Author: Malavika Subramanyan

Vijaya Lakshmi Pandit was a woman of remarkable talents, born into one of India’s most prominent political families. Despite the considerable advantages her lineage afforded her, there were inevitable challenges associated with such prominence. Her familial ties, particularly being the sister of Jawaharlal Nehru and the daughter of Motilal Nehru, may have hindered her political ambitions, as evidenced by her potential presidency bid in 1977. Originally named Swarup Kumari Nehru, she embraced the name Vijaya Lakshmi upon her marriage to Ranjit Pandit, following traditional customs prevalent in Hindu families at the time. Engaged in the freedom struggle, she endured imprisonment…

Indian American scholar Swayam Bagaria has been appointed as Assistant Professor of Hindu Studies at Harvard Divinity School, succeeding Christopher Rossi, who retired. Bagaria, formerly a Postdoctoral Fellow in Hindu Studies at HDS since 2022, previously held a similar position at the University of Virginia. He earned his PhD in anthropology from Johns Hopkins University in 2020. HDS Dean Marla F. Frederick expressed excitement about Bagaria’s appointment, praising his scholarly and teaching abilities. Bagaria’s expertise lies in the psychosocial aspects of Hinduism, employing computational, cognitive, and socio-cultural methods to study religion in contemporary India. Bagaria’s interdisciplinary approach and research interests…

The Orlando College of Osteopathic Medicine (OCOM) recently opened its doors in Orlando, Florida, driven by the vision of Indian American co-founders Dr. Kiran Patel and Dr. Pallavi Patel. Their aim is to address the shortage of physicians and residency programs in Central Florida. OCOM’s curriculum entails two years of on-campus didactic training, followed by two years of clinical rotations at affiliated hospital systems across Florida. The college has forged partnerships with over 26 hospitals and healthcare systems, including the Kiran Patel Institute for Graduate Medical Education, facilitating residency positions statewide. The inaugural class of 97 students is set to…

India’s Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) recently conducted a milestone flight test of the Agni-5 missile, signifying a significant advancement in the country’s nuclear defense capabilities. The test, known as Mission Divyastra, occurred at Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam Island in Odisha. Analysts had been anticipating the test of India’s next-generation intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) armed with multiple warheads since the Agni-5’s initial full-range test in April 2012. The recent Agni-5 iteration features multiple independently targetable re-entry vehicle (MIRV) technology, enabling it to deploy four to six warheads, each capable of striking separate targets hundreds of kilometers apart. While the…

Two Indian American women have been recognized on the 2024 Women’s Leadership Diversity IMPACT 50 List by Career Mastered Magazine. This distinction will be celebrated during the Career Mastered National Women’s History Leadership Summit’s 10th Anniversary event in May, held in Detroit. Dr. Malvika Iyer and Priya Kumar are the sole Indian American representatives on the list, curated by the magazine’s advisory board, editors, and partners across the nation. Each honoree was chosen based on their significant contributions to advancing diversity and inclusion throughout 2023. The overarching theme for this year’s list is ‘I AM RESILIENT.’ Dr. Malvika Iyer, an…

The inauguration of the first Hindu temple in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) marked a significant milestone as it celebrated its inaugural Maha Shivratri festival nearly a month later. As worshippers across the country flocked to Shiva temples to honor the deity, the Hindu temple in Abu Dhabi, managed by the Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS), attracted devotees from various regions of the Gulf nation. The temple’s opening ceremony on February 14th, attended by thousands including Hindu saints, Mahant Swami ji Maharaj, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, set the stage for Friday’s vibrant celebration of Shivratri. Adorned with colorful…

Captain Lakshmi Sahgal, a pivotal figure in India’s independence struggle, was born on October 24, 1914. Notably, she served in the Indian National Army (INA) during World War II and held the rank of Captain, playing a significant role in the country’s freedom movement. Besides, she served as the Minister of Women’s Affairs in the Azad Hind government. Lakshmi Sahgal, born in Chennai, hailed from a family with a legal background. Her father, S. Swaminathan, was a renowned lawyer in the Madras High Court, while her mother, Ammu Swaminathan, was a social activist. She pursued her education at Queen Mary’s…

Indian American candidates experienced a mix of victories and defeats during the recent Super Tuesday primaries. Veteran Congressman Ami Bera and Ro Khanna successfully defended their positions, securing their seventh and fifth terms, respectively. Bera advanced to the general election in California’s 6th Congressional District, while Khanna decisively won in the 17th Congressional District against Republican Anita Chen. However, Indian-American engineer Rishi Kumar, a Democrat, failed in his bid for Congress, securing only 6.3% of the vote. Meanwhile, Indian-American Republican Vin Kruttiventi advanced to the general election in California’s 14th Congressional District, securing second place. He invested $500,000 of his…

Anandi Gopal Joshi’s remarkable journey began with a tragic event at the tender age of 14 when she experienced the loss of her first child due to a lack of medical care. This heartbreaking event deeply affected her and ignited a passionate desire within her to pursue medicine. Born into a family of landlords, she was married off to Gopalrao Joshi at the age of nine, a progressive man who believed in the importance of women’s education. Despite the prevailing norms of the time, Gopalrao Joshi went against the grain and supported his wife’s educational aspirations. Recognizing her potential and…

Pollster Mark Penn suggested in a recent interview that former President Trump may need to consider his main GOP rival, former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley, as his vice president, a notion Trump has thus far dismissed. Penn, publisher of the Harvard CAPS/Harris poll, highlighted Trump’s challenge with Haley’s voter base, many of whom are disenchanted by the former president, posing a potential obstacle in the general election against President Biden. Penn outlined two potential solutions to this dilemma: Trump could select either Haley or Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.), who recently endorsed him and has been actively supporting him on…