The Indian Panorama

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  • BIDEN PROCLAIMS JUNE 2021 -AS PRIDE MONTH

    Gays with kids. Credit: Courtesy, pridenyc.org
    Francois Clemmons’ book cover [Clemmons (right) with Fred Rogers]. Credit: Courtesy, mmjccm.org
    LGBTQ+ celebrities (l to r and top to bottom): Victor I. Cazares; Taylor Mac by Little Fang; Treya Lam by Justin Wee; Dima Mikhayel Matta; MigguelAnggelo; The Illustrious Blacks by Dave Jeffers
    Credit: Courtesy, lincolncenter.org

    By Mabel Pais

    “NOW, THEREFORE, I, JOSEPH R. BIDEN JR., President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim June 2021 as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ+) Pride Month. I call upon the people of the United States to recognize the achievements of the LGBTQ+ community, to celebrate the great diversity of the American people, and to wave their flags of pride high.”

    “This Pride Month, we recognize the valuable contributions of LGBTQ+ individuals across America, and we reaffirm our commitment to standing in solidarity with LGBTQ+ Americans in their ongoing struggle against discrimination and injustice.” – US President, Joseph Biden

    In his speech on June 1, President Biden stated, “Nearly 14 percent of my 1,500 agency appointees identify as LGBTQ+,” Biden said, “and I am particularly honored by the service of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, the first openly LGBTQ+ person to serve in the Cabinet, and Assistant Health Secretary Dr. Rachel Levine, the first openly transgender person to be confirmed by the Senate.”

    Biden also signed an Executive Order on his first day in office that directed all federal agencies to implement fully all federal laws that prevent discrimination on the basis of sex, to include sexual orientation and gender identity. To read his entire June 1 speech, visit whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2021/06/01

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    TRIBECA AND NYC PRIDE

    “Tribeca’s collaboration with NYC Pride began in 2019 with an unforgettable day-long celebration of the 50th anniversary of Stonewall,” said Tribeca Festival Senior Programmer Lucy Jane Mukerjee. “I’m thrilled to see the relationship continue this year, extending beyond the LGBTQ+ cinema within the festival lineup, to meaningful conversations and community screenings that center the queer identity and will be accessible for folks across the country.”

    On Friday, June 18th, in partnership with NYC Pride, Tribeca presents ‘Pride Presents’ (formerly known as OUTCINEMA), NYC Pride’s annual LGBTQIA+ Film Festival. The dynamic program will feature ground-breaking shorts, docs and a feature film, culminating with a live discussion.

    Stories that illustrate the struggles, the strength and the successes of the LGBTQIA+ community are some of the most critical ones to tell, and Tribeca is more than proud to play an integral part.

    The curated selections for Pride Presents fit the bill perfectly:

    “Kapaemahu” is an animated short that chronicles the plight of the Mahu, extraordinary two-spirit beings, known for their unique powers of healing.

    “P.S. Burn This Letter Please” is a documentary film where former 1950s drag queens, now in their 80s and 90s, discuss how they survived in a time when being yourself meant breaking the law and inviting unforeseen conflict.

    These are just two of the handful of vibrant and thought-provoking films that will be featured within the ‘Pride Presents’ slate of cinematic works.

    For more information, visit nycpride.org.

    MORE NYC PRIDE EVENTS

    FAMILY MOVIE NIGHT – JUNE 17, FREE

    Family Movie Night is back with family-filled fun!

    Family Movie Night will make its debut in the digital space on Thursday June 17, 2021, featuring a 40-minute pre-feature film segment with LGBTQIA+ families discussing surrogacy, adoption, foster care and tapping into other resources both Queer families and individuals seeking these resources can benefit from. Key speakers include Vernon Leftwich and Ricardo Cooper, parents of two-year-old twins Harper and Knox Leftwich-Cooper who appear in this year’s NYC Pride 2021 visual campaign. Other key appearances include Gays With Kids, Family Equality Council, XChange for Change, and Miss Richfield 1981.

    Hosted by the charming Miss Richfield 1981 (missrichfield.com), the event culminates in a family movie screening for all to enjoy! To learn more, visit nycpride.org/event/family-movie-night

    “I feel honored to be a part of an event that serves as an opportunity to unite a community that may at times feel so isolated,” said Leftwich.“My family in particular looks different, even within this community, yet events like this show that we still have a place and I’m sure can find others much like ours. Additionally, it is a beacon of hope for all LGBTQIA+ persons who desire to have a family of their own.”

    NYC PRIDE’s ANNUAL SYMPOSIUM: Transformative changemakers

    JUNE 21, 22 & 23

    This virtual conference, focuses on activism and issues impacting the community, streaming 3 days of riveting and important content June 21st, 22nd & 23rd.

    3 DAY HUMAN RIGHTS CONFERENCE

    NYC Pride presents the Human Rights Conference in its fourth consecutive year from June 21 through June 23, and the Rally on Friday, June 25. The Human Rights Conference, NYC Pride’s annual symposium of transformative changemakers in the queer community, focuses on developing new ideas and approaches to activism and community. Over the course of the three days, guests will experience a virtual gathering of creators, changemakers, historians, influencers, artists, and storytellers to explore the many intersections of the LBGTQIA+ community’s continued fight for equity and justice.

    This year’s Human Rights Conference introduces a series of exclusive interactive Masterclasses, where guests join experts and tastemakers in the field of activism, fashion, culture, queer history, and more to share insight and expertise through live seminars. Powered by NYC Pride’s sponsors and community partners, these classes offer viewers a chance to learn and interact with presenters representing LGBTQIA+ excellence in their fields. To learn more, visit nycpride.org/event/humans-right-conference

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    JCC NYC PRIDE

    Thank You For Coming Out: Dr. François Clemmons, Officer Clemmons | Thurs, June 24 at 7:00pm

    The second installment of the JCC Pride series follows François Clemmons. When he created the role of Officer Clemmons on the award-winning television series “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood,” Clemmons made history as the first African American actor to have a recurring role on a children’s program. In his memoir “Officer Clemmons,” he details his incredible life story, beginning with his early years, through his studies as a music major at Oberlin College where Clemmons began to investigate and embrace his homosexuality, to a chance encounter with Fred Rogers that changed the course of both men’s lives—leading to a deep, spiritual friendship and mentorship spanning nearly forty years.

    Pride Shabbat and Rooftop Open Bar | Fri, June 25 at 7:00pm

    Join the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan 20s + 30s, Tribe NY, and Aviv at B’nai Jeshurun for monthly in-person Shabbat experiences. On Friday evening, celebrate Pride with the LGBTQA+ community with an open bar happy hour, followed by Shabbat on the B’nai Jeshurun roof.

    Virtual Jew York Pride | Sun, June 27

    Jew York Pride, a collaboration between major Jewish LGBTQ+ organizations, including Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan, is going virtual this year on Sunday, June 27, making it even more inclusive and accessible to Queer Jews across the United States and around the world. For 15+ years, Jew York Pride has been the focal point for LGBTQ+ Jewish teens and young adults during Pride Sunday in New York City. For more information, visit mmjccm.org

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    LINCOLN CENTER SPOTLIGHT

    Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts is proud to express its wholehearted commitment to the visibility, equality, and support of LGBTQIA+ communities—365 days of the year. For the month of June, it celebrates LGBTQIA+ stories, talents, and contributions by spotlighting artistic programming and vibrant campus activations. Stop by and experience the unwavering Pride flag colors light up a glowing Revson Fountain, shine bright across The GREEN, adorn the main stairs to Josie Robertson Plaza, and fly high in the sky.

    From June 21-26, Restart Stages at Lincoln Center presents an array of gender-bending and genre-busting events, including the return of the sensational Taylor Mac and two new theater projects as part of National Queer Theater’s Criminal Queerness Festival, which supports the development and production of new works by international and immigrant theater-makers experiencing censorship and criminalization around the world. On June 25, be sure to come out and dance when DJ duo The Illustrious Blacks kicks off NYC Pride weekend with a silent disco on The GREEN! Formore, visit lincolncenter.org/lincoln-center-at-home/series/spotlight-on-lgbtqia-pride

    Mabel Pais writes on Social Issues, The Arts and Entertainment, Spirituality, and Health & Wellness.

  • Community organizations as reservoir of strength for candidates in election fray

    By Indrajit S Saluja

    The other day, a friend who is in the election fray for New York City Council complained that he was not getting adequate support from the temple he belongs to. He alleged that another candidate was getting the support. I asked him how much it mattered if he did not get the support from the temple. He wasn’t sure. I asked him if the congregation voted on the advice and guidance of the temple management. To which, he said, in most cases, yes. So, now I could understand his worry.

    The question of temples and social organizations wielding considerable influence has often been discussed. It has been found that these institutions hold a significant sway over their members. However, it is not always and in all matters that their members would oblige the officials.

    With the New York City elections around, I decided to speak with a couple of community organization leaders to know how much they are involved in elections, and how they plan to go around helping candidates belonging to their community and group.

    Mr. Gobind Munjal

    Mr. Gobind Munjal is a senior community leader who has for long been associated with a number of community organizations. He was president of AIA which organizes the iconic South Street Seaport Diwali Mela. He was President, at one time, of the largest association of Indian Americans in Long Island- Indian Association of Long Island, said that he believed the community organizations are basically training grounds for people in various fields, including politics. “Participating in political processes is important”, he said.  “If you have political clout, community is successful”, he added.

    When asked about what the organizations could do when a number of candidates from the community face each other in a constituency, Mr. Munjal said, “The individual clashes is a worrisome issue. You are cutting yourself, dividing your votes. Much can be achieved through consolidation of votes”.

    Mr. Munjal, referring to NY City Council District 23 where 4 Indian American are candidates among a total of 7, said,” I support enhanced participation of the Indian American community in the political process. However, I appeal to all contending candidates to evolve consensus on a single candidate and put up a united front to make an Indian American win, so that our community is well represented”.

    I took Mr. Munjal’s suggestion to three of the four Indian American candidates. I have been requested not to quote them. So, I will not mention who said what. One said it was his right to be a candidate and try his luck. He also said he had put in quite a few years in community service, and that he was more qualified and had better claim than others.

    Another candidate was willing to accept the consensus idea provided there was a formula which was fair. Now the question of a fair formula turned out to be ticklish. Someone suggested a lottery. Another objected. The end result was there could not be a consensus candidate.

    Master Mohinder Singh

    Another question came to my mind. Whether or not the community organizations could come together and discuss a formula to have consensus candidates with a view to putting up a strong challenge to contenders from other communities. Here, Master Mohinder Singh, a Queens County Community Board 9 member said that the idea of supporting and electing a community guy is a narrow one, given the fact that we live in a multicultural society, and we look for the best to represent us.  However, as far as possible, we should support people from our community provided they are able to deliver.

    When questioned if community organizations, including temples can play a role in helping out the candidates, Mr. Singh said, “The community has always been supportive of the Indian American candidates. As for funding them, the community has been generous. But on the question of consensus, not much can be done. There are various community groups, various faith groups, with different regional affiliations which make it almost impossible to even think of a consensus after the candidates have declared their candidacy.

    Mr. Singh emphasized the need to vote. He asked The Indian Panorama to carry an appeal from him to the community that all eligible voters must vote. He said he feels ashamed that despite of being educated and well to do the Indian American community has a poor record of getting out to vote. “In a democracy, not only it is the right of every eligible voter to vote, but a civil duty to vote”, he said.

    Renee Mehrra

    Renee Mehrra who was the first South Asian American to contest a city council election spoke about the great support she had received from the Indian American community when she first contested in 2001. She said the community organizations play a great role in the success of any candidate. They provide volunteers and funds -both so essential for any political adventure. She hoped of the more than half a dozen Indian Americans contesting New York City elections, some will get elected to represent the community in the City Council, which till now has none from the Indian American community.

    (The author is chief Editor of The Indian Panorama)

     

  • The Sikh Community Itches to Empower Itself

    By Prof. I.S. Saluja

    Though a mere drop in the ocean, the Sikh community in the US, numbering around 280,000, according to The World Religion Database at Boston University, has made its presence felt in the country. The community which began trickling into the US at the beginning of the century started to pour after 70’s, with trouble brewing in their home e State of Punjab in India. In the 80’s the Sikhs came in torrents in the US after the genocide of the community in the wake of the killing of the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.

    They came, they saw, they conquered. Their immediate concern was having food at the table. In the last about 50 years, every Sikh who came to the US is in a position to claim that he enjoys a certain amount of financial security. Their next generation started getting education here. With a certain amount of financial security rose a desire to empower themselves through the political processes. They began to know and mix with the people of their community who were already involved in whatever way in the political processes.

    However, the community organizations remained the first love. It was through the community organizations that many moved on to participate in the political process. The community has understood that real empowerment can come only when they have political power. They have also been reminded that back in 1955 one of them was elected the first Sikh Congressman. Dalip Singh Saund is remembered with reverence as a role model for the community.

    Dalip Singh Saund was the first Sikh and first Indian American elected to Congress.

    Since the time of Congressman Saund, a number of Sikhs have entered politics. But never before now, there ever was such an impressive gallery of the Sikhs taking part in electoral politics. I am not going to span the entire nation. I am inclined to confine myself to New York City where we are going to have the civic elections in November this year. The primaries a few days away will decide the fate of many aspiring candidates to various offices.

    I spoke with a number of people from different walks of life about this newfound love for politics. To the question “why so many Sikhs, particularly the young ones, now aspire for political positions, the answer invariably was that they want to empower themselves; they want to be heard; they want a pie of the political cake. Most said that the economic prosperity has no meaning until they are politically empowered. For the November 2021 cycle New York City elections, we have quite a few Sikhs in the fray. They all are for City council.

    Harpreet Singh Toor

    For City Council District 23, we have two Sikhs. One is Harpreet Singh Toor, a senior community leader and a politician with a long standing. Having worked in City administration and with elected representatives, he has come to acquire a good understanding of various aspects of working on administration and political fronts.

    Jaslin Kaur

    Another candidate is Jaslin Kaur, a spirited young lady who is seeking to draw strength from the younger generation.

    Amit Singh Bagga

    Amit Singh Bagga is a Sikh candidate for Council District 26. He is pitted against 14 candidates, including Asians and South Asians.

    Japneet Singh

    Japnit Singh, a young Sikh is one of the 2 candidates in City Council District 28 where Adrienne Adams is a sitting council member.

    Felicia Singh

    Another young Sikh lady Felicia Singh is pitted against 5 others in City council District 32.

    However, I have also wondered why the Sikh Community has so far failed to get a strong footing in the mainstream politics in the Northeast U.S.

    Raghbir Singh Subhanpur

    I asked the question to Mr. Raghbir Singh Subhanpur, a prominent businessman of Queens and President of Shiromani Akali Dal, America. He said, “There may be manifold reasons for that predicament. The first generation that came ashore to this great country focused on their economic well-being. We have come from an environment where there were shortages, joblessness, and heightened competition for basic human needs. Therefore, upon arrival, we have dug in focusing on our self-improvement by attaining educational qualifications, professional jobs, Houses, providing top-notch education to our children, and the time left was used for religious services or cultural expressions. Our economic insecurity became an obstacle to any progress in the political arena.”

    “In addition, for the same reason as I stated above, we pushed our children to take up professions that have job security in fields such as Medicine, Engineering, or Information Technology. Political Science or International Relations were mostly shunned in favor of subjects that would reward a higher paycheck after graduation. Those who studied Law preferred to join a successful law firm or practice outside in a lucrative real estate business.  Let us look at the composition of the forces at play at the higher echelons of power in the U.S. It consisted primarily of two groups: Lawyers and Businessmen (CEOs with MBAs from prestigious Institutions). Almost fifty percent of those running USA Inc. come from the top 15 Colleges or Universities in this country. In the final analysis, most of our young people ended up in professions that supported the Enterprise from behind rather than leading up in the front.”

    “At the end of the day, Sikhs must come together to succeed”, said Mr. Raghbir Singh Subhanpur,

    (The author is Chief Editor of The Indian Panorama)

  • Antonio Guterres re-elected as UN Secretary-General for a second five-year term

    Antonio Guterres re-elected as UN Secretary-General for a second five-year term

    “India values Secretary General’s leadership of the United Nations”: India’s External Affairs Minister Jaishankar

    UNITED NATIONS (TIP): UN General Assembly on Friday, June 18, appointed Antonio Guterres as the UN Secretary-General for a second term beginning January 1, 2022, days after the powerful Security Council had unanimously recommended his name to the 193-member body for re-election.

    President of the 75th session of the UN General Assembly Volkan Bozkir announced that Mr. Guterres “has been appointed by acclamation Secretary-General of the United Nations for the second term of office beginning on January 1, 2022, and ending on December 31, 2026.” Mr. Bozkir then administered the oath of office to 72-year-old Guterres at the podium of the UN General Assembly Hall.

    On June 8, the 15-nation Council had held a closed meeting where it adopted by acclamation the resolution that recommended Mr. Guterres’ name to the General Assembly for a second five-year term as Secretary General from January 1, 2022-December 31, 2026.

    Estonia’s Ambassador to the UN Sven Jurgenson, President of the Council for the month of June, had told reporters after the meeting: “We have all seen actually the Secretary General in action. I think he has been an excellent Secretary General. He’s a bridge builder, his views on the conflict zones in the world and he’s able to speak to everybody. And I think this is something that is expected from the Secretary General, and he has proven worthy of the post already with the five years that he has been in office,” Mr. Jurgenson said.

    India had expressed its support for re-election of Mr. Guterres as UN Chief and welcomed the adoption of the resolution recommending his name.

    India’s Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador T.S. Tirumurti tweeted “India welcomes the adoption of @UN #SecurityCouncil resolution recommending a second term to #UnitedNations Secretary-General @antonioguterres.” Last month, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar met Mr. Guterres at the United Nations headquarters and expressed New Delhi’s support to him for his second term as the world’s top diplomat.

    “India values UNSG’s leadership of the UN, especially in these challenging times. Conveyed our support for his candidature for a second term,” Mr. Jaishankar had said in a tweet after the meeting.

    Later a press release issued by the Permanent Mission of India to the UN also stated that Mr. Jaishankar “conveyed that India values Secretary General’s leadership of the United Nations, especially in these challenging times. He conveyed India’s support for his candidature for re-election for a second term.” Under the UN Charter, the Secretary-General is appointed by the General Assembly upon the recommendation of the Security Council. Each Secretary-General has the option of a second term if they can garner enough support from Member States.

    Mr. Guterres, the ninth Secretary-General of the United Nations, took over on January 1, 2017, and his first term ends on December 31 this year. Former Prime Minister of Portugal, Mr. Guterres served as the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees for a decade from June 2005 to December 2015.

    Mr. Guterres, nominated by the Government of Portugal, has been the only official candidate for the position of Secretary General and his re-election was a given. There has been no woman Secretary General in the UN’s 75-year history and Mr. Guterres’ re-election will mean that any possibility of having a female lead the world organization can come only after 2026.

    In March, Mr. Guterres had circulated his vision statement and earlier in May, laid out his case for a second term to UN Member States during an informal interactive dialogue convened in the General Assembly Hall.

    Mr. Guterres was elected after a reformed selection process that included a public informal dialogue session in the General Assembly, involving civil society representatives, aimed at ensuring transparency and inclusivity.

    In his vision statement ‘Restoring trust and inspiring hope’, Mr. Guterres said that the imperatives for the next five years include mounting a massive and enduring response to the COVID-19 pandemic and its consequences in the short-term, leaving no stone unturned in the search for peace and security, making peace with nature and climate action, turbocharging the Decade of Action to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals and advocating for a more equitable world, ensuring the centrality of human rights, taking gender equality to the next level, focusing on people, rising to the challenge of digital transformation, advancing multilateralism and the common agenda, embarking on a ‘United Nations 2.0’ and rekindling shared commitment to enduring values.

    “As we emerge from the pandemic, the UN is more relevant than ever…We must act as a catalyst and a platform for more inclusive, networked and effective forms of multilateralism. Our direction of travel is clear on peace and security, climate action, sustainable development, human rights and the humanitarian imperative. Our power to transform the current situation into a better world and future for all depends on everyone everywhere and can only be done successfully if we are resolute and resolved to combine our efforts towards our common agenda for the benefit of humanity and the planet,” Mr. Guterres said in his vision statement.

    (Agencies)

  • Juneteenth is a National Holiday:  Biden signs the Bill into Law

    Juneteenth is a National Holiday:  Biden signs the Bill into Law

    WASHINGTON (TIP): A day after President Biden arrived from Geneva after his summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin, he signed on June17, into law a bill creating a federal holiday to commemorate Juneteenth, the day marking the end of slavery in Texas.

    “Great nations don’t ignore the most painful moments. They don’t ignore those moments in the past. They embrace them,” Biden said in remarks in the East Room before a crowd that included lawmakers and 94-year-old Opal Lee, who campaigned to make the day a national holiday. The president, who spoke of efforts in some states to restrict voting rights, said the date doesn’t just celebrate the past but is a call for action.

    The Juneteenth story

    The celebration started with the freed slaves of Galveston, Texas. Although the Emancipation Proclamation freed the slaves in the South in 1863, it could not be enforced in many places until after the end of the Civil War in 1865.

    Laura Smalley, freed from a plantation near Bellville, Texas, remembered in a 1941 interview that the man she referred to as “old master” had gone to fight in the Civil War and came home without telling the people he enslaved what had happened.

    “Old master didn’t tell, you know, they was free,” Smalley said at the time. “I think now they say they worked them, six months after that. Six months. And turn them loose on the 19th of June. That’s why, you know, we celebrate that day.”

    Union Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger and his troops arrived at Galveston on June 19, 1865, with news that the war had ended and that the enslaved were now free. That was more than two months after Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee surrendered to Union Gen. Ulysses S. Grant in Virginia.

    Granger delivered General Order No. 3, which said: “The people of Texas are informed that, in accordance with a proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free. This involves an absolute equality of personal rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves, and the connection heretofore existing between them becomes that between employer and hired labor.”

    The next year, the now-free people started celebrating Juneteenth in Galveston. Its observance has continued around the nation and the world since. Events include concerts, parades and readings of the Emancipation Proclamation.

    WHAT DOES ‘JUNETEENTH’ MEAN?

     The term Juneteenth is a blend of the words June and nineteenth. The holiday has also been called Juneteenth Independence Day or Freedom Day.

    Often celebrated at first with church picnics and speeches, the holiday spread across the nation and internationally as Black Texans moved elsewhere.

    The vast majority of states recognize Juneteenth as a holiday or a day of recognition, like Flag Day, and most states hold celebrations. Juneteenth is a paid holiday for state employees in Texas, New York, Virginia and Washington, and hundreds of companies give workers a day off for Juneteenth.

    WHY NOW?

    The national reckoning over race helped set the stage for Juneteenth to become the first new federal holiday since 1983, when Martin Luther King Jr. Day was created.

    The bill was sponsored by Sen. Edward Markey, D-Mass., and had 60 co-sponsors. Bipartisan support emerged as lawmakers struggle to overcome divisions that are still simmering following the police killing last year of George Floyd in Minnesota.

    Supporters of the holiday have worked to make sure Juneteenth celebrators don’t forget why the day exists.

    “In 1776 the country was freed from the British, but the people were not all free,” Dee Evans, national director of communications of the National Juneteenth Observance Foundation, said in 2019. “June 19, 1865, was actually when the people and the entire country was actually free.”

    There’s also sentiment to use the day to remember the sacrifices that were made for freedom in the United States — especially in these racially and politically charged days. Said Para LaNell Agboga, museum site coordinator at the George Washington Carver Museum, Cultural and Genealogy Center in Austin, Texas: “Our freedoms are fragile, and it doesn’t take much for things to go backward.”

    (With inputs from agencies)

  • End of an Era: Legendary Indian sprinter Milkha Singh aka Flying Sikh dies after month-long battle with COVID-19

    End of an Era: Legendary Indian sprinter Milkha Singh aka Flying Sikh dies after month-long battle with COVID-19

    Tributes pour in. PM Modi describes him as a “colossal sportsperson”

     I.S. Saluja

    CHANDIGARH/ NEW YORK (TIP): The Flying Sikh Milkha Singh died on Friday, June 18, after a month-long battle with COVID-19. The Padma Shri awardee was 91 and is survived by his golfer son Jeev Milkha Singh and three daughters.  “He breathed his last at 11.30 p.m.,” a family spokesperson told PTI.

    Milkha Singh’s condition deteriorated as he developed complications, including fever and dipping oxygen saturation levels, after a bout with COVID-19, in the Intensive Care Unit of the PGIMER hospital.

    He had contracted COVID-19 last month and tested negative for the virus on Wednesday when he was shifted to general ICU in another block of the hospital. Milkha had been “stable” before Thursday evening.

    Milkha’s 85-year-old wife Nirmal, who had also been infected by the virus, passed away at a private hospital in Mohali on Sunday, June 13.

    Milkha was admitted to PGIMER on June 3 after his oxygen levels dipped at home following treatment at the Fortis hospital in Mohali for a week.

    The legendary athlete is a four-time Asian Games gold medalist and the 1958 Commonwealth Games champion but his greatest performance remains the fourth-place finish in the 400m final of the 1960 Rome Olympics.

    He also represented India in the 1956 and 1964 Olympics and was bestowed the Padma Shri in 1959.

    The entire country paid glowing tribute to Indian sprint legend Milkha Singh, with the Prime Minister Narendra Modi describing him as a “colossal sportsperson who captured the nation’s imagination”.

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi, condoling his death described him as a “colossal sportsman”.

    “In the passing away of Shri Milkha Singh Ji, we have lost a colossal sportsperson, who captured the nation’s imagination and had a special place in the hearts of countless Indians,” Mr. Modi said in a tweet.

    “His inspiring personality endeared himself to millions. Anguished by his passing away.” Olympic bound star javelin throwers Neeraj Copra tweeted “We lost a Gem. He will always remain as an inspiration for every Indian. May his soul Rest in peace.”

    Condoling the death, Home Minster Amit Shah said the country lost one of the brightest stars of Indian sports. “India mourns the sad demise of legendary sprinter Shri Milkha Singh Ji, The Flying Sikh. He has left an indelible mark on world athletics. Nation will always remember him as one of the brightest stars of Indian sports. My deepest condolences to his family and countless followers.”

    Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju said in Milkha’s demise, the country has lost a star. “India has lost its star. Milkha Singh Ji has left us but he will continue to inspire every Indian to shine for India. My deepest condolences to the family. I pray for his soul to rest in peace,” the Minister tweeted.

    Sports Authority of India (SAI) expressed “immense sadness at the demise of one of India’s greatest ever sportspersons ‘The Flying Sikh’ Milkha Singh.

    “A gold medalist at the CWG & Asian Games, he held the 400m National record for 38 years. Condolences to his family & the millions whom he inspired,” the SAI said in a tweet.

    Athletics Federation of India said in a tweet: “Very sad news for all #Indians, legend Shri Milkha Singh Ji passed away.” “A huge loss for the sport of athletics today. Rest well #MilkhaSingh ji,” Olympica Anju Bobby George tweeted.

    “Really shocked by the demise of the legend Milkha sir. You will forever have a very special place in my heart. The Flying Sikh will live forever. RIP” Indian sprinter Mohamad Anas Yahiya.

    Former India off-spinner Harbhajan Singh also expressed also expressed his condolences on the micro-blogging site.

    “Very sad, heartbreaking to hear flying sikh Sardar Milkha singh ji is no more… waheguru RIPMilkhaSinghji.” Indian tennis star Sania Mirza said: “Had the honour of meeting you and you blessed me so many times .. the kindest and warmest Palms up together RIP Milkha Singh sir .. the world will miss a legend like you ..MilkhaSingh.”

    “Really shocked and sad to learn about the passing away of the legend Milkha Singh ji. Om Shanti,” Javelin thrower Devendra Jhajharia said.

    Decorated doubles badminton player Jwala Gutta also joined in expressing his sadness.

    “What an inspiration you were to the millions like us…. There will be none like you sir Rest in peace legend MilkhaSingh Flag of India Woman bowing deeply,” she posted.

    The official handle of the Indian football team also mourned Milkha’s death.

    “We join the nation in mourning the loss of the iconic ‘Flying Sikh’ Milkha Singh. His incredible achievements will continue to inspire future generations. May his soul rest in peace RIP.”

    Assam Chief Minister Himanata Biswa Sarma said: “Saddened at the demise of ‘Flying Sikh’ Captain Milkha Singh. His laurels had not only made India swell with pride but also inspired generations of sports enthusiasts. My condolences to his family. Om Shanti!”

    The news of Milkha Singh’s death shocked the Indian American community in the US.

    Paul Sihota from California called the offices of The Indian Panorama to convey his condolences as did many Punjabi sports lovers who held him in great esteem. Milkha Singh has always been a role model and an inspiration to budding sportspersons in the Diaspora.

    To me, who had known him for years and sought his guidance in organizing two Punjab State level sports events, his going away is a painful personal loss.  The void created by his passing away will not be filled. I pray for peace to his departed soul even as I mourn the loss a few days earlier of his beloved wife Nirmal Milkha Singh. I pray for strength enough to the bereaved son Jeev Milkha Singh and the three daughters to bear the irreparable loss.

    (With inputs from PTI)

  • Indian diplomacy adjusting to an ‘uncertain’ world order: Shringla

    Indian diplomacy adjusting to an ‘uncertain’ world order: Shringla

    NEW DELHI (TIP): India has created capacities to take on future waves of the COVID-19 pandemic, Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla said on Friday. June 18.

    Delivering a lecture at the Public Affairs Forum of India on “India’s Foreign Policy in the post-COVID World: New Vulnerabilities, New Opportunities,” he said Indian diplomacy was adjusting to the “uncertain” world order.

    “We have created capacities in terms of hospitals and equipment so that we are better prepared for future waves that may come. We have provided essential support in this national effort through our diplomatic efforts,” said Mr. Shringla. He revisited the overall effort to deal with the second wave of COVID-19 that intensified in India beginning with March and drew a multi-agency response from the Government of India that included ramping up medicines and oxygen capacities.

    Mr. Shringla pointed at the role played by Indian embassies in Washington DC and Moscow which “facilitated discussion” on India’s vaccine diplomacy with leading vaccine manufacturers in the United States and Russia. The Foreign Secretary said the current phase had also brought new opportunities in the digital world.

    “Opportunity has been created by transition to knowledge economy. Transition to a virtual world points towards transformation, but rapid one. India is well placed to take the advantage of this transition,” said Mr. Shringla.

    He also pointed at the changing nature of diplomacy in the world and said the world is “complex” and can no longer be defined in “binaries”. “Indian diplomacy is adjusting to this complex and uncertain environment. The challenge before us is to create capacities in the face of unexpected and catastrophic events of the kind that we are currently faced with. We have to be able to repurpose organizations at very short notice to deal with unexpected challenges. Existing hierarchies and structures are often unable to cope with such challenges and may require re-engineering,” said Mr. Shringla.

    He pointed out that diplomacy earlier was conducted along principles of “balance of power”but the rules of diplomacy have changed after the arrival of COVID-19 and added, “Today’s environment is multilayered, multi-dimensional. Binaries and simple equations have been replaced by complicated algorithms.”

    “We must engage simultaneously with multiple centers of gravity and capacities in an extremely complex and fast-moving global scenario,” said Mr. Shringla, summing up the post-COVID diplomatic challenges emerging before India.

    (Source: PTI)

  • 3 million jobs in Indian IT firms on the chopping block by next year, says report

    3 million jobs in Indian IT firms on the chopping block by next year, says report

    NEW YORK (TIP): With automation taking place at a much faster pace across industries especially in the tech space, domestic software firms that employ over 16 million are set to slash headcounts by a massive 3 million by 2022, which will help them save a whopping USD 100 billion mostly in salaries annually, says a report.

    The domestic IT sector employs around 16 million; of them around 9 million are employed in low-skilled services and BPO roles, according to NASSCOM.  Of these 9 million low-skilled services and BPO roles, 30 per cent or around 3 million will be lost by 2022, principally driven by the impact of robot process.

    automation or RPA.  Roughly 0.7 million roles are expected to be replaced by RPA alone and the rest due to other technological upgrades and upskilling by the domestic IT players, while it the RPA will have the worst impact in the US with a loss of almost 1 million jobs, according to a Bank of America report on Wednesday, June 16.

    Based on average fully loaded employee costs of USD 25,000 per annum for India-based resources and USD 50,000 for US resources, this will release around USD 100 billion in annual salaries and associated expenses for corporates, the report says.

    TCS, Infosys, Wipro, HCL, Tech Mahindra and Cognizant and others appear to be planning for a 3 million reduction in low-skilled roles by 2022 because of RPA up-skilling. This is a USD 100 billion in reduced salary and other costs, but on the flipside, it offers a likely a USD 10 billion boon for IT companies that successfully implement RPA, and another a USD5 billion opportunity from a vibrant new software niche by 2022. Given that robots can function for 24 hrs a day, this represents a significant saving of up to 10:1 versus the human labor,” says the report.

    Robot process automation (RPA) is application of software, not physical robots, to perform routine, high-volume tasks, allowing employees to focus on more differentiated work. It differs from ordinary software applications as it mimics how the employee has worked instead of building a workflow into technology from ground up and thus minimizing time to market and greatly reducing cost over the more traditional software-led approaches.

    Offshoring helped domestic IT sector to grow from around 1 per cent of GDP in 1998 to 7 per cent today, a highly strategic sector for its economy and has also significantly outgrown their Western peers (mainly Accenture, Capgemini and Atos) with an annual revenue growth of 18 per cent between 2005 and 2019. Another key reason for the RPA-driven job loses is that many countries that had offshored their work in the past are likely to bring the jobs back to their own home markets.

    (Source: PTI)

  • Revival of G7 and its impact

    Revival of G7 and its impact

    From US perspective, the summit’s aim is to announce that ‘America is back’

    By Shyam Saran

    “From the US perspective, the objective of the summits is to announce that ‘America is back’ and ready to lead the world after the debilitating disruption of western alliances and partnerships and a retreat from global engagement during the Trump years. What Biden is signaling is that the revival of American leadership and diplomatic activism will be anchored in the web of its transatlantic relationships, even as the Indo-Pacific strategy will be its key preoccupation, given the acknowledged challenge posed by China. The emphasis on the transatlantic alliance and partnership is also important in countering the Russian threat.”

    The three-day G7 summit concluded on June 13 and released an unusually long and detailed joint statement of 70 paragraphs and a separate Open Societies Statement. The latter statement was on behalf of the G7 and the four invitees to the summit, namely Australia, India, South Korea and South Africa. The summit is only the first of three key meetings involving western countries. This week includes a meeting of the EU and the US and a meeting of the NATO military alliance, both in Brussels. Fortified by the display of solidarity at these three summits, President Biden will have his first summit with Russian President Putin in Geneva on June 16.

    From the US perspective, the objective of the summits is to announce that ‘America is back’ and ready to lead the world after the debilitating disruption of western alliances and partnerships and a retreat from global engagement during the Trump years. What Biden is signaling is that the revival of American leadership and diplomatic activism will be anchored in the web of its transatlantic relationships, even as the Indo-Pacific strategy will be its key preoccupation, given the acknowledged challenge posed by China. The emphasis on the transatlantic alliance and partnership is also important in countering the Russian threat. While Biden has described China as a competitor, Russia is the ‘enemy’, even though the US is prepared to work together with both on areas where there are convergent interests on global issues, such as climate change, cyber security and nuclear non-proliferation. Has Biden succeeded in convincing his western allies and partners and his adversaries that the US is back? The answer to that, as judged from the joint statement, should be a yes. But then, the Trump years were a low base to compare to.

    Has Biden achieved a degree of western consensus in presenting a united front against Russia and China? Perhaps more against Russia and less against China. For example, the launch of the Build Back a Better World (B3W) partnership was launched as a ‘values driven, high standard and transparent infrastructure partnership led by major democracies’ but stopped short of explicitly posing it as an alternative to China’s Belt and Road Initiative. There are few details of how this partnership is going to be financed beyond saying that this will be private financed but with ‘catalytic investment’ from public and multilateral sources. We may conclude that there are simply not enough resources available to be deployed by the G7 which could match what China has been offering, despite concerns over lack of transparency and exacerbation of the debt overload on several developing countries.

    There are several other references to Chinese misdemeanors which taken together do represent a broad western consensus on the need to confront China. These include the importance of maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, ‘a free and open Indo-Pacific’, of avoiding ‘unilateral attempts to change the status quo and increase tensions in the East and South China Seas.’ In addition, there are references to human rights issues in Xinjiang and Hong Kong, both of which are regarded as ‘core issues’ by China. Overall, therefore, one could say that Biden has been able to fashion a consensus on acknowledging the Chinese security challenge and ideological challenge.

    Will this impress China? Up to a point. The economic and commercial relationship between Europe and China is deep and broad ranging as is that between China and Japan. The EU and China have been working together, for example, for several years on developing benchmarks for climate finance, including green bonds, disclosure norms and the running of carbon markets. The area of climate finance will assume critical importance as climate change action gets into high gear after the Glasgow summit later this year. There is a limit to disengaging from the world’s second largest economy and the central node in global supply chains.

    China has reacted by dismissing the G7, pointing out that a small group of countries cannot rule the world. There is another important shift the summit represents. After the global financial and economic crisis of 2007-8, it is the G20 which was established as the premier forum for international economic coordination. It worked very well in dealing with the immediate crisis, but its role has steadily diminished since then. With renewed tensions between the US and China and with Russia, the utility of the G20 is not so obvious currently. This adds to the significance of the revival of G7, even though its economic heft is much less than in its heyday. It constitutes only 30% of world GDP as against 60% at the end of the Cold War. However, the global trading system and its financial infrastructure continue to be dominated by the G7 so one should not underestimate its influence. It has the potential to emerge as a core of a broader coalition to achieve a degree of balance in the power equations that the emergence of China has upturned in the new millennium.

    The adoption of the Statement on Open Societies reflects Biden’s renewed emphasis on the importance of preserving and promoting ‘open societies, democratic values and multilateralism as foundations for dignity, opportunity and prosperity for all.’ For all the cynicism that attends the expression of such lofty statements, they have value in contesting China’s confident belief in the efficacy of its authoritarian ideology and system of governance. Biden is taking head on the prevailing pessimism about democracy within democracies themselves. One should welcome PM Modi being honored as the lead speaker at the session on Open Societies. His remarks were unexceptionable and worthy of a leader of the world’s largest democracy. One hopes that this is followed by a renewed commitment to democratic values which are enshrined in the Indian Constitution, but also constitute, as PM Modi said, the civilizational values of India.

    (The author is a former Foreign Secretary of India and senior fellow, Centre for Policy Research)

  • Houston to observe International Yoga Day, focused on well-being amid the pandemic

    Houston to observe International Yoga Day, focused on well-being amid the pandemic

    ByPooja Salhotra

    HOUSTON (TIP): Although India’s second spike of COVID-19 has been dominating news headlines, it is the country’s ancient mind-body practice of yoga that istop of mind for some.

    Health and wellness experts around the world are gearing up to observe the seventh annual International Yoga Day (IYD), recognized by a United Nations resolution co-sponsored by a record 177 nations. The celebration comes at a time that anxiety and psychological suffering are soaring. In the U.S., more than 42 percent of people surveyed by the U.S. Census Bureau in December reported symptoms of anxiety or depression, an increase from 11 percent the previous year. Physical isolation and fear of the COVID-19 infection are thought to have contributed to these numbers, and yoga and meditation have emerged as possible panaceas.

    “A lot of people misunderstand yoga as a physical exercise, but yoga is for peace, harmony, wellness and health,” said Vipin Kumar, executive director of India House, one of the event sponsors. “That is what we are celebrating.”

    First proposed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a General Assembly address in 2014, IYD is now observed worldwide to recognize the many benefits of practicing yoga. The UN has appropriately chosen “Yoga for well-being” as this year’s event theme, focusing on the role the practice can play in fighting social isolation and depression. In Houston, the city’s Consulate General of India in partnership with a number of organizations is marking the occasion with outdoor events on Sunday, June 20 and on Monday, June 21, both free and open to the public.

    Sunday’s IYD event takes place at Buffalo Bayou Park while Monday’s, which will also be livestreamed, is outdoors at India House. Both events take place 6-8 p.m. and will include booths with food vendors and ayurvedic related organizations as well as a formal presentation with an address by the Consulate General of India, Houston. Top yoga teachers from Houston, including Shekhar Agarwal, Vishwarupa Nanjundappa, Nancy Martch, Robert Boustany, Mark Ram and Saumil Manek will both perform complicated poses and lead the public in a standard 55-minute yoga practice.

    This year’s event also includes a specific focus on galvanizing youth. Hindus of Greater Houston and Young Hindus of Greater Houston are encouraging youth to submit pictures of Yogasana along with a personalized message about what yoga means to them. Judges will then select certain submissions to be published in prominent local newspapers.

    “We want a lot of involvement from youth so we can spread the word about yoga as much as we can,” said Anjali Madhusudan Aggarwal, an HGH intern who will start college at the University of Houston in the fall. Aggarwal has been practicing yoga with her family since she was 10 years old, and she said it has helped her find mental clarity and physical fitness. “I feel less burdened in my mind,” she said.

    Data shows that more people have been turning to yoga over the past decade. Nearly 37 million U.S. adults practice yoga, and that number has only gone up during the coronavirus pandemic. According to ResearchAndMarkets.com, yoga equipment sales grew 154 percent in 2020, as people began taking virtual yoga classes from home. And MindBody, a software company that provides business management tools for the wellness industry, reported that yoga is the most popular virtual class booked on their platform, with an average of nearly 22,000 yoga bookings per day.

    “Yoga has helped me stay mentally positive during the pandemic,” said Saumil Manek, a registered yoga teacher and one of the lead organizers for Houston’s IYD events. “When you’re happy, you’re not living in dis-ease.”

    Hiba Haroon, a yoga teacher and practitioner who plans to attend IYD this year, said her yoga practice deepened significantly during the pandemic. “My practice caught me in all that I was feeling and experiencing during the pandemic,” she said. “In my teaching, I prioritized breathwork and restorative shapes, especially because cortisol levels were at an all-time high and it was wreaking havoc on people’s immunity, sleep, and overall well-being.”

    Manek, who is also emcee for Sunday’s event, said that while there is no way to know how many people will show up to the events, he hopes to see at least 500. Two years ago, the event took place at Midtown Park and drew about 1,200 people. Last year’s event took place virtually due to the coronavirus pandemic and, according to organizers, more than 50,000 people watched online.

    In addition to the events taking place in Houston, the Woodlands is hosting its own virtual event on Saturday, June 19. That event will focus on how yoga can help boost immunity. Dr. Neeta Shukla, an anesthesiologist and a yoga teacher who has helped spearhead the IYD events in the Woodlands for the past five years, said yoga works at the cellular level to assist with immunity.

    “Yoga has the master key to unlock your inner potential and your inner energy,” said Dr. Shukla.
    “It is the best preventive medicine for individual health, happiness and to lead a disease-free life.”

    For more information about upcoming IYD events in Texas, visit yogadayoftexas.org

    (Pooja Salhotra, 27, is a freelance writer from Houston. She has been practicing yoga for almost a decade and is a 200-hour registered yoga teacher with the Yoga Alliance. She teaches online powerful flow yoga classes through her own platform, Pooja’s Yoga, as well as for BIG Power Yoga)

  • Weekly Horoscope (June 21 to June 27 2021)

    Shree Ganeshaya Namah!!!

    Aries

    Ganesha says this week you will have to work on being more resilient and self sufficient. You have always been relaxed and dealt with matters in a calm and composed way but this week is the week for you to go out full force after what you want to beit at work or making things happen for your family. You have a huge responsibility hanging over your shoulders this week. Make it count.

    Taurus

    You need to work out a plan for your future this week, as this week is not much lucrative for implementations but making goals and aims to reach that goal should be your agenda this week. You have been a very sweet person in the past but you will have to make decisions that upset some people this week hence make sure you’re on your best behavior this week.

    Gemini

    New opportunities will make its way towards you this week, be diligent about them, they can really work in your favor if you put in the work. Try to worship lord Shiva and express your gratitude for all that you have and where you are in life, it will be beneficial for your personal as well as professional life.

    Cancer

    Your business is doing great this week.  Your passion about your business speaks volumes to you. You are always fearless and inspiring. All those calculated risks that you took turned out to be in your favor and are paying off this week. You will feel sick and fatigued throughout the week. You need to consult a doctor and leave your work to take care of your own health this week. Even though other aspects of your life are going well you well. You will feel fine in a few days if you completely focus on your health and do not let it mentally affect you.

    Leo

    You will have a lot of confidence this week that will guide you towards achieving everything that you want which will lead you to receive appreciation from your colleagues as well as the higher authority. A great week for you professionally this week. Your partner will be very supportive with your troubles this week and will provide you with all the help you need including in your work and business. You need to express your gratitude towards your partner this week.

    Virgo

    Your business will be a big challenge for you this week. You will not focus on it a lot due to personal reasons and towards the end of the week; you’ll realize the consequences of that. Being self employed you lack a lot of discipline. Delay in the work of a particular client will cause you to lose your reputation in the industry.  Positive energies are great for you this week. You will have a happy day, relaxing and taking care of your health. Focus on taking care of your health. Consulting a nutritionist will work very well in your favor this week as new positive changes are in the cards for you.

    Libra

    This week you will feel unimpressed by the ongoing atmosphere. Meeting up with old friends will lift up your spirits. New equations are forged at work. Be wary of enemies who might try to defame you. You will come across many people who are only looking for a way to hurt you. You will have to adopt a practical and sensible approach to handle them this week or rather avoid them as you have better things to do. Make sure you muster up the courage to speak your mind this week.

    Scorpio

    You will have a challenging day in your business this week but in a fun way because you’re the one that’s winning without making many efforts. Make sure that you’re the one that is focusing on the end goal and not on other competitors this week. You will learn to be open-minded and be open to different behaviors and personalities instead of preferring that everyone behaves like you do which make you less upset and hurt and happier as you will have lesser expectations from now on.

    Sagittarius

     Your health is not as good as you would like it to be this week. Taking time out to be physically active will make it great. Do not rely on unnatural ways to look better this week as they might because you more harm than good. It is easy for your significant other to fall in love with you this week. Expect some surprises. With time things will improve, you need to be more patient. You might make some tough decisions this week and you will be more susceptible to moodiness.

    Capricorn

    Things will come relatively harder to you this week; you will have a very strenuous week. Even though it won’t majorly affect your business or finances try to be as optimistic as you can as being happy and relaxed will affect your productivity and health positively. You will be much focused and mostly achieve whatever you want you want this week. You will be helpful, generous and spend your money smartly and you are extremely careful in spending on the right things only. This might help your partner as they might be facing a financial crisis this week.

    Aquarius You will face struggling situations this week but will acquire great learning lessons as well. The need for money will make you understand the difference between your real well-wishers and simply those people who pretend to care for you. You will need to continue to put in efforts into your health which include having a regular routine, exercising and not being sleep deprived which might be tough and tedious for you.

    Pisces 

    You will feel extremely loved and appreciated this week, which will boost your confidence. This week your partner will make you feel like you’re worth a lot more than you have been given till date. Hence you will walk through every place this week as you own it. Your love life will flourish to a new level this week. You will feel loved and you will in-turn love and care for your partner. This is a very good week for you to take the next step in your life. Work on taking out more time from your work to focus on your relationship and getting to know each other’s triggers and what makes each other happy.

  • Happy Life Yoga Promoter Tirlok Malik to Host International Yoga Day 2021 Event June 19

    Happy Life Yoga Promoter Tirlok Malik to Host International Yoga Day 2021 Event June 19

    Murtaza Ali Khan

    NEW YORK (TIP): Emmy-nominated filmmaker and Happy Life Yoga speaker Tirlok Malik is hosting a Happy Life Yoga event on the occasion of International Yoga Day 2021 on June 19th, 2021, at 10 AM, New York EST virtually on Zoom and social media such as Facebook Live (IndusTV and Facebook pageof GOPIO (Manhattan). The event will be joined by the audiencesfrom many countries. Yoga is a gift from India to the world and its celebrated all over the world.The event is being presented by GOPIO (Manhattan), The Indian Panorama,Indian American Forum and Consulate General of India, New York. Ambassador Randhir Jaiswal, Consul General of India, is the Chief Guest.

    The theme of the event is Happy Life Yoga.“Happy Life Yoga follows a basic underlying philosophy.If you feel you deserve and want to live a happier, healthier and more fulfilling life then Happy Life Yoga can show you how? It’s a way of living inspired by the wisdom of Ayurveda, Yoga & Indian philosophy and no mats are needed to practice it,” explains Malik who has lined up many experts and honored guest speakers to share their wisdom. The list includes the award-winning filmmaker, international entrepreneur, motivational speaker and author, Dr Bhuvan Lall (www.bhuvanlall.in), Sangeeta Agarwal, CEO & Founder, Helpsy (https://helpsyhealth.com),Neil & Andrea Garvey, Publishers/Editors, Creations Magazine(www.creationsmagazine.com), Deborah Fishman Shelby, Founder & Executive Director, FED (www.fedsocial.co), Ranju Narang, Director, Educator (www.vivyogany.com), Prof. Indrajit Saluja, Chief Editor/Publisher, The Indian Panorama(www.theindianpanorama.news), Indu Jaiswal, Chairperson, Indian American Forum (https://indianamericanforum.org) Renee Mehra (Reenbow Media), and Anil Narang (https://worldveganvision.org). The event also has a guest singer Pallavi Verma Belwariar (http://www.pallaviartnmusic.com).

    Happy Life Yoga (happylifeyoga.org), an educational platform, was launched on June 29th, 2019, in a packed auditorium at the Goddard Riverside’s Bernie Wohl Center, New York. The curtain raiser event for this educational platform was inaugurated by Shatrughna Sinha, New York Deputy Consul General of India.  Manhattan Borough President Gale A. Brewer, who was the Chief Guest, had participated in the workshop and spoken vociferously in support of the initiative. Many other VIPs were in attendance as well. The event was hosted by Prof.Indrajit Saluja, Chief Editor and Publisher of The Indian Panorama and Indu Jaiswal of Indian American Forum.

    Happy Life Yoga is the creation of Tirlok Malik and the Ayurveda Cafe team. Tirlok Malik is a restaurateur, happy lifestyle speaker, New York Emmy Nominated Filmmaker. Indu Jaiswal of The Indian American Forum, one of the oldest organizations of Indian Americans on Long Island, and Prof. Indrajit Saluja publisher and editor of the Indian Panorama, an Indian American Newspaper in New York & Dallas, are proud to be spreading the message of Happy Life Yoga.Happy Life Yoga is the yoga of life. This educational platform offers a unique holistic approach to health and happiness using tools from Ayurveda, Indian Philosophy, and Yoga to help better manage modern-day challenges such as work, finances, relationships, family and other social pressures. It ultimately guides you towards a happier life. It teaches you about Happy Life Yoga management system. Happy life yoga platform endeavors to bring experts from all over the world to share their wisdom through virtually and live events in person as well.

    The event has support from many media outlets of US including The Indian Panorama, Creations Magazine, Vijay Garg, IndusTV, Sunil Hali, Radio Zindagi, The Indian Eye, Indian Eye Television, TV Asia, PTC Punjabi Television, ITV GOLD, and Parikh Media Worldwide.“After COVID-19, the world has realized that it is very, very important to have a good health, physically and emotionally, and Happy Life Yoga platform can show how. A way of living inspired by the wisdom of Ayurveda, Yoga and Indian Philosophy, Happy Life Yoga can be very, very useful for everyone,” says Malik. “The whole team of this event prays for the well being of the world and is happy to celebrate International Day of Yoga 2021,” Malik adds solemnly.

    For details of the event, please see the flyer on Page 25.

    (Murtaza Ali Khan is an Indian Film & TV Critic / Journalist who has been covering the world of entertainment for over 10 years. He can be reached at: murtaza@apotpourriofvestiges.com. His video essays / commentaries can be watched on his YouTube Channel at: https://www.youtube.com/c/MurtazaAliKhan88).

  • MAYOR DE BLASIO APPOINTS RAQUEL BATISTA AS COMMISSIONER OF THE MAYOR’S OFFICE OF IMMIGRANT AFFAIRS

    MAYOR DE BLASIO APPOINTS RAQUEL BATISTA AS COMMISSIONER OF THE MAYOR’S OFFICE OF IMMIGRANT AFFAIRS

    NEW YORK (TIP): Mayor Bill de Blasio, on June 15, appointed Raquel Batista as Commissioner of the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs (MOIA). Batista, who is succeeding Bitta Mostofi as Commissioner, is an attorney with over two decades of experience advocating on behalf of immigrant New Yorkers. As Commissioner, she will continue to center immigrants in New York City’s recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

     

    “New York is, and will always be, a city of immigrants,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “Raquel has the lived experience and passion necessary to make this city a fairer and more equitable place for immigrant New Yorkers to call home. Our recovery depends on it.”

     

    “I am humbled and honored to have been named the Commissioner of the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs.  My grandmother and parents came to New York City in the 1960’s from the Dominican Republic seeking a better life for their family. My appointment is a testament to them and all immigrant communities that their hard-work, their struggle pays off.  MOIA is an innovative and cutting-edge government institution that provides a blueprint for the rest of the country on how to assure that immigrants have access to government services, are provided resources and support and signals that they are welcome. I am excited to work with the Mayor, MOIA’s dynamic team and immigrant community leaders in New York City’s recovery,” said Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs Commissioner Raquel Batista.

     

    About Raquel Batista

     

    Read the full story at www.theindianpanorama.news

     

     

     

     

    Raquel Batista is second generation Afro-Dominicana, Latina, lifelong New Yorker and attorney with over two decades of experience advocating for the rights of immigrant New Yorkers. Most recently, she served as the Community Legal Fellow at CUNY Law School – CLRN. Batista previously served as an Adjunct Professor at Manhattan College teaching Immigration Law, Policy and Politics and at the Latin American and Puerto Rican Studies Department at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice.  In the early 2000’s, Batista served as the Executive Director of the Northern Manhattan Coalition for Immigrant Rights and as a board member of the New York Immigration Coalition, North Star Community Funding Board and the Hispanic Scholarship Fund Alumni Board. Before and during law school, Batista worked in various roles at the Puerto Rican Legal Defense and Education Fund (now LatinoJustice/PRLDEF) on issues from the Census to Redistricting. In 2014, she served in the Mayor’s Office of Appointments, helping to identify diverse candidates for City positions.

     

     

     

    Batista earned her Juris Doctorate from the City University of New York School of Law at Queens College and her Bachelor of Arts in Sociology, cum laude, from Manhattan College.

     

     

     

    “As the former executive director of the Northern Manhattan Coalition for Immigrant Rights and with her ongoing engagement addressing social justice issues for New York City residents, Raquel Batista understands that for many immigrant families, becoming a United States citizen is the realization of hard work, dedication, hope and dreams for a better life for themselves and for their families,” said Congressman Adriano Espaillat. “Raquel’s voice will be instrumental in ensuring immigrant rights and protections as she transitions to her latest role as Commissioner for the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs, and I look forward to working with her to ensure immigration remains at the forefront of our city, local and national discussions.”

     

     

     

    “My congratulations to Raquel Batista on her appointment as the new Commissioner at the Mayor’s Office of Immigrants Affairs. Raquel comes with decades of experience as an attorney working on behalf of those who need it most in NYC, especially underserved immigrant communities in the South Bronx and upper Manhattan,” said Council Member Ydanis Rodriguez. “I have every confidence in her commitment to service and advocate for the more than 1 million immigrant New Yorkers who call this city home.

     

     

     

    “New York’s immigrants have helped our city thrive and make it the vibrant, diverse city that we love,” said Congresswoman Carolyn B. Maloney. “I send my sincerest congratulations to Commissioner Raquel Batista on her appointment as the Commissioner of the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs and look forward to working with her to ensure that our immigrant population is included in our city’s just and equitable recovery from the COVID-19 crisis.”

     

     

     

    “Raquel Batista is a tremendous choice to further build on outgoing Commissioner Bitta Mostofi’s laudable accomplishments and lead the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs into the future,” said Queens Borough President Donovan Richards Jr. “As a graduate of the CUNY School of Law at Queens College and a fearless advocate for immigrants’ rights, Raquel knows the importance of supporting and uplifting the diverse communities that make up The World’s Borough. We look forward to working closely with her in the weeks and months ahead.”

     

     

     

    “The New York City Central Labor Council, AFL-CIO applauds the appointment of Raquel Batista as Commissioner for the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs at a critical time for our immigrant populations and all New Yorkers,” said NYC CLC President Vincent Alvarez. “A steadfast advocate for working families, we can count on Raquel to continue to fight for the rights of those most vulnerable in our city. We look forward to continuing to work with the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs to ensure our government is responsive to the needs of our diverse city.”

     

     

     

    “We are thrilled by the appointment of Raquel Batista to be our city’s next Commissioner of Immigrant Affairs,” said SEIU 32BJ President Kyle Bragg. “We look forward to working closely and productively with Raquel as we have in the past, as a strong partner on issues to secure and expand rights for our immigrant members, their families and communities.”

     

     

     

    “The appointment of Attorney Raquel Batista is fully welcome by the immigrant working class community of NYC. Raquel, a daughter of Dominican immigrants, brings with her the sensitivity and understanding of our communities’ needs. Especially after the last year and a half when our immigrant communities were at the forefront of the essential workforce that provided services from supermarket shopping lines and health care at hospitals, nursing homes, and home care services to restaurants, food delivery and public transportation. Bienvenida Raquel! You do us proud. Looking forward to working with you in this period of recovery as our city comes back to normal,” said Estela Vazquez, Former Executive Vice President, 1199 SEIU.

     

     

     

    “I applaud Mayor Bill de Blasio’s appointment of Raquel Batista, as Commissioner of the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs.  Raquel is a champion of immigrant rights and a respected community leader in NYC. Heartfelt congratulations,” said Guillermo Chacon, New York Immigration Coalition (NYIC) Board Chair.

     

     

     

    “Raquel Batista has been a long-standing leader for immigrant rights in New York City,” said Theo Oshiro, Co-Executive Director of Make the Road New York. “We congratulate her on this appointment and are excited to continue to partner with her in this new role to ensure respect and dignity for immigrant communities across the city.”

     

     

     

    “We are excited to welcome Raquel Batista as the New Commissioner for the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs. Ms. Batista knows firsthand the ever-changing challenges of the immigrant community in New York City. She brings years of successful experience in serving our immigrant community on legal and social justice issues that have impacted their day-to-day lives. We look forward to working with her in this new role,” said Frankie Miranda, President, Hispanic Federation.

     

     

     

    “Raquel Batista has an outstanding track record in organizing with and fighting for immigrant New Yorkers! I applaud Mayor de Blasio for choosing her to lead this important agency in this time, when immigrants need our City to have their backs,” said Annetta Seecharran, Executive Director, Chhaya Community Development Corporation.

     

     

     

    “We are excited that Raquel Batista has been appointed Commissioner of the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs. Her expertise and commitment to New York City’s diverse immigrant communities will enhance MOIA’s important work. We look forward to working together to support the economic, health, and rights of the Asian American community,” said Wayne Ho, President and CEO of the Chinese-American Planning Council (CPC).

     

     

     

    “As a Dominican-American, I am very proud of the appointment of Ms. Raquel Batista as Commissioner of the Mayor’s Office of Immigrants Affairs; New York City has been described as a gorgeous mosaic, Ms. Batista is an example of the many ways that sons and daughters of Immigrants contribute in improving the quality of life of this gorgeous mosaic,” said Dr. Rafael Lantigua, co-founder and former Chairperson of the Board of Alianza Dominicana, Inc. and Co-founder and former Chairperson of the Board of the Northern Manhattan Coalition for Immigrants Rights.

     

     

     

    “Raquel E. Batista, Esq., has dedicated her professional career and life to supporting immigrant communities and her appointment as the Commissioner of the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs is cause for celebration.  NMIC looks forward to working with her and her team to ensure that our immigrant communities thrive,” said Maria Lizardo, Northern Manhattan Improvement Corporation Executive Director.

     

     

     

    “Ms. Raquel Batista’s experience as a lawyer and former director of Northern Manhattan Coalition for Immigrant Rights will add to the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs’ advocacy and knowledge on immigration issues that impact all New Yorkers,” said Zenaida Mendez, the Director of the Manhattan Neighborhood Network El Barrio Firehouse.

     

     

     

    “I am excited about the appointment of Raquel Batista as our new Commissioner of Immigrant Affairs and congratulate Mayor de Blasio for selecting the best candidate for this role.  As the daughter of Dominican immigrant parents, an immigration Lawyer and the executive director of the Northern Manhattan Coalition for Immigrant Rights, Raquel knows the challenges, discrimination, and injustices that are often faced by immigrants.  Raquel brings to this position her professional experience, her passion, and years of advocacy on behalf of the immigrant community.  I could not think of a better person for the job, and look forward to working with her to improve the lives of immigrants in NYC,” said Quenia Abreu, President, New York Women’s Chamber of Commerce.

     

     

     

    “Raquel Batista is a champion for our immigrant brothers and sisters, and is an inspired choice to lead the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs. She is a fierce advocate who has dedicated her career to fighting for families that have chosen to make our great city their home. As a daughter of New York City, I am confident she will be a strong voice for compassionate policies that protect and empower immigrant communities,” said Marco Carrion, Executive Director of El Puente.

     

     

     

    “Raquel Batista’s professional work is deeply rooted in her immigrant identity and experience. Commissioner Batista understands the struggles and challenges that immigrant families face. I am grateful for her commitment to protecting the dignity and humanity of the immigrant community. Onward!” Wanda Salaman, Mother’s on the Move and Mary Mitchell Family and Youth Center.

     

     

     

    “Raquel Batista, a proud daughter of immigrant parents from the Dominican Republic, comes to the Office of Immigrant Affairs with an impressive track record of personal and professional achievements and a steadfast and unwavering commitment to social justice for immigrant New Yorkers.  As a non-profit leader in northern Manhattan, I strongly supported her stewardship of the Northern Manhattan Coalition for Immigrant Rights at a critical moment for immigrants.  NYC will be well served by her grounded experience and deep knowledge of the needs and concerns of immigrants in our city,” said Moises Pérez, founder of Alianza Dominicana Inc.

     

     

     

    “We applaud the appointment of Raquel Batista as the Commissioner of the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs,” said Jose Perez, Deputy General Counsel of LatinoJustice PRLDEF. “Commissioner Batista is a long-time ally, colleague and community champion, and knows first-hand the myriad of health, housing and economic challenges New York City’s immigrant communities continue to encounter as a result of the pandemic, which has disproportionately impacted them. We look forward to expanded collaborations to protect these most vulnerable members of our great metropolis.”

     

     

     

    “Our immigrant communities contribute greatly to the diversity and vibrancy of New York City,” said Community Affairs Unit Commissioner Roberto Perez. “Congratulations to Commissioner Raquel Batista on her appointment to lead the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs. I look forward to working together to support our immigrant communities as we build a recovery that works for all New Yorkers.”

     

     

     

     

  • SpaceX’s Starlink wants to provide your in-flight WiFi

    SpaceX’s Starlink wants to provide your in-flight WiFi

    There’s no faster way to win the hearts and minds of the people than by bringing them fast, reliable internet on an airplane. Elon Musk knows this, and that’s maybe why his space company, SpaceX, is reportedly in talks with “several” airlines in a bid to provide their crafts with WiFi via the company’s growing internet satellite network, Starlink.

    On Wednesday, June 9, Jonathan Hofeller — SpaceX’s VP of Starlink and commercial sales — told a panel at the Connected Aviation Intelligence Summit that the company is forging ahead with its plans to shift its satellite-linked broadband network from servicing predominantly rural homes to more commercial interests by the end of 2021.

    “We’re in talks with several of the airlines,” Hofeller told the panel. “We have our own aviation product in development … we’ve already done some demonstrations to date, and looking to get that product finalized to be put on aircraft in the very near future.”

    SpaceX began a beta rollout of its Starlink satellites in 2018 in order to cover a global dearth of broadband internet connections, particularly in rural areas where fiber connections generally aren’t readily available. Under the beta plan, most Starlink customers pay a one-time fee of $499 for a bundle that includes a self-aligning Starlink dish and Wi-Fi router, and then $99 per month for monthly internet services after that.

  • Djokovic fights off Berrettini to set up Nadal semi-final

    Djokovic fights off Berrettini to set up Nadal semi-final

    Paris (TIP): A fired-up Novak Djokovic repelled a stirring fightback by Italian Matteo Berrettini to claim a 6-3 6-2 6-7(5) 7-5 victory on Wednesday to set up a mouth-watering semi-final showdown with defending champion Rafael Nadal.

    The 34-year-old bellowed a series of frightening roars after completing a victory that at one stage looked like a formality but became increasingly fraught as Berrettini threw the kitchen sink at the Serb who becomes only the second man to reach 40 Grand Slam semi-finals after Roger Federer.

    It was a spectacular conclusion to a match that was watched by 5,000 fans until midway through the fourth set when Paris’s Covid-19 curfew meant the crowd were obliged to leave. Djokovic led 3-2 at the time and when battle resumed he suffered a nasty fall, grazing his hand, but sensed his chance when Berrettini served at 5-6.

    The Italian ninth seed, saved a couple of match points, the second with a sizzling forehand winner, after which Djokovic screamed angrily at his entourage and kicked an advertising board in disgust. He got the job done at the third time of asking when Berrettini netted at the end of another high-octane baseline exchange. Djokovic, eyes bulging, then roared again towards his box, the sound echoing around an empty Court Philippe Chatrier.

    It was a manic ending and showed exactly how much Djokovic wants a second French Open title, having claimed his first in 2016 to complete his career Slam. Since then, Nadal has been unbeatable on the Parisian dirt, extending his record total to 13 titles and counting, the last coming last October when he thrashed Djokovic in the final.

    Djokovic said booking another clash with Nadal had not been behind his extraordinary reaction at the end. “This match had it all: falls, crowd, break,” he told reporters. “It was a lot of intensity. I just felt under tension the entire time and missed some chances to end it in three. “It was just super, super stressful to constantly be under pressure… the reaction in the end was just me liberating that tension that was building up for the entire match.”

    Top seed Djokovic was given a mighty scare against Italian teenager Lorenzo Musetti on Monday, losing the first two sets, before steamrolling to victory. It was much more straightforward, initially, against Berrettini as he broke for a 3-1 lead in the first set.

  • Asian Games gold-winning boxer Dingko Singh dies after long battle with cancer

    Asian Games gold-winning boxer Dingko Singh dies after long battle with cancer

    Asian Games gold medal-winning former boxer Dingko Singh died on Thursday, June 10,  after a long battle with liver cancer. He was 42 and had been fighting the disease since 2017.

    “I’m deeply saddened by the demise of Shri Dingko Singh. One of the finest boxers India has ever produced, Dinko’s gold medal at 1998 Bangkok Asian Games sparked the Boxing chain reaction in India. I extend my sincere condolences to the bereaved family. RIP Dinko,” Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju tweeted.

    The Manipur-based former boxer endured a long battle with cancer and even fought Covid-19 last year. “My sincerest condolences on this loss May his life’s journey & struggle forever remain a source inspiration for the upcoming generations. I pray that the bereaved family finds the strength to overcome this period of grief & mourning #dinkosingh,” tweeted India’s first Olympic-medallist in boxing Vijender Singh.

    Dingko won the Asian Games gold in 1998 and was bestowed the Arjuna award the same year. In 2013, he was honoured with the Padma Shri for his contribution to the sport. Dingko, who was employed with Navy, had taken to coaching after hanging up his gloves.

  • Ngidi, Nortje skittle West Indies for 97

    Fast bowlers Lungi Ngidi took 5/19 and Anrich Nortje 4/35 as South Africa bowled out the West Indies for 97 Thursday on the opening day of the first cricket Test. Ngidi claimed his second five-wicket bag in Tests and his first since his debut against India in 2018 as South Africa ended the West Indies’ first innings in just 40.5 overs after the home side had chosen to bat on winning the toss.

    At stumps South Africa was 128-4, a lead of 31 runs, and was able to celebrate a strong start to its first tour of the Caribbean in 11 years. Ngidi describes his bowling as a “work in progress.” It looked considerably more than that on Thursday as he tore through the South Africa middle and lower order after Nortje had knocked the top of the West Indies innings.

    Former captain Jason Holder top-scored with 20 for West Indies, which was 24-0 before wickets started to fall rapidly. At one point the West Indies lost 5-11 in the space of seven overs and Nigidi, who went wicketless in his first spell, took 5-7 when he switched ends.

    “It’s not very often you bowl a team out for 97,” Ngidi said. “There was a bit in the wicket so we exploited that as much as we could and we’ve got a bit of a lead. We really wanted to execute, we wanted to be ruthless in terms of our lines and lengths.”

  • Deferred due to Covid, Euro 2020 begins with Italy-Turkey clash

    Somehow it seems appropriate that Italy, the first country in Europe that was overwhelmed by the coronavirus pandemic, is hosting the opening game of the European Championship. Even if Euro 2020 is kicking off in 2021.

    The biggest crowd to gather in Italy for a year and a half will witness an Azzurri squad aiming for the title play a Turkey team aiming to spring a surprise at Stadio Olimpico. “We’ve been waiting a year for this European Championship and we can’t wait to experience hearing 15,000 people singing the national anthem,” veteran Italy defender Leonardo Bonucci said. “Soccer with fans inside the stadium is a different sport.”

    After embarrassingly failing to qualify for the 2018 World Cup, Italy won all 10 of their qualifying matches for Euro 2020 and enter on a 27-match unbeaten run.

    “We want to go all the way,” Bonucci said. “Other national teams have more experience but we can play with anyone. We don’t have a (Romelu) Lukaku or a Cristiano Ronaldo. Our strength is the team.”

  • After El Salvador, India may move to classify Bitcoin as an asset class

    After El Salvador, India may move to classify Bitcoin as an asset class

    BENGALURU (TIP):  After El Salvador’s historic move to adopt Bitcoin as legal tender (rendering it full currency status), things are looking brighter back home in India for crypto-enthusiasts.

    Top sources tracking the industry told this publication that the government has moved away from its earlier hostile stance towards virtual currencies and will most likely classify Bitcoin as an asset class in India soon.

    Market regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) will  oversee regulations for the cyptocurrency sector after Bitcoin’s classification as an asset class, sources added.

     India’s  crypto industry is also in talks with the finance ministry  regarding the formulation of a new set of regulations and industry sources point out that an expert panel at the ministry is studying the matter.  A Cryptocurrency Regulation bill is likely to be tabled in the Parliament during the Monsoon session, the added.

    The development comes days after the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), in a circular, directed banks to stop avoiding transactions involving virtual tokens citing its earlier 2018 circular, since it had been quashed by the Supreme Court.

    RBI Governor Shakthikanta Das, however, reiterated that there were still major concerns that have been communicated to the government on digital currencies. “We can definitely say that the new committee which is working on cryptocurrencies is very optimistic on cryptocurrency regulation and legislation… A new draft proposal will soon be in the Cabinet, which will look into the overall scenario and take the best step forward. We are very hopeful that the government will embrace cryptocurrencies and blockchain technologies,” Ketan Surana, Director and chief financial officer, Coinsbit, and Member, Internet and Mobile Association of India said. A white paper by Indiatech.org suggests that India’s adoption of Bitcoin as an alternative asset class is more realistic. Due to the volatile nature of digital currencies (prices fluctuate widely on a daily basis), it pointed, they cannot be regularly used as a payment instrument. The paper also recommended taxing investments in cryptocurrencies, making them subject to the capital gains tax under the Income Tax Act.

    Hitesh Malviya, blockchain and crypto investment expert, said, “In my opinion, the Indian government will explore a way to regularise Bitcoin. I don’t think India will consider accepting Bitcoin as a legal tender in the near future because it will affect the position of the Indian rupee. Accepting bitcoin as a legal tender is a good idea for those nations who don’t have their own currency or are dependent on the US dollar”.

                    Source: Express News Service

  • ‘Pandemic curbs hit labour market; jobless rate at 13%’

    ‘Pandemic curbs hit labour market; jobless rate at 13%’

    New Delhi (TIP): The labour market is in its worst condition since the nationwide lockdown months of April and May 2020, the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy said in a report. As per CMIE data, the unemployment rate that reached 11.9 per cent in May, continued to rise into early June.

    The 30-day moving average unemployment rate, as of June 6, was 13 per cent.

    Separately, in the Consumer Pyramids Households Survey released by CMIE for January-April 2021, it noted that office workers have been relatively safer than non-office workers during the pandemic, while the agricultural sector is overheated.

    The non-office workers’ employment rose to 36 million during January-April after falling to 32 million (September-December 2020) and 31 million (May-August 2020) from 41 million (January-April 2020). Agricultural sector’s employment stood at 153 million each in January-April and September-December 2020, and at 157 million in May-August 2020, much higher than 144 million level seen a year ago in January-April 2020.

    Consumption demand, picked up in September-December 2020, but then dropped again in January-April 2021, with demand for heavy appliances the worst hit.

    Last four weeks have seen a particularly sharp deterioration in labour market conditions. “The downturn began in the week ended May 16. During this week, the labour participation rate was at 40.5 per cent, which was higher by a whisker than the average 40.4 per cent rate around which this ratio has been hovering for several months since the 2020 lockdown,” CMIE’s CEO Mahesh Vyas said in the report.

  • Signs your job is ruining your relationship

    Signs your job is ruining your relationship

    You put work priorities ahead of your relationship

    If you find yourself opting out of activities you would normally engage in with your spouse — such as going to a movie, visiting friends or just enjoying time together — you could be placing undue pressure on the relationship.

    Your spouse has become your career therapist

    If you find yourself constantly seeking advice from your spouse on your next ‘move’ at work, you could be hurting your marriage.

    You have nothing to talk to them about except work

    If you literally have nothing to talk about with your spouse other than work, then this is a bad sign. If you have trouble compartmentalising work and personal life, you likely will go into discussions about people and projects without even realising.

    You arrive late to important ­personal events

    This can create a slow build-up of resentment from your spouse and create the impression you are choosing your work intentionally over your personal commitments.

    Your partner clams up when you ask them about their day

    If your spouse feels that they’re taking the brunt of your office worries, then they may withdraw and seem unusually quiet, not wanting to add to the drama.  “Or, they may feel that sharing their own struggles is futile, because the topic will ultimately bounce back to your office dilemmas.

    You argue more with your spouse

    If you are carrying home stress with you from the office, then you may become more irritable and end up taking it out on your partner in totally unrelated areas.

  • WHO says 47 African countries could miss vax target

    WHO says 47 African countries could miss vax target

    Nairobi (TIP): Nine out of ten African countries could miss the target of vaccinating 10 per cent of their population against Covid-19 by September, dimming hopes of containing the pandemic in the continent, a World Health Organization (WHO) official said on Thursday, June 10.

    Matshidiso Moeti, WHO regional director for Africa, said that nearly 90 per cent or 47 out of 54 African countries are off-track in terms of inoculating 10 per cent of their population against the virus in the next three months even as they grapple with surging infections, Xinhua reported.

    “As we close in on five million cases and the third wave in Africa looms, many of our most vulnerable people remain dangerously exposed to COVID-19,” Moeti said in a statement.

    Statistics from African Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) indicate the continent had acquired 54.9 million vaccine doses and administered 35.9 million as of June 7.

    According to Africa CDC, the top five African countries that have led in COVID-19 vaccination include Morocco, Egypt, Nigeria, Ethiopia and South Africa.

    Moeti said that Africa required 225 million doses to achieve the 10 percent vaccination target, adding that the continent is banking on donations and replenishing the COVAX facility to ramp up inoculation targeting high-risk groups.

    According to WHO, 20 countries in Africa have used less than 50 percent of vaccine doses they received under the COVAX facility while 12 have more than 10 percent of AstraZeneca doses at risk of expiry by the end of August.

    “We need to ensure that the vaccines that we have are not wasted because every dose is precious,” said Moeti, adding that some African countries have registered success in vaccine roll-out amid sound planning.      Source: IANS

  • FDA extends the shelf life of single-shot J&J vaccine

    FDA extends the shelf life of single-shot J&J vaccine

    Johnson & Johnson said on Thursday the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has extended the shelf life of its single-shot COVID-19 vaccine from three months to four-and-a-half months, as millions of unused doses nationwide near expiration.

    Safety concerns about J&J’s shot and flagging demand for vaccinations have left close to half of the 21 million doses the company has produced for the United States sitting unused.

    The health regulator’s decision was based on data from ongoing studies, which demonstrated that the vaccine is stable at 4.5 months when refrigerated at temperatures of 36 to 46 degrees Fahrenheit (2 to 8 degrees Celsius), the drugmaker said.

    Reuters reported on Monday that at least 13 lots of J&J shots have expiration dates of June 27 or earlier. It is not clear how many doses that reflects. J&J has another 100 million doses on hand but shipment timing is uncertain.

    A top White House official on Tuesday urged state governors to work with the FDA to extend the shelf life of J&J’s COVID-19 vaccine. J&J said vaccine providers should visit its website to check expiration dates of vaccines currently available in the country.

    Source: Reuters

  • Global Covid-19 caseload tops 174.7 mn

    Washington (TIP): The overall global Covid-19 caseload has topped 174.7 million, while the deaths have surged to more than 3.76 million, according to the Johns Hopkins University.

    In its latest update on Friday, June 11,  morning, the University’s Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) revealed that the current global caseload and death toll stood at 174,759,974 and 3,769,088, respectively.

    The US continues to be the worst-hit country with the world’s highest number of cases and deaths at 33,427,481 and 598,728, respectively, according to the CSSE.

    In terms of infections, India follows in the second place with 29,183,121 cases.

    The other worst countries with over 3 million cases are Brazil (17,210,969), France (5,791,608), Turkey (5,313,098), Russia (5,108,217), the UK (4,558,926), Italy (4,239,868), Argentina (4,066,156), Spain (3,729,458), Germany (3,718,617) and Colombia (3,665,137), the CSSE figures showed.

    In terms of deaths, Brazil comes second with 482,019 fatalities.

    Nations with a death toll of over 100,000 are India (359,676), Mexico (229,580), the UK (128,131), Italy (126,855), Russia (123,178) and France (110,432).

  • Tata Digital to acquire majority stake in 1MG

    Tata Digital to acquire majority stake in 1MG

    Tata Digital Ltd, a wholly-owned arm of Tata Sons, on Thursday said it will acquire a majority stake in 1MG Technologies Ltd, an online healthcare marketplace. The company, however, did not disclose the financial details of the transaction. Just days after the company said it will invest USD 75 million (around Rs 550 crore) in fitness-focused Curefit Healthcare for an undisclosed stake, Tata Digital said its investment in 1MG is in line with Tata Group’s vision of creating a digital ecosystem which addresses the consumer needs across categories in a unified manner. Tata Digital said e-pharmacy, e-diagnostics and tele-consultation are critical segments in this ecosystem and have been among the fastest growing segments in this space, as this sector enabled access to healthcare through the pandemic.