Desi Talk

www.desitalk.com – that’s all you need to know 18 CITY VIEWS February 6, 2026 I ndian American leader in education and the arts, Chandrika Krishnamur- thy Tandon, and her husband Ranjan Tandon, have bestowed more than US$11.5 million for the Indian Insti- tute of Management Ahmedabad to estab- lish the Krishnamurthy Tandon School of Artificial Intelligence. The Memorandum of Understanding was exchanged with the Indian Institute of Management Ahmed- abad (IIMA), January 29, 2026. The Rupees 100 Crore endowment equals $11,562,030.29 using an exchange rate of Rs. 86.49 per 1US$. The MoU exchange was attended by Dharmendra Pradhan, India’s Minister of Education, in New Delhi as well as India’s Ambassador to the US Vinay Kwatra virtu- ally in USA, a press release from India’s Ministry of Education announced. India’s Secretary, Department of Higher Educa- tion, Dr Vineet Joshi; Prof. Bharat Bhasker, Director, Indian Institute of Manage- ment Ahmedabad, Joint Secretary, Higher Education, Purnendu Banerjee and senior officials of the ministry were also present at the MoU exchange. Minister Pradhan described the MoU exchange as the lead-up to the India—AI Impact Summit 2026, calling it a “solid” reflection of the concrete actions India is taking under the leadership of Prime Min- ister Narendra Modi to become a global AI superpower. Pradhan added that AI will be an enabler for powering people, progress and planet. India’s AI leadership will not only be shaped by technology “but by the strength of our institutions and human capital,” Pradhan said, thanking Chandrika and Ranjan Tandon “for their benevolent gesture” and philanthropic initiative which “sets and strengthens a fine tradition of alumni giving back to their alma mater.” As a “pioneering” school of artificial intelligence housed within a management institute in India, the Krishnamurthy Tandon School of Artificial Intelligence will operate at the intersection of technol- ogy, management, and public impact, the Ministry of Education said in the press release. “With a strong global outlook, the School will focus on addressing India’s unique and complex challenges through the responsible and effective application of AI,” it added. The new School is envisioned as a hub for business-focused and translational AI which will bring together world-class fac- ulty, industry leaders, policymakers, and global partners to redefine the frontiers of AI research and application. Its research agenda will be application- led and case-based, rooted in real-world managerial, institutional, and societal challenges, the Ministry said. “The School will focus on translating cutting-edge AI research into deployable solutions, tools, frameworks, and scalable systems that enhance decision-making, improve productivity, and address com- plex challenges across industry, govern- ment, and society,” it added. PHOTOS:Courtesy India’s Ministryof Education Indian American Educators/Entrepreneurs Sign Rupees 100 Crore MOU With Indian Institute Of Management Ahmedabad By a StaffWriter Indian American educator and arts and culture leader Chandrika Tandon, left, and India’s Minister for Education Dharmendra Pradhan in a virtual conversation January 29, 2026, during the exchange of MoU on establishing a new School for artificial intelligence at IIMA. Exchange of MoU between IIMA and the Tandons in US for setting up the Krishnamurthy Tandon School of Artificial Intelligence, Jan. 29, 2026. ENTERTAINMNET Dalai Lama’s Grammy Win Overwhelms Tibetans Worldwide T ibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama has been awarded a Grammy Award for his audiobook ‘Meditations: The Reflections of His Holiness The Dalai Lama’ at the prestigious ceremony held on Monday February 1, 2026. The Dalai Lama won the award in the audiobook category, where he was nominated alongside Elvis, Rocky & Me: The Carol Connors Story by Kathy Garver, Into the Uncut Grass by Trevor Noah, Lovely One: A Memoir by Ketanji Brown Jackson, and You Know It’s True: The Real Story of Milli Vanilli by Fab Morvan. Reacting to the achievement, Tenzin Topdhen, director of the Tibet Museum, expressed happiness over the hon- our, calling it a moment of joy for Tibetans and peace- loving people across the world. “We are overwhelmed and of course Losar is coming near and it’s a good news for Tibetans and peace lov- ing countries around the world because what we see from China over the time they do lot of transnational aggression not only in PRC but across Asia and now we see it across America as well and the message from His holiness is love, peace and compassion so it’s like we put forward transnational compassion…,” Topdhen told ANI. Tenzin Lekdhen, spokesperson of Students for Free Ti- bet, said the award has brought immense joy to Tibetans both inside and outside Tibet. “When he was nominated for the Grammy awards, Ti- betans not just in-exile but also in Tibet and our support- ers in the whole world really celebrated that moment and today when we got this news that his holiness was really awarded the Grammy we are joyous beyond expecta- tions,” Lekdhen said. He added that the award carries special significance for Tibetans living under difficult conditions. “The main reaction, I think it’s from the Tibetans inside Tibet, they have been facing huge hardships under the Chinese oc- cupation and getting this good news of Grammy award, I think it’s a momentous and joyous moment for Tibetans inside Tibet… it’s also a strong message for China as it has been putting efforts in damaging Dalai Lama’s image not just in Tibet but in the whole world so this prestigious award clearly sends a message to China…,” he said. The album was nominated in the category of Best Audio Book, Narration, and Storytelling Recording, for the 68th Annual Grammy Awards, held on Monday (Local Time). The event took place at Los Angeles.The Dalai Lama collaborated with sarod maestro Amjad Ali Khan and his sons Amaan Ali Bangash and Ayaan Ali Bangash on this album, which is a combination of spoken words and music to celebrate the values of peace, compassion and hope. In response to the award the Dalai Lama’s office posted a message from the Spiritual leader saying, “I receive this recognition with gratitude and humility. I don’t see it as something personal, but as a recognition of our shared universal responsibility. I truly believe that peace, com- passion, care for our environment, and an understanding of the oneness of humanity are essential for the collective well-being of all eight billion human beings. I’m grateful that this Grammy recognition can help spread these mes- sages more widely.” -ANI PHOTO:CourtesyANI The Dalai Lama.