Tag: nri

New Proposals For NRIs To Curb Marriage Fraud: Compulsory Registration In India

Staff ReporterCulture, India 0

Mandatory registration of marriages between Indian citizens and NRIs or OCIs is proposed by the Law Commission, under the leadership of Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi. This aims to address issues of fraud and abandonment. The proposed law includes provisions for divorce, maintenance, and child custody, aiming for fair resolution. Additionally, raising awareness among NRIs and OCIs through community engagement is suggested.

The Law Commission, led by Justice Ritu Raj Awasthi, has proposed that all marriages between Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) and Indian citizens must be officially registered in India. This recommendation aims to tackle issues such as deceitful promises, misrepresentation, and abandonment often seen in such unions. The commission expressed concern over the growing number of fraudulent marriages involving NRIs marrying Indian partners, particularly affecting Indian spouses, particularly women, and emphasized the need for preventive measures.New Proposals For NRIs To Curb Marriage Fraud Compulsory Registration In India

The report further suggests that it should be mandatory for all marriages between Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) or Overseas Citizens of India (OCIs) and Indian citizens to be registered in India.

The panel has proposed that the new law should encompass provisions concerning divorce, spousal maintenance, child custody and maintenance, as well as the service of legal documents such as summons or warrants to NRIs and OCIs. Additionally, it recommends amending the Passports Act of 1967 to require the declaration of marital status, linking spouses’ passports, and noting the marriage registration number on both spouses’ passports.

Furthermore, the panel suggests granting domestic courts jurisdiction to handle and resolve issues arising from such marriages. According to the panel’s report, disputes within these marriages often require the involvement of local legal systems to ensure fair and equitable resolution.

The panel has also advised the government to raise awareness by actively engaging with the Indian diaspora through community events and regular interactions with Indian communities and organizations. This proactive approach aims to inform and educate NRIs and OCIs about the legal requirements and protections surrounding marriages with Indian citizens, thereby helping to prevent fraudulent practices and safeguard the rights of individuals involved in such unions.

NRI students win at National Geographic Bee

Staff ReporterEducation, India 0

Pranay Varada of Irving, Texas, a 14-year-old at DeWitt Perry Middle School, won the 2017 championship at the 29th annual National Geographic Bee held on May 17, at National Geographic headquarters in Washington, D.C.

During an intense six-question tiebreaker round to determine the champion, 14-year-old Thomas Wright of Mequon, Wisconsin, an eighth-grader at University School of Milwaukee, took the lead, only to be challenged by Varada. The sixth and final question, which clinched the win for Varada was: “What large mountain system that stretches more than 1,200 miles separates the Taklimakan Desert from the Tibetan Plateau?” Answer: “Kunlun Mountains”

“The last question was not difficult for me,” Varada the media. But it was the end of a five-year journey, his mother Vasuki R. Kodaganti, said in a phone interview from the Washington, D.C. hotel where they were passing time before leaving for home in Texas the evening after the momentous win.

The third place in the Bee was also won by an Indian-American – Veda Bhattaram of Pine Brook, New Jersey, a 13-year-old seventh-grader at Robert R. Lazar Middle School. Second- and third-place finishers receive $25,000 and $10,000 college scholarships, respectively.Indian-Americans have dominated the National Geographic Bee just as they have the National Spelling Bee. Last year Rishi Nair of Seffner, Florida, a 12-year-old sixth-grader at Williams Magnet Middle School, took top honors.

Fifty-four state and territory winners took part in the preliminary rounds of the 2017 National Geographic Bee on Monday, May 15. The top 10 finishers in the preliminary rounds met for the final round, which was moderated by humorist, journalist and actor Mo Rocca.

Several South Asian Americans were among the seven other finalists, who each won $500: Nicholas Monahan of McCall, Idaho; Anish Susarla of Leesburg, Virginia; Lucas Eggers of Rochester, Minnesota; Rohan Kanchana of Hockessin, Delaware; Max Garon of the District of Columbia; Ahilan Eraniyan of San Ramon, California; and Abhinav Govindaraju of Bedford, New Hampshire.

Varada’s victory becomes all the more important as nearly 3 million students in 10,000 schools from across the US took part in the 2017 National Geographic Bee. Getting through the state-level Geography Bee was even tougher, with 69 rounds. “But it was a do-or-die situation since he is in 8th Grade and his last chance,” Kodaganti said. “And we are really happy and proud. He worked really hard, planned things, knew his weaker areas, and covered the loopholes.”

In addition to earning the title, Varada received a $50,000 college scholarship and a lifetime membership in the National Geographic Society. Varada will also travel (along with one parent or guardian), all expenses paid, on a Lindblad expedition to the Galápagos Islands aboard the new National Geographic Endeavour ll. Travel for the trip is provided by Lindblad Expeditions and National Geographic.

Varada grew up watching the National Geographic Bee, which he said stoked his interest in Geography. But he excels in more than just the names of obscure mountain passes or bridges and isthmuses. Varada began learning the piano at the age of 4, and began composing when he was 5. Several of his compositions are on YouTube. Now he has time to go back to music, he told News India Times. In his future, he says he will “probably do something in Math or Science.” But for now – “I will do music related things. Music is my passion,” said the 14-year old.

NRI pleads guilty in baby’s death, faces 18 years in prison

Staff ReporterUncategorized 0

Jagsheer Singh, 30, an Indian American father in Queens, New York, pleaded guilty on October 21 to manslaughter and assault charges in the death of his 4-month old son. Singh pleaded guilty to using a blunt object to fatally fracture his 4-month-old son’s skull, the Queens District Attorney announced.

Jagsheer Singh was charged with manslaughter and assault of his son, Nevin Janduher, who had died after suffering multiple skull fractures in December 2014. Nevin was left alone with his dad after his mother, Dr. Reena Malhotra, went to work at Long Island Jewish Medical Center.

“As a father, the defendant’s job was to protect and nurture his helpless, innocent son,” said District Attorney Richard Brown. “Instead, the defendant assaulted his son, causing skull fractures and widespread brain injury and ultimately resulting in the child’s death. As a result, the sentence to be imposed by the court is more than warranted.”

Singh first told his wife that Nevin fell off a changing table, but doctors found that his injuries were inconsistent with a short fall and that he had suffered “abusive head trauma.” Medical personnel at Cohen Children’s Medical Center in New Hyde Park, New York, examined the baby and found he had suffered injuries inconsistent with falling off a table. Doctors said that Nevin had suffered non-accidental inflicted trauma.

The infant died several days later on Christmas Eve after being taken to Cohen Children’s Medical Center. Singh is facing up to 18 years in prison when he is scheduled to be sentenced before Judge Richard Buchter at Queens Supreme Court on Nov. 4.

Singh was arrested Dec. 21 with first degree assault and endangering the welfare of a child. The charges were upgraded after Nevin’s death, to second degree murder and acting in a manner injurious to a child under the age of 17.

In March 2015, Queens radiologist Reena Malhotra, Nevin’s mother and Singh’s wife, wrote to Judge Richard Buchter, who was presiding over the case, to ask that her husband be released. She pointed out that Singh was a “loving and caring father. Our family is his world,” she wrote. “He has a big heart, is a God-loving man, and is a responsible person with a calm demeanor,” she said. In September, to honor their nephew’s second birthday, Nevin’s aunts started a gofundme drive to raise donations for the Make-A-Wish Foundation. “We think of Nevin every day,” wrote his aunts.

NRIs Among 2016 NIH ‘New Innovator Award Program’ Recipients

Staff ReporterCommunity 0

The National Institutes of Health recently announced 2016 Director’s New Innovator Award Program recipients with at least seven Indian Americans among those honored. Among the 48 Innovators recognized by The National Institutes of Health, the Indian Americans on the list included, Parijat Bhatnagar, Anshul Kundaje, Dr. Meena S. Madhur, Nikhil U. Nair, Rushika M. Perera, Rahul Satija and Dr. Arun P. Wiita.

The Director’s New Innovator Award Program was part of the NIH Common Fund’s High-Risk, High-Reward Research program that seeks to identify scientists with ideas that have the potential for high impact, but may be at a stage too early to fare well in the traditional peer review process. These awards encourage creative, outside-the-box thinkers to pursue exciting and innovative ideas in biomedical research.

The Innovator Award was established in 2007 and supports unusually innovative research from early-career investigators who are within 10 years of their final degree or clinical residency and have not yet received a research project grant or equivalent NIH grant. The award complements ongoing efforts by NIH and its institutes and centers to fund new investigators through R01 grants and other mechanisms.

“The program continues to support high-caliber investigators whose ideas stretch the boundaries of our scientific knowledge,” said NIH director Dr. Francis S. Collins. “We welcome the newest cohort of outstanding scientists to the program and look forward to their valuable contributions.”

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