Dharma in Digital Age Conference in Houston, Texas

In Search of Dharma in the Indian Diaspora

We have become an aggressive and divisive society which is becoming intolerant of others' ideas and points of view. For a pluralistic society like India, all the people who live there are important and we need to work together to take the country forward and to great heights. Unless we change our present thinking, we have the danger of becoming an extremist state

Beyond the Remittance: How Bangladesh's Overseas Workers Are Reshaping Post-Uprising Politics

For decades, Bangladeshi governments referred to their overseas workers as remittance warriors—a formulation that was generous in one respect and quietly limiting in another. It honored their economic contribution while bracketing their political identity. The July Uprising may have ended that bracketing for good. What is now taking shape, imperfectly and without clear resolution, is a constituency that earns its living abroad but has not surrendered its stake in what Bangladesh becomes.

US Immigration Policy Change Could Adversely Affect Indians, South Asians Seeking Employment-Based Green Cards

The policy could have particularly significant consequences for employment-based Green Card applicants, many of whom have traditionally relied on adjustment of status (AOS) while continuing to live and work legally in the U.S. There is a large number of Indian immigrants who stand to face significant disruption and delay because of this policy shift.

Stricter H-1B visa rules, OPT Termination Will Make US Less Attractive for Indian and South Asian Students

It is not just Indian professionals, but this bill could result in a further drop in Indian students - the largest foreign student cohort in the US - showing interest in higher studies in the US. It is not just the H-1B visa by itself, but the proposal for ending the OPT which prospective students would be paying attention to. OPT helps students in drawing employment, gaining experience and potentially transferring to H-1B Visa status. In 2024-2025, over 140,000 Indian students were participating in the OPT program.

More on South Asia Diaspora and Global Indians

Biden names Indian-American Amit Bose for key infrastructure position

On the occasion of Earth Day, April 22, President Joe Biden announced his intent to nominate Amitabha (Amit) Bose for Administrator of the Federal Railroad Administration, Department of Transportation. Bose’s name was among a group of dozen individuals, News India Times said

Designate India as 'country of particular concern': US body on religious freedom

For the second year running, an independent bipartisan commission in the United States has recommended to the US government to designate India as a “country of particular concern,” or CPC, for engaging in and tolerating “systematic, ongoing, and egregious religious freedom violations, as defined by the International Religious Freedom Act (IRFA)”

Leveraging the power of the diaspora in mitigating climate risks

Notwithstanding a global pandemic, a group of business leaders, policy experts, officials from  the environment, climate change, sustainability, and energy space met virtually to inspire Indians and the Indian diaspora to action with regard to climate mitigation and climate risk, which participants agreed was an "existential challenge" that the world will have to face in the near future if nothing was done

Indian American civil rights lawyer Vanita Gupta narrowly confirmed as US associate attorney-general

Indian American civil rights lawyer Vanita Gupta has been confirmed as the US associate attorney-general with the help of a breakaway Republican senator, overcoming stiff opposition from conservatives who accused the nominee of espousing “radical” policies

First Indian American and first woman of color to attain this high-ranking position'

Neil Makhija, Executive Director | IMPACT , has issued a statement on the confirmation of Vanita Gupta as US Associate Attorney General

Police bust major drug trafficking ring in Canada's York region, Indo-Canadians among dozens charged

Investigators with Canada's York Regional Police Organized Crime Enforcement Bureau with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), Peel Regional Police, and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, have busted a major international drug trafficking network near Toronto in Ontario

Dead bodies of Nepali workers stuck abroad

Bodies of dead Nepali workers are reportedly stuck in several countries and authorities are struggling to bring them back due to lengthy bureaucratic procedures amid the global pandemic, The Kathmandu Post reported

Pakistani American becomes first Muslim assistant chief in Houston

Yasar Bashir, a Pakistani-American police officer, has become the first Muslim assistant chief in the United States as he was appointed as the head of the family violence department in Houston Police last week

Talks on with Saudi Arabia to bring back detained women: Sri Lanka

Talks are underway between the Sri Lankan authorities and their counterparts in Saudi Arabia to bring back a group of Sri Lankan women detained at a deportation centre in the West Asian nation, Daily Mirror reported

Four Sikhs killed in latest US mass shooting at FedEx facility

At least four Sikhs have been killed in a mass shooting at a FedEx company facility in Indianapolis by a 19-year-old former employee, according to the Sikh Coalition

Arrangements for return of Bangladeshi expatriates from five countries

The Bangladesh government has made coordinated efforts to help expatriates return hasslefree to their workplaces in five countries by special flights from Saturday in view of the ongoinglockdown, Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen said on Friday

41 Sri Lankan women migrant workers detained in Saudi Arabia for months

At least 41 Sri Lankan women migrant workers have been detained in Saudi Arabia for as long as 18 months, Amnesty International said in a statement, demanding their immediate release

Asian Americans want a place at the head of the table

The launch of the AAPI Victory Alliance on April 11, 2021 is the culmination of years of hard work

'Brilliant' Indian origin cryptocurrency expert found dead in New York river

The body of a “brilliant” Indian origin cryptocurrency expert has been found floating in the Hudson River in this city, according to media reports

US Congresswoman keen on strengthening Bangladesh-US ties

US Congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon termed herself as a "friend of Bangladesh" and expressed her keen interest in strengthening Bangladesh-US cooperation on wide-ranging issues