The Indian Panorama

Tag: Indian abroad

  • Indian American Dr Nirav D. Shah appointed Principal deputy Director at US CDC

    Indian American Dr Nirav D. Shah appointed Principal deputy Director at US CDC

    WASHINGTON, D.C. (TIP): Indian American doctor Nirav D. Shah, who played a pivotal role during Covid-19 pandemic, has been appointed Principal Deputy Director at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (US CDC). Shah, 45, who serves as the Director of the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Maine CDC), will report to US CDC Director Rochelle Walensky in his new role starting March.

    “In my new role, I will be honored to serve not just Maine, but the entire nation and carry forward the good work that we have done here. As I prepare for this next step, I thank the people of Maine for taking care of me, as I’ve always asked them to take care of each other,” he said in a statement. Shah was appointed to Maine CDC in 2019 with the mission of rebuilding the agency and the State’s public health infrastructure.

    “Dr Shah has been a trusted advisor to me and an extraordinary leader of the Maine CDC. But even more than that, he was a trusted advisor and a leader to the people of Maine during one of the greatest public health crises of our time,” Maine Governor Janet Mills wrote in a tweet.

    She added in her statement that Shah spoke calmly and directly to the people of Maine, many of whom were scared and uncertain, and answered their questions with “compassion, empathy, humor, and a clarity”.

    Shah’s appointment as Principal Deputy Director comes as part of a planned, broader overhaul of that agency announced by the US CDC Director in August of last year. Born to Indian immigrants, Shah grew up in Wisconsin, and attended the University of Louisville where he majored in psychology and biology.

    He studied economics at Oxford University and enrolled in medical school at the University of Chicago in 2000. Shah completed his Juris Doctor in 2007 and his Doctor of Medicine in 2008 -both from the University of Chicago and was a recipient of The Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowships for New Americans.

  • REST IN PEACE, ANGELIC AKASHDEEP SINGH

    REST IN PEACE, ANGELIC AKASHDEEP SINGH

    Cruel hands of Death snatched away the 25-year-old Akashdeep , son to Sardarni Paramjit Kaur of Hicksville .

    The handsome and promising young man was riding a motorbike when he met with an accident on May 17, 2020. He was hospitalized with life threatening injuries at Winthrop Hospital in Mineola. Despite of best efforts of doctors to save his life, he died on June 18, leaving his family and friends to mourn  his loss. He was laid to rest  on Tuesday, June 23.

    Akashdeep will ever be deeply missed.

    The Indian Panorama family prays for eternal  peace to the  dear departed soul.

    REST IN PEACE, THE GENTLE SOUL.

  • January 31 New York & Dallas E – Edition

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    E-Edition

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  • Indian Scientist Part of UPenn Team that innovates new brain monitoring technology

    Indian Scientist Part of UPenn Team that innovates new brain monitoring technology

    NEW YORK  (TIP): Pennneuroscientist Michael Plattand postdoc Arjun Ramakrishnanhave created a tool to use outside the lab, a wearable technology that monitors brain activity and sends back data without benching a player or asking a trucker to pull over.

    The platform is akin to a Fitbit for the brain, with a set of silicon and silver nanowire sensors embedded into a head covering like a headband, helmet, or cap. The device, a portable electroencephalogram (EEG), is intentionally unobtrusive to allow for extended wear, and, on the backend, powerful algorithms decode the brain signals the sensors collect. Though it’s still in the early stages, the technology has potential applications from health care to sports performance and customer engagement.

    In early 2017, they decided to build their own portable EEG, getting a boost from a National Science Foundation-funded seed grant allocated by Penn’s Singh Center for Nanotechnology.

    Platt and Ramakrishnan began talking with PCI Ventures,a branch of the Penn Center for Innovationaimed at guiding University faculty through the process of starting a company. The licensing team at PCI helped them file a provisional patent for the product (originally called NanoNeuroScope), and Cogwear, LLC, was born in May 2018.

    (Source – Upenn.edu)

  • TV Asia Chairman Padma Shri H R Shah awarded honorary doctorate by Desh Bhagat University in Punjab, India

    TV Asia Chairman Padma Shri H R Shah awarded honorary doctorate by Desh Bhagat University in Punjab, India

    EDISON, NJ(TIP): Padma Shri H R Shah, chairman and CEO of leading South Asian American channel TV Asia, has been awarded an honorary doctorate by Desh Bhagat University  in Punjab, India on Feb 14.

    Mr Shah was recognized for his services as an Indian American entrepreneur, a turnaround specialist, philanthropist and an endearing community leader. He was the chief guest at the university’s annual event, along with Pawan Kumar Chamling, Chief Minister of Sikkim, who also received an honorary doctorate and was the keynote speaker.

    Dressed in ceremonial robes, Mr Shah accepted the honorary degree from Chancellor Dr Zora Singh, Pro Chancellor Tajinder Kaur and Vice Chancellor Dr Virinder Singh. The award was presented by Sikkim Chief Minister Pawan Kumar Chamling.

    In receiving the honorary doctorate, Mr Shah was cited for his selfless services for the cause of humanity. “It is your multi-faceted personality, exceptional vison, deep commitment toward culture, literature, political philosophy and educational activities that are an inspiration to the young generation,” the university said.

    Among others who also received the honorary doctorate at the event, included Bharat Ratna and former President of India Pranab Mukherjee (In absentia); Dr Huzaifa Khorakiwala, CEO of Wockhardt Foundation; V R Shankara, president and general counsel of Hindalco Industries; conservationist Sant Balbir Singh Seechewal; actress Priti Sapru; Lov Verma, former health minister; and Lt Gen.  Shokin Chauhan. The Chancellor’s Distinguished Leadership Award were given to: R S Basnet, principal secretary of Assam; Shrabani Patnaik; Mata Jarnail Kaur; Dr Vikas Jindal; Dr Naresh Mittal of Dhanwantry Ayurvedic College; Dr S P Singh, chairman of Apex Group, Dubai; Prof R P Kaushik and Binay Kumar.

    As chairman & CEO of TV Asia Group, Mr Shah heads a veritable powerhouse of several business verticals spanning the media and entertainment landscape in North America, with presence in the television, OTT, IPTV, radio, print, digital, ecommerce and events marketplace.

    Mr Shah is the first NRI to own and operate a 24/7 TV station, TV Asia, launched in 1993 by legendary actor Amitabh Bachchan, in the United States, Canada and the Caribbean. He is credited with pioneering Indian television and entertainment in the Western hemisphere. Using mass media as his tool of influence and with 38 news bureaus in North America currently, his vision is to expand to 60 news bureaus across the world. This, he believes, will serve his mission to preserve, support and promote Indian heritage for present and future generations of the Indian Diaspora settled across the globe, making TV Asia the “voice and mirror of the community.” TV Asia has long been known as the Indian community’s “Home Away from Home.” The channel works closely with Indian Consulates in the US in their outreach programs for the Indian American community.

    For over 35 years, Mr Shah has generously given his time, energy and resources as a pillar of the Indian American community, always supporting various social work, cultural, educational and related activities in the US and India. He has been a major supporter and has given strong backing to many worthy causes.

    He is the chairman and trustee of Bharatiya Vidya Bhawan USA, the world famous institute of Indian culture, literature, education, music and the arts. The Bhawan has dedicated an auditorium, “Romanti Auditorium,” in memory of his late daughter.

    In 2017, Mr Shah received the Padma Shri, one of Indian government’s highest civilian awards.

    He also received the prestigious Ellis Island Medal of Honor in 2005. The award is bestowed only on those who display significant contributions to their own communities and to the United States at large. The US House of Representatives and the Senate both unanimously passed resolutions sanctioning the Ellis Island Medals of Honor. Each honoree is listed in the Congressional Record.

    Additionally, Mr Shah is the recipient of numerous community and business awards in the US as well as India.

    During the 4-hour long convocation at Desh Bhagat University, around 1,200 students received degrees, diplomas and medals in various courses, including, Agriculture Sciences, Animation, Applied Sciences, Art & Craft and Fashion Technology, Ayurveda, Commerce, Computer Sciences, Education, Engineering, Hospitality and Tourism, Hotel Management, Languages, Management, Media, Nursing, Performing Arts, Physical Education and Social Sciences. The university offers more than 150 graduate and undergraduate courses and has an enrollment of over 8,000 students.

    In his acceptance speech, Mr Shah extended his sincere appreciation for Chancellor Dr Zora Singh and his staff and the meaningful work the university was pursuing. “I commend Dr Zora Singh for his vision and leadership in steering the university with new ideas while being socially responsible and giving the students a great educational platform,” he noted.

    Mr Shah touched upon how India’s economic development and transformation was intrinsically linked to education, skilling, entrepreneurship, research and innovation. “I am very happy to read the vision of the university which is in line with the same,” he said.

    He underlined the pivotal role educational institutions played in imparting socially responsible perspective to the students.

    “I appreciate the role of the University and its faculty for imparting the ‘Education for Life’ and not education for living only,” he said to a thundering applause.

    He noted the graduating students will always remain “stars” with their contributions to their families, society and the nation. He also underscored the importance of families and parents who have always sacrificed for their children’s education.

    In a heart-to-heart with the graduating students, Mr Shah said that while convocation signified the culmination of the phase of formal education, it also symbolized the beginning of a new journey. “Today’s ceremony is also called ‘Commencement’ and I take it as a Commencement of lifelong learning,” he concluded.

    On the sidelines of the convocation, Mr Shah discussed with Chief Minister Chamling about the need to promote Sikkim tourism to the Indian Diaspora in the US as well as across the world. Mr Shah also spoke with Dr. Jagannath Patnaik, Vice Chancellor of ICFAI University, Sikkim, about collaborating with American universities for exchange of programs, research and faculty development.

    In his meeting with Desh Bhagat University Chancellor  Dr Zora Singh, Mr Shah discussed how the university should look into transfer of courses and credits for students from US educational institutions.

    About Desh Bhagat University.

    Desh Bhagat University (DBU) located at Amloh, Punjab has been established under Punjab Governments’ Desh Bhagat University Act, 2012. DBU has  its four campuses in India –  at Amloh, Shri Muktsar Sahib, Moga and Chandigarh and an international campus  in Kenya.

    Desh Bhagat University, Amloh came into existence  under the guidance of Sardar  Lal Singh, a freedom fighter.

    The university offers more than 350 courses in almost 50 various streams at undergraduate, graduate, post-graduate and doctorate level. It is affiliated with UGC, AIU, NCTE, PCI, COA, and BCI.

    As for ranking, it stands 2nd  amongst all State Private Universities of Punjab.

  • January 11 New York & Dallas Print Editions

    January 11 New York & Dallas Print Editions

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    Print Replica ~ Digitally

    E-Editions

    [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_custom_heading text=”New York Edition” font_container=”tag:h2|text_align:center” google_fonts=”font_family:Istok%20Web%3Aregular%2Citalic%2C700%2C700italic|font_style:700%20bold%20regular%3A700%3Anormal” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theindianpanorama.news%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2019%2F01%2FTIP-January-11-NYC.pdf|||”][vc_single_image image=”95839″ img_size=”full” add_caption=”yes” alignment=”center” onclick=”custom_link” link=”https://www.theindianpanorama.news/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/TIP-January-11-NYC.pdf”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_custom_heading text=”Dallas, Texas Edition” font_container=”tag:h2|text_align:center” google_fonts=”font_family:Istok%20Web%3Aregular%2Citalic%2C700%2C700italic|font_style:700%20bold%20regular%3A700%3Anormal” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theindianpanorama.news%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2019%2F01%2FTIP-January-11-Dallas-TX.pdf|||”][vc_single_image image=”95838″ img_size=”full” add_caption=”yes” alignment=”center” onclick=”custom_link” link=”https://www.theindianpanorama.news/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/TIP-January-11-Dallas-TX.pdf”][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_single_image image=”82828″ img_size=”medium” alignment=”center” onclick=”custom_link” link=”https://www.theindianpanorama.news/advertising-media-kit-portal-indian-panorama/”][vc_single_image image=”82829″ img_size=”medium” alignment=”center” onclick=”custom_link” link=”https://www.theindianpanorama.news/advertising-media-kit-portal-indian-panorama/”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][td_block_ad_box spot_id=”custom_ad_3″ tdc_css=””][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”2/3″][vc_custom_heading text=”Lead Stories This Week” font_container=”tag:h2|text_align:center” google_fonts=”font_family:Istok%20Web%3Aregular%2Citalic%2C700%2C700italic|font_style:700%20bold%20regular%3A700%3Anormal” link=”url:https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theindianpanorama.news%2F|||”][td_block_5 separator=”” limit=”12″ tdc_css=””][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″][vc_widget_sidebar sidebar_id=”td-default”][/vc_column][/vc_row]

  • Indian Americans owning expensive Jewelry being targeted by thieves

    Indian Americans owning expensive Jewelry being targeted by thieves

    WASHINGTON(TIP): Indian Americans who possess expensive jewelry, are being targeted by thieves in the US police said. The thieves are also reportedly looking at online records to identify businesses owned by the Indian Americans and are likely pawning the jewelry.

    Police said the latest theft happened at a motel owned by an Indian American family in Norwalk city of Connecticut. They have also shared a surveillance video of the brazen heist in hopes of catching the thieves who stole jewelry worth $20,000 dollars from the Indian American owner’s living quarters.

    Sergeant Seth Fry said the van they used to get away was later recovered at a farm outside the city. The license plate had been removed and all fingerprints had been wiped clean. Investigators said the suspects involved have been committing similar crimes across the country and are believed to be targeting only Indian Americans.

    “This group is very organized. They’re probably moving onto another location and are going to do the same thing,” said Sgt. Fry.

    “They could take it to a pawn shop. They could take it to a jeweler and have it melted down and made into something else, there’s many different ways they could get rid of that,” he said.

  • Indian American Doctor from Texas Convicted for Raping Patient will Serve 10 Years of Probation

    Indian American Doctor from Texas Convicted for Raping Patient will Serve 10 Years of Probation

    HOUSTON(TIP): An Indian American doctor from Texas will spend 10 years of probation instead of jail for raping a sedated patient in a hospital.

    Jurors convicted Shafeeq Sheikh, 46, a former physician at the Baylor College of Medicine, of second-degree sexual assault after a trial that ended this past week.

    The crime is punishable by up 20 years in prison, but the Texas jury sentenced Sheikh to 10 years of probation on August 17.

    Sheikh will have to register as a sex offender. Unlike most states and the federal government, Texas grants juries the power to set criminal punishments.

    The punishment has surprised defense attorneys, disappointed law enforcement and raised concerns from a victims advocacy group, according to media reports.

    The jurors had recommended the sentencing, to which visiting Senior District Judge Terry L Flenniken was required to follow by law, according to local media report.

    Sheikh was working in night shift at Houston’s Ben Taub Hospital in 2013 when a woman was admitted for shortness of breath and wheezing. She was in the hospital overnight and sedated when Sheikh came to her room several times during the night and sexually assaulted her.

    The woman said she attempted to get help from a nurse, but the call button would not work.

    DNA evidence collected from a rape kit matched the DNA sample of the guilty doctor’s cheek swab. But it took two years for charges to be filed against Sheikh.

    Surveillance video also captured Sheikh on the floor where the woman’s room was located. He used his badge to swipe onto her floor at least 12 times that night. “He sought her out. He chose her to prey on,” Assistant District Attorney Lauren Reeder said during Friday’s sentencing.

    “You know he’s the type of man who would go in multiple times, testing the waters, seeing how far he could go and get back to his normal business after that.”

    “You know he’s the kind man of who walked around for two years before he was charged with this… knowing what he did,” she added.

    During the trial, the doctor admitted to the sexual contact with the woman, but insisted it was consensual. lawyers also pleaded with the jury to show some compassion to Sheikh, his wife and children, who also suffered consequences due to his actions.

    “The dreams of a man, the childhood dream to become a doctor, were shattered by his conduct. He destroyed his own dreams,” Sheikh’s lawyer Stanley Schneider said.

     “What he has done to himself and his family is punishment. They are serving his sentence with him. His children are serving his sentence with him.”

    The Texas Medical Board revoked his license in 2015 after they found he was a “continuing threat to public welfare.” Sheikh has since left the hospital.

     The woman, now 32, said after the sentencing she wanted to move on from the incident. She told KHOU11 in 2015 that she believed there are other victims.

    (Source: KHOU11)

     

  • Drive East Festival Featuring ICCR sponsored Artists to be presented in New York and San Francisco

    Drive East Festival Featuring ICCR sponsored Artists to be presented in New York and San Francisco

    NEW YORK CITY(TIP): On Thursday, August 02, 2018 Consulate General of India & Navatman Inc. presented Drive East Opening Night at the Consulate wherein Navatman’s Co- Artistic Director – Sridhar Shanmugam and Sahasra Sambamoorthi announced the schedule for their annual Indian dance and music festival – Drive East. This year Consulate is participating in “Drive East” with an ICCR sponsored Kathak! Ensemble.

    Navatman, Inc., is an organization dedicated to supporting the Indian classical arts, emphasizing Indian classical music and dance. This year, Navatman will present 35 concerts in 14 days and in 2 major cities – New York (August 13-19) and San Francisco (August 22-26) at the LaMama Experimental Theater Group and in San Francisco, California, at the Joe Goode Annex.

    From Bharatanatyam to ghazals, Drive East will present international, award-winning artists from all over the world. However, the highly anticipated performance is in New York on Friday, August 17 of Kathak, by a group of acclaimed performers from India produced by Battery Dance Company, sponsored by Indian Council of Cultural Relations and Consulate General of India, New York. Kathak will feature acclaimed Kathak dancers – Sandip Mallick & group with Anuj Mishra and group. Joining them will be Piyush Chauhan and Preeti Sharma. The entire schedule for Drive East is available on http://www.driveeastnyc.org/index.html

  • Indian-Origin former Equifax software engineering manager charged for illegal trading

    Indian-Origin former Equifax software engineering manager charged for illegal trading

    NEW YORK(TIP): An Indian-origin software engineering manager has been charged by the Securities and Exchange Commission that he traded on confidential information he received while creating a website for consumers impacted by a data breach.

    Sudhakar Reddy Bonthu, 44, is a permanent resident of the US State of Georgia. Mr Bonthu was an Equifax employee from September 2003 until March 2018.

    The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) said Mr Bonthu committed securities fraud by engaging in illegal insider trading in the securities of information solutions and human resources company Equifax.

    The Securities and Exchange Commission charged him with insider trading in advance of the company’s September 2017 announcement of a massive data breach that exposed Social Security numbers and other personal information of approximately 148 million US customers.

    This is the second case the Securities and Exchange Commission has filed arising from the Equifax data breach.

    In March, Securities and Exchange Commission had charged former chief information officer of a US business unit of Equifax Jun Ying with insider trading.

    Beginning in September 2013, Mr Bonthu was a Production Development Manager of Software Engineering in Equifax’s Global Consumer Solutions business unit. On March 12, 2018, his employment was terminated by Equifax and is currently unemployed.

    In a complaint filed in federal court in Atlanta on June 28, the Securities and Exchange Commission charged that Mr Bonthu traded on confidential information he received while creating a website for consumers impacted by a data breach.

    According to the complaint, Mr Bonthu was told the work was being done for an unnamed potential client, but based on information he received, he concluded that Equifax itself was the victim of the breach.

    The Securities and Exchange Commission alleges that Bonthu violated company policy when he traded on the non-public information by purchasing Equifax put options.

    Less than a week later, after Equifax publicly announced the data breach and its stock declined nearly 14 per cent, Mr Bonthu sold the put options and netted more than $75,000, a return of more than 3,500 per cent on his initial investment.

    Mr Bonthu was terminated from Equifax in March after refusing to cooperate with an internal investigation into whether he had violated the company’s insider trading policy.

    “As we allege, (Sudhakar) Bonthu, who was entrusted with confidential information by his employer, misused that information to conclude that his company had suffered a massive data breach and then sought to illegally profit,” said Richard R Best, Director of the SEC’s Atlanta Regional Office.

    “Corporate insiders simply cannot abuse their access to sensitive information and illegally enrich themselves,” Mr Best said.

    In a parallel proceeding, the US Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia filed criminal charges against Mr Bonthu.

    To settle the Securities and Exchange Commission’s civil charges, Bonthu has agreed to a permanent injunction and to return his allegedly ill-gotten gains plus interest. This settlement is subject to court approval.

     

  • Jyoti’s Yadvi, The Dignified Princess comes to life in NYC on June 1

    Jyoti’s Yadvi, The Dignified Princess comes to life in NYC on June 1

     By Mabel Pais

    “Strength of character isn’t always about how much you can handle before you break, it’s also about what you do after you have broken.”  Robert Tew

    “We cannot change situations in life, but we can change our attitudes towards them.”  Mata Amritanandmayi

    This English language movie is based on the story of Yadvi – a real-life princess, granddaughter of the then internationally renowned Maharaja Bhupinder of Patiala, Punjab, who though grown-up in one of the wealthiest families of the world ends up losing all such privileges in her middle age.  How and why does she become forced to prepare her food and collect wood for the winter? In 1940’s India, before a hint of feminine assertiveness, how does a woman not only uphold her own dignity but also raise three refined daughters in the face of unexpected adversity?

    The pure personification of integrity, Yadvi, will take you on her journey through the India of Kings and Queens, of Princes and polygyny. Her deep internal strength bolstering her family honor will inspire you!

    His Highness Maharaja Bhupinder Singh (1891-1938) who took the throne of Patiala in 1901, is one royal name that is indelible in the archives of Indian history.  Among his several contributions and achievements to Punjab, India and the world was his grandiose lifestyle: he was the first individual in India to own an aircraft; had a fleet of 20 Rolls Royces at his disposal; created and wore a custom-made Cartier necklace encrusted with 2,930 diamonds, which today sits in a museum; built several prominent buildings in the state; traveled the world holding important offices; was captain of a cricket team and donated the Ranji Trophy (used until today) to the game of cricket. Further, he worked tirelessly for his subjects’ betterment and introduced many social reforms in Patiala.

    So why would one of his daughters spend her life as a commoner?

    Maharaja Bhupinder Singh’s great-granddaughters Jyoti Singh and Gauri Singh bring alive the struggles in the life of their grandmother Rajmata Yadhuvansh Kumari’s (Yadvi, for short), detailing her journey from a princess to a commoner in their film, Yadvi: The Dignified Princess.

    It’s a true story of enduring personal and financial hardships but never giving up on life.

    The Dignified Princess on Sitar
    Photos / Courtesy Jyoti Singh

    The film is the tale of Princess Yadvi (also named Alice after “Alice In Wonderland”) from Patiala, a woman dealing with the complexity of the social norms that permeated post-independence Indian society. She, the daughter of the Maharaja of Patiala, was set to marry a Rajput prince from Maiher, Madhya Pradesh, to fortify the political ties between her kingdom and that of the prince. The impediment, however, was that she would move to the prince’s kingdom only on turning 21. What unfolds from this point on is a story wrought with unexpected twists and turns, putting into light questions about relationships, norms and traditions that characterized royalty and Indian society in an era of the past. It is the story of a woman who loved and stuck by her convictions in the face of adversity.

    “Yadvi: The Dignified Princess,” set in India and New York, also touches upon the political upheavals at the time, especially when the princely states were being integrated into India, revealing an unseen side of the royalty.

    Gauri Singh, Jyoti Singh’s real-life older sister wrote the film, Jyoti Singh plays the title role of her grandmother Princess Yadvi, the daughter of Maharaja Bhupinder Singh and Maharani Bimal Kaur.  Jyoti Singh along with Vick Krishna, has directed the film. The melodious music has been composed by the talented Anuj Garg.

    Jyoti Singh, star of the 2011 Indo-American film, 9 Eleven, said she decided to play Princess Yadvi since, having spent 14 years of her childhood with her, nobody knew her better than she did.

    Another highlight of the film is Maachis actor Chandrachur Singh, who plays the Maharaja of Patiala. The cast includes Dina Rosenmeier, Siraj Huda, Vibhu Raghave, Aishwarya Raghave, Nikkitasha Marawaha, Rahul Godara, Resha Sabarwal, Bernadine Linus, Marianne Borgo, Gauri Singh, Kuvam Handa, and Yadvi Handa.

    The movie is produced by RVP Productions by executive producer Sumeet Verma.

    Yadvi with husband Gobind

    Yadvi: The Dignified Princess, screened at various film festivals across the country, has been warmly embraced by viewers. Some of the film festivals where the film has been honored in various categories include the North Carolina International South Asian Film Festival, Rishikesh Art & Film Festival, Rajasthan International Film Festival, 4th Indian Cine Film Festival and Global Film Competition.

    The first-time director recently won the ‘” Best Emerging Female Director’’ award at the Dada Saheb Phalke Film Festival.

    The director believes that her “love towards animals and kids, humanity to help out the world, punctuality, strength, patience, spirituality, and perseverance; the pillar of strength to survive all obstacles with a smile; humility and peace” come from Yadvi.

    Every day, she would do gardening with the grandchildren, never acted like a royal person. She would make them do household chores, even when they had help. Jyoti never understood why. Yadvi always said, ‘You never know where your life takes you,’” Jyoti Singh recalls.

    Yadvi was inspired by and followed the magic keys to life (by Robert Tew): “Wisdom is knowing the right path to take; integrity is taking it…. strength of character isn’t always about how much you can handle before you break, it’s also about how much you can handle after you’ve broken…having courage to face the truth…do the right thing simply because it is right.”

    The movie runs from June 1 to 7 at New York City’s Cinema Village at 22 East 12th Street.

    For more about the movie and its schedule, visit https://www.cinemavillage.com/Now-Playing/yadvi-the-dignified-princess.html

    https://www.cinemavillage.com/meet-and-greet/yadvi-q-a.html

    To learn more about Jyoti Singh, visit www.jyotisingh.net.

    To get a sneak peak, watch the trailer of the movie at

    (Mabel Pais writes on The Arts and Entertainment, Social Issues, Health and Wellness, andSpirituality)

  • Indian American Preethi Kasireddy’s startup TruStory raises $3 million in seed funding

    Indian American Preethi Kasireddy’s startup TruStory raises $3 million in seed funding

    LOS ANGELES(TIP): Indian American Preethi Kasireddy who founded TruStory, an online fact-checking platform, has raised a $3 million in seed funding.

    The funding will help TruStory, a Los Angeles-based startup that was launched seven months ago,  “build a world-class engineering, design, and community development team to work towards its mission”, Kasireddy said in a blog post.

    The funding, led by True Ventures, had participation from Pantera Capital, Kindred Ventures, Homebrew, Coinbase Ventures, Wonder Ventures, Abstract Ventures, Ausum Ventures, and Dream Machine (Alexia Tsotsis), among others, she wrote.

    Several angels also invested in the round, among them Fred Ehrsam, David King, Scott Belsky, Josh Elman, Alok Vasudev and Jessica Verrilli. “It’s an honor to have each of these partners on board,” Kasireddy wrote.

    The platform allows users to find out and validate various claims people make online on blogs, website and social media posts.

    “Unlike in today’s web where the onus for fact-checking is on the reader, in TruStory, every ‘story’ or claim goes through a unique validation process that leverages a distributed network of participants with robust economic and social incentives to surface the truth,” the founder wrote.

    Kasireddy, who grew up in Monroe, New Jersey, has a B.S. in industrial and systems engineering from the University of Southern California. She quit a Silicon Valley job to found the blockchain startup.

    Kasireddy added that in her experience as a developer in the blockchain space, including at the digital currency exchange Coinbase, she has “been haunted by the proliferation of low-quality information, rampant inauthenticity, and sheer disinformation.”

    “There are no longer universally trusted central parties to keep tabs on what’s real,” she wrote, adding, “That’s why I started TruStory. TruStory is a platform that uses the collective knowledge of the crowd, combined with the right incentives and disincentives, to validate and curate a better reality — starting with the blockchain space.”

     

  • AAPI & USAID partnering for a TB- Free India

    AAPI & USAID partnering for a TB- Free India

    WASHINGTON (TIP): USA-International Developmental Agency (USAID) on April 5thsigned an MOU with American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI) to work together in achieving the goal of Tuberculosis (TB) free India.

    According to the MOU, the USAID in partnership with the Ministry of Health, India, and AAPI will rigorously work to make India TB Free.

    AAPI will play the pivotal role in achieving the goal by providing high-level education and research facility to India’s health ministry which has been pushing for the eradication of the life-threatening disease.

    According to Dr. Naresh Parikh, president-elect, AAPI, in addition to providing tools to engage patients, the organization will also be creating WHO mandated symptomatology by which indexed cases will be first detected from hotspots of tuberculosis in India.

    In addition to the TB Free India partnership, AAPI has also announced that its 12th health summit will take place in Mumbai this December. The organization said that it will provide free health care, training and support across India.

    Following the announcement of USAID and AAPI, the US Consulate in Mumbai tweeted, “Today we celebrate the announcement of @usaid_india ‘s newly signed MOU with the American Asso of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI) to work together toward achieving a #TBFreeIndia.”

    USAID works to end extreme global poverty and enable resilient, democratic societies to realize their potential. Since 1998, USAID has been partnering with the Government of India to combat TB. According to the official website of USAID, it has already invested more than $120 million to help diagnose and treat 15 million people with TB in India.

    AAPI is an organization of Indian American doctors practicing in the US. Founded about 34 years ago, it is now one of the largest organization of physicians in the United States.