UK-Based 11-Year-Old Indian Girl Scores Top Marks in Mensa Test June 07, 2019 18:46
The 11-year-old Indian origin girl has achieved the top score in a Mensa IQ test. On May 16, Jiya Vaducha appeared for the Mensa test at Birbeck in the University of London and scored 162 marks. She can now join the global high IQ society. The girl said that she was the youngest in the room when she attended the Mensa exam. Mensa is the world's largest and oldest high IQ society. It has members from more than 100 countries currently.The Times of India quoted her as saying, "It was hard but not too hard. Some questions were difficult, others were not. I was really surprised with my results." World-renowned physicist Albert Einstein was among members of the Mensa society. Earlier this week, an 11-year-old Iranian school girl, Tara Sharifi, a student in UK's Aylesbury High School, had also scored 162 points after appearing for the exam at Oxford.The Mensa test is split into two sets of question papers for testing different types of IQ. Cattell IIIB includes verbal reasoning, while Culture Fair features diagrams and images. Jiya secured 162 in the Cattell IIIB Scale, bringing her in the top one percent in Britain. In the Culture Fair Scale, she came in the top three percent with a score of 131 points. Jiya whose parents are from Gujarat was born in the UK and lives in Pinner, the London borough of Harrow.Jiya's mother Bijal is an accountant while her father Jignesh is a software entrepreneur. The parents are elated at the result of their daughter. Jignesh who is from Navi Mumbai went to the UK as a student in 2002. Bijal who is from Kandivli joined him in 2005. Jignesh said that while the family knew Jiya would do well in the test, they did not expect her to get the top result. Jignesh said, "We hope she will do something meaningful with her life."To gain a Mensa membership, one has to gain a score within the top two percent on either paper. Children above the age of 10 and half years can sit for the Mensa test. The United Kingdom has 22,700 Mensa members while there are 1,500 in India. Anyone can appear for Mensa exams. There are centers around the country.By Sowmya Sangam
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Three Indian Origin Women on Forbes List of America’s Richest Self-Made Women June 07, 2019 16:21
Forbes ranking of America’s 80 richest self-made women has been released and three Indian origin women made their way into the esteemed list. President and Chief Executive Officer of computer networking firm, Arista Networks Jayshree Ullal; co-founder of IT consulting and outsourcing firm Syntel Neerja Sethi; and Chief Technology Officer and co-founder of streaming data technology company Confluent Neha Narkhede, are named in the Forbes list of 'America’s Richest Self-Made Women 2019'. The list has been topped by Diane Hendricks, who chairs ABC Supply, one of the largest wholesale distributors of roofing, siding, and windows in America. The 72-year old has a net worth of USD 7 billion. Born in London and raised in India, Ullal, who has been ranked 18th in the list, has a net worth of USD 1.4 billion. The 58-year-old owns about 5 percent of Arista's stock. "She is now one of America's wealthiest female executives," Forbes said. (Image source from: Facebook/jullal) Sethi ranked 23rd, co-founded Syntel with her husband, Bharat Desai in 1980 in their apartment in Troy, Michigan with an initial investment of just USD 2,000. Her current net worth is one billion dollars. French IT firm Atos SE bought Syntel for USD 3.4 billion in October 2018 and Sethi, 64, got an estimated USD 510 million for her stake. (Image source from: Facebook/neerja.sethi.376) Narkhede is ranked 60th on the list with a net worth of USD 360 million. Confluent, which is currently valued at USD 2.5 billion, counts Goldman Sachs, Netflix, and Uber as customers. As a LinkedIn software engineer, Narkhede, 34, helped develop Apache Kafka to handle the networking site's huge influx of data, and in 2014, she and two LinkedIn colleagues founded Confluent to build tools for companies using Apache Kafka, which became open source in 2011, Forbes said. (Image source from: Facebook/neha.narkhede) The list also includes media mogul Oprah Winfrey ranked 10, Facebook’s Chief Operating Officer (12), reality TV star Kylie Jenner (23), fashion designer Tory Burch (29), pop stars Rihanna (37) and Madonna (39), singer Beyonce (51), author Danielle Steel (56), TV show Ellen DeGeneres (63) and tennis star Serena Williams on the 80th spot. Forbes said more women are creating new businesses and amassing fortunes than ever before, leading it to expand its ranking of the nation’s wealthiest self-made women to 80 ceiling crashers, one third more than a year ago. "Each of these overachievers has blazed her own trail," it said. List members range in age from 21 to 92 and are worth a combined USD 81.3 billion. The minimum net worth to make Forbes' fifth annual ranking of these women is USD 225 million. A record 25 are billionaires, one more than last year. Nearly half, or 38, live in California, followed by New York with 9. Nineteen were born outside of the United States, in countries spanning Burma to Barbados. By Sowmya Sangam
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Aiming to Be a Successful Doctor in the USA? Here’s How to Begin June 06, 2019 18:26
The Indian medics are predominantly making their way abroad especially to the United States of America to take up the doctor profession. Today, the U.S. has more than 80,000 doctors of Indian origin, In addition,…
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Indian Origin Jeweler Awarded for Bravery During Robbery in Birmingham June 06, 2019 15:16
An Indian origin jeweler has been honored with a bravery award after helping police arrest the robbers who bound and gagged him at his jewelry store in Birmingham has been honored with a bravery award.Chouhan Pal was presented with the West Midlands Police Chief Constable's Good Citizen's Award early this week for his handling of the attack on his Dubai Jewelers shop, during which he was hit, bound with ties and had sticky tape put over his mouth."Despite being assaulted, you displayed courage and took the risk to set the alarm off and trap the offenders inside the building with you," Chief Constable Dave Thompson told Pal, in his 50s."Your quick-thinking actions and bravery allowed three offenders who had committed a robbery in the jeweler's shop you own to be detained and arrested," he said.In April last year, during the raid, three robbers had made their way into the store using fake security industry identification tags claiming they needed to carry out CCTV checks. Chouhan straight off managed to hit an alarm with his shoulder, trapping the gang in the shop and setting off a smoke cloak.When the robbers demanded the keys to the front door, he gave them the keys to a holding area by the front door and then used the automatic release to trap them there.A passer-by heard their cries for help and let the men out, thinking there was a fire. However, police arrived in no time and the passers-by and Chouhan helped them detain the gang.All the three robberies went on to admit burglary at Birmingham Crown Court and were jailed for 14, 12 and nine-and-a-half years respectively in July last year.By Sowmya Sangam
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The Desire to Work in the United States Is Still an Unbroken Quirk for Indian Techies June 06, 2019 14:08
The harsh rules on work visas proposed by the Trump administration are apparently is not refraining Indian techies from showing interest to enter the United States. A recent data by Indeed.com revealed that between April…
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Meet Durga Sura, an NRI Striving to Serve Water for Stray Animals and Birds This Harsh Summer June 03, 2019 13:09
A Non-Resident Indian from Canada has come for the three-month vacation to Visakhapatnam in India and is doing her bit for the care of stray animals and birds. Moved by the plight of stray animals and birds during intense summer, Durga Sura is distributing the cement bowls at various places in the city with a provision to store five liters of water. She is even visiting schools to sensitize them on the need to take care of stray animals. “I am an animal and nature lover. I have so far distributed 80 water bowls naming it as Kittu Animal Welfare Water Bowl. I had taken up similar activity in Chennai earlier. In the future, I want to float an NGO to spare my free time along with my like-minded friends,” she told The Hindu. After graduating in engineering, Durga did Masters in Business Administration from Warwick Business School, United Kingdom. She later started a business in Canada under the name ‘PourGreen’, which aims at providing eco-friendly plastic alternatives to save marine life. Her family members are active participants in animal welfare and take care of three stray dogs at their home. “We are all aware that hundreds of stray animals, as well as birds, die due to scorching heat and lack of access to clean drinking water,” she pointed out. The bowls are placed near the curry points and juice shops, which are frequented by stray animals in search of leftover stuff. “We are trying to motivate the street vendors and kiosks to provide a place for the water bowls near their premises. We are educating and encouraging the people to fill water in them to help these innocent creatures to survive,” she stated. Besides, the family also regularly feed stray animals and provide timely medical treatment whenever required. By Sowmya Sangam
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Rich Indians to Face Hitches in Getting EB-5 Visa over Annual Cap Issue June 01, 2019 17:24
With each passing day, the United States is making it tough for Indians to enter the country by announcing stringent rules on immigrant visas. After H-1B, EB-5 visa, which is an employment-based fifth preference category…
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This is How Desis Abroad kept Close Tab on Indian General Election Results May 24, 2019 18:09
Entire India on Thursday was tied up to television sets and phones with the Lok Sabha election results being declared. But, what caught attention is Indians abroad having the very excitement and curiosity. Indians living outside the country - in the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand - have booked halls and other venues to live stream the result. The Non-Resident Indians in Melbourne gathered at a local restaurant - Desi Chatka Indian Street Food - to watch the screening and have discussions while sipping masala tea.Talking to TOI, one of the NRIs Maninder Singh Virk, said: “This place (Victoria) is a hub of NRIs and I am sure that the organizers will have to host a lot of regulars, as people are very excited to be a part of the event.” #ElectionResults2019: Bharatiya Janata Party supporters in Australia's Sydney and Melbourne celebrate as trends show party leading on 292 seats. pic.twitter.com/WphGVy1KeP — ANI (@ANI) May 23, 2019 Whereas in New Zealand, news portals Indian News, Apnu Gujarat, and Apna Bharat have booked Balmoral Community Hall in Auckland for the live screening and served refreshments to the attendees. Besides, screenings also took place in London and the U.S. (at Woodbury 10 Theatre in Minneapolis).NRIs from Orlando organized an event called 'Vijay Sankalp' at Park Square Homes offering food, beverage, and other entertainment.By Sowmya Sangam
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Two Indian Men Cycling to Mecca for Haj While Fasting for Ramadan May 24, 2019 12:41
The two Indian men’s idea of traveling to Saudi Arabia amid the month of Ramadan is something out of the ordinary and adventurous. The 53-year-old Muhammed Saleem and his friend, 42-year-old Rizwan Ahmad Khan, the…
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Meet Vasu Shroff and Khushi Khatwani, the First from Indian Community to Get 10-Year UAE Visa May 23, 2019 12:10
The two Indian businessmen Vasu Shroff and Khushi Khatwani on Tuesday were issued a 10-year-visa of the United Arab Emirates to become the first in the community to be issued a golden card visa. The…
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Dubai-Based Charity ‘PCT Humanity’ Run by Indian Expat Enters Guinness World Records for Holding Longest Iftar May 22, 2019 10:01
A charity owned by an Indian in the United Arab Emirates has set a new Guinness World Record for its hunger relief efforts during the holy month of Ramzan in Abu Dhabi. Joginder Singh Salaria,…
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Indian Origin Man Jailed for 29 Months in UK for Stalking Woman for 18 Months May 17, 2019 11:17
An Indian origin man in the United Kingdom has been jailed for 29 months for stalking a woman for 18 months after she accompanied him just once in a store in London. The 28-year-old Rohit Sharma was jailed at Isleworth Crown Court in London on Wednesday after pleading guilty to harassment, stalking, and failing to appear in court. "Stalking and harassment have a devastating impact on the lives of those targeted. There is an intrusion into the victim's life, and they are left to feel vulnerable, distressed and threatened," said Detective Constable Nicola Kerry from the Metropolitan Police West Area Command Unit, who led the investigation."Sharma was incessant in his pursuit of his victim. He would phone her up to 40 times a day and use around 15 different numbers to contact her, making it near impossible to block his calls, and would also get friends and relatives to contact her on his behalf," she said.The man started stalking his victim, aged in her 20s, after she served him in a shop in Wembley, north-west London, in November 2017. After that short interaction, Sharma came back later that same day with his father and asked her to marry him.Though the victim changed jobs four days later, Sharma found out where she worked and managed to obtain her phone number.His troublesome behavior intensified and he bombarded the victim with multiple messages via text, phone, and social media, the Met Police said.In February 2018, Sharma was issued with a harassment warning after the victim reported him to police. However, the court was told that this did not deter him and his stalking and harassment continued. The victim continued to receive up to 40 calls a day and continually watching her at her workplace.Sharma was charged with harassment in July 2018 but after being bailed from the court he continued to pursue his victim. He even failed to attend a court hearing in November 2018 and was circulated as wanted by police."Sharma's stalking continued persistently to such a point that the victim quit her job and moved away from the area in an attempt to get away from him. However, this only seemed to fuel his campaign and he systematically began contacting people who knew the victim, trying to find out where she had gone," the Met Police said.Sharma was arrested in April 2019 after intelligence linked him to an address in Wembley. He was subsequently charged and, due to the weight of evidence against him, was left with little option but to plead guilty at court.In a statement, the unnamed victim said: "This whole experience has completely shattered my nerves, I have gone from being a confident young woman to constantly feeling scared and on edge. I have no desire to socialize or meet new people, which has really taken its toll and ruined the university experience I had always envisioned."I cannot understand why this male became so obsessed with me. It is so unfair and completely undeserved. I just want him to realize what he has done and to know that he cannot do this to me or anyone else. I now want to move on knowing that he is locked away and cannot harm or hurt anyone else as he has done to me.""The victim has been left devastated by Sharma's actions and I can only hope that his imprisonment offers some form of respite for her. She has shown immense bravery in reporting him to police and supporting this court case," added detective constable Kerry.Sharma was sentenced to 22-months imprisonment for stalking, one month for failing to appear at court, and six months for harassment. Sharma will be deported back to India at the end of his sentence.By Sowmya Sangam
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