THE new US President Donald Trump has bowed to the pressure from giant infotech software companies like Microsoft, Google, Apple and Tesla. Much to the disappointment of his vote bank President Donald Trump it is now okay to support H-1B visas and there will be an exception. Donald Trump has even gone to extend of suggesting that high-quality waiters and wine experts are eligible for the H-1B visas.
So far the visas were limited to highly qualified IT professionals. Now apparently the prized visas will be available to all highly competent professionals in every area. Incidentally, there is a rush among migrant mothers to deliver their babies ahead of schedule before February 20 to meet the deadline for American citizenship by birth.
SHORT FOR SAIF ALI KHAN
SAIF Ali Khan, who returned after five days in the hospital, was given a big shock by the BJP Narendra Modi government. Saif Ali Khan and the Pataudi family is facing the risk of losing their ancestral property in Madhya Pradesh, estimated to work over Rs15,000 crore.
Ninety-four of the 131 assets were left by the grandfather to the last nawab of Bhopal, Hamidullah Khan. The government has decided that this is part of enemy property and decided to acquire the same. Saif Ali Khan is likely to move the court courts against the order of the Narendra Modi government to take over the Pataudi properties.
FAKE WEBSITES CLOSED
THE Goa Police claim to have shut down 120 plus fake website and social media groups which have been involved in cyber crimes involving Goan victims. The Goa government is concerned over the fact that 10 to 12 cyber frauds are happening every day in the state. This is part of the national trend and it is reported that in 2024, the loss to individuals, particularly women, due to cyber crimes is above Rs25,000 crore. Several fake call centers have been busted in Goa during the last year.
SNAKE BITES IN GOA
GOA reports 500 to 600 snake bites every year. In the case of serious snake bites from snakes like the very poisonous viper, a snake bite victim has to be shifted to the Goa Medical College & Hospital at Bambolim. The first task is to identity what type of snake was involved in the snake bite. The GMC is the only hospital in Goa which stocks anti-snake bite venom.
None of the private hospitals are equipped to treat snake bites. However, there are several snake catchers in Goa amongst whom is Rahul Alvares, son of Norma and Claude Alvares.
ORCHID AWARDS, 12TH EDITION
A GRAND celebration of talent, dedication, and achievements marked the 12th edition of Orchid Awards for Women Achievers of Goa. This event was to honour the incredible contributions of women across diverse fields in Goa. Organised by founder Asha Arondekar of Orchid Group, the event brought together luminaries, change makers and trail blazers showcasing their inspiring journeys and groundbreaking accomplishments.
The event was held
at the Panjim Convention Centre. The awards which celebrate women’s achievements in different
sectors went to the following winners: Beena Philip, Social Work;
Sabina Da Cunha, Art & Culture;
Dr Manasi Kamat, Education;
Erica De Sequeira, Sports;
Sneha Naik, Rural Empowerment;
Kavita Amonkar, Journalism; Thereza
D’souza, Business;
Purvi Naik; girl child prodigy
Kamlabai Padte gets Lifetime Achievement
The youngest award winner was 11 years old and the oldest was a centurion.
The event was graced by chief guest, Sulakshana Sawant, and guest of honour was
Parul Soni. It was as usual a well-attended evening, well appreciated and Goans
from all walks of life continue to support the Orchid Awards for women who make
a difference for the better.
SUSMIT SEN CHRONICLES AT `MOG’
TO celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Museum of Goa (MOG) it is hosting “Concert for Goa” – with “Susmit Sen Chronicles” comprising Indian composer and guitarist Susmit Sen, Goan percussionist Carlos Gonsalves and other talented musicians will perform in front of the iconic “Carpet of Joy” art installation on the eve of Republic Day.
Honouring the occasion of India’s 76th Republic Day the “Susmit Sen Chronicles” latest album Azaadi (Freedom) will be launched at the Concert for Goa on Saturday, January 25, 2025. It is a significant milestone for the Goan Konkani language, receiving recognition for its contribution to the Indian music industry, Azaadi features two tracks in Konkani, “Saiba Tandela” (Master Boatman) and “Kuvar” (The Prince).
The album also comprises a composition in Sanskrit – the titular song Azaadi, which is a vocal rendition of India’s national song Vande Mataram – and a Tamil song, Mazaar (Shrine), further highlighting Sen’s dedication to showcasing cultural diversity and linguistic inclusivity through music.
“All four tracks on the album are produced in Goa. I have been living in Goa for a few months now and the two Konkani songs are my way of giving back to this land. The Museum of Goa showcases a lot of Goan heritage through its exhibits and I can’t think of a better place than MOG to launch Azaadi,” says Sen.
Lyrics for both tracks were written by Goan songwriter and poet Umesh Sardessai, the son of renowned Goan poet Lok Kavi (People’s Poet) Manohar Rai Sardessai, to the beats of the traditional Goan ghumat, performed by Goan percussionist Carlos Gonsalves.
Sharada Kerkar, operational head at the Museum of Goa and co-founder of the Children’s Art Studio, Pilerne, comments, “We are excited to have Susmit Sen Chronicles at MOG as part of Concert for Goa, which will be a spectacular convergence of music and visual art. When Susmit visited MOG, he was drawn to the ‘Carpet of Joy’, crafted by Dr Subodh Kerkar out of one lakh recycled plastic bottles, and was greatly interested in performing here. We believe that all forms of art must dialogue with each other, and this concert is the best example of one art falling in love with the other.”
Iconic Indian composer and guitarist, Susmit Sen, who co-founded the band Indian Ocean and has contributed to soundtracks for films like Peepli Live (2010) and Black Friday (2004), composed the Azaadi album with contributions from Sudheer Rikhari (vocals, keyboard), Gayathri Natarajan (vocals), Tatyana Dichenko (piano), and Carlos Gonsalves (drums, ghumat). The album was produced by renowned ex-BBC sound recordist Miti Adhikari.
Over the last decade, the Museum of Goa has supported 400+ artists and connected 70,000 people annually through various art forms that showcase Goa’s rich history and culture. Tickets for the concert may be purchased through the link: https://insider.in/susmit-sen-chronicles-concert-for-goa-jan25-2025/event
SHYAM SARAN ON CLIMATE CHANGE AT ICG
SHYAM Saran, president of the India International Centre (IIC), New Delhi and former foreign secretary of India is scheduled to speak on the topic of “Climate Change. Is it too little, too late?” at the International Centre Goa (ICG) on Friday, January 24 at 6pm. The event is organized by ICG in association with Bika Utsav as part of the ICG Public Lectures series and is free and open to all.
Career diplomat Saran has served as the Prime Minister’s special envoy for nuclear affairs and climate change. After leaving government service in 2010, he headed the Research & Information System for developing countries (RIS), a prestigious think tank focusing on economic issues (2011-2017) and was chairman of the National Security Advisory Board and the National Security Council (2013-2015).
Saran has also authored some important books. “How India Sees the World” (2017) and “How China Sees India and the World” (2022) are some of them.
Saran was awarded the Padma Bhushan by the President of India for his contribution to the Civil Services in 2011. In 2019, the Emperor of Japan decorated Saran with the “Spring Order, Gold and Silver Star” for his services in promoting Indo-Japanese relations.
VM SALGAOCAR COLLEGE OF LAW: `LAWS REALIGNED TO WOMEN IN PRISONS’
THE VM Salgaocar College of Law (VMSCL), Goa, in collaboration with the National Commission for Women (NCW), successfully held the Western Region Consultative Workshop on “Laws Realigned to Women in Prisons” on January 11, 2025. At the outset, Dr Shaber Ali, Principal of VMSCL, welcomed the gathering and expressed pride that the college was selected as one of the seven regional venues by NCW for this significant consultative program.
Dr Ali highlighted the college’s ability to bring together a diverse group of stakeholders, including judges, police officials, prison officers, public prosecutors, advocates, NGO representatives, activists, and academicians, all of whom served as expert panelists representing the Western Region. Their discussions and deliberations were focused on reviewing and realigning legal frameworks concerning women in prisons. The outcome of these discussions will be compiled into a report, which will be submitted to the NCW in New Delhi for further deliberations and potential policy enhancements.
Member Secretary of the Goa State Legal Services, Judge Shabnam Shaikh, discussed and highlighted the current situation in Goa’s jails and legal aid mechanism, and stressed on the importance of laws and their implementation.
The chief guest for the workshop was Dr Varun Kapoor, Special DGP, Madhya Pradesh, who clearly mentioned that as per records of 2024, out of 5,73,220 jail inmates almost 4.1 % are women, of which 17,064 women inmates have their kids staying with them. He also analysed that there are problems of overcrowding, traumatic experiences, which should be changed through reforms.
Manmohan Varma, Law Officer at the National Commission for Women (NCW) in New Delhi, in his address highlighted the need for improving the condition of women’s prisons, specially review the existing consultation where he opined various challenges of women prisoners will be discussed. He emphasized that each year, the Commission focuses on a specific issue affecting women, and for this year, the theme revolves around the laws concerning women in prisons. This event marks the second program organized at the college, underscoring the importance of continued awareness and discussion around women’s legal rights and protections.
A vote of thanks was proposed by Dr Sonal Sardessai, Asst. Professor, VMSCL and the inaugural program compared by Prapti and Mahima Naik.