Radio Brisvaani
Queen’s Birthday Honors: Professor Jai Singh, AM
For significant service to education, particularly in the field of physics, as an academic and researcher, and to professional scientific organizations.
Jai Singh, professor of Physics at Charles Darwin University has been appointed Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for “significant service to education, particularly in the field of physics, as an academic and researcher, and to professional scientific organizations”.
Originally from Cheoraha, a remote agrarian community in Sultanpur district of Uttar Pradesh, Professor Singh believes that it was motivation, hard work and focus that shaped his professional journey.
Harnessing the power of sun, Dr Singh’s primary area of research over the last decade at the School of Engineering and Information Technology has been solar cells, both organic and inorganic. This includes thin-film amorphous silicon solar cells and organic solar cells (OSC) for optimal photovoltaic performance.
After a stint at ANU’s School of Chemistry, he moved to Darwin, which has been home for the last three decades. While Singh believes there is a big future in Applied Physics, his immediate concern is that Darwin is unable to attract physics students at undergraduate level. He has mentored Ph D students from around the world and hopes that interest in solar cell development will outlive his tenure.
Queen’s Birthday Honours: David Robert De Silva, AM
For significant service to the community through contributions to the economic and social development of the Northern Territory in a range of executive roles. On a road trip around Australia as a young man in the early 1980s, David De Silva found himself in Darwin when the Chamberlain case was making news nationwide. Lindy and Michael Chamberlain were being tried for the murder of their baby girl Azaria: they claimed they were innocent, and that a dingo had taken their baby. A curious David decided to sit in at the Supreme Court to watch the proceedings as the inquest took place – and was hooked.
He found his calling and went back home to Adelaide to get enrolled in university to study law. Some 30 years later, David is a successful litigation lawyer and Principal of the Darwin-based De Silva Hebron Lawyers, which he founded in 1993. Over this period, his skills in adminis tration and zeal for public service have seen him take on leadership roles in a wide variety of areas. Currently, he serves as Chair of Crimestoppers Northern Territory, Chair of the Territory Power Generation Corporation, Chair of Darwin Performing Arts Centre, and is a Board Member of the Darwin Waterfront Corporation. He has also served as Director of the state’s Power and Water Corporation. David grew up in Australia although he was born in Bahrain, where his dad then worked. He credits his dad for his accomplishments today.
Queen’s Birthday Honours: Jayanthi Srinivas, OAM
For service to the Indian community of the Northern Territory
When early childhood educator Jayanthi Srinivas and her ship building engineer husband arrived at the frontier town of Darwin in 1991 to start a new life, it was a shock to their system. But Jaya, as she is better known, was quick to embrace the local values and culture, immersing herself in an array of deeply fulfilling roles. Along the way, she has had not just an amazing professional journey, but a rewarding social profile too. Three decades on, the girl from Delhi is proud to call Darwin home. Today, she is the face of multicultural Northern Territory. And profiling Indian culture through India@Mindil – Darwin’s premier Indian festival that showcases Indian art, culture, food, fashion and music, is only one of her many achievements.
In 2013, Jayanthi was appointed People of Australia Ambassador by Federal Minister Kate Lundy and since then has travelled with numerous NT delegations to a number of countries including India. She has also won the Rotary Pride of Workmanship award and was bestowed the Australian Institute of Managers & Leaders award last year.
While her passion is to provide an educational platform for all, she would particularly like to use this newest accolade to inspire women from CALD backgrounds.
Queen’s Birthday Honours: Kanti Lal Jinna, OAM
The 79-year-old has been involved with community service through the Hindu Council of Australia of which he has been Vice Chairman since 2009, through Canberra’s Hindu Temple and Cultural Centre which he cofounded in 1987, and as patron of the Fiji Australia Association of Canberra. In recent years, he has been advocating for seniors in Canberra’s Indian community as vice president of the Indian Senior Citizen’s Association. But as someone who has assimilated well into the mainstream, Kanti’s passion has been to link the growing Indian community in this society with the broader mainstream, and vice versa. His involvement with the Canberra Multicultural Community Forum put him in touch with other New Australians like him. This exposure led him to more mainstream positions such as on the ACT Chief Minister’s Council of the Ageing and the Royal Commonwealth Society, where he even served as President for two years. The guiding principle in Kanti’s work seems to be to build on similarities, not differences.
At the core of this attitude is the belief that the more we interact with others from diverse backgrounds, the more likely we are to develop friendliness, warmth, trust and empathy, and reduce myths about each other’s’ groups.
Kanti was born and brought up in Fiji, where his grandfather moved in the 1930s, post indenture. He was educated in Fiji, NZ, UK and Australia. His writing has concentrated on historical issues concerning Fiji, and on biographies of Fijian people of the post-indenture period.
Queen’s Birthday Honours: Deepak Vinayak, OAM
Strengthening community resources through active participation with government, media and other agencies
This year’s OAM recipient and community leader Deepak Vinayak JP believes that leadership is not about titles, positions and flowcharts, it is about one life influencing another. Five-time Australia Day Ambassador and the first person of Indian origin to be chosen as Multicultural Champion by Victoria State Government, Deepak lives by his motto to do more for the world than it does for you.
Deepak has won countless awards and nominations for his work in the field of multicultural awareness and advocacy. He is a Justice of Peace, R U OK and White Ribbon ambassador, Pride of Australia 2018 medal winner, and the list of accolades goes on.
Hailing from Rampur Phool in Bhatinda, Punjab, Deepak claims he came to Sydney in 1995 with one suitcase, no contacts, $ 20 dollars in his pocket and big dreams.
Initially he did it tough by working in any job he could get and sleeping on benches in train stations but coming to Melbourne and gaining education and employment changed his life. Deepak is currently Station Master/ Metro Community Liaison Officer at Metro Trains Melbourne.
He has actively engaged with newly arrived migrants who have chosen Australia to be their homeland and trained them in Australian values and ethics and helped them settle smoothly through language support and career guidance. Deepak is humbled and delighted to receive the OAM honour.
Queen’s Birthday Honours: Dr Sudarshan Sachdev, OAM
For service to the community, and to medicine, particularly to ophthalmology
The Sydney-based ophthalmologist has been named by the Australian Government in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list this year. Dr Sudarshan Sachdev arrived here in the mid-1970s, fresh with university degrees from New Delhi and Edinburgh, as an eye specialist at Taree Hospital. He was the only such specialist serving the people in the entire region. In his ten years there, he also taught at Newcastle Medical College.
He moved to Sydney in 1985 and set up a practice at Dee Why and a day surgery at Rosebery.
Very early in his career in India, Dr Sachdev began to give back to the community, working at eye camps in areas where his service was needed most. It is a practice that continues to this day.
As a member of the Roatry Club, he was able to extend this service to needy people in Fiji, taking teams of specialists and nurses, all volunteers, to far-flung areas to set up eye camps. The Rotary Club recognised his efforts by presenting him with the Humanitarian Service Award on two different occasions, as well as with its prestigious Paul Harris Fellowship. Besides ophthalmology, Dr Sachdev has developed a keen interest in the study and prevention of degenerative ailments and in metabolic disorders. His work with CHeBA, UNSW’s Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing, stems from a deeply personal space. At Sydney’s Garvan Institute of Medical Research, his work is aimed at better understanding insulin-resistant diabetes.
At both institutes, his Sachdeva Foundation raises funds to support research scientists engaged in finding treatments.
The foundation was set up eighteen years ago in association with his wife Naresh, herself a gynaecologist.
Together both husband & wife Dr Sachdevs are a well-regarded team in Sydney’s Indian community, heavily involved in local fund-raising initiatives for other programs such as breast cancer awareness and prevention.
Queen’s Birthday Honours: Arvind Shrivastava, OAM
Science as well as spiritualism are the defining features of Arvind Shrivastava’s life.
The Melbourne-based retired academic and community leader, who was felicitated the OAM in this year’s Queen’s Birthday honours, has always believed that selfless contribution leads to a pleasant, purposeful and satisfying life.
As the founder of the Sankat Mochan Samiti Inc., a community organisation with a mission to assist people spiritually, morally and physically, Arvind feels he has been the greatest beneficiary.
Arvind came to Australia in 1968 as a graduate scholar in Monash University in the field of mechanical engineering after obtaining a masters’ degree from the prestigious Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore.
His academic and research interests have been in the field of Mechanisms, Computer Aided Design (CAD), Computer Aided Manufacturing (CAM), Robotics, Automation and Engineering education.
He has published books and research papers in peer reviewed journals and participated in conference presentations and lectured in international universities as invited lecturer and visiting professor.
He was Executive Director of the Advanced Manufacturing Technology Centre at Monash University when he chose to retire early in 1999. Since then has dedicated his time and effort to volunteering within the community through various organisations.
Arvind and his wife Dr Sunila Shrivastava chose to move to the coastal town of Torquay on the scenic Great Ocean Road for a sea change. Several times a week they commute to Melbourne, driving for more than an hour, to meet family and fulfil other commitments. He has previously received recognition through various awards including Excellence in Community Service Award, (Government of Victoria, 2009) and Meritorious Service Award (Government of Victoria’s Award for Excellence in Multicultural Affairs, 2009).
Arvind articulated his sincere thanks to his wife Dr. Sunila Shrivastava, his family and the ‘amazing people’ who guided and supported him all the way through.
Padma Raman Awarded Public Service Medal
The Governor-General has awarded the Public Service Medal to Executive Director of the Australian Human Rights Commission, Padma Raman.
The Medal recognises “outstanding service” by employees of the federal, state, territory and local governments.
Padma Raman was singled out for her outstanding work as Executive Director of the Commission and previously as CEO of the Victorian Law Reform Commission.
Ms Raman ran the Victorian Law Reform Commission for nearly a decade, beginning in 2000.
During this time she oversaw major law reform projects on many important areas of social policy reform including: family violence; sexual assault; defences to homicide; access to reproductive technology; privacy; and property.
The nomination states that “Such was her outstanding performance as CEO that, in 2006, the Attorney-General of Victoria had the confidence to appoint Ms Raman as Chairperson for a period of 12 months — a position normally held by a judicial officer or a Professor”.
Ms Raman took over as Executive Director of the Commission in 2010, and continues in the role even today.
