Operate more flights between India, Ras Al Khaimah
Thiruvananthapuram, July 1, 2011: The Indian community in Ras Al Khaimah has asked the Indian government to increase the number of flights between the emirate and India to cut down on travel time.
"There is only one flight operating from the Ras Al Khaimah airport to India. Around 450,000 Indians reside in the catchment area of Ras Al Khaimah, who have no choice but to travel to Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Sharjah airports," S.A Saleem, president of the Indian Association in Ras Al Khaimah said in an e-mail to IANS Friday.
Eight major Indian associations representing the Indian community have appealed to Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and the union Civil Aviation Minister Vayalar Ravi to commence direct Air India services between Ras Al Khaimah and Indian cities such as Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi, Mangalore, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad and Chennai.
Alternately, the Indian government should allow the Ras Al Khaimah national carrier, RAK Airways, to operate flights to these cities, the associations said.
"The Ras Al Khaimah Airport and the Ras Al Khaimah civil aviation authorities are both on record welcoming Indian carriers to operate from this airport. However it appears that the return gesture from the carriers in India is not forthcoming," said Saleem.
"If no favourable actions are taken in this regard with immediate effect, the various associations will encourage the community to even go to the extent of boycotting Air India during the upcoming holiday season," he added......IANS/NRIpress.com
----------------------------------------
Indian-origin nurse barred in Britain
London, July 1, 2011: An Indian-origin care home manager in Britain has been barred from the profession after being found guilty of housing elderly residents in inhospitable conditions "no better than a kennel".
During Ramdai Singh's watch, a 70-year-old dementia sufferer lost 70 kg after being fed a diet of tea, chocolate and a drink supplement in a urine-soaked room, the Daily Mail reported.
The resident, who was made to wear a nappy pad, had to drink out of a plastic beaker that was stained, dirty and furry, the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) panel, a disciplinary group heard.
On Thursday, NMC found Ramdai Singh, 48, guilty of misconduct for displaying a "flagrant disregard for basic nursing principles" at the Elmer Sands Nursing Home in Bognor Regis, West Sussex.
The accusations that Ramdai Singh left carpets smelling of urine and bed covers soiled with faeces were found proved. It was also found true that she kept inadequate records regarding residents' food intake and did not provide a varied diet.
Ramdai Singh was also found guilty of failing to ensure the nursing home was a safe environment. She allowed staff to work before required checks were carried out, by leaving food in the fridge unlabelled and uncovered and leaving a toilet to leak.
Her actions and failures were found to be incompatible to allow her to continue practising as a nurse, the profession's watchdog ruled.
Ramdai Singh broke nursing rules during her time at the home - which caters for elderly people with dementia and other age-related ailments - between May 2004 and November 2006, the conduct and competence committee of the NMC ruled.
Panel chairman Paul Hindley said: "We consider her actions and omissions represent gross neglect.
"The failures were extensive and undoubtedly had an effect on elderly and vulnerable patients and have shown a flagrant disregard for basic nursing principles."....IANS/NRIpress.com
Indian businesses against street protests in Malaysia
Kuala Lumpur, July 1, 2011: The Indian business community in Malaysia has said it is strongly against the holding of street demonstrations.
The 12 Indian chambers of commerce and 13 trade associations under the umbrella of the Malaysian Associated Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MAICCI) resolved that the political parties Bersih, Umno Youth and Perkasa should not take to the streets for a rally scheduled for July 9, the Star Online reported.
MAICCI president K.K. Eswaran said the chambers' decision on the rally was unanimous.
"Bersih wants fair elections, but it was already proven in the 2008 general election that Malaysia is a truly democratic society," he said.
He said Bersih chairman Ambiga Sreenevasan - as a practising lawyer and former bar council chairman - should know it is important to adhere to the law.
"Ambiga must practise what she preaches by abiding to lawful conduct," he said.
Eswaran urged police to take action against those who break the law.
The Malaysian Indian Youth Development Foundation (MIYDF) - with a membership of 18,000 people - said it would take to the streets opposing the July 9 rally.
MIYDF chairman S.A. Vigneswaran said everyone should be treated equally.
"If one group is allowed to rally, others should be allowed to do the same. I will advise people not to join Bersih or any other gathering. But if Bersih goes on, we will have no choice," he said after launching the MIYDF anti-Bersih campaign.
Vigneswaran, a former Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC) youth wing chief, said the foundation would go on a nationwide drive against Bersih.
There were about 1.9 million people of Indian origin in Malaysia in 2010, according to the Department of Statistics.....IANS/NRIpress.com
India, US to expand trade, investment links
Washington, June 28, 2011: India and the United States have agreed to work together to expand trade and investment links between their two economies, and to develop and strengthen their financial systems.
They would also "work together in the G-20 on an effective mutual assessment process to bring about strong, sustained, and balanced global growth," a joint statement issued Tuesday on the conclusion of the second meeting of US-India Economic and Financial Partnership here.
"As two of the world's largest economies, the US-India relationship offers enormous economic opportunities for Americans and Indians alike," Indian Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee and US Secretary of the Treasury Timothy Geithner who led the comprehensive talks between the two sides told a joint press conference.
Media outreach: PM to meet editors Wednesday
New Delhi, June 28, 2011: Under attack from civil society activists, the media and some of his own party members, over perceived communication gap over critical issues, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has decided on a media outreach plan that kicks off with a meeting with some senior editors Wednesday.
The prime minister will meet a group of editors of regional and national dailies Wednesday, government sources confirmed..
Manmohan Singh has so far held only three nationally televised press conferences in the last seven years has been prime minister but has not been known to give interviews to the Indian media. He last spoke to editors of some TV channels four months ago.
With the opposition upping the ante over a host of issues ranging from inflation to corruption ahead of the monsoon session of parliament that begins Aug 1, the government and the ruling Congress party have worked out a new communication strategy.
Part of an image makeover plan, the new strategy will include frequent meetings between the prime minister and senior editors of both print and electronic media. It could also entail the prime minister meeting senior journalists almost every week, informed sources said.
The media outreach plan is being worked out to dispel the widespread impression that the prime minister has been unusually quiet, and possibly avoiding the public glare, amid increasingly shrill accusations about non-performance and malfeasance in his administration.
The image of the UPA government has taken a battering in recent months following scams like the sale of 2G spectrum and deals struck ahead of the Commonwealth Games as well as debates over the Lokpal bill.
The government's failure to communicate was a subject of animated discussion at a closed door meeting of the Congress party top brass recently, a well-placed source disclosed.
The disaffection in the party has been brewing for some time. Party insiders point out that Home Minister P. Chidambaram was only airing the party's discontent when he said in a recent interview that people expected their top leader to be more communicative.
"...But yes, I acknowledge that lots of people would like the prime minister to step up to the plate, so as to say, and speak more often. But that is the style of the person," Chidambaram told NDTV when asked why Manmohan Singh did not speak on the issue of bringing the prime minister under the purview of the proposed Lokpal.
"There is disquiet in the party and among senior leaders about the government's communication failure vis-a-vis anti-corruption protests and on issues of policy," Mahesh Rangarajan, a political analyst, stated..
"It signals a need for a change in the style of leadership and the style of communication," he said.
Not all agree. Manish Tewari, an MP from Ludhiana and a spokesperson of the Congress, said: "The PM has a style and believes that his work should speak for itself. By temperament and personality, he is not the kind to speak much."
His aides say that Manmohan Singh has spoken when required, has met the media more than many of his predecessors and does not necessarily have to copy the "American style" of public speaking and communication.....IANS/NRIpress.com
Now a new network space for art collectors
New Delhi, June 28, 2011: Art collectors in India, unlike in the west, are still a fledgling tribe. Now a new initiative by the India Art Fair, formerly known as the India Art Summit, is helping collectors hone their knowledge and stay in the loop round the year.
The Collectors' Circle aims to increase awareness and nurture younger collectors through a series of talks, conferences, workshops and networking events to connect new buyers and institutional collectors in India with global art centres like London, New York, Dubai and Colombo, said Neha Kirpal, director of the India Art Fair.
Institutions like Tate Modern in London and the Guggenheim Museum in New York will help Collectors' Circle cast its net across the globe and host "education seminars", Kirpal said.
At least 30 museums, reputed art houses and institutions have confirmed their patronage of the initiative, Kirpal said.
"The Collectors' Circle is basically a yearlong membership programme that will bring the collecting community together and establish linkages with social networking events that will give buyers and collectors an idea of the market and the kind of art to buy. We will also put them on to the international community of artists, galleries, institutions, art critics and market experts for greater exchange and knowhow," Kirpal said.
The circle of collectors will sustain the momentum of art education and keep the information network running in the build-up to the fourth edition of the India Art Fair from Jan 25 to 29 in 2012, Kirpal said.
"The circle will technically become operational next month with its first meeting and a media interface. Admission to the Collectors' Circle is chargeable with a membership fee of nearly Rs 7,000 per person (for individual and couples)," Kirpal said.
"We have also moved institutions like the British Council, Max Mueller and Art Asia to help structure content of the symposiums every quarter - so that we have something new to offer to the members by way of knowledge," Kirpal said.
One of the objectives of the initiative is to increase the quantum of foreign participation at the India Art Fair, Kirpal said.
"For example, the government of Spain is offering a subsidy of 6,000 euros to galleries in Madrid to participate at the India Art Fair. The Collectors' Circle will be able to liaise with art houses in the Spanish capital to ensure the presence of more galleries with government subsidy," Kirpal said.
The initiative will also include participation of the numerous private archives that have sprung up across the country and government platforms like the Lalit Kala Akademi.
"India does not have a platform for collectors and art education where buyers, collectors, artists, institutions and art scholars and market honchos can exchange under one umbrella," Kirpal said, citing the need for the initiative. Each member of the Collectors' Circle will be provided a VIP pass (entry permit) to the fair in January.
The India Art Fair, which has re-christened itself to highlight its orientation to business, along with art awareness, has also restructured its functioning.
"I have brought in two new partners as co-owners of the fair this year, Will Ramsey, the founder of Ramsey Fairs , Pulse Art Fairs and Affordable Art Fairs, and Sandy Angus, the chairman of Montgomery Worldwide. Ramsey hosts art fairs in eight countries in four continents and both are the co-founders of Art Hong Kong," Kirpal said.
The fair is getting bigger and needs more aggressive management and promotion, she added.
"Last year 84 galleries from 24 countries exhibited at the fair and footfalls crossed 100,000 in four days. The last three editions of the fair together drew nearly 178,000 visitors," the director of the India Art Fair said.....IANS/NRIpress.com
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
300 criminals untraceable in Britain: Indian-origin MP
London, June 26: British police have no clue about the whereabouts of over 300 criminals, leading an Indian-origin MP to term it an "absolute outrage".
The list of absconding people includes 211 sex offenders and 109 dangerous criminals, reports the Daily Express.
Conservative MP Priti Patel has called on the home secretary to launch an urgent review.
"This is an absolute outrage, a complete disgrace and will totally undermine public confidence in the system. The fact that no one seems to know where these dangerous and vile criminals are is horrendous," Patel said.
A database was set up for use by the 43 forces in England and Wales and eight Scottish forces to keep tabs on dangerous sex predators and violent offenders.
However, the register had no recorded address for the 211 sex offenders and lists 109 other offenders as being of "no fixed abode".
Sex offenders are required to reveal where they live so they can be monitored. If any one goes missing, it is the responsibility of the police force with which they were registered to track them down.....IANS/ NRIpress.com
Indian-origin man admits post office fraud in Britain
London, June 25: A 51-year-old man of Indian origin has pleaded guilty before a court of committing fraud at a post office in Britain, media reports said.
Hasmukh Shingadia - owner of the Peaches Spar shop in Upper Bucklebury, Berkshire - claimed that the amount of cash-in-hand at a post office branch inside his shop was greater than the true figure, BBC reported.
Shingadia pleaded guilty at the Oxford Crown Court to a charge of false accounting between December 2008 and March 2010.
His lawyer Nigel Daly told the court his client was suffering a cash flow problem at the time with the non-post office side of his business.
Shingadia, however, pleaded not guilty to one count of theft of 16,180 pounds.
Though the judge granted him bail until a sentencing hearing July 21, he said all sentencing options remained possible.
"I am giving you no indication of what the likely sentence will be in relation to this," the judge was quoted as saying.
Shingadia recently attended the royal wedding as a guest of the Middleton family. William and Kate used to be clients at his shop near the Middleton's family home.....IANS/ NRIpress.com
Nepal puts off army security for GMR under Maoist pressure
Kathmandu, June 25: With the former Maoist guerrillas warning Nepal Prime Minister Jhala Nath Khanal that they would oppose deployment of the army to provide security to beleaguered Indian company GMR, the rattled government has decided to drop the move despite a cabinet decision.
Home Minister Krishna Bahadur Mahara had himself announced that the army would be deployed to protect the GMR-led consortium's 900 MW hydropower project in the remote west. But the Maoist leader later retreated from the position, saying armed police would be dispatched instead.
"We will think of the army if there is still a security lapse," Mahara said.
This was a volte face on the cabinet decision last week that the army would be deployed to guard the office and site camp of GMR's Upper Karnali hydropower project in Dailekh district.
The announcement was made after a mob burnt down the office and camps in May and the police failed to arrest a single perpetrator.
The cabinet decision was strongly opposed by the Maoists, the dominant partner in Khanal's alliance government, who warned they would spearhead a protest from the streets, parliament as well as within the government.
On Wednesday, 17 Maoist organisations met Khanal and submitted a memorandum, warning that deployment of the army would go against the peace accord they signed five years ago as well as the interim constitution that says army deployment can occur only during a state of emergency.
The organisations also asked Khanal to scrap the licence given to GMR and other Indian companies that plan to export the hydropower they generate.
The list includes Indian public sector undertaking Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam, which is developing the 400 MW Arun III project that can be upgraded to produce 800 MW.
Since the attack last month, all work at the Upper Karnali site has come to a halt. The delay in providing security is certain to affect the 2016 completion date and escalate project costs.
Khanal, who came to power on Maoist support and is heavily dependent on them for survival, is unlikely to antagonise them, which bodes ill for all Indian investments in Nepal that are being targeted by the former rebels.
The Maoists are demanding that Nepal hold majority stakes in all major hydropower projects with foreign investors allowed to invest but barred from having any control over them.....IANS/ NRIpress.com
Raj Kapoor clan gathers at street naming in Canada
Brampton (Canada), June 25: It was a picture-perfect moment. Bollywood's ultimate showman Raj Kapoor's wife, three sons, daughters and daughter-in-law were all in town for the official naming ceremony of the Raj Kapoor Crescent - a new street in a city on Toronto's outskirts known for its large South Asian population.
It was a rare moment to see Krishna Raj Kapoor, Randhir, Rishi, Rajiv, Reema, Ritu and Neetu together on the same stage as Susan Fennell, mayor of Brampton unveiled the placard of the street name at the Rose Theatre here Friday evening.
"We shall always cherish this moment. We are greatly honoured and proud that my father has been honoured miles away from India. We thank you Brampton for this love," said Randhir.
Fennell, who was dressed for the ocassion in a green and gold Indian suit, urged the big fat family to pose for a classic portrait, which she wishes to present to them on a visit to India in February next year.
Raj Kapoor's grandchildren Ranbir and Kareena too were expected to be at the event, but they couldn't make it due to their busy shooting schedules, said Randhir.
Toronto, which is currently hosting the International Indian Film Academy (IIFA) Weekend and Awards extravaganza, will also organise a Raj Kapoor retrospective where a total of 15 of his iconic films will be screened including "Aag", "Awara", "Shree 420....IANS/ NRIpress.com
Maoists claim Nepal PM ready to abandon GMR
Kathmandu, June 24, 2011: Nepal's Maoists, the largest party in the ruling coalition, Friday claimed that Prime Minister Jhala Nath Khanal was ready to withdraw army security for beleaguered Indian company GMR if they guaranteed that his government would not fall.
Seventeen Maoist organisations met Khanal Thursday and submitted a memorandum, condemning as "anti-national" the decision taken by the council of ministers to deploy the army in remote western Dailekh district to protect the office of the GMR Energy-led consortium.
The consortium, given the survey licence for the 900 MW Upper Karnali hydropower project in western Nepal, had its office and camp site burnt down last month with police still unable to arrest a single attacker.
All work has remained suspended since then with the project engineers fearful to return without safety assurances.
Eight days ago, the cabinet decided to deploy the army at the camp site, a decision that is now being opposed by the Maoists though their own ministers are part of the cabinet.
Dharmendra Bastola, chief of the Seti-Mahakali bureau of the Maoists, the region where the hydropower project is located, Friday said the deployment of the army was illegal and would violate the peace pact signed by his party five years ago, ending a decade of insurgency.
"The interim constitution says the army can be deployed only if there is a rule of emergency," the Maoist leader said in a press meet in the capital.
"It has to be approved by the Security Council (whose members include the PM, defence minister, army chief and opposition leader) and then endorsed by parliament within 15 days.
"None of these steps have been taken."
Bastola also pointed out that when the peace accord was signed, both the Maoists and the ruling parties agreed that the army as well as Maoists' guerrilla army would not be deployed without mutual consent.
Providing army security to protect an Indian company would be tantamount to deploying the Indian Army in Nepal and would create bad blood between the two neighbouring countries, he warned.
The Maoists have threatened to start a three-pronged movement to prevent the use of army to secure GMR's site office -- from the streets, parliament - where they are the largest party, and the government, where too they dominate.
They are also asking the government to scrap the licence given to GMR and other Indian companies that plan to export the hydropower they generate, like Indian public sector undertaking Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam, which is developing the Arun III project with its capacity to be doubled from the initial 400MW.
Bastola says that locals in Dailekh are readying to start building the Upper Karnali project on their own.
"In the renegotiated licence, we are not averse to GMR or other foreign companies taking part," he said. "However, the power generated has to be utilised in Nepal and the majority shares - minimum 51 percent - will be in the hands of Nepalis."
Bastola said Khanal was under "tremendous pressure" from unnamed quarters to deploy the army for GMR's project but was ready to jettison the decision if the Maoists decided to continue supporting his government.
Last month, the Nepali PM was forced to sign a new pact agreeing to step down and pave the way for an all-party government.
However, once bailed out of a crisis, he is now refusing to quit.
Heavily dependent on the Maoists for staying in power, Khanal has been a puppet in the hands of the former guerrillas. He recently allowed them to grab the coveted home ministry despite objections by the UN and rights organisations.
He has also refused to take action against Maoist leaders suspected of murder during the 10-year "People's War", including Information and Communications Minister Agni Prasad Sapkota.....IANS/ NRIpress.com
Welfare scheme for jobless Non-Resident Keralites
Thiruvananthapuram, June 24, 2011: Now, Non-Resident Keralites (NRKs) who return home jobless will be provided assistance for education, marriage, maternity besides money for performing funeral rites, Kerala Governor R.S. Gavai announced Friday.
Kerala has over two million people who work abroad and another one million who have returned.
"The NORKA (Non-Resident Keralites Affairs Department) Centre will bring all agencies of the department under one roof and would begin functioning this year itself. It is also proposed to start an NRI Business Centre in the building along with a call centre and a helpline for assisting NRKs," said Gavai.
Addressing the first session of the newly-constituted state assembly following April 13 elections, the governor also said that Norka-Roots will strengthen the recently established job portal for promotion of safe migration practises and ensure good jobs overseas.
"The awareness campaign against illegal-migration being done by Norka-Roots would also be expanded. Similarly, the skill upgradation and training programme would also be expanded with new courses which are relevant to overseas employment as well as addition of up to date training facilities," added Gavai.....IANS/ NRIpress.com
Indian IT industry talks with US on visas
Bangalore, June 23, 2011: The Indian IT industry is in dialogue with the US on the use of visas by companies providing software services to American and global enterprises, a top industry official said Thursday.
"We are in dialogue with the US embassy in New Delhi to sort out problems arising out of interpreting the visas used by our IT firms providing globalised services in North America and Europe," industry body Nasscom president Som Mittal told reporters here.
With the US consulates and immigration officials at the port of entry (in the US) interpreting differently visas issued under various categories (B1, L1, H1 & H4), Nasscom has given certain guidelines to the US embassy that can be used as filters for processing visa applications of Indian IT firms.
"They (US embassy) have accepted that the (IT) business is complex and to identify what category of visas are going to be used for which area needs to be clarified. We find the interpretation of the same visa category in the US consulate is very different from the port of entry. What was acceptable yesterday and day before or last year is being questioned now," Mittal said on the margins of an IT event here.
Referring to the concerns over loss of jobs when unemployment continued to be high in some countries like the US, Mittal said there were misplaced myths about the fact that peoples movement in globalised services create unemployment, which is actually happening in construction, retail, manufacturing and areas other than services.
"In globalised services, people didn't know that the rules and guidelines created by some countries are old and subject to multiple interpretations. So, in the case of the US, there are myriad of visas which kept coming in as the needs were and increase as they go along," Mittal noted.
Asserting that in globalised services, movement of people was as essential as in the case of goods, the former HP India executive said the US government was aware that if the movement of highly skilled people stopped, its economy would have a negative impact.
"The US government had modified visa rules to allow intra-company transfers of the highly skilled like Britain, which has very progressive visa policy as such transfers are extremely important to protect the economy and businesses. If there is one visa category where there is no cap, it is the intra-transfers," Mittal pointed out.
The US embassy has formed a council, which also has members of the industry body (Nasscom) to address the visa issues in light of charges that some Indian IT firms, including the global software major Infosys Ltd, have violated the visa rules.
"I think we are overplaying this whole visa issue. Visas are important for people to travel. It is as important for Americans and other citizens of those countries who come to India. If there are myriad of visa categories, then they are subject to multiple interpretations. How can there be a misuse when H1 visas are freely available now," Mittal said.
Noting that visas were only one aspect of the IT business model, Mittal said there were hundreds of other areas where compliance was needed.
"I don't think our industry and companies are going to risk by non-compliance of any country rules. This part should be clearly understood by everyone," Mittal added.
The Nasscom president, however, declined to comment on the US probe into the reported misuse of H1 visas by Indian IT bellwether Infosys Ltd as the case was sub-judice.
"It (the Infosys case) is in the court. We have neither all the documents nor a sitting judge here. The company is doing all it can to present the facts and lets wait. I think we are on a good wicket. Our companies are here to comply with rules and guidelines," Mittal quipped.......IANS/ NRIpress.com
Eat quality food to lose weight
London, June 23, 2011: There is a simple way to stay slim. Eat quality food instead of worrying about the amount of food you eat, say experts.
Consuming bigger amounts of healthier food rather than smaller amounts of poor quality produce is the key, the express.co.uk reported quoting experts Thursday.
Experts at the Harvard School of Public Health in America revealed that small lifestyle changes can make all the difference to staying in shape.
They said focusing on calories alone would not keep you slim. Instead, the best way to stay at a healthy weight is to eat nutritious and filling foods of good quality.
They recommend that people watching their weight need to cut out fizzy, sugar-sweetened drinks, potatoes and refined grain foods like white rice and low-fibre breakfast cereals.
And they should eat a lot more "natural" foods, like fruit and vegetables, whole grains, nuts and yoghurt, while avoiding anything processed.
"Small dietary and other lifestyle changes can together make a big difference - for bad or good. This makes it easy to gain weight unintentionally, but also demonstrates the tremendous opportunity for prevention," the report quoted Dariush Mozaffaria, study co-author as saying.
Nutritionist Angela Dowden said: "This research singles out once again the benefits of minimally processed foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts and yoghurt.
"As well as being nutrient-dense they are satiating and their fibrous nature also require slightly more energy to digest.
"It is not so much that calories don't count - they definitely do - it's more that a healthy pattern of eating makes it easier for you to feel full on fewer of them."
The findings, published Wednesday in the New England Journal of Medicine, also showed the right amount of sleep helped people maintain a healthy weight..........IANS/ NRIpress.com
US to focus economic dialogue on India's vast potential (Lead)
Washington, June 23, 2011: A high-level India-US economic dialogue here next week will seek to tap vast opportunities offered by one of the fastest-growing economies in the world as the two countries have agreed to fast track technical negotiations for an early conclusion of a bilateral investment agreement.
Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee and US Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner will lead the high-level economic dialogue.
The second annual meeting of the US-India Economic and Financial Partnership will focus on infrastructure development, capital markets reforms, cooperation on the Group of 20 efforts to reduce trade imbalances, and efforts to combat money laundering, a senior US Treasury official said Wednesday.
The US official said removal of trade barriers to investment in India, closer economic cooperation and greater market access would help make it one of top-10 US trading partners.
"Our partnership seeks to unlock an enormous untapped potential in our relationship," he said.
"Given the relative size of our two economies, we still have major opportunities to expand our trade and investment linkages to the benefit of both countries," said the official in a background briefing.
Besides rampant corruption, which was "an impediment to investors looking to commit substantial sums of money", one of the key challenges is encouraging India to foster a more certain and established regulatory and legal structure that won't leave investors guessing, the official said.
Also on the agenda would be tackling terror-financing and trying to better align economic policies in the context of the Group of 20 nations talks, he said.
One area for discussion will be ways to open India's "relatively closed" capital markets and banking sector to foreign investment, the treasury official said.
"It's an issue for India as it seeks to maximise its growth potential. It's clearly important for India to develop long-term capital markets to provide adequate financing for infrastructure, which is a major constraint to India's growth," he said.
The biggest opportunity for US companies is India's massive need for infrastructure development, where firms can provide expertise in engineering, financing and the capital equipment needed for the ports, expressways, airports, railways and power grid that India needs to improve the efficiency of its economy, the official said.
Federal Reserve chairman Ben S. Bernanke and Securities and Exchange Commission chairman Mary Schapiro and Commodity Futures Trading Commission chairman Gary Gensler will also participate in the talks with Indian officials, he said.
The two countries have also agreed to reinvigorate the Trade Policy Forum "to make it more robust and effective in resolving bilateral commercial ties", Indian Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma told reporters Wednesday after a "very productive" meeting with US Trade Representative Ron Kirk.
There would be two rounds of negotiations on the bilateral treaty before the next meeting of the ministerial level Trade Policy Forum expected to be held in India in October, he said.
Noting that the bilateral trade in goods and services had exceeded $85 billion, Sharma said the talks focused on "what India's growth story stands for and what needs to be done to nurture US-India ties" as he apprised Kirk of various policy approaches being taken by India to sustain its high growth rate.
As he highlighted the opportunities offered by India's growth for the US businesses to develop partnerships with Indian private sector, the minister said he had also raised issues of concern for the Indian industry in their business operations in India.
Kirk, according to a USTR release, acknowledged that "the booming bilateral trade and investment flows between the United States and India support tens of thousands of critical jobs in both countries, and we know that will only grow significantly in the coming years".
"However, to continue and grow our successes both India and the United States must take concrete steps to resolve long-standing market access and investment concerns," he said.
On the World Trade Organisation Doha Round, Sharma and Kirk "recognised the challenges that remain in ongoing discussions but expressed their commitment to exploring options for productive next steps," USTR said........IANS/ NRIpress.com
Delhi Public School now in Ghana
Accra (Ghana), June 21, 2011: An Indian steel manufacturing company in Ghana is spending $10 million to construct an international school under the Delhi Public School (DPS) franchise.
The aim is to improve the quality of education to benefit children in the West Africa region as part of the company's social responsibility, Mukesh Thakwani, a director of B5Plus Group, told IANS.
Known as the Delhi Public School, Thakwani said the school would provide a high standard of education that DPS is noted for. "There is no single international school in West Africa that is providing the sort of education that one would get from this school," he said.
"The school in Tema which is outside Accra would cater to over 2,000 children in both primary and junior high school," Thakwani said.
"We have noticed that high quality international school facilities available in the region are not affordable and we decided to provide that in Ghana, to be made available to children across West Africa," Thakwani said.
The school is not being set up to serve children of the growing Indian population along the West African coast, he said.
"School population is bigger than the number of children by parents of Indian region. So that cannot be what motivated us to get into this venture."
He said DPS, which is noted for its quality education, has over 150 such schools around the world.
The curriculum of the school has been designed to provide academic, film making and clay making crafts to prepare the students for work, he said.
"The B5Plus Group is venturing into this because of our belief in the education of the child. In addition, we are just giving back to society what we have achieved through our operation in the country," Thakwani said.....IANS/ NRIpress.com
Indian-American's tipster convicted of insider trading
New York, June 21, 2011: A former expert-network consultant, who allegedly leaked information to an Indian-American hedge fund manager, has been found guilty of insider trading.
The conviction of Winfred Jiau Monday is the latest development in an ongoing investigation into insider trading by the US Attorney's office in Manhattan, which has resulted in over 40 convictions of hedge fund managers and others since August 2009.
According to the prosecution, Jiau had conversations with Indian-American Samir Barai and Noah Freeman, two hedge fund managers who pleaded guilty to insider trading in February, in which she leaked information on a quarterly statement from Marvel Technology Group in 2008.
Barai then used that information, which Jiau allegedly obtained from an employee at the media firm, to make $820,000 in illicit gains by trading the company's stock, CNN reported.
In addition to Marvel, Jiau is also accused of selling inside tips on semiconductor company Nvidia Corp.
During the two-week trial, prosecutors played recordings of phone calls between Jiau and her co-conspirators in which she discussed inside information on companies using code words such as "recipes," "cooks" and "sugar."
Prosecutors said Jiau, 43, obtained inside information on publicly traded companies from 2006 to 2008 as an employee of an expert networking firm, which is a business that helps connect investors with consultants who have knowledge of specific companies.
She then shared that information with hedge fund traders who used it to make trades in the stock market. In exchange, Jiau was paid more than $200,000 over the two-year period, according to prosecutors.
"Wini Jiau gave new meaning to the concept of social networking," said Preet Bharara, the Manhattan US Attorney, in a statement. "She used and exploited friends at public companies for the purpose of obtaining, and then selling, inside information."
Jiau's attorney, Joanna Hendon, was quoted as saying she plans to appeal the conviction. "We're disappointed in the verdict and look forward to appealing it after sentencing," said Hendon.
Jiau, who was convicted on one count of securities fraud and one count of conspiracy, could face up to 20 years in prison and a maximum fine of $5 million. She is scheduled to be sentenced in September and remains in custody.....IANS/ NRIpress.com
Indian-American doctor couple killed in Ohio plane crash
Washington,June 20, 2011: An Indian American doctor couple from New Jersey were killed when their single-engine plane crashed into an Ohio cornfield and burst into flames shortly after takeoff Sunday.
Viswanathan Rajaraman, the 54-year-old pilot, and Mary J. Sundaram, his 50-year-old wife and the only passenger, were attempting to take off from Rickenbacker International Airport in Columbus when the incident happened just before 9 a.m., n.j.com reported citing Ohio State Highway Patrol.
Rajaraman, a leading New Jersey neurosurgeon, and his wife were returning to Essex County Airport in Fairfield, which they flew out of on Friday afternoon, according to the aviation website Flight Aware. It was not clear why they were in Ohio for the weekend.
The cause of Sunday's plane crash is still under investigation. The Federal Aviation Administration sent investigators to the scene, but the National Transportation Safety Board will be heading up the probe, nj.com said citing said Tony Molinaro, an FAA spokesman.
Rajaraman, one of the top doctors in New Jersey, specialising in brain and spine cancer, was co-chief of neuro-oncology at Hackensack University Medical Centre's cancer centre. Sundaram was reportedly also a physician, but stopped practicing to raise the couple's daughter, Kaavya Viswanathan, now 24.
Originally from Chennai, the family moved around the world. They spent some time in the United Kingdom before moving to the United States in the mid-1990s.
Kaavya Viswanathan made news in 2006 as a Harvard undergraduate when she published the novel "How Opal Mehta Got Kissed, Got Wild, and Got a Life," a story she wrote in high school. The book made the New York Times bestsellers list.
But she was accused of plagiarism shortly after publication and copies of her book were pulled from stores and destroyed by her publisher.....IANS/ NRIpress.com
Child abduction by parents among Indian diaspora raises concern
New Delhi, June 19, 2011: Increasing number of child abductions by parents among the Indian diaspora has become a cause of concern as India is yet to join the international convention on the issue, a British minister has said.
"The cases where a parent abducts their child and takes it away to India are problematic because India does not have laws to deal with parental child abduction," British Minister for Equalities Lynne Featherstone said here.
The minister urged the Indian government to accede to the UN Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction.
The British minister was here on a three-day visit to India June 15-17 to seek greater collaboration between the two countries on the issue of violence against women and gender equality issues.
According to Featherstone, the UK government receives at least one complaint per month of alleged abduction of a child by a parent of Indian origin. There are about eight such cases currently being investigated, the minister said.
The children were abducted by one of the parents and brought to India in order to gain the advantage in matrimonial and child custody disputes.
Child abduction cases by parents are high in countries which have a large population of people of Indian origin such as the UK, the US and Canada.
About 70 children were abducted by parents of Indian origin in the UK in the past eight years, according to a report.
The US State Department's Office of Child Issues, which helps in child abduction cases, is currently working on more than 100 cases of children taken to India without the consent of the parent left behind. The State Department has said that there are few remedies if a child is abducted to India.
There are more unresolved cases of parental child abduction from the US to India than any other country with the exception of Mexico.
About 85 countries have ratified the 1980 Hague Convention on Parental Child Abduction. Under the convention, member countries undertake to return children abducted by a parent to their homes under the jurisdiction of the courts in the home country.
Parental child abduction has become one of the many issues that have been added to the agenda for inter-governmental discussions with visiting delegations from the US, Britain and Canada.
Several NGOs and activists in India and abroad have urged the government to accede to the Hague Convention.
On the occasion of Father's Day (June 20), a Bangalore-based non-governmental organisation, Children's Rights Initiative for Shared Parenting (CRISP), has demanded that India ratify the Hague Convention and reform family law in India.
California-based Rakshak Foundation has also appealed to the union government to safeguard children's rights and make parental abduction a cognizable, non-bailable crime.
Abduction of a child by one parent violates the child's right to live in the security of the familiar home and prevents access to both parents. More and more child custody and abduction cases are landing in Indian courts relating to foreign citizens as well as non resident Indians (NRIs).
The Supreme Court has ruled recently that Indian courts have jurisprudence on child custody cases even if the child is a citizen of a foreign country. The courts apply the principle of best interest of the child, taking a foreign court decree as only one of the factors for deciding on the custodial dispute.
There have been occasions when the father had taken away the child from the country of residence, gone to India and left the child with his grandparents while he flew to work in a third country.
At other times, it is the woman who took the child on the pretext of visiting India.
Many abducted children are told that the other parent is dead or has gone away. Often one parent tries to poison the child's mind to the other parent, which often causes psychological and emotional problems for the child.
"Children in such cases are voiceless victims and their right to be connected to both biological parents needs to be protected," according to the Rakshak Foundation.
Often child custody cases lead to the child being deprived of the love, affection and care of one parent.
"Joint custody and shared parenting are the best solutions for normal development of the child," the foundation said.....IANS/ NRIpress.com
Protest planned in London against crackdown on Ramdev
New Delhi, June 18, 2011: People of Indian origin in London will stage a protest Sunday against the June 4 post-midnight police crackdown on yoga guru Baba Ramdev, a statement from the Patanjali Trust said here.
"We, the people of Indian origin all over the world, are deeply depressed, embarrassed and pained by this vulgar display of naked power. To show our solidarity, we are holding a peaceful protest on Sunday at the Old Palace Yard, opposite the Houses of Parliament, London, from 12 p.m. till 2.30 p.m.," said Sunita Poddar, member of Action Against Corruption and trustee of the Patanjali Yog Peeth (UK) Trust, in a statement released Saturday.
"No justification of any kind can condone these vicious actions on the Indian citizens," Poddar added.
Baba Ramdev was holding a fast at Delhi's Ramlila Ground to demand the recovery of black money stashed abroad by rich Indians, but was forcibly evicted along with thousands of his followers after midnight June 4.
"All protesters will be wearing black armbands as a sign of solidarity to the innocent people of India who, on a day-to-day basis, are being affected by corruption, which is leading the country into poverty," Poddar added.........IANS
US-based Kashmiris bring rock 'n' roll to valley
Srinagar, June 18, 2011: Brothers Mubashir and Mohsin are Kashmiris born in the West and play Western rock, but their band is named after a landmark wooden bridge in Srinagar. So when they play in the valley, it will be an interpretation of Kashmiri music through a Western perspective.
"We came here to partner with young Kashmiris and to collaborate musically with the local talent. We are also doing musical and film workshops with a local orphanage," 26-year-old Mohsin told IANS.
Their band, Zero Bridge, set up 10 years back, starts its multiple-concerts in the Kashmir Valley from Sunday.
"Zero Bridge is the name of a wooden bridge in Srinagar city and we have fond memories of the landmark structure when we came here with our parents."
"We would go to the bridge and hang out with family and friends. The name just sounds cool and that's why we call the band Zero Bridge," says Mubashir, 35, explaining the significance of the name.
The brothers are well aware of the tumultuous times that Kashmir has witnessed in the last 20 years, and have also visited Srinagar during some of those times.
Their bandmate Greg Eckelman, 38, joined them eight years back. However, the bass guitar player couldn't make it this time.
"He could not come here with us this time. I am the lead singer, song writer and the guitar player for the band," said Mubashir.
Three local artists -- Bilal, Irfan, and Zahin -- have also joined the band for the concerts here.
Murtaza Masoodi, a friend of Mubashir and Mohsin, is here with the band and passionately watches their performance, even though he doesn't play himself.
"Most of their shows so far have been held in New York and other cities of the US. They have also performed in Morocco and Malaysia, where they played at the World Islamic Economic Forum," said Murtaza Masoodi, a Kashmiri who also lives in the US.
"They are not using any electronic music to heighten the effect in Kashmir. And yet, the synthesis of the local and the Western instruments produces a magical effect," said Murtaza.
"Irfan, Bilal and Zahin sing traditional Kashmiri songs, while Mubashir and Mohsin incorporate western influences. In the same way, Mohsin and Mubashir play rock music, and Irfan and party incorporate traditional Kashmiri influences," said Murtaza.
During their rehearsals here, the band uses Kashmiri musical instruments like the rabab, harmonium, tabla and the matka with Western guitar and Spanish drum known as Cajone.
"Our goal is to expand people's perspectives both in the US and Kashmir on the voices and the talents and the potential that exists here. It is no politics, it is plain music," Mohsin said.
"And through the universal language of music, people can understand Kashmir and Kashmiris better. That is why we call the forthcoming concert as a cultural exchange," Mohsin explained.
Also performing with the band will be Ronnie Malley, an American music teacher and producer, who met the duo here recently.
The 33-year-old has already produced an album on Kashmiri folk music called 'Soz-uk-Safar' (the journey of music) which gives a Western interpretation to Kashmiri music.
"I play 'Oud', a Turkish-Arabic string instrument akin to the guitar," Malley, whose parents are from Palestine, told IANS.
The band would also hold music, film, and story writing workshops during their two-month stay here that will see multiple concerts.
"All this is part of an initiative I started in Morocco as a Fulbright scholar in 2009 and now me and Mubashir are doing it here," said Mohsin....IANS/ NRIpress.com
|
