ਐਡਮਿੰਟਨ, 4 ਸਤੰਬਰ (ਵਤਨਦੀਪ ਸਿੰਘ ਗਰੇਵਾਲ)-ਪੰਜਾਬ ਦੇ ਪਿੰਡ-ਪਿੰਡ ਵਿਚ ਹੋ ਰਹੇ ਸੱਭਿਆਚਾਰਕ ਤੇ ਖੇਡ ਮੇਲੇ ਸਭ ਪ੍ਰਵਾਸੀਆਂ ਦੀ ਦੇਣ ਹਨ। ਪੰਜਾਬ ਦੀ ਖੁਸ਼ਹਾਲੀ ਅਤੇ ਵਿਕਾਸ ਵਿਚ ਵੀ ਪ੍ਰਵਾਸੀ ਪੰਜਾਬੀਆਂ ਨੇ ਅਹਿਮ ਯੋਗਦਾਨ ਪਾਇਆ ਹੈ। ਇਹ ਵਿਚਾਰ ਜਥੇਦਾਰ ਜਗਜੀਤ ਸਿੰਘ ਦਾਖਾ ਡਾਇਰੈਕਟਰ, ਵੇਰਕਾ ਮਿਲਕ ਪਲਾਂਟ, ਲੁਧਿਆਣਾ ਨੇ ਸ਼ਹੀਦ ਭਗਤ ਸਿੰਘ ਕਲੱਬ ਵੱਲੋਂ ਰੱਖੇ ਗਏ ਇਕ ਵਿਸ਼ੇਸ਼ ਸਨਮਾਨ ਸਮਾਰੋਹ ਦੌਰਾਨ ਪ੍ਰਗਟ ਕੀਤੇ। ਉਨ੍ਹਾਂ ਕਿਹਾ ਕਿ ਸ਼੍ਰੋਮਣੀ ਕਮੇਟੀ ਤੇ ਵਿਧਾਨ ਸਭਾ ਚੋਣਾਂ ਵਿਚ ਸ: ਪ੍ਰਕਾਸ਼ ਸਿੰਘ ਬਾਦਲ ਤੇ ਸ: ਸੁਖਬੀਰ ਸਿੰਘ ਬਾਦਲ ਦੀ ਅਗਵਾਈ ਵਿਚ ਸ਼੍ਰੋਮਣੀ ਅਕਾਲੀ ਦਲ ਫਿਰ ਤੋਂ ਵੱਡੀ ਜਿੱਤ ਹਾਸਿਲ ਕਰੇਗਾ। ਇਸ ਮੌਕੇ ਉੱਘੇ ਬਿਜ਼ਨੈਸਮੈਨ ਤੇ ਅਲਬਰਟਾ ਕਬੱਡੀ ਫੈਡਰੇਸ਼ਨ ਦੇ ਸੀਨੀਅਰ ਮੀਤ ਪ੍ਰਧਾਨ ਸ: ਗੁਰਚਰਨ ਸਿੰਘ ਧਾਲੀਵਾਲ ਰਣਸ਼ੀਹ ਕਲਾਂ ਤੇ ਹੋਰਨਾਂ ਅਹੁਦੇਦਾਰਾਂ ਨੇ ਸ: ਦਾਖਾ ਨੂੰ ਸਨਮਾਨ ਚਿੰਨ੍ਹ ਭੇਟ ਕੀਤਾ। ਇਸ ਮੌਕੇ ਫੈਡਰੇਸ਼ਨ ਦੇ ਚੇਅਰਮੈਨ ਪ੍ਰਿਤਪਾਲ ਸਿੰਘ ਸੇਖੋਂ, ਪਰਵੰਤ ਸਿੰਘ ਦਾਖਾ, ਬਲਕਰਮਜੀਤ ਸਿੰਘ, ਸੋਨੀ ਦੋਧਰ, ਯੁਵਰਾਜ ਬਾਵਾ ਗਿੱਲ, ਗੁਰਿੰਦਰ ਖੋਸਾ, ਸੁਖਦਰਸ਼ਨ ਪੰਨੂ ਤੋਂ ਇਲਾਵਾ ਹੋਰ ਵੀ ਸ਼ਖਸੀਅਤਾਂ ਮੌਜੂਦ ਸਨ।
September 4, 2011
Australian immigration officials cancel student visas of 55 Indians
MELBOURNE: A total of 55 Indian students in Australia were sent back home by immigrationauthorities, who cancelled their visas over "breaches" like failure to maintain an enrolment.
These Indians were among over 150 overseas students whose visas were cancelled on returning to Australia in the last financial year, 'The Australian' reported today.
They were intercepted by immigration authorities at the airport over visa breaches and deported back to their home countries within 72 hours, 'The Australian' reported.
Apart from 55 Indian students - the largest group to have had their student visas cancelled at the airport, 37 Chinese students were among those deported.
Of the 470,221 people, who arrived on student visas to Australia, almost 9,000 were questioned by immigration officials, according to latest data released by the Department of Immigration and Citizenship.
In 2010-11, the most common breach leading to cancellation of a student visa at the airport was failure to maintain an enrolment or no longer attending classes. Of the 159 students whose visas were cancelled, 151 were sent home within 72 hours.
The data showed that around 84 students had vocational education visas or higher education visas which stood at 66.
Govt to facilitate NRI investment
Chandigarh, July 13
The state government will set up a “Foreign Investment and NRI Cell” for attracting foreign investment and redressing problems faced by the NRIs of Haryana domicile.The cell will be located in Haryana State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation (HSIIDC), which has been designated as a nodal agency for investment related matters.
The Home Department will act as a nodal agency for addressing grievances relating to property, marital disputes, law and order and other related social issues of the NRIs.
The cell will have a web portal, “Connect Haryana Forum”, to act as a single-point contact for the NRIs and the PIOs and also for building the necessary database. The department will nominate a single point of contact to whom all relevant correspondence or grievances received in the cell, in electronic or paper form, will be forwarded and monitored along with a “status-tracking facility” to the person making such correspondence.
An advisory committee under the chairmanship of the Chief Minister has also been constituted at the apex level to review the action taken by the cell from time to time. The Industries Minister, the Principal Secretary to Chief Minister, the Principal Secretaries, Home, Industries & Commerce, Town & Country Planning and Public Relations, Chief Administrator (HUDA) and Director, Industries & Commerce, will be its members.
US group seeks separate registration of Sikh marriages
Sep 1, 2011, 10.58PM IST.
WASHINGTON: A US-based Sikh communityadvocacy group has sought UN intervention to persuade India to pass a law for separate registration of Sikh marriages.
Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) Wednesday submitted a memorandum to UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief Heiner Bielefeldt seeking UN intervention to impress India "to amend article 25 of the Indian Constitution to restore the independent status of Sikhism".
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's government has refused to pass an act for registration of Sikh marriages while Muslims, Parsis, Christians and Jews of India already have separate acts for registration of their marriages, SFJ said.
The Indian "government's refusal to pass law forseparate registration of Sikh marriages is yet another instant of discrimination based on religion towards Sikhs", it said.
SFJ legal advisor Gurpatwant Singh Pannun alleged the demand and struggle of Sikhs to have Sikhism recognized as a separate religion has resulted in extreme repression by Indian government.
SFJ has also launched a "Proud to be Sikh" campaign to collect signatures, garner support and spread awareness among the world community about the alleged "discrimination meted to Sikhs by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's government".
WASHINGTON: A US-based Sikh communityadvocacy group has sought UN intervention to persuade India to pass a law for separate registration of Sikh marriages.
Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) Wednesday submitted a memorandum to UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief Heiner Bielefeldt seeking UN intervention to impress India "to amend article 25 of the Indian Constitution to restore the independent status of Sikhism".
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's government has refused to pass an act for registration of Sikh marriages while Muslims, Parsis, Christians and Jews of India already have separate acts for registration of their marriages, SFJ said.
The Indian "government's refusal to pass law forseparate registration of Sikh marriages is yet another instant of discrimination based on religion towards Sikhs", it said.
SFJ legal advisor Gurpatwant Singh Pannun alleged the demand and struggle of Sikhs to have Sikhism recognized as a separate religion has resulted in extreme repression by Indian government.
SFJ has also launched a "Proud to be Sikh" campaign to collect signatures, garner support and spread awareness among the world community about the alleged "discrimination meted to Sikhs by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's government".
New York law to ensure freedom to Sikh employees
New York, August 31
Sikhs in the US will be allowed to wear turbans and grow beards in federal agencies like the police department and transit authority after New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg today signed a Bill into law that will ensure freedom for employees to practice religious beliefs at workplace.
The ‘Workplace Religious Freedom Bill’ was initiated by civil rights group Sikh Coalition and sponsored by Queens Democrat Council member Mark Weprin.
In signing the law, Bloomberg said employers must make a “reasonable accommodation” for an employee’s religious practices unless following such practises create an “undue hardship.” The undue hardship is now defined as requiring “significant expense or difficulty.” “This Bill sends the message that people should not have to choose between serving our city and adhering to their religious beliefs. All Americans should receive the full embrace of our country’s constitutional freedoms,” Weprin said.
Sikh Coalition’s programme director and co-founder Amardeep Singh said the law would ensure that religious minorities like Sikhs and Muslims in the US are not discriminated against by their employers for practising their religion.
“The law is a major step in ensuring Sikhs and other religious minorities are not unfairly excluded from jobs for which they are otherwise qualified,” Singh said. He said a few Sikhs were told by the New York Police Department (NYPD) that they could not wear their turbans as traffic agents.
Sikhs in the US will be allowed to wear turbans and grow beards in federal agencies like the police department and transit authority after New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg today signed a Bill into law that will ensure freedom for employees to practice religious beliefs at workplace.
The ‘Workplace Religious Freedom Bill’ was initiated by civil rights group Sikh Coalition and sponsored by Queens Democrat Council member Mark Weprin.
In signing the law, Bloomberg said employers must make a “reasonable accommodation” for an employee’s religious practices unless following such practises create an “undue hardship.” The undue hardship is now defined as requiring “significant expense or difficulty.” “This Bill sends the message that people should not have to choose between serving our city and adhering to their religious beliefs. All Americans should receive the full embrace of our country’s constitutional freedoms,” Weprin said.
Sikh Coalition’s programme director and co-founder Amardeep Singh said the law would ensure that religious minorities like Sikhs and Muslims in the US are not discriminated against by their employers for practising their religion.
“The law is a major step in ensuring Sikhs and other religious minorities are not unfairly excluded from jobs for which they are otherwise qualified,” Singh said. He said a few Sikhs were told by the New York Police Department (NYPD) that they could not wear their turbans as traffic agents.
India 2nd worst when it comes to workers taking sick leave
PTI | Sep 2, 2011, 06.48AM IST
MELBOURNE: India is the second worst country in the world when it comes to workers availing of sick leave, even when they are not ill, a survey has revealed.
The survey, conducted by Australian workforce managers Kronos across Australia, China, France, the UK, India, Mexico and the US, found China taking first place at 71%, followed by India at 62% and then Australia at 58%.
Feeling stressed was the number one cause for sick leaves suggested that managers needed to recognize the causes of stress.
MELBOURNE: India is the second worst country in the world when it comes to workers availing of sick leave, even when they are not ill, a survey has revealed.
The survey, conducted by Australian workforce managers Kronos across Australia, China, France, the UK, India, Mexico and the US, found China taking first place at 71%, followed by India at 62% and then Australia at 58%.
Feeling stressed was the number one cause for sick leaves suggested that managers needed to recognize the causes of stress.
NRI first to be charged under new UK Bribery Act
London, September 1
An Indian-origin clerk in a British court who was filmed apparently accepting a £500 bribe has become the first person to be charged under the new Bribery Act. Munir Patel (21) has been charged with taking a bribe from a defendant while he was employed at a court in east London.
He is also accused of misconduct in a public office and perverting the course of justice at Redbridge Magistrates’ Court in Ilford, according to a BBC report.
He was arrested after The Sun filmed a man apparently accepting £500 to keep a traffic penalty off a legal database.
He will appear at Southwark Crown Court in south London on October 14.
“I am satisfied there is sufficient evidence to charge Munir Patel with requesting and receiving a bribe on August 1 intending to improperly perform his functions,” said Gaon Hart, a lawyer at the Crown Prosecution Service.
He said: “Patel has already been charged with misconduct in public office and perverting the course of justice. He still faces these charges, which relate to other alleged misconduct during his employment.”
The Bribery Act, which came into force on July 1, made it illegal to offer or receive bribes, and to fail to prevent bribery.
Religion-based protection for workers in New York
IANS | Sep 3, 2011, 09.37PM IST
NEW YORK: New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg has signed into law a bill initiated by the Sikh Coalition to significantly enhance religion-based protections for employees working in the metropolis.
"Today's law is a major step forward in ensuring Sikhs and other religious minorities are not unfairly excluded from jobs for which they are otherwise qualified," said Amardeep Singh, programme director and co-founder of the community advocacy group.
Called the " Workplace Religious Freedom Act", the new law would change the legal standard by which courts review claims of religious workplace discrimination by public and private city employees.
Under previous city law, employers are required to make "reasonable accommodations" for the religious practices of their employees.
However, employers can bypass this requirement by showing that such accommodations would impose a minimal difficulty or expense on the employer's business.
The new law will still allow employers to deny religious accommodations, but only by proving that such accommodations
would constitute a "significant difficulty or expense," the Sikh Coalition said.
The current law does not allow Sikhs to work for the New York City Police Department unless they remove their turbans, the Coalition said.
Similarly, Sikh and Muslim workers who currently work for the Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) are forced to brand their religious headwear with an MTA logo.
While the new law does not force either the MTA or NYPD to accept Sikhs with their full articles of faith, it creates a legal framework within city law that makes it very difficult to continue to exclude them from city jobs, the coalition said.
Citing a research report issued by it in 2008, the group alleged one in ten Sikhs in New York City reported suffering discrimination in employment.
NEW YORK: New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg has signed into law a bill initiated by the Sikh Coalition to significantly enhance religion-based protections for employees working in the metropolis.
"Today's law is a major step forward in ensuring Sikhs and other religious minorities are not unfairly excluded from jobs for which they are otherwise qualified," said Amardeep Singh, programme director and co-founder of the community advocacy group.
Called the " Workplace Religious Freedom Act", the new law would change the legal standard by which courts review claims of religious workplace discrimination by public and private city employees.
Under previous city law, employers are required to make "reasonable accommodations" for the religious practices of their employees.
However, employers can bypass this requirement by showing that such accommodations would impose a minimal difficulty or expense on the employer's business.
The new law will still allow employers to deny religious accommodations, but only by proving that such accommodations
would constitute a "significant difficulty or expense," the Sikh Coalition said.
The current law does not allow Sikhs to work for the New York City Police Department unless they remove their turbans, the Coalition said.
Similarly, Sikh and Muslim workers who currently work for the Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) are forced to brand their religious headwear with an MTA logo.
While the new law does not force either the MTA or NYPD to accept Sikhs with their full articles of faith, it creates a legal framework within city law that makes it very difficult to continue to exclude them from city jobs, the coalition said.
Citing a research report issued by it in 2008, the group alleged one in ten Sikhs in New York City reported suffering discrimination in employment.
Australia's Victoria police inducts first turban wearing Sikh
MELBOURNE: Police in Australia's Victoria state today inducted its first officer from Sikh community who will wear a newly designed police turban, a media report said today.
Australia's Victoria police today inducted its first officer from Sikh community who will wear a newly designed police turban, a media report said today.
The first officer Constable Amitoj Singh who graduated from the Police Academy would wear a newly designed police-issue turban, featuring the service's checker board pattern.
Singh has been assigned suburb of Endeavour Hills from next week. On his induction, Singh was quoted as saying that the community was in the Sikh blood.
"The founders of Sikh people, they have been standing up for the rights of the community all the time," he was quoted as saying by an ABC report.
"Back in India right now, the Sikh regiment is the most prestigious and significant part of Indian army," he said adding "So this hereditary.
Every Sikh person would like to serve the community if given the opportunity."
Australia's Victoria police today inducted its first officer from Sikh community who will wear a newly designed police turban, a media report said today.
The first officer Constable Amitoj Singh who graduated from the Police Academy would wear a newly designed police-issue turban, featuring the service's checker board pattern.
Singh has been assigned suburb of Endeavour Hills from next week. On his induction, Singh was quoted as saying that the community was in the Sikh blood.
"The founders of Sikh people, they have been standing up for the rights of the community all the time," he was quoted as saying by an ABC report.
"Back in India right now, the Sikh regiment is the most prestigious and significant part of Indian army," he said adding "So this hereditary.
Every Sikh person would like to serve the community if given the opportunity."
US housing society to pay $110,000 for keeping Indians out
HOUSTON: A Seattle-based housing society will pay over USD 110,000 to settle a US Justice Department lawsuit that alleged the society discriminated against Indians and African-Americans seeking to rent apartments in the complex.
According to the lawsuit filed on July 26, 2010, owners and operators of Summerhill Place Apartments, in Renton near Seattle, "steered Indian tenants away from the Summerhill buildings and treated tenants from India less favourably than other tenants."
They also discouraged African-Americans, Hispanics and families with children from living at Summerhill.
Under the terms of the settlement, apartment owners Summerhill Place LLC, as well as a management company called Gran Inc and the apartment manager, Rita Lovejoy, will pay USD 85,000 to tenants and prospective tenants who were harmed by the discrimination.
The group will also pay USD 25,000 to the government as a civil penalty and enact a number of changes to the apartments.
The settlement must still be approved by the US District Court for the Western District of Washington.
"Working families already face enough challenges finding affordable housing," Thomas E Perez, Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division, said.
"Unlawful discrimination because of their race, their national origin, or because they have children, should not be one of them."
The lawsuit was filed after the Fair Housing Council of Washington conducted investigations at Summerhill, and the results were reported to the Department of Housing and Urban Development(HUD).
After an investigation, the secretary of HUD determined that there was reasonable cause to believe that discriminatory housing practices had occurred, issued a charge of discrimination, and referred the matter to the Department of Justice.
Under the terms of the settlement, the defendants also have to provide fair housing training to their employees, and develop and maintain non-discrimination policies at Summerhill.
According to the lawsuit filed on July 26, 2010, owners and operators of Summerhill Place Apartments, in Renton near Seattle, "steered Indian tenants away from the Summerhill buildings and treated tenants from India less favourably than other tenants."
They also discouraged African-Americans, Hispanics and families with children from living at Summerhill.
Under the terms of the settlement, apartment owners Summerhill Place LLC, as well as a management company called Gran Inc and the apartment manager, Rita Lovejoy, will pay USD 85,000 to tenants and prospective tenants who were harmed by the discrimination.
The group will also pay USD 25,000 to the government as a civil penalty and enact a number of changes to the apartments.
The settlement must still be approved by the US District Court for the Western District of Washington.
"Working families already face enough challenges finding affordable housing," Thomas E Perez, Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division, said.
"Unlawful discrimination because of their race, their national origin, or because they have children, should not be one of them."
The lawsuit was filed after the Fair Housing Council of Washington conducted investigations at Summerhill, and the results were reported to the Department of Housing and Urban Development(HUD).
After an investigation, the secretary of HUD determined that there was reasonable cause to believe that discriminatory housing practices had occurred, issued a charge of discrimination, and referred the matter to the Department of Justice.
Under the terms of the settlement, the defendants also have to provide fair housing training to their employees, and develop and maintain non-discrimination policies at Summerhill.
Indian-origin Canadian gets life term for killing wife
TORONTO: A Canadian court has sentenced an Indian-origin man to life in prison for murdering his pregnant wife in 2006.
Mukhtiar Panghali, who was charged a few months after his school teacher wife Manjit Panghali's charred corpse was found near a waterway at Delta,British Columbia in 2006, was sentenced to life in prison with no parole for 15 years, the thestar.com reported.
In her judgement, BC Supreme Court Judge Heather Holmes said the "egregious circumstances" of the killing motivated her to go beyond the minimum 10 years for parole eligibility, to 15 years.
The judge also sentenced Panghali to three-and-a-half years for interfering with his wife's remains, to be served concurrently with his life sentence, the report said.
Last month, the court had convicted Mukhtiar Panghali of second-degree murder and interfering with bodily remains. 31-year-old Manjit was strangled and likely died before her body was burned.
The couple also had a daughter who was in preschool when her mother died.
Indian teachers in demand in Singapore
SINGAPORE: Indian teachers are most sought after in Singapore schools with increasing number of teachers being recruited to teach not only Indian languages but also other subjects.
Over 70 teachers from India have been hired in the past four years and another 10 teachers from the country are set to teach in the city schools later this year as the education ministry seeks out international educationists to boost its teaching force, The Straits Times reported today.
"It's logical to hire from India because they are culturally much closer to us," Singapore's Academy of Principals dean Belinda Charles was quoted as saying by the daily.
Kolkata-based 'Academy for Professional Excellence', a recruitment agency for Singapore's Education Ministry since 2006, had recruited eight teachers in 2007 and the number increased to 30 in 2009 and 25 last year. Most of the teachers were from Kolkata.
The paper, citing the education ministry, said the numbers of international teachers still remain small, under 2 per cent or less than 620 of the 31,000-strong teaching force in Singapore.
The ministry said it has been looking for teachers overseas for 20 years to "inject diversity and perspective" into the education system here.
Singapore is facing shortage of teachers, particularly of economics as local teachers specialising in the subject left for lucrative jobs in the commercial sector during the economic boom four years ago.
Punjab promises a separate commission for NRIs
New Delhi
With the global collective wealth-base of NRIs touching a whopping US $400 billion, a select few Indian states today presented several investment projects to woo the diaspora at the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas here.
Punjab took the lead in announcing the setting up of a commission for NRIs on the pattern of human rights commission. (Punjab) Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal said the idea to form the commission would now be mooted in the state cabinet.
The proposed commission, said Sukhbir, would be headed by a retired high court judge and the focus would be on providing speedy relief to NRIs in property, marital and immigration disputes. The commission would ensure that nobody was exploited, he said.
Also, said Sukhbir, the Directorate of NRIs’ office in Chandigarh was being shifted from the Punjab Secretariat to Sector 17, the latter being centrally located.
Exhorting the NRIs to invest in the state, Badal Junior reminded the diaspora audience that Punjab was the only state that had set up separate police stations for the NRIs and amended revenue laws to provide relief to them in case of forced possession of theirm property during their stint abroad.
Replying to a query on failure of the Indian government to convince France to allow turbans in schools, Badal Junior regretted that the Union External Affairs Ministry “could not present the case properly and convey the religious sentiments of the Sikh population all over the world”.
Earlier, Planning Commission deputy chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia announced that regulatory constraints would be eased to allow NRIs’ participation in the education sector. “It is quite logical to allow NRIs a role in the expansion of education sector and to improve the quality of skill development. There are regulatory constraints, which may come in the way...but we are working to relax them,” Ahluwalia said.
Among other states to present their case before the NRIs were Karnataka, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, Kerala, Maharashtra, Bihar and Orissa. The states conducted separate sessions, each targeting NRIs of their own state.
Bihar, which a few weeks ago was named as the second fastest growing state after Gujarat in terms of economy, did not seem a bad word at all, with delegates and media packing the hall to full to hear the success story. Officials narrated how all the district headquarters had been connected with a wide area network.
Rajasthan tried to woo the NRIs on the basis of the multi-billion dollar Delhi-Mumbai industrial corridor project that would pass through the state. Maharashtra, Gujarat and Tamil Nadu are already leading in NRI investment.
With the global collective wealth-base of NRIs touching a whopping US $400 billion, a select few Indian states today presented several investment projects to woo the diaspora at the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas here.
Punjab took the lead in announcing the setting up of a commission for NRIs on the pattern of human rights commission. (Punjab) Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal said the idea to form the commission would now be mooted in the state cabinet.
The proposed commission, said Sukhbir, would be headed by a retired high court judge and the focus would be on providing speedy relief to NRIs in property, marital and immigration disputes. The commission would ensure that nobody was exploited, he said.
Also, said Sukhbir, the Directorate of NRIs’ office in Chandigarh was being shifted from the Punjab Secretariat to Sector 17, the latter being centrally located.
Exhorting the NRIs to invest in the state, Badal Junior reminded the diaspora audience that Punjab was the only state that had set up separate police stations for the NRIs and amended revenue laws to provide relief to them in case of forced possession of theirm property during their stint abroad.
Replying to a query on failure of the Indian government to convince France to allow turbans in schools, Badal Junior regretted that the Union External Affairs Ministry “could not present the case properly and convey the religious sentiments of the Sikh population all over the world”.
Earlier, Planning Commission deputy chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia announced that regulatory constraints would be eased to allow NRIs’ participation in the education sector. “It is quite logical to allow NRIs a role in the expansion of education sector and to improve the quality of skill development. There are regulatory constraints, which may come in the way...but we are working to relax them,” Ahluwalia said.
Among other states to present their case before the NRIs were Karnataka, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, Kerala, Maharashtra, Bihar and Orissa. The states conducted separate sessions, each targeting NRIs of their own state.
Bihar, which a few weeks ago was named as the second fastest growing state after Gujarat in terms of economy, did not seem a bad word at all, with delegates and media packing the hall to full to hear the success story. Officials narrated how all the district headquarters had been connected with a wide area network.
Rajasthan tried to woo the NRIs on the basis of the multi-billion dollar Delhi-Mumbai industrial corridor project that would pass through the state. Maharashtra, Gujarat and Tamil Nadu are already leading in NRI investment.
NRIs don’t invest as much as they remit, says Montek
New Delhi
The three-day Pravasi Bharatiya Divas ended here today, but not before the participants were sharply reminded of their poor record in investing in the country of their origin: Remittances from overseas Indians have grown over the years, but their share in foreign direct investment (FDI) remains poor, a little over 1 per cent of the total FDI.
The three-day Pravasi Bharatiya Divas ended here today, but not before the participants were sharply reminded of their poor record in investing in the country of their origin: Remittances from overseas Indians have grown over the years, but their share in foreign direct investment (FDI) remains poor, a little over 1 per cent of the total FDI.
There was a collective gasp in Vigyan Bhavan today when the normally soft-spoken and mild Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission, Montek Singh Ahluwalia, told his audiences, “Get rid of the notion that we are after your money.”
Minister for Overseas Indians Affairs Vyalar Ravi confirmed while remittances from NRIs were double that of the FDI received last year, their share in the investment in the country was just 1.3 per cent. “ Please do not get angry with me,” said the minister apologetically as he rattled off figures to suggest that at the end of the last fiscal year in March, 2010, India had received Rs 1,23,377 crore worth of foreign direct investment out of which the share of investment made by NRIs was approximately Rs 1,250 crore.
The annual remittances —the money NRIs send to families back home — were Rs 2,50,000 crore in the year 2009-10, according to the World Bank Factbook-2011 on migration and remittances. This is said to be the highest inflow into any country and as much as a quarter of this sum is sent from the Middle East.
A woman banker from the UAE triggered the assault when she suggested, tactlessly, that India would not need NRI investment if only it could stop money laundering. That provoked Ahluwalia into saying that while money laundering was a global phenomenon, 95 per cent of investment in India was by domestic investors. “Frankly, if you think you would get better returns elsewhere, I would advise you to invest there.” “Those who decide to invest in India,” he quipped, “would have no reason to be unhappy about their decision 15 to 20 years from now.
The NRIs did point out the urgency to change archaic laws to reassure investors of the safety and security of their investment. Besides, they wanted their property here to be protected from land grabbers. They also raised issues like double taxation for those with business interests in the Gulf, and voting rights for NRIs. Vyalar Ravi, however, clarified that dual citizenship was only a remote possibilityand that the government was more keen to introduce a single Overseas Citizen India card.
President Pratibha Patil, who presented the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman awards to 14 overseas Indians, including New Zealand Governor General Anand Satyanand, Harinderpal Singh Banga (Hong Kong) and Upjit Singh Sachdeva (Liberia), among others, announced while delivering the valedictory address that the next mini-PBD would be held in Toronto. Calling upon every NRI to participate in at least one endeavour for building a better future for disadvantaged sections, she hoped that NRIs would be a vital resource in ensuring inclusive growth.
Buying house from NRIs can prove costly
Chandigarh, May 13
Purchasing real estate property in the city from nonresident Indians has turned out to be an inordinately expensive deal for at least five city residents. Not only have they paid land prices much higher than those prevailing in the market, they are now faced with the prospect of shelling out another hefty sum in taxes on the profits made by the NRI sellers as the latter have chosen to return to their foreign abodes without clearing income tax dues.
The IT department’s international taxation wing has identified five such properties in various areas of the city, including Sectors 8, 15 and 43, where the NRI owners did the “vanishing act” without clearing their profit tax dues.
According to section 195 of the Income Tax Act, 1961 the purchaser of a property from an NRI needs to deduct tax at source on the amount of the deal. So if the deal is for, say Rs 10 lakh, tax needs to be deducted by applying a percentage on Rs 1 lakh. However, since many taxpayers are not aware of this fact and live under the ignorance of the principle of the profit tax being paid by the person who makes the profit, they have not made the required deduction.
Talking to The Tribune, a senior income tax official said the department will no longer remain a “silent spectator” in such cases. “We’ve already sent notices under section 201 of the Income Tax Act to defaulters. Almost Rs 45 lakh along with interest will be recovered from those who had bought properties from NRIs in the city”, the official added.
According to section 201(1A) of the act, if a person is held responsible for nondeduction of tax as required under the act, he or she will be liable to pay simple interest at the rate prescribed under this section on the amount of such tax from the date on which such tax was deductible and up to the date on which such tax is actually paid. It may be mentioned that sections 201(1) and 201(1A) operate simultaneously.
However, most nonresident Indians are not aware their tax liability does not depend on their nationality but on their residential status. If someone spends less than 182 days in India during a financial year he or she is considered a nonresident for tax purposes. This means any income he earns outside India is not taxed in India but if he has made capital gains from rent in the country then he is supposed to pay tax to the income tax department. If he fails to do so the buyer will have to pay the dues. So next time you decide to buy property from an NRI remember to deduct the tax on the transaction at source.
First Canadian filmmaker launches movie on YouTube
Rookie Quebec filmmaker launches movie on YouTube; first Canadian to do so
By Michael Oliveira, The Canadian Press | The Canadian Press – 4 Sept. 2011TORONTO - Patrick Boivin can't say his debut feature film, "Enfin l'automne (Fall Finally)," will be in theatres everywhere this weekend alongside other new movies including "Shark Night 3D" and "Apollo 18."
But the Montreal-based animator and filmmaker says he's excited to be screening his film for an even larger audience.
He's premiering it Sunday on YouTube, and proudly says his movie will be the first Canadian feature to be uploaded to the site.
While most filmmakers would probably be disappointed if their film debuted online, for free, Boivin says it's the ideal way to launch his movie.
"Enfin l'automne (Fall Finally)" is the story of two best friends, performing artist Jack and cafe owner Jerome, who both have eyes for the same girl. Jerome gets the girl, with Jack's blessing, and the ensuing story is an urban tale of normal everyday life, friendship and love. Most of the dialogue is in French, with English subtitles, although one character speaks English.
Boivin and his filmmaking partner Olivier Roberge sank $45,000 of their own money into the movie after getting a series of rejection letters from financiers. Although they had a minuscule budget to work with, it doesn't show; it's beautifully shot and has the look and feel of a studio-produced film.
That the movie looks so good is probably not surprising to fans of Boivin's work. While he's no household name, he has a large following online, with almost 166,000 YouTube users subscribing to his feed of videos, which include short films, stop-animation projects and music videos. Collectively they've been viewed more than 121.5 million times.
His buzziest project was "Iron Baby," a take-off on the "Iron Man" films starring his young daughter. With near Hollywood-level special effects, he digitally fashioned her with an "Iron Man"-style superhero suit and had her take on — and defeat, of course — a team of gun-toting bunnies. He's also done professional animation work for Lego, LG, Google and Disney's Pixar.
Given his engaged online fanbase, Boivin believes YouTube is the best place to showcase "Enfin l'automne (Fall Finally)," especially given his previous experience at film festivals where he screened some of his shorts, like "Radio."
"Even after all the places we went maybe 5,000 people saw 'Radio' (in theatres). After a month on YouTube there was 350,000 views — so that's a terrific way you can reach people," Boivin says.
"And since the channel I have is really popular now I know that people will watch the movie."
He's hesitant to predict how many people will see it but his goals are modest; he's not aiming for tens of millions of views.
"If we get 2,000 views in the first month we'd be happy but we could also get 30,000 — it's hard to say."
Even if the film goes viral, Boivin feels it'd be wrong to try to sell the film to a distributor and get it in theatres, given that the cast and crew on the project made virtually nothing for their work. He also got some great music to soundtrack the film by offering independent musicians credit in exchange for using snippets of their songs. If the project made money he'd feel obliged to share revenue with them too.
"This was for the love of the art," Boivin says. "We're not going to do it this way again, this is something you do once."
It's also a little easier for Boivin and Roberge to screen their movie for free knowing that their next project is going to get a little more help. The duo recently secured funding from Telefilm Canada and is looking forward to doing a film with "real money."
Making the movie with their own money made them stretch their budget to the fullest, which will be valuable experience for their next project, Boivin says.
"Sometimes I feel like things in movie-making cost way more than they should, I know we can do a really, really good movie for the money of a low-budget movie in Canada — which sometimes is around $1 million. Personally I know we're going to be able to do amazing things with that," he says.
Boivin believes what he's done with "Enfin l'automne (Fall Finally)" will become far more common in no time, although some filmmakers may seek some form of digital ticketing before screening their movies online. Just last week, YouTube began offering movie rentals through the site in Canada.
"This is the near-term future of independent movie-making," he says.
"I know people who got money to make their movie but in the end it was seen by a couple thousand people and that's it. On YouTube, you can reach the whole world."
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Watch "Enfin l'automne (Fall Finally)" — http://bit.ly/oV0lRa
How to Avoid a Speeding Ticket in Canada
Every one of us has faced this situation at least once in our lifetime. Convinced we are at fault, the relief of not being pulled over is as equally heart stopping as the realization we were guilty. Here are several tips to help you stay on the good side of the law.
1. How fast is too fast? Generally speaking, police officer's will allow between 9 and 15 km's over the posted speed limit. Anything above this and you are at the mercy of the local or provincial police department. Insurance rates also soar for any speeding violation 20 km's over the limit.
2. Drive appropriate for each situation. If you are in a 20 km/h school zone, limit your speed to what is posted. When it comes to areas where children may be playing or crossing on a regular basis, the police have no reason to be tolerant of speeders. If your child was crossing the street and someone decided to speed through the area, how lenient would you be?
3. Traffic flow is important, so try not to stand out from the crowd. Use cruise control when driving on the highway. By maintaining a level speed, even if it slightly exceeds the posted limit, police are less likely to notice your vehicle. Keep pace with other vehicles around you. If someone is riding your tail and wants to pass, let them go. Never be the quickest person on the road. Let that dubious privilege fall to someone else. In addition to maintaining a steady speed, fuel savings provided by cruise control can be substantial.
traps by flashing their headlights. Today, most drivers are content to let others take the fall instead. Something about morbid curiosity I guess. That said, a small number of driver's will flash their headlights to warn you, so take note and maintain the appropriate speed when this happens.
5. Learn where police choose to lie in wait on well travelled routes. Be alert as patterns will develop based on traffic flow, speed limit changes, etc. Favorite places include overpasses, "emergency vehicle only" crossroads and on-ramps to the highway. Pay attention as you drive back and forth to work on a daily basis and watch your speed closely.
6. In almost all of Canada, radar detectors are illegal. Transport truck drivers employ CB communication to learn where speed traps are. Following behind a truck at a safe distance is a less costly way to achieve similar results to a radar detector.
7. When a police officer pulls you over, they generally have three options available; offer a warning, write a ticket or arrest you. Option number three is something you definitely want to avoid.
If you are stopped by the police, pulling off to the side safely and as soon as possible are sure ways to let the officer know you respect their authority. Pretending you didn't notice them in your rearview mirror and extending the "chase" is never a good idea. Provide enough space for the police officer to approach your vehicle without the need for concern of oncoming traffic. Turn on your four-way flashers as a further means of creating a safe environment.
Relax and allow time for the officer to approach your vehicle. They may be checking your license plate, so don't make any sudden or strange moves by trying to locate your insurance and registration. Roll down your window and remove any sunglasses you may be wearing. Rest your hands on the steering wheel where they are easily seen. You may be surprised at the reaction you receive.
When addressing the officer, be polite and have your information close at hand. At night, turn on your interior lights as proof you have nothing to hide. Be honest. If the officer asks do you know why you are being pulled over, tell them yes, you were speeding. Whether it means the difference between getting a ticket or not is entirely up to them.
If you spend enough time driving a vehicle, a speeding ticket is probably in your future. Drive smart and be respectful of local authorities as they are simply trying to provide a safe environment in which to drive. Not speeding is the still the best way to avoid a costly ticket and above all, drive safe!
The worst city in Canada for speed traps
Windsor is the top Canadian city, second only to Livonia, Mich., in an annual list of the top 25 cities with speed trap locations, based on a per capita ranking.
Gary Biller, executive director of the National Motorists Association, said it isn't a definitive survey and that the informal ranking is based on the number of people reporting speed traps on the organization's website.
"Coming up to the Labour Day weekend people kind of check their travel routes a little bit more and again, drivers who can anticipate rather than react suddenly noticing a police cruiser on the side — it's safer for everybody to do that — so it's more of a public awareness feature," Biller told CBC Windsor's Early Shift host.
Biller identified Dougall Avenue near the southwest end of the city as the spot where police camp out the most. The National Motorists Association is based in Wisconsin.
Brian Ducharme, a lawyer who defends people charged with speeding, agrees that Windsor has a lot of speed traps.
"I see the police using black unmarked pickup trucks which is not typical of police and as a result I see them stopping people," said Ducharme.
The city gets a share of speeding ticket revenues but the police don't, said Police Chief Gary Smith.
Smith said they're not under any pressure to step up enforcement to make more money and he doesn't believe police are overzealous. He said they stake out areas where speeding occurs the most.
"We try to match our enforcement to high accident areas or where the speed is just ridiculous," Smith said.
Smith said enforcement is only up two per cent over last year and the police haven't received any complaints about speeding tickets.
"Fatal accidents — last year I think there were only two. We were only one this year. Our total persons injured as a result of motor vehicle collisions is down 25 per cent," he said.
But Ducharme still believes the speed limits in the city are pegged too low.
"I see some areas where they've reduced it from 50 [km/h] to 40, so that's too low," Ducharme said.
Smith said speed limits are slower in places because of school zones or reduced visibility on the roads.
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1. In Canada, traffic regulations are made at the provincial level. But contrasting laws in Quebec have caused one the province’s highest-ever traffic fines to be issued. Charles Duguay, who lives in Sherbrooke, Que., was issued a $718 fine and 10 demerit points in early 2008 after police nabbed him driving 122 km/h over Montreal’s Champlain Bridge, which has a limit of 70 km/h. Duguay claimed, though, he shouldn’t have to pay the penalty because there are two sets of traffic laws on the province’s books. The initial fine was issued under Quebec’s recently amended traffic laws. But the old traffic fine structure is still in effect, because the amended law did not rescind previous rules. Under the older law, Duguay would be fined $250 and five demerit points.
2. British constabulary probably thought they were having a good day when they pulled over a driver doing 185 km/h on rural roads. But the big score came when a second speeder was clocked doing a 24 Hours of LeMans-like 276 km/h in his Porsche 911.
Generally, speeders caught on the United Kingdom’s speed cameras get a $100 fine. But the Porsche driver was slapped with $1,250 in courts costs and 10 weeks in jail. And the fines didn’t end there. Like many European countries, U.K. law permits speeding infractions to be determined on a sliding scale based on driving conditions and how fast the driver was travelling above the limit. Thus, the police added charges of careless driving, bringing the total to $9,250 — plus the jail time.
Generally, speeders caught on the United Kingdom’s speed cameras get a $100 fine. But the Porsche driver was slapped with $1,250 in courts costs and 10 weeks in jail. And the fines didn’t end there. Like many European countries, U.K. law permits speeding infractions to be determined on a sliding scale based on driving conditions and how fast the driver was travelling above the limit. Thus, the police added charges of careless driving, bringing the total to $9,250 — plus the jail time.
3. In 2008, a 31-year-old resident of Hinton, Alta., was stopped on Highway 16 between Edson and Hinton, about 280 kilometres west of Edmonton, driving 263 km/h — 153 km/h above the road’s limit – on his motorcycle. The judge hearing the case let the motorcyclist keep his license, as long as he paid the $12,000 speeding ticket – one of the most expensive speeding tickets ever issued in Canada. The same traffic court handed a 25-year-old from Prince George, B.C., an $8,500 fine for driving his Chevy Cobalt 206 km/h along the same stretch of highway.
4. The Finnish government started basing its speeding fines on net income about a decade ago. Police can access a citizen’s income tax records via their cell phones, and issue the corresponding traffic fine on the spot. Keijo Kopra, a wood products company executive, received one of the first tickets under the new law. In November 1999, on his wayhome from work, he was caught driving only 22 km/h over the speed limit. Dialing up his income information, the officer wrote him a ticket for $14,500. In court, the judge lowered it to $9,000. Then the arresting officer mentioned that Kopra had two previous speeding tickets in the same year before the new system went into effect. Based on the new income-based laws, the judge imposed additional fines of $38,000.
After wedding planners, here come the 'divorce planners'
London, Aug 12: Now get a divorce served on a platter, for a German company has come up with a quirky concept of a˜divorce planner, who will help the separated couple with smooth and trouble-free divorce proceedings.
Sieglinde Vauth, who runs the Agentur Rosenkrieg (War of the Roses Agency), and has been divorced twice, has offered to help couples on the path to divorce.
He has said that his firm will help the estranged couple by mediating between spouses, giving them advice and helping to arrange all the practical aspects of a divorce, including sorting out the finances.
“It is mainly when money comes into play that the problems arise. I try to find other solutions than simply saying ‘eenie, meenie, minie, mo’ and distributing the assets in that way", ananova quoted him, as saying.
Sieglinde Vauth, who runs the Agentur Rosenkrieg (War of the Roses Agency), and has been divorced twice, has offered to help couples on the path to divorce.
He has said that his firm will help the estranged couple by mediating between spouses, giving them advice and helping to arrange all the practical aspects of a divorce, including sorting out the finances.
“It is mainly when money comes into play that the problems arise. I try to find other solutions than simply saying ‘eenie, meenie, minie, mo’ and distributing the assets in that way", ananova quoted him, as saying.
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