GOPIO NEWS BULLETIN

April 2007

 

NOTE: GOPIO News is a monthly newsletter of GOPIO International, based in the USA . If you do not wish to receive this newsletter in future, please go to the bottom and click the unsubscribe URL. If you feel the information contained here is useful, please forward this E-mail to your friends and relatives. One could also subscribe this newsletter FREE by visiting www.gopio.net and type in the e-mail address and other details.

 

CONTENTS

BASDEO PANDAY WINS CASE IN TRINIDAD COURT OF APPEALS

 

POLICY FRAMEWORK FOR PIO UNIVERSITY APPROVED

 

GUYANA TO HONOR LATE PRESIDENT CHEDDI JAGAN

 

PARLIAMENTARY PANEL FOR VOTING RIGHTS TO OVERSEAS INDIANS

 

SCHOLARSHIPS FOR INDIAN DIASPORA CHILDREN

 

HOUSTON MAYOR LAYS FOUNDATION STONE FOR INDIA HOUSE

 

ASIAN AMERICAN STUDENTS ARE CALLED UPON TO FIGHT COLLEGE ADMISSION REJECTION IN THE US

 

GOPIO INTL. AND CHAPTER NEWS

GOPIO METRO DC APPLAUDS NEW APPOINTEES

GOPIO-NY TO PARTICIPATE IN NYC IMMIGRANT WEEK

GOPIO-CT OFFERS FREE COMMUNITY HEALTH EDUCATION SEMINARS

UNITY DINNER IN SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA A HUGE SUCCESS

GOPIO FELICITATES DR. SHASHI THAROOR

GOPIO-CT TO CELEBRATE FIRST ANNIVERSARY WITH AWARDS BANQUET

GOPIO INTERNATIONAL LAUNCHES ONLINE FORUM TO DISCUSS AND DELIBERATE NRI/PIO ISSUES

 

NRIs/PIOs ACHIEVE

SEVEN INDIAN AMERICANS WIN SOROS GRADUATE FELLOWSHIP

COLUMBIA UNIV. GROUPS RECOGNIZE GOPIO CHAIRMAN ABRAHAM WITH HERITAGE AWARD

DR. RAGHUPATY KANNAN IS NEWEST FULLBRIGHT SCHOLAR

SEVEN INDIAN AMERICANS SELECTED AS TRUMAN SCHOLARS

INDIAN AMERICAN SRINIVASA SR VARDHAN WINS ABEL PRIZE IN MATHS

FOUR INDIAN AMERICANS SELECTED IN 2007 GATES CAMBRIDGE SCHOLARSHIPS

DR. GEORGE THOMAS APPOINTED TO FLORIDA BOARD OF MEDICINE

INDO-GUYANESE JOINS CANADA S RULING CONSERVATIVE PARTY

INDIAN AMERICAN MARIA KURIAKOSE APPOINTED AS CHICAGO S COOK COUNTY JUDGE

TIRLOK MALIK NOMINATED TO NY EMMY AWARD

 

NEWS OF INTEREST TO NRIs AND PIOs AROUND THE WORLD

INDIAN ALUMNI GROUP OF INTL. HOUSE OFFERS SCHOLARSHIPS TO INDIAN STUDENTS IN NEW YORK

SPECIAL NRI COURSES BY GUJRAT UNIVERSITY

INDIAN MISSION UNDER THE PREVIEW OF RIGHT TO INFORMAITON ACT

LIBERALIZED REGULATIONS FOR TRIPS ABROAD

ISRAEL NEEDS INDIAN TECHIES

US PROPOSES TO HIKE FLOW OF INDIAN STUDENTS

TV REALITY SHOW AS TOOL TO STTRACT INDINA STUDENTS TO BRITAIN

EIGHT LAKHS PIOs RECEIVE DUAL CITIZENSHIP

SAUDI ARABIA SET TO ISSUE SHORT-TERM VISAS

INDIA GOVERNMENT TO SET UP FACILITATION TRUST FOR NRIs

CONTINENTAL AIRLINES TO LAUNCH NON-STOP FLIGHT FROM NEW YORK TO MUMBAI

UK ANNOUNCES NEW RULES TO ENTRY BY MARRIAGE

SCRAMBLE FOR H-1B VISAS

MOB TURNS VIOLENT TWO INDIANS KILLED IN UGANDA

GOPIO LIFE MEMBERSHIP AND CHAPTER FORMATION

 

EDITORIAL BOARD

BASDEO PANDAY WINS CASE IN TRINIDAD COURT OF APPEALS

 

Former Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago Basdeo Panday on March 20, 2007 won his appeals case as Trinidad s Court of Appeals gave an oral ruling quashing the conviction and sentence imposed last year on the former Prime Minister. The Court of Appeals also ordered a new trial before a different magistrate to prevent a repeat of the prejudicial trial that led to Mr. Pandays conviction. On April 5, 2007 the Court of Appeals confirmed that decision and the three presiding judges were unanimous that there was apparent bias on the part of Chief Magistrate Mc Nicolls when he presided over the trial of former Prime Minister Basdeo Panday last year.

 

On April 24, 2006, the 73-year old former Prime Minister Panday was jailed for two years, fined $60,000 and ordered to pay $1.6 million to the State after Chief Magistrate Mc Nicolls found him guilty of failing to declare his London bank account to the Integrity Commission for the years 1997, 1998, and 1999. The Court of Appeals has also ruled that there will be a retrial of the integrity matter. The appeal of the case on behalf of former Prime Minister Panday was spearheaded by Ramesh Maharaj, Queens Council and former Attorney General in the Panday administration.

 

When former Prime Minister Panday was arrested immediately following Indian Arrival Day 2005, GOPIO International protested the arrest as uncivil and demeaning to the former Prime Minister. When the Govt of Trinidad and Tobago acted arbitrarily in violation of due process and the rule of law in its pursuit to remove Chief Justice Satnarine Sharma in 2006, GOPIO International rallied in protest at the United Nations in New York . Now both actions initiated by the Government of Trinidad and Tobago have been set aside by the courts in Trinidad and Tobago .

 

POLICY FRAMEWORK FOR PIO UNIVERSITY APPROVED

 

The government of India approved a policy framework to establish a university in India to provide affordable and quality education for children of NRIs/PIOs on March 22, 2007. The university will be a deemed university under the University Grants Commission (UGC) Act as an Institution of Excellence and will come up in a special economic zone (SEZ).

 

The university will be set up by overseas Indian trusts or societies with credible standing and experience in the field of education under the overall supervision of the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs. An advisory board comprising representative from the UGC, the ministries of Overseas Indian Affairs, External affairs, Human Resource Development, Health and Family Welfare, Indian Medical Council and Dental Council will evaluate the academic and infrastructure standards of the university and its adherence to norms set up by statutory bodies.

 

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had announced setting up of an exclusive university for the PIOs at the 4th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD), held in Hyderabad in 2006. At the PBD 2007 in New Delhi , he once again announced that the proposal for establishing a university for PIO is under active consideration of the government.

 

GUYANA TO HONOR LATE PRESIDENT CHEDDI JAGAN

 

The Guyana government will bestow the highest civilian award of the country on former president, the late Cheddi Bharat Jagan, son of an ethnic Indian sugar plantation worker. The Order of Liberation will be posthumously be given to Jagan in recognition of his contribution to the struggle for Guyanese liberation, democracy and national development. The award will be presented to his wife on May 26, Guyana 's Independence day.

Jagan was the president of Guyana from 1992 to 1997. During a recent memorial held to observe Jagan's 10th death anniversary, President Bharrat Jagdeo said his administration recognized the immeasurable contributions made by him through literature, the trade union movement and politics, reported GINA, Guyana 's information agency.

"One of the dominant legacies of the late head-of-state was his fight to restore democracy and galvanise the Guyanese people together," the president said.

Jagan founded the People's Progressive Party in 1950.

Born on March 22, 1918 in Port Mourant, Berbice, Jagan studied at the Howard University Dental School in Washington DC and the Northwestern University in Chicago before returning home in the early 1940s to embark on a political career.

 

PARLIAMENTARY PANEL FOR VOTING RIGHTS TO OVERSEAS INDIANS

 

Taking a view contrary to that of an expert panel, the Standing Committee on External Affairs has recommended voting rights to Overseas Indians and asked the Government not to treat them merely as economic citizens by depriving them of their political rights. In a report tabled in Parliament on March 19, the Committee asked the government to explore the feasibility of extending voting rights to overseas citizens of India . There are about four to five million overseas Indians and they bring home $12-15 billion worth of foreign exchange every year. The figure is expected to rise at the rate of $1 billion every year, it noted.

 

The Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs (MOIA) has extended its full support for Committees demand for granting voting rights to Indians holding overseas citizenship of India cards. The ball was now in Parliaments court. A bill granting voting rights to overseas Indians by amending the Representation People Act, 1951 is currently pending in Parliament. According to the Standing Committees report, as on November, 2006, nearly eight lakh persons of Indian origin have been granted the status of Overseas Citizen of India (OCI). The OCI scheme, operation since December 2, 2005, allows for a life-long visa but cannot be considered as dual citizenship, as it does not confer any political rights. The report also revealed that nearly half of the total Non-Resident Indian (NRI) remittance of Rs. 55,000 crore came from Keralite NRIs.

 

SCHOLARSHIPS FOR INDIAN DIASPORA CHILDREN


The MOIA has introduced a scholarship program for Diaspora children to study at higher and technical institutions in India for the academic year 2007-08. The Educational Consultants India Limited (Ed.CIL), a government of India enterprise, is designated as the nodal agency for implementation of the scholarship program.


Ed.CIL will provide all assistance on merit basis to the children of the diaspora before and after the admission. The no. of scholarships is limited to 100 only. Each student admitted under the scholarship program will be provided financial assistance up to $1,800 (Rs.80,000).


The main objective of the scholarship program is to make available India's highly developed higher education system to children of the Indian diaspora (PIOs, people of Indian origin, and NRIs) living in 39 different countries of the world, including Australia, Bahrain, Canada, Fiji, France, Germany, Guyana, Jamaica, Malaysia, Mauritius, Netherlands, New Zealand, Singapore, South Africa, Surinam, Trinidad and Tobago, UK, USA.


The scholarship covers a wide range of subjects, including engineering, humanities, commerce, management, journalism, hotel management and agriculture.


The program is applicable to undergraduate studies in professional and general courses (except medical and other related courses).


Completed application forms should reach The Project Manager, Educational Consultants India Limited, Ed.CIL House-18-A, sector-16-A, Noida-201 301 ( India ). Interested candidates who are between the ages of 17 years to 21 years on October 1, 2007, may visit www.moia.gov.in and obtain necessary information or write to GOPIO International GOPIO-Intl@sbcglobal.net.

 

HOUSTON MAYOR LAYS FOUNDATION STONE FOR INDIA HOUSE

 

Houston Mayor Bill white laid the foundation stone for the India House lat month, a dream project of the Indian American community in Houston . Originally estimated to be a $3.6 million project at the time of ground breaking in January 2006, it has now become 30 million dollar project. The first phase of the project will be called O.P. Jindal Center and will be completed by end of 2007 and expect to be in use in 2008. This facility will have a center for senior citizens, continuing education classes, and clinics for underprivileged patients.

 

The foundation laying ceremony was attended by Indian Consul General S.M. Gavai, Rice University President David Leebron, Asian Society President Charles Foster, City Council member M.J. Khan and other dignitaries.

 

Major donors for the project include City of Houston $500,000, Jindal Steel Co. $1 million, Angela and Chowdary Yalamanchili $1 million, JP Morgan Chase bank $100,000, Houston Endowment $500,000, Fondren Foundation $500,000 and varying amounts from India House Board and Council. The land was donated by the India Cultural Center , which it purchased in 2000.

 

The second phase of project will include a 1,000-seat banquet hall, a childcare center and a museum to showcase the culture of various states of India . India House Board is headed by Durga Agrawal.

 

ASIAN AMERICAN STUDENTS ARE CALLED UPON TO FIGHT COLLEGE ADMISSION REJECTION IN THE US

 

A study published by Princeton researchers concluded that an Asian-American applicant must score 50 points higher on the SAT than a white applicant just to have the same chance of admission. (http://opr.princeton.edu/faculty/Tje/EspenshadeSSQPtII.pdf). 


According to The Price of Admission: How America's Ruling Class Buys Its Way into Elite Colleges - and Who Gets Left Outside the Gates, by Dan Golden, Education Editor of the Wall Street Journal, colleges are making Asian American applicants the new Jews and holding them to much higher standards than other students. 

 

If your Asian American teenager received rejections from these colleges:

 

U.S. Air Force Academy

U.S. Naval Academy

U.S. Military Academy

U.S. Coast Guard Academy

Middlebury
Bowdoin
Georgetown
Williams
Dartmouth
Amherst
Duke
Princeton
Swarthmore
Rice

file discrimination complaints with the US Department of Education's Office of Civil Rights and the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP)

Office for Civil Rights
U.S. Department of Education
400 Maryland Avenue, S.W.
Washington, D.C. 20202-1100
1-800-421-3481
FAX: (202) 245-6840; TDD: (877) 521-2172
Online complaint form: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/complaintintro.html 
E-mail: OCR@ed.gov
Web: http://www.ed.gov/ocr

OFCCP complaint form (complete and file at OFCCP regional office nearest you).

One must file your complaint within 180 days after receiving the rejection letter or other form of discrimination.

When affirmative action at universities was banned in California , Texas , Massachusetts , and Florida , the number of Asian American students admitted to universities in those states increased by 20-40%.  See Statistics on Reverse Discrimination against Asian-Americans.   http://www.asianam.org/statistics%20reverse.htm  

GOPIO INTL. AND CHAPTER NEWS

 

GOPIO METRO DC APPLAUDS NEW APPOINTEES

 

The year 2007 brought good news for the Indian-American community in the Metro Washington DC area. Honble Isiah Leggett the newly elected County Executive of Montgomery County - the most affluent county in the State of Maryland has appointed several distinguished individuals from South Asian community to senior management positions in the Montgomery county administration as follows: Dr Pradeep Ganguly as Director, Department of Economic Development; Ms. Uma Ahluwalia as Director, Department of Health & Human Services; Mr. Nadeem Khan as Chief, Special Needs Housing.

 

To celebrate this joyous occasion, GOPIO-Metro Washington DC held a Meet & Greet reception honoring and recognizing these appointees on Sunday, February 18 at the Woodlands restaurant in Langley Park, MD.

 

Despite sudden unexpected snow and bad weather, over 110 people from the South Asian community and several of the Montgomery county political leaders attended the event. Prominent among them were -- Montgomery County Executive Ike Leggett & Mrs. Catherine Leggett; County Council members George Leventhal & Phil Andrews; and Delegate Susan Lee. In their remarks, these senior leaders applauded the Indian-American community for their long and sustained support in the growth and progress of the county, its infrastructure and its programs. Ike Leggett complimented the communitys prominent role in the last twenty five years in building the county into a power house of science & technology, academia and high-tech industry.

 

GOPIO- Metro Washington DC President Dr Renuka Misra welcomed senior political leaders and community members in her opening remarks. She elaborated on the role of GOPIO as a grassroot citizens organization that is dedicated to integrating the expatriate people of Indian origin (PIO) community at various levels of society and government in US. Dr. Misra traced the rapid progress of the community from its humble beginnings in the county about thirty years ago, and now its success in the countys political process. She introduced the prominent personalities at the reception and the GOPIO volunteers. She expressed special thanks and recognized other community organizations (Association of Indian Muslims of America; Prithiviraj Chauhan Society of America ; FOINA; ICCC; IAFPE (MD); IAFPE(VA); AICS).

 

Dr. Pradeep Ganguly, the incoming Director of Economic Development, in his remarks pledged his total commitment to rapidly expand the countys economic base. Ms. Ahluwalia, the new Health & Human Services Director, talked of her commitment to the needy citizens. Mr. Nadeem Khan described his vision that not a single individual in the county, who has any special housing need, will have to wait long.

 

Dr. Kaushal Chauhan, the GOPIO general secretary thanked the honorees, guests, audience and volunteers for their enthusiastic support of the event and expressed his hope for more such events in the near future.

 

GOPIO-NY TO PARTICIPATE IN NYC IMMIGRANT WEEK

 

GOPIO has been selected by New York City Immigrant Affairs Commissioner Guillermo Linares as one of the civic organizations to participate in New York City 's Immigrant History Week 2007 (April 16 through April 22). Commissioner Linares has reviewed GOPIO's proposal for participation during these city-wide celebrations and has recommended that GOPIO collaborate with the Asian American/Asian Research Institute (AAARI) and The Guyanese East Indian Civic Association (GEICA) on a joint conference  to bring more awareness of the immigrants from the Caribbean who are of Asian heritage. 

 

While GOPIO International Secretary General Ashook Ramsaran took the initial steps for GOPIO to be part of the week-long NYC Immigrants' Week events, GOPIO of New York is taking the lead role with its President Lal Motwani coordinating the session on "CHALLENGES and OPPORTUNITIES". Motwani will be supported by Rafeek Baksh (President of GOPIO of Upper New York) as well Ashook Ramsaran (Secretary General, GOPIO International). Prakash Singh would be coordinator for GEICA.

 

The planned conference is a 1-day event to be held at the facilities of the City University of New York on April 21, 2007. The theme is: 'CARIBBEAN ASIANS - THE JOURNEY CONTINUES,'  and GOPIO  is responsible for planning and coordination of Session II: CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES.

 

Contact: Lal Motwani, President, GOPIO-NY, Tel: 718-470-1026 or E-mail: lmotwani@nyc.rr.com.

 

GOPIO-CT OFFERS FREE COMMUNITY HEALTH EDUCATION SEMINARS

 

The number of people with diabetes is on a rise among people of Indian origin. Poorly controlled diabetes can lead to serious health problems like blindness, stroke, heart attack, kidney failure and non-traumatic amputations. Many of the complications of this chronic disease can be prevented by controlling the blood sugars.

 

GOPIO-CT and Bayer Healthcare LLC Diabetes Care Division organized a free community education programs for better understanding of self management and care on March 15, 2007. The program offered tips on eating properly and effectively participating the treatment plan. On April 19, 2007, the program will explore various options to prevent cardiovascular disease and diabetes. The role of exercise in maintaining or improving overall health will also be discussed. The programs will be held in Hyatt Regency in Cos Cob, Connecticut and the speaker will be Sangeeta Ahuja a registered dietitian and a certified diabetes educator.

 

For registration and information, contact Sangeeta Ahuja, President, GOPIO-CT, Tel: 203-329-9744, E-mail: sangeetaahuja@aol.com.

 

UNITY DINNER IN SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA A HUGE SUCCESS

 

GOPIO-San Francisco Bay Area joined Indo-American Community Federation along with other groups to host the annual Unity Dinner held at Hilton Newark/Fremont on March 23rd.

 

The keynote speaker was Calif. Lieut. Gov. John Garamendi.


This sold-out sixth annual event was presented by Indo-American Community Federation and was sponsored by a host of Indian American and mainstream organizations including Chinese, Hispanic, Filipino and Vietnamese organizations. The event was conceived by Jeevan Zutshi, the founder chairman of Indo-American Community Federation as well as the president of GOPIO-San Francisco Bay Area chapter, after 9/11 to celebrate and promote unity amongst diverse groups in California .

After 9/11, I saw a need for an event like this which can bring diverse public officials together with diverse community leadership, said Zutshi. It gives the community an opportunity to understand different cultures, come closer and also meet their elected representatives in a social setting.

 

We need to look at things that are happening in our backyard, Zutshi added. He stressed the need for Indians to be more involved in issues like homelessness, hospitals and schools that need community cooperation. Holding Unity Dinners is a way of reminding us that we need to be involved in this community, he said.


The Unity Dinner was a demonstration of unity of the human spirit in coming together and sharing histories and experiences, Garamendi said. Honda, a third generation Japanese American, spoke about the ultimate need for understanding one another.


Other organization sponsors included the National Federation of Indian American organizations, FIA, American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin, Citizens for Better Community, Fremont Chamber of Commerce, Fremont Education Foundation, Ohlone College Foundation, Citizens for Better Community, Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Alameda County, and the Hispanic Community Affairs Council.


A slew of public officials attended, including state Sen. Ellen Corbett, state assembly members Alberto Torrico and Mary Hayashi; Alameda county supervisors, mayors of Fremont, Union City, Newark, Milpitas and Hayward, council members and elected and appointed board members from local governments.

 

GOPIO FELICITATES DR. SHASHI THAROOR

 

Global Organization of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO) International, GOPIO-New York chapter and over a dozen Indian groups joined together to felicitate Dr. Shashi Tharoor, the former Under Secretary General at the United nations. Dr. Tharoor was honored and inducted as a Lifetime Honorary Member of GOPIO International. Attended by nearly 150 members and supporters of GOPIO, the event held on Saturday, April 7th, 2007 at the Five Star Banquet & Restaurant, located at Long Island City , Queens, was the first community program for Dr. Shashi Tharoor after leaving his position as Under Secretary General at the UN. 

 

Lal Motwani, president of GOPIO Connecticut, in his welcome address stated that GOPIO-New York had organized four major such programs in the last one year providing community interactive programs with ministers from India and Congressmen from the New York area. GOPIO Secretary General Ashook Ramsaran gave the vote of thanks.

 

GOPIO Chairman Dr. Thomas Abraham, introduced Dr. Tharoor as a "great son of India ," and joined Motwani, Ramsaran, and GOPIO Academic Council Chairman Dr. Jagat Motwani in presenting a plaque of appreciation for his "great contributions and achievements." Dr. Abraham said, Dr. Tharoor was being felicitated for his service to the UN and India in the last three decades. 

 

While introducing the honoree, the GOPIO chairman Abraham said that Dr. Tharoor was the official candidate of India for the succession to UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan in 2006, and came a close second out of seven contenders in the race. He has served as the UN Under-Secretary-General for Communications and Public Information. Dr. Tharoor is also the award-winning author of nine books, as well as hundreds of articles, op-eds and book reviews in a wide range of publications.  

 

"I am honored to be a member of GOPIO with its 35,000 members around the world, representing nearly 25 Million Indian Diaspora spread across the globe." GOPIO as it stands for, must represent all social, political, religious and economic groups, he added.

 

In his keynote address, Dr. Tharoor, stressed on the "pluralism and diversity of India , which make India unique." In his lengthy address that was followed by Q&A, Tharoor, enumerated his vision for the role that NRIs could play in uniting India and Indians around the world. "We are diverse and divided into several groups. However, the reality of being Indian" transcends all these factors that divide us. We are people of different identities, and yet, united as being part of India ." Dr. Tharoor went on to add. "Pluralism is the cornerstone of India ."

 

Sharing with the audience his own search for an identity as an Indian, after being born in UK, raised in Mumbai, educated in Calcutta, Delhi, and the United States, and having served the United Nations in various capacities in several parts of the world, the brilliant Indian author and international diplomat said, "I was inspired of our search for our own identity as a nation, which meant that India is a nation for people of all religious, ethnic, linguistic and cultural groups." Linking his own experiences with that of the Non Resident Indians around the globe, Dr. Tharoor said, "We are an heir to the Great Pan Indian civilization."

 

Dr. Tharoor lamented the "misplaced sense of loyalties" among some sections of the NRI community abroad, stating that all major religious groups have been victims of these, contributing to the acceleration of violence back in India . While lauding that, "We are now moving beyond," Dr. Tharoor said, "We can and need to make contributions that can benefit India in significant ways." Acknowledging that amidst the fast growth and all round development India has been witnessing in the recent past, Dr. Tharoor said, "We have a long way to go as there are over 250 million people in India , who are really poor and the benefits of growth have not reached them yet."

 

While reflecting on the causes and the consequences of Partition, Dr. Tharoor said, "We cannot return to history and undo whatever has taken place, especially after 1947. However, we can make our future and that of the people of South Asian region better, by working together with increased cooperation and understanding." Towards this end, what is needed today is "political will and vision," that transcends all narrow political considerations and populism.

 

During the lengthy Q & A session that covered several areas including his failed attempt to be the UN Secretary General, Dr. Tharoor shared with the audience, the reasons for his failure in being elected as the UN Chief and his future plans. When several members of the audience expressed their desire to see him as the future Prime Minister of India, Dr. Tharoor said, "I have not decided on my future yet. I want to give a couple of years to decide on what I want to do in the coming years. Meanwhile, I will continue to invest in India , and particularly in Kerala, from where I come from." He said, for now, he will be doing a number of different things in his post-diplomatic career at the world body. For one, Tharoor said, he will be writing as much as his time permits and will speak as often as he can about the issues that he cares about.

 

The event was put together by Lal Motwani, Dr. Thomas Abraham, Ramesh Goel, Ramesh Kalicharan, Nilesh Kadakia, Dr. Jagat Motwani, Bansi Shah, Deo Gosine, Charan Singh Prempura, Dr. Parveen Chopra, Ashook Ramsaran, Leela Maret, Kiran Hari, Dr. Binod Varma, Dharmatma Saran, Anand Ahuja, Darshan Singh Bagga, Dr. Sushila Gidwani-Buschi, Sudha Acharya, Mohinder Singh Taneja, Indu Jaiswal, Dr. Surendra Kaushik, Jaswant Mody, Sangeeta Ahuja, Chengad Sridhar, Dr. Radha Giridharan, Ravi Adhikari, and Prakash Singh.


And the event was cosponsored by National Federation of Indian American Associations (NFIA), Association of Indians in Construction Industry, Society of Indian American Engineers and Architects, Indo Caribbean Council, Sanatan Dharma Maha Sabha of West Indies, Inc. (Shiva Mandir), Indian Overseas Congress Haryana Wing, Federation of Kerala Associations of North America (FOKANA) , Asian American Coalition USA, Inc., Heart and Hand for the Handicapped (HHH), Indian American Kerala Cultural and civic Center, India Association of Long Island, Sindhi Circle, Brain Link, and GOPIO-Connecticut.

 

GOPIO-CT TO CELEBRATE FIRST ANNIVERSARY WITH AWARDS BANQUET

 

GOPIO Connecticut Chapter has scheduled its first anniversary celebration with an Awards Banquet on April 22nd starting at 5 p.m. at the Italian Center in Stamford . The honored guests are Indian Consul General Neelam Deo and Congressman Christopher Shays. GOPIO will also honor a few Indian Americans who stand out in the community for their contribution in various fields and in community service.

 

Contact: Sangeeta Ahuja, President, GOPIO-CT, Tel: 203-329-9744, E-mail: sangeetaahuja@aol.com

 

GOPIO INTERNATIONAL LAUNCHES ONLINE FORUM TO DISCUSS AND DELIBERATE NRI/PIO ISSUES

 

GOPIO International has launched an online public forum for NRIs & PIOs to discuss and deliberate on issues of concern. If you have an issue of concern to NRIs and PIOs, you are welcome to post it in this online yahoogroups forum. Please visit http://groups.yahoo.com/group/GOPIO_Intl and register to become a participant or post a note of concern.

 

NRIs/PIOs ARCHIEVE

 

SEVEN INDIAN AMERICANS WIN SOROS GRADUATE FELLOWSHIP

 

Seven Indian Americans are among the 31 2007 Paul and Daisy Soros New American Fellows. Fellows receive up to a $20,000 stipend plus half tuition for as many as two years of graduate study at any institution of higher learning in the US .

 

GAURAV GUPTA ( McLean , VA ) is a senior majoring in Biomedical Engineering at Johns Hopkins University , graduating in May with both a BS and an MSE. He will attend medical school in September. Having conducted cardiovascular physiology research since his freshman year, Gaurav has been listed as a co-author on three academic publications. He also used his engineering background to develop medical devices to meet pressing clinical needs, including a method for the early detection of preterm labor and an implant for elderly patients with spinal fractures and has filed for two patents.

 

AMIT KAUSHAL ( Newhall , CA ) is pursuing a combined MD/PhD at Stanford University . Having completed two years of medical school, he is in the first year of his PhD in biomedical infor