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The Union Minister for HRD, Science & Technology, etc, Kapil Sibal addressing the inaugural session at the 9th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas in New Delhi Jan 7. The Union Minister for Overseas Indian Affairs, Vayalar Ravi is to his right. New Delhi: The 9th edition of Indias annual convention to connect with its 25-million-strong diaspora in 130 countries kicked off here Friday with a fervent appeal to them to return to their roots, a land of new opportunities, and share the fruits together. Minister for Overseas Indian Affairs Vayalar Ravi led the Indian government in welcoming professionals and entrepreneurs in virtually every field- from healthcare and education to research and commerce - to participate in and benefit from Indias progress. PBD continued on page 4 More PBD stories on page 9
New York state Governor Andrew Cuomo takes an oath of office at the Executive Mansion in Albany Dec. 31, 2010 as his girlfriend Sandra Lee, Food Network star, holds the Bible and his daughter Michaela looks on.
Jaipur: The American Association of awearness about the cervical cancer Physician of Indian Origin (AAPI) held its and education to the general public for 4th Indo-US Healthcare Summit in Jaipur prevention of communicable diseases. from January 3-5 with much fanfare. ForAAPI Continued on page 4 mer President Dr APJ Abdul Kalam inaugurated it and state governor Shivraj Patil spoke at the concluding session. AAPI President Dr Ajeet R Singhvi in his address said that more than one lakh doctors are associated with AAPI and the organization is working as a bridge between the USA and India. He charted Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot the road map of AAPI for India in the flanked by AAPI President Dr Ajeet coming years, which included preven- Singhvi and Dr Ajay Lodha, Chair of tion of blindness, increasing public AAPI Convention 2011 in New York.
Sonia Gandhi
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New York: For its 29th annual convention, womens forum and several continuing medDr J. Ganesh Bhat, newly appointed to the the American Association of Physicians of ical education seminars, Dr. Lodha said. Public Health and Health Planning Council Indian Origin (AAPI) has again chosen New Dr Lodha also gave a power point presen- (PHHPC) in New York State, highlighted the York. The convention of the nations premier tation on the convention, unveiling the mar- rising profile of Indian physicians in the medical association will be held June 22-26, keting prospectus. Sponsorships range from country by mentioning the appointment of Dr The embassy in Washington is pledged to raise the issue with In2011 at Hilton New York, and is expected to Super Platinum ($500,000) to Silver Nirav Shah as Health Commissioner of the urging them to suggest ideas for scheduled to begin outsourcing the dian authorities to resolve pending be attended by over 2,500. ($100,000). He detailed the floor plan of the state by incoming Governor Andrew care serthe betterment of health Cuomo. processing of passport surrender cer- issues in this context. The convention kick-off meeting, coordiconvention on two floors of the hotel, where Dr Shashi Shah, President of the Host Orvices and its delivery in villages. tificates as well as PIO and OCI card Ambassador Dayal, however, nated by Convention Chair Dr Ajay Lodha, a large chunk of rooms have also been ganization and Chair of the AAPI Charitable It is estimated that there are services starting Jan. 11, the Hous- countered that emergency requests was held on December 19 at the convention booked at a negotiated rate. A hotel official Foundation, said AAPI can rise as much as its 1.2 million physicians of Indian ton consulate will begin Feb. 1, and at the New York consulate are being venue-- the imposing hotel Hilton in Man- New York consulate will start gave a guided tour of the convention floors members want it to rise. origin working in many counthe dealt with on a regular basis. Not hattans historic Avenue of the Americas. Feb. 15; other consulates will follow. only do we give emergencybanquet hall that can seat 2,500 The with a huge visas He emphasized the importance of increastries around the world. meetingConsul General in New York, and a Saturdays, ing AAPI membership, at the occasion, numSpeaking considering the MinIndias to begin planning and logistics for is not coming a day too soon. daily, we also open onspacious exhibition area. This Prabhu Dayal the convention was well-attended by nearly The two past presidents, Dr Dayan Naik berState istry of of Indian origin number New Delhi: Minister of of physicians Overseas Indian Affairs Applications of thousands of Indian- he told the media. While asserting 150 people, including AAPI of pro- Americans wishing to travel to India that procedures (2000-01) and Dr Hemant PatelDinesh Trivedi Fri- Secretary A.country Singh urged New York: After months President Dr for surrendering for Health (2007-8) about one lakh in the Didar and another Ajeet Singhvi, two past presidents, regional awaiting clearance at the five Indian passports are clearly full cooperation. Welcome to diaspora the diaspora to partner with govpromised their ex- day urged the Indian 20,000 are students. (In the past six months tests from naturalized citizens of are chapter heads andthe processing of ofconsulates in the country, according plained on the consulates websites, Dr Patel said, should be since Dr Singhvi took office, AAPI has inthe Big Apple! That, to partner with the government ernment agencies. Indian origin, other leading lights the Overseas Indians worldwide organisation. the convention slogan as making health care creased passport surrender certificates as to community organizations. he agreed that the new regulations in it will attract people. facilities its membership by 1,000). In a generate an economic output AAPI had chosen the Big Applebeing for in 2010 Some have been unable to travel have led to a huge rush in applica- more accessible. He recalled that during his term the inaugural democracy, he said, numbers are crucial to well as PIO and OCI cards is health of about $400 clout, which is its annual meet. And in year 2007, the venue was held, of has outsourced by Indian consulates to to India even during emergencies tions coming in.Indo-US Health the To cope with SummitDelivery and itqualitydraw full benefits. To addbillion members was neighboring Philadelphia. The to because of the lengthy procedures rush and backlogs, he said, since bycare services to every nook and equivalent to about 30 percent of Tristate been growing We leaps and bounds. The should route their political donations through streamline operations, according The 29th AAPI convention will be held area is where AAPI hasin large concentration the lack of manpower at consul- hired some staff temporarily, being held in Jaipur early Jan- is a big Indias GDP, Singh said. Origin fourth summit, but corner of the country Association of Physicians of Indian the Consul General a New York, and under the presidentship of There are various in Washof its membership and the 2007 and 2010 Representatives of the commu- new, untrained staff is not so ef- by former President Dr Political Action Committee formedmedia by uary, will be graced challenge for government agenAmbassador Prabhu Dayal. ates. Dr Ajeet R. Singhvi. cies, of Overseas In-at ington, Dr Shah said. On the practice side, he Trivedi said the 9th which Indian diaspora can conconventions were a success. As the new rules regarding renun- nity like GOPIO leaders attending fective. And we APJ Abdul enough Minister dont have Kalam, nect with India doing its best at Those who addressed the were ex- most 7-9 Pravasi Bharatiya space. But he promised that Vayalar Ravi, andBharatiya Divas emphasized that AAPI waslike Overseas Indian Affairs things Pravasi the Rajasthan here. ciation of Indian citizenshipmeeting the January successful to date. Indeed, said Delhi have are going the governor and The doctors of Indian origin level and since state Global Inpressed confidence that the 2011 convention meet in New Dr Lodha confidently, to get better soon. chief minister. He said AAPI the federaldia Facilitation Centre, laws vary, causing most confusion, delaying Divas are a critical mass, which con- dian Network of Knowledge, and would be a tremendous success, and expect- 2011 convention will prove to be a new mile- has planned a blindness prevention program AAPI local chapters have to become more the issuance of surrender certificates stitutes with 25 percent of the India Development Foundation of ed it to attract thefor naturalized citimade mandatory largest turnout to date of stone in the history of AAPI. He pointed to in Rajasthan in collaboration aboutthe state active. the cooperation and advice from leaders of government. global doctors pool, he saidtheOverseas Indians, he said. was zens, members. Some are promising AAPI Indian officials of them gave tips on After meeting, a sumptuous lunch the organization, including current and past an improved scenario and faster turnholding a successful conference. They elaboDr Naik said the success of a convention is served at Mint restaurant. Dr. Sunita Kanuaround time early start, detailed planning, members of AAPI Board of Trustees present always a matter of pride for the local chapterpaper, The South Asian ,Times is in. rated that an as they outsource more Your favorite mury, President-elect, AAPI also joined services relating to new regulations. immaculate hospitality and perfect execution at the meeting. organizing it. Fundraising and shared respon- Lunch ended with a surprise element--it was At the convention, Indian American physi- sibility are the key, he added. covering the PravasiAjeet Singhvis birthday and he cut a cake. were the key. Dr Bharatiya Divas in New Delhi cians, who form a notable chunk of the medDr Singhvi, in his brief address, inspired all Dr Sudhir Parikh, an allergist and Padma 7-9,AAPI isLook for ethnicexclusive from January 2011. the largest our medical organipresent to collectively work for a great con- ical profession in this country, hope to con- Shri and Ellis Island medal honoree, extend- zation in the US. It is an umbrella organizacoverage in our next issue, dated local chapters, vention. He recalled that the 2000 conference tribute ideas and solutions to health-care de- ed full cooperation of his publishing group tion which has nearly 130january 15. spelivery problems in India and the US.We will (Desi Talk and News India Times) to the con- cialty societies and alumni organizations and under Dr Dayan Naik was a success, and the 2007 one (25th AAPI anniversary) under Dr discuss how to improve the health system, in- vention. He also offered his good office for over 40,000 members. It has a legislative ofHemant Patel in Philadelphia was financially crease residency slots, hold a very big getting sponsorships. fice in Washington DC. Kolkata: A Kolkata-born doctor, Known in the medical fraternity The liver research and treatment who is part of the medical team that as Pat Basu, he left for London in center is expected to come up by the treats US President Barack Obama, 1982 and from there shifted to the side of the arterial Eastern Metropolhas decided to do his bit for his native US in 1987. He is currently associ- itan Bypass in the city by next year. place by setting up a super-specialty ated with the American Liver The initial budget for the project liver research and treatment center. will be Rs.100 crore (over $20 milWashington: Indian-origin first ever Indian American GovI am planning to set up one of lion). It will have various sub-centers Louisiana leader Bobby Jindal ernor of an American State. the best liver research and treatment in districts surrounding the metropo- is the most popular serving govSince then he has been ranked centers York (SATimes):be an an-a lis. Each sub-centre will be inter- ernor in the US. Jindal has an as one of the most popular govciously expressing his confidence New in Kolkata. It will Within swer to all kinds of liver ailments, connectedme to continue the vital role of ernors of the country and a rising month of legal luminary Ravi Bain and also linked to the main approval rating of 58%, Prithijit Patrik Basu said. centre IOLA tosatellite technology. needthrough provide additional along with 34% disapproving star of the Republican Party. tra being appointed to the Judicial Basu, one of the three Indian They will have both treatment of his job, shows a survey by Screening Committee, 2nd dept, ed funding to not-for-profit civil doctors in the medical team that and research facilities for medical Public Policy Polling. One of the that Obama,judges for many counselects was born in the Ballegal service the best liver the treats students. It will be providers acrosstop ranking Republican leaders state for the Asia. ties, Ravi BatraSouth Kolkata. He has been given anlygunge area of research institute inpoor. The in- of the country, Jindal is seeking other important position N.R.S Batra thanked the Senate re-election next year. completed his MBBS from by the Native place beckons Prithijit stitute will cater to patients from majorMedical College here in the late Patrik Basu, one of three doctors various neighboring states listed referJindal was closely followed outgoing Governor Paterson. ity as well as my such The Salvation Army helps people across 1970s and worked has appointed Ba- of Indian origin in the team as a resident docas Bihar, Jharkhand, Orissa and byJodi Rell, the outgoingand has been doing so since The Governor ences for this position: the legthe World, govertor with SSKM in the (Interest on that treats the President early 80s. Assam. The institute willAttorney Bobof Connecticut, who has an cater to nor tra to New York IOLA endary District 1865. It is noted that 89 cents of every dolAsked what prompted him to set Morgenthau, Congressman approval rating of 55%. CaliforEd Lawyer Account Fund) Board of Foundation. Since 2008 he has poor patients, said Basu. lar governor is used for assistance proup a liver research and treatment also been serving as the leading The proposed institute is also nias outgoing donatedArnold Trustees, for a 2-year doctor said: Towns, Rabbi Waldman and Schwarzenegger was the least grams, not salaries, making The Salvation centre in Kolkata, the term, accept- liver surgeon in the medical team planning to have a helipad and he- Ambassador to airlift patients popular in the country of the best economically run ing the Senate to do something Actually I wantedmajority's recom- that looks after Obamas health. licopter facilities Prabhu Dayal, Indian Army one with an Consul General. mendation made in June has for Bengal, for my Kolkata. It2010. Asked whether he ever had an from remote areas. Basu said the approval rating of just in the world. Donate online to: charities 25%. The eminent New York attorney been more than 25 years since I left opportunity to treat Obama, a smil- centre in Kolkata will have a docAt 36, Jindal in 2007 became www.onlineredkettle.org, or TEXT to NYSA Bengal. But the Governor as its gra- ing Basu said: Thank god, till date tor exchange program with medi- the first elected non-white Govthanked Bengal as well for culEminent attorney Ravi Batra 52000 to make the Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal ture is still alive in my heart. I havent had that opportunity. cal establishments in the US. ernor of Louisiana and also a $10 Donation.
Obamas doctor to set up hospital in Kolkata Ravi Batra gets another key position
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overseas Indians to participate with enthusiasm, Ravi told the estimated 1,500 delegates from 51 countries here for the event. Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal also called for collaboration from the Indian diaspora, especially in building the education sector that was so crucial to ensure the country reaches its true potential. Sibal said the government has opened up the entire higher education sector, adding that the Foreign Universities Bill to allow institutions from overseas to set up their hubs in India was also pending in parliament. We hope to get it passed soon. Formally called the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas, the three-day event will also be addressed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Saturday and President Pratibha Patil will honor some dozen eminent people of Indian origin for their contributions in various field Sunday. The focus this year is on the eight northeastern states - Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura and Sikkim. The speakers include several ministers and chief ministers. New Zealand Governor-General Anand Satyanand is the chief guest. Tech evangelist Sam Pitroda in his address asked overseas Indians to invest in broadband since a huge opportunity existed in the country given the governments goal of reaching it to each of its 626,000 villages with other applications for inclusive growth. Cuomo story from page 1 He announced the creation of three commissions to recommend within weeks how to trim state government agencies and authorities by 20 percent, how to remove the costliest state demands on local governments, and how to cut Medicaid costs, probably by at least $2 billion. To encourage good government practices, another $250 million for local governments to consolidate their services and $250 million for school districts that educate their students more successfully. To clean up Albany politics, the governors wish list includes public financing for elections, an independent redistricting commission, full disclosure of outside income by legislators and other reforms. Governor Cuomo will present his first balanced budget, which is due Feb 1. Cuomo cut his own salary by 5 percent, and asked for a wage freeze for most state workers for a year. That would make more budgetary sense if he did not seem so inclined to eliminate the income tax surcharge on people making more than $200,000 a year. AAPI story from page 1 Highlighting their social responsibility efforts, Dr Hemant Patel, former AAPI President, gave details of the Sevak project run in all districts of Gujarat and said that it will be extended to Rajasthan. AAPI also committed itself to promoting medical tourism in India, for which there is a huge potential. AAPI President-elect Dr Sunita Kanumury thanked the warm hospitality by the people of Rajasthan and hoped that the 5th Indo-US health summit may be held in Jaipur again.
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Andy Keshav Shenoy, President of Trivision Group Inc New Yorks Governor-elect Andrew Cuomos Transition Team.
Dr Prakash M Swamy will hold the post till 2013 rial positions in various IndianAmerican publications such as India Abroad, News India Times and The Urban Indian. In India, he was with The Hindu, India Today and Ananda Vikatan group of publications.The New York Tamil Sangam is a regis-
Dr. M.G. Prasad delivering his keynote speech. Others in the pic: K.J. Sharma, Convention Director, Mahendra Misra, Chairman of the BSNA BOT, Dr. Om Sharma, BSNA President Edison, NJ: The New Jersey branch of Brahman Samaj of North America, an organization dedicated to promote Vedic Knowledge in the Indian Diaspora, recently held its regional convention in Edison, NJ. It was inaugurated with chanting of Vedic mantras by noted Vedic scholar Dr. M. G. Prasad. New Jersey Assemblyman Upendra Chivukula was the chief guest of the event. Dr. Prasad eloquently spoke about the meaning and role of Brahmans as defined in the Sanatam Dharma. Dr. Om Sharma, president of BSNA explained that it was necessary to spread the Vedic knowledge in order to bring peace and unity among the members of Indian heritage. It is important to communicate with the main stream America about the importance of Vedic knowledge, he said, BSNA is actively promoting our cultural values. It is our responsibility to preserve and promote Vedic knowledge among communities aligned with the mission of BSNA. Dr. Akkaraju Sarma emphasized that Hinduism didnt believe in converting people through coercive means. Hinduism is characterized by the philosophy of live and let live. Ms. Anju Bhargava informed the audience about Hindu American Seva Charities, an organization working to gain the rightful place for Hindus in the mainstream America. HASC is a progressive American organization advancing the cause of community service and promoting interfaith collaboration, pluralism, social justice and sustainable civic engagement, she said. Dr. Om Sharma, offered to collaborate with HASC in advancing its goals. Others who spoke on the occasion included Dr. Bhudev Sharma, Nikunj Trivedi, Chetan Bhatt, Girish Shelat, and Dr. Ranjana Pathak. K.J. Sharma, convention director of BSNA spoke on the Western Perception of Hinduism. The day long program ended with a lively poetry recitation, music and dance performances. For further details on BSNA please visit: WWW.BSNA.Org
Jay Sean rings NASDAQ bell, ends first business day of 2011
New York, NY: Jay Sean, the popular British-Indian singing sensation began 2011 by ringing the closing bell at NASDAQ on Jan. 3 at 4 p.m., ending the first day of busi ness for the stock exchange this year, according to a press release. With hits like "Down", "Do You Remember", and "2012 (It Ain't The End)", Sean has made his mark topping charts in his own country and in the United States and Australia. Jay Sean, the popular British-Indian singing sensation began 2011 by ringing the closing bell at NASDAQ on Jan. 3 at 4 p.m., ending the first day of busi- ness for the stock exchange this year, according to a press release. With hits like "Down", "Do You Remember", and "2012 (It Ain't The End)", Sean has made his mark topping charts in his own country and in the United States and Australia. He plans to release his fourth album "Freeze Time" sometime this Spring, the release said. Some of Jay Seans family and friends had gathered at Times Squares Nasdaq to share this New York moment with the popular artist and before taking the stage Jay hung out with his entourage. The singer, who is set to release his fourth studio album Freeze Time in the
spring, was excited and honored to walk in the footsteps of famous personalities like Elizabeth Hurley, Preity Zinta and Shahrukh Khan Its an absolute dream to be here and to be requested for such an event. Jays upcoming album Freeze Time is rumored to feature names like Lil Wayne, Rihanna, Akon, Nicole Scherzinger, Nicki Minaj, Mary J. Blige and Pitbull.
Salman Taseer was shot dead in Islamabad called for the repeal of Pakistan's blasphemy law, the press release said. Governor Taseer's murder is simply a sign of the lack of understanding of the peaceful Islamic faith by a violent, vocal and misguided minority of people in Pakistan. This murder and many others are the result of a minority of religious clergy who continue to instill intolerance, violence and create an environment of a mob type justice without due process. Anyone who kills outside the framework of laws has not only committed a crime but a grave sin. These are signs of not only religious extremism but also
Famous Kalbeliya dancer Suva Devi is part of the ensemble and the spectacular Bhavai folk dance. More details can be obtained from www.worldmusicinstitute.org
Jayachandra Elaprolu, 22 had moved to US from India just 4 months ago Stiner claimed that fear drove his aggression, Houston Chronicle quoted police as saying. Morris has maintained he was strictly a customer in the store during the 2:30am shooting, in the wrong place at the wrong time, police said. He further complained to police and a local TV station that he had been wrongly implicated in the incident, much of which was captured on surveillance video. But police believe Morris acted as a scout, who twice went inside the store to scope out the scene, said Bud Corbett, assistant police chief in Pasadena. According to officials, Morris, who police said is a friend of Stiner's, went into the store the first time and
Daniel Jacob Stiner and Michael Ray Morris have been charged made a purchase. He returned, obtained change from Elaprolu and exited the business again. Police said Stiner, wearing a mask and carrying a semiautomatic pistol, then entered the store and immediately opened fire, striking Elaprolu at least five times as he tried to retreat to a back room. Stiner fled, carrying the lightweight register, police said. Elaprolu was wounded in the stomach, liver, upper torso, intestine and heart. A tip from Crime Stoppers helped in the arrests, Corbett said. Neither of the men has criminal convictions in Harris County, according to county records. Elaprolu had moved to the US four months ago from Andhra Pradesh.
TED South Asian Fellows: Robert Gupta, Awab Alvi, Manu Prakash and Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy nary people drawn from the widest spectrum of disciplines," Tom Rielly, TED Fellows director, stated in a press release. "And while each has already achieved so much in his or her respective fields from music to science to the arts all are now poised to spread their ideas on a global level. The Fellows program helps amplify the impact of each Fellow's eye-opening ideas, and we're thrilled to welcome these innovators to the TED community." All TED Fellows participate as full members of 2011's annual TED Conference in Long Beach, Calif., as well as a two-day preconference event where they collaborate with their peers and deliver their own TEDTalks. The Fellows will also participate actively in the TED community throughout 2011, telling their ongoing stories on the TED Fellows blog, contributing to TEDx events, being featured in the online Fellows directory and participating in a private TED social network. TED also announced Dec. 15 that its 2011 Senior Fellows, who were chosen from last year's TED, TEDGlobal, and TEDIndia Fellows classes, have been invited to participate in the TED community for another two years. The 2011 Senior Fellows are Robert Gupta, an Indian American violinist and musical activist, and the youngest member of Los Angeles Philharmonic; Awab Alvi, a Pakistani dentist, orthodontist and author of Teeth Maestro, a prominent Pakistani political blog; and Aparna Rao, a part of the Bangalore-based artist duo Pors & Rao who works with electromechanical systems and interactive installations. Also named Senior Fellows were Manu Prakash, a Junior Fellow at the Harvard Society of Fellows, a physicist and inventor pursuing research in the field of physical biology; and Sharmeen ObaidChinoy, a documentary filmmaker and founder of The Citizens Archive of Pakistan, an educational institution and heritage center established to preserve Pakistan's history. On Jan. 17, TED will begin accepting submissions for the next round of TED Fellows. The Fellows program seeks individuals of age 21-50 (though anyone over age 18 is eligible) who demonstrate remarkable achievement in their field of endeavor. The program focuses on candidates from five regions: Asia/Pacific, Africa, the Caribbean, Latin America and the Middle East, though candidates from all regions are welcome.
Harry Sidhu re-appointed Akash Krishnan shares top team prize Mayor Pro Tem in 2010 Siemens Competition
office include initiating Anaheim, CA: By a unanimous vote on a free annual health fair in the City, supDecember 14, the Anaheim City Council porting a charter amendment which was re-appointed Council placed on the Member Harry Sidhu to serve as Mayor Pro Tem November 2006 ballot to forever prohibit emifor the 2011 calendar year. Pursuant to the nent domain abuse in Harry Sidhu the City of Anaheim, Anaheim City Charter, the Mayor Pro Tem performs the duties and implementing an annual of the Mayor during the Mayors Anaheim/OC Job Fair and Expo. Sidhu says he is honored to have absence or disability. Harry Sidhu was elected to the Anaheim City been elected to serve as an Anaheim Council in November 2004, and was City Council Member the first first appointed as Mayor Pro Tem in person of Indian heritage to have December 2009. Prior to serving on achieved this position. Born and the Anaheim City Council, Sidhu raised in India, Sidhu immigrated to was Chairman of the City of the United States in 1974 with his Anaheim Budget Advisory parents as a permanent resident, setCommission. He is also an Orange tling in Philadelphia, Pa., where he County Sanitation District Director completed his education and and serves on the City of Anaheim received a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering Audit Committee. Sidhus achievements while in from Drexel University. Washington, DC: Akash Krishnan will share the $100,000 grand prize in the team category, and Nevin Daniel won a $50,000 scholarship for being a national finalist in the individual category, in the recent 2010 Siemens Competition in Math, Science and Technology, Americas premier science research competition for high school students. Krishnan and Matthew Fernandez, juniors at Oregon Episcopal School in Portland, Ore., will share the $100,000 grand prize in the team category for developing a computer algorithm to more accurately detect emotion in the human voice. A junior, Krishnan plans to pursue computer science and electrical and mechanical engineering in college. He speaks Telugu, plays the piano and clarinet, and has a black belt in Okinawan-style karate. As the $100,000 winners, Krishnan and Matthew Fernandez cancer patients. Daniels many roles at his school include serving as president of the Science Bowl, editor of the school newspaper and literary magazine, and member of the cross country team. He plays the violin and viola and has performed at Carnegie Hall with the Metropolitan Youth Orchestra of New York. Daniel hopes to study biomedical engineering or pre-med and to become a biomedical research scientist leading his own laboratory. Also, Santhosh Narayan, of Munster, Ind. with Nikhil Mehandru, Roslyn, NY and Sonya Prasad, of Roslyn Heights, NY, received a $30,000 scholarship as team finalists (materials science/nanoscience category). The Siemens Competition, a signature program of the Siemens Foundation, is administered by the College Board.
Anand Krishnan (2nd from left) has developed a computer algorithm to detect emotion in human voice more accurately will ring the closing bell at the New York Stock Exchange in January. Daniel, a Ward Melville High School student from Port Jefferson Station, New York, received his $50,000 scholarship in the category of chemistry. Daniels research goal is to develop a new method for anti-cancer drug delivery, leading to more effective, specific and biocompatible chemotherapeutic treatments for
Union Minister of HRD and Telecommunication Kapil Sibal, Union Minister of Overaseas Indian Affairs Vayalar Ravi and P. Rajendran, Chairman of CII Higher Education Committee, during a seminar on the first day of the 9th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas 2011 in New Delhi on January 7.
were needed, he said. "This is a mind boggling challenge," the minister said. Sibal added that the government has opened up the entire higher education sector. About the Foreign Universities Bill, which is pend-
S. Samy Vellu, left, Malaysia's special envoy with ministerial rank and special envoy to South Asia, attends a seminar on the first day of the PBD-2011 in New Delhi.
ing in the parliament, he said: "We hope to get it passed soon". Taking a dig at the opposition, Sibal said that there was only one way to defeat the government and that is by bringing in a no confidence motion. "If you cannot do that you cannot have the leisure of stopping the work of the government," he said. Nealry 1,500 delegates were scheduled to participate in the three-day annual convention for overseas Indians, the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD). The ninth edition will have a special focus on India's northeastern region and the younger generation of the diaspora. "Without much effort, we already have 1,300 confirmed delegates, but we are expecting at least 1,500 delegates to participate," Minister for Overseas Indian Affairs Vayalar Ravi told reporters during a press confer-
ence. With a special focus on the northeast in 2011, the event is being held in partnership with the ministry for development of the northeastern region and the state governments of the eight northeastern states - Assam, Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim, Meghalaya, Tripura and Arunachal Pradesh. "We have great hopes from PBD," Minister of Development of North Eastern Region B.K. Handique said. The participating delegates will also have an opportunity to interact with three senior members of the Indian cabinet Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna and Roads and Highways Minister Kamal Nath. There was scheduled to be a plenary session to look at ways
to engage with the younger generation of the Indian diaspora and involve them in the evolving India story. Ravi had also stressed the need to improve the "connectivity of young overseas Indians" with the mother country. "These young people are born and brought up outside, but there is always a bit of India in all Indians. I want to arouse that feeling," said Ravi. The annual C.K. Prahalad memorial lecture was to be delivered on the subject of inclusive growth by Gautam Ahuja, chairperson, Corporate Strategy and International Business group, University of Michigan Business School. President Pratibha Patil was to deliver the valedictory address on January 9 and confer the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman awards at the closing session.
Union Minister for Overseas Indian Affairs Vayalar Ravi addressing the gathering on first day of 9th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas-2011, in New Delhi.
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Rajasthan Governor Shivraj Patel lighting the ceremonial lamp, with Rajasthan Health Minister AA Khan, AAPI President Dr Ajeet Singhvi (extreme right), and Dr Hemant Patel (extreme left) who is summit adviser and past president AAPI, at the 4th Indo-US Healthcare Summit. the organization is working as a bridge between the USA and India. AAPI is running a clinic in Rozda village near Jaipur while 18 charitable clinics, 3 cancer clinics and three trauma clinics are also being run by AAPI in India. The doctors of Indian origin form only 6% of physicians community in USA. But every fifth medical student in USA is of Indian origin which means that we would not only increase in numbers in the coming years but in our influencing power as the strongest ethnic community in USA, Dr Singhvi said. Speaking at the inauguration session, Dr Hemant Patel, former president of AAPI, highlighted the contribution of AAPI in USA and other countries. We are the strongest ethnic group in USA and it was an achievement when President Barack Obama addressed AAPI summit last year. The American Medical Association took 150 years to achieve the same feat when an American president addressed them. Dr Patel said. Highlighting the social responsibility efforts by AAPI, Dr Patel informed the audience about the Sevak project run in all districts of Gujarat by AAPI. We have trained one person in one village in each district as Sevak. The project has been highly appreciated by all quarters as it is highly beneficial to society. We are also planning to implement this achievement in Rajasthan, he said. Dr Kalam called upon doctors from all over the world to have a
Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and AAPI President Dr Ajeet Singhvi (middle) with AAPI delegates to the health summit and guests.
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TheSouthAsianTimes.info
Former President Dr APJ Abdul Kalam arriving with Dr Singhvi (on his right) to inaugurate the health summit and (right) Dr Kalam and AAPI functionaries on the dais at the inauguration. Jaipur: Former President Dr APJ Abdul Kalam called upon the doctors to give less diagnostic pain by prescribing minimum testing before treatment. He insisted that treatment should cost minimum and with no side effect to the patients. He was inaugurating the 4th Indo-US Healthcare Summit organized by American Association of Physician of Indian Origin (AAPI). Dr Kalam busted the myth of brain drain from India. Brain drain from India is a myth as the number of people going out are not even 5% of the total. Then, with the Indian culture and values, those going out can help us bring the latest technology and knowledge in the country. The need is to create excellence centre for research in various fields in the country, he said. The former President and acclaimed scientist called upon the Indian doctors living in every part of the world to participate in the sustainable development of rural areas in India. Citing a few examples of community medicine centers in Karnataka and health centers run by cooperative efforts in Maharashtra, Kalam said that treatment should reach the tribal and poor in the country. Doctors can participate in rural development by setting up centers to help villages and to participate in developing an action plan to strengthen the local knowledge with latest techniques and methods, Dr Kalam said. Physicians in organizations like AAPI are our goodwill ambassadors, he added. Kalam called upon doctors from all over the world to have a patient centric approach. Championing preventive healthcare can make a doctor great. He can achieve the same feat by creating a cost effective vaccine affecting millions of lives, fighting against communicable disease, nutritional deficiencies and water borne diseases. Finding a cure for disease like diabetes, cancer and Aids can also make a doctor great, he elaborated.
Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot meeting AAPI President Dr Singhvi and other delegates at his residence in Jaipur after the summit. Jaipur: Doctors of Indian origin are planning to replicate the Gujarat model of the Sevak project in Rajasthan. AAPI announced here on the occasion of 4th IndoUS Healthcare Summit that their flagship community service effort Sevak program will be implemented in Rajasthan also. Our aim is to train non-physicians in the villages to identify potential patients of every kind. The Sevaks once identified also provide preventive education to the villagers, said Dr Hemant Patel, who had envisioned Indo-US health summits during his term as AAPI Presdient four years ago. He was addressing the gathering of doctors present at the summit at Birla Auditorium. AAPI is running the project in Gujarat since March 2010 in which one volunteer in one village in each district is trained by AAPI in association with other institutes who screen the residents for diabetes, hypertension, obesity, and monitor those with chronic diseases. The project will involve coordinating with the villages and identifying bright individuals with medical and or non-medical backgrounds, one person per village of 1000-1500 population. We had a talk with Rajasthan health minister A.A. Khan when he came to USA in 2010. He was excited about the project and we are in talks with the government to implement the Sevak Project in Rajasthan also. The nitty-gritty of the project is yet to be finalized, Dr Ajay Lodha, Convener of AAPI convention in 2011 said. The project was conceived after a study done by AAPI in four villages in India and determined that access to care and preventive care was a huge problem along with high prevalence of diabetes and hypertension. Sevak is preferably a graduate or youth educated up to 12th standard who lives in the village and is willing to do community service. After being trained by AAPI, Sevaks will screen the villagers for diabetes, hypertension, monitor high risk population for various diseases and patients with chronic disease who are on treatment, in addition to providing healthy lifestyle education and preventive care to the villagers.
Shivraj Patil, Governor of Rajasthan and Punjab, addressing the summit. Jaipur: Rajasthan Governor Shivraj Patil called upon doctors to educate the public for preventive measures against disease. He was addressing the closing ceremony of 4th Indo-US healthcare summit at SMS convention centre in Jaipur. Our doctors working in other countries are our individual ambassadors who are earning respect and goodwill for themselves and for the country. We are proud of their work and they can bring their expertise and share their knowledge for the uplift of the needy back in this country. Patil said. The Governor called upon Indian doctors in the US to share their knowledge and expertise at their convenience with health institutions and universities in India. The doctors associated with AAPI can use e-lectures to contribute in training of new doctors in India, he said. Rajasthan Health Minister AA Khan was also present at the occasion. Dr Sunita Kanumury, the president-elect of AAPI, said that they enjoyed the warm hospitality of Rajasthan and may come back next year to hold the 5th Indo-US healthcare summit in Jaipur again. In his concluding speech, President of AAPI Dr Ajeet Singhvi said that doctors of Indian origin will closely work with the health departments and doctors in India for promoting preventive knowledge. We would be increasingly working to increase awareness about Diabetes, cervical cancer, prevention of blindness and other issues. The success of Sevak project in Gujarat will also be repeated in Rajasthan with the help of state government, Dr Singhvi said.
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The summit was attended by Dr Spencer B King, Dr Robert Bono and Dr William A Zogbi from USA Health tourism is developing around 35% per annum world over. The patients are coming to the developing nations like India as these countries present a unique combination of medical expertise and leisure. By strengthening the basic infrastructure we can promote India as the most favored destination for medical tourism, Pawan K Stan, the convener of health tourism cell of AAPI said. Focusing on the issue of sleep apnea Dr Gautam Samadar said session on diabetes attended by Dr Anuj Bhargava, Dr Jayesh Shah, Dr Mohan, Dr Murlidhar Acharya, Dr Anoop Mishra and Dr Shashank Joshi. Dr Arun Pramanik Chaired the session on mother and child health attended by Dr Ajay Jain, Dr Kishan Kumar, Dr Ashok Gupta of SMS medical college. The special session on surgery was chaired by Dr Shashi Shah in which Dr Ravi Jahagirdar, Dr Ajay Khanna, Dr Nick Shroff, Dr Dilip Patel, Dr Navin Mehta and Dr Suwas Desai presented their papers. Dr Ram Upadhyay, a native of Sikar and living in Boston, reiterated his commitment to serve the motherland with the health services. While Dr Sanjay Jain and Dr Subha Jain insisted on the need of pain management to be made part of curriculum in the medical studies in India and extended their support for the cause. that the disease increases the risk of heart attack, stroke and high blood pressure in the patients. 24% middle aged men and 9% women suffer from sleep apnea. According to the studies 80% of those suffering from sleep apnea also develop cardio-vascular disease. People avoid the test for the disease due to non information and its cost but the disease is spreading fast in the new generation and many times can be fatal, Dr Samadar said. key health care issues affecting the Indian subcontinent such as diabetes, lung diseases, asthma & allergies, cardiovascular diseases, womens & childrens health and cancer. Dr Singhvi also highlighted the summits task to create a prototype program of implementation for various disease categories specifically designed to improve outcomes while maintaining costeffectiveness. When successful, the program can be deployed nationally and internationally. The summit Adviser is Dr. Hemant Patel (Past President AAPI), and Summit Coordinator is Dr. Ajay Lodha, who is also Chair for AAPIs 29th Convention in New York in June 2011. Though AAPI was founded in 1982 to protect the interests of its members (which it also pursues through legislative advocacy in Washington DC), in recent years it has added the role of raising awareness for prevention, treatment, and management of critical diseases of interest to the Indian public health. Jaipur, the location for the fourth summit, is the first city AAPI has accredited as center for medical tourism. AAPI is committed to provide logistic support for health tourism development in India, a choice destination as it provides state-of-the-art amenities for treatments like hip or knee replacements and cardiac surgery, high qualities of healthcare infrastructure and low costs.
AAPI delegates and other attendees at the 4th Indo-US Healthcare Summit in Jaipur. Jaipur: Doctor of Indian origin in America have offered to help in developing basic infrastructure of medical facilities in Rajasthan for promoting medical tourism. The issue was discussed at the technical session on the second day of the 4th Indo-US health summit at SMS convention hall. Dr Ajeet R. Singhvi, AAPI president, announced that they have been making a blue-print to provide technical and financial help to the health sector in Rajasthan. We assure Rajasthan of full support of AAPI for developing medical tourism in the state. The organ donation and transplantation can also save many lives if implemented properly, he said. Other experts like Dr Ajay Lodha, Dr Hemant Dhingra and Dr Vijay Agrawal also participated in the session to offer their views. Continued fron page 10 The technical session on breast cancer was chaired by Dr Kishor Sehgal and attended by Dr Kirti Jain, Dr Sumita Jain, Dr Raj Bhandari, Dr Rajesh Grover and Dr Amita Maheshwari. Expert Dr GK Rath from All India Institute of Medical Science (AIIMS) New Delhi explained the Indian context of breast cancer as a disease and its social effect on the patients. Every year more than 2000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer in India. But cancer is not figuring among the first 10 diseases people die from in India while in USA it is one of the three major diseases causing death, he said. The convener of health tourism cell of AAPI Dr Pawan Rattan chaired the session on health tourism. Health tourism in India is growing by 35% every year world over. There is a lot of potential in Rajasthan to become a hot destination for medical tourism. Dr Rattan said. Dr Ajay Lodha, Chair of AAPI Convention 2011, Dr Archana Sharma, Dr Hemant Dhingra, Dr Vijay Agrawal, Dr Laxman Agrawal and Dr Ramesh Roop Rai were among others who attended the session. Dr Prakash Didwania chaired the session on cardiovascular disease in which Dr Brahma Sharma, Dr Vibhuti Singh, Dr Krish Vijay and Dr Rajiv Gupta participated actively. Dr Sunder Mudliar chaired the
Summit objectives
Following the previous three AAPI health summits all held in New Delhi, the fourth one was supported by Indias Health Ministry, Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs and the Government of Rajasthan. Apex Indian medical bodies--Indian Medical Association (IMA) and Medical Council of India (MCI) -- and other organizations also teamed up again. . The primary goal of the summit, said AAPI President Ajeet R. Singhvi, is to raise awareness of
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report, received the suggestions of the Srikrishna panel more or less with calm barring some violence on Osmania University campus in Hyderabad and sporadic protests in some other parts of Telangana. The issue of a Telangana state, raised many times in the past too, has divided Andhra Pradesh. Even leaders of TDP and Congress from the backward region of 10 districts have come out in its support. The report has given six options but laid thrust on the last two. The most favored way out, listed sixth in the report, talks about keeping the state united and taking constitutional and statutory measures for the socio-economic development and political empowerment of Telangana region. This, it said, could be done by setting up a statutory and empowered Telangana Regional Council with adequate transfer of funds, functions and functionaries. It said the "second best option" listed fifth in the report - was to bifurcate the state into Telangana and Seemandhra with existing boundaries with Hyderabad as the former's capital. Seemandhra would have a new capital. This option, the committee feels, had to be given considera-
tion. In a major fillip to the advocates of Telangana, it said the demand for a separate state was "not entirely unjustified". The committee "least favored" the option of maintaining status quo. It, however, said that the option of breaking up the state into Seemandhra and Telangana with Hyderabad as a union territory may not be "practicable". The choice of splitting the state into Rayala-Telangana and coastal Andhra regions with Hyderabad as an integral part of RayalaTelangana may not be acceptable to all three regions, it said. It said its fourth option of creating a Seemandhra and Telangana with an enlarged Hyderabad as union territory by including Nalgonda district in the southeast to Guntur in coastal Andhra and via Mahabubnagar in the south was likely to be stiffly opposed by Telangana protagonists. Telangana was part of the erstwhile princely state of Hyderabad. It was merged with Andhra state in 1956 to form Andhra Pradesh. Telangana leaders say the region is discriminated in comparison to the rest of the state. The report of the Srikrishna Committee, constituted in
February last year, comprises two volumes and nine chapters. Chidambaram urged political parties to consider the report "with an open mind". He said the committee had given six options but "rejected the first three choices as not practical". He asked parties, groups and individuals to "show adequate respect to the labor of the committee" and told them not to reach
"instant conclusions". Chidambaram said another meeting of political parties from Andhra Pradesh would be held by the end of this month. Among the eight parties invited, only five -the Congress, Communist Party of India-Marxist, Communist Party of India, Majilis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen and Praja Rajyam Party -- attended Thursday's meeting.
ndhra Pradesh remained peaceful barring violent incidents on Osmania University campus in Hyderabad and sporadic protests in some other parts of Telangana over the Srikrishna committee's report on the Telangana issue. With the committee suggesting a set of solutions to the Telangana tangle, the day largely passed off peacefully amid tight security involving deployment of central paramilitary forces.
Osmania University, which was the nerve center of the Telangana agitation last year, was on the boil again after the report of the committee was made public. Students demanding separate state of Telangana tried to take out a rally to the state secretariat but were prevented by police. The sloganshouting students denouncing the report pelted stones on policemen, injuring two including a deputy commissioner of police.
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Italian businessman Ottavio Quattrocchi. main beneficiaries of kickbacks in the Bofors gun deal. When the appellate tribunal has completely expressed that his exoneration was wrong, would you apologize to the nation?" Prasad said. Referring to the prime minister's remarks at the Congress plenary last month that Caesar's wife must be above suspicion, Prasad said: "We are trying to judge you upon the benchmark you have set for yourself." He alleged that the government agencies were involved in saving Quattrocchi because of his "proximity to the Gandhi family".
Swami Aseemanand (second from right). ther strengthen the case against Aseemanand and his accomplices. On the night of bomb blast in the Dargah Ajmer Sharif on October 11, 2007, for instance Sunil Joshi had claimed before at least two persons that it was 'his work'. Both these people now form part of a group of 11 very important witnesses in the Ajmer blast case, who have all given statements before a magistrate under Section164. All these witnesses in the case, at some point, have been associated with the RSS or its affiliate organisations. Their deposition completes the chain of evidence in the matter, which is why Sec 164 was used by Rajasthan ATS. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has followed suit in its probe into the Samjhauta blasts case. NIA investigators have also recorded the statement of a witness, Bharat Bhai, under section 164 of the CrPC.
Hemant Karkare was killed in the Mumbai terror attack. appended records from the mobile phone number belonging to Madhya Pradesh Congress Committee on which he had talked. "Your and Mumbai Police statements have caused me deep hurt. I call upon you to make a public apology or regret," Singh said in the letter. Addressing mediapersons, the Congress general secretary also sought an apology from all those who "termed him a liar and questioned his integrity". The Congress leader had last month triggered a controversy when said he had spoken to Karkare on Nov 26, 2008, hours before he was killed in the Mumbai terror attack. According to Singh, Karkare said he had been receiving threat calls because he had implicated some activists of right-wing Hindu groups in the Malegaon blast case. "I never met Karkare, but I congratulated him when the Malegaon blast accused were held because they were the people I had known to be involved in such activities as Madhya Pradesh chief minister," Digvijay Singh added.
The Gujjars had staged violent protests between 2006 and 2008 for reservation in government jobs. Jaipur: The Gujjar community in Rajasthan called off their 17-day-old agitation for reservation in government jobs and said they had reached an agreement with the state government after several rounds of talks. "We have called off the agitation. We have reached an agreement," said Roop Singh, spokesperson of the Gujjar Aarakshan Sangarsh Samiti that has been spearheading the agitation for five percent reservation in government jobs since Dec 20. A 36-member Gujjar team held another round of talks Wednesday with the Rajasthan government even as the community continued to block rail tracks for the 17th day as part of their protests. The delegation led by retired army colonel K.S. Bainsla held negotiations with a three-member ministerial committee to end the dragging row. The Rajasthan government in 2009 announced five percent reservation for Gujjars and 14 percent for the economically backward classes, taking the total reservation in the state to 68 percent -- more than the 50 percent cap set by the Supreme Court. In a ruling Dec 22, 2010, the high court struck down the job quota for Gujjars. The Gujjars had staged violent protests between 2006 and 2008 in which many lives were lost.
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Desis across New Jersey took part in New Years eve festivities with gusto. SATimes captures the mood..
(Events: ICS Christmas celebration, NYE bash at TV Asia, Royal Alberts Palace, Akbar restaurant and Holiday Inn)
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"
No One Killed Jessica" is the first release of the year. It's inspired by the high-profile murder of model Jessica Lall, a crime that rocked the nation 11 years ago. Filmmaker Rajkumar Gupta brings the tragic story on celluloid in his second directorial venture that was released on January 7. Produced by UTV Spotboy, the film features Vidya Balan as Jessica's sister Sabrina while Rani Mukerji plays a journalist named Meera Gaiety who feels passionately about the case. The story will encapsulate incidents related to the murder and Sabrina and Meera's relentless struggle in their pursuit for justice for Jessica. The film also stars Randeep Hooda.
A still from 'No One Killed Jessica.' Jessica, a model who also Sharma, son of former union worked as a bartender, was shot minister Venod Sharma, after she dead April 29, 1999, by Manu refused to serve him a drink at a
party organized at designersocialite Bina Ramani's night bar Tamarind Court in the capital. However, due to lack of evidence the nine accused were acquitted by the trial court in February 2006. In March 2006, Delhi Police filed appeal in the high court and in December Manu, Vikas Yadav and Amardeep were convicted. In April 2010, the Supreme Court upheld the conviction and life term of Manu. For 11 years, Sabrina stood her ground and fought for justice for her sister despite many personal and other problems. She never gave up. Gupta clarified the film is neither a biography of any person nor a documentary. It is his "own interpretation" of the case,
but it is not "judgmental". He describes it as a mix of fact and fiction. In fact, he sat with Sabrina for hours to get the facts right and she feels that the director has done justice with the film and handled the subject sensitively. In fact, former cop Amod Kanth, who was Joint Commissioner of Police (Southern Range) at the time the ramp model was shot dead, wrote a letter to the Censor Board urging it to ensure all the facts are presented correctly. The Censor Board awarded an A-certificate to "No One Killed Jessica" without any cuts and its makers hailed the decision saying they were happy to be able to take the story to the audience.
The first look of Shah Rukh Khan and Kareena Kapoor-starrer 'Ra.One.'
ollywood heartthrob Imran Khan is making sure all his female co-stars from Genelia D'Souza to Kareena Kapoor are present at his pre-wedding party on January 8 in Mumbai. Imran, who is tying the knot with his childhood sweetheart Avantika Malik on January 10, was poised to host a mehendi-cum-reception before his D-day and has invited all his friends from the industry to join the celebration. The 27-year-old has especially wished the presence of his co-stars Genelia, Sonam Kapoor, Deepika Padukone, Katrina Kaif and
and 'Short Term Shaadi' respectively. 'Imran wanted to invite all the actresses who starred with him to join in on the most important day of his life. And the actresses are making extra efforts to be part of his big day. The women are really going out of their way to be a part of it,' said a statement by his publicist. Kareena, who is currently on a vacation with beau Saif Ali Khan, Imran Khan and Avantika Malik. will cut short her trip to attend the bash. So will Deepika, who is on a Kareena from the movies 'Jaane backpacking tour in Britain but will Tu... Ya Jaane Na', 'I Hate Luv cut short her vacation to attend the Storys', 'Break Ke Baad', and the gala. Genelia is in the city and is upcoming 'Mere Brother Ki Dulhan' going to grace the event.
Amitabh Bachchan.
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Salman Khan. out! Now with Aamir coming with Kiran on the show, Salman will apparently have to come solo. We wonder if KJo's best friend Shah Rukh is ok with this new bonding.
Yana Gupta. Yana from getting into such a terrible fashion faux pas again.
he buzz till now was that Priyanka Chopra and Shahid Kapoor were not going to spend New Year's eve together as Priyanka was spending the holiday with family. Well, look who's become family now! It seems that Shahid took two days off from his shooting schedule in his dad's film Mausam to spend time with Priyanka's family. A source from the Mausam crew said, "Priyanka has come to Chandigarh twice. On December 30, Shahid flew to Goa to bring in the New Year with Priyanka and her family. He actually missed his flight to Goa via Mumbai, so he caught another one from Chandigarh via Delhi to Goa." In fact, the crew joked about how the mausam (weather) in Goa would be so romantic. Well, Shahid sure wants to spend quality time with family, so what if it's Priyanka's and not his own! While the couple has been in denial about their relationship, the two lovebirds have been virtually inseparable, whether it's on television shows or movie theatres. Incidentally, the two have even signed a film together with Kunal Kohli.
A still from Dev Anand's 1961 classic Hum Dono in a digitally re-mastered colored version.
Prateik Babbar in "Dhobi Ghat" sporting Salman's trademark bracelet. Also starring Aamir, Monica Dogra, Kriti Malhotra, Kitu Gidwani and Nafisa Khan, the movie revolves around four characters from different classes of society and how their lives are intertwined with each other.
The outing, also remembered for its musical lighter and often hummed songs like "Mai zindagi ka saath nibhata chala gaya" and "Abhi na jaao chhodkar", has been colored using 65,000 shades. It will release with Dolby Digital Ex surround sound. Sandrew has colored the movie with state of the art advanced technology in the US. Impressed by Dev Anand and the movie's "spectacular" new look, Sandrew is now contemplating converting it into 3D. Dev Anand, 87, is happy with the fact that the young generation will get to see the film. "It's nostalgic to even think about 'Hum Dono'. I still remember the kind of response we had got when it was released way back in 1961. I am happy that people would be able to relive the experience in a better way and hope the younger generation who has not seen the film would also love it the way the film was loved 50 years back," said Dev Anand.
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Marketing TheSouthAsianTimes.info
Since starting in 1995, Object Design & Communications Inc. (ObjectDC) has been customizing advertising, marketing and PR campaigns to target ethnic minority groups in the country. by Heather Mueller t should come as no surprise to most people residing in the United States that Hispanics are the fastest growing ethnicity in America. Since 2000, this segment of the population has grown by a whopping 42 percent. But what about immigrants from countries like Russia and Vietnam? How about all the U.S. residents who are speaking Arabic, Tagalog, Korean, Hindi, Mandarin, Greek, Russian and dozens of other languages daily? According to a recent report from Advertising Age, these minorities are the new majority. And they hold some sizeable purse strings when it comes to buying in the United States. Over the past decade alone, growth among the multiethnic consumer pool has translated into billions of dollars in buying power. Yet many corporations and businesses are still in the dark about how to reach if theyre even trying to reach these markets. Marketing and communications campaigns are still established largely based on the average American consumer, with slight tweaks here and there for multicultural audiences. The problem with this approach is that the concept of an average American is gone, probably forever, according to demographics expert Peter Francese, who wrote the Ad Age white paper, 2010 America: What the 2010 Census Means for Marketing and Advertising. The average American has been replaced by a complex, multidimensional society that defies simplistic labeling. Its a sentiment that one local advertising and marketing agency has been expressing for more than 15 years. Since opening its doors in 1995, Object Design & Communications Inc. (ObjectDC) has been customizing advertising, marketing and public relations campaigns to target ethnic minority groups throughout the United States. Each [community] has its own cultural sensitivities, and people want to feel that whoever s approaching them understands their culture and needs, said founder and Chief Executive Officer Nawaf Soliman. It takes a lot of research and a lot of creative strategy to reach out to those specific audiences. ObjectDC is similar to many of its larger counterparts in the Washington area in that it works with mainstream clients like British Midland International, DIRECTV, the National Institutes of Health, Startec Global Communications, Deloitte and others. The firms one differentiator is a big one: Solimans team specializes in marketing to multicultural audiences throughout the United States and Canada a segment that Soliman says holds a lot of untapped potential. Many agencies, especially in New York and California, are serving the Hispanic market, Soliman pointed out. But most arent looking at specific markets like Filipinos, Koreans and Farsi. Of course, it helps to have a team that knows what its like to be part of a minority group in America. Solimans seven-person team speaks four languages (Hindi, Arabic, Greek, Russian) in addition to English. An established network of contractors provides translation services for another 30 or so languages. ing ethnicities, corporations face the challenge of reaching audiences that are no longer mass or mainstream. We have become a multicultural nation, Francese said, and are on our way to becoming a minority-majority nation, probably within the next 40 to 50 years. The message to marketers is fairly clear: Multimillion-dollar campaigns that once touched the majority of Americans will now miss a hefty part of the consumer spending pool. White non-Hispanics once the bread and butter of the advertising industry today make up 64 percent of the U.S. population. The rate of growth among this demographic has slowed to just 2 percent over the past 10 years lower than that of Asians, African Americans and other ethnicities such as Pacific Islanders, according to recent analyses by the U.S. Census Bureau projections for the 2010 Census. These non-white and ethnic communities which constitute nearly a third of the American market represents billions of dollars in buying power, a fact that will be crucial to U.S. marketing and advertising efforts in the coming decades. home. Armed with information on cultural nuances, clients are then able to create advertisements, marketing collateral and even grassroots campaigns that appeal to specific markets and in turn boost sales. For instance, at Subway, one of the nations largest fast food franchise chains, all it took was some careful repositioning. Over the years, the chain has benefited from large-scale campaigns. The phrase five-dollar footlong has become synonymous with the brand, as have sub sandwiches containing less than six grams of fat. But in Washington, D.C., the nations most diverse city, those advertisements werent resonating with large segments of the population. So Soliman and his team created a series of ads, coupons and inserts with coupons targeting specific ethnic communities such as Hispanics, South Asians, Arabs and Koreans. The ads appealed to specific needs within each population, focusing, for instance, on promoting vegetarian sandwiches to South Asians and tuna sandwiches to Koreans. Most of our clients dont know where to start in approaching ethnic markets, so we lay out whole solutions from research to strategy to creative concepts to implementation to monitoring, he said. firm to help them communicate in-language public diplomacy and health messages. DIRECTV, a client of six years, reached specific ethnic markets with large-scale PR events targeting South Asian communities in New York and San Francisco. In 2009, the satellite broadcast service was rolling out a new package featuring broadcasts of cricket, a sport thats extremely popular among Australians, British, South Africans and those from the Indian subcontinent. The company turned to ObjectDC, which helped them launch this service to South Asian cricket fans through sizzle video (previews that are lengthier than typical trailers) that played on several large outdoor screens in Times Square, while street teams handed out cricket-themed giveaways. The campaign was a success. Media outlets covered the event, word spread among enthusiastic fans, and subscriptions increased. DIRECTV continues to work with ObjectDC to promote its South Asian packages through various efforts, from grassroots efforts to print and online advertising. In the tough times, the worst thing you can do is to reduce budget. Soliman said. If you enhance your approach youll see results, especially because so many others are reducing. The key in todays changing landscape, Soliman says, is continually watching and talking to each cultural ethnicity, staying up to date on their wants, needs and interests. All of those emerging communities are growing and growing and growing, and we just have to keep watching and watching and watching. Heather Mueller is a contributing writer for The Washington Diplomat.
Creative Campaigns
The agency has designed fullscale strategies for clients ranging from British Midland Airways to Mercedes-Benz, all of them eager to find ways to reach growing, affluent multicultural markets. ObjectDCs expertise is also being sought by the U.S. government. The National Institutes of Health and USAID rely on the
Diaspora TheSouthAsianTimes.info
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Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh addressing the 98th Indian Science Congress in Chennai on January 03. development must be value-based. climate change." "How science is used depends on the valReferring to the development of synthetic ues and priorities of the time in society. chemistry finding use in developing poison Thus splitting of the atom led on the one gas used in wars and of agro chemicals and had to the bomb and on the other to nuclear pharmaceuticals, he said: "The application energy. of scientific knowledge to human and One kills; the other has extended the social development must be value-based bounds of developmental possibilities on a even though science may itself be value planet worried about carbon emissions and neutral."
Dr Gifty Immanuel.
partnership with the UN, awarded Dr Immanuel with the prestigious international prize in recognition of his contribution to public health and the use of innovative medical knowledge to serve global communities. Dr Immanuel was brought up in India, Africa and Arabia and is qualified in dentistry, medicine and public health.
through flimsy excuses," Chahal observed. The minister assured the delegation that the Punjab government will soon constitute a board for NRIs to provide fast relief to their disputes, especially in the matter of property, marital and immigration.
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Subcontinent TheSouthAsianTimes.info
Pakistani police guards carry the coffin of late Punjab governor Salman Taseer during the funeral in Lahore on January 5.
Salman Taseer.
A policeman surveys the blood-spattered road where Salman Taseer was shot dead in a crowded street in Islamabad on January 4.
Activists of ruling Pakistani Peoples Party follow the funeral procession of late Punjab governor Salman Taseer.
With onion prices touching Rs.100 a kg in some parts of the country last month, Indian traders started buying it from Pakistan at Rs.300-350 a quintal. Amritsar: Onion woes are likely to continue in India with Pakistan deciding to stop sending the commodity through the Attari-Wagah border check-post and also cutting down on the quantity due to a shortage in that country, an official said. According to a communication received from Pakistan's Commerce Ministry, onions will not come through the land route but instead the rail route. "We got the news that Pakistan has decided to stop sending onions through land route and will opt for goods train," trader Rajdeep Uppal, who is Amritsar Exports and Imports Chamber vice president, said. "They have also decided to cut down the exports. The decision can be attributed to the shortage of onions in their own market," he added.Uppal said every day around 50 onion-laden trucks were coming to India since Dec 21, except on holidays. Each truck carried 10 to 12 tonnes of onions. R.K. Duggal, deputy commissioner (customs), Attari, confirmed the ban on exports through the border. "Yes, we have received this communication but they (Pakistan) have not cited any reason behind this move," he said. Traders were apprehensive whether Pakistan would also stop exporting through the rail route. "We came to know that they have also stopped exporting through rail route. But we are not sure about it and are trying to confirm it from the authorities concerned," Uppal said.
Mini-skirts could be banned in Sri Lanka if the country's Cultural Affairs Ministry has its way under a "new era of moral purity.
Subcontinent TheSouthAsianTimes.info
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Pakistan originally wanted weapon-equipped drones but the US turned down the request. drones with on board weapons and longer surveillance range", diplomatic sources were quoted as saying by the daily. The Shadow-200 system includes a ground station and four "birds" commonly known as drones and costs about $40 mil-
Dabur Nepal is one of the largest Indian investors in Nepal and the biggest exporter. Kathmandu: Embroiled in a manufacturing row since last month and now also under probe for revenue discrepancies, Indian multinational Dabur India's independent group company Dabur Nepal has paid an NRS50 million security deposit and admitted to packaging errors, Nepal's official watchdog said. Sameer Silwal, joint attorneygeneral at the Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA), who led a raid on Dabur Nepal's storehouse in southern Bara district last month, told IANS the company's chief executive officer Udayan Ganguly and production chief Indranil Gupta, were released from surveillance after being questioned for three days and, finally, posting a security deposit of NRS50 million. They have also agreed to appear before the watchdog for further questioning, if required, Silwal said. This is the first time in Nepal's corporate history that such a measure was been taken against an Indian company. Silwal said during the questioning since Sunday, the two Dabur Nepal officials had admitted to an "error". Last month, acting on a complaint by a consumers' group, the CIAA raided Dabur Nepal's storehouse in Rampur Tokhani in Bara district along the Indo-Nepal border and found nearly 74,000 packed cartons of the Real and Real Activ brands of fruit juices, which carried the manufacturing date of Jan 11, 2011. Media reports added that under questioning, the two Dabur Nepal officials said the advanced manufacturing date was a printing error and the cartons had been packed with fruit juice due to a communication lapse. When the mistake was detected, the company was ready to withdraw the lot. Dabur Nepal faces a second ordeal in Nepal's apex court as a resident from southern Nepal, Bhushan Giri, has filed a writ against the multinational, seeking the firm's licence cancelled. The factory in Nepal is the main production unit for the Real brands which are then exported to India, Bangladesh and other countries. Dabur Nepal is one of the largest Indian investors in Nepal and the biggest exporter.
The Tamil rebels were defeated by the government in 2009, ending a 26-year civil war. ernment what it is doing to recover the rebels' overseas assets. Gunawardena told parliament that the intelligence authorities were taking appropriate action against the remaining ships but declined to give details. LTTE leader Kumaran Pathmanathan, who was captured in August 2009 in an unspecified Asian country, was reported to have provided the government information on the rebels' operations.
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International TheSouthAsianTimes.info
US President Barack Obama with Chinese President Hu Jintao. here, as he did with the Foreign Minister," Gibbs said. "Understand that human rights, the global economy, and currency are certainly on the list. I won't go through all the topics, but of course the situation in North Korea I anticipate will also take up some amount of that time," he said. Gibbs sought to refute reports that the Obama Administration is soft peddling on the human rights issue. "I think if you speak directly to the President of China about your concerns about their record on human rights, I don't think that's soft-pedalling," he said. Earlier in the day, visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi said the US-China ties are on the right track. "It is in the best interest of China, the United States and the world for us to continue to
London: The public will have ample opportunity to catch a glimpse of Prince William and Kate Middleton during a royal carriage procession through central London on their wedding day, April 29. Buckingham Palace confirmed the couple would be married by Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury, at a Westminster Abbey service, which will be followed by a reception given by Queen Elizabeth II at the palace. In the evening, there would be a dinner-dance for family and friends, also at Buckingham Palace, which will be hosted by Prince Charles, William's father and current heir to the throne. Unconfirmed reports said the newly-weds were also likely to make an appearance on the balcony of Buckingham Palace after the ceremony. Buckingham Palace
Flood-hit William-Kate wedding plans Queensland braced revealed for fresh storms
Prince William and Kate Middleton. was, however, keen to stress that, in a break with tradition, William and Kate would travel to Westminster Abbey by car, and take the royal carriage only on their return journey as newlyweds, along Horse Guards Parade and The Mall. They were "keen to strike an appropriate level" and avoid the appearance of lavishness by making only one part of the journey in the carriage, commentators said. The sermon during the Abbey service, for which up to 2,000 guests are expected, will be held by the Bishop of London, Richard Chartres, who counseled William when his mother, the late Princess Diana, died in 1997. Rockhampton Mayor Brad Carter said it could take a year for the city to recover from floods. Sydney: More heavy rain is forecast for eastern Australia, threatening flash floods for communities where hundreds of homes are already under water. Forecasters predict central and southern Queensland will be worst hit by the latest deluge which will last into the weekend. In the city of Rockhampton about 500 homes were evacuated as the Fitzroy river. About 1,200 homes across Queensland have been inundated since heavy rains set in last month, with another 10,700 suffering some damage, officials say. Meteorologist Bryan Rolstone, quoted by Australian broadcaster ABC, said the latest rain would fall in the Wide Bay-Burnett region, affecting Rockhampton and the city of Bundaberg, which has also already suffered severe flooding. Rockhampton Mayor Brad Carter has said it could take a year for the city to recover. "Seventy-five percent of our mines are currently not operating because of this flood, so that's a massive impact on the international markets and the international manufacture of steel," she told the Seven network TV station.
Business TheSouthAsianTimes.info
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Hellfire air-to-surface missile and the air-to-air Stinger missile. for 22 combat helicopters to replace and update its inventory of old, Soviet-vintage Mi-35 (basically Mi-24) helicopters. The other helicopter in competition is the Russian Mi-28. Russia exports all weapons and combat platforms through its state-run Rosoboronexport, while the US government allows certain military and non-military systems to be acquired from various companies under what is called Direct Commercial Sales (DCS) and sensitive technology items either after clearance or through what is known as the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) programme. The IAF proposes to buy the helicopter platforms under DCS from Boeing, and missiles and weapons from the US government and the army, which operates them, under FMS. Although the Indian Ministry of Defense (MoD) is yet to announce the selection, the US government notified the Congress on Dec 22, 2010, of the "possible" sale of these helicopters and combat systems as per the mandatory procedural approval. The idea is that in case India does make its choice in favor of the Apache, then the sale can be progressed without any time delay.
Citigroup's chief executive officer Vikram Pandit. masterminded by Shivraj Puri. Working as a relationship manager, Shivraj allegedly cheated investors by asking them to deposit money into accounts managed by him, promising to invest it in schemes that offer very high interest within a short span of time. Puri reportedly managed to con companies and high net worth individuals after forging Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) documents backing his claims.
ArcelorMittal made the new hiked offer to $1.40 to buy Baffinland Iron Mines Corporation after the expiry of its previous offer of $1.25. (and) its shareholders.'' The battle for Baffinland began in September with Nunavat mounting its hostile bid with an offer of 80 cents a share and then ArcelorMittal entering the fray with its offer of $1.10 a share.
Chinese imitation saris cost about Rs 2,500 ($55) compared with at least Rs 4,000 for an original Banarasi sari.
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Sports TheSouthAsianTimes.info
Gautam Gambhir cracked his 16th halfcentury on the final day of the third Test against South Africa on January 6. The Indians could have entertained hopes of going for the target had Virender Sehwag (11) fired but the dashing opener fell cheaply to end the series without too many runs to his credit. Gautam Gambhir defied an elbow injury and played a resolute knock of 64 to be the
South Africa's Jacques Kallis plays a shot during the fourth day of their third test match against India in Cape Town, January 5, 2011. highest scorer in the second innings. Sachin Tendulkar (14) and VVS Laxman (32) were at the crease when play was called off after 82 overs. The engrossing series between the the two top ranked teams in the world will be remembered for Tendulkars historic 50th
Sachin Tendulkar, along with Virender Sehwag and Kapil Dev, has been named in ICCs all-time greatest ODI team. New Delhi: Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag won a massive endorsement from fans on January 5 when they were effectively declared the finest one-day international (ODI) opening pair ever. On a day when the 50-over game celebrated its 40th anniversary, the International Cricket Council (ICC) announced the results of its online poll - in which 600,000 fans from 97 countries took part - conducted to select an all time 'dream ODI team'. Only one other Indian found a place in this dream XI - all rounder Kapil Dev who led India to its sole ODI World Cup victory in 1983. Like India, Australia too have three members in the dream team: Ricky Ponting as middle order batsman, Adam Gilchrist as wicket keeper and Glenn McGrath as one of the pacers. The West Indies have two: Viv Richards and Brian Lara, both in the middle order. South Africa, Sri Lanka and Pakistan have Alan Donald (pacer), Muthiah Muralitharan (spinner) and Wasim Akram (pacer) respectively. No one from England or New Zealand made it to the dream team. The team: Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag, Viv Richards, Brian Lara, Ricky Ponting, Kapil Dev, Adam Gilchrist, Alan Donald, Wasim Akram, Glenn McGrath, Muthiah Muralitharan. Suresh Kalmadi.
The fourth season of the Indian Premier League, to be held in April-May, will be a 10-team and 74-match affair.
Somdev Devvarman.
Op Ed TheSouthAsianTimes.info
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fresh controversy over the role of Indira Gandhi and her favorite son, Sanjay Gandhi, has arisen after the publication of a two-volume book, Congress and the Making of the Indian Nation, edited by senior leader and nance minister Pranab Mukherjee. The book was released by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and party chief Sonia Gandhi at the recent AICC plenary in Burari. The Congress has since ofcially tried to play down the remarks against Sanjay and has tried to explain how goody goody things could not have been written under the supervision of top historians. A number of leaders believe that there are mistakes in the book and that these could have been corrected had senior partymen been consulted. The controversy has not died down since it is felt that justice has not been done to Indira Gandhi, whos considered the greatest mass leader of the last century. It is felt that if the party is in power today, it is because most Indians continue to have the highest regard for the late prime minister. They vote for the Congress because they see in it her legacy. The present party leadership is certainly the beneciary of that. Sanjay has been portrayed as a villain and his role in the Congress comeback in 1980 has not been adequately recognized. For many par-
Sanjay Gandhi was an extremely political person who was seen as the natural heir to Indira Gandhi. He played a crucial role in restoring the party to power in 1980 after its humiliating defeat in 1977. tymen, Sanjay was far ahead of his time. He spoke of small family norms, ecology, environment, adult literacy and anti-dowry measures when no one else did. If things had gone wrong, it was because of poor implementation by government agencies. Sanjay was an extremely political person who was seen as the natural heir to Indira Gandhi. He played a crucial role in restoring the party to power in 1980 after its humiliating defeat in 1977. Without him, Indira Gandhi could not have achieved much of what she did in the 1980 polls. He would surely have been the prime minister had he not died under mysterious circumstances in the Pitts-2 plane crash on June 23, 1980. While the party has tried to show him in a negative light, most of the leaders who constitute the backbone of the Congress today got their big break because of him. They are all his people from Ghulam Nabi Azad, Kamal Nath, Ambika Soni, Digvijaya Singh, P Chidambaram, AK Antony, Ahmed Patel, Vilasrao Deshmukh, Thangabalu, the late YS Rajasekhara Reddy, Ashok Gehlot, Anand Sharma, Jagdish Tytler and many others. Even Pranab Mukherjee was his beneciary since it was at Sanjays instance that the nance ministry during the Emergency was bifurcated and the banking and revenue departments were taken away from C Subramanium and given to him. Indira Gandhi was grooming him to be someone who could assist Sanjay.
The book rightly praises Rajiv Gandhi for his vision and desire to take India into the next century but fails to point out that most people close to him when he entered politics not only stabbed him in the back but left for other parties. The book does not sufciently bring out how Indira Gandhis brutal assassination contributed to the overwhelming victory of the Congress in the 1984 polls and how her legacy continues to dominate national politics. There are a number of Congress leaders who feel that the attempt to downplay both Indira Gandhi and Sanjay in Congress history could be either deliberate or because no one cared to go through the nal contents before the volumes were released. No one doubts that excesses were committed during the Emergency but the Congress paid for them in the 1977 defeat. The BJP recognizes it very well since many leaders accused of those excesses were welcomed into that party directly or indirectly including Bansi Lal, Jagmohan and Vidya Charan Shukla. Even Sanjays widow, Maneka who was barely 24 years old when he died and son, Varun are also in the saffron party since Indira Gandhis legacy was denied to them. Accuracy and correct interpretation are central to history. It cannot be colored by emotion, sycophancy or subjectivity. Time will tell us what history was all about.
reducing the number of Congress Party members in the Lok Sabha. I watched the proceedings of the Congress Party meeting held in a village on the periphery of Delhi on TV to nd out what its leaders had to say in defense of the Prime Minister. They paid handsome tributes. I go along with them. They also criticized the BJP and the Communists by taking them head on. I also share their opinion on the negative role they have been playing all along. I agree with Digvijay Singh describing the RSS as fascistoriented. Ever since its inception it has been exploiting the latent Islamophobia of the Hindu masses. Uma Bharati celebrated the destruction of the Babri Masjid by embracing Murli Manohar Joshi. Hindutva, its principal spokesman L.K. Advani says is a noble concept It is for the aam Hindu to decide whether he wants India to be Hindu Rashtra or a Secular state, as envisaged by Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru and Maulana Azad. However, what still needs to be explained is why the Prime Minister did not intervene in time to stop those scamsters from getting away with their nefarious designs?
The views expressed in Op Eds are not necessarily those of The South Asian Times.
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Lifestyle TheSouthAsianTimes.info
study has found that most people who make New Year's resolutions fail to keep them within one week of starting. Now tips have been offered to help them reach their goals. Professor Wiseman, author of '59 Seconds: Think A Little, Change A Lot', insists we can all achieve our goals by making some quick, simple changes. And the top 10 tips to help us see our resolutions through are: 1. One Thing At A Time: Many of us make the mistake of trying to achieve too much instead of deciding on what is important to us and making just one resolution. The chance of success is greater when we channel our energy into changing a single aspect of our behavior at a time. 2. Plot Your Success: Find a way of charting your achievements. Keep a journal, or cover your fridge or notice board with graphs or pictures. 3. Try Something New: Repeating resolutions you have failed to keep before is a recipe for
Always try to focus on achieving just one New Year's resolution at a time. disappointment. Set a new goal, or approach an old aim in a new way. 4. Be Specific: Think about exactly what you are going to do, where and when. ague plans fail. For example, instead of saying that you will go running on two days each week, decide you will run on Tuesdays and Thursdays straight after work. 5. Set S.M.A.R.T Goals: Make sure your goals are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time-based (SMART). Map out small steps that will slowly but surely take you to where you want to be, write them down and stick to the plan.
6. Carrot, Not Stick: Motivate yourself by focusing on the positive, rather than beating yourself up about your failings. Think how much better life will be for you, and those around you, when you achieve your aims. 7. Go Public: Many of us prefer to keep our New Year's resolutions to ourselves. Unfortunately, this makes it all too easy to simply forget about them. Instead, go public. Tell your friends, family and workmates and ask them to support you. 8. Be Persistent: New habits take time to learn, and once in a while you will slip up and revert to the old you. 9. Get Image Conscious: Visualize yourself doing whatever you need to do to achieve your resolution. Focusing on this image will help you believe in your ability to succeed. 10. Be Positive: You will get better results from thinking about the good things that will come from your new lifestyle rather than the negative aspects of your old habits.
he perfect accomplice to a fabulous outfit is a great bag. Bag trends come in all shapes and sizes and the one you would want to add to your collection this season, is the bucket bag or drawstring bag. These drawstring wonders are the handbag style that kept international designers such as Alexander Wang, Mulberry and Tila March busy and fashionistas Kate Bosworth, Alexa Chung, Sarah Jessica Parker and Sonam Kapoor have been spotted carrying one in the recent past. While it is important to have the classics in your closet, some trendy bags are worth the buy. Handbags are accessories, and they must complement the look you are wearing. Bucket bags are a perfect substitute for the clutch, when going Bucket bags offer great utility as they can be stuffed clubbing. Its an 80s inspired with a lot of things and still look fabulous when neatly tied up. trend and are available in leather, printed faux leather, gold hardware and gleaming dome studs, says bag designer Gulnaz Sheikh. These bags usually have a single strap and a soft round bottom that curves up when picked up. It suits the look of a hipster, goes well with jeans and even casual outfits like tunics and leggings. These bags can work over fusion South-Asian urban wear, but dont gel with traditional dupatta suits and saris, adds Sheikh. The potli bags with studs and zari available in most stores and street markets are similar in look and go well with the Indian ensembles. A great utility bag, bucket bags can be stuffed with a lot of things and still looks great when neatly tied up. Bucket bags with long strings can be used for casual wear and the ones with small handles and shapes can be teamed really well with party wear. But, ultimately, it is the way you carry yourself that counts. You carry anything with confidence and it will look good, says bag designer Shivani Sood.
Employees who can be assertive before their bosses are more likely to get a pay raise.
study has shown that out of people looking for a pay raise, those who pursue it aggressively are the ones who get it. The study found that those who dont take no for an answer are far more likelier to get what they want. Employees who had done their homework in advance of negotiations also earned themselves more holidays and perks such as mobile phones and company cars. Researchers from Temple Universitys Fox School of Business, Philadelphia and George Mason University, near Washington DC, discovered that workers who avoided salary discussions at appraisals or in interviews, almost never got a raise. Those who actively sought out a rise earned an average 5,000 dollars more every year than those who didnt. More assertive workers then ended up
earning up to 600,000 dollars more over a 40-year career. They also found that careerdriven women were just as competitive during salary negotiations. Our results suggest (workers) who were more prepared for the negotiation process were able to use more assertive strategies, the Telegraph quoted Professor Crystal Harold as saying. By prepared, I mean those who learned more about the market value of their position, did their homework on the organization and perhaps inquired about previous offers made about the organization. These individuals were empowered and were generally more assertive. Furthermore (workers) who use a more competitive strategy, such as not taking no for an answer, threatening to withdraw from the process if the offer was unacceptable, were most successful in raising their salary, she added.
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games in their personal lives." The LePad tablet is powered by Android software backed by California Internet giant Google and a Snapdragon chip from Qualcomm. Once plugged into the keyboard base, the computer switches to Windows 7 operating software by Microsoft and a beefier Intel processor. Lenovo is targeting consumers who embrace today's mobile lifestyle. "Use the light-weight slate when
better brain
phase of clinical trials of a drug called BC1036. The drug is being developed by SEEK, a leading UK
were perceived to look around three years younger. Their hearing and eyesight improved, arthritic joints were more flexible, muscles were stronger and minds sharper. Researcher Ellen Langer suggests that much of the decline of old age may be driven by negative perceptions about our later years and breaking these down can improve health. A second study revealed that cutting and colouring womens hair not only made them feel
Paris: Feeling a little foggy after all the holiday revelry? On January 3, health news website MyHealthNewsDaily.com reported on six foods that can boost your brain power, just in time to start the New Year mentally focused. According to the article, foods high in compounds such as antioxidants and omega-3 fatty acids can improve brain health and memory. 1. Walnuts - They look like little brains and are packed with antioxidants, which researchers claim may combat the damage to brain cells' DNA caused by free radicals in our bodies. A 2009 rat study also found that diets in which nuts made up as little as two percent reversed signs of aging. 2. Carrots - They're not only good for your eyes but good for your brain. They contain high levels of a compound known as luteolin. A recent study published in the journal Nutrition found that luteolin reduces age-related memory deficits and inflammation in the brain. Other good sources: olive oil, peppers, and celery. 3. Berries - In a 2009 report in the Journal of Nutrition, researchers examined a group of studies that showed fruits such as
blueberries and strawberries can decrease a type of stress in cells associated with aging and increase the signaling capabilities in brains. 4. Fish - Some studies have shown that eating fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids could help slow typical cognitive decline that comes with age. The report cites a 2005 study that found that people 65 and older who ate two meals of fish a week for six years had a 13 percent decrease in cognitive decline, compared with people who didn't eat any fish regularly. 5. Coffee and tea - Caffeinated teas and coffees not only perk you up but studies have shown they may prevent Alzheimer's disease and improve cognitive function. In addition, according to a 2010 study, tea drinkers did better on tests on memory and information processing than non-tea drinkers did. 6. Spinach - It's loaded with vitamins C and E that help to improve cognitive abilities, according to the latest research. A 2000 study found that aging rats had some of their age-related memory and motor deficits reversed after eating a diet rich in spinach, strawberries, and blueberries.
Humor TheSouthAsianTimes.info
s New Year's resolutions go, Brenda had a very strange one indeed. Unlike many of her friends, she didn't need to lose weight, not even a few pounds. She didn't need to floss her teeth more often or read more self-help books or make a greater effort to stay awake in church. She didn't have any serious addictions she needed to quit: she didn't smoke, didn't drink, didn't manage a farm on Facebook. But she did want to quit something -- and that's what her resolution was all about. She wanted to quit calling her husband a moron. Brenda and Ron had been married for 20 years, and Brenda couldn't remember a time when Ron hadn't given her a reason to call him a moron -- or at least think he was one. She loved him, of course -- loved him as much as she loved Ben & Jerry's ice cream. But that didn't change the fact that she often wondered if his mother had dropped him on his head when he was a baby. Poor Ron had actually gotten used to it -being called a moron. It started on their wedding night -- at least that's what he thought when he heard her screaming, "More Ron! More Ron!" He immediately stopped what he was doing and tried something else: turning on the TV. And soon they were in a state of bliss, watching an episode of "Baywatch." Two weeks later, Brenda called him a moron for real. It was one of those nights when she returned home late from her job at the pharmacy. He had offered to make dinner for her, but had left the frozen pizza in the oven for too long. "Sorry, I was distracted by the football game," he said. "It's a melt." Brenda didn't want to call him a moron, but as she stared at the plastic stuck to the
always use his brain, but he was a good husband in all the important ways. He didn't cheat on her or hit her or even raise his voice at her -- unless she walked in front of the TV during the football game. Brenda was determined not to call him a moron anymore. It was her only New Year's resolution and it lasted all the way until 9 a.m. on New Year's Day. Brenda awoke to find Ron making breakfast for her. He had already made the eggs, hash browns and
sausages, and was working on the pancakes. There he was, standing in front of the stove, wearing an apron, whistling happily as he tried to flip the pancakes with the fly swatter. "You're such a moron," Brenda said. "How much did you drink last night, anyway?" Then, realizing all the trouble he had gone through, she put her arm around him and added, "Did I call you a moron? I was using the acronym MORON. It stands for 'Man of Remarkably Outstanding Nature.'"
melted cheese, she couldn't think of a more appropriate term. And she soon found herself using it with regularity. There was the time that Ron took her bottle of Pantene Pro-V from the bathroom and used it to shampoo the living room carpet. There was the time he brought the wrong baby home from the daycare and wondered why it kept asking for "Mami" and "Papi." And there was the time he put laundry detergent in the automatic dishwasher, just so he could throw in a few dishcloths. Ron was so used to being called a moron that it hardly even bothered him anymore. She might as well have been saying "honey" or "sweetheart." It had almost become a special thing between them. No one else could call him a moron and get away with it. But Brenda often felt guilty about it. After all, he wasn't really a moron. That's what Brenda's mom said. "He's not a moron," she said. "He's just a man. Men don't always use their brains. They use it for football and fixing the car, but then they shut it off. They give it a break. That's why they need women." It was true: Ron did need Brenda. And she certainly needed him. That's why their marriage had lasted so long. Sure, Ron didn't
by Mahendra Shah
Mahendra Shah is an architect by education, entrepreneur by profession, artist and humorist, cartoonist and writer by hobby. He has been recording the plight of the immigrant Indians for the past many years in his cartoons. Hailing from Gujarat, he lives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Tech Life
Astrology
TheSouthAsianTimes.info
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Be Aware
Astrology, Numerology, Tarot are highly complicated ancient sciences, impossible to understand them completely. Over 99% astrologers are inaccurate in over 80% of their predictions & forecasts. Many of them are con artists taking advantage of blind faith & situation of God fearing people. Now-a-days many of them use all the state of the art, latest tools of marketing & excessive use of media to attract more & more people. Be careful before putting complete faith in the hands of unknown person who could be possibly a fraud. Please check the back ground & testimonials of the Astrologer/Pandit /Swami/Guru/Muni/ Rishi before consulting them. Dont get influenced by their outfit, busy schedule and photographs with celebrities & high profiled personalities. More they spend on their self promotions & advertisements, more the chances of getting robbed by them. Everyone have situations with family, finance, health or love but fearful middle age women are their soft target. Remember, no one can change any-ones future & fortune. Be careful before spending thousands of dollars on remedies. Tantra, Man-tra & Yantra, Havan, Pooja, Tabeez, Prayers should not cost thousands of dollars. The South Asian Times is proud to present Dr. Prem Kumar Sharma, the trustworthy, renowned & expert astrologer who com-bines scientific calculations of your birth chart with planets in transit before mak-ing predictions. He will never suggest any remedy which is very high in cost and not tested for prescribed effects & results. If you have any experience to share with our readers, please write to editor@thesouthasiantimes.info
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