WHAT’S ON

HOLI

Faag Sammelan

Sat 16 March (7.00pm) Shree

Sanatan Dharm Pratinidhi Sabha of Australia invites you to Faag

Sammelan 2019 to celebrate Holi. At Natraj Art and Music Centre, 10/71 Kurragong Ave, Mount Druitt 2770. Details 0433 242 077. Festival of Colours

Sun 17 Mar (10.00am)

Celebrate Holi with your loved ones at Parramasala 2019. At Parramatta River, Parramatta. Details 0426 155 227.

STAGE

Short + Sweet

Thur 7 Feb onwards The annual ten-minute theatre festival this year includes Story Teller by Jean Blasier (US) featuring Indian Australian director Upasna Ved and actors Brij

Parsahar and Urvi Sharma. Venue: Surry Hills’ Tom Mann Auditorium. Detailswww.shortandsweet.org/sydney

2 to Tango 3 to Jive

Sat 16 Feb (6.00pm) Noted

Bollywood artist Saurabh Shukla presents a Hinglish play starring Shukla with Bollywood actors

Achint Kaur, Sadiya Siddiqui and Preeti Mamgain. At Sir John Clancy Auditorium, 9 High St, Kensington. Details 02 9385 1515.

Sri Purandara Dasa Aradhana

Sun 17 Feb (9.15am - 2.00pm)

A program Sri Purandara Dasa Aradhana, that includes arathi andprasadam along with a prayer meet. At Ermington Community Hall, 8 River Road, Ermington. Details 0426 866 135.

Stand-up comedy: Alex in Wonderland

Sat 23 Feb (6.30pm) Evam and Natya Entertainment present Alexander Babu's hilarious stand-up comedy solo show.

Venue: NSW Teachers Federation Conference Centre, 37 Reservoir St, Surry Hills. Details www.ticketebo.com.au

The Foreign Star of Bengal 23-24 Feb Bollywood Central presents the production The Foreign Star of Bengal - The Musical,a stage musical inspired by a true love story set in Calcutta during the 1960s. Venue: Bryan Brown Theatre Bankstown. Details 0433 861 703.

COMMUNITY

Chinmaya Health Challenge: No Shoes Walk

Sun Feb 17 (9.30am - 12.30pm)

Join Swamiji and the Chinmaya family in the health challenge “No Shoes Walk”, to uplift ourselves, challenge, inspire and bring us together while raising funds for those who don’t share our privileges. At Castle Hill Showground, Castle Hill. Details 02 8850 7400.

Bangla Art Exhibition

Sat 9 Feb (6.00pm - 8.00pm)

Performing Arts-Bangla Art Exhibition. Music, dance, poetry recitation and more. At Bankstown Art Centre, 5 Olympic Parade, Bankstown. Details 02 9707 5400. Stay Well, Live Well

Sat 23 Feb (12.30pm - 4.30pm)

AASHA Foundation presents Stay Well, Live Well for seniors and their families. Free BP checks as well as yoga, music, dance and health talks. At Wentworthville Community Centre, Grevillea Hall, 2 Main St, Wentworthville. Details 0410 455 972.

MISC

Sydney Design Festival

Sat 2 Mar (11.00am - 2.00pm)

Join Anamika, Smitha and Shubhangi from Didi's Tribe to learn about some of India's different traditional designs and paint your own personalised calico bag. At 8 Victoria Rd, Parramatta. Details 02 9897 5744.

National Dowry Abuse Summit

Fri 22 Feb (9.30am - 4.30pm) The 2nd National Dowry Abuse Summit will be held in Sydney at University of NSW, co-hosted by a number of organizations such as NSW Department of Health, AWAVA, White Ribbon Australia. Details email pallavisinha1@hotmail.com

SPIRITUAL

Chinmaya Health Challenge:

Sundays 5:30pm to 7:30pm followed by community meals. Venue: Sant Nirankari Bhawan, 166 Glendenning Road, Glendenning. Details Devinder 0403 216 084. Free Yoga with Divine Life Society

Tuesdays 7pm Swami

Uditramanandaji of The Divine Life Society of Australia offers free Yoga classes every Tuesday from 7.00pm8.15pm at Strathfield Girls High School. All levels of fitness welcomed. Entrance via Oxford Rd. Details Karo 0413 535 157.

Lunch-time Meditation session

Thu 14 Feb (12.15pm - 1.00pm)

Brahma Kumaris Australia invites you to sit back, relax and be guided through a mind-body relaxation. At Indian Cultural Centre, Level 2 265 Castlereagh St, Sydney.

Saraswati Puja

Sun 10 Feb (9.00am - 9.30am)

Australian Bengali Hindu Association

– ABHA invites you to Saraswati Puja 2019. At Granville Town Hall, 10 Carlton St, Granville. Details 0418 413 740.

Saraswati Puja and Vasant Panchami

Sun 10 Feb (11.00am - 2.00pm)

Celebrate Saraswati Puja and Vasant Panchami at Sydney Kali Temple, 97 Asquith St, Silverwater.

Details 02 9836 4097. Saraswati Puja

Sun 10 Feb (10.00am - 10.00pm)

Celebrate the religious festival of Saraswati Puja 2019. At Glenfield Community Hall, Glenfield. Details 02 4645 4000.

BSPC Saraswati Puja 2019

Sun 10 Feb (9.00am - 9.00pm)

Celebrate the auspicious day of Saraswati Puja at Ermington Community Centre, 8 River Road, Ermington. Details prs_bspc@yahoo.com.au

FUNDRAISER

Bhartiye Mandir Sydney

Fundraiser

Sat 9 Feb (7.00pm) A fundraiser to rebuild the temple following vandalism. At 42 Kibo Rd, Regents Park. Details 0419 693 419.

Harman Foundation fundraiser

Sat 9 Feb (6.00pm)

Third Annual Fundraising Dinner with a night of fun, food, family and dance to raise funds for Harman Foundation. At Bowman Hall, Blacktown. Details 1800 116 675. Celebrate Rotary

Sat 2 March (6.30pm - 10.30pm)

Celebrate Rotary - Be The Inspiration to Light Up Lives through Rotary Global Grant projects to enhance living conditions of the people in the target communities in India and Sri Lanka. At Don Moore Community Centre, Cnr Farnell Ave and North Rocks Road, North Rocks. Details 0419 980 529.

Yaadon ki baraat

Sat 16 March (5.30pm)

A fundraising event for AASHA that will regale you with a team of singers and a retro Bollywood night. At Redgum Function Centre, Cnr Lane and Dunmore Street, Wentworthville. Details 0430 026 484.

ENTERTAINMENT

Film show:

Manjhi - The Mountain Man

Fri 8 Feb (2.30pm - 5.00pm)

Swami Vivekananda Cultural Centre, Consulate General of India, Sydney cordially invites you for Bollywood afternoon film show Manjhi - The Mountain Man Level 2, Consulate General of India, 265 Castlereagh St, Sydney, 2000.

Entry to this event is free. Please RSVP to: icc2.sydney@mea.gov.in

Dard-e-disco

Sat 9 Feb (6.00pm - 12.00pm)

Enjoy performances by Mueen, Avikalp and Sunanda at this music festival. At Roma Function Centre, 167A Northumberland St, Liverpool. Details 0435 511 779.

Srijani Live In Concert Sydney

Sat 9 Feb (6.30pm) Taal se Taal

Mila 3:Srijani performs live in Sydney. At Pacific Christian School Auditorium, 9 Quarry Rd Dural.

Details 0401 230 046.

GuptaJi Live

Sat 9 Feb (6.00pm - 10.00pm)

GuptaJi Live in Sydney - Valentine's Special Comedy & DJ Night. At Don Moore Community centre, Carlingford. Details 0422 441 109.

Bollywood Valentine Night

Thu 14 Feb (10.00pm - 2.00am)

Non-stop music with live DJs DJ Ash and DJ Brix, drinks, dancing and more. At Blackbird Cafe – Cockle Bay Wharf, Balcony Level, Cockle Bay Wharf/ Harbour St. Details 0470 315 203.

Pehla Nasha

Fri 15 Feb (9.00pm onwards)

Celebrate Valentine's Day with your loved one. At Ivy Lounge, Level 2, ivy, 320 George Street, Sydney. Details 02 9240 3000.

Masquerade Love night

Sat 16 Feb (7.00pm onwards)

Choose your most exquisite masks, dress in your finest and dance the night away with your loved one. At The Godfather function centre, Harris Park Parramatta. Details 0423 588 428.

Valentine’s Masquerade Ball

Sat 16 Feb (7.00pm onwards)

Valentines Masquerade Ball & Live Concert at Blacktown Workers Club, 55 Campbell St, Blacktown. Details 0433 676 422.

Sahir Kee Yaden

Fri 22 Feb (7.00pm - 11.00pm)

A musical journey of Sahir Ludhianvi. Singers Lalit Bunty Bhatia and Shobha Ingleshwar. At Parra Villa Function Lounge, 42 Campbell St, Parramatta. Details 0412 071 277.

Divya Dutta - Me & Ma

Sat 23 Feb (7.00pm onwards) Divya

Dutta in Sydney to launch her new book, Me & Ma. Venue to be announced. Details 0411 314 356.

Bollywood Ka Hungama

Sat 23 Feb (7.00pm - 9.30pm)

Aman Pal with his team are all set to take the audience on a journey reminiscing the past era of legends of Bollywood - Kishore, Lata, Mukesh, Rafi, Asha Bhosle's evergreen songs. At Natraj Art and Music Centre 10/71

Kurragong Ave, Mount Druitt. Details 0433 242 077.

Sridevi: A tribute

Sun 24 Feb (2.00pm onwards)

Adrian’s Orchestra presents Sridevi Tribute ‘Remembering Roop Ki Rani’, live concert, one show only. At Bowman Hall, 35 Campbell Street, Blacktown. Details 0452 398 299.

Kool Jodis

Sat 30 March (2.00pm - 9.00pm)

Kool Jodis - Game Show with live music concert with Anand Aravindakshan and Pragathi Guruprasad. At Sydney Sri Durga Devi Devasthanam, 21 Rose Crescent, Regents Park. Details 02 9644 6682.

Is India ready to grill Twitter and send a strong message before elections?

After US President Donald Trump slammed Twitter for "shadow banning" Republicans last year - which the micro-blogging platform said happened owing to "technical glitch"-the company is now in the thick of a similar controversy in India.

Twitter will face a 31-member Parliamentary panel on 11 Feb which will be the first-ever hearing of a global tech giant in the country.

The allegation is that Twitter has bias against "rightwing" accounts as general elections loom - serious enough for the government to call Twitter for a hearing before a House panel.

This is in line with what we have seen with Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Google CEO Sundar Pichai testifying and being grilled last year by lawmakers in the US and in the European Union (EU) over data privacy, political interference and fake news.

The big question is: Who will represent Twitter in the India hearing on 11 Feb at 3 p.m. in Parliament Complex?

The company currently has an interim head in Balaji Krish who is Twitter's global head of revenue strategy and operations after Country Head Taranjit Singh quit in September.

Mahima Kaul, who is Head of Public Policy and Government, is very active when it comes to fire-fighting.

Vijaya Gadde, Legal, Policy and Trust and Safety Lead at Twitter, who accompanied CEO Jack Dorsey to India in November last year, had to apologise on the "Smash Brahmanical Patriarchy" poster row.

The Parliament's Standing Committee on Information Technology, headed by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Anurag Thakur, is tasked with examining several aspects related to data security and privacy.

The house panel has 21 members from Lok Sabha that include Hema Malini, Prasun Banerjee, L.K. Advani, Raosaheb Patil Danve and others and 10 members from Rajya Sabha that includes Raj Babbar, Beni Prasad Verma and Subhash Chandra.

The tech giants are in a huddle over the abuse of their platform, especially when the elections are inching close.

Twitter told IANS that it is in touch with the Indian government on the issue.

"Discussions with the government on this issue are currently on and nothing further can be commented at the moment till further clarity," said a Twitter India spokesperson.

The House panel has summoned Twitter India along with representatives from the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (Meity) for the meeting to examine the issue of "safeguarding citizens rights on social media/online news platforms".

The Indian government has also formulated new IT guidelines where social media platforms have to remove within 24 hours any unlawful content that can affect the "sovereignty and integrity of India"which has not gone down well with them.

The message from the Twitter hearing will decide how Facebook and Google will later fall in line, at a time when governments the world over are gathering courage to protect the sovereignty and integrity of their citizens on social media platforms.

Indian communication satellite GSAT-31 launched successfully

India's 40th communication satellite GSAT31 was successfully put into orbit by an Ariane 5 rocket belonging to Arianespace early on 6 Feb, Indian space agency ISRO and Arianespace have reported.

According to Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), the telecommunication satellite, GSAT-31 was successfully launched from Kourou launch base, French Guiana.

The 2,535-kg GSAT-31 will replace the InSAT satellite which is nearing the end of its life.

According to ISRO, GSAT-31, with a mission life of 15 years, will be used for supporting VSAT networks, television uplinks, digital satellite news gathering, cellular back haul connectivity and more.

SAT-31 will provide DTH Television Services, connectivity to Very Small Aperture Terminals (VSATs) for ATM, Stock-exchange, Stock-exchange, Digital Satellite News Gathering and e-governance applications. The satellite will also be used for bulk data transfer for a host of emerging telecommunication applications.

Fake university students knew they were committing visa 'crime': US

The US has accused the students arrested in connection with a fake university visa scam of being "aware they were committing a crime" for visas when they enrolled at the institution while lawyers for those charged accused the government of tricking them.

The State Department said in a statement: "All participants in this scheme knew that the University of Farmington had no instructors or classes (neither online nor in-person) and were aware they were committing a crime in an attempt to fraudulently remain in the US."

The US reaction came after India's External Affairs Ministry issued a demarche to the US embassy in New Delhi asserting that the students "have been duped into enrolling in the 'university' (and) should be treated differently from those recruiters who have duped them".

Lawyers for the accused recruiters in the scam accused the government of tricking the students into enrolling at the University of Farmington, a fake institution set up by US law enforcement officials in a sting operation to crackdown on visa fraud, according to the Detroit Free Press.

Last week, US immigration officials arrested 129 Indian students and eight alleged recruiters involved with the university.

John Brusstar, a lawyer for one of the accused recruiters, criticized the sting operation saying "it is unfair for the government to set up something like this to entrap people", the Free Press reported.

The students face only civil immigration charges while the eight alleged recruiters have been charged with conspiracy to commit visa fraud and harbouring aliens for profit and face maximum sentences of five years.

Some of the arrested students have been released from custody on condition that they wear ankle monitors that would allow authorities to monitor their movements electronically.

Release with electronic monitors is considered preferable to being detained with those accused of major crimes while awaiting trial or disposition of cases.

One of the arrested students is a Palestinian, according to the newspaper.

About 600 students who joined the fake university may be at risk of legal action.

Five of the alleged recruiters were produced wearing shackles in a federal court in Detroit and denied they were guilty, according to the Free Press

The lawyers for four of them agreed to their being held in jail because they face

A street-side vendor uses a solar energy motored fan to grill sweet corn near Vidhana Soudha, State Legislature of Karnataka, Bangalore, India, 6 Feb 2019. Photo: AP detention by immigration authorities as they are undocumented, the newspaper said.

But Phanideep Karnati, who is represented by Brusstar and is on a work visa, was ordered released on a $10,000 unsecured bond by Magistrate Judge R. Steven Whalen, according to the Free Press

Another accused, Prem Rampeesa, has requested an interpreter and is to be produced in court later, the newspaper reported.

The newspaper quoted prosecutors as saying that the students enrolled at the fake university in order to get jobs under a student visa programme called Curricular Practical Training (CPT) that would allow them to work.

But lawyers for the accused countered saying that such programmes are legitimate and that the government had tricked them into joining the University of Farmington.

Many of the students had come to the US on legitimate student visas and studied at other universities but were trying to extend their stay through CPT visas by transferring to Farmington.

Although the arrests came during a period of heightened immigration enforcement under President Donald Trump, the fake university was set up in 2015 by Democratic President Barack Obama's administration.

The so-called university offered student visas without requiring them to attend classes, enabling them to work illegally.

This is at least the second fake university run by government agencies.

Obama administration officials set up University of North Jersey and ensnared over 1,000 students, most of them from India and China.

Twenty-one people who acted as student visa brokers were arrested in the crackdown in 2016.

US law enforcement frequently uses elaborate sting operations by undercover agents to deter crimes of all types.

Swedish PMO has a Maharashtra connection: NilaVikhe-Patil

A Marathi-origin 'mulgi' (girl) has been re-appointed as an Advisor in the Sweden Prime Minister's Office in-charge of the crucial departments of Finance, Housing and Financial Markets.

Nila A. Vikhe-Patil, 32, will be working with the new Swedish Prime Minister, K. Stefan Lofven of the Social Democrat

Foreign pilgrims perform a ritual at the Kumbh Mela festival in Prayagraj, India, 5 Feb, 2019. The Kumbh Mela is a series of ritual baths at the Ganges that dates back to at least medieval times. Photo: AP and Green Party coalition government that assumed office on 18 Jan. She is the granddaughter of late Union Minister BalasahebVikhe-Patil, who served under Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

Her father, Dr Ashok Vikhe-Patil said that housing and finance are crucial portfolios and she would be in-charge of the country's central budget and taxes.

A member of the Green Party, Nila is also an elected member of the Stockholm Municipal Corporation's City Council.

"In the previous government, Nila handled departments like small and medium industries, social development, gender policy and the central budget for three years," her proud father told IANS on Nila's unique distinction.

Born in Sweden, Nila was educated mostly in Europe, and holds a management degree from Gothenburg School of Business, and studied economics and law and also acquired a MBA from Madrid's University de Complutense, he said.

Joining active politics from a young age, she has been associated with Swedish Young Greens, Green Party Gothenburg, Green Students of Sweden and on top executive positions of the Green Party, now part of the country's ruling coalition, Vikhe-Patil added.

However, Nila has not severed links with the country of her origin and comes visiting often, the last trip being in June 2018.

The niece of Maharashtra's Leader of Opposition RadhakrishnaVikhe-Patil, Nila's great-grandfather made history by setting up Asia's first cooperative sugar factory in Ahmednagar.

Hunt begins for Lokpal finally

A sitting or retired Chief Justice of India, any serving or retired justice of the Supreme Court or any person of impeccable integrity with at least 25 years of experience in issues relating to anti-corruption policy, public administration, vigilance, finance and law and management, will be eligible to become Chairman, Lokpal.

As the hunt has finally begun for the job of ombudsman after much delay just ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, the eligibility criteria has been put out by a search committee for Lokpal headed by Justice Ranjana Prakash Desai.

For the judicial member of the Lokpal, the applicant can either be a present or former justice of the Supreme Court or current or past Chief Justice of any High Court.

The non-judicial member could be anyone with 25 years of experience in anticorruption related fields.

The eligibility has been fixed as per the Lokpal Act. The applicant for the Chairperson cannot be an elected representative or anyone carrying any business or practising any profession. The candidate should also not be holding any office of trust or profit.

The tenure for Chairman will be five years and the salary will be equivalent to that of the Chief Justice of India.

After becoming Chairperson, no further employment will be allowed as a diplomat. The incumbent will not be allowed to hold any office of profit of the government.

The Chairperson will also be barred from contesting elections to Parliament or state Assemblies for five years after relinquishing the post. The minimum age criteria is 45 years.

The advertisement for Lokpal was issued after anti-corruption activist Anna Hazare had threatened to launch another round of agitation protesting against the delay. He was persuaded to call off the stir on the promise thatLokpal would be formed soon.

The applications have been invited just ahead of the Lok Sabha elections amidst much criticism.

Trump nominee Rao faces scrutiny over past writing about rape

The judicial wars returned to Washington as the Senate Judiciary Committee met to consider Neomi Rao, President Donald Trump's nominee for newest Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh's now-vacant seat on a powerful appellate court in Washington.

Indian-American woman Rao, who serves as Trump's "czar" overseeing regulatory rollbacks, faced fierce questioning from Democrats not just for her work in the Trump administration but for commentary she wrote decades ago as a Yale University student suggesting women should change their behaviour to avoid date rape.

As most every Democratic senator on the dais mentioned her early writings, Rao stressed that they occurred nearly "two decades" ago at a "time of exploration" in college.

In one piece for the Yale Herald written in 1994 titled "Shades of Gray," Rao responded to an alleged date rape incident on campus by writing: "It has always seemed self-evident to me that even if I drank a lot, I would still be responsible for my actions."

She added: "A man who rapes a drunk girl should be prosecuted. At the same time, a good way to avoid a potential date rape is to stay reasonably sober."

Rao said that when she was writing about the incident she emphasised that rape is a crime and no one should "blame the victim" but that she had attempted to make a "common-sense observation" that there were some actions a woman could take so it would be less likely she would become a victim. Rao said she hoped she has "matured" as a writer and a person.

Democratic Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont seized on her comments and said that as a former prosecutor, he had dealt with rape cases. He said he feared her sentiments might lead some women to be too ashamed to report rape.

Rao responded that she had made it "very clear" that "rape is a terrible crime for which men should be held responsible."

"I was trying to make in perhaps not the most elegant way the sort of common-sense observation... It's the advice my mother gave me; it's the advice that I give my children. And I certainly regret any implication of blaming the victim," she said.

Other Republicans leapt to her defence, pointing out that the American Bar Association had given her a rating of "well qualified." The Senate committee is majority Republican.

Financial Chronicle shuts down as DNA bids goodbye to Delhi edition

In a strong signal about the future of print media in the digital era of news, Deccan Chronicle Holdings on 6 Feb decided to shut down the print edition of Financial Chronicle(FC) across five cities and Zee Media Group-owned English daily DNA bid goodbye to its Delhi edition with immediate effect.

Once a busy newsroom, FC was left with a couple of journalists as salaries dried up.

A former FC journalist told IANS that they had not received salaries for over five months. Deccan Chronicle Holdings has shut down all five FC editions - New Delhi, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Chennai.

Zee Media Group-owned English daily DNA also shut down the Delhi edition on 6 Feb and will only retain a bureau in the Capital. The first DNA edition was launched in Mumbai on July 30, 2005.

Mughal Gardens open for public, displays exotic flora

The calming ambience of RashtrapatiBhavan's lush-green Mughal Gardens is all set to welcome the visitors to its 70 varieties of seasonal flowers, including specially imported flowers from the Netherlands and Japan, from 6 Feb to 10 March.

Set against the majestic backdrop of the presidential residence, designed by British architect Edward Lutyens, the 15-acre gardens will open as part of the annual 'Udayanotsav' - a long-standing tradition of the Bhavan.

With this year's colour scheme of the ornamental flowers being white, yellow, red and orange, the President's Garden is blooming with 2019's special attractions: 10,000 tulips in vivid colours, seeds of which were obtained from the Netherlands, and Matthiolaincana, a Japan-imported flower which blossoms into a beautiful white.

During a walk-through of the open space, P.N. Joshi, the garden's Superintendent for 30 years when R. Venkatraman was President, pointed to Rudraksha trees that were introduced by President Ram Nath Kovind.

"The Bhawan is constructed out of red stone, so we choose majority of whites and yellows to make the flower show stand out," Joshi, who has been responsible for designing and preparing the entire garden told IANS, adding that the garden has slowly moved on from planting just local flowers to more exotic varieties.

Usually hailed as a perfect day-out destination for visitors, especially children and nature lovers, the Mughal Gardens have around 137 varieties of roses on display, along with small patches of the Pasadena, Pansy, China Man, Marigold, Antigun, Pink Parfait, Dahlia, Zambra, and Laptosinia flower varieties, and creepers.

Floral carpets designed by over 40 gardeners will be on view.

Apart from the flower gardens, a spiritual garden showcasing plants significant to all religions, a herbal garden with patches of Brahmi, Giloy and Ashwagandha plants among others, a Bonsai garden and a musical garden will be open to public.

A beautified cactus corner with interesting varieties of cactus and succulents has been landscaped, along with showcasing of air purifying plants, and organic fresh vegetables and fruits grown in-house.

A ready relief from Delhi's choking pollution, the botanical treat will also be accessible to wheelchair-users. A tactile garden for visually impaired will be open on 11 March. According to the RashtrapatiBhavan's representatives, over half a million (5.54 lakh) visitors enjoyed the garden visits over a month-long opening in February and March last year.

IANS