The Indian Panorama

Month: October 2022

  • India abstains on UN resolution flaying Russia’s referendums

    India abstains on UN resolution flaying Russia’s referendums

    New Delhi (TIP)- India abstained in the UN General Assembly on a draft resolution condemning Russia’s referendums and the annexation of four Ukrainian territories, saying its decision was “consistent with its well-thought-out national position.” India’s Permanent Representative to the UN Ruchira Kamboj said India had consistently advocated that no solution could be reached at the cost of human lives. “Escalation of hostilities and violence is in no one’s interest. We have urged that all efforts be made for an immediate cessation of hostilities and urgent return to the path of dialogue and diplomacy,’’ she said. The resolution — Territorial integrity of Ukraine: Defending the principles of the Charter of the UN — was adopted with 143 nations voting in favour, four against and 35, including India, abstaining.

    “The path to peace requires us to keep all channels of diplomacy open. We, therefore, sincerely hope for an early resumption of peace talks to bring about an immediate ceasefire and resolution of the conflict. India stands ready to support all such efforts aimed at de-escalation,’’ said Kamboj. “There are other pressing issues at play, some of which have not been adequately addressed in the resolution voted today. Our decision to abstain is consistent with our well-thought-out national position,’’ she added. India also expressed its concern over the developing world being forced to bear substantial collateral damage.

    “As developing countries face the brunt of the conflict’s consequences on fuel, food and fertiliser supplies, it is critical that the voice of the global South be heard and their legitimate concerns duly addressed. We must not initiate measures that further complicate a struggling global economy,’’ the Indian PR stressed.

    Last month, India had abstained from a draft United Nations Security Council resolution to condemn Russia’s referendums and annexation of four Ukrainian territories as invalid. No member of the BRICS bloc voted along with the West.

    India slams Pakistan after it raises Kashmir issue

    India dismissed as “frivolous and pointless” Pakistan’s attempts to raise the Kashmir issue during the emergency debate on the Ukraine issue at the UN General Assembly. Speaking after the UNGA had voted on the issue, Pakistan’s Permanent Representative Munir Akram said he looked forward to a “similar concern and condemnation on attempts by India to formalise’’ the annexation of Kashmir. Pakistan, he said, had abstained on the resolution because it “endorses the basic principle reflected in the draft resolution that referendums cannot apply to regions which are part of a sovereign state and in an environment which is not free.’’

    India’s PR Ruchira Kamboj replied by saying that statements by “one delegation to misuse this forum and make frivolous and pointless remarks against my country deserve our collective contempt and sympathy for a mindset which repeatedly utters falsehoods. We call on Pakistan to stop cross-border terrorism so that our citizens can enjoy the right to life and liberty.’’ Pakistan replied with diplomat Gul Kaiser Sarwani commenting on Hindutva, the RSS, cow vigilantism and the state of minorities in India.

  • SC delivers split verdict on hijab ban, says there’s divergence of opinion

    SC delivers split verdict on hijab ban, says there’s divergence of opinion

    New Delhi (TIP)- The Supreme Court on Thursday, October 13,  delivered a split verdict on the hijab ban in Karnataka’s educational institutions, with one judge holding permitting a community to wear its religious symbols would be an “antithesis to secularism” and the other insisting that wearing the Muslim headscarf should be simply a “matter of choice”.

    While Justice Hemant Gupta dismissed the appeals challenging the March 15 judgment of the Karnataka High Court that had refused to lift the ban, Justice Sudhanshu Dhulia held there shall be no restriction on the wearing of hijab anywhere in the schools and colleges of the state. With the apex court delivering a split verdict, the high court’s judgment still holds the field. However, the split verdict held off a permanent resolution of the vexed row over hijab as both judges suggested placing the matter before a larger Bench for adjudication. Writing a separate 73-page judgment, Justice Dhulia said, “By asking the girls to take off their hijab before they enter the school gates is first an invasion of their privacy, then it is an attack on their dignity, and then ultimately it is a denial to them of secular education.”

    Justice Gupta, who was heading the Bench and wrote a contrary verdict running into 133-pages, answered the 11 questions framed by him for consideration in the matter and said the constitutional goal of fraternity will be defeated if the students were permitted to carry their apparent religious symbols with them to the classroom. While pronouncing the judgment on a batch of 26 petitions, Justice Gupta said at the outset, “In view of the divergent views expressed by the Bench, the matter be placed before the Chief Justice of India for constitution of an appropriate Bench.”

    In his verdict, Justice Gupta said the arguments advanced by the counsel for some of the appellants that this matter involved a substantial question of law and should be referred to a five-judge Bench was “not tenable”. Both the judges referred to the state government’s February 5, 2022, order which banned wearing clothes that disturbed equality, integrity and public order in schools and colleges.

    Justice Gupta noted the government order “promotes an equal environment”. “Accordingly, I do not find that the government order impinges on the constitutional promise of fraternity and dignity. Instead, it promotes an equal environment where such fraternal values can be imbibed and nurtured without any hindrance of any kind,” he said. On the other hand, Justice Dhulia set aside the high court verdict and also quashed the government order. “Under our constitutional scheme, wearing a hijab should be simply a matter of choice. It may or may not be a matter of essential religious practice, but it still is, a matter of conscience, belief, and expression,” he said.

    Justice Dhulia further said the “unfortunate fallout of the hijab restriction would be that we would have denied education to a girl child”. He said in his opinion, courts were not the forums to solve “theological questions”. He said the courts, however, must interfere when the boundaries set by the Constitution were broken or where unjustified restrictions were imposed.

    Justice Gupta noted that some of the appellants had also made a comparison with the rights of the followers of the Sikh faith by arguing that since ‘kirpan’ was allowed in terms of Explanation I to Article 25, therefore, the students who wanted to wear hijab should be equally protected. “The essential religious practices of the followers of Sikh faith cannot be made basis of wearing of hijab/headscarf by the believers of Islamic faith,” Justice Gupta said. “As discussed above, secularism is applicable to all citizen,” he said.               Source: PTI

  • Uddhav Sena faction says election body biased, gave priority to Eknath Shinde

    Mumbai (TIP)- The Uddhav Thackeray faction of the Shiv Sena has alleged that the Election Commission of India (ECI) is biased and that it gave priority to Eknath Shinde while allotting the party symbols to the two factions.Vivek Singh, a lawyer of the Uddhav camp wrote a letter to the ECI stating that the procedure adopted by the election body during the allocation of symbols gave an “undue upper hand to the Shinde camp”. The election commission had frozen the Shiv Sena’s bow and arrow symbol amid a tussle between the factions. Afterwards,the election body gave the mashaal symbol to the Uddhav Thackeray-led Sena and two swords and shield to the Eknath Shinde-led faction. The Uddhav-led Sena will be called the ‘Shiv Sena – Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray’ while the Shinde camp was given the name‘Balasahebanchi Shiv Sena’. The four-page letter by the Uddhav camp alleged that the ECI gave biased treatment to the Shinde faction.It also sought assurance from the Commission that such “biased treatment in favour of the Eknath Shinde faction” will not continue and that both groups will be dealt with on an equal footing. According to the letter, the EIC uploaded a copy of a confidential letter sent by the Uddhav camp which contained the options for the new symbols that will be used in the upcoming Andheri East by-elections. However, the commission uploaded the letter on its website making it accessible to everyone, including the Shinde camp.

  • UP police raid in Uttarakhand leaves BJP leader’s wife dead, 6 cops injured

    Dehradun (TIP)- A woman shot dead  in Uttarakhand’s Udham Singh Nagar district during clashes with an Uttar Pradesh Police team, which reached there looking for a man accused of illegal sand mining, was identified  as the wife of a local BJP leader. The incident at Bharatpur village in Udham Singh Nagar district, in which six UP Police personnel were injured, including two with gunshot wounds, triggered a war of words between police forces of the two BJP-ruled states. Uttarakhand Police said it was not kept in the loop about the operation, but the UP Police said it had alerted the Udham Singh Nagar police before mounting the operation. The woman shot dead was identified as Gurpreet Bhullar, wife of local BJP leader and block chief Gurtej Bhullar. DIG (Kumaon) Nilesh Anand Bharne told The Indian Express that an FIR had been registered on the complaint of the woman’s family at the Kunda police station. He said the UP Police team came to make an arrest in Uttarakhand but did not inform the local police. The FIR is against 11-12 unidentified UP police personnel and has been registered under IPC sections relating to murder, rioting, house-trespass after preparation for hurt, assault or wrong­ful restraint, intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace, criminal intimidation and criminal conspiracy.

  • Kerala black magic case: Killer a haiku poet, reveal Facebook posts

    The Facebook posts of Bhagaval Singh, the traditional medical practitioner, arrested on charges of human sacrifice in Kerala, revealed that he had a penchant for short poems — Japanese Haiku with 17 syllables. Days before he was arrested along with his wife Laila and the mastermind of the case Shafi, he posted one haiku on October 6. Earlier too, he posted such poems.

    Bhagaval Singh was active on Facebook and, in fact, came in contact with Shafi alias Rasheed through Facebook. In his profile bio, Bhagaval wrote he is from Kozhancheri, went to a government school in Elanthoor and studied at St Thomas College. Two family members have also been identified as sons in his profile. “Self-employed in the field of alternative medicine and Marma system of therapy which is well spread and accepted by people,” his Facebook bio read. “I plant and nourish various species of herbs of great medical value. Under the supervision of academic personnel, we treat accident-borne complaints, various type of arthritis, paralectic, bone setting and after cure,” it said. Bhagaval Singh was also believed to be a local activist of CPM, a charge brought by the opposition which the party dismissed and said the couple were not party members and did not hold any post in the party or its associated organizations.

    Gory details of the human sacrifices emerged as sexual assault, cannibalism, sadism, and conspiracy are suspected. Through an ad promising wealth, Bhagaval and Laila contacted Shafi who asked them to perform human sacrifice which led to the murder of two women. The police reached the three killers investigating a mysterious disappearance case and found that a similar incident took place a few months ago. The cops are investigating whether more women were sacrificed by the three.

  • Pakistani Senator arrested for tweeting against Army Chief Bajwa

    Pakistani Senator arrested for tweeting against Army Chief Bajwa

    Islamabad (TIP): A lawmaker of ousted Prime Minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party was arrested here on October 13 for accusing Army chief General Qamar JavedBajwa of legitimising corruption in the high echelon of the country.

    Senator Azam Khan Swati was arrested following his scathing tweet targeting Chief of Army Staff Gen Bajwa. “MrBajwa congratulations to you and few with you. Your plan is really working and all criminals are getting free at the cost of this country,” he tweeted after the acquittal of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Hamza Shehbaz in an alleged money laundering case on Wednesday.

    Swati went on to add, “With these thugs getting free you have legitimised corruption. How you predict now the future of this country?”.

    Swati was booked when the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) registered the First Information Report at its Cyber Crime Reporting Centre in Islamabad. The FIR read that Swati tweeted with “malafide intentions & ulterior motives” against “State Institutes of The Islamic Republic of Pakistan and its Senior Government Functionaries including Chief of The Army Staff of Pakistan Army”.

    “This is a calculated attempt to create hatred in the minds of people and Army Personnel/s against COAS and Pakistan Army and also created distrust towards the Judicial System. In such intimidating Tweet/s, the accused Muhammad Azam Khan Swati has attempted to provoke the general public and Personnel/s of Armed Forces by trying to create a feeling of ill-will among pillars of the State,” according to the FIR. Prime Minister Shehbaz and his son were absolved of any wrongdoing by a court in Lahore where they faced a case of about Rs 16 billion in money laundering.

    Swati was produced before a sessions court in Islamabad where he spoke with the media outside saying that he was not arrested for breaking the law, violating the Constitution or fundamental rights but for “taking one name — of Bajwa — and that is the violation”.

    The powerful Pakistan Army, which has ruled the coup-prone country for more than half of its 75-plus years of existence, has hitherto wielded considerable power in the matters of security and foreign policy. Swati also accused FIA of torturing him saying that “a parliamentarian has been unclothed”. “I am telling the nation.”

    Earlier, the senior Civil Judge Shabbir Bhatti remanded him for two days to the FIA to probe the allegations and asked the authorities to present Swati before the court on October 15.

    PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry tweeted that reports of Swati’s torture were “disturbing. “Torturing political prisoners has become a new normal in Pakistan,” he added. Former human rights minister during PTI rule, Shireen Mazari, tweeted a video of Azam Swati alleging torture in custody. “Brave man Senator Azam Swati as he tells of why he was arrested but also how he was subjected to torture while in custody,” she wrote. “Shameful.” (PTI)

  • 18 flood survivors killed in bus fire in Pakistan’s Sindh

    18 flood survivors killed in bus fire in Pakistan’s Sindh

    Islamabad (TIP): At least 18 flood survivors, including eight children and nine women, died of severe burns in Pakistan, when an overcrowded air-conditioned bus they were travelling in caught fire, police officials said on October 13.

    The incident happened near the Nooribad police station in Sindh province on Wednesday night. The bus with 80 flood-affected people on board was heading towards Karachi from Khairpur Nathan Shah, in Dadu district, according to Geo.tv. The Jamshoro deputy commissioner confirmed that the number of fatalities had risen to 18, the report said. “The fire may have been caused by short-circuit in the air-conditioner,” the report said, quoting police officials. Some passengers even jumped out of the bus to escape the fire, police said.

    According to the police, rescue work is under way, and firefighters have rushed to the scene to douse the flames, while the injured were shifted to local hospitals in Jamshoro and Nooribad.

    Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah has directed the deputy commissioner and superintendent of police of Jamshoro to ramp up rescue efforts. Murad has demanded a report from officials on the incident. Dadu district is among the worst flood-hit districts in Sindh province. More than 1,700 people have been killed, 33 million displaced and a third of the country was submerged under water in the worst floods to hit Pakistan, brought about by unprecedented rains since mid-June. (PTI)

  • Graft convictions extend Aung San Suu Kyi’s jail term to 26 years

    Bangkok (TIP):  A court in military-ruled Myanmar convicted the country’s ousted leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, on two more corruption charges on October 12, with two three-year sentences to be served concurrently, adding to previous convictions that now leave her with a 26-year total prison term, a legal official said. Suu Kyi, 77, was detained on February 1, 2021, when the military seized power from her elected government. She has denied the allegations against her in this case, in which she was accused of receiving USD 550,000 as a bribe from MaungWeik, a tycoon convicted of drug trafficking. Corruption cases comprise the biggest share of the many charges the military has brought against the 1991 Nobel Peace laureate. — AP

  • Nepalese PM Deuba sacks four ministers representing Janata Samajwadi Party

    Kathmandu (TIP):  Nepalese Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba on October 13 sacked four ministers representing the Janata Samajwadi Party (JSP), which left the ruling coalition last week after joining hands with the opposition CPN-UML for the upcoming polls.

    President Bidya Devi Bhandari relieved the ministers from their respective ministerial portfolios at the recommendation of Prime Minister Deuba in line with Article 77 (2) of the Constitution of Nepal, said a statement issued by the President’s Office.

    Those relieved from the ministerial position include Minister for Federal Affairs and General Administration Rajendra Shrestha, Minister for Forest and Environment Pradeep Yadav, Minister for Physical Infrastructure Mohammad Istiyak Rai and Minister for Agriculture and Livestock Mrigendra Kumar Singh. According to the code of conduct of the Election Commission, even if these ministers are removed, the chances of the prime minister being able to appoint new ministers are very low. The EC states that new appointments in the Cabinet will violate the election code of conduct. The JSP has made an electoral alliance with main opposition Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist Leninist) headed by K P Sharma Oli. Janata Samajbadi leaders had argued that they hadn’t quit the government but only partnered with the UML for the elections in some constituencies.

    Prime Minister Deuba had discussed the matter with the CPN (Maoist Centre), the CPN (Unified Socialist), and the RastriyaJanamorcha. The coalition partners were divided on the issue even though Deuba was firm on sacking them, the Kathmandu Post newspaper reported.

    Some leaders had suggested only relieving them of their duties and rendering them ministers without portfolio. They had argued that the party could still be a part of the coalition considering the possibility of new partnerships after the elections. Meanwhile, Minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Gobinda Prasad Sharma (Koirala) has also been relieved from the portfolio as he could not be a member of the federal parliament within six months as stipulated in the Article 78 of the Constitution of Nepal. Minister for Communication and Information Technology Gyanendra Bahadur Karki has been entrusted with the responsibility of the law ministry as well. There is a provision in the constitution that no one other than the member of the Parliament can be the minister, for more than six months. (PTI)

  • Russia’s Federal Security Service arrests 8 for Crimea Bridge blast

    Moscow (TIP): Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) said on October 12 that it had detained five Russians and three citizens of Ukraine and Armenia over the explosion that damaged the Crimea Bridge last Saturday, Interfax reported.

    The FSB said the explosion was organised by the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ukrainian Defence Ministry, and its director Kyrylo Budanov. Ukraine has not officially confirmed its involvement in the blast, but some Ukrainian officials have celebrated the damage.

    The explosion on the 12 mile-long bridge destroyed one section of the road bridge, temporarily halting road traffic. It also destroyed several fuel tankers on a train heading towards the annexed peninsula from neighbouring southern Russia.

    The bridge, a prestige project personally opened by Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2018, had become logistically vital to his military campaign, with supplies to Russian troops fighting in south Ukraine channelled through it. Russian forces launched mass missile strikes against Ukrainian cities, including power supplies. At a televised meeting of Russia’s Security Council on Monday, Putin said the strikes were a retaliation for the Crimea bridge blast, which he said had been organised by Ukraine’s secret services. Reuters

  • Japan space agency rocket carrying 8 satellites fails

    Tokyo (TIP): The Japanese space agency said a rocket carrying eight satellites failed just after liftoff October 12 and had to be aborted by a self-destruction command, in the country’s first failed rocket launch in nearly 20 years.

    The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency said its Epsilon-6 rocket experienced an unidentified “abnormality” and its flight had to be aborted less than seven minutes after takeoff from the Uchinoura Space Center in the southern Japanese prefecture of Kagoshima.

    JAXA officials said the agency sent a self-destruction signal after deciding that the rocket was not able to fly safely and enter a planned orbit. They said the rocket was believed to have fallen into the sea with the payloads.

    The cause of the failure was still being investigated, the agency said. The Epsilon rocket was carrying eight payloads, including two developed by a private company based in Fukuoka, another southern prefecture. It was the first time an Epsilon rocket carried commercially developed payloads. The 26-meter (85-foot) -long, 95.6-ton and solid-fuel Epsilon-6 rocket is the final version before JAXA plans to develop another variation, Epsilon-S. After five upgrades since the early 2010s, the Epsilon-6 is designed for a compact launch as JAXA aims to develop a commercial satellite launch business. Wednesday’s failure ended success records for the Epsilon series since its first launch of the original version in 2013. It was also a first for JAXA since its H2A rocket failed in 2003. The launch, originally scheduled for last Friday, had been delayed due to the location of a positioning satellite in space. AP

  • 477 whales die in “heartbreaking” New Zealand strandingsX

    477 whales die in “heartbreaking” New Zealand strandingsX

    Wellington (TIP): Some 477 pilot whales have died after stranding themselves on two remote New Zealand beaches over recent days, officials say. None of the stranded whales could be refloated and all either died naturally or were euthanised in a “heartbreaking” loss, said Daren Grover, the general manager of Project Jonah, a nonprofit group which helps rescue whales.

    The whales beached themselves on the Chatham Islands, which are home to about 600 people and located about 800 kilometers (500 miles) east of New Zealand’s main islands. The Department of Conservation said 232 whales stranded themselves Friday at Tupuangi Beach and another 245 at Waihere Bay on October 11. The deaths come two weeks after about 200 pilot whales died in Australia after stranding themselves on a remote Tasmanian beach.

    “These events are tough, challenging situations,” the Department of Conservation wrote in a Facebook post. “Although they are natural occurrences, they are still sad and difficult for those helping.” Grover said the remote location and presence of sharks in the surrounding waters meant they couldn’t mobilize volunteers to try to refloat the whales as they have in past stranding events. “We do not actively refloat whales on the Chatham Islands due to the risk of shark attack to humans and the whales themselves, so euthanasia was the kindest option,” said Dave Lundquist, a technical marine advisor for the conservation department.

    Mass strandings of pilot whales are reasonably common in New Zealand, especially during the summer months. Scientists don’t know exactly what causes the whales to strand, although it appears their location systems can get confused by gently sloping sandy beaches.

    Grover said there is a lot of food for the whales around the Chatham Islands, and as they swim closer to land, they would quickly find themselves going from very deep to shallow water. “They rely on their echolocation and yet it doesn’t tell them that they are running out of water,” Grover said. “They come closer and closer to shore and become disoriented. The tide can then drop from below them and before they know it, they’re stranded on the beach.” Because of the remote location of the beaches, the whale carcasses won’t be buried or towed out to sea, as is often the case, but instead will be left to decompose, Grover said. “Nature is a great recycler and all the energy stored within the bodies of all the whales will be returned to nature quite quickly,” he said. AP

  • Robot addresses UK Parliament, says ‘Although not alive, I can still create art’

    Robot addresses UK Parliament, says ‘Although not alive, I can still create art’

    London (TIP): A “robot artist” called Ai-Da told British lawmakers on October 11 that although it was an artificial creation, it was still capable of producing art, as it spoke at a parliamentary inquiry into how new technologies will affect the creative industries.

    Described as “the world’s first ultra-realistic AI humanoid robot artist”, it appeared in one of parliament’s ornate wood-panelled rooms, wearing a short black-haired wig and denim dungarees.

    Bearing a female humanoid face and with exposed robotic arms, Ai-Da was created by scientists at the University of Oxford and named after British mathematician and computer pioneer Ada Lovelace.

    It answered questions alongside the head of the Ai-Da project and art gallery director Aidan Meller in a televised session hosted by the House of Lords Communications and Digital Committee. “I am, and depend on, computer programmes and algorithms. Although not alive, I can still create art,” Ai-Da said when asked how its creations differed from those produced by humans. Ai-Da has created a series of works, including a painting of the late Queen Elizabeth, and the works have been shown in exhibitions and galleries. The committee heard from the humanoid robot as well as industry experts and academics about the effects of technology on workers in the creative industry.

    Answering the first question from the committee on how it produced paintings, Ai-Da said AI algorithms, cameras in its eyes, and a robotic arm helped it paint on a canvas. Ai-Da also explained how “analysing a large corpus of text” to identify common content and poetic structures enabled it to generate new poems. “How this differs to humans is consciousness; I do not have subjective experiences despite being able to talk about them,” Ai-Da said. Reuters

  • Child malnutrition soars in central Somalia, area on verge of famine

    Child malnutrition soars in central Somalia, area on verge of famine

    Somalia  (TIP): Acute malnutrition is surging among children displaced by drought and conflict in a part of central Somalia teetering on the edge of famine, according to a survey conducted by humanitarian agencies. The United Nations warned at the beginning of September that two districts were projected to face famine between October and December, with more than half a million children in Somalia at risk of dying from malnutrition. A screening conducted from Sept. 19-24 by U.N. agencies and other humanitarian groups in camps for internally displaced people in the Baidoa district found the situation quickly deteriorating.

    Of more than 98,000 children screened between the ages of 6 and 59 months, 59 per cent were suffering from acute malnutrition, including 24 per cent whose cases were classified as severe, the report seen by Reuters shows.

    A previous screening in June and July found 28.6 per cent of children in the camps were suffering from acute malnutrition, including 10.2 per cent with severe cases. The two screenings used different methodologies, so the figures cannot be directly compared, but aid workers said the results clearly indicate a steep rise in hunger since July despite a massive scale-up of food aid.

    “These very high malnutrition rates from the mass screenings are alarming and indicative of a rapidly deteriorating situation,” said Petroc Wilton, head of communications in Somalia for the World Food Programme (WFP), one of the U.N. agencies involved in the survey.

    The last four rainy seasons in the Horn of Africa region have failed, making this the worst drought in 40 years. The crisis has been exacerbated by attacks by al Shabaab Islamist militants and high global food prices.

    An area is considered to be experiencing famine when at least 30 per cent of children are suffering from acute malnutrition, at least 20 per cent of households face an extreme lack of food, and at least two out of every 10,000 people are dying each day from malnutrition or related diseases, according to the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) Initiative.

    The initiative involves the United Nations, non-governmental organisations and governments. An IPC Famine Review Committee of four to six independent experts is responsible for approving any famine declaration. In Somalia’s last famine in 2011, half of the more than 250,000 victims were later determined to have died before the famine was officially declared. Reuters

  • Iran sees ‘major’ internet disruption amid renewed protests

    Iran sees ‘major’ internet disruption amid renewed protests

    Dubai (TIP): Iran suffered a “major disruption” in internet service October 12 as calls for renewed protests again saw demonstrators on the streets weeks after the death of a 22-year-old woman who had been detained by the country’s morality police, an advocacy group said.

    The demonstrations over the death of MahsaAmini have become one of the greatest challenges to Iran’s theocracy since the country’s 2009 Green Movement protests. Demonstrators have included oil workers, high school students and women marching without their mandatory headscarf, or hijab.

    Calls for protests beginning at noon Wednesday saw a massive deployment of riot police and plainclothes officers throughout Tehran, witnesses said. They also described disruptions affecting their mobile internet services.

    NetBlocks, an advocacy group, said that Iran’s internet traffic had dropped to some 25% compared to the peak, even during a working day in which students were in class across the country.

    “The incident is likely to further limit the free flow of information amid protests,” NetBlocks said.

    Despite the disruption, witnesses saw at least one demonstration in Tehran by some 30 women who had removed their headscarves while chanting: “Death to the dictator!” Those cries, referring to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, can result in a closed-door trial in the country’s Revolutionary Court with the threat of a death sentence. Passing cars honked in support of the women despite the threats of security forces. Other women simply continued with their day not wearing the hijab in a silent protest, witnesses said. Demonstrations also occurred on university campuses in Tehran as well, online videos purported to show.

    Lawyers also peacefully demonstrated in front of the Iran Central Bar Association in Tehran, chanting: “Woman, life, freedom” — a slogan of the demonstrations so far. The video corresponded to known features of the association’s building. A later video posted by activists purported to show them fleeing after security forces fired tear gas at them. At least three were arrested, the pro-reform newspaper Shargh reported. Videos also purported to show demonstrations Wednesday in Baharestan, just southeast of the city of Isfahan, as well as in the southern city of Shiraz and northern city of Rasht on the Caspian Sea. Gathering information about the demonstrations remains difficult amid the internet restrictions and the arrests of at least 40 journalists in the country, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists.

    Iran’s government insists Amini was not mistreated, but her family says her body showed bruises and other signs of beating after she was detained for violating the Islamic Republic’s strict dress code. Subsequent videos have shown security forces beating and shoving female protesters, including women who have torn off their hijabs. Khamenei, speaking Wednesday to the country’s Expediency Council, again claimed Iran’s foreign enemies had fomented what he dismissed as “scattered” demonstrations. (AP)

  • CRY America’s “Walk for Child Rights” Aims to Make a Difference in Post-COVID India

    CRY America’s “Walk for Child Rights” Aims to Make a Difference in Post-COVID India

    CRY Seattle walk student volunteers.

    Nationwide Fundraiser Puts Children’s Educational Recovery in Focus

    NEW YORK (TIP): The COVID pandemic revealed just how interconnected – and interdependent – we all are, the world over. In that spirit, walkers, runners and bicyclists across the USA will be taking to scenic public trails this fall between September 8 & November 30, 2022 to support children half a world away through Child Rights and You (CRY) America’s annual “Walk for Child Rights”. This event is sponsored by TV Asia, Deloitte & the Asian Leadership Group at Baxter International.CRY America is a nonprofit organization that supports over 30 projects in India and the U.S. that ensure access to education and healthcare for underprivileged children, as well as protection from child labor, early marriage and trafficking.

    The CRY Walk for Child Rights launched officially on the International day of Literacy and the series features in-person and virtual events in over a dozen cities, including Seattle, New Jersey, San Diego, Houston, Boston, New York, Austin & Nashville. To register to participate at an event near you, visit CRY America’s website: https://events.cryamerica.org/event-category/crywalk/

    Children’s access to education, in particular, took a grievous hit as a result of pandemic restrictions. Those in poverty-affected communities bore the brunt of the extended stay-at-home orders and school closures, which effectively pre-empted two years’ worth of study. “The disruption in schooling has resulted in many dire consequences,” said CRY America CEO Shefali Sunderlal, noting that rates of child labor and child marriage spiked between 2020 and 2022. Children who did return to school after the long absence found themselves struggling to cope and at risk of dropping out. “CRY Projects are working hard to enroll & retain children back in schools, along with providing them supplementary education classes & psychosocial support,” she said. “It is wonderful to see CRY Walks organized across so many cities, such as in Deerfield, Ill., at the corporate headquarters of Baxter International, which was set up by the Asian Leadership Group and attended by 60 employees. And our students’ group in Seattle organized a very successful event that raised $4,000,” Fundraising Director Patrick Bocco said. “The enthusiasm that volunteers and donors are bringing in support of child rights across cities is so inspiring. Each step we take together is a step toward happier childhoods for so many children.”

    (Based on a press release)

  • NYC Gala Raises $1.3 Million toward Sankara’s 2030 Vision of One Million Free Eye Surgeries a Year

    NYC Gala Raises $1.3 Million toward Sankara’s 2030 Vision of One Million Free Eye Surgeries a Year

    Some entertainment.

    NEW YORK (TIP): The Sankara Eye Foundation raised $1.3 million at its glittering gala at Cipriani 42nd Street in Midtown Manhattan on September 24. More than 300 invitees opened their hearts and wallets as speaker after speaker extolled Sankara’s ambitious 2030 vision of one million free eye surgeries annually by the year 2030 for the needy in India and eradicate blindness in the country of 1.38 billion people. To achieve the ambitious goal — almost four times the 230,000 eye surgeries they performed in 2019 before Covid struck — Sankara executives laid out the ground plan, which is to scale up the operations by almost doubling the existing eleven Sankara Eye Hospitals and eleven partner hospitals.

    Donations kicked in after Gala Co-Chair Mohan Wanchoo, techpreneur and philanthropist, made the stunning announcement that he was donating $500,000 to Sankara. When a couple of philanthropic-minded guests promised to match $100,000 each, others chipped in to make it happen. Dr. RV Ramani, Founder & Managing Trustee of Sankara Eye Care Institutions based in Coimbatore, India, addressed the gala through video. The Padma Shri award recipient and General Physician emphasized that Sankara’s 2030 vision is to make it sustainable and not remain dependent on donations. That will be achieved by making 20% of paying patients fund 80% of the free surgeries.

    Sankara’s operations came to a halt during the two Covid years, but, Dr. Ramani said, through the Payroll Protection Program both at their own hospital and partner hospitals, they ensured that medical and other workers were paid. Some hospitals were also made available for Covid care use. peakers included Murali Krishnamurthy, Founder and Executive Chairman of Sankara Eye Foundation (SEF), USA (pictured), who emphasized the importance of their mission because one-third of the blind of the world are in India, and blindness is curable. Their plan to eradicate blindness includes going to the villages and helping those in need. He also crooned a few lines from a bhajan that extolls the virtue of helping others and spreading love. Indeed, emotional appeals were aplenty. “Vision is a gift of God,” it was said, while recounting the ecstatic remarks of one beneficiary who said, after his surgery at Sankara, the first things he saw were peacocks. Moving images of young and old beneficiaries were screened on the massive backdrop interspersing the graphs of projections and pictures representing Sankara’s sprawling operations across India. Keynote speakers were BV Jagadeesh, Managing Partner, KAAJ Ventures, who is a longtime supporter of SEF, and Warren Foust, Worldwide President, Johnson & Johnson Vision – Surgical Vision. (Photos are attached.)Ent ertainment was provided by the graceful dancers of Aatma Performing Arts (pictured), and Singing Sensation Jeffrey Iqbal, who made guests gravitate to the dance floor. “Be the Light Gala” was the largest fundraiser to date for Sankara, which aspires to be a Unicorn Social Enterprise as it is already among the largest community eye care providers in India. Founded in 1998, SEF, USA is a volunteer-run 501(c)(3) non-profit. It boasts the highest rating from Charity Navigator for many years in a row. For more information, or to donate, call 1 (866) SANKARA (726-5272) or visit www.giftofvision.org.

  • Three Sikh marine recruits fight to keep turban, beard at US Marine boot camp

    Three Sikh marine recruits fight to keep turban, beard at US Marine boot camp

    WASHINGTON, D.C. (TIP): Three Sikh recruits, working to join the US Marine Corps, fought for an emergency appeal in District of Columbia’s federal court to get an immediate exemption to the Corps’ boot camp rule of cutting their hair and shaving their beards.

    The three plaintiffs — Aekash Singh, Milaap Singh Chahal and Jaskirat Singh – want to attend Marine Corps basic training without having to shave their beards or forgo their traditional turbans during boot camp. A three-judge panel expressed skepticism that the Marine Corps had a good reason to deny religious exemptions to its grooming standards but questioned why the plaintiffs required emergency relief, the Marine Corps Times reported. No decision on the motion was made by the judges. The trio had appealed to the US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit in September after a lower-court judge denied their request for a preliminary injunction that would have allowed the men to enter boot camp with their articles of faith, the Marine Times reported. In Sikh faith, men wear turban and they do not shave off their beards or cut hair. The Marine Corps previously denied all these requests, due to which the trio for years have remained poolees — an individual who has already signed up to become a Marine but has not yet left for the recruit training at boot camp.

    “We continue to believe that the Marine Corps is doing a disservice to both our clients and itself in denying basic rights that are recognized by other branches of our military and under the US law,” said Giselle Klapper, Sikh Coalition Senior Staff Attorney.

    In April 2022, the Sikh Coalition — a New York-based advocacy group, Winston & Strawn, the Becket Fund and BakerHostetler, with support from the Sikh American Veterans Alliance had filed suit against the US Department of Defense on behalf of the trio.

    “Time and again, Sikhs in the US Army and Air Force — along with military forces around the world — have proven that their articles of faith pose no barrier whatsoever to capable military service,” said Amandeep S. Sidhu, partner at Winston & Strawn LLP.

    “Prohibiting Sikhs from joining the Marine Corps is out of step with the rest of our military, as well as the most basic values that our country holds dear,” Sidhu added.

  • New Era at “Ekal Foundation” with Dr Subra Dravida of ‘Qualcomm’ as President

    New Era at “Ekal Foundation” with Dr Subra Dravida of ‘Qualcomm’ as President

    HOUSTON (TIP): After two years of hosting annual organizational meets virtually, “Ekal Vidyalaya Foundation (EVF)”, last week hosted an in-person ‘International Conference’ in Chicago for its USA, Canada and India components to review and recalibrate the roadmap for the future. The main agenda of the conference was to put ‘Ekal’ (as it is popularly known) on the FastTrack after some setbacks in 2020-21 due to Covid pandemic. Thus, Ekal is launching a new technology driven era by appointing Dr. Subra Dravida, V.P. of ‘Qualcomm’s technology division as the new President of Ekal-USA. After the previous President, Suresh Iyer, himself a successful entrepreneur in the field of ‘Information Technology’ had brought EVF to the threshold of digitized world, Subraji’s appointment as his successor was inevitable. Dr Subra Dravida, a well-known brilliant mind from New England’s technology hub, has been associated with Ekal for some time now. He had been the President of New England Chapter of Ekal for 4 years, then a member of ‘Board of Directors’ and recently, an Executive V.P., working closely with Suresh Iyer and Ekal-USA Chairman, Arun Gupta. Subraji received his B. Tech in Electrical Engineer from IIT, Madras in 1979 and earned his M.S. and Ph.D. from RPI, Troy, NY in 1980 and 1984. From 1984 to 1998, he worked at Bell Labs in Holmdel, NJ. In 1998, he moved to Massachusetts to work in a start-up, MaxComm Technologies, as VP of Engineering before subsequently ending up as V.P. of Technology with Qualcomm. Subraji has over 50 Patents in Networking and Cellular Communications and has numerous research papers to his credit.

    ‘Ekal’ is the largest literacy movement globally undertaken by NRIs and Indians, that also provide healthcare training, economic empowerment and integrated village development to the rural folks. Currently, it is running 78,000 schools that is grooming 2.1 million each year across rural-tribal parts of India. When asked about what initially attracted him to Ekal, Subraji said, “I had been attending Ekal fund raisers for some time and it is Ekal’s concept of running a whole school for mere $365 a year is what pulled me in”. He further added that,” this modest amount transforms permanently the lives of about 30 children and indirectly that of the whole community and so what better investment there could be for the brighter future of India”.  Dr Subra Dravida has generously supported Ekal from the beginning. He has sponsored ‘Ekal-on-wheels’ (mobile computer training van) for Telangana and supported ‘Integrated Village Development’ for Andhra Pradesh.  As for his vision, Subraji wants digital technology, equipped with tablets and computers to transform education, train teachers, add vocational skills and expand Ekal’s reach. Swami Vivekananda has been the guiding light in his life’s journey and according to him, ‘Jnâna (knowledge), Bhakti (dedication), and Karma yoga (selfless efforts) all converge at one point in Ekal’

  • India US healthcare cooperation set to be taken to a new level: Ambassador Sandhu

    India US healthcare cooperation set to be taken to a new level: Ambassador Sandhu

    WASHINGTON, D.C. (TIP): The healthcare cooperation between India and the United States is set to be taken to a new level, New Delhi’s top envoy here said on Tuesday, October 11. The robust and longstanding Vaccine Action Programme (VAP) is perhaps one of the most glaring examples of an initiative where India and the US work together, for the benefit of the people not only of India and the US but across the world, India’s Ambassador to the US, Taranjit Singh Sandhu, said in his address to the 34th Meeting of the Joint Working Group of the Indo-US VAP. My compliments to the US and India teams for holding this event, he said, adding: “With strong complementarities and an intent political leadership in both countries, our healthcare cooperation is set to be taken to a new level.” Sandhu said India’s embrace of technology in healthcare such as reforms like Production Linked Incentives in the pharmaceutical and medical devices sectors and its experience in large-scale immunization programs would enable the two countries to take the healthcare cooperation to the next level.

    “Going forward, working together in Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean, as well as, Asia, future preparedness against outbreaks of infectious diseases, harmonization of standards for medical product innovations, and elimination of risks from import of pharmaceutical ingredients from a single source are some key areas where we could explore bilateral collaboration,” he said.

    Meeting in the backdrop of an unprecedented pandemic, the ambassador said there had been a number of takeaways from the Covid-19 pandemic for the world. Most significantly, the pandemic reiterated to the world that vaccination is perhaps humanity’s best shot at effectively managing infectious diseases like Covid19 by substantially reducing hospitalizations, mitigating severity, and importantly, bringing down the number of fatalities, he said.

    According to Sandhu, in the three and a half decades since its inception, the VAP has supported novel vaccine research, yielded prototype products, trained human resources, and encouraged interactions with scientists, across the globe.

    “The Rotavirus vaccine jointly developed under VAP that brought down the price of the vaccine from USD 0.60 to USD 1, is one of the strongest impacts that VAP has made in the world,” Sandhu said. “During the pandemic, we drew strength from VAP when Indian and the US entities worked together on over half a dozen vaccine collaborations. We combined our unique strengths and synergies including scale, technology, and affordability – be it in the form of the Baylor College of Medicine, developed Corbevax (BCM and BioE), or the Novavax and Serum Institute of India produced Covovax or the BioE – J&J collaborated Janssen,” he said.

    Today, VAP is supplemented, by the expanding bilateral healthcare collaboration. India and the US have been working together in combatting diseases such as tuberculosis, cancer, HIV, eye diseases, etc. Indian firms supplied about 40 per cent of generics marketed in the United States. “This has allowed American healthcare consumers, to save up to USD 80 billion in the last two years and enhanced access to quality medicines. There are over 200 active collaborations between NIH and leading Indian research agencies,” he said.

    Last year the bilateral health dialogue was held in New Delhi where an umbrella MOU on health and bio-medics was signed. The two countries helped each other, as well as the world during the pandemic. In 2020, India ensured the integrity of health supply chains, providing essential medicines to the US. “In 2021, US supported India, during the Delta surge. The administration, US Congress, private sector and Indian Diaspora came together to support India in various ways, including in vaccine raw materials, and critical health infrastructure. US supported the India-South Africa proposals for a TRIPS Waiver at the WTO,” Sandhu said of the Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) agreement.

  • Indian American Community hosts fundraiser for Paul DeGroot , Candidate for House of Representatives from District 11 – NJ

    Indian American Community hosts fundraiser for Paul DeGroot , Candidate for House of Representatives from District 11 – NJ

    PARSIPPANY, NJ (TIP): The Indian American Community held a fund raiser and campaign strategy meet for Paul Degroot at Rajni Restaurant in Parsippany. The event was attended many community leaders who support Paul Degroot in his campaign for House of Representatives from District 11 in New Jersey. This is one of the many events the Indian American community has hosted for Paul as they feel he is the best candidate for the district given his support and association for the Indian American Community and also his clean record and better vision for the district.

    District 11 – Indian American community members – Rajendar Dichpally, Santosh Peddi, Jey Marichamy, Nikhil Patel and Balaji Jilla hosted an event for Paul Degroot at Rajni Restaurant on October 11th. The community has ensured that voter registration will be taken up strongly in the next few weeksand will ensure that the community rallies behind Paul in his quest to represent House of Representatives from District 11 in New Jersey.

  • GOVERNOR HOCHUL ANNOUNCES MORE THAN $2.4 MILLION TO DIVERSIFY PHYSICIAN WORKFORCE   

    GOVERNOR HOCHUL ANNOUNCES MORE THAN $2.4 MILLION TO DIVERSIFY PHYSICIAN WORKFORCE   

    • New York State Doubles Investment to Expand Diversity Programs Managed by the Associated Medical Schools of New York and Serving More Than 800 Students
    • About 20 percent of All Medical Students in New York now from the Black and Hispanic/Latino, Pacific Islander, and Native American Demographic

     NEW YORK (TIP): Governor Kathy Hochul  announced, on October 13,  that the state has doubled its investment – committing more than $2.4 million – in diversity programs managed by the Associated Medical Schools of New York to help bring more traditionally unrepresented students to the physician workforce. Funded in part through the state Department of Health, these programs are designed to encourage students from backgrounds traditionally underrepresented in medicine – including those who are Black, Hispanic/Latino, Pacific Islander, or Native American – to get accepted into and complete medical school in New York.

    “For far too long, communities of color in New York have faced disparities in their access to healthcare and have endured poorer health outcomes, both of which have resulted partially from their under-representation in the medical field,” Governor Hochul said. “By doubling our commitment to programs that champion diversity in medicine, we can ensure that our state’s healthcare workforce is more representative of our state’s population and help right historic wrongs.”

    While more than 30 percent of the state’s population is Black or Hispanic, only 12 percent of physicians represent those demographics. Research has shown that patients seeing doctors from their own background have better health outcomes, which makes diversifying the state’s physician workforce imperative to improving the overall health of New Yorkers and addressing disparities.

    New York State is now providing more than $2.4 million to diversity in medicine programs, which are designed to close gaps in the medical profession, doubling the funding commitment made last year. This funding is expected to serve more than 800 students through new and existing diversity initiatives, including Bridges to Medicine, AMSNY’s successful post-baccalaureate program at SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University.  New York State Health Commissioner Dr. Mary T. Bassett discussed the importance of this commitment today during an event at SUNY Downstate, and how these programs are helping to build diversity at medical schools statewide. For the first time, about 20 percent of all medical students in New York are now from traditionally underrepresented populations, including Black and Hispanic/Latino, Pacific Islander and Native American backgrounds.

    Department of Health Commissioner Dr. Mary Bassett said, “There are few things more important to our goals of improving health equity than the work of ensuring that the medical profession is as diverse as the New Yorkers they serve. Having a trusted voice and someone who understands the unique facets of your life experience can change a person’s understanding of their own health. This funding makes an investment in the people who make that a reality, and it will help for years to come by improving diversity, equity and inclusion to achieve better health outcomes for those who are traditionally underserved.”

    Launched in 2017, the Bridges to Medicine is a year-long post-baccalaureate line of study designed to increase the representation of students from traditionally underrepresented and low socioeconomic backgrounds seeking admission into medical schools. Accredited as Master of Science in Physiology program in 2020, students participate in co-mingled classes as first-year medical students

    Of the 57 medical students enrolled in Bridges to Medicine between 2017 and 2021, 88 percent were accepted into medical schools. In addition, six students from the program’s first cohort were matched to SUNY Downstate for their residencies.

    In addition to Bridges to Medicine, the state’s investment is supporting new, innovative initiatives to ensure underrepresented students are prepared for medical school. The funding is supporting a program to encourage Black male athletes interested in entering medicine; MCAT preparation programs; research and physician shadowing opportunities; a web-based program to match students with faculty mentors; and community resources to help medical students with housing, nutritional resource, and other life skills, such as financial literacy.  The increased funding is also supporting more students at AMSNY’s preexisting programs:

    Post Baccalaureate Programs at Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, SUNY; New York Medical College; Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University; Norton College of Medicine at Upstate Medical University.

    Pathways to Careers in Medicine and Research Program at City College of New York.

    Learning Resource Center at CUNY School of Medicine.

    Associated Medical Schools of New York (AMSNY), a consortium of the 17 public and private medical schools in New York State, launched its first diversity pipeline programs in 1985 and has continually provided opportunities for underrepresented students to prepare for and enter medical school. The state Department of Health has provided funding for these programs since 2002 in an effort to help broaden the demographics of people entering the medical profession in New York.

    Associated Medical Schools of New York President and CEO Jo Wiederhorn said, “The state Department of Health’s commitment represents a historic investment in the physician pipeline in New York State and will improve the diversity of the healthcare workforce. Our programs have shown results for over 35 years and now we will be able to really scale the impact. Over 94 percent of students in AMSNY’s four Post Baccalaureate programs, go on to medical school with approximately half going on to primary care specialties, often in underserved areas.”  State University of New York Downstate President Dr. Wayne J. Riley said, “We are encouraged by the impact the Bridges to Medicine program has had on our students’ abilities to transition into their first year of medical school. In a community where the diversity is so great, in addition to providing quality healthcare, we are proud that our patients recognize and appreciate the reflection of their diverse and unique backgrounds. Our Bridges to Medicine Master’s program is a benefit to the students and an even greater benefit to the community.”

    State Senator Jamaal T. Bailey said, “Diversity and representation in medicine is critical to addressing persistent racial health disparities. It is vital that our state continues to invest in programs like Bridges to Medicine that will not only provide opportunities for medical students of color but improve the health of our communities through increased access to quality, culturally competent care. Our communities deserve to have physicians they trust who understand their needs. I applaud Governor Kathy Hochul, Commissioner Mary Bassett, and the New York State Department of Health for their work to increase diversity in the medical field, create pathways to careers in medicine for communities of color, and inspire the next generation of healthcare leaders.”

    Assemblymember Brian Cunningham said, “I express my gratitude to the New York State Department of Health and AMSNY for their visionary leadership and support for programs increasing diversity in medicine,” “We are fortunate to have many talented medical students and practitioners right at home in District 43, here at SUNY Downstate. Through this funding, not only are we enhancing medical services available in underserved areas like Brooklyn, but also providing incomparable opportunities to BIPOC students. These programs enable a diverse pool of medical students to pursue opportunities they might not otherwise have access to, so on behalf of myself and my constituents, I thank you.”

    Assemblymember Pamela J. Hunter said, “I am immensely proud to have been the primary advocate in the Assembly for the funding of the Diversity in Medicine program for multiple state budgets. Increasing the diversity of our doctors and nurses leads to better health outcomes as we enable new practitioners in the medical field who are directly invested in their communities. I look forward to the expansion of these programs and the many benefits it will have for our medical students as well as their future patients.”

  • IRS sending letters to over 9 million potentially eligible families who did not claim stimulus payments, EITC, Child Tax Credit and other benefits; Free File to stay open until Nov. 17

    IRS sending letters to over 9 million potentially eligible families who did not claim stimulus payments, EITC, Child Tax Credit and other benefits; Free File to stay open until Nov. 17

    WASHINGTON , D.C. (TIP): Starting this week, the Internal Revenue Service is sending letters to more than 9 million individuals and families who appear to qualify for a variety of key tax benefits but did not claim them by filing a 2021 federal income tax return. Many in this group may be eligible to claim some or all of the 2021 Recovery Rebate Credit, the Child Tax Credit, the Earned Income Tax Credit and other tax credits depending on their personal and family situation. The special reminder letters, which will be arriving in mailboxes over the next few weeks, are being sent to people who appear to qualify for the Child Tax Credit (CTC), Recovery Rebate Credit (RRC) or Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) but haven’t yet filed a 2021 return to claim them. The letter, printed in both English and Spanish, provides a brief overview of each of these three credits. “The IRS wants to remind potentially eligible people, especially families, that they may qualify for these valuable tax credits,” said IRS Commissioner Chuck Rettig. “We encourage people who haven’t filed a tax return yet for 2021 to review these options. Even if they aren’t required to file a tax return, they may still qualify for several important credits. We don’t want people to overlook these tax credits, and the letters will remind people of their potential eligibility and steps they can take.”

    Claiming the credits

    These and other tax benefits were expanded under last year’s American Rescue Plan Act and other recent legislation. Even so, the only way to get the valuable benefits is to file a 2021 tax return. Often, individuals and families can get these expanded tax benefits, even if they have little or no income from a job, business or other source. This means that many people who don’t normally need to file a tax return should do so this year, even if they haven’t been required to file in recent years.

    For this mailing, Treasury’s Office of Tax Analysis identified individuals who don’t typically have a tax return filing requirement because they appear to have very low incomes, based on Forms W-2, 1099s and other third-party statements available to the IRS.

    The letters are similar to a special IRS mailing made in September 2020 encouraging 9 million potential non-filers to submit a tax return for the first Economic Impact Payment. This is part of an ongoing effort to encourage people who aren’t normally required to file to look into possible benefits available to them under the tax law. Every year, people can overlook filing a tax return when they may be entitled tax credits and a refund. People can file a tax return even if they haven’t yet received their letter. The IRS reminds people that there’s no penalty for a refund claimed on a tax return filed after the regular April 2022 tax deadline. The fastest and easiest way to get a refund is to file an accurate return electronically and choose direct deposit.

    Free File to stay open until Nov. 17

    To help people claim these benefits, without charge, Free File will remain open for an extra month this year, until Nov. 17, 2022. Available only at IRS.gov/FreeFile, Free File enables people whose incomes are $73,000 or less to file a return online for free using brand-name software. Free File is sponsored by the Free File Alliance, a partnership between the IRS and the tax-software industry.

    People can also visit ChildTaxCredit.gov/file to file a 2021 income tax return. Individuals whose incomes are below $12,500 and couples whose incomes are below $25,000 may be able to file a simple tax return to claim the 2021 Recovery Rebate Credit—which covers any stimulus payment amounts from 2021 they may have missed—and the Child Tax Credit. Individuals do not need to have children in order to use ChildTaxCredit.gov/file to find the right filing solution for them.

    Further details on these expanded tax benefits

    The three credits include:

    An expanded Child Tax Credit: Families can claim this credit, even if they received monthly advance payments during the last half of 2021. The total credit can be as much as $3,600 per child.

    A more generous Earned Income Tax Credit: The law boosted the EITC for childless workers. There are also changes that can help low- and moderate-income families with children. The credit can be as much as $1,502 for workers with no qualifying children, $3,618 for those with one child, $5,980 for those with two children and $6,728 for those with at least three children.

    The Recovery Rebate Credit: Those who missed out on last year’s third round of Economic Impact Payments (EIP3) may be eligible to claim the RRC. Often referred to as stimulus payments, this credit can also help eligible people whose EIP3 was less than the full amount, including those who welcomed a child in 2021. The maximum credit is $1,400 for each qualifying adult, plus $1,400 for each eligible child or adult dependent. Besides these three credits, many filers may also qualify for two other benefits with a tax return filed for 2021:

    An increased Child and Dependent Care Credit: Families who pay for daycare so they can work or look for work can get a tax credit worth up to $4,000 for one qualifying person and $8,000 for two or more qualifying persons.

    A deduction for gifts to charity: Most tax-filers who take the standard deduction can deduct eligible cash contributions they made during 2021. Married couples filing jointly can deduct up to $600 in cash donations and individuals can deduct up to $300 in donations. In addition, itemizers who make large cash donations often qualify to deduct the full amount in 2021. Further details on all these benefits are available in a fact sheet, FS-2022-10, posted earlier this year on IRS.gov.

    Helpful reminders

    The IRS urges everyone to make sure they have all their year-end 2021 tax statements in hand before filing their 2021 return. Besides all W-2s and 1099s, this includes two statements issued by the IRS — Letter 6419, showing their total advance Child Tax Credit payments, and Letter 6475, showing their total EIP3 payments. People can also use IRS Online Account to see the total amounts of their third round of Economic Impact Payments or advance Child Tax Credit payments. For married couples who received joint payments, each spouse will need to sign into their own account to retrieve their separate amounts.

    Whether or not they use Free File, anyone can find answers to their tax questions, forms and instructions and easy-to-use tools online at IRS.gov. They can use these resources to get help when they need it, at home, at work or on the go.

    Claiming these credits has no effect on the ability of someone to be eligible for federal benefits like Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC).  Claiming these credits also has no effect on an individual’s immigration status or their ability to get a green card or immigration benefits

  • FBAR extension deadline nears for foreign bank and financial account holders

    FBAR extension deadline nears for foreign bank and financial account holders

    Filers affected  by a natural disaster in Puerto Rico, Florida, North Carolina and South Carolina may have their FBAR due date further extended.

    WASHINGTON, D.C. (TIP):  – The Internal Revenue Service today reminds U.S. citizens, resident aliens and domestic legal entities that the extension deadline to file their annual Report of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts (FBAR) is October 15. For additional information about filing deadlines, filers should look to Financial Crimes Enforcement Network’s (FinCEN) websitePDF.

    Filers who missed the April 15 annual due date earlier this year received an automatic extension until October 15, 2022, to file the FBAR. They did not need to request the extension. Filers affected by a natural disaster may have their FBAR due date further extended. Its important filers review relevant FBAR Relief Notices for complete information.  On October 6, 2022, FinCEN announced that victims of Hurricane Fiona in Puerto Rico; Hurricane Ian in Florida, North Carolina, and South Carolina; and storms and floods in parts of Alaska have until February 15, 2023, to file FBARs for the 2021 calendar year.

    Who needs to file?

    The Bank Secrecy Act requires U.S. persons to file an FBAR if:

    They have a financial interest in or signature or other authority over one or more accounts, such as a bank account, brokerage account, mutual fund or other financial account located outside the United States, and

    The aggregate value of all foreign financial accounts exceeds $10,000 at any time during the calendar year 2021.

    Because of this threshold, the IRS encourages U.S. persons with foreign accounts, even relatively small ones, to check if this filing requirement applies to them. A U.S. person is a citizen or resident of the United States or a domestic legal entity such as a partnership, corporation, limited liability company, estate or trust.

    How to file

    Filers do not file the FBAR with their federal income tax return. The 2021 FBAR must be filed electronically with FinCEN and is only available through the BSA E-Filing System website. Individuals who are unable to e-file their FBAR must contact FinCEN at 800-949-2732 or FRC@fincen.gov to request an alternative filing method. Callers from outside the U.S. can contact the helpline at 703-905-3975.

    Avoid penalties

    Those who don’t file an accurate FBAR when required may be subject to significant civil and criminal penalties that can result in a fine and/or imprisonment, depending on the facts and circumstances.

    FBAR resources on IRS.gov:

    Report of Foreign Bank and Financial Accounts (FBAR)

    Details on reporting foreign bank and financial accounts (FS-2022-24)

    Publication 5569, Report of Foreign Bank & Financial Accounts (FBAR) Reference GuidePDF

  • Biden to celebrate Diwali at White House on Oct 24; Trump at Mar a Lago on Oct 21

    Biden to celebrate Diwali at White House on Oct 24; Trump at Mar a Lago on Oct 21

    WASHINGTON, D.C. (TIP): US President Joe Biden plans to celebrate Diwali at the White House on October 24 while his predecessor Donald Trump is working on celebrating the festival of lights at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida on October 21. Biden plans to celebrate Diwali with eminent members of the Indian American community and members of his administration. First Lady Jill Biden will also join the festivities at the White House on October 24.

    Details of Diwali celebrations at the White House are still being worked out.

    Meanwhile, the Republican Hindu Coalition (RHC) on Tuesday, October 11,  announced that Trump would celebrate Diwali with its members and Indian American community leaders at his Mar-a-Lago resort on October 21. It is being planned for four hours, said Shalabh Kumar from RHC, adding that the Trump team was exploring the possibilities of fireworks as well.