In October 2021, the US will crown the nation’s best young scientist among the top 10 finalists, including seven Indian Americans, for the Discovery 3M Young Scientist Challenge. Among thousands of promising innovators and inventors with a problem-solving attitude, only the best ten budding scientists make it to the grand finale of America’s premier middle school science competition. While vying for America’s Top Young Scientist title, the finalists demonstrate the transformative power of STEM and their commitment to solving everyday issues.

The 10 finalists for the Discovery 3M Young Scientist Challenge 2021 include seven Indian American teens: Veda Murthy of Virginia, Snigtha Mohanraj of Connecticut, Samarth Mahapatra of Georgia, Abhinav Anne of Illinois, Moitri Santra of Florida, Aadrit Talukdar and Viraj Pandey of California. The winner of America’s Top Young Scientist 2021 title will be awarded a scholarship of $25,000.

Veda Murthy, Virginia 

The Discovery 3M Young Scientist Challenge 2021 finalists of Indian origin include 13-year-old Veda Murthy from Fairfax, Virginia. Driven by her curiosity to find out how children with autism spectrum disorder cope with communication difficulties during online learning, Veda Murthy developed the Cognitive Emotion Interpretation Application (CEIA). The application helps teachers interpret the emotions of ASD children and teach them accordingly. She aspires to be an epidemiologist as epidemiologists are the first to predict the outbreak of major pandemics. Artificial Intelligence is her favorite invention of the past 100 years, because AI technology has a wide range of applications in the medical field.

Aadrit Talukdar, California

13-year-old Aadrit Talukdar of San Jose, California is one of the seven Indian-origin finalists in the race for America’s ‘Top Young Scientist of 2021’ title. 7^th grader Aadrit has developed a scalable and reusable shipping box to reduce or eliminate the use of oversized boxes and excess packing materials for e-commerce shipments. Since the outbreak of the pandemic early in 2020, the online retail shopping volume has grown manifold, thereby increasing the waste of packing materials. Aadrit Talukdar’s scalable and reusable shipping box will help save environment by reducing the waste of materials. He aspires to be a good person and a responsible citizen over anything.

Snigtha Mohanraj, Connecticut

Indian American Snigtha Mohanraj of Connecticut is vying for a grand prize of $25,000 and the America’s ‘Top Young Scientist 2021’ title. Her discovery of Ferro-Sponge, an innovative way to remove micro plastics and oil from contaminated water, got her on the list of the 3M Young Scientist Challenge 2021 finalists. She will develop her discovery into a concrete solution to the increasing micro-plastic contamination of drinking water in different parts of the world. Snigtha Mohanraj, an 8^th grader, aspires to be an environmental scientist and hopes to make the planet a better place.

Samarth Mahapatra, Georgia 

Georgia’s Samarth Mahapatra is one of the 3M Young Scientist Challenge 2021 finalists for her unique idea of using technology to make life easy for people with vision impairments. Her idea entails the use of edge computing and advance vision algorithms to help visually impaired people cook with ease. A resident of Marietta, Samarth Mahapatra aspires to be a computational biologist or data scientist and make the most of machine learning in the field of bioscience. Her favorite invention of the past 100 years is CRISPR, a technology that can alter genetic traits in humans, animals, and plants.

Abhinav Anne, Illinois

The Indian community of Illinois has pinned its hopes on 13-year-old Abhinav Anne for bringing the America’s ‘Top Young Scientist 2021’ title home. A resident of Plainfield, he has developed a novel way to extend the safety and shelf-life of blood products with Nitric Oxide producing Polyurethane bag. In the next 15 years, Abhinav wants to become a biomedicine scientist and a climate change researcher. He intends to invent new cures for AIDS and Leukemia through extensive research on stem cell transplant, gene editing and immune modulation. Studying greenhouse effects to mitigate harmful implications of climate change is one of his goals.

Moitri Santra, Florida

11-year-old Moitri Santra from Florida is the youngest of all Indian American finalists for the 3M Young Scientist Challenge 2021. Her entry to the national science contest is a novel optimized gel composed of Chitosan and Citric acid to induce algae coagulation and settlement in Harmful Algal Bloom (HAB) effected bodies of water to reduce the suffocation and death of animal life. Modern telescope that helps to observe celestial objects in deep recesses of the universe is her favorite invention of the past 100 years. Moitri is a 7^th grader at Jackson Heights Middle School.

Viraj Pandey, California

12-year-old Viraj Pandey from California is going to the finals of the Discovery 3M Young Scientist Challenge 2021. A resident of San Jose, Viraj developed the idea of applying non-toxic graphene quantum dots (GDQs) to help track the location of endangered species and prevent the poaching of animals. He is also investigating the Photoluminescence Signature of Graphene Quantum Dots in conservation of natural habitats. It is non-intrusive and scalable. He aspires to be a scientist and unravel the mysteries that exist in nature.

This story is part of Travel Beats’ continued effort to promote achievements of young Indians in the US. Travel Beats, a leading community portal for Indians in America, is a subsidiary of the most trusted travel-booking portal, IndianEagle.com. Sign up to our newsletter for the latest air travel updates, community stories, US visa and immigration news.

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A handful of young Indian Americans are all set for an eight-week summer internship in Congressional offices of the US government in Washington DC. Nine talented undergraduate students from South Asian communities in the United States have recently been inducted into the Washington Leadership Program 2018 for a first-hand exposure to the range of public service careers. Eight out of them are of Indian origin. They are Aastha Jha, Akshayaa Chittibabu, Anmol Nagar, Arjun Ramani, Moushmi Patil, Navya Kumar, Shivank Singh and Vineet Raman.

The Washington Leadership Program is a national non-profit initiative that is exclusively aimed at developing and nurturing the next generation of American leadership from South Asian communities. Instituted in 1995, the Washington Leadership Program (WLP) handpicks interns from among the most promising South Asian undergraduate students, who are legal permanent residents or US citizens.

The interns of the Washington Leadership Program 2018 will receive a stipend of $2000. They will attend meetings and discussions with US public servants, diplomats, policymakers and policy experts during the internship which will continue until August 3, 2018. On completion of the internship, they will walk into the WLP alumni community of nearly 200 South Asian individuals who are active leaders in different walks of life, including academia, government, business, law, science, entertainment and philanthropy.

2018 WLP Scholars: Eight Young Indian Americans

Among the Indian American interns of the Washington Leadership Program 2018, Aastha Jha from California is placed in the US Department of State. She is majoring in economics and public policy at the University of California, Berkeley. One of the campus leaders of ‘Asha for Education’, Aastha Jha is intent on making effective policies related to education and human rights.

Placed as a WLP intern in the US Department of Health and Human Services, Akshayaa Chittibabu is a Truman Scholar at the University of Connecticut. A senior STEM scholar, she is studying physiology, sociology and neurobiology. She aspires to be a physician, address socio-economic determinants of heath and make innovative public health policies for Americans.

A sophomore at Wellesley College near Boston in Massachusetts, Anmol Nagar is a most brilliant student among the ‘Washington Leadership Program 2018’ interns. She is currently pursuing international relations with specialization in economics. She was born in New Delhi, India and brought up in San Francisco Bay Area. She is looking to bring more people of color into the political ambit of America and frame effective policies to deal with social injustices. Anmol Nagal has started her WLP internship in the office of Republican Ami Bera.

Also Check: 3 Indian American Girls are Advisors for United Nations’ Girl Up Campaign 

Placed in the US Department of Homeland Security for the WLP 2018 internship, Moushmi Patil is passionate about public defense. She is double majoring in history and government, education, justice, and law and society at Cornell University in New York. She is eager to understand the factors responsible for mass incarceration in America. Moushmi is excited about the internship in Washington DC this summer.

All set to intern at the US Agency for International Development, Indian American Navya Kumar wants to facilitate accessibility to the state-level healthcare services for marginalized communities including the LGBTQ+. Being an aspiring physician, she is intent on removing disparity in access to basic healthcare facilities by the dint of an equitable policy. Navya Kumar is a rising senior in medicine at Rice University in Houson. She is also studying sociology and a civic leadership certificate course.

Vineet Raman of Georgia, Shivank Singh of Cincinnati, Arjun Ramani from California

The rest three Indian American students among the ‘Washington Leadership Project 2018’ interns are Vineet Raman from the University of Georgia, Shivank Singh from the University of Cincinnati, and Arjun Ramani from Stanford University. Vineet Raman, a resident of Marietta in Georgia is doing the internship in the Department of Health and Human Services. Shivank Singh, a major in Neuroscience is placed in the office of Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi. Arjun Ramani is assigned the WLP internship in the US Council of Economic Advisors.

Selection of interns is a highly competitive and rigorous process, which is not limited to those majoring in social science or politics or economics. Applications for the Washington Leadership Program are received until mid-January every year. The final selection is done through a telephone interview. The WLP interns are required to complete a leadership project applying the lessons that they get from a structured leadership curriculum during the internship.

This story is part of our continued effort at Indian Eagle to promote achievements of Indians in USA and the rest of the world. We not only strive to quote cheap air tickets for last-minute flights to India but also cater inspiring stories, latest community events, visa news, and regular travel updates to Indian Americans through our free newsletters.

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The current US government’s visa reforms and immigration measures may cut the number of immigrants from India, but the ripple effects of Indian culture in the United States cannot be controlled. The Indian cultural values are spreading along the length and breadth of the US, with more and more US universities offering yoga programs and courses on Hinduism as well as Indian languages including Sanskrit. The latest evidence to the rising waves of Indian culture in America is a few upcoming Hindu temples in USA for the inclusive cultural welfare of all communities, Indian and non-Indian.

Indians in Chicago, California and Connecticut are to get a new temple in their respective states, according to reports from Rajan Zed, the President of Universal Society of Hinduism. Let’s take a short walk through the upcoming temples in the United States at our Indian American community portal, Travel Beats.

Hindu Temple of Greater Springfield, Illinois   

The Hindu Temple of Greater Springfield will build the new temple complex in Chatham, Illinois following the basics of traditional Hindu architecture. It will have a raja gopuram (grand entrance tower), according to Rajan Zed. Since Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth and prosperity is the presiding deity at the Hindu Temple of Greater Springfield in Chatham, Diwali and Ram Navami will be celebrated as major Indian festivals here, according to Gopal Reddy, who chairs the temple’s fundraising committee.

The Hindu Temple of Greater Springfield on the western edge of Chatham Village in Sangamon County, Illinois is gearing up for Bhoomi Puja (ground breaking) for a new temple complex, which is scheduled on April 21, 2018. The upcoming complex with a new 8500 square-foot temple building will also house an 11068-square-foot recreational area for community events, a 7652-square-foot function hall for religious festivities, a 10522-square-foot tapovanam (a divine park), a 4920-square-foot pool, and a 4919-square-foot facility for temple priests and devotees’ overnight stay.

Brahmamdam, who works at the Illinois Board of Education, is referred to as a divine force behind the USD 2-million project for proposing the idea for a permanent temple complex in the Springfield area which more than 350 Indian Hindu families call home. There will be a spacious parking lot for 511 vehicles, including 11 special vehicles of the differently-abled outside the temple. The ground breaking ceremony at the Hindu Temple of Greater Springfield on April 21 will be followed by lunch and cultural entertainment.

Temple and Cultural Center in Milford, Connecticut

Milford City is all set to build a Hindu temple and cultural center for Indians in Connecticut, USA. The proposal has been unanimously approved by the Planning and Zoning Board of Milford, Connecticut. The temple will be built at a sprawling site of 1.77 acres worth $1.8 million. Adding to the cultural diversity and community harmony of Milford, the proposed temple will be a seat for cultural activities, spiritual practices, philanthropic pursuits and career fairs. Milford is rightly nicknamed “A Small City with a Big Heart.”

Ganesha Temple in Pomona City, California

Among the proposed temples in the USA is one in Pomona City, California. Indians in Los Angeles County have proposed to build a shrine at Ganesha High School in Pomona City and dedicate it to Lord Ganesha since the school is named after the Hindu god of prosperity.  Several things are named after Lord Ganesha in Pomona City, California including Ganesha Hills, Ganesha Place, Ganesha Park and Ganesha Hills Loop.

Rajan Zed believes that it’s quite befitting for this Californian city in Los Angeles County to have a Lord Ganesha temple. He has requested Pomona City Mayor to erect a statue of Lord Ganesha in the city’s oldest Ganesh Park. He has also pleaded with the Pomona Unified School District trustees to consider the proposal of building a shrine at Ganesha High School.

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Since the Trump administration started making US work visa reforms to make America great again, Indian IT companies have been looked down upon as agents of monopoly on H1B visa. With the back-to-back release of US visa and immigration reform policies, the IT sector of India has been in doldrums, thereby axing their employee strength at senior levels on grounds of unsatisfactory performance. In 2017, Indian media reported that Infosys, a global core banking market leader would cut its employee headcounts in India and go on a hiring spree in the US over the next two years. In addition to H1B visa issues, process automation and digitation added to the force behind this move.

What Indian media reported about IT giant Infosys’ strategy for the future has become a reality for techies in the United States, including Indian Americans. Recently, Infosys announced to set up a $21 million regional center in the US state of Connecticut and employ more than 1,000 people over the next four years.

Infosys’ Connecticut Technology and Innovation Hub in Hartford will focus on and generate employment in three sectors: insurance, healthcare and manufacturing, according to an official press release. It will not only cater to Infosys’ clients in Connecticut but also serve as a global hub for Infosys’ InsurTech and HealthTech products. The upcoming Infosys technology and innovation hub in Hartford is part of the Indian tech giant’s commitment to scale up innovation for the enterprise in Connecticut by amplifying the American talent in sync with the global workforce and filling up the IT skills gap in the US marketplace.

Also Check: Ten Richest Indian American Billionaires in 2018

Infosys’ Connecticut Technology and Innovation Hub in Hartford will house dedicated insurance and healthcare labs where innovative data security and fool-proof data-sharing features will be implemented to focus on smart underwriting, claims fraud and Cloud in order to help the insurance and healthcare enterprise clients with applicable privacy laws in Connecticut. The upcoming Infosys hub will be leveraged to train American employees in cloud and information security project development operations with futuristic techniques.

Infosys set up its first American technology and innovation hub in Indianapolis, Indiana. In continuation of its expansion in the US, the Indian IT conglomerate has also selected Providence in Rhode Island for a design and innovation hub, and Raleigh in North Carolina for a technology and innovation center.

Also Check: USA to Reject H1B Visa Applications without Employment Date 

Ravi Kumar, President of Infosys eloquently announced the plan to open the Connecticut Technology and Innovation Hub in Hartford and generate 1000 jobs for techies in the New England region. Hartford being the Insurance Capital of the world, the upcoming Infosys hub in Connecticut will help Infosys’ clients stand out in the digitally changing landscape of insurance, healthcare and manufacturing. It will also facilitate recruitment of highly skilled local professionals to serve the clients across the New England region.

Connecticut’s Governor Dannel Patrick Malloy has welcomed Infosys’s plan to open a technology and innovation hub in Hartford as a landmark in the history of Connecticut’s economic development. He is eagerly looking forward to Infosys leveraging the state’s talent pool and infrastructural potential for the sake of the local community.

Part of Infosys’ corporate social responsibility, Infosys Foundation USA has a strong presence in Connecticut and the rest of New England. It has provided funds to equip schools with classroom technology and train over 3500 students and 35 teachers in computer science across Connecticut in order to escalate American innovation with the tech-smart workforce of the future. Till date, 21000 schools across America have benefited from Infosys Foundation USA’s classroom technology and computer science training programs.

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Norwich-based Swaranjit Singh Khalsa, the President of Sikh Sewak Society International USA and the Connecticut Sikh Community leader, has been selected for the FBI Director’s Community Leadership Award at the 10^th annual Interfaith Spiritual Wellness Fair.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation, headquartered in Washington DC, recognizes 56 influential people from different communities and honors them with the FBI leadership award in different categories every year. The award ceremony will be held in Washington DC in April 2017 when all of the 56 recipients will be offered a tour of the FBI headquarters.

Swaranjit Singh Khalsa was nominated for the award by a US-based law enforcement agency for his impactful work on educating law enforcement officers about cultural diversity and differences in Connecticut in collaboration with the FBI. He was interviewed by the FBI officials on the impact of his work at the state level for the final selection.

A member of the City Planning Commission in Norwich, Swaranjit Singh Khalsa has been working towards mitigating hate crimes against the Sikh community in America since 2010 when he shifted to Norwich from New Jersey after completion of his graduation. He chose to do business and became owner of a shell gas station after his post-graduation in computer science.

He held the first Sikh awareness day in Norwich when he found to his surprise that drivers, vehicle owners and bikers went past his gas station to the next on seeing him wearing a turban. Like ripple effects of throwing a stone into water, the first Sikh awareness day resulted in subsequent efforts to make Americans understand the principles of Sikhism like compassion and service to humanity.

Swaranjit Singh Khalsa also works with the judicial branch of Connecticut to drive Sikh awareness campaigns across the state. His relentless efforts to save the Sikhs from hate crimes in America has started bearing fruits, which is evident from the growing Sikh population in Connecticut. Previously there were only three temples in the state. Now there are five.

During Sikh awareness campaigns in Connecticut, he makes people understand that turban is not a mere religious symbol but a principal identity of the Sikh community. He also enlightens the law enforcement officers about the significance of Kirpan, an article of faith for the Sikhs worldwide, which is often wrongly treated as a weapon.

Post the 9/11 terror attacks in USA, Sikhs were confused with Muslims mostly because of their long beards. Swaranjit Singh Khalsa’s fight against hate crimes in America is not only for the people of his own community but also for Muslims and Arabs who are looked down upon for the savagery of a few perpetrators of terrorism.

This Indian American Sikh from Connecticut educates the law enforcement agencies also about the Sikh community’s contributions to the progress of USA in different niches, including the US military. Recently the New Jersey Sikh community distributed free meals to the needy and hungry in 80 locations across USA.

November was declared as ‘Sikh Awareness Month’ in the City of Norwich in 2014. It is observed every year. 

Travel Beats is a portal for Indian Diaspora by IndianEagle, a leading travel partner of Indian Americans. Travel Beats publishes the latest air travel updates, news from India and stories of Indians in USA.

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