381 wives NRIs seek government help March 15, 2012 13:34
The ministry of overseas Indian affairs (MOIA) has received 381 complaints of women being deserted or harassed by their non-resident Indian (NRI)husbands, a majority of them from Punjab, the Lok Sabha was informed Wednesday. Minister of Overseas Indian Affairs Vyalar Ravi said in a written reply that the NRI Cell opened at the National Commission for Women (NCW) too had received 532 complaints since September 2009. Of all the Indian states, Punjab had the most complaints filed at the ministry by Indian women victims. "There were 94 complaint from that state," Ravi said. After Punjab, most number of victims were from Delhi, There were 68 complaints by women from Delhi. Andhra Pradesh related complaints stood at 36 complaints. Other 18 states had less than 25 complaints each. At the NRI Cell in the NCW, Delhi had the most complaints with 121 women approaching the national body for a resolution of their problems with their NRI husbands. Uttar Pradesh had 62 complaints, Haryana 45 and Punjab 43, the minister said.
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Nithin Reddy wins top $100,000 prize in US science talent search March 15, 2012 13:08
Indian American teenager Nithin Reddy Tumma has won a whopping $100,000 prize in the prestigious Intel Science Talent competition for his research on devising a more effective and less toxic breast cancer treatment. Tumma, 17, from Michigan won the top honours in the competition that also saw two other Indian Americans - Neel Patel from Florida and Anirudh Prabhu from Indiana - finding a place in the top 10. The winners overcame tough competition from a group of 40 finalists, seven of them Indian Americans, in what is touted as the toughest national science competition. The 40 finalists met President Barack Obama at the White House Tuesday. Tumma analysed the molecular mechanisms in cancer cells and found that by inhibiting certain proteins, the growth of cancer cells may be slowed and their malignancy decreased. Tumma is first in his class of 332, a varsity tennis player and a volunteer for the Port Huron Museum, where he started a restoration effort for historical and cultural landmarks. Placed sixth, Neel Patel of Florida received a $25,000 award for studying how non-speech patterns of sounds called sonifications can convey information, which could lead to a computer-user interface as revolutionary as the graphical interface was 30 years ago. Prabhu from Indiana received a $25,000 for the seventh spot for his investigation of the odd-perfect number problem, and his suggestion that odd perfect numbers do not exist. Andrey Sushko, 17, of Washington State, won the $75,000 second prize for his development of a tiny motor, only 7 mm in diameter, which uses the surface tension of water to turn its shaft. Mimi Yen, 17, of Brooklyn, won the third prize of $50,000 for her study of evolution and genetics that focuses on microscopic worms, specifically looking at their sex habits and hermaphrodite tendencies.
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Happy Mother's Day March 12, 2012 16:33
A few days back, Savvy, a 5th grader studying in an Indian school in Dubai, came home visibly distraught. Her mother, who was used to seeing her sunny girl come home with a smile on…
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Top Indians in the Obama administration March 12, 2012 14:58
President Barack Obama, whose administration has by far the largest number of Indian Americans, has appointed two more to key White House jobs. USAID administrator Rajiv Shah is the highest ranking Indian American appointee. A list of top Indians in the Obama administration: Paula Gangopadhyay, Member, National Museum and Library Services Board, Sonny Ramaswamy, Director, National Institute of Food and Agriculture Anuj Chang Desai, Member Foreign Settlement Claims Commission Sonal Shah, Deputy assistant to the President, director, Office of SICP, Domestic Policy Council Farah Pandith, US special representative to Muslim communities Anju Bhargava, Member, faith-based advisory council Rajen Anand, Executive director, policy, USDA Centre for Nutrition and Promotion Nisha Desai Biswal, Assistant Administrative Bureau for Asia Deepa Gupta, Member, National Council on the Arts Arunava Joshi Majumdar, Under Secretary US department of energy Preet Bharara, US attorney for Southern District of New York Ajit Vardaraj Pai, Commissioner, Federal Communication Commission Geeta Pasi, Ambassador to Republic of Djibouti Subra Suresh, NSF Director Rajesh De, Deputy assistant attorney general, US department of justice
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A million strong NRI voters gain political clout March 12, 2012 14:45
Indian Americans have emerged as an increasingly powerful segment of the American electorate as President Barack Obama makes his re-election bid this November, according to a demographic snapshot of South Asians. The number of Indian-Americans…
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Two more Indian Americans to key jobs: Obama March 10, 2012 10:39
President Barack Obama, who with over two dozen appointments has more Indian Americans serving in White House jobs than in any previous administration, has named two more to key posts. While Indore educated Paula Gangopadhyay was named member, National Museum and Library Services Board, Bangalore educated Sonny Ramaswamy was named Director, National Institute of Food and Agriculture. "These dedicated individuals bring a wealth of experience and talent to their new roles and I am proud to have them serve in this Administration. I look forward to working with them in the months and years to come," he said in making seven new appointments. Currently the Chief Learning Officer at The Henry Ford, where she is responsible for leadership, strategy, and education, Gangopadhyay has held a variety of positions in education and arts policy. These include Executive Director of the Plymouth Community Arts Council from 2006 to 2008; Curator at the Public Museum of Grand Rapids from 2002 to 2006; and Executive Director of the Great Lakes Centre for Education, Research and Practice from 2000 to 2001. Gangopadhyay has served as a member of many state and national boards, including the Michigan Humanities Council. She received her BA and MA from Indore University, and her post-graduate certification in archival, museum and editing studies from Duquesne University. Ramaswamy is Dean of the College of Agricultural Sciences at Oregon State University and Director of the Oregon Agricultural Experiment Station. Previously, Ramaswamy was Associate Dean of the Purdue University College of Agriculture and directed the University's agricultural research programmes from 2006 to 2009. Prior to joining the Purdue faculty, Ramaswamy was head of the Department of Entomology at Kansas State University from 1997 to 2006, where he held the title of Distinguished Professor. Ramaswamy received a BS and MS in Entomology from the University of Agricultural Sciences in Bangalore, India, and a PhD in Entomology from Rutgers University. Meanwhile, Obama has found a replacement for America's first Chief Technology Officer (CTO), Indian American Aneesh Chopra who quit last month apparently to try his hand at politics. Chopra's successor Todd Park has served as CTO of the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) since August 2009, where he has been an agent for change, according to the White House.
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NATA Day Musical Night: A Colorful extravaganza in Minneapolis March 09, 2012 09:49
North American Telugu Association (NATA) of Greater Minneapolis Region organized the first ever NATA day Musical Night and Comedy Show that attracted hundreds of people of Telugu origin from all over the upper Midwest. The event promoted to raise funds for NATA sponsored events and charitable efforts was a grand success said NATA Regional Coordinator for Greater Minneapolis Mr. Madhu Kolan. The event took place on Friday March, 02 2012. The venue was John F Kennedy high school where audience of over 500 watched the true spirit of Tollywood extravaganza unfold. The people of Telugu origin hungry for such events since the last Mani Sharma concert were electrified by performances by Kamna Jethmalani (Bend Appa Rao fame), M.M.Srilekha who made her mark both as a female music director and as a versatile singer, Uttej (Shiva and Money fame), Shivaji Raja (Samudram and Murari fame), Sowyma Roy (Kick fame), Kalpana, Simha, and Abhinaya Krishna with their endless comedy, melodious vocals, and sizzling dance performances. Kamna Jethmalani danced to the the tune of the latest songs, while Simha took the opportunity to entertain the crowd. Uttej and Kalpana were at their best along with Shivaji Raja and Soumya Roy providing wholesome entertainment with their comedy skits. Simha and M.M.Srilekha were at their best rendering many catchy songs from both Telugu and Hindi movies. Abhinaya Krishna performance was the highlight of the day with his mimicry dance imitation of 24 artists. There was music, dances, comedy skits and much more that kept the audience engaged and wanting more. Padma Dharnipragada was the MC. The event was opened by a traditional bharatanatyam by Miss Rithika . Madhu Kolan, NATA Regional Coordinator for Greater Minneapolis is the event organizer overseeing the entire logistics of the event. Felicitations were done to Sankar Bandi and Surya Duggirala for their selfless service to the Minnesota Telugu community. A grand felicitation ensued to Jyothi Reddy, NATA coordinator from Phoenix for her successes and philanthropy. Later the entire team, sponsors, community leaders presented awards to visiting celebrities. The Grand Sponsors of the event are Brookdale 8 Cinemas and Vajrasys, Mathnasium, SV Temple, Radio Kushi. Other contributors include Sankar Bandi, Sirish Samba, Mahi, Srini Reddy Gangi, Kishore Kandula, Nagender Mankala, Gnaneswar Kacham, Vijay Beeram and Mangalapai. The event would not have been possible without the support of numerous volunteers of Telugu Association of Minnesota (TEAM), Ram & Jyothi Tallapaka, Vivek Addagudi, Kishore Pandari, Srini Halaharvi, Praveen Reddy, Srikanth Kamojjula, Surya, Durga, Hari Pallempati, Saladi, Sujit Kolan, Sarathi, Venkat Reddy and numerous other friends. Special thanks to media sponsor SAIPIX.net for memorable photo moments and videos and food sponsors India Spice House, Bollywood Bistro, Surabhi and Kabobs who provided authentic Indian snacks and meals for the visiting guests! Though it was snowing, the support and care extended by the organizers and the encouragement expressed by the fans is warm wanting us to come back again and again exclaimed the visiting artists from India!
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Canadian International Film Festival: Indian American filmmaker wins award March 06, 2012 10:14
Indian American filmmaker Manan Singh Katohora has won the “2012 Rising Star Award” for his feature film “9 Eleven” at the Canada International Film Festival. Held in Vancouver, British Columbia, the festival brings the very…
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Trinidad and Tobago's Indian-origin PM survives no-trust vote March 06, 2012 09:55
For the first time in its 50-year history, the Trinidad and Tobago parliament sat for a marathon 27 and a half hours non-stop in which a vote of no confidence was moved against Indian-origin Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar, but the motion was defeated. The session began Friday, March 2 at 1.30 pm and closed at 5 pm on Saturday. All 41 members -- 29 from the government and 11 from the opposition-- spoke in the house. One opposition member, Patrick Manning, is ill and is in Washington for treatment. When the vote was taken, the full government bench voted against the motion. Opposition Leader Keith Rowley had moved the motion on Persad-Bissessar and her 22-month old government -- comprising five coalition partners -- for not properly managing the economic, political and social issues in the country. Persad-Bissessar said the objective of the motion was to get her fired and bring down the government, but the opposition failed. She said that for 12 years, Manning, Rowley's former leader, had even described him as a "raging bull" and "completey out of control". The prime minister, who visited India in January, quoted extensively from Central Bank reports that showed the economy was improving from the decline the government had met it with, when it took office in May 2010. Finance Minister Winston Dookeran spoke of the numerous initiatives he has undertaken to bring the economy on a strong footing despite the critical financial situation all over the globe, especially in Europe. He said several international financial monitoring agencies have given Trinidad and Tobago positive ratings despite meeting a weak and depleted economy in May 2010. Dookeran is an international economist and author of several publications and who has lectured several times at the Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. There was loud support for Persad-Bissessar when she met thousands of placard-bearing supporters. Persad-Bissessar is the first woman to lead this country since its independence in 1962. Her forefathers were among 148,000 people who came here between 1845 and 1917 from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh to work on sugar, cocoa and coconut plantations.
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Dharun Ravi trial: MB testifies having sexual relations with Tyler March 03, 2012 15:51
A mystery man known only as MB testified that he had sexual relations with a student in Rutgers university dorm room on the two nights they allegedly were spied on by Indian-American student Dharun Ravi. The student Tyler Clementi jumped off the George Washington Bridge after discovering that his roommate, Ravi had been allegedly attempting to record his sexual encounter with another man in Sep 2010. Ravi was charged with bias intimidation as a hate crime, along with invasion of privacy and hindering apprehension. He is not being charged in connection with Clementi’s death. Testifying for the prosecution in New Brunswick, New Jersey superior court, M.B. said he noticed the camera on a computer pointed toward the bed the first time he had sexual relations with Clementi on Sep. 19. M.B. said the webcam was not there on Sep. 21, the second, and last, time they had sexual relations. “While we were intimate on the bed, I glanced over my shoulder and noticed the webcam facing toward the bed, which I thought was kind of strange,” M.B. said. “Being in a compromising position, it seemed kind of strange.” M.B. testified that the camera that he described as shaped like “a business card” was not there the last time he saw Clementi on Sep 21. M.B. who appeared to be in his late 20s or early 30s with full, but short, black hair told of how he first came into contact with Clementi via a gay website, Adam4Adam, before they set up their first meeting via text messages and online messages at Clementi’s dorm room on Thursday, Sep 16. Ravi’s attorney, Steven Altman, cross examined M.B. for about 90 minutes asking questions concerning messages and plans exchanged between M.B. and Clementi, particularly from Sep 16, when the two first met, until Sep 21, their last meeting. In particular, Altman wanted to know why the two did not meet in person until Sunday, Sep 19, after their first meeting on Sep 16. M.B. said Clementi had trouble contacting Ravi during that time to ask to have the room to himself for some time. M.B. vaguely recalled being busy or having to work. “There was discussion about meeting again,” M.B. said regarding correspondence he had with Clementi after their first meeting “We wanted to see each other every single day. We had a good relationship.”
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South Carolina to be partner with India: Nikki Haley March 03, 2012 15:30
Proud of her Indian heritage, South Carolina’s Indian American governor Nikki Haley says she wanted an opportunity to partner with India, since becoming chief executive, and now those talks are underway. “As I became governor, what I saw was an opportunity – it’s an opportunity to partner with a country that continues to be strong when it comes to jobs and…in innovation,” Haley told reporters in the state capital Columbia Wednesday after a meeting with visiting Indian Ambassador Nirupama Rao. “And so what I’ve asked is, ‘how do we get Indian companies to come and do business in South Carolina?’ I talked to the ambassador, and we are going to continue to talk.” Rao, who has been visiting South Carolina, said “I am exceptionally happy to be here.” “In the last two days, I’ve been to Charleston, and I’ve been here in Columbia, and I’ve had discussions with Governor Haley and her team. We’ve looked at the ways to cement better relations between India and South Carolina. “There are immense possibilities because this is really in many senses a time of awakening when it comes to India-US relations. “We have a number of Indian companies that do business in the United States, that have invested here, and what I’m going to try to do is to see that we have Indian companies come to South Carolina. “ “South Carolina provides a very conducive environment for foreign investment and which is what Indian companies would look to,” Rao said. Praising Haley as epitomizing the achievements of Indian Americans in the US, she said: “”She (Haley) is a star back home. We love her for achievements. In many ways, she epitomizes the achievements of the Indian American community in this country; all that they have done to make America proud and to make India proud.” Born Nimrata Nikki Randhawa to Sikh immigrant parents, Haley is the first Indian American woman and the second Indian American governor of a US State after Bobby Jindal of Louisiana. Both are from the Republican Party.
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Rajat Gupta, Rajaratnam had animosity: Defence lawyer March 03, 2012 15:08
The defence team of Goldman Sachs Group’s Indian American director Rajat Gupta, accused of insider trading, is seeking material to show “animosity” between Gupta and convicted hedge fund billionaire Raj Rajaratnam. Gupta’s poor relationship with…
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