The Indian Panorama

Month: June 2021

  • Chicken Burritos

    Burritos are filled with a savory filling, most often a meat such as chicken, beef, or pork, and often include a large array of other ingredients such as rice, cooked beans (either whole or refried), vegetables such as lettuce and tomatoes, cheese, and condiments such as salsa, pico de gallo, guacamole, or crema.

    Chicken Burritos are favorite grab-and-go recipes because they’re insanely easy to make, while being absolutely delicious every single time. They also keep really well in the freezer, so you can make a big batch at one time and pull them out anytime over the next two months.

    Ingredients

    n             Chicken – 300 gms, cooked, shredded, skinless, boneless

    n             Sweet corn kernels – 150 gms, boiled, drained

    n             Black beans (or red kidney beans) – 150 gms, rinsed, boiled, drained

    n             Tomatoes – 150 gms, finely chopped

    n             Flour tortillas – 4

    n             Green chillies – 2 to 3, chopped

    n             Jalapenos – 1 tblsp, chopped

    n             Red chilli flakes as per taste

    n             Garam masala powder – 2 tsp

    n             Black pepper powder as per taste

    n             Salt as per taste

    n             Coriander leaves – handful, chopped

    n             Cheese – 100 gms, grated

    Optional ingredients

    n             Sour cream lettuce – handful, shredded

    n             Tomatoes – 1/2 cup, chopped

    Method

    n             In a large bowl, combine the corn, black beans, tomatoes, green chillies, coriander leaves and jalapenos.

    n             Add the cooked chicken and mix well.

    n             Add the red chilli flakes, garam masala powder, black pepper powder, salt and toss gently.

    n             Warm the tortillas and place them on a flat surface.

    n             Divide the chicken mixture equally among the 4 tortillas.

    n             Sprinkle some cheese on top.

    n             If desired, add some sour cream, lettuce and chopped tomatoes.

    n             Fold from the sides and roll tightly.

    n             Heat a nonstick pan over medium flame.

    n             Place the burritos on the pan and warm them up for 3 to 5 minutes, turning gently once or twice.

    n             Serve.

  • Anne Hathaway to star in The Idea of You adaptation

    Anne Hathaway to star in The Idea of You adaptation

    Oscar winner Anne Hathaway is set to play the lead role in the film adaptation of author Robinne Lee’s novel The Idea of You. The project is being jointly developed by Amazon Studios and Welle Entertainment, reported Deadline.

    Tony-nominated actor and filmmaker Jennifer Westfeldt is adapting the screenplay based on the 2017 bestselling book.

    The story is about Sophie, a 40-year-old divorced mother. Sophie’s husband Dan leaves her for a younger woman, and now he has cancelled his Coachella trip with their 15-year old daughter.

    Sophie picks up the pieces and braves the crowds and desert heat. There, she meets 24 year-old Hayes Campbell, the lead singer of the hottest boy band on the planet, August Moon.

    The project will be backed by Cathy Schulman’s Welle Entertainment shingle along with Gabrielle Union and her production banner I’ll Have Another.

    Anne Hathaway, who won an Oscar for best supporting actress for 2012 movie Les Miserables, most recently featured in HBO Max’s heist comedy Locked Down and Amazon’s anthology series Solos. The actor will next star in Apple TV Plus’ miniseries We Crashed, based on the podcast WeCrashed: The Rise and Fall of WeWork by Wondery.

    Source: PTI

  • George Clooney to launch film academy for Los Angeles high school students from minority communities

    George Clooney to launch film academy for Los Angeles high school students from minority communities

    Hollywood star George Clooney will launch an academy for Los Angeles high school students as part of a new scheme to teach movie industry skills to children from disadvantaged and minority communities.

    Clooney and fellow A-listers Don Cheadle and Eva Longoria will spearhead the program initially available next fall for 14 to 16-year-olds at a downtown high school, with plans to expand to other ages and pilot locations throughout Los Angeles’ public school system.

    “Our aim is to better reflect the diversity of our country. That means starting early,” Clooney said in a statement announcing the Roybal School of Film and Television Production.

    “It means creating high school programs that teach young people about cameras, and editing and visual effects and sound and all the career opportunities that this industry has to offer.”

    The program follows similar star-backed collaborations with Los Angeles public schools, including an inner-city educational facility announced last week by music producers Dr Dre and Jimmy Iovine.

    The Los Angeles Unified School District teaches some 650,000 students, who are mainly from low-income backgrounds and predominantly Latino or Black.

    Hollywood’s poor record on diversity both in front of and behind the camera has come under close scrutiny in recent years, including the #OscarsSoWhite campaign launched in 2015 on social media to denounce and draw attention to the overwhelming majority of white nominees honoured year after year.    Source: AFP

  • Nicolas Cage to star in Butcher’s Crossing movie adaptation

    Nicolas Cage to star in Butcher’s Crossing movie adaptation

    American actor Nicolas Cage is set to play a buffalo hunter in a film adaptation of John Williams’ novel Butcher’s Crossing. As per Variety, the upcoming movie is being helmed by Gabe Polsky, who has directed documentaries like Red Army and Red Penguins. Shooting for the film will begin in the US in October.

    The movie is also a reunion of sorts, as Gabe was a producer on Nicolas’s 2009 movie Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans.

    The film is set in the 1870s and finds Nicolas Cage playing Kansas buffalo hunter Miller, who takes on a young Harvard dropout seeking his destiny out West.

    The movie is based on the 1960 transcendentalist novel by John Williams, which explores man’s relationship with the natural world and details a largely untold but significant chapter in American history.       Source: ANI

  • ‘Every woman is a Sherni’, says Vidya Balan

    ‘Every woman is a Sherni’, says Vidya Balan

    Vidya Balan, who is currently basking in praise after the release of her action-thriller movie Sherni, says she thinks every woman is a lioness in real life, much like the character she played in the film.

    “Every woman is a Sherni. A few of them are bold and badass; while others are introverted just like Vidya Vincent, but does that make them inferior? I think they have the ability to do the right tasks in the right ways— even if that makes her liable for punishment,” says Vidya in a conversation with ANI.

    The actor essays the character of Vidya Vincent- an upright forest officer, who powers through the brutal beasts of social barriers set by the patriarchal society and the lackadaisical attitudes within her department.

    “Vincent gets a transfer in the movie but she continues to work with honesty! So, I think every woman is a Sherni,” says Vidya Balan on the fictional story which is about the journey of a forest officer who strives for balance in a world of man-animal conflict. Source: ANI

  • NSA Doval calls for action plan against Pakistan-based terror groups

    NSA Doval calls for action plan against Pakistan-based terror groups

    New Delhi (TIP): India has proposed an action plan against terror outfits like Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) as part of the framework of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), which also includes as its members Pakistan and China. India’s proposal was put forth by National Security Adviser (NSA) Ajit Doval at the 16th meeting of NSAs at Dushanbe in Tajikistan. India also pressed for full implementation of UN resolutions and sanctions against UN-designated terrorists and terror entities, sources said. Doval also proposed adoption of international standards to counter terror financing, including an MoU between the SCO and FATF. At the moment, Pakistan is the only SCO member that is on FATF’s grey list and a decision whether it will remain on its watch list will be announced on Friday. The NSA also suggested the need to monitor new technologies used by terrorists, including drones for smuggling of weapons and misuse of dark web, artificial intelligence, blockchain and social media.

  • Daily Covid cases fall to 51,667, infection tally crosses 30.13 mn

    Daily Covid cases fall to 51,667, infection tally crosses 30.13 mn

    New Delhi (TIP): India’s Covid-19 cases rose by 51,667 and fatalities by 1,329 over the last 24 hours, which took the overall tally to 30,134,445 and pushed the death toll at 393,310, the Union ministry of health and family welfare said on Friday, June 25. The number of active cases declined to 612,868 as 64,527 people recovered from the Covid-19 and the total number now stands at 29,128,267, data updated on June 25 morning showed. Meanwhile, the cumulative Covid-19 vaccination coverage reached above 300 million, as per a provisional report till 7pm on Thursday, the Union health ministry said. According to the report, the total count was 30,72,46,600. More than 6 million vaccine doses were administered on JUne 24 till 11:59pm, the health ministry informed.

    After battling the second wave of Covid-19 for two months, the country is facing new concerns regarding the possible third wave and the latest mutation of the virus, Delta Plus. So far, the country has at least 40 cases with the maximum being reported from Maharashtra and is followed by Madhya Pradesh and Kerala. The Delta Plus variant has been found in the Bhopal and Shivpuri districts of Madhya Pradesh, Ratnagiri and Jalgaon districts of Maharashtra, and Palakkad and Pathanamthitta districts of Kerala. The Centre on Thursday wrote to the chief ministers of the three states and requested them to take up immediate containment measures against the Delta Plus variant outbreak. Union health secretary Rajesh Bhushan, in the letter, requested the chief secretaries to take up immediate containment measures in districts that are reporting the cases of the latest mutation. Bhushan also asked them to prevent crowds and intermingling of people and asked them to conduct widespread testing, prompt tracing.

    India administered over six million vaccine doses in a day

    India administered more than six million doses of coronavirus disease (Covid-19) vaccines on Thursday, the central government informed a day later. In post from its official handle on Twitter, the government’s broadcasting arm noted on Friday that 6,073,912 vaccine doses were administered in the country in the last 24 hours, taking the nationwide cumulative vaccination coverage past the 3.07-billion mark.

    As many as 307,948,744 Covid-19 vaccine doses have been administered in India till now. Thursday was the fourth day since the implementation of the ‘Revised Guidelines for Covid-19 Vaccination’ under the Union ministry of health and family welfare.               Source: HT

  • Milkha Singh – The man who beat life’s odds with class and precision

    Milkha Singh – The man who beat life’s odds with class and precision

    Legends never die! This is why Milkha Singh will always be alive in the memories of those who look up to him, he will be alive in all those priceless medals he won for the country and he will stay alive in all those budding athletes whom the ‘Flying Sikh’ inspired.

    The track, to him, was like an open book in which Milkha Singh found the “meaning and purpose of life”. And what a life he made for himself.

    Born on 20 November 1929 into a Sikh family in Govindpura, which is now a part of Pakistan, Milkha Singh was introduced to the sport only after he had fled to India post the partition and joined the Indian Army. It was in the army where he sharpened his running skills. After he finished sixth in a cross-country race that had around 400 more soldiers running, he was handpicked for further training. That laid the foundation for what would be an impressive career.

    Before his 91-year-old body lost to COVID-19 on June 18 after fighting it for a month, Milkha won the kind of battles that not many would have survived, forget about living long enough to tell the world about them.

    Early life

    From beginnings that saw him orphaned and displaced during the Partition of India, Milkha has become a sporting icon in his country.Escaping the troubles in Punjab, where killings of Hindus and Sikhs were continuing, by moving to Delhi in 1947, Milkha lived for a short time with the family of his married sister and was briefly imprisoned at Tihar jail for travelling on a train without a ticket. His sister, Ishvar, sold some jewelry to obtain his release. He spent some time at a refugee camp in Purana Qila and at a resettlement colony in Shahdara, both in Delhi.

    Milkha became disenchanted with his life and considered becoming a dacoit but was instead persuaded by one of his brothers, Malkhan, to attempt recruitment to the Indian Army. He successfully gained entrance on his fourth attempt, in 1951, and while stationed at the Electrical Mechanical Engineering Centre in Secunderabad he was introduced to athletics.

    He had run the 10 km distance to and from school as a child and was selected by the army for special training in athletics after finishing sixth in a compulsory cross-country run for new recruits. Singh has acknowledged how the army introduced him to sport, saying that “I came from a remote village, I didn’t know what running was, or the Olympics”. Milkha conquered the world of athletics with his grit, determination and resolve to rise from every setback like a phoenix. Thanks to his performances across the globe, Milkha dominated the field of sprinting for more than 10 years, scripting numerous records and winning multiple laurels for the country.

    It is safe to say that the legend introduced India to ‘track and field’ and to date, there has been no one who matches Milkha’s achievements in the country in this field. With his demise on June 18, it undoubtedly is the end of an era that saw none come even close to his achievements, let alone match them.

    A glimpse into the stupendous athletics career of legendary Milkha Singh can be had from this mind boggling fact: his 400 metres Indian national record stood for 38 years and the 400m Asian record for 26 years. In 1960 in Rome, he came closest to winning an individual Olympic Games medal as an Indian, in 400m, eventually finishing fourth in a photo finish.

    Milkha was one of the favourites to win the 400m gold in Rome. It was probably natural, too, as going into the Olympics, he is said to have won 77 out of 80 races, including the 1958 Commonwealth Games gold in 440 yards.

    But one shortcoming probably cost Milkha an Olympic medal. He had a habit of looking at his opponents over his shoulder while running races, and when he did the same in Rome it was decisive, though he had led the race until 200m. Later he admitted that he had paid a heavy price for his habit. He lost the race of his life in the Rome Olympics, finishing the 400m final in 45.6 seconds, 0.1 second short of the bronze medal mark.

    He remained tormented by that miss, one of the only two incidents in his life, which he described as unforgettable — the other being the killing of his parents in Pakistan.

    Interestingly, Milkha broke the existing world record of 45.9 sec in Rome, and so the three who finished ahead of him. He finished fourth with a time of 45.6 seconds, as per a hand-held device, while an unofficial electronic timer at the games clocked him at 45.73 sec. This has been a point of contention, though.

    The emergence of the ‘Flying Sikh’

    Young Milkha first hogged the limelight when he outperformed 394 soldiers in a race and was selected for further grooming and training. That eventually laid the base for him to become a legendary sprinter.

    Milkha represented India at the 1956 Olympics in Melbourne, the 1960 Olympics in Rome, and the 1964 Olympics in Tokyo. He was the first Indian athlete to claim a gold medal in the individual athletics category at the Commonwealth Games before the sprinter’s record was broken in 2010.

    Milkha, who is regarded as one of the world’s greatest athletes, defeated Pakistan sprinter Abdul Khaliq in a 200-Metres race to win a gold medal in Tokyo Asian Games. Khaliq was the fastest man in Asia in 1958 and after Milkha defeated him, the Indian sprinter was given the title of “The Flying Sikh”.

    Prior to that race, Milkha had won the gold in 400 metres while Khaliq had clinched the gold medal in 100 metres and with the Indian sprinter winning the 200 Metres race, he took the honour of then “Asia’s best Athlete”.

    Overcoming the hurdles

    One of independent India’s biggest sporting icons was a tormented man but refused to let that come in the way of accomplishments that were unheard of in his era.

    He saw his parents being butchered during partition, indulged in petty crimes to survive in the refugee camps of Delhi, went to jail for those, and failed three attempts at joining the Army.

    Who could have thought a man like that would get the sobriquet of ‘The Flying Sikh’? But Milkha earned it and earned it with a master class on how to be bigger and better than one’s circumstances.

    He “revered” the track like “the sanctum sanctorum in a temple where the deity resided.”

    To him running was both his God and beloved as he created his own little fairytale out of what could have easily been a tale of horrors.

    His love for athletics began after he enrolled himself with the Corps of Electronics and Mechanical Engineers (EME) of the Indian Army in Delhi.

    His talent blossomed while being with the Army. Fortunately for him, his officers encouraged him, and that would have played a role in him winning the 200m and 400m races at a Services Athletics Meet in 1955.

    Milkha practiced on his own while with the Army and clinched gold medals in both 200m and 400m at the 1956 National Games in Patiala, and two years later at the Cuttack Nationals, setting national records in both races.

    His sporting achievements won him kudos from the Army, and the Indian government awarded him the Padma Shri in 1959. The same year, he was awarded the prestigious Helms Award.

    Milkha took premature retirement from the Army and took up the post of Deputy Director of Sports with the Punjab government.

    In 1991, he introduced a compulsory games period in schools and also set up sports wings in schools in the districts to tap talent at the grassroot level.

    He got married to Nirmal Kaur, captain of the Indian volleyball team, in 1963. They met for the first time in 1956 in Sri Lanka when they were there for their respective national duties.

    The couple was blessed with three daughters and a son, golfer Jeev Milkha Singh.It was quite stunning that an athlete of Milkha’s stature was offered the Arjuna award, instituted in 1961, only in 2001. He famously turned it down, saying the honour was not of the “stature of the services he rendered to the nation”.

    In fact, Milkha was a sum total of way more than his several races and medals. He was also much more than that near-miss in Rome.

    He was India’s love affair with the track, the one that this country can never get over.

    Bhaag Milkha Bhaag

    In 2013, Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, a film on the legendary sprinter was made to showcase his incredible struggle from being an orphan to becoming one of the greatest athletes of all time.

    Bollywood actor Farhan Akhtar essayed the role of ‘The Flying Sikh’ in the biographical drama. It was through this movie that the sprinter attracted more fans and the young audience got to know about the legend of the man.

    Tributes pour in

    Tributes poured in on social media for the sporting icon.

    Young Indian sprinter Hima Das recalled Milkha Singh’s congratulatory message when she won the 400m gold at the 2018 world under-20 championships.

    “After winning world championship U-20 title and medal in Asian Games, I still remember a call from Milkha Singh sir that ‘Hima just keep on working hard, you have ample time and you can win a gold medal for our country at a global level,’ I will try to fulfil your dream sir,” Hima Das tweeted.

    Bollywood actor Farhan Akhtar, who played the role of Milkha Singh in his biopic Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, penned a heartfelt note for the running great.

    “A part of me is still refusing to accept that you are no more. Maybe it’s the stubborn side I inherited from you.. the side that when it sets its mind on something, just never gives up,” the actor said.

    Farhan Akhtar called him a ‘constant inspiration and a reminder of humility in success’.

    “And the truth is that you will always be alive,” Farhan Akhtar added. “Because you were more than a large-hearted, loving, warm, down to earth man.

    Sprinter Dutee Chand touched upon how relatable Milkha Singh was and hailed his achievements during a time when sports rarely headlined in the country.

    “His life was also full of struggles,” Dutee Chand told the News18 website. “His biopic Bhaag Milkha Bhaag I have seen it five-six times. I can see some similarities between his struggles and mine. Didn’t have proper diet, no track to run. Whatever hurdles I faced, he has faced them too. Can only imagine the hardships he had to go through and overcome to become what he did eventually. His life has been an inspiration to me.”

    Milkha Singh achievements include being the first Indian to win a Commonwealth Games gold medal. He also came within a photo finish of clinching a medal at the 1960 Olympics in Rome, missing out on a bronze medal by just 0.1 seconds.

    “His performance in (Rome) Olympics is the stuff of legends,” Dutee pointed out. “We keep on complaining about unavailability of coaches, tracks and what not but at a time when it was hard to find proper running shoes and one used to practice barefoot, Milkha made it to the Olympics. That’s the biggest thing.”

    Indian football team captain Sunil Chhetri also paid respect. “We may not have seen you compete, but every time we ran fast as kids, we ran ‘like Milkha Singh’. And for me, that will always be the legend you leave behind. You didn’t just run, you inspired. Rest in peace, sir,” the footballer wrote on Twitter.

    Indian boxing queen MC Mary Kom, Abhinav Bindra, the only Indian to win an individual Olympic gold, and 2012 London Games bronze medallist Saina Nehwal also paid homage to the running great.

  • Portugal in reverse as delta variant grips Lisbon, cases up

    Portugal in reverse as delta variant grips Lisbon, cases up

    Lisbon (TIP): The country reported 1,556 new infections Thursday — the highest number since February 20. Just over 1,000 of them were in the Lisbon region. Officials say hospital admissions are increasing at a “worrying” level. Prime Minister António Costa warned that the problem isn’t just in Portugal: Experts predict the delta variant, which originated in India, will account for 90per cent of new infections across Europe by the end of August, he said Thursday, June 25.

    The Lisbon region, where some 2.8 million people live, will go back to a 3.30 p.m. closing time for restaurants and cafes at weekends, with limits on how many customers can be served. Among other restrictions, wedding and baptism venues will be allowed to fill only 25per cent of their capacity, down from the current 50per cent. Travel into and out of Lisbon will not permitted at weekends.

    Though hospital admissions for COVID-19 patients remain manageable, the trend is “worrying,” Cabinet Minister Mariana Vieira da Silva told a press conference.

    She said the number of hospitalizations and patients in intensive care went up by 30per cent and 26per cent over the past week, respectively.

    “The situation is getting worse,” she said. “We expect the number of new cases to keep going up in coming weeks.” Vieira da Silva noted that some 700,000 people aged over 60 have not yet had their second dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. Portugal is administering around 320,000 jabs a week, “but it’s a race against time,” she said.

    Portugal was the worst-hit country in the world, in terms of weekly infections, in January. But an extended lockdown contained the spread. Since the pandemic began, Portugal has officially recorded around 869,000 cases of COVID-19 and some 17,000 deaths.

  • Global Covid-19 caseload tops 179.9 mn

    Washington (TIP): The overall global Covid-19 caseload has topped 179.9 million, while the deaths have surged to more than 3.89 million, according to the Johns Hopkins University. In its latest update on Friday, June 25, morning, the University’s Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) revealed that the current global caseload and death toll stood at 179,928,730 and 3,898,531, respectively. The US continues to be the worst-hit country with the world’s highest number of cases and deaths at 33,590,360 and 603,149, respectively, according to the CSSE.

    In terms of infections, India follows in the second place with 30,082,778 cases. The other worst countries with over 3 million cases are Brazil (18,243,483), France (5,826,134), Turkey (5,393,248), Russia (5,325,940), the UK (4,700,691), Argentina (4,350,564), Italy (4,255,665), Colombia (4,060,013), Spain (3,777,539), Germany (3,732,914) and Iran (3,140,129), the CSSE figures showed.

    In terms of deaths, Brazil comes second with 509,141 fatalities.

    Nations with a death toll of over 100,000 are India (391,981), Mexico (231,847), Peru (191,073), Russia (129,278), the UK (128,312), Italy (127,365), France (111,068) and Colombia (102,636).

                    Source: IANS

  • Russia’s daily COVID cases surge to 5-month high

    Russia logged 20,182 new coronavirus infections over the past 24 hours, the highest daily increase since January 24, taking the nationwide tally to 5,388,695, the official monitoring and response center said on June 24.

    The national death toll rose by 568 to 131,463 in the past day, while the number of recoveries grew by 13,505 to 4,915,615, the Xinhua news agency reported.

    Russian Deputy Prime Minister Tatyana Golikova said on Wednesday that the vaccination rate in the country was rising as more than 16 million people had been fully vaccinated and around 20 million others had received one dose.

    According to Golikova, there were no cases of the “Delta plus” variant in Russia.

  • Many feared dead in Florida beachfront condo collapse

    Many feared dead in Florida beachfront condo collapse

    President Joe Biden promised to provide federal aid if requested.

    SURFSIDE, Fla. (TIP): A beachfront condo building partially collapsed Thursday, June 24 outside Miami, killing at least one person and trapping others in the tower that resembled a giant fractured dollhouse, with one side sheared away. Dozens of survivors were pulled out, and rescuers kept up a desperate search for more, according to an Associated Press report.

    A wing of the 12-story building in the community of Surfside came down with a roar around 1:30 a.m. By late evening, nearly 100 people were still unaccounted for, authorities said, raising fears that the death toll could climb sharply. Officials did not know how many were in the tower when it fell.

    “The building is literally pancaked,” Surfside Mayor Charles Burkett said. “That is heartbreaking because it doesn’t mean, to me, that we are going to be as successful as we wanted to be in finding people alive.” Hours after the collapse, searchers were trying to reach a trapped child whose parents were believed to be dead. In another case, rescuers saved a mother and child, but the woman’s leg had to be amputated to remove her from the rubble, Frank Rollason, director of Miami-Dade emergency management, told the Miami Herald. Video showed fire crews removing a boy from the wreckage, but it was not clear whether he was the same person mentioned by Rollason. Teams were trying to enter the building from a parking garage beneath the structure.

    Gov. Ron DeSantis, who toured the scene, said television did not capture the scale of what happened. Rescue crews are “doing everything they can to save lives. That is ongoing, and they’re not going to rest,” he said.

    Teams of 10 to 12 rescuers at a time entered the rubble with dogs and other equipment, working until they grew tired from the heavy lifting, then making way for a new team, said Florida Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis, the state’s fire marshal.

    “They’re not going to stop just because of nightfall,” Patronis told Miami television station WPLG. “They just may have a different path they pursue.”

    Authorities did not say what may have caused the collapse. On video footage captured from nearby, the center of the building appeared to fall first, with a section nearest the ocean teetering and coming down seconds later as a huge dust cloud swallowed the neighborhood.

    President Joe Biden promised to provide federal aid if requested. About half of the building’s roughly 130 units were affected, the mayor told a news conference. Rescuers pulled at least 35 people from the rubble by mid-morning, and heavy equipment was being brought in to help stabilize the structure to provide more access, Raide Jadallah of Miami-Dade Fire and Rescue said.

  • Indian American community in US celebrates International Day of Yoga

    Indian American community in US celebrates International Day of Yoga

    Ambassador Taranjit Singh Sandhu and senior embassy staff in a yoga session at India House.
    Participants in a yoga session at India House.
    Virtual participation.

    WASHINGTON (TIP): The Indian Embassy in Washington as also all five Consulates of India in the US celebrated the 7th International Day of Yoga on Sunday with the theme “Yoga for Wellness” with active participation of the community. Welcoming the participants at India House, Washington, Indian Ambassador Taranjit Singh Sandhu stressed Yoga’s potential to provide both health and happiness by improving the physical and mental well-being of people. Given the impact of the Covid-19, he also noted that India and the US have stood shoulder to shoulder with each other in fighting the global pandemic, according to a press release from the embassy. Sandhu and other embassy officials also participated in a common Yoga protocol session in person, while a large number of people across US joined virtually through Zoom and Embassy’s social media handles. All the five Consulates of India in US namely New York, Chicago, Houston, Atlanta and San Francisco held various programs to mark IDY 2021.

    In New York, the Consulate partnered with Times Square Alliance to host celebrations at the iconic Times Square, attended by more than 3,000 people.

    In keeping with IDY 2021 theme, the event showcased holistic health. In another event, the Indian community in New Jersey led Yoga celebrations at the Liberty State Park.

    In Chicago, the Consulate commemorated IDY 2021 in Grant Park in partnership with Yoga organizations in the Midwest region, wherein there was enthusiastic participation in virtual and in person modes. The American Academy of Yoga and Meditation, with the support of the Consulate General of India in Atlanta, is organizing International YogaCon USA 2021 with unprecedented response. The Consulate also held events in Florida and Puerto Rico to mark the IDY2021. The Consulate General of India, Houston held Yoga events at Buffalo Bayou Park, Houston and at River Walk in partnership with the City of San Antonio.

    The Indian consulate in San Francisco held Yoga Day celebrations at Palace of Fine arts. Distinguished Speaker sessions were also held by Vivekananda Yoga University in Los Angeles and Yoga quiz on FM radio. In the run up to IDY 2021, several curtain raiser events in various formats were organized by the Embassy and Consulates.

    Celebrations were held in several other places with the active participation and support of American people, including community organizations and Yoga enthusiasts.

    (Based on a press release)

  • Governor Cuomo announces end of Pandemic Emergency in New York State

    Governor Cuomo announces end of Pandemic Emergency in New York State

    NEW YORK (TIP): Announcing the end of pandemic emergency on June 24, Governor Cuomo said, “Today we close out the emergency chapter in the pandemic—effective today, New York’s COVID-19 State of Emergency has ended. Federal CDC guidance will remain in place, meaning if you’re unvaccinated, you should still wear a mask in public indoors. Masks will also still be required on public transit and certain other settings, like health care facilities. Fighting COVID and vaccinating New Yorkers are still our top priorities but the emergency is over”.

    Federal CDC guidelines will remain in effect, which include masks for unvaccinated individuals, as well as all riders on public transit and in certain settings, such as health care, nursing homes, correctional facilities, and homeless shelters. State and local government health departments will still be able to ensure mask rules and other health precautions are adhered to in those settings.

    Since March of 2020, a variety of actions had been taken by executive order to assist in the rapid response to the pandemic by state agencies, local governments, hospitals, and businesses by both temporarily suspending or modifying laws as well as utilizing temporary directives. Hospitals were able to add space and staffing, meetings were authorized to occur virtually, and various deadlines were extended to accommodate a changed landscape. “New York went from one of the worst infection rates to the lowest infection rate in the country, and it was all because of the efforts of New Yorkers who were smart, united and did what they needed to do throughout this entire pandemic,” Governor Cuomo said. “Now we’re starting to write a new chapter for a post-COVID New York–the state disaster emergency is ending and we can focus on reimaging, rebuilding and renewing our state. This doesn’t mean COVID is gone, we still have to get more New Yorkers vaccinated, but we are getting back on track and starting to live life once again.”

  • Federation of Indian Associations and the Consulate General of India organize 7th International Yoga Day

    Federation of Indian Associations and the Consulate General of India organize 7th International Yoga Day

    The hour-long event was held at Liberty State Park on Sunday, June 20 morning

    JERSEY CITY (TIP): The Federation of Indian Associations NY-NJ-CT, in partnership with the Consulate General of India-New York, organized a group yoga event on Sunday, June 20, to mark the 7th International Day of Yoga.

    Nearly 200 participants joined the hybrid event, with over 120 joining online. The Liberty State Park, with the backdrop of the majestic Statue of Liberty and the Manhattan skyline, provided the perfect venue for the event.

    Consul General of India at New York addresses the participants in the Yoga session.

    Consul General of India NY Randhir Jaiswal, who briefly attended the event with DCG NY Shatrughna Sinha, appreciated and encouraged the participants. Celebrity yoga instructor, Reiki healer, and health coach Thara Natalie gave yoga lessons for all ages. She also shared health tips during the one-hour session. Singer and song writer Jay Sean was the guest of honor while former Miss America and American public speaker and actress Nina Davuluri, also a yoga practitioner, compered the event.

    Participants in the Yoga session.

    Lauding the efforts of event chair Parveen Bansal and his team in putting together the event, FIA president Anil Bansal said, “It is heartening to see people giving due importance to yoga. It is an ancient Indian discipline that purifies the mind and body with regular practice. Just like this morning, I hope everyone here continues to find time to invest in their health and well-being.”

    “Last year was tough for everyone. Now, the community is slowly reeling out of the pandemic. The benefits of yoga are known to the entire world. We hope this event can give a positive push to our attempts to get back to the pre-pandemic days,” said FIA chairman Ankur Vaidya. He expressed his gratitude to CGI NY Jaiswal and DCG Sinha for their continued support in making the Yoga Day celebration a success. FIA provided complimentary coffee, munchkins, water, T-shirt, and yoga mat to all participants in attendance and held an attendee raffle in which 5 Google home devices were raffled as thank-you giveaways to the attendees.

    FIA has been hosting Yoga Day event since 2015

    The United Nations had, in December 2014, proclaimed June 21 every year as the International Day of Yoga. The FIA has been organizing yoga events to mark the day since 2015 when it was celebrated globally for the first time.

    Last year, with the Covid-19 pandemic raging across the world, the entire event was held online.

    (Based on a press release)

  • Consulate General of India with community organizations celebrated the 7th International Day of Yoga

    Consulate General of India with community organizations celebrated the 7th International Day of Yoga

    Consul General of India at New York Randhir Kumar Jaiswal addressed the gathering.

    NEW YORK CITY (TIP): The 7th International Day of Yoga was celebrated by Consulate General of India in partnership with a number of community organizations. There was excitement in the build-up to the International Day of Yoga (IDY) as a number of curtain raiser events were organized in the month of June.

    Celebrations started on June 1st with the World Yoga Festival organized by the World Yoga Community. The Indian Cultural Association of North America organized IDY community awareness programs on June 5 and June 12th at the Consulate General of India.

    GOPIO Manhattan in partnership with the Indian Panorama, Indian American Forum and Happy Life Yoga celebrated the International day of Yoga through a digital event on June 19th.

    The Town of Greenburgh (NY) and the Indian Cultural Association of North America organized a Yoga session on June 19th. The Hindu Temple Society of North America, Queens celebrated International Yoga Day through a virtual event on June 20th.

    The main celebration of the 7th International Day of Yoga (IDY) by the Consulate General of India in New York was held on Sunday, June 20, 2021 at the iconic location of Times Square. The Consulate partnered with the Times Square Alliance for this grand celebration. Leading Yoga teacher Ms. Ruchika Lal from the Art of Living Foundation conducted Yoga and meditation session.

    The day-long yoga festival with the theme of ‘Solstice in Times Square 2021’ was attended by more than 3,000 people where yogis, with their yoga mats and flexible bodies, filled Times Square to mark the start of summer.

    “As we celebrate yoga at the iconic Times Square – at the crossroads of the world, let us remind ourselves of the truly global embrace of yoga. Yoga was born in India but is part of global heritage today. Yoga is about health, well-being and about living in harmony with nature. Yoga is a way of life, and we must try to practice it in its entirety, for a peaceful society and for a greener planet,” Randhir Jaiswal, Consul General told ANI.

    “It was an incredible experience leading yoga, pranayama and meditation at Times Square NYC. Seeing thousands of yogis experience stillness amidst the chaos of the city that never stops,” said Ruchika Lal who participated in the event.

    In keeping with this year’s global theme – Yoga for Wellness – as coined by the United Nations (UN), the event showcased holistic health, Ayurvedic and nature-based wellness products from Tribes India (TRIFED) and other Indian companies. The stalls attracted a large number of visitors, eager to learn about the uniqueness of Indian Tribal, Ayurvedic and natural products. The day-long yoga celebration offered experienced yogis and first-timers alike the chance to bring a yoga mat to the iconic public space and participate in a free yoga class. The Consulate General handed a bag of products from TRIFED and some wellness products produced in India as well.

    “I love to practice Yoga at Times Square every year on Solstice. I want to thank the Consulate for this gift,” a participant said.

    There were several other yoga sessions held throughout the day. These sessions were very well received by the participants. The day-long event was attended by more than 3000 people. In keeping with this year’s theme, Yoga for Wellness, the Times Square event showcased holistic health, Ayurvedic and nature-based wellness products from Tribes India (TRIFED) and other Indian companies.  The stalls attracted a large number of visitors, eager to learn about the uniqueness of Indian Tribal, Ayurvedic and natural products.  A large variety of traditional knowledge-based products from Aspirational Districts in India such as the Araku Valley Coffee, Millets, Bamboo craft and Handloom Textiles were showcased. These products generated a lot of excitement amongst the visitors. On the same day, another major celebration of IDY was organized at the Liberty State Park in New Jersey with the Statue of Liberty in the background. This celebration was led by Federation of Indian Associations (FIA). Famous Yoga instructor Thara Natalie led the Yoga Session. Noted Singer Jay Sean and Public Speaker Nina Davuluri participated in the event to support the cause of yoga and wellbeing.

    On June 21st, the Consulate in partnership with the Council of Indian Organization in Greater Philadelphia celebrated IDY at Dilworth Park, Philadelphia. Four Yoga teachers conducted the Yoga sessions which was attended by a number of young people. Along with Consul General Randhir Jaiswal, Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick and Congressman Dwight Evans also attended the event. Both Congressmen appreciated the efforts of promoting Yoga for Wellness.  On the occasion, Governor Tom Wolf extended his good wishes. The event was also attended by representatives from City Council and the Mayor’s office. In keeping with our efforts to take Yoga to different communities, the Consulate partnered with   Sanskriti of NJ, a noted community organization, to celebrate IDY in Livingston, NJ. The event was attended by Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill and the Mayor of Livingston. During the event a number of Yoga workshops were organized, and a range of healthy and sustainable lifestyle products were showcased.

    In his remarks on the occasion, Consul General referred to Yoga as a universal practice. He highlighted the unifying force of Yoga and its immense benefits. He also said that Yoga was born in India but is a part of our global heritage today. Yoga is about health, about well-being and about living in harmony with nature, he stated. He also noted that Yoga was not just a set of physical exercises but a way of life that fosters a peaceful society and a greener planet.

    On the occasion of 7thInternational Day of Yoga, mYoga App, jointly developed by World Health Organisation (WHO) in collaboration with the Ministry of AYUSH has been launched. The app is available on Google Play store as well as on Apple app store. It provides authentic information on yoga in multiple languages.

    In December 2014, United Nations had unanimously adopted a resolution to mark June 21st as the International Day of Yoga (IDY). June 21st is the Summer Solstice, the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere and has special significance in many parts of the world. Since then IDY has been celebrated as a major event in hundreds of cities enhancing awareness about multifaceted benefits of yoga to individuals, families and societies.

    State Bank of India, ICICI Bank, Bank of India, Bank of Baroda, India Tourist Office, TATA Sons, Aromazeia Essential Oils and Forest Essentials also contributed to this year’s IDY.

    (Based on a press release)

  • Hopes rise on location of GOPIO global headquarters

    Hopes rise on location of GOPIO global headquarters

    NEW YORK (TIP):  GOPIO International, the Global Organization of People of Indian Origin (www.gopio.net), may soon realize its long-cherished dream of establishing its World Headquarters in the US. This will enable the organization to coordinate its activities and interact with the Indian Diaspora in an ideal manner. Talks are ongoing with the CEO and Chairman of the Redberri Corporation Dr. Deepak K. Vyas in this regard. If things work out according to the plan GOPIO hopes to inaugurate the headquarters coinciding with the 75th Indian Independence Day celebrations on August 15, 2021. United States Vice President Kamala Harris is being invited to inaugurate the opening ceremony. It is also expected that a life size statute of Mahatma Gandhi will be unveiled at this Convention center. State and local high dignitaries will be invited and are also expected to attend.

    GOPIO officials discussed on June 5, 2021 at Sandwich, Illinois with Dr. Deepak K. Vyas by phone (due to his absence on account of an unforeseen personnel emergency) to explore the viability of establishing the GOPIO World Headquarters in Sandwich, Illinois at the Convention Center of the Redberri Corporation. Dr. Deepak Vyas, who was the Special Guest of GOPIO at Varanasi Governing General Body meeting in India on January 20, 2019, had graciously offered to accommodate GOPIO’s International Headquarters at his Convention Center edifice in Sandwich, USA.

    GOPIO President Sunny Kulathakal, International Coordinator for N.A. Harbachan Singh, Treasurer Sohan Joshi and President of Chicago Chapter Gladson Varghese representing GOPIO, visited the premises and had a preliminary discussion with Dr. Deepak Vyas.  The broad perimeters of a cooperation agreement were discussed and Mr. Sunny Kulathakal decided to take back the offer to the GOPIO Executive Council for consideration.  He expressed his profound gratitude to Dr. Deepak Vyas for the offer.

    Mr. Sunny Kulathakal stated that, “GOPIO International advocates for the people’s rights, fights on their behalf and assists the Indian Diaspora around the globe on issues such as, immigration and visa, PIO card matters, social services for the Diaspora, inheritance and legacy issues and to facilitate the often-stranded Diaspora travelers to their home country, and scores of other issues related to family and property matters.”

    “Considering that GOPIO is a charitable organization, this offer was considered as a most valuable concession to GOPIO where it can establish an appropriate office and direct its activities and efficiently service all its Regional offices and Country Chapters in a most effective way”, said Harbachan Singh.  GOPIO has now matured and grown worldwide, and it was time that it changed its shell.  GOPIO was established in USA in 1989 and has since expanded and spanned across the world where it has over 30 Chapters and several hundreds of Life members doing a phenomenal job. The overseas Indians are beginning to rely on GOPIO to help solve their problems.

    GOPIO has conducted several programs in cooperation with the Consulate General of India in different parts of the world.  This collaboration is leading to the ability to forge more partnerships.  GOPIO International’s collaboration with the Redberri Corporation will further enhance interaction between Mother India and the Indian population at a higher level both in terms of qualitative and quantitative endeavors, and in a professional way on a worldwide basis.

    More details regarding this announcement will be available shortly at http://www.gopio.net/ or contact:  GOPIO International president Sunny Kulathakal at 314-926-6103.

    (Based on a press release)

  • GOPIO Manhattan and Happy Life Yoga Organize International Yoga Day Event 2021

    Ambassador Randhir Kumar Jaiswal, Consul General of India in New York inaugurating the event.
    Speakers and organizers at the Virtual Yoga Day Celebration.
    From L to R: Top Row: Ambassador Randhir Kumar Jaiswal, Host Tirlok Malik, GOPIO Chairman Dr. Thomas Abraham, Speaker Anil Narang.
    2nd Row: Singer Pallavi Belwariar, Speaker Prof. Indrajit Saluja, GOPIO-Manhattan President Shivender Sofat, Program Coordinator and Board member Sid Jain.
    3rd Row: Speakers Dr. Bhuvan Lal, Sangeeta Agrawal, Andrea and Neil, Board Members and Zoom Coordinator Chitranjan Belwariar.
    4th Row: Speakers Renee Mehrra, Ranju Narang, Deborah Fishman and Indu Jaiswal.

    NEW YORK CITY (TIP): The GOPIO-Manhattan (NYC) and Happy Life Yoga in cooperation with The Indian Panorama and Indian American Forum (Long Island) organized an International Yoga Event to raise awareness of Yoga and raise funds for “The Covid-19 Relief in India”.

    Mr. Siddharth Deoraj Jain, Founding Life Member GOPIO Manhattan; introduced Mr. Tirlok Malik, an Emmy-nominated filmmaker and Happy Life Yoga speaker and invited him to start The International Yoga Day-2021.

    Mr. Malik hosted a highly interactive and informative Yoga session featuring experts and speakers across various walks of life. He explained his vision, “A way of living inspired by the wisdom of Ayurveda, Yoga and Indian Philosophy is beneficial for everyone. In the aftermath of COVID, the world has realized that it is of paramount importance to have a good health, physically and emotionally, and the Happy Life Yoga platform can show how to achieve it.”

     

    Ambassador Randhir Kumar Jaiswal, the Chief Guest, commented “Yoga is a way of life. The idea of Yoga is truly universal and it must be heard, celebrated and promoted in each and every part of our society and community. The key is to not just celebrate Yoga as a health practice, for it needs to be celebrated in its entirety,” asserted Jaiswal. He highlighted how the International Yoga Day has evolved into in major annual event that’s celebrated across the globe ever since Prime Minister Narendra Modi proposed the idea during his speech at the United Nations General Assembly back in September 2014.

    Dr. Bhuvan Lall, the award-winning filmmaker, international entrepreneur, motivational speaker and author, touched upon the importance of Yoga in our day-to-day life and advised “Everybody wants to be happy. Everybody wants to have a long life and Yoga provides the answer by teaching us how to deal with unhappy situations that we come across. So, Yoga is really the way forward.”

    Prof. Indrajit Saluja, Chief Editor/Publisher, The Indian Panorama said, “The key is to love yourself and love the world around you. When you are trying to achieve equilibrium among the various faculties in your life that’s where Yoga comes into play.”

    Ms. Sangeeta Agrawal, CEO and Founder, Helpsy added “The first step involves preparing oneself as that equips one to deal with the situation. Further one must reach out to experts for their advice and guidance allowing one to make and execute plans aimed at recovery from the ailment.”

    Ms. Deborah Fishman Shelby, Founder & Executive Director, FED talked about teachings of Judaism while sharing examples from Torah and exploring the idea of happiness.

    Ms. Ranju Narang emphasized upon the need to inhaling and exhaling out all the negativity and toxicity.

    Ms. Indu Jaiswal, Chairperson, Indian American Forum, an accomplished dietician and nutritionist spoke about the importance of balance diet for happy life.

    Neil and Andrea Garvey, Publishers/Editors of the Creations Magazine, who have been vegans for over three decades emphasized about the need for communication between partners.

    Mr. Anil Narang, Vegan activist, talked about the benefits of vegan diet for a healthy living. While talking about the importance of harmony between mind, body and spirit, he stressed upon the need to go vegan during the COVID-19 times in order to boost immunity and health.

    Dr. Renee Mehrra talked about meditation and the need to control thoughts as a means to calm down the brain.

    Ms. Pallavi Verma Belwariar, Founding Life Member GOPIO Manhattan; entertained the viewers with her melodious voice with Malik egging on the viewers to dance in their chairs.

    Mr. Shivender Sofat, President GOPIO-Manhattan; spoke about importance of Yoga in daily life, discussed chapter activities and motivated everyone to donate generously towards the GOPIO Manhattan Fund Raising for The Covid-19 Relief in India.

    Dr. Thomas Abraham, GOPIO Chairman; complimented GOPIO-Manhattan, NYC for taking this initiative and organizing several other programs during the last one year. Dr. Abraham also appealed the audience to support the Covid Indian Relief Fund and GOPIO-Manhattan’s Community Feeding conducted every last Monday of the month.

    Mr. Chitranjan Sahay Belwariar, Founding Life Member GOPIO Manhattan; concluded with the Vote of Thanks to all Speakers at the event and provided technical support with Zoom streaming and recording.

    The event ended with a thunderous applause even as Malik promised to bring more Happy Life Yoga events in the near future.

    Happy Life Yoga is the creation of Mr. Tirlok Malik and the Ayurveda Cafe team. It is essentially an educational platform that offers a unique holistic approach to health and happiness using tools from Ayurveda, Indian Philosophy, and Yoga to help better manage modern-day challenges such as work, finances, relationships, family and other social pressures. It was launched in June 2019 in New York.

    In accordance with its mission to serve the larger society and those in need, GOPIO-Manhattan Chapter has taken several initiatives in the recent past. A Community Feeding is organized by the Chapter providing ​vegan or ​vegetarian lunch for the homeless and needy at Tomkins Square Park in Manhattan on the last Monday of every month. The chapter appeals to the community to support the initiative by being a volunteer and/or a sponsor.

    For more info on GOPIO Manhattan, call President Shivender Sofat at 731-988-6969, e-mail: info@gopiomanhattan.org or visit here: https://gopiomanhattan.org/

    Facebook Link: GOPIO Manhattan NYC

  • NYC District 23 Elections: Identity politics at its best

    NYC District 23 Elections: Identity politics at its best

    George Abraham

    I had a front seat view of the recently concluded NYC council elections and have witnessed how much these contests have changed over the years. The district that includes Bellerose, Floral Park, Queens Village, Hollis, and Oakland Gardens has seen a very spirited campaign by a diverse group of candidates. The demographic shift is evident everywhere one looks as Queens has been a favorite destination for new immigrants over the past five decades. It is estimated that about 45% of the population in District 23 is foreign-born. Some of the major boulevards in District 23, such as Hillside Avenue, are dotted with South Asian businesses selling Masala Dosa and Shish Kabab, replacing  Italian Ice and Irish Whisky.

    Considering these changes, the South Asians who live in the district have been trying for quite some time to have a representative of their own. The powerful democratic machine in Queens had a stranglehold on decision-making in that regard, and the disunity within the south Asian community always played into their hands.  This election cycle was no different in that regard as four candidates of Indian origin decided to contest. This time around too, the machine politics favored Linda Lee, a candidate of Southeast Asian dissent.

    Harpreet Toor, Jaslin Kaur, and Sanjeev Jindal from the Punjabi community and Mr. Koshy Thomas from the Kerala community threw their hats into the ring. They appeared to have employed all the resources at their disposal to reach the voters in the district and convince them of their plans and proposals on how to improve the services to the community while assuring them of safety and security. In addition, there were three other candidates Steve Behar, Debra Merkel, and Linda Lee, who were also in the running.

    To this observer, the campaign of Jaslin Kaur was distinct from all others. She was able to put together a coalition of young people from across the community who became foot soldiers on her behalf. She was endorsed by the progressive wing of the Democratic party led by Alexandria-Ocasio Cortez (AOC) and Bernie Sanders, along with many unions and the working family party. It is believed that she might also be the second or third choice of many voters from the Indian community, which might bode well for her in the final tally. The three other Asian Indian candidates focused their efforts primarily on theirown communities.  Sanjeev Jindal appeared to have garnered more support from the Hindu community, while Toor has benefited from the Sikh community support and Koshy Thomas from the Kerala Christian community.

    Jaslin Kaur still may have a chance to pull off a surprise victory. If all four candidates fail again, there is only one explanation that we have not learned much from history, and our inability to create a consensus will continue to haunt us! If one adds up all the votes of the Asian Indian candidates, it becomes abundantly clear to everyone.

    Sadly, race, ethnicity, and gender issues have become the driving force in the American political arena today, and the eventual winner undoubtedly will be indebted to one or more groups for their hard-earned victory.

    George Abraham

    E-mail: gta777@gmail.com

  • Yet another bank fraud in India: Gautam Thapar, others booked in USD3.3 billion bank fraud case

    Yet another bank fraud in India: Gautam Thapar, others booked in USD3.3 billion bank fraud case

    ‘Accused borrowed funds by misrepresentation, falsified books of accounts’

    NEW DELHI (TIP): The CBI on Thursday, June 24, conducted searches in connection with a case registered against C.G. Power and Industrial Solution Limited, its former chairman-cum-managing director Gautam Thapar and others for allegedly cheating a consortium of banks of ₹2,435 crore (USD 3.3 billion). “The searches were carried out in Delhi, Gurugram and Mumbai,” said a CBI official. The case has been registered on a complaint lodged by the SBI on behalf of all the lenders, alleging fraud committed by the borrowers from 2015 to 2019.Earlier this month, the agency had booked Avantha Realty Limited and its promoter, Mr. Thapar, for allegedly cheating the Yes Bank of ₹466.51 crore in 2017-19. He is under investigation in another CBI case instituted in March last year against former Yes Bank managing director Rana Kapoor and others.

    In the latest case, among those named as accused are C.G. Power and Industrial Solution’s then chief executive officer and managing director K. N. Neelkanth; executive director and chief financial officer Madhav Acharya; director B. Hariharan; non-executive director Omkar Goswami; and then chief financial officer Venkatesh Rammoorthy.

    It is alleged that they indulged in diversion and siphoning of funds through sham transactions with related parties. The accused borrowed funds by misrepresentation, falsified books of accounts, entries, vouchers and financial statements, and furnished incorrect or misleading information.

    According to the FIR, during August 2019, the company’s board disclosed to the Securities and Exchange Board of India about several suspicious unauthorized transactions, including previously undisclosed debts. The liabilities of the company and the group had apparently been understated.

    Advances to the related/unrelated parties were also suspected to have been understated by ₹1,990.36 crore and ₹2,806.63 crore, respectively, as on March 31, 2018.

    The FIR lists 19 major instances of suspected siphoning and diversion of funds, which include non-disclosure of unauthorized transactions in the nature of loans taken from banks/financial institutions and connected party aggregating to ₹635 crore.

    As alleged, ₹634 crore written off in the prior years was misrepresented to the board, and post-dated cheques and comfort letters issued by the senior management in relation to certain borrowings from some related parties were not recorded. In the restated financial statement, ₹303.45 crore amount has wrongly restated in the name of Avantha Holdings Limited and Servomax Infratel Private Limited.

    Some transactions with the Diwan Housing Finance Limited Pramerica Asset Managers Private Limited have also been mentioned in the FIR registered on Tuesday.

  • Rudy Giuliani’s NY Law License Suspended over Election Claims

    Rudy Giuliani’s NY Law License Suspended over Election Claims

    Attorney Ravi Batra Tweets “Expected and needed. Law abhors lies, and yearns for Truth.”

    NEW YORK CITY (TIP): Former Mayor Rudy Giuliani is suspended from practicing law in New York after court officials found he made numerous “demonstrably false and misleading” claims about the 2020 election. A blistering 33-page decision released Thursday, June 24, bars Giuliani from practicing law “immediately.” It details a trail of outlandish and completely refuted claims Giuliani made on behalf of former President Donald Trump, who sought to overturn his loss in the presidential election. “For the reasons that follow, we conclude that there is uncontroverted evidence that respondent communicated demonstrably false and misleading statements to courts, lawmakers and the public at large in his capacity as lawyer for former President Donald J. Trump and the Trump campaign in connection with Trump’s failed effort at reelection in 2020,” the decision states. “These false statements were made to improperly bolster respondent’s narrative that due to widespread voter fraud, victory in the 2020 United States presidential election was stolen from his client.” The decision reads as a refutation of the so-called “Big Lie” that Trump, not President Joe Biden, would have won the 2020 election if not for massive voter fraud.

    Giuliani, in the days and weeks following the election, spread those false claims far and wide to cast doubt on the legitimacy of Biden’s election, as detailed in the decision. In just one example, Giuliani claimed at various times “that 65,000 or 66,000 or 165,00 [sic] underage voters” illegally voted in the Georgia 2020 election, the decision states. This was debunked by Georgia officials who compared all people who voted in the election to their full birthdays, according to the decision.

    “The audit revealed that there were zero (0) underage voters in the 2020 election,” the decision states. “While a small number of voters (four) had requested a ballot prior to turning 18, they all turned 18 by the time the election was held in November 2020.”

    Giuliani’s claims over the election prompted a disciplinary review by the state’s Attorney Grievance Committee that ultimately led to his suspension. Court officials found Giuliani presented an immediate threat to the public interest, especially as the country is “torn apart” by doubts over the legitimacy of Biden’s election.

    “One only has to look at the ongoing present public discord over the 2020 election, which erupted into violence, insurrection and death on January 6, 2021 at the U.S. Capitol, to understand the extent of the damage that can be done when the public is misled by false information about the elections,” the decision states. “The AGC contends that respondent’s misconduct directly inflamed tensions that bubbled over into the events of January 6, 2021 in this nation’s Capitol. Respondent’s response is that no causal nexus can be shown between his conduct and those events. We need not decide any issue of “causal nexus” to understand that the falsehoods themselves cause harm.”Giuliani’s son Andrew Giuliani blasted the decision in a Twitter video. He didn’t refute the judges’ detailed debunking of his father’s claims, but instead argued the decision itself was a partisan attack.

    “This is going after one of President Trump’s closest allies, that’s exactly what this is,” he said. “And any American that does not believe that they are just biased.”

    By the end, the decision used one of Giuliani’s own statements to justify his suspension.

    “I don’t know what’s more serious than being denied your right to vote in a democracy,” Giuliani said in an election court hearing, according to the decision.

    ” We agree,” the court officials wrote. “It is the very reason why espousing false factual information to large segments of the public as a means of discrediting the rights of legitimate voters is so immediately harmful to it and warrants interim suspension from the practice of law.”

    The Indian Panorama reached out to the eminent attorney Ravi Batra for his comment on the suspension of Giulian’s NY Law license. Mr. Batra shared with the publication his Tweet.

  • J&K parties find common ground on deepening democracy, early polls

    J&K parties find common ground on deepening democracy, early polls

    Restore the special status of J&K : Gupkar leaders

    NEW DELHI (TIP): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday, June 24, told a group of leaders from Jammu and Kashmir that the Assembly elections there will be held after the completion of the ongoing delimitation exercise, People’s Conference leader Muzaffar Hussain Baig said after a crucial meeting to chalk out the future course of action in the Union Territory

    This is the first interaction between the Central leadership and the mainstream parties since August 5, 2019, when the Centre revoked Jammu and Kashmir’s special status under Article 370 of the Constitution and bifurcated it into union territories, Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh.

    Modi stressed that holding Assembly elections, just like the successful conduct of the District Development Council polls, is a priority and that the polls can happen soon after the delimitation exercise, the sources said, adding that by and large most participants expressed willingness for it.

    The Prime Minister stressed that an atmosphere of safety and security needs to be ensured for all sections of society in Jammu and Kashmir and he wanted to remove ‘Dilli ki Duri as well as ‘Dil Ki Duri’ (distance from Delhi as well as distance of heart), according to the sources.

    All the constituents of the Gupkar Alliance, including Dr. Abdullah and Ms. Mufti, reiterated their demand to restore the special status of J&K.

    In a freewheeling three-and-a-half-hour interaction with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, J&K parties, across the political divide, find the common ground on deepening democracy, early process and taking the PM’s dialogue process forward.

    “Building trust is very necessary. Restoration of full statehood will be the first trust building exercise from New Delhi,” Dr. Abdullah, NC president and the Gupkar alliance chief, said.

    His son and former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said there has been a breach of trust between Delhi and Srinagar and requires measures from the PM, as he described the August 5, 2019 move as “unacceptable” and “being contested in the court” by the party.

    “People do not like J&K’s status to be reduced to Union Territory (UT). They want the full State and J&K cadre restored,” Mr. Abdullah said. All the constituents of the Gupkar Alliance, including Dr. Abdullah and Ms. Mufti, reiterated their demand to restore the special status of J&K, as it existed on August 4, 2019 and “rebuild the broken relation with people of J&K”.

    “People of J&K have been in pain since 5 August 2019. They are angry and feel humiliated. The people of J&K do not accept the unconstitutional, immoral and illegal abrogation of Article 370. My party and my party will fight peacefully and democratically for its restoration, even if it takes months or years. It’s about our identity. Article 370 was not something granted by Pakistan to us,” People’s Democratic Party president Mehbooba Mufti said. Ms. Mufti said she complimented the PM for initiating dialogue with China and Pakistan and insisted that India should talk to Pakistan for peace in Kashmir. “We also sought security on land, jobs and minerals of J&K and an end to any kind of intimidation. We also demanded the release of political leaders,” she added.

    No concrete assurances

    CPI(M) leader M.Y. Tarigami said both the Prime Minister and the Home Minister gave them a patient hearing as they expressed their concerns, demands and aspirations. “However, we did not get any concrete assurances from them,” he added.

    Kashmir-based Peoples Conference (PC) and J&K Apni Party also sought special provisions on the issue of land and jobs during the meeting, while describing the meeting as “cordial and dignified”. However, these two parties did not discuss Article 370, saying “it’s sub judice”.

    “I did suggest to the PM to incorporate 35(A) (special provision to secure jobs and land for locals) under Article 371. There was a thrust on getting together in strengthening democracy in J&K and the majority of leaders demanded restoration of statehood. The PM did suggest elections after the delimitation process completes its process and also promised on the restoration of statehood. After that, other issues will be taken up,” PC’s Muzaffar Hussain Baigh said.

    J&K Apni Party chief Altaf Bukhari said the meeting is likely to herald a new dawn for J&K. “Our party’s paramount demands have been restoration of Statehood, early assembly elections, delimitation on merit and constitutional mechanism that protects the rights of residents of J&K on their land, jobs and natural resources besides expediting the hearing of the Supreme Court on Article 370 and 35-A,” Mr. Bukhari said.

    He said he was hopeful that J&K parties will be able to arrive at a sustainable and meaningful roadmap keeping in view the best interests and the welfare of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.

    Senior BJP leader Kavinder Gupta said the meeting was “meaningful”. “All parties talked about the development of J&K and presented their opinions. In the time to come, the political process is going to begin. Assembly will be constituted in J&K once again,” Mr. Gupta said.

    (With inputs from PTI)

  • Biden accepts a deal on infrastructure brokered by bipartisan group of senators

    Biden accepts a deal on infrastructure brokered by bipartisan group of senators

    WASHINGTON (TIP): President Joe Biden said Thursday, June 24, he has agreed to a deal on infrastructure with a bipartisan group of senators after White House officials and the senators had a massive breakthrough the night before in their infrastructure negotiations.

    Both Republican and Democratic senators said Wednesday, June 23 evening there was an agreement reached with White House officials and 10 senators on a bipartisan infrastructure deal. And on Thursday afternoon, Biden said he had signed off on the agreement.

    Though hurdles remain — it’s unclear if the proposal will have enough support from GOP senators or progressive lawmakers to end up as law — the announced agreement is a significant development that could pave the way for passage of a chunk of Biden’s domestic agenda. “We all agree that none of us got all we wanted. I clearly didn’t get all I wanted, they gave more than I think maybe what they were planning to give in the first place,” Biden said. “But this reminds me of the days when we used to get an awful lot done up in the United States Congress.”

    The President said: “Bipartisan deals mean compromise.” Biden said later in the day that he would not sign the bipartisan infrastructure bill unless the investments he has proposed in his American Families Plan, which Democratic leadership plans on passing through the budget reconciliation process, also end up on his desk. “If this is the only thing that comes to me, I’m not signing it. It’s in tandem,” Biden said. The President said: “The bipartisan bill from the very beginning was understood there’s going to have to be the second part of it. I’m not just signing the bipartisan bill and forgetting about the rest that I proposed. I proposed a significant piece of legislation in three parts. And all, all three parts are equally important.” “For me, investment in our physical and human infrastructure (are) inextricably intertwined. Both make us better off and stronger,” Biden said.

    And House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Thursday, June 24, that the House won’t take up the bipartisan bill until the Senate passes the larger, more sweeping infrastructure package through budget reconciliation. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell later expressed deep pessimism on Fox News over Democrats’ push to pass both the bipartisan deal and a reconciliation bill.

    “What it does is put my members, including myself, who were optimistic about doing a bipartisan infrastructure bill in a position of our Democratic friends having to guarantee that the 2017 tax bill is unwound. That’s our one red line,” the Kentucky Republican said.

    Republicans are grappling with whether to support the bipartisan deal, knowing that Democrats can push through a reconciliation bill either way, or to oppose the bipartisan measure and let Democrats own everything. McConnell’s rhetoric Thursday, June 24 evening indicated he may be leaning towards embracing the latter argument.

    And Sen. Lindsey Graham, a South Carolina Republican who earlier had signed on to the framework deal with a few other GOP senators, tweeted: “If reports are accurate that President Biden is refusing to sign a bipartisan deal unless reconciliation is also passed, that would be the ultimate deal breaker for me.”

    A lot of work remains on the policy and drafting side of the proposal. But Biden and his team have grown increasingly bullish on the pathway a bipartisan agreement lays out for moving the full scope of the President’s $4 trillion economic agenda.

    Many details of the plan remain unclear. But the total cost of the plan is $1.2 trillion over eight years, with $559 billion in new spending, multiple sources familiar with the matter tell CNN.

    This proposal is significantly less than what Biden had initially proposed. The President initially put forward a $2.25 trillion plan to rebuild the nation’s infrastructure and shift to greener energy over the next eight years.

    But after their late-night meeting on Wednesday with White House officials, Democratic leaders said they planned to move forward with a much larger Democratic-only approach to dramatically expand the social safety plan in addition to the bipartisan infrastructure plan.

    Romney and Manchin said the bipartisan proposal is fully paid for and offsets the new spending. How to pay for the proposal has been a major point of contention during the negotiations.

    (Source: CNN)

  • June 25 New York & Dallas E – Edition

    June 25 New York & Dallas E – Edition

    [vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]

    E-Edition

    [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”2/3″][vc_custom_heading text=”Dual Edition” font_container=”tag:h2|text_align:center” google_fonts=”font_family:Istok%20Web%3Aregular%2Citalic%2C700%2C700italic|font_style:700%20bold%20regular%3A700%3Anormal” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theindianpanorama.news%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2021%2F06%2FTIP-June-25-Dual-Edition.pdf|||”][vc_single_image image=”111233″ img_size=”full” add_caption=”yes” alignment=”center” onclick=”custom_link” link=”https://www.theindianpanorama.news/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/TIP-June-25-Dual-Edition.pdf”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_single_image image=”82828″ img_size=”medium” alignment=”center” onclick=”custom_link” link=”https://www.theindianpanorama.news/advertising-media-kit-portal-indian-panorama/”][vc_single_image image=”82829″ img_size=”medium” alignment=”center” onclick=”custom_link” link=”https://www.theindianpanorama.news/advertising-media-kit-portal-indian-panorama/”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”2/3″][vc_custom_heading text=”Lead Stories This Week” font_container=”tag:h2|text_align:center” google_fonts=”font_family:Istok%20Web%3Aregular%2Citalic%2C700%2C700italic|font_style:700%20bold%20regular%3A700%3Anormal” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theindianpanorama.news%2F%20|||”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_widget_sidebar sidebar_id=”mh-sidebar”][/vc_column][/vc_row]

  • U.S. allows some H-1B visa seekers to re-submit their applications

    WASHINGTON (TIP): Some foreign guest workers in the U.S. will be able to re-submit their applications for the H1-B visa, the most sought-after non-immigrant visa among Indian IT professionals, if their petition was solely rejected because it was based on the initial registration period, according to a federal agency.

    According to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), such re-submission of applications is for those whose applications have been rejected or administratively closed solely because the requested start date was after October 1, 2020.

    The H-1B visa allows the U.S. companies to employ foreign workers in specialty occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise. Technology companies depend on it to hire tens of thousands of employees each year from countries such as India and China.

    “If your FY 2021 petition was rejected or administratively closed solely because your petition was based on a registration submitted during the initial registration period, but you requested a start date after October 1, 2020, you may re-submit that previously filed petition, with all applicable fees,” USCIS said on Wednesday.

    “Such petitions must be re-submitted before October 1, 2021. If properly resubmitted, we will consider the petition to have been filed on the original receipt date,” the USCIS said.

    In 2020, USCIS implemented an electronic registration process for the H-1B cap.

    Prospective petitioners seeking to file H-1B cap-subject petitions, including for beneficiaries eligible for the advanced degree exemption, must first electronically register and pay the USD 10 H-1B registration fee for each beneficiary.

    “The electronic registration process has streamlined processing by reducing paperwork and data exchange and provided overall cost savings to employers seeking to file H-1B cap-subject petitions,” it said.

    According to USCIS, for fiscal 2021, the number of petitions filed during the initial filing period was below the number projected as needed to reach the numerical allocations.

    This discrepancy was likely related to multiple factors, including the economic, political and public health uncertainty created by the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the fact that FY-2021 was the first year that we implemented the electronic registration process.

    “Therefore, in August 2020, we selected additional registrations that were held in reserve. The filing period for registrations selected in August ended on November 16, 2020,” it said.

    “Some petitioners indicated a start date after October 1, 2020. We rejected or administratively closed those petitions because they were based on registrations submitted during the initial registration period but indicated a start date after October 1, 2020. Upon reconsideration, we no longer believe that the regulations required us to reject or administratively close those petitions,” the USCIS said.

    The move comes days after the powerful the U.S. Chambers of Commerce launched a massive campaign to address the acute shortage of skilled and professional workforce in America.

    The demand to increase the H-1B quota, which currently is at 65,000 and another 20,000 for those who have higher studies from the U.S., is part of the America Works campaign launched by the U.S. Chambers of Commerce early this month.

    (Source: PTI)