Eminent Indian-American physician and philanthropist Dr Sudhir Parikh, who was awarded with the prestigious Padam Shri this year, has been recognised in the US Congress for his extraordinary contribution.

"I applaud Dr Parikh's achievements and dedication and recognize his work as it serves as an inspiration to us all," influential US Congressman Frank Pallone said in his remarks in the US House of Representatives.

"Madam Speaker, please join me in leading this body in acknowledgement of the extraordinary contributions of Dr Sudhir Parikh. He is a greatly valued citizen of the state of New Jersey, and I am honoured to recognize him today," Pallone said.

A nationally acclaimed and respected allergist and immunologist, Dr Parikh, the Congressman said has used his time, money and influence to advance the goals of the Indian-American and Indian communities.

With the Padma Shri award, Dr Parikh becomes the only Indian-American to receive the Ellis Island Medal of Honour, the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman, the Congressman said.

The Ellis Island Medal is the highest civilian honour presented to a US immigrant for community and social service.

The Pravasi Bharatiya Samman award is the highest honour the Government of India presents to non-residents.

"Publisher of Parikh Worldwide Media, the largest Indian-American publishing group in the US, Dr Parikh's priority is to use the media to empower second-generation Indians assimilating to American society," Pallone said.

"His work with the media has a dual purpose: to expose mainstream America to the accomplishments and quality of the Indian-American community and to encourage young people to pursue the American Dream," the New Jersey Congressman said in his remarks.

Pallone said Dr Parikh has also helped construct an influential Indian-American lobbying force in Washington, arranged several high-level meetings between US and Indian lawmakers and secured critical votes on multiple Indian issues.

"Dr Parikh has worked closely with members of both houses of Congress and the Administration to develop a close, strategic relationship between US and India," Pallone said.

The New Jersey Congressman in his remarks in the House of Representative said, under his guidance, the Friends of India Caucus was created in the Senate.

"Dr Parikh was also actively involved in the US-India Civilian Nuclear Agreement," Pallone said, adding that he currently serves as founding board member and vice chairman of the Indian-American Republican Council, president of the Indian-American Forum for Political Education and the board of the Federation of Indian Associations.

"As a community activist, Dr Parikh has donated to charitable organisations in both US and India.

Most notably, he accompanied former President Bill Clinton to Gujarat in 2001 following the devastating earthquake and in 2004 launched a humanitarian programme to help tsunami victims," Pallone said.

"Dr Parikh has worked to establish trauma centres in India and supports the One Teacher School in tribal regions.

Moreover, Dr Parikh has donated considerably to the Indian Independence Day Parade, the American India Foundation, Share and Care, and the Nargis Dutt Foundation.

Dr Parikh is one of the largest benefactors of both the Vraj Temple and the Vaishnavaite Temple," Pallone said.

Sunil Kumar, an Indian American management guru, has been named the new head of the University of Chicago's prestigious Booth School of Business.

Currently the senior associate dean of academic affairs at Stanford University's Graduate School of Business, Kumar, 42, succeeds Edward Snyder, who stepped down in June and will run the Yale School of Management, in New Haven, Connecticut, starting next year.

Kumar will begin a five-year term as dean on Jan 1, the University of Chicago announced on Wednesday.

At Stanford, Kumar oversees the master's of business administration programme. He is also a professor of operations, information and technology.

Kumar, who was born in India, received a Ph.D. in electrical engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and has taught at Stanford since 1996.

Kumar "brings the right blend of vision, entrepreneurial energy and academic leadership that will build on the contributions of Chicago Booth at a time of tremendous momentum and achievement," University of Chicago President Robert Zimmer and Provost Thomas Rosenbaum said in a statement.

Kumartold the Wall Street Journal his role at Chicago will be as a gatekeeper for what the school has already accomplished. "This is an institution that is already in terrific shape."

"My basic mission is to strengthen and enhance what is already great." Meanwhile, he says he will take time to learn "about the students, faculty and the programmes."

John Huizinga, chairman of the business school's dean search committee and an economics professor at Chicago, says the school was looking for a dean who could preserve the school's resources-retaining key faculty, for example-without settling too comfortably into school's already lofty position.

"If you have the right outsider, it can be a great benefit," Huizinga said. "Sunil has the key decision-making skills, acquires the necessary amount of information before he acts and is inclusive. He's the whole package."

Kumar is the first dean in many years who does not have a background or degree in economics or finance.

Kumar's non-traditional background lends itself well to promoting Chicago's lesser known attributes, such as its entrepreneurship and marketing programmes, Huizinga said. "[Kumar] will be effective in communicating our strengths in multiple areas outside economics," he said.

Government is providing 15% supernumerary seats in All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) approved institutions/University Departments offering technical courses leading to Diploma, Degree and Post-Graduate Degree in Engineering & Technology, Architecture & Town Planning, Pharmacy, Applied Arts, MBA & MCA, Hotel Management & Catering Technology. These supernumerary seats, over and above the approved intake, are reserved for foreign Nationals / persons of Indian origin/children of workers in Gulf countries. One-third of these 15% supernumerary seats across different disciplines are reserved for the children of Indian workers in the Gulf Countries.

University Grants Commission (UGC) has also made similar provisions for creation of 15% supernumerary seats for foreign students, out of which 5% are to be earmarked for the children of Indian workers in the Gulf.

The private medical colleges are allowed to utilize 15% of their overall seats to admit foreigners/PIOs and NRIs, at a fee to be decided by the management of the institution.

Under ‘Scholarship Programme for Diaspora Children (SPDC)’ scheme, 100 scholarships upto US$ 3600/- per annum are offered to PIO and NRI students for Undergraduate courses in Engineering / Technology, Humanities / Liberal Arts, Commerce, Management, Journalism, Hotel Management, Agriculture / Animal Husbandry etc. The scheme is being implemented by M/s. Educational Consultants India Limited (Ed.CIL), an autonomous body under the Ministry of Human Resource Development. The scheme is open to NRIs / PIOs from 40 countries with substantial Indian Diaspora population

This information was given by the Minister of Overseas Indian Affairs, Shri Vayalar Ravi in a written reply in the Lok Sabha today.

The English language test announced by the British government for all non-European migrants applying to come to Britain to join or marry their settled partner will become compulsory from November 29 this year.

The UK Border Agency (UKBA) Monday announced that from this date, any migrant who wants to enter or remain in the country as the partner of a British citizen or a person settled here will need to show that they can speak and understand English, by taking an English language test with one of the test providers approved by the agency.

This means the applicants will have to demonstrate basic English at A1 level, the same level required for skilled workers admitted under Tier 2 of the points-based system. The test will be compulsory even for people applying from within Britain, UKBA said in a statement. The government announced the new stipulation last month.

Partners who apply for settlement after completing their two-year period of temporary residence will still need to meet the "knowledge of language and life in the UK" test. This is in addition to the new basic English language requirement, which forms part of their initial application.

KP Kanwal Prakash Singh, a longtime resident of Indiana, received the 2010 Sarah Lewis Lifetime Achievement Award at the 27th annual Diversity Volunteer Recognition Breakfast.

The event is organized by the United Way of Central Indiana as a part of the Black Expo Summer Celebration activities.  This year there were over six hundred people in attendance

and fifteen volunteers, four of them Asians, in various categories were honored.  It was a matter of great pride and honor for all of us to see one of our own recognized and celebrated at this prestigious event. KP was deeply moved by this great honor and recognition of his many involvements in central Indiana over the past four decades.  His remarks on receiving the award reflect his sentiments, sense of humility and thanksgiving

Indian-origin entrepreneur Vijay Patel, who came to Britain from Kenya 40 years ago with only GBP 5 in his pocket but went on to find riches in the pharmaceuticals industry, has been honoured by his old university.

Patel, 60, is today one of the richest men in Britain and ranks 141st in the Sunday Times Rich List. He was awarded an honorary degree by the De Montfort University, Leicester.

Now a pharmaceuticals tycoon, Patel studied pharmacy at University and graduated in 1973. He heads the globally successful company, Waymade Healthcare.

He and his older brother Bhiku head the company. They started with a single chemist's shop in Essex, and now own a global company, marketing and distributing drugs to 110 countries.

Patel, who was awarded an honorary degree in business administration, said, "I had a dream to start my business when I was just 10 years old but I never dared to tell anyone. I never imagined this would happen, though, and I am so deeply humbled to be honoured by the university in this way."

Patel grew up in difficult circumstances in Kenya. His father died when he was five, leaving his mother to bring up her children in an impoverished country.

He said, "My mother taught me a very important lesson - get the best education you possibly can. But I had no way of funding myself through it, so I picked myself up and headed to the UK with little more to my name than a bag full of ambition."

Senior lecturer in business at De Montfort, Dr Robert Webber, said, "This is in honour of Dr Patel's many achievements in business, nationally and internationally. It is a great pleasure to be honouring him in this way."

Learning Hindi as a language is becoming popular in the country with some considering it for understanding Bollywood music and others for its importance in the backdrop of India's rise as an economic power, Singapore's Education Minister Ng Eng Hen has said.

"This is, no doubt, a testament to the burgeoning popularity of Bollywood. For some, it is simply so that they can better understand the lyrics of popular (Hindi) songs. Beyond its cultural role, however, many recognise that Hindi is an economic asset. Especially with the rise of India," Ng said while addressing the Hindi Centres Day here yesterday.

He applauded the demand for the Society's Hindi courses by non-Hindi speaking people and the growing interest towards the language.

Ng also assured the government's support to Hindi learning as well as Bengali, Gujarati, Punjabi and Urdu, saying these were being promoted as mother-tongue languages in addition to Tamil.

The Singapore government recognises four official languages -- English, Malay, Chinese (Mandarin) and Tamil. "I am pleased to note that the Hindi Society continues to grow from strength to strength in its efforts to provide ample opportunity for our students to study Hindi in our primary and secondary schools through its Parallel Hindi Programme," he said, adding four more public schools have joined the Programme this year taking the total number of schools having Hindi classes to 53.

This is in addition to the seven Hindi Centres in Singapore for children to attend Hindi classes at centres close to their homes, the minister said.

"We in Singapore are fortunate that our multi-racial and multi-cultural make-up provide us with a unique advantage of having communities with natural ties of language and culture with major growth centres of the world," Ng said.

The Singapore government supports the learning of Bengali, Gujarati, Hindi, Punjabi and Urdu with an annual funding of SGD 1.5 million, especially to help defray part of the cost of providing instruction.

These languages are also part of the national school examinations since the 1990s.

The minister also applauded the Society's involvement in community causes such as providing bursaries to low-income families, as well as for the restoration of mosque and the rebuilding and restoration of the Mahatma Gandhi Memorial and Library, one of the oldest Indian establishments in Singapore.

In a unique way of service to humanity, Helping Hands Organization Punjab headed by Harminder Singh Basra Friday announced to adopt one thousand poor school children by taking entire responsibilities of their education.

In this series,The Organisation provided complete school kits including School Fees of one year, Uniforms, School Bags including books and other stationery, and Shoes to 118 such poor children by spending an huge amount of Rs Two Lakhs in a brief function held here.

Punjab Radio London Director Surjit Singh Ghumman who was the Guest of Honour announced to adopt 50 such children. NRI Sabha Punjab President Kamaljit Singh Hayer, and Tek Chand Punni also addressed the function. Organisation Head HS Basra in his address said that their organization will actively work for the upliftment of the poor and needy persons.

The relatives of people who have left India and sought political asylum abroad can now easily return to their home country to attend family functions and other ceremonies, a Rajya Sabha MP who had lobbied for this, said Tuesday.

Owners of two Indian restaurants, which suffered loss due to mysterious fire recently in Sydney, have denied any racial link behind the incidents but raised concerns over the safety of half a dozen outlets that operate within a few hundred metres.

According to Sydney Morning Herald, two owners -Maya Da Dhaba and Copper Tiffin - dismissed rival attack or that racial issues involved behind either fire in the restaurants.

The latest attack came early yesterday when two food vans parked in a lane beside Maya Da Dhaba were set on fire.

Police and fire authorities have suspected foul play.

There have been Indian restaurants on Cleveland Street for more than two decades, and at least half a dozen currently operate within a couple of hundred metres of one another.

The owners of the damaged eateries said that they had never faced any problems and they had no reason to figure out the cause of fires. "To make out that it's a curry war or a racial issue is totally wrong," Ajay Raj, owner of Maya Da Dhaba, said, adding "We've been here since 1999 and not even for one day, not even for one minute, have we had any problems."

Raj said he did not believe his vans had been set alight in a retaliatory attack.

However, he said the fire might have been a ploy by those responsible for the first fire to make it look as if the rival restaurants were out to get one another.

"We are all friends together, we all socialise together. All the restaurant owners, we know each others' families," he said.

Copper Tiffin owner Yash Desai received a bomb threat over the telephone but Desai said he thought it to be a joke. He said he feared the vans might have been set alight because the arsonist believed they were his.

"I got a bit scared," he said, adding "I don't hang out with drug dealers or people like that.

"I was just getting back to normal. I don't know what's happening here," he said.