NRI Top Stories ( Page 42 of 47 )

Michelle Obama's Diwali Bash November 08, 2013 15:41

US First Lady Michelle Obama had organized 'Diwali' bash at the White House, in the East Room. For the celebration, 200 guests, belonging to three generations of Indian Americans, were invited. The celebrations included Bollywood dance numbers where Mrs Obama tried out the filmy steps with choreographer Nakul Mahajan. The US First Lady greeted guests with a cheerful 'Happy Diwali' and there was 'Laxmi' puja to complete the celebration. Later in her address to the guests Michelle paid a tribute to the victims of Oak Creek Gurdwara and also appreciated the courage and grace shown by the Indian community. (Picture Source: rediff.com) (AW: Pratima Tigga)

Kali Puja celebration in UK November 05, 2013 18:32

Bengali NRI's in the UK are going all out to celebrate their festivals even while staying away from home. Durga Puja is being celebrated by the Bengalis of UK since the 1960s, when it started. Durga Puja is popular among non-resident Bengalis not only in the UK, but also in America, Europe and other continents. Recently, since last year Kali Puja is also being celebrated with devotion. Sanskriti, a non-profit organization, was formed by the Bengalis in Reading to organise cultural programmes. Durga Puja and Saraswati Puja are celebrated every year. Last year Kali Puja was added to the list of activities organised by Sanskriti, said Anuradha Biswas, president of Sanskriti. According to reports, the Trunkwell Mansion House organised Kali Puja in 2012. The puja pandal was visited by 400 people, who were treated to a meal of dal, bhaat, chhana dalna, mangsho, chutney and mishti. This year also a grand Kali Puja celebration was organized at Shinfield Grange.A large number of non-resident Bengalis were expected at the puja pandal. Devotees were to be treated to a delicious feast of Bengali delicacies, followed by a display of fireworks. (AW: Pratima Tigga)

Big feat for Indian-American Gurbir Grewal October 05, 2013 17:05

Indian American Sikh lawyer Gurbir Grewal has been formally nominated as the Bergen county prosecutor by New Jersey Governor Chris Christie. If he wins, then he will be the first Indian-American prosecutor as well as the first Sikh to occupy the office. "Since 2010, Grewal has worked at the US Attorney's Office in Newark as the Deputy Chief of the Economic Crimes Unit and Computer Hacking and IP Crimes Unit.He previously worked at the US Attorney's Office in the Eastern District of New York as an Assistant US Attorney at the Business and Securities Fraud Unit,” reported DNA news. "With his experience as a federal prosecutor in New Jersey and New York, Mr. Grewal has the right credentials and background to be the chief law enforcement officer for Bergen County," said Christie announcing his intent to nominate Grewal. "He also brings diversity to a highly diverse county, which will serve him and the community well," Christie added. Grewal would replace retiring prosecutor John Molinelli. AW: Suchorita Dutta Choudhury

Indian scientist in US creates 'brain' for robots October 04, 2013 17:26

A US scientist of Indian-origin has created a new feedback system that would facilitate robots to operate with minimal supervision. In short, the scientist has developed a robot brain. His latest invention might allow robots to think for themselves, learn, adapt and use active critique to work unassisted. Dr Jagannathan Sarangapani, from Missouri University of Science and Technology has developed a new feedback system will allow a "follower" robot to take over as the "leader" robot if the original leader has a system or mechanical failure. “In a leader/follower formation, the lead robot is controlled through a nonholonomic system, meaning that the trajectory is set in advance, and the followers are tracing the same pattern that the leader takes by using sonar. When a problem occurs and roles need to change to continue, the fault tolerant control system comes into use. It uses reinforcement learning and active critique, both inspired by behaviourist psychology to show how machines act in environments to maximise work rate, to help the new, unmanned robot to estimate its new course. Without this, the follower wouldn't have a path to follow and the task would fail. "Imagine you have one operator in an office controlling 10 bulldozers remotely," said Sarangapani, the William A Rutledge - Emerson Electric Company's distinguished professor in Electrical Engineering at S&T. "In the event that the lead one suffers a mechanical problem, this hardware allows the work to continue," said Sarangapani. The innovative research will be useful for robotic security surveillance, mining and even aerial maneuvering. AW: Suchorita Dutta Choudhury

Overpoweringly rejoiced! September 26, 2013 16:01

Prominently overwhelming joy was brought in when Nina Davuluri was befit in appearance as the first contestant of Indian heritage as well as the second consecutive contestant from New York to experience victory with the Miss America pageant during Sunday night. Miss New York Nina Davuluri walks down the runway in succession to winning the Miss America 2014 pageant during Sunday that's Sept 15, 2013. Davuluri who's 24 years age, gained victory accompanied by the title as the nationally televised pageant returned home to Atlantic City. Moreover, she turned out successfully another Miss New York, Mallory Hagan, whose holding was cut short when the pageant moved back to Atlantic City subsequent to a six-year stint in Las Vegas, where winners were picked by preference during January. Interestingly, Davuluri performed a classical Bollywood fusion dance for her talent competition. Congratulations Nina! (AW:SB)

A lawyer of India origin appointed as US state judge September 11, 2013 17:07

Sunil R Kulkarni, a Indian-American lawyer of great eminence has been appointed as a state judge in Northern California. He is the first South Asian to take up the esteemed role. Kulkarni, 41, has previously worked as a senior counsel in the litigation group at the University of California. He was appointed to Santa Clara County Superior Court by Governor Jerry Brown last month. Although of an Indian origin, Kulkarni was born in Los Angeles and is currently residing in Palo Alto in California. On the esteemed offer, Kulkarni said, he was "thrilled to get the call" from the governor's office about the appointment. Asked about the fact that more South Asian Americans are advancing in the legal and judicial fields, Kulkarni said he believes "it is because South Asians in my generation" are "more open about law as a career." “Kulkarni has a BS from UC-Berkeley and a law degree from the University of California's Hastings College of the Law. He has also served as a law clerk for Judge Oliver W Wanger in the US District Court for the Eastern District of California from 1996-97,” revealed the Economic Times. AW: Suchorita Dutta

Prince William have Indian ancestry! June 21, 2013 20:16

A DNA test accompanied by an analysis has brought into prominence that Prince William is the first member of the British royal family to have Indian ancestry. Furthermore, a genetic link has been revealed between the Duke of Cambridge and a half-Indian woman, a very distant relative from his mother’s side. Initially described as Armenian, DNA analysis has resolved that a relative of William’s great-great-great-great-great grandmother, Eliza Kewark, was at least half-Indian as well lived in India’s western region.The link was substantiated by Scottish scientists, who discovered that Kewark’s descendants carried a rare strand of DNA, known as mitochondrial DNA, that can only be passed on by a mother. Until now, almost every single person who has been found to carry this strand originates from India. While 14 strands of the DNA have been recorded, 13 of which came from India, having others coming from a native of Nepal.Genetics expert Jim Wilson of the University of Edinburgh was in charge of the research who explained that even though the DNA is found in William and his brother Harry, the princes are not able to pass this strand on to their children. It has not been disclosed as to which member of the family supplied saliva samples used in the test. It was known that Eliza Kewar was married to Scotsman Theodore Forbes, who left Eliza and sent their daughter, Katherine, to live in England at age six. Letters sent from Kewark to Forbes recommend that Forbes left her due to fact of her race. In his will, he rejected to recognize the existence that she was the biological mother of his child, rather referring to her as the purported mother as well as his housekeeper.Interestingly, Historian Alistair Moffatt discovered that Theodore Forbes went to India to make his fortune in the booming Indian tea industry. While staying in India he was known to have employed a housekeeper with whom he had three children one of these children was a distant relative of Princess Diana. The Duke of Cambridge’s Indian heritage could be used to uplift the British’s monarchy’s popularity in India in actuality was formerly part of the British Empire during the 19th century.Image Source: Prince William have Indian ancestry(AW:Samrat Biswas)

Indian migrants to Australia has stayed crucially elevated! June 21, 2013 20:01

Government report have revealed in actuality about India being advanced China in terms of becoming the prominent source of permanent migrants to Australia for the first time. Australia’s Migration Trends study showed while manifesting the growing prominence of Asia to Australia having located in the seven of the top 10 source countries during 2011-2012. Furthered by Immigration Minister Brendan O’Connor bringing it into forefront that between 1996 and 2011, Australia’s overseas-born population grew by more than 40 percent to reach six million which in return caused in making it more than double the rate for the Australian-born population as well is crucial in addressing the demographic challenges of an ageing population.Subsequent to the government’s great moral power in emphasizing on skilled migration the occurrence in growth is also crucial to safeguarding depth in Australia’s labour force. Having it as a special mention, the number of permanent migrants from India was 29,018 in 2011/12, exceeding up to 12.7 percent on the previous year while China was standing in the number two as visa places declined from 29,546 to 25,509. Throughout the duration of the same time British arrivals elevated to 25,273 from 23,931 having the Philippines along with South Africa four and five sequentially.The figure of Indian-born Australian residents known to have exceeded by four times while Chinese-born residents have tripled are known facts to have been revealed by the report throughout the duration of the past 15 years. Nevertheless, Britain continued to be as specified being the main birthplace of migrants, having 1.18 million mentioned to be under home distinctly with pointing out total population of 23 million. On the contrary, New Zealanders stands on the second biggest (564,920) to come after in sequence by China (391,060).(AW:Samrat Biswas)

Sathwik Karnik, an Indian-origin boy wins National Geographic Bee contest 2013 June 21, 2013 19:46

Sathwik Karnik, who happens to be a seventh-grader from Massachusetts has been awarded the prestigious 2013 National Geographic Bee contest. On the contrary before we talk more about his achievements, let's check out your knowledge of geography.Question: What is the largest city in China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, which is home to one of the world's largest deposits of rare-earth elements?Answer: BaotouQuestion: Because the earth bulges at the equator, which mountain peak on the earth is farthest from the earth’s center?Answer: ChimborazoExcellently placed this was the standard of the contest, wherein the prominent fact remain that Sathwik Karnik never spoke hesitatingly.Inevitably, one don't learn all this in a day. Sathwik as well as his entire family love geography and adding to another interesting fact that when he was about 6, he was known to be playing game on atlas with his elder brother Karthik attempting to be the first to find a city or landmark.Despite of the fact that Karthik made to the finals of the National Geographic Bee in 2011 and 2012 yet it is Sathwik Karnik who managed to secure top position. Sathwik might have secured the title earlier yet his brother Karthik beat him twice in the Massauchusetts state bee.On the other hand, runner-up Conrad Oberhaus couldn't name Baotou as the largest city in China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, which is home to one of the world's largest deposits of rare-earth elements. Conrad did not get it wrong again, on the contrary Sathwik never gave him a second chance to represent a return.That's indeed a fantabulous victory!Congratulations to the genius!Content Source: IBN live, NDTV,DNA.Image Source: Sathwik Karnik(AW:Samrat Biswas)

NRI father posts video of his minor son driving car April 29, 2013 17:01

An NRI businessman never knew he would invite troubles from the police for posting the video of his nine-year-old son driving a luxurious sports car, Ferrari F430. Mohammed Nishan, the man in the news apparently visited his home town Kerala recently to celebrate the birthday of his son on his home land. He gifted his son Ferrari F430 car and captured the video when his drove the vehicle. This video was posted by him to Facebook. All this happened in Peramangalam. While the parents were pride about the driving skills of their son, the police who had a glimpse of the video charged Mohammed Nishan under various acts including Motor Vehicles Act for the irresponsible behavior. Since the accused was an NRI, the police couldn't take him into the custody. The matter is now prejudice. Parents should make their children learn morals of life no matter even if they are born with silver spoons as everyone should leave their silver spoons down in earth when they take the unseen flights to unknown destinations! A rich is a person who has high morals and he would be the one who would be remembered forever. Don't know when rich parents will realize the same! (AW Phani)

AID New Jersey is organizing a 5K Walkathon on May 5th April 14, 2012 12:17

AID New Jersey is organizing a 5K Walkathon on May 5th for supporting child education, health, and sustainable development projects in India. Please join in the walk and support the efforts of AID India for sustainable development of India. Even a small contribution goes a long way in bringing relief, joy and hope to millions of underprivileged people in India. Please share Eureka Superkidz 5K Walk with your friends. Eureka Superkidz 5K Walk event page is on Facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/events/374048419282396 For more details one can visit the website at: http://www.eurekachild.org/

Health fair by TANA on April 29 at James Madison April 13, 2012 20:55

The North American Telugu Association is collaboration with Rhythmic Arts Dance and Music Center is all set to organize a health fair named Move It to Lose. This health fair is scheduled to take place on April 29 at James Madison Primary School. The main aim of this fair is to bring awareness among children on the ill effects of obesity. The show is likely to highlight as to how important it is to keep the body healthy and toned. As the name suggests, the fair would focus on walking and other natural exercises for burning the extra fat. It may be noted that obesity is one of the major concerns of USA. In fact, reports suggest that over one-fifth of children in the country are either obese or over weight. This would undoubtedly create so many health problems and to address the same NATA took up this noble cause. According to the sources, The The Mayor of Edison Mrs.Anotnia Ricigliano and the NJ Assemblyman Upendra Chivukula and other dignitaries are likely to attend this event. TANA has said that this fair is going to be a great show that features several demonstrations including healthy food, dance, aerobics and other exercises. (Phani)