Author: Senjuti Bhattacharya

LifeWire, a Bellevue, Washington-based organization dedicated to supporting domestic violence survivors, has honored Washington State Senator Manka Dhingra with the Norm Maleng Award in recognition of her tireless efforts to combat domestic violence. Expressing her gratitude for the award, Senator Dhingra, who chairs the Senate Law & Justice Committee, highlighted her long-standing commitment to advocating for survivors of gender-based violence, beginning during her college years. Dhingra noted the personal significance of receiving an award bearing Norm Maleng’s name, as he had hired her as a Deputy Prosecuting Attorney in 2000, marking the inception of her career. In addition to her…

In the coming week, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to inaugurate India’s first Rapid Rail train, named RAPIDX, marking a significant milestone for the country’s rail network. This event will take place on the 17-km priority corridor situated in Ghaziabad, coinciding with the Navratri festival. What makes this inaugural journey even more noteworthy is that the RAPIDX train will be operated by women pilots, a historic first for Indian railways. The completion of the Sahibabad to Duhai Depot priority corridor’s construction, a key segment for commercial train operations, was finalized approximately four to five months ago, setting the stage…

A recent Pew Research Center survey indicates that approximately half of self-identified Indian Asian American adults continue to practice Hinduism, accounting for 48% of respondents, a figure consistent with the 2012 report of 51%. In this survey, 11% of Asian Americans identify Hinduism as their religion, mirroring the 2012 report of 10%. Moreover, 6% of all Asian Americans feel closely connected to Hinduism for cultural or ancestral reasons, reflecting a strong affinity. In total, two-thirds of Indian Americans either identify as Hindu or exhibit a strong connection to Hinduism. Of the Asian American Hindus surveyed, one-third find religion very important,…

The Student Alumni Interaction Cell at the Indian Institute of Technology Varanasi, renowned for its century-long tradition of honoring outstanding alumni, has recently unveiled the recipients of the Distinguished Alumnus/Alumna Award for the year 2023-24. Alok Gupta, one of the distinguished awardees, holds the position of Senior Associate Dean of Faculty, Research, and Administration at the Carlson School of Management, University of Minnesota. Notably, he is a recipient of the prestigious NSF CAREER Award, recognizing his significant contributions to the realm of dynamic pricing mechanisms on the internet. Another recipient, Sudhir Singh, currently serves as the CEO and Executive Director…

Indian-American Vivek Ramaswamy expressed a difference of opinion with Nikki Haley, who called for Israel to “finish” Hamas following their attack on the nation. While Ramaswamy agrees that Hamas should not exist, he disagreed with Haley’s approach, stating that shouting “finish them” is not a viable solution to a complex issue. He emphasized that foreign policy is a matter of the real world, not a video game. Ramaswamy condemned the attacks by Hamas and Hezbollah, describing them as barbaric and medieval, and emphasized that Israel has the right to exist and defend itself. He expressed his support for Israel and…

The Hangzhou Asian Games marked a historic chapter in Indian sports. Not only did the nation achieve a record-breaking medal count, but it also witnessed athletes breaking new ground in uncharted territories. Avinash Sable made history in athletics, securing India’s first gold in the 3000m steeplechase with a record-breaking time. Parul Chaudhary triumphed in the women’s 5000m race, becoming the first Indian woman to do so. Annu Rani excelled in women’s javelin throw, securing another gold for India. In badminton, HS Prannoy and the duo of Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty ended a 41-year medal drought. Table tennis pair Sutirtha…

In celebration of Gandhi Jayanti, the Singapore Indian Fine Arts Society (SIFAS) awarded scholarships to six Indian-origin students in music, dance, and musical instruments on October 7. Dr. Shilpak Ambule, the High Commissioner of India, presented the honors and shared Mahatma Gandhi’s life journey. SIFAS conveyed their congratulations via a Facebook post, emphasizing the unique blend of culture and academic excellence in these scholarships, guided by Gandhian ideals for a brighter future. The event’s host, Maithreyi Sridhar Dhilip, weaved history and Gandhian principles, resonating with the audience’s call for positive change. The evening began with Sai Vikneshwar’s soulful vocals and…

Prominent Indian Americans, including two Republican presidential contenders, Nikki Haley and Vivek Ramaswamy, have expressed strong solidarity with Israel in the face of unprecedented assaults by the Hamas militant group, resulting in a significant loss of life. On October 7, the Palestinian militant organization Hamas launched a sustained rocket attack in southern Israel, resulting in a tragic toll of over 600 casualties, encompassing both civilians and soldiers. Additionally, more than 1,900 individuals suffered injuries as a result of these attacks. In response to the rocket barrages by Hamas, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) conducted numerous airstrikes aimed at targeting critical…

India’s space agency, ISRO, has initiated preparations for testing the crew module of its ambitious manned space mission, Gaganyaan. The crew module is designed to contain astronauts in a pressurized earth-like atmosphere. ISRO has prepared a test version of the crew module, primarily to evaluate its abort systems. This unpressurized module closely resembles the actual Gaganyaan crew module in size and mass. It houses systems for deceleration and recovery, including parachutes, recovery aids, and avionics in a dual redundant mode configuration. The module will be extensively instrumented to record flight data for performance evaluation. After the test, the crew module…

Dr. Joyeeta Gupta, an Indian-origin professor, was honored with the prestigious Spinoza Prize during an event organized by The Dutch Research Council (NWO) in The Hague on October 4th. Often regarded as the Dutch equivalent of the Nobel Prize, this award recognizes her outstanding contributions to the field of climate change. In recognition of her remarkable work, Dr. Gupta was granted a generous research fund of 1.5 million euros (approximately US$1.6 million). The Embassy of India in The Hague congratulated her on this achievement through a social media post. Dr. Gupta currently holds multiple academic roles, serving as a professor…