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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In a first of its kind, robbery took place at two Hindu temples in the United States within a span of 24 hours. The way the jewelry of the deities of the temples was stolen in both the cases, as reported by the priests, the robbery appears to be a well-planned act by no armed gang, but a team of professional thieves disguised as devotees.

The Mahalakshmi Temple of Atlanta, Cumming and the Hindu Temple of Atlanta, Riverdale in the US state of Georgia are the temples which reported the theft of their deities’ gold jewelry worth thousands of dollars.

In the evening of May 16, a band of six thieves – three men and three women – walked into the Sri Mahalakshmi Temple of Atlanta in Cumming and stole the gold jewelry off the deities in a surprisingly casual way. Two men out of the six got into a causal conversation with the two priests who were present in the sanctum, and cut the priests’ attention off the deities with their curiosity about the history of the temple.

When the priests of Sri Mahalakshmi Temple in Atlanta were proposed for an interview on their knowledge of Hindu religion, they stepped out of the sanctum and came outside. Taking advantage of the moment when the sanctum was unguarded, the other members of the band including three women with their heads covered who were casually walking around the prayer room, entered the sanctum and took the gold jewelry off the idols.

When one of the priests intended to go back inside the temple, the two men held him back for a little more conversation. Meanwhile, the other thieving members including a little girl fled the complex, with ten gold necklaces which are valued at over $15,000. The robbery, which was captured on the surveillance cameras at Sri Mahalakshmi Temple of Atlanta, was discovered around 6.30 PM.

Within 24 hours of the theft at Sri Mahalakshmi Temple of Atlanta, the gold jewelry of the presiding deity at the Hindu Temple of Atlanta was stolen in a similar incident of heist.

Surprisingly, the robbery took place in the presence of two priests in the sanctum of the temple, as per the reports. When the priests were busy preparing for the evening rituals in the afternoon of May 17, two Caucasian couples tiptoed near the presiding deity, Lord Venkateswara and stole the jewelry. They also took the jewelry off the idol of Andal at the Hindu Temple of Atlanta, Riverdale. The estimated value of the stolen jewelry is not yet known.

The thieves have not been arrested yet in either of the robbery cases in Atlanta Metropolitan Area, Georgia.

This news story is brought to you by Indian Eagle Travel, a leading air travel booking partner of Indians in US cities including Atlanta. Indian Eagle excels in booking cheap flights to India from USA. Travel Beats, a subsidiary of Indian Eagle, is a thriving Indian American community portal for community news and stories.

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A few Indian American teen volunteers in grades 5 to 12 are among the 102 state honorees selected for the 2019 Prudential Spirit of Community Awards. The national honor is given in recognition of top youth volunteers’ outstanding volunteer service to people with disabilities, homeless kids, teens with mental health disorders, communities affected by winter storms, needy children affected by deadly diseases, and likes.

Each of the 102 state honorees including Indian American teens will receive a cash prize, a silver medallion and a fully-paid trip to Washington DC, where 10 of the state honorees will be selected as the United States’ top youth volunteers of 2019. Each of the top 10 youth volunteers will be felicitated with a cash prize of $5000, a gold medallion, a crystal trophy for the school of their choice, and a $5000 grant for their chosen nonprofit organization.

We at Travel Beats, a community portal for Indians in USA by Indian Eagle Travel, picked five of the Indian American honorees of the Prudential Spirit of Community Awards and decoded why they deserve to be among America’s top youth volunteers of 2019.

Anish Bikmal from Georgia

Among the Indian American honorees of the 2019 Prudential Spirit of Community Awards, Anish Bikmal from Georgia is the president of ‘Motivate and Inspire’ academy which raises funds through tutoring of local students by volunteering tutors for charities in India. A 17-year-old senior at South Forsyth High School, Anish Bikmal had had an epiphany about the misery of farmers near Mumbai during one of his trips to India a few years back. The farmers’ helplessness due to inadequate harvests to provide for their families, which could be attributed to their lack of knowledge on modern agricultural techniques, made Anish come up with the nonprofit initiative to benefit poor farmers, hungry children and needy people with cataracts in India.

Anish Bikmal whose parents moved from Hyderabad to the US in 1999 won the Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) National competition two year ago and donated the prize money to the Temple of Vedic Planetarium while visiting Mayapur in West Bengal.

A resident of Cumming in the Atlanta metropolitan area, Indian American Anish Bikmal has roped in other high school students as volunteers for ‘Motivate and Inspire’ academy, who provide academic assistance to children in grades 3-12 through coaching classes, counseling and motivational talks on various subjects. Till date, Anish has donated over $50,000 from the proceeds of tutoring in the local community for technical education of 104 farmers, 30,000 meals to poor children, and 44 cataract surgeries in India.

Jothi Ramaswamy from New York   

17-year-old Jothi Ramaswamy from Mohegan Lake in New York is a staunch advocate of STEM skills for girls. In order to encourage girls for STEM careers, she founded ‘ThinkSTEAM’, a nonprofit having an ‘a’ that stands for arts. Jothi believes that art is as important as technology and that one’s artistic traits or creative skills can be combined with technology for better results. When she learned that there were only boys, no girls in her brother’s computer coding class, she gritted her teeth to even the playing field for girls in STEM.

A senior at Lakeland High School, this New Yorker of Indian origin got further inspiration from her mother, an engineer, who restarted her career to provide for the family after Jothi’s father died. The success of her first workshop on wearable technology with focus on the intersection of technology and fashion, in collaboration with IBM, strengthened her confidence and fetched her opportunities to collaborate with school districts for workshops on STEM. Jothi Ramaswamy has conducted over 45 workshops for girls in 3-12 grades so far in partnership with Facebook, Google, Amazon, Columbia University, Stanford University and likes.

The founder of ThinkSTEAM, Jothi Ramaswamy is rightly selected as one of the youth volunteers for the 2019 Prudential Spirit of Community Awards.

Mehr Grewal from Washington

A resident of Bellevue in the US state of Washington, 11-year-old Mehr Grewal actively promotes healthy eating habits and correct hand-washing techniques. One of the youth volunteers selected for the 2019 Prudential Spirit of Community Awards, Indian American Mehr had an epiphany, “A simple measure like correct hand washing can actually save lives,” in the wake of a recent flu epidemic in the United States. With some research on hand hygiene, she made presentations about the importance of hand washing and demonstrate the proper hand-washing technique at schools as well as community centers.

A long-time volunteer for a nonprofit in Seattle, Mehr Grewal is looking to propagate the simple message, “Hand-washing is like a do-it-yourself vaccine which can protect the vulnerable from getting exposed to diseases.”

A sixth-grader at Odle Middle School in Bellevue, Mehr also initiated a nutritional counseling program to educate people about healthy eating habits and healthy die choices. She translates the content of the program in Hindi and Punjabi, whenever needed, in order to benefit a maximum number of people. She does also volunteer at a food bank.

Ishika Gupta from North Dakota

Among the youth volunteers selected for the Prudential Spirit of Community Awards 2019, Indian American Ishika Gupta is a budding philanthropist in North Dakota. A senior at Davies High School in Fargo, she is committed towards curbing the infant mortality rate which has improved by 15% from 6.86% to 5.82% in the United States. Her nonprofit organization, Cradle Me Care, donates bassinets to the underprivileged families that can’t afford a bassinet-like secure place for their premature newborn to sleep.

While volunteering at the American Indian Resource Center, Ishika Gupta learned that unsafe sleeping arrangement is one of the reasons for sudden infant death syndrome in the US. Gupta, who herself was born premature, thought of how her parents kept her safe and warm in a bassinet. She has purchased more than 100 so far and donated them to the organizations that parents of newborn seek help from. The founder of Cradle Me Care, Ishika also works towards mitigating disparities in tribal oral health.

Pranav Rajan from Nebraska       

16-year-old Pranav Rajan of Lincoln, Nebraska is a cofounder of CodeForChange which has started making a foray into California and New Jersey. In the ninth grade, he realized that learning by doing is many times more effective than learning by studying. This epiphany is the foundation of his organization where high school students get a taste of experiential learning while voluntarily working on computer-based technology projects for community welfare. CodeForChange is why Indian American Pranav Rajan got selected for the 2019 Prudential Spirit of Community Awards.

Having partnered with two universities and two school district administrators, Pranav Rajan roped in more than 50 students to work on real-life applications of the concepts taught in school. Those include a technological solution for a health nonprofit to help doctors reduce their stress, an automated data processing system for an analytics company, and a website for an entrepreneurship organization.

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“If you’re 25 years old or younger, you have never felt this cold before,” said CNN meteorologist Tom Sater with regards to the blood-chilling ‘snow’ effects of Winter Storm Jayden, which is spreading into the Northeast and the South from the Midwest of the United States. 75% of the continental US population, which is equal to some 220 million people, will have to grapple with below-the-freezing-point temperatures through this week.

The news about the harsh impact of Winter Storm Jayden is being reported from all quarters; the worst being the reporting of two deaths from the chilling onslaughts of the storm – one death in Minnesota and the other in Illinois. The Midwest US states, including parts of Colorado, Michigan and Wisconsin have been breathing under more than 10 inches of snow from the storm Jayden. Parts of Illinois, Minnesota, Indiana, Iowa and North Dakota have already received 6 inches of snow.

Picture Credit: RICH HEIN at USA Today

So grim is the forecasting about Winter Storm Jayden that parts of the United States, which are used to endure the biting cold weather, are thrown out of the gear to prepare for the worst. The temperature plummeting far below the freezing point has led to the cancellation of hundreds of flights to and from the Midwest US airports, including Denver International Airport. Shutdown is the fate of schools in the Midwest, including Minnesota at the mercy of Jayden.

The cancellation of 3500 flights in total, from Monday to Wednesday (tomorrow) has caused travel havoc. Flights to and from Chicago’s Midway International Airport, a major hub for Southwest Airlines have been cancelled. Airlines called off about 160 flights to and from Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport. Leading air ticketing agencies in the US, including IndianEagle.com have been receiving an influx of calls for flight cancellation or rescheduling.

Winter Storm Jayden is predicted to break most of the previous records of devastating cold weather across the Midwest and Great Lakes. From Tuesday to Thursday this week, Midwest and Great Lakes will be experiencing a plunge in temperatures to 20-40 degrees below zero. Wind chill may further reduce the temperature to 35-60 degree below the freezing point.

“But the deep freeze is just the first half of the story,” CNN meteorologist Dave Hennen said. North Dakota and South Dakota in the Midwest USA are facing ‘blizzard conditions’ which has made traveling not only impossible but precarious. Mississippi and Alabama are likely to come within the ambit of Winter Storm Jayden.

Illinois Governor, JB Pritzker has issued an alert about “potentially historic winter storm that will bring extreme cold to the state,” according to a CNN report. He has already prepared an emergency plan for the residents and the state agencies. The people of Illinois have been issued a directive to protect themselves from frostbite and hypothermia in the wake of Winter Storm Jayden. They are advised to use warming centers in case of snow emergencies.

Winter Storm Jayden continues to keep the Great Lake Regions alert. In the south of the US, winter storm warnings have been extended from Georgia to West Virginia to Kentucky. An advisory about the biting cold winter weather has been issued for North Carolina and Tennessee. In the north, New England, upstate New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland and Virginia are not exempt to the winter storm warnings and watches.

Winter Storm Jayden is likely to dump the greatest amounts of snow across the Northeast, from upstate New York to interior parts of New England, including Boston. The Midwest will be felt colder than Antarctica, and Alaska will be warmer than the shivering Midwest states this week, according to the National Weather Service.

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With Gita Gopinath having been appointed International Monetary Fund’s Chief Economist and Indra Nooyi being considered to lead World Bank as its president, more and more Indian Americans are emerging as policymakers and leaders in key areas from US politics to administration to judiciary. The recent appointment of few Indian Americans as county judges, and President Trump’s latest nomination of three Indian Americans to the Senate validate the fact that the Indian American community is collectively exerting ‘colossal’ power on US economy, politics and administration. On top of that, Hindu-American Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard and Indian-American Senator Kamala Devi Harris are all set to enter the 2020 Democratic Presidential primary contest.

We at Travel Beats, an Indian American community portal by Indian Eagle took a sneak peek into the profiles and agendas of the newly appointed and emerging Indian American policymakers and leaders.

Dr. Rita Baranwal, Aditya Bamzai, Ram Villivalam, Bimal Patel (left to right)

Dr. Rita Baranwal, Pennsylvania              

The US President Donald Trump’s latest nominations to the Senate for key positions include three Indian Americans: Rita Baranwal, Bimal Patel and Aditya Bamzai. A member of the American Nuclear Society, Dr. Rita Baranwal from Pittsburgh is a nominee for the post of assistant secretary of Nuclear Energy. If the Senate approves her nomination, she will be helming the office of Nuclear Energy in the United States, with a special focus on the department’s nuclear technology research and development. An MIT alumnus having a PhD degree in materials science and engineering from the University of Michigan, Dr. Rita Baranwal is the Director for the Gateway for Accelerated Innovation in Nuclear (GAIN) initiative.

Aditya Bamzai, Virginia

Nominated to the Senate for the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board, Aditya Bamzai from Virginia is a Professor at the University of Virginia’s School of Law. A Yale graduate, he teaches and writes about cybercrimes, national security law, civil procedure and federal courts at the University of Virginia’s School of Law. Earlier, he was appointed a law clerk to Judge Jeffrey Sutton at the US Court of Appeals and to Justice Antonin Scalia at the US Supreme Court. Indian American Aditya Bamzai has also worked in the Office of legal counsel and the National Security Division of the US Department of Justice. If confirmed by the Senate, he will serve the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board until January 29, 2020.

Bimal Patel, Georgia  

President Trump has nominated Indian American Bimal Patel from Georgia for the post of assistant secretary in the US Department of Treasury. An alumnus of Stanford University, Harvard University and Georgetown University Law Center, Bimal Patel currently serves as the deputy assistant secretary of the Treasury for the Financial Stability Oversight Council. Earlier, he worked as an adjunct associate professor at Stanford University and taught a banking regulation course to undergraduate students. He was also a senior advisor to Director Jeremiah O Norton at the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.

Ram Villivalam, Illinois    

Indian American Ram Villivalam, a Democrat from Chicago has recently been sworn in as a member of the Illinois General Assembly in the state’s 8^th district. He took his oath on the Bhagavad Gita, and so did other Indian American legislators including Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi. As per the priorities on his agenda for Illinois’ 8^th congressional district, Ram Villivalam is hell-bent on bringing legislation for gun violence prevention, women’s rights, progressive income tax, LGBTQ rights, and hike in minimum wage. Notably, he is looking forward to bringing progressive perspectives to the process of making decisions in the Illinois Senate for the 8^th district covering 21 neighborhoods in Chicago City.

Mona Das, Washington 

India-born Mona Das from the US state of Washington joined the league of Indian American female politicians by taking oath as a senator of the 47^th legislative district in the state. Mona Das whose ancestral home is in a suburban village at a short distance from Kolkata came to the US along with her parents just after eight months of her birth in Munger district of Bihar. A psychology graduate from the University of Cincinnati, Indian American Senator Mona Das will on the Senate Housing Stability and Affordability Committee, the Senate Transportation Committee, the Senate Financial Institutions, Economic Development and Trade Committee, and the Senate Environment, Energy and Technology Committee.

In her capacity as a Washington State Senator, Mona Das will be advocating the causes related to gender equality for women, environment and minority communities. Her speech on the oath-taking day was eloquent with her love for India and its cultural heritage. She concluded her speech with ‘Jai Hind’ and ‘Bharat Mata ki Jai.’ Like most of Indian American female politicians, Mona Das believes that education is the key to girls’ success and bright future.

Vedica Puri, California  

Vedica Puri from San Francisco is among the few new Indian American faces in the administrative power of the USA. A native of Mumbai, 47-year-old Vedica Puri has been appointed a judge to the San Francisco County Superior Court. A graduate from Santa Clara University School of Law, Vedica Puri is the first Indian American judge in the San Francisco County Superior Court. Her areas of practice include dealing with emerging technology risks to universities and businesses in Silicon Valley. Indian American Vedica Puri is one of the partners at Pillsbury & Coleman LLP.

K. P. George, Texas

Of the new Indian Americans in administrative power, K. P. George has been sworn in to the judgeship of Fort Bend County in Texas. He succeeded Republican Robert Hebert, who designated the position for the past 15 years, and described his eventful journey from a South Indian farmhouse to Fort Bend County Judgeship an inspiring story of perseverance. ‘Never Give up’ was Indian American K. P. George’s message to those in attendance during his oath-taking ceremony.

The chief executive of Fort Bend County Texas, K. P. George promises an effective, efficient and engaging administration to involve youngsters and community members in various nation-building and development projects. He does also guarantee a revision of the emergency management policy as the destruction caused by Hurricane Harvey in 2017 still sticks to the public memory.

Better county government transparency, higher levels of community engagement, more youth empowerment, the making of a flood control district, and meticulous emergency-handling plans are what he zeroed in on while campaigning for the judgeship of Fort Bend, the most diverse and 10^th most populous county in Texas. The Fort Bend County Judge is said to exert more power than Indian American mayors of cities in California and New Jersey.

Manjari Chawla, California  

Indian-origin judges in America include attorney Manjari Chawla from Jaipur, Rajasthan. She was the first Indian American to be appointed a hearing judge by the California Supreme Court in San Francisco, in October 2018. As a hearing judge of the State Bar Court, Majari Chawla presides over cases of violation of the State Bar Act and the Rules of Professional Conduct, involving attorneys in California. A member of the San Francisco Court Bar Association, Indian American Manjari Chawla is known for her expertise in fighting for justice to the Asian-origin people in the USA. An alumnus of Yale University, she will be serving the State Bar Court through October 2024.

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It has been one year and a half since the Indian community leaders in the US state of Georgia started gathering support for a petition to the Consulate General of India for direct Air India flights from Atlanta to India, in July 2017. Meanwhile, Air India launched nonstop flights from San Francisco to Mumbai. Just recently, Air India’s New York to Mumbai nonstop service saw the daylight. But, any possibility of nonstop flights to India from Atlanta was not hinted at until now. Hope, the fingers crossed in prayers for nonstop Air India flights from Atlanta to major Indian cities will make the ‘V’ sign in 2019.

The Federation of Indian American Associations (FIA) of Georgia has presented a memorandum to Indian government, seeking assistance in making seamless air connectivity from Atlanta to India possible for over 2 lakh Indians in Georgia. The memorandum was submitted to the Minister of State for External Affairs General on November 25, 2018. The President of FIA Georgia, Dr. Vasudev Patel is very sanguine about a positive impact of the memorandum in making Atlanta an Air India gateway in the Southeast USA.

“There are bright prospects for nonstop Air India flights from Atlanta to Delhi or Mumbai, as not only Georgia Indians but Indians from the neighboring states like Florida, Alabama, Tennessee, and South Carolina will be able to leverage the service to their benefit. With the Indian community growing in and around Atlanta, the mounting pressure on Air India to operate direct flights to and from Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport is not unjust,” the chief marketing officer of Indian Eagle Travel opined.

Currently, Qatar Airways, British Airways and Air France offer good deals for cheap Atlanta to Delhi flights, economy and business, with one-stop layover at their primary hubs – Doha, London and Paris respectively. While British Airways takes 17hr 40min from Atlanta to Delhi IGI Airport, Air France takes 19hr 10min. Qatar Airways’ Atlanta to Delhi flights are as long as 20hr 30min, which includes a layover of 3hr 25 min at Doha. Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport being one of the hubs, Delta Airlines operates one-stop Atlanta to India flights in codeshare partnership with other airlines, including Jet Airways.

In response to the memorandum, General Vijay Kumar Singh, the Minister of State for External Affairs has promised to push for nonstop Air India flights from Atlanta to Mumbai or New Delhi, according to a press release. He said that Indians in Georgia do definitely deserve nonstop flights to India from Atlanta for better connectivity and the shortest travel time.

“In 2019, Delta Airlines is supposed to make its comeback to India with nonstop flights to Mumbai from any of its hubs in the US. It may be Atlanta, New York, Seattle, Los Angeles, or Detroit. Georgia Indians will be more than happy if Atlanta be the base of nonstop Delta flights to Mumbai in 2019. On top of that, if Air India launches nonstop service to and from Atlanta, it will be a double celebration for them,” said the chief information officer of IndianEagle.com.

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The United States is all set to select the nation’s Top Youngest Scientist from among the 10 finalists including five Indian American youngsters. The finalists of Discovery Education Network’s 3M Young Scientist Challenge 2018 are promising innovators and inventors on a mission to ensure a better future for mankind.

The young Indian American finalists in the race for America’s ‘Top Young Scientist of 2018’ title are Mehaa Amirthalingam of Texas, Sriram Bhimaraju of California, Krish Wadhwani of Georgia, Cameron Sharma of Virginia, and Rishab Jain of Oregon. They are gearing up for the grand finale of Discovery Education Network’s 3M Young Scientist Challenge 2018, which will be held in October at 3M Innovation Center at St. Paul, Minneapolis.

Mehaa Amirthalingam of Texas

A resident of Sugar Land in Texas, 13-year-old Mehaa Amirthalingam has invented a unique toilet flushing system which uses grey water and fresh water. She believes, “Innovation should not degrade humanity for the sake of personal gain.” Her favorite invention of the last 100 years is smartphone which, she says, has made our day-to-day life incredibly easier. An 8^th grader at Sartartia Middle School, Mehaa aspires to be a patent-holding engineer by the time she turns 30. Here’s a video illustration of her invention:

Rishab Jain of Oregon

A resident of Portland in Oregon, 7^th grader Rishab Jain is an aspiring biomedical engineer. One of the 3M Young Scientist Challenge 2018 finalists, Rishab has devised the Pancreatic Cancer Deep Learning System (PCDLS) tool which helps with accurate location of the pancreas during MRI radiotherapy using artificial intelligence. A 13-year-old student of Stoller Middle School, Rishab is confident that his tool will be instrumental in effective pancreas cancer treatment. He demonstrates his invention in the video below:

Sriram Bhimaraju of California

A resident of Cupertino in California, 12-year-old Sriram Bhimaraju aspires to be a Nobel Laureate in 15 years. His novel app named Archery Assistant is one of the entries in the final competition of Discovery Education’s 3M Young Scientist Challenge 2018. The app helps improve an archer’s aim at the target in real time using a Bluetooth sensor. A student of Harker Middle School, Sriram says, “People like me would not be able to make an impact on the world without the invention of the I.C. chip.” Here’s a brief demonstration of his invention:

Krish Wadhwani of Georgia

A resident of Alpharetta in Georgia, Krish Wadhwani has enhanced the possibility of developing a cure for Huntington’s disease. His Synthetic Antibody Mimics helps locate cancerous cells and gets attached to a specific protein found on the surface of those cells responsible for Huntington’s disease. The 14-year-old 8^th grader at DeSana Middle School wants to be a cardiologist or neurosurgeon. Pacemaker is his favorite invention of the past 100 years. Do take a walk through his invention in the video below:

Cameron Sharma of Virginia

A resident of Glen Allen in Virginia, Cameron Sharma has created uFlu, a unique computer model that uses artificial intelligence to calculate seasonal flu vaccines and identify the most effective vaccine for those affected by flu. His interest in engineering aspects of healthcare drove him to create uFlu leveraging his knowledge of immunology, computer programming, virology, math and genetics. One of the promising finalists of Discovery 3M Young Scientist Challenge 2018, Cameron Sharma aspires to be a biomedical engineer.

The finalists will take a summer internship program under the supervision of 3M scientists and transform their ideas or inventions into working solutions before the grand finale in October 2018. In the final competition, they will demonstrate the USP and usefulness of their tools and devices before a panel of judges including noted researchers and scientists. The winner of Discovery 3M Young Scientist Challenge 2018 will be declared America’s Top Young Scientist and awarded a scholarship worth $25,000.

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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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Three Indian American teens bagged the top prizes in the 2018 National Geographic Bee competition held in Washington DC, to the utter pleasure of Indian Community in the United States. Venkat Ranjan from California, Anoushka Buddhikot from New Jersey and Vishal Sareddy from Georgia took the nation aback by winning the first, second and third scholarship awards at the 2018 Nat Geo Bee competition.

Vishal Sareddy, Georgia (left); Anoushka, New Jersey (middle); Venkat Ranjan, California (right)

13-year-old Indian American Venkat Ranjan of California is crowned the 2018 National Geographic Bee winner. Being National Geographic Bee champion of the year, Venkat has received the topmost scholarship worth $50,000 and a lifetime membership in the National Geographic Society. An all-expense-paid trip for expedition to the Galapago Islands has been awarded to him. On top of that, he has been given free subscription to the upcoming editions of the National Geographic magazine.

13-year-old Anoushka Buddhikot of New Jersey and 14-year-old Vishal Sareddy of Georgia – the second and third place finishers in the 2018 National Geographic Bee – have been awarded $25,000 and $10,000 respectively. $500 was given to each of the ten winners, on completion of the preliminary round.

Though Venkat Ranjan’s answer to the first question was wrong in the preliminary round, his correct answer to the final question “Lebanon has a population most similar to which South American country?” earned him the 2018 National Geographic Bee championship. The answer was Paraguay, which he guessed by eliminating the other options. His three-year long preparation for the competition bore the fruit.

Also Check: Indian American Winner of 2018 National Brain Bee

While Venkat Ranjan’s favorite subject is science, the runner-up Anoushka Buddhikot takes pleasure in reading history and the third ranker Vishal Sareddy finds geography interesting. Since the 4^th grade, Anoushka had studied for hours even on holidays to prepare for the competition. One of the two female finalists in the 30^th annual National Geographic Bee competition, she is an 8^th grader at Bridgewater-Raritan Middle School in New Jersey. Vishal too is an 8^th grader at Riverwatch Middle School in Suwanee, GA.

For the utter surprise of critics, Indian American teens have swept awards at the National Geographic Bee for six consecutive years. It was Rishi Nair of Florida who won the competition in 2016. The 2017 National Geographic Bee winner was Pranay Varada of Texas. Karan Menon of New Jersey won the 2015 National Geographic Bee championship. Virginia’s Akhil Rekulapelli was crowned champion in 2014.

It is remarkable that about 30% of the 54 state bee winners who participated in the finale of 2018 National Geographic Bee were Indian Americans. 2.6 million students from more than 10,000 schools in all of the 50 US states participated at the initial phase of the competition this year. 8 out of the 10 finalists in the championship round were of Indian origin in the United States where the Indian American community forms only 1% of the total US populace.

This news story about the 2018 National Geographic Bee winners including Venkat Ranjan is part of our continued effort at Indian Eagle to promote the achievements of Indian Americans and young Indians worldwide. Subscribe to our free newsletter for inspiring stories of young Indians in USA.

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Almost every other day, an Indian American teen or high school senior or college goer makes way to feature in our continued series of stories about Young Indians in America. Just like National Brain Bee Championship and Scripps Spelling Bee Championship, ‘Jeopardy! College Quiz Championship’ has a track record of Indian American winners. Jeopardy is a most popular live quiz show in the United States.

The winner of the Jeopardy College Championship 2018 too is an 18-year-old Indian American named Dhruv Gaur from Gainesville, Georgia. A prolific polymath, Dhruv represented Brown University in the quiz show which is televised nationwide and won $100,000 to the pleasure of Indian American community. It paved his way to the next edition, ‘Jeopardy! Tournament of Champions.’

The Jeopardy College Championship 2018 winner, Dhruv Gaur is the first-year student at Brown University in Rhode Island. He achieved an astounding score of 1600 in the SAT college entrance exam and got admission to Brown University last year. He won several state-level championships during high school. He beat out another Indian American, Rishab Jain in the semifinal of Jeopardy Championship and appeared in the final.

Since the Georgia native joined Brown University, he had set his eyes on the jackpot of Jeopardy College Championship, and he jumped on to the chance the moment it came his way. After he qualified a 50-question online test, he set out for the next round in Boston where he faced other undergraduate whiz kids. His winning performance in competition with them catapulted him to the show in Culver City, California.

“Since early childhood, I have been pursuing my passion for knowledge. Having a wide breadth of information about a whole lot of things on earth, I feel privileged to participate in such games as Jeopardy and showcase the skill that I am blessed with,” said Dhruv Gaur. “However, it was difficult for me to compete with 14 other incredibly talented and brilliant contestants who were potential winners too,” he added.

A student of public health and economics at Brown University, the Jeopardy College Championship 2018 winner is not the only Indian American achiever in Georgia, who we are feeling proud of. Two girls from Georgia’s Indian community, Anuhya Tadepalli and Poojita Chinmay founded Chess for a Cause, a nonprofit organization for victims of dementia or other age-related mental health problems in the Atlanta Metropolitan Area. 18-year-old Deep Patel from Georgia is a published author. He penned “A Paperboy’s Fable: 11 Principles of Success,” which is a capsule of age-old secrets to success.

Georgia-based Kavin Jayavel Kumaresan was one of the four winners of Travel Beats: Short Story Writing Contest 2016 and awarded with one of the free flights to India from USA by Indian Eagle, a leading travel booking partner of Indians in America. Evidently, there is an increasing pool of talent in the Indian American community.

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