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Indian wins Rhodes Scholarship
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Sabeer Bhatia to set up Nano City
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To say that Parvinder Singh Thiara is academically brilliant would be an understatement. In 2003, the Chicago Tribune declared Thiara, the valedictorian of Rochelle Illinois High School, its student of the year. The Punjabi Cultural Society of Chicago honoured him at its P.C.S. Graduation Night 2003, and asked him to be the student keynote speaker. Parvinder had 36, the highest possible ACT (American College Test) score in high school. He also won the Illinois Council of Teachers of Mathematics written competition.
After four years at Harvard, Thiara will now enter Oxford University as a Rhodes Scholar in October 2007. Other Rhodes Scholars in the past include Montek Singh Ahluwalia, Bobby Jindal and US president Bill Clinton.
Parvinder is one of just 32 American men and women chosen as Rhodes Scholars this year. The scholarship is the oldest and arguably the most prestigious international fellowship in the world. They were originally created in 1902 by the will of British philanthropist Cecil Rhodes in order to bring the most outstanding students of the world to England. At Oxford Parvinder plans to study for his master’s degree in theoretical chemistry and water science, management, and policy. Parvinder is a three-time John Harvard scholar, the highest academic honour the Harvard university bestows. He is also a Herschel Smith science fellow, and a member of the honour society Phi Beta Kappa.
“Punjabi Cultural Society of Chicago congratulates Parvinder Thiara for his exceptional achievements, that have set a great example for future generations of our community,” said Bhinder Singh Pamma, P.C.S. president. |
Hotmail founder Sabeer Bhatia has signed an agreement with the Haryana government to jointly set up Nano City, a knowledge hub modelled on California’s Silicon Valley, at a cost of Rs 18.5 billion. Bhatia’s Nano Works Developers and the Haryana State Industrial and Infrastructure Development (HSIIDC) will set up the project, which will be spread over 11,000 acres in Panchkula district, about 45 km from the state capital, Chandigarh.
Bhatia said he wanted to set up Nano City on the lines of the US’ Silicon Valley where he worked in the 1990s and founded the first free e-mail service—Hotmail. He said India had provided people for the world’s software industry and it was now time to develop products and technologies for the world market itself. The knowledge city will deal in future technologies like nano-tech, biosciences, software product development, next generation Internet products, materials research and energy.
“We foresee research establishments such as US universities, research and development centres of companies, which have been the centres of innovation, to carry out multi-disciplinary research and collective research with Indian centres of excellence in this Nano City,” Bhatia said. |
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PCS hits Chicago streets in 73rd Thanksgiving Day Parade
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The Punjabi Cultural Society of Chicago (PCS) participated with a decorated float and a bhangra dance marching unit in the 73rd McDonald’s Thanksgiving parade held on the Thanksgiving Day on State Street downtown Chicago.
“It’s our third year in a row participating in this parade and it gives our Indian community a great exposure in the American mainstream,” said PCS vice-president Amarjit Kaur Atwal.
“The theme of the PCS float and its contingent was a Punjabi Indian wedding, which included a bride, the groom, and bhangra dancers on the well decorated float, and the wedding party (baraat), the Punjabi dhol, music and more bhangra dancers in the marching unit,” said Mohinderjit Singh Saini, the PCS parade coordinator.
Celebrating its 73rd year, the McDonald’s® Thanksgiving Parade is Chicago’s premier holiday event. PCS was part of more than 100 spectacular contingents from Chicago and around the country, proudly marching the parade route North on State Street from Congress to Randolph Street.
This year parade-goers got a nice surprise—a sunny day with mild temperatures compared to the last year’s freezing whether. The parade was truly family friendly with comfortable temperatures and attractions for young and old.
Over 350,000 spectators cheered the parade on the street while 1.5 million at-home viewers watched on TV the PCS float, gigantic helium balloons, marching bands, majestic equestrian units, fabulous specialty floats, spectacular performance groups, national celebrities and local personalities. The parade was broadcast live on ABC channel 7 in Chicago.
The Chicago Festival Association, a non-profit organisation in the city of Chicago, produced this parade.
P.C.S participation was organised by Mohinderjit Singh Saini, Thakar Singh Basati, Rajinder Singh Mago, Sukhmel Singh Atwal, Sunny Kular, Ronny Kular, Amarjit Kaur Atwal, and Parminder Singh. Kevindeep Singh Atwal and Sukhi Singh Basati played the Punjabi dhol. Mr and Mrs Jolly Singh were the wedding couple.
“Shaan Punjab Di” bhangra group included Jakaran S. Saini, Anoop Takhar, Sumeet Singh, Rai Barinder Singh and Pooshan Kapil. Other participants included Harleen Saini, Nishu Kaur, Jeevanjot Saini, Karman Singh, Puneet Singh, Pete Singh, Jaspaul Saini, Arvind Gakhal and Kamal Singh.
Punjabi Cultural Society of Chicago (P.C.S.) is a non-profit organisation promoting education, good citizenship, community development, civic commitment and involvement, and preserving Punjabi culture, language, sports and the performing arts among its community members and also mainstream Americans in the Midwest and beyond. |
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