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Indian Express
23-06-2025
- Indian Express
‘Come with curiosity and patience… Delhi will reward you with unforgettable memories': Austrian Ambassador
'I've been posted in Delhi for nearly four years, and it has been a fantastic experience' — that's how Katharina Wieser, Austria's Ambassador to India, summed up her experience of living in Delhi. She enjoys a stroll through Lodhi Gardens and says the cultural depth and variety of the city are among the things that have stood out during her stay. Wieser has served as Austria's envoy to India, Bhutan, Bangladesh, the Maldives, Nepal, and Sri Lanka since July 2021. A seasoned diplomat with over three decades of experience, she has held key leadership roles in the Austrian Foreign Ministry and the Office of the Austrian Federal President. A passionate advocate for female diplomacy and inclusive leadership, Ambassador Wieser champions multilateralism, gender equity, and constructive global dialogue in her efforts to strengthen Austria's partnerships worldwide. She holds a degree in South Asian Studies (Indology) from the University of Vienna and a post-graduate diploma in International Relations from Johns Hopkins University's Bologna Centre. Wieser speaks to The Indian Express as part of a series of interviews with diplomats about Delhi — their home. Excerpts: One place in the city that you love to visit often? One place I visit often is Lodhi Gardens — it's an oasis amid the bustle. I love the symbiosis of historic architecture and luscious greenery, how you can feel the city breathing there, despite the overwhelming traffic just outside. Three things that stood out in Delhi during your stay? First, the cultural depth and variety — it's rare to find such an enjoyable mix of cultures, of old and new. I celebrate every corner of history that I can explore on my weekend outings. Second, the openness, curiosity, and enthusiasm of the people: wherever one goes, one can always strike up a light-hearted and fun conversation. Third, I'd say the contrasts — the beauty of historic monuments sitting right next to daily urban chaos and poverty. It's fascinating, though at times it can feel overwhelming for newcomers. Does pollution in Delhi bother you? How do you and your family deal with it? Pollution, particularly in winter, is a concern — as it is for many residents. We use air purifiers, avoid outdoor activities during high-pollution days, and try to stay informed. We are very privileged and have the capacity and opportunity to protect ourselves, but many people do not… this issue is surely one of the big challenges of the immediate future. It's a long-term challenge, and tackling it will require both policy and public commitment — not just in Delhi, but across the region. Is there anything you would suggest that Delhi's administrators work on to make this city a better place? Well, yes… while the city has made great strides in areas like Metro connectivity and digitisation, more sustained efforts are needed in waste management, improving air quality, and urban planning. Addressing the burning question of waste and traffic management would make an important contribution to reducing air pollution, and would make visiting Delhi more attractive to tourists as well. How is Delhi different from other major capitals or cities you have served in? What makes Delhi truly unique is the pace and intensity of engagement, and the sheer dimension of both challenges and opportunities. Delhi alone is two to three times the size of Austria in terms of inhabitants, so one has to keep putting everything into perspective. For Austria, this setting has provided fertile ground for strengthening our bilateral ties with India. Over the past few years, we've seen meaningful growth across sectors — be it green technology, higher education, innovation, or cultural exchanges. Favourite food in the city? Ah, the food! It's a culinary journey in itself. I've developed a special liking for South Indian food and love getting a dosa in one of the many great eateries or restaurants, like Carnatic Cafe or Nathu's. But honestly, it's often the home-cooked meals and street food explorations that truly capture the soul of Delhi's food culture. Any memories or meetings from the city that you think will stay with you always? One memory I'll definitely cherish is celebrating Diwali with 'my' Austrian Embassy team, thanks to our wonderful Indian colleagues who organise a traditional celebration with diyas, sweets, (loud) music, and lots of laughter and dancing every year! And as one example of the many cultural events organised by the Cultural Forum of the Austrian Embassy, I will always remember the screening of the movie, Mehrunisa, which tells a beautiful story about an 80-year old actress — played by the iconic Farrukh Jaffar — standing up for herself and against patriarchal reflexes in the Indian film industry. It is a movie by an Austrian director (Sandeep Kumar) with Indian roots, shot entirely on location in Hindi in India, and produced in Austria. The screening at the Austrian residence (on the occasion of International Women's Day) was a beautiful example of the power of the new and inspiring people-to-people connections coming up between Austria and India! If you have to introduce Delhi to someone back home, what will you tell them? I would say Delhi is not only a city — it's an experience. It's chaotic and challenging, beautiful and green, exhausting and exhilarating, all at once. I'd tell them if you come here with curiosity and patience, Delhi will reward you with unforgettable memories. But you should also be prepared for some sensory overload and a crash course in urban resilience. Is there anything that you or your family would miss once you say goodbye? Without a doubt, we'll miss the people. Delhiites have a warmth, openness, and generosity that has really touched me. We'll also miss the festivals, the cultural events, the markets — and perhaps even the unpredictability of life here! I have formed friendships that go beyond diplomacy, and those personal connections are what make a place truly feel like home.
Boston Globe
28-05-2025
- Politics
- Boston Globe
International students are still here — but, they worry, for how long?
'Being told not to go home, and then also being forced to stay but not knowing exactly where to stay, while also being low-income and first-generation, it's sort of destabilizing,' said Shrestha, 22, who is pursuing a double major in international relations and South Asian Studies and asked to use her last name only to protect her privacy. Signposts outside of the Williston Memorial Library on the Mount Holyoke College campus in South Hadley. Courtesy Mount Holyoke College Advertisement As commencement season comes to a close and campuses empty out across the region, many of the 80,000 or so international students enrolled at Massachusetts colleges and universities are grappling with anxiety and ambiguity. Many international students have stopped using social media in recent weeks and started using Signal, an encrypted messaging application. When they go out, they carry copies of their legal documents. While some are afraid to leave the country for fear they won't be able to get back in, others who had their visa statuses temporarily terminated left and are now unable to return to resume their studies. Advertisement Massachusetts has the Last week, the Trump administration moved to revoke Harvard University's ability to enroll foreign students, a play that was immediately The message to international students everywhere: ''America is not open for business, the best and brightest should stay home or go elsewhere‚' ' said Ted Mitchell, president of the American Council on Education, which represents around 1,600 colleges and universities. The United States is essentially 'saying to every other institution in the country: 'You could be next,'' Mitchell added. The unease is palpable, from Harvard Yard to the farm fields of the Five College Area in Western Mass. Amber, a junior at Harvard who is from Canada and asked to use her middle name for fear of retaliation from the Trump administration for speaking out, said she 'couldn't believe her eyes' last week when she read Trump was trying to ban foreign students at her university. A statistics major, Amber had secured her internship in the US in the fall of 2024, and went home to Canada before starting her summer job. But now, she is unsure if she'll even be allowed back in — for her internship, or for her senior year at Harvard. Advertisement The situation has brought back memories of when she was in high school during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. 'All of the hopes and dreams that you have for a really great senior year are now kind of in flux,' she said. As president of the graduate student government at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, John Arigbede is constantly fielding emails from his international peers, and the questions haven't stopped just because the semester is over. In April, 13 UMass Amherst students had their legal statuses 'Education is about opening your mind to different things, right,' he said. 'But in a situation where you cannot talk freely, or live freely, or travel freely within the safest part of the world — that is a psychological burden.' Traffic on North Pleasant Street at UMass Amherst on May 24. Matthew Cavanaugh/For The Boston Globe Arigbede's position puts him in touch with nearly Advertisement 'We get those emails day by day,' he said. ''Can I travel?' 'What if I'm held up at the airport?' 'What if my status has been inactive and then I am arrested?' Because these things happen in a split second.' Josie, a rising sophomore from Bolivia who goes to college in Boston and asked to be identified only by her first name due to fear of retaliation, said she now avoids speaking Spanish in public and has memorized the phone numbers of her friends in case she's apprehended. An aspiring journalist, she joined the school newspaper her freshman year and soon found herself writing about immigration policies that could affect her personally. 'It felt like, as the months went by, everything just kept getting more and more serious,' she said. 'It's been kind of intimidating to be in the US, and I feel like I'm not welcome [here] all the time.' Some domestic students are rallying to support their international classmates. Ian Tincknell, who is from Westford and was recently elected as vice president of the graduate student government at UMass Amherst, earlier this month helped organize a solidarity campaign, 'We Are One UMass,' 'to show we are grateful to have international students here, and we're very upset that they're feeling at all threatened by our government,' he said. 'That makes me feel just absolutely ashamed.' John Arigbede, right, talks with Ian Tincknell on campus at UMass Amherst last Saturday. Arigbede and Tincknell are respectively president and vice president of the graduate student government, which represents nearly 8,000 graduate students, around 36 percent of whom are international coming from 117 different countries. Matthew Cavanaugh/For The Boston Globe Zhennan Yuan, a 24-year-old from China, is on track to earn his master's degree in quantitative finance at Northeastern University in December. In April, he was among more than 4,700 international students across the country who had their legal statuses terminated in the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System, or SEVIS, without warning. Advertisement Yuan filed a suit in federal court in Boston and was granted a temporary restraining order barring the government from arresting or deporting him. The Trump administration restored Yuan's SEVIS record, but the status of his visa is unclear, and he remains concerned about what will happen next. His suit is pending, with a hearing scheduled for July. 'It is definitely still impacting my life,' said Yuan, who is afraid that if he leaves the country to visit his ailing grandparents in China this summer as planned he won't be allowed to return. 'I spend more time researching and studying policies,' he said, and worries about 'other curveballs' that will prevent him from finishing his studies in the United States. 'It is hard to sleep now.' Michael, who asked to be identified by his middle name, also has had trouble sleeping in recent months. Growing up in East Africa, he binge-watched the American TV series 'Boston Legal.' 'I wanted to be a lawyer so bad because of that,' he said and laughed. 'I developed a sense of justice.' He just graduated from Bridgewater State University with a master's degree and plans to pursue a PhD here. But after watching the Trump administration target international students while fanning the flames of anti-immigrant rhetoric, he's now thinking of settling in Europe. 'America's not bad, if things will change,' he said, 'but it needs to go back to a sense of justice.' Advertisement For now, despite all the fear and uncertainty this academic year has wrought, many students are still holding on. At the last minute, Shrestha, the Nepalese student from Mount Holyoke, landed an internship at a women's organization in Washington, D.C.,— a relief that's left her 'feeling positive about my summer now.' Josie, the Bolivian student in Boston, wants more than anything to fulfill her dream of having a career in journalism in the US. 'I still have hope, for some reason, that things will get better,' she said. 'I'm just clinging on to that sense of hope.' Brooke Hauser can be reached at
The Hindu
14-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
What are the implications of India's ‘new normal' in fighting cross-border terrorism?
On May 7, India launched 'Operation Sindoor' in response to the Pahalgam terror attack of April 22 in which 26 civilians were killed. Over three days, India and Pakistan launched missiles and drones at each other. There was also an extended aerial warfare involving fighter jets of both the countries. And on May 10, around midday, a ceasefire was announced – not by India or Pakistan, but by President Donald Trump. On May 12, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in an address to the nation, announced that India has established a 'new normal' in the fight against cross-border terrorism. He outlined a new three-point doctrine: India reserves the right to respond to terrorism with military action; no tolerance for nuclear blackmail from Pakistan; and no distinction shall be made between terrorists and their sponsors. These developments are significant and raise a lot of questions in the military, geopolitical and diplomatic domains. Guest: Sushant Singh, lecturer in South Asian Studies at Yale University and expert on strategic affairs and national security. Host: G. Sampath, Social Affairs Editor, The Hindu Produced by Jude Francis Weston For more episodes of In Focus:
India.com
10-05-2025
- Business
- India.com
Isha Ambani and Anand Piramal's daughter Aadiya study in THIS famous school, fees ranges from Rs...; Details here
Piramal Palace: Mukesh Ambani's daughter Isha Ambani is 'bahu' of this village, her husband has a lavish hawali here, know inside details of this building The Ambani and Piramal families are widely admired not just for their vast business empires, but also for placing strong value on education and grooming future generations. Isha Ambani and Anand Piramal, one of India's most prominent young couples, come from influential backgrounds and are both highly educated. Their daughter, Aadiya, is now following in their footsteps and has begun her early schooling at one of Mumbai's top educational institutions. Aadiya Piramal's early schooling journey Aadiya Piramal, the daughter of Isha Ambani and Anand Piramal, along with her twin brother Krishna, was born on November 19, 2022. As of now, Aadiya has taken her first step into formal education by joining Westwind School, a well-known early learning institution in Mumbai. About Westwind school Founded in 1947, Westwind School is known for its focus on early childhood development through a nurturing and creative environment. With small class sizes and a child-centered approach, the school places emphasis on personalized attention, interactive learning, and overall development rather than just academics. Fee structure at Westwind School The fee system at Westwind reflects its premium reputation. Here's a simplified breakdown based on recent reports: Admission Fee: Rs.12,000 (one-time) Caution Deposit: Rs. 5,000 (refundable) Form & Registration Fee: Rs. 1,000 (non-refundable) Tuition Fee: Rs. 3,500 per month × 12 = Rs. 42,000 annually Annual Charges: Rs. 5,000 (payable in April and July) Estimated Total Annual Cost: Between Rs. 2.5 to Rs.4 lakh per child, including tuition, activities, materials, and events. Discounts offered Sibling Discount: 10 per cent off tuition for the second child Full-Year Payment Discount: 5 per cent concession if parents pay the full year's tuition upfront in April or July Note: The school may revise fees from time to time. Isha Ambani's educational journey Isha Ambani, daughter of Mukesh and Nita Ambani, has a solid academic background. She earned her bachelor's degree from Yale University in the US, where she studied Psychology and South Asian Studies. This blend of social sciences and cultural studies gave her a well-rounded perspective early on. Later, she deepened her business knowledge by completing an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business in California. Isha's education has played a key role in shaping her leadership style at Reliance Retail and Jio, where she is now a key decision-maker. Anand Piramal's academic background Anand Piramal, son of industrialist Ajay Piramal and Dr. Swati Piramal, also holds strong academic credentials. He studied Economics at the University of Pennsylvania, gaining insights into finance and global markets. He pursued an MBA at Harvard Business School. This education has helped Anand take on leadership roles in the Piramal Group, where he drives strategic business initiatives and innovation. Together, Isha and Anand bring a unique mix of tradition, education, and modern business acumen to their family legacy. Their daughter Aadiya is now growing up in an environment that values both learning and leadership.
