• Giant Murugan Statue Unvieled in Malaysia
• Rare Folk Arts Highlight of Literary Meet Procession
• Indian Scientist Named 'Inventor of The Year'
• Siachen Heroes For Sudan
• India, US to Tackle Cyber Crime
• Prasoon Joshi Chosen Young Global Leader
• All For a Baby, Indian Ovum in Great Demand
• Americans to Learn Hindi For 'Security'
• Now, Healthcare to go Global With Brand India
• Old Indian Saris Splash Clour in Western Homes
• NRI Scripts Success Story in Illinois

• Another Indian Techie Named For Key Virgina Post
• Science Safari on National Geography
• India to be Among Top Nations by 2025
• Hindu Body in US to Discuss Religious Teaching
• British Cops Tour India For Community Insight
• US Wake up, India, China Rising: Report
• India Tech Faculty, a Force to Rekon With
• Mathemagic: Andamans Best
• NRI Doctor to be Honoured
• NRI Math Whiz Co-Wins King Faisal Award

Tens of thousands of Hindus and onlookers gathered near the Batu Caves temple near here to witness the unveiling of a gigantic statue of Hindu deity, Lord Murugan, reportedly the tallest in the world. Flowers were showered from helicopters on the 42.7-metre (140.09 feet) statue, crafted by Indian sculptors, located outside the Subramaniar temple. The statue, which cost approximately Rs. 2.4 crore, is made of 1,550 cubic metres of concrete, 250 tonnes of steel bars and 300 litres of gold paint brought in from neighbouring Thailand. The sculptors worked for more than three years on the project. Temple officials plan to seek recognition of the Guinness Book of World Records for the statue as the tallest Lord Murugan statue in the world, Chairman of the temple R. Nadarajah said. The statue has been unveiled two weeks ahead of the `Thai Poosam' festival.

Courtesy: The Hindu, January 30, 2006

Back to Index

Indian American IT professionals are going places in the new Virginia administration. Tim Kaine, the state's new governor, has now appointed a second Indian techie, Vivek Kundra, for a key post. Kundra, who has been president of IT consultancy firm Creostar, will be Virginia's assistant secretary for trade and commerce. He holds a Masters degree in management information systems from the University of Maryland. Kaine, who took over as governor a fortnight ago, has already appointed Aneesh Chopra as the state's secretary of technology. He has been entrusted with the task of expanding the use of information technology to serve citizens and promote Virginia to technology companies. Another Indian IT specialist Sanjay Puri was recently named by Virginia's Attorney-General Bob McDonnell as the co-chair of a policy committee dealing with Internet fraud and identity theft. Puri has also been a member of the governor's transition team recommending individuals to serve in the new administration. The US India Political Action Committee, a major lobbying group for the Indian community in Washington DC, says Indian Americans are becoming more politically active -- a trend that is reflected in the growing number of political appointments for members of the community. "My appointment is yet another example of USINPAC's success in representing the Indian American community before Federal and State governments and I look forward to get more Indian Americans involved in the process," said Kundra.

Courtesy: Hindustan Times, January 30, 2006

Back to Index

It seemed as if the whole town joined in the celebrations of the 72nd Kannada Sahitya Sammelan in Bidar on Friday. The city is hosting the sammelan for the third time. The sammelan was earlier held in 1965 and 1985. As many as 35 groups of folk artistes, 67 pro-Kannada organisations, school and college children, tableaux by private and government agencies, singers, dancers, delegates, women and children and others participated in the procession before the formal inauguration. The people of Bidar were introduced to some folk arts rare in this part of the State. They included Nandi Kolu Kunita performed by the Sangameshwara Kala Sangha of Kunigal, Bhutada Kola Kunita by Tulu Nada Sangha of Bantakallu of Udupi district, Karadi Majalu of Sarwada of Bijapur district, Datti Kunita by Sri Lakshmi Devi Mela of Talakatnal in Belgaum dstrict and Drashtata by Krishna Parijata company of Dharwad. The processionists danced to the beats of the Jagga Halage, drums made from bullock cartwheels. Septuagenarian Ramappa Sangalad of the Gajanana Janapada Kalavidara Sangha of Sulla of Dharwad district led the Jagga Halage troupe. Kombu Kahale, the native version of the bugle, was played in tandem with dances of young school children. Anjaneya Swamy Kahale Kalavidara Sangha of Chitradurga performed on the Kombu Kahale.

Courtesy: The Hindu, January 28, 2006

Back to Index

The government has decided to showcase Indian science on the National Geographic Channel (NGC) by launching a programme, Science Safari. The programme will show latest developments and innovations made by Indian scientists. The channel would produce the programme jointly with the Ministry of Science and Technology, which would have ownership rights over the content. NGC will get Rs 2 crore for the programme. "The channel will produce a 45-minute programme and 15 one-minute capsules on the basis of contents provided by the ministry. The programme, made in the next four months, will be telecast by National Geographic in May this year. National Geographic Channel will telecast the programme 14 to 15 times in the next eight months after which the ministry will telecast the programme on Doordarshan and regional channels so that they reach people in all the corners of the country.

Courtesy: Hindustan Times, January 28, 2006

Back to Index

An Indian-American scientist has been named 'Inventor of the Year' for his pioneering work in developing a new system which utilises data to improve patient care and clinical decisions. R Bharat Rao, senior director of Engineering Research Development, Computer-aided Diagnosis and Therapy Group at Siemens Medical Solutions, is one of 12 Siemens inventors to receive the award. Rao of Malvern, Pennsylvania was chosen from Siemens' 57,000 research and development employees worldwide for his pioneering work in developing an automated data collection and analysis tool, REMIND (Reliable Extraction and Meaningful Inference from Nonstructured Data). This enables care givers to utilize disparate healthcare information to personalise patient care plans and enhance patient outcomes. ''Much of the data in the healthcare system is not in a format that can be readily accessed or applied at the point of care,'' Rao, an IIT graduate from Madras, said, adding ''for example, key clinical information is stored as written text in patient records, discharge summaries, progress notes and radiology reports.'' Without requiring any manual entry or change in workflow, REMIND, integrates patient data with medical information and current treatment guidelines. Through a sophisticated algorithm, REMIND then analyses the data and extracts key nuggets of information that will help clinicians make more informed treatment decisions. This information can be utilised for applications such as alerts, case management and adherence to treatment guidelines.

Courtesy: The Indian Express, January 20, 2006

Back to Index

India will by 2025 emerge as one of the foremost nations in the world politically and economically, according to a global scenario report compiled by leading energy company Royal Dutch Shell. The report, titled "Shell Global scenarios to 2025", highlights India's young population, vibrant entrepreneurial spirit and strong institutions as its drivers of growth. "India has been much more efficient than China at using capital. China has invested twice as much as India over 10 years and yet only achieved an average growth rate that is about 50 percent higher than India's," it says, according to INEP agency. However, it also points out the need for economic reform and infrastructure investment to enable a structural shift to agricultural output to higher value items, growth of manufacturing and leadership in IT services.

Courtesy: The Economic Times, January 20, 2006

Back to Index

India will send the Siachen heroes, 8 Jammu & Kashmir Light Infantry, for United Nations peacekeeping duty in civil war-hit Sudan. This is the first time India is sending troops there. 8 JAK LI, parent unit of Param Vir Chakra awardee Bana Singh, was the first to detect Pakistani intruders in the glacier. In 1987, a special task, including Bana Singh, stormed a seemingly impregnable Pakistani post atop the 1,200 plus-foot high glacier and set up an Indian post. It has been named the Bana post. That operation led to India occupying vantage positions on the glacier. Since then the battalion has acquitted itself well in counter-insurgency operations and won several gallantry awards. The 1/5 Gorkha Rifles will be the force reserve battalion. India is sending three infantry battalions along with an infantry brigade headquarters to replace its troops serving in Congo under the U.N. flag.

Courtesy: The Hindu, 28 January 2006

Back to Index

The Hindu American Foundation (HAF) will talk to the education board of California about changes and corrections in school textbooks related to Hindu religion. The HAF has retained a law firm to represent it during interactions with the California State Board of Education (SBE). The SBE will soon decide on a determination by the California Curriculum Commission that several edits and corrections regarding Hinduism be accepted in public school textbooks. The Vedic Foundation and the Hindu Education Foundation had submitted extensive edits as part of a review process by the state education board. HAF said in a statement that it became involved in the process when it came to understand that the education board and its staff failed to adequately address a substantial number of the edits given by Hindu bodies.

Courtesy: Hindustan Times, January 17, 2006

Back to Index

India and the US have decided to enhance cooperation among their law enforcement agencies to deal with cyber crime in view of the rapid growth of trade in IT-enabled services between the two countries. At the third plenary of the India-US cyber security forum that concluded here Tuesday, the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and its US counterpart decided to set up an India Information Sharing and Analysis Centre (ISAC) and an India Anti-Bot Alliance to raise awareness about emerging threats to cyberspace. The US National Cyber Security Division has agreed to share expertise in artefact analysis, network traffic and exchange of information while the research and development group will concentrate on problems relating to cyber security, forensics and anti-spam research. India's Deputy National Security Advisor Vijay K. Nambiar emphasised the strategic partnership between the two countries and said the need for serious attention to sound information security practices was imperative in the light of growing trade between both sides. Michael Coulter, the US co-chair, said the India-US cyber security forum had progressed from a philosophy in the last three years to a common action-oriented agenda on securing networked information systems. Expecting a more ambitious programme in the coming year, Coulter hoped the forum's agenda would help cope with new challenges on the cyber security horizon such as mitigating risks in the emerging sub-outsourcing environment. A series of India-US seminars, workshops and expert level exchanges are to be held in the coming months.

Courtesy: Hindustan Times, January 17, 2006

Back to Index

A British police team from Liverpool has flown to India to understand Indian culture and pick up tips about building better relationships with the Asian community in the Merseyside region. The team, comprising sergeant Neil Kavanagh, special sergeant Donna Greaves and detective constable Paul Pendleton, will spend one month in the Indian sub-continent studying the culture of various communities that are represented in Merseyside. Senior officials believe that the visit will help the police force gain a better understanding of the Indian way of life and in turn help deal with incidents involving the Asian community. The team includes staff from the Crown Prosecution Service, the youth justice board and the health service. Before leaving for India, Sergeant Kavanagh, a race hate and community relations officer in St Helens, told the media: "This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to look at the diverse cultural aspects of life in India and to then use this to the advantage of Merseyside police and the work I do. "We want to maximise the trip's value by gaining knowledge that may assist others with their work and help us achieve our goal of being the best police force in the country."

Courtesy: Hindustan Times, January 16, 2006

Back to Index

Prasoon Joshi, creative director of McCann Erickson India, has been named a 'Young Global Leader 2006' by the Forum of Young Global Leaders, an affiliate of the World Economic Forum. He is one of 40 Asians chosen for the honour and will join a global community now including 410 leaders from all regions and stakeholder groups. The 2006 class of Young Global Leaders includes over 60 business leaders, more than 30 government leaders, and dozens of scholars, media and non-governmental organisation leaders. They come from 50 countries ranging from Argentina to Zimbabwe. Joshi joins a community representing 90 countries that includes Larry Page and Sergey Brin, co-founders of Google; Mikheil Saakashvili, President of Georgia; Kumi Naidoo, Secretary-General and Chief Executive Officer, Civicus: World Alliance for Citizen Participation. The Young Global Leaders will meet as a community at their Annual Summit in Vancouver, Canada, to be held from June 9-12 2006, when they will engage together in the 2020 Initiative.

Courtesy: Business Standard: January 13, 2006

Back to Index

The dramatic rise of China and India is a wake-up call that should prompt people in the United States and around the world to take seriously the need for strong commitments to build sustainable economies, according to a report by a US-based research organisation. This change presents one of the "gravest threats and greatest opportunities" facing the world today, says the Worldwatch Institute in its 'State of the World 2006' report. And, viewing this colossal shift in global geopolitics as an opportunity rather than a challenge holds the greatest prospect for ensuring a stable and peaceful twenty-first century, the report by the global environmental and social policy research body, said. The report calls for broader cooperation between China, India, Europe, and the United States to develop new energy and agricultural systems, maximise resource efficiency, and continue recent progress towards participatory decision-making in China and India. Educational and professional exchanges should also be stepped up, it recommends. "China and India should urgently be invited into key international bodies such as the G-8 and the International Energy Agency," the report suggests. In next few years the choices these countries will make will lead the world either towards a future beset by growing ecological and political instability or down a development path based on efficient technologies and better stewardship of resources, it says. The report, while expressing concern over global resource squeeze, commends the innovative methods adopted by China and India in conservation of natural resources. "Already, China's world-leading solar industry provides water heating for 35 million buildings, and India's pioneering use of rainwater harvesting brings clean water to tens of thousands of homes," says Worldwatch President Christopher Flavin, one of the lead authors of the report. "China and India are positioned to leapfrog today's industrial powers and become world leaders in sustainable energy and agriculture within a decade," he says. Though their per-capita resource consumption is still low, with their huge populations China and India are joining the United States and Europe as ecological superpowers whose demands on the world's ecosystems will vastly outstrip those of other countries, the report says. Other challenges facing China and India include shortage of fresh water and increased consumption of oil as a result of burgeoning automobile industries in both countries. Since China and India have the only large coal-dominated energy systems in the world today, both countries are central to future efforts to slow global climate change, it says. Such trends have a number of influential Chinese and Indians questioning whether their countries are on the right path, with Sunita Narain of India's Centre for Science and Environment saying that India, China, and all their neighbours have no choice but to reinvent the development trajectory.

Courtesy: The Indian Express, January 12, 2006

Back to Index

"If you are a young fertile woman, who wants to go through IVF but cannot afford the treatment, you can consider donating your eggs and registering for free treatment," goes an advertisement of an IVF treatment clinic. Fertility clinics in India are facing a new crunch - egg donors. Besides a rise in Indian childless couples going in for artificial reproduction techniques, there is a surge of aspiring mothers from foreign lands visiting the country in search of donor eggs. Patients are coming from UK, USA, Russia, Canada and several other countries as IVF clinics all over the world are facing difficulties to meet the demand of egg recipients, Indian IVF specialists say. "Infertile couples often fly down to our clinic from the US and UK for IVF treatment, because we are much more cost-effective and provide high quality medical care and excellent personalised services. Many of them also need donor egg treatment," says Dr Aniruddha Malpani of the renowned Mumbai-based Malpani Infertility Clinic. The egg demand is so high among foreign patients that sometimes they prefer waiting for the suitable egg donor for months, or for over a year. As Dr Malpani says, "Two to three foreigners visit us every month, who are keen on a particular kind of donor. They don't mind waiting for months for the right kind of donors." In most of the cases, where patients from other countries have to wait, they fix the treatment by emails, "so that they need to come to India only when the donor is ready." With a higher rate of success and a low cost of treatment, India is turning into a hot destination for infertile couples. An in-vitro fertilisation cycle in the US costs around $20,000 as opposed to $2,000 odd in India. In UK clinics, a cycle of treatment costs up to a whopping £3500. "Many foreigners visit Indian fertility clinics after being totally exhausted financially," Dr Anoop Gupta of Delhi IVF research centre says adding, "The cost factor plays a major role." "If at $2,000 (in India) patients are getting the same treatment with high success rate, then they will obviously prefer coming here," says Dr Gupta. To meet this "egg donor crunch", IVF clinics in India are coming out with various options like egg-sharing and egg donation.

Courtesy: Hindustan Times, January 10, 2006

Back to Index

It's the final frontier for uber techies. And Indians too are making their presence felt around Cambridge on the different campus locations of Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Today, the India connection is not just limited to senior MIT music lecturer and sarod player George Ruckert using his winter break to visit India and do concerts at IIT campuses. Or for that matter to the almost legendary Dr Amar G Bose, founder & chairman of Bose Corporation, who spun out the company from his research at his alma mater: MIT. He is also a professor emeritus there. Take the Brain & Cognitive Sciences department, for instance. It has two very strong Indian connections. First, the new 411,000-square-foot complex, the largest neuroscience centre in the world, had top Indian architect Charles Correa, an MIT ex-student himself as lead designer. Besides, the head of the department, Dr Mriganka Sur, is an Indian and an ex-student of IIT-Kanpur. Though one of the most high-profile Indians on MIT campus today, Dr Sur is not the only one. Other Indians in top faculty slots include another IIT Kanpur alumni Dr Arvind, professor of computer science and engineering who holds the Johnson Chair and heads the computation structures group; Professor Subra Suresh, head of department of materials science and engineering, Dr Abhijit V Banerjee, Ford Foundation professor of economics and director of the poverty action lab; Bish Sanyal, Ford International professor of urban development and planning and director, special programme in urban and regional studies (SPURS); S P Kothari, Gordon Y Billard Professor of Management and Accounting at the Sloan School of Management and Rahul Sarpeshkar, a young assistant professor at MIT's electrical engineering and computer science department.

Courtesy: The Economic Times: January 09, 2006

Back to Index

The world is truly becoming a global village as Indian and all things Indian continue to rule. Awed by India's growing prowess, the US administration has identified Hindi as one of the "critical need" foreign languages that Americans should learn to further strengthen national security and prosperity in the 21st century. While launching the National Security Language Initiative programme (NSLI), US President George W Bush is expected to request $114 million in funding for 2007. "The NSLI will dramatically increase the number of Americans learning critical need foreign languages such as Hindi, Arabic, Chinese, Russian, Farsi and others through new and expanded programmes from kindergarten through university and into the workforce," the US State Department said in a fact sheet.

Courtesy: The Economic Times, January 06, 2006

Back to Index

Last winter, the Andaman Islands were in the news for the tsunami. This winter, they are in news for a different reason. A German tour operator-turned-author, Wim De Ruiter, has named the areas containing the world's 10 best beaches. In his list, which was carried in The Independent, De Ruiter gave the Andaman Islands the top rank. The first four areas on the list - others are Laccadive Islands, the Maldives and the Seychelles - are in the Indian Ocean. De Ruiter used maths to arrive at his top 10. Measurable factors like quality of sand and colour, luminosity and depth of water and angle of the sun were rated on a scale of 1 to 5. Explaining his formula, he said: "White sand is only made by the erosion of coral reefs. Coral can only be found in waters where the temperature never drops below 21C. This is why the best beaches are only to be found in the tropics, between 27 degrees north and 27 degrees south of the Equator." The Independent seemed to agree: "Others may quibble with his top 10 destinations, but there is no question that the Andamans and Laccadives are heavenly spots which have earned the reputation of tropical paradise." Kuldip Gangar, director, tourism and publicity, Andaman and Nicobar administration, told HT: "We always knew that the Andamans had world-class beaches. But we were not aware that they were the best until the BBC called up to inform us about it. The tsunami, fortunately, did not take away the natural beauty of the islands."

Courtesy: Hindustan Times, January 05, 2006

Back to Index

After IT, tourism and apparel, it's now the turn of the Indian healthcare industry to market Brand India globally. Healthcare providers in India are now working in collaboration with the government to launch a comprehensive programme to promote medical tourism. These include putting in place an accreditation system for domestic hospitals and healthcare providers, drawing up a price band for superspeciality services offered by Indian hospitals, adoption of country-specific marketing strategies, opening of overseas facilitation centres and tie-ups with overseas insurance companies. Till now, only a few big private healthcare providers such as Apollo, Fortis, Wockhardt and Max were creating their individual brand awareness in overseas markets through tie-ups with insurance companies and patient facilitation centres. "However, with the growing need to establish the Indian healthcare brand synonymous with safety, trust and excellence, industry-wide measures are being undertaken," says an industry insider associated with the new initiative. The National Accreditation Board for Hospitals and Healthcare Providers (NABH) set up by the health ministry under the aegis of Quality Council of India, is currently busy finalising the guidelines for accreditation of hospitals and other healthcare service providers.

Courtesy: The Economic Times, January 03, 2006

Back to Index

Prominent Indian-American physician, activist and philanthropist Sudhir Parikh has been selected to receive the prestigious Pravasi Bharatiya Samman for 2006, the highest civilian honour bestowed by India on non-resident Indians (NRIs). President APJ Abdul Kalam will present the award to Parikh on the occasion of the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas in Hyderabad. In the last three years since its inception, India has so far given the award to 37 people of Indian origin, including UN Under-Secretary-General Shashi Tharoor. Parikh, who was bestowed the prestigious Ellis Island Medal of Honour earlier this year for his lifetime of community service, currently heads the Federation of Indian Associations (FIA), the umbrella organisation of Indian organisations in the Tri-State area of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. "I'm honoured to be selected for this award that seeks to honour people of Indian origin who have made a difference to global well-being. I want to dedicate this award to the thousands of Indians living outside their homeland whose efforts have reiterated time and again that East or West, Indians are the Best," said Parikh. A long-time votary of strong Indo-US relations, the doctor received international acclaim in the treatment of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology.

Courtesy: Hindustan Times, January 03, 2006

Back to Index

Old Benarasi and other Indian saris, reincarnated as curtains, bedspreads, quilts and what not, are adding a dash of colour to homes in the West in contrast to the traditionally minimalist décor there. At Bloomingdales, the Christmas sale comprised saris made into spectacular pairs of organza tissue and silk curtains/drapes in shimmering shades of maroon, ruby reds, sage greens, purple and lavender with exquisite swirling hand embroidered motifs in silver and soft gold and elephant motifs hand woven on the border. It said Made in India, and for size 90L" X 41W", was priced at $182 from its original price of $354. "We have a lot of queries about these, and the old saris in their new incarnations are a rage here," says interior designer Rachel Adams, who sources a whole host of them for what she calls the "vintage collection". "Lots of stores in the West are stocking these ethnic creations made from old saris because they add a hint of exotica with our pale colours and minimalist furniture," Rachel said. "In the West people are tired of plain pastels and soft sombre shadings. They want something to liven up things a little and ethnic fashion is quite a revolution. That is why furnishings get an extra edge of winsome vintage when the old Benarasi sari gets reincarnated." For the West, India is the land of glorious flamboyance. It integrates influences from various cultures into eclectic decorative styles. The awesome breadth of designs, colours and textures provide a seductive visual treat. Sari borders are also finding buyers because they are used on belts, jackets and other apparel. "Sari borders make decorative embellishments on apparel," Rachel says. "They add an extra panache and just change the whole theme. They are very popular at Washington DC as well as at Los Angeles and New York upmarket stores."

Courtesy: Hindustan Times, January 03, 2006

Back to Index

An Indian mathematician has been named the co-winner of the King Faisal International Prize for 2006, in recognition of his path-breaking research which has strengthened links between mathematics and physics. India's M S Narasimhan, an honorary fellow at the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research in Mumbai, shares the prize with UK's Simon Kirwan Donaldson, President of the Institute of Mathematical Sciences and Professor of Mathematics at Imperial College, London for seminal contributions to math which also helped provide a foundation for physical theories. Prince Khaled al-Faisal, Director General of the King Faisal Foundation, said the prizes would be distributed to the winners on February 18. The two mathematicians' work has helped establish strong ties with the formulation of quantum chromodynamics for which the King Faisal prize in physics was given last year, the foundation said. Each of the five prize categories consist of a certificate, hand-written in Arabic calligraphy, summarizing the laureate's work; a commemorative 24 carat, 200-gram gold medal, uniquely cast for each prize; and cash award of 200,000 us dollars.

Courtesy: www.financialexpress.com, January 01, 2006

Back to Index

An Indian American who migrated to the US from Chandigarh has scripted a success story by turning his firm in four years into the fastest growing Indian owned mortgage brokerage in Illinois state. Mr Anil Loomba set up his company, Home Mortgage Solutions Inc, in 2001. Fuelled by Indian American home purchases, his company recorded a dramatic expansion in 2003 when mortgage rates were at historically low levels. Most of Mr Loomba's clients are South Asians, a majority of them Indian Americans. An excellent financial standing makes South Asians ideal clients, said Mr Loomba. "The average South Asian has a high credit score. Most of them are also well placed professionals and it is easy to deal with them," said Mr Loomba, a chartered accountant who completed his MBA here. A good credit history ensures the client gets good interest rates. "But we have also helped recent immigrants with no credit history get home loans." Most Indian Americans are eager to buy homes as quickly as possible, the more affluent choosing expensive suburbs. "We have got our clients homes for a monthly mortgage which is almost equal to the rent they were paying. Home ownership gives them a better lifestyle," Mr Loomba said. The average size of a residential loan is about $250,000. "But about 10 per cent of Indian Americans come for loans of a million dollars or more," said Mr Loomba.

Courtesy: The Asian Age, January 01, 2006

Back to Index