Category: Profile

Indo-Canadian Afshan Khan has been appointed Coordinator of the Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) Movement — a country-driven initiative led by 65 nations and four Indian states to end all forms of malnutrition by 2030.

In her new role, Khan will lead the SUN Movement Secretariat, as well as coordinate the network of SUN Government Focal Points, the Movement’s stakeholders, and supporters, a UN statement said on Tuesday.

She will work to ensure the execution of the SUN strategy at the global level by building partnerships, and galvanising engagement and commitment to end malnutrition in all its forms.

She will succeed Gerda Verburg of the Netherlands to whom UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed his gratitude for her efforts and dedication in leading the SUN Movement.

Khan started her work for Unicef in Mozambique in 1989 and is currently serving as Regional Director for Eastern Europe and Central Asia.

During this period, she has been Director of Emergency Programmes, Director of Public-Sector Alliances and Resource Mobilisation, Associate Regional Director for Eastern and Southern Africa, and the Unicef Representative in Jamaica, the UN statement said.

She has field experience including assignments in Kenya, Mozambique, Democratic Republic of Congo, and Colombia.

She has broad UN-wide expertise stemming from assignments with the Inter-Agency Standing Committee for Humanitarian Affairs (IASC) in Geneva, the Executive Office of the Secretary-General, and the UN Development Group.

Khan also has extensive knowledge of international civil society organisations, having served as the CEO of Women for Women International.

Khan was born in India and has both Canadian and British citizenships. She holds a Master’s degree in Public Policy from the Johns Hopkins School for Advanced International Studies, and a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from McGill University. The SUN Movement was launched in 2010. (IANS)

Dr. Kiran Patel, a billionaire businessman and philanthropist, who recently donated $200 million to Nova Southeastern University in Florida, was among the 75 distinguished Indian Americans who were featured as “Jewels of India.”  Consul General of India at New York, Ambassador Randhir Kumar Jaiswal conferred the award to the high achieving Indians during a glittering, power-packed ceremony organized by Maneesh Media in New York City on January 28, 2023.

Other luminaries who were honored at the colorful event included: Dr. Bharat Barai, eminent oncologist and co-author of Modi@20: Dreams Meet Delivery; Chairman of Maneesh Media Chandmal Kumawat; Darshan Singh Dhaliwal, Business magnet and philanthropist; Dr. H.R Shah, Chairman TV Asia; and, Indian Panorama chief editor and publisher Prof. Indrajit S Saluja.

Shri Ram Nath Kovind, former President of India congratulated the 75 leading Indian Americans as the Jewels of India and released the lavishly mounted coffee table book profiling them.

Lauding the achievements and contributions to society of the Indian diaspora and of Indian Americans in particular, were Hon. Randhir Jaiswal, Consul General of India in New York, Mr Rangaswami, founder of Indiaspora, Dr Bharat Barai, oncologist and co-author of Modi@20: Dreams Meet Delivery, and Dr Kiran C Patel.

At the standing room only event, the massive coffee table book, Jewels of India in America, was released simultaneously in the ballroom as well as by Honorable Ram Nath Kovind in India, who spoke live via video link from Kochi. The book contains profusely illustrated profiles of 75 leading Indian American personalities, out of which about 25 were present in person to receive the honors from Consul General Jaiswal and other distinguished guests.

Notable honorees included Naveen Shah, CEO of Navika group; Vijaydev Ratanjee Mistry,  first trustee of the charitable foundation of his family that made a fortune in the hat business; Dr Vivek Lall, CEO, General Atomics Global Corporation, CA; Raj Gopal Asava, Founder, Hunger Mitao, TX; Kailash N Jhalani, President, Prompt Gem Importers; Dr Manbir Singh, Medical Director, McFarland Singh Medical Clinic, CA; Mohamad Faroqui, Founder, Print Early & New York Banner Stands; Dr Samin K Sharma, Director, Cardiovascular Clinical Institute Mount Sinai Hospital, NYC; Prof Indrajit Singh Saluja, Editor-Publisher of The Indian Panorama; and Sparsh Shah, a child prodigy, rapper and motivational speaker.

Patrons, Sponsors and Supporters included Foundation for Global Understanding, International University of Vedic Wellness, Indiaspora, Bulk Petroleum, Vijaydev Ratanjee Mistry Family Trust, Vardhamana Charitable Foundation and Print Early.

Kiran Patel was born in Zambia, Africa to Asian-Indian parents. He was educated under the British Educational System in Zambia and then got his diplomas from Cambridge University and The University of London. He then went to study medicine at Gujarat University in India and did his Internship in Africa. Dr. Patel did his residency in Internal Medicine in New Jersey in 1980. He completed a fellowship in the cardiology program affiliated with the Columbia University of New York in 1982.

Dr. Kiran moved to Tampa, Florida in 1982 and began his practice in cardiology. He was very successful and became a distinguished cardiologist in that area. He developed a physician practice management company and expanded throughout the Tampa Bay area, diverging into 14 practices including Family Medicine, Internal Medicine, Pediatrics and Cardiology.

Kiran was also in partnership with many point-of-service locations to form a multi-specialty network. This network helped patients access most medical services conveniently. He has actively engaged himself in managed care contracts and it has expanded considerably, providing care now for more than 80,000 patients. Apart from this, he has developed good associations with several HMOs and hospitals.

His success in managed care contracts led a group of doctors to seek his services to help them with an HMO in New Port Richey, Florida. Dr. Patel took up the project after discussing a pre-determined purchase option of the company. It was called the Well Care HMO, Inc. (Well Care). In 1992, Dr. Kiran Patel, along with Rupesh Shaw, CEO, and Pradip Patel, President, started a Medicaid managed care company. This company became the largest Medicaid provider in the state of Florida. He also helped to bring around the struggling HMO, WellCare of New York and Connecticut.

He worked with more than 95 hospitals and a few hundred physicians in settling past due medical claims. Dr. Kiran Patel provided an additional $15 million in equity through Conversion of Brow and infused $10 million of new capital and acquired 55 percent of the publicly held Well Care Management Group.

Between 1995 and 2002, Dr. Kiran Patel built it into a billion-dollar company, providing services to more than 450,000 members, employing more than 1,200 employees and operating in Florida, New York and Connecticut.

He is presently serving as Chairman of Visionary Medical Systems. He believes that the Visionary Office will reduce the paperwork for physicians and give them more time to devote to their patients. He is a member on the following organizations: Fellow of American College of Cardiology; American Medical Association, American College of Physicians, American Association of Physicians from the South East Asia, Past Chair Scholarship Committee.

The Drs. Kiran C. and Pallavi Patel Family Foundation focuses on bettering the world through health, education, and culture. The impact of their extraordinary generosity is evident across the globe, particularly in Florida, India, and Africa. While actively initiating projects, the Drs. Patel also respond in times of need.

When a major earthquake devastated villages throughout Gujarat, India, killing thousands, collapsing buildings and homes, and leaving masses of crippled people and orphaned children, Dr. Kiran C. Patel took action. He united the Tampa Bay community and the American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (which he was a member of) and led an effort that rehabilitated villagers’ homes, constructed an orphanage and model school, and created four modern hospitals. More recently, the Patels helped NSU to deliver emergency supplies to hurricane-ravaged Puerto Rico.

With the Jewels of India in America Part 2 (part 1 was released 10 years ago) Maneesh Media also celebrated its 50th publication over a proud journey of 23 years. All of their publications have been often released and endorsed by top dignitaries such as US Presidents, Indian President, Vice President, Prime Ministers and have reached the Indian community across the world.

With offices in New York, Toronto and Jaipur, Founder Chandmal Kumawat is ably supported by his 3 sons, Maneesh Media directors Manish, Abhishek and Siddharth. Manish and Siddharth were at hand managing the event on January 28, which also celebrated India’s Republic Day. Siddharth proposed the vote of thanks.

Entertaining the 250+ guests in the overflowing ballroom at the Mandarin Oriental premier 5-star hotel in the heart of Manhattan were plumed showgirls, Arya Dance Academy’s Bollywood performances, and Sparsh Shah belting out a patriotic song and a rap-raga fusion number.

Two world-renowned Mathematicians of Indian origin from the US and Canada are among the 106 recipients of the prestigious Padma Awards, one of the highest civilian honors of the country, according to the Government of India, announced on the eve of India’s 74^th Republic Day.

Indian-American S.R. Srinivasa Varadhan has been chosen to be honored with the Padma Vibhushan and Indo-Canadian Sujatha Ramdorai will be conferred with the Padmi Shri for their stellar contributions in the field of science and engineering.

Born in Chennai on January 2, 1940, Srinivasa Varadhan is known for his fundamental contributions to probability theory. The Mathematics professor was awarded the 2007 Abel Prize by the Norwegian Academy of Sciences and Letters “for his fundamental contributions to probability theory and in particular for creating a unified theory of large deviations”.

Armed with a master’s degree (1960) from the University of Madras, Varadhan earned his doctorate (1963) from the Indian Statistical Institute in Calcutta. In 1963, Varadhan came from India as a postdoctoral fellow to the Courant Institute in New York and never left. He is currently Professor of Mathematics and Frank J Gould Professor of Science at the Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences.

He was awarded the Birkhoff Prize (1994), the Margaret and Herman Sokol Award of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, New York University (1995), and the Leroy Steele Prize (1996). In 2008, the Indian government awarded him the Padma Bhushan.

Associated with the University of British Columbia, Canada, Sujatha Ramdorai is an algebraic number theorist known for her work on the Iwasawa theory. She is the first Indian to win the prestigious International Centre for Theoretical Physics Ramanujan Prize in 2006 and also a winner of the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Award in 2004.

She is also the recipient of the 2020 Krieger-Nelson Prize for her exceptional contributions to mathematics research. Having served at the National Knowledge Commission from 2007-2009, Ramdorai is currently a Member of the Scientific Advisory Council to the Prime Minister of India and a Member of the National Innovation Council.

She completed her B.Sc. in 1982 from St Joseph’s College, Bengaluru, and then got her MSc from Annamalai University in 1985. Ramdorai did her Ph.D in the area of Quadratic forms over function fields and Witt rings of varieties from Tata Institute of Fundamental Research.

The Padma Awards are conferred by the President of India usually around March/April every year. This year, a total of 106 Padma awards will be conferred to personalities across varied disciplines.

The Awards are given in three categories: Padma Vibhushan (for exceptional and distinguished service), Padma Bhushan (distinguished service of higher order) and Padma Shri (distinguished service).

On New Year’s Day, it was a dream come true for US-settled Keralite Surendran K. Pattel as he was sworn in as the judge of 240th Judicial District Court in Texas’ Fort Bend county.

District judges are chosen through elections in the US and Pattel, 51, defeated the sitting judge in the first round of the election to become the first Malayalee to be a district judge in the US. Indian-origin attorney in Texas Surendran K Pattel sworn in as the judge of 240th Judicial District Court in Texas’ Fort Bend County, The Week magazine reported. Born to daily wagers in Kasaragod, the 51-year-old grew up in Kerala.

Pattel’s path to the post was far from easy and was due to his determination, hard work, and the willingness to fight his way upward, as he was not born with a silver spoon in his mouth. As his parents were daily wage earners, he, to make both ends meet, had to work as ‘bidi’ roller and soon became an expert. Life was tough for him when he took a break for a year after his Class 10.

To help the family, he worked through school and college. Pattel even beedis to earn money and also worked as a labourer in his teens, said the report, adding, Pattel decided not to continue his education after class 10th.

He completed his further education and bachelor’s degree, while engaging in part-time work including as a daily laborer so as to earn his livelihood, but never let it affect his studies.

After enrolling for LLB at a college in Kozhikode, he worked in a hotel and in 1995, he passed the law exam. ttendance owing to which the professors refused to allow him to sit for exams. Pleading the teachers, he said, “I told them that if I do not score well, I will discontinue. But when the results came, I became the topper. So, the next year, they were so cooperative with me. I graduated from college as a topper.”

Then came his marriage to Shubha, a nurse by profession and he moved base to Delhi and was practicing at the Supreme Court.

In 2007, his wife got an opportunity to work in the US and he too joined her and since his passion was law, he, after working in a supermarket for a while, appeared for the Texas bar exam and cleared it.

He then got admission for the LL.M program at the University of Houston Law Center, passed it with flying colors, and began work as a lawyer again. This New Year’s Day, he wrote himself into the record books.

Gautam Adani, India’s richest and the world’s third richest person, has been crowned ‘Asia’s busiest dealmaker’ by Bloomberg.

Adani stands out for being the only person on the Bloomberg billionaires list to have gained wealth this year – he added $44.6 billion to his wealth while the other nine combined lost $259.3 billion.

Key among Adani’s deals this year were the $10.5 billion ACC and Ambuja Cements acquisition from Swiss construction giant Holcim, and Israel’s Haifa port purchase.

Gautam Adani’s rise to the top echelons of the world’s richest people has been meteoric. Adani is also the only person in the top ten in the Bloomberg’s Billionaires Index to have actually added to his wealth this year

His group companies – spanning ports and energy – have been firing on all cylinders and making both Adani as well as other investors richer – Adani added $44.6 billion to his wealth in 2022 till date. In contrast, the other nine billionaires on Bloomberg’s Billionaires Index cumulatively lost $259.3 billion in the period.

Overall, the seven listed Adani Group companies have added ₹8.55 lakh crore in market capitalisation this year.

This stellar growth in his wealth saw him briefly rank as the second-richest person in the world, only behind Elon Musk.

Currently ranked third on the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, Adani’s wealth is estimated at $121 billion, down from a peak of $150 billion, scaled in September this year.

French business magnate and LVMH founder Bernard Arnault – with $165 billion and Elon Musk – with $138 billion are the only two people richer than Adani. Often pitted against India’s other richest man Mukesh Ambani, Adani has left Reliance Industries’ chief – whose wealth is estimated at $86.9 billion – far behind in the race of the richest.

‘Asia’s busiest dealmaker’

Success of the Ahmedabad-born Adani’s business empire has helped him top the list of the sixth edition of the ‘Bloomberg 50’ –a list of the most influential people in global business this year. His aggressive acquisitions during the year have also earned him the tag of ‘Asia’s busiest dealmaker,’ with the crown jewel being the acquisition of cement giants ACC and Ambuja Cements from Swiss construction major Holcim for $10.5 billion.

So far in 2022, Gautam Adani has struck deals across the ports, construction, media and energy businesses.

Adani started the year with the listing of Adani Wilmar, an FMCG company, on the bourses in February. This was just in time to leverage the benefits of the Russia-Ukraine war, which sent edible oil prices boiling and boosted the company’s revenue and stock price.

Later in July, Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone announced it had won a tender to privatise Israel’s Haifa port in a deal valued at $1.18 billion. “In the long run, this is a tremendous port as we anticipate Israel becoming a connection both for Europe and the Middle East, and therefore we stand to benefit from the new possible trade lanes that will be created,” said Karan Adani, CEO, Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone, announcing the purchase.

The biggest deal of the year for the Adani Group, was the $10.5 billion acquisition of ACC and Ambuja Cements from Holcim in September. Together, these two companies propelled the Adani Group to become the second-largest cement maker in the country in terms of market capitalization, only behind UltraTech Cement.

$70-billion green energy ambitions and the ‘over-leveraged’ concerns

In September this year, Adani also announced an ambitious $70 billion new energy plan that would see the conglomerate setting up three giga factories – one each to manufacture solar modules, wind turbines and hydrogen electrolysers – by 2030.

However, the billionaire faced a bazooka from CreditSights, a Fitch Ratings company, which came out with a report stating that the Adani Group’s ambitious growth plans could spiral into a debt trap. This spooked investors, resulting in the Adani Group companies shedding ₹94,000 crore market capitalisation in a single day. (Business Insider)

After $18 Trillion Rout, Global Stocks Face More Hurdles in 2023

More tech tantrums. China’s Covid surge. And above all, no central banks riding to the rescue if things go wrong. Reeling from a record $18 trillion wipeout, global stocks must surmount all these hurdles and more if they are to escape a second straight year in the red.

With a drop of more than 20 per cent in 2022, the MSCI All-Country World Index is on track for its worst performance since the 2008 crisis, as jumbo interest rate hikes by the Federal Reserve more than doubled 10-year Treasury yields – the rate underpinning global capital costs.

Bulls looking ahead at 2023 might take solace in the fact that two consecutive down years are rare for major equity markets – the S&P 500 index has fallen for two straight years on just four occasions since 1928. The scary thing though, is that when they do occur, drops in the second year tend to be deeper than in the first.

Dr. Ravi Parikh was awarded the Spring 2022 Visionary Award from Real World Ophthalmology, RWO, an award bestowed “to a young ophthalmologist whose work demonstrates qualities of exceptional foresight, creativity, advocacy, and vision,” the company said.

Dr. Parikh was also recently named Director of Healthcare Delivery Research (Dept of Ophthalmology) New York University Grossman School of Medicine/NYU Langone Health.

For the RWO Visionary Award, Dr. Parikh, who is with Manhattan Retina & Eye, was sponsored by Aerie Pharmaceuticals.

For his new appointment, he has been credited with work done as a practicing retina specialist and Chairman at Manhattan Retina and Eye and for leading and publishing studies on how to better deliver healthcare to prevent and treat blindness.

Dr. Parikh is recognized for his work as part of the American Academy of Ophthalmology’s Health Policy Committee and American Society for Retina Specialists Federal affairs committee where he has been advocating and helping shape policy to better deliver eye care.

For this work and continued mentorship/leadership, he was  named Director of the Department of Ophthalmology Healthcare Delivery Research at Grossman, to help further improve healthcare delivery and mentor students and doctors in training. At the same time, he continued his clinical work as Chairman of Manhattan Retina and Eye.

Michigan State Rep. Shri Thanedar, D-Detroit, made history by becoming Michigan’s first Indian-American elected member of the U.S. House of Representatives. Democrat Shri Thanedar – an Indian-American entrepreneur and current state representative – will represent most of Detroit in Washington, D.C., starting next year, after beating Republican Martell Bivings in the US Mid Term election held on November 8^th, 2022.

Thanedar, 67, earned more than 72% of the vote when the Associated Press called the U.S. House District 13 race over Bivings, 35.

His election also means that, for the first time since 1955, no Black member of Congress will represent Detroit, the largest majority-Black city in the U.S. n the next Congress that begins in January, Thanedar will join U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Detroit, who is Palestinian-American. Detroit has been represented by at least one Black member in Congress since 1955, when the late U.S. Rep. Charles Diggs, D-Detroit, was sworn in. As recently as 2017, the city had two Black members in the U.S. House.

Thanedar put out a message on Twitter, claiming victory. In it, he said, “We did it! … I’m honored to be the next Representative in Congress for the 13th District!”

Thanedar said he plans to fight for residents concerned about rising costs, public safety and the erosion of civil rights. “I am committed to fighting for us and (will) take on the special interests that dominate our politics,” he said. “I will stand up for working families and everyday Americans to fight for economic prosperity, racial justice, to protect our rights, and put our government to work for our neighborhoods and communities.”

Thanedar is a former candidate for Michigan governor who ran on his success as an entrepreneur. Thanedar beat out a crowded field of Democrats running for the open seat, including state Rep. Adam Hollier, Portia Roberson, John Conyers III and Sherry Gay-Dagnogo.

Thanedar, an immigrant from India, earned a Ph.D. from Akron in 1982 and an M.B.A. from Fontbonne University in 1988. He is a pro-choice candidate who supports expanding background checks for guns, expanding voting access, and a single-payer healthcare system.

The four Indian-American incumbents — Bera and Ro Khanna (California), Pramila Jayapal (Washington state), and Raja Krishnamoorthi (Illinois) — have either been re-elected or are on the verge of being officially announced as winners in the House race by Wednesday.

They will be joined by Shri Thanedar from Michigan, who will become the first lawmaker of Maharashtrian-origin to be elected to the lower chamber of the US Congress. In a recent interview to HT, Thanedar described his roots in Belgaum, where he grew up and worked as a cashier in the State Bank of India, and Mumbai, where he pursued his masters and worked as a scientific assistant at the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, before migrating to the US in 1979, at the age of 24.

“Health care, education and demanding and fighting for racial equality. I consider it my responsibility to help people of colour and fight discrimination,” Thanedar said.

“Growing up in abject poverty, I never would have thought I would have this opportunity to serve in the House of Representatives,” Thanedar said in a news release. “This truly is an honor of a lifetime. Thank you to my amazing team, my family, volunteers, and voters who helped make this campaign successful.”

An emergency medicine doctor will be a new voice in Harrisburg. Democrat Arvind Venkat appears to have won the race for state house district 30.

“I got into this race because I saw over the last few years how we needed new leadership who was going to bring to our community an emphasis on lifting up the least among us,” said Venkat. “When we do that, we do the best for all of us.”

Voters were faced with choosing between Democrat Arvind Venkat, a McCandless physician and Republican Cindy Kirk, a nurse administrator and former County Council member.

One of the most closely watched state House matchups is in House District 30, covering the North Hills suburbs of McCandless and Franklin Park, as well as Kilbuck, Emsworth, Ben Avon, and parts of Hampton Township.

There was no incumbent because HD 30 changed so much in the most recent redistricting. It’s now almost evenly split between Democrats and Republicans and is considered a swing seat.

Venkat ran on familiar Democratic themes of protecting access to abortion in Pennsylvania — an issue many Democrats hope will propel them to victory — as well as adequately funding public services, making health care more affordable and accessible, voting rights and addressing gun violence.

Republicans hold a wide majority in the state House, with 113 members, compared to only 90 Democrats.

Dr. Thomas Mathew Joys (Dr. Mathew Joys), a member of the Editorial Team at The Universal News Network (ww.theunn.com) and a prolific writer, commentator and social activist from Las Vegas in the United States has been honored with the FOKANA  Literary Award, which is described as America’s most popular literary award among the Malayalee American community.

Dr. Mathew Joys was chosen for the award for his book, American Aadukal (Goats of America), a collection of various articles published in various media, and compiled as a popular book, released by K P Publications, London.

FOKANA’s Literary works selected various branches of Malayalam literature and honored outstanding contributions with awards at a special ceremony in conjunction with the FOKANA Global Convention at the Hilton Double Tree Hotel in Disney Orlando in the summer of 2022.

Since its inception in 1982, FOKANA’s literary awards have been recognized by Malayalam literature lovers all over the world. The Fokana Sahitya Puraskar, which is one of the most important literary awards in Malayalam, has been awarded to many famous writers of Malayalam, both dead and alive.

Among other Awardees honored with Fokana Literary Award for Best Perspectives on Social Media include; Poem in Limca Books of Records Award-winning anthology, Gandhi Peace Global Essay Competition Award – Drug Free Kerala (2021).

Dr. Mathew Joys is a regular Columnist and Journalist in various print and digital media, in the US and India. He is also a creative author and authored many books including ‘Oh My Beloved’ an interpretation of the Song of Songs in the Bible, and ‘American Aadukal’ (the Goats of America) are a few. He is the Executive Editor for the JAIHINDVARTHA Newspaper from New York and Associate Editor for Express Herald and editorial board member for the NERKAZHCHA Weekly from Houston. He is the Regional Reporter for the Global Reporter TV channel.

After his studies in Bangalore, his career began in India at the Finance department of the Indian Government and extended his abilities to be the Rotaract/Rotary club Director and National General Secretary of Employees Federation (NTC) in India. His philanthropic activities and leadership in different projects of social importance at his homeland at Kottayam are commendable and recognized.

As a founder member of the Indo American Press Club, who had served as the secretary and as the Vice Chairman of its Board of Directors, Dr. Joys has been an active member and leader of the pioneering media group in the United States He has been the Chief Editor of IAPC Annual Souvenirs since its inception. He is also the Global Chairman of the Media and Publicity of the Global Indian Council. He is now settled in Las Vegas, Nevada with his wife Dr. Alice Mathew, who is also a Professor in UNLV and a renowned YouTube channel anchor on her own Cookery and Gardening videos.

Eminent Indian-American entrepreneur and activist Swadesh Chatterjee, who is known for his immense contribution to strengthening the U.S.-India relationship over the past three decades, has been presented with the highest award by the U.S. State of North Carolina.

North Carolina’s Governor Ray Cooper presented the Order of the Long Leaf Pine to Mr. Chatterjee, 75, at a ceremony on October 21 in Cary, a town in the state.

Chatterjee is an Indian-American entrepreneur and activist who is passionate about strengthening the US-India relationship, and received the Padma Bhushan from the Indian Government in 2001. 

According to former American Ambassador to India and Indiaspora member Rich Verma, Chatterjee has been at the center of the key moments that have brought the two governments together, including President Bill Clinton’s trip to India in 2000, which he attended with the president. He also played a big role in the US-India Civil Nuclear deal.

The governor described Mr. Chatterjee as “a spark plug among us” as he applauded his contribution not only to the development of North Carolina but also to the India-U.S. relationship and enriching the cultural milieu of the United States.

America’s former ambassador to India, Rich Verma, said Mr. Chatterjee who received Padma Bhushan from the Indian Government in 2001, has been at the centre of the key moments that have brought the Indian and U.S. governments closer.

Beginning in 2000 when things started to turn upward in the India-U.S. relationship, Mr. Chatterjee “was at the centre of the quintessential events that have defined modern U.S.-India ties”.

The key developments included former president Bill Clinton’s trip to India in 2000 when he brought to India a message of hope and renewal in the partnership.

“Swadesh was not only on the trip with the president, but he was also one of the community leaders who made the trip happen,” he said.

Mr. Chatterjee played a big role in the U.S.-India Civil Nuclear deal, he said, adding that he was instrumental in the evolution of bipartisan support to this relationship over the past two decades.

Indian-American Congressman Ro Khanna recognised him as a great leader for the national Indian American community.

He said that Mr. Chatterjee was one of the very first Indian Americans in the entire country to get politically engaged.

“He has been instrumental in really forging a post-Cold War relationship between the United States and India, which is going to be critical as we see the rise of China,” he said.

In a video message, India’s Ambassador to the U.S. Taranjit Singh Sandhu said that Mr. Chatterjee put in tireless efforts to strengthen bilateral ties between India and the US.

“He is an example of how the diaspora plays an important role in creating a better understanding of India in the United States and vice versa,” Mr. Sandhu said.

In his acceptance speech, Mr. Chatterjee said that the India-U.S. relationship has come a long way thanks to the efforts of the Indian-American community in the state and in the U.S.

“But, there are still a lot more important challenges to be done, because the world has changed drastically in the last five-six years,” he said.

“The U.S.-India partnership has just scratched the surface in global health, education, clean energy, and innovation,” Mr. Chatterjee said.

“I am really optimistic and also very gung ho about the future of the U.S.- India relationship,” he said.

The U.S. midterm elections on Nov. 8th will almost certainly add a member to the “samosa caucus”, as the Indian Americans in Congress call themselves, with the likely election of Shri Thanedar to the House of Representatives from the Democratic Party stronghold of Detroit, Michigan. He could become the fifth Indian American member of Congress if all the other four are re-elected – a very strong possibility according to forecasts.

An entrepreneur and self-made millionaire Thanedar, 67, who was born in Belgaum in India, is an unlikely Democratic Party candidate for the constituency covering a chunk of Detroit, a city that is overwhelmingly African American. He is currently a State Representative.

Although the eight African American candidates split the votes in the intra-party election in August for the Democratic Party’s nomination that virtually guarantees success in the general election, Thanedar’s story of coming up from poverty – having once worked as a janitor – to become a successful businessman and his message of economic upliftment for the community struck a chord with party members.

FiveThirtyEight, an election data analysis outfit, puts his chances of winning at 99 per cent against the Republican candidate Martell Bivings, who is an African American.

The four current members of the “samosa caucus” – all Democrats – appear to be comfortably placed for re-election according to polls and analytical forecasts. FiveThirtyEight rated all of them as “very likely” to win.

One of them, Krishnamoorthi found his constituency located around Chicago in Illinois slightly altered with the addition of some Republican-leaning areas in the redrawing that takes place every ten years. He has expressed doubts about his chances, even headlining an appeal to his supporters, “I could lose”.

But a poll in his constituency gave him a six per cent lead over Republican Chris Dargis and Politico Forecast had him likely winning while FiveThirtyEight gave him a 98 per cent chance of victory. Politico Forecast said the constituencies of the other three were “solidly Democratic”.

In California, FiveThirtyEight gave a 99 per cent chance of victory for Ro Khanna who is running against another Indian American, Republican candidate Ritesh Tanden, It set Ami Bera’s odds in California at 98 per cent and Premila Jayapal’s at 99 per cent in Washington State.

There are also other Indian Americans running for Congress with almost no chance of winning, but could use the opportunity to raise their profile. They include Republicans Sandeep Srivastava in Texas and Rishi Kumar in California each with a FiveThirtyEight odds of one per cent,

Earlier, in the Republican primary elections to select candidates, Abhiram Garapati lost in Texas and Hima Kolanagireddy in Michigan. Shrina Kurani, a Democratic, lost the open primary in California.

Sri Preston Kulkarni, who ran for the House from Texas in 2018 and 2020 as Democrat is not running again. A former diplomat, he lost his election by less than seven per cent of the votes after it was sabotaged by some fellow Democrats with an anti-Hindu agenda who made an issue of his participation in the “Howdy Modi” rally in Houston in 2019 that featured India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi and former President Donald Trump, and legal election contributions from Hindus.

Another Democrat, Hiral Tipirneni, who lost by less than five per cent in Arizona in 2020. is also not contesting this time. Thanedar, who is now a Michigan state legislator, ran unsuccessfully for the Democratic party nomination for governor in 2018. He came to the US in 1979 and got his PhD in chemistry and an MBA.

He took out loans to buy a company he worked for, Chemir, and built it from a $150,000 company to one with a revenue of $14 million before selling it for $26 million, according to his LinkedIn page. He next started Avomeen Analytical Services, a chemical testing laboratory.

He sold the majority stakes in it in 2016 and, according to his campaign bio, retired to get involved in public service to answer “the call to fight for social, racial and economic justice”.

Thanedar said on his campaign site that he grew up in poverty in a family of ten in India and worked in odd jobs to support his family after his father retired.

“I’ll never forget what it’s like to live in poverty, and I’ll never stop working to lift Detroit families out of it”, he wrote.

Indian Americans, who make up barely 1 per cent of the US population and number about four million, have a disproportionately large profile for any ethnic community with a growing presence in all areas of American life, from politics to administration, medicine to academics, business to entertainment.

The contributions of the NRI community have been acknowledged more than once by President Joe Biden, who held one of the largest Diwali parties at the White House Sunday, and said “As we host the official White House Diwali reception, we are honoured to light the diya surrounded by members of the most diverse Administration in American history–led by Vice President Kamala Harris, the first Black American and South Asian American to become Vice President.”

Harris, whose mother is from India, said, “I have personally such fond members of celebrating Diwali as a child” when visiting her family in India.

According to the Voice of America, cheers erupted from the crowd when President Biden noted Monday’s news that Rishi Sunak is set to become the first person of Indian origin to become British prime minister, calling the development “pretty astounding” and “a groundbreaking milestone.” (By special arrangement with South Asia Monitor)

After two years of hosting annual organizational meets virtually, “Ekal Vidyalaya Foundation (EVF)”, last week hosted an in-person ‘International Conference’ in Chicago for its USA, Canada and India components to review and recalibrate the roadmap for the future. The main agenda of the conference was to put ‘Ekal’ (as it is popularly known) on the FastTrack after some setbacks in 2020-21 due to Covid pandemic. Thus, Ekal is launching a new technology driven era by appointing Dr. Subra Dravida, V.P. of ‘Qualcomm’s technology division as the new President of Ekal-USA. 

After the previous President, Suresh Iyer, himself a successful entrepreneur in the field of ‘Information Technology’ had brought EVF to the threshold of digitized world, Subraji’s appointment as his successor was inevitable. Dr Subra Dravida, a well-known brilliant mind from New England’s technology hub, has been associated with Ekal for some time now. He had been the President of New England Chapter of Ekal for 4 years, then a member of ‘Board of Directors’ and recently, an Executive V.P., working closely with Suresh Iyer and Ekal-USA Chairman, Arun Gupta. 

Subraji received his B. Tech in Electrical Engineer from IIT, Madras in 1979 and earned his M.S. and Ph.D. from RPI, Troy, NY in 1980 and 1984. From 1984 to 1998, he worked at Bell Labs in Holmdel, NJ. In 1998, he moved to Massachusetts to work in a start-up, MaxComm Technologies, as VP of Engineering before subsequently ending up as V.P. of Technology with Qualcomm. Subraji has over 50 Patents in Networking and Cellular Communications and has numerous research papers to his credit.

 ‘Ekal’ is the largest literacy movement globally undertaken by NRIs and Indians, that also provide healthcare training, economic empowerment and integrated village development to the rural folks. Currently, it is running 78,000 schools that is grooming 2.1 million each year across rural-tribal parts of India. When asked about what initially attracted him to Ekal, Subraji said, “I had been attending Ekal fund raisers for some time and it is Ekal’s concept of running a whole school for mere $365 a year is what pulled me in”. 

He further added that,” this modest amount transforms permanently the lives of about 30 children and indirectly that of the whole community and so what better investment there could be for the brighter future of India”.  Dr Subra Dravida has generously supported Ekal from the beginning. He has sponsored ‘Ekal-on-wheels’ (mobile computer training van) for Telangana and supported ‘Integrated Village Development’ for Andhra Pradesh.  As for his vision, Subraji wants digital technology, equipped with tablets and computers to transform education, train teachers, add vocational skills and expand Ekal’s reach. Swami Vivekananda has been the guiding light in his life’s journey and according to him, ‘Jnâna (knowledge), Bhakti (dedication), and Karma yoga (selfless efforts) all converge at one point in Ekal’

Saudi Arabia’s powerful Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has been appointed prime minister – a post that is traditionally held by the king. 

The 37-year-old son of King Salman bin Abdulaziz, 86, is already seen the de facto ruler of the oil-rich Gulf state.

A royal decree announcing his promotion from deputy PM and defense minister cited an exception to the Basic Law. 

An official told Reuters news agency the move was in line with the king’s previous delegation of duties to him.

“The crown prince… already supervises the main executive bodies of the state on a daily basis, and his new role as prime minister is within that context,” the official said.

Ali Shihabi, a Saudi analyst close to the royal court, tweeted that Mohammed bin Salman’s promotion “formalises his actual role and eliminated previous protocol issues of seniority with other heads of government”, adding: “He ranks now as a head of government de jure, not just de facto”.

The king, who has been admitted to hospital twice this year, will continue to chair the cabinet meetings he attends.

The decree named another of his sons, Prince Khalid bin Salman, as the new defence minister. A third, Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman, remains in the key role of energy minister in the world’s biggest oil exporter. 

In terms of protocol, this is a significant move that further cements the generational handover of power from the frail and ageing King Salman to his favoured son. In practical terms, though, this changes little. 

The post of prime minister is largely symbolic in a country where all the reins of power already rest with the senior members of the ruling Al Saud family. Power is centred on the royal court and specifically in the hands of Mohammed Bin Salman. Since becoming defence minister in 2015 and then crown prince in 2017, “MBS” as he is known, has shown a ruthless political canniness. 

With his father’s blessing, he first placed all the centres of power under his control, namely the National Guard, the interior ministry and the armed forces. He then systematically removed any possible challengers to his rule, both royal and non-royal, including the man America expected to be next in line to the throne: former crown prince Mohammed Bin Nayef, who has spent his recent years effectively under house arrest.

Mohammed bin Salman has won plaudits for some of the social and economic reforms he has overseen in the conservative Gulf kingdom, including lifting the ban on women driving and seeking to diversify the economy away from oil.

But he has also been heavily criticised for pursuing a war in Yemen that has caused a humanitarian catastrophe and for cracking down on dissent, with hefty prison sentences handed down even for critical social media posts.

The prince’s international reputation suffered significant damage after the Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi, a prominent critic of his policies, was killed by Saudi agents at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in 2018. US intelligence agencies concluded that he had approved an operation to capture or kill Khashoggi, but he denied any involvement.

A surge in global oil prices triggered by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has seen the prince re-embraced by Western leaders in recent months, with US President Joe Biden visiting him in Jeddah in July despite having once vowed to make Saudi Arabia “the pariah that they are” over Khashoggi’s murder. (BBC)

The content and delivery of the programs at the 2022 NCLF in-person conference were offered by AAUC’s various multi-cultural groups, which represent seven or more ethnicities.

he Asian American Unity Coalition (AAUC) is hosting the National Civil Leadership Forum (NCLF) 2022 convention at the Paris Las Vegas Hotel and Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada from Sept.11–13, 2022. The two-day conference aims to connect Asian Americans who have engaged in noteworthy causes.

Speaking of the event, Angela Anand, vice president, AAUC, said that the conference will have a lot of Indian flavors including Bollywood music and dance along with other Asian communities’ participation. She further added, “I wanted to point out that even in awards and in panels, there is a lot of Indian participation.”

Salman Rushdie, the renowned author who was brutally attacked two days ago, is slowly recovering after suffering stab wounds in the neck and chest, his family says.

“Though his life changing injuries are severe, his usual feisty & defiant sense of humour remains intact,” the author’s son, Zafar Rushdie, wrote in a statement on Twitter on Sunday.

The novelist was taken off a ventilator and able to speak “a few words,” according to his son. However, Rushdie remains in critical condition, he added, and will stay in the hospital to receive “extensive ongoing medical treatment.”

Salman Rushdie, whose ‘The Satanic Verses’ led to death threats against him for blasphemy, was attacked while participating in an event in New York state, media reports said.

India-born Rushdie, 75, was speaking at an event of the Chautauqua Institution when a man ran onto the stage and either punched or stabbed him, the BBC reported citing eyewitnesses.

According to reports, amid gasps of horror from the audience, a few people ran onstage and managed to restrain the assailant, while others rushed to the aid of the author who had collapsed on the stage.

In a statement late Friday night, Rushdie’s agent Andrew Wylie said: “The news is not good… Salman will likely lose one eye; the nerves in his arm were severed; and his liver was stabbed and damaged,” dpa news agency reported.

The attacker stormed the stage at the event held in the Chautauqua Institution attended by hundreds of people at around 11 a.m. on Friday and stabbed the 75-year-old Indian-born novelist, according to a police spokesman.

Hadi Matar, a 24-year-old from Fairview, N.J., was charged with attempted murder and assault, New York State Police said. On Saturday, Matar pleaded not guilty, according to The Associated Press. He continues to be held without bail, police said.

Rushdie was treated by a doctor who was in the audience until rescue workers arrived and took the author to hospital by helicopter. He was stabbed at least once in the neck and in the abdomen, authorities said

The attacker is thought to have acted alone, the spokesman added. Iran denied any involvement Monday in last week’s attack that left author Salman Rushdie with severe injuries after he was stabbed in the neck and abdomen onstage at an event in western New York.

In its first public reaction to the stabbing, Iran said Rushdie and his supporters were to blame for the attack, more than three decades after Tehran issued a directive for Muslims to kill Rushdie because of his book “The Satanic Verses,” published in 1988.

Rushdie was giving a lecture at a cultural centre as part of a series titled “More than Shelter” which intended to discuss the US as a safe haven for exiled writers and persecuted artists.

Because of his 1988 work “The Satanic Verses”, a fatwa was issued against Rushdie by then-Iranian revolutionary leader Ayatollah Khomeini calling for the author’s death.

Some Muslims felt their religious sensibilities were offended by the work. Whether Friday’s attack was at all related to the decades-old fatwa was unclear.

Rushdie’s publisher last year said the fatwa has long since stopped affecting the author’s life, and that he is no longer restricted in where he goes and no longer needs bodyguards. The writer told German magazine Stern days earlier that he felt safe in the US, and that the threat was from a long time ago.

Writers including JK Rowling and Stephen King expressed their horror at the attack. US writers’ organization PEN America said it was “reeling from shock and horror at word of a brutal, premeditated attack” on Rushdie.

“Salman Rushdie has been targeted for his words for decades but has never flinched nor faltered,” PEN America chief executive Suzanne Nossel said in a statement.

Rushdie was born in Mumbai in 1947, the year of Indian independence. He later studied history at Cambridge University in Britain. He had his breakthrough as an author with the book “Midnight’s Children”, which was awarded the prestigious Booker Prize in 1981.

In it, he tells the story of India’s detachment from the British Empire based on the life stories of protagonists who are born at the precise moment of independence and are endowed with supernatural abilities.

Rushdie has published more than two dozen fiction, non-fiction, and other writings overall. His style is referred to as Magic Realism, in which realistic events are interwoven with fantastic elements.

Indian American Frank Islam will be one of the 21 members of the Commission on Presidential Scholars. Islam will be a part of the 21-member commission which includes prominent Americans from different walks of life. According to the White House press release, the commission will be led by Margaret Aitken Haggerty, a communications professional who served as the spokesperson and press secretary for Biden during his Senate days.

The Commission on Presidential Scholars is responsible for selecting 161 Presidential Scholars from academics, the arts, career, and technical education.

Islam is currently the head of the FI Investment Group which is a private investment holding company. Previously, he owned an information technology firm called QSS Group which he sold in 2007. He has also served on several boards and advisory councils such as the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, the U.N. Foundation, the US Institute of Peace, and the Woodrow Wilson Center.

Moreover, Islam has been a part of the boards and councils at different universities including John Hopkins, American University, George Mason University, the University of Maryland, and Harvard University, according to the White House press release.

A prolific writer, Islam has also written about American politics for The Quint. In an interview with the American Bazaar, Islam expressed that the new appointment was an honor. “I look forward to serving on the Commission with the other members and collaborating with them to choose Scholars who will use this experience and already impressive accomplishments in order to build an even stronger and better America,” Islam said. 

Islam has authored books on the American political landscape, including: Working the Pivot Points: To Make America Work Again and Renewing the American Dream: A Citizen’s Guide for Restoring Our Competitive Advantage

He is a regular blogger on Medium and has been contributing to the Huffington Post for almost a decade. In 2018, Islam created the Frank Islam Institute for 21st Century Citizenship which tackles the civic engagement deficit and challenges to democracy within the US and on a global scale through its website and monthly newsletter.

Born in Aligarh, India, Islam moved to the United States in early 1970s to pursue a Bachelor’s Degree at the University of Colorado, in Boulder. After earning a bachelor’s and master’s degrees in computer science from the university, he worked for different companies for 20 years before creating his own, the QSS Group.

After exiting from the QSS, Islam and his wife, Debbie Driesman built a philanthropic foundation with an aim to promote education, art and culture, and peace and conflict-resolution.

Currently residing in Potomac, Maryland, just outside of Washington DC, Islam is a popular Democratic donor, and has raised millions of dollars for Democratic presidential nominees including Barack Obama, Hilary Clinton, and Joe Biden. (Courtesy: The Quint)

The Mississippi Board of Mental Health named Dr. Sampat Shivangi of Ridgeland as Chair and Stewart Rutledge of Oxford as Vice Chair, in effect from July 1, 2022. Dr. Shivangi was first appointed to the Board in 2009 by Gov. Haley Barbour and reappointed in 2016 by Gov. Phil Bryant, the press release from MBMH said.

Dr. Shivangi currently serves on the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration Center for Mental Health Services National Advisory Council, in the Biden administration, “A first for an Indian American physician, as well as Chair of Mississippi state Board of Mental Health,” Shivangi noted in an email message.

During his time on the Board of Mental Health, Dr. Shivangi has previously served as Chair, as well as numerous years serving on the Patient Care Subcommittee.

“He has taken an active role in efforts to promote suicide awareness and prevention, particularly those efforts related to postpartum depression awareness and treatment,” the press release said. In addition to his time on the Board of Mental Health, Shivangi previously served on the Mississippi State Board of Health. From 2005 to 2008, he served as Advisor to the US Secretary of Health and Human Services in the President George W. Bush administration. He is the founding president of the American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin in Mississippi and is the past president and chair of the India Association of Mississippi.

Dr. Shivangi represents the physician category on the Board of Mental Health The board is composed of nine members appointed by the governor of Mississippi and confirmed by the State Senate.

Dr. Sampat Shivangi has been a conservative life-long member of the Republican party, hailing from a strong Republican state of Mississippi.  He is the founding president of the American Association of Physicians of Indian-origin in Mississippi and is the past president and chair of the India Association of Mississippi. Advisor to US department of Health & Human Services at NHSC Washington, DC 2005-2008 President Bush Administration

A conservative life-long member of the Republican Party, Dr. Shivangi is the founding member of the Republican Indian Council and the Republican Indian National Council, which aim to work to help and assist in promoting President Elect Trump’s agenda and support his advocacy in the coming months.

As the National President of Indian American Forum for Political Education, one of the oldest Indian American Associations, Dr. Shivangi, has lobbied for several Bills in the US Congress on behalf of India through his enormous contacts with US Senators and Congressmen over the past three decades.

A close friend to the Bush family, Dr. Shivangi has been instrumental in lobbying for first Diwali celebration in the White House and for President George W. Bush to make his trip to India. He had accompanied President Bill Clinton during his historic visit to India.

Dr. Shivangi is a champion for women’s health and mental health, whose work has been recognized nationwide. Dr. Shivangi has worked enthusiastically in promoting India Civil Nuclear Treaty and recently the US India Defense Treaty that was passed in US Congress and signed by President Obama.

Dr. Sampat Shivangi, an obstetrician/gynecologist, has been elected by a US state Republican Party as a full delegate to the National Convention. He is one of the top fund-raisers in Mississipi state for the Republican Party. Besides being a politician by choice, the medical practitioner is also the first Indian to be on the American Medical Association, the apex law making body.

While moderating a session on “Latte with Legislators” organized by AAPI, Dr. Shivangi lamented that there is “a new wave of Anti-Indian American sentiments especially against Indian Physician group which makes up 15% of Doctors in the US.” Dr. Shivangi feels, “It may be due to Indian Americans have the highest per capita income and highest education level in the nation.”

Calling it as “prejudicial” Dr. Shivangi, urged that “we need to resolve this prejudice against minorities. With this in mind, I requested Congressmen Jamie Ruskin from Maryland to seek his advice and possible way to resolve this. Congressman Ruskin was very supportive and offered his unconditional support.”

President Joe Biden will present the nation’s highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, to 17 people, including Khizr Khan, An Immigrant From Pakistan, Actor  Denzel Washington, gymnast Simone Biles and the late John McCain, the Arizona Republican with whom Biden served in the U.S. Senate.

Biden will also recognize Sandra Lindsay, the New York City nurse who rolled up her sleeve on live television in December 2020 to receive the first COVID-19 vaccine dose that was pumped into an arm in the United States, the White House announced Friday last week.

The honorees who’ll receive medals from Biden “have overcome significant obstacles to achieve impressive accomplishments in the arts and sciences, dedicated their lives to advocating for the most vulnerable among us, and acted with bravery to drive change in their communities, and across the world, while blazing trails for generations to come,” the White House said.

The honor is reserved for people who have made exemplary contributions to the prosperity, values or security of the United States, world peace or other significant societal public or private endeavors, the White House said.

Biden’s honors list, which the White House shared first with The Associated Press, includes both living and deceased honorees from the worlds of Hollywood, sports, politics, the military, academia, and civil rights and social justice advocacy.

The Democratic president will present the medals at the White House next week. Biden himself is a medal recipient. President Barack Obama honored Biden’s public service as a longtime U.S. senator and vice president by awarding him a Presidential Medal of Freedom in January 2017, a week before they left office.

Biles is the most decorated U.S. gymnast in history, winning 32 Olympic and World Championship medals. She is an outspoken advocate on issues that are very personal to her, including athletes’ mental health, children in foster care and sexual assault victims. Lindsay became an advocate for COVID-19 vaccinations after receiving the first dose in the U.S.

McCain, who died of brain cancer in 2018, spent more than five years in captivity in Vietnam while serving in the U.S. Navy. He later represented Arizona in both houses of Congress and was the Republican presidential nominee in 2008. Biden said McCain was a “dear friend” and “a hero.”

Washington is a double Oscar-winning actor, director and producer. He also has a Tony award, two Golden Globes and the Cecil B. DeMille Lifetime Achievement Award. He is a longtime spokesperson for the Boys & Girls Clubs of America.

Sister Simone Campbell, a member of the Sister of Social Service and a former executive director of NETWORK, a Catholic social justice organization, will receive the nation’s highest civilian honor. 

The other 13 medal recipients are:

— Sister Simone Campbell. Campbell is a member of the Sister of Social Service and a former executive director of NETWORK, a Catholic social justice organization. She is an advocate for economic justice, overhauling the U.S. immigration system and health care policy.

— Julieta Garcia. A former president of the University of Texas at Brownsville, Garcia was the first Latina to become a college president, the White House said. She was named one of the nation’s best college presidents by Time magazine.

— Gabrielle Giffords. A former U.S. House member from Arizona, the Democrat founded Giffords, an organization dedicated to ending gun violence. She was shot in the head in January 2011 during a constituent event in Tucson and was gravely wounded.

— Fred Gray. Gray was one of the first Black members of the Alabama Legislature after Reconstruction. He was a prominent civil rights attorney who represented Rosa Parks, the NAACP and Martin Luther King Jr.

— Steve Jobs. Jobs was the co-founder, chief executive and chair of Apple Inc. He died in 2011.

— Father Alexander Karloutsos. Karloutsos is the assistant to Archbishop Demetrios of America. The White House said Karloutsos has counseled several U.S. presidents.

— Khizr Khan. An immigrant from Pakistan, Khan’s Army officer son was killed in Iraq. Khan gained national prominence, and became a target of Donald Trump’s wrath, after speaking at the 2016 Democratic National Convention.

— Diane Nash. A founding member of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, Nash organized some of the most important 20th century civil rights campaigns and worked with King.

— Megan Rapinoe. The Olympic gold medalist and two-time Women’s World Cup soccer champion captains the OL Reign in the National Women’s Soccer League. She is a prominent advocate for gender pay equality, racial justice and LGBTQI+ rights who has appeared at Biden’s White House.

— Alan Simpson. The retired U.S. senator from Wyoming served with Biden and has been a prominent advocate for campaign finance reform, responsible governance and marriage equality.

— Richard Trumka. Trumka had been president of the 12.5 million-member AFL-CIO for more than a decade at the time of his August 2021 death. He was a past president of the United Mine Workers.

— Wilma Vaught. A brigadier general, Vaught is one of the most decorated women in U.S. military history, breaking gender barriers as she has risen through the ranks. When Vaught retired in 1985, she was one of only seven female generals in the Armed Forces.

— Raúl Yzaguirre. A civil rights advocate, Yzaguirre was president and CEO of the National Council of La Raza for 30 years. He served as U.S. ambassador to the Dominican Republic under Obama.

By, President Joe Biden

President Joe Biden has nominated a high-ranking Indian-American lawyer for a federal judgeship in the Southern District of New York, on the recommendation of Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, June 9.

According to reports, Arun Subramanian, a partner at the law firm Susman Godfrey, has been nominated to be a judge on the prestigious U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. Subramanian once clerked for Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

A partner at Susman Godfrey, attorney Arun Subramanian is a member of the firm’s Executive Committee,  a former law clerk to three Federal judges, including Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and has been appointed by the Chief Justice of the United States to serve on the Advisory Committee for the Federal Rules of Evidence.

The official website of Suman Godfrtey states, Arun has tried and arbitrated high-stakes cases on both sides of the “v,” and has successfully recovered over a billion dollars for public and private entities who were the victims of fraud and other illegal conduct.  Arun’s expertise isn’t limited to any practice area. He has taken up the cause of public entities and whistleblowers in False Claims Act cases, victims of trafficking in child pornography, consumers and individuals injured by unfair and illegal practices, and has for over a decade focused on complex commercial litigation, including antitrust, patent infringement, and breach of contract cases.

Arun has been actively involved in a variety of landmark matters for Susman Godfrey. No matter the arena, Arun has a proven track record of success. This includes: Securing over $400 million for state and federal governmental entities in United States ex rel. Kester v. Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corp. Working collaboratively with state and federal enforcement agencies, Arun and his team at SG have recovered over $600 million for the public fisc in the False Claims Act arena.

He helped recover $590 million in settlements in the ongoing LIBOR price-fixing class action. Susman Godfrey, as co-lead counsel to the OTC plaintiffs, won class certification on behalf of the class and continues to pursue relief against the global banks alleged to have conspired to fix the “LIBOR” financial benchmark.

Arun achieved a complete jury victory in Tyler, Texas as co-lead counsel on behalf of defendant Globus Medical in a spinal insert patent infringement suit brought by Flexuspine, a local Tyler company. He was also credited of securing a trailblazing judgment victory of over $100 million for client Assured Guaranty against Flagstar Bank in one of the first trials concerning repurchases of faulty RMBS—a significant milestone in forcing banks to honor contractual commitments made which they sought to avoid after the financial crisis.

Outside of the courtroom, Arun contributes to the legal community by taking on pro bono cases and has for years served on the pro bono panel for the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. Arun serves as Chairperson of  Susman Godfrey’s 2022 Pro Bono Committee and is also a longtime Director of the Columbia Law Review, one of the Nation’s pre-eminent legal journals.  You can read Arun’s recent piece for the Review, honoring the career and legacy of the late Justice Ginsburg, here: “A Titan Among Us: On Dissents, Waymaking, and Strong Coffee.” Arun was recently named a member of the Development Committee for The Appellate Project, an organization that provides opportunities for minority lawyers and law students in the field of appellate law.

New York Mayor Eric Adams office announced the appointment of Dilip Chauhan as the Deputy Commissioner, Trade, Investment, and Innovation for International Affairs, thus, adding a leading South Asian to his team and 1st to the coveted position. Mr. Chauhan’s primary goal is to work to attract and retain businesses and foreign direct investments in the city as it recovers from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Thanking the Mayor in a statement, Mr. Chauhan said he is honored to have been entrusted with the importance task of establishing strong relationships between New York City, the diplomatic corps, and the international business community. He will work to amplify New York City as a global economic center and a hub for innovation, Mr. Chauhan added.

“Specifically, I will work to attract and retain businesses and foreign direct investments across our five boroughs as we recover from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic,” he said in the statement, adding that through the management of relationships with Consulates, the United Nations, Permanent Missions, and Trade Commissions, he will ensure New Yorkers benefit from the City’s innovative economic programs, including the Minority and Women-owned Business Enterprises.

In addition, he will also focus on strengthening partnerships related to Smart Cities, Sister Cities agreements, crypto-related developments and cross-state international business development, he added in the statement.

Mr. Chauhan comes to the Mayor’s Office for International Affairs from the Brooklyn President’s office, where he served as the Executive Director of Southeast and Asian Affairs. As the Executive Director, he worked towards empowering the South and Asian communities in Brooklyn.

Previously, Mr. Chauhan lead the Minority Affairs office in Nassau County in New York  as Deputy Controller, the first South Asian to hold this office. In that role, he worked on setting guidelines, and was able to empower the Community for proper participation of MWBE businesses. He contributed to this effort by arranging different boot camps for small businesses, which created community awareness and participation campaigns, and built lasting strategic partnerships with various community organizations.

November 12, 2016, was declared as “Dilip Chauhan Day” in sixth US Congressional District New York in “honor of his work”.

Dr. Joseph M. Chalil, MD, MBA, FACHE, Chief Medical Officer of Novo Integrated Sciences, Inc. (Novo). Global Healthcare Executive and Best-Selling Author, has been selected as Top Physician of the Year for 2022 by the International Association of Top Professionals (IAOTP) for his outstanding leadership, dedication, and innovative medical contributions.

Novo Integrated Sciences, Inc. (NASDAQ: NVOS) (the “Company” or “Novo”) , pioneering a holistic approach to patient-first health and wellness through a multidisciplinary healthcare ecosystem of multiple patient and consumer touchpoints for services and product innovation, made the announcement last week

While inclusion with the International Association of Top Professionals is an honor in itself, only a few members in each discipline are chosen for this distinction. These special honorees are distinguished based on their professional accomplishments, academic achievements, leadership abilities, other affiliations, and contributions to their communities. All honorees are invited to attend the IAOTP’s annual awards gala at the end of this year for a night to honor their achievements.

Stephanie Cirami, IAOTP President, stated, “We are honored to have Dr. Chalil as part of our IAOTP family. He is brilliant at what he does, has a unique understanding of health policies, and a diverse medical background. We know he will be an amazing asset to our network of professionals.”

Dr. Chalil has over 20 years of professional experience in health policy, medical affairs, and clinical development with an emphasis on both healthcare delivery and biotechnology. Previously, Dr. Chalil has held roles of increasing responsibility at DBV Technologies, Boehringer Ingelheim, Abbott Laboratories, and Hoffmann-La Roche. Dr. Chalil was the honored recipient of the AAPI Presidential Award (2015) and the Boehringer President’s Club Award for 2011, 2014, and 2015. Dr. Chalil was also recognized and honored with the 2013 Outstanding 50 Asian Americans in Business Award.

Dr. Chalil is an author of several scientific and research papers in international publications. He is also the Chairman of the Complex Health Systems Advisory Board, H. Wayne Huizenga College of Business and Entrepreneurship at Nova Southeastern University in Florida, and a member of Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Allopathic Medicine Executive Leadership Council. A veteran of the U.S. Navy Medical Corps, he is board certified in healthcare management. He has been awarded a Fellowship by the American College of Healthcare Executives, an international professional society of more than 40,000 healthcare executives who lead hospitals, healthcare systems, and other healthcare organizations. Additionally, Dr. Chalil is the former Chairman of the Indo-American Press Club. He is an expert in U.S. healthcare policy and a strong advocate for patient-centered care. A strong proponent of providing healthcare access to everyone, Dr. Chalil’s new book, Beyond the COVID-19 Pandemic: Envisioning a Better World by Transforming the Future of Healthcare, is on Amazon’s Best Sellers List.

For more information on Dr. Chalil, please visit: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drchalil/

The International Association of Top Professionals (IAOTP) is an international boutique networking organization that handpicks the world’s finest, most prestigious top professionals from different industries. These top professionals are given an opportunity to collaborate, share their ideas, be keynote speakers, and to help influence others in their fields. This organization is not a membership that anyone can join. You must be asked by the President or be nominated by a distinguished honorary member after a brief interview.

Novo Integrated Sciences, Inc. is pioneering a holistic approach to patient-first health and wellness through a multidisciplinary healthcare ecosystem of multiple patient and consumer touchpoints for services and product innovation. Novo offers an essential and differentiated solution to deliver, or intend to deliver, these services and products through the integration of medical technology, diagnostic and therapeutic solutions, and rehabilitative science.

The Company’s decentralized healthcare business model is centered on three primary pillars to best support the transformation of non-catastrophic healthcare delivery to patients and consumers.

Innovation through science combined with the integration of sophisticated, secure technology assures Novo Integrated Sciences of continued cutting-edge advancement in patient first platforms.

For more information concerning Novo Integrated Sciences, please visit www.novointegrated.com. For more information on Novo Healthnet Limited, Novo’s wholly owned subsidiary, please visit www.novohealthnet.com.

A practicing Internal Medicine Specialist from Las Vegas affiliated with multiple local area hospitals, Dr. Vishweshwar R. Ranga has been elected Chairman of Board of Trustees of American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin for the year 2022-23.

Dr. Ranga with more than 35 years of experience in the medical field, has been associated with AAPI since his early days as a Resident in New York. “Since moving to the United States to pursue my career as a physician I have been closely following the entire spectrum of health care in the world’s largest economy,” recalls Dr. Ranga.

A team player and dedicated to the growth of AAPI, Dr. Ranga says, he wants continue to work with the team and ensure that AAPI’s voice is heard wherever relevant decisions are made that impact the physician community.

“My initiation into the Association of Physicians of Indian Origin to work on the membership drive and its directory during my residency at Mount Vernon Hospital in New York helped me understand more deeply the importance of community involvement and practices dear to this noble profession,”  Dr. Ranga says, who has worked hard towards the growth of this organization under the leadership of various presidents.

A medical degree holder from the Medical Academy of Sofia, Bulgaria, Dr. Ranga says, “AAPI is very close to my heart and I want to see it as more of an inclusive outfit, making a clarion call to physicians of Indian origin serving in some of the remote areas of the country to be part of this great organization and be driving forces of change.”

Dr. Ranga, who is known for his organizational skills helped to put together various national and regional AAPI events.

He has worked on several AAPI Committees including: AAPI Bylaws Committee, Membership Committee, Awards Committee, and Publications Committee.  Dr. Ranga has been recognized for his kindness, medical skills and going beyond the call of duty.  “I was in good hands with him. I almost died from a car hitting me in a crosswalk. This man visited me every single day for one month. That is something I will never forget. Thank you, Dr. Ranga. Mom misses you,” Mike Cappello, a former patient of Dr. Ranga wrote on Social Media.

A visionary, Dr. Ranga began to work closely and encourage the second-generation Indian American physicians to be an active part of AAPI. In appreciation of his efforts, contributions and enormous support, YPS/MSRF recognized Dr. Ranga by making him the mentor of the group.

“My goal in the coming year is to formalize and create AAPI leadership academy working with executives from American College of Physicians for the development of leadership roles for all AAPI members. I want to work hard to engage young physicians and attract them to AAPI. They are the future of AAPI.” the newly elected Chair of AAPI BOT, says.