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Legendary singer Lata Mangeshkar, who died in Mumbai at the age of 92, was an Indian cultural icon and national treasure who made her name in Bollywood – despite only actually appearing on screen in a handful of films.
Lata Mangeshkar, who died on Sunday, February 6th after weeks of hospitalization, was cremated with full state honors at Mumbai’s iconic Shivaji Park bringing an end to a splendid and decorated career spanning seven decades. Just before the last rites, the national flag in which the body was draped, was handed over to the family members. Lata Mangeshkar’s brother Hridaynath Mangeshkar lit the funeral pyre of the singing legend.
A recipient of the Bharat Ratna, Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and Dadasaheb Phalke Awards, Lata Mangeshkar was an icon of Indian cinema, having sung playback for an extensive list of Hindi films.
The classically-trained star rose to fame in India’s booming film industry as a “playback singer”, providing the singing voice to Bollywood’s lip-synching movie stars over the course of a career which spanned more than half a century.
For decades, the “nightingale of India” was the country’s most in-demand singer, with every top actress wanting her to sing their songs. Her records, meanwhile, sold in the tens of thousands, and she boasted a back catalog of thousands of songs spanning numerous genres and a total of 36 languages.
But she was also much more than her voice. Mangeshkar was a passionate cricket fan and had a love for cars and the slot machines of Vegas. She also rubbed shoulders with some of Bollywood’s brightest stars – and at least one Beatle.
Mangeshkar, or Lata Didi, as she was fondly called, came from a household that worshipped music. Her father Dinanath Mangeshkar was a towering personality in Marathi theatre. He acted, produced and sang songs in plays that would change the face of Marathi theatre. He was one of the foremost exponents of Natya Sangeet and an accomplished Hindustani classical singer. His mother Yesubai, an accomplished singer from the devadasi community, was one of Portuguese India’s (now Goa) most famous temple singers and dancers.
Born in September 1929, Lata was the first among her siblings – sisters Meena, Asha (Bhosle), and Usha, and brother Hridaynath – that ruled over Marathi and Hindi film music for decades. She was initially named Hema, but her father changed it to Lata after a character in one of his plays.
Their ancestral family name was Hardikar, but their paternal grandfather Ganesh Bhatt Hardikar was given the honor of performing the abhishek (ritual bathing of the deity) at Mangeshi temple in Goa, and they took on the family name Abhisheki. The late Hindustani classical maestro and scholar Jitendra Abhisheki is from the same family and a cousin of the Mangeshkar siblings. Later, Dinanath would adopt his last name from the temple, and call himself Mangeshkar. The name stuck.
Though Lata had started singing in movies by the age of 13 in 1942, it was her breakthrough performance in Majboor in 1948 that catapulted her into mainstream Hindi films. Her mentor was music director Ghulam Haider, who, the story goes, was so angry when producer Sashadhar Mukherjee rejected Mangeshkar’s voice for being “too thin” thundered to him that he would one day fall at Lata’s feet and beg her to sing in his movies.
Mangeshkar confirmed this incident in film historian Raju Bhartan’s biography on her. On several occasions, she credited Haider as her mentor. “He was the first music director who showed complete faith in my talent,” she said in 2013.
After Majboor’s success in 1948, she would achieve greater fame the next year when she sang the haunting “Aayega aanewala” in the runaway hit Mahal, whose music director Khemchand Prakash was later credited with mainstreaming another talent – Kishore Kumar. With Aayega aanewala, Mangeshkar had truly arrived, and was seen to have stepped out of the shadow of another film singing legend, Noor Jehan.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the Shivaji Park to pay his last respects to the singer and met the Mangeshkar family members and consoled them. He left the venue before the funeral.
Earlier in the day, the Prime Minister tweeted saying he is “anguished beyond words”. “The kind and caring Lata Didi has left us. She leaves a void in our nation that cannot be filled. The coming generations will remember her as a stalwart of Indian culture, whose melodious voice had an unparalleled ability to mesmerise people,” he said in a tweet.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said she remained the “most beloved voice of India for many decades” and added that her immortal golden voice will continue to echo in the hearts of her fans.
Lata Mangeshkar was cremated with full state honors
Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, NCP chief Sharad Pawar, superstar Shah Rukh Khan, Aamir Khan, Ranbir Kapoor, lyricist Javed Akhtar, cricketer Sachin Tendulkar, among others, were also in attendance to pay their last respects.
One of the famous episodes of her life is when her music moved Jawaharlal Nehru to tears. On January 27, 1963 during the backdrop of the India-China war, Lata Mangeshkar sang Aye Mere Watan Ke Logon in the presence of the then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, bringing him to tears.
Subcontinent leaders, including Pakistan’s Imran Khan, sent their tributes to the legendary singer.
“With the death of Lata Mangeshkar the subcontinent has lost one of the truly great singers the world has known. Listening to her songs has given so much pleasure to so many people all over the world,” Imran Khan tweeted.
Lata Mangeshkar’s death has created a “great void in the subcontinent’s musical arena”, Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said as she recalled ‘the empress of music’ with gratitude for her role in the Liberation War of 1971 against Pakistan.
Nepal’s President Bidya Devi Bhandari recalled the contribution of “genius” Lata Mangeshkar to Nepali songs as she paid her tribute to the singer.
“I am saddened by the news of the demise of famous Indian singer Lata Mangeshkar, who has also lent her melodious voice to many Nepalese songs,” Ms Bhandari tweeted in Nepali language.
Lata Mangeshkar, who belonged to a prominent musical family, also composed music as well as produced a handful of films. She was popularly known as the ‘Nightingale of India.’
In her melodious voice, Lata Mangeshkar had sung over 50,000 songs in 14 languages since her radio debut in 1941.
The central government has announced a two-day “state mourning” on the death of the legendary singer. The national flag will fly at half mast from February 6 to February 7 throughout India and there will be no official entertainment in this period.
The Prince of Wales paid tribute to the Queen on her Platinum Jubilee for the “remarkable achievement” of reaching 70 years on the throne. Prince Charles welcomed his mother’s wish that Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, be known as Queen Consort when he becomes King.
He said he and his wife were “deeply conscious of the honor”. The Queen is the first British monarch to celebrate a Platinum Jubilee, and spent the day privately. In a message marking the 70th anniversary of her reign, the Queen said it was her “sincere wish” that Camilla would have that title.
Prince Charles said in a statement: “The Queen’s devotion to the welfare of all her people inspires still greater admiration with each passing year.
“We are deeply conscious of the honour represented by my mother’s wish. As we have sought together to serve and support Her Majesty and the people of our communities, my darling wife has been my own steadfast support throughout.”
The Queen’s reign began when she was 25 years old, following the death of her father, George VI, on 6 February 1952.
The monarch said that, 70 years on, the day is one she remembers “as much for the death of my father, King George VI, as for the start of my reign”.
The 95-year-old said in a written message to the nation: “I would like to express my thanks to you all for your support. I remain eternally grateful for, and humbled by, the loyalty and affection that you continue to give me.”
The Jubilee is the monarch’s first without the Duke of Edinburgh, her husband of 73 years, who died last year.
She reflected on how much she had gained from support given “unselfishly” by Prince Philip and thanked the goodwill shown to her by “all nationalities, faiths and ages in this country”.
The Queen signed off the message: “Your servant Elizabeth R.”
Camilla, the future Queen Consort
Since marrying into the Royal Family 17 years ago, Camilla has grown into her role as a senior royal.
The path to public acceptance has been at times rocky, and at first Camilla was a controversial figure who was blamed by some for the end of the prince’s first marriage to Princess Diana.
In 1994, Charles admitted to adultery with Camilla, but said it came after his marriage to Diana had “irretrievably broken down”.
It was not until 1999 when she and Charles went public with their romance,
Since then, Camilla has won over a cautious public. She has been praised for championing her own causes and interests, including supporting literacy charities, animal welfare and organizations helping victims of domestic abuse.
Many have congratulated the Queen on this historic day, including Boris Johnson, Theresa May and David Cameron – three of the 14 British prime ministers to occupy No 10 during her reign.
Mr Johnson posted on Twitter: “I pay tribute to her many years of service and look forward to coming together as a country to celebrate her historic reign in the summer.”
His predecessor, Mrs May, described the monarch as “an extraordinary woman, who has dedicated her life to the service of her people and our family of nations”.
Mr Cameron said: “There can be no finer example of dignified public duty and service.”
Leader of the opposition, Sir Keir Starmer, echoed these sentiments, saying he would like to express his “deepest thanks” for 70 years of “unparalleled public service”.
The Labor leader added: “Her Majesty The Queen has been one vital and valued constant in an ever-changing world, representing security and stability for our country, during the ups and downs of the last seven decades.”
A message from the White House said the Queen had, over her 70-year reign, “strengthened the ties of friendship, shared ideals, and faith in democracy that forever unite our countries”.
The Queen used the eve of her Jubilee to directly address the unresolved question of Camilla’s future title.
The U.S. national debt has surpassed $30 trillion, the highest it’s ever been, as borrowing surged during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to data published by the Treasury Department on Tuesday.
National debt skyrocketed pandemic, but the nation reached the milestone much earlier than projected as a result of the trillions in federal spending being used to combat the pandemic, the New York Times reported.
‘Hitting the $30 trillion mark is clearly an important milestone in our dangerous fiscal trajectory,’ Michael Peterson, head of the Peter G. Peterson Foundation, told the Times.
‘For many years before Covid, America had an unsustainable structural fiscal path because the programs we’ve designed are not sufficiently funded by the revenue we take in,’ he added.
In January 2020, the Congressional Budget Office projected that the national debt would reach $30 trillion by the end of 2025. But it was reached much sooner due to the pandemic.
The $5 trillion used to combat the pandemic, which was used to fund jobless benefits, financial support for small businesses and stimulus payments, was financed with borrowed money, the Times reported.
The federal government now owes almost $8 trillion to foreign investors, led by Japan and China, which must be repaid with interest, according to CNN.
‘That means American taxpayers will be paying for the retirement of the people in China and Japan, who are our creditors,’ David Kelly, chief global strategist at JPMorgan Asset Management, explained to CNN Business.
The national debt has been skyrocketing since the Great Recession when the debt was $9.2 trillion in December 2007, according to Treasury data.
But by the time, former President Donald Trump took office, the national debt stood at nearly $20 trillion, CNN reported.
‘Covid exacerbated the problem. We had an emergency situation that required trillions in spending,’ said Michael Peterson, CEO of the Peterson Foundation. ‘But the structural problems we face fiscally existed long before the pandemic.
Former US Vice-President Mike Pence has dismissed claims by Donald Trump that he could have stopped Joe Biden becoming president last year. In his strongest rebuttal yet, he said Trump was wrong to suggest he had had the right to overturn the election.
A mob stormed the Capitol as lawmakers met to confirm President Joe Biden’s poll win on 6 January last year. Four people died during the riots, and a police officer who suffered two strokes while defending the building died the following day.
The two legislators, Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger, are the only Republicans on a congressional select committee investigating the riots. While censuring the two, the statement by the Republican National Committee (RNC) accused the pair of helping to persecute “ordinary citizens engaged in legitimate political discourse”.
The RNC appeared to suggest rioters had been involved in legitimate political actions but RNC Chair Ronna McDaniel clarified that it was a reference to “legitimate political discourse that had nothing to do with violence at the Capitol”.
The vote was passed by an overwhelming majority of the 168 RNC members at their winter meeting in Salt Lake City, Utah, reports say.
The committee said it would “immediately cease any and all support of them” as party members without removing them from the party.
Both lawmakers issued statements in advance of the vote. “The leaders of the Republican Party have made themselves willing hostages to a man who admits he tried to overturn a presidential election and suggests he would pardon 6 January defendants, some of whom have been charged with seditious conspiracy,” Ms Cheney said.
They also received support from other opponents of Mr Trump in the party. Senator Mitt Romney tweeted: “Shame falls on a party that would censure persons of conscience, who seek truth in the face of vitriol.”
‘I had no right’
Speaking in Orlando, Florida, Mr Pence was responding to Mr Trump’s comments on Sunday that he could have overturned the election if he had wanted to. Mr Trump has falsely claimed that the election was stolen by Mr Biden.
Days later Mr Trump said the select committee should be investigating Mr Pence instead of the rioters.
“President Trump is wrong. I had no right to overturn the election. The presidency belongs to the American people, and the American people alone,” Mr Pence said.
“And [current Vice-President] Kamala Harris will have no right to overturn the election when we beat them in 2024.”
Last May, House Republicans voted to remove Congresswoman Liz Cheney from her leadership position because, they said, her criticism of Donald Trump prevented the party from focusing on upcoming elections.
On Friday, however, the Republican National Committee passed a resolution that will put Mr Trump, the 6 January Capitol riots and shifting Republican attitudes toward both into national headlines again.
The committee also did so in a way that will generate storms of criticism, by censuring Ms Cheney and Congressman Adam Kinzinger for, in part, helping Democratic “persecution of ordinary citizens engaged in legitimate political discourse”. Republicans say the line – added in a last-minute revision – was meant to reference individuals who protested the election results and not those who attacked the Capitol, but its inartful wording will ensure it is construed to include both.
The resolution is just the latest example of the grip Mr Trump holds on the Republican Party apparatus, even if polls indicate that the loyalty of some conservatives may be slipping.
The practical purpose behind the committee’s move is that it frees the party to shift financial support from Ms Cheney to her Republican primary opponent. The political fireworks were a collateral – if not unintended – effect.
Former India skipper Virat Kohli returned with yet another poor figure with the bat in the opening ODI match of the three-match series against West Indies on Sunday, yet he managed to smash another of Sachin Tendulkar’s world record.
With back-to-back boundaries during the 14th over of India’s chase of 177 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad, Kohli became the second cricketer in ODI history to score 5000 runs in India, joining the legendary Sachin (6976 runs) in the elusive list, while also becoming the fourth batter overall to reach the milestone in a single country. The two others include former Australia captain Ricky Ponting, who amassed 5521 runs in Australia, and Jacques Kallis, who scored 5186 runs in South Africa.
Reaching the mark in his 96th ODI innings, Kohli surpassed Sachin to become the fastest batsman to score 5000 ODI runs in a single country. The former Indian batter had achieved the feat in his 121st innings, during the match against West Indies in 2007.
Two deliveries later, Kohli failed to control the pull shot against a shorter delivery from Joseph as he top edged the delivery to the fielder at fine leg. He walked back scoring just 8 off 4.
Earlier that same over, in the first delivery, Joseph had got rid of India’s new ODI skipper Rohit Sharma, dismissing him for 60 and ending an impressive opening stand of 84 runs alongside the young Ishan Kishan.
India had won the toss and opted to bowl first against West Indies who were folded for 177 in 43.5 overs with all-rounder Jason Holder top-scoring for the visitors with his 11th half-century score.
Yuzvendra Chahal was the pick of the bowlers with his 4 for 49, which is now his third-best ODI figure. Washington Sundar picked three while the pace duo of Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna picked three between themselves.
The U.S. has crossed yet another tragic landmark in the battle against COVID-19. On Friday, the country surpassed 900,000 deaths from the disease, two years after the first COVID-19 cluster was reported in Wuhan, China. Public health experts say coming close to the 1 million death mark from the coronavirus is “inevitable.”
“It’s absolutely staggering,” said Jennifer Nuzzo, an epidemiologist at Johns Hopkins University, which has tracked the number of COVID-19 deaths during the pandemic. “It’s unreal, frankly. And what makes it an even … greater heartbreak — as if the loss of 900,000 souls weren’t enough of a heartbreak — is the fact that it’s probably an undercount of the number of people that we’ve lost.”
University of Texas at Austin professor and epidemiologist Lauren Ancel Meyers said the “horrible milestone” didn’t have to happen.
\”It was not inevitable. There are things that we could have done and should have done … to protect those who were most vulnerable,” she said. “It’s a very sad day.”
President Joe Biden marked the “tragic milestone,” recognizing the “emotional, physical and psychological weight of this pandemic” and urged Americans to do their part.
I urge all Americans: get vaccinated, get your kids vaccinated, and get your booster shot if you are eligible,” Biden said in a statement. “It’s free, easy, and effective — and it can save your life, and the lives of those you love.”
Daily deaths remain high even as overall case numbers dip
The rolling seven-day average for daily COVID-19 deaths has been above 2,000 since Jan. 23, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That’s nearly three times higher than in November, when the agency was reporting a seven-day average of 700 daily deaths.
Vaccines are preventing most severe disease and death
As COVID-19 vaccines have become widely available for Americans, the number of those who have received at least one dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna or Johnson & Johnson vaccine continues to increase.
However, the percentage of fully vaccinated Americans is still relatively low at approximately 64%. Amid the most recent surge of the now dominant omicron variant, unvaccinated people were 97 times more likely to die compared with those who were boosted, according to data cited this week by CDC Director Rochelle Walensky.
Public health experts note that broader vaccination and boosting would have reduced the number of deaths. “We would have at least 300,000 fewer deaths. Probably more … than that,” if the early pace of vaccination had been sustained, said Dr. Ashish Jha, dean of the Brown University School of Public Health. “But at least 300,000 Americans who have perished would still be with us. It’s tragic.” According to the latest CDC data, 42% of eligible Americans have received a booster.
The 24th edition of the Winter Olympics is officially under way after the Olympic cauldron was lit in a restrained opening ceremony in Beijing.
Almost 3,000 athletes from 91 nations will compete across the Games.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has been criticised for awarding the Games to China because of the country’s alleged human rights abuses.
IOC president Thomas Bach said one of the missions of the Games was to “unite humankind in all our diversity”.
The Olympic torch was placed into the centre of a giant snowflake, which was then illuminated to become the cauldron.
The snowflake is made up of placards with the names of the 91 nations competing in Beijing.
Speaking during the ceremony, Bach addressed “all political authorities across the globe” during his speech, asking them to “give peace a chance”.
“In our fragile world, where division, conflict and mistrust are on the rise, we show the world: yes, it is possible to be fierce rivals, while at the same time living peacefully and respectfully together,”
Beijing is the first city to host both a summer and winter edition of an Olympic Games, with the opening ceremony held in the iconic Bird’s Nest stadium that was built for the 2008 Games.
Just as in Tokyo six months ago, there were no paying spectators, friends or family present in the stands, although there were diplomats and team members applauding the athletes on.
Representatives of 56 ethnic groups from across China relayed the national flag into the stadium to begin the opening ceremony.
The Olympic rings themselves emerged from a frozen block of ice, with athletes entering the arena underneath them.
Curler Eve Muirhead and alpine skier Dave Ryding, both competing in their fourth Winter Olympics, carried the Great Britain flag into the stadium.
Bach told the athletes: “You will show how the world would look like, if we all respect the same rules and each other.
“Over the next two weeks you will compete with each other for the highest prize. At the same time, you will live peacefully together under one roof in the Olympic Village.
“There, there will be no discrimination for any reason whatsoever. ”
Why are the Games controversial?
A number of countries declared a diplomatic boycott of the Games, including the United Kingdom, with no ministers or officials attending the opening ceremony.
The Beijing government is accused of committing atrocities against the Uyghur Muslim population in the northwest province of Xinjiang, with the World Uyghur Congress describing the Games as “a genocide Olympics”.
There have been reports that, as well as interning Uyghurs in camps, China has been forcibly mass sterilising Uyghur women to suppress the population.
China has consistently denied allegations of human rights abuses in Xinjiang, insisting camps were not detention camps, but “vocational educational and training centres”, while the IOC says it must “remain neutral on all global political issues”.
There has also been widespread concern over the safety of Chinese tennis player Peng Shuai after she made accusations of sexual assault against a top government official. Bach will meet face-to-face with Peng during the Games.
Russian president Vladimir Putin was in attendance at the opening ceremony, having met with China’s President Xi Jinping earlier in the day.
Amendments to a recently passed House bill will expand immigration opportunities for foreign-born scientists and engineers. If retained during negotiations with the Senate, the measures in the bill could become the most significant on legal immigration to pass Congress in more than 30 years.
Supporters of the provisions will argue that no bill promoting innovation can justify not including improved ways to attract and retain foreign-born talent. More than 70% of the full-time graduate students at U.S. universities in electrical engineering, industrial engineering and computer and information sciences are foreign nationals. Members of Congress have recognized that other countries are doing a better job than the United States attracting and retaining such talent.
House Bill: On February 4, 2022, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the America COMPETES Act 222 to 210 with only one Republican vote. In June 2021, the Senate passed a similar bill. There are enough differences between the two bills to make final passage uncertain.
Significant Immigration Provisions: On January 25, 2022, the House Rules Committee added Rep. Zoe Lofgren’s (D-CA) LIKE Act to create an immigrant startup visa and also an exemption from annual green card limits and backlogs for foreign nationals with a Ph.D. in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) fields. Because of the potential to provide new opportunities for entrepreneurs and top researchers around the world, these two additions, in the long run, might produce more innovations in the United States than all the other sections of the nearly 3,000-page bill. Both measures fund additional scholarships for U.S. students in STEM fields by charging $1,000 supplemental fees for those receiving a green card or status under the legislation.
As discussed here, the bill creates a temporary visa for foreign-born entrepreneurs who qualify and “Allows the founder to apply for and receive lawful permanent residence if the startup entity meets certain additional benchmarks.” The lack of a startup visa disadvantages the U.S. compared to other nations like Canada in retaining and attracting foreign-born entrepreneurs. The absence of a startup visa and the per-country limit caused Jyoti Bansal to wait 7 years for a green card before he could start AppDynamics, which grew to employ over 2,000 people and was valued at $3.7 billion when Cisco acquired it in 2017.
Exempting individuals with Ph.D.s in STEM fields from annual green card limits would relieve many from long wait times for permanent residence and (indirectly) reduce the decades-long waits for other highly skilled immigrants. The provision would allow U.S. employers to gain a significant competitive edge by offering the chance at permanent residence to outstanding researchers from around the world, including those early in their careers and engaging in cutting-edge work. (See here.)
Katalin Karikó, who produced the underlying research breakthrough that made messenger RNA possible for life-saving vaccines, could have benefited from a special green card provision for Ph.D.s. Karikó earned her Ph.D. in Hungary and toiled for years in America, first as a postdoctoral researcher, before her work became recognized as life-saving. Approximately 56% of postdoctoral researchers work on temporary visas, with many in biological sciences, medical sciences, engineering and research and development. The new measure would allow many more an opportunity to stay in and contribute to the United States.
“The America COMPETES Act also helps build our domestic STEM workforce and encourages start-up companies to establish roots here,” Rep. Lofgren said in a statement. “Individuals who earn STEM doctoral degrees from top research universities in the U.S. will be able to quickly obtain permanent residence and founders of start-up companies will have a chance to grow their companies here. These measures will help ensure that America is once again the number one destination for the best and brightest innovators and the next generation of entrepreneurs worldwide.”
Does The House GOP Understand Its Position On Immigration Aligns With The Chinese Communist Party’s Leadership?: If the Chinese Communist Party lobbied in Congress, it likely would have applauded a statement issued by House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) that called for removing the bill’s provision to bring more Ph.D.s in STEM fields to the United States.
Analysts who have studied China and its technology plans understand that the country’s leadership fears a more open U.S. immigration system able to attract high-level science and engineering talent. It would welcome removing from the bill measures to attract STEM talent to America.
“Chinese leaders understand the extent to which the United States benefits from international talent inflows,” writes Remco Zwetsloot in a report for the Center for Strategic and International Studies. “They therefore celebrate America’s flawed immigration system and fear reforms that would improve U.S. talent attraction and retention. Commenting on U.S. retention of Chinese STEM students, the head of the CCP’s Central Talent Work Coordination Group has complained that ‘the number of top talents lost in China ranks first in the world.’”
Zwetsloot cites a Chinese artificial intelligence white paper that found U.S. immigration restrictions “have provided China opportunities to bolster its ranks of high-end talent.” Moreover, “The deputy editor of China Daily USA, a government newspaper, said that expansion of the U.S. employment-based immigration system ‘would pose a huge challenge for China, which has been making great efforts to attract and retain talent.’”
The evidence indicates removing the provision to provide more green cards for Ph.D.s in STEM fields would please the leaders of China and hurt the ability of U.S. companies to compete globally.
Ross Amendment Adds Health Professions: An amendment at the Rules Committee sponsored by Rep. Deborah Ross (D-NC) added “health professions and related programs” to the STEM fields for which Ph.D.s are eligible under the bill to be exempt from the annual limit on employment-based green cards. The bill already covered physicians with a medical residency.
In a press statement, Rep. Ross elaborated on who would be added under “health professions and related programs” in her amendment by including a link to the Classification of Instructional Programs covered: “Expand the bill’s green card cap exemption for individuals with doctorates in STEM fields to include individuals with doctorates in these health care fields.”
Foster Amendment Adds Dual Intent For Many International Students: An amendment sponsored by Rep. Bill Foster (D-IL) provides international students on F visas in STEM fields with “dual intent.” That means a consular officer no longer will need to be convinced a student in a STEM field will not seek permanent residence in the United States. The Biden administration recently reversed restrictive guidance in the Foreign Affairs Manual—added during the Trump administration—that would have a similar effect to the Foster amendment. However, a law is more difficult than guidance for a new administration to change.
Manning Amendment Expands Eligibility For STEM Green Card Exemption: An amendment sponsored by Rep. Kathy Manning (D-NC) expanded the exemption from the annual numerical limit for green cards for Ph.D.s in STEM fields to include individuals with a master’s degree “in the case of an alien who works in a critical industry.”
What is a critical industry? “The term ‘critical industry’ means an industry that is critical for the national security or economic security of the United States, considering key technology focus areas and critical infrastructure,” according to the America COMPETES Act. The term “critical infrastructure” under 42 U.S.C. 5195c “means systems and assets, whether physical or virtual, so vital to the United States that the incapacity or destruction of such systems and assets would have a debilitating impact on security, national economic security, national public health or safety, or any combination of those matters.”
In sum, like most new laws, regulation will define the scope of the provision, but it is likely to include several technology specialties.
E-4 Visas For Specialty Occupation Professionals From South Korea: An amendment by Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-VA) would add South Korea as a country from which the United States can accept, on a reciprocal basis, specialty occupation professionals in a new E-4 status. The annual limit is 15,000, though the experience with Australia is far fewer visas likely would be used each year.
The bill also includes immigration and human rights measures for Uyghurs and residents of Hong Kong.
Challenges in the Senate: Before the House-passed immigration provisions become law, they must overcome three challenges in the Senate. First, the bill will require 60 votes to overcome a filibuster, meaning a compromise with Republicans in the Senate is necessary.
The Senate’s version of the bill passed 68-32 in June 2021, so there has been bipartisan support for the legislation. “Sen. Todd C. Young (R-Ind.), who was a lead proponent of the Senate bill, said the House measure would have to undergo large changes for a deal to be struck,” reported the Washington Post. “[Commerce Secretary Gina] Raimondo said that the most contentious of the numerous partisan disagreements over the House package concerned its trade-policy changes,” according to the Wall Street Journal.
Second, it is unclear if there are Senate Republicans who will oppose the House-passed immigration provisions, but given Rep. McCarthy’s statements, that is a possibility. Third, it is unknown whether Senate Democrats will fight to keep the immigration measures. In the past year, most of the immigration energy among Senate Democrats has focused on legalizing individuals here without lawful status.
An optimist would say the time has come for change. The year 1990 was the last time Congress passed legislation that included legal immigration reforms as significant as startup visas for immigrant entrepreneurs and a smooth path to permanent residence for the world’s top scientists and engineers. A pessimist would take the opposite position: If it’s a good provision on immigration, it likely won’t become law. Members of Congress have the rest of the year to prove the pessimists wrong.
The highest glacier on Mount Everest, the world’s tallest mountain, “may already be a relic from an older, colder, time,” says the scientist who collected the highest ice core on the planet from it for a new study. The South Col Glacier is now losing several decades of ice accumulation every single year, the international team of scientists is reporting.
From April to May 2019, the multidisciplinary team from eight countries conducted a comprehensive scientific expedition to Mt. Everest in the Khumbu Region of Nepal as part of National Geographic and Rolex’s Perpetual Planet Expeditions partnership.
Team members, including 17 Nepali researchers, explored five areas of science that probe environmental changes and their impacts: biology, glaciology, meteorology, geology, and mapping.
They found that Earth’s warmer climate is causing melting and what the scientists call “sublimation.” This happens when the snow top gets removed and the exposed ice, which is darker, absorbs more sunshine than when the top layer of snow was intact. This, in turn, accelerates the glacier’s melt rate, they explain in a new paper in the latest issue of the “Nature Portfolio Journal Climate and Atmospheric Science.”
“The sublimation is like the drip from a leaking dam and the rapid ice loss is what happens when the dam breaks,” explained Mariusz Potocki, a glaciochemist and doctoral candidate in the Climate Change Institute, University of Maine, who collected the highest ice core.
The research team investigated the timing and cause of the rapid ice mass loss on the South Col Glacier. At 7,900 meters (26,000 feet) above sea level and just a kilometer below the peak of Mount Everest, this is the highest glacier and one of the sunniest spots on Earth.
“Once South Col Glacier ice was regularly exposed,” Potocki said, “approximately 55 meters of glacier thinning is estimated to have occurred in a quarter-century – thinning over 80 times faster than the nearly 2,000 years it took to form the ice at the surface.”
“It also suggests that the South Col Glacier may be on the way out,” he said. “It may already be a relic from an older, colder, time.”
Potocki and his fellow scientists have three main concerns:
The impacts of climate change on the South Col Glacier have been most intense since the late 1990s, the research team learned.
The study’s lead author Paul Mayewski, serves as scientific and expedition lead, and director of the Climate Change Institute University of Maine.
“It answers one of the big questions posed by our 2019 National Geographic and Rolex Perpetual Planet Everest Expedition – whether the highest glaciers on the planet are impacted by human-source climate change. The answer is a resounding yes, and very significantly since the late 1990s,” Mayewski declared.
The warming will have a compounding effect on the experience of climbing Mount Everest, the researchers predict. They say the surface on some sections of the route will gradually shift from snowpack to ice to exposed bedrock, and avalanches will become more dynamic due to the instability of the ice.
Glacier melt is even likely to destabilize the Khumbu base camp, home to many Mount Everest climbers and logistics teams throughout the climbing season.
The Hoysala temples of Belur, Halebid and Somnathapura in Karnataka have been selected as India’s nomination for UNESCO’s list of World Heritage sites for the year 2022-23.
The Hoysala temples of Belur, Halebid and Somnathapura in Karnataka have been selected as India’s nomination for UNESCO’s list of World Heritage sites for the year 2022-23.
On Monday, Permanent Representative of India to UNESCO Vishal V Sharma formally submitted the nomination of Hoysala Temples to UNESCO Director of World Heritage Lazare Eloundou.
The ‘Sacred Ensembles of the Hoysala’ have been on UNESCO’s Tentative list since 15 April, 2014, and stand testimony to the rich historical and cultural heritage of this country.
G Kishan Reddy, the Union Minister of Culture, Tourism and Development of Northeastern Region, said,
“This is a great moment for India to see the Sacred Ensembles of the Hoysalas temples being submitted for inscription in the World Heritage List.”
“Our efforts in protecting our heritage is evident from the work the government has been putting in inscribing both our tangible and intangible heritage and also repatriating the cultural heritage that was stolen or taken away from India,” the minister added.
All the three Hoysala temples are protected monuments of the Archaeological Survey of India and therefore their conservation and maintenance will be done by it, the culture ministry said.
What are World Heritage Sites, how they are chosen by UNESCO and how many of them are in India, let’s find out:
What are World Heritage Sites
– A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO).
– World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, scientific or other forms of significance.
– As per an international treaty adopted by UNESCO in 1972 called the ‘Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage’, UNESCO seeks to encourage the identification, protection and preservation of cultural and natural heritage around the world considered to be of outstanding value to humanity.
– As of July 2021, a total of 1,154 World Heritage Sites (897 cultural, 218 natural, and 39 mixed properties) exist across 167 countries. With 58 selected areas, Italy is the country with the most sites on the list.
– A World Heritage Site can be either cultural or natural areas or objects which are inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List for having “outstanding universal value”.
– These sites are usually considered to have cultural significance to all the people in the world, including future generations.
How are they selected
– According to The Operational Guidelines for the Implementation of the World Heritage Convention, a country must first list its significant cultural and natural sites into a document known as the Tentative List.
– The sites selected from that list move onto the Nomination File, which is then evaluated by the International Council on Monuments and Sites and the World Conservation Union.
– Any site that wasn’t first included in the Tentative List cannot be nominated.
– The two bodies then make their recommendations to the World Heritage Committee, which consists of diplomatic representatives from 21 countries.
– The committee meets each year to decide whether a nominated property can be inscribed on the World Heritage List.
– The committee makes the final decision if a site meets at least one of the ten selection criteria.
Does a site lose its designation
– A site may lose its designation when the World Heritage Committee determines if it is not properly maintained or protected.
– It is first placed in the list of World Heritage in Danger as the Committee attempts to find a remedy involving the local authorities. If any remedies fail, the designation is revoked.
– A country can also request the Committee to partially or fully delist a property, generally in such cases when its condition has seriously deteriorated.
How many World Heritage Sites are in India
– There are currently 32 cultural, seven natural and one mixed World Heritage Sites in India.
– Agra Fort, Ajanta Caves, Ellora Caves, and Taj Mahal made it to the list in 1983.
– The latest sites to be added to the list Dholavira in Gujarat, Kakatiya Rudreshwara (Ramappa) Temple in Telangana in 2021.
– There are 46 sites in the Tentative List including a group of monuments at Mandu and the historic ensemble of Orchha in Madhya Pradesh, Satpura tiger reserve, temples of Kanchipuram, temples at Bishnupur in West Bengal, and Sri Harimandir Sahib in Amritsar, Punjab.
US oil prices jumped above $90 a barrel last week for the first time in more than seven years. The latest rally comes just a day after OPEC and its allies declined to aggressively ramp up production to cool off red-hot energy prices.
Crude jumped 2.2% to $90.15 a barrel in afternoon trading. That marks the first time US oil prices surpassed the $90 threshold on an intraday basis since October 2014.
Oil has surged by 37% since closing at a recent low of $65.57 a barrel on December 1 amid Omicron fears and the fallout from the US-led intervention into energy markets.
Last week, Brent crude, the world benchmark, closed above $90 a barrel for the first time since October 2014.
OPEC+, led by Saudi Arabia and Russia, announced Wednesday it will stick to its previously telegraphed plan to increase production by 400,000 barrels per day. That’s despite the fact that some on Wall Street suggested OPEC+ could boost production more substantially to meet demand.
“OPEC+ opted to hold its shortest meeting on record and rubber-stamped the 400 kb/d monthly increase, sticking with a hands-off the wheel management approach despite global inflationary fears,” RBC Capital Markets strategists wrote in a note to clients Thursday.
A federal Indian committee has been asked to “submit a framework/structure for opening of campuses abroad by Higher Education Institutes after examining the existing provisions for opening of offshore campuses” by March 17.
The Government of India has formed a 16-member committee comprising directors of seven IITs and vice-chancellors of four central universities to prepare a roadmap on the demand “from various quarters” to allow overseas campuses” of Indian universities. The development comes on the back of IIT Delhi’s proposal to open centers in Saudi Arabia and Egypt.
The committee, headed by IIT Council Standing Committee Chairman Dr K Radhakrishnan, has been asked to “submit a framework/structure for the opening of campuses abroad by Higher Education Institutes after examining the existing provisions for the opening of offshore campuses” by March 17.
The committee members include directors of seven IITs — Mumbai, Delhi, Kharagpur, Madras, Kanpur, Guwahati, Dhanbad — and the vice-chancellors of Delhi University, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Banaras Hindu University, University of Hyderabad, and the Director of the Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru. Its mandate includes drawing up the administrative, financial, and legal framework of the proposed overseas campuses.
The proposals, including that of IIT Delhi, will be placed before the committee. Among the highlights of IIT Delhi’s proposed overseas campuses are four-year undergraduate courses, an annual intake of up to 240 students in four branches based on SAT scores, and campuses spread over 100 acres that are close to major cities with good air connectivity.
The premier engineering school’s proposal marks its second attempt to expand abroad. Its previous attempt to set up a research academy in Mauritius under an agreement with the Mauritius Research Council had run into a controversy in 2014 following objections raised by the Human Resources Development Minister Smriti Irani.
IIT-D’s second attempt
The Centre’s move to set up a committee to prepare a roadmap for Indian universities to set up foreign campuses comes on the back of IIT Delhi’s proposal to open campuses in Saudi Arabia and Egypt. Earlier, IIT-D’s attempt to set up a research academy in Mauritius had been objected to by then HRD Minister Smriti Irani.
“The operational safeguard required for insulating the parent institute vis-a-vis its offshore campuses from liabilities as per law of foreign country” is also among the terms of references of the Radhakrishnan committee.
A senior Education Ministry official said the committee has so far met once where discussions were held on whether the IITs should collectively start one campus abroad or should each IIT compete individually abroad.
“And why just IITs? Many other central universities have the necessary expertise to launch off-shore campuses. The committee will provide a roadmap. IIT Delhi is an institute of eminence and has an autonomous decision-making structure. But any proposal that involves funds will require the ministry’s approval,” the official added.
According to the structure outlined by IIT-D, the proposed campuses — which will be headed by directors appointed by the chairman of the Board of Governors of the Delhi centre — in Saudi Arabia and Egypt will have to be financially supported by stakeholders based in those countries, including their governments, the industry or philanthropic donors.
“An alternate model would be to set up the KSA campus [Kingdom of Saudi Arabia] as a for-profit entity. This would have the advantage of attracting potential investors who could provide the capital needed to set up the campus. However, IIT Delhi has no experience in working with such a model and while it might be willing to explore the possibility this would not be its priority,” it said in the draft proposal.
In line with the National Education Policy, the Centre had last year issued guidelines allowing institutions of eminence such as IIT Delhi to open overseas campuses with the prior approval of the Ministry of Education and no-objection certificates from the Ministry of External Affairs and Ministry of Home Affairs.
“The campus would admit 60 students in each discipline each year and this would imply 240 students in each cohort and roughly 1,000 students and 60 faculty members on campus after 4 years,” says the IIT-D proposal. Students will spend their final year of the course in the Delhi campus, it adds.
Of the total faculty members, 60 per cent are proposed to be either Saudi-based or from Egypt. The recruitment of teachers, who will be expected to spend one semester every three years at the India campus, will be carried out by IIT Delhi.
The proposal includes the creation of “ultra-modern laboratories and classrooms”, dormitories, food courts, sports facilities, 150 apartments to house teaching and non-teaching staff on a 100-acre campus “close to a major city having good air links to Delhi.”
“The adjoining city should have good educational and medical facilities to cater to the needs of teaching and scientific staff that would be housed on the campus,” it pitches.
A 12-year-old Malayalee schoolgirl has achieved the maximum score possible in a Mensa IQ test, a feat achieved by only 1% of those who sit the society’s entry paper. Lydia Sebastian completed the Cattell III B paper supervised by Mensa, the society for people with high IQs, with minutes to spare at the sitting at Birkbeck College, London.
This Indian-origin girl (Parents & Grandparents are from Kerala) in the UK has achieved the highest possible score of 162 on a Mensa IQ test, outwitting physicists Albert Einstein and Stephen Hawking. The young girl’s favorite subjects include Maths, Physics and Chemistry and she has stated to the media in England that she wants to do something related to Maths in her career.
Her parents are from Kerala, her father Arun Sebastian is a radiologist at Colchester General Hospital while her mom Erika Kottiath is an associate director with Barclays Bank.
Lydia pressed her parents all year to allow her to take the intelligence test, which she finally took during her school break. Sebastian completely downplayed the super tough exam–going so far as to call it “easy.” “At first, I was really nervous but once I started, it was much easier than I expected it to be and then I relaxed, she said. “I gave it my best shot really.”
Arun said seeing his daughter score the highest possible score on one of the tough IQ test he was “overwhelmed”. He said: “Albert Einstein and Stephen Hawking got an IQ of 160. To be honest, I didn’t really believe it.”
When asked whether she likes coming to Kerala she said that she has been visiting her Grandparents house in Kerala ever since she was a year and a half and loves living in Kerala. She may come back to Kerala after her studies and possibly contribute to the progress of kerala, the progress of India and of the whole world in turn.
Mensa is considered to be one of the oldest intelligence society in the world. It accepts only those individuals as members who score in the 98th percentile on an IQ test. The eligibility criteria to get the membership is to score at least 132 or higher only.
Share this with every Indian and let us be proud of our 12 year old Malayalee Girl.
Actor Nitu Chandra marked her Hollywood film debut with Never Back Down: Revolt last year. One of the female leads in the film, she was seen engaging in high-octane combat sequences. Currently being managed by late actor Irrfan’s team in Los Angeles, USA, she has bagged two more Hollywood projects. And she insists on playing parts that doesn’t represent Indians in a skewed manner.
S The actor says that she turned down Hollywood offers that represented Indians in a not so positive light; also talks about Indian actors appearing in blink-and-you-miss-it roles in international projects
he tells us, “I’ve denied two projects where Indians weren’t represented in a very positive light. I don’t want to do anything that maligns our identity. I want three billion global Indians to be proud of me.”
Indian actors, who have been a part of Hollywood projects over the last few years, have often been trolled for their blink-and-you-miss-it appearances in them. Talking about it, Chandra says, “There have been films where they’ve done a two-minute or a five-minute role. But they were hugely publicised and hyped, and the audiences were promised something big. And since we, Indians, are very emotional, we were disappointed after the watching those films.”
But the 37-year-old actor wants to change that with her choices: “I’ve been listening to interviews where Indian actors say that they’re happy to be a small part of a project, but I was very proud to be one of the main leads in a commercial Hollywood film.”
To focus on her career in the West, Chandra has bought a home in LA and is planning to buy a house in London, UK, too. “I want to work everywhere in the world, across languages. I did a Greek film (Block 12; 2016) too where I did a lot of action,” she says, adding, “I often thought why not go out and grab opportunities all over the globe? As women, we’re so strong, and I believe we can achieve whatever we aim for.”
Lockdown measures throughout 2020 have been linked to people in Scotland and England drinking more at home, according to new research.
The latest study, from researchers at the University of Sheffield and University of Glasgow, measured the impact of COVID-19 restrictions in 2020 on drinking practices, using data on almost 300,000 adult drinkers.
The study, published in the journal Addiction, found that while people were broadly drinking the same amount of alcohol during periods of restrictions as they were when no restrictions were in place, lockdowns appeared to be linked to a shift in habits to at-home, late evening drinking.
In Scotland, the study found that there was also an increase in solitary drinking, although researchers say this could be explained by a higher proportion of people living alone in Scotland than in England.
At-home drinking remains an under-researched area, and while the long-term impacts of these recent changes are not yet known, the study authors suggest that these new drinking habits should be closely monitored as we move into a period of fewer restrictions.
During the first UK lockdown, venues such as pubs and restaurants were closed, affecting the type of locations where people could drink alcohol. Restrictions were eased from July 2020, with pubs and restaurants gradually allowed to reopen. However, from September 2020 in response to rising case numbers, a series of national and local restrictions were put in place that once again impacted hospitality settings.
The research team studied 41,500 adult drinkers in Scotland and more than 250,000 adult drinkers in England, focusing on the original March 2020 lockdown, the easing of restrictions in July 2020 and the onset of further restrictions in September 2020 until December 2020.
While figures show there was no statistical difference in the total number of alcohol units consumed each week during different periods of the first year of the pandemic, more detailed analysis reveals that lockdown restrictions were associated with people starting to drink later in the day, and in Scotland where there is a higher proportion of people living alone, with more solitary drinking.
Dr Abigail Stevely, co-author of the study from the University of Sheffield’s Alcohol Research Group, said: “Despite some concerns that people might drink more in the day-time, we actually found that there was a shift towards people starting drinking later in the evening during lockdown restrictions. This perhaps reflects changes in people’s routines and the absence of opportunities for daytime socialising such as going to the pub with colleagues after work.
“Although we found that lockdown restrictions did not change overall levels of alcohol consumption, there is evidence from other studies that heavier drinkers may have increased their consumption. It will be therefore important to continue monitoring drinking during the pandemic to prevent additional health problems in future.”
The study’s findings suggest shop-bought alcohol consumption increased following the March 2020 lockdown and remained persistently higher than previous years throughout the rest of 2020, even in the period when lockdown restrictions were eased. Meanwhile, hospitality alcohol consumption decreased following the March 2020 lockdown and remained lower than previous years throughout the remainder of 2020.
The researchers believe this is most likely explained by three reasons: even when on-trade premises reopened they were operating at reduced capacity; some venues (e.g. nightclubs and live music venues) remained closed; some people will have continued to stay away from hospitality settings even in periods of lesser restrictions over fears of catching COVID-19.
Dr Iain Hardie, lead author of the study from the University of Glasgow MRC/CSO Social and Public Health Sciences Unit, said: “Going forward it remains unclear what the long-term consequences will be of the changes in alcohol consumption in 2020. With hospitality premises back operating at closer to full capacity it’s likely that alcohol consumption in these venues will move closer to pre-pandemic levels, although they could potentially decline again in response to new variants if restrictions are reintroduced or people are afraid of indoor spaces.
“However, the increase in home drinking in 2020 is a concern. We know from other studies that alcohol related harm has risen during the pandemic. The increase in home drinking is likely to have contributed to this. In the past, home drinking has been a relatively under researched topic, and there is now a need to monitor it more going forward to find out whether these home drinking habits picked up by people in 2020 become a new norm within peoples’ drinking behaviour. ”
The study, ‘The impact of changes in COVID-19 lockdown restrictions on alcohol consumption and drinking occasion characteristics in Scotland and England in 2020: an interrupted time-series analysis’ is published in Addiction. The work is funded by The Economic and Social Research Council. The Medical Research Council and the Scottish Government Chief Scientist Office.
The University of Sheffield is one of the world’s top 100 universities, renowned for the excellence, impact and distinctiveness of its research-led learning and teaching.
With six Nobel Prize winners among its former staff and students, Sheffield has a proud history of discovery, innovation and social change. In 1930, it pioneered the very first medical use of penicillin, while more recently researchers developed a lifesaving drug for the treatment of ovarian and breast cancer.
The first female Indian American judge Dipti Vaid Dedhia is nominated for the post of Judge in Edison Municipal Court by Edison Mayor Sam Joshi.
“We should all be happy about Dedhia’s appointment.” Mayor Joshi said, “Our Council members unanimously approved this nomination.”
Dipti Vaid Dedhia was nominated by Edison Mayor Sam Joshi.
“Dedhia’s appointment broke a glass ceiling that we should all be proud of. Our Council members supported this nomination unanimously,” Mayor Joshi said in an official statement.
Formerly the Deputy Attorney General in Employment Counsel and Labor for the State of New Jersey, Dedhia graduated from George Washington University before receiving her Juris Doctor from Seton Hall University of Law. She has spent decades litigating complex employment matters, investigating complaints involving violations of law or policy, and representing the governor’s office of Employee Relations in arbitrating grievances between the administration and labor unions, according to a statement released after the meeting.
“When I was young, I didn’t know what I wanted to do for my career, but I had two amazing parents who motivated me to strive for a life of significance and conscience. In recognition of their immense impact on my life, one of my main goals in my new role is to be an example to the youth of today. My message to them is simple: though the path may not be clear as you stand here today, your goals are attainable. Achieving your dreams through courage, kindness, and perseverance is not a cliche – I am living proof,” Dedhia said in the statement.
Dedhia was the recipient of the Most Successful Mediator Award in the Passaic County Superior Court Clerk’s Program, in addition to her years of expertise offering legal advise on labor laws, anti-discrimination rules, prevailing pay regulations, and best employment practices.
Indian American Dipti Vaid Dedhia has become the first female South Asian municipal court judge in Edison and New Jersey’s history with the Edison Township Council confirming her nomination.
“Dedhia’s appointment broke a glass ceiling that we should all be proud of,” stated Edison’s first South Asian Mayor Sam Joshi, who had nominated her. “She is the most qualified and ready for the job.”
“It was truly my honor and privilege to nominate Dipti Vaid Dedhia as Edison’s next municipal court judge. Our Council members supported this nomination unanimously,” Joshi said after the confirmation vote Jan 26.
Born in London, Dedhia, a wife and mother of three, moved to New Jersey with her parents at the age of 2 and has lived in the state for the past 36 years, including 20 in Edison.
Formerly the Deputy Attorney General in Employment Counsel and Labor for the State of New Jersey, Dedhia graduated from George Washington University before receiving her Juris Doctor from Seton Hall University of Law.
She has spent decades litigating complex employment matters, investigating complaints involving violations of law or policy, and representing the governor’s office of Employee Relations in arbitrating grievances between the administration and labor unions, according to an official statement.
“When I was young, I didn’t know what I wanted to do for my career, but I had two amazing parents who motivated me to strive for a life of significance and conscience,” Dedhia stated. “In recognition of their immense impact on my life, one of my main goals in my new role is to be an example to the youth of today.
“My message to them is simple: though the path may not be clear as you stand here today, your goals are attainable. Achieving your dreams through courage, kindness, and perseverance is not a cliche – I am living proof,” she stated.
Dedhia was a recipient of the Most Successful Mediator Award in the Passaic County Superior Court Clerk’s Program. She has participated in national civil rights competition and is certified in deposition skills by the National Institute of Trial Advocacy.
Dedhia is a frequent contributor to Huffington Post, Brown Girl Magazine and the Aerogram, according to the township.
On Saturday, February 5th, a life-sized bronze statue of the late Mahatma Gandhi, located in New York City’s popular Union Square was vandalized. The Hindu Policy Research and Advocacy Collective (HinduPACT) sees this hate crime against Hindus and Indian Americans – which took place during Black History Month, nonetheless – as an affront to both Gandhi and the late Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.; two public figures and leaders who sought to eradicate hate on the basis of race, religion and creed.
Balabhadra Bhattacarya Dāsa (Benny Tillman), President, Vedic Friends Association said, “Some years ago I had the great fortune of attending the annual Gandhi/ King celebration in Atlanta, and the keynote speaker that year was MLK’s wife Coretta Scott King.” Dāsa recalls her saying “My husband MLK, was a disciple of Gandhi.” Dāsa added: “As an African American practitioner of the Hindu Dharma, I am deeply offended that anyone would disrespect Mahatma Gandhi, who inspired MLK to take up the mission of non-violence, which inspired major changes in society that are still positively impacting our lives today.”
Utsav Chakrabarti, Executive Director of HinduPACT said, “This is not the first time that statues of Mahatma Gandhi have been vandalized in the US. In the past few years, statues of Mahatma Gandhi had been vandalized by groups aligned with radical Islamists and their sympathizers in South Asian communities.”
Ajay Shah, President of the World Hindu Council of America (VHPA) and Convenor of HinduPACT and American Hindus Against Defamation (AHAD) said, “Mahatma Gandhi and the freedom movement he spearheaded served as the inspiration for Dr. Martin Luther King and the American Civil Rights movement. The MLK Memorial in Atlanta, GA has an area dedicated to Mahatma Gandhi. It is no coincidence that Mahatma Gandhi’s statue was desecrated during the Black History Month. The perpetrators of this act and their sponsors are sending the message that they have not accepted peace, human rights, freedom and equality of all human beings.”
This is not the first statue of Gandhi to be desecrated. In Washington, DC, his statue at Gandhi Memorial Plaza was vandalized amidst George Floyd riots on June 4, 2020and it “was defaced by Khalistani elements” on December 12, 2020.
In California, Gandhi’s statue in the Northern California City of Davis’s Central Park was vandalized on January 26, 2021; half of Gandhi’s face was severed and missing and was sawed off at the ankles then toppled over. Statues of Gandhi are a symbol of equality. Those who attempted to desecrate his image are indicating their aversion to seeing a society where equality reigns supreme among all people.
Promises of ‘better connectivity, more jobs and more tourists’ sound more like threats to some locals and conservationists.
The ancient, ornately carved Hindu and Jain temples outside this central Indian city have been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1986, and they are on the Archaeological Survey of India’s list of national treasures.
Now, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government is moving toward designating the Khajuraho group of Hindu and Jain temples an “iconic tourist destination,” causing many in this area to despair for their future.
V.D. Sharma, a local member of Parliament who belongs to Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party, recently proclaimed that Khajuraho is on its way to becoming “a world-class tourist destination” with “better connectivity, more jobs and more tourists” — prospects that sound more like threats to some locals and conservationists.
Built over more than a century beginning about 850 A.D. by the warrior kings of the Chandela dynasty, these monuments stand out as the pinnacle of temple architecture in northern India.
Sitting atop ornate terraced platforms, the 25 surviving buildings rise abruptly from their environs in imitation, some say, of Mount Kailash — the Himalayan peak known as the abode of the gods. The structures are carved with numerous scenes from their faiths’ mythological repertoires — both sacred and profane, contributing to India’s reputation as the land of Kama Sutra.
According to news reports, the Modi government has greenlighted more than $6 million for projects in and around Khajuraho. A $4.5 million convention center was launched last year.
“The ‘iconic city’ label is a flawed concept,” said Chinmay Mishra, a cultural activist based in Indore. “Profiteers with no vision are turning spiritual centers into amusement parks.”
Brijendra Singh, a 77-year-old tour guide, has shown visitors around the famed Khajuraho group of Hindu and Jain temples for 52 years.
Singh weaves stories around the profusely carved sculptures depicting acts of worship, human emotions, domestic scenes, amorous couples. He worries that insensitive development could threaten the material remains of Khajuraho culture, while admitting that “sustaining outstanding universal value of heritage is critical.”
Locals are also concerned that a four-lane highway now being built to deliver tourists much closer to Khajuraho will destroy the traditional fabric of Indigenous communities.
“Many houses and temples have been demolished and thousands of trees have been uprooted to widen this highway,” said Devendra Chaturvedi, a local journalist.
Another issue is the possibly destructive effect of increased air traffic. The Khajuraho airport — located a few miles from the main group of temples — has been spruced up with a new terminal building and infrastructure to accommodate more flights. Two flying training academies are being set up on the premises for training aspiring pilots.
The director of the Khajuraho airport, Pradeepta Bej, said no heritage impact assessment has been ordered, to his knowledge. In the late 1990s, a report by the National Physical Laboratory of New Delhi noted occasional higher levels of acoustic excitation around the various temples of Khajuraho.
A former chief scientist of the Delhi-based laboratory, Mahavir Singh, said, “Vibrations above five millimeters per second for a single event could cause cracks in the monuments and heritage properties, so the situation should be monitored at the airport and surrounding areas.”
Others worry that with tourists will come increased encroachments outside the temple grounds.
“Tourism isn’t the only economy,” said Nagvendra Singh, a lawyer who plans to start a grassroots organization aimed at saving the temple town. “What is the government doing about urban encroachments, vehicular pollution, dust pollution and upkeep of monuments?”
Conservationists say the government restoration is a threat in itself. Shoring up temples with plain stones, they worry, and the use of abrasive cleaning techniques could also hasten their deterioration.
A monument attendant said that the temples are being cleaned by unskilled workers who are mostly unsupervised. Further, he noted there are no scientific or chemical restoration plans for their upkeep, posing a threat that they could become piles of plain stones.
Mrudula Mane, a conservation architect based in Ahmedabad, said monuments can’t be frozen in time but proper mitigation measures would arrest their speed of decline. “Chemical treatment has to be done under close supervision,” said Mane. “Abrasive cleaning techniques could exfoliate the sandstone monuments too much and cause erosion.”
According to Mishra, similar government rebuilding efforts elsewhere have harmed their aesthetic value. He pointed to a major refurbishment of Varanasi, on the banks of the Ganges; Jallianwala Bagh; and Mahatma Gandhi’s ashram in Gujarat.
Residents say Hindu nationalists are also pushing for more rituals at the temples that would misrepresent the Hindu thought and practice the temples stood for. “We can’t change people’s approach to religion,” said Anurag Shukla, a local historian, “but opening up these sites to more rituals or pujas may severely impact heritage.”
According to Shukla, the government’s primary aim is not preservation but to whip up Hindu pride.
In 2018, the Indian Parliament passed the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains (Amendment) Bill, allowing the government in New Delhi to finance and carry out “urgent” public works within 100 meters of monuments protected by the Archaeological Survey of India. The original act prohibited any construction around the 100-meter radius.
Shivakant Bajpai, a superintending archaeologist at the Archaeological Survey of India’s Jabalpur circle, under which Khajuraho falls, said the current development scheme would not interfere with conservation, but he deferred questions about an impact assessment at the airport.
“The airport is far away from the protected area,” he said. “We are custodians of cultural heritage, so the airport authorities should be contacted for the fallouts of development.”
Nearby residents said the government has kept them in the dark about what the “iconic” designation means or its implications.
“We are being treated like outsiders in our own lands,” said Om Dubey, who works for a grassroots civil rights group in Khajuraho.
Conservationists said the protection of sacred sites must involve both government agencies and people. Shared responsibility, they say, would spark better dialogues on developing sites versus preserving heritage.
“Preserving Khajuraho’s sacred roots is critical,” said Brijendra Singh. “If development gets precedence over our faith traditions and monuments, what will remain iconic here?”
On February 6th, on the sidelines of the Beijing Olympics Opening Ceremony, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping reportedly issued a call to halt NATO’s expansion according to a statement issued by the Kremlin.
“This is highly significant. It is the first time since the Sino-Soviet split that China has taken a definitive position on European security in support of Russia on something as fundamental as NATO. It’s also notably on a matter not immediately germane to China’s core security interests. It puts at risk China’s wider relationship with the Europeans. But Xi believes he is now powerful enough and has sufficient economic leverage with Europe to get away with it.
This is a big shift in the Chinese foreign policy mainstream. The world should get ready for a further significant deepening of the China-Russia security and economic relationship — one that as recently as 2014 (at the time of the first Russian military action in Ukraine) was remote. It also signifies that China now sees itself as a global, not just a regional, security actor.”
— Kevin Rudd, President of the Asia Society and former Prime Minister of Australia
The Asia Society navigates shared futures for Asia and the world across policy, arts and culture, education, sustainability, business, and technology.
Founded in 1956 by John D. Rockefeller 3rd, the Asia Society is a nonpartisan, nonprofit institution with major centers and public buildings in New York, Hong Kong, and Houston, and additional locations in Los Angeles, Manila, Melbourne, Mumbai, Paris, San Francisco, Seoul, Sydney, Tokyo, Washington, D.C., and Zurich.
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San Antonio, TX: February 7th, 2022: “Legendary Cricket Star Sunil Gavaskar, well known around the world as an inspirational speaker, philanthropist, and the chairman of H2H Foundation will be a keynote speaker during the 40th Annual Convention of AAPI to be held in San Antonio, TX from June 23rd to 26th, 2022,” Dr. Anupama Gotimukula announced here.
Confirming his presence at the Convention, “The Little Master” Sunil Gavaskar told AAPI members who are part of the “greatest profession in the world,” and said, “It’s a unique honor to be part of the important AAPI convention in Texas. I am looking forward to meeting you all in Texas.” Mr. Gavaskar referred to his association with the “Heart to Heart Foundation” and how the Foundation is touching many hearts around the world.
According to Dr. Jayesh Shah, Chair of the Convention 2022, “While the theme for the historic convention is ‘Physician, heal thyself,’ especially when there are growing signs of burnout among physicians, by offering positive remedial resources as part of a first-ever Wellness Program being offered to participants, the special and unique once in a lifetime interactive session with the Cricket legend will allow the AAPI delegates to listen firsthand to the stories of his glorious cricket days, and the stories that tug at the hearts of the audience.”
“During A Meet & Greet Luncheon event with Sunil Gavaskar, recipient of Padma Shri and Padma Bhushan awards for his contributions to Indian cricket will inspire the hearts and souls of AAPI delegates by telling us how India remains the world capital for Congenital Heart Disease (CHD), with 300,000 children born each year,” Dr. Ravi Kolli, President-Elect of AAPI said.
Without medical/surgical care, over 25% of children die before their 1st birthday, contributing to over 10% of the Infant Mortality Rate and resulting in 250+ children dying every day; many more die in infancy or the preschool ages. Only a small fraction of children with CHD can afford the cardiac surgery, which can cost over $100,000 in the United States.
With frugal innovations in CHD care H2H Foundation has reduced the average cost of an open-heart surgery to only $2000$ per patient, which would otherwise be $75,000 to $125,000 in the United States and $5,000 to $9,000 in India. Gavaskar has personally sponsored 34 surgeries to match his 34 test centuries. The legendary cricket master is touring the United States to raise awareness and funds to support the cause.
Heart to Heart (H2H) Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to saving the lives of children born with CHD, by providing FREE pediatric cardiac surgeries in collaboration with the group of Sai Sanjeevini Hospitals in India. Since February 2014, these hospitals have also been providing primary, secondary, and tertiary healthcare exclusively to children with CHD and over 10,000 surgeries have been performed free of cost. 10,000 is also the number of innings played by Gavaskar. Additionally, for every test century, he has scored he has personally funded the same number of surgeries.
Dr. Kusum Punjaabi, Chair of AAPI BOT said, “At AAPI, the largest ethnic medical association in the nation, we are proud, we have been able to serve every 7th patient in the country. We serve in large cities, smaller towns and rural areas, sharing our skills, knowledge, compassion and expertise and caring for millions of people.”
“A huge thank you to all of the doctors, physicians, and other healthcare professionals for your dedication and commitment to service during this uncertain time,” Dr. Anjana Samadder, Vice President of AAPI said. “This is a unique opportunity for All of us, the front-line physicians who are putting our lives at risk to save the lives of others,” Dr. Satheesh Kathula, Secretary of AAPI said. “Thank you for fighting selflessly against this virus and helping keep everyone healthy and safe,” Dr. Krishan Kumar, Treasurer of AAPI added
Organized by the American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI), the largest ethnic medical organization in the country, representing the interests of over 100,000 physicians of Indian origin, the historic 40th Annual Convention will offer a valuable platform for physicians and healthcare thought leaders from across the country and globally to convene and participate in the scholarly exchange of ideas on medical advances, and will help develop health policy agendas and recommend legislative priorities in the coming years.
The convention will be held at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center in San Antonio, TX located on the RiverWalk. This world-class facility will afford an intimate setting that will facilitate our ability to convey cutting-edge research and CME, promote business relationships, and display ethnic items. Vendor satisfaction and comfort are our top priorities, added Dr. Shah.
A dedicated Convention Committee Team led by Dr. Jayesh Shah including Mr. Venky Adivi, Chief Executive Officer of the Convention; Dr. Aruna Venkatesh, Convention Treasurer; Dr. Vijay Koli, Past President of AAPI & Convention Advisor; Dr. Rajam Ramamurthy, Convention Advisor; Dr. Rajeev Suri, President of TIPS & Co-Chair of the Convention, Dr. Shankar Sanka, Co-Chair of the Convention; Dr. Hetal Nayak, Co-Chair of the Convention; Kiran Cheruku, Co-Chair of the Convention; and Chief Operating Officers, Mr. Reddy Yeluru and Me. Ram Joolukuntla, are working hard for the past several months to make the Convention truly historic.
Some of the major themes at the convention include: Yoga and Meditation practices, Welcome kit with books & self-care supplies, A Personal Reflexology Session, Take home wellness routine, Ailment based yoga therapy sessions, Workshop on Spiritual well-being, Book talk with Yoga Gurus, including on the science of Yoga & Lifestyle medicine, as well as an unique opportunity to visit first of its kind in San Antonio, Aum Ashram as part of the Wellness session.
Esteemed yoga gurus and experts, who are planned to share their wisdom and leading the Wellness Sessions include: Paramguru Sharatha Jois, Sadhvi Bhagawati, Saraswati Eddie Stern, Dr. Sat Bir Khalsa, Dr. Dilip Sarkar, Dr. Pankaj Vij, and Dr. Param Dedhia.
Besides Lifestyle medicine and wellness, There is an outstanding lineup of CME speakers to provide AAPI members education in all areas of medicine.
While encouraging AAPI members to register for the Convention, Dr. Gotimukula urged them to “Come, engage in a freewheeling conversation with the cricket legend where he will share interesting anecdotes and inspiring experiences. Interact with Sunil Gavaskar and tap into his wealth of wisdom on leadership, career, and life and take away insights on how to learn, lead, and live. Each delegate can get to take away cricket bats and other memorabilia signed by Gavaskar as souvenirs of a memorable event if you sponsor a child for congenital heart surgery! For more information, please visit: www.aapiconvention.org and www.aapiusa.org
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Joe Biden began his presidency with positive job ratings and broad public confidence in his ability to deal with a number of major challenges – particularly the public health impact of the coronavirus. He starts his second year with diminished job approval and majorities expressing little or no confidence in him on many of these same issues, the coronavirus included.
Currently, 41% of U.S. adults approve of Biden’s job performance, which is down slightly from September (44%) and substantially lower than last April (59%).
With the omicron variant continuing to spread across the United States, fewer than half of Americans (44%) now say they are very or somewhat confident in Biden to handle the coronavirus; that share is down 21 percentage points since March (65%).
A new national survey by Pew Research Center, conducted Jan. 10-17 among 5,128 adults on the nationally representative American Trends Panel, finds that Biden and his party are facing a difficult political environment with the midterm elections 10 months away:
Just 21% of the public is satisfied with the way things are going in the U.S. That is 12 points lower than last March (33%) and 15 points lower than in February 2018 (36%), near the beginning of the previous midterm year. For more, see Americans broadly negative about the state of the nation, but most see a better year ahead.
The public’s views of the nation’s economy remain quite negative; just 28% say economic conditions are excellent or good. Overwhelming majorities say that prices for food and consumer goods (89%) and gas prices (82%) are worse than they were a year ago, with more than half saying they are “a lot” worse (60% food and consumer goods, 54% gas prices). However, a 56% majority says the availability of jobs has improved compared with a year ago.
Nearly two years after the coronavirus first began spreading in the United States, majorities continue to say COVID-19 is a major threat to the economy (69%) and to the health of the U.S. population (57%). When thinking about the pandemic, Americans are split over whether the worst is still to come (50% say this) or the worst is over (49%).
While opinions about Biden and the state of the nation continue to be deeply divided along partisan lines, Democrats have become less supportive of the president and less satisfied with the way things are going in the country. Just 29% of Democrats express satisfaction with the state of the nation, down 18 points since March.
Since September, Biden’s job approval has declined 3 percentage points among the public overall, but 7 points among Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents (from 75% to 68%); over the past six months his job rating among Democrats has fallen 20 points (from 88%). The falloff in this period has been less pronounced among Republicans and Republican leaners (10 points since July), who already overwhelmingly disapproved of the president’s performance.
In addition, favorable views of Congress have declined, with the change largely driven by Democrats. Overall, 28% of the public expresses a favorable opinion of Congress, compared with 36% last April. While Democrats are twice as likely as Republicans to have a favorable view of Congress (36% vs. 18%), the share of Democrats who view the Democratic-led Congress favorably has fallen 14 points since last April (from 50%); Republicans’ views are little changed (21% then, 18% now).
Nonetheless, the public continues to have a more positive image of the Democratic Party than the Republican Party, though majorities have unfavorable impressions of both. Currently, 43% view the Democratic Party favorably and 35% have a favorable view of the GOP. Ratings for both parties have slipped slightly since last year; notably, both coalitions continue to view their own parties somewhat less favorably than they did in March 2021.
And larger shares of Americans say they agree more with the Democrats than with Republicans on several key policy areas, including policies to deal with the health impact of the coronavirus (41% agree with the Democratic Party, while 27% the Republican Party; 31% agree with neither). Significantly more Americans also say they agree with the Democratic Party than the GOP on policies of climate change (by 22 points), health care (16 points), abortion (10 points) and education (8 points). Comparable shares agree with both parties on economic, immigration and gun policy. Among eight policy areas included in the survey, there is none on which a significantly larger share agrees with the GOP than the Democrats.
Democrats also are more widely seen as governing honestly than Republicans (45% vs. 39%), and a larger share of the public says the Democratic Party (51%) than the Republican Party (46%) respects the country’s democratic institutions. Yet majorities view both parties as “too extreme” in their positions; 57% say this describes the Democratic Party very or somewhat well, while 60% say it describes the Republican Party.
The year begins with members of both parties less willing to support their parties’ leaders making concessions to achieve results than they were a year ago. Nearly half of Democrats (48%) want Biden to “stand up” to Republicans even if it makes it harder to address key problems; 37% said this last year, shortly before his inauguration.
Republicans, who were more resistant to making concessions a year ago, have become even more so; 72% want GOP leaders to stand up to Biden, up 13 points from last year.
Thousands of miles away from India, their motherland, India remains close to the hearts of millions. Reflecting their love and appreciation for their motherland, Indian Americans across the country celebrated India’s 73rd Republic Day in style in separate functions. Nearly 400 people attended the Jan. 26, 2022 Republic Day of India event organized by the Indian American Community of North America, IACONA.
Some of the leaders present included IACONA Chairman Albert Jasani, Padma Shri recipient Dr. Sudhir Parikh of Parikh Worldwide Media, Person of the Year 2021 Award winner Dr. Sunil H. Parikh, Chandra Jhaveri, Dev Karlekar, in addition to the community dignitaries, retired Colonels and Generals from the Indian Army, according to organizers of the celebration in New Jersey.
The attendees also included Commissioner Sue Kylie who is running for Congress, and Township office holders, elected officials, representatives from the Police Department and the Department of Defense. Among other guests were heads of several community organizations, sponsors of the event and donors.
The event began with the hoisting of the Indian flag and singing of the Indian National Anthem, followed by a cultural program of Kathak and Bharatnatyam Dances, and a dinner.
Dr. Sudhir Parikh, chairman of Parikh Wordwide Media and ITV Gold, right, with Albert Jasani, founder of Indian American Community of North America, IACONA, on stage at the Jan. 26, 2022 celebrations of India’s 73rd Republic Day held in Royal Albert’s Palace, Fords, N.J. Photo: ITV Gold
Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Sudhir Parikh wished everyone a happy Republic Day.
“This is the day when India really became a democracy 73 years ago,” he said. “And we are happy and lucky that we are here and we are celebrating the Republic Day of India,” he said.
“Let us work for Mother India and do something for Mother India because that is our responsibility to help Mother India,” he added. “I would like to congratulate the Indian American Community of North America and chairman Albert Jasani and other members,” he said.
Following its practice, IACONA awards a community member for their outstanding contribution to the community through the year. This year, the award was given to Dr. Sunil H. Parikh.
IACONA also paid tribute this year to the participants in India’s freedom struggle, with special tributes to Shaheed Bhagat Singh and Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose. This year, a special tribute was also paid to the India’s General Bipin Rawat who died in a recent plane crash along with several others. The event also had a memorial presentation for those of the community who were lost during the pandemic.
Speaking to those gathered, Dr. Sunil Parikh said he was very proud to see IACONA take a big step towards creating more awareness about India by celebrating India’s Republic Day. He said the SSAI had been working in New Jersey and in India for the past 21 months, providing meals, masks, plasma, navigation help for COVID testing and for vaccination. The organization was planning a new Health Center in partnership with St. Peters Hospital, he said.
Chandra Jhaveri, dressed to represent Prime Minister Narendra Modi, said he wanted to show his respect to the Prime Minister by doing that and called for hailing India in one voice.
Council member Juned Qazi said, “I wish all the Indians in America and globally a Happy Republic Day,” he said. Introducing Commissioner Kylie of Monmouth County as a candidate for Congress, he said, “I want all Indians to vote for her.”
Commissioner Kylie said, “I am very excited to have met a lot of the Indian community at this wonderful celebration. … A great great group of people that I immediately fell in love with.”
Kylie went on to say, “There’s a lot of things we have to change in our country. But we’re going to stick together we’re going to count on our faith. And we’re going to count on doing things that makes common sense. So hopefully I see you again soon.”
Dev Karlekar, founder and CEO of GuruSchools, acknowledged all the dignitaries gathered. “Today we are celebrating India’s Republic Day at the Royal Albert Palace, New Jersey, along with some of our prominent leaders such as Councilman Juned Quazi who has brought some other political leaders to this event to spread awareness about India and Indians,” he said. “Needless to say, Albert (Jasani) graciously opened his doors so that we could have the event. All precautions about the pandemic and protocols were followed. Thank you ITV for covering us, Bharat Mata Ki Jai, Vande Mataram,” he concluded.
One of the attendees recounted his experience decades ago when he participated in the ceremonial parade on Rajpath in New Delhi. “I walked and saluted our ‘tiranga’ on Rajpath. That has become my lifelong memory till today after 63 years,” he said.
Indian Embassy celebrates 73rd Republic Day of India
The Indian Embassy in Washington, D.C. celebrated India’s 73rd Republic Day observing Covid-protocols, by having an in-person and online broadcast of the event. Attended by community members and watched by others as it was webcast, the event highlighted the achievements of India in various fields including during the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Today, India is better placed to face the increasing challenges and complexities that the world encounter. We have a massive vaccination drive against COVID-19 ongoing, administering more than 1.6 billion doses so far, and taking vaccines to the remotest corners of the country. The initiative of the government aimed at boosting jobs, consumer demand, manufacturing, infrastructure, agriculture and exports are accelerating economic recovery,” said Ambassador of India to the United States, Taranjit Sandhu, during the 73rd Republic Day of India celebrations, at the India House, Jan. 26, 2022.
He also noted that this was the year that the world’s largest democracy was celebrating its 75th Anniversary. To mark the 75th anniversary of Indian independence, the Government of India launched a special initiative, Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav, which was inaugurated by the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, last year. The official start of the initiative was March 12, 2021, a 75-week countdown, which will end Aug. 15, 2023.
New York Consulate, community organizations salute India
The 73rd Republic Day of India was celebrated in the Consulate General of India, New York with a flag-hoisting ceremony on Tuesday, January 26, 2022. Due to the pandemic, the number of participants attending the event was restricted. However, the event was telecast LIVE through the Consulate’s social media platforms, so that a larger audience could participate.
Consul General Randhir Jaiswal unfurled the national flag after which the national anthem was sung.
As is the tradition, the Consul General then read out the address of the President of India. A video congratulatory message received from Governor of New York Kathy Hochul was played at the event.
A short cultural program was presented by Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, which included singing of patriotic songs and poetry recitation.
Around the United States, various Indian Consulates and local community and cultural organizations also celebrated the Republic Day with much fanfare in virtual mode.
FIA-New England celebrates 73rd Republic Day in Worcester, MA
The Federation of Indian Associations (FIA) New England held a colorful virtual celebration supported by the Consulate General of India in New York on January 25, at the iconic Worcester Union Station in Worcester, Massachusetts. Dignitaries including State Senator (Massachusetts) Michael Moore, former U.S. Congressman Joe Kennedy III, and former Rhode Island Assemblyman Robert Lancia participated in the event.
The Federation of Indian Associations Ohio held a Flag Hoisting ceremony at the Ohio State House in Columbus, Ohio, on January 26. Ohio State Senator Niraj Antani and prominent members of the Indian community were present at the event. The program was live-streamed.
The Global Organization of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO) held a virtual Republic Day event on January 26, in association with the Consulate General of India. Several dignitaries including State Senators Kevin Thomas (New York), Vin Gopal (New Jersey), Kesha Ram (Vermont), Neeraj Antani (Ohio); and members of State Assemblies Raj Mukherjee (New Jersey), Latha Mangipudi (New Hampshire), Harry Arora (Connecticut) and Jennifer Rajkumar (New York) participated in the event.
Because of Covid restrictions, the event was a combination of Zoom/YouTube/Facebook live in front of the 75 invited guests, and more than 1,000 online guests, according to a press release from the organization.
Worcester Union Station was decorated in the hues of saffron, white, and green as the Indian tricolor was unfurled by dignitaries belonging to different castes, creeds, religions, and colors, reflecting the joy of unity amidst diversity and to mark the 73rd anniversary of Republic Day of India, organizers noted.
Among those who participated in unfurling the flag were Massachusetts State Senator Michael O. Moore, State Representative Robert Lancia, U.S. Congressman Jim McGovern, State Representative Hannah Kane, Ex-congressman Joe Kennedy, Interim Chair of the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences Terrick Andey. This was followed by the singing of the Indian national anthem.
Other community and cultural organizations such as the International Center for Cultural Integration (ICCI), Long Island; the Tri City India Association, Albany; the Indian Association of Buffalo (IAB); the Indian Cultural Heritage & Arts Awareness Club, New York; the Indian Association of Greater Boston (IAGB); the Indian American Community in Northern America, New Jersey; The Council of Indian Organizations (CIO) in Pennsylvania; and the Hindu Temple of North America, Queens NY are scheduled to hold their respective events in the coming days.
Hurting after the US Supreme Court announced a decision “that could put Harvard’s forty years of legal precedent at risk,” Larry S. Bacow, the university’s President, has warned that “colleges and universities could lose the freedom and flexibility to create diverse campus communities that enrich education for all”.
The SC has agreed to review a challenge to the consideration of race in college admission decisions, often known as affirmative action.
With three new conservative justices in the SC since its last review, the practice may be facing its greatest threat yet.
The court said Monday it would consider a pair of lawsuits alleging that Harvard and the University of North Carolina (UNC) discriminate against Asian American applicants.
“Our admissions process, in which race is considered as one factor among many, makes us stronger. It prompts learning in day-to-day exchanges in our classrooms and laboratories, in our residential houses, and on our playing fields and stages. Our students understand these truths and see them reflected in their interactions with their classmates. Diversity opens our eyes to the promise of a better future,” said Bacow, earlier Chancellor at M.I.T. and President at Tufts, in a “dear members of the Harvard community” mail reviewed by IANS.
“Harvard celebrates and nurtures individuality as intensely as this nation. Those who challenge our admissions policies would ask us to rely upon a process far more mechanistic, a process far more reliant on simple assessments of objective criteria. Each of us is, however, more than our numbers, more than our grades, more than our rankings or scores.
Ask yourself, how much have you learned from other people at this University? How much have you grown from conversations across difference? Would these conversations have been as rich if you had shared the same interests, the same life experiences, and — yes — the same racial or ethnic background as your fellow community members? This is why applications of any kind routinely go beyond mere numbers to include interviews, samples of work product, recommendations, and references. Narrowly drawn measures of academic distinction are not the only indicators of individual promise.”
“As the Supreme Court has recognised many times, race matters in the United States,” Bracow argued.
“I long for the day when it does not, but we still have miles to go before our journey is complete. Harvard will continue to defend with vigor admissions policies that were endorsed in the thoughtful decisions of two federal courts that concluded that we do not discriminate; our practices are consistent with Supreme Court precedent; there is no persuasive, credible evidence warranting a different outcome. Though I wish yesterday had turned out differently, I remain confident that the rule of law — and the respect for precedent that perpetuates it — will prevail.”
The SC is taking up two lawsuits filed by Students for Fair Admissions, a Virginia-based group, that says race should play no part in the admission process. The group is led by Edward Blum, a legal strategist.
The group argues that Harvard and UNC intentionally discriminate against Asian-American applicants.
Examining six years of data at Harvard, the group found that Asian-American applicants had the strongest academics but were admitted at the lowest rates compared to students of other races.
It also found that Harvard’s admissions officers gave Asian-Americans lower scores on a subjective “personal” rating designed to measure attributes such as likeability and kindness.
A federal judge in 2019 upheld Harvard’s admissions practices, saying it was “not perfect” but passed constitutional muster. The judge said race-conscious practices always penalise groups that don’t get an advantage, but they’re justified “by the compelling interest in diversity” on college campuses.
An appeals court upheld the ruling in 2020.
The group brought similar claims against UNC, saying its process disadvantages white and Asian American students. A federal judge sided with the university last year.
In its appeal to the SC, the group asked the panel to review both cases and also to overturn the court’s 2003 decision in Grutter v Bollinger, which upheld admissions policies at the University of Michigan’s law school.
That cleared colleges to consider race if it’s done in a “narrowly tailored” way to serve a “compelling interest”. The group’s appeal argued that the Grutter decision “endorsed racial objectives that are amorphous and unmeasurable and thus incapable of narrow tailoring”.
The Brand Finance Brand Guardianship Index has ranked Microsoft boss, Satya Nadella, as the top CEO in the world.
Nadella, a first-generation Indian immigrant to the US, “has been credited with overhauling Microsoft’s fortunes by changing its culture towards one of teamwork, innovation, and inclusivity, and instilling a growth mindset throughout the business”.
Three other Indian-origin expat CEOs rank high: Sundar Pichai of Google is at 5, Shantanu Narayan of Adobe at 6, and Puneet Renjen of Deloitte at 14.
The top 10 of the Brand Finance ranking is dominated by CEOs (referred to repeatedly as brand guardians) from the tech and media sectors.
Tech boasts six of the top ten – Tim Cook is in second place, having overseen Apple become the first to hit a $3 trillion market valuation.
Cook is followed by CEOs of household tech names: Tencent’s Huateng Ma at 4, Pichai at 5, and Netflix’s Reed Hastings at 7.
AMD CEO Lisa Su is a new entrant at 10. This makes her the highest-ranked female.
She newly qualifies for the ranking as AMD has propelled into the Brand Finance Global 500 2022 after a 122 per cent brand value growth over the past year.
Su steered AMD through a global chip shortage during the pandemic and came out the other side boasting record revenues.
Her leadership of a tech company is unfortunately a rarity, with most being run by males.
This is reflected in the ranking, as the rise in the number of tech brands has come hand in hand with a decrease in the number of female CEOs in the top 100 – from eight in 2021 to five this year.
At a country level, the index mirrors the Brand Finance Global 500 2022 ranking, with the US and China leading the way. There are 101 CEOs from the US, which represents 40 per cent of the index, and 47 from China, which represents 19 per cent.
Brand guardians from these two countries head up a number of key sectors: Jianjun Wei of Great Wall in Automobiles at 3, Patricia Griffith of Progressive Insurance at 11, Xiongjun Ding of Moutai Spirits at 12, and Baoan Xin of State Grid Utilities at 13.
Among the Americans, Brian Moynihan of Bank of America is at 16, Ramon Laguarta of Pepsi at 17, Andy Jassy of Amazon is at 23.
The highest-ranked CEO outside of the US and China monopoly is ADNOC brand guardian Sultan Al Jaber at 15. He is also the top-scoring leader in the oil and gas sector. Aside from ADNOC, Sultan holds senior positions in the UAE government, and in promoting the diversification and growth of the UAE economy.
CEOs of the three UAE brands from the Brand Finance Global 500 2022 ranking all feature and record higher scores than last year, with Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum of Emirates at 34th and Etisalat’s Hatem Dowidar at 79.
Apple has retained the title of the world’s most valuable brand following a 35 per cent increase to $355.1 billion – the highest brand value ever recorded in the Brand Finance Global 500 ranking.
Apple used 2022 to be effective to a much broader range of services. The iPhone still accounts for around half of the brand’s sales. However, this year saw Apple give more attention to its other suite of products with a new generation of iPads, an overhaul to the iMac, and introduction of AirTags. Its range of services, from Apple Pay to Apple TV, has had increasing importance to the brand’s success, the report noted.
“Privacy and the environment are salient topics, and Apple bolstered its credentials on both fronts. This is evidenced by a greater transparency of the App Store’s privacy policy, reinforcing the trust customers have in the brand, and the announcement that more of Apple’s manufacturing partners will be moving to 100 percent renewable energy, as the company aims to reach carbon neutrality by 2030.”
Tripling in brand value over the past year, TikTok is the world’s fastest-growing brand. With 215 per cent growth, the app’s brand value has increased from $18.7 billion in 2021 to $59.0 billion. Claiming 18th spot among the world’s top 500 most valuable brands, TikTok is the highest new entrant to the Brand Finance Global 500 2022 ranking.
Overall, media brands accounted for the top 3 fastest-growing brands in the ranking – with another social media app, Snapchat, brand value up 184 per cent to $6.6 billion and South Korean internet brand Kakao, brand value up 161% to $4.7 billion, following closely behind TikTok.
Snapchat saw increased daily usage and revenues grow by 77 per cent in the first 9 months of 2021, with the popularity of its short-form video feature, Spotlight, being a key driver.
Other notable performers from the media sector include those that offer streaming services, with Disney (brand value up 11 per cent to $57.0 billion), Netflix (brand value up 18 per cent $29.4 billion), YouTube (brand value up 38 per cent to $23.9 billion), and Spotify (brand value up 13 per cent to $6.3 billion).
Traditional media brands have seen a continued decline, with people favouring social media platforms and on-demand streaming in their place.
The tech sector remained the most valuable in the Brand Finance Global 500 ranking, with a cumulative brand value of close to $1.3 trillion. In total, 50 tech brands feature in the ranking, however, the brand value is largely attributable to three big players, with Apple, Microsoft (brand value $184.2 billion), and Samsung Group (brand value $107.3 billion) together accounting for more than 50 per cent of the total brand value in the sector.
Closely behind them, Huawei managed to reclaim its place among the top 10 most valuable brands in the world, following 29 per cent growth to $71.2 billion. Huawei’s smartphone business was hit by US sanctions, but it reacted positively by heavily stepping up investment in both domestic technology companies and R&D, as well as turning its focus to cloud services.
Brand Finance is an independent brand valuation and strategy consultancy headquartered in London.
The Economic Survey 2021-22 has projected the economy to grow at 8.0-8.5 per cent in 2022-23, thereby moderating the growth forecast from 9.2 per cent expansion for 2021-22 outlined by the National Statistical Office (NSO) in its first advance estimates of Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
Last year’s Survey had projected real GDP to record a 11 per cent growth in 2021-22, post a 7.3 per cent contraction in 2020-21. While this year’s growth comes on a low base year economic output, the expansion next year has to be seen from the recovery levels in economic output.
The Survey flags inflation as a concern while assessing the macroeconomic stability indicators and suggests that the Indian economy is “well- placed” to take on the challenges of 2022-23.
India’s Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on January 31st tabled the Economic Survey 2021-22 in the Lok Sabha, the Lower House of India’s Parliament.
“Growth in 2022-23 will be supported by widespread vaccine coverage, gains from supply-side reforms and easing of regulations, robust export growth, and availability of fiscal space to ramp up capital spending. The year ahead is also well poised for a pick-up in private sector investment with the financial system in a good position to provide support to the revival of the economy,” it said.
The growth projection for the next year based on “the assumption that there will be no further debilitating pandemic related economic disruption, monsoon will be normal, withdrawal of global liquidity by major central banks will be broadly orderly and oil prices will be in the range of $70-$75/bbl,” the Survey said.
The Survey projection is comparable with the World Bank’s and Asian Development Bank’s latest forecasts of real GDP growth of 8.7 per cent and 7.5 per cent respectively for 2022-23. As per the IMF’s latest World Economic Outlook (WEO) growth projections released on 25th January, 2022, India’s real GDP is projected to grow at 9 per cent in both 2021-22 and 2022-23 and at 7.1 per cent in 2023-24. It stressed the need to watch up for imported inflation. India’s Consumer Price Index inflation stood at 5.6 per cent in December 2021 but wholesale price inflation, however, has been running in double-digits. “Although this is partly due to base effects that will even out, India does need to be wary of imported inflation, especially from elevated global energy prices,” it said.
Last year’s Economic Survey had pitched for an expansionary fiscal policy in 2021-22 to boost growth and advised the government towards significant privatisation of state-owned companies. A privatisation push and review of the banking sector asset quality was recommended in last year’s survey.
Setting the tone for the Union Budget 2022-23, to be presented on Tuesday, the Economic Survey 2021-22 tabled in the Parliament on Monday stressed on the need for the government to provide a buffer against stresses such as the uncertainty in the global environment, the cycle of liquidity withdrawal by major central banks, etc.
Despite the Covid-19 pandemic, India’s economic growth in the upcoming financial year, i.e., 2022-23, can be surprising on the higher side, ASSOCHAM Secretary General said on Monday.
“While the 8-8.5 per cent GDP projections for FY23 are on the back of a high base of 9.2 per cent in the current financial year, ASSOCHAM is of the view that India’s economic growth can surprise us on the higher side.
“Even as the pandemic is still raging in most parts of the world, its latest variant is less damaging. Besides, with 75 per cent of eligible Indians fully vaccinated and the booster dose being rolled out, India would be far better prepared to take on the challenges,” ASSOCHAM Secretary General Deepak Sood said.
ASSOCHAM said it shares the prognosis of the Economic Survey that the Indian economy is well placed to take on the challenges of 2022-23, riding on the back of continuous reforms in supply side and safety nets to the vulnerable sections of the society.
Sood further said that the advance estimates suggest manufacturing to be growing by 12.5 per cent in the current fiscal while services would expand by 8.5 per cent.
“Traditionally, services grow at a faster face. Clearly, the Covid impact on contact intensive industries is reflecting even as manufacturing has been aided by supply side reforms. Once the impact of PLI scheme kicks in, we expect the manufacturing to be leading the growth for the foreseeable future,” Sood said, adding that robust performance in exports has also helped the manufacturing.
He further said that the Economic Survey is right in its assessment about the investment scenario, saying: “The private investment recovery is still at a nascent stage, though there are increased activities in the brownfield projects. Heavy lifting would still be needed by the government with capital expenditure, and we expect that in the Budget.”
The Survey has pointed out that the government has the fiscal capacity to maintain the support, and ramp up capital expenditure when required, ASSOCHAM said in a statement.
“Schemes like credit guarantee with 100 per cent guarantee for additional funding of Rs 4.5 lakh crore to MSMEs have provided critical relief to the sectors severely hit by the pandemic. More such measures are expected in the Budget,” it said.
“The Survey has re-emphasised the government’s asset monetisation and disinvestment agenda, which spells out bare minimum presence of government ownership even in the strategic sectors. Successful completion of Air India disinvestment should infuse confidence for the roadmap,” it added.
Ahead of this year’s elections, AAPI Victory Fund, and Indian American Impact Fund jointly endorsed Indian-American congressional candidates, Nida Allam of North Carolina and Kesha Ram Hinsdale of Vermont.
Allam is currently the Durham County Commissioner and is running for U.S. House of Representatives in North Carolina’s 6th Congressional District.
Ram Hinsdale is a Vermont State Senator and the first woman in the state to run for the U.S. House of Representatives.
Shekar Narasimhan, founder and chairman of AAPI Victory Fund said the organization was pleased to announce its support for Allam and Hinsdale.
“As elected leaders and champions for the progressive movement in their respective states, Nida and Kesha have made strides for not only the AAPI community but for all of their constituents. They continue to dedicate themselves to ensuring that progress leaves no one behind,” Narasimhan is quoted saying in the press release.
“We are honored to endorse these two exemplary candidates who will make history when elected to Congress as they strive to make a positive impact on our country. We look forward to supporting them both on their path to Congress,” he added.
Neil Makhija, executive director of Indian American Impact Fund, a political action committee which has funded scores of election campaigns around the country, echoed similar sentiments.
“Our team is extremely honored to endorse Nida Allam and Kesha Ram Hinsdale for Congress. Both Nida and Kesha uphold the progressive and justice-oriented values that we at IMPACT are thrilled to support in tandem,” Makhija said.
“As Indian-Americans, Nida and Kesha’s bids for public office serve as a reminder that Indian-Americans are deeply underrepresented in American government. The historic strides that they’ve made in their respective states are just the beginning for Indian-American and AAPI communities to have a seat at the political table, and we’re excited to see how they continue to prioritize marginalized communities come midterms, and beyond,” Makhija added.
Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal, D-Washington, also expressed her support and is quoted in the press release saying, “It’s wonderful to see so many South Asians and South Asian women running for Congress this cycle. They certainly bring a strong set of assets to the table, and will energize a whole new community of voters. I may be the first, but I certainly won’t be the last,” Jayapal is quoted saying in the press release.
Allam said she was honored to be endorsed by the two organizations. “The Indian-American community needs more representation at the highest levels, and I’m proud to be supported by these champions for our community. As a Member of Congress, I’ll fight for the progressive policies that working families across North Carolina need,” Allam said.
Ram Hinsdale said, “If elected as Vermont’s first Congresswoman, I look forward to working with AAPI Victory Fund, Indian American Impact and Representative Pramila Jayapal to build a bigger coalition for racial, economic, and social justice. They have challenged politics as usual, amplifying the voices of underrepresented communities and fighting for the issues that working Vermonters care about. I am honored to have earned this endorsement.”
Allam is the daughter of Indian and Pakistani immigrants. She attended North Carolina public schools and then NC State University, where she led a campaign to partner with local healthcare workers to provide free healthcare to low-income community members.
Her life took a turn in 2015 when her friends Deah Barakat, Yusor Abu-Salha, and Razan Abu-Salha were murdered in their Chapel Hill home in an anti-Muslim hate crime, according to her bio on her website nidaallam.com.
“Deeply affected by the deaths of her friends and determined to carry on their legacy, Nida threw herself into organizing to amplify underheard voices and increase community safety through solidarity, the website profile says.
Allam served as a political director for the Bernie Sanders campaign and then was elected Third Vice Chair of the North Carolina Democratic Party, the first Muslim elected to the party’s Executive Council. She currently serves on the board of directors for Planned Parenthood South Atlantic.
In 2020, Allam ran for Durham County Commission and was the highest vote-getter in the general election, becoming the first Muslim woman elected to public office in North Carolina.
Ram Hinsdale was born in Los Angeles and has bachelors degrees in Natural Resource Planning and Political Science from the University of Vermont.
She also has a Master degree in Public Administration from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government.
She represented Burlington-Chittenden District in the Vermont House of Representatives on from 2008 to 2016, where she sat on the House General, Housing & Military Affairs and Ways & Means Committees, and as Vice Chair of the House Natural Resources & Energy Committee.
Ram Hinsdale has also served as Co-Chair of the Vermont Attorney General’s Immigration Task Force, and as a member of the boards of Emerge Vermont, the Main Street Alliance of Vermont, Planned Parenthood of Northern New England, the Regenerative Food Network, and the Vermont Natural Resources Council.
The research showing how climate change-related events disproportionately affect vulnerable communities is staggering. From New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina to New York City after Superstorm Sandy, extreme weather events tend to hit minority communities hardest. A 2019 study found that Black Americans living in communities hit by disasters over the study period lost nearly $20,000 in wealth—whereas their white counterparts gained more than $126,000 as investment flowed and communities rebuilt.
New legislation unveiled Tuesday last week by Washington Democratic Rep. Pramila Jayapal aims to turn that grim reality on its head with a slate of initiatives designed not only to mitigate the damage caused by climate-related disasters to vulnerable communities but also to turn the wave of investment that comes after a disaster into a bright spot for them.
“One of the things we really want to fix is how the resources get distributed: who gets the jobs, how do we make sure that those jobs are well paid, and that it becomes an opportunity to—wait for it—build back better in those communities,” says Jayapal.
Jayapal’s legislation, which draws on consultation with a range of environmental groups, contains a laundry list of policies with that aim in mind. The bill would establish a grant program for states, local governments and nonprofits to create jobs in “climate resilience” with a requirement that the recipients commit to employing a diverse workforce. These jobs include things like preemptive climate resilience work—think of retrofitting and restoration that helps soften the blow of a major disaster—as well as jobs that follow the storm, like clean up and debris removal. These industries already exist in some parts of the country, but worker protections are uneven. The bill’s text say that this grant program could create one million jobs annually that provide for worker safety and benefits.
The legislation would also provide funding for local governments to come up with their own resilience plans—and require them to address the disparate challenges faced by the most vulnerable communities. A new Office of Climate Resilience at the White House would serve as a hub for the federal government’s coordination with vulnerable communities.
Jayapal unveiled the bill Tuesday morning with 30 progressive Democrats as co-sponsors, but, with provisions like a loosening of immigration rules for climate resilience workers, it faces a tough road to pass as written in the politically divided Congress. Even so, Jayapal says elements of the 131-page bill can shape discussions on a range of other active policy discussions. The proposal could, for example, inform how Congress structures a Civilian Climate Corps, a proposed federal program to put Americans to work on climate projects that already was included in the climate and social spending bill that passed the House of Representatives in the fall. Other elements could help support the Biden Administration’s Justice40 initiative, which requires 40% of the benefits of federal climate investment to benefit disadvantaged communities. “This is actually laying out a vision,” she says.
That vision leaves much of the details to states, cities and communities—and that’s sort of the point. Activists have spent years calling on government to pay closer attention to environmental justice issues while also demanding solutions that empower local leaders.
Beyond the substance of the bill, the legislation would also deliver some political benefits, helping people connect the hundreds of billions of dollars that the Biden Administration hopes to spend on climate measures to the everyday lives of key constituents.
“If people feel like they’re never being considered, that frontline communities are never being considered, or that fossil fuel workers are never being considered, their lives and livelihoods are not being considered, we will lose them politically,” says Jayapal. “They will either go to another party, depending on where they are or they just won’t come out and vote.”
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Monday, January 31st granted full approval to Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine, giving an additional vote of confidence in its safety and effectiveness.
The full approval for people ages 18 and older was based on follow-up data showing “high efficacy and favorable safety approximately six months after the second dose.”
The vaccine had already been available since December 2020 under an emergency use authorization, but full approval provides an extra emphasis.
Acting FDA Commissioner Janet Woodcock said she hoped the move gives some people additional confidence in the vaccine.
“The public can be assured that Spikevax meets the FDA’s high standards for safety, effectiveness and manufacturing quality required of any vaccine approved for use in the United States,” she said in a statement. “While hundreds of millions of doses of Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine have been administered to individuals under emergency use authorization, we understand that for some individuals, FDA approval of this vaccine may instill additional confidence in making the decision to get vaccinated.”
Pfizer’s vaccine already received full approval in August.
“Our COVID-19 vaccine has been administered to hundreds of millions of people around the world, protecting people from COVID-19 infection, hospitalization and death,” Moderna CEO Stéphane Bancel said in a statement. “The totality of real-world data and the full [approval] for Spikevax in the United States reaffirms the importance of vaccination against this virus. This is a momentous milestone in Moderna’s history as it is our first product to achieve licensure in the U.S.”
A booster shot of the Moderna vaccine is also recommended five months after the second shot.
About 74 percent of adults are now fully vaccinated, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data. The numbers are much lower for boosters, which are crucial for achieving higher protection against the omicron variant, with 44 percent of fully vaccinated adults having received a booster, according to the public health agency.
In the other big COVID-19 vaccine news, Maryland-based Novavax finally applied for emergency use authorization for its vaccine in adults.
The request was based in part on results from two large clinical trials of approximately 30,000 participants in the U.S. and Mexico. The company said two doses of the vaccine given three weeks apart demonstrated an overall efficacy of approximately 90 percent, though the trials took place before the omicron variant became dominant.
Novavax was one of the six companies the U.S. invested in as part of Operation Warp Speed. The company originally wanted to ask the FDA for authorization by May 2021, but had to delay the request multiple times due to numerous development and manufacturing setbacks.
The protein-based vaccine could provide an alternative to the mRNA shots available from Pfizer and Moderna, as there is a small risk the mRNA vaccines cause heart inflammation in certain adults.
The authorization process from FDA could take several months, though the vaccine is available under emergency use from the European Commission, and the World Health Organization.
The Novavax vaccine is given in two doses spaced 21 days apart; the company recently announced plans to test a booster shot.
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Former President Trump is creating new headaches for Republicans after he floated pardons for Jan. 6 attack participants and lashed out at Vice President Mike Pence for not overturning the 2020 election.
Trump’s comments — made separately during a rally in Texas on Saturday and in a statement on Sunday — injected back into the spotlight the attack on the Capitol, carried out by a mob of the former president’s supporters, and a rehash of the 2020 election.
GOP lawmakers, including allies like Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), immediately distanced themselves from comments by Trump, who is flirting with a 2024 comeback bid as he falsely claims that the 2020 election was stolen from him.
“I just think people who broke the law on January 6 need to be held accountable, period,” said Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas).
Trump floated the pardons during a rally in Texas, saying that “so many people have been asking me about it.” Trump indicated that he was willing to use pardons, if he is back in the White House after 2024, for people involved in the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol “because they are being treated so unfairly.”
More than 700 individuals have been charged related to the Jan. 6 riot on the Capitol, which forced the evacuation of the House and Senate chamber and sent lawmakers running for cover in the complex.
Graham, during an interview with CBS News, warned that pardoning individuals tied to the attack would be “inappropriate.”
“I don’t want to send any signal that it was okay to defile the Capitol,” Graham added. “There are other groups with causes that may want to go down to the violent path that these people get pardoned.”
Graham’s pushback is notable because he’s remained one of the president’s most vocal allies in the Senate GOP caucus, including publicly warning Senate GOP Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) that he needs to be able to work with the former president. Graham recently visited Trump, and has predicted that he’ll be the party’s 2024 GOP presidential nominee if he wants to be.
Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), the No. 2 Senate Republican, said he aligned with Graham’s view.
“I just don’t think you want to encourage unlawful behavior,” Thune said.
Trump’s use of pardons garnered controversy during his White House tenure.
Though Trump used his pardon power less frequently than his immediate predecessor, he did use it to benefit some of his allies including pardoning his former chief strategist Steven Bannon, former national security advisor Michael Flynn, former campaign chairman Paul Manafort, operative Roger Stone and Charles Kushner, the father of Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner.
The New York Times reported last year that Trump also discussed pardoning himself, something a president has never done before and a step that would likely spark a fierce legal battle.
Trump’s decision to raise the issue of pardons for individuals tied to the Jan. 6 attack comes as Senate Republicans, in particular, are eager to move past the 2020 election as they shape their message heading into the November midterm election.
Senate GOP Leader Mitch McConnell has made it clear that he wants the November election to be squarely focused on Biden and his administration.
Even as McConnell — who was a close ally of the former president during most of his tenure — has tried to stay focused on Biden, loyalty to Trump has emerged as a litmus test for many Republicans including in key battleground GOP primaries.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) immediately hit back at Graham saying that he was “pretending to be a friend” to Trump.
In addition to floating pardons, Trump on Sunday night lashed out at Pence for not unilaterally throwing out the results of the 2020 election when he was presiding over Congress’s formal count of the Electoral College results last January.
“If the Vice President (Mike Pence) had ‘absolutely no right’ to change the Presidential Election results in the Senate, despite fraud and many other irregularities, how come the Democrats and RINO Republicans, like Wacky Susan Collins, are desperately trying to pass legislation that will not allow the Vice President to change the results of the election?” Trump asked.
“Actually, what they are saying, is that Mike Pence did have the right to change the outcome, and they now want to take that right away,” he added.
Earlier on Sunday before Trump issued his statement, Collins said she was ‘unlikely’ to support Trump if he ran in 2024, becoming one of the rare Senate Republicans to make that notion public.
Trump led a public and private pressure campaign to try to get Pence to throw out the results from key battleground states. Pence, however, refused saying the Constitution tied his hands — an interpretation that many senators agreed with.
“That‘s not my understanding of the law,” Cornyn said, asked about Trump’s claim.
A bipartisan Senate group, led by Collins and Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), are currently negotiating potential changes to the 1887 law, which lays out how the Electoral College results are counted.
Among the changes they are considering is codifying that the vice president’s role is ceremonial and increasing the number of members from the House and Senate that have to object before they can force a vote on a challenge to a state’s results.
The group, which now includes approximately 16 senators, met on Monday night in the Capitol and are expected to meet with Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) and Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), the chairwoman and top Republican on the Rules Committee.
“I’m very much of the view with Mike Pence that he didn’t have the authority,” Thune said, adding that Senate Republicans can’t “control what the former president does on that or other issues.”
Thune added that there was “some interest” in making changes to the Electoral Count Act. “I think there are some questions and ambiguities around that century and a half old statue that probably need to be clarified,” Thune added.
Patients with mitral valve disease who live in disadvantaged communities are more likely to experience complications and are at higher risk for death after surgery than those with higher socioeconomic status (SES), according to research presented at the 58th Annual Meeting of The Society of Thoracic Surgeons.
“We collaboratively undertook this work with The Society of Thoracic Surgeons to better understand the impact of socioeconomic status on mitral valve surgery in the US,” said Amit Iyengar, MD, MSE, from the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. “The STS Adult Cardiac Surgery Database was linked with a very robust composite metric that evaluates average SES based on census block tract groups, and showed it relates to mortality and rate of achieving a successful repair, independent of all other demographic or hospital and surgeon-level characteristics we had available.”
Using data from the STS Adult Cardiac Surgery Database, Dr. Iyengar and colleagues identified 46,831 adult patients who underwent—for the first time—isolated mitral valve repair or replacement for degenerative mitral disease from 2012 to 2018. Socioeconomic status was calculated using the 2018 Area Deprivation Index (ADI), a geographically-derived measure used to assess average income, education, employment, and housing quality for a given region. For this research, the group queried the ADI at a single city block level or rural equivalent.
“We confirmed the effect of ADI by looking at it more closely in smaller bootstrapped subsets,” said Dr. Iyengar. “We did this thoughtfully, trying to shed some light on the mechanisms by which socioeconomic status would affect outcomes.”
The researchers determined that low SES patients—who more commonly received health care under government payor programs such as Medicare and Medicaid (63% vs. 49%)—had more urgent/emergent surgery (21% vs. 13%), with minimally-invasive approaches used less often (24% vs. 39%).
“Neighborhood SES is associated with differing valve pathologies and presentations,” said Dr. Iyengar. “Clinically, the extremes of SES represent two differing patient populations—elective degenerative pathology (high SES) and more urgent, non-degenerative pathology (low SES).”
In addition, and importantly, low SES was associated with a lower repair rate (65.3% vs. 82.8%). Mitral valve repair has been widely regarded as the optimal surgical procedure to treat mitral valve disease and may help minimize complications that can occur with replacement, including the risk of blood clots with mechanical valves. In fact, low SES patients not only had a higher complication rate (48% vs. 40%), but also a higher 30-day mortality rate (2.9% vs. 1.3%).
“The data are very revealing and show several important findings such as lower SES patients have bigger incisions, fewer repairs, and worse outcomes in terms of complications and mortality,” said T. Sloane Guy, MD, MBA, from Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, who was not directly involved in this research. “There have been many papers out recently suggesting that certain groups of patients based on sex, race, or socioeconomic status have poorer outcomes. The usual conclusion drawn is that such patients are getting worse medical care. But the issue is more complicated, and I think most of us live by the tenant that we treat all patients the same regardless of any patient characteristics.”
This research also showed that high SES patients tend to travel farther for surgery (33 vs. 17 miles) and receive operations from higher volume surgeons (62±69 vs. 31±46 cases/year).
Dr. Guy explained that access to care and the ability to travel to a high-volume mitral valve specialist were “clearly revealed as a discriminator” that negatively impacts those living in socioeconomically deprived neighborhoods. “Presumably, they have limited resources and options compared to those living in other neighborhoods,” he said.
The researchers acknowledge that—moving forward—more work is required to determine how to best address these types of treatment disparities. Dr. Guy shared that efforts should focus on improving patient access to quality health insurance, care, and information.
For more information, contact Jennifer Bagley, Senior Manager, Media Relations and Communications, at 312-202-5865 or jbagley@sts.org.
Founded in 1964, The Society of Thoracic Surgeons is a not-for-profit organization representing more than 7,700 cardiothoracic surgeons, researchers, and allied health care professionals worldwide who are dedicated to ensuring the best possible outcomes for surgeries of the heart, lung, and esophagus, as well as other surgical procedures within the chest. The Society’s mission is to advance cardiothoracic surgeons’ delivery of the highest quality patient care through collaboration, education, research, and advocacy.
Tata Group Chairman, N. Chandrasekaran, has called upon Air India employees to work together to build ‘the airline our country needs’. In a communication to the employees, Chandrasekaran said: “Now is the time to look ahead.”
The communication to Air India employees came on a day when Tata Group subsidiary, Talace Private Limited, formally took over the managerial control of the airline.
“I, like many others, have enjoyed reflecting on stories from the airline’s brilliant past. My first flight was with Air India in December 1986, and I will never forget how special it felt to be onboard, or the exhilaration as we soared into the sky,” the letter read.
“Today is the beginning of a new chapter. The entire nation’s eyes are on us, waiting to see what we will achieve together. To build the airline our country needs, we need to look to the future,” it added. Notably, the purpose of the letter was to welcome the employees into the Tata Group “family”.
“Our group has its own storied past. I have learned that to preserve what is best about the past, requires constant change. It is by evolving, adapting and embracing the future that we best honour a glorious history,” Chandrasekaran said in the letter.
It added that the “golden age” of Air India lies ahead and the “journey towards it starts now”.
Indian Government has handed over the management control of Air India to Tata Group subsidiary Talace.
With this, Air India’s strategic disinvestment was complete after the Centre received a consideration of Rs 2,700 crore from the ‘Strategic Partner’ — Talace — which is a wholly owned subsidiary of Tata Sons.
Tata Sons subsidiary Talace, which took over the managerial control of Air India on Thursday, will get more than 140 aircraft and eight logos, among other assets such as human resources.
However, the transaction does not include non-core assets, including land and building, valued at Rs 14,718 crore, which are to be transferred to government of India’s Air India Asset Holding Limited (AIAHL).
Besides, Tatas will also not get the world-famous art collection of Air India.
Nevertheless, the group will get Air India’s 117 wide-body and narrow body aircraft apart from 24 aircraft of Air India Express. A significant number of these aircraft are owned by Air India.
It will also get to operate these aircraft on over 4,000 domestic and 1,800 international routes.
Also, eight brand logos would be transferable to the Tatas, which they have to retail for a period of five years.
As far as revenues are concerned, more than two-third of Air India’s consolidated revenues come from the international market. The airline is still the largest player from India in the international market, having a strong footprint across geographies like North America, Europe and Middle East, with attractive slots and bilateral rights.
Additionally, Air India comes with a frequent flyer programme which has more than three million members.
In terms of manpower, the conglomerate will get the total talent pool of Air India and Air India Express, which stands at over 13,000, including permanent as well as contractual employees.
Under the agreement with the Centre, no employee will be removed for one-year. In the second year, if an employee has to be removed, a VRS option will be provided.
The employees will be provided gratuity, provident fund and post-retirement medical benefits.
Financially, Tatas will retain a debt of Rs 15,300 crore. It had to pay Rs 2,700 crore to the Centre as the cash component.
In addition, Tatas will need to take care of the Rs 20 crore loss per day that the company suffers.
There is also a three-year business continuity clause in the agreement.
Tatas would also need to maintain 51 per cent stake in the airline for at least one-year. Besides the upfront payment, Talace will retain a debt of Rs 15,300 crore.
The transaction covered three entities – Air India, Air India Express and AI SATS. Post the formal take over, a new board was constituted which included Tata Group’s executives. (IANS)
Global demand for gold increased 10 per cent in the calendar year 2021, led by improved economic growth and investors’ sentiment during the October-December quarter, the Word Gold Council said on Friday.
Gold demand jumped almost 50 per cent in the period, thereby hitting a 10-quarter high.
The total demand for the yellow metal was at 4,021 tonnes, excluding the “over the counter” figures.
“Demand for gold in the consumer-driven jewellery and technology sectors recovered throughout the year in line with economic growth and sentiment, while central bank buying also far outpaced that of 2020. Investment demand was mixed in an environment of opposing forces: high inflation competed with rising yields for investors’ attention,” the council added.
Jeweler fabrication staged a strong recovery in 2021 and it grew 67 per cent to 2,221 tonnes in 2021.
“This was in good part linked to Q4 demand, which – at 713 tonnes – saw the strongest quarterly jeweler consumption since Q2 2013,” the council said.
Global holdings of gold ETFs fell by 173 tonnes in 2021 in sharp contrast to 2020’s record 874 tones rise.
Bar and coin investment jumped 31 per cent to an eight-year high of 1,180 tones.
“Central banks accumulated 463 tonnes of gold in 2021, 82 per cent higher than the 2020 total and lifting global reserves to a near 30-year high. The pace of buying slowed in the second half, with a 22 per cent Y-o-Y decline in Q4.”
Further, gold used in technology rose nine per cent in 2021, to reach a three-year high of 330 tonnes. (IANS)
With the idea behind the book to present Ayurveda in a simplified, contemporary and relatable manner to ensure that the reader can incorporate Ayurvedic principles in their daily cooking and food habits to achieve optimum health, authors Dr. Asghar and Sonal Chowdhary say that this system considers food as the first medicine, and in these times of the Pandemic, it has become even more important to stay healthy.
The duo, whose book ‘The Ayurvedic Kitchen’ (Westland Publishers) recently hit the stands stresses that recent times have proven that the best defense against the virus is immunity.
“There is a lot of buzz, curiosity and a variety of readily available information on the internet regarding the same. People try different ways to boost their immunity but unfortunately, the information available on the web gives a blanket approach for everyone. With this book, we want the reader to have an individualised approach as per their own constitution and genotype (which they can know using the Dosha Quiz in the book ) and help them understand ways to include immunity-enhancing foods in their diet,” Dr. Asghar tells IANS.
They say the book is for anyone who is looking to reset their food habits which are in sync with their own body, mind and health.
“It will be useful to ayurvedic consultants, nutritionists, dieticians, therapists, as they can guide their patients towards a healthier food approach as the recipes and food items scientifically connotes calories, effects on doshas, seasons and also their nutritional benefits,” says Chowdhary.
Both believe that contrary to popular perception, the young are getting more inclined towards natural ways of healing.
“Millennials are increasingly getting aware that natural forms of healing are better as they have minimal or no side effects. They are happiest when diseases are cured with fewer medicines or by practising proper diets or regimens,” asserts Chowdhary.
Dr. Asghar adds that when one looks at the pathology of diseases, many of them occur owing to incorrect diets and skewed daily regimes — something which Ayurveda sheds much light on.
“Well, the result of wrong eating habits are quite visible to everyone. Lifestyle disorders are on a rise and they are directly linked to incorrect eating habits. The result of these habits have started to build fear in most people and they have started taking more interest towards natural ways to combat the present condition.”
Chowdhary adds that fitness is becoming important for this experimental generation who are keen to try alternative natural ways and work more towards prevention than looking for cures.
The authors also say that in this time and age, it is paramount to think about the integration of different medical systems that can instrumental in making people healthier.(IANS)
Hundreds of Indian Americans representing GOPIO New York, GOPIO Manhattan, GOPIO-CT and GOPIO-Central Jersey came together to celebrate India’s 73rd Republic day virtually on Wednesday, January 26th, 2022, paying rich tributes to their motherland, India as she stands tall among nations of the world, proclaiming freedom, democratic values, economic and technological advancements, and the rich cultural traditions.
In his inaugural address, Indian Consul General Randhir Kumar Jaiswal, a career diplomat with over two decades of diplomatic career serving in Portugal, Cuba, South Africa and at the Permanent Mission of India in New York, greeted the Diaspora in the United States and around the world on the occasion of India’s 73rd Republic Day celebrations.
Stating that celebrating India’s Republic Day is special each year, but this year it’s more so because it is the 75th anniversary of India’s Independence, Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, Ambassador Jaiswal pointed to the several events that are being organized across the United States to commemorate the event, where a large number of people joined virtually and in person, including Greetings and Proclamations from the Governors of the state of New York And Ohio and from the mayor of New York City as well as from the NY state Senate.
Referring to fact that the “Indian Diaspora in the United States is very strong, and has contributed immensely to the India-US relations and to Mother India,” Ambassador Jaiswal said, “The Indian Diaspora is playing a very important role in the cooperation between India and the United States in all areas, especially in the healthcare sector. “Covid is one area where scientists from India and the United States are collaborating in developing vaccines and medicines. We are grateful to the Diaspora for all of your contributions.”
Referring to the several elected Indian American leaders who attended the event, Ambassador Jaiswal said, “Your presence and greetings mean a lot to us and to the Indian Diaspora and to the Indo-US relationship.” Announcing that India has provided 1.6 Billion does of Covid vaccination in the past 1 year, the senior diplomat representing India told the participants, how India’s economy is doing remarkably well and that there are 60,000 StartUP Companies established in the past year. He praised India’s efforts towards women’s empowerment as India continues to contribute towards world peace and prosperity.
Neil Makhija, Executive President of Indian American Impact spoke about how they work towards helping NRIs get elected to state and national offices. “Our goal is to increasing the representation of NRIs in all states,” he said. “Across the country, a record number of Indian-Americans have been elected to the state and national offices. I am thrilled to be where we are today.” He went onto introducing each of the elected officials who had joined the celebrations today.
Vipin Gopal, State Senator from New Jersey recalled his recent visit with New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy traveling to several states in India meeting with several Chief Ministers and building relationships collaborating in several areas between India and New Jersey, which now has the fastest growing Indian American community in the United States. He proudly stated about how New Jersey has passed the legislation including Asian American history in the school curriculum teaching Indian history to all school children in the state. Referring to his frequent trips to India to meet with his grandparents, the young Senator said, “I am inspired by the values taught by family, which we carry them in our lives.”
Kesha Ram, Burlington, Vermont, VT State Senator, shared of the reasons for her entering politics. “I got engaged with the community for long, where we care for each other.” One of the youngest ever to be elected to State Assembly at the age of 21, she said, “I am the first ever woman of color top be elected to the state Assembly in Vermont. Continuing to break through the barriers, we can work together to elect more NRIs. “It’s incredible to be of public service, following in the footsteps of my great grandfathers, ” she said, referring to her ancestry back in India, who had fought for the freedom for India. “We have carried with us that spirit of community service.”
Ohio State Senator Niraj Antani, said, he is the 2nd Indian American ever elected to a statewide office and he is one of the only Republicans of Indian Origin to be elected. “Freedom is rare and needs to be upheld and protected. I work hard to reach across the aisle, and cooperate with people in both the Parties to legislate.” Sharing his early days and inspiration to enter politics, he said, “My parents worked hard to live the American dream. There is a need for us to be at the decision making table. Everyone is able to realize the dream. We stand on your shoulders, to carry on the Indian values.”
State Rep. Raj Mukerji from the state of New Jersey said, “We are celebrating the world’s largest democracy today and India’s contributions to building a better world for all.” He pointed to how the Indian American Cacuses are growing across the nation and in several states. In the state of New Jersey, the Indian American representation in state offices has grown from 1 to 7 this year. “That’s the way it should be. I am proud of all that GOPIO has contributed socially and financially to make this happen. I am proud of the contributions of the Indian Diaspora, who are in the front lines of global healthcare. NRIs are helping the nation and the world, come out of the Covid. And it’s the time to celebrate.”
NY State Representative Jenifer Rajkumar from the 28th District thanked GOPIO and the Indian American community for the inspiration she has had in her life, “Indian identity is central to my election to the state assembly in New York. I stand on your shoulders as GOPIO has played a great role in helping me get elected to the State Assembly.” Referring to the record three Indian Americans elected to the state, she said, “We made history and I want to thank the community leaders who have made this possible.” Rajkumar shared with the audience as to how growing up in a family that emphasized the teachings of Gandhian principles has helped her to appreciate diversity, justice and equality for all. She referred to the Bills she has introduced in the Assembly to celebrate Punjabi culture and declaring and October as Hindu heritage month as well as to celebrate India’s Independence Day.
New Hampshire State Rep. Latha Mangipudi, who has been elected to the NH House of Representatives, shared with the audience about her own life, challenges in becoming a female, non-White elected official from a state which is majority White. “It was a very slow and gradual journey after I had come to the US to pursue higher studies in the 1980s.” Inspired by Gandhiji’s message of non-violence, which Martin Luther and late Rep. John Lewis had imbibed in their public life, the 1st generation Indian American said, “I am a woman, Brown colored, 1st generation Indian and very vocal in expressing my views.” Stating that she has introduced traditional health systems of India including Ayurveda in New Hampshire, she thanked the Indian Consulate which has “worked with us to enhance awareness on India and its diverse culture and democratic values.”
GOPIO Chairman, Dr. Thomas Abraham in his introductory remarks highlighted how India, after a long non-violent struggle, India got its independence from the British Colonial Rule and declared itself a Republic in 1950 with one of the longest written constitutions. “Although we started with almost nothing, in 75 years, India made progress under democratic rule and is now moving forward to become the Third Largest economy in the world. As we celebrate 73rd Republic Day of India, let us rededicate ourselves to the cause of democracy, freedom, justice, and peace not only in India but all over the world,” he said.
Dr. Abraham, a veteran Non-Resident Indian community leader pointed out that India has sent a large number of its brightest to America, who have made substantial contributions in building up the economy of America. “Our contributions are noted very well in the Health Care especially our doctors and nurses are frontline workers against Covid. We have also made outstanding contributions in hospitality, science and technology and education. We are also not behind in the political process. The biggest achievement came when one of us, an African/Indian American woman Senator Kamala Harris was sworn in as the Vice President of the USA. The last General Election also saw a larger number of Indian Americans being elected to state legislatures. Eight of them from the Northeast have joined us this evening. Thank you to all for joining us,” Dr. Abraham said.
GOPIO members have been in the forefront, contributing to the larger community here in the United States and towards supporting various initiatives back home in India, especially during the Covid pandemic. “We had sent Oxygen concentrators to India last year when the Pandemic was at its peak. Many GOPIO chapters continue to serve the local communities in different countries by donating and serving food to the homeless and needy and replenishing and providing cash to the food pantries which serve the homeless and needy families.” He urged the larger Indian Diaspora members to become GOPIO members, either at the International level or the chapter level.”
Dr. Jaya Daptardar eloquently emceed the event. American National Anthem was sung by: Mathy Pillai, while the Indian National Anthem was by Jyothi Gupta and team from Long Island. Popular artists from around the world, including Pallavi Belwariar , Kedar Godbole , Srinivas Gunupuru, and Trupti Shah presented popular evergreen patriotic songs such as Vande Mataram and Jai Ho with their beautiful voices. Media Sponsor and Live Streaming was provided by Indus TV (New Jersey). Shivender Sofat, President of GOPIO Manhattan, proposed vote of thanks.
Prominent among those who had joined the Republic Day celebrations included, VP Ram Gadhavi, chair of Gujarat Literary Academy of North America; Lal Motwani, GOPIO Foundation Chairman and President of Sindhi Circle; Dr. Asha Samant, GOPIO International Coordinator-at-Large; and several GOPIO Chapter Presidents, including, GOPIO New York President Beena Kothari; GOPIO Manhattan President Shivender Sofat; GOPIO-CT President Ashok Nichani; GOPIO-Central Jersey Kunal Mehta; and, Rockland County Legislature Anney Paul.
Co-Sponsoring Organizations and the leaders who had attended the event included: President of the National Federation of Indian American Association Lavanya Reddy from Seattle and Secretary Ashok Patnaik from Los Angeles, VP for New York Region Gunja Rastogi, who is the President of National Indian American Association for Senior Citizens; Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan Executive Director Sudhir Vaishnav; Indo-American Senior Citizen Center of New York President Mukund Mehta; Jiwan Jyoti Chairman Suresh Arya from Rockland County; Jhilmil President Anoop Bhargava from New Jersey; Milan Cultural Association President Suresh Sharma from Hartford, CT; and, Kerala Center President Alex Esthappan from Elmont, New York.
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and Google CEO Sundar Pichai, who were recently named for Padma Bhushan, responded to the development with utmost gratitude. While Nadella stated that it was an honour to receive the award, Pichai stated that he was humbled by it.
Both Nadella and Pichai were announced as the recipients of India’s third-highest civilian award, Padma Bhushan, on the eve of Republic Day. Both the CEOs were named under the Trade and Industry category.
Nadella took to Twitter to convey his gratitude for the honour.
“It’s an honor to receive a Padma Bhushan Award and to be recognised with so many extraordinary people. I’m thankful to the President, Prime Minister, and people of India, and look forward to continuing to work with people across India to help them use technology to achieve more,” Nadella said in his tweet.
On the other hand, a report in MoneyControl stated that Pichai had issued a statement saying, “I am deeply grateful to the Padma Awards Committee, the President and Prime Minister, as well as the people of India for this honour. It’s made all the more meaningful to be among this esteemed group of individuals who have each had a profound impact on their fields and communities, and I am humbled to receive this award alongside them.”
Although Pichai had not tweeted about the awards, he was seen liking congratulatory tweets.
Following the announcement, Indian Embassy in the US had congratulated both Nadella and Pichai along with culinary expert Madhur Jaffrey, another recipient of the prestigious award.
In 2014, Nadella replaced Steve Ballmer as CEO of the Seattle-headquartered giant. He took charge at Microsoft at a time when the personal computer-focused company was struggling to make the shift to a world of mobile-led computing and was steeped in corporate culture that accorded primacy to internal competitiveness.
Pichai began his career as a materials engineer. After a short stint at the consulting firm McKinsey & Co, he joined Google in 2004. On August 10, 2015, he was selected as the next CEO of Google after previously being appointed Product Chief by CEO Larry Page.
His Excellency Mr. Taranjit Singh Sandhu, Ambassador of India to the United States of America met New York City Mayor, Mr. Eric Adams on Sunday, January 30, 2022, at the City Hall. Ambassador Sandhu was accompanied by Mr. Randhir Jaiswal, India’s Consul General in New York, and Dr. Varun Jeph, Deputy Consul General while Mayor Adams was joined by New York State Assemblywoman Ms. Jenifer Rajkumar, Deputy Mayor Ms. Meera Joshi and other senior aides.
Ambassador Sandhu congratulated Mayor Adams on his historic election as the New York City’s Mayor and conveyed best wishes. He thanked the Mayor for his support to India-US partnership and to the Indian diaspora in New York.
They held discussion on further bolstering the strong partnership between India and the City of New York with special emphasis on key areas including affordable healthcare, renewable energy, new and emerging technology, education and knowledge partnership, IT and fintech.
Ambassador Sandhu sought the support and participation of Mayor Adams and his team in the Consulate’s programmes to commemorate 75 years of India’s independence, Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, celebrating rich cultural heritage of India in the city of New York, and further strengthening people to people ties.
After the delegation level meeting, the two sides were joined by around thirty prominent members of the City’s Indian American diaspora. Indian community in New York and USA is the living bridge between the two countries. Its contribution was acknowledged by Mayor Adams and he assured that New York-India partnership will grow even stronger under his leadership.
It’s 2016 and inside a newsroom in India, a group of rural female journalists are discussing why they need to pivot away from print reporting to digital. It’s a conversation that would feel familiar to journalists across the world—except many of the reporters at the online news outlet Khabar Lahariya have never even touched a smartphone, let alone used it to capture video. “I’m scared,” one woman says, noting that she is still learning how to report for print. Another explains that she doesn’t even use the phone her family has for fear she may damage it. But as time goes on, they learn anyway.
When filmmakers Rintu Thomas and Sushmit Ghosh sat in on this conversation at Khabar Lahariya, it confirmed that they had stumbled upon something special. A year earlier, they set out to create the documentary Writing With Fire, which closely follows a handful of Khabar Lahariya’s journalists from 2016 through 2019. The film marks the married couple’s first feature debut and was made by their production company Black Ticket Films, which focuses on social justice issues.
Khabar Lahariya’s journalists report on illegal mining, rape cases, subpar sanitation, elections and religious polarization in their local communities in Uttar Pradesh, India—the country’s most populous state and one with significant caste discrimination and high rates of crimes against women. The award-winning film, which premiered at Sundance in January 2021, was recently shortlisted for an Oscar in the ‘Documentary Feature’ category. In a group interview with TIME staff on Jan. 20, and in later follow-up conversations, Thomas and Ghosh shared how they approached the story and their experiences working on the film and releasing it during the pandemic. “We wanted the audience to have an immersive experience of what it means being a Dalit woman journalist working in Uttar Pradesh,” Ghosh says.
The women at Khabar Lahariya, which translates to ‘Waves of News’ are predominantly Dalit—among one of the most marginalized groups in India, which includes individuals oppressed as lower-caste or those falling outside the caste system altogether.
The central character of Writing With Fire is Meera Devi, who is the outlet’s chief reporter when the documentary begins. (She is now bureau chief.) Devi is a charismatic leader who is deeply invested in the growth of the journalists working for her and the stories she tells. In one scene, Devi—who is Dalit herself—visits a Dalit neighborhood as part of her reporting on the national government’s Swachh Bharat Mission, which had promised universal sanitation for all Indians. She asks a woman whose family still has to defecate outside their home whether she thinks the government is lying when they say they have fulfilled this promise. “Look at the condition of my house. We have to take our children to the forest, even at night,” the woman responds. When Devi asks another Dalit family why their home is so far outside the main village, they say it’s because other communities consider them impure.
Devi and her family also face discrimination, too. She says in the film that her daughter’s classmate started mocking her upon learning that she was Dalit. “I tell my daughters their caste identity will always follow them. This is how our society is structured. But it’s important to challenge the system,” Devi says.
Devi serves as a dedicated mentor to those working under her, teaching them everything from how to use a smartphone and recognize the English alphabet to thinking critically about angles and framing. In one scene, she sits a junior reporter, Shyamkali, down to explain why her story about a religious guru could inadvertently promote his work and gloss over how some have used their status to sexually exploit women.
Initially, Shyamkali is one of the members of the newsroom who struggles most with her work. (In another scene, editors say she has a low monthly publication count.) But by the end of the film, her impactful reporting on a rape case leads to the arrest of the alleged perpetrator—a testament to her growth under Devi’s guidance. “The rigor with which they have trained each other is so strong and deep,” Ghosh says.
Devi approaches her interviews with a genuine curiosity, even when she may not agree with the views of those she is interviewing. “As journalists they are looking at the deep wounds of India with a compassionate lens, with a genuine intention to understand the world,” Thomas says. In one scene, she asks a man why he is wearing political insignia at a religious festival. When he responds saying that God doesn’t discriminate between the political and non political, she gently asks what has God got to do with politics.
While the film unpacks serious issues such as caste oppression and violence against women, the female reporters who drive the story maintain their spirits while out in the field. Part of that was by design: Thomas says she was tired of one-dimensional stories about female suffering that fail to portray the warmth and complexities of female solidarity. “People come in thinking that this is going to be a dark, heavy social justice film coming out of India and then they experience the intelligence, wit and acumen of these women and they’re like whoa,” Ghosh says. “The film wouldn’t be half as powerful without that.”
Thomas says the film also illustrates the importance of diverse newsrooms. In India, many newsrooms are dominated by dominant caste men. Meanwhile, at Khabar Lahariya, many of the reporters are survivors of the kinds of trauma and challenges that they write about in their stories. “They come from the communities that they report on. There is this added sense of: if I don’t show up at this place, at this time, tomorrow, nobody else will,” Thomas says.
The documentary notes upon closing that more than 40 journalists have been killed since 2014 in India, making it one of the deadliest countries to practice journalism.
Thomas and Ghosh hope the film moves viewers to consider how they can support independent local media, wherever they live. “The fourth estate, globally, is under duress and it’s important for citizens to champion its values, to find journalists and institutions whose work they believe in and find a way to support them,” Ghosh says.
Khabar Lahariya had already been operating for more than a decade when the filmmakers arrived to document their work. Now, their Youtube channel has almost 550,000 subscribers, their team is growing, and they are closely following this year’s elections in Uttar Pradesh.
Asked whether the filmmakers’ presence may have influenced Khabar Lahariya’s successful trajectory, they were clear that it was a coincidence “They’re a juggernaut. There was no stopping them,” Ghosh says. “It was like, this train is moving. Do you want to hop on or not?”
North Korea confirmed on January 31st that it test-launched an intermediate-range ballistic missile capable of reaching the U.S. territory of Guam, the North’s most significant weapon launch in years, as Washington plans steps to show its commitment to its Asian allies.
Sunday’s launch could be a prelude to bigger provocations by North Korea such as nuclear and long-range missile tests that pose a direct threat to the U.S. mainland, as the North tries to further pressure the Biden administration to win sanction relief or international recognition as a legitimate nuclear state.
The official Korean Central News Agency said the purpose of the test was verifying the overall accuracy of the Hwasong-12 missile that is being deployed in its military.
KCNA published two sets of combination photos — one showing the missile rising from a launcher and soaring into space and the other showing North Korea and nearby areas that it said were photographed from space by a camera installed at the missile’s warhead. The Associated Press decided not to use the images because the authenticity of the photos couldn’t be verified.
Lee Choon Geun, a missile expert and honorary research fellow at South Korea’s Science and Technology Policy Institute, said he thinks the photos were taken from space — especially when the missile was soaring to its apogee, though he cannot independently prove there was no adjustment on the images. While it’s rare to place a camera on a weapon, Lee said North Korea likely wanted to demonstrate its technological advancement to both foreign and domestic audiences.
North Korea said the missile was launched toward waters off its east coast on a high angle to prevent flying over other countries. It gave no further details.
According to South Korean and Japanese assessments, the missile flew about 800 kilometers (497 miles) and reached a maximum altitude of 2,000 kilometers (1,242 miles) before landing between the Korean Peninsula and Japan.
The reported flight details make it the most powerful missile North Korea has tested since 2017, when the country launched Hwasong-12 and longer-range missiles in a torrid run of weapons firings to acquire an ability to launch nuclear strikes on U.S. military bases in Northeast Asia and the Pacific and even the American homeland.
The Hwasong-12 missile is a nuclear-capable ground-to-ground weapon with a maximum range of 4,500 kilometers (2,800 miles) when it’s fired on a standard trajectory. It’s a distance sufficient to reach Guam, home to U.S. military bases that in past times of tensions sent advanced warplanes to the Korean Peninsula in shows of force. In August 2017, at the height of animosities with the then-Trump administration, North Korea threatened to make “an enveloping fire” near Gaum with Hwasong-12 missiles.
In 2017, North Korea also test-fired intercontinental ballistic missiles called Hwasong-14 and Hwasong-15 that experts say demonstrated their potential capacity to reach the mainland U.S. Some analysts say North Korea still needs to conduct additional ICBM test-flights to prove it has overcome the last remaining technological hurdles, such as protecting a warhead from the extreme heat and pressure of reentering the Earth’s atmosphere.
In recent months, North Korea has launched a variety of weapons systems and threatened to lift a four-year moratorium on more serious weapons tests such as nuclear explosions and ICBM launches. Sunday’s launch was the North’s seventh round of missile launches in January alone, and other weapons tested recently include a developmental hypersonic missile and a submarine-launched missile.
Analyst Cheong Seong-Chang at the private Sejong Institute in South Korea said the Hwasong-12 launch was seen as partially breaking North Korea’s weapons test moratorium. In April 2018, when North Korea suspended nuclear and ICBM tests ahead of now-dormant diplomacy with the Trump administration, Kim said North Korea didn’t need to test intermediate-range missiles any longer as well.
Cheong said North Korea will likely test-launch its existing long-range missile if the United States spearheads fresh sanctions on it. Other experts said North Korea could conduct a nuclear test as well.
North Korea has publicly vowed to add more powerful ICBMs and nuclear warheads in its arsenal. They include a longer-range ICBM with precision strike capability, a solid-fuel ICBM that improves a weapon’s mobility, a multi-warhead missile, a spy satellite and a super-sized warhead.
After Sunday’s launch, White House officials said they saw the latest missile test as part of an escalating series of provocations over the last several months that have become increasingly concerning.
The Biden administration plans to respond to the latest missile test in the coming days with an unspecified move meant to demonstrate to the North that the U.S. government is committed to allies’ security in the region, according to a senior administration official who briefed reporters on the condition of anonymity.
The official said the administration viewed Sunday’s missile test as the latest in a series of provocations to try to win sanctions relief from the U.S. The Biden administration again called on North Korea to return to talks but made clear it doesn’t see the sort of leader-to-leader summits Donald Trump held with Kim as constructive at this time.
South Korean and Japanese officials also condemned Sunday’s launch, which violated U.N. Security Council resolutions that bans the country from testing ballistic missiles and nuclear weapons.
U.S.-led diplomacy aimed at convincing North Korea to abandon its nuclear program largely remains stalled. “Even if Washington had the bandwidth to pay more attention to the North Korean nuclear issue, Pyongyang would likely continue to refuse direct talks because of the pandemic, keep perfecting its weapons technology, and maintain its high price tag for talks,” said Duyeon Kim, an analyst at Washington’s Center for a New American Security.
Observers say North Korea could suspend weapons tests during the Beijing Winter Olympics because China is its most important ally. But they say North Korea could test bigger weapons when the Olympics end and the U.S. and South Korean militaries begin their springtime military exercises.
The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced that the initial registration period for the coveted H1-B visas for FY2023 will run through March 1-18.
In a statement on Saturday, the USCIS said that during the above mentioned period “prospective petitioners and representatives will be able to complete and submit their registrations using our online H-1B registration system”.
The USCIS will assign a confirmation number to each registration submitted which will be used solely to track registrations.
This number however, cannot be used to track the case status online, the statement said.
It further said that prospective H-1B cap-subject petitioners or their representatives are required to use a myUSCIS online account to register each beneficiary electronically for the selection process and pay the required $10 registration fee.
“Prospective petitioners submitting their own registrations will use a ‘registrant’ account. Registrants will be able to create new accounts beginning at noon on February 21.”
US employers and agents are collectively known as “registrants”.
The USCIS said that once enough registrations are received by the March 18 deadline, there will be a random selection after which selection notifications will be via users’ myUSCIS online accounts.
The H1-B visa allows companies and other employers in the US to temporarily employ foreign workers in occupations that require the theoretical and practical application of a body of highly specialised knowledge and a bachelor’s degree or higher in the specific specialty, or its equivalent, according to the USCIS.
Every year the US gives 65,000 H1-B visas open to all and 20,000 to those with advanced US degrees.
Indians are the biggest beneficiaries of the H1-B visas getting about 75 per cent of them, according to the US government. (IANS)
Despite the challenges the past two years have wrought upon the travel industry, our love for travel has never waned as travel optimism and hope for recovery remains high. Travel platform Booking.com announces the recipients of its tenth annual Traveller Review Awards, including the 2022 Most Welcoming Places on Earth.
Kerala has topped the list once again as the �Most Welcoming Region’ in India followed by Goa and Puducherry. Palolem, Agonda, Mararikulam, Thekkady and Varkala are the top five �Most Welcoming Cities’ in India. The awards also highlight hotels as the most welcoming accommodation type by Indians followed by homestay, resort, guesthouse and apartments.
2022’s Most Welcoming Places on Earth
From iconic architectural wonders to pristine natural beauty, the 2022 Most Welcoming Places on Earth span the globe and offer travellers a range of memorable travel experiences. The 2022 Most Welcoming Regions on Earth include Gorenjska (Slovenia) followed by Taitung County (Taiwan) and Tasmania (Australia). Booking.com also revealed the top 3 Most Welcoming Cities on Earth which include Matera (Italy), Bled (Slovenia) and Taitung City (Taiwan). In terms of places to stay, Italy leads the pack with the most accommodations being recognized with a 2022 award (162,272), followed by Spain (93,130) and France (89,186). India (9062) ranked ahead of Colombia (8082), New Zealand (7355), Taiwan (7350), and Chile (7267).
2022’s Most Welcoming Cities and Regions in India
Looking at the properties receiving the Traveller Review Awards 2022, Booking.com has also revealed the Most Welcoming Cities and Regions in India for travellers to experience the best in hospitality and friendliness whenever it’s safe again to do so. Three out of five destinations from Kerala are a part of the Most Welcoming Cities in India. From Palolem (Goa) and Agonda (Goa) to Mararikulam (Kerala) and Thekkady (Kerala), these places reveal the love for coastal getaways by Indian travellers. While South India dominated the most welcoming regions list in India, Himachal Pradesh also made it to the top five Most Welcoming Regions in India in 2022.
Most Welcoming Cities in India Most Welcoming Regions in India
Palolem (Goa) Kerala
Agonda (Goa) Goa
Mararikulam (Kerala) Puducherry
Thekkady (Kerala) Rajasthan
Varkala (Kerala) Himachal Pradesh
Most Welcoming Accommodation Types in India
Another year in a row, hotels take the top spot in the Traveller Review Awards 2022 as the most-awarded property type in India, with 3644 partners being recognized for their efforts. Homestays take the second spot with 1141 properties being honoured, followed by resorts, guest houses and apartments.
Ritu Mehrotra, Regional Manager, South Asia at Booking.com said, “As travel dynamics continue to change, it’s heartening to see the love travellers have expressed for the destinations as recognized by Booking.com’s Traveller Review Awards 2022. The travel industry has continued to remain vigilant and flexible in light of the uncertainty and travel restrictions, and we acknowledge the passion and dedication of our partners in creating safe and welcoming travel experiences, enabling travellers in having beautiful experiences our world has to offer. As we navigate through the current travel environment, we are looking towards the future with renewed optimism and hope, and with these awards, we recognize the incredible hospitality our partners deliver to travellers each and every day and thank them for their amazing devotion as we continue to rebuild together.”
Director Vineeth Sreenivasan’s Malayalam film ‘Hridayam’, which opened to rave reviews, is continuing its dream run, not just in the country but abroad as well.
The film, which has been garnering a lot of praise from film buffs and critics here in India, has started its second week abroad on a strong footing.
Film analyst Taran Adarsh tweeted, “Malayalam film opens big in Australia, New Zealand. Malayalam film ‘Hridayam’ springs a pleasant surprise in Australia-New Zealand.”
The film made around Rs 54.55 lakh from shows on Thursday, Friday and Saturday on Week 1 in Australia and Rs 21.49 lakh in New Zealand for the corresponding period.
In the second week, the film made Rs 28.22 lakh in Australia and Rs 13.48 lakh in New Zealand from shows on Thursday and Friday alone.
The film is doing exceptionally well in the US and Canada as well. It opened the second week on a strong footing making a total of Rs 1.42 crore from just shows screened on Friday in the US and Canada.
Starring Pranav Mohanlal, Kalyani Priyadarshan and Darshana Rajendran in the lead roles, ‘Hridayam’ is also doing brisk business in the UK as well, where it has made Rs 65.13 lakh in the first week. (IANS)
Rafael Nadal won a record 21st Grand Slam men’s title in the most stunning fashion, fighting back from two sets down to beat Russia’s Daniil Medvedev in a classic Australian Open final.
Backed by a loud Melbourne crowd, sixth seed Nadal rallied to win 2-6 6-7 (5-7) 6-4 6-4 7-5 on Rod Laver Arena.
US Open champion Medvedev was going for his second successive major title.
Medvedev, 25, was in command before Nadal showed all of his renowned grit and fight to earn an extraordinary win.
The 35-year-old Spaniard has been at the centre of some of the sport’s most incredible triumphs – but this surely goes down as the most amazing Grand Slam victory of his illustrious career.
Nadal’s achievement comes only a few months after he thought he would never be able to return to the tour because of a foot injury.
In the absence of the deported Novak Djokovic and the injured Roger Federer in Melbourne, Nadal has moved one ahead of his great rivals in the race to finish with most major men’s singles titles.
It is the left-hander’s second Australian Open title and comes 13 years after his only previous success.
“Without a doubt it is one of the most emotional wins of my career,” Nadal, who had also previously lost four Australian Open finals, said after the trophy presentation.
Nadal’s emotional celebrations after adversity
Chronic pain in Nadal’s left foot restricted him to only one tournament in the final seven months of 2021, while a bout of coronavirus in mid-December also left him “very sick with fever”.
Those setbacks meant the Australian Open was just his second competitive event in five months, having won a warm-up tournament at Melbourne Park earlier in January.
Nadal sealed victory against Medvedev after five hours 24 minutes – and at 01:11 local time in Melbourne – when the second seed could not return a net volley on the first of the Spaniard’s three match points.
Dropping his racquet to the floor, Nadal stood motionless with his hands on hips as his jaw dropped. After a warm embrace with Medvedev, he walked towards his support team and exploded with emotion.
A triple first-pump was followed by a drop to his knees, his hands covering his face as he looked up to the sky.
Nadal slowly walked over to his players’ box, hugging Australian Open tournament director Craig Tiley, on his way to embrace his father Sebastian.
The intensity of his celebration illustrated the euphoria Nadal felt after the obstacles he had overcome – on the night and in the recent months – to win.
Previously in his career, Nadal had only won three matches from two sets down and the most recent of those came at Wimbledon in 2007 against Russia’s Mikhail Youzhny.
Victory came at the end of the second longest Grand Slam final in history, just 30 minutes short of the 2012 final at Melbourne Park when Nadal lost to Djokovic.
So much had he given to his record-breaking achievement that during the trophy presentation, Nadal was brought a chair so he could sit down rather than stand.
“I’m physically destroyed,” Nadal said in his post-match news conference.
Medvedev’s irritation at the pro-Nadal support
At two sets up, Medvedev had looked well on course to back up his victory in New York with another triumph at Melbourne Park.
Nadal lacked fluency with his groundstrokes in the first set, particularly on the backhand side, and Medvedev took five games in a row to seal it, Nadal dumping another backhand into the net, the Spanish left-hander’s 16th unforced error against just five from his opponent.
The younger man’s dominance was also illustrated by his winning 31 of the total points compared to 17 by Nadal.
With all the statistics in favour of Medvedev, the second set unexpectedly turned Nadal’s way at 2-1.
Nadal ended a 40-shot rally with an angled backhand winner, setting up break points for the first time in the match, and an unforced error from Medvedev handed over the game.
Suddenly Nadal had a spring in his step – and had the crowd getting noisier too – as he moved 4-1 ahead.
Three successive breaks of serve soon followed, a run that ended with a dramatic ninth game that stunned the Laver crowd.
It included a set point for Nadal, five break points for Medvedev and the game being halted when a protester jumped on to court before being dragged away by security.
The set eventually went to a tie-break which Medvedev finished the stronger and it appeared doubtful Nadal, already looking tired and sweating a lot, could fight back.
Another pivotal moment came in the sixth game of the third set when Nadal, facing going two sets and a break down, fought off three break points.
Both men continued to hold serve until the ninth game when Nadal, whose indomitable spirit began to grow, pounced.
Medvedev, perhaps as a result of the finishing line coming into view, lost clarity of thought when he tried to prod over a volley and instead hit it into the net.
That brought raucous cheers from the crowd and Medvedev responded with a sarcastic clap of his racquet.
The Spaniard broke and served out the set to love, sending the pro-Nadal crowd into further raptures.
A tense fourth set featured 15 break points, with Nadal taking two of his 10 opportunities to tee up a decider.
Medvedev continued to be irritated by the support being given to Nadal, and the frequent noise during his service points, prompting umpire John Blom to repeatedly ask for calm.
Nadal now looked the man with the mental resilience needed to see the job through.
He broke for 3-2 but then wobbled when he served for the match at 5-4, only to break straight back to lead 6-5 and serve out victory at the second attempt.
In his on-court speech, Medvedev thanked his team, and joked: “I’m sure my wife is watching back home but I think the TV will be broken now.”
Medvedev, who lost last year’s final to Djokovic, was aiming to become the first man in the Open era to win his second Grand Slam title at the next major event after his maiden triumph.
He was the highest seed men’s player in Djokovic’s absence.
“If we talk about tennis, I’m not that disappointed,” Medvedev said.
“It was a huge match, for sure, and there were some small points, small details, that I could have done better if I wanted to win. But that’s tennis. That’s life.
“Rafa played unreal and raised his level. I mean, two sets to love up, I wanted just to go for him, go for more.
“He was really strong, the way he played for four hours, I was even surprised.” (BBC)
Amitabh Kant, CEO at NITI Aayog has informed that India has emerged as the second largest manufacturer of mobile handsets in the world in terms of volume.
We have got used to the fact that every day there are numerous updates on the latest launches of smartphones in India. Mobile companies like Samsung, Realme, Oppo, Xiaomi, among others have already launched a few models while many are lined up. However, there is some other good news as far as mobile phone manufacturing is concerned. India has emerged as the second largest manufacturer of mobile handsets in the world in terms of volume. As per the information provided by Amitabh Kant, CEO at NITI Aayog, over 200 units are manufacturing cellular mobile phones, up from only 2 units in the year 2014.
He further added that production has gone up from 6 crore mobile phones in 2014-15 to approximately 30 crore mobile phones in 2020-21. “India has emerged as the 2nd largest manufacturer of mobile handsets in the world in volume terms. Over 200 units are manufacturing cellular mobile phones up from only 2 units in 2014. Production has gone up from 6 Cr mobile ph in 2014-15 to app 30 Cr mobile phones in 2020-21.Gr8,” he tweeted.
To make sure these gains are used for further growth, recently, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, released the 2nd Volume of Vision Document on Electronics Manufacturing. The document contains a five-year roadmap and vision for the electronics sector.
The document has been released by the ministry in association with ICEA, and is titled “$300 bn Sustainable Electronics Manufacturing & Exports by 2026.”
This report provides a year-wise break-up and production projections for the various products that will lead to India’s transformation into a USD300 billion electronics manufacturing powerhouse, from the current USD75 billion.
Amongst the key products that are expected to lead India’s growth in electronics manufacturing include Mobile Phones, IT Hardware (laptops, tablets), Consumer electronics (TV and audio), Industrial electronics, Auto electronics, Electronic components, LED Lighting, Strategic electronics, PCBA, Wearables and hearables, and Telecom equipment.
As per the information provided by the ministry, mobile manufacturing is expected to cross USD100 billion annual production – up from the current USD30 billion – is expected to constitute nearly 40 percent of this growth.
The domestic market is expected to increase from USD65 billion to US$180 billion over the next 5 years. This will make electronics amongst India’s 2-3 top ranking exports by 2026.
The five-part strategy to reach the USD300 billion goal, based on an “all of the government” approach, sharply focuses on broadening and deepening electronics manufacturing in India. This will be done by building competitiveness and scale by attracting global electronics manufacturers/brands, shifting and developing sub-assemblies and component ecosystem, building a design ecosystem, nurturing Indian champions and steadily removing cost disabilities faced by India.
It can be known that the USD300 billion electronics manufacturing comes on the back of USD10 billion PLI Scheme announced by the government to propel forward the Semiconductor and Display ecosystem. The government has committed nearly USD17 billion over the next 6 years across four PLI Schemes – Semiconductor and Design, Smartphones, IT Hardware and Components.
The number of females per 1,000 males in the country has risen from 991 in 2015-16 to 1,020 in 2019-21, as per the Economic Survey tabled in the Parliament on Monday.
The sex ratio at birth, i.e., female children per 1,000 male children born in the last five years, has also grown from 919 in 2015-16 to 929 in 2019-21, the Survey noted.
To prevent gender biased sex selective elimination and survival and protection of the girl child, the government has made specific interventions through the ‘Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao’ (BBBP) scheme.
Sex ratio at birth for children born in the last five years has improved in 2019-21 from 2015-16 in all states except for Himachal Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Meghalaya, Goa and Nagaland, the Survey said.
The total fertility rate (TFR), which is an average number of children per women, has also come down to 2 in 2019-21 from 2.2 in 2015-16, as per the Survey.
The total fertility rate has even come down below the replacement level of fertility (2.1 children per woman) in the country, the Survey said.
In all the states and UTs except for Manipur, Meghalaya, Bihar, Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh, the replacement level of fertility has been achieved.
Increasing the use of contraceptives, especially the modern methods, better family planning, and girl education have possibly contributed to the decline in the fertility rate, the Survey noted.
It also outlined that the family planning method has increased from 53.5 per cent in 2015-16 to 66.7 per cent in 2019-21. Significant improvement has also been observed in the infrastructure and services reaching to the public, such as institutional delivery, among others.
As per the report, institutional delivery has increased to 88.6 per cent in 2019-21 compared to 78.9 per cent in 2015-16. (IANS)
The Christian community in Peshawar has shut down all educational institutions and churches after a pastor was shot dead by armed assailants.
As per details shared by police authorities, William Siraj, who was a pastor at a church within the Chamkani police station limits, was with his fellow priest at the Ring Road area on Sunday, when the unknown assailants opened fire.
Siraj died on the spot, while the accompanying priestwas later taken to the Lady Reading hospital.
“The incident occurred near Ring Road within Gulbahar police station limits. A heavy police contingent had reached the scene and a search operation was carried out. Evidence was collected from the crime scene and CCTV cameras are also being checked,” a statement issued by the police authorities said.
“The body had been shifted to the hospital for conducting an autopsy while further investigation was underway.”
As per initial details of the investigation, at least two assailants were involved in the incident, which the police have termed it as a terrorist attack.
“Attack on the Christian community was tragic. A comprehensive investigation has been launched. It can be said that members of the minority community were targeted. So, it was a terrorist act,” said Abbas Ahsan, Capital City Police Officer (CCPO).
“We are determined to protect minorities. A team consisting of officials from the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) and Peshawar police had been formed to probe the case,” he added.
The attack carries sensitive importance, as the Christian community, which has been living in various parts of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, has not faced any major threat in the past.
“Terrorism that targets anyone, especially for their faith, is heinous and must be fought against with the full force of a clear, concerted policy and state power. No compromise, no equivocation,” said Senator Sherry Rehman, a leader from the opposition Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP).
The attack has raised several questions on the increasing intolerance against religious minorities in Pakistan.
Recent reports have indicated that the level of intolerance by religious extremist groups have increased in the country, raising serious concerns over the Imran Khan government’s competence and capabilities to ensure security and safety of minorities in the country. (IANS)
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At a time when several Opposition-ruled states complained that their tableaux were not selected for the Republic Day parade, even as the government insisted that the decision was taken by an expert committee and there is no political intervention, the tableaux of four of the five poll-bound states made it to Rajpath on Republic Day.
The Air Force tableau paid homage to the victory over Pakistan in the 1971 War, with models of MiG 21, Gnat — both of which were used in the war — and the Light Combat Helicopters. DRDO showcased major weapon platforms developed by it, including the Light Combat Aircraft Tejas and an Air Independent Propulsion system it is working on for the submarines.
Meanwhile, Goa showed symbols of its heritage and Haryana had a simplistic tableau with several sportsmen from the state on a “victory chariot” carrying the national flag. The idea was to highlight that although it occupies only 1.3 per cent of the country’s landmass and 2.09 per cent of the population, sportsmen from the state have brought maximum medals for the country in various international sporting events, including the Olympics.
Maharashtra showed the rich biodiversity of the state, with 15 animals and 22 plants as a part of the tableau, including large models of the Blue Mormon Butterfly and more.Thousands of U.S. troops were put on standby to deploy to eastern Europe as fears of a Russian ground invasion into neighboring Ukraine looms over the European continent.
President Joe Biden’s decision to alert the military units on Monday represents an abrupt change in approach to the crisis as tensions worsen along the Ukrainian border. For weeks, the Biden Administration has restrained from mobilizing military forces as it sought to resolve the situation with Moscow diplomatically. But the lack of progress—and continued build-up of Russian forces—has prompted Biden reevaluate the U.S. options, say administration officials.
Amid intelligence warnings that a Russian invasion of Ukraine could be imminent, the president is now considering moving thousands of troops, naval ships and warplanes into the Baltic states and eastern Europe. In a separate announcement, NATO said Monday it was moving additional ships and fighter jets to eastern Europe to defend its eastern flank.
Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said up to 8,500 U.S. service members were put on heightened alert for deployment to bolster NATO allies’ eastern defenses should Russia invade. The forces would not be sent to Ukraine, which is not a NATO member, nor take part in any combat roles, Kirby said, but rather serve as reinforcements in places like Poland or Romania to reassure U.S. allies and deter Russian aggression. If activated, the troops would be part of the NATO Response Force based in Eastern Europe, the rapid-reaction force that has air, naval and intelligence components in case of emergencies.
“No decisions to deploy have been made,” Kirby said. “I don’t think anybody wants to see another war on the European continent, and there’s no reason why that has to occur.”
Thus far, the Biden Administration has stopped short of threatening U.S. military action should Russian President Vladimir Putin push his forces into Ukraine, but promised sweeping economic sanctions and continued military support to the Ukrainian military.
The U.S. units identified for possible deployment are involved logistics, medical, aviation, transportation and intelligence, Kirby said. “Some of these forces were already on a heightened posture readiness to deploy posture,” Kirby said. “So in some cases, units would go from say 10 days prepared to deploy and now they’re at five days.”
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Joint Chiefs Chairman General Mark Milley briefed Biden at Camp David via teleconference Saturday on the military options regarding Ukraine. Only about 200 U.S. troops are currently in the country, as members of the Florida National Guard are training Ukrainian forces. The U.S. has about 70,000 troops in Europe, but only around 6,000 are in eastern Europe. They are mainly in Poland, where forces are on a rotational basis, including an armored brigade combat team. Austin and Milley provided the president with options on moving forces eastward in Europe and preparing to send more troops from the U.S. if necessary, according to an administration official.
The White House and European allies have scrambled for months to respond since Russia began positioning more than 100,000 troops along its border with Ukraine. Analysts say the deployment could be the largest Russian troop build-up on the continent since the Cold War, which Putin has tried to use as leverage against the U.S. to reduce troops, weapons and influence along his borders.
The U.S. and Russia have talked on several occasions to resolve the crisis but have yet to narrow their differences. The State Department said Sunday it was ordering nonessential staff and family members to leave the U.S. embassy in Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, out of “an abundance of caution” due to the escalating tensions. The Department also issued warnings to Americans considering travel to Ukraine and Russia.
Putin denies Russia has any intention to attack Ukraine but he has made clear that he considers NATO military support for neighboring countries a growing threat. Last month, the Russian Foreign Ministry published two lengthy draft treaties that listed what Moscow wants from the U.S. and its allies. They call for an end to NATO’s eastward expansion, including a pledge that Ukraine will not be permitted to join NATO, as well as to the U.S. military’s ties with Ukraine and other former Soviet nations, all of which have been dismissed as “non-starters” by the U.S.
Regardless of what Putin says his intentions are, U.S. and NATO officials say they need to be prepared after watching Russian forces invade Georgia in 2008 and Ukraine six years later. Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014 and has supported pro-Russia separatist militias in several eastern Ukrainian cities since. Russia has continued to use these proxy forces to continue to sow disorder in the country and attempt to gain more political support in the country.
“NATO will continue to take all necessary measures to protect and defend all Allies, including by reinforcing the eastern part of the alliance,” NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said on Monday. As part of the military retrenchment on the continent, Denmark planned to send a frigate to the Baltic Sea and four F-16 fighter jets to Lithuania, the Netherlands are deploying two F-35 fighter jets to Bulgaria, and France is prepared to send troops to Romania.
The Pentagon’s troop announcement Monday came the same day that a 12-day NATO naval exercise, Neptune Strike 22, began in the Mediterranean Sea with the USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier, along with its strike group and air wing. The U.S. said the exercise was months in the making and unrelated to the situation in Ukraine.
“A woman is defined by her courage and self-confidence,” Dr. Tejaswini Manogna, Miss India-Earth 2019 and the titleholder of Divine Miss Earth India 2019, in her eloquent and inspiring keynote address at the Women’s Forum told the hundreds of AAPI delegates during the Global Healthcare Summit in Hyderabad earlier this month. “Be brave to voice your choices and do not give up your goals. Speak up. Do not suffer in silence. Be bold and brave to voice your opinion. If a woman can lead at home, she can lead the world. Dream to do something for others. If I can do it, you all can do it,” Dr. Tejaswini Manogna said.
The Women’s Forum organized by Dr. Seema Arora, Dr. Udaya Shivangi, Dr. Meher Medavaram, Dr. Malati Mehta and Dr. Uma Jonnalagadda, had a galaxy of successful women, who shared with the AAPI delegates their own stories of growing up and facing challenges with conviction and courage, and have today become role models for other women around the world.
The Women’s Forum had Dr. Meenacshi Martin, a practicing consultant Psychiatrist and award winning Theater Artist, Film, Television and Netflix Actress; Dr. Juby A. Jacob-Nara, a Public Health Physician, Vice President and Head of Global Medical Respiratory Allergy & Gastroenterology (Sanofi-Genzyme) who has been a part of over 50 new medicines successfully launched including vaccines in the US and globally; Dr. Shantha Kumari, a senior gynecologist and laparoscopic surgeon, committed to have ‘Cancer Mukt Bharat’ by 2030, to elevate women’s health globally and to stop violence against women; Preity Üpala, a former investment banker turned into ‘Thought Leader, Media Entrepreneur’ and a Miss India International, based in Hollywood, California, is a Geo-political Expert, award-winning International Columnist, and director of The Omnia Institute and, Dr. Tejaswini Manogna, Miss India-Earth 2019 is an Indian model and beauty pageant titleholder. A medical doctor by profession, she won the title of Divine Miss Earth India 2019 and represented India at the 19th edition of the Miss Earth pageant held at Parañaque City, in the Philippines
Miss India-Earth 2019, in her keynote address at the Women’s Forum during the 15th annual GHS 2022 organized by the American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI) in Hyderabad, India, referred to how the “Nature has given us, the women a bigger responsibility of being a mother, who has a huge influence on one’s children.” Stating that her own mother “taught me the value of simple living and high thinking. She did the best to give me the best in life and gave me the path, and attitude of never giving up. Be grounded and humble in spite of all the accruements,” she said.
Telling the audience that she has the vision to be “the voice and be the ambassador for the youth,” Dr. Manogna, the young and charming young leader said, “This vision has given me the inspiration to wear many hats and achieve many things in life.”
Preity Üpala, the Host of a popular show called ‘The Preity Experience’ shared with the audience, her own personal life and stated: “IWhat has inspired me in my life and how my life can be of inspiring to all. In the 21st century, we need to redefine empowerment. Be proud of where you come from and our culture and we have much to teach the world.” While describing that “A woman is a like a tea bag, we would know only when she is in hot water,” she said: “Women are the future of the world.”
She stressed the need for understanding the importance of “Culture, which is my upbringing and values. Power is how you can be in harmony within you and with the others; Dharma, which is the purpose and the path that help make an impact; And, finally, Fulfilment, which is in the journey but not at the end. Leave the world a better place than you had inherited and have the joy of making a positive impact,” she told the AAPI delegates.
Dr. Shantha Kumari, President of Federation of Obstetric & Gynecological Societies of India, the Treasurer of the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics urged her fellow women to “Have the courage to say NO to violence against women. Women across the world are being impacted by violence. If you have the will, you can do it. Encouraged all women to do regular cervical cancer screening to avoid cancer, which will result in ‘Cancer Mukht Bharat.
She advocated for involving local leaders who can help make changes. DHEERA in collaboration with WHO and UNICEF is now offering online certification courses. Stating that “Women in India are more empowered than women in many other countries of the world,” she said, “Women should have the right to choose her life, when to do marry, give birth to child and raise them.” Partnering with men, she called upon women to “create awareness about the need for gender neutrality. “You will be empowered only when you can help empower others,” she said.
Dr. Juby A. Jacob-Nara, Vice President and Head of Global Medical Respiratory Allergy & Gastroenterology at Sanofi-Genzyme told the AAPI delegates: “I am here to represent women across the world.” Born in New Delhi to a mother who was extremely poor, but worked hard and became a Nurse and immigrated to the US. “Despite the many hardships, she helped us get the best education and that brought about changes. Mother is the key pillar in one’s life, and let us continue to elevate her.” Stating that, “prevention is more worth than treatment” she said, “Empower. Educate. And, Inform about the need to prevent illnesses.”
Dr. Meenacshi Martin, an award winning Theater Artist, Film, Television and Netflix Actress, shared with the audience her own personal story of how born and raised in a remote village in India, facing numerous challenges at early ages of life, has helped her achieve many things in life today. Faced with numerous road blocks and overcoming them bravely in life, she told the audience how being a full time mother to a son with cerebral palsy, she has been able to pursue her goals in life, fulfilling her passion for Medicine and acting, all going together. She said, “As we grow and mature, our goals keep changing. We, the women are very adaptive. When faced with resistance or failures, challenges or pushed to the wall, we are forced to react. Everyone gets that inner courage when you are faced with challenges and pushed to the corner.”
Dr. Seema Arora, Chair, AAPI National Women’s Committee, a Past Chair Board of Trustees of AAPI, and a strong advocate of women empowerment and has been playing an active role in uplifting women in various walks of life, in her introductory remarks, gave an overview of the programs organized by the Women’s Forum, with focus on “women who inspire.” Introducing the panelists, she called them, “an inspiration to the world.”
Dr. Arora said, “The Women’s Forum had a panel of “Women Who Inspire” from all walks of life who have achieved extraordinary feats in each of their phenomenal lives. This exhilarating forum has been organized with the objective of bringing together some of the most accomplished women under one roof who are role models for all other women around the world.”
Quoting the famous and inspiring words of Mother Teresa, ‘I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples,’ Dr. Meher Medavaram, Chair of GHS Women’s Forum, and the regional director for AAPI Northeast central division, Illinois Indiana and Wisconsin, said, “This is precisely what some of these amazing women leaders are going to shed light in the women’s forum at the GHS summit!”
Dr. Shivangi, Advisor to AAPI Women’s Forum underscored the importance of the Women’s Forum in AAPI convention and Global Healthcare Summit, and how it has evolved and today it’s one of the much sought after event, with distinguished panelists on the Forum. “The Women’s Forum is where successful and powerful women come and share their life’s dreams, challenges and this empower and inspire other women. Today’s Forum is about how career changes by women affect t them and the larger society.”
In her concluding remarks, summarizing the inspiring life stories of brave women who have shown the path to many others around the world, overcoming the challenges, Dr. Anupama Gotimukula, the only 4th Woman President of AAPI in the past four decades, said, “That was amazing to hear your personal stories of inspiration.” Reflecting her own life, the Woman Leader, who has made huge contributions to AAPI in her own unassuming manner, while taking AAPI to newer heights, said, “I look at myself and say, ‘you can do it, if only you put your heart and soul into it.’ Nothing is impossible. Impress yourself and be proud of your own self.”
Representing the interests of the over 100,000 physicians of Indian origin, leaders of American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI), the largest ethnic organization of physicians, for 40 years. For more details, please visit: https://aapisummit.org/www.aapiusa.org
AIR INDIA will likely be handed over to the Tata Group on January 27 with the disinvestment process reaching the final stages, according to the airline’s officials. The airline’s balance sheet was finalised and shared with the Mumbai-based conglomerate on Monday, and the company is expected to review it by Wednesday, following which the transfer will be made.
On October 11, the central government had issued the Letter of Intent (LoI) to the Tata Group, confirming its willingness to transfer 100 per cent stake in the airline. At the time, the expected timeline for transfer was set for December-end. This was extended to January-end on account of various pending approvals from global regulators and finalisation of the balance sheet by the lenders and the airline’s lessors.
The closing date of the balance sheet was set at January 20.
In a communication to the airline’s employees on Monday, Air India’s Director, Finance, Vinod Hejmadi wrote: “The disinvestment of Air India is now decided to be on the 27th January, 2022. The closing balance sheet as on 20th January has to be provided today, 24th January, so that it can be reviewed by Tatas and any changes can be effected on Wednesday”.
“We have done an excellent job till now in providing all support for the disinvestment exercise. The next three days will be hectic for our department and I request all of you to give your best in these last three-four days before we get divested. We may have to work late in the night to complete the task given to us. I seek the cooperation of one and all,” he wrote.
In October, the government had announced that the Tata Group placed the winning bid for 100 per cent stake in Air India at Rs 18,000 crore, of which Rs 15,300 crore was the debt component and Rs 2,700 crore was the cash component to be paid to the government.
The final balance sheet has been prepared with approvals from the various regulators, lenders and lessors of the airline. This balance sheet, provided to the Tata Group, is expected to account for the Rs 20 crore loss being incurred by Air India on a daily basis, till the cutoff date of January 20.
The Indian Express reported Sunday, citing an RTI response, that government departments and ministries had pending payments to Air India adding up to Rs 278.49 crore till October last year. This included Rs 244.78 crore from over 700 government departments and sections as of September 2021 and Rs 33.71 crore towards VVIP flights as on July 27, 2021, as per the data.
It also included dues from the Prime Minister’s flights of Rs 7.20 crore and the President’s flight dues of Rs 6.14 crore. The airline has already begun recovering pending dues from government departments – it had recovered Rs 30.38 crore as of November 30 last year.
Tata Group and SpiceJet chairman Ajay Singh in his private capacity had bid for debt-laden state-run airline Air India earlier this month. Accordingly, sources said that the two bids are being scrutinized against a reserve price set for the airline. The process will not go ahead if the bids come in short of the reserve price. Reports stated, a panel of ministers accepted a proposal from bureaucrats, who recommended the conglomerate’s bid ahead of an offer from Ajay Singh, according to people with knowledge of the matter, who asked not to be identified as the decision isn’t yet public.
Headquartered in Bombay (Mumbai), AIR INDIA’s first ever scheduled air service was inaugurated in 1932 by J.R.D. Tata, flying mail and passengers between Karāchi, Ahmadābād, Bombay, Bellary, and Madras. By 1939 routes had been extended to Trivandrum, Delhi, Colombo, Lahore, and intermediate points. After World War II, in 1946, Tata Airlines was converted into a public company and renamed Air-India Limited. Two years later, to inaugurate international services between Bombay (Mumbai) and Cairo, Geneva, and London, Air-India International Limited was formed.
In 1953 India nationalized all Indian airlines, creating two corporations—one for domestic service, called Indian Airlines Corporation (merging Air-India Limited with six lesser lines), and one for international service, Air-India International Corporation. The latter’s name was abbreviated to Air-India in 1962. In the following decades as India’s flag carrier, the airline extended its international routes to all continents except South America and Australia, and it expanded its cargo operations. To gain a competitive advantage in computerized reservation searches, the airline removed the hyphen from its name in 2005 to become Air India.1946 R. D. Tata founded Tata Airlines in 1932 as a division of Tata Sons Ltd. (now Tata Group). After World War II, regular commercial service in India went back to normal, Tata Airlines changing its name to Air India and becoming a public limited company on the 29th of July 1946.
On June 9th, 1948, Air India introduced a regular service from Bombay to London, and two years later, AIR INDIA started regular flights to Nairobi. In 1993, AIR INDIA’s first Boeing 747-400, named Konark, operated the first non-stop flight between New York City and Delhi. In 1996, Air India started using its second US gateway at O’Hare International Airport in Chicago. Services to Air India’s third US gateway at Newark Liberty International Airport in Newark were introduced in the year 2000.
In October 2016, AIR INDIA changed the Delhi – San Francisco route previously operated over the Atlantic Ocean to flying over the Pacific Ocean, in order to take advantage of jet stream winds and use less fuel. With the total flown distance being over 15,200 kilometres (9,400 miles), AIR INDIA operated the world’s longest non-stop regular scheduled commercial flight.
In December 2020, the government had invited expression of interest for the divestment of Air India. Four bidders had entered the race to take over the beleaguered airline, but Tata Group and Spicejet CEO Ajay Singh were the only ones to make it to the final stage. The Centre had made an unsuccessful attempt to sell the ailing airline earlier in March 2018. However, its expression of interest to sell 76 per cent stake in Air India had no takers at that juncture due to concerns regarding the airline’s burgeoning debt. Top sources from the Ministry of Civil Aviation said all formalities for the Air India disinvestment process will be completed by December 2021.
The Omicron variant has moved the Covid-19 pandemic into a new phase and could bring it to an end in Europe, the WHO Europe director said Sunday.
“It’s plausible that the region is moving towards a kind of pandemic endgame,” Hans Kluge told news agency AFP in an interview, adding that Omicron could infect 60 percent of Europeans by March.
Once the current surge of Omicron currently sweeping across Europe subsides, “there will be for quite some weeks and months a global immunity, either thanks to the vaccine or because people have immunity due to the infection, and also lowering seasonality.”
“We anticipate that there will be a period of quiet before Covid-19 may come back towards the end of the year, but not necessarily the pandemic coming back,” Kluge said. Top US scientist Anthony Fauci expressed similar optimism on Sunday.
He told ABC News talk show “This Week” that with Covid-19 cases coming down “rather sharply” in parts of the United States, “things are looking good”.
While cautioning against over confidence, he said that if the recent fall in case numbers in areas like the US’s northeast continues, “I believe that you will start to see a turnaround throughout the entire country”.
The WHO regional office for Africa also said last week that cases of Covid had plummeted in that region and deaths were declining for the first time since the Omicron-dominated fourth wave of the virus reached its peak.
The Omicron variant, which studies have shown is more contagious than Delta but generally leads to less severe infection among vaccinated people, has raised long-awaited hopes that Covid-19 is starting to shift from a pandemic to a more manageable endemic illness like seasonal flu.
But Kluge cautioned that it was still too early to consider Covid-19 endemic. “There is a lot of talk about endemic but endemic means…that it is possible to predict what’s going to happen. This virus has surprised (us) more than once so we have to be very careful,” Kluge said. With Omicron spreading so widely, other variants could still emerge, he warned.
Focus On ‘Minimising Disruption’
The European Commissioner for Internal Markets, Thierry Breton, whose brief includes vaccine production, said Sunday that it will be possible to adapt existing vaccines to any new variants that may emerge.
“We will be able to better resist, including to new variants”, he told French television LCI.
“We will be ready to adapt the vaccines, especially the mRNA ones, if necessary to adapt them to more virulent variants”.
In the WHO Europe region, which comprises 53 countries including several in Central Asia, Omicron represented 15 percent of new cases as of January 18, compared to 6.3 percent a week earlier, the health body said.
Omicron is now the dominant variant in the European Union and the European Economic Area (EEA, or Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein), the EU health agency ECDC said last week.
Because of the very fast spread of the variant across Europe, Kluge said emphasis ought to be on “minimising disruption of hospitals, schools and the economy, and putting huge efforts on protecting the vulnerable”, rather than measures to stop transmission.
He, meanwhile, urged people to exercise personal responsibility. “If you don’t feel well, stay home, take a self test. If you’re positive, isolate,” he said.
Kluge said the priority was to stabilise the situation in Europe, where vaccination levels range across countries from 25 to 95 percent of the population, leading to varying degrees of strain on hospitals and health-care system.
“Stabilising means that the health system is no longer overwhelmed due to Covid-19 and can continue with the essential health services, which have unfortunately been really disrupted for cancer, cardiovascular disease, and routine immunisation.”
President Joe Biden’s chief medical adviser expressed optimism that the omicron surge that has pushed Covid-19 infections and hospitalizations to records will soon peak, though that decline won’t be uniform throughout the U.S.“Things are looking good,” Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said on ABC’s “This Week” on Sunday. “We don’t want to get overconfident, but they look like they’re going in the right direction right now.”
Infections are “starting to come down rather sharply” in the U.S. Northeast and Midwest, Fauci said, in line with the variant’s trajectory in South Africa and other places. He said he expected that states in the South and West where cases are still rising will soon follow the same downward path, depending in part on vaccination rates.
“I believe that you will start to see a turnaround throughout the entire country,” he said. “There may be a bit more pain and suffering with hospitalizations in those areas of the country that have not been fully vaccinated or have not gotten boosters.”
Fauci sketched out two longer-term scenarios for Covid-19 as the pandemic enters its third year.
The first is that Covid-19 becomes “less virulent” and can be controlled.
“You’re not eradicating it but it gets down to such a low level, that it’s essentially integrated into the general respiratory infections that we have learned to live with,” he said.
The worst-case scenario is the emergence of a still-more dangerous variant, he said. He said this possibility is more reason for people to get vaccinated and receive booster shots, and to make testing and medical treatment more widely available.
Anthony Fauci, top US infectious disease expert, has said he is confident that most states in the country will reach a peak of Omicron infection cases by mid-February.
“You never want to be overconfident when you’re dealing with this virus,” Fauci added on Sunday in an interview with ABC News.
“Things are looking good. We don’t want to get overconfident, but they look like they’re going in the right direction right now,” he said.
Fauci added that there are states in the northeast and in the upper midwest where cases have already peaked and declined “rather sharply.” But cases are still rising in southern and western states, Xinhua news agency reported.
“There may be a bit more pain and suffering with hospitalisations in those areas of the country that have not been fully vaccinated or have not gotten boosters,” he warned.
The recent Covid-19 surge in the US driven by the Omicron variant is leading to record high cases, hospitalisations and critical shortage of healthcare staff.
The country has recorded over 70 million Covid-19 cases and nearly 866,000 deaths as of Sunday afternoon, according to real-time data from Johns Hopkins University.(IANS)
The death of the Vietnamese Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh on Jan. 22 is a timely reminder of a number of constant historical features since World War II.
His period of greatest visibility and recognition — both in his native Vietnam and through his prominence in the media worldwide as an opponent of the war engulfing his homeland — was in the 1960s and 1970s.
But his significance is not just down to his political views and his international agitation for an end to a fabled war. Many of its proponents believed the future of civilization was in the balance.
Thich Nhat Hanh brought a distinctly Buddhist edge to his campaigning and put that religion at the forefront of his opposition to the war. And what is enduring in the memory of his contributions are the distinctly Buddhist features of his advocacy.
The most enduring feature of his spiritual legacy is his teaching and promotion of the concept of “mindfulness” or fully realized awareness of our engagement with beings beyond ourselves in the present moment.
Mindfulness is the conscious realization of our presence in the world and others and being in the presence of other beings who invite recognition and respect.
Mindfulness underpinned his anti-war advocacy and was part of what brought about his exclusion from Vietnam for 40 years
This legacy was embodied in more than a dozen retreat centers throughout the mostly Western world and in devotees who became, for want of a better word, the “spiritual directors” in the ways of mindfulness.
The mindfulness movement was an explicitly spiritual aspect of the pacifist wave that swept the Western world and occurred to temper or even reverse the local hostilities sponsored as expressions of the Cold War that extended worldwide.
Mindfulness underpinned his anti-war advocacy and was part of what brought about his exclusion from Vietnam for 40 years, ending only with his return to his homeland when he was ill in 2018.
However, while mindfulness as this monk proposed it is completely consistent with the religious tradition he grew up with in Vietnam, there is nothing unique about that concept as understood in Vietnamese Buddhism or its adoption as a practice among Vietnamese Buddhists.
So why did Thich Nhat Hanh’s advocacy of the practice have such purchase around the world? As in many things in life, timing has a big role to play.
The 1960s was a very violent era that lived in the shadow of the nuclear bombs which had such a lethal impact in World War II. Populations worldwide were very aware that at least the Russians and the Americans had their index fingers poised not far from the button to initiate a war that would bring “mutually assured destruction” or MAD.
The monk’s peace advocacy appeared to be a left-wing whitewash of communist aggression which, if seen that way in those ideologically fraught times, could have been its death knell.
And for many right-wing ideologues, it was just that.
But for others, the systematic pacifism had commanding appeal. Among them were many US Catholics including one whose cause for canonization — Dorothy Day — is currently being promoted in New York City.
In the 1980s, the US bishops produced a benchmark statement on world peace and how to find it. And besides the customary and predictable approaches to be found in the Catholic Natural Law tradition, the views and record of behavior of Dorothy Day and her followers in the Catholic Worker movement played a major part in the arguments in the document about how to walk away from a nuclear arms catastrophe.
The pacifist persuasion of Dorothy Day and her movement bore a strong resemblance to the pacifism of Buddhists — in the stubbornly held conviction that violence only begets violence no matter how well intentioned the violent are in their responses to provocation and that absorbing and not reacting to violence is really the only way to break the deathly cycle.
To put it at its simplest, the two traditions recognized they had much to, if not learn, at least find reinforcement from one another about their real beliefs when it came to addressing central questions all humans face.
Buddhists in general and Thich Nhat Hanh in particular are not on their own in drawing on their own tradition in these circumstances
But the benefit of the interaction doesn’t stop there. Thich Nhat Hanh’s impact on the world went well beyond the significant effect he had on approaches to the Vietnam War. His approach to mindfulness became a spiritual starting point of extensive application — to decision making, to human interaction, to attitudes to people and nature among the more obvious.
But again, Buddhists in general and Thich Nhat Hanh in particular are not on their own in drawing on their own tradition in these circumstances.
Since time immemorial, the conscious cultivation of a “recollected” state of mind and heart has been a talisman of Christian devotion ways of becoming more embraced by God’s Spirit in our actions.
Being alive and open to the presence of God and the Spirit is a way we use our faculties and capacities to render our actions a little more engaged with the Spirit than they might be if we don’t make that effort to be open to the promptings of God’s Spirit.
And all of these considerations bring us back to something very basic — not simply that there is hardly anything new under the sun but something much more important: we all have a lot to learn from each other.
National carrier Air India will not be able to operate a number of US-bound flights on Wednesday, the airline said.
Accordingly, the airline informed passengers via it’s official Twitter handle that it will not be able to operate the Delhi-JFK-Delhi and Mumbai-EWR-Mumbai flights amongst other on Wednesday.
The deployment of 5G communications in the US has been cited as the cause for flight cancellations.
However, in another tweet the airline said that it will operate the flight to Washington DC from Delhi by AI103 on Wednesday.
As per industry insiders, the 5G network deployment might cause certain crucial flight instruments to malfunction.
“#FlyAI: Due to deployment of 5G communications in USA, our operations to USA from India stand curtailed/revised with change in aircraft type from 19th January 2022,” the airline tweeted. (IANS)
The number of Indian billionaires grew from 102 to 142, while 84 per cent of households in the country suffered a decline in their income in 2021, which was also a year marked by tremendous loss of life and livelihoods, according to non profit Oxfam India’s latest report published on Monday.
The report ‘Inequality Kills’ comes ahead of the World Economic Forum’s Davos Agenda.
It indicates that the collective wealth of India’s 100 richest people hit a record high of Rs 57.3 lakh crore in 2021.
In India, during the pandemic (since March 2020, through to November 30th, 2021) the wealth of billionaires increased from Rs 23.14 lakh crore to Rs 53.16 lakh crore.
More than 4.6 crore Indians, meanwhile, are estimated to have fallen into extreme poverty in 2020 (nearly half of the global new poor according to the United Nations).
The stark wealth inequality in India is a result of an economic system rigged in favour of the super-rich over the poor and marginalised, the report said
It advocates a one per cent surcharge on the richest 10 per cent of the Indian population to fund inequality combating measures such as higher investments in school education, universal healthcare, and social security benefits like maternity leaves, paid leaves and pension for all Indians.
“The ‘Inequality Kills’ briefing shows how deeply unequal our economic system is and how it fuels not only inequality but poverty as well. We urge the Government of India to commit to an economic system which creates a more equal and sustainable nation,” Amitabh Behar, CEO, Oxfam India said in a statement.
Further, Behar said that Oxfam’s global briefing points to the stark reality of inequality contributing to the death of at least 21,000 people each day, or one person every four seconds.
Moreover, the pandemic set gender parity back from 99 years to now 135 years. Women collectively lost Rs 59.11 lakh crore in earnings in 2020, with 1.3 crore fewer women in work now than in 2019, the report showed.
“It has never been so important to start righting the wrongs of this obscene inequality by targeting extreme wealth through taxation and getting that money back into the real economy to save lives,” Behar said.
“India can show the world that democratic systems are capable of wealth redistribution and inclusive growth where no one is left behind. India’s fight against inequality and poverty must be supported by the billionaires who made record profits in the country during the pandemic,” he suggested. (IANS)
The 25-year-old is only the second player, after Australian allrounder Ellyse Perry, to win the highest individual distinction in the women’s overall category of the annual ICC awards more than once. She was also named in the ICC Women’s T20I Team of the Year.
Mandhana, who was named ICC Women’s Cricketer of the Year and ODI Cricketer of the Year in 2018, pipped fellow opening batters Tammy Beaumont of England, Lizelle Lee (South Africa) and Gaby Lewis (Ireland) to the the Rachael Heyhoe-Flint Trophy. Jhulan Goswami, who won the same award in 2007, is the only other Indian woman to ever win an ICC annual award.
The stats: In 2021, since India’s return to cricket on March 7 following a 364-day gap from the international scene — primarily because of the pandemic — Mandhana scored 855 runs in 22 international matches across three series, at an average of 38.86, posting a century and five fifties.
Mandhana was named the Player of the Match for her maiden Test hundred — 127 during India’s maiden women’s day-night Test, which they drew against Australia at Gold Coast.
Pakistan left-arm pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi was named the ICC Men’s Cricketer of the Year. He was awarded the Sir Garfield Sobers Award for taking 78 wickets across formats in 36 internationals at an average of 22.20 in 2021.
Her 15-ball 29 and fifty in the T20I series went in vain though as India fell short in both the matches and lost the series 2-1.
The Southpaw was in good touch in the series against Australia, starting with the ODI series where she scored 86 in the second ODI.
She compiled a brilliant century in the only Test (the first of her career), and was awarded the Player of the Match. She scored her second T20I fifty of the year in the final T20I, though India fell short and lost the series 2-0.
Mandhana made India’s first-ever pink-ball Test even more memorable by smashing her maiden century in the longest format.
The current Covid-19 surge in India is likely to subside by March. Over the long term, given its high transmissibility, it’s possible that Omicron will edge out all other variants of SARS-CoV-2 and survive as a relatively mild virus for which only the elderly need to be vaccinated.
That’s Harvard immunologist Dr Shiv Pillai’s “optimistic” take on the future at a time when an Omicron wave is sweeping the world.
In an exclusive conversation with ThePrint, he said it’s possible that Omicron will stay on as a fifth common cold coronavirus. These don’t confer immunity to those infected — it’s possible to catch the same virus multiple times in a year.
Dr Pillai added, however, that there’s also an alternative possibility of another wave caused by a resurgent Delta variant.
He also said that governments around the world didn’t tackle the pandemic as well as they could have — with India’s performance being a mixed bag — and emphasised that the flu vaccine gives no protection whatsoever against Covid.Dr Pillai is a professor of medicine and health sciences and technology at Harvard Medical School. He is the director of Harvard’s PhD and MMSc Immunology programmes. His research group studies T cell-B cell collaboration and its relevance to autoimmune and inflammatory diseases.
He grew up in India, studied medicine at Christian Medical College, Vellore, and went on to receive a doctorate in biochemistry from the University of Calcutta. He also has a unique poetic take on immunology.
Dr Pillai painted two possibilities for the future. He called the first an “overly optimistic scenario”, saying, “If Omicron replaces all other variants and takes over the population — which it’s doing quite well now — then it may be the only SARS-Cov-2 variant left. There would be immunity among the vaccinated against it, less among the unvaccinated. So, after seven-eight months, people who never got the vaccine would get Omicron.”
He added, “We currently have four known common cold coronaviruses that share similarities with Omicron. What might happen is that Omicron might become the fifth common cold coronavirus. It mutates but never gets highly pathogenic. We will then develop vaccines targeted at it, maybe get the elderly vaccinated. Nothing is a slam dunk in this situation. But there is a history of similar things happening in animals.”
Evolutionally, he said, the purpose of a virus is to replicate itself, not to kill its host — so any virus that does the former as well as Omicron has a fair chance of out-surviving other variants.
However, he added that there’s also an alternative possibility, that the Delta variant, surviving somewhere in the “Amazon forests”, will resurface and, taking advantage of the limited immunity Omicron confers against the other variant — “about 40 per cent of what you want” — unleash a virulent new wave.
India’s response to the pandemic has varied, and sometimes lacked adequate information in policy decisions, said Dr Pillai. But there’s also a strong element of public education that seems to be missing, with people still shunning masks or not wearing them properly.
Large gatherings, including religious ones, were held in the open, and led to surges when the participants returned home, he said.
“All over the world, governments did not do as good a job as they could have. These things have to be rooted in science,” he said, adding, “I think people (in India) are not as serious as they should be. People don’t wear masks, or wear them in a way that will do nothing for them.”
“I am concerned about people not having information. I understand people are tired and life will go on. The issue of public education is a broader issue for a longer time,” he said.
He added, however, that “India did a great job in vaccinations.”
The Hindu Policy Research and Advocacy Collective (HinduPACT) is circulating a petition to U.S. Senators requesting critical amendments be made to Senate Bill 3384 (known colloquially as the Islamophobia Act) prior to its passage as the bill in its current form fails to protect human rights globally, including the rights of religious minorities, underage girls, and members of the LGBTQ+ communities. This petition is now signed by close to 1200 citizens, generating about 2400 letters to the Senators. “The bill in its current form does not do justice to reflect American values,” said HinduPACT Executive Director Utsav Chakbrabarti. “If passed as is, it will diminish America’s role as a purveyor of justice and democracy for all communities, regardless of religious or ethnic affiliation.”
“To present a bill that aims to eliminate discrimination against one particular religion or faith without including the entire gamut of religious groups is fundamentally un-American,” said HinduPACT Director of Legislative Outreach and Communications Adelle Nazarian. “The United States is a global leader as a defender of human rights and religious freedom and does not hold any religion, faith, gender or creed superior to another. Equality for one is equality for all.”
Ajay Shah, President of World Hindu Council of America and the Convenor of HinduPACT said, “Hindus inherently value freedom of religion, spiritual diversity and respect towards all faiths. We believe that this Bill will aggrandize the freedom of religions around the world. For example, those who abduct and forcibly convert girls from Hindu, Christian and Sikh communities in Pakistan will now seek to silence their opponents and threaten them with the consequences of being designated as “Islamophobic” by the US government. We believe that the Bill will enable an arbitrary designation of organizations from Hindu and other communities outside the US, as Islamophobic. The Senate must either reject the Bill or amend the Bill to comprehensively address ‘phobias’ against all the faiths.”
Part of the addendum requested by HinduPACT says, “No funds made available pursuant to this Act, or an amendment made by this Act may be used to boycott, promote or endorse discrimination or hatred against members of Yezidi, Coptic Christian, Catholic, Protestant, Mormon, Evangelical, Jewish, Bahai, Druze, Alawite, Sabian-Mandean, Zoroastrian, Hindu, Buddhist, Jain and Sikh individuals, businesses or institutions operated by these communities.” It also requests that “No funds made available pursuant to this Act, or an amendment made by this Act may be used to promote or endorse marriage, specifically marriage of girls under the age of 18.”
The HinduPACT petition can be found and signed here: https://hindupact.org/islamophobiaact2022/
For media inquiries, contact adelle.nazarian@hindupact.org
Bangalore-born Rajani LaRocca, an Indian-American author of children’s books as well as a primary care physician, has been awarded the runners up Newbery Honor Medal for Children’s Literature for her book “Red, White and Whole.”
On the 100th anniversary of this prestigious medal first awarded in 1922, the top John Newbery Medal for Children’s Literature went to Donna Barba Higuera’s “The Last Cuentista.”
The medals were announced Jan. 24, 2022, and rae considered the highest recognition for children’s authors.
Other winners announced at the same time included the Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature wheich went to “Amina’s Song” by Hena Khan.
Rajani LaRocca’s other children’s books include Midsummer’s Mehhem, Much Ado About Baseball, Seven Golden Rings, as well as My Little Golden Book About Kamala Harris, among numerous others.
The Indian-American author has also received the 2022 Walter Dean Myers Award for Younger Readers which is gtiven out by We Need Diverse Books.
“When I first wrote this book of my heart, I wasn’t sure whether anyone else would want to read it or care about it. Seeing it recognized in this way is so incredible and humbling. The world needs all kinds of stories!” LaRocca says on her eponymous website rajanilarocca.com. “This story was inspired by aspects of my own life and childhood, and is dedicated to my parents, who are my heroes,” she adds.
Other recognitions for the book include being listed Jan. 17, on the 2022 Notable Books for a Global Society Award.
On Jan. 16, Red, White, and Whole was declared A Mighty Girl 2021 Book of the Year. And on Jan. 1, the book was included among the 2021 Cybils Award Finanlist in Poetry.
Her biography on the website says she immigrated to the United States as a baby and grew up in Louiseville, Kentucky.
LaRocca attended Harvard College and Harvard Medical School training in internal meedeicine at Massachusetts General Hospital.
A primary care physician since 2001, LaRocca lives in eastern Massachusetts with her husband and two children.
Describing herself as “an omnivorous reader” be it cereal boxes, comic books magazine articles or novels, LaRocca says the books she read as a child “helped shape who I am today in ways that I’m still discovering.”
“Books inspired me to pursue medicine as a career; books made me yearn to live in different worlds; books helped me consider what it’s like to walk in someone else’s shoes,” she says. Her tastes were varied ranging from sci-fi to Shakespeare.
“I believe that promoting diversity in children’s literature leads to empathy, and empathy makes the world a better place,” LaRocca says.
By her own description, LaRocca writes middle-grade novels and picture books, some of them reflecting her “experiences as an immigrant, book nerd, and foodie.” Some of her books explain medical topics to kids and some are just ideas that pop into her head.
The U.S. Supreme Court agreed to consider banning the use of race in college admissions decisions, accepting appeals involving Harvard College and the University of North Carolina in what could be a transformational showdown for higher education.
The appeals seek to overturn decades-old Supreme Court precedents that let universities consider race to help create a diverse student body. Affirmative action is common at selective universities, though nine states including California and Florida ban race-conscious admissions at public institutions. The cases are likely to be heard in the term that starts in October.
Opponents are trying to take advantage of a Supreme Court that has become more conservative since a 2003 decision known as Grutter v. Bollinger reaffirmed that universities can take race into account. The Harvard and North Carolina policies are being challenged by an interest group set up to try to abolish racial preferences.
“Grutter is wrong, immoral, and unpersuasive, and has not aged well,” argued the group, Students for Fair Admissions, run by longtime preferences opponent Edward Blum.
Supporters say some consideration of race is crucial for creating student bodies that are racially diverse as well as highly qualified. The Biden administration joined the two universities in arguing that students of all races benefit from having diverse peers and urging the court to reject the appeals.
Although Justice Sandra Day O’Connor’s majority opinion in the Grutter decision predicted that racial preferences would no longer be necessary in 25 years, Harvard says they are still needed.
“Universities across the country have followed this precedent in structuring their admissions processes,” Harvard argued. “And the American public has looked to this precedent for assurance that the nation recognizes and values the benefits of diversity and that the path to leadership is open to all.”
Students for Fair Admissions contends that Harvard penalizes Asian Americans during the admissions process, assigning them lower ratings on leadership and likability, while automatically giving preferences to Black and Hispanic applicants.
“Harvard’s mistreatment of Asian-American applicants is appalling,” the appeal argued. The group said the Ivy League college was engaging in “racial balancing.”
Harvard called those assertions “simply false,” saying it considers the race only of highly competitive candidates for admission and doesn’t penalize Asian-American applicants.
The college points to a federal trial judge’s findings of “no evidence of any racial animus whatsoever or intentional discrimination,” and no “evidence that any particular admissions decision was negatively affected by Asian American identity.”
The Boston-based 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the Harvard policy in a 2-0 ruling. The case centers on the 1964 Civil Rights Act’s Title VI, which bars racial discrimination by universities that receive federal funding.
In the North Carolina case, the Supreme Court took the unusual step of bypassing the appellate level and agreeing to directly review a trial judge’s decision. U.S. District Judge Loretta Biggs said the university complies with the Grutter ruling by using a “highly individualized, holistic admissions program that is narrowly tailored in that it considers race flexibly as only a ‘plus factor’ among many.”
Students for Fair Admissions said North Carolina has “workable race-neutral alternatives” for ensuring classroom diversity, such as setting aside seats for disadvantaged applicants and admitting the top academic performers at each high school in the state.
North Carolina Attorney General Joshua Stein said the university has already implemented race-neutral approaches and has repeatedly studied the feasibility of other steps. “Each time, the university found that no alternative would produce a student body about as diverse and academically qualified as its holistic, race-conscious admissions process,” Stein wrote.
The suit against North Carolina invokes both Title VI and the Constitution’s equal protection clause, which the Supreme Court said in 1978 impose the same legal test. That ruling, Regents of the University of California v. Bakke, is best known for first upholding race-conscious admissions as a means of promoting diversity.
Blum’s group filed the Harvard and North Carolina lawsuits on the same day in 2014, saying it was pressing the cases on behalf of members who were denied admission and stood ready to transfer if possible.
The cases are Students for Fair Admissions v. President and Fellows of Harvard College, 20-1199, and Students for Fair Admissions v. University of North Carolina, 21-707.
The President of FIACONA, Mr. Koshi George said, “The Modi government has sunk to a new low, just when you thought it could not possibly sink any further. The act of removing the hymn from India’s Republic Day Parade to be held this Wednesday (Jan 26), shows the silliness and deep-rooted hatred of this party against anything that resembles the Christian faith”.
Rev. Peter Cook, the Executive Director of the NY State Council of Churches, a part of the National Council of Churches (NCC-USA) said that, “The action of the Modi government is not only an insult to the sentiments of over 100 million people who follow the faith in India but also to millions of other people from all faith backgrounds. With this kind of open hostilities against people of faith in India, it’s no wonder people like Dr. Gregory Stanton of Genocide Watch warn that India would be where the next genocide takes place”.Indian-origin Maju Varghese is leaving his position as the director of the White House Military Office, according to a media report quoting him.
“Right now, it’s best for me and my family that I kind of just try to strike a little bit more of a balance,” CNN quoted Varghese explaining his decision to leave the White House.
“One thing I learned during two tours here is it’s a demanding place to work and it’s because the work is really important, and we throw all of ourselves into this,” he said of leaving after a grueling year.
At the White House, his role included working with the military to ensure medical support, emergency medical services and presidential transportation, communications and organizing official ceremonies and functions.
“These are complex movements, helicopters and planes and ground transportation and communications and supporting large events and global travel in and of itself is hard,” Varghese told CNN.
“Now you throw Covid in, you’ve got to think about all that comes with health and safety.”
He worked closely with Surgeon General Vivek Murthy when he was the chief operating officer of Biden’s election campaign, and later at the White House to ensure everyone’s health during the pandemic.
Murthy told CNN: “The way he would run meetings and to both chart out a path forward, reassure people, his calmness in the face of serious adversity and uncertainty — those are invaluable qualities that he brought to the operation.”
He had also worked for former President Barack Obama as a special assistant to the president and the deputy director of advance organizing his travel in the US and abroad.
He was also the executive director of Biden’s and Vice President Kamala Harris’s inauguration � the swearing-in ceremonies and the festivities around it.
Varghese’s parents immigrated from Thiruvalla, Kerala, to the US, where he was born.
He is a lawyer by training.
CNN said that he did not reveal future plans.
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During the much anticipated CEOs Forum, a panel of healthcare experts, health industry leaders, opinion makers, and community organizers discussed the significance of promoting Preventive healthcare in India.
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Ending many months of waiting, the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Wednesday, January 12th confirmed the nomination of Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti to be US ambassador to India, during a session chaired by Sen. Menendez of New Jersey. The committee is made up of 22 senators — an even split of Democrats and Republicans. Now, the nomination needs to be confirmed by a majority of the U.S. Senate and the vote is yet to be scheduled.
The mayor was nominated to be an ambassador by President Biden, who announced the nomination on July 9, 2021. Garcetti was among a series of ambassadors and other foreign affairs nominees approved Jan. 12, 2022. Although individual senators raised public objections to some of the nominees, none did to Garcetti’s selection.
During his appearance before the committee on December 14, Mayor Garcetti was questioned by lawmakers weighing his nomination to become the U.S. ambassador to India. Garcetti during his testimony gave a statement followed by questions from lawmakers of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.”Few nations are more vital to the future of American security and prosperity than India,” Garcetti told the committee.
Earlier last month, US Senate Foreign Relations Committee chaired by Sen. Menendez, D-N.J., along with only a handful of Democrats and two Republicans, stressed how Washington sees India as a key partner in its effort to push back against China’s expanding power and influence.
“If confirmed, I will endeavor to advance our ambitious bilateral partnership united by a free and open, and inclusive Indo-Pacific region,” Garcetti had said in his remarks. “I intend to double-down on our efforts to strengthen India’s capacity to secure its borders, defend its sovereignty, and deter aggression – through information sharing, counterterrorism coordination.”
Known to be President Biden’s close aide, Garcetti is a political appointee who in the past has served as a co-chair of Biden’s presidential campaign. In announcing his nomination, the White House emphasized Garcetti’s role in co-founding the bipartisan “Climate Mayors” network and in leading more than 400 U.S. mayors to adopt the Paris Climate Agreement.
According to sources, the White House strongly considers Garcetti to have a steady hand to guide the India US relationship because Washington sees India as a key partner in its effort to push back against China’s expanding power and influence.
A Biden loyalist, Garcetti has served as mayor of Los Angeles since 2013. He has a master’s degree in international affairs from Columbia University and he studied international relations as a Rhodes scholar at Oxford University.
The White House statement released earlier this year said Garcetti had spent 12 years as an intelligence officer in the U.S. Navy Reserve Component, serving under the commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet and with the Defense Intelligence Agency, before retiring in 2017 as a lieutenant.
Over 10 million people are reported to have joined the first ever Global Sury Namaskar event, organized by the Ministry of AYUSH under ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’ celebrations on the occasion of Makar Sankranti on Friday, January 14. The global Surya Namaskar demonstration was done to mark the occasion of Makar Sankranti.
The Surya Namaskar’s significance is all the more critical on the auspicious occasion of Makar Sankranti. It is celebrated to worship the Sun God and is the beginning of the harvest season for farmers. In light of this, the Ayush Ministry organised an event dedicated to the transitional movement of the sun as it moves towards the North. “Surya Namaskar has a profound impact on the physical, mental and spiritual well-being of humans,” Sarbananda Sonowal, India’s Minister for AYUSH said.
The sun will rise a little to the north on Makar Sankranti, January 14, bringing along many messages of cultural, spiritual and agricultural significance for the country. The word “sankranti” signifies transitional movement, the movement for betterment within and without, transitions on a cosmic level and in the zodiac signs.
The Ministry of Ayush has decided to utilize this occasion to reach out to humanity with a special and topical message of rejuvenation through the surya namaskar — the set of yoga asanas used to “salute” the sun.
Thirteen rounds were conducted on the DD National channel between 7 and 7:30 am. Many leading Yoga gurus and institutes like the Indian Yoga Association, National Yoga Sports Federation participated. In his address, Sonowal highlighted the advantages, “Scientifically, the Surya Namaskar has been known to develop immunity and improve vitality, which is significant to our health during the pandemic conditions.”
Calling the sun as the primary source of energy, it provides essential Vitamin D in the body and has been recommended by several medical experts around the world. The minister also added that the initiative sends a special message. “The demonstration also intends to carry the message of climate change and global warming. In today’s world where climate consciousness is imperative, the implementation of solar energy will reduce carbon emissions that threaten the planet.”
Sarbananda Sonowal addressed the audience during the festival and explained the same benefits. A statement issued by the Ministry said, “On the auspicious day of Makar Sankranti and during the celebrations of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, the Ministry of AYUSH is hosting the first-ever global Surya Namaskar demonstration programme.” ‘Surya Namaskar For Vitality’ Around one crore people globally took part in the demonstration that took place virtually. Under the hashtag ‘Surya Namaskar for Vitality’, Twitter was buzzing with activity as many shared videos of them in action.
Considering the importance of yoga, the Ministry of AYUSH has dedicated due resources towards its growth and development — along with naturopathy — under the ambit of Indian traditional medicine systems. Furthermore, in a bid to popularise yoga at the global level, it has also been recognised as a competitive sport. The International Yoga Sports Federation (IYSF) has been constituted by the ministry and concrete steps are being taken to promote it as a sport at the international level.
Since 2014, when the International Day of Yoga was recognised, the event has grown each year, with greater international participation. As a part of its commitment to promote yoga on a grand scale, the ministry is in the process of setting up a centre of excellence for Ayurveda and yoga in the United Kingdom. In order to further boost professional activity in the domain, the Ministry of AYUSH has constituted the yoga certification board for yoga professionals and accreditations to the institutions.
Building upon the “whole of government” approach of PM Narendra Modi, a surya namaskar demonstration program is being launched in line with the tribute to 75 years of India’s independence, Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav. The AYUSH ministry has not only engaged other ministries and state governments but has involved all major stakeholders in the global yoga fraternity in this mass demonstration program.
The universal appeal of yoga is embodied in the surya namaskar. As the sun is the source of vitality for all living beings, the surya namaskar is a sure-shot dose of vitality for humans without any side effects. The world is realising that vitality and strong immunity from within are the most pressing requisites to battle the re-resurfacing Covid-19 infection. For this reason, the surya namaskar becomes even more important.
Surya namaskar is a combination of eight asanas performed in 12 steps. The beauty of these asanas is that all age groups can perform them without much difficulty and their regular practice makes the whole system resilient. I will not go into the details of the benefits of performing regular surya namaskars here but would just like to remind the reader that a practitioner, like myself, is bound to feel energised, with overall well-being, throughout the day, thus saving personal and national expenditure on health-related issues to a great extent.
I am sure that this Makar Sankranti will herald the beginning of a novel resolve from the global community in making natural resources of energy, like the sun and the surya namaskar, our best and most dependable friends. This will help our planet in more ways than one.
Priyanka Chopra has achieved what every star anywhere in the world aspires for — to be on the cover of ‘Vanity Fair’. She’s on the cover of the February 2022 edition of the magazine celebrated internationally as much for its in-depth articles as for its cutting-edge photography.
Unveiling the cover, ‘Vanity Fair’ tweeted: “After a journey into ‘The Matrix’, the actor enters 2022 with her cup overflowing –reflecting on her storied Hindi film industry career, marriage, and creating a path for herself in Hollywood.” Looking artfully messy, a sultry Priyanka appears on the cover in an off-shoulder, off-white ruffled dress from Fendi.
The magazine, previously edited by celebrity journalists such as Tina Brown and Graydon Carter (who’s played by Jeff Bridges in the film ‘How to Lose Friends and Alienate People’), is now helmed by Radhika Jones, an Indian American.
Describing her as “a driven woman who has transcended what’s previously been possible for an Indian actor in Hollywood,” the ‘Vanity Fair’ cover story goes on to say: “She is an outsider who broke down barriers and built a place for herself within the walls of Hollywood. Now she’s on a mission to welcome others in.”
Priyanka, notes the article that traces her life’s story from her days at the Army Public School, Bareilly, will finally be playing lead film roles as she had in India” with the rom-com ‘Text for You’ and Amazon’s ambitious spy series ‘Citadel’ later this year.
And about her own story, especially her rise to stardom in Hollywood, Priyanka says: “It’s taken a lot of pavement pounding to be able to get people’s attention, and to be able to get an acceptance of the fact that someone like me can be the lead of a Hollywood feature.”
She adds (and the sentiment will go down well back home): “There’s very few of us from South Asia who get to do that. I hope that the part that I play in it will sort of push the envelope a little bit.”
The Biden Administration announced that it is buying 1 billion COVID-19 rapid tests to give to Americans for free. The online ordering begins on Wednesday, Jan. 19, but is limited to four rapid tests per household.
Beginning Wednesday, Jan. 19, Americans will be able to order tests online at COVIDTests.gov, and tests will typically ship within 7-12 days of ordering, according to a press release from the White House.
Public health experts and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend that Americans use at-home tests if they begin to have symptoms, at least five days after coming in close contact with someone who has COVID-19, or are gathering indoors with a group of people who are at risk of severe disease or unvaccinated.
The tests will be mailed directly to American households.
There will be free tests available for every household, and to promote broad access, the initial program will allow 4 free tests to be requested per residential address.
Biden free COVID tests plan
The Biden administration will launch a website where Americans can order free COVID-19 tests Wednesday, Jan. 19.
The tests, part of the administration’s purchase of 500 million tests last month to help tackle a record surge in infections, will be mailed to homes within seven to 12 days, according to an official who briefed reporters.
Biden announced earlier this week the administration would double its order with the purchase of an additional 500 million at-home COVID-19 tests amid a shortage of tests nationwide that’s led to long lines at testing locations and overburdened hospitals.
Insurance now covers at-home COVID testing kits. How to get free tests or reimbursement
Americans with health insurance can get up to eight at-home COVID-19 tests for free thanks to a new requirement. Starting Saturday, private health plans are required to cover the over-the-counter tests at up to $12 per test. Consumers can either purchase the testing kits at no cost or submit receipts for reimbursement from the insurance company.
A family of five could be reimbursed for up to 40 tests per month under the plan. PCR tests and rapid tests ordered or administered by a health provider will continue to be fully covered by insurance with no limit.
President Joe Biden announced the federal requirement for insurance companies in December and officials said Monday that it would begin Jan. 15.
“This is all part of our overall strategy to ramp up access to easy-to-use, at-home tests at no cost,” Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra said in a statement Monday. “By requiring private health plans to cover people’s at-home tests, we are further expanding Americans’ ability to get tests for free when they need them.”
The administration is trying to incentivize private insurers to cover the tests up-front and without a cumbersome reimbursement process.
Health insurance industry groups have said insurers would carry out the administration’s order, but cautioned consumers that it won’t be as easy as flipping a switch.
Health Care Service Corporation or HCSC, an independent licensee of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, told USA TODAY that if a member uses a pharmacy in its pharmacy benefit manager’s network, Prime, “they do not need to submit a separate claim for reimbursement.”
Aetna updated its website Friday with new frequently asked questions about the new requirement. The site said more information on how members can submit claims will soon be available.
How do I get a free at-home COVID-19 test with insurance?
According to the government’s frequently asked questions, starting Jan. 15, “most people with a health plan can go online, or to a pharmacy or store to purchase an at-home over-the-counter COVID-19 diagnostic test authorized by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) at no cost, either through reimbursement or free of charge through their insurance.”
How much is the COVID home test reimbursement?
Insurance companies are required to reimburse up to $12 per individual test or the cost of the test if it is less than $12. If the price of the test is more than $12 each, the consumer will have to pay the difference.
Can I get reimbursed for past COVID test purchases?
Most likely, no. This will vary by insurance but plans and issuers are not required by federal law to “provide such coverage for at-home over-the-counter COVID-19 tests purchased before January 15,” the government FAQ said, suggesting consumers contact their health plans to ask about reimbursement for previous test purchases. Some states also already require coverage of the at-home tests.
What about COVID tests at testing sites? Will they stay open?
Insurers are required to pay for coronavirus tests administered at testing sites and medical offices, which can cost $100 or more, based on previous legislation passed by Congress to address the pandemic. Home tests, which consumers can buy without a prescription at retail stores or online, are less expensive.
How long will it take to receive test reimbursements?
“Health plans are encouraged to provide prompt reimbursement for claims for at-home tests, and consumers can find out directly from their plan how their claims process works and ask questions about reimbursement timing,” the government FAQ said.
Will Medicare pay for home COVID tests?
Americans on Medicare won’t be able to get at-home tests reimbursed through the federal insurance plan, but some Medicare Advantage Plans may cover and pay for over-the-counter COVID-19 tests. The Medicare website says to check with your Advantage Plan to see if it will cover and pay for the tests.
Will Medicaid and other government plans cover the tests?
As part of the American Rescue Plan, state Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) programs are required to cover FDA-authorized at-home COVID-19 tests. Coverage rules may vary by state, the federal government said.
Can the uninsured get free tests?
Those who are not on a covered insurance plan can receive free tests through the forthcoming federal website or from some local community centers and pharmacies.
How can I order free COVID tests from the government?
“Every home in the U.S. can soon order 4 free at-home COVID-19 tests. The tests will be completely free – there are no shipping costs and you don’t need to enter a credit card number,” according to a message on the government website.
What is the website to order free COVID tests?
The website for ordering free COVID tests is Covidtests.gov
The Conservative Justices in the US Supreme Court on Thursday, January 13th blocked President Joe Biden’s vaccine and testing requirement aimed at large businesses, but it allowed a vaccine mandate for certain health care workers to go into effect nationwide.
The decision is a huge hit to Biden’s attempts to use the power of the federal government to fight the Covid-19 pandemic.
The President has emphasized the necessity of getting vaccinated against the virus for months and eventually decided to use the mandate on large employers as his main vehicle for convincing hesitant Americans to get their shots.
In freezing a lower court opinion that allowed the regulation to go into effect nationwide, the majority sent a clear message the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, charged with protecting workplace safety, overstepped its authority. In contrast, the justices said that a separate agency could issue a rule to protect the health and safety of Medicare and Medicaid patients.
“Although Congress has indisputably given OSHA the power to regulate occupational dangers, it has not given that agency the power to regulate public health more broadly. Requiring the vaccination of 84 million Americans, selected simply because they work for employers with more than 100 employees, certainly falls in the latter category,” the unsigned opinion in the businesses case says.
Biden issued a statement praising the ruling on health care workers but criticized the ruling on businesses that will have the much wider effect.
“I am disappointed that the Supreme Court has chosen to block common-sense life-saving requirements for employees at large businesses that were grounded squarely in both science and the law,” Biden said.
Moving forward, Biden said “it is now up to States and individual employers to determine whether to make their workplaces as safe as possible for employees, and whether their businesses will be safe for consumers during this pandemic by requiring employees to take the simple and effective step of getting vaccinated.”
Liberal Justices Stephen Breyer, Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan issued a blistering dissent.
“When we are wise, we know not to displace the judgments of experts, acting within the sphere Congress marked out and under Presidential control, to deal with emergency conditions,” they wrote. “Today, we are not wise. In the face of a still-raging pandemic, this Court tells the agency charged with protecting worker safety that it may not do so in all the workplaces needed. As disease and death continue to mount, this Court tells the agency that it cannot respond in the most effective way possible.”
The rule would impact some 80 million individuals and requires employers with 100 or more employees to ensure that their employees are fully vaccinated or undergo regular testing and wear a face covering at work. There are exceptions for those with religious objections.
The agency said that it had the authority to act under an emergency temporary standard meant to protect employees if they are exposed to a “grave danger.”
The Biden administration defended the regulation and argued that the nation is facing a pandemic “that is sickening and killing thousands of workers around the country” and that any delay in implementing the requirement to get a vaccine or submit to regular testing “will result in unnecessary illness, hospitalizations and death.”
During oral arguments, the Biden administration had asked that at the very least, if the court says employers can’t require the employees to get the vaccine, it should leave in place an alternate requirement for masking and frequent testing. The majority rejected that request Thursday.
Why the Supreme Court decided against vaccine mandate
Steve Vladeck, CNN Supreme Court analyst and professor at the University of Texas School of Law, said the ruling on the business mandate could have wide-reaching effects in future cases about the power of government.
“These cases were not referenda on vaccine mandates — which can still come from states, local governments, and private businesses — they were referenda on whether these kinds of expert policy decisions are better made by agency experts accountable to the President or by judges accountable to no one,” Vladeck said. “And if the answer is the latter, that’s going to be true long after, and in contexts far beyond, the immediate response to the Covid pandemic.”
Mandate for health care workers
Although the justices have been receptive to past attempts by states to mandate vaccines, the new disputes centered on federal requirements that raised different legal questions. The cases come to the Supreme Court in an unusual posture, because the justices are only being asked to block the requirements while the legal challenges play out.
The court allowed to take effect the vaccine policy rolled out in November by the US Department of Health and Human Services’ Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, which sought to require the Covid-19 vaccine for certain health care workers at hospitals, nursing homes and other facilities that participate in Medicare and Medicaid programs.
According to government estimates, the mandate regulates more than 10.3 million health care workers in the United States. Covered staff were originally required to get the first dose by December 6 and the mandate allows for some religious and medical exemptions.
Two lower courts had blocked the mandate in 24 states.
Justice Samuel Alito, joined by conservatives Clarence Thomas, Neil Gorsuch and Amy Coney Barrett, dissented.
“Neither CMS nor the Court articulates a limiting principle for why, after an un-explained and unjustified delay, an agency can regulate first and listen later, and then put more than 10 million healthcare workers to the choice of their jobs or an irreversible medical treatment,” Alito wrote.
Virat Kohli has stepped down as captain of India men’s Test team. The 33-year-old, who stopped leading India’s limited-overs sides last year, had led the Test side since 2015. He captained India in a record-breaking 68 Tests, winning 40 matches – the fourth best record of any Test captain in history.
“It’s been seven years of hard work, toil and relentless perseverance every day to take the team in the right direction,” Kohli said on social media. “I’ve done the job with absolute honesty and left nothing out there. Everything has to come to a halt at some stage and for me as Test captain of India, it’s now.”
He has played in 99 Tests in total, averaging 50.39 in the longer format, with 27 centuries. In 2021 Kohli led India to the final of the inaugural World Test Championship, losing to New Zealand in Southampton.
The signs were there. Virat Kohli was becoming extremely frustrated with captaincy. The manner in which he kicked the air and blew up after Dean Elgar won a review on day three of the decider here indicated he was running out of patience.
If he had a vision then behaving badly on the field of play was not a part of it. A day after India lost the series 2-1 to South Africa, Kohli resigned as the Test captain in a long tweet, here on Saturday, Jan. 15th.
The Delhi batsman, who took over captaincy in a rather dramatic fashion when M.S. Dhoni shocked everyone by stepping down as skipper after the Melbourne Test against Australia in 2014, formed a lasting relationship with coach Ravi Shastri.
High and low
His greatest achievement as captain was in leading India to its first ever Test series triumph in Australia. Passionate about Tests, the failure to beat South Africa in a Test series on this tour would go down among his greatest disappointments.
“There have been many ups and also some downs along the journey, but never has there been a lack of effort or lack of belief,” he added on Twitter. “I have always believed in giving my 120% in everything I do, and if I can’t do that, I know it’s not the right thing to do. I have absolute clarity in my heart and I cannot be dishonest to my team.”
During his stint as captain, Kohli did not see eye-to-eye with Anil Kumble, which led to the legend being forced out as coach. Kohli also did not lead India to a title triumph in any ICC competition. Being removed as the ODI captain hurt Kohli. And his verbal duel with the BCCI did not help matters either.
The writing was on the wall. Rohit Sharma will be a natural successor to Kohli.
Kohli said in his tweet, “It has been 7 years of hard work, toil and relentless perseverance everyday to take the team in the right direction. I’ve done the job with absolute honesty and left nothing out there. Everything has to come to a halt at some stage and for me as Test captain of India, it is now. There have been many ups and also some downs along the journey: but never had there been a lack of effort or a lack of belief.”
Thanks Shastri & Co.
He thanked “Ravi Bhai and the support group who were the engine behind this vehicle that moved up in Test Cricket consistently. You all have played a massive role in bringing this vision to life. Lastly, a big thank you to M.S. Dhoni who believed in me as captain and found me to be an able individual who could take Indian cricket forward.”
Kohli’s major wins as captain included victory over Australia in 2018-19 – India’s first series win down under and one that Kohli at the time described as the “proudest” moment of his career.
He also captained India to a 2-1 away series lead over England last summer, before the final Test at Old Trafford was called off due to Covid-19. It has now been rescheduled for Edgbaston this July. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) congratulated Kohli and said he had taken the team to “unprecedented heights”.
Kohli paid tribute to his team-mates including MS Dhoni, who he took over from as Test captain. “I want to thank the BCCI for giving me the opportunity to lead my country for such a long period of time and most importantly to all the team-mates who bought into the vision I had for the team from day one and never gave up in any situation,” he wrote. “You guys have made this journey so memorable and beautiful.”
A Kerala court on Friday acquitted former Jalandhar bishop Franco Mulakkal, who is accused of raping a nun 13 times over three years in a convent, citing lack of evidence in a case that shone a spotlight on violence against women in religious institutions.
Stating that “in-fight and rivalry and group fights of the nuns, and the desire for power, position and control over the congregation” were evident in the case, a trial court in Kerala Friday acquitted Franco Mulakkal, the former Jalandhar Bishop of the Catholic Church, of all charges in the alleged rape of a nun. The high-profile case had led to an unprecedented public protest in Kerala more than three years ago by other nuns in support of the complainant.
Bishop Mulakkal, who became the first Indian Catholic bishop to be arrested for rape in 2018, was accused by a 50-year old nun of raping her 13 times between 2014 and 2016. Mulakkal faced a slew of charges, including wrongful confinement, unnatural sex, rape of a woman incapable of giving consent and criminal intimidation.
The Court order last week said that “This court is unable to place reliance on the solitary testimony of PW1 and to hold the accused guilty of the offences charged against him”. Mulakkal was present in the courtroom when the verdict was pronounced. He later broke down in the corridor outside, hugged his lawyers, and told reporters before leaving the premises: “Daivathinu sthuthi’ (Praise the Lord).”
According to the Kottayam Additional Sessions Judge G Gopakumar, “This is a case in which the grain and chaff are inextricably mixed up. It is impossible to separate the grain from the chaff. There are exaggerations and embellishments in the version of the victim. She has also made every attempt to hide certain facts. It is also evident that the victim was swayed under the influence of others who had other vested interest in the matter,” Gopakumar wrote in a 289-page order.
However, one of the nuns who had spearheaded the protest against Mulakkal, Sister Anupama, expressed disbelief at the verdict. Speaking to reporters with tears in her eyes, she said: “We cannot believe this verdict. We will continue this fight until the day our fellow sister gets justice, even if it means we have to die. All the testimonies were in our favour so we don’t know what happened in court. We will definitely appeal in the higher court.”
S Harisankar, the former Kottayam district police chief under whose leadership the investigation was conducted, described the verdict as “extremely unfortunate”. He added, “We had fully expected a conviction. This verdict will be a surprise for the entire Indian legal system. it was after suffering huge psychological pressure that the survivor disclosed the assault to her fellow nuns” and that the verdict would “send a wrong message to society”.
The allegations against Mulakkal (57) came to light in June 2018 when a senior nun, belonging to the order of Missionaries of Jesus, submitted a complaint to the Kottayam police chief, accusing the bishop of raping her and subjecting her to unnatural sex 13 times between 2014 and 2016 at a convent in the district.
Subsequently, an FIR was filed against Mulakkal on charges of rape at the police station in Kuravilangad, where the convent is located. Mulakkal denied the charges and described the complaint as a “retaliatory act” for disciplinary action taken earlier against the complainant in an unrelated incident.
In September that year, a public square in front of the Kerala High Court premises in Kochi saw unprecedented scenes as five Catholic nuns, who were close to the complainant, sat on an indefinite hunger strike demanding the arrest of the bishop.
On September 21, 2018, the police arrested Mulakkal and booked him on rape charges, in the first such action against a Catholic bishop in the country. Mulakkal was released on bail nearly a month later, and divested of his responsibilities as bishop in the Jalandhar diocese.
In April 2019, a Special Investigation Team of the Kerala Police filed a 2,000-page chargesheet against Mulakkal. The trial commenced in November 2019, with the prosecution listing 83 witnesses of whom 39 were examined during the trial. A number of senior figures from the Church, including Major Archbishop of Syro-Malabar Church Cardinal George Alencherry, and 11 priests and 25 nuns were among the witnesses.
Mulakkal, who had first applied to the sessions court for a discharge without facing trial by alleging that the charges were fabricated, also saw his petition challenging the sessions court’s dismissal of his discharge plea being dismissed by both the Kerala High Court and the Supreme Court, which said it was devoid of merits.
He also sought the High Court’s intervention in deferring the trial due to the Covid-19 pandemic, which was also rejected on the grounds that adjournments in a trial need to be restricted.
The nun alleged that she had first approached the church’s senior officials, including the Pope but had not received any response, though the Vatican removed him from the diocese’s administrative roles.
The nun has also been at the receiving end of threats from powerful figures within the Catholic establishment who even came down hard on her supporters including one — Sister Lucy Kalappura — who was not only evicted from her convent but also had her membership of the congregation revoked.
A group of nuns of the Kuravilangad Convent in Kerala, who helped the victim, said they couldn’t believe the verdict. “We will fight it out till the end. We are ready to die to uphold our cause. Till the end, everything was fine and we have no idea what happened later. We will stay at the convent as we are not scared of our death,” said a teary-eyed Sister Anupama, who was the public face of the years-long battle. She alleged that the trial court refused to hear hapless wails of a victim who can’t even speak loud.
Prices in the US are rising at their fastest rate in almost 40 years, with inflation up 7% year-on-year in December. Strong demand and scarce supply for key items such as cars are driving the increases, which are putting pressure on policymakers to act.
The US central bank is expected to raise interest rates this year. The rise in borrowing costs is aimed at reducing demand by making purchases such as cars more expensive.
December’s increase marked the third month in a row that the US annual inflation rate has hovered above 6% – well north of policymakers’ 2% target. The last time the pace of inflation exceeded that level was 1982.
Housing costs were up 4.1% year-on-year, while the cost of groceries rose 6.5% – compared to a 1.5% annual average over the last 10 years.
Wednesday’s report from the Labor Department showed signs that some of the pressures may be easing. The cost of energy dropped 0.4% from November to December – its first decline since April. But over 12 months energy costs are up by nearly 30% and have returned to their upward trend in recent days.
“Overall, this is every bit as bad as we expected,” Paul Ashworth, chief economist at Capital Economics, said of the December inflation report.
Reacting to the latest report, President Joe Biden said that it “demonstrates that we are making progress in slowing the rate of price increases”.
He added that there is “more work to do” in the US and noted that “inflation is a global challenge, appearing in virtually every developed nation as it emerges from the pandemic economic slump”.
The price pressures occurring in the US have been seen to varying degrees around the world.
The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, which represents more than 30 of the world’s largest economies, said this week that inflation among its members had hit its highest rate in 25 years in November.
Further rises
In the UK, inflation hit a 10-year high in November, while globally, prices are rising at their fastest pace since 2008, according to the World Bank.
While many countries are grappling with higher food and energy costs, the US has seen an unusually large pick-up in inflation.
That’s due in part to strong demand from households, whose spending got a boost from government coronavirus aid and shifted suddenly from things like travel to furniture during the pandemic.
Economists in the US were initially hopeful that the pressures would ease as the pandemic faded. But ongoing production snarls and the emergence of virus variants have made the price increases more persistent than expected.
“It’s proving more difficult than we had hoped to end the pandemic,” the head of America’s central bank, Jerome Powell, told Congress on Tuesday.
Sarah House, economist at Wells Fargo, said it is no longer likely that inflation will fade naturally as the pandemic abates, pointing to worker shortages and wages, which have also been rising – though not as fast as prices.
“Although the exceptional pace of goods inflation and momentum in shelter costs are still firmly rooted in the pandemic, the increasingly tight labour market and ensuing wage pressures will make it difficult for inflation to fall back on its own,” she said.
The issue has put pressure on the Biden administration, eroding consumer confidence despite other signs of a strong economy.
Mr Powell has pledged to keep inflation in check by raising interest rates. But on Tuesday he warned those moves would only go so far to address the problem if supply chain issues persist, pointing to risks from new shutdowns in China.
“Omicron, particularly if China sticks to a no-Covid policy, Omicron can really disrupt the supply chains again,” he said.
Official inflation figures from China on Thursday showed prices rose less than expected in November, with producer prices up 10.3% and consumer prices up 1.5%.
But that easing is not necessarily an indicator of what will happen elsewhere, said Gian Maria Milesi-Ferretti, senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, a Washington think tank.
“Indicators of what is happening [in China] to the labour market, to wage demands and to the supply bottlenecks that have pushed up some prices … those are more important indicators,” he said.
The global economy is on track to grow by 4.1 per cent in 2022, down 0.2 percentage point from a previous projection, the World Bank Group said in its latest Global Economic Prospects release.
“The global recovery is set to decelerate markedly amid continued Covid-19 flare-ups, diminished policy support, and lingering supply bottlenecks,” the semiannual report added on Tuesday.
The global outlook is “clouded by various downside risks,” including renewed Covid-19 outbreaks due to new virus variants, the possibility of unanchored inflation expectations, and financial stress in a context of record-high debt levels, according to the report.
After rebounding to an estimated 5.5 per cent in 2021, global growth is expected to decelerate markedly to 4.1 per cent in 2022, the report noted. The latest projection for 2021 and 2022 is 0.2 percentage point lower than the June forecast, respectively.
The report also noted that the Covid-19 pandemic has raised global income inequality, partly reversing the decline that was achieved over the previous two decades, Xinhua news agency reported.
By 2023, annual output is expected to remain below the pre-pandemic trend in all emerging market and developing economy (EMDE) regions, in contrast to advanced economies, where the gap is projected to close.
Preliminary evidence suggests that the pandemic has also caused within-country income inequality to rise somewhat in EMDEs because of particularly severe job and income losses among lower-income population groups, according to the report.
“The world economy is simultaneously facing Covid-19, inflation, and policy uncertainty, with government spending and monetary policies in uncharted territory,” said World Bank Group President David Malpass.
Noting that rising inequality and security challenges are “particularly harmful” for developing countries, Malpass added that putting more countries on a favourable growth path requires concerted international action and a comprehensive set of national policy responses.
Inspired by the national AAPI’s “Share a Blanket” project, the Connecticut Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (CAPI) took on a Winter Blanket Drive and donated hundreds of blanket kits to the poor and the needy in several Homeless Shelters across the state of Connecticut, said Dr.
Jaya Daptardar, Executive Healthcare Business Consultant, CEO and Founder and a leader of the local CAPI Chapter. The kits included blankets, hats, and socks. The AAPI team raised 2200$ within ten days and accomplished this feat.
The noble Drive, in fulfilling yet another mission of national AAPI to help the needy during the cold winter season, providing the warmth of a blanket reached several towns in the state of Connecticut, including, Malta House Norwalk, CT; Gillespie Center Westport, CT; New Haven Homeless Shelter; Bridgeport Homeless Shelter; and, Waterbury Homeless Shelter.
Dr. Sushil Gupta, President of CAPI with all CT CAPI members have been participating in the Drive since last year. As was done in the past, this year, funds were donated collectively by the members of CAPI during the holiday season, and boxes of blankets were distributed to local homeless shelter facilities. The whole purpose has been that during this pandemic and tough financial situation, no one has to suffer and each and every effort and assistance matters.
“This was a one of a kind experience for the whole team of physicians and young volunteers alike. Our younger generation of aspirant physicians helped distribute and volunteered their time,” said Dr. Sushil Gupta. “The beneficiaries included children, pregnant women, new moms, and older population.”
Some of the physicians who were part of the Share A Blannket Drive and organized the events across the state included, Drs. Sushil Gupta, Sujata Prasad, Viji Kurup, Prasad Surredi, Nicole Sookhan, Jaya Daptardar, Alok Bhargava, and Ramamurthy Chriranamula.
Dr. Anupama Gotimukula, President of Aapi and the local organizer of the Share a Blanket Program in her hometown, San Antonio, TX while expressing gratitude and appreciation to CAPI and numerous other AAPI Chapters across the nation for organizing the Drives around the nation, said, “Realizing how this initiative benefits several needy in the community gives us the motivation to organize more such events and give back to the local community. We strongly feel that we can make more suchaccomplishments with support and participation from all our generous AAPI physicians.”
AAPI launched “Share a blanket” project during the holiday season recently to give some warmth to the needy. The project was initially conceptualized by Dr. Binod Sinha, an AAPI member from New Jersey. This project was successful and received very well by the local chapters and communities. For more details and to join the Share A Blanket Drive in your state, please visit: www.aapiusa.org
As Boston gets colder by the day and the snow falls all around, many of us strap on our favorite winter boots, keeping our feet warm and protected. However, in our very own greater Boston community, there are hundreds of people (women, men, children) without a good quality pair of shoes in their closets, unknowingly exposing themselves to foot conditions like frostbite and other dangerous infections. An often overlooked problem, our Boston-based nonprofit women empowerment organization, Women Who Win, wanted to help solve this issue through launching an exciting philanthropic initiative, The Shoe Project.
This Holiday Season, the Women Who Win team spearheaded shoe donations and also provided foot health educational materials to Boston populations in dire need, including Haitian refugees, women’s shelter residents, and adult day health centers. They partnered with renowned companies and organizations including Hoka Apparel to ensure we are providing high-quality, podiatrist approved shoes.
Haitain refugees have faced a significant plight, and there are hundreds of them across Massachusetts, struggling to find basic essentials. A major humanitarian crisis around the world and in our neck of the woods, the Women Who Win team excitedly joined the Gift of Gratitude project on December 19th, an event where they provided vaccine clinics, and other basic essentials like blankets etc. to Haitians in need. We led a shoe donation drive at the event with the Indian Medical Association of New England (IMANE), and were able to donate over 150 shoes to these refugees. The First Haitian-American City Councilor of Boston Ruthzee Louijeane stated, “It was really wonderful to see communities coming together to support our immigrants. We are in a difficult season right now that really asks us to look out for each other. Few things demonstrate that more than welcoming the stranger in our midst.”
Women’s shelters also expressed a strong need for new shoes for their residents. We organized donations with the St Patricks Shelter in Somerville Massachusetts, and at the Forever Young Adult Day Care in Hyde Park. Residents at the shelter often work 2 jobs a day to make ends meet, in worn-out shoes putting their feet at risk and discomfort. The women were elated to receive a new pair of shoes for the new year, and felt empowered and equipped in their new footwear. The thrill of a new pair of shoes is one we can all relate too, and we were excited to provide this feeling to over 150 women across these shelters.
The Shoe Project is a philanthropic initiative under Women Who Win, a nonprofit organization founded by three Boston residents, Dr. Manju Sheth, Dr. Deepa Jhaveri, and Shaleen Sheth. Dr Manju Sheth is a physician at Beth Israel Lahey health with a passion for media. She is president and Co- founder of INE multimedia and Women Who Win. Dr. Deepa Jhaveri is a podiatrist and the President-Elect of the Indian Medical Association of New England. Shaleen Sheth is a co-founder of Women Who Win with a passion for technology and nonprofit leadership. The Shoe Project was born with the mission to empower communities one step at a time.
The Shoe Project has worked with and been supported by IMANE, Boston Medical Center, the APMA (American Podiatric Medical Association), Deckers X Lab, Hoka Apparel, Lion’s Club, and Rotary Club. Our co-founder, Dr. Deepa Jhaveri, a podiatrist states, “this project is very close to my heart as it ties in my profession and my Indian roots to create an immense impact in the daily lives of hundreds of people by preventing limb threatening foot infections. This project has also created a buzz in the podiatry community, particularly with Indian-American podiatrists as well as major footwear companies who have offered tremendous support for this initiative.”
To support The Shoe Project and Donate Shoes to a Local Community in Need with Women Who Win, visit them here
Indian American Juned Qazi made history when he was elected to the Marlboro Township Council, N.J., last November. And he made it again when he was voted in as President of the Council Jan. 6, 2022.
He now oversees the proceedings of a Republican majority town council after nearly two decades of Democratic government.
“The key point is this – I am the first Indian-American elected on a Republican ticket. The Republican Party has given tickets to many Indians, but this was the first victory in New Jersey,” Qazi contended.
Founder and president of a construction company since 2004, Qazi is one of three Republicans who displaced incumbent Democrats and now will be in the Council for a four-year term ending 2025.
Originally from Madhya Pradesh, Qazi went to St. Francis High School, Bhopal, he told Desi Talk. Always keen to be in politics, Qazi served as president of Indian National Overseas Congress (I) in 2014, and even dabbled in Indian politics back in the homeland, throwing his hat in for a seat during elections.
In the U.S., where he became a citizen two years ago, Qazi has been engaged with the diaspora community for decades, during which, he says he has helped bring people together. Today, he estimates 12 percent of population in Marlboro Township is of Asian origin.
“I am thankful to the people who have faith in our leadership and voted for us,” Qazi told Desi Talk. The other two Republicans who won along with Qazi are Antoinette DiNuzzo and Michael Milman. But it was not an easy race to defeat the long time Democratic incumbents Jeff Cantor, Scott Metzger and Carol Mazzola last November.
“It was very hard to break the hold of the incumbents because they had been in power for 17 years,” Qazi said. “I walked door-to-door, even during Covid, to bring people to our side. People wanted to see change and they voted for that. We plan to make the changes,” Qazi said.
He also credited the Chairman of the Marlboro Republican Party John Gibardi, for leading a “great campaign.”
Centraljersey.com reported the swearing in took place during the Marlboro’s government’s 2022 reorganization meeting Jan. 6, in the municipal building.
Newly sworn in Marlboro Township Council member in New Jersey Juned Qazi, seen here with his family Jan. 6, 2022. during the swearing in ceremony in the municipal building Photo: Prashant Desai courtesy Councilman Qazi
The ceremony included invocations by Muhammad Asif of Baytul Iman Academy, Rabbi Moshe Gerwirtz of Monmouth Torah Links, and Rev. Eugene Roberts of St. Gabriel Roman Catholic Church, the news report said.
After the swearing in ceremony, the five council members, three Republicans and two Democrats, chose Qazi to lead them as President for 2022, in a unanimous vote.
Democratic Mayor Jon Hornik is quoted saying in Centraljersey.com, “We welcome the three new council members. I wish you nothing but the best of luck. This is the hardest time ever to become a public official … there is a lot going on that is beyond our control.”
Qazi told Desi Talk, “We form a great team and we will work for the Township regardless of party affiliation.”
EternalHealth, the first new health plan to be approved in Massachusetts since 2013, announced today that it has raised another $10 million in Series A funding. This additional financing follows an initial $10 million in Seed and Pre-Series A investment by successful healthcare and tech entrepreneurs last summer.
John Sculley, former Apple CEO, is involved in the Series A funding round and believes in the mission of eternalHealth, which is founded by Pooja Ika, the first woman at the age of 24 to launch a new Medicare Advantage Health Plan in the United States.
“Around two decades ago, I decided I wanted to disrupt the healthcare industry by collaborating with entrepreneurs who believed in their mission,” said Sculley, former Apple CEO and an investors and shareholder in eternalHealth, “I truly believe we have a healthcare Moonshot with eternalHealth and I am excited to see how we can better the space together. I believe in Pooja’s mission and with the help of her team, she has been able to accomplish so much in one year.”
Ms. Ika said the Series A funding, which includes seed investors and additional successful technology and healthcare entrepreneurs, will be used to support the day-to-day operations, and help attract and retain membership, while most of the capital will be used as risk-based capital to support the company’s membership growth.
Typically, the launch of a new health plan takes two to three years and costs tens of millions of dollars, said Ms. Ika.
“At eternalHealth, we accomplished this historic goal within a year. The initial seed round helped us build a technology-powered infrastructure, optimize our operations, and hire a skilled team of 20 professionals,” added Ms. Ika. “Now, that we are operationally sound, we are actively trying to grow and increase our membership base. The goal has always been to build a sustainable business model, that is committed to doing things the right way.”
New insurers have raised hundreds of millions of dollars at the same stage Ms. Ika is at now, but Ms. Ika is very mindful about raising capital and said, “It is not because we cannot raise the capital, it is because we are being intentional with our use of capital. I strive to achieve the same results of some of my mentors who have started successful health plans across the country. Their advice to me was to get all of our regulatory approvals with as little capital as possible, and that is exactly what we did.” Ms. Ika added that this is the first time ever that a health plan has been launched in the United States by a woman at 24 and not only that, but by a woman of color.
“Navigating through the healthcare system can be complicated, and insurance companies are not always the best at helping beneficiaries navigate through it,” said Ms. Ika. “eternalHealth is committed to empowering and educating our members so that they make informed decisions and take their care into their own hands. By educating our members, establishing collaborative relationships with the providers and health systems in our network, and using the latest technology and tools, we can deliver higher quality care at a lower cost to our members.”
eternalHealth believes that through their partnership with Red Sox legend David Ortiz, popularly known as Big Papi, Massachusetts residents will be able to connect Ortiz’s trustworthy and kind personality to eternalHealth’s commitment to offering high quality, affordable products, while acting as a trustworthy and transparent partner to its members.
Through its technology-driven, innovative platform, eternalHealth is looking to substantially reduce its administrative & operating costs (SG&A) across the entire enterprise. The cost savings will allow for more dollars to be allocated towards the total cost of care, while also passing down the savings to their members through its robust benefits to lead them in the healthy direction.
Once eternalHealth reaches the critical membership threshold, it will implement value-based contracting with providers, through which they will collaborate with providers and help them manage the overall quality of care for their patients through platform driven intelligence, improve the overall quality of life, and reduce healthcare costs. Ms. Ika says, “At eternalHealth, we believe we can really reduce healthcare costs by leveraging the right technology. That helps with member retention and satisfaction, which remains a key priority for eternalHealth. Just because it has not been done before, that does not mean it is impossible. eternalHealth strives to be a catalyst for change in a market that has seen little disruption.
About eternalHealth
Headquartered in Boston, eternalHealth provides high-quality care with low out-of-pocket costs to the residents of Massachusetts, while prioritizing preventive care and transparency. Founded, owned, and built by women, eternalHealth is a Medicare Advantage health plan that offers HMO and PPO products. For more information about our plans and services, please visit our website at www.eternalHealth.com
Supplements are an important part of a healthy lifestyle. Even when adhering to a nutrient-rich diet, there are common vitamins and minerals that are deficient in most adults. Thankfully, there are many companies that make high-quality supplements that can help adults get the nutrients they need to be healthy and strong. In this article, we will share the five supplements that all adults should be taking to improve their well-being.
Vitamin B Complex
Vitamin B supplements are an important part of a healthy lifestyle. There are eight different vitamins that fall under the umbrella of vitamin B, and each one does something unique for your body. If you are deficient in any of these vitamins, which can easily happen, it can lead to major issues with energy levels, immune function, and metabolism. By taking a daily dose of a quality vitamin B complex, more adults will experience the benefits of proper energy levels and superb immune functionality.
Vitamin D3
In addition to being crucial for building strong bodies, calcium also plays an important role in brain function. In order to get enough calcium from the foods you eat, make sure you’ve got adequate vitamin D as well. Vitamin D helps improve the absorption of calcium in the body. While there is quite a bit of vitamin D in foods like salmon, there are numerous other sources that people may not be consuming on a regular basis. Vitamin D3 is recommended for most adults who want to continue improving their brain function and bone health.
Multivitamin
In most cases, people want to take steps to better their nutrition. Yet, many of us aren’t sure what supplements we need and which nutrients would benefit us. A high-quality multivitamin should be essential on everyone’s daily schedule. Take time to research a multivitamin that will benefit you based on your unique situation.
It is important to conduct research to make sure the brand is consistent, high-quality and trustworthy. Thankfully, there are companies like Steel Supplements that have 75,000+ reviews from individuals who loved their product. Multivitamins provide an easy way to make up for any deficiencies you might have in your diet.
Omega-3
Omega-3 is an essential fatty acid that is important for heart health, and it cannot be produced by the body naturally. It needs to come through alternative sources such as pills or foods. For some people, including more omega-3 supplements in their diet can make a world of difference when it comes to mental well-being, specifically related to depression and anxiety.
Magnesium
Magnesium supplements are an important part of maintaining healthy muscle function. Although magnesium occurs naturally in many foods, there are many adults who still have deficiencies. By taking an additional dose, adults can ensure they’re getting enough to relax the muscles in their body and reduce symptoms related to stress and anxiety. Physical discomforts such as strains, spasms, and tensions can all be improved by working more magnesium into your daily regimen.
Summary
If you want to improve your health and fitness levels, supplemental nutrition is a great place to start. Try integrating these vitamins and see how much better you feel by simply improving on some small things. Remember, these supplements will not replace nutrient-rich meals; continue to eat well-balanced meals to see maximum results.
India’s Environment, Forest, and Climate Change Minister Bhupender Yadav on Monday had a telephonic call with US Special Presidential Envoy for Climate, John Kerry where the two of them discussed wide range of issues including India’s ambitious climate action targets announced during the COP26.
Taking to Twitter after he spoke with Kerry late in the evening, Yadav tweeted: “Productive phone call with US Climate Envoy Mr John Kerry. We agreed to take forward India-US Climate Actions & Finance Mobilisation Dialogue. a India is on track to achieve Paris Accord & COP26 commitments in accordance with PM Shri Narendra Modi ji’s LIFE mantra. (sic)”
Both the leaders discussed taking forward the India US Climate Action and Finance Mobilisation Dialogue (CAFMD) through the four identified pillars, Climate Ambition, Finance Mobilisation, Adaptation and Resilience, and Forestry, a statement from the Environment, Forests and Climate Change Ministry said.
Yadav highlighted the importance and need to focus on L.I.F.E i.e., Lifestyle For Environment, the one-word campaign championed by Prime Minister Modi at Glasgow during the high-level segment at the annual climate change summit COP26.
The leaders also discussed the upcoming meeting of the Major Economies Forum (MEF), the statement said.
The US on November 10 had joined the International Solar Alliance (ISA) as the 101st member country. Kerry had signed the framework agreement of the ISA to catalyse global energy transition through a solar-led approach.
Prior to it, on September 13, Yadav and Kerry had jointly launched the CAFMD, which is one of the two tracks of the India-US Climate and Clean Energy Agenda 2030 partnership launched at the Leaders’ Summit on Climate in April 2021 by Prime Minister Modi and US President Joe Biden.
