Congratulations to Siddharth Varanasi from Canton Charter School

Siddharth Varanasi won The Detroit News 2010 Spelling Bee yesterday by correctly spelling "pugilist". It was closely contested competition as Siddharth (11), a sixth-grader from Canton Charter School in Canton Township, battled it out with 60 of the best spellers from across Wayne County for about 11 rounds before the final rounds. The event was held at Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History.

Congratulations to Siddharth and to the runner up Audrey Jones, 11, a sixth-grader from Our Lady of Victory school in Northville.

Siddharth now moves on to the Scripps National Spelling Bee to be held June 2-4 in Washington, D.C. He will face 300 of the nation's top spellers, and he said he feels nervous about that competition. But he said he will step up his studying for the national bee. "I try to do it year-round," he said. "I use note cards for practice."

Read more about this story in Detroit News.

Shreelina Ghosh of Michigan travels to Kolkata for Odissi Dance Performance

Michigan-based Odissi performer the talented Shreelina Ghosh will present Shivārādhanā at Gyan Mancha, Kolkata, on Sunday, 7th March 2010, at 7:00 p.m. This is a Shinjan Nrityalaya presentation.

The artist will explore and worship the facets of Shiva and his consort, Shivā (Parvati) through a collage of traditional and new choreographies. The recital will portray the inseparable duality in the universe: Matter and Consciousness, Purusha and Prakriti represented by Shiva and Pārvati, through the spiritual expressions of tāndava and lāsya.

Pakhwaj: Guru Giridhari Nayak
Sitar: Sri Sukhomoy Bhattacharya
Vocal: Sri Bishwajit Ghosh
Flute: Sri Jayanta Chatterjee

Shreelina has undergone twenty-five years of rigorous training under the able tutelage of eminent Odissi exponent, Guru Aloka Kanungo. She is currently a PhD research scholar in Cultural/ Digital/ Performative Rhetorics at Michigan State University.

Anuja Rajendra travels to Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics

Anuja Rajendra from Ann Arbor, Michigan will be at the Pacific Coliseum in Vancouver tonight to see Ice Dancers Meryl Davis and Charlie White perform a Indian-themed original dance at the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics.

Why is Anuja going to be there. That's because she is the choreographer who taught the two skaters the basics of Indian dance, made suggestions for music and spent months helping to put together the choreography.

Congratulations Anuja!!

For more read Detroit Free Press and Lansing State Journal.

Michigan's Richa Gangopadhyay debuts in Telugu Film "Leader"

Michigan's Richa Gangopadhyay makes her leading lady debut in AVM productions Telugu Film "Leader". Leader is releasing tomorrow Friday 19th here in Michigan at Big Cinemas, 26045 Town Center Drive, Novi, MI‎ . Please call (248) 347-3830 or visit the Big Cinemas website for more details.‎

Richa Gangopadhyay plays the role of a politician’s daughter who is the CEO of a TV Channel. Richa says that the the role she played in "Leader" is nearer to her real life nature.

I felt as if Sekhar Kammula has designed this particular role only for me. I’m a very determined person and fight for my rights. I know what I want and I work hard till I achieve them. My role in this film is also similar to what I am in real life.

Congratulations to Richa!!

Rahat Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan coming to Detroit

Rahat Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan the famed Pakistani singer will be in Detroit on April 11th, 2010. He will be performing live at the Millenium Center, Southfield on Sunday April 11th, 2010 at 7.00 PM. For more details visit dhartionline.com or call Palace Entertainment at 734-255-2505 OR 586-506-0043.

About Rahat Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan (from wikipedia):

He was born in 1974 in Faisalabad, Punjab, Pakistan into a family of traditional musicians. The son of Farrukh Fateh Ali Khan, Rahat was trained by his uncle Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan in the art of classical music and Qawwali. His first public performance was at the age of ten or eleven

n a subordinate role with his uncle Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, working in collaboration with Eddie Vedder, of the American rock band, Pearl Jam, Rahat contributed to the soundtrack of the 1995 Hollywood film Dead Man Walking.

India at Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics

Yes a cricket crazed nation of over a billion people did send a olympic contingent of 3 to 2010 Winter Olympics at Vancouver BC. You might also be interested to know that the local Indian community in Vancouver had to pitch in to get uniforms for the Indian Team. BBC is reporting

Vancouver's Indo-Canadian community has rallied to provide funding and uniforms for India's three-man Winter Olympics team, local press reports say.

Really sad and pathetic!! Also check out the Indian Olympic Association website. At last check I did not find any mention of the 3 athletes.

Here are the 3 olympians from India at the Winter Olympics in Vancouver. God Bless them!!

• Shiva Keshavan
• Participating in: Luge
• Date of Birth: August 25, 1981
• Birthplace: Vashisht, India

• Tashi Lundup
• Participating in Cross-Country Skiing
• Date of Birth: October 5th, 1984
• Birthplace: India

• Jamyang Namgial
• Participating in Alpine Skiing
• Date of Birth: June 3rd, 1985
• Birth Place: India

Obama will give the keynote address at the University of Michigan's commencement this spring.

President Barack Obama will be in Ann Arbor this spring giving the keynote speech at this year’s commencement at University of Michigan. University President Mary Sue Coleman had this to say:

“President Obama has captured the imagination and enthusiasm of many students with his inspiring words of hope and change. We are honored to welcome a leader of his distinction and look forward to his message. We could not be happier for the graduates who will celebrate their academic achievements with the president of the United States.”

President Obama will receive an honorary Doctor of Laws degree.

This spring’s commencement will be held on May 1st at 10 AM in Michigan Stadium.

President Obama will be the fourth United States president to deliver the commencement address in Ann Arbor. In 2007, former President Bill Clinton gave the address and before him President George H.W. Bush spoke in May 1991. Lyndon Johnson was the first sitting president to address the University’s graduating class when he did in 1964. (via Michigan Daily)

Michigan launches Appliance Rebate Program

The Michigan State government has launched an appliance rebate program, for washers, clothes washers, refrigerators, furnaces and water heaters.

Rebate amounts under the "Michigan Energy Efficient Appliance Rebate Program" range from $25 on new energy efficient dishwashers to $1,200 on solar water heaters. The program covers purchases made after today and isn't retroactive. The program runs through the end of the year (2010).

From Detroit News

Consumers interested in getting cash back on an appliance should first reserve a rebate, which expires if the purchase isn't made within two weeks. To reserve a rebate on refrigerators, clothes washers or dishwashers go to www.MIrebates.com or call (866) 621-8782. For furnaces and water heaters www.michrebate.com or (888) 642-4674.

(via Detroit News)

Native from India causes Detroit Metro Airport Security Breach

Kaylan Policherla, 27 a native of India and who lives in Bryan, Ohio was responsible for Detroit Metro Airport Security Breach yesterday. He had no ticket or baggage and just walked up to a passenger security gate at Detroit Metro Airport and just kept going.

Mr Kaylan ignored Transportation Security Administration officers at the McNamara Terminal who repeatedly told him to stop. Emergency procedures were implemented and portion of the Terminal Building was immediately evacuated and passengers were re screened.

Police said Policherla was jolted with a Taser and taken into custody. He was charged with entering an airport in violation of security requirements, a one-year misdemeanor.

As of yesterday evening it was not clear why Policherla breached the security checkpoint at McNamara Terminal without a boarding pass or luggage. He did not respond during FBI questioning.

(via Detroit Free Press)

Bringing Offshore jobs back to Michigan

Crains Detroit Business is reporting that Strategic Staffing Solutions is bringing jobs back to Southeast Michigan. S3 is opening up a new downtown Detroit contract IT employment center at Penobscot Building. The center will open in March 2010 with about 50-100 employees. President and CEO Cynthia Pasky said

the center eventually will create jobs for 437 new contract IT employees within 2 years' time.

(more at Crains Detroit Business)

Economic Times of india is reporting that System in Motion (SIM), a Michigan based start up which was launched a few months ago is planning to deliver low cost IT services from Ann Arbor and other locations.

System in Motion is promising to create more than 1,100 jobs over next five years in Michigan.

Systems in Motion is backed by several angel investors including Preetish Nijhawan, the Akamai founder, Michael G Parks, the former CIO of Virgin Mobile and Wells Fargo.

For more on this story check out Economic Times.

Fortune's Best Companies to Work for in Michigan - 2010

Fortune is out with its annual list of "Fortune 100 Best Companies" to work for - 2010. There are 3 companies in the list with their Headquarters in Michigan. The Companies are

• Quicken Loans
• Livonia, MI
• Best Company to Work For rank: 29
• Employees: 2,890

• Plante & Moran
• Southfield, MI
• Best Company to Work For rank: 66
• Employees: 1,558

• Herman Miller
• Zeeland, MI
• Best Company to Work For rank: 97
• Employees: 5,646

Talented Orthopedic Surgeon from Mumbai (Bandra), India

Mumbai based Dr. Dilip Nadkarni is an orthopedic surgeon specializing in treating sports and fitness-related injuries. He is a distinction holder in MBBS and a gold medalist in post-graduation in orthopedic surgery from Mumbai, India. His patients include top international sportspersons and celebrities engaged in fitness activity. Check out his website Calm Sutra.

So what else does Dr. Nadkarni do? Dr. Nadkarni is also extremely talented singer. Recently Dr. Nadkarni sang "Bandra Re Bandra" at "Celebrate Bandra Festival". Check this video out: