Third season of the South Asian Spelling Bee announced

Touchdown Media Inc. announced plans for the third season of the MetLife South Asian Spelling Bee. The event is open to children of South Asian descent up to 14 years of age. It will give South Asian children a chance to test their spelling skills in their core peer group.

Interested spellers need their parent or guardian to register them online at www.southasianspellingbee.com. Organized by Touchdown Media Inc., the 2010 MetLife South Asian Spelling Bee will be conducted in 9 locations across the United States starting June 17. Regional level events will be held in LA, Bay Area, Dallas, Houston, Chicago, New York, New Jersey, DC Metro and Boston. All events will be free to watch and open to the public. "It's great to be celebrating the 3rd year of the South Asian Spelling Bee. With the help of our sponsors and media partners, a great platform has been built for the community where spellers can test their skill and have the thrill of being on television. We have expanded to 9 cities across the US and look forward to a great season in 2010." said Rahul Walia, CEO of Touchdown Media Inc. and founder of the South Asian Spelling Bee. Each competition will begin with a written test of 25 words. The participants must spell 15 or more words correctly to advance to the afternoon oral round, which will be conducted by experienced pronouncers and judges. The top three in the oral round will receive prize money. The top two spellers of each regional competition will advance to the finals to be held in New Jersey on August 14. This year, MetLife has doubled the champion's scholarship amount to $10,000 that will be awarded to the winner at the Finals. This year the Bee also welcomes Yatra.com as the Associate Sponsor for the event. Speaking on the sponsorship/alliance, Dhruv Shringi, CEO & Co-founder, Yatra.com said "We would love to engage with the Indian community and help them connect to their roots by offering pleasurable and memorable travel experiences."   

INDIAN Americans among top Winners in NAT'L science bowl

At least half a dozen Indian American students were members of the second, third and fourth place teams that won the 2010 U.S. Department of Energy National Science Bowl May 3 at the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C. North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics beat Mira Loma High School from Sacramento, Calif., in the High School national championship match by correctly answering a chemistry question.

The third place team in the High School competition was North Hollywood High School from North Hollywood, Calif., whose team members are: Isaac Kim, Kyle Lam, Harry Levine, Shaun Mehra (captain), and Slater Victoroff, and coach Altair Maine. In the Middle School category, Rishi Krishnan, Ayush Rath and Saran Prembabu were among the second place Gale Ranch Middle School team members. Krishna Bharathal, Raghu Dhara and Rohan Mathuria were part of the third place team from Hopkins Junior High School of Fremont, Calif. The fourth place team from Marshall Middle School of Wexford, Penn., included Surabhi Beriwal and Rahul Rao.

First Lady Michelle Obama asked the bonus questions in the championship Middle School match. She also spoke to the more than 500 students and 100 teacher/coaches about the importance of science education to the nation's economic and technological future. Each member of the top four high school and top three middle school teams received an Nspire calculator provided by Texas Instruments. The top three high school and top three middle schools teams won Texas Instruments Computer Based Laboratories/2. Earlier this spring, more than 20,000 students from across the country participated in regional Science Bowls. Sixty-eight high school and 37 middle school regional Science Bowl champions received all-expense paid trips to compete in the national finals in Washington, DC. DOE created the National Science Bowl in 1991 to encourage students to excel in mathematics and science and to pursue careers in these fields. DOE supports mathematics and science education to help provide a technically trained and diverse workforce for the nation. More than 200,000 students have participated in the National Science Bowl throughout its 20-year history. 

Subhashini Chandran named 2010 Yale World Fellow
Subhashini Chandran, a business and social entrepreneur who owns and manages the largest privately owned tea plantation business in India, has been named of one the 15 Yale World Fellows for 2010. Chandran, the CEO of

 the Woodbriar Group and the Managing Director of the Tea Estates India Ltd, has diversified interests in insurance services and real estate.

The New Haven, Connecticut based Yale University President Richard C. Levin announced the Fellows for 2010 for what is considered the university's signature global leadership development initiative and a core element of Yale's ongoing commitment to internationalization.

ws from India have included: Nachiket Mor, President, ICICI Foundation for Inclusive Growth (2004); Unmesh Brahme, Senior Vice President, Corporate Sustainability, HSBC India (2009); Chetna Gala-Sinha , Chair, Mann Deshi Mahila Group (2002); Amit Wanchoo, Managing Director, Eaton Laboratories (2007); Celine D'Cruz, Associate Director, Society for the Promotion of Area Resource Centres (2003); and Paromita Goswami, Founder, Elgar Pratishthan, and Founder, Shramik Elgar (2005).

 of nearly 1,500 applicants, this year's cohort brings the total number of Yale World Fellows since the four-month leadership program's inception in 2002 to 155 Fellows, representing 72 countries.

mber, the 2010 World Fellows will enroll in a specially designed seminar taught by leading Yale faculty; audit any of the 3,000 courses offered at the University; receive individualized skill-building training; and meet with U.S. and foreign leaders.  

Sabrina Chugh, 12 Prompts Buffet To Reveal India Plan

Responding to a question at the Berkshire Hathaway shareholders meeting in Omaha on May 1, Warren Buffett said he is eyeing the country, adding that he is going to make a trip to India in March next year. He was answering a question, "Why aren't you investing in India?" posed by 12 year old Sabrina Chugh from LA at the shareholders meeting in Omaha attended by 40000 people. India and China are doing really well, and even though Berkshire does not have many investments outside of the U.S., we are getting interested to look at investment opportunities in India, Buffett said. He said that one of their investments, ISCAR is doing business in India and doing very well. One problem, he said, is that Indian laws limit how much Berkshire can invest in companies in the country. Still, Buffett sees potential noting that India has made big improvements in the past 10 years.

Buffett answered a number of questions covering a broad range of issues, and picking a sample from over 1,500 questions submitted to them, in a Q&A session that lasted eight hours. Twenty-four questions were asked by people present in the big stadium and sixth grader Sabrina, who has been investing in stock market since she was eight years old was one of them. 

Manavi Celebrates 25 Years Of Empowering Women

With the breathtaking backdrop of the New York City skyline, Manavi hosted its 25th anniversary gala at the Hyatt Regency in Jersey City on May 8, 2010. The evening, emceed by Joya Dass, commenced with a welcome from Manavi's Executive Director, Maneesha Kelkar, who noted the celebratory and somber occasion of Manavi's 25 years working toward ending violence against South Asian women. The welcome was followed by the Founder's address, given by Manavi cofounder and stalwart women's rights activist Shamita Das Dasgupta. After Ms. Das Dasgupta spoke, three survivors of domestic violence broke their silence and courageously shared their stories with the 250 guests in attendance. The guest speaker was Bollywood actress Zeenat Aman who spoke of the dedication and commitment of Manavi staff and volunteers in working with South Asian survivors of violence and abuse. She also encouraged members of the community to give back and help in Manavi's mission. Manavi honored Ellen Pence, Founder of Praxis International, and her mother, Anne Marshall, for their significant and groundbreaking contributions to ending violence against women across the United States. The mother and daughter advocate team had just been honored the previous night at the White House by First Lady, Michelle Obama. Other highlights of the evening included a musical performance by R&B singer, Raje Shwari, a silent auction featuring exquisite jewelry, contemporary art, books and dinner certificates at popular restaurants. The evening ended with fine dining and an overall celebration of Manavi's 25 years of standing together, celebrating women's strength and inspiring action. 

Latin Grammys Inducts Rocker Anand Bhatt

Rocker Anand Bhatt has been inducted as the first Indian-American in the Latin Recording Academy. "Just goes on to show you how open minded and supportive the Latin Recording Academy is, it's about the music and not race. What an honor," says Anand Bhatt. The Latin Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (LARAS) is the entity behind the Latin Grammy Awards. Bhatt will be attending the Latin Grammy Awards and participating in the voting process thanks to his work producing such Latin rock bands as Fallen Wisdom and Madam's album "Tierra Blanca." Bhatt has also performed his releases in Spanish and has discussed a collaboration with Latin Legend Arturo Sandoval. Bhatt has been receiving much positive press lately for his Animal Rescue efforts and for his recent stand against racism and his participation in the Arizona Boycott. 

HAF's NextGen Essay Contest Announced
Hindu America Foundation has announced its 2010 NextGen Essay Contest for writers between the ages of 17 and 27 years old. This year's topic is as follows: The beauty of Hinduism and a key reason for its longevity as a world religion is its ability to embrace modernity. While the philosophy of Hinduism is ever-relevant, the manner in how it is applied to everyday life continues to change with each generation. HAF wants to know the difference between one's application of Hindu philosophy to daily life and one's parents' application. How does one live ones Hindu identity differently from how parents live theirs? All entries are due Monday, June 14, 2010. Category 1 (Ages 17 - 22): First prize - $300; Second prize - $200; Category 2 (Ages 23 - 27): First prize - $500; Second prize - $250. This contest is open to all who meet the age requirement. One does not have to reside in the US in order to submit the essay though the prize money will be paid in US dollars only.  

2010 Iffla Announces Award Winners

The 8th Annual Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles announced its 2010 Award winners with Laxmikant Shetgaonkar's The Man Beyond The Bridge (Paltadacho Munis) told in the native tongue of Konkani, a language otherwise hardly used in Indian cinema, as the winner of the Grand Jury Prize for Best Narrative Feature and Dilip Mehta's Cooking With Stella receiving an honorable mention in the category. Nishta Jain's At My Doorstep was named winner of the Grand Jury Prize for Best Documentary and Deepa Bhatia's Nero's Guests received honorable mention. Ritesh Batra's Gareeb Nawaz's Taxi won the Grand Jury Prize for Best Short Film with Anjoo Khosla's Wahid's Mobile Bookstore receiving an honorable mention.

Audience Choice Awards went to Paresh Mokashi's Harishchandrachi Factory for Narrative, Ritu Sarin and Tenzing Sonam's The Sun Behind The Clouds: Tibet's Struggle For Freedom for Documentary and Terrie Samundra's Kunjo for the Short Film category.

The festival hosted over 7,000 attendees at ArcLight Hollywood, had numerous sold out screenings and added the international director's cut of the Bollywood blockbuster My Name Is Khan in its "Bollywood by Night" series. The IFFLA Industry Leadership Award honored Fox International Productions President Sanford Panitch and Uday Shankar, CEO of STAR India, with a personal tribute from Bollywood megastar Shak Rukh Khan. The event was also highlighted with performances from TAAL Dance Collective and "So You Think You Can Dance" choreographers Nakul Dev Mahajan and Luther Brown.  

Yalamanchili Wins Democratic Primary

Surya Yalamanchili has won the Democratic primary for the 2nd District congressional seat. With 98 percent of precincts reporting, Yalamanchili appeared to have beaten David Krikorian by 650 votes and Jim Parker by more than 4,400 votes. The race took an unexpected turn last week, when Ohio and Hamilton County party officials condemned remarks attributed to Krikorian about Yalamanchili. State and county Democratic officials and Republican Rep. Jean Schmidt sent letters saying that Krikorian owed an apology to Yalamanchili and the Indian-American community.

Krikorian reportedly poked fun at Yalamanchili's name and ethnic heritage during a speech made before a veterans group in Clermont County.

Krikorian denied making any derogatory remarks about Yalamanchili, his name or his background, and complained that Hamilton County Democratic Party officials did not contact him before going public with their concerns.

Yalamanchili downplayed the controversy, saying that such remarks were more insulting to voters in the district than to him.

"What's most disappointing is that they seem to assume a certain level of racism on the part of the people of the 2nd district," Yalamanchili said. "So whether or not the comments were intended to be racist, I think they make certain assumptions about how people of the 2nd district view things."

Until now, Yalamanchili was best known for having been a contestant on NBC's "The Apprentice." 

Us Police To Tour Gujarat In Solidarity Show Against Terrorism
Organizers of America's famed Police Unity Tour have offered to conduct a tour in Gujarat in January 2011 with 50 police officers from the US and India to show solidarity in the fight against terrorism. In a spirit of solidarity, the officers will ride their bicycles to the Akshardham Swaminarayan Temple in Gandhinagar from Karamsad, the birthplace of Sardar Patel, Harry Phillips, executive director of the Police Unity Tour, announced at a function to celebrate Gujarat day.

Their objective would be to raise awareness about Indian police officers, who died in the line of duty fighting terrorism and show solidarity with their Indian counterparts as both India and the US were continued targets of terrorist attacks.

More than 800 law enforcement officials of the Police Unity Tour 2010 from across the US and members of the Indian American community attended the Gujarat Day celebrations

at the Royal Albert's Palace in Fords, New Jersey. At the celebrations, Phillips declared May 9 as Sardar Patel-Police Unity Tour in New Jersey. Celebrating the 50th anniversary of Gujarat's statehood, the event was hosted by the International Gujarati Association and 'We Share, We Care' foundation, a non-profit organization of law enforcement officers formed in Florham Park, New Jersey. It has sponsored the Police Unity Tour for the past 10 years.

It seeks to raise awareness about police officers who died in the line of duty. Each year, since 1997, about 800 police officers from across the country ride on bicycles from Ground Zero in New York to Washington aiming to raise awareness and financial support for the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund. The Indian Americans who were honored for their services to the community include Nilesh Patel, Assemblyman Upendra Chivukula, Sudhir Parikh, Chandrakant Trivedi, Sunil Nayak, Atul Kumria, Rajesh Bhatia, Mamta Narula and Paresh Gandhi. 

Neal Kumar Katyal will be Acting Solicitor General

Top Indian American lawyer Neal Kumar Katyal will now serve as US government's top legal counsel, with Solicitor General Elena Kagan vacating the post following her nomination to the Supreme Court.

Kagan informed the Supreme Court in a letter that she has been nominated by President Barack Obama for the vacancy in the apex court and the development leaves her principal deputy Katyal to serve as the Acting Solicitor General.

Solicitor General is the top US lawyer, who argues the administration's cases before the Supreme Court.

"In light of my nomination to serve as Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the US, the Principal Deputy Solicitor General Neal Kumar Katyal, will serve as Acting Solicitor General in all fillings after the date of my nomination involving the United States Government," Kagan said in a her letter dated May 17 to the Supreme Court clerk.

One of the country's top legal brains and the son of Indian immigrants, Katyal's promotion was effective as of May 10, the date Obama nominated Kagan as replacement for retiring Justice John Paul Stevens.

Katyal, 40, previously served as National Security Adviser in the Justice Department in 1997-1999, and was commissioned by President Bill Clinton to write a report on the need for more legal pro bono work.

He also served as Vice-President Al Gore's co-counsel in Bush vs Gore of 2000, and represented the deans of most major private law school in Grutter v Bollinger, the University of Michigan affirmative-action case that the Supreme Court decided in 2003.

However, in his most notable case Katyal represented Salim Ahmed Hamdan, the driver for Osama bin Laden, and successfully challenged the president's authority to create military commissions to try Guantanamo Bay detainees without legislative authority.

Katyal also suggested that a new federal court should be created to try terrorism suspects at Guantanamo Bay.