Indian-American bar owner helped catch New York bombing suspect! September 22, 2016 10:22
An Indian-American bar owner, Harinder Bains is being hailed as a hero for helping capture the 28-year old Afghan-American suspect wanted for the bombings in New York and New Jersey. Mr. Bains owns a bar in Linden found Ahmad Khan Rahami sleeping in the doorway of his bar. He said he was watching news on TV on his laptop from another business across the street. According to the Bains, at first, he thought he was some "drunk guy" resting in the vestibule but then recognized Rahami and called police. Bains said that, "I'm just a regular citizen doing what every citizen should do. Cops are the real heroes, law enforcement are the real heroes," The PTI reported, Indian-American attorney Ravi Batra said that, Bains "dared to honour his Oath of Citizenship to protect & defend the Constitution from enemies foreign and domestic - and it's turns out that the Chelsea Pressure Cooker Bomber suspect, a naturalized citizen, is caught by another immigrant, an Indian-American Hero-Sikh." The National Sikh Campaign said in a said in a statement, that this was brave and courageous act by Bains. "A Sikh helps police get to the terrorist involved in New York and New Jersey bombing over the weekend," it said. "He heroically helped save many innocent lives and yet gave credit to law enforcement officers. Harinder Bains certainly did what every responsible citizen in America ought to do. Brave and courageous act!" said the National Sikh Campaign. Also Read: Indian-Origin Peer Wins 'Lifetime Achievement Award' in UK! Nandini
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One Indian-American, Two Indians among 17 UN Young Leaders! September 22, 2016 10:08
The list of 17 Young Leaders appointed as the inaugural class of UN Young Leaders for Sustainable Development Goals includes two Indians and one Indian-American. The young leaders have been recognized for their leadership and contribution to the achievement of the 17 Global Goals. The goals are also known as Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), to end poverty, fight inequality and injustice, and tackle climate change by 2030. The UN Secretary-General’s Envoy on Youth, Ahmad Alhendawi, “We are proud to announce this group of young global citizens who are already transforming their communities.” “At the same time, the selection process was an important reminder of the great potential and talent of so many young people around the world, who are making immense contributions to peace, development and the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals,” he added. The UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said in a statement delivered by Mr. Alhendawi, that, “Today I am pleased to join in welcoming the inaugural class of UN Young Leaders for the Sustainable Development Goals.” “These 17 young change-makers are a testament to the ingenuity of youth and I congratulate them for their exceptional leadership and demonstrated commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals,” he added. The complete list of the UN 17 young leaders includes, Trisha Shetty (India), Rita Kimani (Kenya),Anthony Ford-Shubrook (the United Kingdom), Rainier Mallol (the Dominican Republic), Vincent Loka (Indonesia), Edda Hamar (Iceland/Australia), Samar Samir Mezghanni (Tunisia/Iraq), Carolina Medina (Colombia), Lutfi Fadil Lokman (Malaysia), Jake Horowitz (the United States), Samuel Malinga (Uganda), Shougat Nazbin Khan (Bangladesh), Safaath Ahmed Zahir (the Republic of Maldives), Nikki Fraser (Canada), Ankit Kawatra (India), Tere Gonzalez Garcia (Mexico) and Karan Jerath (the United States). Also Read: Indian-origin businessman joins Business and Sustainable Development Commission! Nandini
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Indian-Origin Peer Wins 'Lifetime Achievement Award' in UK! September 19, 2016 10:07
A leading publishing group in the United Kingdom has honored an Indian-origin British obstetrician and member of the UK Parliament for his work in the medical profession and being incredible role model for social justice, equality and those less fortunate. The 78-year-old Lord Narendra Babubhai Patel has been awarded with the 'Lifetime Achievement Award' during the Asian Achievers Awards for his work in the medical profession and public life in Britain over the years. Excluding Mr. Patel, the other winners included Ms Manjit Gill, CEO of Binti, a social enterprise that works for women's causes in India and Africa, Mr Selva Pankaj, CEO of Regent Group, a London-based education skills and training development group and Paralympian Mr Ryan Raghoo, a long jumper who suffers from cerebral palsy. British Prime Minister Theresa May said in her message issued for the awards night, that, "This is a celebration of the enormous contribution British Asian make to our country. We see their success in sports, in enterprise and running of multi-million-pound businesses, media, public services and our Armed Forces." Mr Patel, member of the House of Lords who also serves as Chancellor of the University of Dundee, said that, "This is a real honour. It feels like the bigger the award, the less deserving we may be." The Asian Business Publications Limited (ABPL) organized the Asian Achievers Awards every year to honour British Asian achievements across different fields. This year, the occasion coincided with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's birthday. Mr C B Patel, publisher and editor of of ABPL Group, said that, "It is a very special day for Prime Minister Modi, whose birthday has already begun in India. We send him our best wishes." "As in years gone by, the winners this year are exemplary individuals who not only have excelled in their chosen professions, but also are incredible role models who work for social justice, equality and those less fortunate," he added. The event was attended by more than 650 people including entrepreneurs, business tycoons, MPs and the uniformed services, It raised 180,000 pounds (USD 2.34 lakh) through a live auction for its charity partner, Indian Ocean Disaster Relief, set up after the 2004 Tsunami to provide immediate relief and long-term projects in case of natural disasters. Also Read: Indian-American physician to receive National Humanities Medal in US! Nandini
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Indian-American physician to receive National Humanities Medal in US! September 16, 2016 10:29
The White House announced that, the Indian-American physician-author Abraham Verghese has been selected for the prestigious 2015 National Humanities Medal. His work has emphasized empathy in medicine. Verghese will be honored along with 11 others and the recipients of 2015 National Medal of Arts, by the United States president Barack Obama at ceremony on September 21. 61-year-old Verghese is currently a professor of medicine at the Stanford School of Medicine. He authored several acclaimed books, including "Cutting for Stone" and "My Own Country". The White House said in a statement that, Verghese has been given the award for reminding "us" that the patient is the centre of the medical enterprise. "His range of proficiency embodies the diversity of the humanities, from his efforts to emphasise empathy in medicine, to his imaginative renderings of the human drama," the White House added. Stanford President Marc Tessier-Lavigne, said that, "Abraham Verghese is not only an exemplary clinician, he is an exemplary humanist." Tessier-Lavigne said that, "Every day in the classroom, he teaches his students that professions such as medicine benefit from an understanding of the human condition. We are so proud that his breadth of scholarship has been recognized with this honur." Verghese an alumnus of Madras Medical College, India, said in a statement issued by the Stanford University that, "I am humbled and excited by this honour." "The names of previous recipients include writers I most admire. It is a wonderful affirmation of a path that in the early years I wasn't sure was the right path, even though it was one I felt compelled to follow," Verghese said. "I felt strongly then and now that what I was writing about, and my interest in the human experience of being ill or caring for the ill, was as much a part of medicine as knowledge of the function of the pancreas, for example," he added. Also Read: Indian-origin researcher wins Young Scholar award! Nandini
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Indian-origin researcher wins Young Scholar award! September 15, 2016 11:00
An Indian-American researcher Dinesh Bharadia at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has been honored with the prestigious Young Scholar award for his contribution to radio waves. The award was given by the US-based Marconi Society. The society said in a statement, that, "Bharadia has been chosen for the 2016 Paul Baran Young Scholar Award for his contribution to send and receive radio (wireless) signals, including mobile telephony and data on the same channel (wave)." Bharadia, 28, who hails from Ichalkarnji in Kolhapur district of Maharashtra, is an alumnus of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) at Kanpur in Uttar Pradesh and a doctorate from Stanford University. "Bharadia's research disproved a long-held assumption that it is not possible for a radio to receive and transmit on the same frequency band because of the interference that results," the statement added. The Marconi Society is named after Nobel laureate Guglielmo Marconi, who invented radio, and set up by his daughter Gioia Marconi Braga through an endowment in 1974. The organization wards annually outstanding individuals whose scope of work and influence emulate the principle of 'creativity in service to humanity' that inspired Marconi. The Marconi young scholar award includes $4,000 prize and expenses to attend its annual awards event. Bharadia is going to receive the award at a ceremony on November 2 in Mountain View, California. The Society also honors distinguished scientists with the $100,000 Marconi Award and Fellowship for emulating the principle of creativity in service to humanity. Bharadia said in the statement, that, "Marconi invented the radio but couldn't solve the problem of duplexing. It's fitting that this work is recognized by the Society." Bharadia invented a technology, which can be used in India to build relays which can listen to signals from a cellular tower, transmit them instantly and extend the range across the country. "This (technology) is needed as we have only a few towers; by deploying simple relay, we don't need to put in huge infrastructure for the cellular towers," noted Bharadia. "India has much denser users for cellular data connectivity and a few cellular towers. In other words, if I can talk and listen at the same time in context of wireless radio, then one can double the data we can service," Bharadia said. Also Read: Indian-origin man drives solar auto-rickshaw from India to UK! - Nandini
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Indian-origin scientist bags Lemelson-MIT in US! September 15, 2016 10:29
A scientist of Indian-origin earned the prestigious Lemelson-MIT Prize worth $500,000 in the United States for his groundbreaking innovations to create solutions to improve lives globally. The 46 years old Ramesh Raskar, who hails from Nasik, India is founder of the Camera Culture research group at the MIT Media Labs and an Associate Professor of Media Arts and Sciences. A media release said that, "Raskar is the winner of the 2016 $500,000 Lemelson-MIT Prize for his groundbreaking inventions, commitment to youth mentor-ship, and dedication to improving our world with practical yet innovative solutions." According to the announcement, seeking to catalyse change on a massive scale by launching platforms that empower inventors to create solutions to improve lives globally, Raskar combines the best of the academic and entrepreneurial worlds to achieve milestones in improving the lives and health of people in industrial and developing societies. Raskar is the co-inventor of radical imaging solutions, who has Raskar is the co-inventor of radical imaging solutions including Femto-photography. Stephanie Couch, the executive director of the Lemelson-MIT Program, said that, "Raskar is a multi-faceted leader as an inventor, educator, change maker and exemplar connector. In addition to creating his own remarkable inventions, he is working to connect communities and inventors all over the world to create positive change.” "Everyone has the power to solve problems and through peer-to-peer co-invention and purposeful collaboration, we can solve problems that will impact billions of lives," he said. The annual Lemelson-MIT Prize honors outstanding mid-career inventors improving the world through technological invention and demonstrating a commitment to mentor-ship in science, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). Also Read: Indian-origin businessman joins Business and Sustainable Development Commission! - Nandini
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Indian-origin businessman joins Business and Sustainable Development Commission! September 14, 2016 10:49
A Singapore-based Indian-origin businessman joined the Business and Sustainable Development Commission, which aims to help accelerate sustainable growth in agri-business. Indian-origin Sunny Verghese is co-founder and CEO of Singapore's agri-business group Olam International Limited. He joins a host of leaders from the private sector, academia and civil society, who are committed to accelerating the world's transition to inclusive and sustainable growth. Lord Mark Malloch-Brown, Chair of the Business Commission, said that, "The world cannot achieve sustainable development without the full engagement of the food and agriculture sectors, which are critical to achieving not just one, but the majority of the Global Goals." "Sunny's leadership in agri-business will be essential to increasing the number of leaders who understand the incredible opportunity for both growth and sustainability in this sector." Verghese said that, "One of the meanings of the word Olam is 'enduring' or 'everlasting'. I believe the only way we can build an enduring business is to put sustainability at the heart of our business. This is reflected in 'Growing Responsibly', our core purpose, which guides us to pursue profitable growth in an ethical, socially responsible and environmentally sustainable way." "I am excited to join the Business Commission, as it seeks to inspire and catalyse companies to embed sustainability at the core of their businesses and aims to foster collaborations to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030," he added. The SDGs was launched in 2015. It aims 17 ambitious targets to end hunger and poverty, reduce inequality and tackle climate change by 2030. Also Read: Indra Nooyi 2nd most powerful woman in Fortune list! Nandini
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Indian-origin man drives solar auto-rickshaw from India to UK! September 14, 2016 10:36
To create awareness about alternative mobility solutions using renewable energy for passenger vehicles in Asian and European countries, an Indian-origin engineer Naveen Rabelli drove 10,000km on a solar-powered auto-rickshaw from India to London. The auto had set off from Bengaluru in February. It is also known as 'tuk-tuk' in some parts of the world 35 years old Rabelli reached at Dover ferry crossing in the UK, days later than expected because he was robbed during a toilet break as he approached the ferry crossing from France. The diesel-powered auto-rickshaw cost him $1,500 to buy. He spent an additional $11,500 to get it ready for the zero-emission adventure titled 'Tejas'. The Times of India reported, Rabelli, who refused to let the robbery in France get him down, explained that, "The purpose of this journey is to create awareness of alternative mobility solutions for passenger vehicles in Asian and European countries using renewable energy - mix of solar and electricity." "My passport and wallet were stolen when I parked to go to the toilet at a fast food restaurant at Sarcelles, about 45 km west of Paris. I reported it to the police, where there were some language issues but after a few hours they found an officer who could speak English. They are very helpful and sorry when they heard that I was about to finish my trip," he added. India-born Rabelli was able to acquire an emergency travel document and complete his journey. He now holds an Australian passport. "The aim was to highlight an entirely Indian solution to the world and show the benefits of using a prototype that is reliable, feasible and affordable," said Rabelli. The specially-modified auto rickshaw is equipped with a bed, food cupboard and solar-powered cooker. It was shipped from India to Bandar Abbas in Iran from where he kick-started the overland mission to drive through Iran, Turkey, Bulgaria, Serbia, Austria, Switzerland, Germany and France before arriving in the UK. Also Read: NRI gives Sushma Swaraj Rs 1 crore cheque for a cleaner India! Nandini
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NRI gives Sushma Swaraj Rs 1 crore cheque for a cleaner India! September 10, 2016 14:54
An Abu Dhabi-based NRI doctor given a cheque for Rs 1 crore to the External Affairs minister Sushma Swaraj for India, becoming 'Swachh Bharat,' and becoming a bigger economic player on the world stage go hand in hand. Dr. Shamsheer Vayalil said that, "If India needs to emerge a strong nation globally, its workforce should be healthy. This can happen only when the population is healthy and disease-free. It is my strong conviction that Swachh Bharat will accelerate the process of creating healthy citizens." India Development Foundation of Overseas Indians (IDF-OI) a non-profit government trust currently chaired by Swaraj that invites NRIs, PIOs, and OCI card holders to donate to development projects in India. Valayil, who in 2007 founded VPS Healthcare, a group of hospitals, medical centres and pharmaceutical businesses in the UAE, said that, "With high productivity and less absenteeism, soon India will be in a trajectory of accelerated economic development." In a video message to overseas Indians uploaded to the Ministry of External Affairs' Twitter page Indian Diplomacy, Swaraj said that, "This money isn't just a donation. It's a way to connect to your roots. It's a way to repay your debt to your motherland. It's a way to express your emotional attachment to your country." Nandini
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Indian-American student recites painful poetry of replacement of Tamil with English at White House! September 10, 2016 12:47
The sizeable audience at the White House was attracted towards an Indian-American girl Maya Eashwaran when she recited a poem about her experience as an immigrant and how it was painful to replace her mother tongue Tamil with English. The event was also attended by the First Lady Michelle Obama, who felicitated Maya Eashwaran and four others, including another Indian-American, Gopal Raman, as part of the prestigious National Student Poets in recognition of their poetry skills. Maya, 17, concluded, reading her poetry, "I have lost more than I have ever lost in sixteen years. I have started shedding ethnicity like hair. Mother, I fear I'll go bald." "Ma, I haven't spoken (Tamil) in three years," she recited, amidst applause from the audience. "Maya - where's Maya? You put it best. These are your words, I'm told: "On the stage, there is no way to leave unnoticed. Did you say that?" the First Lady asked. Maya, born in the US to Tamil parents, said that, "My family is Tamil. I was born here. I write a lot of my poems based on my culture, my heritage." "The poem that I actually read at the White House is based on experience of losing my mother tongue and kind of replacing it with another, which is very painful thing to imagine to go through," she said. Gopal, 17, the other Indian-American budding poet who received national attention, lives in Dallas, said that, "It (love with poetry) started in seventh grade. I had a really great English teacher. He really pushed me in writing in more creative way. I choose poetry as my avenue of writing." "I am super honoured to meet the First Lady," he said. "I also want to plan for pre-med. My dream job right now is some sort of medical doctor" he added. "This is the last time that we're going to have the pleasure of welcoming a class of National Student Poets to the White House, at least under this administration. So I'm feeling a little melancholy here, because this has truly been an honor and a privilege and a joy," the First Lady said. She said when they came here, they wanted to use "this incredible platform of the White House to inspire young people to dream really big for themselves, to think about what their lives could look like beyond what their everyday existence is like." Also Read: MEA launches registration module for Indian students abroad! Nandini
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MEA launches registration module for Indian students abroad! September 09, 2016 11:30
The Ministry of External Affairs launched a registration module for the Indian students studying abroad, so they could be reached in case of emergency. The move has came in the wake of the absence of any data on Indian students studying abroad. The Minister of External Affairs, Sushma Swaraj tweeted, "We have no data of Indian students studying abroad. We have therefore, started a Students Registration Module on madad.gov.in/." "I request all Indian students to register themselves on this module. This will be of immense help," she added. "In case of any emergency, our Embassy will be able to reach you. While abroad - Indian Embassy is your family," she said in a series of tweets. On the other hand, the business insider reported that, the number of Indian students going abroad for under-graduate and post-graduate studies is expected to increase by up to 50% over the next five years. Rohan Pasari, Co-founder and CEO of Cialfo, a Singapore-based education technology firm, said that, "We see, conservatively, a 50% increase in Indian students going to the US and UK for under-grad and post-grad studies over the next five years. This is strongly supported by the growing disposal income of their families." Also Read: NRI architect launches bamboo structure design in Australia! Nandini
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Indra Nooyi 2nd most powerful woman in Fortune list! September 09, 2016 10:13
Indian-origin Indra Nooyi, the CEO and chairman of PepsiCo is the 2nd most powerful woman in Fortune's 51 Most Powerful Women list, which is topped by the CEO and chairman of General Motors Mary Barra. The Fortune 2016 list list includes 22 CEOs of major companies and many more corner office contenders across industries. It has nine newcomers and one return candidate. The only Indian-origin woman in Fortune list, Nooyi is now in her 10th year as CEO. She "shows no signs of slowing down," Fortune said. Over the past 12 months, PepsiCo's market capitalisation has increased 18 per cent to $155 billion, even as international volatility hit 2015 earnings. PepsiCo's 2015 sales dropped 5 per cent, while its profits declined 13 per cent. Fortune said that, "Investors seem to have faith that Nooyi's push towards healthier food and drink offerings will pay off, and they like the $63 billion company's $3 billion cost cut over the past three years too." Adding to this, some think more acquisitions in the health space may come soon, as Nooyi further diversifies out of the declining soda category. Mary Barra retained the Fortune's Most Powerful Woman tag after a year of "dramatic improvement" at the $152.4 billion in revenues of the auto giant. Fortune added that, "She ably steered GM through the ignition switch crisis that hit in 2014, made the tough decision to end operations in Russia, and invested in ride-sharing company Lyft and she posted record profits in 2015 of USD 9.7 billion." According to the lsit, the top 10 most powerful women are Marillyn Hewson of Lockheed Martin (3rd ) Ginni Rometty of IBM (4th), Abigail Johnson of Fidelity Investments (5th), Facebook's COO Sheryl Sandberg (6th), Meg Whitman of Hewlett Packard Enterprise (7th), General Dynamics' Phebe Novakovic (8th), Irene Rosenfeld of Mondelez International (9th) and Safra Catz Co-CEO, Oracle at the 10th place. While, Singing diva Beyonce earned 51st position in the coveted list. "Not only did she make music history by becoming the first female artist to have 12 songs on the Billboard top 100 (all on her sixth album, Lemonade), but she also made waves in the business world too," Fortune said. She launched the athleisure clothing brand Ivy Park in April. "While the venture is her first major foray outside the music world, Beyonce is no stranger to being the boss," Fortune added. Also Read: Indo-Japanese crowned Miss Japan! Nandini
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