Diabetes: New treatments, tips and more

Dr Dheeraj Kapoor, senior endocrinologist, Artemis Health Institute, Gurgaon, lists out some of the latest medicines:

Gliptin (Oral) - Take once or twice a day as prescribed by the doctor. This medication is the flavour of season. Studies conducted on Gliptin (a new class of oral drugs for type 2 diabetes) have shown that it can regenerate pancreas in mice. However, a study on humans is still underway. If this comes through, it will prove to be a big breakthrough in the treatment of diabetes.

GLP-1 (Injectable) - To be taken once or twice a day as prescribed by the doctor, this is slightly more potent than Gliptin. It is also known to induce weight loss as it triggers a feeling of satiety and patients tend to eat less. On the downside, it is expensive and can lead to nausea. Approximate cost - Rs 3,600 for one month's dose.

SGLT-2 (Inhibitors) - Expected to hit the Indian market next year, it prevents reabsorbing of glucose from the kidneys.
Must know facts
In India, 51 million people suffer from the disease… Read on to know the latest on the ailment that largely targets urban women.The latest statistics on NCDs (non-communicable diseases) are alarming. But among the growing incidences, diabetes is the most widespread, and primarily among women. Here's another startling fact: Earlier, it was women above 35 years of age who were prone to the disease, but of late, the age parameters have changed drastically, with women in their early 20s testing positive, points out Dr Ashok Jhingan, chairman, consultant and diabetologist, Delhi Diabetes Research Centre.
What the figures say
The latest statistics presented by the Public Health Foundation of India at a recent conference on " Chronic NCDs in India" put "indolent" lifestyles of urban people as the prime culprit. It was revealed that almost 29 percent urban adults do not indulge in physical activities; the women are more prone to this deasease than men (about 24 percent of men and almost 34 percent of women don't exercise regularly). The trend is pronounced in people who are 45 or above.
Catching it on time
A recent study which was conducted by Dr Ashutosh Shukla, who is the head of internal medicine, Artemis Health Institute, Gurgaon, revealed, that out of 300 patients who underwent an executive health check up, 45 had IGT (Impaired Glucose Intolerance) or pre-diabetes. Despite having obvious symptoms such as increased appetite, constant thirst and high urine formation, around 95 percent of patients only get to know they are suffering from diabetes when it has reached an advanced stage.
Juice
Says Dr Shukla, 'Awareness and early detection can manage diabetes. If you are obese, have a stressful job, lead a sedentary lifestyle, and have a history of diabetes, get an executive health check up done each year.'
Think Before You Drink
The latest research says drinking canned juice is worse than sugary soda and pushes up your risk of contracting Type 2 diabetes. It's not the extra calories, but the concentrated sugar that's the devil, explains Dr Jhingan. Most canned juices tend to have a lot of sugar that helps preserve it. As these are simple sugars, they immediately increase the blood sugar level.                           
Source: www.wonderwoman.in

Manipur: 121-day blockade lifted temporarily

Kolkata: Ahead of the Prime Minister's visit to Manipur, there was some relief in sight for the state as the 121-day old economic blockade was temporarily withdrawn by the United Naga Council on Tuesday.
The economic blockade has been lifted on National Highways 39, 53 and 150. This came after Home Minister P Chidambaram assured the UNC that the Manipur government will not take any unilateral decision on carving out a new district without consulting the Nagas. Prices of fuel and essential commodities had hit the roof due to the blockade with petrol going for over Rs 200 per litre and a gas cylinder costing over Rs 2000. However, it remains to be seen if the other group asking for a new district, the Kukis, agree to the new settlement.

Noted litterateur Indira Goswami passes away

Guwahati, November 29, 2011: Assamese litterateur Indira Raisom Goswami, who had taken the initiative to bring the Ulfa to the negotiating table, on Tuesday passed away at a hospital here after prolonged illness.The condition of 69-year-old Goswami, who suffered a cerebral stroke in February last, turned critical last night and she was declared dead at 7.45am, Guwahati Medical College Hospital Superintendent R Talukdar said.The Jnanpith award winning writer was taken to a hospital in New Delhi earlier this year for further treatment but was brought back here in July and was undergoing treatment at the GMCH since then.She was in a paralysed state and on ventilator support.

  Indira Goswami's prolific pen campaigned for dignity of human beings

Writing under the shadow of the three-decade long insurgency in Assam, litterateur Indira Raisom Goswami wielded the pen not only to highlight the issue of violence but also took the initiative of persuading the banned ULFA to come to the negotiating table.Preferring to write under the pen name of Mamoni Raisom Goswami, she authored several novels, short stories collection and scholarly treatises reflecting the angst and pain of people from varied backgrounds whose sufferings have deprived them of basic dignity and respect that all deserve.She took the initiative of persuading the banned ULFA to come forward for dialogue with the outfit even setting up the Peoples' Consultative Group (PCG) in 2003 and appointing her as an advisor.

Goswami's efforts may not have yielded immediate results but it definitely paved the way for the ongoing talks process between a group of ULFA leaders and the government.Popularly called 'Mamoni Baideu', Goswami was born on November 14, 1942 in a traditional Vaishnavite family who owned a satra (monastery) at Amranga in South Kamrup.The environs of the satra, both its pristine religious practices along with the prevailing social evils, had a profound influence on the psyche of the young Indira which later found expression in her writings, particularly in her path breaking novel, Datal Hatir Une Khowa Howdah (The Moth Eaten Howdah of a Tusker).

The book, which was later adapted into a national award-winning film Adajya, is considered a classic of modern Assamese literature and explores the plight of Assamese Brahmin widows and their exploitation by hypocrite and decadent custodians of power and customs.Awarded the highest prize for literature in the country--the Jnanpith in 2000, Goswami was also honoured with the Asom Sahitya Sabha Award and the International Tulsi Award from Florida University for her book Ramayana-Ganga to Brahmaputra.Goswami had her early education at Pine Mount School in Shillong but was later shifted to the Tarini Charan Girls' High School in Guwahati to enable her to acquire an education in Assamese and acquaint herself more about traditions and culture of the state.She later studied Assamese at the Cotton College and acquired a postgraduate degree in the same subject from the Gauhati University.Goswami published her first collection of short stories, Chinaki Morom in 1962 while still a student.After completing her education, she met an young engineer Madhavan Raisom Iyengar, whom she married in 1966 and moved on to Jammu and Kashmir where her husband was posted.Tragedy, however, struck only after 18 months of marriage when Madhavan was killed in a freak car accident.Suffering from acute depression, she returned to Assam and joined the Goalpara Sainik School as a teacher.Goswami, however, moved to Vrindavan on the advice of her teacher Upendra Chandra Lekharu who was based there and began research on Ramayani literature. It was in Vrindavan that her social consciousness found expression in her writings and she evolved as an author to reckon with.
Her famed novel Neelakantha Braja was set against the backdrop of Vrindavan and highlights the exploitation of widows while her treatise Ramayan from Ganga to Brahmaputra also had its foundation here.Goswami later joined the Modern Indian Language (MIL) department of Delhi University and went on to head its Assamese department.To honour her, the University made her the Professor Emeritus in 2009 after her retirement.
It was in Delhi that she flourished and earned acclaim as a celebrated writer with several of her stories set against the backdrop of the city.Goswami's celebrated works include Mamore Dhora Tarowal for which she was awarded the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1982, Ahiron, Chenabor Srot, Dasarathir Khoj, Tej aru Dhulire Dhusarita Prishta and Udaybhanur Charitra.Goswami's book Chhinnmasatar Manuhto was against animal sacrifice in the famed Kamakhya Temple, the seat of Shakti worship, which raised the hackles of the temple priests while Jatra is set against the backdrop of insurgency in Assam.She has several short story and poetry collections to her credit and her autobiography is titled Aadha Lekha Dastavej (An Unfinished Document).

Besides being honoured with the Bharat Nirman Award, Katha National Award for Literature, Iswar Chandra Vidyasagar Gold Plate from Asiatic Society, Principal Prince Klaus Award, she was also awarded D Litt Degree from Rabindra Bharati University, Rajiv Gandhi University and Indira Gandhi National Open University.Goswami was awarded the Ambassador for Peace from the Inter Religious and International Federation for Peace.She refused the Padma Shri in 2002.National award winning filmmaker Jahnu Baruah made a film on her life Words from the Mist.

Will English kill off India's languages?

 Why shouldn't India build on its advantage in English?

Whether the government, the private sector or NGOs should deliver development is a question which will not have much relevance unless India's wealth continues to grow to pay for that development.

English is one of the advantages India has which are said to be propelling it to economic superpower status.
There are all those Indians who speak excellent English. It's the mother tongue of the elite and effectively the official language of the central government. Then there is the growing number of parents who now aspire to give their children an education through the medium of that language. But is the craze for English an unmixed blessing?
Back in the sixties the British regarded Indian English as something of a joke. The comic actor Peter Sellers had mocked it so comprehensively that I found it well nigh impossible to get the BBC to allow anyone with even the faintest Indian accent on the air.
In India, we native English speakers laughed at quaint phrases like "please do the necessary and oblige", or more simply "please do the needful", and "it is suggested that the meeting be preponed", which appeared regularly in Indian official correspondence.

Feted writers 

A senior British diplomat once suggested that his PA should find some less geographically specific way of answering the telephone when he couldn't take the call than saying, "Sahib is not on his seat". Much to the diplomat's dismay a colleague told him that his PA had misunderstood the instruction and been even more specific. He'd told the colleague, "Sahib is in the lavatory."

 
Indian writers are carrying off major literary awards

Now with Indian writers carrying off the major literary awards, and Westerners in the IT and BPO industries talking of being "bangalored" when they are replaced by English-speaking Indians, Indian English is anything but a joke.But could the very success of English in India "bangalore" India's own languages?
The linguist Professor David Crystal speaking in Delhi said: "A language is dying every two weeks somewhere in the world today. Half the world's languages will no longer be spoken in another century. This is an extremely serious concern, and English has to share the blame." Others put it less politely, describing English as a killer language.But should India worry if English kills off some of its 22 officially recognised and hundreds of its not-so-official languages?

Perhaps the answer is no.

In his book comparing the future of India, China, and Japan, the former editor of The Economist, Bill Emmott, said India fell short of China in almost every measure except the ability to speak English.
So why shouldn't India build on its one advantage? One practical reason is because, looking back over the history of India since it became independent in 1947, it is clear that any threat to Indian languages has the potential to provoke a violent backlash. - By Mark Tully Former BBC India Correspondent(Mark Tully is a writer and former BBC India correspondent. This is an edited extract from his new book, Non Stop India, published by Penguin Books, India)

Indian Organ Donation Day marked at AIIMS

NEW DELHI: Eleven years have elapsed since she received a heart from a 14-year-old boy, but the memory still brings tears to Priti Unhale's eyes. The charitable act made the difference between life and death, and she thanks the anonymous soul every day. In November 2000, Unhale's condition was diagnosed as dilated cardiomyopathy (a heart condition). She was beset with fear, as a donor was hard to come by. "The doctors told me I had just had six months to find a donor. Every day seemed like a struggle as my family went from one hospital to another. Back then, the systems were not streamlined and I was rather lucky to find a donor," said Unhale. Though things are not the same, the organ donation has vastly improved her quality of life. "Although I'll have to take medicines all my life, my condition is much better now," she added. Unhale is now a counsellor and helps All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in promoting organ donations. She says she is one of the lucky ones to have received the organ she needed. Her thoughts were echoed by the doctors during a public lecture at AIIMS on the Indian Organ Donation Day 2011.

The Curse of Adult Acne

It has been revealed in a recent report that stress might be one of the reasons for acne in women. A new study is of the view that successful women might be hit with acne due to stress and tensions they experience in their workplace and so on. It was revealed by dermatologists from the Nantes University Hospital. They were of the view that this is a common thing in women in their twenties. Even after having crossed the age where pimples can be a regular, some women might just not seem to get rid of them. In some cases women might have pimples in their twenties, even if they didn’t suffer with tem, in their teens. The reason for this acne might be the releasing of male hormones, which gives rise to oil production under the skin, and gives rise to acne.
Dermatologists are of the view that there was a difference in adult acne and the one in teens. It was reported recently that the ‘T-zone’ of the face is prone to acne, and might seem to produce acne from deep inside the skin. Women’s skin is about 3 times more prone to getting affected by acne, than men. This is because their skin is more sensitive. "It's time to re-evaluate who we think gets acne. It's not recognized enough how much it affects the lives of adult women. For many, it kicks in later when they have to juggle families and careers at the same time”, revealed Susannah Baron, from the Kent and Canterbury Hospital. Women also seem to suffer the onset of acne before and after their period. Another theory suggests that those women, who smoke, might be more prone to acne, because of the presence of nicotine that might give rise to oil sebum.

Brain find sheds light on autism

Cells taken from people with a rare syndrome linked to autism could help explain the origins of the condition, scientists suggest. The Stanford University team turned skin cells from people with "Timothy syndrome" into fully-fledged brain cells. The abnormal activity found in these cells could be partially corrected using an experimental drug, Nature Medicine reports. UK researchers warned the findings might not apply to everyone with autism. Compared with the hundreds of thousands of people worldwide thought to show characteristics of autism, "Timothy syndrome" is vanishingly rare, affecting an estimated 20 people across the planet. People who have the syndrome frequently display autistic behaviour, such as problems with social development and communication. Because it is caused by a single gene defect rather than a combination of small genetic flaws, each making a tiny contribution, it presents a useful target for scientists looking to examine what goes wrong in the developing brain of a child with autism.Ready for work The US researchers used a technique developed recently to generate brain cells called neurons from only a sample of the patient's skin. This allowed them to examine their development in the laboratory, and even use them to test out possible treatments. They found obvious differences between neurons grown from Timothy syndrome patients, and those from healthy "control" subjects. The healthy neurons developed into different subtypes, ready for work in different regions of the brain. In contrast, the proportion of neurons developing into each subtype was different in the Timothy syndrome samples - more were equipped to work in the upper part of the cerebral cortex, and fewer in the lower part. This meant there were fewer neurons equipped to work in a part of the brain called the corpus callosum, which has the role of helping the left and right "hemispheres" of the brain communicate. These differences echoed those already observed in mice specially bred with the Timothy syndrome genetic fault.
In addition, the neurons were making too much of a particular body chemical linked to the manufacture of dopamine and norepinephrine, which play a significant role in sensory processing and social behaviour.
Dr Ricardo Dolmetsch, who led the study, said that the abnormalities found tallied with other evidence that autism was due in part to poor communication between different parts of the brain. The team managed to reduce significantly the number of these malfunctioning neurons by adding a drug as they developed. This, they said, meant it might be possible one day to treat this defect in a real patient, although the drug used was not currently suitable for children due to side-effects. The National Autistic Society gave a cautious welcome to findings, but warned that they did not necessarily offer insights into every form of autism. Researcher Georgina Gomez said: "Timothy syndrome is only one form of autism and so these findings only give a very limited picture of what might cause the condition. "More work would need to be done to substantiate this particular piece of research."

2.3 million people in India living with HIV

New Delhi: Just a few days before the World AIDS day, an eye-opening report says at least 2.3 million people in the country are living with the virus. Many survivors have been fighting for quality of life.
At least 2.3 million Indians live with HIV/AIDS, though the latest UNAIDS report states that the rate of infection in India has come down. It's no longer a death sentence, as survivor and activist Shiba P can attest.
"All you have been told by the doctors or others that if you are positive, you have 5 to 10 years to live. But here I am now after 20 years. Getting treatment available within the healthcare sector in our country I think is a huge thing," Shiba said. In theory, first line anti-retro viral treatment is available free of cost at centres across the country, but on the ground, access can be a problem. And given the need for second line treatment and frequent infections, as the immune system struggles to cope, cost becomes a factor. Activists and survivors have been pushing for an AIDS Bill to be passed in the winter session of Parliament. That is even as the Supreme Court is hearing a case involving global pharma giant Novartis, which will affect India's generic pharmaceutical industry, and with it millions of patients in need of life-saving AIDS drugs from Africa to Brazil. "If Novartis wins, it can in future set down all the generic medicines. India is known as the pharmacy of the world," Shiba said.

Gold up in India; metals, oil fall globally

NEW DELHI, Nov 29: Gold rose marginally in the domestic market due to a depreciating rupee even as global crude and metal prices beat a retreat on fresh fears of a global slowdown with China warning of a recession. US lawmakers added to the global gloom by their inability to forge a consensus on a $1.2 trillion debt reduction plan. Gold rose by Rs 35 to Rs 29,240 per 10 grams in Delhi on buying for the ongoing marriage season although silver closed Rs 550 a kg lower at Rs 55,850 per kg as industrial units, facing economic slowdown, refrained from purchasing the white metal. The domestic gold market bucked the global trend, where the prices of yellow metal declined 1.5% amid rising dollar and government debt worries in Europe and the US. In the international spot market, gold was down 0.8%, $1,711 an ounce at around 7.30PM IST, off an intra-day low of $1,699. It fell 3.5%, and traders are betting on a further fall. But with the rupee depreciating against the dollar, there may not be too much to cheer for Indian consumers during the current marriage season.

Woman alleges affair with Republican presidential hopeful Herman Cain

WASHINGTON: An Atlanta businesswoman claimed Monday a 13-year affair with Republican presidential hopeful Herman Cain, whose campaign has already been hurt by a rash of sexual harassment allegations. "It was pretty simple," Ginger White told Atlanta's Fox 5 television. "It wasn't complicated. I was aware that he was married. And I was also aware I was involved in a very inappropriate situation, relationship." Cain, a former pizza company executive who has faded back in the pack of Republicans seeking to take on President Barack Obama in November 2012, denied the allegations preemptively shortly the before news broke. "This individual is going to accuse me of an affair for an extended period of time," Cain told CNN, vehemently denying any sex was involved. "It is someone that Iknow who is an acquaintance that I thought was a friend."

"I did not have an affair," Cain said, insisting he had no plans to quit the White House race. "Not as long as my wife is behind me and as long as my wife believes I should stay in this race, I'm staying in this race," he said, adding that he had spoken to his wife about the allegations. Cain also faces sexual harassment accusations from four women -- two of them who came forward in public. He has denied all impropriety. "I will not be deterred by false, anonymous, incorrect accusations," Cain said earlier this month. His campaign also faltered when he struggled to respond to a basic question about Libya and appeared not to know that China had nuclear weapons, calling into question his presidential credentials. Cain told CNN on Monday that he would forge ahead and shrugged off the latest accusations by saying: "Here we go again." His attorney Lin Wood sought to downplay the affair claim, saying "this is not an accusation of harassment in the workplace -- this is not an accusation of an assault -- which are subject matters of legitimate inquiry to a political candidate."
"Rather, this appears to be an accusation of private, alleged consensual conduct between adults -- a subject matter which is not a proper subject of inquiry by the media or the public," Wood said. "No individual, whether a private citizen, a candidate for public office or a public official, should be questioned about his or her private sexual life. The public's right to know and the media's right to report has boundaries and most certainly those boundaries end outside of one's bedroom door."

Kuwait cabinet submits resignation

KUWAIT CITY: The government of oil-rich Kuwait resigned on Monday following a bitter dispute with opposition MPs, lawmaker Khaled al-Sultan said."The Kuwaiti cabinet has resigned and the resignation has been accepted by the emir," the Islamist opposition MP told reporters outside parliament."We are waiting for the appointment of a new prime minister before parliament is dissolved in order to be assured of fair elections," the lawmaker said.Parliament speaker Jassem al-Khorafi declined to comment on the decision, but said he had not been informed about dissolving parliament.The announcement came after Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad Al-Sabah chaired an emergency meeting of the cabinet headed by Prime Minister Sheikh Nasser Mohammad al-Ahmad Al-Sabah to discuss the emirate's latest political crisis.Sheikh Nasser, 71, was due to be questioned in parliament by three opposition MPs on allegations of graft including charges that he transferred public funds into his overseas accounts. The government has denied the charges.The move also came ahead of a planned mass rally later Monday by the opposition to press demands for the premier's ouster. Sheikh Nasser, a nephew of the emir, was appointed to the post in February 2006 and has since now resigned seven times due to political turmoil. Parliament has been dissolved on three occasions over the same period.

Black money probe: Govt may soon reveal names of those with illegal foreign accounts

NEW DELHI: Under pressure from the opposition on the issue of black money, the government may soon reveal the names of persons who had stashed black money in LGT Bank, Liechtenstein. But disclosure of identity from the list of HSBC, Geneva may take some more time as the Income Tax (I-T) department is still in the process of reassessing returns of people who figured in the list of Indians having Swiss accounts.Sources said in the LGT case, the I-T department has moved courts in different cities, including Mumbai, Chennai and Delhi initiating prosecution. Besides the recovery of tax, authorities have imposed a penalty of 200% of the amount allegedly siphoned off.Information about 26 account holders of LGT Bank was passed on by German tax authorities in March 2008, a year after a request was made by India. The recovery of tax was made after tax appeals were dismissed by I-T commissioners (appeals), leading to attachment of their bank accounts and prosecution in courts.The opposition has been insisting for a statement from the government on the HSBC list and disclosure of names arguing that bilateral agreements don't bound the government for maintaining secrecy as details of HSBC accounts of Indians were part of the theft data procured from a third country.Finance minister Pranab Mukherjee, however, has insisted on maintaining secrecy till the stage of prosecution as any revelation before that would hamper government's effort to procure more data from countries who may have banking information on Indians having large deposits.The total tax and penalty in the LGT case is believed to be to the extent of Rs 40-45 crore, almost equivalent to the amount that had been spirited away by Indians whose income has now been reassessed, a senior I-T official said.At present, I-T officials are reopening returns of corporates and other individuals whose names have been found in the HSBC list. I-T officials have conducted more than 50 searches against people having deposits in Swiss accounts, leading to recoveries of Rs 300 crore and others admitting to deposits of more than Rs 2,000 crore.The government is keen to send those who have been found having unaccounted deposits in foreign banks behind bars. The finance ministry has taken concurrence from other ministries that there is no requirement of any new law to prosecute accused found with black money.A high-level committee set up by the finance ministry on black money had earlier concurred with the Law ministry that no new law was required to deal with the menace of black money. Existing provisions under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) were enough but they need to be further strengthened.For instance, the minimum punishment for those caught with black money could be enhanced to a jail term of not less than seven years as against the existing five-seven years. After the I-T department filed prosecution against accused in the courts, it shared the list with CBI for further action.

Akaash tablets fuels global interests

NEW DELHI: With the government all set to initiate the process for acquiring 10 lakh more Akaash tablets priced at Rs 2,276 each, there has been an international interest in the low-cost machine. Panama has approached the Indian Embassy there to buy one lakh units of Akaash. Even Philadelphia - the sixth largest US state in terms of Gross Domestic Product - has shown interest in the product. "We are waiting for a formal request from Philadelphia. Panama's demand has reached us. One more Latin American country has also approached us," a source said. Malaysia had approached the HRD ministry even before Akaash was formally unveiled, but it wanted to produce tablets locally. "We had to decline the request," source said. Thailand has directly approached Datawind, the company that is manufacturing the first one lakh tablets. Ministry sources do not rule out helping countries, but made it clear that domestic needs are paramount. Sources said production of one lakh tablets is going on as per schedule, but after receiving the initial feedback the manufacturer has been asked to make minor changes like improve the processor. "Many users said the tablet is slow when it is started," a source said, adding that the next lot might have better features like improved screen. The ministry has written to vice-chancellors of state, private and central universities and state chief secretaries explaining the scheme, especially the fact that with 50% subsidy provided by the Central government, a student has to pay only Rs 1, 138 for a tablet. It has also asked all states to spell out their requirements. States have been told to give their suggestions on technical specifications, subsidy and distribution of tablets. The Unique Identification Development Authority of India has also approached the ministry to collaborate with Akaash. "We are still working out the details. Aadhar numbers and tablet can be put to creative use for establishing identity of students and their attendance," an official said.

India to order 20 more Hawk AJTs

NEW DELHI: For a country that took two decades to ink the first contract for British Hawk advanced jet trainers (AJTs) after losing hundreds of fighters and pilots in crashes, India seems to be going the whole hog for the AJTs.
After first ordering 66 twin-seat Hawks in March, 2004, and then another 57 in July, 2010, at a combined overall project cost running almost into Rs 16,000 crore, India is going to order another 20 AJTs. The defence acquisitions council, chaired by defence minister A K Antony, last Friday cleared the IAF proposal for the 20 new Hawks at a cost of around Rs 3,600 crore, say sources. The overall Hawk project, with 24 supplied directly by BAE Systems and 122 to be licenced manufactured by Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) in India, is likely to cost well over Rs 20,000 crore by the time its completed by 2016-17, add sources. While the first 123 Hawks will help train rookie fighter pilots the intricacies of advanced combat flying, the latest 20 are meant for IAF's famous Surya Kiran aerobatics team, which has been forced to stop its breathtaking manoevres due to a crippling shortage of training aircraft. The AJT saga has been marked by government apathy, poor long-term planning, flawed contracts and delayed delivery schedules. A majority of new fighter pilots still have to make do with old and unsuitable MiG-21 trainers, three decades after IAF first projected the requirement for AJTs for ``transitional training'' between sub-sonic aircraft and the `highly-unforgiving' MiG-21s. If all the 146 Hawks had been ordered at one go, they would have proved much cheaper. Moreover, they would have saved many young lives if they were inducted much earlier. As much as 39% of the 1,010 crashes recorded by IAF since 1970 have been attributed to ``human error (aircrew), often a result of inadequate training. ``Technical defects'', caused by ageing machines and shoddy maintenance, is the other equally big killer. About 55 Hawks have been inducted so far, much behind schedule. These include the first 24 directly delivered by BAE Systems to the Bidar airbase in Karnataka, and 31 subsequently assembled by HAL. The delay is ``due to receipt of defective components, jigs and fixtures from the foreign manufacturer (BAE Systems), on which liquidated damages were levied'', Antony himself had told Parliament earlier. But with HAL promising to step up production to 13-14 Hawks a year, it's being hoped the first 123 AJTs - 17 of them are earmarked for Navy - are inducted by 2015-2016. ``The new 20 AJTs can follow thereafter,'' said an official.

India-born dominate in science, engineering degrees

NEW YORK: India led all foreign-born groups in the US as the country-of-birth of science and engineering degree holders in 2010, according to a brief released in late November by the US Census Bureau. The India-born in the US 25 years of age or older and holding science and engineering degrees totaled 747,000, about 18% of the foreign-born population of about 4,160,000 with degrees in those fields. China was the next largest country-of-birth among the foreign-born in science and engineering at 516,000 (12%), while the Europe-born totaled 17.6% of those degrees. Those born in Asia in 2010 held 57 percent of the science and engineering degrees among the foreign-born population. The India-born were even more dominant in some science and engineering disciplines. For example, in the field of computers, mathematics and statistics, those born in India held 24% of all degrees held by the foreign-born, with those born in China a distant second at 14%. The Europe-born held 15.5% of these degrees. In engineering, those born in India held 22% of the degrees, with China second at 12.6%, and the Europe-born having 17.2% of the degrees. In the field of physical and related sciences, the India-born held 19.9% of the degrees among foreign-born in the US, followed by China at 17.5%. Those born in Europe held 18.8%. In biological, agricultural and environmental sciences, the India-born held 14.6% of the degrees among the foreign-born, followed closely by China at 13.7%. Those born in Europe held 15.8% of the degrees. Only in social sciences, psychology and multi-disciplinary sciences were the India-born less dominant. In social sciences, those born in India held just 8.7% of the degrees. Those born in Europe and the Caribbean held 21.5% and 19.4%, respectively. China was right behind India at 8.4%. In psychology, the totals were Caribbean, 31.6%; Europe, 18.8%; India, 8.1%; Mexico, 7.9%; and Philippines, 6.9%. In multi-disciplinary sciences, the Caribbean led at 22.8%; followed by Europe, 13.3%; the Philippines, 10.5%; India, 8.6%; and Korea, 8.3%. The breakdown by percentages in specific fields of the India-born was: engineering, 43.1%; computers, mathematics and statistics, 21.4%; physical and related sciences, 12.8%; biological, agricultural and environmental sciences, 11.8%; social sciences, 7.2%; psychology, 3.1%; and multi-disciplinary sciences, 0.5%. Foreign-born residents in the US represented 33% of all bachelor's degree holders in engineering fields; 27% in computers, mathematics and statistics; 24% in physical sciences; and 17% in biological, agricultural and environmental sciences.

Biggest corruption is in our political system: Rahul Gandhi

New Delhi, November 28: The political system needed to be changed to fight corruption, Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi told members of the Indian Youth Congress (IYC) at a rally here Monday while exhorting the young to come and join politics. “The biggest corruption is in our political system, and if it is not changed then we cannot fight against corruption,” Gandhi said at the two-day IYC convention that began here Monday morning. “The only way to change the political system is to bring youth to politics. The Congress party has opened the doors for the youth to join politics,” he said. The MP from Amethi, Uttar Pradesh, appealed to the youth to join politics in large numbers and fight for the rights of the poor. “You don’t need to belong to a political family or know a political heavyweight to join IYC. Anyone can come and join the politics as there is a free and fair process,” he said.

Happy over Kanimozhi’s bail, says DMK

New Delhi, November 28: The DMK Monday welcomed the Delhi High Court’s order granting bail to party MP Kanimozhi in the 2G spectrum allocation case, saying it was a big relief to her family.
“We are very happy for Kanimozhi and the other four granted bail today by the honourable high court. At any point of time, the orders will come and then only we will come to know about the conditions,” said DMK leader T.R. Baalu. He said it was a big relief for the parents and the near and dear ones of the MP.
DMK’s Rajya Sabha member Tiruchi Siva told IANS: “We are very happy. Everyone is relieved and the mood in general is upbeat.” Party leaders and cadres said the bail had come as a morale booster to take on the ruling AIADMK in Tamil Nadu, which was facing the people’s displeasure after hiking milk prices and public transport bus fares. The high court Monday granted bail to Kanimozhi and Kalaignar TV chief Sharad Kumar, Cineyug Films’ Karim Morani, Kusegaon Fruits and Vegetables Pvt. Ltd. directors Asif Balwa and Rajiv B. Agarwal in the 2G case.

Australian filmmaker Phil Noyce apologises for attacks on Indian students

Panaji, November 27: Australian film legend Phil Noyce Sunday apologised on behalf of Australians for the spate of attacks on Indian students studying in his country. Noyce, several of whose films have been based on apartheid both in Africa as well as the neglect of the native aborigine population Down Under, said that the Indian community in Australia was living in harmony and the violence was a result of stray incidents. “I apologise for the problems they are having on behalf of Australians. Sometimes Australians can be… The Indian diaspora in Australia is growing every year. A majority of them are living and studying in harmony,” Noyce said. “It is unfortunate that visitors to another country are treated in this manner,” he added
India had cautioned Australia over the increasing number of attacks on Indian students through 2009 and 2010 sparking a diplomatic wrangle between the two nations. Conservative estimates suggest that there are over 100,000 Indian students studying in the various educational hubs of Australia. Noyce, along with French filmmaker Luc Besson, is being honoured with a retrospective section dedicated towards their films at the 42nd International Film festival of India (IFFI), being held in Goa. Noyce’s films like “The Quiet American”, “Clear and Present Danger”, “Dead Calm”, “Newsfront” and “Back Roads” are being presented as part of the retrospective. Among the other popular movies directed by Noyce are the Angelina Jolie starrers “Salt” (2010) and “The Bone Collector” (1999) and Val Kilmer starrer “The Saint” (1997).

2012 US election: Indians in America launch campaign to garner support for Obama

Washington, November 28: Indians in United States have have kicked off a nationwide grass root campaign to garner support from the community members for Barack Obama’s re-election bid in 2012.South Asians for Obama (SAFO), which was among the first few Indian American groups in 2007 to come out in support of Obama, months after he announced his presidential campaign, this month launched its website – www.safo2012.com – and have formed chapters in more than half a dozen state.“In cities and neighbourhoods across the country, we are working to engage our entire community to take a more active role in the political process,” SAFO said in its first posting on its website.“Progress doesn’t happen in a moment. It happens in a movement,” said Parag Mehta, South Asian activist and former public liaison to the Asian American Pacific Islanders (AAPI) communities during the Obama-Biden transition.“Three years ago, we built that movement and we’ve got to keep it going to re-elect our President,” Mehta said atan event recently.Nina Ahmad, a member of the SAFO Leadership Council and the organiser of the event, noted that although the 2012 reelection would be even more difficult than in 2008, it will take even more energy and dedication from the diverse voices in the room to re-elect the President who values their differences.

49 pc NRIs buy property for investment purposes

Dubai, November 28: According to a study done by Sumansa Exhibitions, about 49 percent of non-resident Indians (NRIs) are looking to buy property in India purely for investment purposes.The study was conducted amongst 15,000 NRIs across the UAE and highlighted the fact that Mumbai and Delhi grab the top spots as the extremely viable options for property investments amongst NRIs since the cities continue to be the most robust real estate markets in India.Pune, Gurgaon and Noida have emerged as hotspots for investments making it to the top five list of favourable cities. It further indicates that NRIs are not necessarily looking at their hometowns for investments, it said.

According to Sunil Jaiswal, CEO, Sumansa Exhibitions: “The survey result is not surprising as Mumbai and Delhi are the most promising markets as far as return of investment (ROI) and net profitability is concerned. Both these cities enjoy commercial prominence, location advantage and increasing wealth, as such the growth momentum either has continued or is stable even if the world markets have experienced economic crisis.”

“Factoring all the advantages these cities have, the scene will not change in near future. NRIs do still consider that investing in these cities will be profitable. Pune, Gurgaon and Noida are in the top 5 as they enjoy the advantage of being in close proximity of the main cities,” he said.

Honey Katiyal, CEO, Investors Clinic, India’s leading real estate consultancy, said: “NRIs are choosing other cities apart from their hometowns especially Mumbai, Delhi, Pune, Gurgaon and Noida, which reflects the sentiments that the investors are looking for good investment options for increasing their wealth.”

“These cities are favorable as investors can make good profit as the real estate prices in past few years have spiraled enormously and will witness upward trend in the future, barring 10 to 15 percent correction in some parts of these cities, plus the cities give good rental income. Home loans and other facilities from banks and builders can also be availed quickly; all this makes them good options for investment. We as one of the India’s largest real estate management consultancies have seen this trend and expect the same to continue in foreseeable future”.

Katiyal also emphasised that NRIs stand to gain from the sharp slide in rupee over the last 2 weeks. The rupee has depreciated more than 16 percent against the US dollar since July 2011.

This has made homes in India increasingly cheaper in dollar price terms, an attractive proportion specially at a time the real estate sector in the developed markets remain depressed.

Egyptians vote to usher in democracy after revolution

CAIRO: Riven by political differences and violence, Egyptians on Monday began voting in a historic three stage parliamentary elections to usher in democracy in the Arab world's most populous nation, nine-months after a popular uprising toppled longtime President Hosni Mubarak. The elections, clouded by violence, demonstration and confrontation between the ruling military and pro-democracy protesters, will be the first step in a transfer to civilian rule, promised by the ruling army council that replaced Mubarak in February.
Initially, 27 provinces will go to the polls in three separate stages in a long procedure until January to elect the 508-member People's Assembly or lower house of the parliament. Today and tomorrow, ballots will be cast in the main cities of Cairo and Alexandria, as well as Fayyum, Luxor, Port Said, Damietta, Kafr el-Sheikh and the Red Sea province. A run-off is scheduled for December 5. Over 50 political parties, along with thousands of independent candidates are running in the elections. The second stage will be held on December 14 in Giza, Beni Sueif, Menufia, Sharqiya, Beheira, Suez, Ismailiya, Sohag and Aswan, with a run-off scheduled for December 21. The third and final round will take place on January 3 in Minya, Qaliubiya, Gharbia, Daqahliya, North Sinai, South Sinai, New Valley, Matruh and Qena. The last run-off will be held on January 10.
The final results are expected on January 13. Voters have been asked to elect 498 members of the lower house of parliament, while 10 others will be appointed by interim military leader Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi. The voters would again cast their ballots on January 29 to elect the Shura Council, the upper house of parliament.

Hyderabad laps up Quran laptops

HYDERABAD: In the world of Kindle and iPads, there comes another e-gadget, but with a difference. It's the Quran laptops that have become the latest rage among young believers, who like to slip the Q-notebook into their backpacks and tune into a chapter when they wish to. Though this is equipped with no other software, the laptop is being lapped up by both the young and old alike. Each key is dedicated to one chapter of the Quran. When the key is pressed, the chapter opens and its recitation begins. "Since the time we have introduced it, the sales have been increasing steadily," said Mohammed Javeed, owner of Himalaya Book World, Punjagutta who informed that he is selling close to 15 pieces of the laptop every month. "We have customers of all age groups enquiring about it. The one we are selling has all the 114 chapters of the Quran and helps the listener in understanding the right pronunciation and how the text should be read. Another reason for the success of this gadget is its light weight and can be carried anywhere". And there is a mini version of this laptop aimed at children, which has also hit the market. These particular models have 40 and 80 keys respectively. Talha Nooruddin Ahmed, owner of Al-Noor Islamic Book World, Toli Chowki, said, "Since it is shaped as a laptop it looks attractive to kids. It also makes learning the Quran easy as children grasp the correct pronunciation." Ahmed, who has sold about 20 of these devices, is now getting enquiries for more such items. "Customers have been asking me whether I have similar laptops with add-on features. Some even want to know if we have devices which can translate the Quran from Arabic to Urdu, Telugu and other languages," he says. Hamzah Abdullah, a student of Osmania University and a user of the Quran laptop said, "I used it back home in Saudi Arabia where it is quite popular. I was pleasantly surprised to find it here and hence picked it up. I always carry it with me and listen to the chapters whenever I find spare time between classes or in the evening when am usually free. For me, this device helps me stay in touch with my belief." According to Hamzah, the best feature of this laptop is the convenience with which he can listen to any chapter of the Quran. "Apart from having a good battery back-up, the device gives us clear instruction in Arabic and English on its contents thus being a user friendly device," he said.

Women to replace men as main breadwinner

Men will soon lose their traditional role as the main breadwinner of the family to women, according to Britain's head of university admissions. New research have revealed that young women aged between 22 and 29 are now being paid more on average per hour than their male counterparts. Women's average hourly pay is now just over 10 pounds an hour, compared with just under 10 pounds an hour for men. Another survey from the Chartered Management Institute found women bosses in their 20s were now paid more than men doing the same jobs. It also said salaries for women went up by 2.4 per cent in the year to February, compared with 2.1 per cent for men. Mary Curnock Cook, chief executive of the Universities and Colleges Admission Service said the effect could be a result of higher numbers of better-qualified women coming into the work place. It could mean a role reversal, with more women going out to work while their partners stay at home to take advantage of their higher earning potential, Cook believes. "To me this is a particularly interesting point because if in their mid-twenties women are earning more than men, this opens the possibility that we could see a tipping point at which it becomes more the norm for women - as the higher earners in a family - to return to full-time work, leaving their menfolk to play the part of main carer for children in the family," the Daily Mail quoted her as saying. "That could have a profound effect on the representation of women in senior roles and their pay rates across the spectrum," she stated.

Philippines beats India to emerge as leader in call centre business

MANILA: Americans calling the customer service lines of their airlines, phone companies and banks are now more likely to speak to Mark in Manila than Bharat in Bangalore. Over the last several years, a quiet revolution has been reshaping the call centre business: The rise of the Philippines, a former United States colony that has a large population of young people who speak lightly accented English and, unlike many Indians, are steeped in American culture.More Filipinos - about 400,000 - than Indians now spend their nights talking to mostly American consumers, industry officials said, as companies like AT&T, JPMorgan Chase and Expedia have hired call centres here, or built their own. The jobs have come from the United States, Europe and, to some extent, India as outsourcers followed their clients to the Philippines.India, where offshore call centres first took off in a big way, fields as many as 350,000 call centre agents, according to some industry estimates. The Philippines, which has a population one-tenth as big as India's, overtook India this year, according to Jojo Uligan, executive director of the Contact Center Association of the Philippines.The growing preference for the Philippines reflects in part the maturation of the outsourcing business and in part a preference for American English. In the early days, the industry focused simply on finding and setting up shop in countries with large English-speaking populations and low labor costs, which mostly led them to India. But executives say they are now increasingly identifying places best suited for specific tasks. India remains the biggest destination by far for software outsourcing, for instance.Executives say the growth was not motivated by wage considerations. Filipino call centre agents typically earn more than their Indian counterparts ($300 a month, rather than $250, at entry level), but executives say they are worth the extra cost because American customers find them easier to understand than they do Indian agents, who speak British-style English and use unfamiliar idioms. Indians, for example, might say, "I will revert on the same," rather than, "I will follow up on that." It helps that Filipinos learn American English in the first grade, eat hamburgers, follow the NBA and watch the TV show "Friends" long before they enter a call centre. In India, public schools introduce British English in the third grade, only the urban elite eat American fast food, cricket is the national pastime and "Friends" is a teaching aid for Indian call centre trainers. English is an official language in both countries.The Philippines has "a unique combination of Eastern, attentive hospitality and attitude of care and compassion mixed with what I call Americanization," said Aparup Sengupta, CEO of Aegis Global.

India Brazilian director dies at internationl film festival

PANAJI: Brazilian film director Oscar Maron Filho, 56, who was in Goa to promote his film 'Mario Filho: The Creator of Crowds' as part of the soccer package at Iffi 2011, died after he suffered a massive cardiac arrest on Sunday. A filmmaker and journalist from Rio de Janeiro, Filho was speaking at the open forum on 'Football and films' at 1pm at the Inox courtyard, when he "touched his head and collapsed backwards while sitting".Even though those attending the open forum say there was no doctor present for a while and the ambulance driver had gone out for lunch and took a while to be located, festival director Shankar Mohan denied the claim saying, "The Entertainment Society of Goa (ESG) doctor was at hand and when he realized how serious the condition was, Filho was rushed to the Goa Medical College and Hospital, Bambolim, for treatment. As doctors tried to revive him and make arrangements for him to be shifted to a private hospital in Margao, Filho breathed his last." ESG's CEO Manoj Srivasatav said a one-minute silence would be observed before the 8pm movie across all theatres and an obituary read, as a mark of respect for Filho. "All the music and other festivities, too, will be stopped all through Sunday," he added. Mohan said they were in touch with the Brazilian embassy over Filho's death and his family had been intimated. Terming the incident "unfortunate", festival organizers said they were "deeply saddened by it."

Free mobiles, bicycles for retaining Bihar migrant labourers

Ludhiana (Punjab): Facing acute labour shortage mainly due to less influx of migrant labourers, particularly from Bihar, employers are doling out freebies like mobile phones and bicycles to lure workers. Witnessing almost 30 per cent labour shortage, nearly 5000 small and big manufacturers of bicycles and parts in Ludhiana, popularly known as the country's "bicycle capital", are facing threat of closure, traders said. Some of the leading names in the bicycle manufacturing here include Hero, Avon and Rolex. The ill-effect of the labour crisis is also felt on the farm sector as well as on textile manufacturing in the district. MGNREGA was another factor pointed out for this. "The labourers are also given mobile recharge coupons of Rs 50 to Rs 200 denominations to talk to their families," D S Chawla, former president of United Cycle and Parts Manufacturing Association, told PTI. A bicycle costing around Rs 2500 is given either free or for a paltry sum to these labourers so that they can paddle to their work place, P D Sharma, president of Chamber of Commerce and Industries (Punjab), said. A survey has found that migration of labourers from Bihar in search of livelihood to places like Punjab and Delhi has declined by over 26 per cent, thanks to initiatives taken by the Nitish Kumar government in the past five years to check their exodus.

Army regiments get coveted colours

PATIALA: It was a historic moment for the Army on Sunday, when the supreme commander of the armed forces and President of India Pratibha Patil presented colours to its five tank regiments at Patiala in an impressive ceremony. It is the second occasion in the history of Independent India that so many regiments were conferred with the colours, which are presented for exceptional role played by these regiments during war and peacetime. A formation of 132 T-90 tanks, with their engines roaring, guns on stabilizer systems and holding their newly acquired colours presented salute to their supreme commander. The five regiments presented colours were 70 Armoured, 73 Armoured, 74 Armoured, 5 Armoured and 6 Lancers. Out of these regiments, 70 Armoured Regiment had participated in the 1971 war. All these regiments have offered more than 25 years of dedicated service to the nation. Colours were received by Col M K Sirohi who is commandant of 70 Regiment, Col Sunil Dala of 73 Regiment, Col Atul Suri of 74 regiment, Col Mohit Wadhwa of 5 Regiment and Col Ranjan Keron of 6 Lancers. In the presence of four religious teachers -- representing various faiths Hindus, Christians, Muslims and Sikhs -- a short prayer was held following which the President presented the colours to the commandants of the respective units. Speaking on the occasion, Patil congratulated the units for the rare honour. She said that the honour bestowed upon them carries additional responsibilities. The President also reviewed the parade before the colour presentation ceremony. Chief of Army Staff General V K Singh, Army commander of Western command Lt General, S R Ghosh and a host of other senior serving officers, as well as retired veterans and all ranks, also witnessed the historic moment.
Box: What they denote?
Colours or Nishans, also known as Dhwajas/Patakas, are a source of pride for any regiment and various traditions have taken shape around them. In the Indian context, these have their roots in history since Vedas and Puranas where an individual sign of a king or emperor were carried by the armies. These Dhwajas were protected at any cost. Loss of the Dhwaja to another army was considered a defeat. Acceptance of colour or nishan of another ruler was taken as accepting the supremacy of that king.
Significance of colours
With East India Company coming under the control of the English, the regiments in India started carrying colours of the British Crown. After Independence these colours were discontinued and placed at Chetwood Hall of Indian Military Academy at Dehradun. Later, they became the colours of the President of Republic of India. Cavalry regiments from whom these five regiments owe their traditions carried the Guidons, which were last paraded in 1936. Post-Independence only colours are awarded.

Sultan Khan, sarangi maestro, passes away

The beloved sarangi maestro Sultan Khan passed away on Sunday afternoon, while on his way to the hospital. He was 75 years old and had been suffering for a while from kidney failure. He is survived by his wife, two daughters and son Sabir, who has inherited his musical legacy. Sultan Khan traversed many lands - he was a great accompanist and had played with all the legendary artistes, from Kesarbai to Bade Ghulam Ali. He was also an accomplished solo player who shared the stage on an equal footing with tabla maestro Zakir Hussain. And, finally, he was a vocalist, someone who could break into a Rajasthani maand ('Kesariya') with the same ease as he could render a lilting Hindi film song ('Albela sajan aayo re' in Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam). Years back, he said in an interview, "The art of giving good sangat (accompaniment) is that you must subdue your ego. You are part of someone else's baaraat, so you don't wear a suit that is better than the artiste's and call yourself the dulha." But, over the years, the baaraati seamlessly became the bridegroom and the instrument that had long echoed and enhanced vocal music - being the closest in temperament to the human voice - nudged its way to centre stage. Sultan Khan's hauntingly lyrical sarangi became a sound that found its way in concert halls across India and the world, including at Prince Charles' 49th birthday party in London (who later wrote and thanked him "for bringing a wonderful part of India's ancient soul into my house").
At his home in Malad, where numerous musicians had gathered to condole, musician and composer Taufiq Qureshi recollects, "I was his roommate when we were touring Germany with my father Ustad Allah Rakha and Zakirbhai so I had some lovely moments with him, where we would sit talking about music. When he did his first vocal album, 'Sabras', I arranged the music. And when I did my first album, 'Colours of Rajasthan', he sang. "He was someone who was truly creative but, besides that, he was a fantastic human being," says vocalist Purvi Parikh, who spent many years with him, fine-tuning her music. "He gave so much love. Any one who came to him for advice, he would encourage with such positivity, as if to say, 'go forth, you are a hero'. He would follow a lot of swamijis and saints and would say that the only thing way your destiny can move forward is by the blessings of all these people." Although born a Muslim from near Jodhpur, he practiced only the religion of music and love, which are anyway synonymous. Qureshi recalls that when he married outside his community, Sultan Khan came to the wedding and said that he should not worry, nor feel alone. He would always stand by him. He had once told this writer that the sarangi's predecessor, the Ravanahasta, was a seven-stringed harp made by Ravana by stringing sinews pulled out of his arm, with which he sang Vedic hymns to Shiva. Notwithstanding its later association with courtesans, "this instrument is therefore about total surrender to God," he said, with his trademark paan-stained smile. It is hardly surprising then, that the lyrical quality in his music could make listeners weep. And, artistes and music lovers say that it is the universe's good fortune that he left his musical legacy behind with his son Sabir and nephews Dilshad and Imran Khan.

Sikhs build fan club on Chinese internet

BEIJING: The Chinese Youtube versions like youku-. com and tudou.com have seen thousands of downloads of a dare devil game by a group of Sikhs aired on Indian television channel ETV. The show involves a bunch of Sikhs being run over by a car and a motorcycle, hit by massive hammers, crashing on a bed of fluorescent tubes, and even eating tube light glass. A young Sikh pulls a car tied to a rope using his teeth. The show's performers called the Goga group have notched up a fan following going by comments on the Chinese internet. Many viewers called it a sign of bravery while some called it a show of fake valour using modern technology."India is indeed a mysterious place," one comment said.

Russia launches Chinese satellite

MOSCOW: A Russian Proton-M rocket completed the successful launch on Saturday of an advanced Chinese communications satellite that should help expand television coverage in parts of Southeast Asia.
The Roscosmos space agency said the AsiaSat 7 satellite was placed in its designed orbit at 0423 GMT after being launched from the Baikonur space centre in ex-Soviet Kazakhstan on Friday evening. The mission was accomplished after a recent string of Russian space failures that included the botched launch this summer of what was billed as Europe's largest telecommunications satellite. The Hong Kong-based Asia Satellite Telecommunications Company (AsiaSat) said in a statement that its seventh orbiter will support "a broad range of applications for the Asia-Pacific region" including television broadcasts. "With AsiaSat 7 successfully launched ... we can assure continuity of service to customers, while at the same time adding to our on-orbit capacity to service new business," said the company's chief executive William Wade.

Eye on India? China plans to patrol Mekong

BEIJING: India's fears of increasing Chinese presence in the area around Myanmar took a new turn with Beijing announcing plans to patrol the Mekong river, connecting Thailand, Laos and Myanmar. The move comes in response to the recent killing of 13 Chinese seamen in two cargo ships that were attacked by pirates near the Thai-Burma border. Beijing managed to persuade the three countries, under immense pressure from China, to go for joint patrol of the Mekong to ensure such incidents are not repeated. The headquarters of the joint patrol will be in China, with branches in the other three countries. Indian experts were alarmed when China got a port construction contract in Myanmar recently, which will give Beijing considerable access to the Bay of Bengal area. China has also established strong presence in Sri Lanka.

MoEF to dish out free visas to India-bound foreign scholars

NEW DELHI: Stung by suggestions that India was making it increasingly difficult for foreign scholars to participate in seminars and conferences, foreign ministry last week decided to grant gratis (free of cost) visa to all foreign academics and research scholars, including those from Pakistan and China, who are invited to India by Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA). No consular fee is charged for a gratis visa.
At the moment, applications from scholars and experts from eight countries, most of them neighbours like Pakistan and China, are vetted also by the home ministry, making eligibility for their participation in international conferences a long and cumbersome process but the MEA is hopeful gratis visa will improve things. "It will certainly cut down on a lot of paperwork and expedite the entire process,'' said a government official. Those seeking research visas have to apply at least six weeks ahead of the date of their departure to India. As per revised guidelines issued last year for granting visa to foreigners coming to India for international conferences, seminars and workshops, people from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, China, Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Sudan and people of Pakistani origin and stateless persons had to get clearance from the home ministry. The home ministry wrote to all other ministries, departments and state governments to "strictly" adhere to the revised procedure for grant of conference visas. Participants from other countries can obtain conference visa from the Indian mission concerned on production of invitation letter from the organiser, event clearance from the home ministry, administrative approval of the nodal ministry, political clearance from the ministry of external affairs and clearance from the state government and Union Territories concerned.

Pianist Psychuck hits third Guinness World Record

SAN JOSE: Sai "Psychuck" Manapragada once again made the Indian community proud when he earned his third Guinness World Record for hitting 669 piano keys in one minute, beating the former record of 498 keys held by Hungary's Balazs Havasi since 2009. The musical extravaganza event "Trinetram" not only presented this feat by Manapragada, making him the world's fastest piano player, but also showcased his multifaceted talents as a symphony composer and singer. "We organized 'Trinetram' since it symbolized Psychuck's third Guinness World Record attempt, and also because 'Netram' is dedicated to the charitable cause of raising funds for Sankara Eye Foundation," Srinivas Manapragada, organizer of the event and cultural ambassador for the Indian American community for the state of California Governor's Office, told India-West. Psymphony in association with TASC presented the event. The program included a symphony orchestra composed by Psychuck, Bollywood dance sequences performed by local Bay Area groups, a Bollywood medley of songs from Mukesh to Sukhwinder Singh performed by Psychuck, followed by a fashion show by famed Bay Area fashion choreographer Mario Benton. The evening began with more than 80 San Francisco Symphony artists performing a rendering of "Desert Rose." Psychuck then attempted his historic Guinness World Record moment to become the fastest piano player. Afterwards, he conducted a choir of more than 40 performers cherry-picked through rigorous auditions to perform Psychuck's symphonic version of "Saare Jahan Se Acha," with musical accompaniment by San Francisco Symphony artists. "We wanted to introduce symphony as an artistic musical genre to the Indian community as never before," Srinivas Manapragada told India-West. "Through 'Saare Jahan Se Acha,' a patriotic composition, Psychuck wanted to pay tribute to the motherland and to the community, similar to what A.R. Rehman had done with 'Maa Tujhe Salaam.'" Talking about his record, Psychuck told India-West that "the thought about the record first came to my mind when I realized as I was practicing to create a symphony that I could play the piano really fast. "I had already played the harmonium in India and learnt ten different styles of piano playing and am also familiar with sitar, so I was able to draw from this experience and create a new piano style called the jalra style, which has a fast-paced high tempo much like a sitar 'jalra.' This enabled me to confidently attempt the record." Philip Robertson, adjudicator at Guinness World Records, travelled from the UK to witness Psychuck's attempt. His team had recorders set up to ensure that the baton was hitting the chord and each key was being struck accurately.
The video was reviewed seven times in slow motion before it was confirmed that Psychuck was indeed the recipient of the latest Guinness World Record. In an unprecedented gesture, Bay Area city councils and mayors commended Psychuck by presenting him with seven awards from the state of California. Trinetram presented an opportunity for the Indian community to share in Psychuck's record breaking experience.
"The show is not just about me, it's also about showcasing the talents from the Bay Area Indian community," Psychuck told India-West. The choir performed solos and duets of popular Bollywood numbers while children from popular Bay Area dance groups like Aerodance and Pargav Dance Studio also performed some hit numbers. Deepa Thakore, Kavita Arora and Intekhab were the evening's hosts. Thakore later received a commendation from the city of Milpitas from Mayor Jose Esteves for her contributions to promoting culture in the community.

India-born dominate in science, engineering degrees

NEW YORK: India led all foreign-born groups in the US as the country-of-birth of science and engineering degree holders in 2010, according to a brief released in late November by the US Census Bureau. The India-born in the US 25 years of age or older and holding science and engineering degrees totaled 747,000, about 18% of the foreign-born population of about 4,160,000 with degrees in those fields. China was the next largest country-of-birth among the foreign-born in science and engineering at 516,000 (12%), while the Europe-born totaled 17.6% of those degrees. Those born in Asia in 2010 held 57 percent of the science and engineering degrees among the foreign-born population. The India-born were even more dominant in some science and engineering disciplines. For example, in the field of computers, mathematics and statistics, those born in India held 24% of all degrees held by the foreign-born, with those born in China a distant second at 14%. The Europe-born held 15.5% of these degrees. In engineering, those born in India held 22% of the degrees, with China second at 12.6%, and the Europe-born having 17.2% of the degrees. In the field of physical and related sciences, the India-born held 19.9% of the degrees among foreign-born in the US, followed by China at 17.5%. Those born in Europe held 18.8%. In biological, agricultural and environmental sciences, the India-born held 14.6% of the degrees among the foreign-born, followed closely by China at 13.7%. Those born in Europe held 15.8% of the degrees. Only in social sciences, psychology and multi-disciplinary sciences were the India-born less dominant. In social sciences, those born in India held just 8.7% of the degrees. Those born in Europe and the Caribbean held 21.5% and 19.4%, respectively. China was right behind India at 8.4%. In psychology, the totals were Caribbean, 31.6%; Europe, 18.8%; India, 8.1%; Mexico, 7.9%; and Philippines, 6.9%. In multi-disciplinary sciences, the Caribbean led at 22.8%; followed by Europe, 13.3%; the Philippines, 10.5%; India, 8.6%; and Korea, 8.3%. The breakdown by percentages in specific fields of the India-born was: engineering, 43.1%; computers, mathematics and statistics, 21.4%; physical and related sciences, 12.8%; biological, agricultural and environmental sciences, 11.8%; social sciences, 7.2%; psychology, 3.1%; and multi-disciplinary sciences, 0.5%. Foreign-born residents in the US represented 33% of all bachelor's degree holders in engineering fields; 27% in computers, mathematics and statistics; 24% in physical sciences; and 17% in biological, agricultural and environmental sciences.

SikhLens eyes Punjabi arts, films at festival

ORANGE: For an entire weekend, Chapman University's Dodge College of Film and Media Arts hosted the SikhLens' Sikh Arts and Film Festival for a second consecutive year from Nov. 18-20, celebrating the best and brightest in Sikh cinematic and artistic culture. The three-day cinematic showcase featured emerging artists and musicians, a gamut of films touching on the Sikh experience and a series of panels highlighting emerging and established talents. "SikhLens was created to provide a unique venue for artists to present their 'Sikh-centric' films, art and music to the broader community with the intent of showcasing their talents and generating increased Sikh awareness," SAFF co-chairs Ravin Kaur Kohli and Tina Kaur Anand stated. "This festival is a premiere venue to highlight social issues, recognize talent and watch the harmony between the Sikh faith and the external cultures that surround its diverse followers." The centerpiece film that perhaps captured that harmony was the Nov. 19 United States premiere of the Sikh-themed film "Breakaway." Starring a mix of Indian, Indian American and Hollywood actors, including Vimay Virmani, Russell Peters, Noureen DeWulf, Anupam Kher, Camilla Belle and Rob Lowe, the American debut of "Breakaway" was the glitziest moment of SAFF, with Virmani, DeWulf, and Belle being escorted down the red carpet by an energetic Bhangra team.
Focusing on an all-Sikh hockey team in Canada called the "Speedy Singhs," Robert Lieberman's "Breakaway," a cross-cultural film bridging Indian and Western cinemas, officially debuted in September at the Toronto Film Festival. Virmani said the film, with Bollywood star Akshay Kumar as its executive producer, is a source of pride for the Sikh community and Indians in general, but is entertaining for non-Sikhs and non-Indians alike. A film featuring Indians and hockey should come as no surprise, he said. "Field hockey is the national sport of India, ice hockey is the national sport of Canada. Indians in Canada love ice hockey (and) a lot of young Sikh boys are starting to play," Virmani told India-West. DeWulf, who recently married NHL star and Olympic Silver Medalist Ryan Miller, said she was excited to play the role of a sports journalist who covers the Speedy Singhs. "In this film, I play a sports reporter (who) covers hockey, and I marry Russell Peters in the movie. We kind of provide some comedy, we have our own wedding storyline," DeWulf told India-West. SAFF opened Nov. 18 with an Opening Night Gala that welcomed nearly 500 attendees. The festivities included musical performances by Jas Ahluwalia, Kamaljeet Ajimal and Raginder "Violinder" Momi as well as comments by Chapman's Dean Bob Basset, Professor Jeff Swimmer and Orange County Sheriff Sandra Hutchens. Guru Singh of "Outsourced" fame emceed the opening festivities, while 100-year-old Fauja Singh (see separate story) served as the evening's chief guest and comedian Jus Reign entertained the audience with a standup routine. The award-winning "A Little Revolution" and the scholarly documentary "Humble the Poet" were screened on the first night. The second day featured the U.S. premiere of "Breakaway" and a trio of items dedicated to youth films, creative Sikhs and short films. SAFF concluded Nov. 20 with an item dedicated to creative Sikhs as well as short films featuring Sikhs around the world and social issues. Artists featured throughout the festival were Canadian actress Agam Darshi, hip hop artist Mandeep Sethi, artist Rupy Cheema Tut, television host Gurmeet Sodhi, singer Charanjeet "CJ" Virdi, music composer Tej Gill and Fauja Singh trainer Harmander Singh. The festival also announced the SikhLens Award. Underwritten by The Bhathal Family Trust and Sandy and Harriet Sandhu, the award provided two Dodge College student documentary groups with $5000 each to produce their films incorporating Sikh themes.
The student filmmaking teams included Ruth Paul, Brendan Nahmias, Jacob Taylor and Bobby Moser of "Humble The Poet," and Matt Diamond, James Parker and Ruby Stocking who are currently documenting "a Sikh family trying to bridge the vast geographical and cultural differences between India and America."
Films featured at SAFF included Rohit Khanna's "Punjab's Forgotten Women," The Singh Twins' "The Making of Liverpool: Portraits of a City," Khushwant Singh's "Turbaned Tornado," David R. Gray's "Canadian Sikh Soldiers," Harjant Gill's "Roots of Love," Mandeep Sethi's "Sikligar" and Nina Dutta Roy's "Nothing is Impossible," among others. The 19 films screened at SAFF covered a broad range of Sikh issues ranging from farming, the military, women's rights, dowry and marital pressures to infanticide, drugs and faith.

SoCal welcomes Indian ambassador Nirupama Rao

LONG BEACH: Several Indian American organizations congregated at the downtown Hilton Hotel ballroom here November 14 to welcome India's newest ambassador to the United States during her first Southern California visit as chief diplomatic representative. At a dinner reception hosted by the Global Organization of People of Indian Origin and other community groups, Ambassador Nirupama Rao was treated to an evening that showcased the strong presence of Southern California's Indian Americans. Joining Rao at the reception was Nagesh Parthasarthi, the new Consul General in San Francisco, as well as Anaheim Pro Tem Harry Sidhu and Cypress councilman Prakash Narayan. During the many felicitations, the new ambassador was informed of the growth of Little India in Artesia, and the many philanthropic activities of Indian Americans in Southern California and beyond. "Southern California has been home to the Indian American community for (more than) 100 years. The first Indian U.S. congressman, Dalip Singh Saund, was elected from the Imperial Valley in (nearby) Riverside," GOPIO's Inder Singh explained to Rao. Sidhu stressed the significance of non-resident Indians pursuing public office to represent both the Indian American community and the population at large, in much the same way Saund did shortly after World War II. "At the end of the day, people recognize us for who we are. We have the brains, we have the talent to make a difference, to be in public office, to make policy in this country," he said. Narayan echoed Sidhu's sentiments, explaining to Rao how public service in the United States could be used as a tool to connect Indian Americans to others in Southern California and across the country. "We really can't win (an elected office) by relying upon just one group. We have to connect to the community. We're going to be living here (in the United States) long term, for generations. So we have to educate our kids, our families, to get connected with the community," he said. "That's the only way we can change the politics of this country." In response, Rao figuratively tipped her hat to the Southern California NRI community. "I am standing, in some senses, on hallowed ground, because so much of what the Indian community is today in this country is associated with all that you have done and achieved over the last century," she said. The former Indian Foreign Secretary commended the NRI community for adapting to their new homes abroad and urged everyone to heed Narayan's and Sidhu's words. "If you study the history of India, we have always adapted. We have this capacity to adjust, to adapt and to learn from the environment around us," she said. "We've also grown from other cultures, we've also learned from other civilizations, and that is really what makes India so great, so unique and so special." She added that the concept of coexisting with others struck a chord with her because "you spoke of what being Indian means." Prior to her visit, Rao had visited Houston to speak at Rice University and meet with the local Indo-American Chamber of Commerce. The ambassador had also previously met with Senators Joe Lieberman of Connecticut and Mark Kirk of Illinois. Appointed in August to succeed Meera Shankar, the 60-year-old Rao is the 21st ambassador representing India in the United States. She also served as India's ambassador to China, Peru and Bolivia, in addition to other diplomatic posts in Sri Lanka and Russia. The official welcome reception included members from GOPIO, the National Federation of Indian American Associations, the India Association of Los Angeles, the Rajput Association of America, the Indian Muslim Association, and the newly created Indian Community of Southern California.

Gujaratis know the language of business; learn Chinese, Japanese

AHMEDABAD/SURAT: Jay Thakkar, 20, a student of mechatronics - a course involving mechanical and electronic engineering - is learning to drawing more than complex circuitry these days. He has recently enrolled in a Chinese language course as he aims to take over his father's ceramics business with many interests in the land of the dragon. "Learning to write Chinese is like mastering complex drawings. My father does not know Chinese and that puts him on a back-foot in business," says Thakkar. In Gujarat, good economics decides which language Gujaratis speak. As chief minister Narendra Modi looks to China and far-east countries, including Japan, for investment, youngsters from the state are queuing up to learn Chinese and Japanese in big numbers. While private Chinese classes are running full batches for the first time, Gujarat Vidyapith has started its first-ever Japanese course, giving into its growing demand. While China draws Gujarati businessmen for cheaper imports, interest in Japan has shot up after the Japanese started implementing the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor, 40% of which passes through Gujarat. The tonal range of Chinese is such that many students have aching jaws if they speak the language for a couple of hours continuously but that has not been deterrence. "The Chinese show immense respect if you speak their language," says Nilesh Dave, a senior marketing manager with a large corporate who recently went to China and immediately enrolled to learn the language after coming back. Lavanya Trivedi, one of few teachers who can give lessons in both Chinese and Japanese, says she has personally coached over 70-odd people in recent times. "Almost all my students are either businessmen or hold senior positions in MNCs," says Trivedi. "I got at least 30 queries for learning Japanese in the last couple of months after which we decided to start a course," says the head of the Indian languages and culture department at Gujarat Vidyapith, K K Bhaskaran. Even the Ahmedabad Management Association (AMA) has given lessons in Chinese to 200 students and Japanese to 40-odd Amdavadis in the last one year. Surat's diamantaires are mastering Chinese to acquire a share of the Chinese diamond polishing industry pie. "Two of our employees just learnt Chinese and work for the firm in China," says Ishwar Dholakia of Ram Krishna Exports, a diamond businessman.