Dr Shah Honoured

The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh (RCSEd) has recognized the achievements of a leading North American based head and neck cancer surgeon at a diploma ceremony held at the 500-year-old Edinburgh College.
Currently the Chief of Head and Neck Service at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, as well as Chair of the Council of the International Academy of Oral Oncology (IAOO), Professor Jatin Shah is to receive the Honorary Fellowship from the RCSEd’s Faculty of Dental Surgery in recognition of the contribution he has made to medicine, particularly in the field of oral oncology.
Having received medical training in Baroda, India, Professor Shah undertook a research fellowship in Philadelphia, USA before moving in New York and undertaking a series of research and senior surgical positions, including most recently being appointed to the position of Professor of Surgery at the Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York. In addition, he has over 400 peer reviewed publications to his name as well as Honorary Fellowships from the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, England and Australia.
Explaining more about Professor Shah’s nomination to receive the RCSEd Honorary Fellowship in Dental Surgery, Dean of the RCSEd Dental Faculty, Professor Richard Ibbetson said:
“Professor Shah is one of the most distinguished and leading figures worldwide in the field of oral oncology. His significant contribution to healthcare and education, particularly in the field of oral cancer, worldwide, deserves to be duly recognised and I am delighted to welcome him to Edinburgh to be awarded the Honorary FDS of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh.”
Established in 1505, and with a worldwide membership, The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh is one of the world’s oldest and largest surgical establishments dedicated to the pursuit of excellence and advancement in surgical and dental practice, through its activities in education, training and examinations.
At the diploma ceremony, Professor Shah will join surgeons and dental professionals from around the globe who will travel to Edinburgh to receive Fellowship and Membership diplomas in recognition of their success in achieving the required standards of the rigorous dental and surgical examinations.
Commenting on receiving his RCSEd Faculty of Dental Surgery Honorary Fellowship from the College, Professor Shah said:
“I am deeply humbled and sincerely grateful to the RCSEd for bestowing this distinguished honour upon me.

Banker Returns Home

From left: Mr Jaspal Singh Minhas President of LABA,Mr Arya Mitter Gupta of Punjab National Bank and Bob Kullar Chairman of Kullar Group and a LABA Board Member

Mr Jaspal Singh Minhas President of LABA paid tribute to Mr Arya Mitter Gupta, the Bank Manager at Punjab National Bank in Leicester who is returning India to take up a new posting in Shimla.
“Mr Gupta has given the community in Leicester outstanding service” said Mr Minhas. “During his tenure he has been visible in the community seven days a week. He has amplified the bank’s business portfolio and deposit many times over. During the banking crisis, overseas bankers were the real back bone for the sustainability, resilience and survival of the many British Asian businesses. Guptaji is an outstanding and professional banker who has a humble personality and a very proficient ability to forge and maintain links with the communities and business. He will be greatly missed” Mr Minhas, on behalf of the LABA board and members took the opportunity to confirm an Honorary Membership of LABA to Mr Gupta for outstanding service to the Asian communities in Leicestershire and look forward to using his considered skills and knowledge to build trading and inward investment links with Punjab.

NRI Undertakes Yatra

Non-resident Indian, K K Sarachandra Bose, is undertaking an expedition, Bharat Yatra, to spread awareness about the need to eradicate caste system in our society.
The Dubai-based Bose, who appealed to the Government of India, to take firm steps to eradicate the caste system, reached here on Tuesday evening. Bose began his 40-day Bharat Yatra, which was flagged off in Thiruvananthapuram, on June 9.
Along with a team of 34 volunteers, the sexagenarian is addressing people across the States during the yathra before reaching Delhi mid-July, covering a distance of almost 14,000 km. Bose, who will travel to Chennai next, is yet to get the necessary permission for his yathra to enter TN. Stressing that he is confident that he would be given the nod, Bose said he was determined to go ahead as he was free to travel anywhere in the country as a citizen.
Interestingly, Bose served a notice on the Government of India for Constitutional reforms, to eradicate caste system in the country, by or before 31 December 2014.
Bose, who has been practicing law in the Gulf for three-and-a-half decades and is a member of the International Bar Association, has also authored a book ‘Caste Away! India, Hinduism & Untouchability.’
Detailing his decision to undertake the Bharat Yatra, he said “The Supreme Court of India has ruled that the caste system conveyed the message ‘Divided We are - Come and Rule Us’.
The caste system is a curse on the nation and the sooner it is destroyed the better, as the apex court has noted.” He claimed that the yathra, undertaken in vehicles, got overwhelming response.
Stressing that it’s time for change, he expressed confidence that PM Narendra Modi would work towards the eradication of the evil system.
Bose, who hails from a village in central Travancore of Kerala, is a partner of a leading legal consultancy firm in Dubai.

India to Assist Fiji

India has committed the provision of ten vehicles to Fiji to assist in the conduct of democratic elections to be held on 17 September, 2014. In addition, India will also provide indelible ink for the elections, besides training to election and Parliamentary officials.
High Commissioner, Vinod Kumar handed over eight Mahindra vehicles to the Fijian Elections Office on 16 June, 2014 in the presence of Attorney General and Minister for Elections Aiyaz Sayed-Khaiyum. The remaining two vehicles are expected to arrive from India in the next few weeks.
Attorney General and Supervisor of Elections Mohammed Saneem expressed Fiji’s gratitude to the Government of India for providing the vehicles and being supportive of Fiji as it holds "the first truly democratic elections”. They said that the vehicles would be used immediately for voter awareness programme.

NRI Honoured

Leading NRI industrialist Lord Swraj Paul has been honoured with the ‘Lifetime Achievement Award’ by a UK based business association for his outstanding contribution to the industry, education and philanthropy.
Mr Lord Paul’s daughter Ms Anjli received the award at the Black Country Asian Business Association’s annual awards dinner in June at Wednesbury in West Midlands as he was on a business trip to the US.
In his acceptance speech read out by Ms Anjli, Mr Lord Paul, founder Chairman of the Caparo Group, recalled his ties to the Black Country when Caparo first began operations in the West Midlands under the banner of a small company called L K Industrial.

Appointment

Ms Ruchi Ghanashyam, until now additional secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs has been appointed as the next High Commissioner of India to the Republic of South Africa. She will take up her assignment in the coming days.

June 2014