NRI Top Stories ( Page 20 of 32 )

Indian-origin Pramila Jayapal wins Washington open primary! August 04, 2016 12:36

Indian-origin Pramila Jayapal has swept the 7th Congressional District in the Washington state. She could make the history if she wins the November general election. If wins, Jayapal will be the first woman from the community to enter the United States House of Representatives. A Chennai-born Malayali, Ms. Jayapal moved to the United States in 1982 as a student. She drifted into politics through her campaigns for the rights of women and immigrants after a stint on the Wall Street. The present member of the State Senate, Jayapal has spearheaded legislation favouring workers and immigrants, and expanding voting rights. "Thank you so much to the voters of the 7th Congressional District! You have fueled the flame of our movement with the clear belief that we together can and will reclaim our government to work for all of us!" Indian-American Jayapal said after the results. “We’re building a movement that can clearly stake out a positive vision for the future of America at a time when too many people feel cynical about change, and when too many people are struggling to make ends meet and put food on the table,” she said. “Pramila is not afraid to take on powerful special interests. She’s fought for immigrant rights, opposed the war in Iraq, and worked to protect Social Security. She’s also running her campaign with our political revolution,” Bernie Sanders had said in an e-mail to donors during her primaries campaign. Also Read: Indian-American appointed as New York's chief digital officer! Nandini

Indian-American appointed as New York's chief digital officer! August 03, 2016 10:49

New York Mayor Bill de Blasio has appointed an eminent Indian-American digital media expert Sree Sreenivasan as the new chief digital officer of the city. Sreenivasan will work on promoting access to local government through technology and support its tech ecosystem. Mayor Bill de Blasio said that, "To move our city’s digital ecosystem into the 21st century, we need to ensure our city’s resources are at the fingertips of every New Yorker. With Sree Sreenivasan’s wealth of experience, I am confident that he will work to promote transparency, access, and progressive values with our digital tools, helping spread access across the five boroughs." Previously, Sreenivasan has served as the first chief digital officer at the renowned Metropolitan Museum of Art's and at Columbia University as well. The mayor's office said in a statement that, Indian-origin Sreenivasan has also been a mayoral appointee on the Commission on Public Information and Communication (COPIC) since October 2015, where he helped the public in obtaining access to city information and helped develop strategies for the use of new communications technologies to improve access to, and distribution of city data. Reacting to the appointment Srinivasan said that, "It's a real honor for me to serve as the CDO of the world's greatest city." "There are so many opportunities to extend the Mayor’s Digital Playbook, collaborate closely across various sectors and help bring more startups here. I will draw on what I've learned working in four critical NYC industries: education, media, arts and culture, and nonprofits, and look forward to building on the great work of my predecessor Jessica Singleton and her predecessor, Rachel Haot." he added. Also Read: Indian-origin scientist leads team to develop drones that navigate like birds Nandini

Telangana set to launch exclusive portal for NRIs! July 29, 2016 09:48

The government of Telangana State of India is all set to launch an exclusive portal for non-resident Indians (NRIs) as part of its proposed NRI policy. The government is also planning to open a 'Centre for Non-Resident Telanganites' Affairs' in all districts, state cabinet Minister K T Rama Rao announced. The state minister for IT, Industries and NRI affairs, Mr. Rao held a meeting with stakeholders in this regard. The meeting was intended to seeking suggestions for the proposed 'NRI Policy' of the state. Rao said that, "We will be launching an exclusive portal for NRIs with information and online services. We are already conducting skill development initiatives for people who want to migrate in search of livelihood." "We will be building a database of migrants from Telangana to various countries. This will help in speedy resolution of issues, if any and district level offices would be opened for CENTA - Centre for Non Resident Telanganites' Affairs," he said. According to the minister, a special officer would be appointed to assist NRIs who wish to invest in Telangana and they will also establish a Corpus Fund intended for the welfare of NRIs. Also Read: New Kerala budget offers sops for diaspora! Nandini

New Kerala budget offers sops for diaspora! July 09, 2016 13:15

Kerala Finance Minister Thomas Isaac presented the revised budget in the Kerala assembly, which provides an increased allocation for the diaspora across world. The 'alteration memorandum' of the state budget was presented by the state finance minister, as the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M)-led Pinarayi Vijayan government assumed office on May 25 this year. "At present there is an allocation of just Rs 1 lakh in the welfare fund for the return diaspora, and I am increasing it to Rs 10 crore. This is meant to increase the benefits paid out to the needy," said Isaac. The minister also decided to double the allocation from Rs 12 crore to Rs 24 crore in the scheme for rehabilitation of those who have returned. "The previous government had begun a loan scheme jointly with financial institutions for the diaspora who wish to start a business. But that programme failed to take off due to nonpayment of back-end subsidy upfront. We will ensure that the back-end subsidy is paid up front," he said. "There are two sections of our diaspora: Those who seek a rehabilitation once they are here, and the other group that is looking to invest and also seeking jobs. We are planning special parks where the diaspora can invest," Isaac added. Also Read: Odisha set to launch online Odia courses for diaspora! Nandini

Government gears up to help distressed women in NRI marriage! July 08, 2016 11:15

The government is all set to establish a committee to formulate a standard operating procedure (SOP) to be followed while dealing with cases of NRI men abandoning their wives. The move has been taken after plenty of such complaints were received by the Women and Child Development Ministry. The Women and Child Development (WCD) Minister Maneka Gandhi met External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj regarding the issue and requested her to create a joint committee to set up an SOP. Gandhi tweeted "Met EAM @SushmaSwaraj ji and discussed the issue of women in distress on account of NRI marriages. Have requested @SushmaSwaraj ji to set up a joint group to develop a standard operating procedure to tackle the problems of these women." "WCD will proactively work with Indian missions in foreign countries to resolve the situations that these women are in," she said. "A joint committee with one Joint Secretary each from Home Ministry, Ministry of External Affairs and Women and Child Development Ministry will be constituted within this week. SOP will be developed within a month's time," a senior WCD Ministry official said. The officials added that, once the SOP is developed, it will be shared with multiple missions around the world. "We have received several such cases but we often found ourselves handicapped, even for as small a thing as serving summons to the perpetrator. So, we thought we will develop SOP so that Indian missions become proactively engaged in this issue. Once SOP is made, Indian missions will have the responsibility to more vigorously take up these cases." Also Read: Odisha set to launch online Odia courses for diaspora! Nandini

Indian-origin scientist leads team to develop drones that navigate like birds July 05, 2016 10:52

A team of researchers led by Indian-origin scientist is building biologically-inspired drones which can navigate just like birds and other flying insects. Such drones will be able to fly without any human input, radar or satellite navigation. The group of scientists at the University of Queensland in Australia is conducing study on flying techniques like budgerigars and bees share. They are applying their findings to Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) control programmes. Professor Mandyam Srinivasan, who is leading the research, said that, "We study how small airborne creatures such as bees and birds use their vision to avoid collisions with obstacles, fly safely through narrow passages, control their height above the ground and more." "We then use biologically-inspired principles to design novel vision systems and algorithms for the guidance of UAVs," Srinivasan said. "Bees' brains weigh a tenth of a milligramme and carry far fewer neurons than our own brains; yet the insects are capable of navigating accurately to food sources over 10 km away from their hive," said Srinivasan. "Birds too can perform incredible aerobatics and navigational feats. These animals are clearly using simple and elegant strategies, honed by thousands of years of evolution," he said. "These animals are clever, can be easily trained, and possess sophisticated visual systems that are not unlike those of our own," said Srinivasan. "The study of their behaviour could also reveal some of the basic principles of visual guidance in a number of organisms including humans," he said. "The biologically-inspired principles we uncover will foster a new generation of fully autonomous UAVs that do not rely on external help such as GPS (Global Positioning System) or radar," said Srinivasan. "These UAVs could be incredibly useful for applications like surveillance, rescue operations, defence, and planetary exploration," he said Also Read: Indian Woman earns UN honour for corporate sustainability initiative Nandini

Odisha set to launch online Odia courses for diaspora! July 04, 2016 11:07

The government of Odisha is planning to introduced the online certificate courses in Odia for the benefit of Non-Resident Odias (NROs) across the world and students residing outside, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik announced. “I would like to announce that the government of Odisha has decided to facilitate Odia Certification Courses on online basis for the benefit of Non-Resident Odias (NROs) globally and for the students residing outside Odisha from 2017," CM Naveen Patnaik said. The scheme is scheduled to be launched next year. The Board of Secondary Education (BSE) will conduct the lower Odia test, which will be equivalent to Class 8 standard Odia. "For this, the Odisha Society of Americas (OSA) and other organisations had made an appeal to me earlier. This will benefit the second generation of Odia children living outside the countries and will carry forward the grand legacy of our language," he said. The introduction of Odia curriculum and lower Odia test would benefit the children of the Odia families residing overseas, said School and Mass Education Minister Debi Prasad Mishra. The BSE will conduct the online test once or twice a year by the BSE. The Odia curriculum for the certificate course has been developed and uploaded to the BSE website. According to the minister, the NRO students will have to pay $100 to appear in the examination, while the students residing outside the state will need to pay Rs 1,500 for the examination. Also Read: PIO meeting demands voting rights, Rajya Sabha seats for NRIs! Nandini

PIO meeting demands voting rights, Rajya Sabha seats for NRIs! June 30, 2016 11:35

An international meeting of people of Indian-origin (PIO) in the United States has sought the voting rights for Indian citizens living outside India and Rajya Sabha seats for Non-Resident Indians (NRIs). The Global Organization of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO) said in a resolution passed during its annual meeting in New York, that, "The Election Commission of India should finalize the procedure for electronic voting before the next general election in India takes place." It alleges that, there are nearly10 million NRIs who are citizens of India, have no involvement in the decision making process of the country of their citizenship. "We urge the Government of India to nominate a few prominent NRIs as members of the Rajya Sabha (the Upper House of Parliament) so as to reinforce and further integrate the bonds between India and the overseas Indian community," GOPIO said. The annual GOPIO convention was attended by more than 200 delegates from 20 countries. "The clearance process through the Home Ministry is very time consuming and needs to be streamlined and made more efficient," it said. "We want the government to enact legislation to designate Fast Track Courts for NRIs/PIOs for the speedy settlement of their property, business, inheritance and other legal issues in India," it added. "We call upon the Government of India to enact another legislation to provide Title Insurance to ensure that their ownership in real estate is protected against forged signatures on the deed and for any such fraudulent transfer of their properties," GOPIO said. "We strongly feel that those who are getting their social security benefits from outside India should receive tax parity similar to Indian retirees and request the Finance Ministry to change the rules. Of course, such person's Indian income must be taxed as per the rules," it said. Also Read: Deadline for conversion of PIO cards extended! Nandini

Indian Woman earns UN honour for corporate sustainability initiative June 25, 2016 11:31

An Indian social entrepreneur working for women’s welfare has been nominated among 10 "champions and pioneers" by UN chief Ban Ki-moon for sustainable development goals. Zubaida Bai, the founder of 'ayzh', a for-profit social organization was named under the 10 '2016 Global Compact SDG Pioneers'. It is an initiative launched by UN to search for "entrepreneurs" who can play a pivotal role. The ayzh is providing health and livelihood solutions to impoverished women across the world. The world's largest corporate sustainability initiative, the UN Global Compact, helps companies to do business responsibly by aligning their strategies and operations with ten principles of human rights, environment and anti-corruption; labour, and to take strategic actions to advance broader societal goals, like the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), with an emphasis on collaboration and innovation. The UN secretary announced the 10 pioneers at the Global Compact Leaders Summit. Congratulating the honorees, Ban said that he counts on their "strong commitment and engagement" to help businesses seize the opportunities of the SDG era. Ban said that, "All of you are leaders in the campaign for a world without poverty, a thriving planet, a vibrant and inclusive global economy and a life of dignity for all.” "This is the vision of the Sustainable Development Goals, agreed upon by the Member States of the UN in September last year," he said at the summit. "We are at a decisive moment in the shift to sustainable and inclusive markets," continued the Secretary-General. "All businesses, everywhere, can and should play a role in improving our world. That starts with integrity doing business right," he said. Nandini

Deadline for conversion of PIO cards extended! June 21, 2016 12:41

The government has decided to extend the deadline for applying for conversion of Person of Indian Origin (PIO) cards to Overseas Citizens of India (OCI) cards from June 30 to December 31, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj announced. Swaraj said in her annual press conference, that, "I feel that the conversion will not be completed by June 30. So we have decided to extend the last date to December 31." Previously, the government granted an extension from March 31 to June 30 this year. "There will be no charge for conversion during this period. So I will suggest those, who are seeking to convert their PIO cards to OCI cards, use this time line. I want this conversion to be completed by December 31," she said. According to the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the OCI and PIO cards will be merged and the Indian diaspora will be given maximum possible benefits. Also Read: NRIs can now apply online for NPS through eNPS! Nandini

NRIs can now apply online for NPS through eNPS! June 18, 2016 12:18

The finance ministry announced that, Non Resident Indians (NRIs) can now open National Pension Savings (NPS) accounts online. The finance ministry said in a statement, that, "NRIs can now open NPS Accounts online if they have Aadhaar card or PAN card." “Through eNPS, a subscriber will be able to open an NPS account from the comfort of his home.” “All he will need is an Internet connection and an Aadhaar/PAN card.” Till now, NRIs could open NPS accounts only through paper applications by approaching bank offices. According to the finance ministry NRIs will get to open these NPS accounts on both repatriable and non-repatriable basis. “On a repatriable basis, an NRI will have to remit the amount through his/her NRE/FCNR/NRO account,” the statement said. “For Non-repatriable scheme, NRIs will be able to join NPS through their NRE/FCNR/NRO accounts. At the time of maturity or during partial withdrawal, the NPS funds would be deposited only in their NRO accounts.” “Both repatriable and non-repatriable schemes will greatly appeal to NRIs who intend to return to India after their employment abroad, in view of their attractive returns, low cost, flexibility and their being regulated by the PFRDA (Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority), a regulator established by the Central Government,” said the statement. The country has the second-largest diaspora in the world. Nearly 29 million people living in more than 200 countries and out of these 25 per cent live in the Gulf countries. Also Read: Indian-origin 9-year-old coder at Apple’s WWDC 2016! Nandini

Indian-origin 9-year-old coder at Apple’s WWDC 2016! June 14, 2016 15:35

A nine-year-old Indian-origin girl has became the youngest app developer at Apple's annual developer conference. Now, she dreams of meeting the tech giant's CEO Tim Cook. Anvitha Vijay from Australia is the youngest developer to attend the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) 2016 in San Francisco. According to a report in Fortune, she has already built several apps for iPhone and iPad. "It's my dream to go to WWDC and meet Tim Cook," said Vijay. She had applied for a Apple's scholarship program, and Apple selected her to visit San Francisco's Moscone Center for WWDC. Vijay learned coding through watching free coding tutorials on YouTube and the web for a year. "Coding was so challenging. But I'm so glad I stuck with it," she said. Her apps were inspired by her toddler sister, who was learning how to talk and identify animals. Vijay developed the Smartkins Animals app, which uses sounds, and flashcards to help teach children 100 different animals' names and sounds. "Turning an idea for an app involves a lot of hard work," Vijay said. "There are so many components to building an app, including prototyping, design and wirreframing, user interface design and then coding and testing." A report revealed that, winners of Apple's scholarships to attend WWDC were mostly under the age of 18. "Out of 350 recipients, 120 of the lucky winners are students. Submissions increased by 215% and more than doubled from organizations focused on science, technology, engineering, and math," the report said. Also Read: Kulkarni becomes first Indian to bag Commonwealth short story prize Nandini