Indian Local

Sporting chance of success in India thanks to Global | The Australian

IndianLocal Editor — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 09:33:00 +0000

DESPITE its shambolic preparations, the world will tune into the Delhi Commonwealth Games thanks to a handful of Australian broadcasters.

Bollywood Rain Dance

raksinghgrt — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 05:42:16 +0000

Hot meets wet. This law of nature has been used by Bollywood`s beauties to great effect. Lets have a look at some of Bollywood`s best rain dances.

Yalda Hakim’s documentary on India for Commonwealth games

IndianLocal Editor — Sun, 05 Sep 2010 11:29:25 +0000

While India is preparing to welcome the world to the Commonwealth Games in Delhi, but behind the show of wealth, at what’s being dubbed the most expensive games in history, Dateline’s Yalda Hakim discovers a different story.

Thousands of slums have been demolished and the residents moved to outside the city, while the poor earn a few cents a day building luxurious apartments for competitors, which will eventually sell for up to a million dollars.

Out in the slums of Mumbai, Yalda finds children as young as five combing polluted rivers and dirty alleyways for junk they can sell to survive, amid claims that money has been diverted away from schemes to fight poverty to pay for the games.

Watch it on SBS.com.au/dateline (http://www.sbs.com.au/dateline/story/about/id/600727/n/Poverty-Games)

Australia`s first “Indian” Senator

raksinghgrt — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 18:41:06 +0000

The 38 year old Lisa Maria Singh is the first person of South Asian origin to enter the Australian federal Parliament.She was a former minister and member of Tasmanian parliament who bounced back after her defeat in March state elections.

She is of Rajput origin from Gwalior located in Madhya Pradesh in India.Her great grandfather moved to Fiji in the year 1902 under the British government as a labourer.Her grandfather rose in ranks and became a member of the Fijian parliament in the 1970s. Her father had migrated to Australia as an international student.

She is proud of her Indian heritage. She has visited India several times and also as a member of parliament in 2007, meeting the president and fellow Indian parliamentarians.

Community development has been her path of interest throughout her tertiary education. In fact she did her thesis on street kids and petty crime in Hobart CBD, advocating the urgent need for early intervention and prevention.

As a Member of Parliament,she served on various parliamentary committees and has lobbied for housing, public transport, cultural diversity.

She introduced significant reforms in her portfolio areas, as well as assisting the Premier on Climate Change.She reformed workers compensation laws in Tasmania, established a unique whole of government asbestos policy, introduced reforms in the private rental market, vendor disclosure and energy efficiency standards for residential properties, and commenced a ten year reform plan for the Tasmanian corrections system.

We wish Lisa every success in her new prestigious role.

Rajnikanth on Iphone

raksinghgrt — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 19:14:36 +0000

Sydney based fan releases iPhone app of Rajnikanth.

Rated 12+, ”Rajnikanth for iPhone” is Chaitanya Kolluri’s creation who is a Sydney based FX trader. It is a simple 2D side scrolling, arcade action game, where the player plays the mantle of the action hero and battles through 15 challenging levels. It is currently

supported on iPhone 3Gs, iPhone 4 and the iPad.

Each level has a different setting with different enemies.Cultural references to blockbusters like “Padayyappa”, “Muthu”, “Chandramukhi” and the upcoming “Endhiran” have been built into it.

The story is based on the King Chandrahaas of Vijayanagram who loses his powers, an old Sadhu(priest) enlists his services to salvage the nation.

To download click:http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/rajnikanth/id387687545?mt=8

Report:Indian Don Approached Oz Players

raksinghgrt — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 04:11:22 +0000

The world of cricket is getting murkier day by day. An AAustralian newspaper reported that players Shane Watson and Brad Haddon were approached by a suspected Indian gangster and both players reported it to their authorities.

The approach was made regarding illegal bookmakers. This is said to have happened last year during Australia`s tour of England and

the T20 World Cup.

The newspaper report stated that both players reported this to the authorities and were not suspected of any wrongdoing. It also stated that the same man had approached other international cricketers, an official from Cricket Australia and and a member of the media during the T20 World Cup in England.

It is believed that ICC has started investigation on this matter.

Pak match-fixing scandal: Indian Don approached Oz players, says report

181189 — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 12:35:05 +0000

The world of cricket gets murkier. An Australian newspaper has now reported that players Shane Watson and Brad Haddin were approached by a suspected Indian gangster and both reported it to the authorities.

The Guru Of Chai

raksinghgrt — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 16:57:29 +0000

November 4, 2010 7:30 pm

November 7, 2010 8:46 pm

Indian Ink is one of Australasia’s most successful theatre companies which is dedicated in mixing western theatrical traditions with Indian flavours into great stories which touch people of all cultures.
The Guru Of Chai is an intimate epic where Jacob Rajan plays all characters along with musician David Ward. A poor tea sellers life is changed forever when a young girl is abandoned at busy Bangalore railway station and brings the place to a standstill with the beauty of her singing.. An honest, young policeman falls hopelessly in love but is rejected in favour of a disreputable poet.
The Guru of Chai weaves an enlightening tale of loyalty, compassion and the quest for love in a ruthlessly dispassionate world.

Dates:
4 November 2010
7:30PM – 8:45PM
5 November 2010
7:30PM – 8:45PM
6 November 2010
5PM – 6:15PM
7 November 2010
5PM – 6:15PM

Venue:
Raffertys Theatre at Riverside Theatres

Price:

Price

Full $49, Conc $39

Source:Parramasala

Tony Abbott-led government would further tighten restrictions on student visas

IndianLocal Editor — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 20:56:14 +0000

INDIAN education agents have reacted with horror to news that a Tony Abbott-led government would further tighten restrictions on student visas, warning that such a move would reverse important but fragile new links between the two countries.

Student visa applications from India, Australia’s second-largest student market behind China, have already dropped dramatically in recent months and several agents The Australian spoke to yesterday were concerned the immigration debate could further damage the industry.

They quoted declines of up to 85 per cent this year since the Labor government moved to close loopholes that encouraged low-skilled migrants to enrol in bogus or poor-quality vocational training courses in order to secure permanent residency.

Education agent Sonya Singh said Mr Abbott’s proposal to further reduce Australia’s annual immigration uptake by cracking down on family reunion and student visa applicants would harm not only education links, but also hurt tourism and future business relationships.

The development came as Australian universities warned against “fortress Australia” immigration policies emerging out of the election campaign which could damage the sector. The $18 billion export industry is Australia’s fourth-largest export market.

Senior education executives in China warned that applications for October enrolments in Australia were down more than 30 per cent, and applications could fall as much as 50 per cent for the February intake.

China is Australia single biggest source of foreign students, accounting for over a quarter of the market, and agents there are largely blaming the falls on the Labor government’s tighter visa and immigration policies as well as higher tuition fees, increased competition and a relatively high Australian dollar. “Limiting the numbers of international student numbers who study at our universities isn’t a solution to a perceived problem with migration,” peak body Universities Australia warned.

Mr Abbott has singled out tightening up on student visas as part of his policy to cut immigration numbers.

Universities are braced for a 10 per cent drop in international student commencements in the second semester and a further 10 per cent fall next year.

Across all international education, including vocational and English-language colleges and schools, offshore grants of student visas fell 30 per cent in 2009-10, a drop of almost 70,000.

India accounted for more than half the drop, partly reflecting tougher scrutiny on visas after cases of fraud.The downturn has been focused in the previously overheated vocational sector, where rorts were concentrated, and in English colleges. Higher education commencements were up almost 8 per cent but numbers are expected to fall.

Education Minister Simon Crean defended the changes as focusing education exports on quality rather than numbers.

“I make no apology for the measures the federal government introduced to safeguard the quality of the Australian education brand,” Mr Crean said.

The government has tightened regulation on visas and narrowed the list of occupations given priority for permanent residency.

The sector has backed the intent of the changes that are aimed at cracking down on fraud and student exploitation, but it complains unnecessary damage is being done by the changes being rushed and being too blunt.

In a letter last month to then deputy prime minister Julia Gillard, language college association English Australia complained the government appeared to be either “unaware” of the looming crisis or was treating it in a “cavalier manner”.

Universities Australia called for a “balanced” migration policy and not “fortress Australia”, noting that educating international students was separate from immigration.

Monash University vice-chancellor Ed Byrne said Australia’s reputation was potentially being put at risk by election rhetoric and it was important to retain a link between immigration and opportunities to live and work in the country.

Source: http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/student-cutback-threat-to-india-ties/story-fn59niix-1225897751807

Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA) opens its first branch in India

IndianLocal Editor — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 20:28:40 +0000

The Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA) has opened its first branch in India as a step towards creating a commercial banking business there.

CBA on said the Mumbai branch would provide trade finance, remittance and foreign exchange services to organisations trading between Australia and India and to individuals making remittances and investments.

The branch would build a robust commercial banking business to serve small and mid-market enterprises and corporates, the bank said in a statement.

CBA said it is the only Australian bank to operate a full banking licence in India.

Australian banks are increasingly looking at Asia for expansion as opportunities at home diminish. They are primarily targeting China, India and Indonesia, though tight regulations have meant slow progress in the first two countries.

Australia and New Zealand Banking Group expects to open its first branch in India early next-year.

Source: http://www.businessspectator.com.au/bs.nsf/Article/CBA-opens-branch-in-India-8N7ZC?opendocument&src=rss