NASA is splitting its human spaceflight department into two separate bodies — one centered on big, future-oriented missions to the Moon and the Mars, the other on the International Space Station and other operations closer to the Earth. The reorganisation, announced by NASA chief Bill Nelson on Tuesday, reflects an evolving relationship between private companies, such as SpaceX, that have increasingly commercialized rocket travel and the federal agency that had exercised a US monopoly over spaceflight for decades.
Nelson said the shake-up was also spurred by a recent proliferation of flights and commercial investment in low-Earth orbit even as NASA steps up its development of deep-space aspirations. “Today is more than organizational change,” Nelson said at a press briefing. “It’s setting the stage for the next 20 years, it’s defining NASA’s future in a growing space economy.” The move breaks up NASA’s Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate, currently headed by Kathy Leuders, into two separate branches.
Leuders will keep her associate administrator title as head of the new Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate, focusing on NASA’s most ambitious, long-term programs, such as plans to return astronauts to the moon under project Artemis, and eventual human exploration of Mars.
Filmmaker Shoojit Sircar’s upcoming movie “Sardar Udham”, starring Vicky Kaushal in the lead, will premiere on Amazon Prime Video. A biopic on freedom fighter Sardar Udham Singh, who assassinated Michael O’Dwyer, the former Lieutenant Governor of Punjab in British India in 1940, to avenge the 1919 Jallianwala Bagh massacre, the film will digitally release in October. Said to be a “heart-wrenching story of retribution”, “Sardar Udham” showcases the journey of a gallant man who made sure the world never forgets the lives of his beloved brethren who were brutally killed in the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre of 1919. Vicky Kaushal took his Instagram handle to break the news of release. He wrote, “My heart is filled with love as we bring to you the story of a revolutionary. This October, watch #SardarUdhamOnPrime.” Prime Video too shared the same picture on its Istagram and captioned it, “You know the man but not his story. Bringing to you the story of India’s freedom fighter, this October, watch #SardarUdhamOnPrime.”
A couple of days ago, Taapsee Pannu skyrocketed to top trends for her ‘mard ki body’ when a faceless troll, well, decided to troll her on Twitter. The point of contention – a still from her upcoming film, Rashmi Rocket, where Taapsee, with her back to the camera, showed off enviably ripped muscles. Her answer? “Just remember this line and wait for 23rd September (sic).” On September 23, the trailer of Rashmi Rocket dropped – and it all came together.
Taapsee’s Rashmi, a National-level player, is tagged ‘mardaana’ for she is ‘not conventionally feminine’. Her achievements, medals, fame, all snatched away in a matter of seconds when she’s accused of lying about her gender and competing in women’s games. What followed was a slew of archaic gender testings to ascertain if she was a woman at all. Then, a ban. Then, a case. Mudslinging, public opinion made and broken, and the customary Bollywoodised crescendo of tears, drama and the promise to rise back up. And a lingering memory of Dutee Chand from 2014.
Dutee Chand, a double silver medallist at the Asian Games and India’s National record-holder in 100 m, was banned and dropped from India’s Commonwealth and Asian Games teams in 2014. This was on grounds of hyperandrogenism – a condition where the female body produces more testosterone, almost at the level of men. She was just 19 at the time. She fought back. She won. And had her ban overturned. In 2018, she won two Silver medals at the Women’s 100 m and 200 m at the Asian Games. And became the first Indian athlete to come out as gay. But that is not the story of Rashmi Rocket. Rashmi resonates with Dutee on several levels. Rashmi, like Dutee, comes from a humble background. And as the story goes, has had to fight the ‘I am a woman, so what?’ battle against patriarchy. From there, to now having to prove her femininity would be a twisted war, unlike what Bollywood has ever seen before. Rashmi, however, has her husband by her side. Yes, Bollywood can only go so far until it trips on the knight-in-shining-armour boulder.
Kriti Sanon and Tiger Shroff made their Bollywood debut together with Heropanti. The duo was much appreciated as a pair by the audience. However, after that movie, Kriti and Tiger have not shared screen space. And now, the Heropanti duo is all set to create magic on screen as they will be seen together in the movie Ganapath. Kriti Sanon has already begun the grind as she is attending rigorous training to get in shape for her character. Kriti took to her Instagram account and shared a video montage of her dance and workout schedules as she ‘warmed up’.
Chandigarh (TIP): The Congress party seems to be struggling to get a fix on new Punjab CM’s team with sources pointing to differences between CM Charanjit Channi and PPCC chief Navjot Sidhu over selection of the new state Cabinet. On Friday, Sept 24, Channi was again called to Delhi by the Congress high command to discuss the new state Cabinet, just hours after he had returned from the national capital. The party high command was busy revisiting the entire list in Delhi till the filing of this report. The list being relooked at is the one finalised Thursday, Sept 23.
It is the CM’s third visit to Delhi in the past a few days. On Thursday, Channi had met AICC leader Rahul Gandhi in a meeting that ended at around 2 am on Friday morning. Channi had just reached Punjab in the morning when he was summoned again. Curiously, party high command has not called Sidhu for both these meetings.
Sources said that Sidhu and Channi were not agreeing on several MLAs to be inducted in the Cabinet. Differences have appeared between the duo on induction of Amrinder Singh Raja Warring, Pargat Singh and Kuljit Nagra.
While Sidhu is strongly supporting all three, Channi, it is learnt, is of the opinion that the organisation persons should concentrate of the party as elections are around the corner. Pargat Singh is PPCC general secretary and Nagra is working president.
Also, Sidhu is backing Raja Warring, but former Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal is strongly opposing him. Badal and Channi are considered thick for past many years. Badal had played a role in Channi’s rise as CM too.
Channi was called to Delhi on Thursday and had held two rounds of meetings, with senior leader KC Venugopal, general secretary incharge Harish Rawat, Harish Chaudhary and Ajay Maken and finally with Rahul Gandhi.
He was called again on Friday for the meeting after Rahul Gandhi met former PPCC chief Sunil Jakhar for about 45 minutes. It is learnt that Jakhar too had a view on a few MLAs being inducted as ministers.
The party has been trying to impress upon Jakhar to accept a role in the Cabinet but he has been declining. Sources privy to the meeting said that Jakhar told Rahul that he did not want any position in the government.
Before this development, the Congress in Punjab was waiting for the list of Cabinet ministers as the CM is learnt to have conveyed to his colleagues that the list was finalised it would be run past AICC chief Sonia Gandhi for a final word.
While the party is retaining most of the ministers from Amarinder’s Cabinet, it has to induct only a few new ones. But it is unable to make a final decision on those few only.
New Delhi (TIP): Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) has called for a ‘Bharat bandh’ on September 27 to protest against the Centre’s three farm laws. The Bandh will be effective from 6 am to 4 pm.
“This would include all government and private offices, all educational and other institutions, all shops, industries and commercial establishments, all public events and functions. Public and private transport shall also come to a halt during this period,” said Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM). The kisan body said, “All emergency establishments and essential services, including hospitals, medical stores, relief and rescue work and people attending to personal emergencies will be exempted.” The Kisan morcha claims Bharat bandh will be enforced in a voluntary and peaceful manner. The farmers’ organisations have urged all farmers, students, unions of government, private institutions and trade, transport unions and chambers to support September 27 Bharat bandh.
The contours of the BJP-led NDA alliance appear to be in place for the UP elections next year. The saffron party today announced alliance with Sanjay Nishad-led Nirbal Indian Shoshit Hamara Aam Dal (Nishad party), which represents communities like fishermen and boatmen whose traditional occupations are centered around rivers. UP election in-charge Dharmendra Pradhan said the BJP would contest the elections in alliance with the Nishad Party and Apna Dal, whose leader Anupriya Patel is also a Minister of State in the Narendra Modi council in the Centre. Both Pradhan and state party chief Swatantra Dev Singh specified that the alliance will contest under the leadership of CM Yogi Adityanath and PM Narendra Modi.
India recorded a spike of 29,616 new Covid-19 cases on Sept 25. The country also witnessed 290 deaths, taking the death toll to 446,658 So far, India has recorded 33,624,419 corona cases in total. Delhi reported 24 Covid-19 cases and no fatality. Kerala recorded 19,983 new Covid-19 cases and Maharashtra 3,286 cases.
According to the health ministry, two-thirds of India’s adult population has received the first dose of the Covid vaccine and nearly one-fourth, or 23 per cent, is now fully vaccinated. Private hospitals accounted for only six per cent of the Covid vaccines given in the country since May this year.
“Today, Women@NJPAC is focused on supporting the vital work of the Arts Center — and amplifying the voices of women in our communities, in the arts, in the social justice movement, and in the corporate world.”
“The ‘Spotlight Gala’ is not only an opportunity for us to raise funds for NJPAC’s award-winning programs for children and families, but also to spread the word about our work supporting all women, and lifting up the next generation of fierce, creative and effective leaders.”-Faith Taylor, President – Women@NJPAC
NJPAC invites you to its annual SPOTLIGHT GALA where a galaxy of singing stars in “Perfect Harmony” join Women@NJPAC to illuminate the evening with the broadcast airing on NJ PBS (New Jersey’s public television station, and MyNJPBS.org/live) on October 2 at 7 PM EDT.
The stars include Broadway’s Kelli O’Hara, jazz vocalist Bobby McFerrin, jazz vocal group Manhattan Transfer, a cappella ensembles Take 6 and Naturally 7 and modern-day doo wop masters Under the Streetlamp will appear during an exhilarating night of performances that celebrate the power of vocal music. Toby and Leon G. Cooperman, and the Cooperman Family, will be honored with the NJPAC ‘Founders Award’ during the Gala, acknowledging their contributions in the fields of medicine, education and the performing arts, and their founding gift toward the construction of the new Cooperman Family Arts Education and Community Center — a purpose-built new home for the Arts Center’s arts education and community engagement programs, scheduled to open in 2024. “For years, the Arts Center’s Spotlight Gala has been our way of celebrating the beginning of our season, of saying ‘thank you’ to all our supporters and audience members, and of ensuring that our work in arts education and community engagement can thrive and grow,” says John Schreiber, President and CEO of NJPAC. “Although the Arts Center is now beginning to reopen for in-person performances, I’m so pleased that this year we will once again take our biggest party of the year virtual and share our exciting Spotlight Gala concert with arts lovers across the state through our ongoing partnership with NJ PBS.”
EVENTS OF 2021
Some of the many programs hosted or made possible by Women@NJPAC this year:
A “Leading Ladies” virtual panel discussion featuring the powerhouse team of women behind the New Jersey Arts and Culture Recovery Fund, an initiative that raised millions of dollars to keep New Jersey’s arts organizations alive in the wake of coronavirus.
The third annual “Gathering of Givers,” Women@NJPAC’s celebration of the power of women in philanthropy, which this year focused on women’s contributions to rebuilding communities after the pandemic, featuring Lara Abrash, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Deloitte & Touche, and Joanne Lin, Principal, Newark Venture Partners, among many other women executives.
“She Did That: Black Women in the Workplace,” a part of the Arts Center’s “PSEG True Diversity Film Series,” which highlighted the growing impact of African American women executives and entrepreneurs. The launch of Women Leaders @ Work, a new series of virtual events, co-sponsored by Executive Women of New Jersey, that explores the impact of women who are advancing organizations large and small. The first event in the series, Women in the Boardroom, focused on women who are taking leadership roles in corporate and nonprofit boards.
A virtual edition of the Women@NJPAC annual ‘Spring Luncheon,’ which offered a fascinating conversation with fashion icon Norma Kamali, and an appearance by Tony Award winning Broadway powerhouse, Laura Benanti;
Plus, hundreds of students in NJPAC’s arts training programs received scholarships from Women@NJPAC to continue their studies.
WOMEN@NJPAC & The Spotlight Gala
Women@NJPAC, a “sisterhood for good” was established in 1994. The annual Spotlight Gala is organized by Women@NJPAC, the Arts Center’s longtime advocacy organization.
The organization was started by nine women. This small band of women has now grown into a powerhouse of fundraising and “friend-raising” that today numbers thousands of members. Over the past 27 years, the Women@NJPAC has become an organization that not only supports the work of the Arts Center but serves as a networking venue par excellence for New Jersey women, and a funder with a particular focus on issues impacting women and girls. Women@NJPAC annually hosts multiple events on and off the Arts Center campus. It has grown into an organization of thousands of executives, artists, activists, mothers and change-makers devoted to advancing the performing arts, amplifying the philanthropic work of its members, and helping NJPAC deliver on its mission as an anchor cultural institution. For more information, visit njpac.org/support/women-at-NJPAC
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CELEBRATE NATIONAL HISPANIC MONTH WITH LATIN ICONS!
By Mabel Pais
SEE TITO NIEVES, ARTURO O’FARRILL, EDDIE PALMIERI,LOS TIGRES DEL NORTE, LATIN FREESTYLE + HIP HOP,
GILBERTO SANTA ROSA, ELIZARDI CASTRO
Tito Nieves. (Photo : elunicotitonieves.com)
The National Hispanic Heritage Month is celebrated from September 15 to October 15. During this month, heightened awareness is given to histories, cultures, and contributions of Americans whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America. NJPAC pays tribute to and celebrates Latin culture with live music from a line-up of Latin superstars.
Salsa Meets Jazz Starring TITO NIEVES, ARTURO O’FARRILL BIG BAND and EDDIE PALMIERI salsa orchestra
SEPTEMBER 25, 2021 at 8:00 p.m.
To learn more and for Tickets, visit njpac.org/event/salsa-meets-jazz
LOS TIGRES DEL NORTE
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2021 at 7:00 p.m.
For more information and Tickets, visit njpac.org/event/los-tigres-del-norte
Latin Freestyle + Hip Hop (90’s Dance Star Studded Dance Concert)
Friday, October 22, 2021 at 8:00 p.m.
To learn more or for Tickets, visit njpac.org/event/the-90s-all-star-dance-concert
GILBERTO SANTA ROSA
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2021 at 8:00 p.m.
To learn more and for Tickets, visit njpac.org/event/gilberto-santa-rosa
ELIZARDI CASTRO
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2021 at 8:00 p.m.
The Town Hall at 123 W 43rd St, New York, NY 10036
For more information and Tickets, visit ticketmaster.com/law-disorder-an-evening-with-comedian-new-york-new-york-11-27-2021/event/0300585B3561359F
COVID SAFETY RULES
For COVID Safety Rules, visit njpac.org/visit/covid-health-and-safety
NJPAC
To learn more about NJPAC, visit www.NJPAC.org or call 888.GO.NJPAC (888.466.5722)
Follow NJPAC Online:
Website: njpac.org
Twitter: @NJPAC
Instagram: @NJPAC
Hashtag: #NJPAC
Facebook: facebook.com/NJPAC
YouTube: NJPACtv
Follow NJPAC’s Standing in Solidarity Series Online:
Website: njpac.org/takeastand
Hashtag: #NJPACTakeAStand Youtube: Standing in Solidarity playlist
(Mabel Pais writes on Social Issues, The Arts and Entertainment, Spirituality, and Health & Wellness)
NEW YORK CITY (TIP): Hindu University of America awarded Master of Arts in Sanskrit Degrees, and other Master’s and Doctoral Degrees in Hindu Studies and Yoga, to 12 of its graduating students at a Graduation Ceremony on Saturday, September 18, 2021, at the Marriott Marquis, Times Square, New York. In addition, Hindu University of America also awarded an Honorary Doctoral Degree in Hindu Studies to Padma Bhushan Shri Anupam Kher.
The event began with Bhajans and dignified Vedic chanting and was addressed by the Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Padma Bhushan Prof. Ved Nanda. He welcomed and commended the graduating students as well as the chief guest of the event, Shri Anupam Kher. Dr. Nanda said that America was very receptive to Hindu ideas and thought, and that he was confident that Hindu University is on its way to fulfilling the expectations of not only the immigrant Hindu community, but also of many other Americans. The students, who received their degrees to appreciative applause, spoke briefly but movingly about the gift of knowledge that they had received from their teachers and guides. The graduating class of MA Sanskrit students deeply appreciated the precious gift that they now possessed, i.e., a direct access to the Shastras that contained the Hindu knowledge systems.
Swami Sarvapriyananda, the resident Swami and head of the Vedanta Society of New York City, was also a featured speaker at the event. He spoke about the need for the “Hindu community to build institutions that can transmit Santana Dharma systematically to the next generation of Hindu Americans.” He added that “Hindus in North America have been great temple builders… but the younger generation is interested in the meaning and philosophy behind the rituals… It is good that Hindus have made large donations to Harvard and Columbia, but when you make a contribution to Hindu University of America, it is a matter of great merit (punya), and you will be contributing to the protection and transmission of this Dharma – without making such investments, we run the risk of losing an entire generation to meaninglessness and rootlessness.”
The President of Hindu University of America, Shri Kalyan Viswanathan, acknowledged the graduating students at the University. He read out the Mission and Vision of the University, laying out the need for protecting this small emerging university. He recalled how near his ancestral hometown, there is this great temple for Shiva, called the Brighadeeshwara Temple, in Tanjore, Tamil Nādu. He said, “‘This temple has stood for more than 1000 years and will probably stand for many 1000’s more” and he wondered if “we too could imagine building a university that could live for more than 1000 years?”
Dr. Jashvant Patel, Member of the Board of Trustees of HUA, and the Chair of the Finance Committee of HUA, conferred the Honorary Doctor of Philosophy to Shri Anupam Kher, and recognized his extraordinary contributions to the world of art, films, and culture, and in particular, to world cinema. Dr. Patel spoke of Shri Anupam Kher’s courageous and righteous stand for Hindu philosophy and thought, adding that “the world may not know this – but Anupam Kher began his life in great adversity when he and his family had to leave Kashmir valley under difficult circumstances and start life afresh in a new town. And his journey from Shimla to Chandigarh, to Mumbai, and then to USA, is a true inspiration for millions of people worldwide.”
Padma Bhushan Dr. Anupam Kher, who attended the event in person in New York City, said “I am honored and humbled to be awarded this Honorary Doctoral degree from Hindu University of America and I accept it with pride.” He added that “I am a proud Hindu, because in thousands of years, Hindus have never invaded any other country – India has never colonized any other country through military dominance – and even though many hundreds of thousands of my fellow Kashmiris were forced to live in refugee camps, it is due to the Hindu philosophy of non- violence that no one picked up a gun or any weapon to settle any scores through violence. We believe in resurrecting our lives by resurrecting our minds.”
Established in 1983, Hindu University of America is a School of Theology, offering a Master’s and Doctoral Program in Hindu Studies, and a Master of Arts in Sanskrit. In addition, it offers a variety of certification and continuing education courses. In the Fall 2021 quarter, beginning in the first week of October 2021, the University has announced more than 30 courses. After enrolling more than 500 students in each of the past three quarters, HUA anticipates sustained growth over the next year.
(Based on a press release issued by Ankur Patel. He can be reached at ankur.patel@hua.edu)
Ambassador Taranjit Singh Sandhu, Ambassador of India to the United States, welcoming the Students from India.Speakers and organizers at the ‘Meet & Greet’ for Students from India. From L to R: 1st Row: Speaker Akshat Singh, Speaker Apeksha Tewari, Speaker Ankit Chaudhari, GOPIO Chairman Dr. Thomas Abraham, Ambassador Randhir Kumar Jaiswal, Speaker Joe Simon, Dy. Consul Varun Jeph and Consul Vipul Dev. 2nd Row: Dr. Lisa George, Bhavya Gupta, Speaker Prasan Kumar, Speaker Aseem Trivedi, GOPIO Manhattan EVP & Session Chair Professor Rajasekhar Vangapaty, Speaker Neil Datta, GOPIO Manhattan VP Vimal Goyle, GOPIO Manhattan Board Member & Program Coordinator Siddharth (Sid) Jain
NEW YORK CITY (TIP): The GOPIO-Manhattan (NYC) in cooperation with Consulate General of India in New York organized the ‘Meet & Greet’ for Students from India studying in the Northeast to connect them to the community and providing mentoring opportunities as well as to raise awareness of Consular services to students from the Indian Consulate. Students from 21 universities, mostly from the Northeast participated in person or virtually. The chief guest/host for the evening Ambassador Randhir Kumar Jaiswal, commented, “Welcome to all the students from India with open heart as you pursue your future studies here in the North-East region and help in the growth of economy here in USA and back home in India.”
He further highlighted the goal to expand this program to include more students, from the pool of 200,000 students that come to the USA for further studies, to attend in person more interactive sessions and gain exposure to various services offered by the Consulate for the benefit of the students from registration at the Consular Portal, to cultural events to mental health support initiatives.
Ambassador Taranjit Singh Sandhu, via a video message welcomed the students from India and commented “Indian Students continue to be a strong bridge between India and USA. Delighted to welcome the students virtually! The education and knowledge partnership are an area that holds great potential in our bilateral relations. During my visits across US, I’ve always made it a point to visit universities and visit faculty and students there.” He further added “We have an active student hub and a dedicated student wing at the Embassy. You can count on them for any assistance.” The program started with a welcome by GOPIO International Chairman Dr. Thomas Abraham, who also serves as an advisor to GOPIO-Manhattan. Dr. Abraham encouraged the speakers to mentor, motivate and guide the students.
Dr. Abraham said, “In the 1960s and ‘70s when a foreign student joined a university, he/she was given host family, now with connected world and social media, the host family concept went away and the 4.5 million Indian Americans could serve as the host family to the new students.”
GOPIO-Manhattan Executive Vice President Professor Rajasekhar Vangapaty moderated the first panel on mentoring students in the current market environment and added his learnings to the students using his unique perspective as a Registrar of Fashion Institute of Technology, the MIT of Fashion. There were four panelists in this session who are asked to comment on several questions.
Ms. Abha Kumar, Business transformation leader/ Board member Notify.io Advisory Board Shopelier, Former CIO- Corporate & International Vanguard, shared her experiences with the students and said, “The way we worked in the past will not be relevant post-COVID…we now will look for employees who have the ability to have a wide perspective and connect the dots.”
Ms. Kumar further added that students should master the technology component; the companies also look for certain emotional intelligence when they hire. Lastly, in corporate America, your work doesn’t speak for you, you need to speak for yourself.
Mr. Prasan Kumar, Senior VP & Strategy Director at Publicis Group & Lecturer at Glasgow Caledonian New York College added “When you’re in a classroom, experiment as much as you can.” He elaborated, “bringing more than a textbook education is significantly important, get your perspective as per your interest, helps you being a problem solver and think long-term for career choice reflecting from his personal experience of moving 4 careers in 2 decades from IT to advertising now.”
Mr. Neil Datta, Head of Due Diligence at Forbes Family Trust & Co-Founder Meritas provided insights in the current market context and said, “You’re either a fintech company or you don’t know it yet.” He further added, “The ability to be a problem solver is a crucial skill that helps you in whatever you choose to work in.”
Mr. Joe Simon, CIO at Entain which is involved in Sports Betting, echoed the thoughts of the speakers and added, “Cultural sensitivity is crucial.” He further added that in order to succeed, one needs to be fairly convinced about what one is trying to do and that the two most underrated skills in corporate America are patience and persistence.”
The second panel on F1 to H1B via OPT was moderated by Mr. Aseem Trivedi, Manager of Data Analytics at Ernst and Young. He shared his unique path to Green Card as an experience for the students. He reminded the students “One should start thinking now what after H1B?”
Mr. Akshat Singh, a recent economics graduate of Columbia University brought his experience with Students and shared the idea “Get started on OTP process asap and do not wait for 6-months or so.”
Mr. Ankit Chaudhari, Associate Vice President at JP Morgan Chase commented about his personal journey from F1 to OPT to H1-B to Green Card and suggested students “ask your employer whether they will sponsor your visa or not, but you give your best services.”
Ms. Apeksha Tewari, Master of Laws from Penn State Law and Lawyer, shared her personal views to the students as part of the panel said, “Now that you are here, outside of your studies, you need to network with your professors, peers, everyone & communication is the key, ask for things.”
Mr. Shivender Sofat, President GOPIO-Manhattan, who joined virtually told the importance of mentoring to the students, discussed chapter activities and motivated everyone to volunteer and become members at future events held by GOPIO Manhattan.
Mr. Siddharth Jain, GOPIO Manhattan Board Member & Program Coordinator; conducted the questions & answers session and concluded with vote of thanks to Chief Guest/Host Ambassador Shri Randhir Kumar Jaiswal, Dy. Consul Shri Varun Jeph, Consul for Political, Education and Culture Shri Vipul Dev, Consul for Community Affairs Shri A. K. Vijayakrishnan and the consulate staff. Other GOPIO-Manhattan officials present at the meeting included Vice President Vimal Goyle, and Co-Secretaries Dr. Lisa George and Bhavya Gupta.
“The students had an excellent time networking with students from different universities as well as with speakers and the Consulate and GOPIO officials and we plan to do a much bigger event next year hopefully after the Covid restrictions are over,” Dr. Abraham added.
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/
NEW YORK CITY(TIP): Nine New York City contractors have been indicted for allegedly bribing NYCHA superintendents for “micro purchase” contracts.
“These defendants allegedly tried to seek favors from NYCHA superintendents by offering them bribes, corrupting a process meant to ensure contracts are fairly awarded,” Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez said. “I commend the employees who came forward to report the bribe offers, kicking off this investigation. My office will continue to work closely with DOI to make sure that bribery schemes and other forms of corruption are investigated and prosecuted.”
For larger construction projects and repairs to be performed by an outside vendor, NYCHA generally solicits multiple bids before awarding a contract.
But for smaller repairs involving contracts up to $10,000, NYCHA implemented the micro purchase process which does not require multiple bids.
Instead, the superintendent or assistant superintendent of a housing development has the discretion to choose a vendor and request an estimate.
The defendants were identified as:
–Lakhwinder Kumar, 47, and Kumar Construction Corp., of South Ozone Park, Queens
–Charanjit Singh, 58, Satbir Singh, 71, and Fine Touch Construction, of Floral Park, Queens
–Davinder Singh, 45, Nishan Singh, 56, Yuvi Development Inc., and NB Builders, of Hicksville, New York
–Surinder Singh, 59, Guriqbal Singh, 28, A. Peter Luger Construction, PKG Contracting Corp. and Heera and G. Builders, of South Richmond Hill, Queens
–Jaswant Banga Singh, 57, and Khushi Construction Inc., of New Hyde Park
–Bakhshish Chand, 68, and Amar Contracting, of Richmond Hill, Queens.
They are charged with bribery, giving unlawful gratuities, offering a false instrument for filing and conspiracy.
According to the investigation, in November 2018, Lakhwinder Kumar allegedly told an assistant superintendent at a NYCHA development in Brooklyn that he appreciated the jobs he received and offered him money. That employee reported the bribe offer to the Department of Investigations (DOI), which then equipped him with audio and video recording devices.
A month later, Kumar was recorded allegedly handing that assistant superintendent $450 in exchange for a micro purchase job at the development. The following year, in July 2019, in an unrelated incident, Surinder Singh, allegedly handed $600 in cash to the superintendent of another NYCHA development in Brooklyn. The employee tried to return the money, but Singh allegedly refused to take it. The superintendent then reported the matter to DOI. A few weeks later, he allegedly left cash in the employee’s office who again reported it to DOI, which then equipped the employee with audio and video recording devices.
Starting in Spring 2019, DOI placed undercover investigators posing as assistant superintendents at the Red Hook Houses West and Lafayette Gardens in Clinton Hill. Over a period of many months, the undercover at Red Hook allegedly recorded a number of contractors including Charanjit Singh and Satbir Singh, who are partners; Davinder Singh and Nishan Singh, who are brothers; and another contractor, Guriqbal Singh, discussing jobs at the development on numerous occasions and handing the undercover amounts of cash ranging from $500 to $1,000 in exchange for micro purchase jobs.
The undercover at Lafayette Gardens allegedly recorded Kumar, Charanjit Singh and another contractor also allegedly giving cash bribes to the undercover.
As the investigation continued, it expanded to capture recordings of Surinder Singh allegedly paying additional bribes to a NYCHA employee at a NYCHA development in Brooklyn and Jaswant Banga Singh and Bakhshish Chand allegedly giving cash bribes to an employee at a NYCHA development in Queens.
It is alleged that between December 2018 and May 2021 the defendants paid bribes or unlawful gratuities to NYCHA employees or undercover investigators totaling about $20,000 in cash, in addition to two $500 gift cards and four bottles of Johnnie Walker scotch with a total approximate value of $115 in exchange for various jobs such as tile work, installation of tub enclosures, installation of a chain link fence, and repairing windows.
“NYCHA has zero tolerance for these illegal acts committed by staff and vendors, and worked in partnership with DOI on this investigation,” NYCHA said in a statement. “We have implemented significant changes to the systems to prevent this type of malfeasance, including updates and modifications to purchasing oversight, how contracts are awarded and tracked, and post-award contract management. They are all being implemented as part of the Transformation Plan, which was mandated by the 2019 HUD Agreement, and we will continue to do the necessary work to improve.”
NEW YORK CITY (TIP): The Indian Overseas Congress is an advocacy organization that promotes democracy, freedom, and justice for all and, in this regard, supports a very strong bilateral relationship between India and the USA and lauds every effort that fosters such partnership bondage, especially to rein in any radical terrorism emanating from Afghanistan.
The IOCUSA, however, expresses grave concern at the faltering economic situation in India, on the gross mismanagement of the Covid-19 pandemic, for allowing the growth of chronic unemployment, for negligently causing total despair and unrest among the farmers due to the promulgation of unfair farm laws, for the dissolution of public sector entities in favor of private enterprises, and the brutal attack and manipulation of religion on the very sensitive secular fabric of India. Hence, IOCUSA wishes to highlight and condemn the Modi Administration’s disappointing misgovernance and lack of honesty in dealing with critical issues affecting India and the undemocratic policies and practices. The IOCUSA also expresses its extreme disappointment with the Narender Modi-led NDA Government with the tackling of the Covid, especially the second wave that hit the country in March 2021. There was a lack of effective disaster management in utilizing existing resources and facilities in tackling one of the biggest crises that the country has faced in several decades. The total mismanagement of the second wave resulted in a large number of deaths across the country that are still not fully accounted for. The IOC, USA blames the Prime Minister for not releasing factual figures and information on the second wave and misleading the nation on this critical issue. IOC.USA believes that the Modi government should be held responsible for the rampant mob attacks on minorities triggered by vitriolic statements by leading BJP leaders spewing the communal venoms of prejudice and hatred. The Delhi riots were nothing but a byproduct of the hate-driven policies this administration has been pursuing. Under the BJP rule, civil society is increasingly being hand-cuffed with canceling their FCRAs and even forcing some of them out of the country. The press is being muzzled, and with the judiciary under pressure, the institutions which Nehru Ji and Ambedkar Ji built are under severe stress. The draconian UAPA is being used to stifle personal dissent, and people are labeled anti-nationals for merely expressing opinions critical of government policies.
IOCUSA stands firmly in solidarity with the protesting farmers in India who have been denied their rightful voice and concerns to be heard on the unlawfully and surreptitiously passed Farm bills. The IOC, USA also voices its deep concerns on the security of India, especially given the increased threat from China, Pakistan, and now Afghanistan. The IOC, USA, wants the Narender Modi Government to release all facts correctly on the level of threat to India’s security and the measures undertaken by the Government to counter them.
IOCUSA strongly condemns the undemocratic and corrupt means of bringing down elected state Governments in India by the Narender Modi-led government through illegal and unethical means, thereby rejecting the people’s mandate belittling the constitution. The IOC.USA also calls on the Prime Minister to respond to the people on various issues concerning the country and request the Prime Minister to address the media in New York and later in India, pursuing a policy of transparency and telling the truths.
The IOCUSA expresses its appreciation and total support for the repeated caution and pleas of Congress MP Shri Rahul Gandhi to the Government on the subject of the second wave of the virus, which was ignored and mocked, resulting in a catastrophe in India. Last but not least, the IOCUSA expresses its unequivocal solidarity and concerns with the people of India during these difficult times.
DALLAS, TX (TIP): Raksha Bandhan, a festival that cherishes the bond between brothers and sisters, is celebrated by the Hindus across the world. The festival was celebrated this year on August 22. However, it’snever too late to celebrate this bond,and ring in the festival as did members of Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh (HSS) in Dallas. Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh USA celebrated the festival of love and togetherness with the Irving Police Department here. Taking to Twitter, the official handle of Irving PDposted pictures of the celebration with HSS members. Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh (HSS) USA is a voluntary, non-profit, social and cultural organization. Sangh, as the organization is popularly known, aims to organize the Hindu community in order to preserve, practice and promote Hindu ideals and values. There is an HSS presence in North Irving.
CHICAGO, IL (TIP): Chicagoland couldn’t have asked for a better post-pandemic celebration after almost two years of pause to any public gathering than the beautiful religious and musical extravaganza organized by Shri Jalaram Mandir with Kirtidan Gadhvi and group. The grand program of “Ras-Garba Ramzat” was organized by Shri Jalaram Mandir, 425 Illinois Blvd, Hoffman Estate, IL on Friday September 17, 2021 from 6:00 pm to 1:00 am at Renaissance Convention Center, 1551, Thoreau, Schaumburg, IL with the internationally acclaimed vocalist Kirtidan Gadhvi” and his fellow artists who entertained thousands of devotees at the Renaissance Schaumburg Convention Center Hotel at Schaumburg, IL. The event was attended by over 2500 people.
“The best karma is not the one that has a good result, the best karma is the one that has the best purpose.”
Shri Jalaram Mandir follows the similar path of public service, with all its revenue from such programs going to the contribution of the temple. The selfless and free service of Shri Jalaram Mandir, its managing committee and all the volunteers was as excellent as ever with beautiful sound system lighting, security, photography, videography and booths for different businesses. There was free entry for children below 10 years of age, free parking, tea and snacks at reasonable prices, provision of water, cold drinks and free covid testing. The contribution of donors from different fields as sponsors was commendable. All the devotees who came were also very supportive and co-operative. Jalaram Mandir has been organizing events in mind boggling fashion depicting unique examples of teamwork and credit goes not only to Board Members but to every individual that participates with zeal be it an executive or volunteer. The entire venue was overcrowded and the spectacular audience danced and enjoyed Raas Garba with enthusiasm and fervor. This annual holy event is celebrated in honor of Goddess Durga Mataji.
“Navali Nortani Raat Maa Amba Garbe Ghumta (Nisarya) Pavagadhthi. Ne Chicagona Khailaiya Raas Garba Khub Ghumta Sang Kirtidan Gadhvi”
Garba and Raas, performed by Kirtidan Gadhvi and Group, transformed the whole center into a huge dance floor to accommodate thousands of bare feet moving into thunderous drumbeats in swirling circles around deity Hindu Goddess “Durga”. There was overwhelming participation from the audience enjoying the memorable evening. Many in the audience, especially ladies and children wore very colorful and dazzling traditional dresses for this special juncture with appropriately matching ornaments and extravagant hairstyles. Navaratri Garba is very special as it honors Shakti in very rhythmic ways. Western dress is replaced by Lengha-choli, matching jewelry and footwear. “Some prefer to wear traditional outfit while others go for modern look”
Kirtidan Gadhvi and Group started the program by offering a prayer to invoke divine grace. This was followed by mesmerizing rhythmic conventional Garba music with equally passionate and energetic performance by the audience of traditional swirling dance around Mataji’s heavenly symbolic presence turned into a shrine adorn with flowers and decorations. After the brief break and Aarti, the festive music of Dandiya-Raas commenced with an enthusiastic participation by the audience that lasted into the early hours of the morning.
Immaculate planning and a well-organized team effort by Board of Trustees, executive committee members and volunteers was very well evident in the excellent security, safety and parking arrangement. Kirtidan Gadhvi and all his fellow artists made the event a very successful with heartfelt, devotional performance. All the artists from India came to Chicago Shri Jalaram Mandir. All the artists, promoters and attendees heartily applauded all the excellent arrangements. This multidimensional celebration of such a festive day of Navaratri would not have been possible without many sponsors, donors, and advertisers. With divine blessing from Jalarambapa and Mataji combined with devotional hard work and enthusiastic support and participation by the community made the event a grand success.
WASHINGTON DC (TIP): The Federation of Indian American Christian Organizations (FIACONA) thanks Vice President Harris for telling Prime Minister Modi, “I know from personal experience and from my family, of the commitment of the Indian people to democracy and to freedom, and to the work that may be done and can be done, to imagine and then actually achieve our vision for democratic principles and institutions”.
While we greatly applaud the Vice President’s powerful testimony and her heartfelt remarks, we also feel that Mr. Modi may not have understood the gravity of what she was trying to convey to him.
It is not the first time that Mr. Modi and his team have completely missed the point of suggestions coming from American leaders, including the then Vice-President Biden and President Obama on past occasions.
Hence, we ask that President Biden and Vice President Harris be more direct and explicit in expressing that India should not and could not afford to go down the path of religious nationalism at the expense of pluralist democratic principles that valuesChristian and other religious segments of the population.
Should Modi and his party choose to continue down this path of religious nationalism despite warnings from leaders of the free world, there is no reason to assume that India would end up any better than Pakistan, Sri Lanka, or Myanmar in that region, thus jeopardizing the stability and commerce in the Indo-Pacific region.
Every now and then some officials move on to their new postings and their replacements arrive. While those leaving get a sendoff, the new arrivals are given a welcome reception. In recent months, some officials who got transferred included Mr. Ashwani Tewari, Country Head of State Bank of India, Mr. Balasubramaniam Elango, CE of Bank ok of Baroda, and Deputy Consul General Shatrughna Sinha. Their replacements have since arrived. The Indian Panorama takes pride in introducing them to the readers.
Mr. Virendra Bansal, Country Head –US Operations State Bank of India, New York
Mr. Virendra Bansal has taken over as the Country Head of the US Operations of State Bank of India, which includes its offices in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Sao Paulo and Washington DC. Prior to his present assignment, he was Chief Executive Officer, New York Branch since May 2019. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Engineering (Mechanical) and has certification of AML/ KYC from Indian Institute of Bankers.
He is a career banker with over 30 years’ experience with State Bank of India in India and outside. Having joined as a directly recruited Probationary Officer in 1990, Mr. Bansal has handled several important and crucial assignments in diverse areas of Credit, International Banking and Retail Banking.
His prior assignments include Deputy General Manager & Relationship Manager at Corporate Accounts Group of State Bank of India at Mumbai where he managed relationship with some of the large corporates with aggregate credit exposure of USD 8.00 billion approx. His previous roles were Head (Trade) at London branch of State Bank of India and Branch Head of retail branch handling high net worth customers.
Mr. Prasanta Kumar Tripathy, Chief Executive Manager,
State Bank of India, New York
Mr. Prasanta Kumar Tripathy joined as Chief Executive Officer at New York branch in June’2021. He is experienced banker with over 25 years of working in various facets of banking in major markets for State Bank of India in India and outside. Having joined as a directly recruited Probationary Officer in 1995, Mr. Tripathy has handled several important and crucial assignments in diverse areas of Credit, Government business, International Banking and Retail Banking. His prior assignments include, Deputy General Manager of New Delhi Main Branch, Delhi. Where he was responsible for growth in deposits, Foreign Business, Govt. Business, oversee Accounts of Ministry of External Affairs, Ministry of Finance, etc. His important task was to keep track of the PM CARES FUND ACCOUNT, which required direct reporting to Prime Minister’s Office. He has worked as DGM and Chief Development Officer at Local Head Office, New Delhi as Head of HR department having 17000 staff members with responsibilities of hiring, training, industrial relations, business conduct & discipline management. He has previously worked at Commercial Bank of India LLC, Moscow as Vice President (Credit) supervising Loan Syndications & Bi-lateral loans and Credit.
Mr. Chander Mohan Kumra, Chief Executive Bank of India US Operations, New York
Mr. Chander Mohan Kumra is the Chief Executive of Bank of India US Operations. Bank of India is one amongst the top five Public Sector Banks in India. Mr. Kumra joined Bank of India in1995 as Direct Recruit Officer. In his 26 years of unblemished and illustrious career in Bank of India, he worked in various progressive positions in the Bank. He worked as Deputy General Manager of International Division Head Office wherein he was overseeing the business operations of all overseas Branches of Bank of India. Previously, he had completed an overseas stint at Bank of India’s Operations in Hong Kong.
Apart from rich overseas banking operations, Mr. Kumra has also handled key positions on domestic front such as Deputy General Manager & Branch Head of our Kolkata Large Corporate Branch which is a specialized vertical of the Bank dealing with Large Corporate Credit, Assistant General Manager & Branch Head of Bharat Diamond Bourse Branch which is a specialized Branch for Foreign Exchange Operations and Assistant General Manager & Branch Head at Jaipur SME City Center where he handled High Value credit proposals. Being a seasoned banker, he is thoroughly familiar with the key skills of business development of the Bank while ensuring regulatory compliances.
Mr. Chander Mohan Kumra
Chief Executive Bank of India US Operations, New York
Mr. Chander Mohan Kumra is the Chief Executive of Bank of India US Operations. Bank of India is one amongst the top five Public Sector Banks in India.
Mr. Kumra joined Bank of India in1995 as Direct Recruit Officer. In his 26 years of unblemished and illustrious career in Bank of India, he worked in various progressive positions in the Bank.
He worked as Deputy General Manager of International Division Head Office wherein he was overseeing the business operations of all overseas Branches of Bank of India. Previously, he had completed an overseas stint at Bank of India’s Operations in Hong Kong.
Apart from rich overseas banking operations, Mr. Kumra has also handled key positions on domestic front such as Deputy General Manager & Branch Head of our Kolkata Large Corporate Branch which is a specialized vertical of the Bank dealing with Large Corporate Credit, Assistant General Manager & Branch Head of Bharat Diamond Bourse Branch which is a specialized Branch for Foreign Exchange Operations and Assistant General Manager & Branch Head at Jaipur SME City Center where he handled High Value credit proposals.
Being a seasoned banker, he is thoroughly familiar with the key skills of business development of the Bank while ensuring regulatory compliances.
WASHINGTON, DC (TIP): Prime Minister Narendra Modi has commended the Indian Diaspora for distinguishing itself across the world, as he received an enthusiastic welcome from the community on his arrival here on a major visit to further enhance Indo-US relations. Modi was warmly greeted by groups of Indian-Americans at the airport soon after his plane landed here on Wednesday and later at the hotel where he had an interaction with the members of the community. “Grateful to the Indian community in Washington DC for the warm welcome. Our diaspora is our strength,” Modi said in a tweet along with a set of pictures of his interaction with Indian-American CEOs. “It is commendable how the Indian diaspora has distinguished itself across the world,” Modi said. One of the signature events of Prime Minister Modi’s overseas visits has been his meetings with the diaspora community in large gatherings. However, due to the current COVID-19 situation, the prime minister is unlikely to have a large gathering or meeting with the diaspora. Modi has been popular among Indian-Americans, who constitute more than 1.2 per cent of the country’s population. The community is increasingly playing an important role, including in American politics. Modi, who is visiting the US for the 7th time after assuming office in 2014, and the first time after President Biden took on the reins of America, has said that his visit would be an occasion to strengthen the Indo-US Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership and consolidate ties with Japan and Australia. Apart from meeting US President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, Modi is also scheduled to have separate bilateral talks with his Australian counterpart Scott Morrison and Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga.
US – India relationship is destined to be “stronger, closer and tighter”, says Biden
TIP Special Correspondent
WASHINGTON, DC (TIP): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday, September 24, described as “outstanding” his first bilateral meeting with US President Joe Biden who said the Indo-US relationship is destined to be “stronger, closer and tighter” as the two leaders discussed a wide range of issues, including combating COVID-19, climate change, trade and the Indo-Pacific. President Biden, who welcomed Prime Minister Modi in the Oval Office of the White House said that today they are starting a new chapter in US-India relationship.
Observing that he has long believed that the US, India relationship can help them solve global challenges, Biden in his opening remarks before a battery of India and American media said they are now “are launching a new chapter in history of India US ties, taking on some of the toughest challenges we face together.”
And this starts with a shared commitment to end COVID-19, he said. Prime Minister Modi, who is visiting the US for the 7th time after assuming office in 2014, described Friday’s bilateral meeting with Biden that lasted more than 60 minutes as “important” as they’re meeting at the start of the third decade of this century.
“Your leadership will certainly play an important role in how this decade is shaped. The seeds have been sown for an even stronger friendship between India and the US,” Prime Minister Modi told Biden.
“Had an outstanding meeting with @POTUS @JoeBiden. His leadership on critical global issues is commendable. We discussed how India and USA will further scale-up cooperation in different spheres and work together to overcome key challenges like COVID-19 and climate change,” Modi tweeted after the meeting.
Biden said the relationship between India and the US, the largest democracies in the world, is “destined to be stronger, closer and tighter.” “I’ve long believed that the US-India relationship can help us solve a lot of global challenges. In fact, back in 2006, I had said that by 2020 India and the US will be among the closest nations in the world,” Biden told Modi.
“Today, we’re launching a new chapter in the history of US-India ties, taking on some of the toughest challenges we face together, starting with a shared commitment,” he said. Biden said he and Prime Minister Modi would talk about what more they can do to fight COVID-19, take on the climate challenge that the world face, and ensure stability in the Indo-Pacific, including with their quiet partners.
India, the US and several other world powers have been talking about the need to ensure a free, open and thriving Indo-Pacific in the backdrop of China’s rising military maneuvering in the region.
“Of course, our partnership is more than just what we do. It’s about who we are in our shared responsibility to uphold democratic values, our joint commitment to diversity, and it’s about family ties, including four million Indian-Americans make the United States, stronger every single day,” he said.
Noting that the world would celebrate Mahatma Gandhi’s birthday next week, Biden said, “We’re all reminded that his message of non-violence, respect, tolerance, matters today maybe more than ever had.” On this, Modi said, “Gandhi Ji spoke about trusteeship, a concept which is very important for our planet in the times to come.”
Noting that trade will be an important factor in the Indo-US ties in the coming decade, the Prime Minister said that there is much to be done in the area.
Modi said this decade will be shaped by talent and people-to-people linkages. “I am glad the Indian diaspora is making an active contribution towards the US’ progress.”
He said that technology is becoming a driving force. “We have to utilize our talents to leverage technology for greater global good.”
Modi recalled his interactions with Biden in 2014 and 2016, saying “that time you had shared your vision for ties between India and US. I am glad to see you are working to realize this vision.”
He said that each of the subjects mentioned by the president are crucial for the India-US friendship. “His efforts on COVID-19, mitigating climate change and the Quad are noteworthy,” Modi added.
“This morning I’m hosting Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the White House for a bilateral meeting. I look forward to strengthening the deep ties between our two nations, working to uphold a free and open Indo-Pacific, and tackling everything from COVID-19 to climate change,” President Biden had tweeted minutes before the meeting.
While the two leaders have met earlier when Biden was the Vice President of the country, this is for the first time that Biden is meeting Modi after he became the 46th president of the US in January.
Both Biden and Prime Minister Modi have spoken over the phone multiple times and have attended a few virtual summits, including that of the Quad in March hosted by the US president. The last telephone conversation between them took place on April 26. Spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs Arindam Bagchi said that India US relationship is a partnership of trust. “Globally we will make a difference!” he tweeted.
“Vibrant discussions between” Modi and Biden. “Joseph Biden on global, regional & bilateral issues. An expansive agenda including defense, security, health, education, trade, IT, economic, Science and Technology energy and People to People ties,” Bagchi said.
The Prime Minister also signed the visitor book in the Roosevelt Room of the White House. “Registering the spirit of India United States friendship in ink,” the spokesperson tweeted.
The Indian delegation included S Jaishankar, Minister of External Affairs; Ajit Doval, National Security Advisor; Harsh Vardhan Shringla, Foreign Secretary and Taranjit Singh Sandhu, India’s Ambassador to the United States.
The American delegation included Antony Blinken, Secretary of State; Jake Sullivan, National Security Advisor; John Kerry, Special Presidential Envoy for Climate; Kurt Campbell, Deputy Assistant to the President and Coordinator for Indo-Pacific Affairs; Donald Lu, Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs and Sumona Guha, Special Assistant to the President & Senior Director for South Asia at National Security Council.
WASHINGTON (TIP): US-based NRI body North American Punjabi Association (NAPA) has demanded NRI Affairs portfolio in the new Cabinet for hockey Olympian Pargat Singh, who had won from the Jalandhar Cantt constituency by a big margin of votes. In a letter sent to PPCC president Navjot Singh Sidhu and Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi, NAPA executive director Satnam Singh Chahal said a majority of the Punjabi diaspora was from the Doaba region. “So, the NRI Affairs Minister should be from this region and Pargat Singh was the best choice for the job,” he said. Chahal said there were many issues and concerns of the Punjabi diaspora that needed to be addressed by the government. He demanded that there should be more fast-track courts in the Doaba region to decide the disputes of the Punjabi diaspora at their homes.
WASHINGTON (TIP): US President Joe Biden has announced his intent to nominate Ashish Vazirani, an Indian American management consultant, to a key Pentagon position. Vazirani has been nominated for the position of Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, Department of Defense. Currently, he is the principal of A2O Strategies, LLC, where he provides advisory services to commercial and non-profit, high growth and large enterprises, on the development, implementation and execution of growth strategies. Most recently, Vazirani was Executive Director and CEO of the National Military Family Association (NMFA), where he provided strategic and operational oversight, and direction for all aspects of NMFA’s advocacy and programming to support military families, the White House said on Tuesday.
During his tenure, NMFA regained its four-star charity rating and expanded programming, including a childcare fee relief program. Before joining NMFA, he led development and programming at the Armed Services YMCA where he ensured implementation and measurement of standardized programs serving junior enlisted military families. According to the White House, Vazirani was also selected to serve as a Member of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine’s Committee on the Well-Being of Military Families.
BARNALA / BARNABY (TIP): Residents of Thikriwala village in Barnala district of Punjab performed an ardas in the gurdwara on Wednesday, September 22 to celebrate the success of National Democratic Party (NDP) leader Jagmeet Singh, who belongs to this village, in Canadian elections. Though they expected Singh to increase his seat tally from last elections 24 to above 50 this time, they are happy, as he will be a kingmaker again.
“We are proud of the achievement of Jagmeet. He has put the name of Thikriwala village on the global map,” said Thikriwala resident Balwant Singh Bhullar, who is posted as Treasury Officer Barnala.
Visited in 1993
Some people still remember that Jagmeet Singh visited the village in 1993, when the family sponsored a room in the school in memory of his grandfather. Proud of his feat
We are proud of the achievement of Jagmeet. He has put the name of Thikriwala village on the global map. — Balwant S Bhullar, Thikriwala resident and Founder of Praja Mandal, a self-rule movement in princely states during the British rule, martyr Sewa Singh Thikriwala and Jagmeet’s great-grandfather Captain Hira Singh were cousins. Sewa Singh was jailed on a fabricated theft charge by the rulers of the erstwhile Patiala princely state where he died during a hunger strike in 1935. Some elderly people still remember that Jagmeet visited the village only once. It was in 1993, when the family sponsored a room in the village government school in memory of his grandfather Shamsher Singh, who worked as an Army engineer. “We have never met neither Jagmeet nor his any family member. But we feel connected whenever there is election in Canada. This time, we had high hopes that he would cross the tally of 50 seats, still happy that he has increased from past 24 to 25. Our village would perform an ardas on Wednesday to celebrate his success” said Nardev Singh, Vice president of Shaheed Sewa Singh Thikriwala Evergreen Society Regd Thikriwala. Sarpanch Kiranjit Singh said Jagmeet was an inspiration for all youth.
WASHINGTON (TIP):President Joe Biden will nominate Indian American Erik Ramanathan, a longtime political ally and fundraiser to serve as ambassador to the Kingdom of Sweden, the White House announced on Wednesday, September 22. A political appointee, Ramanathan is the chairman of the board of a health nonprofit, Heluna Health, serving more than 80 million Americans with over 500 programs addressing population health and community resilience issues. These include maternal and child health, nutrition, literacy, supportive housing, infectious disease, addiction, and front-line and supportive efforts to combat the Covid-19 pandemic.
He was previously Executive Director of the Harvard Law School Program on the Legal Profession, following his role as Senior Vice President – General Counsel of ImClone Systems, a public biotechnology company, according to a White House statement. Ramanathan has also held major leadership roles on the non-profit boards of New Politics Leadership Academy, Shady Hill School, and Immigration Equality.
Earlier in his career, he was a health care attorney with Proskauer Rose LLP. Ramanathan earned a BA at Johns Hopkins University and a JD cum laude from Harvard Law School.
He has been an LGBTQ+ community leader for more than three decades and is the recipient of honors including the Global Vision Award for service to the LGBTQ+ and HIV+ immigrant and asylee communities.
Ramanathan, according to Politico, wanted Biden to run for president in 2016. He has served on the national finance committees of Biden for President and of the Democratic National Committee, according to his LinkedIn.
“If confirmed, I look forward to serving with a talented team of diplomats to build upon our deep and venerable friendship with Sweden,” he said in a statement. “I will work to advance our partnership in areas including trade, investment, defense, and human rights while strengthening collaborations with respect to the many challenges we face together, from the Covid-19 pandemic to the climate crisis.” statement. Ramanathan joins a record 40 plus Indian Americans working in the Biden-Harris administration. Besides Vice President Kamala Harris, the team includes Vivek Murthy serving his second term as ‘America’s Doctor’ and Vinay Reddy as Biden’s speechwriter.
OTTAWA (TIP): 16 of the 17 Indian-origin politicians who have made it to the Canadian House of Commons in the recent general elections are Punjabis. The number of Indian-origin candidates who were reelected is marginally down from 20 in 2019. All prominent Punjabi-Canadian faces were reelected—including Defense Minister Harjit Sajjan from Vancouver South, Minister Bardish Chaggar from Waterloo, Minister Anita Anand from Oakvilla and Jagmeet Singh, who heads New Democratic Party, from Burnaby South seat. Liberal Member of Parliament Chanderkanth Arya, who has his roots in Karnataka, was elected from Napean in Ontario yet again—the lone non-Punjabi Indian-origin MP.
Many of these seats were from Ontario, Canada’s largest province and a hub for Indian immigrants. Punjab-origin MPs won four of five seats in Brampton: Ruby Sahota from Brampton North, Maninder Sidhu from Brampton East, Sonia Sidhu from Brampton South, and Kamal Khera from Brampton West. Five of those who won are women: Anju Dhillon, a lawyer and a Liberal Party from Dorval-Lachine-La-Salle who became the first Indian-Canadian to win a seat twice in the French-speaking province of Quebec; her fellow Liberal candidate Ruby Sahota; Sonia Sidhu; Anita Anand; and Bardish Chaggar. Other prominent winners are Jasraj Singh; George Chahal; Tim Uppal; Sukh Dhaliwal; and Randeep Singh Sarai. Nineteen of 20 Indian origin MPs who’d been elected in 2019 were of Punjabi-origin.
WASHINGTON, DC (TIP): Prime Minister Narendra Modi has met his Australian counterpart Scott Morrison here ahead of the first in-person Quad meeting to be hosted by US President Joe Biden and discussed a broad range of issues of bilateral, regional and global importance, including the Indo-Pacific. The meeting between Modi and Morrison on Friday, September 24, came a week after they spoke over phone and reviewed the rapid progress in the India-Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, including through the recent ‘two-plus-two’ dialogue, and exchanged views on regional developments and the forthcoming Quad meeting. This was the first in-person meeting between the two leaders in the post-pandemic period. “They reviewed progress since the last leader’s summit that was held virtually in June 2020, and they resolved to continue their close partnership and cooperation for the mutual wellbeing of both sides,” Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla told reporters while details of the meeting. The last bilateral meeting was the Leaders’ Virtual Summit held on June 4 last year when the Strategic Partnership between India and Australia was elevated to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a statement.
During the meeting here, Modi and Morrison discussed a broad range of issues of bilateral, regional and global importance, it said.
The Prime Ministers “resolved to continue close cooperation for mutual well-being and towards advancing their shared objective of an open, free, prosperous and rules-based Indo-Pacific region,” the MEA said.
India, the US and several other world powers have been talking about the need to ensure a free, open and thriving Indo-Pacific in the backdrop of China’s rising military maneuvering in the region.
China claims nearly all of the disputed South China Sea, though Taiwan, the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia and Vietnam all claim parts of it. Beijing has built artificial islands and military installations in the South China Sea.
“Great to meet with my good friend and a great friend of Australia, Indian PM Narendra Modi during my visit to the US,” Morrison tweeted.
“A wide-ranging and productive discussion ahead of the first in-person Quad meeting as we look to further deepen the partnership between our two countries,” Morrison said.
Prime Minister Modi in a tweet said, ”It is always wonderful to interact with my good friend, PM @ScottMorrisonMP. We had wide-ranging deliberations on strengthening cooperation in the fields of commerce, trade, energy and more.” According to the MEA statement, in their meeting, Modi and Morrison reviewed the ongoing negotiations on a bilateral Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (CECA) and welcomed the visit to India by former Australian prime minister Tony Abbott as Morrison’s Special Trade Envoy for India and noted the commitment of both sides to achieve an early harvest announcement on an interim agreement by December 2021. They underlined the need for the international community to address the issue of climate change on an urgent basis as Prime Minister Modi highlighted the need for a broader dialogue on environment protection, it said, adding that both the leaders also discussed possibilities of providing clean technologies.
Modi and Morrison agreed that “as two vibrant democracies in the region, the two countries needed to work closer together to overcome the challenges in the post-pandemic world, inter alia to enhance supply chain resilience,” the MEA said.
“Both leaders lauded the immense contribution of the Indian diaspora to Australia’s economy and society, and discussed ways to enhance people to people ties,” the statement added.
Prime Minister Modi also invited Morrison to visit India.
“The Prime Minister mentioned that the Indian community was very well looked after during the COVID crisis in Australia. He especially mentioned that to the Prime Minister and there was an appreciation of the contribution of the Indian diaspora in Australia,” Shringla said.
Earlier, Office of Prime Minister Modi said on Twitter: “Advancing friendship with Australia. PM @ScottMorrisonMP held talks with PM @narendramodi. They discussed a wide range of subjects aimed at deepening economic and people-to-people linkages between India and Australia.
Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi termed the meeting as “another chapter in our Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with Australia”.
“Another chapter in our Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with Australia! PM @narendramodi and @ScottMorrisonMP met today. Discussed regional & global developments as well as ongoing bilateral cooperation in areas related to Covid-19, trade, defense, clean energy & more,” Bagchi said on Twitter.
The meeting assumes significance as External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Defense Minister Rajnath Singh on September 11 held the ‘two-plus-two’ talks in New Delhi with their Australian counterparts Marise Payne and Peter Dutton.
It was the first meeting between the prime ministers of India and Australia since the AUKUS (Australia, the UK and the US) security partnership was unveiled last week by US President Biden, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Morrison.
In response to a question, Shringla said that Prime Minister Morrison did briefly mention rationale from the Australian side in seeking to initiate the AUKUS Alliance.
“He felt that the technology that they received was appropriate and there was a brief discussion in that regard,” he said.
In a tweet, the prime minister’s office described it as advancing friendship with Australia. “They discussed a wide range of subjects aimed at deepening economic and people-to-people linkages between India and Australia,” the PMO tweeted. The AUKUS partnership, seen as an effort to counter China in the Indo-Pacific, will allow the US and the UK to provide Australia with the technology to develop nuclear-powered submarines for the first time.
Australia said its decision to join a security alliance with the US and the UK is aimed at developing capabilities that can contribute along with India and other countries in deterring behavior that threatens the peace and security in the Indo-Pacific.
In the first reaction from India on the contentious alliance, Shringla on Tuesday said that the new security agreement among the US, the UK and Australia is neither relevant to the Quad nor will have any impact on its functioning, and they are not groupings of a similar nature.
Shringla said while the AUKUS is a security alliance among the three countries, the Quad is a plurilateral grouping with a vision for a free, open, transparent and inclusive Indo-Pacific.
The Quad comprises India, the US, Japan and Australia.
Mr. Prasanta Kumar Tripathy joined as Chief Executive Officer at New York branch in June’2021. He is experienced banker with over 25 years of working in various facets of banking in major markets for State Bank of India in India and outside. Having joined as a directly recruited Probationary Officer in 1995, Mr. Tripathy has handled several important and crucial assignments in diverse areas of Credit, Government business, International Banking and Retail Banking. His prior assignments include, Deputy General Manager of New Delhi Main Branch, Delhi. Where he was responsible for growth in deposits, Foreign Business, Govt. Business, oversee Accounts of Ministry of External Affairs, Ministry of Finance, etc. His important task was to keep track of the PM CARES FUND ACCOUNT, which required direct reporting to Prime Minister’s Office. He has worked as DGM and Chief Development Officer at Local Head Office, New Delhi as Head of HR department having 17000 staff members with responsibilities of hiring, training, industrial relations, business conduct & discipline management. He has previously worked at Commercial Bank of India LLC, Moscow as Vice President (Credit) supervising Loan Syndications & Bi-lateral loans and Credit.
