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IndoAmerican News

STOCKS • FINANCE • SOUTH ASIAN MARKETS • TECHNOLOGY

New York Life Celebrates 166th Anniversary, Doubles Growth, Recruits in Spite of Slow Economy

By Jacob David SUGAR LAND, TX: New York Life, a Fortune 100 company, conducted a preliminary recruiting session at Madras Pavilion restaurant in Sugar Land on April 29, Friday. Senior Partner Mehmood Daya, Srinivas Ranga, Assistant Vice President, Asian Indian Marketing Unit, New York; along with Babukundu, Senior Marketing Associate; partners Ramesh Cherivirala, Abbas Taylor, and agents Timir Patel, Amiralli Dodhiya, and Peter Paulose were present to give a briefpresentation about the benefits of working and joining the New York Life family. New York

Life is set to expand the Houston and Sugar Land operations in the next eight months.

With the economic recession being acknowledged as such toward the tail end of 2007, New York Life earnings has since then been up 30% and their surplus earnings are now up by $2.8 billion. The recession was actually a big plus for us, it worked in their favor. Why? Because many banks went out of business. AIG, the giant conglomerate went under, smaller insurance companies went out of business, their clients sought New York Life for Investment Management and Security. In 2009, the entire insur-

ance industry was down 15%, New York Life alone was up 16%. For 2010, New York Life’s sales were up 39% while cumulative industry sales was up only 12%.

Over 3,433 agents were hired in 2010 alone. The company also paid $13.4 Billion in Policy holder benefits and Dividends in 2010, a time when most company stocks are

INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, May 6 , 2011 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

reporting losses. New York Life has also entered India as Max New York Life. Indian as well as world leading company managers vouch for the training given by New York Life to be one of the best, reaching international standards of excellence.

New York Life owns a 10.4% share of the US Insurance market.

It has met all the financial requirements to operate in all 50 states.

Currently it boasts a surplus of $16.8 billion. It provides all types of financial services, not just life insurance. It provides plans for Annuities, Investment Management continued on page

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Indo American News • Friday. May 6, 2011

BUSINESS INdIA

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New York Life Celebrates 166th Anniversary, Doubles Growth, Recruits in Spite of Slow Economy 25

401K’s, mutual funds, and such. It also provides and help manage Securities - options to purchase into stocks, bonds and mutual funds.

New York Life is one of the oldest and largest mutual financial services company since April 12, 1845. It has become successful because it operates with long term growth in mind. They have always been there offering a reliable sense of security for its clients whenever they need them.

Hiring at New York Life has always been a stringent process, selecting only 8 top candidates out of every 200. Recruiting the cream of the crop has enabled New York Life to seek out dedicated individuals to help the company grow.

As Ramesh Cherivirala puts it, “I interviewed 40 people last quarter, have hired no one so far, zippo!

We are looking for the best of the best.” Pointers as to what New York Life looks at in individuals whilst hiring, were given by both Daya and Cherivirala, “We are seeking both men and women who are passionate and willing to help others achieve their financial freedom, ethical, have people skills, know a lot of people and are effective at networking, eager to be in business but not by themselves, committed and dedicated, and have the desire to change the quality of life for their clients and themselves.

Mehmood Daya, Senior Partner, started with four degrees in Humanities and Religious Studies.

Getting tired of being compared to life insurance to pay for the ex- his family jewelry business for successful people in his family and penses or continue on with family 8-10 years, seeing no significant well known friends in his inner life, helped him realize the value growth, putting in long hours. circle, he joined New York Life to of financial planning. “New York Daya introduced him to New York prove others wrong. He now heads Life is truly in the business of Life. From a wage earner making the Sugar Land operations and is helping individuals attain financial just $26K he doubled his salary to set to make it a successful venture, freedom. All families live with the $60K in just his first year. With 12 pitting it against the likes of the hope they achieve financial securi- people in his unit, he is looking to Boston and New York insurance ty. New York Life is a profession- hire more. “Both management and markets. ally managed company by well sales are tracks that has its own Ramesh Cherivirala, Partner, is trained individuals who can help challenges.” he says. a successful business entrepreneur. guide each family to attain that.”

New York Life offers a well He came to the US with a PhD in he says. meshed training system that offers Organic Chemistry. Ramesh deAbbas Tailor, a partner for the several safety nets for its new recided to join New York Life just 2 last four years started off as an cruits. “We provide every tool for days before the 9/11 episode. With agent for 10 years. He was an ac- new recruits to become successful. no sales experience whatsoever, countant in Pakistan. He also ran Ramesh faced obstacles, overcame them and became partner in just 3.5 years.

Amiralli Dodhiya, one of the top agents, said that New York Life has been his passion ever since he started on the business.

With his The New York Life Team L-R: Timir Patel, Babukundu, Senior Marketing Associate; dad’s pass- Srinivas Ranga, Assistant Vice President, Asian Indian Marketing Unit, New York; Senior ing and Partner Mehmood Daya, Ramesh Cherivirala, top agent; and Peter Paulose, Registered having no Representative Photos: Jacob David

Amiralli Dodhiya, one of the top agents recalls his first days with New York Life, a job that he just loves doing day in and day out.

We provide constant mentoring to show them the way. Each recruit has the freedom to approach families. The management is never in competition with the agents as they are not producers, one who makes things happen, that is solely the agent’s turf,” Ramesh adds, “Our sales agents are our frontline support, they represent the face of New York Life, so it is crucial to us that they are trained well,” he adds. Hotline support, sales desk and online support are among the most used by our agents when they undergo training. Screened candidates go through four interview and selection levels.

New York Life also has numerous product consultants, CPA’s and Attorneys to help its sales staff manage the various products and services on a daily basis. This helps clients to have a true sense of financial freedom and security for life. For details, visit the company website, www.newyorklife.com IA News © 2011

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India Among Major Economies to Drive Asian Growth: ADB HANOI (ET): India and six other major economies in Asia will drive the region’s growth, which, according to current projections, could account for more than half of the global gross domestic product by 2050, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) said in a report released Wednesday. “Asia’s rise will be led by the Peoples Republic of China, India, Indonesia, Japan , Republic of Korea, Malaysia, and Thailand,� said the multilateral financial institution.

According to the report, India would grow to be a $40.4 trillion economy from the current $1.4 trillion in 2010. India would be second in the region to China, which would by 2050 become a $62.9 trillion. China’s economy was $5.7 trillion in 2010.

Also, India’s share in the global gross domestic product would be 14 percent, while China’s would be much larger at 22 percent, according to the ADB report.

India, however, would witness a faster rate of economic growth in the next 40 years compared to China as it still has a young population which will grow into a one billion strong

work force by 2050, 25 percent more than China.

The average per capita income of these seven countries would be $45,800, 25 percent higher than the global average of $36,600, the report said.

These seven economies, which in 2010 had a combined gross domestic product (GDP) of $14.2 trillion, or 87 percent of all Asian countries, will see their share rise further to 90 percent by 2050.

The ADB, however, cautioned against taking growth for granted. “The impression has been created that the ascendancy of Asia is somehow an immutable fact and the only question is merely when China and India will become the largest and second largest global economies, as if the countries are on autopilot, gliding smoothly to their rightful destiny,� said the report. “Its leaders must be aware that future prosperity will need to be earned, in the same way that developed economies today earned their success over the past 40 years.�

The report also said that Asian economies like China and India must shift to focussing on developing

entrepreneurship and innovation to create breakthroughs in science and technology and joining the ranks of Japan, Republic of Korea and other high-income economies.

euphoric high since US president Barack Obama came to town and declared India had, in fact, already emerged.

But with apologies for “raining on the parade,�

Rajat Nag, managing director of the Asian Development Bank, warned last year t h a t I n d i a ’s emergence as a major economic power is “plausible� but “not preordained,�. “ T h e demographic President Obama’s acknowledgement that India has dividend can emerged is stating the fact. India is set to lead the e a s i l y b e a Asian sector only next to China. President Obama d e m o g r a p h i c takes some time to talk to children, the future of c u r s e i f y o u India don’t skill them It also highlighted some of the properly,� Nag told investors challenges that countries like India and policymakers at the World face such as rising inequities and Economic Forum’s India Economic disparities which “could alter its Summit. “If you have 120 or 130 political and social fabric. million young people coming into Indians have been riding on a the workforce, and no jobs for

them, that lays the groundwork for dangerous social unrest.�

India’s workforce is currently estimated at 630m people, and is projected to increase to around 825m people within the decade.

But many Indian executives and international policymakers are warning that India’s education and vocational training system is falling far short of preparing huge numbers of Indian youth for productive employment, especially youth from rural areas whose own parents are involved in agriculture.

Many children are unable to even read, write or do math at the level appropriate for their age and school grade. “Skilling has to be part of the early educations system,â€? said Hari Bhartia, president of the Confederation of Indian Industry, “School education is not preparing kids for the workforce.â€? “If you look at the world, it would inevitably appear India’s growth is preordained,â€? he said. “The world needs working hands. The world needs back offices. India seems to be a natural fit‌We are producing a workforce which is not only for India, but a global workforce.â€?

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Indo American News • Friday. May 6, 2011

INDIA

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Adani of India to Buy Australian Port for $2 Billion

Babulbhai

and real estate magnate, runs the of the port deal would be used to

By Chris V Nicholson QUEENSLAND (NYT): Adani largest private sector coal importer finance natural disaster recovery Enterprises of India said on Tuesday in India, a country hungry for energy projects.

“This is a huge vote of confidence that it would acquire the Abbott resources. He already has other Point Coal Terminal in the state of investments in Queensland. Adani in the Queensland economy and in Queensland in northeast Australia signed a $3.3 billion deal with Linc Queensland’s future,” Anna Bligh, t h e r e g i o n ’s for 1.8 billion premier, said Australian in a statement. dollars, or “Following the roughly $2 catastrophic billion, giving impact of the a boost to floods and an area still Cyclone Yasi, recovering the government from a series announced the of floods last proceeds from year. the lease of the Adani’s Abbot Point port terminal Coal Terminal operator, would help pay Mundra Port Q u e e n s l a n d ’s and Special share of the Economic recovery costs.”

Zone Limited, Queensland disclosed in a The Adani Group, India is set to acquire the Abbott Point coal terminal filing to the for $2 billion, signing a 99 year lease for the deal. Australia is on a bid is attempting to Bombay Stock to raise 15 billion Australian dollars by giving private companies the raise up to 15 Exchange that right to lease / own land. These monies will be used to fund natural billion Australian dollars by it had signed a disaster recovery projects privatizing public 99-year lease assets. It took in for the Abbott terminal.

“Abbott Point is our contribution Energy last autumn to develop coal about 4.6 billion dollars last year from the initial public offering of to India’s global ambitions,” said properties in Queensland.

The Queensland government the rail operator QR National.

Gautam Adani, chair of Adani.

Mr. Adani, an Indian billionaire said on Tuesday that the proceeds

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India Puts Tight Leash on Internet Free Speech - Protest by Advocates On! By vikas BaJaJ MUMBAI (NYT) — Free speech advocates and Internet users are protesting new Indian regulations restricting Web content that, among other things, can be considered “disparaging,” “harassing,” “blasphemous” or “hateful.”

The new rules, quietly issued by the country’s Department of Information Technology earlier this month and only now attracting attention, allow officials and private citizens to demand that Internet sites and service providers remove content they consider objectionable on the basis of a long list of criteria.

Critics of the new rules say the restrictions could severely curtail debate and discussion on the Internet, whose use has been growing fast in India.

The list of objectionable content is sweeping and includes anything that “threatens the unity, integrity, defense, security or sovereignty of India, friendly relations with foreign states or public order.”

The rules highlight the ambivalence with which Indian officials have long treated freedom of expression. The country’s constitution allows “reasonable restrictions” on free speech but lawmakers have periodically stretched that definition to ban books, movies and other material about sensitive subjects like sex, politics and religion.

An Indian state, for example,

recently banned an American Technology. Other government down. “These rules overly favor author’s new biography of the agencies have probably blocked those who want to clamp down on freedom of expression,” Mr. Indian freedom fighter Mohandas more sites, the group said.

The new Internet rules go further Abraham said. “Whenever there Gandhi that critics have argued disparages Mr. Gandhi by talking than existing Indian laws and are limits of freedom of expression, about his relationship with another restrictions, said Sunil Abraham, in order for those limits to be the executive director for the Center considered constitutionally valid, man.

Although fewer than 10 percent for Internet and Society. The rules those limits have to be clear and of Indians have access to the require Internet “intermediaries” not be very vague. Many of these Internet, that number has been — an all-encompassing group rules that seek to place limits are very, very vague.” growing fast — especially An official for the on mobile devices. There People’s Union for Civil are more than 700 million Liberties, an advocacy group cellphone accounts in India. based in New Delhi, said The country has also on Wednesday that it was established a thriving considering a legal challenge technology industry that to the constitutionality of the writes software and creates new rules.

Web services primarily for “What are we, Saudi Western clients.

Arabia?” said Pushkar Raj, Even before the new rules the group’s general secretary.

— known as the Information “We don’t expect this from Technology (Intermediaries India. This is something very guidelines) Rules, 2011 — India has periodically tried to Internet has its advantages and disadvantages. serious.” restrict speech on the Internet. With India curtailing free speech and content A n o f f i c i a l a t t h e In 2009, the government online, there has been an outpour of protests Department of Information by free speech advocates. Internet cafes all banned a popular and graphic over the country have been asked to block Technology, Gulshan Rai, online comic strip, Savita sites that the government finds objectionable did not return calls and messages.

Bhabhi, about a housewife in content The rules are based on a with an active sex life. Indian 2008 information technology officials have also required social networking sites like Orkut to that includes sites like YouTube law that India’s Parliament passed take down posts deemed offensive and Facebook and companies that shortly after a three-day siege host Web sites or provide Internet on Mumbai by Pakistan-based to ethnic and religious groups.

Using a freedom of information connections — to respond to any terrorists that killed more than law, the Center for Internet and demand to take down offensive 163 people. That law, among Society, a Bangalore-based content within 36 hours. The rules other things, granted authorities research and advocacy group, do not provide a way for content more expansive powers to monitor recently obtained and published producers to defend their work or electronic communications for a list of 11 Web sites banned by appeal a decision to take content reasons of national security. It also granted privacy protections the Department of Information

MANTRA

to consumers. While advocates for free speech and civil liberties have complained that the 2008 law goes too far in violating the rights of Indians, Internet firms have expressed support for it. The law removed liability from Internet intermediaries as long as they were not active participants in creating content that was later deemed to be offensive.

Subho Ray, the president of the Internet and Mobile Association of India, which represents companies like Google and eBay, said the liability waiver was a big improvement over a previous law that had been used to hold intermediaries liable for hosting content created by others. In 2004, for instance, the police arrested eBay’s top India executive because a user of the company’s Indian auction site had offered to sell a video clip of a teenage couple having sex.

“The new I.T. Act (2008) is, in fact, a large improvement on the old one,” Mr. Ray said in an e-mail response to questions.

Mr. Ray said his association had not taken a stand on the new regulations. An India-based spokeswoman for Google declined to comment on the new rules, saying the company needed more time to respond.

Along with the new content regulations, the government also issued rules governing data security, Internet cafes and the electronic provision of government services.

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Indo American News • Friday. May 6, 2011

INDIA

U.S. Loses Bids to Supply Jets to India “This move will most certainly NEW DELHI (NYT): The make a final decision by the end of reduce India’s geopolitical leverage United States lost a hard-fought March 2012.

Both American companies are with the U.S. military-industrial competition to supply a new generation of fighter jets to India, also looking to sell other military complex, at a time when India which has listed two European hardware to India, which unlike needs it most,” Mr. Pai wrote on manufacturers as the finalists for much of the Western world has his blog, The Acorn. He added, “Is an order estimated to be worth $10 been sharply increasing its defense the United States more likely to spending. Some analysts say India be sympathetic to India’s interests billion.

The decision was a blow for President Obama, who had pushed hard for this and other defense deals during his visit to India in November as part of his agenda to deepen and broaden the United States’ relationship with India. The American ambassador to India, Timothy J. Roemer, who separately announced on Thursday that he would resign from his post for personal reasons, said the United States was $10 billion worth of jet production has been bagged by two European manufacturers “deeply disappointed to supply jets to India. President Obama has been pushing hard for trade relations to develop between India and USA. India has chosen Rafale fighter from Dassault by this news.”

While political and the Eurofighter Typhoon jet made by a consortium of European companies. a n d e c o n o m i c Russians and Swedish makers of jets were also turned down. Pictured here is the relations between McDonnel Douglas FA-18 E Super Hornet now made by Boeing, USA India and the United States have been warming for could spend $50 billion to $80 after an $11 billion contract — years, American arms makers have billion on equipment in the next which means much needed jobs for the U.S. economy — is awarded to struggled to win big contracts here. five years.

O n e I n d i a n i n t e r n a t i o n a l someone else?”

After decades of frosty relations Dinesh Keskar, president of during the cold war, which affairs analyst, C. Raja Mohan, pushed India to rely extensively played down the significance of Boeing’s Indian operation, said that on the Soviet Union for military the American companies’ loss of while the company was “obviously hardware, many in the Indian this deal. He said that the Indian disappointed” about not making the defense establishment are still wary government was buying more from cut for the fighter jets, it was “quite of American intentions and United United States contractors than ever excited about the opportunities in India.” He added that the company States military aid to Pakistan, before. “ O n e d e a l d o e s n ’t m a k e was seeking a meeting with Indian India’s main adversary.

The American bid to build everything,” said Mr. Mohan, a officials to find out why its planes the fighters came from Boeing senior fellow at the Center for were not selected.

Boeing said the company and the and Lockheed Martin. Boeing Policy Research in New Delhi. had offered its F/A -18 jets, and “There has been a lot of hype Indian Air Force were in the final Lockheed Martin pitched its F-16 about this deal. We are doing things stages of negotiating a contract planes. But India instead narrowed with the U.S. that we never did for C-17 cargo planes that was announced by Mr. Obama and the list to the Rafale fighter from before.”

But another analyst, Nitin Pai, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Dassault and the Eurofighter Typhoon jet made by a consortium argued that India’s decision would in November. And it is hoping to of European companies. Russian hurt relations with the United States, win orders for attack and heavy-lift and Swedish bids were also turned at a time when the country needed helicopters. stronger ties with America to “We are quite engaged with down.

The 126 planes are meant to advance its interests in Afghanistan and will continue our partnership replace aging Russian jets. A and Pakistan and the United Nations with India,” Mr. Keskar said in a spokesman for the Indian Defense Security Council, on which India is telephone interview.

Ministry said the country hoped to seeking a permanent seat.

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OPINION

India Teaches US the Need for Patience

By James Lamont NEW DELHI (FT): When Ratan Tata, the 73-year-old chairman of the Tata Group, strapped himself into the cockpit of a Boeing F/A–18 Super Hornet three months ago to blast into the sky above Bangalore, Washington must have felt that payday was within its grasp.

Ever since former US president George W. Bush agreed the IndoUS civil nuclear deal three years ago, the White House has keenly waited for its investment in India to produce a return.

US diplomats call it “payback” for a deal that legitimised India’s nuclear industry and opened a way to the top table of nations within the nuclear club, the United Nations and the G20.

Bush’s successor Barack Obama put top of the list big business deals that create much-needed jobs in the US across multiple sectors and states. That message was made plain with the feting of Manmohan Singh, India’s prime minister, at the White House and with Obama’s visit to India in November. The US cash register was primed to ring with new business.

On that trip, Obama walked away with deals worth $10bn, representing 50,000 American jobs.

But Washington wanted more.

A contract to deliver 126 multirole combat aircraft, worth $11bn, was one suitable prize. Boeing and Lockheed Martin were both in the competition.

But, last week, France’s Dassault and the multinational Eurofighter Typhoon consortium made the shortlist. The US, alongside Sweden and Russia, did not.

It was an embarrassing blow to the White House. Particularly humiliating was being outflanked by French president Nicolas Sarkozy, coupled with the Indian air force’s declaration that US technology was inferior to Europe’s.

On the day of the defeat, Timothy Roemer, the US ambassador to New Delhi and a personal friend of Obama, resigned. He departed from the usual rhetoric to admit that Washington was “deeply disappointed”. He could have just as easily said “short-changed”.

The pressure to win defence contracts is all the more acute because of setbacks in India’s

INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, May 6, 2011• ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

n u c l e a r e n e rg y s e c t o r. U S companies still hope to win big.

But they are discouraged by nuclear liability legislation. Less squeamish competitors, like Russia and France have rushed in where General Electric and Westinghouse tread more fearfully.

So what are the lessons of the defeat? One is that India resists, openly at least, transactional relationships. Many US partners do.

Neighbouring Pakistan similarly bridles, but with a broken economy can less easily resist. Islamabad deeply resents the predicament of being Washington’s “hired gun” to fight Islamist extremists.

Another lesson is that India drives a hard bargain.

Lalit Mansingh, India’s former foreign secretary, says the US needs to build trust and not get too hung up on formal agreements.

The Russians have understood this over the past six decades of support for India. The US friendship is far younger and less tested. Aggressive sales pitches do not work. Roemer, who has served barely two years in India, knows by now that India rewards time and punishes the impatient.

But he can take comfort. First, what is happening between India and the US was unthinkable a decade ago, when Washington imposed sanctions after India’s nuclear weapons tests in 1998.

Second, India, the world’s fastest growing economy after China, is buying American. It has ordered C-130 transport aircraft and P-8 maritime surveillance planes. It stands to buy C-17 aircraft for $4bn.

Third, it would be reckless to let the disappointment of Boeing and Lockheed sour a partnership that holds promise, especially when New Delhi’s bureaucracy in many ways least reflects the economic and social change sweeping a country of 1.2bn people.

Shortly after announcing his exit, Roemer reflected: “Our relationship with India is not perfect – no relationship in the world is.”

The jet deal may have eluded the US, but others are needed to give credence to Obama’s billing that the US-India partnership is one that will define the 21st century.

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India Unearths Corruption in Fast-Growing Aviation Industry By heather timmoNs NEW DELHI (NYT) More than a dozen commercial pilots in India have been stripped of their licenses and a top airline safety official has been suspended after a government investigation uncovered widespread fraud and corruption in the booming aviation industry.

Several of India’s private carriers, as well as its state-run airline, Air India, have fired active pilots as a result of the inquiry, which uncovered pilots falsifying flying records, cheating on flight exams and paying bribes to testing officials.

India’s government and its private sector are already convulsing with corruption scandals, which have tainted mobile phone companies as well as last year’s Commonwealth Games. The pilot investigation, though, carries particular shock value.

“You really are messing with people’s lives if you are messing with a pilot’s license,” said Neil Mills, chief executive of SpiceJet, a low-cost carrier here that has fired three pilots for violations. “The penalties for corruption and not sticking to the rules should be much stricter and better enforced.”

The review of India’s active commercial pilot licenses is about half-finished, said an official with the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, India’s main airline regulatory body. So far, government officials have revoked 6 commanders’ licenses, which certify experienced pilots to be in charge in the cockpit, and 13 other commercial pilots’ licenses, those

given preferential treatment in flew on Indian airlines in 2010, often held by first officers.

The agency is also investigating getting her pilot’s license. She was more than double the number of dozens of flight schools that have suspended from SpiceJet last month passengers five years ago. India has cropped up in recent years as over irregularities. added more than 300 commercial But the agency’s most serious planes and more than 500 private demand has grown for new pilots.

Pilot schools here are attracting problem is not corruption within, jets and helicopters in the past 10 new students, from engineers to but crippling understaffing, critics years, Mr. Kaul estimates. housewives, and While growth in can charge more air travel has slowed than $65,000 in Asia in recent for a course that months, in India it lasts less than a is still expanding year. rapidly. Domestic India’s airline airlines carried 9.6 industry began million passengers expanding 20 in January of years ago amid this year, up 19.6 broad economic percent from a year liberalizations, before. but it has grown Accident rates phenomenally have remained as the economy fairly low. Last has blossomed May’s crash of an in recent years, Air India Express attracting flight in Mangalore, b i l l i o n s o f From getting pilot licenses to just day to day operations, the entire which killed 158 d o l l a r s i n aviation industry is lagging behind in advancement because of people, was the first investment and corruption that is at every level. Pilots get by and get licenses by major accident by cheating on their exams, several bribe scandals are being unearthed. giving rise to Indian airlines one of the oldest in the country is still ailing because an Indian carrier in a number of of several variables, one of them being corruption a decade. new airlines The director to handle tens general of the of millions of new passengers. say, adding that it has little real aviation agency acknowledged Government oversight of the boom, chance of policing an industry that it had not grown apace with the analysts and airline professionals prone to corruption and rife with industry. “If you look at the F.A.A. nepotism. here say, lags perilously behind. in the United States, they have “It is not the question of just one five or six thousand employees,” The Directorate General of Civil Aviation, D.G.C.A., is responsible case, or one D.G.C.A. director or said the official, E.K. Bharat for monitoring everything from one airline, and then we can fix it Bhushan. “I have 140 people, with airport safety to fleet maintenance and get over it,” said Kapil Kaul, 82 airports.” and pilot training and certification. South Asia chief executive for the About two years ago, the Federal This week, R. S. Passi, its director Center for Asia Pacific Aviation, a Aviation Administration found of air safety, was removed from research group. “It is a failure of the enough problems with Indian the job amid accusations that his entire system.” carriers that it threatened to Just over 63 million people downgrade them to Category 2 daughter, Garima Passi, had been

INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, MAY 6 , 2011 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

status, which would have limited their ability to expand routes to the United States. But that threat was lifted when the Indian aviation agency promised to add 550 positions and make other major changes.

Most of those jobs have not been filled, Mr. Bhushan said. “Because it is a government department, recruitment has been difficult,” he said. Even if a fast-track hiring plan he has proposed to India’s top ministers succeeds, he said, finding skilled airline experts in the country will be difficult. “We just don’t have enough people,” he said.

Pilot groups say the testing system itself needs modernization.

“Our system is just prehistoric,” said Rishabh Kapur, the general secretary of the Indian Commercial Pilots Association, a domestic pilots union. Written tests are given only four times a year and are not computerized, and results take two months, he said. Often, the tests have more to do with reading comprehension and grammar skills than flying know-how, he added.

“We need to pull up our socks and get to global standards,” Mr. Kapur said.

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INdIAN dIASPORA

Indian American Satish Appointed US Varsity President

from the University of Toronto and WASHINGTON (MM): Reputed universities in the country.

“To do that, we need to make an two in statistics from the University Indian American computer scientist Satish K. Tripathi, a Banaras impact with our research, have a of Alberta and Banaras Hindu Hindu University alumnus, has better quality of life for our citizenry University.

After receiving a doctorate been appointed president of the and foster economic development prestigious University at Buffalo in Western New York, as well as in computer science from the University of Toronto (UB) in New York state. in 1979, he joined the Tripathi, 60, is the first computer science faculty non-American president in at the University of the history of UB, the largest Maryland, where he spent and most comprehensive 19 years on the faculty, university in the State including seven years as University of New York department chair.

(SUNY) system and one He moved on to the of two SUNY institutions University of Californiawhich is a member of the Riverside in 1997 to prestigious Association become dean of the Bourns of American Universities College of Engineering.

(AAU).

He joined UB as provost Jeremy M. Jacobs, chair and executive vice of the UB Council and president for academic the presidential search affairs in 2004. committee, said Tripathi Dr. Tripathi said, “It was the unanimous choice would be my distinct of the council, selected privilege to lead our from an outstanding pool remarkable university, of some 70 candidates in which is recognized for a very competitive search Photo: Buffalo.edu its tradition of excellence spread over seven months.

“Dr. Tripathi is a gifted Computer scientist Satish K Tripathi, has been and has an extraordinary leader and accomplished appointed president of the University at Buffalo future ahead.”

In March, he was recommended researcher who possesses the provide an excellent education for for the position by Chancellor ability and knowledge to guide our students,” he said.

Tripathi, who served as UB Nancy Zimpher “It is my great UB to become one of the world’s truly great research universities,” provost and executive vice president pleasure to recommend Dr. Satish for academic affairs for six years, Tripathi as the next president of Jacobs said.

Tripathi says he is committed succeeds John B. Simpson as head the University at Buffalo, Dr. to furthering the vision of the of SUNY’s most comprehensive Tripathi’s international reputation as an accomplished researcher and university that is at the heart of university.

Tripathi graduated top of his class transformative leader in higher the UB 2020 plan: to make UB an excellent university and bring from Banaras Hindu University in education makes him ideally it to the next level, where it is India, and holds three master’s suited to serve as president of the competing with the top research degrees - one in computer science University at Buffalo.”

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Malaysian Indian Couple Promotes Education Among Poor

By sarBaN siNgh SEREMBAN (Star): A couple has made it their life’s mission to ensure that school-going children will have access to quality education.

W. Navin Raj and wife K. Nisha, both 32, are now appealing to the public to donate exercise, revision and workbooks, stationery, uniforms and food for poor children.

plight was highlighted by The Star recently.

“We are going to do everything possible to make sure these kids are in school where they are supposed to be,” said Navin Raj, a sales engineer. Navin Raj said since they highlighted the plight of the children on their website www.indianonlineshops.com/ charity, many people had offered assistance.

“We visited the school a day after the report appeared and saw that many pupils needed help. “ S i n c e then, we have managed to get Navin Raj (right) handing over revision books, people to sponsor stationery and other reading material to SRJKT w o r k b o o k s , Ladang Linsum Parent-Teacher Association head stationery and S.Kumaravell while headmistress A. Gracy looks seminar papers on. Also present are the eight pupils who were for all the 120 barred from the school earlier pupils in the They started the project after school,” he said, adding that some reading about the plight of eight had even donated food. children who were barred from “Since the Year Six pupils are attending school for close to a required to attend extra classes, month because they have no birth we arranged for a van to ferry certificates. them home after school,” she said, The children siblings L. Nisha, adding that the canteen operator 10, Pavitra, nine, and Teeban, would prepare meals for pupils eight, cousins S. Meganathan, who needed to stay back for the 11 and Mahaletchumy, seven, C. extra classes.

Jayasutha, 12, K. Tamilarasi, nine, Nisha’s students at her tuition and G. Arvind, eight have since centre are also chipping in by been allowed to return to SRJKT donating used clothes and books.

Ladang Linsum near here after their

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TRAVEL

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The TRAVELing Desi

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Fourth Largest City has an Air of Provinciality for the Foreign Traveler

By Jawahar Malhotra HOUSTON: It had been a long flight from Dubai, over 15 hours long, straight to George H. Bush InterContinnental Airport and even more when you added in the 4 hour hop from New Delhi to Dubai and the 3 hour layover at the airport.

With my elderly mother in a wheelchair and handbags in tow, I searched in vain for a pushcart to go the endless distance to the immigration counter. We were

oasis for the traveler to rest his body and nurture his spirit with comfort, refreshment and amusement.

Most good architectural design firms have realized this many years ago and embrace the concept in their fanciful designs. Foremost, they realize that the airport is the foreign traveler’s window to the culture of the city and the country they have entered: a huge ad campaign to display the jewels of their land.

The impression that the air traveler,

The Dubai Airport Departure Terminal offers an appealing architectural design

shown through a glassed off, unappealing narrow corridor like some cattle being directed to the pen; crossed over a stark, grey, carpeted passage devoid of any color or welcome signs; strode over a skybridge with a view of cars passing by below; past an empty hall with queue dividers and turned into another similar hall for the immigration process.

No music, no cultural experience, no warmth exuded from this penitentiary like, but functional experience. Down the escalator to a yawning baggage claim where the carrousel, the two busy ones out of ten. had been turned off to save energy, the rustic (and rusting) baggage carts were from a bygone, Third-World era and the customs lines did not offer Green or Red aisles, just again a functional, procedural, slow security driven flow.

The most basic things that international air travelers look for at airports are creature comforts.

After all, these are people who have spent thousands on the airline ticket alone, and then even more in gifts and souvenirs for themselves and others in their final destinations.

And airports offer the haven, the

Svarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok, where Thai culture and a shopping extravaganza mixes with delicious varieties of cuisine and smiling sales people. Or Hong Kong International Airport with its tubelike terminals opening to vistas of the island, shops, restaurants and free internet services. Or the new Dubai International Airport with its gleaming chrome encased columns, high ceilings, polished granite floors, triple wide elevators and interior gardens and waterfalls.

Or take Beijing International Airport built in time for the 2008 Olympics and very opulent if less of a shoppers dream. Or Shanghai International Airport which outclasses all the others worldwide with its Mag-Lev superfast train connection to the city. Much older, but still mindful to make the traveller’s journey comfortable yet profitable for the airport are the Singapore’s Changi Airport, Schipol International Airport inAmsterdam, Paris’Charles De’Gaulle Airport, Heathrow Airport in London and Narita Airport in Tokyo. These airports even have Duty Free shopping on

the way to the immigration and customs counters!

And the list can go on. Even airports from emerging countries have gone several steps in this direction, like Ho Chi Minh City’s clean airport in Vietnam. Or New Delhi’s Terminal 3 at Indira Gandhi International Airport with clusters for television watchers, playful lighting and a huge pod for shoppers and diners, even if the prices are comparable to European scales.

Critics may scoff at the costs and bemoan that these airports are new and have thrown public money wastefully, money that cannot be recovered over time. But then, they have missed the opportunity to capture millions in sales taxes and concessions from the vendors and the turnover of cash from the travelers. Furthermore, they have wasted a chance to paint a picture of the city, and of Texas, for the world to see and reflect upon.

Instead, we are given portraits of Houston politicians, from Mayor, City Council, Congressmen and Senators to gaze at, and art projects from area school children to admire.

And, to add insult to injury, for an

even the most casual transit one, will leave with will stay forever and this is the message that the traveler will spread wherever they go.

The next thing that designers understand is that air travelers are a captive audience who will while away the time browsing, shopping, eating, often at inflated prices, lured in by Duty Free Shops, once they are in the cocoon of secure lounges and to induce them to part with their dollar requires the right environment with clever and catchy marketing.

In the words of Marshall McLuhan, a demigod of the marketing world, the media is the massage.

These lessons are well applied in airports, some old, some new, around the world and the results have been a satisfied traveler whose senses have been satiated The Dubai airport welcomes the weary travelers offering them all the enough to leave behind creature comforts they can imagine. Anything and all things their hearts not only his weariness but desire from relaxing music, comfortable lounge seats, duty free shops to also a substantial chunk a varied line of cuisine experiences. Arriving in airports like Dubai, Beijing of money at the shops International, Schipol in Amsterdam, Charles De’ Gaulle in France, Ho Chi and restaurants. Take for Minh in Vietnam leaves a strong and vibrant impression upon the traveler’s example, the enormous mind that they will share with others

INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, MAY 6, 2011 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM

airport that has been growing for the past three decades, there is still a lack of a rail link to downtown, some 30 miles away. By comparision, there are rail links from most major airports around the world, like in the ones mentioned earlier, to key destinations within the city.

But most bitingly, is the remarkable improvement in this regard that the city of New Delhi has made in the last year, where an Airport Express links the airport with five stations, including New Delhi Railway Station, via an underground and elevated rail line, making the distance in 21 minutes at a cost of Rs. 100 ($2.25) for the whole length. The carriages supplied by a Spanish firm are clean, futuristic and air conditioned as are the huge stations, manned with smiling personnel and tidily dressed, polite porters who offer pushcart services for Rs. 50 ($1.25) for three bags.

It is a case where a Third World country has out bested the Fourth Largest city in the US, the Energy Capital of the World, but not the only such case. In a slap to the other side of the face, five years ago, New Delhi went on an ambitious but aggressive drive to build a Metro system in time for the 2009 Commonwealth Games and overcame the skepticism that many had of corruption, workmanship and delays to build an entire 200km (125 miles) long mostly elevated network that encompasses the entire city, and does not interfere with traffic on the surface roadways. Wherever the stations are set, tiny shops have mushroomed and rickshaws and feeder buses take commuters around the area, giving work to many, and offering revenues back to the city.

To replicate these efforts, the Bayou City’s airports require is a long-term vision to help the city and also become a creator of jobs and dreams for business for others.

It is unfortunate that the city leaders have accquiesed to narrowly driven plans when such projects were more affordable. Now, with the passage of time, not only are costs higher and some may say out of reach, but the notion of overcoming provinciality, of using the much ballyhooed cultural diversity to our advantage, of becoming a World Class city is burnished like some oil and tar washed up on Gulf coast sands.

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sociETy

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35

Mahesh Durgadas Kanojia Passes On

Wedding Album, Girish Karnad’s Play at Wortham Center HOUSTON: Indo American Association presents a hilarious comedy in English, Wedding Album, on Friday May 13, at 8 pm, at the Wortham center. Written by internationally renowned playwright Girish Karnad and directed by Lilette Dubey of Monsoon Wedding.

The play is about an NRI marrying a traditional girl in India has been staged more than hundred times to a standing ovation, including weeklong performances in packed houses in UK. To know more about the play, visit www.iaahouston.com

Maheshbhai was active in the Beaumont and Houston communities since 1980 as a physician, businessman, and philanthropist. Having studied at the University of Bombay, the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and the University of Georgia, he began his career in Texas at the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. He was a member of MD Anderson’s Advisory Board, and founded the Ben and Julie Rogers Cancer Center in Beaumont.

Maheshbhai had two great hobbies: travel and cricket. He has helped build awareness of Yoga and Ayurveda here in America.

HOUSTON: Today the Gujarati Samaj mourns the passing of Mahesh Durgadas Kanojia, M.D. Maheshbhai passed away on April 19 of a heart attack at age 64.

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Pune Warriors and Mumbai Indians are geographically the two closest IPL franchises but they couldn’t get any further from each other in the points table. Mumbai proved they are the best team in the tournament and reclaimed their position at the summit of the table by battering Pune at the DY Patil Stadium, whose freefall continued with a seventh successive loss that kept them firmly at the bottom.

Mumbai gave another demonstration of the depth of their batting talent, as two men who have had little batting time this season, T Suman and Kieron Pollard, fired them to a competitive total. Their

S p o rt s

Indo American News • Friday, May 6 2011

37

Mumbai Win Edges Pune Closer to Exit

brilliance undermined the efforts of the Pune spinners who had initially shackled Mumbai.

Yuvraj Singh, who has underbowled himself in the IPL, removed the rocks at the top of the Mumbai batting, Sachin Tendulkar and Ambati Rayudu. Then, legspinner Rahul Sharma prised out two important wickets with the most economical spell of the season (4-0-7-2) to leave Mumbai at an insufficient 114 for 5 after 15 overs. Suman and Pollard, however, got stuck into the erratic Alfonso Thomas to lift Mumbai to a competitive score.

Mumbai had briskly moved to

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56 for 1 after seven overs, before Rahul and Yuvraj pulled them back. Rahul’s combination of quick legbreaks and topspinners proved hard to get away, before Yuvraj made the big breakthrough in the ninth over, getting Tendulkar to hole out to short extra cover. Yuvraj and Rahul choked the innings in a fourover passage of play that yielded only 13 runs. That forced Rayudu to attempt the big hit, but he holed out to long-off.

Suman was surprisingly promoted ahead of Andrew Symonds and Pollard for his first proper hit this season, and he provided Mumbai the momentum they desperately needed. In an innings where everyone else had struggled to score at a run-a-ball till then, Suman came out blazing, racing to 19 off seven with a couple of stylish sixes.

Rahul returned and removed the struggling Rohit Sharma and Suman in two overs, but in between those strikes Suman showed off his timing with a four and a six to long-off against Thomas. Pollard then provided the final flourish, unleashing his brand of brutal straight-hitting. Thomas bore the brunt as he was whipped for 27 in the penultimate over, and Pollard’s quickfire 30 made sure Pune’s batsmen had a challenge on their hands.

Yuvraj Singh and Rahul Sharma were impressive with the ball, but Pune could not capitalise, as they failed with the bat yet again

Pune’s reply got off to a horror start as Jesse Ryder sliced the first ball to backward point. Graeme Smith has not been in the best touch with the bat for quite a while now, and that spell continued today.

Manish Pandey’s timing was completely awry, and the decision to promote Abhishek Jhunjhunwala meant the big guns, Yuvraj and Robin Uthappa, were pushed too low in the order.

The most expensive over in the first ten overs of the chase fetched only nine runs, and the asking-rate

soared past 11 by the halfway stage.

Lasith Malinga then harried Yuvraj with a series of bouncers, the last of which was awkwardly popped towards third man where Munaf Patel took a tumbling catch. It was the knockout blow, and Yuvraj was left on the floor.

The big news ahead of the match was that Pune had bought former Indian captain Sourav Ganguly.

Even if that does prompt a dramatic turnaround, it might be too late for Pune, as even winning all their remaining matches may not be enough to make the semi-finals.

Chennai Super Kings restrict Royals to 147 for 6

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Defending champions Chennai who made 66 (51 balls, 10 fours) It says much about the calibre Super Kings restricted Rajastan before holing out to deep midwicket of RR’s batting performance that Royals to 147 for six after after Dravid’s 66, the other the visitors at one stage significant contributor was had threatened to pile up Shane Watson, who made a huge total.

32 (26 balls, five fours).

On a slow track that Outclassed in the first ten the Royals captain Shane overs, CSK bounced back Warne said would get even in the second half of the slower, the Royals frittered match, refusing to let their away a promising opening heads drop and bowling a stand of 81. The visitors probing length. It earned could score only 66 in the dividends, as most of the back 10 losing six wickets Royals players threw their in the process. wickets away after the While the home side opening stand of 81 had fielded an unchanged linebeen broken. up, Rajastan inducted leftThe pick of CSK’s arm spinner Nayan Doshi Rajasthan Royals Rahul Dravid during his knock of bowlers were Shadab Jakati in place of medium pacer 66 against the Chennai Super Kings in Chennai on and Albie Morkel, who Amit Singh, making it four May 4, 2011. Photo: V. Ganesan returned with figures of spinners in their ranks.

4-0-22-2 and 4-0-24-2 With the The Royals rode on a off Suraj Randiv trying to up the respectively. fluent knock from Rahul Dravid ante.

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Indo American News • Friday, May 6, 2011

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Despite Rapid Growth, India Lets its Girls Die

By Muneeza naqvi MORENA (AOL): -The room is large and airy, the stone floors clean and cool — a welcome respite from the afternoon sun. Until your eyes take in the horror that it holds. Ten severely malnourished children — nine of them girls.

The starving girls in this hospital ward include a 21-month-old with arms and legs the size of twigs and an emaciated 1-year-old with huge, vacant eyes. Without urgent medical care, most will not live to see their next birthday.

They point to a painful reality revealed in India’s most recent census: Despite a booming economy and big cities full of luxury cars and glittering malls, the country is failing its girls.

Early results show India has 914 girls under age 6 for every 1,000 boys. A decade ago, many were horrified when the ratio was 927 to 1,000.

The discrimination happens through abortions of female fetuses and sheer neglect of young girls, despite years of high-profile campaigns to address the issue.

So serious is the problem that it’s illegal for medical personnel to reveal the gender of an unborn fetus, although evidence suggests the ban is widely circumvented.

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only shrugs her own thin shoulders when asked why her daughter is so sick.

She will try again for a son in a year or two, she says.

Part of the reason Indians favor sons is the enormous expense in marrying

off girls. Families often go into debt arranging marriages and paying elaborate dowries. A boy, on the other hand, will one day bring home a bride and dowry. Hindu custom also dictates that only sons can light their parents’ funeral pyres.

But it’s not simply that girls are more expensive for impoverished families. The census data shows that the worst offenders are the relatively wealthy northern states of Punjab and Haryana.

In Morena, a sun-baked, largely rural district in the heart of India, the numbers are especially grim. This census showed that only 825 girls for every 1,000 boys in the district made it to their sixth birthdays, down from an already troubling 829 a decade ago.

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Though abortion is allowed in India, the country banned revealing the gender of unborn fetuses in 1994 in an attempt to halt sex-selective abortions. Every few years, federal and state governments announce new incentives — from free meals to free education — to encourage people to take care of their girls.

In Morena, a Madhya Pradesh state government program offers poor families with one or two daughters a few thousand rupees (a few hundred dollars) for every few years of schooling, and more than 100,000 rupees ($2,250) when they graduate high school.

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Indo American News • Friday, May 6 2011

India Lets its Girls Die Minister Indira Gandhi to Pepsi CEO Indra Nooyi — a deep-rooted cultural preference for sons remains.

Even the government has accepted that it has failed to save millions of little girls.

“Whatever measures that have been put in over the last 40 years have not had any impact,” India’s Home Secretary G.K. Pillai said last month when announcing the census numbers.

In Morena’s homes, villages, schools and hospitals lie some of the answers to why the country keeps losing girls. In the district hospital’s maternity ward, a wrinkled old woman walks out holding a just-born girl wrapped in a dirty rag like an unwelcome present. Munni, who uses only one name, is clearly unhappy. Her daughter-in-law has just given birth to her sixth girl in 12 years of marriage.

Will the daughter-in-law go through another pregnancy? “Everyone wants boys. A boy takes care of you in your old age,” Munni says.

As a mother-in-law, Munni will likely have enormous control over her son’s wife, influencing how many children she has and nudging or bullying her to bear a son.

The hospital insists it strictly obeys the law against using sonograms to reveal the gender of a fetus, says R.C. Bandil, who heads the facility. The sex ratio at birth at his hospital is as high as 940-945, he says. “Why is it 825 for the 0-6 group?” he asks.

Part of the answer lies in his own hospital’s malnutrition ward. “Women cry when they have girls,” nurse Lalitha Gujar says as she spoons powdered coconut, peanuts and sesame seeds into bowls of fortified milk to nourish the tiny children.

All nine mothers of the sickly infant girls say they want sons — to look after them when

they get old, because their sisters-in-law have more sons, because their mothers-in-law demand male children.

“If a woman has a boy, for a month she will be looked after. If she has a girl, she’ll be back in the fields in three days,” says Sudha Misra, a local social worker. An exhausted mother who faces neglect, poor nutrition and blame for producing a daugher is likely to pass on that neglect, social workers say. For an infant, that can mean the difference between life and death. “A malnourished child will get sick and the chances of death are very high,” Bandil says.

Males get first priority. “First the husband is seated and fed, then the brothers and then whatever is left is fed to the girls,” says Bandil.

“If there are two mangoes in the house, first the boy will get to eat.”

For the very poor, the pressures to bear sons result in mistreatment of both the baby girl and mother. And rich women are not immune to this mistreatment if they fail to bear male children. For those with money, it’s often about being able to locate a radiologist who, for a cost, will break the law and reveal the sex of the fetus, or being able to fly abroad for such tests.

A 2007 study by the rights group ActionAid India found that gender ratios were worse in urban areas, and that sex-selective abortions were more common among wealthier and higher-caste people who could afford ways to learn the gender of fetuses.

The law is not enough to combat “a society that values boys over girls,” says Ravinder Kaur, a professor of sociology at New Delhi’s Indian Institute of Technology.

“Laws are good because they may act as a deterrent” she says, but sex-selective abortions continue underground because “people find more devious ways.”

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Indo American News • Friday, May 6, 2011

online edition: www.indoamerican-news.com

INDO AMERICAN NEWS • FRIDAY, MAY 6, 2011 • ONLINE EDITION: WWW.INDOAMERICAN-NEWS.COM