the violence were at large, and victims have not yet got justice.

    (Source: PTI)

  • Aadhaar, India: Personal data of about a billion people sold online for $8

    Aadhaar, India: Personal data of about a billion people sold online for $8

    NEW DELHI (TIP): Personal information from Aadhaar cards (personal identification card) of more than a billion Indians stored in the world’s largest biometric database was sold online for less than $8, according to a report by an Indian newspaper.

    An investigative story by The Tribune revealed that it is possible to buy login credentials of the Aadhaar database, which can collect the photographs, thumbprints and other identifying details of every citizen. It further added that fake Aadhar cards can be generated by purchasing software online and that the publication also bought access to such database by merely paying $7.89 on a WhatsApp group.

    The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI), which controls the Aadhaar system said that the “case appears to be an instance of misuse.”

    UIDAI said that it has filed a police complaint against the people responsible for misusing the access but did not identify them.

    A follow-up story by The Tribune mentioned that the agency has denied any misuse of data. “UIDAI reassures that there has not been any data breach of biometric database which remains fully safe and secure with highest encryption at UIDAI and mere display of demographic information cannot be misused without biometrics,” it added. “Claims of bypassing or duping the Aadhaar enrolment system are totally unfounded.” This kind of problems in a program facing increasing scrutiny over privacy concerns will ask more questions about data safety.

    The current administration, under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, had also made it mandatory for individuals to link Aadhaar to private and public services. Now India’s Supreme court is holding hearings to decide whether the decision made by Modi will affect the privacy rights of individuals or not.

    Several national leaders in India have expressed concerns over the safety of private information.

    Sitaram Yechury, a leader of a communist party in India, tweeted, “The Perils of making Aadhaar mandatory and linking it to bank accounts, as insisted upon by the Modi government, are visible here.”

    Last month, the telecom firm Bharti Airtel was barred by the agency for using Aadhaar details to verify customers identities because the facility was being misused to open accounts on its payment platform.

  • India’s Budget focuses on farm sector, gives little to middle class

    India’s Budget focuses on farm sector, gives little to middle class

    National Health Protection scheme announced

    NEW DELHI (TIP): In his last budget before general elections, India’s Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Feb 1 unveiled a slew of measures for agriculture as well as the rural sector and announced a new health insurance scheme for the poor but provided little relief to the middle class.

    With chaotic implementation of the Goods and Services Tax and demonetization causing distress in the economy, Jaitley announced massive spending on rural and urban infrastructure as also lower tax rates for small and medium enterprises.

    While continuing the 10-15 per cent surcharge on super-rich, he raised the health and education cess, levied on all taxable income, to 4 per cent from 3 per cent at present.

    Keeping the income tax rates and slabs unchanged, he introduced a Rs 40,000 Standard Deduction for salaried employees and pensioners in lieu of the present exemption in respect of transport and medical expenses.

    Presently, no tax is applicable on Rs 19,200 of transport allowance and medical expenditure of up to Rs 15,000. This has now been subsumed into the new Standard Deduction of Rs 40,000 which may mean very little benefit in tax saving considering that health and education cess has gone up.

    Senior citizens will get higher exemptions on income from interest on bank and post office deposits, health insurance premium and critical illness expense.

    Jaitley, however, made import of a host of products – from cellphone to perfumes and toiletry, from watches to parts of automobiles, sunglasses to truck and bus tires, footwear to diamonds and edible oils to fruit juices — costly by raising customs duty.

    Fourteen years after it was scrapped, he brought back tax on gains made from sale of shares to offset revenue losses.

    Capital gains exceeding Rs 1 lakh from shares held for more than a year will be taxed at 10 per cent. Presently, gains from equity investments held for more than 12 months are exempt from tax.

    In July 2004, the government had abolished long-term capital gains tax on shares and replaced it with the securities transaction tax (STT) – a same-day tax credit system that continues.

    In the 110-minute speech, in which he kept switching from English to Hindi for wider mass appeal, Jaitley announced plans for agriculture, rural housing, organic farming, animal husbandry and fisheries with a total allocation of Rs 14.34 lakh crore.

    “My government is committed for the welfare of farmers,” he said announcing that his party’s election promise of fixing a minimum support price (MSP) at 150 per cent of the cost will be implemented for all kharif crops this year.

    Also, credit to agriculture would be raised to Rs 11 lakh crore in the coming fiscal from Rs 10 lakh crore and kisan credit card extended to fisheries and animal husbandry farmers. Rs 2,000 crore will be provided for development of agri market and export of agriculture commodities will be liberalized.

    In a bid to provide universal healthcare, he announced a ‘National Health Protection scheme’, providing a cover of up to Rs 5 lakh per family per year for second and tertiary care hospitalization to 10 crore poor and vulnerable family (about 50 crore beneficiaries).

    This, Jaitley said, will be world’s largest health protection scheme.

    He committed an expenditure of Rs 1.38 lakh crore on health, education and social protection.

    But to fund these, he let go of the fiscal consolidation roadmap. As a result, fiscal deficit for the current fiscal will be 3.5 per cent of the GDP as against the previous target of 3.2 per cent, and 3.3 per cent in 2018-19, as opposed to 3 per cent set earlier.

    Fiscal deficit in 2016-17 was 3.5 per cent of the GDP.

    Jaitley, who had in 2015 promised to reduce corporate tax from current 30 per cent to 25 per cent over four years, proposed lower tax rate of 25 per cent for companies with turnover of up to Rs 250 crore in 2016-17.

    The Union Budget 2018-19 was the last full budget before the general elections next year, when a vote on account would be presented. The next full budget will be presented by the new government.

    With GST and demonetization pulling down GDP growth rate in Asia’s third largest economy to its lowest level in three years, he said economic growth was picking up and “firmly on path to achieve 8 per cent plus growth soon”.

    Gross domestic product (GDP) is expected to grow at 6.5 per cent to 6.75 per cent in 2017-18.

    “Indian economy is now USD 2.5 trillion – seventh largest in the world. India is expected to become the fifth largest economy very soon,” he said.

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi termed the Budget as “development-friendly” and said it will strengthen the vision of a ‘new India’.

    The budget is “farmer friendly, common citizen friendly, business environment friendly” and will add to ‘ease of living’ and ‘ease of doing business’, Modi added.

    A 100 per cent tax deduction will be given for the first five years to companies registered as farmer producer companies with a turnover of Rs 100 crore and above.

    “While making the proposals in this year’s budget, we have been guided by our mission to especially strengthen agriculture, rural development, health, education, employment, MSME (micro, small and medium enterprises) and infrastructure sectors of Indian economy,” Jaitley said.

    He put revised expenditure for 2017-18 at Rs 21.57 lakh crore and projected Rs 24.42 lakh crore expenditure in 2018-19.

    Railway capital expenditure has been put at Rs 1.49 lakh crore in 2018-19.

    Gross market borrowing is seen at Rs 6.06 lakh crore and net borrowing at Rs 4.62 lakh crore in 2018. Government will also switch Rs 28,000 crore of bonds next fiscal.

    Customs duty on import of mobile phones is proposed to be increased to 20 per cent from 15 per cent, on some of their parts and accessories to 15 per cent and certain TV parts to 15 per cent.

    Jaitley said measures to address bad loans of small and medium enterprises would be announced soon. He proposed setting up Rs 3 lakh crore target for lending to small enterprises.

    Three government-owned non-life insurers – National Insurance Co, United India Assurance Co and Oriental India Insurance Co — will be merged into a single entity and listed subsequently.

    The process of strategic sale in 24 state-run companies including privatization of Air India has begun and more exchange-traded fund offers including debt ETFs will come.

    Special schemes for states around Delhi will be implemented to address air pollution, he said adding removal of crop residue will be subsidized in order to tackle the problem of pollution due to burning of crop residue.

    (Source: PTI)

  • US State Department designates Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh as terrorist

    US State Department designates Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh as terrorist

    WASHINGTON (TIP): The US State Department said on Wednesday, January 31, it had designated Ismail Haniyeh, leader of the Islamist Palestinian group Hamas, as a terrorist.

    The State Department said in a statement that Haniyeh, along with two Islamist groups active in Egypt and one in the Palestinian territories, were listed as specially designated global terrorists.

    It quoted Secretary of State Rex Tillerson as saying the designations “target key terrorist groups and leaders – including two sponsored and directed by Iran – who are threatening the stability of the Middle East, undermining the peace process, and attacking our allies Egypt and Israel.”

    In Gaza, Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri told media: “We reject and condemn the decision and we see it as a reflection of the domination by a gang of Zionists of the American decision.”The decision is worthless,” he added.

    Hamas, which dominates the Gaza Strip, advocates Israel`s destruction and is designated as a terrorist group by the United States and some other Western countries.

    In December, after US President Donald Trump recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, Haniyeh told a rally in Gaza marking the 30th anniversary of Hamas`s founding: “We will knock down Trump`s decision. No superpower is capable of offering Jerusalem to Israel, there is no Israel that it should have a capital named Jerusalem.”

    The three groups designated by the State Department are:

    – Harakat al-Sabireen, which the statement said is backed by Iran, operates primarily in Gaza and the West Bank, and fired rockets into Israel;

    – Liwa al-Thawra, which it said has claimed responsibility for killing an Egyptian army general in Cairo in 2016 and a bombing in 2017;

    – Harakat Sawa’d Misr (HASM), which it said claimed responsibility for killing an Egyptian security officer and other attacks.

    The State Department designations deny Haniyeh and the three groups access to the U.S. financial system.

     

  • FIA Chicago celebrates India’s 69th Republic Day with Health and Wellness Camp

    FIA Chicago celebrates India’s 69th Republic Day with Health and Wellness Camp

    CHICAGO, IL (TIP):  The Federation of Indian Associations Chicago (FIA) celebrated India’s 69th Republic Day by holding a Community Event at Shree Swaminarayan Temple, Itasca Illinois on Sunday, Jan 28, 2018. The event comprised of a blood Donation drive, a Health and Wellness Camp, Information on Medicare and Medicaid benefits, Information and advice on Taxation, College counselling, and Passport and Visa help.

    The event attracted more than one thousand people from the community who took advantage of the various services offered. The Blood Collection Drive was conducted by Heartland Blood Centers. The Health and Wellness Camp saw more than 25 doctors in attendance comprising of dentists, Internal Medicine, Orthopedic, Optometric, Cardiologist, Chiropractors, Urologists, Physiotherapists and Podiatrists taking care of people. Around 325 people had their blood and other vitals checked, and more than 55 had an on the spot EKG taken for their heart issues, while others went on to see other doctors with their general and specific health issues starting from dental issues, general and specific health issues, orthopedic issues, heart issues, not to forget muscle and joint issues.

    Dr Kamal Patel Checking Blood pressure for Ms. Neeta Bhushan, Consulate General of India in Chicago

    There were booths with experts and counselors giving people advice on Medicare and Medicaid, in home help for seniors, taxation advice, and college admission counseling and passport and visa advice booth with officers from the Indian Consulate in Chicago.

    The event began with the American National Anthem sung by Ashika Sachdev followed by the Indian National anthem sung by Geetanjali Maru. Sunil Shah, Founder President, in his speech welcomed the dignitaries to the event and appreciated volunteers who gave their valuable time for this event. Onkar Singh Sanga and Mukesh Shah (Past President) in their speeches welcomed and thanked the volunteers for showing up in large numbers for this community event, spending their valuable time to serve the community and welcomed all the dignitaries and the FIA Board on the stage.

    “This type of event would be the ongoing theme for the FIA. We are opening of non-emergency FIA Toll Free number 1 (833) FIA CARE. I thank all the supporters, doctors and volunteers and dignitaries for joining us in an overwhelming majority at this event, said Neil Khot, the current FIA president.

    FIA Executive Vice President Hitesh Gandhi quoted Sir Winston Churchill:   “We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give”, and added: “One nation, One Vision, One Identity, Freedom in mind, faith in words, Pride in our heart, Memory in our soul, lets salute nation. FIA team serves community with Wellness Camp and celebrates 69th Indian Republic Day”.

    Mayor McLeod and Senator Tom Cullerton handed over the proclamation to the FIA. The event was well attended by dignitaries, elected officials, politicians and respected people from all walks of life. The dignitaries were led by Ms. Neeta Bhushan, Consulate General of Chicago, Mr. Raja Krishnamoorthi, Congressman, Mr. Michael Fredrichs, Illinois Treasurer, Ms. Michelle Mussman, Illinois State Rep, Senator Tom Cullerton, Senator Laura Murphy, Christina Castro, State Rep, Frank Avila, MWRD Commissioner, Bill Mc Leod Mayor Hoffman Estates, Rodney Craig Mayor Hanover Park, Tom Dailly Trustee Schaumburg, Khaja Moinuddin Trustee Hanover Township.

    A view of the gathering

    The traditional lamp lighting ceremony was performed once the dignitaries and the FIA board were on the stage. The dignitaries in their brief speeches extolled and praised the development India has seen since independence and the India USA collaboration in various fields and the friendship between the leaders of both the democracies. The FIA was praised by all the dignitaries for its growth over the last eight odd years. A progress that had put FIA in the forefront among Indian community organizations. Some even put FIA as the best organization amongst all other Indian community organizations.

    This was followed by a patriotic song by Geetanjali Maru. Then all the volunteers were presented with appreciation plaques on behalf of the FIA. A vote of thanks was given on behalf of the FIA by Mr. Hitesh Gandhi Executive Vice President.

    (Photographs and Press release by: Asian Media USA)

     

  • Goa beckons to iconic Carnival from February 10 to 13, 2018

    Goa beckons to iconic Carnival from February 10 to 13, 2018

    During Goa carnival, every year a person from the is chosen to play King Momo – a mythological character who symbolically rules the state during the carnival time and leads the float parades held across Goa.

    PANAJI:  The popular annual Goa Carnival will be held across the coastal state from February 10 to 13. The main float parade of the festival will be held in the state capital Panaji on February 10 and  ‘King Momo’ will lead the float parades in all the major cities of the state. Every year, a person from the state is chosen to play King Momo – a mythological character who symbolically rules the state during the carnival time and leads the float parades held across Goa.

    This year, Bruno Azaredo (57), from Utorda village in South Goa district, has been selected to play the role of King Momo and lead the float parades, a spokesman of the state tourism department said.

    State tourism minister Manohar Ajgaonkar earlier took stock of the preparations, including security and traffic arrangements, for the four-day festival. The float parades will be held in Margao and Ponda on February 11, Vasco and Curchorem on February 12 and in Mapusa and Morjim on February 13, he said.

    The carnival committees, set up by the tourism department, have been asked to encourage participants to promote the state’s culture and traditions in the festival and minimise the commercialisation of floats, he said.

    “The vehicles which cause pollution will not be allowed in the parades. The consumption of liquor and carrying of weapons will also not be permitted during the event,” the spokesman said.

    The carnival is being celebrated in Goa since the 18th century and is meant for enjoyment and merry-making, just before the 40 days of Lent, which is the time of abstinence and spiritual preparation for Easter, one of the organisers said.

    The festival was introduced by the Portuguese, who ruled Goa for over 500 years, he added.

    History of Goa Carnival :

    Goa carnival was brought to India by Portuguese during the time they ruled here and approximately 500 years ago the first every carnival was organised in the state. But it was not the Portuguese originally who had these kind of exuberant riotous celebrations, the culture actually came from ancient Rome and Greece and spread to Spain and Portugal eventually. This quite explains that when Portuguese colonised Goa they wanted their culture to be dominant here and hence this carnival was organised. It had a Portuguese flavour to it earlier but with time the celebrations have taken up the essence of Goan culture and thus people identify with the festivities and take part in the carnival in crazily large numbers.

    Entry to Goa Carnival :

    There are no entry tickets for the carnival and you just have to come and take part in the celebrations. Everyone is invited with open arms to join in and revel in the four days of exhilaration and unmatched exuberance.

    Goa Carnival Celebrations :

    There would be no doubt in your mind by now that Goa Carnival is the most awaited event in the state. You can get this from the fact that preparations start in December to make the carnival a roaring success! Music, dance and entertainment are the shining features of the carnival and along with these there are plays of a short length which portray the Goan traditions and culture very beautifully.

    It is organised before the month of Lent is going to begin when people would have to completely abstain themselves from the consumption of meat. Starting with a grand procession on the Fat Saturday evening, the parade is lead by King Momo who sets out with his entourage of dancers, bands, clowns, acrobats and other entertainers to spread the message of merry making across the state.

    The parade moves down through the main street of Panaji, the capital city of Goa? to come to rest after some hours of what seems like “endless gaiety”. The festivities end with red and black dance where women and men dresses in red coloured upper garments and black coloured lower garments dance to the beats of the bands in a festooned procession. Ash Wednesday as it is called is the last day of the carnival when the month of Lent begins. One thing to note is that the feasting is a major part of the festivities and hence this is time for the foodies to venture out and taste some of the best cuisines, drinks and wines here. Pure indulgence, we must say!

    Important Tips to Goa Carnival :

    Booking hotels and travel tickets well in advance will be of huge benefit because you might get your hands on attractive discounts with early booking. Also, advance planning and booking will be good because you would not like to get stuck in the rush hour as Goa is flooded with tourists during the time of carnival.

    Take your best clothes with yourself and get ready to rock the carnival and also don’t wear any shoes that are uncomfortable or may give you a shoe bite as there are a lot of street activities which you may be taking part in.

  • Indian American lawmakers strongly criticize Trump’s anti-immigrant rhetoric

    Indian American lawmakers strongly criticize Trump’s anti-immigrant rhetoric

    WASHINGTON (TIP): All Indian Americans in Congress, much like their Democratic congressional colleagues, strongly criticized Trump’s State of the Union address.

    Reiterating his position on immigration and young Dreamers, Trump said the $25 billion border wall that he proposed in the immigration framework released last week will be the only solution for ending the DACA crisis.

    DACA, or the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), allows individuals who entered the United States as minors and remained undocumented to get a renewable two-year period of deferred action from deportation. Those participating in the DACA program are called Dreamers.

    Forty-five minutes into his highly stretched first State of the Union address, Trump said the open borders have resulted in the inflow of “drugs and gangs” into the country.

    Trump said that slaying of Kayla Cuevas and Nisa Mickens, two teen girls in Long Island by MS-13 gang members, is the result of unchecked illegal immigrants crossing the national border. The parents of the victims were also present during the event.

    Ironically, Sunayana Dumala, the wife of Srinivas Kuchibhotla, an Indian American tech professional who was shot and killed by a white supremacist in Kansas, was present during the State of the Union address as the guest of Rep. Kevin Yoder when Trump said immigrants were spreading violence in the United States.

    Sen. Kamala Harris, who has been a strong advocate of Dreamers and immigrant, reacted strongly to the speech. “As the attorney general of California, my main area of focus was going after transnational criminal organizations involved in trafficking guns, drugs, and human beings,” speaking to MSNBC, she said. “MS 13 is one of the worst examples of criminal behavior. To equate that with dreamers and DACA was completely irresponsible and it was scapegoating, and it was fear mongering and it was wrong. It was wrong technically in terms of the nature and character of this populations and in terms of who they are and how they love their lives and that is wrong also because it not how leaders are supposed to do. We are not supposed to convince the American population a policy because   we make them afraid and that is exactly what this president is doing.”

    During the President’s speech, Harris tweeted, “Dreamers should not be used as a bargaining chip or held hostage in exchange for anti-immigrant policies.”

    Indian American Rep Pramila Jayapal, D-Washington, who boycotted the State of the Union, also ridiculed Trump’s rhetoric on immigrants and hosted their alternative State of Our Union address at the National Press Club on Tuesday night.

    Reacting to the president’s comments on the immigrants Jayapal tweeted, “the president’s rhetoric was absurd and more of the same. He wants to slash legal immigration and conflate immigrant families with terrorists and criminals and drains on our economy.”

    Speaking to MSNBC she said, “I came to this country as a 16-year-old and now I’m a United States Congresswoman, one among a dozen members of the Congress. But it is so insulting to see him (Trump) continually scapegoating immigrants, trying to make us the division, when we know that all of our ancestors have come here and helped build this county. For him to start with the MS 13 gang and that story and use that story in a way to say everybody is a criminal and therefore, we should cut family immigration to half and even safe family immigration. Even though he didn’t say family migration and said chain migration, what he really means is family reunification – the corner of immigration in this country for the last fifty years. It was outrageous and I’m so glad that I was not there.”

    The Democrat also said that, by holding Dreamers in a hostage-like situation, Trump is asking for ransom, which is to end the legal immigration by half. She also pointed that Dreamers were enjoying legal status and were not deportable until Trump ended the program.

    Another Indian American Democrat, Rep, Ro Khanna of California, after listening to Trump’s State of the Union address tweeted, “Tonight, Trump talked about immigration. His perception is flawed. Real lives are at stake, and I will not stop fighting for the 800,000 DREAMERs who deserve nothing less than a clean DREAM Act.”

    “I will continue to be a voice for jobs and equality, full funding for CHIP, a clean DREAM Act, and necessary disaster relief funding, as well as long-term economic solutions for working families,” he wrote in another tweet.

    A press release issued Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi said: “I wish President Trump governed with the same tone of promise and cooperation that he used at times during his speech tonight. If only the first year of his presidency had focused on infrastructure, investments in workforce development, and career and technical education, what a different political moment we would all be living in today.”

    Voicing his support for the immigrants, Rep. Ami Bera invited a special guest for the State of the Union,  Dr. Bennet Omalu, a Nigerian immigrant who has made groundbreaking discoveries in caring for brain injuries. “We are a nation of immigrants and that should be celebrated,” Bera tweeted before leaving for the address.  “I’m honored to have him join me at the State of the Union to reaffirm our American values,” he said in another tweet.

     

     

  • Indian Origin techie Kuchibhotla’s widow attends Trump’s State of the Union Address

    Indian Origin techie Kuchibhotla’s widow attends Trump’s State of the Union Address

    WASHINGTON (TIP): Sunayana Dumala, the widow of Indian origin engineer Srinivas Kuchibhotla who was shot dead in a hate crime shooting in Kansas last year, attended President Donald Trump’s first State of the Union Address.

    Sunayana, 32, was invited as a guest by Congressman Kevin Yoder to attend the event.

    Kuchibhotla was shot dead while his colleague, also an Indian, sustained bullet injuries after an American navy veteran opened fire in a crowded suburban bar in Olathe city in February last year.

    The shooter thought they were Middle Easterners and was heard telling them to “get out of my country” at the time of the shooting.

    Earlier on Tuesday, Sunayana met a number of Congressional leaders, including House speaker Paul Ryan. The speaker said he knows Sunayana’s story and remembers her.

    Yoder said he asked Sunayana to be his guest as a recognition for her tireless efforts to promote peace, and as a message to the Indian community that the US is a nation of immigrants and they are welcome here.

    “Each year, I have the privilege of inviting one guest to attend the president’s State of the Union address. This year, I invited Sunayana Dumala, widow of Srinivas Kuchibhotla, the Indian immigrant who was tragically killed in the hate crime shooting last year at in Olathe,” Yoder said.

    The Indian American community appreciated the move.

    Brijpal Singh, the chairman of the India Association of Kansas City, said in a letter to Yoder, “This further strengthens our belief and confidence in the American system and its Constitution where everyone is respected, loved and is welcome.”

    The State of the Union Address is a traditional annual speech of the US president to a joint session of the Congress where he gives an account of the situation in the country.

     

  • Indian American Tech Firm Owner Indicted for Bribing US Official

    Indian American Tech Firm Owner Indicted for Bribing US Official

    The indictment alleges that Parimal Mehta paid bribes to Charles Dodd in exchange for preferential treatment for his company, FutureNet, which received approximately $7.5 million from Detroit in 2015 and 2016.

    MICHIGAN (TIP):  An Indian American and former CEO of an IT company based in Detroit, has been indicted for his alleged role in orchestrating a scheme to bribe a city official in lieu of benefits, the Department of Justice said.

    According to the 11-count indictment filed in the Eastern District of Michigan, Parimal D Mehta, 54, made multiple cash payments to Charles Dodd, former Director of Detroit’s Office of Departmental Technology Services between 2009 to 2016.

    This included two cash bribes hand delivered by Mr Mehta to Mr Dodd in the restrooms of restaurants in the Detroit-area in 2016, the DOJ alleged.

    Mr Mehta also allegedly employed Mr Dodd’s family members at FutureNet and its subsidiaries. Mr Dodd previously pleaded guilty to bribery on September 27, 2016.

    The indictment alleges that Parimal Mehta paid these bribes to Charles Dodd in exchange for preferential treatment for his company, FutureNet, which received approximately $7.5 million from Detroit in 2015 and 2016.

    According to the indictment, Mr Mehta and FutureNet benefitted from Mr Dodd’s influence over the administration of city contracts, expenditures under those contracts, and the hiring and selection of contract personnel.

    Parimal D Mehta obtained confidential information about Detroit’s internal budgets for specific technology projects, the indictment alleges.

    (Source: DOJ)

     

     

  • Indian American CEOs attend Trump’s Davos dinner

    Indian American CEOs attend Trump’s Davos dinner

    DAVOS, SWITZERLAND (TIP): Two Indian American CEOs were among the delegation of business leaders who attended a dinner hosted by President Donald Trump in Davos, on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum, on Thursday, January 25th.

    Vas Narasimhan, Global Head of Drug Development and Chief Medical Officer for Novartis, and Punit Renjen, CEO of Deloitte, were among the 15-member European business delegation that attended the dinner.

    Narasimhan has been Global Head of Drug Development and Chief Medical Officer for Novartis since February 2016. He is a member of the Executive Committee of Novartis. One February 1, 2018, he will become Chief Executive Officer of the company.

    Narasimhan previously was Global Head of Development for Novartis Pharmaceuticals, overseeing the entire general medicines pipeline.

    He has also served as Global Head of the Sandoz Biopharmaceuticals and Oncology Injectables business unit, Global Head of Development for Novartis Vaccines, North America Region Head for Novartis Vaccines, and United States Country President for Novartis Vaccines and Diagnostics. Before joining Novartis in 2005, he worked at McKinsey & Company.

    Renjen is in his 31st year with the Deloitte organization and became the CEO of Deloitte Global in June 2015. He is also a member of the Deloitte Global Board of Directors. He has also served as Chairman of Deloitte LLP (US member firm) from 2011-2015.

    Outside of Deloitte, Punit is a member of the boards of directors at United Way Worldwide (chairman), U.S.-India Business Council (vice chairman), and Japan Society; and is a founding member of the Lincoln Center India Advisory Council.

    Rajeev Suri, who is the CEO of Nokia, was also present at the dinner.

    The US delegation was attended by Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielson, National Security Advisor H.R. McMaster, and Gary Cohn, director of the National Economic Council.

    Trump thanked all the business leaders and urged them to invest in the US. The guests praised Trump for passing the GOP tax cut bill.

     

     

     

     

     

  • India Americans decry apparent image of a Sikh in a US News terrorism story

    India Americans decry apparent image of a Sikh in a US News terrorism story

    The group had recently launched an electronic guidebook to educate journalists who report on Sikhism.

    NEW YORK (TIP): The US News has removed an apparent image of a Sikh running with a rifle in a story on how terrorism is taught in classrooms around the world, after a Sikh civil rights group demanded its removal and sought an apology.

    The story, posted on January 23, explores “how 9/11 turned terrorism into a hot topic” and “what students learn about it in academia” in the post-9/11 world.

    The apparent photo of a Sikh was the featured post image—meaning it was the photo visible when the article is shared on twitter and Facebook by readers.

    The image drew condemnation from the Sikh Coalition, a New York-based organization.

    “Using the apparent image of a Sikh in this @USNews story examining post 9/11 terrorism is reckless and we will be seeking a correction and apology immediately,” the group tweeted on Friday night.

    The photo was also denounced by Nathan C. Walker, executive director of 1791 Delegates, a group of constitutional and human rights experts that provides advice on issues related to religion and public life.

    “Dangerous journalism, contributing to religious illiteracy, fueling stereotypes, and contributing to discrimination and violence against Sikhs,” Walker tweeted, adding that he has already written to the editors of US News and the author of the piece, Sintia Radu, “requesting that this inaccurate and consequential image be removed.”

    By Sunday morning, the image was gone. In was replaced by a 9/11 image of plumes of smoke billowing from the twin towers.

    Misconceptions about Sikhs and Sikhism are widely prevalent in the US media and the society in general. After 9/11, there has been a series of attacks against Sikhs.

    In fact, the Sikh Coalition, in collaboration with Religious News Foundation, on January 16, posted the first-ever electronic guidebook for journalists who report on Sikhism to avoid the kind of mistake the US News made.

    The hard copy of the comprehensive guidebook for journalists looking to report on Sikhism was released in September last year at the Religion News Association’s annual conference in Nashville, Tennessee. The electronic version of the same has been delivered to over 3,500 reporters, producers, and editors at over 500 U.S. news outlets.

    “This is a wonderful guide and resource for reporters covering Sikh issues,” said Orange County Register Religion Reporter, Deepa Bharath in a statement. “This guide provides depth and nuance and will be a go-to resource for me and my colleagues.”

    The comprehensive guide aims to raise awareness among media professionals on Sikhism. It covers almost all aspects of Sikhism from its history to beliefs, worships and important Sikh calendar dates.

    The illustrated guide has also a section to clear the common doubts about the Sikh faith.

    “We all know that the media has to do a better job of covering Sikhism and the Sikh community,” said Sikh Coalition Senior Religion Fellow and primary author, Simran Jeet Singh.

    “We hope that this will help them do so, both by improving the accuracy of coverage and by equipping reporters with a resource that helps them write more about Sikh issues,” he added.

    The Sikh Coalition worked for nearly two years to complete the book before the Religion News Foundation took the product to print.

    “Partnering with the Sikh Coalition to provide this expert reporter guide has been outstanding,” said Thomas Gallagher, CEO, Religion News Foundation. “The Sikh Coalition’s expertise and professionalism from start to finish ensure this product will be a valuable resource for reporting in America in the years to come.”

    (Source: Sikh Coalition)

     

     

  • Indian Origin Techie Found Dead in Apartment in Dallas

    Indian Origin Techie Found Dead in Apartment in Dallas

    Venkannagari Krishna Chaitanya, who came to the US three years ago, was working on a project with a well-known multinational software company, according to reports. He was staying as a paying guest in Arlington.

    ARLINGTON, DALLAS (TIP): An Indian Origin software engineer from Telangana was found dead at his apartment in Dallas, on the weekend. Venkannagari Krishna Chaitanya, 30, did not come out of his room on Friday, January 26.  The next day, his landlord called the police, who broke into the room and found him dead on his bed.

    Chaitanya, who came to the US from Telangana’s Siddipet three years ago, was working on a project with a well-known multinational software company, according to reports. He was staying as a paying guest in Arlington.

    His family has been informed about his death; the police are yet to establish how he died. Chaitanya’s father, Srinivasulu, is a senior bank officer in India.

    The family met with Siddipet lawmaker T Harish Rao, who is a state minister, asking for help to bring the body back. The Telangana government has reportedly written to the Indian Consul General in Houston and also requested the central government to facilitate faster return of Chaitanya’s body.

     

  • Indian Origin Head Teacher in UK dubbed ‘Hitler’ Over Hijab Ban

    Indian Origin Head Teacher in UK dubbed ‘Hitler’ Over Hijab Ban

    LONDON (TIP) :  Neena Lall , An Indian origin head teacher at one of the UK’s leading state-funded schools has been branded as “Hitler” on social media over her efforts to ban the ‘hijab’ for very young students.

    The Head teacher of St Stephen’s School in Newham, east London, Lall was forced to reverse the decision after widespread criticism to impose a ban on the hijab for girls below the age of eight earlier this month.

    A video, circulating on social media this weekend, January 27, portrays her as the German dictator Adolf Hitler and the school’s former chairman of governors as Russian dictator Stalin, with other management team shown as Hitler’s acolytes.

    “It is a very good school. Neena is a very good head teacher,” one of the school’s governors told the Sunday Times’ in defense of the head teacher.

    At a meeting of the parents and the school management on Monday, Jan 29, attended by local Labour party MP Stephen Timms, Ms Lall was forced to apologize as she confirmed the reversal of the governing body’s previously approved ban on hijabs for very young pupils.

    “The school’s uniform policy is based on the health, safety and welfare of our children. The school has taken the decision to make changes to this policy with immediate effect and this follows on from conversations with our school community,” the school said in a statement.

    “We will work with our school community to continue to review this policy going forward in the best interests of our children,” it added.

    The school, with a majority of pupils from Indian, Pakistani or Bangladeshi backgrounds, had earlier urged the UK government to issue clear guidelines on the issue of hijab wearing and religious fasting relating to very young pupils to prevent a backlash from parents.

    Arif Qawi, the chair of governors, had resigned from his post last week following offensive messages posted on social media against him and Ms Lall.

    ‘The Sunday Times’ indicated he is prepared to return as chairman if ministers give a clear signal that they will support the school’s right to set policy, including a uniform code. Campaigners believe that making very young girls wear the hijab is wrong because it is traditionally not worn until puberty.

    Under the UK’s Department for Education guidelines, uniform policy is a matter for individual head teachers and their governing bodies. But it did express concerns over intimidation via social media.

    “Intimidation or bullying towards school staff or pupils is unacceptable. Anyone who feels they are facing either should report it to police,” a spokesperson said.

    In November 2017, St Stephen’s School had topped a prestigious primary schools league table published by the Sunday Times annually.

    It was listed as the best school in England in the ‘Schools Guide 2018’ for a strong teaching record.

     

     

     

     

  • Indian American woman sues Movie Producer for sexual harassment

    Indian American woman sues Movie Producer for sexual harassment

    NEW YORK (TIP): Disgraced mogul movie producer Harvey Weinstein has been sued by his former Indian American personal assistant who has alleged that she was subjected to sexual exploitation and a “sexually hostile” work environment while working for him.

    Sandeep Rehal, who was Weinstein’s personal assistant for two years from 2013 to 2015, has sought trial by jury in an 11-page lawsuit.

    For over two years Rehal was “forced to work in a pervasive and severe sexually hostile” work environment at Weinstein’s company and “defined by endless offensive, degrading, and sexually harassing actions, statements, and touching at the hands of her boss,” alleges a lawsuit filed in the Southern District Court of New York on January 25.

    A day later, on Friday, the court issued summons to Weinstein and his company to respond to the charges within 21 days.

    The 65-year-old film producer has been facing a number of other sexual allegations, many of whom have been widely reported in the US media including in the New York Times.

    The lawsuit alleged that Rehal “had to pick up Harvey Weinstein’s used Caverject shots, which he tossed on the floor in his office, hotel rooms and his apartment”.

    She also had to “pick up his used condom and clean up rooms” and semen off his couch, before housekeeping personnel would do their work, the lawsuit charges.

    “Rehal was required to be involved in and aware of the preparations for, and clean up after, Harvey Weinstein’s extremely prolific sexual encounters,” it alleged.

    “Throughout her employment with Defendants Ms Rehal was required, as a condition of her employment, to work with Harvey Weinstein when he was naked. On an almost weekly basis, she was required to take dictation of emails from him while he was naked,” the lawsuit alleged.

    Weinstein subjected Rehal to “unwelcome touching”, the lawsuit alleges.

    Almost every time she accompanied Weinstein in his chauffeured Lexus SUV, he made her sit in the back with him and touched her thigh.

    “After Ms Rehal started wearing pants instead of skirts, Harvey Weinstein would rub between her thighs. When Ms Rehal sat cross legged in an attempt to prevent him from being able to touch her thigh, Harvey Weinstein would touch the back of her legs and butt,” the lawsuit alleged.

     

     

  • Indian American Ben Rekhi’s film to be screened at Cinequest festival

    Indian American Ben Rekhi’s film to be screened at Cinequest festival

    Two Indian films will also feature at the Silicon Valley film festival, which will be held from February 27 to March 11.

    SAN JOSE (TIP): Indian American filmmaker Ben Rekhi’s movie The Ashram will be screened at the upcoming Cinequest film and VR festival to be held in the Silicon Valley from February 27 to March 11.

    The 28th edition of the festival will also screen two Indian films, Love and Shukla and Purdah.

    The Ashram revolves around the life of Jamie, an American skeptic, following the trail of his lost girlfriend to a mystical Himalayan community. His quest to find Sophie leads him to an ashram where an evocative cast of characters, including Nitin (played by Kal Penn), awaits. He has reason to suspect everyone but needs to trust each to help him.

    Besides Penn, the film features several prominent actors, including Sam Keeley, Hera Hilmar, Oscar winner Melissa Leo and Indian actress Radhika Apte. Shot in various locations in India, the screenplay was written by Binky Mendez and Rekhi.

    Rekhi, son of noted venture capitalist Kanwal Rekhi, graduated from NYU Tisch School of the Arts. His Waterborne had won a Special Audience Award at the 2005 SXSW Film Festival. He is a producer of and director of photography of Bomb the System (2002).

    Indian filmmaker Siddartha Jatla’s Love and Shukla portrays the life of a rickshaw driver in Mumbai, the country’s financial capital.

    Shukla, a rickshaw driver, deals with a multitude of passengers on the roads of city. Some of them take advantage of him, but they can’t rob him of his prized possession – his decency. A new marriage and a pretty bride bring up many unanticipated challenges. Before Shukla can get lucky, he has to grab life by the horns.

    Saharsh Kumar Shukla and Taneea Rajawat play the lead roles in the Hindi drama penned by Siddhartha Jatla and Amanda Mooney.

    Purdah, a documentary directed by Jeremy Guy, portrays the struggles of 20-year-old Kaikasha and her two sisters, who are Muslims.

    Their father wants them to wear burkas and to have arranged marriages, but these determined young women have dreams of their own. This beautiful and rousing story follows Kaikasha in her quest to be the first Muslim on the Mumbai women’s cricket team and then follows her into a corridor of uncertainty after a shocking turn of events changes the fate of her family.

    The 13-day festival will screen 258 film and virtual reality works from 45 countries. The invitees and attendees will also get a chance to experience virtual reality as a new medium of story-telling at its curated VR Cinema and VR Experience Lounge.

    This year’s program includes 74 World and 55 US premiering films, starring award winning actors including past Maverick Spirit Award winners William H. Macy, Rosario Dawson and Peter Fonda, as well as Kal Penn, Michelle Pfeiffer, James McAvoy, Hilary Swank and Stanley Tucci.

    “We’ve seen the power of film to not only delight and entertain, but spark awareness, create connections and galvanize communities,” Halfdan Hussey, co-founder of Cinequest said in a statement.

    “Our theme for this year’s festival is ‘Impact’, reflected by the exceptional films, VR, and interactions with the torchbearers in entertainment and technology-programmed to give our audience a venue for engagement and empowerment,” he added.

     

     

  • Indian American ‘Dreamer’ the first such to join New Jersey Bar Association

    Indian American ‘Dreamer’ the first such to join New Jersey Bar Association

    Lawyer Parthiv Patel was administered the oath of office on Jan. 24by New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir Grewal, the first Sikh to hold this position in the United States. Patel was earlier denied membership to the bar because of his immigrant status.

     NEW JERSEY (TIP):  Lawyer Parthiv Patel, an Indian American recipient of the Deferred Action for Child Arrivals Act (DACA) became the first such individual to be admitted to the New Jersey Bar Association. He had come to the United States from India at the age of 5 years.

    New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir Grewal, the first Sikh to hold this position in the United States, administered the oath of office on Jan. 24 to Parthiv Patel, who had passed the bar exams of New Jersey and Pennsylvania in 2016. He was initially denied membership to the bar but was admitted later after a successful appeal with the help of American Civil Liberties Union.

    “We’re making it absolutely clear today that we will use all of the tools of the attorney general’s office to protect the rights of ‘Dreamers’ like Parthiv, to enjoy that American dream, and to ensure the safety and well-being of all New Jerseyans regardless of their immigration status,” Grewal said at the inauguration attended by New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy.

    Murphy announced that New Jersey would be joining a multi-state lawsuit challenging President Donald Trump’s decision to end the DACA Act.

    “Today I stand here with one message: Dreamers are Americans. We are fifth-graders alongside your children in the school play. We are your friends and your colleagues. And we are your doctors and your accountants and now in New Jersey, your lawyers,” Patel said, according to PTI. “The process of getting admitted to practice law has been daunting, but today’s ceremony is a reminder of the reason I’ve strived so hard to become a lawyer: to use my training and abilities to uplift others. In a climate of anxiety, it’s a comfort to know that we ‘Dreamers’ are not alone in this fight.”

    ACLU-NJ Senior Supervising Attorney Alexander Shalom said: “Parthiv’s long wait for bar admission shows the type of obstacles that ‘Dreamers’ are up against, and at the same time, his determination and altruistic spirit in the face of uncertainty demonstrate the best that New Jersey and America have to offer.”

    The DACA or Dreamers program protects around 800,000 people from being deported. It covers people who were brought to the United States illegally as children. In New Jersey alone, there are around 22,000 DACA members who could lose their employment and homes if the program is ended. Corporations, tech lobbies, and several states in America have appealed towards continuing the Obama-era program.

    Trump recently said, “Tell them not to worry. We are going to solve the problem. It’s up to the Democrats, but they should not be worried. We’re going to morph into it. It’s going to happen.” Trump added that DACA recipients could become citizens “at some point in the future, over a period of 10 to 12 years.”

    After a federal judge ruled that applications should be renewed until the litigation is continuing, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) resumed the renewal process. However, those who have never applied still have no reprieve.

     

     

     

  • Indian American innovation pioneers inducted into the prestigious National Inventors Hall of Fame

    Indian American innovation pioneers inducted into the prestigious National Inventors Hall of Fame

    WASHINGTON (TIP): Two Indian American innovation pioneers Arogyaswami Paulraj and Sumita Mitra have been inducted into the prestigious National Inventors Hall of Fame this year for their MIMO wireless technology and for nanocomposite dental materials respectively.

    Paulraj and Mitra along with 13 other innovation pioneers would be formally felicitated during the innovation industry’s most highly anticipated event “The Greatest Celebration of American Innovation” on May 2-3 organized in partnership with the US Patent and Trademark Office.

    National Inventors Hall of Fame, releasing its list of 2018 inductees, said Paulraj’s wireless technology has revolutionized broadband wireless Internet access for billions of people worldwide.

    MIMO (Multiple-Input Multiple-Output) improves both transmission data rates and expands network coverage. It is the essential foundation for all current (Wi-Fi and 4G mobile) and future broadband wireless communications.

    “It is a wonderful honor. I feel enormously humbled to be counted among the inventors who have made the modern world possible,” Paulraj said.

    Last month, he assumed a chairmanship of the Department of Telecom’s Steering Committee “to deliberate and finalize Vision, Mission, Goals and Roadmaps for 5G India 2020.”

    “We in India are truly privileged to have Dr Paulraj guiding the DoT and the Government of India at this point in time and for taking the time out to help us put India on the 5G global map, Telecom Secretary Aruna Sundararajan said in a statement issued by IndiaTechOnline.

    Paulraj said, “I have always felt that India needs to join the club of countries like US, China, Europe, South Korea and Japan that dominate communications and computing technology.”

    Paulraj said when he joined Stanford in 1992, he had not worked in wireless technology, since his prior years in India were spent on sonar systems with brief forays into AI and Computing.

    “It was perhaps being an outsider that helped me come up with this transformative idea. Like many big breakthroughs, MIMO faced significant skepticism for a few years, but it eventually took off and is now the foundation of all wireless systems,” he said.

    Paulraj joins eight other famed inventors in wireless technology, inducted to the Hall of Fame: Guglielmo Marconi, Oliver Lodge (Wireless Telegraph), Reginald Fessenden (AM radio), Edwin Armstrong (FM Radio), Amos Joel (Cellular tech), Andrew Viterbi and Irwin Jacobs (CDMA 3G), Jan Haartsen (Bluetooth).

    US patent holding wireless pioneers include another Indian — Dr Jagdish Chandra Bose for his breakthrough work in radio and microwave optics in 1904.

    Born in Pollachi, Tamil Nadu, in 1944, Paulraj joined the Indian Navy at age 15.

    Impressed with his academic record, the Navy sent him to the Indian Institute of Technology (Delhi), where he earned a Ph. D for advances to signal filtering theory.

    He served the Indian Navy for 25 years where he led the development of the world-class APSOH sonar, one of India’s most successful military development projects.

    He also founded three national laboratories spanning High Speed Computing, AI and Robotics and Military Electronics.

    He joined Stanford University in 1992 where he did all of his work on MIMO. Currently professor emeritus at Stanford, Paulraj holds 79 patents and has won several global distinctions.

    These include both the two top global honors for telecom pioneers the 2011 IEEE Alexander Graham Bell Medal and 2014 Marconi Prize and Fellowship. In 2010, he was awarded with Padma Bhushan.

    Mitra, 69, has been inducted for invention and US patents for the noncomposite dental filling material Filtek Supreme Restorative, used in over 600 million procedures so far.

    In the late 1990s, Mitra, a chemist at 3M Oral Care, the dental products division of 3M Company, invented the first dental filling material to include nanoparticles.

    The new composite filling material, called Filtek Supreme Universal Restorative, is a versatile material that could be used for restoring teeth in any area of the mouth; mimicked the beauty of natural teeth; had better polish retention; and exhibited superior strength than existing dental composites.
    Mitra holds 98 US patents and their international equivalents. Her inventions have led to a number of breakthrough dental technologies, including nanocomposites, resin-modified glass ionomers and dental adhesives.

    Other products that have resulted from her innovations include Viteremer and Vitrebond Resin-modified Glass Ionomers, RelyX Luting Cements, Scotchbond Multipurpose Adhesive and APC Orthodontic Bracket Adhesive.

    She earned her BS in chemistry from India’s Presidency College, her MS in organic chemistry from the University of Calcutta and her PhD in organic/polymer chemistry from the University of Michigan.

    Mitra retired in 2010 after more than 30 years with 3M, and now runs Mitra Chemical Consulting LLC with her husband.

    A former Science Coach for the American Chemical Society, she also maintains a close relationship with the Minnesota Dental Research Center for Biomaterials and Biomechanics at the University of Minnesota of which she was Industrial Director for nearly ten years.

     

     

     

     

  • EXPERIENCED ‘SEXUAL TERRORISM’ AT 13, SAYS NATALIE PORTMAN

    EXPERIENCED ‘SEXUAL TERRORISM’ AT 13, SAYS NATALIE PORTMAN

    The discussion of sexual misconduct in Hollywood is in its prime – more and more actresses are joining the conversation with their stories. Reportedly, the latest entrant in the never ending list of actresses is Natalie Portman, who revealed that she was sexually terrorised as a child after the shooting of her first feature film.

    The Academy-award winning actress, who was present at Women’s March in Los Angeles with fellow actresses Eva Longoria and Constance Wu, spoke about her terrifying experiences growing up as a child star.

    She said, “I turned 12 on the set of my first film ‘Leon: The Professional’, on which I play a young girl who befriends a hitman and hopes to avenge the murder of her family. The character was spontaneously developing and discovering her womanhood, her voice and her desire.

    At that moment of my life, I too was discovering.”

    She described other instances of sexual objectification that she faced soon after the film’s release, including movie reviewers talking about her “budding breasts” and her local radio station starting a countdown to her 18th birthday to keep track of “the date that I would be legal to sleep with.” The actress added, “I understood very quickly, even as a 13-year-old, that if I were to express myself sexually, I would feel unsafe. And that men would feel entitled to discuss and objectify my body to my great discomfort.”

    Source: ANI

  • OSCARS: PRIYANKA CHOPRA TO ANNOUNCE NOMINATIONS

    OSCARS: PRIYANKA CHOPRA TO ANNOUNCE NOMINATIONS

    Indian actor, Priyanka Chopra has been chosen to announce the list of nominations for the 90th Academy Awards. The news was confirmed by the award’s official Instagram page, The Academy.

    Priyanka will do the honours along with some renowned names of Hollywood – Michelle Rodriguez, Rebel Wilson, and Rosaria Dawson.

    Though she is not new to the awards ceremony as this will be her fourth consecutive year on the red carpet, it is going to be her first more active role in the workings.

    The voting process began on January 5 and the nominations had to be submitted by January 12. Now the balloting for Oscar 2018 nominations will come to a close on January 23.

    Nominations for all 24 categories will be announced from the Academy’s Samuel Goldwyn Theater. Announcements will be made in a two-part, live presentation by the mentioned stars. Expectations and speculations are running high about who is going to bag the golden statuette.

    In one of the images shared by The Academy, Priyanka is seen lounging in black cigarette trousers and metallic shimmery top. The page also shared images of Rebel Wilson, Michele Rodriguez, and Rosario Dawson.

    Source: ANI

  • SUNNY LEONE’S WAX FIGURE TO BE EXHIBITED AT MADAME TUSSAUDS IN NEW DELHI

    SUNNY LEONE’S WAX FIGURE TO BE EXHIBITED AT MADAME TUSSAUDS IN NEW DELHI

    Actress Sunny Leone’s wax figure will be placed at the Madame Tussauds museum here. It will be displayed alongside statues of other leading celebrities in a yet to be announced theme, read a statement.

    A team of expert artists flew in from London to meet Sunny for the sitting in Mumbai, where they took over 200 specific measurements and images were taken to create an authentic figure.

    “I am thrilled and grateful to Madame Tussauds for creating my figure. Having my own wax figure is completely overwhelming.

    This is the first time I have undergone a sitting and I must thank the entire team for making it a unique and memorable experience. I am equally excited to see ‘me’ at the attraction and can’t wait for the fans reaction (when) it will be finally displayed later this year,” said Sunny.

    Pointing out that the actress has a “massive fan base”, Anshul Jain, General Manager and Director, Merlin Entertainments India Pvt Ltd, said, “Announcing her figure at the attraction is equally enthralling for us, and we are certain that this will give her fans millions of memories to carry home with lots of selfies.”

    Source: IANS

  • Music composer Ilaiyaraaja, sportsmen Pankaj Advani, MS Dhoni among 2018 Padma award winners

    Music composer Ilaiyaraaja, sportsmen Pankaj Advani, MS Dhoni among 2018 Padma award winners

    NEW DELHI (TIP): Keeping its promise of honouring “unsung heroes”, the government Jan 25 announced Padma Shri awards for personalities who served the poor, set up free schools and popularised tribal arts globally.

    Lakshmikutty, a tribal woman from Kerala, who prepares 500 herbal medicine from memory and help thousands of people especially in snake and insect bite cases, is among the awardees.

    She teaches at Kerala Folklore Academy and lives in a small hut made of palm leaves roof in tribal settlement in a forest. She is the only tribal woman from her area to attend school in the 1950s.

    Arvind Gupta, an IIT Kanpur alumnus who inspired generations of students to learn science from thrash, has also been honoured with Padma Shri.

    Gupta visited 3,000 schools in four decades, made 6,200 short films on toy-making in 18 languages and also hosted popular TV show Tarang in 1980s.

    Internationally-acclaimed Gond artist Bhajju Shyam has also been awarded the Padma Shri. Shyam is famous for depicting Europe through Gond paintings, a tribal style of painting of Madhya Pradesh. Born in a poor tribal family, he worked as a night guard and electrician to support family before becoming a professional artist.

    His ‘The London Jungle Book’ sold 30,000 copies and it was published in five foreign languages.

    West Bengal’s Sudhanshu Biswas, a 99-year-old freedom fighter who serves poor, runs school and orphanages and set up free school for poor, is also among the winners.

    Kerala’s medical messiah to terminally ill, M R Rajagopal, has also been honoured with Padma Shri. Rajagopal has specialised in pain relief care for neo natal cases.

    Since last year, the Modi government has been honouring “unsung heroes” with the Padma awards to recognise people who have dedicated their lives to working for the poor or have risen from deprived backgrounds to excel in their own fields.

    Maharashtra’s Murlikant Petkar, India’s first para- Olympic gold medalist, who lost his arm in 1965 Indo-Pak war, is another winner of the Padma Shri.

    Tamil Nadu’s Rajagopalan Vasudevan, who is known as plastic road-maker of India, developed a patented and innovative method to reuse plastic waste to construct roads, has also been given the Padma Shri.

    Subhasini Mistry, a poor lady from rural West Bengal, who toiled 20 years as housemaid and daily labourer to build a hospital for poor in the state, is another awardee.

    Nonagenarian farm labourer Sulagatti Narasamma,who provides midwifery services in backward region of Karnataka without any medical facility, too was awarded the Padma Shri.

    Vijayalakshmi Navaneethakrishnan, an acclaimed Tamil folk exponent, who has dedicated her life towards collection, documentation and preservation of Tamil folk and tribal music, has also been given Padma Shri.

    Another awardee is Yeshi Dhoden, monk physician of Tibetan herbal medicine working in remote areas of Himachal Pradesh.

    Source: PTI

  • Indian in Pakistan jail has to wait till January 31 to know his fate

    Indian in Pakistan jail has to wait till January 31 to know his fate

    PESHAWAR (TIP): Indian national Hamid Nehal Ansari, languishing in a Pakistani jail, even after serving a 3-year prison term, has failed to secure his release as authorities did not submit the record of his conviction by a military court and his jail warrant to a top court here.

    Ansari, a Mumbai resident, was arrested in 2012 for illegally entering Pakistan from Afghanistan reportedly to meet a girl he had befriended online. He was tried in a military court and was given three years’ rigorous imprisonment.

    In November last year, he had filed a petition in the Peshawar High Court, pleading that he should not be treated as a “spy” as he was not involved in “anti-state activities”. Though India has sought consular access to Ansari, Pakistan has not yet provided it, the Ministry of External Affairs had said in New Delhi earlier this month.

    Resuming the hearing in the case, the two judge Peshawar High Court (PHC) bench, comprising Chief justice Yahya Afridi and Justice Mohammad Ghazanfar, asked the respondents about production of Ansari’s conviction order by the military court as well as details of his jail warrant.

    However, the respondents did not submit the record of his conviction and his jail warrant that the court had earlier directed to produce today, the Express Tribune reported.

    Later, the court strongly directed the authorities to produce the records by January 31 and adjourned the case.

    Ansari’s legal woes comes at a time when India has legally challenged at the International Court of Justice the death sentence given by a Pakistani military court to Indian national Kulbhushan Jadhav, for alleged spying.

    During the hearing of Ansari’s case, the court was told that the security agencies had recovered some photographs of Pakistan’s sensitive locations from his possession, especially of the military related areas, the Express Tribune said.

    However, the authorities did not provide any details to support their claim, the report said.

    Lawyer for Ansari, Qazi Muhammad Anwar, argued in the court that the Indian national was investigated by the security forces and tried by the military court.

    He was sentenced to three-year imprisonment only for his illegal entry into Pakistan as nothing else was found against him to prove him a spy.

    “Under the law, he has already completed the three-year jail term as he is behind bars in Pakistan since 2012 and should be released now,” he said.

    The counsel told the court that in Mardan prison Ansari is being treated like a spy as his jail warrant is also stamped with phrase ‘anti-state activities’ despite the fact he was not found to be involved in any such activities.

    “Nehal Ansari is not a spy. He was tried by the military court and was awarded three year imprisonment, which he has already completed,” Anwar told the court.

    Ansari was arrested by security agencies in 2012 from a hotel in Kohat, allegedly with a fake ID. According to his petition, he had come to Pakistan to meet a girl he had befriended on social media.

    Ansari was tried in a military court and was given a three-year rigorous imprisonment that started from December 15, 2015. (PTI)

  • India’s PM Modi Urges Canadian PM Trudeau to Curb Khalistanis

    India’s PM Modi Urges Canadian PM Trudeau to Curb Khalistanis

    DAVOS, SWITZERLAND (TIP): In his bilateral meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum meeting in Davos, Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi raised the issue of Khalistan and pro-Khalistani groups that are known to be active in Canada, a Hindi daily Navbharat Times has reported.

    Support for Khalistan has been on the rise with extremists organizing multiple events across Canada to rally support for the movement in the past few years. Numerous pro-Khalistan groups in Canada are planning to hold what they call the ‘Punjab Independence Referendum’ in the year 2020.

    In July 2016, India had raised the issue with Canada after Trudeau appeared in a Nagar Kirtan event in Toronto that featured Khalistani flags and posters of extremist leader Jarnail Singh Bhinderanwale.

    On 30 April, Trudeau had addressed a parade for ‘Khalsa Day’, which included events glorifying Sikh militant leaders. Trudeau’s Liberal party has a number of influential figures belonging to separatist Sikh organizations as elected leaders.

    Harinder Kaur Malhi, a legislator from Trudeau’s party, who had moved a resolution against India, to recognize the anti-Sikh riots of November 1984 as a genocide, was also felicitated during the parade. The resolution was passed by the Ontario Assembly on 6 April last year.

    India had condemned the move, calling it a “misguided motion based on a limited understanding of India, its constitution, society, ethos, rule of law and its judicial process”. The issue was also raised with Canada’s Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan during his visit to India the same month.

    The issue could be raised again during Trudeau’s visit to India next month.