Category: NRI’s

Meet Dr. Arshia, winner of the prestigious German Astronomical Society Award | Tech Bric

Dr Arshiya M Jacob is currently living the life of her dreams. Interested in science since childhood, she is now a research scholar at the iconic Max Planck Society in Germany. Moreover, she won the German Astronomical Society Award for the best research thesis.

Hailing from Maradu in Ernakulam district, Arshiya completed her B.Sc (Hons) in Physics from St. Stephen’s College, Delhi. In the second year, she was associated with the PSLV project at ISRO as part of her internship. This attracted her to astronomy.

After completing her degree in 2015, Arshia did her post-graduation at Bonn University in Germany. The thesis she submitted as part of the course impressed the director of the Max Planck Institute of Radio Astronomy. After that she got an opportunity to do research at the Max Planck Institute. Her research can be described, in simple terms, as the study of how clouds transform into stars.

Arshia studies matter and radiation in the galaxy. She also discovered some information about the chemical origin of the Milky Way. As part of the studies, Arshia Sofia also flew in the research plane.

Arsia’s research won the Otto Hahn Award, established by the Max Planck Society. The prestigious Otto Hahn Award is given to thirteen scientists who have made impressive research in the fields of physics and chemistry.

She gained the fame of this award when she won the award by the German Astronomical Society. Dr. Arshia, who is currently pursuing a post-doctoral fellowship at John Hopkins University, Baltimore, United States, may return to Germany after completing his course. At Max Planck she could continue her research work with her own team of scientists.

Founded in 1948, the Max Planck Society has produced 23 Nobel Laureates till date. Swedish geneticist Svante Pabo, who won the Nobel Prize in Medicine this year, is part of the institute.

Research in science requires patience and dedication. Researchers should not be discouraged when results are negative or inconclusive. However, they have to work persistently to get the desired results that can significantly impact humanity.

Sofia
The Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy is a joint project of NASA and the German Aerospace Center. The Boeing 747 SP aircraft has a reflecting telescope that can be observed under infrared lighting. The plane flies in the stratosphere – the layer of atmosphere that surrounds the Earth at an altitude of 11-13 km. Ground-based telescopes cannot make observations in the infrared field because the Earth’s atmosphere and water particles block infrared rays.

The Sophia project, which started in 2010, ended in September this year.

techbric.com

Family fled Punjab in the ’80s, 19-yr-old at T20 World Cup for Netherlands

Vikramjit Singh, tipped to be one of the brightest cricketing talents in the Netherlands, will take guard against India, the country of his forefathers, on Thursday, which he calls “the biggest match of my international career”.

On a cold December night in 1984, Khushi Cheema returned home and asked his wife to pack their belongings. The following day, the Sikh family from village Cheema Khurd near Jalandhar boarded a train for Delhi. During the 52-km ride, 5-year-old Harpreet kept asking his father where they were going. He only got a smile as an answer.

“I can never forget that night and the next morning. It still feels like it happened yesterday. My father took that decision to keep his family safe after the rise of insurgency in Punjab during the mid-1980s,” Harpreet tells The Indian Express over phone from Amstelveen in the Netherlands.

Cut to the present, Khushi Cheema is back on his farm in Jalandhar, and Harpreet is running a transportation company in Amstelveen.

His 19-year-old grandson, Vikramjit Singh, tipped to be one of the brightest cricketing talents in the Netherlands, will take guard against India, the country of his forefathers, on Thursday, which he calls “the biggest match of my international career”

After the win against Pakistan in the opening game, India will start as favourites against a nation where cricket isn’t a mass sport.

“I was five when I came to the Netherlands. It was very hard; you didn’t know the language, it was a completely different culture. It took me a few years to settle down,” says Harpreet.

He goes down memory lane, recollecting his family’s hardships and the discrimination he faced growing up.

“Back then, there was racism. I faced a lot because of my skin colour, turban and beard,” says Harpreet.

But with time, things eased. Khushi Cheema, who started driving a taxi in his new country, handed over his transportation company to his son before moving back to India in 2000.

“My father handed over the business to me and moved back to India. He said his duty as a father was done, we are well settled here now, and he wanted to go back to his pind (village), to his people,” Harpreet says.

The family’s bond with India was too strong to cut off. Vikramjit was born in Cheema Khurd and he moved to the Netherlands only after he turned seven. He never had to face problems like his father.

At 11, he was spotted at an U-12 tournament by then Dutch skipper Peter Borren, who spent hours and hours in the nets to groom the youngster. He also got a sponsorship from Beat All Sports (BAS), a sports goods manufacturers company that made bats for Sachin Tendulkar, Saurav Ganguly, Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Harbhajan Singh.

At 15, he was already in the Netherlands ‘A’ side and two years later, made his senior team debut.

“For me, cricket started in Cheema Khurd. When I moved to the Netherlands, I used to go with my father as he used to play in the local leagues. At 12, I played alongside him when he was captain,” Vikramjit says from Sydney.

Borren got Vikramjit enrolled at his club VRA, Amsterdam, where he was captain.

“Not sure what he saw in me but I feel lucky that someone like Peter, with so much international experience, is my mentor. He has guided me throughout my cricketing career so far,” says Vikramjit.

It is not easy to be a professional cricketer in a country obsessed with football with a cricket season ending in September before resuming in March.

Here, Harpreet came to his son’s rescue. During his playing days, he had become friends with Amit Uniyal, a former Punjab and Rajasthan Royals bowler, who used to play league cricket with him in the Netherlands. From 2015-16 to 2019-20, the youngster spent six months at Uniyal’s Gurusagar Cricket Academy in Chandigarh.

“I had my doubts first. NRI kid, will he be able to train twice a day? Will he be able to get along with the local lads? But he surprised me with his temperament, his immense self-belief and hard work. He never complained and I am not surprised to see his rise in International cricket,” says Uniyal.

In 2021, Vikramjit shifted his base to Jalandhar and started training with former India U-19 player Taruwar Kohli, who also used to play for a club in Amsterdam.

“One of the reason was that Taruwar Kohli’s Powerplay Cricket Academy was near my village (Khurd Cheema), and now my mother doesn’t have to worry about me anymore. It was kind of exhausting for her too. Above all, I got to spend more time with my Dadu (grandfather),” says Vikramjit, who has gifted his Netherlands jersey to his grandfather, a die-hard cricket fan.

ie

Canadian city gets first turban-wearing Sikh woman councillor

Indo-Canadian healthcare worker Navjit Kaur Brar has become the first turban-wearing Sikh woman to be elected as Brampton City Councillor in the recent Municipal council polls.

Brar, a respiratory therapist and a mother of three, won the race for City Councillor in Wards 2 and 6, beating Jermaine Chambers, a former Conservative MP candidate for Brampton West.

Brar had 28.85 per cent of the votes cast on Monday with Chambers as nearest contender with 22.59 per cent, and Carmen Wilson coming in third at 15.41 per cent, the Brampton Guardian reported.

“I am so proud of @Navjitkaurbrar. She was a selfless and dedicated front line healthcare worker during the pandemic. She has stepped up for public service and I am confident she will be a phenomenal addition to Brampton City Council,” tweeted Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown, who won a second term in recent election.

As part of her campaign she knocked over 40,000 doors and spoked to over 22,500 residents in the last two months.

“Over the past 3 years, I’ve spoken to countless Bramptonians and the sentiment I hear is that they are all hurting, they feel unheard, they feel left behind. With the rising cost of living It’s getting harder to raise and provide for your family in Brampton… As your city councillor I will fight for better services for all Bramptonians and ensure that your voices are heard,” Brar had said in her campaign pitch.

Brar previously ran as the Ontario NDP candidate in Brampton West, losing out to incumbent Progressive Conservative MPP Amarjot Sandhu.

Another Sikh candidate, Gurpartap Singh Toor, knocked off his opponent Gurpreet Dhillon in Wards 9 and 10 by a scant 227 votes.

As many as 40 Punjabis were in the fray for Brampton civic elections, according to local media reports.

Out of 354,884 eligible voters in Brampton, only 87,155 of them turned up to cast ballots — an abysmal voter turnout of approximately 24.56 per cent, according to unofficial results, The Pointer reported.

The Indo-Canadian community, along with the councillor candidates, had raised concerns over the election date overlapping with Diwali — one of the most-awaited festivals celebrated by the large swathe of Indian diaspora present in the North American country.

“It is very problematic that the elections are taking place on the Diwali day, especially the municipal election that has always seen a low voter turnout,” Gurpratap Singh Toor, who has won Wards 9 and 10, had told Omni Punjabi.

Elections for municipal government are held every four years on the fourth Monday of October, which fell on October 24 this time.

These polls usually elect a mayor and city council and sometimes also a school board.

Around 40 per cent of Brampton’s population is South Asian, and the municipal election also fell on the religious festival of Diwali, celebrated by Hindus, Sikhs and Jains.

dw

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella receives Padma Bhushan in US

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella has said it is an honour for him to receive the Padma Bhushan, the third-highest civilian award and he looks forward to continuing to work with people across India to help them use technology to achieve more.

Nadella, who plans to visit India next January, formally received the award for distinguished service, from India’s Consul General in San Francisco, Dr T.V Nagendra Prasad, last week.

The 55-year-old CEO of Microsoft was named one of 17 awardees earlier this year. On receiving the award, Nadella said: It’s an honour to receive a Padma Bhushan Award and to be recognised by so many extraordinary people.

“I’m thankful to the President, Prime Minister, and people of India, and look forward to continuing to work with people across India to help them use technology to achieve more.”

During the meeting, Nadella discussed with Prasad the critical role digital technology plays in empowering inclusive growth in India.

The discussion focused on India’s growth trajectory and the country’s potential to be a global political and technology leader, according to Microsoft.

” We are living in a period of historic economic, societal and technological change,” said Nadella following his meeting with Dr Prasad.

” The next decade will be defined by digital technology. Indian industries and organisations of every size are turning to technology to help them do more with less, which will ultimately lead to greater innovation, agility and resilience,”  Nadella said.

Hyderabad-born Nadella was named CEO of Microsoft in February 2014.

In June 2021 he was also named the company’s Chairman, an additional role in which he will lead the work to set the agenda for the board.

The Padma Awards are one of the highest civilian honours of India announced annually on the eve of Republic Day.

The Awards are given in three categories: Padma Vibhushan (for exceptional and distinguished service), Padma Bhushan (distinguished service of higher order) and Padma Shri (distinguished service).

The award seeks to recognise achievements in all fields of activities or disciplines where an element of public service is involved.

The Padma Awards are conferred on the recommendations made by the Padma Awards Committee, which is constituted by the Prime Minister every year.

Nadella plans to visit India in January 2023, his first visit to the country in nearly three years, Microsoft said.

nie

Indian-American Sarah Thankam Mathews in 2022 National Book Awards shortlist

Indian-American author Sarah Thankam Mathews is among the finalists for the 2022 National Book Awards, which will be announced on November 16 at Cipriani Wall Street in New York City.

Mathews’ debut novel ‘All This Could Be Different’, is listed in the fiction category and tells the story of a young queer immigrant who creates a community for herself while grappling with the oppressive demands of capitalism.

“I simply will never be over this,” Mathews tweeted after her name was announced by The New York Times earlier this week.

Mathews grew up between Oman and India, and moved to the US at seventeen. Her work has been published in places including AGNI, SSENSE, and Best American Short Stories.

She was a 2020 Margins Fellow at the Asian American Writers’ Workshop, and the recipient of a Rona Jaffe fellowship at the Iowa Writers’ Workshop.

“Sarah Thankam Mathews has written one of the buzziest, and most human, books of the year,” the Vogue said.

“…an extraordinary novel, spiny and delicate, scathingly funny and wildly moving. Sarah Thankam Mathews is a brilliant writer, one whose every ringing sentence holds both bite and heart,” Lauren Groff, author of Matrix, said.

A total of 25 finalists will be contending for the awards. Publishers submitted a total of 1,772 books for this year’s National Book Awards: 463 in fiction, 607 in non-fiction, 260 in poetry, 146 in translated literature, and 296 in young people’s literature.

nie

Pragathi tops FIA Rally Star Asia-Pacific final

Australia’s 19-year-old Taylor Gill, a mechanic by profession, and Pragathi Gowda from India were declared winners of the FIA Rally Star Asia-Pacific final which concluded at the Madras International Circuit here on Wednesday.

A four-member jury after considering the timesheets and then interviewing the finalists declared Gill, who hails from New Castle, as the overall winner of the final, while Pragathi won in the women’s category. 

TN women trump Goa

S Anusha’s all-round performance (41 n.o & 1/11) and Niranjana Nagarajan’s three-fer helped Tamil Nadu beat Goa by 15 runs in the Group B clash of the Senior Women’s T20 Trophy held in Gauwahati on Wednesday. Brief scores: Tamil Nadu 115 in 20 ovs (Anusha 41 n.o,  Nikita 5/27) bt Goa 100/9 in 20 ovs (Sanjula 35; Niranjana 3/19).

MOP Vaishnav bags title
MOP Vaishnav College for Women defeated Stella Maris college 3-0 in the final and won the inter-zone (women) table tennis organised by University of Madras. Stella Maris came second, while ‘B’ Zone Combined team came third. ‘A; Zone Combined team came fourth.

nie

Odia entrepreneur felicitated in British Parliament 

UK-based Odia entrepreneur and co-founder of NesT Group Arun Kar has been honoured with ‘Mahatma Gandhi Samman’ at the House of Commons in British Parliament, London. He was felicitated ahead of the 153rd birth anniversary celebration of Mahatma Gandhi. 

Kar, an NRI,  has made a place for himself in innovations in various diversified fields like Information Technology and Environmental Sustainability. 

He has been featured on Forbes, Fortune’s cover page and also been  a winner of National Business awards in UK.

He is also a Guinness World Record holder and has been felicitated as Global Indian of the Year – 2021 by AsiaOne Magazine.

nie

Goan lad sports Qatar colours

15-year-old set to spearhead Gulf Nation’s challenge in the AFC U-17 Asian Cup qualifiers in Oman.

This Goan lad will take the pitch in the AFC U-17 Asian Cup 2023 qualifiers in Muscat, Oman, that commenced on Saturday.

But not in the blue strip of India. Instead, he will wear the maroon of Qatar in which he is expected to sparkle at the centre of the attack.

Meet Justin Fernandes, all of 15, a strapping 5-foot- 11-inches tall and endowed with the qualities of an aggressive centre-forward.

His consistent appearances in the top bracket of the goal scorers’ list through age group tournaments evidence his prowess and the ensuing rare honour of an expatriate being bestowed the coveted Qatari colours.

Son of Camilo who hails from Murida village in Cuncolim and Abigail, from Assolna, Justin was born and raised in Qatar.

A bright student, now studying in Class XI, science stream, Justin has what it takes to be a thinking player – vital for success in any sport.

His inspiration? “Lionel Messi,” says the lad, who he follows keenly – even to the extent of locking on to Paris-St Germain, the French giants for whom the Argentinean superstar turns out these days.

 That might seem to be a paradox of sorts. Justin, you see, is an English Premier League ‘freak’, soaking up the action on television seemingly incessantly.

So much so that his great big ambition is “to play in the EPL!”

 Justin’s precocious talent earned him the privilege of representing the Gulf nation which he has done with aplomb for more than a year.

First taking to the sport as a seven-year-old, his natural talent and abilities caught the eye of scouts and he was duly invited to the Absolute Sports  academy to hone his fast-growing skills.

He moved to the Aspire academy in 2019 and sustained the promise he revealed by excelling in the QFA U-13 and U-15 leagues with Al Ahli.

His influence in the club’s fortunes is unmistakable. In 2020 he was among the leading scorers in the U-13 league while assisting Al Ahli to third place.

In 2021, Al Ahli took the top podium, with Justin inevitably finding the net prolifically.

Even before his exploits propelled Al Ahli to the top, he was accorded the 2018 Qatar Foundation’s best U-13 player accolade.

 And, as an U-11 and turning out for Absolute Sports in Armenia at a summer camp in Yeravan, Justin was adjudged best forward.

 Justin also inspired his academy to a tournament win in Georgia as an U-12.

 It was only a matter of time that the lad would earn the rare privilege of turning out in Qatari colours.

 The summon duly arrived and off went Justin in the revered maroon shirt to do national duty in Slovenia, Saudi Arabia and the UAE as an U-16, proving to be a menace to rival defenders.

 With his control, scoring prowess and speed, Justin’s presence in the team was a foregone conclusion as Qatar gear up for U-17 continental honours.

 Camilo played a bit of football himself but attributes his son’s sporting genes to his grandmother, Abigail’s mother, Jovina, who played hockey for Mumbai in the 1970s.

 Given the Indian, and particularly Goan, diaspora in the Gulf region, one wagers that Justin will be among the players closely watched in Muscat.

And, on the pitch one suspects, even more closely by defenders in the ranks of Iraq, Lebanon, Bahrain and hosts Oman who make up the field.

heraldgoa.in

Dubai’s Kay Godkhindi creates history in all-female chair umpire team at Sofia Open

In a first, supervisor, tournament director, referee and chief of umpires are all women who have been assigned to an ATP tour event.

There’s a strong Dubai connection to the ongoing Sofia Open in Bulgaria run by the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP), the governing body of the men’s professional tennis circuits.

This is for the first time, an all-female chair umpire team, including the ATP supervisor, tournament director, referee and chief of umpires, was assigned to an ATP Tour event.

Tournament Director Kay Godkhindi, who is of Indian origin and holds an Australian passport, grew up in Dubai and went to college in the USA.

She told Khaleej Times from Sofia about the exciting aspect of the event.

“Truth be told, we had no clue about history being made in front of our eyes. At the end of the day, it’s a sport where gender is of little consequence. Besides, gender doesn’t define an individual’s capabilities. However, it’s a wonderful concept to have equal opportunity in both the ATP and the WTA (Women’s Tennis Association) and empowering women as and when possible is a step towards the right direction,” she said while lavishing praise on ATP for championing the gender cause.

Tennis has had several prominent female officials, including those officiating in men’s matches, for several decades.

Anne Lasserre, who is the ATP Supervisor for the ATP 250 in Sofia, is the gender-bender pioneer.

“I think it’s an honour as well to be the first female. I worked as a chair umpire for the ATP a long time ago,” Lasserre said.

“I think things and the situation are evolving, which I think is a good thing. It’s an honour, I’m proud of it…

“It’s good to think about the future and being able to break this glass ceiling and give this opportunity to other females to do the same job as we do in every sport,” she told atptour.com.

ATP Senior Director of Officiating Administration Ali Nili told atptour.com: “The ATP Officiating Department prioritises high performance and a diverse officiating team. The tournament in Sofia is an example of our successful efforts in that direction. While the road to progress is long, we are proud of the direction we are heading, and the future seems bright.

khaleejtimes.com

A new ball game for Malayali expatriates in Italy

Adlers Lombard, a Keralites-run football club, will become the first of its kind to compete in an Italian soccer league on Sunday

They moved from Kerala to Italy for higher studies, work and seeking better lives. But for these soccer maniacs, there was no better life without football. Moving from a football-crazy State to a country where soccer is almost a religion, they took their game to a new level.

Come Sunday, Adlers Lombard, a Keralites-run football club in Italy, will begin its journey in the Italian football system by competing in the CSI (Centro Sportivo Italiano) Regione Bergamo, a lower-division football league competition consisting of 12 teams. The club formed in 2019 plays the 7-a-side football format. It is the first of its kind, with 15 Keralites among its 20-member roster, to play in an Italian league. The CSI Regione Bergamo season lasts 10 months.

“Before moving to Italy from Kerala, one thing we all liked doing most was playing football. We came to Italy from different parts of Kerala at different times. But football has brought us together. After launching Adlers Lombard (Eagles from Lombardy), the team initially participated in some local tournaments. In the last 12 months or so, we have won five tournaments organised by the Kerala European Football Federation in Italy and Germany. The victories prompted the team management to register the club with the CSI and participate in the league,” says club vice-captain Mohammed Naseef C.P. who hails from Malappuram and works as a teacher in Italy. According to him, Adlers Lombard is the first ‘Indian Club’ to compete in an Italian football league.

The team is captained by Muhammed Abir P.T., also from Malappuram. The rest of the Keralite players are from Thrissur, Ernakulam, Thiruvananthapuram and so on. Two other Indians and a couple of Italian players are part of the team. The club has spent around €20,000 (approximately ₹15.84 lakhs) to prepare the team for competing in the league. They raised the money through sponsorships from several funders including an Italy-based automobile giant.

For Adlers Lombard, competing in CSI Regione Bergamo is just a start. “We are currently plying our trade in a lower division. But we are ambitious and have a long-term goal. Our aim is to play professional football in Italy in Serie D, Serie C, Serie B and Serie A and compete against top teams like Juventus, AC Milan and Inter Milan. We hope to recruit Indian players and provide them with a chance to play in the Italian league. It will help the growth of football in India,” says Smento Joseph, president, Adlers Lombard who hails from Angamaly in Kerala.

th