NRI Top Stories ( Page 24 of 46 )

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

Kulkarni becomes first Indian to bag Commonwealth short story prize June 10, 2016 15:56

An Indian professor has won the 2016 Commonwealth Short Story Prize. Parashar Kulkarni's Cow and Company beaten almost 4,000 entries for the 5,000 pound award. Judge Gillian Slovo said that, Parashar Kulkarni's Cow and Company "succeeded in exploring serious issues in a way that can make us laugh." Kulkarni was presented the Prize by Man Booker Prize Winner and former short story judge Marlon James at the Calabash Literary Festival in Jamaica. Kulkarni, an assistant professor in Social Sciences at Yale NUS College in Singapore, became the first Indian author to win the award. The £5,000 prize rewards "the best piece of unpublished short fiction in English" by a Commonwealth writer. "I am very happy to receive the Commonwealth Short Story Prize which provides an inclusive, accessible and international platform for participation which is particularly helpful for new writers," Kulkarni said in a statement. Gillian Slovo, Chair of the judging panel, said, "In 'Cow and Company', Parashar has conjured up a large cast and their way of life, and at the same time he has succeeded in exploring serious issues in a way that can make us laugh - and all of this in a few thousand words." Also Read:Goa-born Sayonara Luxton becomes mayor of UK Royal borough Nandini

Goa-born Sayonara Luxton becomes mayor of UK Royal borough June 06, 2016 12:23

Indian- origin Sayonara Luxton appointed as the new mayor of the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead in southeast England. Goa-born councillor from Sunningdale left Goa 40 years ago. She worked with Airbus industries in Dubai before moving to the UK with her husband, Ian. Ms Luxton said that, "When I left Goa 40 years ago, I could not in my wildest dreams have dreamt that I could hold such a high office. I mean look at me, the mayoral robe was not designed for my stature, but I promise you that I hold the heart and soul and I will give everything." "I will be working on a special project in Her Majesty's honour and further details will be released soon," she added. Sayonara has served as the Sunningdale deputy mayor for one year. She took over as mayor from councillor Dee Quick. She was also the chairperson of the licensing pane, adult services and health overview and scrutiny panel, and vice chairperson for the foster-parenting panel and a member of other committees. Also read: Government proposes to ease norms for NRIs carrying gold hassle-free Nandini

Government proposes to ease norms for NRIs carrying gold hassle-free May 26, 2016 11:48

The government of India is planning to soften norms for Non-resident Indians travelling into and out of India loaded with jewellery to attend personal functions such as weddings or similar occasions. Such NRIs would need to pay duty on entry and will get it refunded while returning. A framework to ensure hassle-free customs clearances for such travel into and out of India is being prepared by the government. At present, NRI's are facing problems while bringing in jewellery for personal use due to stringent norms that were put in place to curb gold smuggling through personal baggage. The Central Board of Excise & Customs is gearing up to set new norms that will make easier to bring jewellery for personal use under the baggage rules. The Economic Times reported that, "We are examining the norms. We understand that some people get jewellery for weddings and take it back as well," a senior finance ministry official said. The smuggling of gold is on the rise in India. The Indian government seized gold worth Rs. 832.08 crore in 2014-15, while it seized worth Rs. 557.83 crore in 2013-14. Also read: UN honors four Indian peacekeepers posthumously Nandini

UN honors four Indian peacekeepers posthumously May 20, 2016 14:52

Four Indian peacekeepers,who sacrificed their lives while serving in UN peacekeeping operations were awarded posthumously with a prestigious UN medal on the International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers. The fallen Indian peacekeepers are among the other 124 military, police and civilian personnel who have been awarded posthumously for their sacrifice in the line of duty. The Indian peacekeepers, who honored with the Dag Hammarskjold Medal are Rifleman Manish Malik, Head Constable Shubhkaran Yadav, Naik Rakesh Kumar and Havildar Amal Deka. Yadav and Malik were serving in the UN Organisation Stabilisation Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO). They gave the supreme sacrifice in April 2015. Deka was serving in the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) and died in June last year, while Kumar, serving in the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) died in January 2015. "Today we join together in this solemn ceremony to honour the memory of the 129 men and woman who lost their lives last year while serving under the United Nations flag. These brave personnel came from 50 countries," said United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in the medal ceremony. "The number of people who serve in our operations more than 124,000 demonstrates how much the international community continues to depend on our Blue Helmets," the UN chief said. At present, there are 16 peacekeeping operations are being operated by the United Nations. Also read: Indian wins award at UN's poster contest Nandini

Indian wins award at UN's poster contest May 14, 2016 15:53

A Chennai girl Anjali Chandrashekar has been awarded with third prize at the United Nations Poster for Peace Contest presented by the UN Office for Disarmament Affairs (ODA). 22-year-old Indian artist received the award at the U.N. Headquarters in New York. Two art pieces ‘Break Free’ and ‘Cutting a Peace Deal’ of New York-based designer and "artivist" were selected in the competition. She has been doing this work since long time and participated in the numerous U.N. campaigns in the past. "Nuclear disarmament is usually spoken about on such a high level and I believe that art has the power to humanize some of the most pressing issues that the world faces today," Anjali said at the UN News Centre. "It also transcends barriers of age, language and literacy so I thought this was a great opportunity for me to show that a brush can be mightier than arms." “As an artist, I have tried to make meaning of the world around me visually. And pictures transcend barriers of age, language and literacy. The Poster for Peace was a chance for me to show that a brush can be mightier than arms. The goal of nuclear disarmament has been a tremendously difficult challenge, but this campaign tells us that peace is possible if we all work together towards it,” says Anjali, who works in the U.S. “It took me three months, but I didn’t do it at a stretch. I played with several ideas and finally came up with these,” says the artist. “Pratt influenced my artistic language. It was an incredibly rewarding experience to get an education that helped me with that design thinking process and I think it translates into my recent work too,” she adds. While Congratulating the winners, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said that, he commends them for the "talents you have displayed, and for using those talents to highlight such an essential cause." "At a time of many global needs, it is important that young people are aware of the threat posed by nuclear weapons, and the vital importance of disarmament. Young people did not create nuclear weapons, but it may be their task to eliminate them once and for all. The energy and enthusiasm, talent and new ideas we see here today will help to meet that challenge," he said at the award ceremony. Also read: Andhra government launches ‘Non-Resident Telugu Society’ Nandini

Andhra government launches ‘Non-Resident Telugu Society’ May 11, 2016 12:29

The government of Andhra Pradesh established the "Andhra Pradesh Non-Resident Telugu Society" (NRTS). The society is headed by the chief minister and aims to promote "Brand AP" among the Telugu communities settled in foreign countries. The initiative also encourages their efforts in the state development process. The NRTS will also plan to promote and seek investments from non-resident Telugus, industrialists and the foreign investment agencies in several sectors in the state. The state chief secretary Satya Prakash Tucker, said that, "There is a huge interest among non-resident Telugus towards meaningful contribution for the growth and empowerment of people living in Andhra Pradesh.” "There should be an institutional mechanism to channelise their interest towards tangible contributions or investments from Non-Resident Telugus in Andhra Pradesh. Hence, the Society is being set up under the aegis of the state government," Tucker said in an order. The registered office of the society would be located here, while its area of function would be "all over the world", the order said. There are 10-member in the governing body of the Society. The committee would be headed by the CM, the minister for NRI affairs and adviser to government (non-resident Telugu affairs). It also includes principal secretaries of seven key departments as members. The society affairs will be managed by an eight-member executive council, headed by the adviser (NRT affairs), with two NRI members for a three-year term. Also read: NRIs aim to bring back lost artefacts of India Nandini

NRIs aim to bring back lost artefacts of India April 25, 2016 11:21

India Pride Project (IPP), a volunteer group has been launched by two NRIs to bring back the lost artefacts of India. The initiative is on a countrywide awareness campaign to highlight the reality of several lost pieces of culture. Vijay Kumar, co-founder of IPP, said that, "India was looted of more artefacts in the post-colonial era than under the British or Mughals." He is an art enthusiast himself and working as the general manager of a shipping company. According to the India Pride Project (IPP), nearly 70,000 artefacts have gone missing from India, in which around 7,000 from Karnataka state alone. The volunteers works across the world and identifies stolen art. They traces its route and tries to restore it back to its rightful place. Due to the IPP efforts, Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott returned Sripuranthan Nataraja to India. “Among the five (artefacts) brought back to India through IPP last year is the celebrated Nataraja Idol of Brihadeeswara Temple in Tamil Nadu. The idol, stolen more than three decades ago, had reached museums in the U.S., and then Australia where it was sold for $1.5 billion,” said Mr. Seshadri Shankar, a Bengaluru-based IPP volunteer. “We are working towards the release of 2,000 artefacts, but 262 are ready to be brought back as of now,” said a volunteer. Anurag Saxena, a co-founder of IPP, said that, "Other countries are more helpful in returning pieces of art than India is in claiming what is rightfully ours." Anurag work as a chartered accountant and Asia-Pacific CEO for the World Education Foundation, UK. He spends his holidays in government offices attempting to bring back what he calls 'chori ka maal'. "I live in Singapore. If I don't do what I'm doing now, I wouldn't know what to tell my 6-year-old about her country, apart from the Taj Mahal and Qutub Minar. In Indian villages, every other function happens in a temple. What if the idol there were to be stolen? It might just be a piece of stone for others but for people who believe in it, it's a big thing," Anurag said. The volunteer group uses Twitter to spread the awareness among citizens. Its handle #BringOurGodsHome was among the top five trending hashtags. Recently, they organized an event in Bengaluru to enlist volunteers. Around 120 people took a pledge to bring back their heritage during the event. Also read: US received 2.36 lakh H-1B visa applications, completes visa draw - Nandini

US received 2.36 lakh H-1B visa applications, completes visa draw April 14, 2016 10:41

The US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced that, it has received more than 2,36,000 H-1B petitions within just five days of opening up the visa process, which is three times more than the Congressionally-mandated cap for the coveted work visa sought by Indian IT professionals for 2017. The agency has completed the lottery or computerized draw of lots, for granting 65,000 H-1B visas after receiving over 2 lakh visa applications. According to USCIS, it also received over the limit of 20,000 H-1B petitions from those international students, who completed their studies from the US academic institute and universities in subjects , technology, engineering, science and mathematics. Also read: US to take action against Indian students for illegal stay USCIS informed that, it has received more than 2,36,000 H-1B petitions including petitions filed for the advanced degree exemption, during the filing period, that started on April 1. A computer-generated random selection process was used by USCIS on April 9 to determine the successful applications, 65,000 general-category cap and the 20,000 cap under the advanced degree exemption or master’s cap. All unselected petitions will be rejected or returned by the USCIS to applicants with their filing fees. USCIS will start premium processing for H-1B cap cases before May 16, as the agency announced on March 16 this year. Mail Today reported that, a senior Nasscom executive said that, "the details would take some time to emerge but Indian companies such s TCS, Infosys and Wipro are expected to get a lion's share of the visas. Canada and the Phillipines are the closest competitors." Nandini

NRI kids have high Autistic tendencies April 06, 2016 17:24

Autistic tendencies are increasing among the NRI kids. Over 30% of the total reported cases seen by the experts are said to be catering to this segment alone. The experts are divided over the factors responsible for the rising cases of autism in kids. It is a neuro behavioral problem in children which leads to communication barriers. It affect at least one in 1,000 kids in the country. Anitha Are, clinical psychologist, Citizens Hospital, said that, "It has been noticed that NRI parents, if both are working, have minimum exposure to other people around and they often involve themselves in gadgets besides remaining immersed in their work. Even if appointed care givers take care of the physical needs of the children, there is a huge gap of communication created with the kid." Dr Srinivas, who practised for three years in the USA,said that, "Unlike Indian parents, who would take it easy if their four year old child does not manage to speak even a few words, NRI parents settled in developed countries rush for autism screening at two years of age if they suspect any autistic behaviour." "Effectiveness of treatment would be hampered if their condition is not diagnosed and treated through behavioural, speech and occupational therapies starts before they turn six. They will end up becoming socially inept and poor motor skills when they enter in their teen," warned Dr Srinivas. Nandini

Indian-origin professor named Fulbright specialist roster April 04, 2016 13:35

An Indian-origin professor and the chairperson of the pharmaceutical department at a prestigious American university has named the Fulbright Specialist Roster for his outstanding work in the field of pharmacy. Rajendra R Aparasu, hailing from Mahbubnagar district, Telangana in India is the first professor at the University of Houston selected for the Fulbright Specialist Programme. The Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs is funding the Fulbright programme,that, aims to help US faculty to share academic expertise and enhance linkages with non- US institutions on assessment, curriculum, research training and faculty development. Aparasu said that, "There are very few Fulbright specialists in pharmacy; I am really honoured to be selected for Fulbright Specialist Roster." "This is a great opportunity to offer my expertise in developing professional and graduate pharmacy programmes that involve pharmaceutical health outcomes and policy," he said. "I am looking forward to the opportunity to visit overseas pharmacy institutions to assist faculty and administrators with respect to academic and research programs in pharmaceutical outcomes research," he added. Also read: Indian scholar named VC of Canberra University He completed his Bachelor of Pharmacy (BPharm) from Kakatiya University, and Master of Pharmacy (MPharm), from Jadavpur University in India. He obtained his Ph.D in Pharmacy Administration, University of Louisiana, Monroe, LA before joining the University of Texas in 2006. He also served as a faculty at the South Dakota State University for more than a decade. Pharmacoepidemiology, psychopharmacology, Geriatrics and evidence-based medicine are his primary areas of expertise. His current research project is being supported by a grant from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). Nandini