Today, (smart) mobile phones are the best virtual windows to the real world. With banking, shopping, video calling, file sharing, Internet browsing, social networking, news alerts, etc. at the tip of our fingers, mobile phones are no less powerful and interesting than a magic wand. What makes these devises a lot more useful in our daily lives is a constant effort that few scientists and researchers make collaboratively or individually to ensure a healthier life for the global populace.

No wonder if mobile devices can be used as a tool for medical diagnosis in bedroom. Rajalakshmi Nandakumar, an Indian researcher in the United States, has made it possible for those suffering from sleep apnea, a serious sleep disorder entailing irregular breathing patterns. We at Travel Beats, an Indian Diaspora portal by Indian Eagle Travel, took on how Rajalakshmi’s mobile device-friendly invention could help diagnose sleep apnea and several life risk factors associated with it for millions of people the world over.

A PhD alumnus of the University of Washington, Rajalakshmi Nandakumar has built a low-cost app to help diagnose sleep apnea accurately using the microphones of regular mobile phones. How to harness the powers of sonar sensors, which use the transmission of sound to detect far-off objects, was the subject matter of her research papers. She used active sonar sensors in her non-intrusive device named ApneaApp.

Sleep Apnea is a serious sleep disorder which results from shallow breathing or interruption of normal breathing during sleep. Unnatural pauses in breathing follow loud snoring. Breathing interruption can last for a few seconds to a few minutes. Those suffering from this sleep disorder feel fatigued at daytime. Obesity, poor memory, temporary memory lapse, allergies, sinus, coronary artery disease, etc. are some of the health risk factors associated with sleep apnea.

USA-based Rajalakshmi Nandakumar’s ApneaApp comes handy as a non-intrusive, low-cost, and easy-to-use device to let people know in advance if they are likely to suffer from sleep apnea under certain physical conditions. It is of great help to alert people and make them take precautions before the disorder becomes severe and leads to oxygen deprivation or any other complication.

Also Check: Indian American Teens Win Congressional All Challenge in Community Service

ApneaApp transmits inaudible sound signals from a mobile phone’s speaker to a user. The signals bounce off the user’s body and capture some data from the body’s myriad algorithms. Thus the user’s breathing pattern and whether it’s regular or irregular is detected by the device. Previous methods of detecting sleep apnea or other sleep disorders include polysomnography, an extensive lab study of one’s sleep patterns.

Rajalakshmi’s app has been found more efficient and accurate than polysomnography. She claims that ApneaApp gives 98% accurate results which no other method or device gives. It is the least expensive compared to other methods.  The app has been licensed to benefit millions of people worldwide. Whether it can detect opioid overdoses is being tested.

Rajalakshmi Nandakumar pursued B-Tech from the Guindy College of Engineering in Chennai, and then she joined Microsoft India’s Research Center in Bengaluru as a research assistant. She moved to the US for higher studies. On completion of her PhD studies, she worked at the Networks and Mobile Systems Laboratory at the Paul G Allen School of Computer Science at Washington University.

She was one of the four recipients of the 2018 Marconi Society Paul Baran Young Scholar Award for her extensive, extraordinary work in disruptive healthcare applications. She was also given a monetary prize worth $5000.

This story is part of our continued effort at Indian Eagle, a leading air travel booking partner for Indians in USA, to promote good work and achievements of Indians across geographies. Subscribe to our free newsletters for latest news and inspiring stories of Indians in America.

The post Indian Researcher in USA Invents Low-cost App to Detect Serious Health Disorders as You Sleep appeared first on Travel to India, Cheap Flights to India, Aviation News, India Travel Tips.

Once, an NRI and an American were sitting side by side in the business class of a plane while traveling to India from the USA. The NRI was going on a business trip to India, and the US traveler was going to make his first India tour. The latter was curious about his destination. He was more in the know of ancient India than the 21st century India, and therefore, he was keen to see camels, snake charmers, rural belles carrying earthen pots on their heads, etc. He greeted the NRI with a broad smile and got into a conversation with him. The NRI’s sense of humor made the conversation funny.

The US traveler: Hello! Are you from India?
The NRI: Yup (taking the magazine down from in front of his face).
The US traveler: Were you born on the soil of India?
The NRI: On the soil and under the sky of India!
The US traveler: (felt amused) Very nice! Is India hot?
The NRI: Hmm! It is hot and cool just like American guys and gals.
The US traveler: I see! Where are snake charmers found in India?
The NRI: Are you on a mission to catch the snake charmers of India? Sorry! Recently, they have been rehabilitated on the moon.
The US traveler: On the moon! I will visit Rajasthan first. It is the land of camels.
The NRI: You’re absolutely right (with a suppressed lough). Don’t forget to have a camel ride.
The US traveler: I will ride on camel all around Rajasthan.
The NRI: Animal rights activists in India will award you for the ride.
The US traveler: Indians are known for their sweet tooth for desserts.
The NRI: We have a sweet tooth for salt too.
The US traveler: Which direction is South in India?
The NRI: You had better find it on Google map.
The US traveler: I will visit Rabindranath Tagore in Bengal.
The NRI: He is busy writing. Seek an appointment first.
The US traveler: I will, I will. Do you use perfume in India?
The NRI: No. Indians are too gentle to seduce ladies.
The US traveler: Is Taj Mahal visible at night?
The NRI: If you carry a lamp…
The US traveler: Where does Aishwarya Rai live in India? I have seen her on a TV show?
The NRI: She lives in the mind of every Indian.
The US traveler: Are there dance floors in Indian cities?
The NRI: Indians dance on the roof in cities (with a smile).

How did you enjoy the fun? We at Travel Beats, an Indian community portal by Indian Eagle Travel, celebrates International Joke Day with you. Happy Joke Day! Like us on Facebook and Twitter. Indian Eagle books the cheapest flights to India, even for last-minute travel. Hey, it is not a joke!

The post Funny Conversation between an Indian and a US Traveler on International Joke Day appeared first on Travel to India, Cheap Flights to India, Aviation News, India Travel Tips.

A resident of Marietta in the US state of Georgia, Indian American Uma Lakshman is a data engineer by day and an activist entrepreneur by night. Multi-talented Uma, the Global Ambassador for Parenting 2.0, is actively involved in several non-profit pursuits. She kick-started SDNARI in San Diego to help the South Asian women in need before she laid foundation for Big Bangles Theory to create a niche market for handmade bangles from India and other countries. Trademarked in the USA, Big Bangles Theory is the culmination of her blend of compassion and entrepreneurship inspired by trekking in the Himalayas during her backpack trip through India. Uma is also a good singer, dancer and a poet.

We at Indian Eagle catch up with Georgia-based Uma Lakshman to share with you her views on women entrepreneurship, how to revive endangered handicrafts of India, how she seeks to impact the lives of struggling artisans through her socio-entrepreneurial venture, Big Bangles Theory and a lot more through a freewheeling chat with her at Travel Beats, a leading portal for Indians in America.

IE. How did you hit upon the idea of popularizing a certain type of Indian handicraft in the US? Did it happen one fine morning?   

It had been brewing in my subconscious self for until I realized it one fine morning.  Indian handicrafts have been in the USA for a decent period, but the thought of popularizing Indian handcrafted bangles with custom sizing in the USA is, indeed, for the first time.

IE. What made you pick Indian bangles and work towards promoting them thousands of miles away from India? 

Most of us express ourselves with our hands, and so do I.  Human hands are unique and reveal a lot about us. The book “Louder than words” by Joe Navarro sheds light on how our hands can give clues to what is going on in our heads. The bangles you wear to accessorize your look and complement your attires do say a lot about you.

I love physics and admire art at the same time. Being a social entrepreneur and a dreamer, I was in quest of something that could cater to both of my interests: science and art. It culminated in the inception of Big Bangles Theory, which combined art and science into a fashion revolution in the United States.

IE. How did the initiative ‘Big Bangles Theory’ start and gain momentum in USA? Did any difficulty or challenge come your way?  

I started a Facebook group initially not knowing where it would go. I wanted to keep it private until I knew what I wanted to do with it. I reached out to my friends and their friends and so on. We are thankful to many well-wishers including friends and strangers. We worked hard, being in front of people at shows. We had a kickstarter campaign launched and press releases. It took a lot of hard work to get the word out and to get my website up. It’s not over yet. SEO, social media marketing and other forms of marketing are in progress as well.

IE. What is the current scenario of Big Bangles Theory? Has it improved in comparison to the inception or the initial phase?  

Definitely, we are growing in popularity. Big Bangles Theory is recognized as the brand for bangles in the USA. We would though like it to go more viral. Hope someone out there like Oprah, Arianna Huffington, Ellen Degeneres will read this and reach out to us. More importantly, we want women to recognize Big Bangles Theory as their favorite destination to shop for the bangles that fit their wrists. Women came forward and said that they had almost given up on bangles due to size issues. It was the first time they wore bangles that they purchased from us. For the first time, bangles sized xxxs-xxxl have been made possible.

IE. Who are the target audience of your initiative? Only Indians in America? Or Americans as well? 

Big Bangles Theory is a global initiative for all women across the world. We would like to record every woman (and men too) their hand sizes on our website.

IE. What way do you reach out to the target audience with a treasure of handcrafted bangles from India?  

We adopted myriad ways like brand awareness campaigns, social media marketing and blogging. We took to Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn with our mission and vision. We attended community events and communicated our initiative to the people there. Word-of-mouth marketing is the most effective way to reach out to more and more people in our target groups.

IE. How big is the market for Indian handcrafted merchandise in USA given the fact that Indian Americans make only 1% of the total US population?  

Though the Indian American population is very small, the love for bangles is universal. Maybe, one out of every 100 women will tell us they don’t care for bangles. We are okay with that; we know they will come around sometime. Most of these women had given up on bangles due to ill-fitting and size issues, which we have been able to solve.

IE. Have you made any celebrity or eminent personality wear Indian bangles in USA?  

It was a pleasant surprise for us to see Hillary Clinton wearing our bangles when she visited Atlanta during the presidential campaign in 2016. Our initiative was just 6 months old. Just imagine! Preity Zinta, a popular Bollywood actress, wore our bangles and showed it off to everyone. We have a huge following among the common people like you and me, and they are our biggest stars. We would love other celebrities known or unknown to come forward, endorse us and show it off.

IE. Undeniably, India has a colossal treasure of handicrafts from historic eras, tribal belts and rural backwaters. The beauty of Indian handcrafted knickknacks seems to be faded or lost in the glitz of urban lifestyle. What do you think (what’s your take on it)? 

I believe that most handicrafts had a functional purpose at the time they were created or originated. With changing times and with probably a loss in their relevancy to our current lifestyle, they might have been forgotten. But if we are able to gently bring them back in some or the way that befits our choices and lifestyle in the current era of fusion fashion, I believe they will never die out.

IE. How can we save the dying or endangered handicrafts of India, and push them into the urban landscape?  

Fashion fades in and out. But if we are able to find a way to design the handicrafts so that they have a functional value combined with artistry or a metaphysical meaning in our day to day lives, it will be accepted more into the mainstream lifestyle and fashion.

IE. Any other interesting information about your initiative ‘Big Bangles Theory’……    

Well! We are happy to announce the launch of Big Bangles Theory. We suggest and request women to get our sizing kit and register their bangle size at our site either by requesting the sizing kit, sizing app or simply measuring a bangle that fits. We refund the cost of the kit as a coupon that can be applied towards their purchase. We hope to also offer Bangle designing services in the near future for a nominal fee. We have launched recycled bangles from San Diego, woven bracelets from Columbia and the rest is all handmade in India. A lot more to come.

Travel Beats is a digital publication by Indian Eagle, a leading travel booking partner of Indians in the USA. Travel Beats represents the Indian American community and caters the latest visa, immigration, travel, and community news to them. We at Indian Eagle not only strive to make US to India travel cheaper but also celebrate achievements of Indians in America and give a shout out to noble work by Indian philanthropists / social entrepreneurs in the US.

The post Interview: Indian American Uma Lakshman Saves Dying Crafts through Social Entrepreneurship appeared first on Travel to India, Cheap Flights to India, Aviation News, India Travel Tips.

2016 has witnessed the achievements of many high-profile Indian American women from different walks of life, including Kamala Harris, a US Senator and attorney general from California; Pramila Jayapal, a social activist and founder of OneAmerica in Washington; Dr Renu Khator, President and Chancellor of Houston University; Piya Mitra, a cofounder of Induz in California; Dr Tina Shah, a White House fellow and pulmonary specialist in Chicago; Bay Area based documentary filmmaker Nyna Pais Caputi, MasterChef India Season 5 participant Anagha Godbole from San Francisco, and Jaya Kamlani, an award-winning poet & author from Atlanta.

Jaya Kamlani from the Atlanta Indian community in Georgia recently received the Mahatma Gandhi Pravasi Samman Medal from the NRI Welfare Society of India in a ceremonious event held at the House of Lords in the UK. The award is presented to global Indians for their exceptional contributions and services every year.

A former technology consultant in Silicon Valley, Jaya Kamlani is a published and celebrated author having three books to her international fame: “To India, With Tough Love”, “Scent of Yesterday,” and Garden of Life: A  Poetic Awakening.” She debuted into creative writing and storytelling with her first non-fiction book, “To India, with Tough Love,” in 2013.

The debut book is a capsule of her extensive research on how rampant corruption has led India to face various socio-economic and environmental issues such as poor sanitation, farmer suicide, toxic environment, trafficking, and exploitation of natural resources. Written with an aim to make people aware of how evil corruption is, the book features few social entrepreneurs who are committed change makers on various missions, and a number of sustainable solutions.

Atlanta-based Jaya Kamlani’s second book, “Scent of Yesterday,” is a memoir, and her third book, “Garden Of Life,” is a collection of poems about war and peace. In her memoir of Mumbai (then Bombay) from the Partition of India to the post-Independence era, she creatively explores how the ordeal of displacement, the pain of partition, and cultural exposure to a new frontier shaped her views of the outer world in her growing years.        

“Garden of Life: A Poetic Awakening” is an enchanting manifestation of Jaya Kamlani’s yearning for peace amidst the heaps of ruins caused by the Vietnam War, the 9/11 tragedy, the Syrian War, American invasion of Iraq, and corporate war on America. Her poems seek to unite people, irrespective of their faiths, cultures and religions, against hatred and violence that have been plaguing the world for ages.

A graduate of St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai, she relocated to New York for better opportunities in 1969. Misted about the socio-economic emancipation and empowerment of women in America by the popularity of such Hollywood actresses as Katharine Hepburn, Elizabeth Taylor and Jane Fonda of her times, Jaya Kamlani encountered American women’s fight against gender inequality and for equal opportunity.

In 2016, Jaya Kamlani also received the Bharat Samman award (Pride of India) from General V K Singh, the Minister of State for External Affairs, and the Hind Rattan Award (Jewel of India) from Dr. Bhishma Narain Singh, President of the NRI Welfare Society of India, for her contributions to the progress of society as an author.

Author Jaya Kamlani is awarded a gold medal for literature and the Mahatma Gandhi Pravasi Samman Certificate of Honor from the NRI Welfare Society of India. The Certificate reads: 

“Mahatma Gandhi Pravasi Samman
presented to
Jaya Kamlani
by Hon’ble Baroness Sandip Verma
in recognition of contribution and
dedication to worthy causes and your achievements
in keeping the flag of India high.”

Travel Beats is an Indian American Community Portal by IndianEagle, a leading travel partner of Indians in USA. Travel Beats publishes the latest news and stories of and from the Indian community in America.

The post Indian American Author Jaya Kamlani from Atlanta Wins Mahatma Gandhi Pravasi Samman Medal appeared first on Travel to India, Cheap Flights to India, Aviation News, India Travel Tips.

Injected into the nerves of India by the British, tea has been a daily entertainer, a source of living, a refreshing drink, an excuse for discussions, a part of gossip culture and a hospitality tradition in India. Even it is a weapon for kitchen politics in Indian households. With Indians spreading across the world, tea has become a global beverage. Women empowerment is the newest role of tea at home and abroad.

26-year-old Uppma Virdi’s eventful journey from a lawyer to a successful tea retailer in Australia bears a testimony to the role of tea in women empowerment. An Indian-origin tea enthusiast in Melbourne, this NRI woman takes pride in her identity as founder of thriving tea retail business Chai Walli and celebrates her distinction of being Australia’s Business Woman of the Year 2016.

The art of making Ayurvedic tea, which Uppma Virdi inherited from her grandfather, is the foundation of her successful tea retail business in Australia. Her grandfather was an Ayurvedic doctor in Chandigarh, and he was known for his immense knowledge of herbs as well as spices. Today she owes her fame and success to him for teaching her the use of natural ingredients in making a refreshing blend for family and friends.

It was not easy for Chai Walli Uppma Virdi to carve a niche for herself in the offshore land of coffee aficionados. Though Australia had been a British colony for decades, it is addicted to coffee more than tea. Evidently, her entrepreneurial journey as a tea retailer was full of challenges.

With her sleeves rolled up, she hit an uneven road to reach her goal. She started with workshops on ‘The Art of Chai’ to teach Australians nutritive value of Ayurvedic tea. She marketed her workshops on social media and in her acquaintance circles. With the increasing popularity of her workshops, Uppma Virdi started selling her special tea in offices and markets. Soon her small venture became an online store.

Another obstacle on her way to transform her passion for tea into a profession was the opposition from her family and parents. They were not happy with her idea of tea business when she was doing well as a lawyer in Melbourne. However, Uppma Virdi was hell-bent on popularizing tea in Australia for being privileged to have an entrepreneurial bent of mind unlike thousands of tea sellers in India, who are small-scale entrepreneurs too.

Chai Walli Uppma Virdi tasted the fruit of her determination, dedication and perseverance when the Indian Australian Business and Community Awards ceremoniously titled her Australia’s Businesswoman of the Year 2016 at an event in Sydney last week.

Also Read Tea in Indian Economy, Culture, Society & Politics

The online store Chai Walli is not just her business interest, commercial venture, entrepreneurial pursuit or passion for tea but also her mission to share Indian cultural values with Australians through cups of ‘the most perfectly balanced chai blends.’

Travel Beats is an Indian community portal by IndianEagle, a leading travel partner of Indians in America. Travel Beats publishes latest news, interesting stories and interviews from India, USA and abroad.

The post Role of Tea in This 26-year-old NRI Lawyer’s Achievement as Australia’s Business Woman of the Year appeared first on Travel to India, Cheap Flights to India, Aviation News, India Travel Tips.

Good news for the Telugu diaspora and the NRIs belonging to the Indian state of Telangana! Telangana government will soon get its own foreign ministry for external affairs related to the Telugu diaspora. It is a long-pending demand from the Telugu people living outside India. The final announcement confirming it will be made in a day or two.

Foreign affairs ministry has been the exclusive domain of the Union government of India till date. The state government of Telangana has proposed to frame its own policy for external affairs and particularly for NRI affairs. A separate foreign ministry to be regulated by Telangana government is the highlight of the proposal.

K Taraka Rama Rao, son of Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, will be the first foreign minister of the state once the proposal is approved. He is currently at the helm of information technology, urban development, municipal administration, industry & commerce.

The foreign ministry of the state under K Taraka Rama Rao’s leadership will promote Telangana as a high-potential industrial destination offshore. It will help the state government connect with NRIs, pique their interest in various industries of the state and fetch investment from them.

The policy for foreign and NRI affairs has already been drafted. It will be discussed in a meeting to be held on July 16. Currently only two Indian states – Kerala and Punjab – have their own foreign affairs department to take care of the issues related to migrants from those states. Telangana’s proposal to have its own foreign ministry is inspired by the models of Kerala and Punjab’s foreign ministry.

In April 2016, Telangana government proposed an exclusive package for NRIs (from the state) and their acquaintances the world over to promote tourism of the state. The package includes a ‘Hyderabad Pass’ modeled after ‘London Pass’ to facilitate easy access to some key places across the city.

Telangana government is also planning to host an NRI Day in October or November 2016. Reportedly, around 30,000 NRIs who belong to the state are expected to attend it in Hyderabad.

Travel Beats is a digital news portal for Indian Diaspora by IndianEagle, a leading international organization booking trips to Hyderabad and other Indian cities from USA. Subscribe to Travel Beats for the latest updates from USA and India.

The post Indian State of Telangana to Have its Own Foreign Ministry for NRIs & External Affairs appeared first on Travel to India, Cheap Flights to India, Aviation News, India Travel Tips.

There are many stories of Queen Victoria in the history of British India. Some are buried in the grave of time while some are immortalized by historians and writers. The story of Queen Victoria’s controversial relationship with her trusted aide from India in the late 1800s is still alive in NRI journalist and author Shrabani Basu’s book “Victoria & Abdul: The True Story of the Queen’s Closest Confidant” which will soon be adapted into a film.

Oscar-winning British actress Judi Dench has been roped in to play Queen Victoria, the Empress of British India, in the upcoming film based on London-based author Shrabani Basu’s book which was published six years ago. Award-winning British filmmaker Stephen Frears will direct the film which is yet to be titled.

The Calcutta-born author is happy to know that her book will be adapted into a screenplay for celluloid by none other than Stephen Frears who made The Queen on the British Royal Family’s response to the death of Diana, Princess of Wales, in 2006.

Author Shrabani Basu’s book “Victoria & Abdul: The True Story of the Queen’s Closest Confidant” pictures how a 24-year-old handsome Abdul Karim, who was brought from the Agra Central Jail to England to wait at tables during Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee in 1887, became a personal attendant, Urdu teacher and influencer to the then British Monarch in politically turbulent times and how the royal family responded to their intense relationship.

Victoria & Abdul captures the tender love story of a young Indian Muslim and the then Empress of India; an undefined relationship that survived the best attempts to destroy it at a time when independence movement in the subcontinent was gaining momentum. – Author Shrabani Basu

Author Shrabani Basu, a postgraduate in History from Delhi University, was born in Kolkata (then Calcutta). She joined The Times of India’s Bombay office as a trainee journalist in 1983 and moved to London in 1987. Since then she has been a correspondent of Kolkata-based leading dailies: The Telegraph and Ananda Bazar Patrika. She combined her love of history with her profession and passion for creative writing in two other books: “Spy Princess” and “For King and Another Country.”

Travel Beats is a digital portal for Indians and NRIs by IndianEagle, a leading international travel organization. Travel Beats publishes interesting stories and news about the worldwide Indian Community in travel, culture, entertainment and lifestyle.

The post Film Adaptation of NRI Author Shrabani Basu’s Book to Star Judi Dench as Queen Victoria in Love with Young Indian appeared first on Travel to India, Cheap Flights to India, Aviation News, India Travel Tips.

Two Indian American scientists, Ramesh Raliya and Pratim Biswas, at Washington University in St Louis have found a sustainable way to boost agricultural production in keeping with the increasing global population, during their research on the use of nanoparticle technology in agriculture. Their epoch-making invention of an eco-friendly alternative to conventional phosphorus-rich fertilizers is expected to usher in a new age of organic farming.

Pratim Biswas at Washington University in St Louis is a professor of environmental engineering science and Ramesh Raliya is a research scientist. Both in the School of Engineering and Applied Science discovered that the use of zinc oxide nanoparticles in farming would not only improve the growth of food crops but also save water bodies from the polluting effects of phosphorus deposits.

Professor Pratim Biswas (left) and Scientist Ramesh Raliya (right)

Conventional fertilizers rich in rock phosphorus are either applied to the soil or mixed with water used for irrigation in order to nourish plants with nutrients for growth. Studies reveal that plants absorb only 42% of phosphorus from fertilizers, and the rest is drained into water bodies. Thus phosphorus builds up in water bodies and pollutes water by growing algae. Since farmers are using a plenty of phosphorus-rich fertilizer, which equals to 85% of the world’s mined phosphorus, natural phosphorus has become a limited resource and may run out of supply in the next 80 years.

Published in Washington University’s Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry, the research by Ramesh Raliya and Pratim Biswas is the first study to highlight drawbacks of using conventional fertilizers in farming and benefits of using zinc oxide nanoparticles in fertilization of plants. Prevention of food crisis and water pollution is the greatest benefit of replacing nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizers with zinc oxide nanoparticles.

Research scientist Ramesh Raliya, Pratim Biswas at Washington University in St Louis and their collaborators including Jagadish Chandra Tarafdar at Central Arid Zone Research Institute in Jodhpur, India, created zinc oxide nanoparticles from a fungus around the roots of mung bean (green gram) plants to show how it helps plants absorb nutrients from the soil in an environment-friendly way. Zinc, one of the essential nutrients for growth of plants, stimulates three enzymes to transform the complex structure of natural phosphorus into a form that plants can easily take in from the soil without any fertilizer.

Extreme atmospheric conditions due to climate change make it difficult for plants to absorb phosphorus from the soil. That’s why farmers apply more and more external phosphorus to ensure sufficient growth of plants, without realizing its consequences on environment and nature. The Indian American scientist duo at Washington University aims to help farmers grow food crops without fertilizers, and that is what their successful experiment has proven.

Their use of zinc oxide nanoparticles increased the green gram plants’ intake of phosphorus from the soil by 11% by stimulating the activity of three enzymes from 84% to 108%. The promising results of the experiment include a 27% increase in biomass and a 6% increase in production of beans.

Professor Pratim Biswas at Washington University in St Louis says that 45% of the worldwide use of phosphorus for farming is reported in India and China. Developing countries including India and China import much of this phosphorus from the United States. If both India and China adopt this revolutionary innovation of nanoparticle technology, they will be able not only to reduce import of phosphorus but also to export surplus food, fight food crisis and contribute towards sustainability of environment at the same time.

Travel Beats is a digital news portal for Indians and NRIs by IndianEagle, a leading international organization booking travel between the US and India. It publishes the latest news and stories from India and USA.

Also Read

• Washington University Bothell Lecturer Keya Sen
• New York’s Columbia University Scientist Arnab De  
• Indian American Neurosurgeon Sanjay Gupta
• 9-year-old Indian American Oyon Ganguli
• Indian American Philanthropist Frank Islam   

The post Washington University’s Indian American Scientists Invent a Solution to Prevent Food Crisis & Water Pollution appeared first on Travel to India, Cheap Flights to India, Aviation News, India Travel Tips.

“Life is the best teacher.” This maxim is true about Parkash Chhibber, the owner and chef of Indian Fusion restaurant in Edmonton which treats penniless, hungry people to free meals every day. Among the restaurants in Edmonton, Canada, Indian Fusion displays an invitation note on the backdoor drawing attention of those in need of free food. The same door has another note offering three options – vegetarian meal, non-vegetarian meal and milk / coffee / pop – on the free menu for the needy.

It seems that Indian Fusion’s owner Parkash Chhibber is motivated by such inspirational words as “If you can’t feed a hundred people, then feed just one.” But, it is a bitter slice of his own life in India that inspired him to serve the starved and the needy passionately. “I have seen enough hunger in the past. I know the pain of not having food.”

The story of Parkash Chhibber’s journey from a chef to an entrepreneur to a philanthropist dates back to the year 1992 in India. He met with a road accident in New Delhi just after three months of his marriage and suffered severe injuries including multiple bone fractures. Nice steel rods were inserted in his body to support the fractured bones, which tied him to bed for two and a half years. Consequently, he lost his job at a restaurant in New Delhi.

One particular evening my wife and I had no money and nothing to eat. I was always shy to ask for help in terms of money. So, my wife and I on crutches would visit some of our friends by dinner time, he said to Huffington Post.

Parkash Chhibber and his wife were received with honor by some of their friends and relatives for supper or dinner. It was their overwhelming response and warm hospitality that India Fusion’s owner still remembers as well as feels inspired by. Dark clouds had no silver lining in his life until he decided to relocate to Canada in 2005. His family joined him in Canada four years later.

Parkash Chhibber opened Indian Fusion restaurant in Edmonton in 2009. After two years, he started serving free meals to the needy in the neighborhood though he put up the invitation note on the backdoor just 6 months back. He found it a feasible way to reach out to those having no penny to douse their hunger.

He says that the number of people who knock at the door on seeing the message varies from day to day. Some days it is 3 to 10 people who stop by for free meals, while some other days no one rings the bell. He adds that serving free meals to a handful of hungry and penniless people is not hurting his business financially. He has lots of free food to offer at Indian Fusion restaurant in Edmonton.

Also Read Inspirational Stories of Flight Attendants

Travel Beats by IndianEagle, a leading international travel organization, is a digital portal publishing inspirational stories, interesting features and latest news from different walks of life in India and the US.

Have you got an inspirational story to share? Write to us at share@blogbox.indianeagle.com. Connect with us on Facebook and Twitter.  

The post Edmonton’s Indian Fusion Restaurant Owner & Chef from Delhi Feeds the Poor for Free appeared first on Travel to India, Cheap Flights to India, Aviation News, India Travel Tips.

Dr. Frank Islam is one of the few Indian American entrepreneurs and philanthropists who stick to their roots in India. Based in Washington DC, he donated $2 million for the foundation of a business school at Aligarh Muslim University in Uttar Pradesh, India. He visited India and laid the foundation stone for the project in March 2016.

The former founder and CEO of the technology firm QSS Group; Dr. Frank Islam belongs to Azamgarh District in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh where he runs a philanthropic foundation to empower the less privileged with skills for employability. He traveled to the United States from India to realize his ‘American dream’ at the age of 15.

Aligarh Muslim University where Dr. Frank Islam graduated from conferred an honorary doctor of science degree on him and named the business school Frank and Debbie Islam Management Complex. In his acceptance speech during the convocation ceremony, he attributed his success as an entrepreneur and leader to the university.

Academy Award winning musician A R Rahman, veteran Indian actor Dilip Kumar and late Dr. A P J Abdul Kalam, former President of India, are other recipients of honorary doctorate in science from Aligarh Muslim University. – IndianEagle  

The business school at Aligarh Muslim University will nurture the best minds in leadership and entrepreneurship for generations, according to Dr. Frank Islam. The new management complex will consist of an academic area, an administrative area, a faculty area, a library, an open air theatre and an activity room. The Frank and Debbie Islam Management Complex is expected to open its door in 2017.

The business school will foster spirit of innovation through student exchange programs with top universities in the United States and leading business schools from across the world. – Dr. Frank Islam

He is also planning to set up a technical college for girls in Azamgarh, which will be named after his mother Qumran Nisan who he describes as ‘a liberator of the human potential.’ This philanthropic initiative is inspired by his mother’s liberal thoughts about education of girls in India. The Qumran Nisan College will empower girls with technical, vocational and professional skills at the post-secondary level of education. This project is awaiting approval from the Home Ministry of India.

A computer science graduate from the University of Colorado, Dr. Frank Islam currently heads the F1 Investment Group. He made headlines when President Barack Obama appointed him General Trustee of the Board of Trustees of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. He is a member of several boards and advisory councils including the US Institute of Peace, the Woodrow Wilson Center, Johns Hopkins University, George Mason University, the American University in the Emirates and likes.

Said to be worth $300 million among the Indians in Washington DC, Dr. Frank Islam resides in a 40,000 square feet mansion with five bedrooms, a guesthouse, a swimming pool and a backyard tea house in Potomac, Maryland. He had started his entrepreneurial venture with only $500, optimism and never-say-die attitude.

Dr. Frank Islam’s journey from India to the United States is one of the inspirational stories of the ‘American dream’ that many self-made Indian entrepreneurs and philanthropists in USA connect with. To conclude in his own words: “I always say, from the dusty streets of Azamgarh to Aligarh to America, I crossed the ocean to realize and to achieve and to attain the American dream.”

Read More News & Stories of Indian Americans

The post Success Story of Dr Frank Islam: An Inspirational Journey from Azamgarh to America appeared first on Travel to India, Cheap Flights to India, Aviation News, India Travel Tips.