Ashadha (Adhik) Shukla 14, Vik. Samvat 2072.Yugabda 5117: July 1, 2015


 


SAMVAD

Ashadha (Adhik) Shukla 14, Vik. Samvat 2072.Yugabda 5117: July 1, 2015


1. FESTIVALS: Guru Poornima 2. Yoga has amazing powers for well-being: Rashtrapati
3. Millions worldwide join first International Day of Yoga 4. Sanskrit should be propagated to purify minds: sushma Swaraj at 16th WSC in Thailand
5.  HSS Celebrates International Day of Yoga in 40 countries 6. RAMAYANA IS REAL, SAY EXPERTS
7. Yes, we worship Cows - Pakistani Hindu lawmaker 8.   bharat's Mars mission may last 'many years
9.  Kailash pilgrims march into history at Nathu La 10.  DON’T LEAVE EVERYTHING AT THE WILL OF GOD: MOHAN BHAGWAT
11.   RSS IS A 'POWERHOUSE': RAM NAIK 12. 350th foundation day of Anandpur Sahib
13.  Bhagavad Gita Now in China 14. Exhibition on Bharatiya Buddhist Art opens in Singapore
15. Hippos, giraffes roamed Punjab 2.6 million yrs ago 16. 1st Bharatiya In NBA
17.  Sabar Souchagar: Nadia gets Un award 18.  Kenya to Cambridge: Amazing journey of Sir Harry Bhadeshia
19. Bharat-born nikesh arora ex-Google executive appointed SoftBank president 20. Bharat pledges $1 bn aid to quake-ravaged Nepal
21. "Ekal Vidyalaya Foundation" Commits Rs. 2 Crores For Nepal Victims 22. NRI-rich 3 Guj villages have 9,000-crore bank deposits
23.  TN TURNS TO YOGA THERAPY FOR DIABETES-FREE BHARAT 24. JAGANNATH RAO JOSHI SMARAK BHAVAN INAUGURAL AT GADAG
25. SHRI VISHWA NIKETAN & FOOD FOR THOUGHT  

1. FESTIVALS: This year's Guru Poornima (Ashadh Poornima) on July 31 has a special significance as it falls after a Purushottam Aashaadha. The festival is marked by ritualistic respect to the guru. Etymologically, a guru is one who removes the darkness of our ignorance. The day is also celebrated in the name of Sage Vyasa (and also known as Vyasa Poornima ) to as he is seen as the greatest guru in the  tradition of Guru - Shishya. Although no disciple can pay the debt of the Guru, yet traditionally, disciples offer whatever best they can offer to their Guru on this day. As any human may be vitiated by time, Sangh has adorned saffron flag on the highest pedestal of Guru. Swyamsevaks offer their humble best at the feet of the flag on this day. -goTop

 

2. Yoga has amazing powers for well-being: Rashtrapati: "Yoga is both an art as well as a science. It has amazing curative as well as preventive powers for the well-being of humanity and for the management of many modern lifestyle related disorders," said Rashtrapati Pranab Mukherjee on International Yoga Day on June 21. The Rashtrapati  inaugurated a mass yoga event at Rashtrapati Bhavan. Conveying his best wishes on the occasion, Rashtrapatiji said Bharat was the home of yoga where it was practiced over centuries. -goTop

 

3. Millions worldwide join first International Day of Yoga: They bent and twisted their bodies to perform various yogic postures - asanas - to achieve a balance with their body and mind. Pradhan Mantri Narednra Modi surprised everybody by quietly joining the 40000-odd people on the Rajpath-turned Yogapath on June 21 and performed the 15 postures along with them. It was Narendra Modi whose proposal of International Day of Yoga was accepted by the United Nations with the support of 177 countries in December last year. "We are not only celebrating a day, but we are training the human mind to begin a new era of peace and harmony," Modi told participants. "This is a program for the benefit of mankind, for a tension-free world and to spread the message of harmony." The yoga day was celebrated with great pomp and show in the state capitals and major cities also.

Two world records for the largest yoga class, with 35,985 people, and the other for most nationalities participating in a single yoga event - 84 were created on the occasion. Marco Frigatti, Senior Vice-President of Guinness World Record, who made the announcement at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, said it was "an astounding achievement and a very rare one". -goTop

 

4. Sanskrit should be propagated to purify minds: sushma Swaraj at 16th WSC in Thailand: The ancient language Sanskrit should not be treated as language only but should be propagated to purify the minds of the people and thus sanctify the world, said External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj at  five day 16th World Sanskrit Conference in Thailand which is a five day conference and started on June 28. Speaking entirely in Sanskrit in a house of Sanskrit scholars from 60 countries, Swaraj said, "Sanskrit should be propagated so that it purifies the minds of the people and thus sanctifies the whole world. You Sanskritists do bathe in the sacred Sanskrit Ganga and are blessed," she told the gathering.

Addressing the inaugural session of 16th World Sanskrit Conference in Bangkok on June 28 as the Chief Guest, Swaraj also announced that a post of Joint Secretary for Sanskrit has been created in the Ministry of External Affairs. -goTop

 

5.  HSS Celebrates International Day of Yoga in 40 countries: June 21st witnessed the rising sunrays carrying the images of asanas and the chants of om across the globe from Tokyo to San Francisco and Sydney to Oslo when millions joined the celebrations of the First International Day of Yoga. Several organizations like Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh (HSS), Art of Living and other local organizations took lead to organize huge events for the Yoga day.

One of the biggest event organized by Bharatiya embassy UAE in association with organizations like Friends of India, Raja Yoga Center witnessed over 16,000 people performing Yoga at Al Wasl sports Club, Jaddaf, Dubai. Attending the event were boxing champion Mary Kom from Bharat, Bharatiya Consul General Anurag Bhushan and Major General Nasser Al Razooqi, UAE Karate and Taekwondo Federation president.

''Today, we celebrate Yoga and we celebrate how it is a wonderful support to the mind, soul and peace,'' said Major General Al Razooqi.

In a huge gathering of about 6,000 at The University of Nairobi - Convocation Grounds, people practiced asanas and surya namaskar and a meditation session. Some other demonstrations performed were flute calming music, Yoga for kids, a Yoga dance, Yoga acrobats show and a Kenyan cultural dance. Dr. Hassan Wario, Cabinet Secretary for Ministry of Sports, Culture and the Arts of Kenya, said that ''Yoga is the science of activation of our inner energies in such a way that our body, mind and emotions function at their highest peak. Kenya is proud to be part of the 175 countries observing the Yoga Day and I am sure this is the largest Yogathon happening in Africa today. Let us not limit to observing the day only on 21st June but also practice it in our daily life to see the real results'' He ended his speech by performing the Halaasana. Dr. Evans Kidero, Governor of Nairobi County; Yogeshwar Verma, High Commissioner of Bharat; Prof M. F. Mbithi, Vice Chancellor, University of Nairobi; Prof. Miriam Kamadi Were – Chancellor, Moi University; and Roberto Paioni – Italian Consulate also participated in the event. Other cities in Kenya like Mombasa, Eldoret, Nyeri, Lamu, Nakuru and Kisumu also organized successful Yoga day events.

At the national Stadium, Lagos, Nigerians joined the Bharatiya community in yoga celebrations where a 2,000 strong gathering performed various yoga postures braving early morning showers. The event ''Yoga for Happiness,'' was organized by Sewa International, The Art of Living Foundation and the National Olympic Committee jointly. Several notable sportsmen including the president of Sports For All, Henry Amike, Secretary General of the Nigeria Olympic Committee (NOC), Tunde Popoola and Professor Pat Utomi were present at the event. Speaking on the importance of physical exercise to Nigerians, Utomi said, ''It is essential for each and every one of us to incorporate Yoga into our daily lives to progress faster as individuals and as a country.''

In a program organized by HSS at Tokyo - Japan, a pictorial exhibition - Yoga gallery was inaugurated by Edogawa Mayor Hideyuki Masu. Over 400 participants, majority of them being of Japanese origin were guided by 10 instructors out of which 6 were Japanese.

More than 100 centers of HSS USA organized yoga festivals in 30 cities, including Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Denver, Bay Area, Milwaukee, Houston, Bloomington, Tampa, and Phoenix to mark this day. The events attracted thousands of participants around the country. Activities included guided yoga poses, meditation techniques, and scientific presentations on the benefits of yoga, live music, and demonstrations by expert yoga practitioners. In several states, including Massachusetts, Ohio, and Illinois, governors and mayors recognized June 21 as ''Yoga Day'' within their jurisdictions. A book, Yoga - Bharat's invaluable Gift to the World, written by HSS International Joint Coordinator V Ravikumar explaining the reach and influence of Yoga in every nook and corner of the world was released at the hands of visiting External Affairs Minister Smt Sushama Swaraj at a function in Ganesh temple at Flushing New Jersey. At San Francisco Bay area event Finance Minister of Bharat Arun Jaitely was the chief guest.

Sydney, the yoga capital of Australia witnessed its tryst with spirituality at the iconic Bondi Beach and the multicultural hub Parramatta. Participants at the Bondi Beach started their eventful day with the sun salutation or Surya Namaskar and also took part in the popular Hatha Yoga, laughter yoga and meditation. Lord Mayor Parramatta Scott Lloyd, Julie Ovens, the Federal Member of Parliament of Parramatta, Alex Hawke, Federal Member of Parliament of Mitchell and other dignitaries also marked their presence to encourage the audience. Yoga events registering an overwhelming response were also organized in many other cities of Australia including Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth.

Scores showed up at the Everest Cricket ground on Carifesta Avenue, on Sunday morning as Guyana on Caribbean coast joined others in celebrating International Yoga Day. Members of the HSS spearheaded the celebration as part of their ''I love Guyana'' project in association with Cove and John Hindu College, Akshardham Ashram and many others. The event featured many different yoga exercises showcased by a variety of specialists. Participants exclaimed that the event was an inspiration to their lives. Many quipped that they are now ready to incorporate what they have learnt into their daily routines.

At Bangkok, as a part of the International Yoga Day celebrations, the International Center for Cultural Studies - Thailand, together with the world famous Mahidol University, organized a one-day yoga work shop for physical education teachers from schools all over Thailand. Harsh Vardhan Shingla, Bharatiya Ambassador to Thailand, inaugurated the workshop. The Vice Chancellor of Mahidol University, Prof. Preecha Soontranan and the venerable monk Buddhacharan, head of Siam Thep Ashram, Chaingmai were the chief guests. A total of 168 teachers from different schools participated in the workshop.

Similar events were organized at places like Paramaribo - Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Canada, Munich, and Chemnitz in Germany, Italy, Copenhagen - Denmark, Cyprus, Zurich – Switzerland, UK, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Botswana, Yangon, Batu Caves and Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong etc.

It was gratifying to see several organizations like HSS, Sewa International, Art of Living, Chinmay Mission, Brahma Kumaris, Vishwa Hindu Parishad, Gayatri Parivar, Patanjali Yog Peeth come together to organize such mega events in association with local communities, temples, Bharatiya embassies and others.  -goTop

 

6. RAMAYANA IS REAL, SAY EXPERTS: New research carried out by anthropological scientists from the Estonian Biocentre and the University of Delhi claims that events of the mythological epic Ramayana occurred in reality thousands of years ago. Scientists say that results of their genetic studies, with existing data, show genetic signatures of tribal groups featured in the Ramayana such as the Gonds, Kols and Bhils. Gonds are  a prominent group in Adilabad district of Telangana.

Researchers claimed that populations in the Bharatiya subcontinent can trace their ancestors to more than 60,000 years back. Scientists say that this is proof of the authenticity and actual occurrence of the events described in Ramayana, which would have occurred more than 12,000 years ago. The Gonds, Kols and Bhils are believed to be the ancient tribal groups of the region and have found mention in the Ramayana.

Dr Vadlamudi Raghavendra Rao, professor of anthropology, University of Delhi, and one of the authors of the study, said, "Definitely, the events described in Ramayana occurred in real. Our research has showed close genetic affinity of these tribes to other ethnic groups. We have shown that there is continuity in the populations groups living here.  Other researchers are working to prove other angles of this."

The study was carried out by Estonian Biocentre researcher Gyaneshwar Chaubey, Institute of Scientific Research on Vedas, Dr Saroj Bala and Dr Raghavendra Rao. The Bhil, Kol and Gond are three major Bharatiya tribes that have been widely acknowledged in the epic Ramayana, particularly in the chapters Ayodhyakanda, Aranyakanda and Kishkindhakanda. Gonds are prominently found in Adilabad district and other states and number about 40 lakh. -goTop

 

7. Yes, we worship Cows - Pakistani Hindu lawmaker: Voicing the rising concerns of Hindus in Pakistan in an unprecedented and bold yet rational manner, Pakistani Hindu lawmaker Lal Malhi on June 20 advised his colleagues in the National Assembly not to target the Hindu faith while criticising  Bharat. In the lower house of Pakistan Parliament during the ongoing budget session, fully confident Malhi in the most audacious way said: "In ko galiyan deni hoti hai Bharat ko, ye galiya de dete hai Hindu ko; kya kasoor hai hamara yaha pe?" (They want to target Bharat and they target Hindus in Pakistan, what is our fault?) On 22 June, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaaf MNA Lal Chand Malhi pointed out to his colleagues that Hindus are also Pakistani citizens. Malhi's speech went live on television. -goTop

 

8.   bharat's Mars mission may last 'many years: Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) had launched the spacecraft on its nine-month-long odyssey on a homegrown PSLV rocket from Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh on November 5, 2013 and it had escaped the earth's gravitational field on December 1, 2013. ISRO chairman Kiran Kumar said on the sidelines of Indian Institute of Science Alumni Global Conference 2015 ‘Science for Society’, "there was no untoward incidents, no failures; ....even when you launch you have to give some margin for launch error that also was not there. So we were able to save fuel right from beginning till insertion." ''Now we have saved, almost 45 kg is there. It will last for many years," he added. Asked to specify the time frame, he said "we will go one step at a time. We had told the longest duration of gap of communication was this one (June 8-22). Now this we have survived. Next similar event will be two-and-half years later." -goTop

 

9.  Kailash pilgrims march into history at Nathu La:  A group of 38 Bharatiya pilgrims crossed over to China for the final leg of the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra at the Nathu La pass in Sikkim on June 22 with the land route reopened after over 50 years following the 1962 Sino-Bharat war. The new track is much easier and safer for pilgrims, who had to trek in tough terrain through the treacherous Lipulekh Pass in Uttarakhand until now. The group comprised both first-timers and veterans of the Yatra, one of the most important pilgrimages for Hindus. They were accompanied by a foreign ministry liaison official and five support staff.

Hyderabad-based physiotherapist Nancy Naik said she was excited to step inside China for the final leg of her journey. "My parents had done it. So I want to do it too," the 27-year-old said, her tired but bright eyes barely visible under a thick, woollen cap. Many were above 60 and it was icy cold and overcast at Nai Dui La, located at around 14,000 feet. But their enthusiasm and fervour seemed to drown their fatigue. -goTop

 

10.  DON'T LEAVE EVERYTHING AT THE WILL OF GOD -- MOHAN BHAGWAT: RSS Sarsanghachalak Shri Mohan Bhagwat questioned the double standards that most of the people follow in daily life. He said even if the schools impart quality education, it will not work if the students do not get equally healthy atmosphere at home. "People send their wards to Vidya Bharati schools for receiving good samskars, but at home they print the wedding cards in English. This will not work. Society has to contribute actively if we want to impart quality education to the children," he said while speaking at a function in Mathura on June 14 after inaugurating an auditorium at Shrijee Baba Saraswati Vidya Mandir.

Shri Bhagwat said earlier the people used to leave everything on the God, but now they leave everything on the government. Instead of following this mentality we need to come forward to resolve our problems ourselves.  -goTop

 

11.   RSS IS A 'POWERHOUSE' -- RAM NAIK: A brief interaction with the then RSS Sarsanghachalak Prof Rajendra Singh in 1998 changed the life mission of international shooter Dr Rajpal Singh, who till then coached shooting to VVIPs including Rajiv Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi, Jayant Chaudhary, Navin Jindal, etc. Rajju Bhaiya, as Prof Rajendra Singh was popularly known, asked Dr Singh as to "what he has done for the people of his own village". The answer was naturally negative. But these words exhorted him so much that the same day he pledged to impart coaching only to villagers.

Next day, he created a temporary shooting range in his village Johri, about 70 km from Delhi, under Baghpat District and started hunt for rural talent with the help of the pistols that he collected from his erstwhile VIP shooters. His 17 years sadhana has now given 41 international (including eight girls, which is a record), over 300 national and about 1,000 other shooters to the nation. Not only this, about 300 youth of the villages, both boys and girls, have secured respectable jobs in Air India, Indian Railways, ONGC, Indian Army, Delhi Police, Uttar Pradesh Police, etc due to shooting. The official coaches of about a dozen universities in the country are from Johri's makeshift shooting range. About 70 per cent of the shooters in the country today have been produced by this shooting range. It is a successful experiment of connecting sports with career. Impressed with the extraordinary results, the then BJP Rajya Sabha MP Bhartendu Pratap Singhal visited the village in 2001 and offered Rs 25 lakh from his MP development fund to build an indoor shooting range so that the shooters can practice in perfect atmosphere. In order to recognize his contribution, the newly built shooting range has now been dedicated to him. This BP Singhal Indoor Shooting Range was inaugurated by Uttar Pradesh Rajyapal Shri Ram Naik on June 13. Referring to the motivation granted by Rajju Bhaiya, Shri Naik described the RSS as "a powerhouse, which provides energy to the entire society". Others present were VHP patron Ashok Singhal who is also elder brother of the late BP Singhal, MP from Baghpat Dr Satyapal Singh etc.  -goTop

 

12. 350th foundation day of Anandpur Sahib: Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) celebrated the 350th foundation day of Shri Anandpur Sahib from June 17 to 19 at Takht Sri Kesgarh Sahib located in Punjab. The holy city was founded by the 9th Guru of the Sikhs, Guru Tegh Bahadur in 1665. Takht Sri Keshgarh Sahib situated amid Shivalik hills on the bank of River Satluj is the birthplace of the Khalsa. It is the place that commemorates the miracle of 'celebrating the scum of humanity' and a wonder of the divine and transcendent guru-disciple matrix. Guru Teg Bahadar was father of Guru Gobind Singh Ji, who was the 10th Guru of Sikhs. Later, Guru Gobind Singh in 1699 created Khalsa Panth. -goTop

 

13.  Bhagavad Gita Now in China: Bhagavad Gita, a sacred ancient Bharatiya scripture, has made its debut in China after its Chinese version was released during an international yoga conference being held in the Communist nation.

Translated by professor Wang Zhu Cheng and Ling Hai of Zhejiang University in Shanghai and published by Sichuan People's Publications, the book was launched at a function attended by eminent yoga teachers from Bharat who had converged at Dujiangyan in southwestern Sichuan province to attend the Yoga Festival.

The book was released by Bharatiya Ambassador to China Ashok K Kantha on 17th June. The foreword for the book was written by K Nagaraj Naidu who was till recently the consulate general at the Bharatiya Consulate in Guangzhou.

Ancient Buddhist scriptures are well known in China as they made their way from the times of Huen Tsang journey to Bharat  in the 7th century.

This is perhaps the first time a well known Hindu ancient religious text has been published in China.

Last year, scholars from Bharat and China published an Encyclopaedia on the age-old cultural contacts between the two countries, tracing back their history to over 2000 years. -goTop

 

14. Exhibition on Bharatiya Buddhist Art opens in Singapore: More than 80 pieces of rare Buddhist art from the Bharatiya subcontinent are on display at the Asian Civilisations Museum in Singapore. The exhibition, which features artworks from Asia's oldest museum in Kolkata, chronicles the evolution of Buddhist art from the 2nd century BC. Titled "Treasures from Asia's Oldest Museum: Buddhist Art from the Indian Museum, Kolkata", the exhibition was opened on June 18 by Singapore's Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Lawrence Wong and Bharat's Minister of State for Culture and Tourism (Independent Charge) Dr Mahesh Sharma. On display are dramatic sculptures and paintings tracing scenes from the life of Buddha, and symbols used to represent Buddhist concepts. Highlights include a 1.2 metre tall sandstone standing Buddha dating to the 5th century; and a 10th century carving of Queen Maya giving birth to Buddha. The exhibition takes place in the 50th year of Singapore's independence, and celebrates the 50th year of diplomatic relations between Bharat and Singapore. It is the result of a collaboration with the Kolkata museum and is sponsored by the Bharatiya government. -goTop

 

15. Hippos, giraffes roamed Punjab 2.6 million yrs ago: An international team of experts studying pre-history are excited about a 50-hectare site in a village in Punjab as it could well be the oldest in terms of discovery of pre-historic fauna. Believe it or not, ancient ancestors of hippos were residents of this site in Mohali's Masol village 2.6 million years ago. The study is being conducted jointly by scientists from France and Bharat

In fact, more than 2,000 fossils of different herbivores, including Stegodon, an ancient elephant with tusks up to four metres, and Sivatherium, a giant giraffe, were dug up from Masol which is surrounded by Shivalik hills.

The study adds that before this find, the oldest sites were in the Rift Valley of Ethiopia dating back to 2.58 million years.  -goTop

 

16. 1st Bharatiya In NBA: Satnam Singh, 19-year-old seven-foot-two-inch tall basketball player from the remote Punjab village of Balloke near Ludhiana, becomes the first Bharatiya to be drafted into the star-studded National Basketball League (NBA) in the US. Satnam took a giant leap into sporting history when 2011 NBA champions Dallas Mavericks picked him up in the second round of the NBA draft in New York. Satnam was the 52nd pick among a pool of 60 in the draft. The Punjabi-speaking Satnam has been training at the IMG Academy in Florida for the past five years and has no previous experience of basketball at this level. -goTop

 

17.  Sabar Souchagar: Nadia gets Un award: District Magistrate of Nadia along with Sabhapati of Nadia Zilla Parishad in West Bengal was conferred with United Nations Public Services Award 2015 for eliminating open defecation in the district. Nadia district of South Bengal had half of its population defecating in open till October 2013. The district administration under a programme called Sabar Souchagar built 3,56,000 toilets in the district and by April 2015 the number of people continuing with the practice dropped to 0.2 per cent only. "The award was presented by acting Secretary General of the UN Lenni Montiel along with Head UN Women Stefani Senese, on conclusion of United Nations Day Celebrations 2015, on June 26 at Medellin, Republic of Columbia." The UN has described Sabar Shouchagar (Toilets for All) as a "unique model developed to generate awareness, improve access to sanitary toilets, and bring substantial health improvement through improved sanitation".

The UN has also added that the scheme has mobilised all stake holders "especially women and school children and involvement of faith based organisation" and "if replicated, it has the potential to eliminate open defecation from across the world".  -goTop

 

18.  Kenya to Cambridge: Amazing journey of Sir Harry Bhadeshia: From leaving Kenya for Britain amidst a political turmoil in the 1970, it has been an unlikely journey for Harshad Kumar Dharamshi Bhadeshia, a renowned metallurgist whose career and inventions have now been recognised with a knighthood. Bhadeshia, better known as Harry Bhadeshia, is the Tata Steel professor of metallurgy at the University of Cambridge, and has developed new steels that are now used on railway lines on the Channel Tunnel, the Swiss rail network and the France tram system.

Bhadeshia's parents were born in Rajkot and emigrated to Kenya, where all their children were born. They all emigrated to the UK when they had to leave Kenya due to political circumstances, in 1970.

An award-winning authority in the field, Bhadeshia is the latest Bharatiya-origin scientist to be knighted in recent years for contributions to Science and Technology after Tejinder Virdee (2014), Venkatraman Ramakrishnan (2011) and Nilesh Jayantilal Samani (2015).

Bhadeshia's inventions include super bainite, now available as armour, a new welding alloy, and a steel tailor-made for pipes going down oil wells.  -goTop

 

19. Bharat-born nikesh arora ex-Google executive appointed SoftBank president: Arora joined the Japanese company just last September. He was previously chief business officer of Google Inc., which he entered in 2004 as a telecom industry analyst before being recruited by Son. Hailed by Son as a "rising star", Arora received 16.556 billion yen (nearly USD 135 million) for the period through March, 2015. Unlike elsewhere in the world, there are few business executives in Japan who are paid several billions of yen a year and rare for a Japanese company to pay more than 16 billion yen annually to an executive. -goTop

 

20. Bharat pledges $1 bn aid to quake-ravaged Nepal: Bharat pledged an assistance of $1 billion to the quake-ravaged Nepal for its massive re-construction programme.  The announcement was made by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj during the International Donors' Conference in Kathmandu on June 22.

Led by Bharat and China, global donors pledged over $3.5 billion as aid to Nepal, meeting half of the $6.7 billion needed to rebuild the nation, as Nepalese Prime Minister vowed "full transparency'' and ''zero-tolerance'' to corruption in disbursing the relief money to the victims. Pledging the aid, Swaraj asserted Bharat would strongly stand behind the Nepalese Government, which is seeking to "wipe the tears" of every Nepalese citizen. -goTop

 

21. "Ekal Vidyalaya Foundation" Commits Rs. 2 Crores For Nepal Victims:  Shyamji Gupta, Founder-Chairman of "Ekal-India" happened to be in Nepal when the earthquake struck and so he personally initiated the relief efforts after witnessing the tragedy first-hand that unfolded. As of April'2015, Ekal had 1,500 schools operating in Nepal's rural areas. Ekal, was not only familiar with its people, its culture and life's necessities, but also, had well-established rapport with the local governments. As the news of destruction hit the world, 'Ekal Organization' under the leadership of Ravidev ji Gupta sprang into action to start coordinating rescue, relief, and rehabilitation efforts with its selfless volunteering force of 1,600 Nepali regulars. Within days, Ekal's own survey indicated that 626 Ekal-Villages were affected, 365 Ekal teacher's housings were destroyed and over 250 Ekal schools were badly damaged. In earthquake ravaged regions, Ekal extended help irrespective of caste, region and creed etc. Essential food items and medicines, 9743 tarpaulin, and 11,500 blankets were distributed which benefitted approximately 5,000 families in 400 villages. The team of Doctors treated 500 patients in 'Sindupalchowk' district and 400 patients in 'Lalitpur' district for wounds, gastric problems, psychiatric interventions and orthopedic injuries. According to Subhashji Gupta, past President and current Advisor to Ekal-USA, total commitment of Ekal in Nepal is likely to exceed Rs. 2 Crores. -goTop

 

22. NRI-rich 3 Guj villages have 9,000-crore bank deposits: Eight full fledged branches of nationalized banks cater to just 1,292 households in the tiny hamlet Baladia, some 15km from Bhuj. The NRI-rich village boasts of bank deposits worth Rs 2,000 crore. Baladia is one of over a dozen wealthy Patel villages around Bhuj. With 7,630 households, bank deposits in Madhapar stand at Rs 5,000 crore. Kera village, home to 1,863 families, too has deposits of Rs 2,000 crore. Almost half is NRI money. No wonder bank hoardings flashing interest rates for NRI deposits (up to 10%) is a common sight in these villages. The district has NRI deposits of around Rs 9,181 crore, the second highest in the state after Ahmedabad. -goTop

 

23.  TN TURNS TO YOGA THERAPY FOR DIABETES-FREE BHARAT: More than 8,000 diabetic patients in Tamil Nadu took part in a week-long Diabetes-Free Bharat camp held at 250 venues across the State. "This is the first attempt of its kind in the country to regulate diabetes with yoga therapy. Though we know from our own experience that yoga is a one-stop-solution for all diseases, it has not reached the masses. We have medical evidence to prove that yoga plays a major role in regulating and controlling diabetes without any medicine," said R Nagaratna, a MRCP doctor who heads the yoga initiative of Vivekananda Yoga Anusandhana Samsthana, a deemed university in Bangalore.

Nagaratna disclosed that the participants would continue with the yoga on a regular basis. "We will collect their blood test reports at the end of the first month followed by the third, sixth, and 12th month to find out the variations. This will definitely furnish valuable clues about diabetes management through yoga," she said.  -goTop

 

24. JAGANNATH RAO JOSHI SMARAK BHAVAN INAUGURAL AT GADAG: Karnataka Governor VR Vala, BJP President Amit Shah, RSS AKhil Bharatiya Vyavastha Pramukh Mangesh Bhende attended inaugural ceremony of Jagannath Rao Joshi Smarak Bhavan in Naragunda of Gadaga district in Karnataka on 23rd June. The new building was named after Jagannath Rao Joshi, an RSS Pracharak famous for his oratorical skills, who later took responsibility in the erstwhile Jan Sangh. He had taken part in many agitations and movements including Goa Liberation movement and was jailed for the same.      -goTop

 

25. SHRI VISHWA NIKETAN: Pravaas: Shri Ravikumar , sahsamyojak Vishwa Vibhag is on a tour to Thailand and HongKong. Dr.Sadanand Sapre, sahsamyojak will visit Mauritius.   -goTop

 

FOOD FOR THOUGHT: India was Swamiji's greatest passion … India throbbed in his breast, India beat in his pulses, India was his day dream, India was his nightmare. Not only that, he himself became India. He was the embodiment of India in flesh and blood. He was India; He was Bharat -- the very symbol of her spirituality, her purity, her wisdom, her power, her vision and her destiny.     --  Sister Nivedita.  -goTop

JAI SHREE RAM