Austin south asian dec 14

Monthly Community Paper | www.austinsouthasian.com | 512-828-6709 | Vol. 7 No. 12

AUSTIN LAUNCHES FIRST EVER MUSIC INDUSTRY CENSUS

Austin, TX (November 12, 2014) – The Music & Entertainment Division of the Economic Development Department today launched the first-ever ATXMusic Census and Needs Assessment Survey, a

comprehensive economic development study of Austin’s music industry and its workers. The survey is now live and available (Continued On Page 22)

HAPPY HOLIDAYS

Best Wishes from Austin South Asian

OBAMA IN INDIA

New Delhi — U.S. President Barack Obama has accepted Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s invitation to be the chief guest for India’s Republic Day celebrations Jan. 26, 2015, becoming the first U.S. president to grace the occasion as chief guest.

“We have now received a confirmation through diplomatic channels of President Obamaagreeing to come to India as the first (Continued on page 3)

Steve Adler for Mayor

By Ashiwn Ghatalia “Network of Asian American Organizations Political Action Committee”- ( NAAO-PAC) had organized candidate forum and evaluated the mayoral candidates’ ideas and approaches through their answers to the PAC’s questionnaire and came to the conclusion that Mr. Steve Adler is the right person to lead the next city administration.

His attributes are patience, excellent management skills, prior public affairs experience, team building, ability to listen and ability to think out of the box.

He is well versed on issues of Austin and discusses ways to address them and he has a plan to create an integrated team when the new council takes over the

city administration .

This is important because the city has organized itself differently by creating 10 single representa-

tive districts to give minorities a voice.

The NAAO-PAC had short listed and endorsed candidates from each of the districts.

(Continued on page 24)

AISD STUDNETS RECONGNIZED

The College Board has bestowed 858 Austin ISD students with AP Scholar Awards for their exceptional achievement on Advanced

Placement Exams.

Students can be recognized on several levels of achievement (Continued On Page 23)

inside

December 2014

Obama To Be Chief Guest - Republic Day...03 Leading Global Thinkers4 Black Money Action.....05 Short Film About FB....06 Aditi Hardikar..............07 Letter To The Editor.....08 Astrologer Predicts......09 Ajit Doval...................10 Space Station.............11

January 2015

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Stocks Will Collapse....11 Share and Care Foundation Kicks Off..............12 Nepal Signs Indian Power Deal.................15 A.S Pillai Gets Lal Bahadur Shastri Award.......17 Predictions.............18,19 Community Calendar...20 Make A Difference..21,23 National Merit Scholarship Program .............22 Google Fibre..............23 The Missing Link Of The Horse World...............24 Entertainment........25,26

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Austin South Asian | December 2014

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Obama To Be Chief Guest For India’s Republic Day

(Continued from page 1) U.S. president for a Republic Day function as the chief guest,” external affairs ministry spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin said in a statement.

development which stems from the initiative of our prime minister, which followed their bilateral meeting in Washington,” he said.

Breaking the news, Modi tweeted, “This Republic Day, we hope to have a friend over...invited President Obama to be the 1st U.S. president to grace the occasion as chief guest.”

The invitation to Obama comes weeks after Modi’s hugely successful visit to the U.S.

He said, “The prime minister had a very successful visit to the U.S. earlier during the year in September. Following this, as a personal initiative, he did extend an invitation to President Obama to be the chief guest of our next Republic Day celebrations during a diplomatic conversation.”

“Following that diplomatic conversation which the prime minister had with President Obama, a letter was sent in writing, formalizing that invitation,” he added.

With Obama confirming his attendance, he would become the first U.S. president to come to India a second time during his term in office.

“We will now look forward to this

Modi and Obama also met on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Brisbane Nov. 14.

Obama had called Modi a “man of action.”

This will be Obama’s second visit to India. He had visited India in 2010 at the invitation of then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and addressed a joint session of parliament.

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Austin South Asian | December 2014

Student’s Android App CheerGram Connects Users Through Emotion San Jose, Calif.-based Harker High School senior Ashwini Iyer has founded CheerGram, an Android app that serves as a forum to send positive statements anonymously to people around the globe.

on location to enable more personalized messaging.

CheerGram is a free app and has reached over 1000 downloads all

The Indian American teenager created the app as part of her passion to help humanity through technology.

CheerGram began as a project in Iyer’s computer science class as a way for her to explore what she was learning.

After a few iterations, Iyer showed the app prototype to her teachers and friends, and it was well received.

Encouraged by this feedback, Iyer began the next phase of the app, which was to incorporate more features and specifications.

During this process, Iyer learned advanced aspects of computer science by teaching herself the skills needed to incorporate new concepts into her app.

The app’s premise is that it allows for honest communication with people around the world, giving users a way to communicate with others just based on emotion, even among those people they don’t know.

CheerGram collects data based

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around the world, with many active users in the U.S., Mexico and Asia.

Iyer has also met with venture capitalists who have agreed to invest in the future of CheerGram.

Only recently, CheerGram received patents under its name.

Iyer has been coding for a long time and has experience coding on various platforms.

She says her background in computer science, and her parents’ in-

fluences in the field, have helped her with programming and problem solving.

“When I thought of this idea, the first thing I thought was to start an app. My background has instilled this way of thinking, and I love that through computer science I can learn new things as I go,” Iyer told.

find it tedious.”

“The best thing about computer science for me is that I never

In the future, Iyer hopes to continue to study computer science.

Her other projects include raising money for Rising International, internships with various university professors, and the Harker incubator project.

To join in on the movement and to support Iyer’s endeavor, download CheerGram on your android device or visit Cheergramapp. com.

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Austin South Asian | December 2014

Three Indian Americans, Modi Named To Foreign Policy’s ‘100 Leading Global Thinkers’

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP president Amit Shah, five other Indians and three Indian Americans figure among Foreign Policy magazine’s sixth annual list of “100 Leading Global Thinkers.”

“In a year when Russia annexed Crimea, and the Islamic State redefined the very nature of terrorism, a group of Indian scientists

putting India into orbit on the cheap” and showing “that cosmic achievements don’t have to break the bank.”

San Diego.

Sangeeta Bhatia, an engineer and physician working at Cambridge,

The honorees are divided into 10 categories in the issue “recognizing a year of tumult, protest, inspiration, and new beginnings” released Nov. 17.

“Journalism needs to become everybody’s business,” he was quoted as saying when receiving the award.

Also listed among Chroniclers is India’s first transgender TV anchor Padmini Prakash “for bringing third gender to prime time.”

“Each year, our list of leading Global Thinkers spotlights those who have translated their ideas into actions, impacting millions worldwide,” said David Rothkopf, editor and CEO of The FP Group.

Modi is listed among the “Decision Makers” “for enthralling the world’s most populous democracy,” while Shah gets the honor “for engineering Modi’s landslide.”

Other “Decision Makers” include Germany’s Chancellor Angela Merkel, and Mexico’s Secretary of Finance, Luis Videgaray.

Choudhary, who left his job as a BBC producer in 2010 to launch the mobile news service CGNet Swara, “beat out leaker Edward Snowden for the Google Digital Activism Award,” the magazine noted.

Prakash was crowned Miss Transgender India in 2009, it noted.

and engineers also showed the world how to send a spacecraft to Mars on a budget,” the magazine noted.

Aerospace engineer Mylswamy Annadurai, leading Indian Space Research Organisation’s Mars Orbiter Mission team, is listed among the Innovators “for

Indian American researchers Partha Dasgupta and Veerabhadran Ramanathan figure in the list of Naturals “for keeping the faith in the fight against climate change.”

Dasgupta works at Cambridge University while Ramanathan is at the University of California,

Massachusetts, is listed among the Healers “for creating a kinder alternative to the colonoscopy.”

Listed among the Chroniclers or “the masters of storytelling,” is Shubhranshu Choudhary, founder of CGNet “for giving rural Indians a megaphone.”

Figuring among the Moguls is Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, chairperson and managing director of Biocon “for insisting that good health care shouldn’t break the bank.”

State Bank of India chair Arundhati Bhattacharya, who in 2014 was listed as the world’s 36th most powerful woman by Forbes, makes the Moguls list “for telling hard truths about India’s debt.”

Sikh Farmer Honored By California Governor Jerry Brown

Didar Bains, a farmer known as the “Peach King of California”, was honored by California Gov-

ernor Jerry Brown for his service to society, media reported.

Brown Sunday praised Bains and thousands of other immigrants from India who he said have enriched the US with their culture and work ethic, The Sacramento Bee reported.

“It’s an honour and a privilege to be here,” Brown told some 2,000 Sikhs who came from as far away as Los Angeles to the West Sacramento gurdwara.

and America is not one group or any bureaucracy... it’s individual families,” Brown said. “My own ancestors from Germany came across the plains looking for a better life.”

Amar Shergill, a Sikh activist and attorney, said: “The Sikh community is at a turning point that many immigrants go through.

We’re no longer looking inward.

We’re politically active, and the governor recognises this.”

Brown talked about his own family’s immigrant history.

Brown signed into law two legislative bills -- Assembly Bill 1964 and Senate Bill 1540 in 2012.

“What builds California

The 1964 bill protects workers

who wear sacred turbans, hijabs and yarmulkes and 1540 bill changes how history and social sciences are taught in schools so that students learn about the history, tradition and theology of California Sikhs, the report said.

Bains, who arrived in California in 1958 from Punjab at the age of 18, is now a multi-millionaire.

He owns about 40,000 acres of land in Sutter, Yuba, Butte, Sacramento, Glenn and Tehema counties, said his son Karm Bains.

“We are blessed. We farm peaches, prunes, walnuts and almonds and have processing plants.”

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Austin South Asian | December 2014

Narendra Modi Wins Over G20 On Black Money Action

Brisbane, Australia: The G20 Summit concluded here Sunday with its leaders endorsing India’s concerns over black money, while promising a new global transparency benchmark that will modernize international tax rules, allow automatic exchange of related information between governments and curb an estimated $1 trillion of illicit outflow annually.

India, represented at the summit by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, immediately called this development an unprecedented success, and said the next step would be the delivery of an action plan, along with the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development.

The two groups represent 44 countries and 90 percent of the world economy.

“We are taking actions to ensure the fairness of the international tax system and to secure

countries’ revenue bases. Profits should be taxed where economic activities deriving the profits are performed and where value is created,” the G20 leaders said in

in getting back ill-gotten monies stashed away abroad.

“At this summit, G20 leaders have endorsed a new global trans-

mates in India suggest its nationals may have illegally moved between $466 billion to $1.4 trillion to other countries. Indian officials hailed the G20 move “India scores at G20,” the Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin tweeted.

Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu termed the outcome “unprecedented success.”

“The G20 communiqué addressed concerns going beyond G20, developmental issues –em-

a joint communiqué at the end of the eighth summit, promising to finalize work by end-2015.

Modi had specifically sought such moves during a session, “Delivering Global Economic Resilience,” on the second day of the summit, while also calling for systems to help countries

parency standard that will leave no place for tax cheats to hide.

More than 90 jurisdictions will begin automatic exchange of tax information, using a common reporting standard by 2017 or 2018,” said Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbot, the summit chair and host. Unofficial esti-

ployment, India’s prime concern, was a central issues of discussion,” Prabhu told reporters at a post-summit briefing.

Several other issues pursued vigorously by New Delhi found support at the G20 Summit – reducing the cost of remittances from abroad, of which India is the largest beneficiary at $70 billion annually; collaborations on energy, infrastructure financing, inclusive growth, job creation and energy security.

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Yogurt Every Day May Help Keep Diabetes Away

By Kathleen Doheny HealthDay Reporter Eating a serving a day of yogurt may lower your risk of developing type 2 diabetes, new research suggests.

The study is published online Nov. 24 in the journal BMC Medicine. It was funded by the U.S. National Institutes of Health.

In type 2 diabetes, the body does not produce enough insulin or the

“The data we have gathered show that yogurt consumption can have significant benefit in reducing the risk of diabetes,” said senior study author Dr. Frank Hu, a professor of nutrition and epidemiology at Harvard School of Public Health, in Boston. “It’s not a huge effect, about an 18 percent reduction [in risk].”

“Yogurt is not magic for curing or preventing diabetes,” Hu said.

“That’s the bottom line and the message we want to convey to our consumers, that we have to pay attention to our diet pattern.

There is no replacement for an overall healthy diet and maintaining [a healthy] body weight.”

body’s cells develop a resistance to insulin, and blood sugar levels then get too high.

For the study, Hu and his team pooled the result of three large studies that tracked the medical histories and lifestyle habits of health professionals: the Health

Professionals’ Follow-up Study of more than 51,000 male health professionals; the Nurses’ Health Study, which included more than 121,000 women nurses; and the Nurses’ Health Study II, which followed nearly 117,000 women nurses.

During the study followup, there were about 15,000 cases of type 2 diabetes. When they looked at total dairy intake, they saw no effect on the risk of diabetes. However, when they zeroed in on yogurt, they found one serving a day was linked with about a 17 percent reduced risk.

The researchers next pooled their result with other published studies that looked at links between dairy foods and type 2 diabetes.

They found a serving of yogurt a day reduced risk by 18 percent.

The meta-analysis, in which all the results were pooled, includes 14 different groups with nearly 460,000 people. About 36,000 developed type 2 diabetes.

The researchers took into account age, body-mass index and other lifestyle factors.

Hu said they did not differentiate between types of yogurt, whether it was Greek-style yogurt or not, and the fat content.

While previous studies have found that yogurt is good for maintain a healthy body weight and lowering risk for type 2 diabetes, ‘’most of the studies were small,” Hu said. So his team decided to look at much larger groups.

Exactly how the yogurt may help is not certain. The thinking by many experts is that the probiotics in yogurt (“good” bacteria) alter the intestinal environment in a

beneficial way, helping to reduce inflammation and improve the production of hormones important for appetite control, he said.

The take-home message, Hu said, is that more study is needed, but that yogurt seems to have a place in a healthy diet.

Martin Binks, an associate professor of nutritional sciences at Texas Tech University in Lubbock, said that studies that look at diet are inherently limited in their ability to measure true dietary intake.

Even so, he said, the link may warrant future study. It’s too soon, however, to change advice about diet based on this research, Binks said.

Dr. Osama Hamdy, medical director of the Obesity Program at Joslin Diabetes Center in Boston, points out: “Yogurt in general is beneficial.” But he said, “this is an association, not cause and effect.”

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Intel Capital Funds 12-Year-Old’s Braigo Labs

Braigo Labs, Inc., a Palo Alto, Calif.-based developer of low-cost, portable Braille printers and embosser devices, has re-

Indian American middle school student in Santa Clara, Calif., is the company’s founder. The funds will be used to expand

Austin South Asian | December 2014

India Tops Nations In Facebook Censorship

New Delhi: Facebook restricted access to nearly 5,000 pieces of information on its website in India in the first six months of 2014, the highest for any country.

The curbs were imposed following requests from government and other agencies to act against “hate” content on the social media platform. ceived an undisclosed seed round investment from Intel Capital, Intel’s global investment arm. Shubham Banerjee, an

Austin South Asian Editor: Bala Kumar Reporter: Shazieh Shah| Reporter: Sahar Bawkher Marketing: Jayachitra Vijay - 512-828-6709 Production: Jyothi Mariswaran Publisher: Vidya Kumar Distribution: Vasooda Kumar ©All rights reserved. No material herein or portions thereof be published without the wirtten consent of the publisher.

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the company’s research and development.

Banerjee, now 13, but 12 when he received the funding, invented an opensource Braille printer in February 2014 using Lego Mindstorms. He subsequently released a new prototype, Braigo 2.0, at a recent Intel developers’ forum.

The device, which uses an Intel Edison chip, is portable, silent and Internet of Things-enabled. It will be offered at a price point well below currently available products for the visually impaired, the company said in a press release. “I have been working with bootstrapped funds from my parents since February 2014,” Banerjee said.

“I am ecstatic that Intel Capital is investing early in our effort to disrupt the Braille printer/embosser industry.”

“It all started with a science fair project idea, but the shocking price of Braille printers — at $2,000 or more — motivated me to start a journey to help the visually impaired. Intel Capital’s investment will help open up opportunities for me to work with professionals and eventually bring the product to more than 50 million blind people worldwide.” “With Intel Capital’s stewardship, Intel continues to invest in pioneering companies that are developing the latest innovations,” added Mike Bell, corporate vice president and general manager, Intel New Devices Group.

With over 100 million users, India forms Facebook’s largest user base outside the

United States.

India also ranks second, behind the U.S., in terms of government requests for access to users and accounts.

Similar steps were taken in Turkey (1,893) a n d Pakistan (1,773) during the said period, Facebook said in its Government Requests Report.

“We restricted access in India to a number of pieces of content reported primarily by law enforcement officials and the India Computer Emergency Response Team under local laws prohibiting criticism of a religion or the state,” Facebook said in the report.

Student Directs Tamil Short Film About Facebook An engineering student has directed a Tamil short film about Facebook, its users and what they do to be popular in the virtual world.

The importance boys give to their rise in the popularity charts and how they aim to attract girls via social media by getting the most “likes” is depicted in an interesting way.

The film is funny , bringing alive the “virtual and brand-conscious” world of college-goers, with top brands like Apple being on the wish-lists of many youth.

In their zest to present a “live feel” of the young world, the film even uses a colloquial Tamil word with an offensive meaning.

“Facebook Neenga Nallavara Kettavara” (“Facebook, Are You Good or Bad”) is a 40-minute short film by V. Vignesh Kumar, a civil engineering student at Anna University. He has also played the lead role in the movie.

The short film, which was screened here, revolves around young people, especially men, and how they are hooked on the digital medium.

Despite its propensity to gobble up time and energy, social media has its own advantages like instant communication, networking and so on in the fast pace of life, the audience is told through narrative interspersed throughout the film.

“An interesting fact is the whole film crew got introduced to each other on Facebook … My heart lies in cinema and I want to do films,” said student filmmaker Kumar.

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Austin South Asian | December 2014

India To Explore U.S. Assistance In Setting Up IIT Campus

New Delhi — India and the U.S. Nov. 17 decided to boost cooperation in the field of higher education including exploring possible American assistance in setting up a new IITcampus.

the joint taskforce on community colleges, a decision was taken to develop a plan for the implementation of the MoU signed between the All India Council for Technical Education and the American Association

At the third India-U.S. Higher Education Summit held here, the two countries also decided to focus on developing vocational skills by augmenting their cooperation in the field of community colleges.

The delegation-level meeting, attended by top officials as well as representatives from the private sector, was co-chaired by Higher Education secretary Satyanarayan Mohanty and U.S. under secretary of state for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs Richard Stengel.

Making a strong pitch for the strengthening of vocational education, UGC chairman Ved Prakash said, “We have instituted a large number of vocational colleges but a bigger push is required, including in terms of available teaching force.”

Earlier in the day, during a bilateral meet of

of Community Colleges.

A report was also released during the meet, which indicated a six percent increase in Indian students studying in the U.S., taking the number to 120,000.

Calling for “democratization of knowledge,” Stengel stressed the need for more MOOCs (massive open online courses).

Aditi Hardikar Assumes New Role In White House For LGBTS WASHINGTON, D.C. — Aditi Hardikar began her new assignment Nov. 10 as the

bian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender community and Asian American and Pacific Islander community.

Prior to joining the White House, Hardikar served as director of the LGBT Leadership Council and director of the AAPI Leadership Council for the Democratic National Committee, where she raised resources and mobilized community leaders around Democratic issues.

She also served as the LGBT finance director for the Presidential Inaugural Committee in 2013, and the deputy director of LGBT Voter Outreach and LGBT Finance for the 2012 Obama-Biden President Campaign.

new Associate Director of Public Engagement in the Office of Public Engagement.

In her role, the Indian American will be the White House’s primary liaison to the Les-

A graduate of the University of MichiganAnn Arbor, where she earned her B.A. in economics and political science, Hardikar also served as a White House intern in the Office of Public Engagement, where she worked on LGBT issues.

“More MOOCs will lead to a democratization of knowledge that will help in overriding the elitism of universities, and we need to explore whether MOOCs could be shared across platforms,” he said.

Recalling the close assistance between the two countries during the setting up of IIT Kanpur, Higher Education additional secretary Amarjeet Sinha said that more such assistance would be welcome.

“On account of the partnership between IIT Kanpur and U.S. institutions, it stands where it does today.

The government has announced plans in setting up five new IITs where more such cooperation would be welcome,” he said.

Agreeing to explore such an option, John Beed, mission director for the U.S. Agency for International Development, said, “It would be difficult to find a Silicon Valley firm that has not had the contribution of an IIT Kanpur alumnus.”

It was the third such dialogue in a row, after the first one held in Washington in June 2012 and the second one in New Delhi in June last year.

The dialogue explored various forms of collaboration between the two countries, especially in the fields of development of community colleges, massive open online courses, student and faculty exchange and skill development, said an HRD ministry statement.

India-Pakistan Bilateral Meeting Zee Media Bureau/Himanshu Kapoor With India seeks to reinvigorate ties with the SAARC nation, Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin on Wednesday put all speculation to rest of a possible India-Pakistan bilateral meeting at the SAARC summit in Kathmandu by confirming that no formal talks between the two nations will be held. He had earlier said that India is for a meaningful dialogue and that meaningful dialogue bilaterally would mean something very specific.

As the buzz around the likely bilateral meeting between the two leaders had overtaken the summit, Akbaruddin had said that Pakistan knows what meaningful dialogue means as they know us and understand us. Our emphasis has always been on meaningful dialogue, it has meaning in diplomacy.

Pakistan has blocked the key proposals that India had pitched - integrate energy grids and free up road and rail movement.

Just an hour after Indian PM Modi finished his address at the SAARC summit in which he had said that as SAARC we have failed to move with the speed that our people ex-

pect and want, Pakistan proved him and his concerns right.

MEA Spokesperson while talking to presspersons said that there is structured meeting between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif.

Concluding his address, Modi says that we must replace cynicism with optimism in the entire region.

When we join our hands and walk in step, the path becomes easier, the journey quicker and the destination closer, Modi says.

The Prime Minister now address the gathering in Hindi, and with his powerful oratory and potent symbolic gestures says “paas hone se saath hone ki taaqat zyaada hai.(More imp to be together than to be near each other). I say this to my country too” The five pillars that SAARC, Modi says, rests on - trade, investment assistance, cooperation, connectivity. “This is call of our times” Modi urges to work together to fulfil the pledge taken to combat terrorism and trans-national crimes.

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Austin South Asian | December 2014

Revealed — Changes To Histone Protein Can Stop Cancer Growth Washington, Nov 24: A study published online in journal Nature Communications has

tone H3-3 could play a major role in preventing the growth of cancerous cells.

the protein structure could silence genes specific for regulation of cancer cell growth.

cine at Mount Sinai, is the first study to explain the role of this protein as a key regulator in the process of cellular senescence that stops cells from multiplying.

within cells, and in particular its clipped form, help silencing the genes that regulate the cell cycle.

What is Cellular senescence?

According to Emily, cell multiplication can be repressed by a process of cellular senescence that creates a chromatin environment to repress cell or tumor growth.

It is a process that has garnered a significant scientific interest of late because it may be one key to prevent the initiation of cancer.

However, little is known about this process and how genes that enable cells to divide and multiply (the cell cycle) are turned off.

Evidence suggests that the process of cellular senescence is driven by changes in the protein complexes called chromatin in the nuclei of cells. revealed that protein called his-

Thanksgiving Week Perfect Time For GERD Awareness Austin (KXAN) More than 30 million Americans suffer from acid reflux monthly.

According to a national study that followed more than 30,000 people for 11 years, symptoms of reflux and heartburn have nearly doubled in the last decade.

Researchers from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai found that some changes to

How exactly this happens at a molecular level is yet to be discovered.

However, it has been found that histone H3.3 and its clipped form, which lacks 21 amino acids of the histone tail and associated modifications, prevents normal cells from dividing.

Clipped H3.3 may be a marker of cells that stop proliferating and has implications for cancer, in particular cancers like melanoma that have a senescence phase.

Letter To The Editor - Indian Senior Citizen In The United States Of America

By Sundari Hariharan I have been in the US for the past five months visiting my daugh-

The Heartburn and Acid Reflux Center at Scott & White Hospital – Round Rock has joined forces with other U.S. communities to improve public awareness regarding diagnosis and treatment, as well as the health risks associated with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).

U.S. health care professionals are using the week of November 24 surrounding Thanksgiving to promote GERD awareness. It is no surprise that a holiday centered around an abundance of food is associated with a campaign intended to raise awareness about this chronic digestive condition.

The first led by Emily Bernstein, PhD, Department of Oncological Sciences, Icahn School of Medi-

Researchers found that histone variant H3.3, a protein that works closely with chromatin to package and regulate genetic material

How does it stop cancer growth?

I appreciate the infrastructure and the quality of life here in the United States.

2015 brings health, wealth, happiness and prosperity!

But the thing that impressed me the most is that Indians here are very attached to their culture and tradition and celebrate all Indian festivals in a grand manner.

I have attended all the Indian functions of the people here right from independence day to Diwali.

I found that the youngsters were very happy on inviting us and seeking blessing from us. I have met Americans, Africans, Mexicans and it’s really a pleasure meeting them.

ter’s family.

As I leave this country in December I want to wish everybody that

I had the opportunity to visit the senior citizens home for Alzheimer’s disease and the staff helping them a lot which is truly commendable. It was like a home away from home.

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Austin South Asian | December 2014

Astrologer Predicts Smriti Irani Will Be President: When Fortune Favours The Foolish

Smriti Irani wants to know if stars favour her; she is anxious to find out if she is lucky.

On Sunday, the country’s HRD minister was on a whirlwind tour of Rajasthan, where she was photographed with her palms outstretched in front a local astrologer, asking him to predict her future.

A few years ago, Irani had threatened to sit on a dharna, blaming Narendra Modi for the BJP’s loss in the 2003 Lok Sabha elections.

Now she is among his favourite

for her faith in superstitious hokum like astrology.

But her fans would love to argue how the art of palm reading and

With husband and other relatives in tow, she spent a lot of time discussing with the astrologer mulling just one question: do stars favour her?

Is she lucky? Lets take a look at the facts: In India’s political history there are very few examples of a person becoming a powerful Cabinet minister in spite of losing two Lok Sabha elections—one from Amethi and the other from Chandni Chowk.

ministers. And, to top up all, she has a ‘degree’ from Yale that was conferred on her after just a week of hard work.

In any other country, a minister in charge of institutions like IITs and IIMs would have scoffed at

Never mind the fact that renowned astronomers and scientists have called astrology complete nonsense.

One of India’s greatest astronomers Jayant V Narlikar had once pointed out at the results of an experiment where well-known astrologers were given the horoscopes of brilliant students and those with serious mental handicaps.

of factors like caste, chamchagiri and loyalty, anybody is bound to feel insecure.

But Smriti Irani should be the last politician to be nervous.

Astrologers predict the future of a person on the basis of the position of powerful stars and planets in the horoscope.

Isn’t India’s most powerful star sitting in the middle of Irani’s chart?

chart analysis is an ancient Indian ‘science.’

And nobody had been able to differentiate between the two.

But when the country’s HRD minister displays her faith publicly in unscientific bunkum, astrology and its proponents would obviously acquire legitimacy and followers.

Some may even claim that the HRD minister met the astrologer as part of her plan to introduce astrology as a compulsory subject in schools.

However you can’t blame politicians for being anxious about their future, can you? In a country like ours, where the fruits of power are dispensed more on the basis

And, according to reports, the astrologer predicted that that the actor-turned-politician will one day go on to become the President of India.

Modi this month helped to end a deadlock that had prevented the World Trade Organization from implementing a $1 trillion package of reforms to global customs rules.

and deliver on the promise of that partnership,” added Froman, according to extracts of his speech released in advance.

The former chief minister of Gujarat was denied a U.S. visa from 2005 until his election victory in May over allegations that he failed to stop sectarian rioting in 2002 that killed at least 1,000 people, mostly Muslims. He denies wrongdoing.

Oh, by the way, Irani emerged from the astrologer’s home with a broad grin.

The reason: the astrologer said she would go farther up in life.

U.S. Seeks To Step Up India Trade Talks After WTO Deal

(Reuters)

The United States wants to step up its trade dialogue with India,

of a global trade dispute paved the way for President Barack Obama to visit India.

In India for the first round of high-level trade talks since the breakthrough, Froman urged progress on key areas of U.S. concern such as intellectual property rights on pharmaceuticals and Hollywood movies.

“This pace of engagement is impressive, but shouldn’t be surprising for what President Obama declared the defining partnership of the 21st century,” Froman told a business group in New Delhi.

Trade Representative Michael Froman said, after the resolution

Direct contacts between Obama and Prime Minister Narendra

“Our task is to build on our mutual interests, with mutual respect,

Obama, who hosted Modi in Washington in September, will in January become the first U.S. president to visit India twice, completing a remarkable warming in the relationship between the leaders of the world’s two largest democracies.

Froman was due to meet Commerce Minister Nirmala Sitaraman on Tuesday for the first round of a bilateral U.S.-India trade policy forum in four years.

ICC NEEDS VOLUNTEERS India Community Center of Austin needs VOLUNTEERS. Please contact ICC or email:

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Austin South Asian | December 2014

India Targets Private Cash To Build Railways To Its Ports

(Reuters) - India is targeting up to $1 billion of private investment by 2017 to build rail lines linking ports and national networks to ease growing congestion, which has delayed coal imports for power plants and contributed to a power supply crisis.

Such investment would more than double the $400 million that India’s state-owned railways have attracted in the decade since they allowed limited private participation and help fund crucial “last mile” links to ports.

Cash-starved, India’s Britishbuilt rail system has added just 11,000 kilometres of track in the 67 years since independence, and the network has come to symbolise the poor state of India’s infrastructure. China has managed 14,000 km of new lines in the five years to 2011.

Over-crowding at ports has been delaying much-needed coal deliveries to Indian power plants and supplies of iron ore for steelmakers at a time when there is already a shortfall.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi

wants private companies, which have held back from investing in freight lines because of the struggle to win the necessary approvals, to build more of the last mile links where bottlenecks bite the most.

Companies will now be allowed

ther details.

“We have put in place the appropriate policy. Demand is rising,” he said, adding that the government had given approval to domestic infrastructure companies such as Navayuga and Balaji Infra to build up to 316 km of lines

The government estimates port operators will spend $8 billion over the next two years to expand capacity to meet rising imports.

That rapid expansion worries port operators, who say the government’s proposed $1 billion worth of last mile railway links won’t help with bottlenecks on the wider network.

On a critical line between the eastern coast and the capital Delhi, demand exceeds capacity on four of every 10 kilometres.

That forces cargo onto clogged roads and raises transport losses, which consultancy McKinsey says could cost India $140 billion in 2020.

to part-own new rail lines for variable periods of time rather than a fixed number of years, said Mukul Saran Mathur, an executive director at the Ministry of Railways.

The railways will also take on more of a project’s financial risk, Mathur said, without giving fur-

within two years.

The ministry also wants foreign operators which own stakes in Indian ports, like Denmark’s Maersk, to invest but so far none had shown any interest.

WHERE ARE THE WAGONS?

Essar Ports, a large port operator, wants to build new rail lines to help meet an expected doubling of its cargo handling capacity to 200 million tons in the next few years.

But the state-owned railways, which have a monopoly on the provision of goods wagons, are failing to provide sufficient wag-

ons to service the extra cargo, said Essar Ports CEO Rajiv Agarwal.

“We can build our own rail lines but there is this major shortage of wagons,” he said.

Wagons are largely made by domestic companies Texmaco Rail & Engineering (TEXA.NS) and Titagarh Wagons (TITW.NS), who would benefit if the railways’ finances improve and more wagons are bought.

Most Indian ports only have access to two-thirds of the wagons they need, and the shortage is one reason why ships have to wait for two days more to get berthed and unload than the international average, according to Deutsche Bank.

“Most of the time we face a shortage,” said G.P. Biswal, deputy conservator at the busy eastern port of Paradip, where in September a surge in coal imports left twice as many vessels waiting than there were available berths.

“We’re taking up the case with railways to increase their capacity.”

India Names Ajit Doval As Special Envoy For China Border Talks

(Reuters) India on Monday named its powerful national security adviser as a special envoy on China, opening the way for resumption of talks on the disputed border, where tensions have risen in recent months over border patrols and stiffer defences.

were locked in a faceoff in the Ladakh sector in the western Himalayas just as Chinese President

the first summit talks with Modi.

Both leaders vowed to work to-

Ajit Doval, a close aide of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, will lead the negotiations with Chinese State Councillor Yang Jiechi to try and reach a settlement on dispute over the 3,500-km border that has clouded rapidly expanding commercial links.

In September, the two armies

that has defied a solution even after 17 rounds of high level talks over the last decade and negotiations even earlier between the diplomats of the two countries.

New Delhi has vowed to beef up defences along the border to narrow the gap with China’s network of roads and communication links.

China lays claim to more than 90,000 sq km (35,000 sq miles) disputed by New Delhi in the eastern sector of the Himalayas.

Beijing has expressed concern about India’s plan to build roads and border outposts in Arunachal Pradesh in the east, which it refers to as south Tibet.

India says China occupies 38,000 square km (14,600 sq miles) of its territory on the Aksai Chin plateau in the west.

Xi Jinping was visiting India for

gether to resolve the border row

Doval, a hardliner on national security issues, will conduct boundary negotiations as well as strategic consultations with China, Modi’s office said in a statement.

Indian officials say Chinese border patrols have been intruding deeper into their side of the de facto border, in a sign of assertiveness that has fuelled concern in the region.

11

Austin South Asian | December 2014

Multi-National Crew Reaches Space Station

REUTERS - A Russian Soyuz rocket blasted off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazahkstan on Sunday to deliver three new crew members to the Inter-

Italy’s first female astronaut.

A Soyuz capsule carrying incoming station commander Terry Virts from U.S. space agency

ton Shkaplerov from the Russian Federal Space Agency and firsttime flier Samantha Cristoforetti of the European Space Agency lifted off at 2101 GMT Sunday.

Less than six hours later, the capsule flew into a berthing port on the Russian side of the station as the two ships sailed about 260 miles (418 km) over the central Pacific Ocean, NASA mission commentator Kyle Herring from the Johnson Space Center in Houston said.

national Space Station, including

NASA, Soyuz commander An-

The station, owned and operated by 15 nations, serves as an orbiting laboratory for life science, materials research, technology development and other experiments using the unique micro-

gravity environment and vantage point of space.

“I think that 100 years from now, 500 years from now, people will look back on this as the initial baby steps that we took going into the solar system,” Virts told a prelaunch press conference.

“In the same way that we look back on Columbus and the other explorers 500 years ago, this is the way people will look at this time in history.”

The $100 billion research laboratory has been short-staffed since Nov. 9 when Russian cosmonaut Maxim Suraev, European astronaut Alexander Gerst and NASA’s Reid Wiseman returned

home after 5.5 months in orbit.

The new crew faces a busy six months in orbit, including a trio of spacewalks to prepare the station for a new fleet of U.S. commercial space taxis due to begin flying astronauts to the station in late 2017.

Cristoforetti, 37, an Italian Air Force pilot, deflected questions about being Italy’s first female astronaut during a webcast prelaunch press conference from Kazakhstan. “I have done nothing special to be the first Italian woman to fly to space. I just wanted to fly to space and I happen to be the first,” Cristoforetti, who was speaking in Russian, said through a translator.

Warning: Stocks Will Collapse By 50% C o u r t e s y : h t t p : / / w w w. m o n eynews.com/

Buffett is rumored to be preparing for a crash as well.

It is only a matter of time before the stock market plunges by 50% or more, according to several reputable experts.

The “Warren Buffett Indicator,” also known as the “Total Market Cap to GDP Ratio,” is breaching sell-alert status and a collapse may happen at any moment. So with an inevitable crash looming,

“We have no right to be surprised by a severe and imminent stock market crash,” explains Mark Spitznagel, a hedge fund manager who is notorious for his hugely profitable billion-dollar bet on the 2008 crisis. “In fact, we must absolutely expect it.” Unfortunately Spitznagel isn’t alone.

Sean Hyman, founder of Absolute Profits, there is a third option.

“There are specific sectors of the market that are all but guaranteed to perform well during the next few months,” Hyman explains.

“Getting out of stocks now could be costly.”

“But this calendar is just one part of my investment system,” Hyman adds. “I have also designed a Crash Alert System that is designed to warn investors before a major correction as well.”

(The Crash Alert System was actually programmed by one of the individuals who coded nuclear missile flight patterns during the Cold War so that it could be as close to 100% accurate as possible). Hyman explains that if the market starts to plunge, the Crash Alert System will signal a sell signal warning investors to go to cash.

“We are in a gigantic financial asset bubble,” warns Swiss adviser and fund manager Marc Faber. “It could burst any day.”

Faber doesn’t hesitate to put the blame squarely on President Obama’s big-government policies and the Federal Reserve’s risky low-rate policies, which, he says, “penalize the income earners, the savers who save, your parents — why should your parents be forced to speculate in stocks and in real estate and everything under the sun?”

Billion-dollar investor Warren

to buy and sell them, and by doing so, one could turn $1,000 into as much as $178,000 in a 20-year time frame.

what are Main Street investors to do?

One option is to sell all your stocks and stuff your money under the mattress, and another option is to risk everything and ride out the storm. But according to

How can Hyman be so sure?

He has access to a secret Wall Street calendar that has beaten the overall market by 250% since 1968. This calendar simply lists 19 investments (based on sectors of the market) and 38 dates

“You would have been able to completely avoid the 2000 and 2008 collapses if you were using this system based on our backtesting,” Hyman explains. “Imagine how much more money you would have if you had avoided those horrific sell-offs.”

One might think Sean is being too confident, but he has proven himself correct in front of millions of

people time and time again. In a 2012 interview on Bloomberg Television, Hyman correctly predicted that Best Buy would drop down to $11 a share and then it would rally back up to $40 a share over the next few months.

The stock did exactly what Hyman predicted.

Then, during a Fox Business interview with Gerri Willis in early 2013, he forecast that the market would rally to new highs of 15,000 despite the massive selloff that was haunting investors.

The stock market almost immediately rebounded and hit Hyman’s targets.

“A lot of people think I am lucky,” Hyman said. “But it has nothing to do with luck. It has everything to do with certain tools I use. Tools like the secret Wall Street calendar and my Crash Alert System.”

With more financial uncertainty than ever, thousands of people are flocking to Sean Hyman for his guidance.

He has over 114,000 subscribers to his monthly newsletter, and his investment videos have been seen millions of times.

12

Austin South Asian | December 2014

Share And Care Foundation Kicks Off Ambitious 2014 YearEnd Fundraiser Campaign With Its 32nd Annual Gala

By Tejal Parekh - Marketing Share & Care Foundation Credit for photography to Ujjwal Dalal and Sonali Dalal

According to Mr. Bhansali, acute awareness of these challenges propelled SCF to formulate and launch programs which are already helping it to carve a niche

tainably improve the lives of hundreds of thousands of suffering and abused women. Together we will see these women transform their families, communities and the nation,” said Dr. Ketki Shah.

SHAKTI, the scintillating dance & musical performance that mesmerized the audience was choreographed by renowned creative director Amit Shah of Aatma Performing Arts Group as a tribute to Women’s Empowerment.

SCF honored several women with “Impact awards for their courageous and powerful stories of success against many obstacles and struggles”. One of them, Ms. Vidya Sri, a Human Rights Policy fellow at Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government, delivered the keynote address. Herself a victim of forced marriage at a very young age, she is also the founder of “GangaShakti”, an organization raising awareness about forced marriage all over the world.

as an innovative but result-oriented American foundation blessed with deep understanding of Indian milieu. “SCF’s Women’s Empowerment initiative- “WE” has been developed and managed by the women for the women.

WE aim at cultivating powerful chain of good deeds through our peer-to-peer “State Ambassador program”, WE chairperson Dr. Ketki Shah said. The potential of 50 ambassadors committing to $100/month for 10 months a year, each of them in turn recruiting only 7 more donors to generate $350,000 is both revolutionary and realistic.

Women spanning multiple generations have made oversized contributions as resourceful volunteers, visionary trustees and resilient co-founders over and above being accomplished physicians, entrepreneurs and homemakers.

In 2015, the WE initiative will provide skills training and career opportunities to 50,000 women working in factories and farms and promote gender equality in their own surroundings. “Together we can dramatically and sus-

eracy is not education and education that fails to translate into jobs or self-employment falls short of empowering youth. https://www.youtube.com/SCF4India

CHRISTMAS

Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual religious and cultural holiday commemorating the the birth of Jesus Christ, celebrated generally on December 25 by billions of people around the world.

A feast central to the Christian liturgical year, it closes the Advent season and initiates the twelve days of Christmastide, which ends after the twelfth night.

(Paramus, NJ – November 10th, 2014)- Share and Care Foundation (SCF) held its 32nd Annual gala on 9th November, 2014 at Bergen Performing Arts center, Englewood, NJ. The response of over 1270 supporters who packed the theater to its full capacity was overwhelming. It raised over $725,000 for its signature programs on Women’s Education and Quality Education.

Quality Education for children as a way out of the cycle of poverty and social discrimination is the other pillar of our foundation.

SCF programs recognize that lit-

Christmas is a civil holiday in many of the world’s nations, is celebrated culturally by an increasing number of non-Christians, and is an integral part of the Christmas and holiday season.

While the birth year of Jesus is estimated a m o n g modern historians to have been between 7 and 2 BC, the exact month and day of his birth are unknown.

His birth is mentioned in two of the four canonical gospels. By the early-to-mid 4th century, the Western Christian Church had placed Christmas on December 25, a date later adopted in the East,although some churches celebrate on the December 25 of the older Julian calendar, which corresponds to January in the mod-

ern-day Gregorian calendar.

The date of Christmas may have initially been chosen to correspond with the day exactly nine months after early Christians believed Jesus to have been conceived, or with one or more ancient polytheistic festivals that occurred near southern solstice (i.e., the Roman winter solstice); a further solar connection has been suggested because of a bib-

lical verse[a] identifying Jesus as the “Sun of righteousness”.

The celebratory customs associated in various countries with Christmas have a mix of pagan, pre-Christian, Christian, and secular themes and origins.

Popular modern customs of the holiday include gift giving, Christmas music and caroling, an exchange of Christmas cards, church celebrations, a special meal, and the display of various

Christmas decorations, including Christmas trees, Christmas lights, nativity scenes, garlands, wreaths, mistletoe, and holly.

In addition, several closely related and often interchangeable figures, known as Santa Claus, Father Christmas, Saint Nicholas, and Christkind, are associated with bringing gifts to children during the Christmas season and have their own body of traditions

and lore.

Because gift-giving and many other aspects of the Christmas festival involve heightened economic activity among both Christians and non-Christians, the holiday has become a significant event and a key sales period for retailers and businesses.

The economic impact of Christmas is a factor that has grown steadily over the past few centuries in many regions of the world.

13

Austin South Asian | December 2014

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Austin South Asian | December 2014

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Nepal Signs Indian Power Deal During Modi Visit 15

Nepal signed an agreement Tuesday for an Indian company to build a $1 billion hydroelectric plant to boost supplies in the energy-starved Himalayan nation and export power to India.

The move comes as regional leaders, including Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, arrived in Nepal for a meeting of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation.

Under the $1.04 billion deal, Indian company Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam Ltd. will build the 900 megawatt Arun III hydropower station, which is expected to begin producing electricity in 2020.

More than three quarters of its output will be exported to India, said Ghanashyam Ojha, external affairs official at the Investment Board Nepal.

The agreement, which was endorsed by Nepal’s Cabinet late Monday, comes two months after a similar deal with another Indian company.

In September, Nepal signed an agreement with Indian com-

Austin South Asian | December 2014

pany GMR to build the $1.15 billion Upper Karnali Hydro power plant.

They are the two largest private foreign investments in Nepal and put India ahead of neighboring China, which has long shown interest in developing Nepal’s power industry.

Under the Arun III agreement, Nepal would receive 22 percent of the electricity free of charge and would be able to buy more to ease power shortages.

Nepal has been trying to woo investment as it recovers from years of communist insurgency and political instability.

Its main options are India and China, the only countries that border landlocked Nepal.

Power shortages are so severe in Nepal that outages can last up to 12 hours a day.

Existing hydropower plants are not able to handle demand, even during the monsoon season when lake and river levels are high.

India has often ignored its small Himalayan neighbor but has been unnerved by China’s growing presence in the country.

China’s state-backed Three Gorges International Corp. is negotiating with Nepal over construction of a power plant over the West Seti river in Nepal’s west.

The project would cost $1.6 billion and generate 750 megawatts of electricity, according to the Investment Board Nepal.

During the summit on We d n e s d a y and Thursday, leaders from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka are likely to

discuss energy sharing.

They are expected to meet as a group and also hold bilateral discussions on the sidelines.

A meeting between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Pakistan counterpart Nawaz Sharif may occur, although no announcement has been made.

“I also look forward to holding bilateral discussions with other South Asian heads of state and government on the margins of the SAARC summit,” Modi said in a statement Tuesday.

Modi also handed over a National Trauma Center built by the Indian government and presented a helicopter to the Nepal Army.

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Austin South Asian | December 2014

A.S Pillai, Father Of Brahmos, Gets Lal Bahadur Shastri Award

Renowned defence technologist and father of ‘BrahMos’ cruise missile, Apathukatha Sivathanu Pillai, was conferred the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Award by President Pranab Mukherjee here today.

press release issued by the Rashtrapati Bhavan said.

isation of ‘Agni’, ’Prithvi’, ‘Nag’ and ‘Akash’ missiles.

Aerospace’, a joint venture between India and Russia.

“I, on my behalf and that of all

Pillai, who is also a recipient of

“Pillai exhibited outstanding leadership qualities that helped India possess the fastest, most precise and potent cruise missile, BrahMos, which is now inducted in the Indian Armed Forces. His contribution to this venture has made him to be regarded as the ‘Father of BrahMos’,” reads the citation.

The award, which carries cash of Rs. 5 lakh, citation and a plaque, was given to Pillai for his outstanding contribution in the field of aerospace and missile technology.

During a function held at Rashtrapati Bhavan auditorium, the President said conferment of this award on Pillai is recognition for the outstanding work done by our space and defence research scientists.

Mukherjee also congratulated the entire scientific community and ISRO in particular for the remarkable feat of having successfully executed the Mars Orbiter Mission in its very first attempt, a

our countrymen, pay tribute to the scientists and technical staff who have toiled tirelessly to create history,” the President said.

67-year-old Pillai has been credited with development of critical missile technologies through real-

civilian honours Padma Shree in 2002 and Padma Bhushan in 2013, has worked as Chief Controller (Research and Development), Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of ‘BrahMos

A recognised scientist, Pillai had graduated in Electrical Engineering from Madras University. He underwent management programme at Harvard Business School and obtained PhD from Pune University.

He has worked with great visionary leaders like Dr Vikram Sarabhai, Prof Satish Dhawan and APJ Abdul Kalam to contribute in country’s major space research programme.

Pillai has also contributed to the successful development of SLV3, India’s first satellite launch vehicle, as a core team member and in the evolution of Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) configuration for Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).

He has written many books including revolution in leadership, nano science and nano technology for engineering.

The Lal Bahadur Shastri National Award honours each year an Indian, residing in India or abroad, who is an exceptionally outstanding and distinguished business leader, management practitioner, public administrator, educator or institution builder for his or her sustained individual contributions and achievements of high professional award and excellence.

Pillai is recipient of the 15th Lal Bahadur Shastri National Award.

Kathak Legend Sitara Devi Passes Away In Mumbai

Kathak queen Sitara Devi died at a hospital in Mumbai on Tuesday.

She was 94. Born in 1920 in Kolkata, Sitara Devi drew from the themes, poetry and choreography collected by her father in her choreographies. She also got inspired from the environment around her -- whether it is a town or a village.

The characters around her came live in her dance. “By training, I am just a ‘kathakar’ of Krishnaleela (tales of Krishna),” the danseuse used to say. Kathak, which literally means ‘katha’, is a narrative drama which evolved out of the Krishna temples of hinterland to scale the pinnacle of glory in the Muslim courts.

Her roots were inextricably woven to the tradition of ‘kathakars’, the early Kathak dancers. She was born as Dhannolakshmi to a family of Brahmin ‘kathakar’ Sukhdev Maharaj and chose school

and dance over an early wedding, as was the norm of the 1920s.

Her father, a Vaishnavite Brahmin

scholar and Kathak exponent, sent her to a local school where she impressed her teachers and the local media with her performance in a dance drama, “Savitri Satyavan”.

When her father learnt of it, he re-

christened her as Sitara or the star and placed her under the care of her older sister for kathak training.

By the time Sitara Devi turned 11, the family moved to Mumb a i , where she impressed Nobel laureate Rabindranath Ta g o r e with a threehour solo recital.

Tagore offered her a shawl and Rs 50 which Sitara Devi refused and sought his blessings instead to become a great dancer. Over the next six decades, she became a Kathak legend and was a pioneer-

ing force in bringing the genre to Bollywood.

Sitara Devi married director K Asif of Mughal-e-Azam fame and then Pratap Barot. She was a vital force who stood for zest and vigour in Indian dance. She was honoured with the Legends of India Lifetime Achievement Award 2011 for her contribution to the classical dance genre for over six decades.

In his condolence message, Prime Minister Narendra Modi recalled her rich contribution to Kathak.

Sitara, who started learning Kathak at the age of seven under the guidance of her father Sukhdev Maharaj, gave many dance sequences in Hindi movies including her debut in ‘Usha Haran’, ‘Nagina’, ‘Roti’, ‘Vatan’, ‘Anjali’ and ‘Mother India’.

Sukhdev Maharaj faced opposition in his community for promoting the dance form and teaching it to his sons and daughters but with a glittering six-decade long career, Sitara fulfilled her father’s dream of reviving and popularising the dance form.

Sitara turned down the Padma Bhushan award in 2002, saying she would not accept anything less than a Bharat Ratna as she felt her contribution to Kathak deserved that.

Apart from her mastery in Kathak, Sitara was well-versed with other dance styles as well such as Bharatanatyam and several forms of folk dances of India.

She also learnt the Russian ballet.

She also taught Kathak to Bollywood celebrities such as Madhubala, Rekha, Mala Sinha and Kajol.

18

Austin South Asian | December 2014

Yearly Predictions - 2015

ARIES (March 21 to April 20): Saturn will stay in evil house that is eighth and will try his best to create problems and obstacles here and there in 2015. Now Jupiter’s aspect on this Saturn will stay under complete control till July 15th and up to a great extent there after. Obstacles that created complete road blocks in 2014 leading to even depression will completely go away and you will start to move ahead and up in your life once again and especially in first seven months of 2015. Accomplishments will be greater than expectations and completely satisfying. There is a strong chance that either you will do some serious upgrades to your existing home or buy a beautiful home by July 15, 2015. Jupiter’s transit in fifth will be very fortunate and will provide you the much needed Midas touch. Right mahurat for those looking for an expansion in the family. This transit will be very favorable for students as it will help them get very high grades. Other wise also Jupiter’s aspect on ninth will help you to get all things big or small without any difficulty. Mind will be very relaxed as all tension about children will disappear as they will achieve their goals and get settled in their own way in life. Ketu in twelfth will bend your mind ad faith in religion and make you perform many good deeds and on the other hand Rahu in sixth will help people appearing for any competitive exam, clear it with hands down. Money wise expect great prosperity in 2015.

You may also travel overseas for pilgrimage some time during this year. If you are able to control sugar consumption, the stay should stay fine in 2015.

TAURUS (April 21 to May 20): Jupiter’s transit in third till July 15th will keep expenses to bare minimum and will give you the chance to accumulate lots of money which will come handy in second half. Investment made

in middle of year will be lucky though you will need to spend lots of time initially.

Now Saturn’s transit in seventh will make you feel lucky as far as the career is concerned. All you attempts will be successful and you will always meet your goals and deadlines. Since Saturn will transit seventh house and the zodiac sign Scorpio which is the sign of his bitter enemy Mars, you will have to be very careful in personal life, relationships because this Saturn will definitely have some negative impact on seventh house. It can cause temporary or permanent damage to relationships or will give health problems to spouse in shape or aches, pains, minor accidents or spouse may have to undergo some kind of surgery, so watch out.

And since Saturn would transit it’s own constellation Anuradha and later Jyestha, it will take you to new level in career and bring big financial prosperity in life.

Children will also do better in their respective life. Some of you also invest in property or buy gas business this year.

Gemini ( May 21 to June 20 ): Jupiter will continue to occupy house of finances till July 15th before moving to house of courage and communications.

Saturn the ruler of house of luck will continue an evil sixth house for the whole 2015. It should be another fruitful year by all means. Saturn in sixth will help you overcome all difficulties of past and help you do a lot better in your career. It will also bring many positive change in career by moving to a well reputed establishment. You may also pass a big exam before July 15th. You will be completely free of any previous ailment. This Saturn in sixth will also help you gain victory in ongoing legal matters.

Some of you also launch another

project with some products with an edge over similar products in the market. Business will continue to do good but the prosperity will be slow and steady. Jupiter in second will be expensive but the money will only go on good reasons.

Mostly on immediate family members. You may be spending more money on kids education or on the marriage of one of your child this year. You will have to have better control over your emotions and let the past go if you want to move forward in life.

There will be big fluctuations in finances, sometimes you will have in excess and sometimes on the edge. All you need to do is be careful when dealing with people with their name starting with letter “ N “.

CANCER (June 21 to July 22): The year should start with good note as Jupiter and planet Mars will be in very helpful positions.

You will continue to make very positive changes in diet and try to live a very disciplined life in order to come back in tip top shape.

Results will astonish people around. Saturn’s disturbances will stay under check till July 15th but once Jupiter moves into house of finances, one of your child may move away for educational purpose and you may have to share lots of financial liability because of some glitch in financial aid. This is not going to cause any dents in your finances, just additional expense.

There will be positive changes in your personality and Jupiter will make you wise and far sighted.

You may launch a project in March with the help of some like minded friend. Mind will deviate from religion to spiritually and Rahu will give you courage to make some extra ordinary move in career to get out of stale life.

You will also loose some weight in first seven months. Time after July is very favorable for money matters. Your investments will start yielding profit and by the

end of 2015, you will accumulate lots of money. Any new project you start this year, will last long and will be profitable. You may also buy a house by water.

LEO (July 23 to August 22): You will have to go through many test and trials in first half of 2015 but once Jupiter enters first house, everything will come under controls. Saturn’s transit in fourth is not favorable and you will need to be more careful with many things including close friends, automobiles and any old property. Commitments and some bad choices made in the past will make a hole in your pocket and the money will hardly stay.

Avoid buying any old property or vehicle this year or they will drain you out. People in business should avoid buying a run down business just because they want to avoid competition. Once Jupiter moves in first, it will give you the wisdom and maturity that sometimes the things do not work the way we want. If you are looking for an addition in the family, the second half if when the dream can come true. Children not doing well in the past will make a come back this year. Watch out for a above average tall and dark skin color person, he will be the root cause of troubles.You will be paying little extra attention to your health in second half and may make big change in diet. People working may be moved to another location or department against their will.

People in consulting business will do slightly better this year. It will be better to seek advise from an old and trusted person from time to time VIRGO (August 23 to September 22): Saturn’s transit in third and Jupiter in house of gains are very favorable.

You will make tremendous progress in life this year. Rahu in first will bring

some changes in personality. You will become tough and execute all your plans successfully. New opportunities will keep knocking at your door one after another this year. Some of you may accept a great opportunity and even move to another state by July. Saturn’s transit in third will also help you in litigation and a long pending appeal will get accepted making room for big progress in life.

Bachelors will be hooked up with the right partner. All business trips will be instant success. You may also attend a big seminar in the month of April or May and make some very useful contacts.

Expenses will stay under control and before the year end, you will accumulate lots of money.

Jupiter’s aspect on fifth as well as the ruler of fifth Saturn, can add another member in the family, other wise too children will do a lot better this year. People prone to blood pressure should be again careful. You may also travel overseas towards the end of 2015.

Some one older and with gray hair will be very helpful. Just be careful when handling any tools or lifting weight as there is a slight chance of getting hurt in the arm this year.

LIBRA (September 23 to October 22): Saturn will transit second and favorable n a k s h a s t r a ’s throughout 2015.

Jupiter will stay in house of career till July 15 before moving into house of gains. Jupiter will definitely bring big change in career. Additional pressure and unsatisfactory working conditions will make you look for better opportunity. Close friends doing well will be another factor for you to explore the opportunity. Saturn in second will help you locate the dream job. Some of you may start your own business before July, 2015. Money wise you will be very lucky and any risk you take will turn out favorable.

(Continued On Page 18)

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Austin South Asian | December 2014

Yearly Predictions - 2015

(Continued From Page 18) You will make big money through couple of properties this year.

Business will definitely multiply in first six months and the profit margin will improve. Some of you may also successfully make a bid on existing franchise already doing very well and take over in mid 2015. You will be going on a number of trips in second half and all trips will be financially rewarding. You will be associated with an older person who will be a great guide and teacher. Value of your assets will shoot up and some of you may move in a bigger home this summer. One of your child not doing so well in the past, will suddenly find the direction and make a big comeback in life.

There is a big chance of money coming through legal channels in the month of July or August.

Scorpio ( October 23 to November 22): Saturn’s transit in first is troublesome.

Jupiter will keep things under little check from ninth till July 15th but still you will need to be very very careful when taking any decisions in personal as well as professional life this year. This Saturn will need you to work extra hard to achieve your goals, big or small. Isolation from some one too close will be heart breaking. Try to maintain close relations with good people and attend all social event in order to stay away from negative energy.

Jupiter’s presence in ninth is very helpful.

Children will be a big source of happiness this year. This is the most favorable transit for people looking forward to have an addition in the family. There will be big change in the way you think. Mind will deviate from religion to spiritually.

Once Jupiter moves in house of career in July, changes become imminent. Whether you make the right or wrong choice will be a big question as Saturn will try to

create confusion and you may end up making the wrong choices. Do not ignore legal and health issues, pay quick attention in order to avert big complications. Money will come at slow pace. You may have few chances to make money little unorthodox way, but may decide not to adopt that path. Only a female could be the root cause of troubles. Think twice before you take any big decision and the year can pass comfortably.

SAGITTARIUS (November 23 to December 22): Jupiter will stay in a negative house till July 15th before moving into house of luck for remainder of time. Saturn will transit twelfth house or the house of loss and expense. Try to stay away from getting involved in unnecessary litigation, compromise if possible and do not purchase and old property or vehicle this year and you will be fine. Rahu in tenth will make things slight difficult and it might be difficult for you to hit your professional goals in first shot.

If waiting for something from government, it will come with a delay.

Time after July is very favorable.

There will be some interesting an major positive developments in career and once again you could reach new heights in life.

Self confidence and image will improve. You may be going on several long distance journeys this year. As far as the health is concerned, back may start to give some trouble. Western medications will not help but yoga and sleeping on hard bed will. The year may start will slow pace but from March and onward you will accomplish a lot in life. You may also invest in a nice property or move to a bigger house this summer. Some one lot younger in age will be real helpful this year. You will make a serious bid on a running franchise around June and may take over around September, 2015. You

will be able to save a lot in second half of 2015. Some of you may join a short term course to update your knowledge this summer.

Little caution and this year can be useful.

CAPRICORN (December 22 to January 19): Jupiter’s transit in eighth after July 15th will be better. This Jupiter can cause unnecessary delay for bachelors to find the right soul mate. Negotiations will very like minded people will go well in the beginning but misfire in the end because of no valid reason. Spouse may continue to have health issues but nothing life threatening. Saturn’s transit in house of gains is very lucky as it will transit his own as well as Mercury nakshastra. People connected with hardware, oil, mines, mineral, land and properties will benefit a lot.

If you initiated any litigation in the past year, the good chances are that it will be decided in your favor with large financial gains after July. People in business will find very good and reliable associates. You may also purchase a big piece of land but wait some time to construct anything on it.

After July, planets will bring in large gains from distant lands and ongoing overseas projects.

Couple of business trips after July will be turning point in career.

Do not take any chance with a government agency and when on road. People already having franchise will expand and buy more locations. Saturn will be helpful if you are ready to be on the move more than usual hours this year. You will be completely cured of an old issue with the help of minor surgery. Religious activities will decline. Chance of addition of a new member in the family very strong after July.

AQUARIUS (January 20 to February 18): Saturn’s transit in house of career is really helpful.

Of course there is no escape from hard work, but the financial rewards will be lot better than expectation.

Business will expand with the opening of new location and you will be on the move most of the time. Watch out for a person almost bald and short, may create lots of confusion in your mind that’s all.

You will make more than one trip overseas all for business. It will be a very good year for students, they will do lot better than expected. Money wise things will pick up all of a sudden after July as projects started in early part will become profitable quickly.

Some one will come up with some schemes to make money little unorthodox way, but you will be able to hold on to temptation and decline his offer. Some of you may also initiate a law suit not for financial gains but just to prove your point in first quarter of 2015. First few months will be very expensive but most of the money will be spend on family and a wedding in close family.

Some of you may also get out of a partnership setup and start on your own in second half. There is very strong indications of money through stocks in month of April. You will make some very important contacts in career as well as personal life. Help from people with political connections will be available when needed.

Couple waiting for many years to have an addition in the family will see their wish fulfilled around October, 2015.

PISCES (February 19 to March 20): Jupiter’s presence in fifth and later in sixth is very favorable for career related matters as compared to past several years.

Saturn’s presence on the other hand in ninth is not bad either.

Take advantage of this auspicious transit of Jupiter and do not waste

time and go with a full swing starting beginning of 2015.

You will continue to well in career and may have a very lucrative offer in February or March. Just grab it and you will be content in time to come. This is going to be a great year for students also. Some of you may also sign up and receive some short term training and improve or update your knowledge.

This transit can also be a factor to add another member in the family. Bachelors will have to go through little roller coaster ride but will ultimately settle with a person of their liking.

Jupiter will gift you the wisdom to take all important decisions with cool and rational mind. Your valuable advise will help many needed close friends this year and they will be really thankful.

Saturn’s transit in ninth will make you more humble and eager to help those who are less fortunate.

You will be doing something really good for your parents this year.

Your image will improve and you will become more active in the society. Jupiter’s transit in sixth from July 15th will cause one more positive change in career in second half. You should eat more nutritious food and do some breathing exercises.

Pandit Parashar parashar@parashar.com www.parashar.com 925-833-7170

20

Austin South Asian | December 2014

December 2014 Community Calendar

We have compiled this event listing based on the information available on the web site (where ever possible) of the community/organization as of third Friday. Please check with the organizers to confirm its accuracy. We request all South Asian organizations to email us (info@austinsouthasian.com) their community calendar on or before 20th of every month, for the events happening next month. We will carry listing of all South Asian non-profit organizations in Austin. If the Name, Contact info is not correct or has changed email us (info@austinsouthasian.com) the changes you want to see. E&OE.

SCHEDULE: December 02, Tuesday, 09:30 AM - 12:00 PM, Affordable Care Act – Help & Information - Light & Salt Services of Austin will have Healthcare Marketplace Navigators on site to assist those needing information and assistance with signing up for the Affordable Care Act. Mandarin and Taiwanese language support provided. FREE. AARC Community Room 3.

December 10, Wednesday, 09:00 AM - 02:00 PM, Early Voting - Vote early at the AARC for the Dec. 16, 2014 Joint Special Runoff Elections. For more information, call the Travis County Clerk’s Office at 512-238VOTE (8683) or visit www.TravisCountyElections.org. AARC Classroom 2.

December 10, Wednesday, 11:00 AM - 11:30 AM, The Magical Soup Bowl” Puppet Show St. Andrew’s Episcopal School second grade class will present their adaptation of the classic tale “Stone Soup,” a story about community and sharing, with the setting in India. FREE. AARC Ballroom.

December 12, Friday, 07:00 PM, English as a Second Language (ESL) at the AARC: Austin Community College Classes Orientation & Testing held at ACC Eastview Campus, 3401 Webberville Road, Austin 78702. The AARC will be hosting free Austin Community College (ACC) ESL Classes for the Spring Semester! In order to participate in ESL, potential students must complete three steps. Step 1: Complete the online application accessible through www.austincc.edu/abe/. Step 2: Attend the Dec. 12 orientation session and writing exam at the ACC Eastview Campus. Step 3: Schedule your oral exam and register for ESL classes at the AARC. If accepted to the program, you may request the AARC as your ESL program location.

Most classes begin the week of January 19, 2015. Please contact ACC’s Adult Education Admissions Desk at 512.223.5123 for additional details and assistance.

December 18, Thursday, 01:00 PM - 02:00 PM, Christmas in the Community - The Austin Symphony presents this sing along, part of a new series of 12 concerts held throughout the city. Come enjoy music performed by the Austin Symphony String Quartet and members of the Austin Youth Orchestra.

FREE. AARC Ballroom.

December 12, Friday, 07:00 PM, English as a Second Language (ESL) at the AARC: Austin Community College Classes Orientation & Testing held at ACC Eastview Campus, 3401 Webberville Road, Austin 78702. The AARC will be hosting

free Austin Community College (ACC) ESL Classes for the Spring Semester! In order to participate in ESL, potential students must complete three steps. Step 1: Complete the online application accessible through www.austincc.edu/abe/. Step 2: Attend the Dec. 12 orientation session and writing exam at the ACC Eastview Campus. Step 3: Schedule your oral exam and register for ESL classes at the AARC. If accepted to the program, you may request the AARC as your ESL program location.

Most classes begin the week of January 19, 2015. Please contact ACC’s Adult Education Admissions Desk at 512.223.5123 for additional details and assistance.

Decemer 31, Wednesday, 01:00 PM,

POEMS

By Arun Sunderraj

WHY? If whispers can communicate Why to shout? (Shout not) If trust keeps one truthful Why to doubt? (Doubt not) If every moment is precious Why to waste? (Waste not) If death is inevitable Why to grieve? (Grieve not) If smile can spread happiness Why to frown? (Frown not) If life is to exist Why to slit? (Slit not)

WASTE NOT In hot summer longing for cool winter In cool winter desiring for warm summer In rain craving for bright sun shine In bright sun shine praying for the rain.

For our convenience we keep yearning for moderation And always expect an ideal situation But nature has its own calculation.

Life is not long enough to waste Longing for what we have not But to love to live with all that We have in the allotted slot

WEDLIFE May not be made for each other!

But committed to live together!!

Hopefully for many years happily.

To make it a blessing or a curse Is within ourselves.

Donation for Childrens Cultural Development is at Austin Marathi Mandal,PO Box 200182, 100-198 East 5th Street, Austin, TX 78701.

December 31, Wednesday, 07:00 PM, Welcome 2015 New year Bash is at Adora Hall, 12200 N Mopac Expy, Austin, TX 78758. The event is hosted by Indian Cultural and Lingual Club.

Ticket Information Adult $ 30.00 (Kids 3 to 12yrs) $ 20.00 Below 3yrs - Free $ 0.00

FREE CLASSIFIED

info@Austin SouthAsian.com MEN CAN COOK! Email your recipe with your photos and see yourself in print

Info@ AustinSouth Asian.com

Nothing is permanent So nothing is important Nothing is important Since nothing is permanent

To Advertise In ASA

Hence adjust and or compromise To live in peace.

512-828-6709 / info@ austinsouthasian.com

Leopards Know How To Share Space With Humans: Study 21

A leopard spotted close to a human settlement is likely to be a ‘resident’ animal and may not have necessarily strayed as is commonly thought, revealed an international study of the first-

high-population density area, we think they have strayed.

But it’s their home as much as it is ours,” said Athreya, also research associate of Centre for

Five leopards -- two males and three females -- which were seen as “problem animals” and captured from human-dominated areas despite no predatory attack on people were radio-collared for the study.

While two were translocated and released more than 50kms away, the other three were released near the captured location. The leopards’ behaviour was monitored for a year. It was seen that they avoided direct contact with people.

ever GPS-collared leopards in India.

Shedding light to human-leopard conflict, the team led by wildlife biologist Vidya Athreya of Wildlife Conservation Society radiocollared five leopards and found that the big spotted cats stayed close to homes.

The study assumes significance for Mumbai as it has been witness to numerous cases of mananimal conflict with leopards found in human settlements outside the Sanjay Gandhi National Park in Borivli. “When leopards are found outside the forest in a

Wildlife Studies, Bangalore. Stating that leopards are similar to species such as the bull, hyena, nilgai (largest Asian antelope) which share spaces with humans, Athreya added: “Leopards are adaptable and therefore can survive among humans unlike tigers.

Human beings have drawn maps of protected area, but leopards don’t understand our boundaries.”

The study suggests that policymakers need to rethink India’s leopard management strategies, and that translocating them is not a solution since it could lead to conflict.

The team found that the two translocated animals moved away 89km and 45km respectively from the release site and occupied bigger home ranges (42km and 65km respectively). The other three lived in areas with the highest human densities, but occupied smallest home ranges (8-15 sqkm) ever recorded for leopards anywhere.

“Instead of being reactive, we need to take proactive measures such as creating awareness and spelling out dos and don’ts,” said Athreya.

“Leopards know how to stay away from us, and so we need to know how to keep them away as well.”

Austin South Asian | December 2014

Make A Diffrenece

By Vidya Kumar, As if I do not have enough happiness in my life - I enrolled in Happiness program of Art of living which states “A few hours for the duration of the Happiness program you effortlessly sponge up whatever is offered in the program (all the techniques, processes, practical tools). You go home as a calm, relaxed, healthier, more knowledgeable, happier person with easy-to-use tools you can use to maintain these benefits for life.”

There was no other details on the website about the workshop and when called ‘Sudarshan Kriya’ will be taught and that it is a 5 day course which will be really enjoyable I was told and starting from Thursday, Friday and Monday 3 hours in the evening and the weekend Saturday and Sunday being from 9:30AM to 4:30 PM. Thinking that the participants would be given material and other resources and also will be told what we can expect to learn or experience when we attend the program I kept an open mind and did let go of my weekend plans and prepared to attend the program by emptying my wallet of $395. First day, attending the program was disappointed that not only there was no such handouts but they did not even tell us at the beginning what we can expect

that day let alone for the whole program. The day was to have ended by 9:30 PM but it went on past 10PM. There was the same set of presenters for the second day also and the games that we were told to play did not have any meaning or relevance at least to me. Yet, I looked forward to the full day of the program on Saturday as I thought that a full day will give them enough time to organize a meaningful schedule. They had asked us to eat a light breakfast by 8:30 AM and lunch will be provided. I went with full of expectations for the day and was totally disappointed. The program was not conducted professionally and the games that we played were unintelligent games and the food was served after 2:30 PM. This shows the callousness of the persons organizing. No thought or planning went into the program. One cannot go hungry for over 6 hours. If one is diabetic god help her!!

Moreover, they were asking us without previous communication or notice to bring everything that we need to cook for 20 people including the utensils, ingredients, and the serving plates, cups, spoons etc. Except for the table nothing else would be provided.

(Continued On Page 23)

Bombay Express

Authenitic Indian Cafe 100% Vegetarian and Vegan Friendly Tuesday - Sunday 11:00 am - 9:00 pm 1300 N IH35 Building #12, Unit # 216 Austin, Texas - 78753

512-491-5055

(Take-Away is possible on all items on the menu)

22

Austin South Asian | December 2014

City Of Austin Launches First-Ever Music Industry Census And Assessment Study

(Continued from page page 1) for respondents at the City’s music website, www.atxmusic.org.

The purpose of the project is to capture an in-depth look at Austin’s music industry workers and establish a richly detailed baseline of the current industry as well as identify existing barriers and opportunities for growth in music industry jobs, salaries, and revenue.

As our city continues to experience such incredible growth, we need to strategically plan for the future of our renowned music and entertainment industry,” said Mayor Lee Leffingwell. “The data from this survey will enable us to make informed and focused decisions as we move forward.”

The City has hired Titan Music Group to conduct the study and to deliver a final report upon completion.

Titan Music Group has spent ten weeks designing, creating, and beta-testing the survey, a process that included input from eight formal focus groups and numerous informational interviews

across a wide cross-section of the music industry.

The goal is to gather thousands of respondents in what will be a citywide data collection effort.

In the past few weeks, dozens of music-related nonprofit organizations and companies have offered to collaborate and assist the City marketing effort in order to maximize the response rate.

“We are calling on all areas of the industry to participate in this survey,” said Don Pitts, Music & Entertainment Division Manager with the City’s Economic Development Department.

“The City has never undertaken a project like this, and it shows the City’s commitment to our music industry’s future growth. It’s important for our music community to stand up and be counted.”

The music industry contributes more than $1.6 billion dollars annually to the Austin economy, placing it in the Top 10 highest contributors. The Music & Entertainment Division will use the information collected from the study to optimize future City strategy and program planning for

industry growth. Once the survey has been completed, Titan Music Group will compile, analyze and present the finished study to the City of Austin in Spring 2015.

The Music & Entertainment Division staff and Titan Music Group will canvas Austin music businesses in an effort to acquire survey responses. Employees, contract workers, and business owners in every sector of the music and entertainment industry are encouraged to complete a survey. Among others, this includes all musicians, artist managers, agents, studios, audio engineers, equipment and music retailers and manufacturers, event production services, producers, music support services, and anyone employed in a music venue, bar, tavern, or nightclub.

For more information, and to follow updates about the survey, visit www.atxmusic.org/ About the City of Austin Economic Development Department Music & Entertainment Division –The Music & Entertainment Division, based in the City of Austin’s Economic Development

National Merit Scholarship Program Recognizes 172 AISD Seniors For Outstanding Academic Performance AUSTIN The National Merit Scholarship Program, the National Hispanic Recognition Program and the National Achievement Scholarship Program is recognizing 172 Austin Independent School District seniors for outstanding academic performance.

Six students received recognition in more than one program.

Students are selected based on the

scores of their preliminary SAT exam, which they take as juniors.

Because of their high scores on this assessment, these students are now eligible for scholarship awards from institutions of higher education and other grantors.

The 172 recognized seniors include: * 53 National Merit Semifinalists; * 131 National Merit Commended Students;

* 20 Scholars for the National Hispanic Recognition Program; and 3 National Achievement Scholars.

National Merit Semifinalists that advance to finalists will be announced in the spring and will be eligible for Merit Scholarship Awards.

For more information on the National Merit Scholarship Program, please visit www.nationalmerit.org.

Department, is highly engaged in developing and executing initiatives that help accelerate the growth of the music industry infrastructure by focusing on job creation, talent export, trade development, and industry revenue growth.

ATX Music has organically developed an important role for the Austin music industry by facilitating introductions, communication, and shaping discussions between music business operators who may not otherwise have knowledge of each other, resulting in new business and connections. For more information about the ATX Music Office: http:// www.atxmusic.org

and based in Austin, Texas.

Titan’s clients include municipal and state government departments, trade associations, and private sector companies.

Titan Music Group specializes in commercial music economic development studies and industrial strategy development; public policy development; data-driven market research, benchmarking, surveys, and analytics. For more information about Titan Music Group: www.titanmusicgroup. com

About Titan Music Group, LLC – Titan Music Group, LLC is a commercial music industry consulting company founded in 2007

Tax Office Branch Hours Changing December 1 Austin, TX For the past several years the four branches of the Travis County Tax Office have been open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays. Largely due to the fact that population growth is outpacing our space and staffing, the branch office hours must change to 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. beginning Monday, December 1, 2014.

The half hour at the end of the day will allow staff to serve customers who arrive at the very end of the day when the doors close. In addition, staff will have sufficient time to close out for the day and reconcile their transactions.

Branch office locations: East Austin – 4705 Heflin Ln, Austin, TX 78721 Southeast Austin – 4011 McKinney Falls Pkwy, Austin, TX 78744 Pflugerville – 15822 Foothill Farms Loop, Pflugerville, TX 78660 Southwest Austin – 8656 Hwy 71 W, Building B, Austin, TX 78735 We regret that this change may inconvenience customers and consider the change a temporary one. The main office located at 5501 Airport Boulevard will continue to be open weekdays from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

To provide public comment regarding this change, customers can call 512-854-9473 or email tax_office@traviscountytx.gov.

23

Google Fiber Announces Pricing Plan For Austin

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Google Fiber has announced its pricing plan for the ultra-fast Internet which is expected to launch soon

Gbps.

Since the announcement, Grande Communications and AT&T have

mid-2014.” The company said it is taking longer because the company had to plan and design the network from scratch. They added the network will include more than 3,000 miles of new fiber optic cables.

“I am not holding my breath as far as how long it’s going to take,” said John Doggett, senior lecturer at the McCombs School of Business at UT. “They don’t seem to have a great sense of urgency at all.”

in Austin. Signups are expected to begin next month in parts of south and southeast Austin.

Google first announced last year that it would be bringing speeds it says are 100 times faster than average broadband speeds at 1

both launched 1 Gbps speeds in Austin and Time Warner Cable has increased speeds for its customers. When Google made its initial announcement that the high-speed Internet was coming to town, they planned to “start connecting homes in Austin by

Doggett says the delay is frustrating for customers who want high speed Internet, but not as much for the people who want Google to set up the network right the first time.

Google Fiber announced last month it would begin signing up customers in Austin at the end of this year. Neighborhoods in South- and Southeast Austin will receive the gigabit service first.

Austin South Asian | December 2014

Hundreds Of AISD Students Achieve Recognition For Performance On AP Exams (Continued from page 1) based on their performance on AP Exams.

The College Board’s Advanced Placement Program provides students the opportunity to take rigorous college-level courses while in high school to earn college credit, advanced placement, or both for successful performance on the AP Exams.

In Austin ISD: 55 students earned an average score of 4 or higher on a fivepoint scale on all AP Exams taken, qualifying them for the National AP Scholar Award by.

These students earned a score of 4 or higher on eight or more of these exams. 320 students qualified for the AP Scholar with Distinction Award by earning an average score of at least 3.5 on all AP Exams taken.

These students earned a score of 3 or higher on five or more of these exams. 167 students qualified for

Zed Pleads Hindus To Continue Leading In Marriage Rates Hindu statesman Rajan Zed has appealed to the fellow Hindus to continue leading in marriage rates in USA as compared to other religious groups, and upholding the sanctity of the marriage.

Washington DC headquartered Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life, in a past survey, indicated that Hindus topped in marriage with 79% married, followed by Mormons at 71%, while the national total was 54%.

Only 5% (lowest than any other group) Hindus were divorced or separated, followed by Mormons, Orthodox, Jews and Muslims at 9%, while the national total was 12%.

Only 0% Hindus (lowest than any other group) were living with a partner, followed by Jehovah’s Witnesses at 1%, while the national total was 6%. Among the

widowed also, Hindus were lowest at 2% followed by Muslims at 3%.

Zed, who is President of Universal Society of Hinduism, in a statement in Nevada today, pointed out that in Hinduism, vivah (marriage) was the most important samskar (sacrament).

Married couple was looked as a complete module for worship and participation in cultural/social acts.

With the marriage samskar, one thoroughly entered into grihasthashram (householder phase), where one could attend to the goals of dharm (duty).

Rajan Zed stressed that institution of marriage was shrinking worldwide but he had faith in Hindu youth who clearly knew from their parents that marriage was vital for our community, provided a

stable foundation and had no substitutes. God intended us to marry and marriage fulfilled our soul’s spiritual/emotional yearnings.

Sexual relations found best expression within the precincts of marriage and marriage was much more than just sex. Zed advised couples entering marriage to practice their faith and pray together, be emotionally mature and flourish in spiritual intimacy.

Introduced by the sage Svetaketu in pre-BCE period, marriage in Hinduism was considered sacrosanct and the highest duty or dharma and was binding not only this life but in the life hereafter, Zed indicated.

Rajan Zed, concerned over the over-commercialization of Hindu weddings, urged Hindus worldwide to bring back holiness and simplicity to weddings.

Indulgence in lavish expenditures, self-promotion, imageconsciousness, over extravagance and egocentrism should be kept out of these sacred moments.

Over-extravagance diluted its seriousness, solemnity, purpose and purity; Zed noted.

the AP Scholar with Honor Award by earning an average score of at least 3.25 on all AP Exams taken.

These students earned a score of scores of 3 or higher on four or more of these exams. * 370 students qualified for the AP Scholar Award by completing three or more AP Exams with scores of 3 or higher. * One student achieved the AP International Diploma, which is a certificate of academic excellence for students attending U.S. high schools applying to universities outside the country.

About 18 percent of the more than 1.9 million students worldwide who took AP Exams performed at a sufficiently high level to also earn an AP Scholar Award, which are academic distinction awards.

For more information, please visit http://international.collegeboard. org/programs/advanced-placement.

To Advertise in ASA call 512828-6709

Make A Difference - Happiness Or Unhappiness Program

(Continued From Page 21)

Also, we were asked to bring clothes to give to charity. Here I was completely, exhausted and expecting me to go groceries shopping after a full day of frustrating experience and then go home and select clothes and other things to be given to salvation/goodwill store.

I was totally happy when the five day event ended. Maybe, that’s the reason it is called happy program - when it ends - one is really happy but with a thinner wallet. Or the program stresses us out so much that once it is complete we need to go home and do the Sudarshan Kriya to relieve the stress and the unhappiness!!

I welcome feedback at Vidya.Southasian@gmail.com

24

Austin South Asian | December 2014

Elect Mayoral Candidate Steve Adler (The Man Who Will Meet The Challenges Of The City And The New Council)

The PAC members held face to face conversations with many of the PAC endorsed candidates from individual districts.

Each candidate assured us that they will work for the betterment of the whole city.

This is a good thing but one must also acknowledge that these candidates will also have demands from their own districts.

with the council members, create a consensus on balanced approaches and priorities so that demands of individual districts as well those of the entire city are catered to.

It is known by every citizen of Austin that it faces major issues such as mobility, affordable housing, education, water.

There is also a second factor, as we go through the runoffs and finalize the council election, nine out of 10 council members will be new.

It is very important that the man who heads the team –the mayormust be a person who can work

There are also specific issues related to the Asian community.

While the 10:1 system- ten council members plus the Mayor- is endorsed and voted by citizenry, there is no single district where Asian community is in majority, there are issues of quality of life, changing demographics ( age, refugees and even poverty ), health etc.

The missing link of the horse world: Fossil find reveals ancient relative of horses and rhinos lived 54.5 million years ago in India

filled in a major gap in science’s understanding of the evolution of a group of animals that includes horses and rhinos.

We need a mayor who has respect for all minorities and who will create a vision and policies that are inclusive.

Members of the NAAO-PAC along with leaders of Asian community have met with Steve Adler several times and have found in him a person who will work with the Asian community.

We in Asian community have a unique opportunity to affect the election result in a positive way.

It is expected that voter turnout may not exceed 15% of the registered voters.

The Asian community constitutes about 6.8% of the population. A large turnout by the Asian com-

munity members can sway the election in the direction we want.

Please go out and vote (NAAO-PAC consists of Members from Indian, South Asian , and Asian community) Ashwin Ghatalia ( NAAO-PAC treasurer)

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The Missing Link Of The Horse World

It is the ‘missing link’ that shows horses and rhinos were once related.

Though paleontologists had found remains of Perissodactyla from as far back as the beginnings of the Eocene epoch, about 56 million years ago, their earlier

Experts have uncovered a fossil from an ancient relative of the animals that lived 54.5 million years ago in what is now India.

The discovery also sheds new light on how India shifted over time.

Modern horses, rhinos and tapirs belong to a biological group, or order, called Perissodactyla.

Also known as ‘odd-toed ungulates,’ animals in the order have, as their name implies, an uneven number of toes on their hind feet and a distinctive digestive system.

Working at the edge of a coal mine in India, a team of Johns Hopkins researchers and colleagues have

That group likely originated on the subcontinent when it was still an island headed swiftly for collision with Asia, the researchers report Nov. 20 in the online journal Nature Communications.

evolution remained a mystery, says Ken Rose of Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

‘Many of Cambaytherium’s features, like the teeth, the number

of sacral vertebrae, and the bones of the hands and feet, are intermediate between Perissodactyla and more primitive animals,’ Rose says.

than the oldest known Perissodactyla remains, but, Rose says, it provides a window into what a common ancestor of all Perissodactyla would have looked like.

‘This is the closest thing we’ve found to a common ancestor of the Perissodactyla order.’

Cambaytheri and other finds from the Gujarat coal mine also provide tantalizing clues about India’s separation from Madagascar, lonely migration, and eventual collision with the continent of Asia as the Earth’s plates shifted, Rose says.

An open-pit coal mine northeast of Mumbai yielded what Rose says was a treasure trove of teeth and bones, with more than 200 fossils turned out to belong to an animal dubbed Cambaytherium thewissi, about which little had been known.

The researchers dated the fossils to about 54.5 million years old, making them slightly younger

In 1990, two researchers, David Krause and Mary Maas of Stony Brook University, published a paper suggesting that several groups of mammals that appear at the beginning of the Eocene, including primates and odd- and even-toed ungulates, might have evolved in India while it was isolated.

Cambaytherium is the first concrete evidence to support that idea, Rose says.

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Akshay Kumar’s Perfect Filmmaking Formula

Superstar status is achieved when an individual does what they do well, whilst making it look easy – and fans of international superstar Akshay Kumar may well have wondered exactly how the actor manages to balance making on average a record four films a year, with travelling the world to pursure numerous other projects and enjoying time with his family.

The star of upcoming film, The Shaukeens, has recently revealed his carefully constructed formula for managing such a jam-packed schedule.

It may be a surprise to hear that Akshay Kumar gets his 8 hours of beauty sleep, by choosing not to party and instead be asleep by 10pm.

The actor’s day starts at around 5am - a time which suits Akshay as it means he can complete most, if not all of his work by 10am, allowing him plenty of free and work time.

Following each of his four film shoots a year, which last on average for 60 days at a time, Akshay Kumar ensures he takes a week long holiday with his beautiful wife Twinkle and two children, Aarav and Nitara.

way I could make 4 films a year and travel the world with my family. Respect time and time will be on your side.

Austin South Asian | December 2014

Ajay Devgn, Hrithik Roshan, Other Stars Attend Arpita Khan’s Wedding Reception After a star-studded big fat wedding in Hyderbad, Salman Khan’s sister Arpita Khan’s wedding re-

The rest of the year is spent completing other projects, honouring brand endorsments and enjoying what else life has to offer!

The actor, who recently wrapped filming of Baby, set to be released at the start of 2015, sums it up perfectly - “You just need to make one’s time a priority, so you can make everyone else’s life easy.

We’re only here once.

ception, held at the Taj Lands End in Bandra, Mumbai, too saw the who’s who of the film industry in attendance.

Abuse it and it will pass you by, along with all its opportunities.”

Hrithik Roshan, Jacqueline Fernandez, Sonakshi Sinha and dad Shatrughan Sinha, Ajay Devgn, Siddharth Malhotra, Farhan

Akhtar, Zoya Akhtar, Dilip Kumar and Saira Banu, Aditya Roy Kapoor, Sharaddha Kapoor were among the many Bollywood celebrities to attend the reception.

Arpita looked pretty in a lemon colored lehenga with a pink chunni.

Groom Ayush Sharma wore a tuxedo.

Arpita’s sister-in-law Malaika Arora also looked gorgeous in a dhoti sari. The Khan brothers chose to go black.

The Khan family posed for several group pictures on the red carpet.

Rajinikanth Skips Kochadaiyaan’s Screening At IFFI

PANAJI: A day after being honoured with the Centenary Award for the Indian Film Personality of the Year at IFFI’s opening ceremony, South megastar Rajinikanth gave a miss to the screening of his muchtalked about film ‘Kochadaiyaan’ here.

If I played with time, there’s no

“Rajinikanth who was supposed to be personally present for the screening couldn’t make it due to

her voice to the film.

Missing her father’s presence on

The movie, released in May this year, marked the directorial debut of the cinema legend’s 30-yearold daughter Soundarya Rajinikanth.

The organisers had earlier announced the presence of the 63-year-old industry veteran at the screening of his film last evening at the Kala Academy, one of the venues for IFFI here but later declared his absence at the event.

“It’s indeed an honour for me to be a part of IFFI this evening.

‘Kochadaiyaan’ is my first film and I am a debutante director and the movie is India’s first performance captured photo-realistic film and my dad is not here today but I want to thank him for bringing this technology to our country,” Soundarya said.

The director also said that through this film she tried to create a legendary living animated character.

“Animation is very new in India

his preoccupation in Bengaluru,” announced a senior ministry official before the screening, which was attended by Soundarya and her mother Latha, who had lent

the occasion, the filmmaker said she is thankful to the ‘Lingaa’ star to bring the motion-capture technology to India.

and this is a humble first attempt to bring this technology into the arena of Indian entertainment.

Unlike films including (James Cameron’s) ‘Avatar’ and (Steven Spielberg’s) ‘Tintin’ where there are fictitious characters, I took on myself to recreate the legend of my father. I hope you enjoy the film,” she said.

The Tamil historical fiction action film also starred Bollywood actors Deepika Padukone and Jackie Shroff.

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Austin South Asian | December 2014

KJ Proud Of Student Of The Year Jurassic World: Watch

“Brainlessness” and “a lie from beginning to end” are some of the words used by critics to describe Karan Johar’s 2012 directorial Student of the Year, but the filmmaker says he has no regrets making it.

“I won’t regret making it. I had the best time with these three kids (actors). I didn’t want them to be perfect. Rawness has its own ap-

He said the movie, which gave the film industry new faces like Sidharth Malhotra, Varun Dhawan and Alia Bhatt, was made to attract teenagers.

“I felt like teenagers didn’t know my work. So, I made Student of the Year. I wanted to make a film with good looking people, songs and glamour.

I had to make cycling and swimming look good. I don’t claim to be the ambassador of reality.

I had fun doing Student of the Year,” said Johar, who made his directorial debut with collegebased film Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998).

peal.

The film is their weakest performance and I feel proud when people tell me that they were better in other films,” he said during a session titled ‘An afternoon at Film Bazaar with Rajeev Masand’ on the final day of Film Bazaar.

He said he wants the three actors to “fly” and work with other filmmakers. “I am not selfish. I want them to work with all the filmmakers.

I want them to fly,” he said.

Karan Johar also shared how he convinced director Imtiaz Ali to take Alia in Highway.

“I told Imtiaz that Alia can act. Don’t go by my film.

Just talk to her once.

When she got the script, she told me that she is on every page of the script. I told her to accept it,” he said.

Johar also said his relationship with the three actors was “emotional and not just contractual”.

The First Full Trailer

After a decade of delays, the first trailer for Jurassic World has arrived three days early. A teaser trailer released for the film on Sunday explained that the offi-

disasterous development by dropping three days early.

cial first trailer for Jurassic World would appear on Friday.

sic Park film, which was released in 1993. A dinosaur safari park, Jurassic World, has been built out of the ruins of the original Jurassic Park on Isla Nublar.

However, the first full trailer for the film has bucked its years of

First Look: Rekha As A ‘Begum’ In Abhishek Kapoor’s ‘Fitoor’ While ‘Kai Po Che’ director Abhishek Kapoor is busy filming ‘Fitoor’, another adaptation of a famous novel, the look of veteran actress Rekha in the movie was revealed across social platforms last night.

This picture was posted by one of the fanpages of actor Aditya Roy Kapur on the microblogging site Twitter. Rekha can be seen sitting under a tree in a richly designed ensemble by Manish Malhotra.

‘Fitoor’ is based on the Charles Dickens’ novel ‘Great Expectations’ and Aditya Roy Kapur reprises the central character of Pip. Rekha portrays Ms Havisham, the spinster who gets left at the altar and continually wears her wedding dress.

So the ensemble the Bollywood diva is wearing in the picture can possibly be the wedding attire.

The movie also features Katrina Kaif as Aditya’s love interest and is slated to hit the screens in the later half of 2015.

The sequel takes place 22 years after the events of the first Juras-

As the trailer shows, this Jurassic World includes opportunities to paddle down the river as giant herbivores graze and join the Mosasaurus - an enormous prehistoric crocodile - eat dead sharks in a situation reminiscent of Seaworld’s Shamu enclosure.

But then the genetically modified hybrids arrive: they’re laying new dinosaurs. As Chris Pratt’s character, Owen, says: “it’s probably not a good idea.”

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Austin South Asian | December 2014

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