Indian IT industry contributes immensely to US economy:NASSCOM

Washington, Mar 3, 2017 (PTI)

The debate in the US over H-1B visas has become a political and emotive issue as there is a "yawning gap" between the facts and perception, IT industry body NASSCOM has said, contending that Indian IT firms contribute immensely to the US economy and jobs creation.

"This narrative has been going on for a while now that Indian IT workers come to the US and that they take away jobs, that in general they simply displace American workers and that these are low-paid, not even necessarily high-skilled people who are actually taking away jobs from better paid and skilled American workers," NASSCOM president R Chandrashekhar told PTI.

Chandrashekhar was here this week leading a delegation of IT industry body to engage with members of the new US administration on issues like clampdown on work visas and flow of skilled manpower between the two nations.

"That's really the kind of narrative which has got built up, sort of anecdotal examples are being cited, which also are not necessarily accurate. Because it has been presented with a mix of emotive anecdotal stories, I think a counter narrative and facts have really not been recognised. If you look at the facts, then the facts actually tell you a very, very different story," he said.

He said, "The data, not just our data, but the US government’s own data also tells a very, very different story."

Chandrashekhar met a number of influential American lawmakers, opinion builders, members of think-tank community and the officials from the new Trump Administration and interacted with them on the H-1B visa issues.

The visit of the NASSCOM delegation came in the wake of the ongoing debate in the US and reported moves by the Trump Administration to bring out an executive order to curtail the use of H-1B visas, widely used by Indian IT majors.

"The purpose is to put across our point of view so that a more balanced approach is enabled," he noted.

Chandrashekhar said the Indian IT industry actually contributes immensely to the US economy in terms of jobs that are created in America, both directly and indirectly.

"Close to half a million jobs have been supported in the US as of 2015. The number of jobs have also been growing at 10 per cent per year as against a two per cent growth in the rest of the job market," he said.

"The biggest contribution to jobs, of course, is what the industry provides in terms of services to US corporates, 75 per cent of the Fortune 500 companies, which enable them to be more productive, more efficient, and more globally competitive, and thereby helps them to be the job creation engine in the US," the NASSCOM president said.

The NASSCOM president argued that the services that the IT industry provides in the US actually create a lot of jobs.

"This in fact, aligns extremely well with President Trump's objective of having more jobs in the US. That's why the need to make this counter narrative well understood," he said.

"There is misperception that American workers and qualified American workers are being displaced by the recourse to a couple of anecdotal stories, whereas the reality is that there are 2.4 million jobs, which are unfilled in the US because they require STEM-qualified workers, and they simply aren’t available," he said.

By 2018, the projection is that the number will touch 3.4 million, and half of them will be computer and IT related areas, he observed, adding that the unemployment rate among STEM workers for computer and IT related skills is around two per cent.

"It is well known and recognised by all experts that anything under four per cent indicates a shortage. If it is around two per cent, then that indicates the extent of shortage. This myth that there are qualified people who are being deprived of a job is far from the truth," he asserted.

"The third aspect is, if you look at even the American universities, which are the source of skilled workers going forward, more than 70 per cent of the students in the STEM programmes are international students. Even if you wanted to hire from American universities, you'll still need a visa to hire those skill sets.

"These are the facts, and those are the perceptions. The gap between the two is wide, it's a yawning gap between the facts and the perceptions," said the top Indian IT leader.

In developed economies especially those experiencing slower growth, a certain level of unemployment among unskilled people, and at the same time, a shortage of skilled workers, he said is a "political dynamite".

"Because you are dealing with a shortage in one part and unemployment in another part of your workforce, and it requires extremely sagacious leadership to actually be able to formulate a more open-minded, balanced, far-sighted and pragmatic approach in dealing with this issue and differentiating between these two," he noted.

"From the perspective of an American worker who is being displaced it does not make a difference whether he is displaced by a visa-dependent company or a non-visa-dependent company or a 50-50 company or whatever.

"Why would such a provision, which is ostensibly to protect American workers be applied based on a definition which ultimately only singles out Indian companies. I think the argument is that this is not correct, and this is not even protecting American workers," Chandrashekhar said.

"I would argue that if the American workers are to be protected, then please protect them fully. Don’t protect them by closing a side door and leaving the front door open," he said. 

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Sanjay Dutt's security roughs up media people, actor apologises

Agra, Mar 3, 2017 (PTI)

A scuffle broke out here between media persons and actor Sanjay Dutt's security guards during the shooting of his comeback film "Bhoomi" near the Taj Mahal.

The incident took place when the film's unit was shooting at Kalakriti Taj VIP road yesterday. The bouncers started pushing the crowd away and they even manhandled some of the media persons and allegedly snatched their camera, which led to a journalist registering a complaint against the film unit.

The 57-year-old actor later apologised to journalists, saying had he been there, he would have stopped it.

"I want to make it clear that I was not even there on the set when it happened. I had already packed up and left for my hotel. But if I had been there, it would not have happened for sure. I would have sorted it out with a 'jaadu ki jhappi'. I even talked to the media people after the incident and apologised," Dutt told reporters during a press conference.

"I want to thank the people of Agra who have shown so much love to our film unit. I just want to say that I need your support. The city is being promoted through our film and if something like this happens, it is shameful for everyone."

Directed by Omung Kumar, "Bhoomi" is Dutt's first project since he completed his jail term last February.

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Freida helps feeding over 800 people with Oscars leftover food

Los Angeles, Mar 3, 2017 (PTI)

Actress Freida Pinto ensured the leftover food from the several parties organised over the Oscars weekend did not go waste and was redistributed to over 800 residents.

The 32-year-old actress was part of an initiative by the food technology company Copia, based in San Fransisco, under which the excess food was utilised in an effective manner and provided to the needy.

The "Slumdog Millionaire" star took to Instagram to announce the commendable feat.
"The stories that feed our culture has now fed OVER 800 people. Sharing excess food to feed our community is a no-brainer. Thank you @filmindependent #spiritawards @gocopia @lamission for making this happen! #zerowaste #zerohunger #eatlikeastar," Freida wrote, along side a collage of pictures that show how the drive turned out to be a success.

In one of her earlier posts, she wrote, "Wastage isn't glamorous, feeding people is! #zerowaste #zerohunger #eatlikeastar @gocopia".

Before the Oscar craze took off, Freida announced the project on social media, where she wrote, "Weekends biggest parties to recover excess food and deliver it to communities most in need in Los Angeles. #zerowaste #zerohunger Because this food is too good to be wasted. Thank you Women in Film for your incredible support @hellomikeamico."

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Air pollution may reduce effectiveness of antibiotics: study

London, Mar 3, 2017 (PTI)

Air pollution may increase the potential of bacteria to cause respiratory infections by reducing the effectiveness of antibiotic treatment, scientists have found for the first time.

The study by researchers at the University of Leicester in the UK has important implications for the treatment of infectious diseases, which are known to be increased in areas with high levels of air pollution.

They looked into how air pollution affects the bacteria living in our bodies, specifically the respiratory tract - the nose, throat and lungs.

A major component of air pollution is black carbon, which is produced through the burning of fossil fuels such as diesel, biofuels and biomass.

The research shows that this pollutant changes the way in which bacteria grow and form communities, which could affect how they survive on the lining of our respiratory tracts and how well they are able to hide from, and combat, our immune systems.

"This work increases our understanding of how air pollution affects human health," said Julie Morrissey, Associate Professor at Leicester.

"It shows that the bacteria which cause respiratory infections are affected by air pollution, possibly increasing the risk of infection and the effectiveness of antibiotic treatment of these illnesses," said Morrissey.

"Our research could initiate an entirely new understanding of how air pollution affects human health. It will lead to enhancement of research to understand how air pollution leads to severe respiratory problems and perturbs the environmental cycles essential for life," Morrissey said.

"Everybody worldwide is exposed to air pollution every time they breathe," Shane Hussey and Jo Purves, research associates working on the project said.

"It is something we cannot limit our exposure to as individuals, but we know that it can make us ill. So we need to understand what it is doing to us, how it is making us unhealthy, and how we might be able to stop these effects," they said.

The research focused on two human pathogens, Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pneumoniae, which are both major causes of respiratory diseases and exhibit high levels of resistance to antibiotics.

The team found that black carbon alters the antibiotic tolerance of Staphylococcus aureus communities and importantly increases the resistance of communities of Streptococcus pneumoniae to penicillin, the front line treatment of bacterial pneumonia.

It was also found that black carbon caused Streptococcus pneumoniae to spread from the nose to the lower respiratory tract, which is a key step in development of disease.
The study was published in the journal Environmental Microbiology.

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The green win

Rajitha Menon, March 3, 2017, DHNS

Way ahead

Few incidents have elicited the kind of response that the much-touted proposal to build a steel flyover did. The expensive six-lane project drew flak from citizens and green activists as it required axing of trees and was also termed as an unsustainable solution to reduce city’s traffic woes. The 6.9 km steel flyover was to connect Basaveshwara Circle to Hebbal with an extension on Sankey Road up to LRDE complex. 

As news of the cancelling of the controversial steel flyover project came in, citizens from every walk of life took to all possible platforms to express their happiness at what was seen as a tough achievement.

Says Varun Hemachandran, who works with an organisation that maps trees, “It is great news, regardless of what reason prompted the government to make such a move — whether it was the pressure from the civil society or because of that whole diary affair. The decision sends out a message that it is increasingly getting difficult for governments to ignore the voice of the people.”

“The joy was palpable in all my Whatsapp groups,” says Simran Tandon excitedly. “It was a huge morale booster of some sorts for youngsters like me because it says that my dissent means something in my city. We often get disillusioned by reading about the many scandals and instances of corruption; I now feel that our disapproval matters, and not just at the time of elections.”

It is a unanimous opinion that the move has come as a shot-in-the-arm for citizen’s movements and is seen as a victory for people; right from the ones who held placards and formed human chains to the ones who wrote articles and shared links on social media, decrying the government’s way of dealing with the issue.

“We want to thank the government for finally paying heed to public sentiment and acknowledging the opposition to the steel flyover,” says Tara Krishnaswamy, a professional working with Oracle.

“This sends out a strong lesson that participative democracy is the way forward. Citizens should come forward and make their voices heard because if you come out
and fight for it, change happens.”

But even amidst the celebration, people agree that this is just the first step of many.

There is a long way to go and even in this particular situation, the fact remains that we still have to find an answer to Bengaluru’s infamous gridlocks.

“The budget is due soon and we have to see whether the government puts its money where its mouth is. The number of buses must be doubled and the ticket rates must be halved. The bus network must be strengthened because it handles the maximum volume of passengers when compared to other modes of transport. The Metro rail system will take a long time to reach its desired potential and even then, its passenger load will be less than that of the buses plying on the roads,” says Tara.

“Sincere thanks to the Chief Minister for having realised that a project like that was not worth it,” says Naresh Narasimhan, an architect.

“They should focus on building a pedestrian-centric city and not a car-centric one. An alternative transit system is the need of the hour,” he opines. Varun adds, “There is a positive effect when citizens work with the government, instead of against it, and try to find solutions to the pressing issues the society faces.”

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