Soon after assuming power, Modi’s offshore visits, first to Japan, then to the U.S. played out his ability to create much enthusiasm and hype, all of which also invited an adequate share of criticism for having become more of a Modi-roadshow than a showcase for India.

This is onPAGE-LEAD-MODI-INDIA-AIRPLANE-FLAGe debut nobody could have ever predicted, for it is a case of a formerly labeled “maut ka saudagar” (merchant of death), an internationally declared outcast who is now being feted by the biggest and powerful nations that want to forget and move on from their past allegations of his actions and inactions in the 2002 Godhra riots and reverse their diplomatic boycott of him.

Today, as matters stand, Modi has achieved a 15th ranking among the world’s most powerful people on the Forbes list, headed by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

It is all too evident that the Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has occupied global center stage as he continues to exalt India’s power-profile among the big and emerging economies. Should this remain the trend for some more years, it would not be wrong to forecast that India would hold sway from the highest echelons of international domains of direction and action, writes Priyanka Bhardwaj.

As President Barack Obama announced that he would take executive action to shield millions of undocumented immigrants from deportation, New America Media hosted a national telephonic press briefing for ethnic media reporters. Elena Shore presents a brief of the most frequently asked questions.

Over the recent past I have been following the Kiss of Love protests that have spread from Kochi to Kolkata, Delhi and recently to Bangalore and everywhere else on social media. There are different stages of a human being’s life. For those like me, hitting middle-age, intimacy with the wife or girlfriend in public areas undisturbed by cops or right and left wing elements is either not priority or not possible, writes Siddharth Srivastava.

India’s unemployment rate currently sits at 9 percent. Yet, one in three citizens with at least a bachelor’s degree is out of work. Its working age population is projected to rise from over 750 million today to almost a billion by 2020. At the same time, agricultural employment is in decline, accounting for less than 50 percent of total employment for the first time in Indian history. These market pressures are pushing the labor force towards higher skilled occupations. Yet, even young, college-educated Indians often lack the requisite skills to obtain these jobs, write Stefan Bender, Jörg Heining and Kaushik Krishnan.

Santa Clara is one of seven targeted counties in California that will host the program, which combines the benefits of Medi-Cal, California’s health plan for low-income residents, and Medicare – the national health plan for seniors and those with disabilities – into one coordinated health plan. Dual eligible beneficiaries receive coordinated medical, behavioral health, long-term institutional and home and community-based services as well as assistance in 12 languages through a single organized delivery system, reports Aruna Lee of New America Media.

San Francisco is considered the most visited city in the United State and known the world over. Stroll through Chinatown, climb to Coit Tower for a 360 degree vista and the newly restored murals and, speaking of murals, the greatest collection of murals are just a few minutes away in the celebrated Mission District, writes our travel editor Al Auger.

This year, the focus was on alternative fuel technology. With a large offering of vehicles, some electric, some exotic, and even a peek at the futuristic hydrogen fuel cell powered Mirai, the SF Auto Show was an event for auto enthusiasts of all ages. Vansh and Janam Gupta share their experience.

Siliconeer would like to thank all readers, supporters and friends as it completes yet another year in publication. We wish all a very happy and safe holidays!