Patel (right) and son Paresh show a badge

Worried about radiation that terrorist bombs may set off? No need to if Gordhan N. Patel's invention is put to use. His JP Laboratories managed by son Paresh has developed a dosimeter dodge, the size of a credit card, to monitor and warn of high-energy radiation. After 9/11, as the fear of terrorist attacks spread, Patel got a federal grant to develop the instrument. "We put all other projects aside," he says. An indicator on the badge turns blue if the wearer is exposed to nuclear radiation, and since it shows exposure level as well, "it can also be useful for physicians who treat the patient". The dosimeter will be priced at $5 while special features like false signal or hologram and magnetic strip will hike it to $10 a piece. It will be available both for civilians and military personnel. This is one badge Patel wears with honour.

-Nitish S. Rele

A Journey in Time

Thomas Daniel's 1798 view of the Council HOuse, Calcutta

It is never easy to capture India on canvas, but to capture India over three centuries sounds impossible. Yet, Gita Bagai and Yasmin Hosain have made an ambitious effort to do just that. The two art experts have organised an exhibition where one can view India from the 18th century to the 20th century through the eyes of Daniells, Fraser, Soltykoff and Doré. A highlight of this rare project is a collection of drawings by European artists who honed their skills in India in the 19th century-in miniatures, photographs and contemporary Indian paintings. The exhibition at the Nehru Centre in London's upmarket Mayfair brought in some high fliers. Chief guest G.K. Noon praised the ladies for their effort while Londoners took in the sights. The duo deserved the praise on the occasion. While art consultant Bagai has specialised in the Raj for 20 years, her expertise extends to contemporary Indian and international art. Cambridge graduate, academic and art dealer Hosain focuses on miniatures, manuscripts and prints on South Asia and the Middle East. Small wonder that the duo could try to bring three centuries of India under one roof.

Food for Thought

SENSITIVE ISSUE: Azmi and Gupta

The powerful professional body of the American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI) with 35,000 doctors on its rolls-which in past years held conferences addressed by former US President Bill Clinton and Senator Hillary Clinton at different times-recently gave another demonstration of its political clout on Capitol Hill. Earlier this week, AAPI hosted a lavish, well-attended dinner for several prominent lawmakers and ambassadors at the Cannon House, Capitol Hill. Among other things, the Indian doctors appealed to their audience for help on concerns of malpractice and also lobbied them for better India-US relations. The gathering was attended by Co-Chair of the Congressional Caucus on India and Indian Americans, Joe Wilson and Joe Crowley, and by Senator Joseph Biden. Speaking at the dinner meet, Biden-a ranking member of the powerful Senate Foreign Relations Committee-dwelled at length on the new warmth in Indo-US relations. But he also cautioned the gathering that a nuclear war could break out in the subcontinent if India and Pakistan dragged their feet without finding a solution to the Kashmir issue soon. That gave the audience something more to chew on at dinner.

With a Scalpel as Mighty as the Pen

Dr Sanjay Gupta, CNN's medical correspondent and a familiar face to viewers of Gulf War II, has done it again. A few weeks ago, he had donned his surgical gloves to perform neurosurgery on an injured Iraqi child. The surgery failed and the child succumbed to her injuries. Recently, Dr Gupta (Goopta, as CNN anchors call him) wielded the scalpel once again. This time, he successfully operated on a US soldier to remove a bullet from his skull. An embedded reporter travelling with the US Navy's mobile military unit, "The Devil Docs", Gupta is the only trained neurosurgeon with the unit. As a result, be it by pen or scalpel, it is all part of a day's work.

Heeding Her Call

Call centers put India on the world map. Now they have drawn Hollywood's attention. Tracy Jackson, a long time Indophile, is scripting a movie on the phenomena. "It affects all of us. This week I made five calls to AOL, three of which were answered by call centers in India," she says. Jackson, who also scripted The Guru, the first major studio film to star and be about South Asians, has been working on the project for over a year. "Much before the phenomenon became headlines," she claims. The project is finally off the ground with Ashok Amritraj, former tennis ace turned Hollywood producer, and Joel Zwick of My Big Fat Greek Wedding signing the deal. A good call?

UNseemly Case

The Indian Mission at the United Nations has fallen foul of the New York city authorities. They are part of a cabal of countries that have been accused by the city of ducking property tax payments of $100 million. The authorities filed a legal suit to recover the dues. They charge that these countries are using their missions for commercial purposes and not just to house the consulate. Hence they were not eligible for pro-perty tax exemption. The complaint against the Indian mission is that their buildings house employees other than the ambassador or head of the mission. If the mission actually ends up paying the dues, there would be a stiff price to pay for housing the staff in the swanky environs of upper East Manhattan.

Toast to Curry

There is finally competition for the "less gassy" Cobra Beer which lords over bar menus in Indian clubs and restaurants across the UK. A new Indian brand, Tikka Gold beer brewed specifically with curry eaters in mind, is to hit the UK market soon. Rohit Amin, its creator, comments: "It took me 18 months to make Tikka Gold-a premium beer of quality, flavour and character for curry lovers to enjoy with their favourite meal." Made with a combination of rice, European malts and hops brewed in Belgium in the Pilsner style, it is a "perfect partnership of Indian creativity and Belgian know-how". Amin believes the best way to deal with heat generated by curries is cold beer-with just the right amount of fizz.