The Indian Panorama

Tag: Nirpal Singh Shergill

  • Indian Origin Harpreet Chandi reaches South Pole after trekking 700 miles

    Indian Origin Harpreet Chandi reaches South Pole after trekking 700 miles

    She is “the first woman of color” to have done so.

    Nirpal Singh Shergill

    LONDON (TIP): Indian origin woman Harpreet Chandi, a 32-year-old captain with the British army, reached the South Pole on Monday after trekking 700 miles solo and unaided across the Antarctic wilderness.

    She reported journey’s end in her blog: “Hello everyone, checking in from day 40. I made it to the South Pole where it’s snowing. Feeling so many emotions right now. I knew nothing about the polar world three years ago and it feels so surreal to finally be here. It was tough getting here and I want to thank everybody for their support.

    “This expedition was always about so much more than me. I want to encourage people to push their boundaries and to believe in themselves, and I want you to be able to do it without being labelled a rebel. I have been told no on many occasions and told to ‘just do the normal thing’, but we create our own normal. You are capable of anything you want. No-matter where you are from or where your start line is, everybody starts somewhere. I don’t want to just break the glass ceiling; I want to smash it into a million pieces.”

    Known as Preet to her friends and now nicknamed “Polar Preet”, she began her journey on November 24 when an aircraft dropped her off at the starting point on the Union Glacier.

    Preet, who has been filing a regular blog, reported on Sunday, her 39th day: “It definitely feels colder in the last degree where I’m at higher altitude…. And now I’m 15 nautical miles from the South Pole. I can’t believe I’m almost there. “It has been a long few days but I’m doing well and I’m super close now as well. So, the weather can change so quickly here, it was so cold yesterday, I think about minus 45 degrees with wind chill and then in the afternoon there was hardly any wind at all which was amazing.”

    She hoped her example would break the stereotype of the Asian woman.

    “Don’t get me wrong: Shackleton, Amundsen, Scott, they’re huge polar names and they’re incredible people. But they’re not names that I was familiar with, it wasn’t something that I could personally relate to. I am excited to add some diversity to that, and Preet is actually quite a common Indian name. I’ve had people say to me, ‘Oh my daughter’s name is Preet, and they’re so excited to have the same name as you,’ and that is very powerful.”

    She explained her decision to undertake such a hazardous trip: “Antarctica is the coldest, highest, driest and windiest continent on Earth. Nobody lives there permanently. I didn’t know much about the continent when I first started planning and that is what inspired me to go there. Hopefully doing something that pushes me so far out of my comfort zone will inspire others to believe in themselves and push their boundaries. There are only a few female adventurers that have completed a solo, unsupported trek on this continent. It is time to add some more names, diversity and to make history.”

    In her November 24 blog, she had begun: “So I’m on day 1. I can’t believe I’m finally on the ice and I have started the expedition. The Twin Otter (plane) dropped me off around 4pm and I just did a few hours today. I weighed my Pulk (sled) just before leaving and its 87kg. Conditions were windy but visibility was good today.”

    This was her post on December 5: “So tough day today, terrain was icy. I fell over a few times in just the first hour. The first time I fell I was frustrated and then the next few times I laughed it off and got up and kept going. Just taking one step in front of the other.”

    En route she has faced 70mph winds, whiteouts and temperatures as low as minus 50 degrees Celsius. The Daily Telegraph has reported that “skiing for up to 11 hours a day, she has kept herself entertained along the way by listening to Bhangra music which reminds her of her Punjabi roots”.

    The newspaper added: “But the trek has not been all plain sailing and she has also been forced to endure sickness and diarrhea and has only been able to change her socks once a fortnight.”

    As for her career, “She joined the Army Reserves aged 19 and signed up with the regular Army five years ago, operating as a Clinical Training Officer, helping to train military medics. To prepare for her trip to the South Pole, she undertook a 27-day expedition to the ice cap in Greenland.”

    When Preet returned from Greenland, she had a mild case of frostbite on her nose.

    “I remember somebody saying to me they’ve never seen an injury like that on somebody of my color skin before,” she said. “I am an Asian woman, I’m not the image that people expect to see out there.”

    She trained by dragging tires around the streets of her hometown of Derby to prepare for pulling her sled — a two-meter-long pulk carrying all her food and equipment.

    Just before leaving she got engaged to David Jarman, an army reservist with the Honourable Artillery Company. He is due to meet her in Chile after she returns from the South Pole.

    Her last message was to her friends: “I read somewhere that when you ask people to be your bridesmaids it’s nice to do it in a special way, so all the way from Antarctica I would love nothing more than for you to be my bridesmaids. Sonia Chandi, Rachel Tucker-Norton, Kamal Dhamrait, Tig Bridge, Hannah Sawford (or Hannah Smith now) and Collette Davey. I love you all and would love you to be my bridesmaids.”

    Her first blog was dedicated to her grandfather: “This one goes out to my Baba Ji (my Grandad), who lived an incredible long life up to the age of 99. He moved to the UK when I was born and raised me. He always made me feel just as important in a community where I sometimes felt as though I was less. “I always used to think he looked like an Indian Santa Claus, he had crystal blue eyes, a white beard and the best heart. Thank you Baba Ji for letting me know that I was just as important. I hope you’re watching down on me for this journey.”

  • UK’s new post-study graduate route work visa to open for applications in July

    UK’s new post-study graduate route work visa to open for applications in July

    Nirpal Singh Shergill

    LONDON (TIP)A new post-study work visa that offers international students from countries like India the opportunity to stay on for work experience after completing their course in the UK will formally open for applications from July 1, the UK Home Office said on Thursday, March 4.

    The graduate route visa, announced last year by UK Home Secretary Priti Patel as part of her new post-Brexit points-based immigration regime and confirmed within the Immigration Rules tabled in Parliament this week, is applicable from the 2020-2021 academic cohort of international students.

    “As we rebuild from the global pandemic, we want the world’s brightest talent, who aspire to a career at the highest levels of business, science, the arts and technology to see our United Kingdom as the natural place to fulfil their aspirations,” said Kevin Foster, Minister for Future Borders and Immigration.

    “The changes announced today will ensure once they have received a gold standard qualification from one of our world leading education institutions, they can easily secure the status they need to continue living, working and fulfilling their dreams in the UK,” he said.

    The grace period for students hit by the coronavirus travel restrictions and forced into remote learning last year now have until June 21 to be physically present in the UK to be eligible for the new route, extended further from the April 6 deadline.

    Students who began their studies in January or February 2021 will need to be in the UK by September 27.

    “The UK is committed to supporting thousands of Indian students in their dreams to pursue a world class UK education and post study employment opportunities. Given the pandemic travel restrictions, these new timelines to reach the UK will help ensure international students are able to benefit from the graduate route and gain coveted international work experience,” said Barbara Wickham, Director India, British Council.

    “Indian students are encouraged to reach out to their universities and seek regular guidance on blended learning, recommended time to travel to the UK, and on any other support required on campus,” she said.

    To apply under the new graduate route, international students must have completed an eligible course at a recognized UK higher education provider at undergraduate or higher level.

    Students on the route will be able to work or look for work after their studies for a maximum period of two years, or three years for doctoral PhD students.

    The graduate route is unsponsored, meaning applicants will not need a job offer to apply for the route. There will be no minimum salary requirements or caps on numbers, which the Home Office says would allow graduates on the route to work flexibly, switch jobs and develop their career as required.

    “We campaigned for this in the UK for more than six years and this was a commitment we made to our Indian student community, which we are overjoyed to have been able to deliver,” said Sanam Arora, Chair of the National Indian Students and Alumni Union UK (NISAU-UK), a representative group for Indian students in the UK.

    According to the most recent statistics, the number of student visas issued to Indians increased by 42 per cent compared to the previous year (numbering more than 53,000 now). This represents 23 per cent of all student visas issued by the UK – up from 13 per cent in the previous year – making Indian students among the largest international groups studying in Britain.

    “The flow of students between India and the UK makes the human connection between our countries – the ‘living bridge’ – ever stronger. I’m delighted that increasing numbers of talented Indian students are choosing the UK to study, and even more so that the graduate route will allow them to work in the UK after their studies. Their presence is the heart of the new partnership between India and the UK,” said Alex Ellis, British High Commissioner to India.

    The new route is part of the UK government’s International Education Strategy, aimed at increasing the number of international students in higher education in the UK to 600,000 by 2030.

    The Graduate route comes as UK Chancellor Rishi Sunak unveiled plans to launch another new immigration route to help start-ups and fast-growing firms recruit the talent they need to innovate and grow in his Budget speech to the House of Commons on Wednesday.

    As part of the new route, highly skilled migrants with a job offer from a recognized high-growth firm will qualify for a visa without the need for sponsorship or third-party endorsement.

    (Source: PTI)

  • UK TO HOST G7 SUMMIT IN CORNWALL FROM 11-13 JUNE 2021

    UK TO HOST G7 SUMMIT IN CORNWALL FROM 11-13 JUNE 2021

    • PM will use the UK’s G7 Presidency to unite leading democracies to help the world build back better from coronavirus and create a greener, more prosperous future.
    • Australia, India and South Korea invited as guest countries

    Nirpal Singh Shergill in London

    LONDON (TIP): The G7 Summit will be held in Carbis Bay, Cornwall from 11-13th June 2021.

    Prime Ministers and Presidents from the world’s leading democracies will come together inCornwall in June to address shared challenges, from beating coronavirus and tackling climatechange, to ensuring that people everywhere can benefit from open trade, technologicalchange and scientific discovery.

    Prime Minster Boris Johnson will use the first in-person G7 summit in almost two years to ask leaders toseize the opportunity to build back better from coronavirus, uniting to make the future fairer,greener and more prosperous.

    The G7 – which is made up of the UK, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the USA andthe EU – is the only forum where the world’s most influential and open societies andadvanced economies are brought together for close-knit discussions. The Prime Minister’s ambition is to use the G7 to intensify cooperation between the world’sdemocratic and technologically advanced nations. To that end, he has invited leaders fromAustralia, India and South Korea to attend as guest countries to deepen the expertise andexperience around the table. Between them the 10 leaders represent over 60% of thepeople living in democracies around the world.

    The choice of Cornwall as the location for the Summit will mean the eyes of the world are onthe beautiful, historic and innovative region. The leaders’ meeting itself will be held in thecoastal town of Carbis Bay, supported by neighboring St Ives and other towns acrossthe region. The whole of Cornwall will reap the benefits of hosting the G7.The region is already a powerhouse for green innovation, providing an ideal setting fora Summit focused on building back better from the coronavirus pandemic.

    Visit Cornwall estimates the total economic impact for the county will be £50 million,including through an increase in future tourism. The Government will also work closely withCornish leaders and institutions to ensure the Summit leaves a long-term legacy for theregion, reaping the benefits of hosting the G7 for years to come.

    The UK will also host a number of meetings throughout the year between GovernmentMinisters from the G7, both virtually and in different locations across the UK – ensuringmany areas of the country experience the benefits of the UK’s G7 Presidency. Theseministerial summits will cover economic, environmental, health, trade, technology,development and foreign policy issues.

    Prime Minister Boris Johnson said:

    “As the most prominent grouping of democratic countries, the G7 has long been thecatalyst for decisive international action to tackle the greatest challenges we face. Fromcancelling developing world debt to our universal condemnation of Russia’s annexationof Crimea, the world has looked to the G7 to apply our shared values and diplomaticmight to create a more open and prosperous planet.

    “Coronavirus is doubtless the most destructive force we have seen for generations andthe greatest test of the modern world order we have experienced. It is only right that weapproach the challenge of building back better by uniting with a spirit of openness tocreate a better future.

    “Cornwall is the perfect location for such a crucial summit. Two hundred years ago Cornwall’stin and copper mines were at the heart of the UK’s industrial revolution and this summerCornwall will again be the nucleus of great global change and advancement. I’m very muchlooking forward to welcoming world leaders to this great region and country.” 2021 marks a crucial year of international leadership for the UK. In addition to the G7 Summit,during February the UK will assume the Presidency of the UN Security Council, and later thisyear the UK will host COP26 in Glasgow and a global education conference aimed at gettingchildren in the developing world into school.

  • Indian-Origin Minister in UK Cabinet Appointed President of UN Climate Summit

    Indian-Origin Minister in UK Cabinet Appointed President of UN Climate Summit

    Nirpal Singh Shergill

    LONDON (TIP): Alok Sharma, one of the Indian-origin ministers in UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s Cabinet, on Friday, January 8, relinquished his role as Business Secretary in a mini-reshuffle to take sole charge as President of COP26 – the United Nations climate summit scheduled for Glasgow, Scotland, in November.

    The Agra-born minister, who was until now in charge of dual roles, will focus entirely on what has been dubbed as the largest summit the UK has ever hosted, bringing together representatives from nearly 200 countries, including India.

    Downing Street said PM Johnson had asked Mr Sharma to take on the new charge to drive forward coordinated global action to tackle climate change to meet the high ambitions for the summit.

    “The biggest challenge of our time is climate change and we need to work together to deliver a cleaner, greener world and build back better for present and future generations,” said Mr Sharma.

    “Through the UK’s Presidency of COP26 we have a unique opportunity, working with friends and partners around the world, to deliver on this goal. Given the vital importance of tackling climate change I am delighted to have been asked by the Prime Minister to dedicate all my energies to this urgent task,” he said.

    The COP26 President will be based in the UK Cabinet Office, continuing as a full member of Cabinet, and will chair the Climate Action Implementation Committee to coordinate government action towards net zero by 2050 in the run up to the November summit.

    “A successful summit in November will be critical if we want to meet the objectives set out by the Paris Agreement and reduce global emissions. The UK has set a high bar, with our recent commitment to reduce emissions by at least 68 per cent by 2030, but we also need other countries to do their bit,” Downing Street said.

    Sharma has been described as a “leading force” behind the UK’s climate diplomacy, since assuming the role in February 2020. The Climate Ambition Summit co-hosted by the UK in December last year saw 75 world leaders set out new commitments to climate action.

    Kwasi Kwarteng, who was a minister of state in the Business department, has been promoted to take over from Mr Sharma as Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.

    Anne-Marie Trevelyan will step into Kwasi Kwarteng’s place as Minister of State for Business, Energy and Clean Growth. She will also continue in her role as the UK’s International Champion on Adaptation and Resilience for the COP26 Presidency, supporting countries vulnerable to climate change to adapt to its impacts and build resilience.

    Comments Downing Street said the changes are part of the government’s Ten Point Plan on going further and faster towards a greener future, including committing to end the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles by 2030, supporting renewable energy projects across the UK, investing in technology and transforming the energy efficiency of the UK”s homes and public buildings.