:::The Desi Flavor:::

links for 9th April 07

• Farm suicides are a rise in India as a result of "free market" reforms
• Reality TV hunt for students - A reality TV show is to give Indian students a chance to compete for five scholarships to British universities, worth up to £45,000 each, with the winners taking up their places this autumn.
• India to host Formula 1 in 2009?
• Business Week cover story on The Mittals
• Coins from the Mughal era found in Rajasthan – "These items of historical value were then handed over to the archaeological department, which brought them to Jaipur for detailed study. According to experts, the coins were in circulation during 12th to 15th century AD. "These coins are dotted with Arabic script. They will undergo chemical treatment after which the inscriptions on the coins would be easily visible," an archaeology department official said"
• Asian women flying to Pakistan for discount plastic surgery – "A growing number of well-educated, British-born Asian women in their 20s are combining annual visits to relatives in Pakistan with cut-price, nip-and-tuck operations. Ambarina Hasan, the health and beauty editor of Asian Woman and Asian Bride magazines, said the growth could be linked to a career-oriented lifestyle in which Asian women had higher levels of disposable income and were getting married later. Bollywood actresses, the icons of beauty on the sub-continent, are becoming more like sex symbols in the West, she said"

Mumbai Traffic Police become media & tech savvy

From MeFi:

The Traffic Police of Mumbai (formerly Bombay, India), one of the most densely populated and traffic-ridden cities in the world, are becoming media savvy. They post billboards, answer traffic complaints sent via sms and have even started a scare campaign against drunk driving that places bloody drink coasters in bars. They are definitely taking their jobs seriously. And so far, some Mumbaikars seem pretty happy with their work.

Tumeric good for keeping away Alzheimer ’s disease?

From Alzheimer's Notes:

Did you know that Alzheimer's Disease is less common in India than any other part of the world?

Some researchers think that this is because of the everyday use of the spice Turmeric. Tumeric is a powerful antioxident which also has anti-inflammatory powers.

Practitioners of Ayurvedic medicine have been using it for centuries to treat inflammatory disorders. But it is only in recent years that scientists have been studying it's effects on the brain.

Resources:

- Tumeric Shows Promise in Treatment of Alzheimer's
- Popular Curry Spice is a Brain Booster
- Out of the Spice Box, into the Lab
- Chemical found in Curry may help immune system clear amyloid plaques found in Alzheimer's Disease

 

links for 8th April 07

• Barbers are in demand in Punjab as Young Sikhs abandon long hair in favor of Bollywood type haircuts – "Alarmed by the trend, Sikhism's leading religious group, the SGPC, has declared the April 13 harvest festival of Baisakhi as International Sikh Turban Day. In addition, two turban-tying schools have been founded in Sikhism's holiest city of Amritsar, and a competition to select "Mr Singh International", is expected to attract widespread participation.

  Every region in Punjab has its own distinct style of tying a turban, with each claiming theirs to be the best, and Mr Singh contestants are to be judged on how stylishly their headgear is tied."

   

• Why Indian Entrpreneurs succeed in US? – Business Week profiles two Indian immigrants on why Indian Entrepreneurs ard doing really well in the US.

  "One-quarter of the U.S. publicly traded, venture capital-backed companies started in the past 15 years were founded by immigrant entrepreneurs, according to American Made: The Impact of Immigrant Entrepreneurs and Professionals on U.S. Competitiveness, a 2006 national survey commissioned by the National Venture Capital Assn. The current market capitalization of these firms exceeds $500 billion, and they employ more than 220,000 people in the U.S. and 400,000 internationally. Immigrants have had the greatest impact in the fields of IT, life sciences, and particularly in the high-tech manufacturing sector, where 40% of publicly traded, venture-backed firms operating in the U.S. today were founded by immigrants. "

   

• Killing female fetuses in the womb is becoming more of a problem in Punjab, India. "In the last one year in [Dhanduha village], against 12 boys only three girls were born, and in the last five years, 34 baby boys were born as against only 18 girls. A sex ratio of just 529:1000!" (via 3qd)

   

• The recent Abel prices goes to Srinivasa Varadhan US mathematician of Indian origin for his work on probabilities

   

• Made in India: Contemporary Art in India - John Elliot explores the rise of contemporary art in India driven by new wealth and talks to some key collectors. "Alka Pande, an art historian and curator of the Habitat Visual Arts Centre (HVAC) in New Delhi, says that domestic sales are being driven by younger members of big business families at the top end, followed by young company executives working for multi-national corporations who spend up to £24,000 on a single picture, and by others in India's booming software industry. Unlike earlier generations, these professionals have their own money to spare in their 30s, without having to rely on their parents' largesse."

   

• Banning sex education in Madhya Pradesh – "India Daily reports on children being denied sex education, because, well, apparently it's too graphic. "The Madhya Pradesh government has decided to ban the sex education provided under the adolescent education program in its present form in the schools."

   

• Grand Designs in Delhi – "Mughal tombs converted into palatial mansions, lighthouses built in city gardens and pavilions floating on water. William Dalrymple explores the eccentric architectural legacy of colonial Delhi"

BAFTA Awards for Bradford Riots director

From Asians in Media – "Writer and director Neil Biswas has been nominated for a Bafta award, it was revealed last week, for his drama Bradford Riots.The feature length programme, broadcast on Channel 4 last year, recreated the events of 2001 through the eyes of British Pakistani youths involved in the riots."

Related:

: In depth coverage of the riots from the BBC

: Wikipedia on Bradford Riot

: Channel 4 site on the Bradford Riots     

Localised Archie comics for India

Iconic US comic-strip hero Archie is all set to go desi and woo sweethearts Veronica and Betty in Indian languages like Hindi, Tamil and Bengali, playing cricket instead of baseball and driving a Tata vehicle instead of a Ford.

the company planned to localise stories and use local brand names, holiday spots and festivals in the story-line. "We will integrate Indian holidays or festivals in the stories and plan to use familiar Indian brands. For example, Archie can drive a Tata instead of a Ford; Veronica can wear a saree," Herman said.

The company is also set to publish the comics locally instead of importing them from the US. "Localisation will make the comics very cheap in India, maybe below Rs 25 against the current price of around Rs 80," he said.

The company has also signed an agreement with music and home entertainment major Sa Re Ga Ma, which will distribute Archie DVDs from the middle of this year.