The World’s Hindu Temples, Now in an App
By Lisa Tsering, India West San Leandro, Calif. — A new app just released for iOS lists more than 2,000 Hindu temples in some 50 countries. The “World’s Best Hindu Temples Directory,” available on iTunes, was conceived by Hari Iyer, an aviation engineer in Melbourne, Australia. A team of dedicated volunteers around the world have […]
Southern California Gang Busted for Targeting Indian Americans for Gold
New York — Police have arrested five members of a street gang in Long Beach for stealing gold from Indian American families across California and Nevada, a media report said. The gang members, who were involved in dangerous criminal acts like murders, take-over robberies, extortions, and drive-by shootings, had turned to burglarizing Indian families, robbing them of gold, cash and […]
San Leandro, Calif. — Actress, model and filmmaker Emily Shah of New Jersey became the first woman of Indian American descent to strut the Miss U.S.A. stage when she participated in the Miss U.S.A. pageant at the Baton Rouge River Center in Baton Rouge, La., June 8. Nia Sanchez of Nevada was crowned with the […]
White House Science Fair Showcases Indian American Techies
By Sunita Sohrabji, India West A seven-year-old Indian American boy was the youngest exhibitor at the fourth annual White House Science Fair May 27, and with his team presented the “Hot Car Safety System,” which aims to lessen the number of children who die annually from sitting in overheated cars. Swapneel Mandal from John Ross […]
$330,000 Raised at Sikh Human Development Gala
Washington, D.C. — Hundreds of Sikh community members raised over $330,000 for Punjab’s poor but bright students during a fundraising event hosted May 20 by the Sikh Human Development Foundation at the Bethesda North Marriott Hotel and Conference Center here. The money was raised following a passionate appeal by chief guest Sardar Surender Singh Kandhari, who challenged the audience […]
Kavita and Lalit Bahl Pledge $3.5M for Lab at Stony Brook
Kavita and Lalit Bahl of Stony Brook, N.Y., have pledged a $3.5 million bequest to establish the Kavita and Lalit Bahl Molecular Imaging Laboratory at Stony Brook Medicine, Stony Brook. Lalit Bahl, an employee of East Setauket, N.Y.-based Renaissance Technologies, and his wife, Kavita, were inspired to give to Stony Brook by Renaissance founder Jim […]
Indian American Students Power National Science Bowl
Students from Mira Loma High School in Sacramento, Calif., defeated the team from Westview High School in Portland, Ore., to win the high school competition at the U.S. Department of Energy National Science Bowl in Washington, D.C., April 28. In the middle school event, the winner was the Greater Boston Science & Math Team from […]
Civic Leader Joins Lincoln Library Foundation
Springfield, Illinois — An Illinois Indian American business and civic leader has been appointed to the board of directors for the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library Foundation. Smita Shah is founder and CEO of SPAAN Tech Inc., an engineering and construction management firm based in Chicago. Shah is vice chairman of the Chicago Plan Commission and serves on philanthropic […]
Indian American Spellers Converge for 2014 National Spelling Bee
Cincinnati – The 2014 Scripps National Spelling Bee — when young spellers from around the nation will be vying for the coveted title of champion — will begin May 27 with the championship finals set for May 29. “The Scripps National Spelling Bee is one of America’s most enduring celebrations of academic excellence. It’s a […]
Justice Demanded for Indian American Teen Bombing Suspect
More than 300 people gathered outside the New Jersey State Capitol May 14 to demand fair treatment for Aakash Dalal, a former Rutgers State University student who has been held in solitary confinement for more than two years, for his alleged involvement in a series of bombings at four New Jersey synagogues. The protesters urged […]
Sikh cab driver in US found guilty of raping, kidnapping woman
NEW YORK: A Sikh cab driver in the US has been found guilty by a jury of raping and kidnapping a 29-year-old woman and faces up to 25 years in prison for the 2011 assault. Gurmeet Singh, 42, will be sentenced on May 12 after the jurors at his trial in Brooklyn Supreme Court on […]
Barack Obama nominates 3 Indian-Americans to advisory commission
WASHINGTON: US President Barack Obama has announced his intent to appoint three Indian-Americans to his 14-member advisory commission on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs). The Indian-Americans include, US Air Force officer Lt Col Ravi Chaudhary, prominent community leader Shekar Narasimhan and popular film and television actor Maulik Pancholy. N Nina Ahmad of Bangladeshi-origin has […]
Indian-Americans ask Hagel to allow Sikhs to serve in US army
WASHINGTON: Sixteen influential Indian- Americans from across the country have asked US secretary of defense Chuck Hagel to allow Sikhs to serve in the armed forces with their religious faith intact. “As entrepreneurs and community members dedicated to advancing issues important to the Indian-American community and strengthening ties between the US and India, we respectfully […]
Indian-American CEO charged with beating girlfriend is fired by company board
WASHINGTON: An India-born Silicon Valley serial entrepreneur has been fired as CEO of company he founded by the company’s board following charges of battering his girlfriend, even as he alleged that racial bias has coloured the case. According to reports in the tech media, the board of RadiumOne, an internet advertising platform founded by Gurbaksh […]
White House names Indian-American “Solar Champion of Change”
WASHINGTON: White House has named Indian-American professor Rajendra Singh as one of ten “Solar Champions of Change” who are taking the initiative to spur solar deployment across America. Rajendra Singh is D Houser Banks Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering and director of Clemson University’s Centre of Silicon Nanoelectronics in South Carolina. “Today, the White […]
Indian-American mother accused of killing son kept his body in bathtub, ‘waited for husband to return’
WASHINGTON: An Indian-American woman in north Texas, accused of killing her son and leaving his body in the bathtub for four days, claims she did so in accordance with her Hindu beliefs. Pallavi Dhawan, 38, who is charged with first-degree murder in the death of her 10-year-old son, Arnav, almost three months ago, describes the […]
Indian-origin woman chosen for New York City’s immigrant affairs commissioner job
WASHINGTON: An India-origin woman, Nisha Agarwal has been selected as the New York City’s new commissioner of immigrant affairs. Agarwal, who was earlier an advocate, will be tackling the biggest issues during her term, including language access in hospitals and pharmacies to help implement city council and mayor Bill de Blasio’s push for a municipal […]
April is Sikh Heritage Month in Canada
Sikh Heritage Month is celebrated to honour the culture and way of life of Sikhs. This is celebrated throughout the month of April in Canada for people to appreciate what Sikhs have contributed to the world and the accomplishments that they have made throughout history. Sikh culture has become famous because of significant contributions of […]
US-based NRIs land in India to campaign for Modi
AHMEDABAD: BJP’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi has found supporters away from India, as a group of US-based non-resident Indians (NRIs), who had raised funds for Barack Obama during the 2012 US presidential elections, have come to India to root for him. A team of 650 NRI volunteers led by Bharat Barai under his ‘Global […]
Indian priest faces deportation for molestation in US
WASHINGTON: An Indian-American priest who admitted to fondling a girl while attending dinner at her grandmother’s home in Minnesota has been sentenced to 25 years of supervised probation, according to media reports. Father Leo Charles Koppala pleaded guilty March 17 to criminal sexual conduct charges involving a minor child and is likely to be deported […]
