NRI couple loses kids to foster homes over 'emotional disconnect' December 28, 2011 07:22
India has taken up with Norway the issue of an NRI couple whose children have been placed under foster parental care by the local authorities there on grounds of an “emotional disconnect” between the children and their parents. On May 11, two-and-a-half-year-old Abhigyan and four-month-old Aishwarya were taken away from their parents — Anurup and Sagarika Bhattacharya — by Norway’s child selfare services, Barnevarne. A local court on November 30 ordered that the two children be put in separate foster homes till they reach the age of 18. The court permitted the couple to meet the children twice a year, for one hour at a time. The ministry of external affairs, in a statement, said, “Indian embassy in Oslo has been in contact with both the couple and the Norwegian authorities. The ministry of foreign affairs of Norway has been sensitized about the matter informally.” The MEA has also taken up the matter with the Norwegian embassy in New Delhi. The MEA said it has advised legal recourse to the couple. It said the embassy in Oslo would continue to extend possible consular assistance to the couple. The Norwegian authorities claimed Sagarika was incapable of taking care of her children. The evidence cited by them, the couple claim, is that their four-month-old child looked at the faces of other people around her instead of her mother, and that Abhigyan didn’t mix up with other children in kindergarten. The local authorities, the father reportedly claimed, also objected to the fact that they were sleeping in the same bed with the children.
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Doctors fly abroad; India's Healthcare deteriorates December 23, 2011 08:17
It’s reported that over 70 percent of rural population in Andhra Pradesh depend on unqualified doctors for health checkups. The demand for more medical professionals is increasing on a daily basis while the glamour of the profession is said to be decreasing in the country. It’s reported that there are over 40,000 Indian physicians in UK while U.S. has over 50,000 doctors. Nearly 20 percent of physicians practicing in Australia have received their basic education in India and one out of 10 doctors in Canada has some Indian connections. The sad stories about poor health conditions and facilities are heard across the nation. It’s reported that over 70 percent of rural population in Andhra Pradesh depend on unqualified doctors for health checkups. The demand for more medical professionals is increasing on a daily basis while the glamour of the profession is said to be decreasing in the country One doctor for every 2000 people in the country – and yet we hope for better health system in the country, aren’t we expecting too much? As the doctor-population ratio hits an all time low of 1:2000, the blame goes back to our age-old sad story of brain drain and it seems that we can do nothing but to lament over the thousands of trained physicians flying to the green pastures – the Western Countries. The global doctor-population ratio is 1.5:1,000. While Somalia has one of the worst ratios with one doctor for 10,000 people, Germany, U.S. and U.K. fared well in the list with 1:296, 1:350 and 1:469 respectively. Thailand’s doctor-population ratio is at 1:500, while Japan has a healthy ratio at 1:606. According to the latest data, there are only six lakh active allopathic practitioners in India whereas it’s found that 8, 56,065 allopathic doctors have been registered in the country as of July 31, 2011. The curse of brain drain is crippling the Indian medical system. The Medical Council of India (MCI) reveals that over 767 physicians have left the country in search of foreign meadows by the first half of 2011. Many have reportedly asked for Good Standing Certificates (GSC), a certificate mandatory for doctors to work abroad, issued by MCI and the medical council reportedly issues thousands of GSCs every year. GSC gives a rough estimate of how many physicians go abroad each year, although it doesn’t give the absolute numbers.
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10 Indians stand tall with Mark Zuckerberg December 21, 2011 07:31
An Indian is rubbing shoulders with the likes of Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and pop star Lady Gaga as one of the top achievers in the world under the age of 30. Kunal Shah, 29, managing director at Goldman Sachs, is one of the 10 Indians on the Forbes list of under-30 achievers after he became the firm's youngest MD at 27 last year. A promotion to the post of a managing director before 30 is rare at Goldman Sachs, the most profitable securities firm in Wall Street history. Shah is an emerging markets trader for Goldman in London. The Cambridge math graduate joined Goldman in 2004, analysing interest rate products, before trading on the global macro desk, according to Forbes, which looked at people across 12 different categories, including law, social, mobile and technology. In finance, Forbes has also featured Vikas Mohindra, financial advisor at Bank of America Merrill Lynch. The 25-year-old broker gathered $38 million in three years from scratch. Also on the list is Manvir Nijhar, co-head of European equity derivatives sales at Citigroup. The 28-year-old London School of Economics graduate left BNP Paribas after four years to give "Citi's derivatives business a jolt".
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NATA to launch social service activities in AP from Dec20 December 19, 2011 06:32
The North America Telugu Association will be launching several social service programs with slogans “NATA maata” for cultural progress and “NATA Baata” for social service activities in the State from December 20. The NATA president AVN Reddy Speaking to media persons here on Saturday, organization would organize several social service programs in various districts extensively for ten days from December 20 to December 29. He said that NATA will be conducting a two-day health camp in Nadiguntapalem in Nellore district on December 20, Parakal in Warangal district on December 24 and Nemili village in Nizamabad district on December 25. On December 26, the NATA will launch 500 litre capacity drinking water projects in 23 villages in Nalgonda district at a cost of $40,250 each, he said, adding that a concluding function will be held in the State capital on December 29. Reddy said that poor students will be distributed scholarships through the hands of the Chief Minister Nallari Kiran Kumar Reddy.
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Govt tightens immigration rules for women job seekers in Gulf region November 29, 2011 08:26
Government has tightened immigration rules for women seeking employment in labour- intensive Gulf region to protect them from harrasment and exploitation. Overseas Indian Affairs Minister Vayalar Ravi said in Rajya Sabha that government has taken a series of measures to protect interest of women including imposing age restriction of 30 years for allowing them to go to the Gulf region and some other countries for employment under ECR (Emigration Check Required) category. "Indian missions (in the region) receive complaints from women workers, particularly housemaids, on account of non-payment of salaries, long working hours, inadequate living condition, physical harassment and refusal of leave," he said, replying to a question. Ravi said his ministry has also made it mandatory for attestation of employment contract of women under ECR category by Indian missions. The missions will also have to identify the foreign employer before allowing any woman to go the region for work. As per the guidelines of the ministry, a pre-paid mobile phone will have to be given to every household worker by the employer. "If the foreign employer recruits the worker directly, he is required to deposit a security of USD 2,500 (Rs 1.3 lakh) with the Indian Mission," said Ravi. As per the rules, ECR clearance is mandatory for undergraduates seeking overseas employment in 17 countries. The countries where ECR is mandatory include United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, Kuwait, Bahrain, Malaysia, Libya, Jordan, Yemen, Sudan, Brunei, Afghanistan, Indonesia, Syria, Lebanon and Thailand.
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Phil Noyce apoligies for attacks on Indian Students November 28, 2011 08:31
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).
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Feast of Buddhist arts culture in Delhi from Monday November 26, 2011 06:01
The Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) presented A multi-disciplinary festival of Buddhist arts and culture will bring to the capital performances and art from across Asia Nov 28-Dec 1. The festival spread across several venues like Azad Bhawan, Kamani theatre, Dilli Haat and public spaces will host performance troupes and screen Buddhist cinema from Sri Lanka, Nepal, Japan, Cambodia, Korea, Bhutan, Ladakh, Shillong, Arunachal Pradesh and Assam, a statement said Thursday. It will be presented by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) to coincide with the Global Buddhist Congregation to commemorate the 2,600th year of enlightenment of Lord Buddha. The objective of the festival is to showcase influence of Buddhism in performing arts and traditions which have impacted not only India but other countries where Buddhism is the prominent religion or the social factor. A spokesperson for ICCR said it was one of the first ever attempts by the cultural body to reinforce Buddhist traditions through the performing arts sector, to coincide with the global congregation being organised by the Asoka Mission. On Nov 30, Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama will unveil a coffee table book, "Sharnam Gacchami: An Album of Awakening". The book has been published by Full Circle with the support of the public diplomacy division of the external affairs ministry. The book portrays India as the land where Buddha preached and where great scholars planted the roots of Buddhism.
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No mass exodus of Indian nurses from Saudi Arabia: Vayalar Ravi November 25, 2011 07:23
There are no instances where exodus of Indian nurses in large numbers from Saudi Arabia has taken place, parliament was told Wednesday. Replying to a question in the Lok Sabha, Overseas Indian Affairs Minister Vayalar Ravi said that as per provision of the contracts, Saudi authorities can employ a Saudi nurse as and when available in place of a foreign recruit after payment of legal dues to such nurses. "The Saudi side has not informed about the number of such nurses who might have returned to India," he said. The minister said the Indian mission in Saudi Arabia has taken up cases of a few nurses with the Saudi government on humanitarian grounds. "The Saudi side takes such decisions in line with the nationalisation policy of the government to provide jobs to unemployed Saudi citizens and in accordance with the provisions contained in the contract," Ravi added.
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NRIs in half-billion dollar fraud case July 09, 2011 13:51
In a “jaw-dropping” and “epic” case, an Indian-American couple here has been charged with raking in over $460 million in crooked cash through a record-setting corruption scam. Reddy Allen and Dr Padma Allen have been indicted on federal fraud and kickback charges in relation to thescandals surrounding mayor Michael Bloomberg administration’s CityTime project, intended to modernise the municipal payroll system. A grand jury said yesterday that more than $600 million of the project’s bloated budget is “tainted” by fraud. The couple secured a lucrative, no-bid subcontract for the CityTime that made it look like their firm, TechnoDyne, was “a successful and fast-growing company,” the New York Post reported. But the “engine of its growth” was actually an overbilling scam in which the Allens paid out more than $15 million in kickbacks and hired a bevy of crooked subcontractors, according to the indictment unsealed in Manhattan federal court. Authorities say the brazen corruption was part of a “massive and elaborate scheme” involving high-ranking executives at prime contractor Science Applications International Corp who pocketed $5 for every hour worked by 300-plus consultants. CityTime was initially budgeted at $63 million, but has cost taxpayers more than $720 million to date. Manhattan US Attorney Preet Bharara called the alleged scam “truly jaw-dropping” and “epic in duration, magnitude and scope.” Bharara said prosecutors were seeking to have the Allens extradited from their native India, where they fled in February after getting slapped with grand-jury subpoenas.
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Court denies medical admission to foreign-returned 'NRI' girl July 09, 2011 13:46
AHMEDABAD: Vrushali Shah went to the US twice on a visitor's visa. Upon return , on the basis of her two visits abroad, she obtained admission in the post-graduation level in the faculty of medicine on claims that she was a Non-Resident Indian (NRI). Vrushali had completed her MBBS from Pramukh Swami Medical College in Karamsad this year, and opted for PG course in General Medicine at the NHL Municipal Medical College, Ahmedabad in the NRI category. Vrushali applied in this category posing as an NRI on the basis of a certificate issued by a prestigious immigration and tax consultant . The consultant stated in his certificate that since Vrushali was out of India on two occasions for a total number of 186 days during the financial year 2010-11 , she was eligible to apply for admission in the NRI category of PG seats.
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NRI asked to serve in blind school for 6 months for harassing wife July 09, 2011 13:42
A Canada-based expatriate Indian, who married a young divorcee in Delhi but deserted her soon after marriage which led her to commit suicide, has been convicted by a Delhi court for subjecting her to mental torture but let off with a mild sentence asking him to serve a blind school in the city for six months. After convicting Pawan Dass, a resident of Surrey in Canada, Additional Sessions Judge Kamini Lau let him off on probation on the plea for leniency by his counsel, who pointed out that he had been in jail for last 11 months. Lau, however, ordered him to perform community service at blind students school at Kingsway Camp in North Delhi for six months. "Single women particularly divorcee are easy prey. In the hope of getting away from anxieties and pressures of day-to-day life, they become victims of NRIs, who sell them tall dreams of a bright life away from their homes and after marriage abandoned them causing physical, mental and psychological deprivation as has happened in the present case," Lau said, convicting Dass. The Delhi police had sent up Dass for trial on charges of subjecting his wife Richa to cruelty and driving her to commit suicide in April 2004 after marrying her during one of his brief visits to Delhi from Canada in December 2003. The court, however, acquitted him of the charges of drving her to commit suicide. A divorcee, Dass had married Richa after winning her sympathies, the prosecution alleged adding that after the wedlock he had returned to Canada and began living there with his first wife with whom he had a break-up earlier and her children. Before marrying Richa, Dass compelled her to convert to Christianity, but refused to speak to her properly even on phone as she made long-distance calls to speak to him, said prosecution adding that he would even abuse her on phone, resulting in bouts of abysmal depression. "If using filthy / abusive language to the newly married wife on telephone is not cruelty then what else is?" the judge said on Pawan's defence that he had not subjected Richa to cruelty. The court pointed out that "of late a large number of cases have come to light where the NRIs have been exploiting young qualified Indian women in the name of marriage."
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Wrongfully held, diplomat's daughter May 07, 2011 05:45
NEW YORK/NEW DELHI: The Indian government on Wednesday came out in full support of 18-year-old Krittika Biswas, daughter of an Indian diplomat, after she sued the New York City government for $1.5 million for being arrested on false charges, handcuffed and confined with criminals. Krittika's harrowing experience began after she was accused of sending anti-semitic emails to her school teachers sometime in December 2010 — a charge that she repeatedly denied. She was arrested on February 8 and kept in jail for 24 hours before the Indian consulate and the embassy in Washington swung into action to secure her release from prison. Thereafter, despite the Queens district attorney dropping the charges and expunging her arrest from the record, school officials sent Krittika to a suspension centre. There, Krittika told Times Now, she was treated like a criminal and forced to spend time with "HIV patients and sex workers". Her arrest and confinement have raised questions of racial bias in the New York Police as well as the school authorities. The teenager told Times Now that when she told the cops to contact the Indian consulate, they asked her, "Are you a diplomat?" On Wednesday, lawyer Ravi Batra said Krittika, whose father Debashish Biswas is vice counsel at the Indian consulate here, has sued the New York City government claiming $1.5 million in damages. Indian consulate general Prabhu Dayal said Krittika deserved the compensation from the US government as "she has undergone mental and physical torture. This has scarred her mind for the rest of her life." Official sources in the Ministry of External Affairs told TOI, "We have taken this issue up with the US government. We have conveyed our anguish at the incident." They even said that the school's decision to not charge the real culprit, an "Asian" boy, spoke volumes of their "double standards". She alleged that she was not allowed to use the bathroom when she was in custody at the 107th precinct. "Eventually, I had to go in front of everyone," she said, referring to a small toilet in the cell occupied by other people.s Batra said that her more than 24-hour arrest violated international, federal, state and city laws. Batra said neither Krittika's father nor the consulate general were informed of her arrest on February 8. "They (the school) based my arrest on basically nothing," Krittika said, adding that the school did not suspend the Chinese student who sent the emails. "I don't know why he wasn't arrested... the principal pushed for my arrest." She said a cop told her that if she didn't confess, she would have to spend time in prison with prostitutes and people with HIV. She couldn't drink water from a water fountain because it had another person's vomit, and although it was really cold, she could not use the blanket because it stank. The New York Police Department is not responding to calls and an email seeking a response. Dayal later said that the incident would have no bearing on Indo-US relations. "This is an aberration... a wrongful act of local officials," he said. In addition to compensatory and punitive damages, Batra suggested that Mayor Bloomberg could perhaps give "a key to the City to Krittika as a token of heartfelt sorrow for the unbecoming pain inflicted upon her."
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