News India Times

www.newsindiatimes.com – that’s all you need to know Central Park To Host Thousands For UPLIFTNY25, A Celebration Of Yoga, Healing, And Community Connection -NEWYORK O n June 21, as the summer solstice casts long shadows across Central Park, more than 5,000 NewYorkers are expected to gather at Rumsey Playfield—not for a concert or protest, but for a collective breath. UPLIFTNY25, a free, public celebration of International Yoga Day, is returning to NewYork City as a full-day immersion in yoga, music, healing prac- tices, and spiritual con- versation. Organized by The Giving Back Founda- tion, led by philanthropist Meera Gandhi, the event is co-presented by the Mayor’s Office of Sports, Wellness and Recreation and the Consulate General of India in NewYork. Framed around the question, “How do we uplift our- selves in a challenging world?”, the program encourages participants to explore inner resilience through shared movement, reflection, and joy. Meera Gandhi, founder and CEO of The Giving Back Foundation, hosts UPLIFTNY25 to celebrate Internation- al Yoga Day in Central Park. Photo: Giving Back Founda- tion “This isn’t just about yoga poses or meditation,” said Meera Gandhi, “This is about transforming the collective mood of our city through intentional presence, music, and community. UPLIFTNY25 is a movement for mental wellness and connection.” From Solstice to Stillness: A Day in Detail Rumsey Playfield will open at 9:30 a.m. with yoga mat check-in and morning tea. What follows is a curated journey through movement, sound, and stillness—fea- turing voices from the worlds of music, spirituality, and wellness: • A morning DJ set by DJ Rekha • Light yoga led by Inga Benson • Group meditation and later a headline performance by Madame Gandhi • Chakra healing by Miriam Belov • Astrology session with Darryl Gaines • A guided discussion on anxiety by Bhushan Deodhar By a StaffWriter As Miss New Jersey International, This Engineering Student Is Using Her Platform for Advocacy Asmi Kaushal, who aims to enhance educational equity, is competing for an international pageant title in July F or all the glitz and glamour of the pageantry world, it was the opportunity of having a soapbox to share her cause that caught Asmi Kaushal’s atten- tion. The Sayreville, N.J., resident, who just completed her sophomore year at Rutgers University-New Bruns- wick, was crowned Miss New Jersey International, her first pageant, in early March. Kaushal, who attends the School of Engineering, will represent New Jersey in July when she competes for the international title in Kingsport, Tenn., on July 24 and July 25. In her role as Miss New Jersey Inter- national, Kaushal said she is using her platform to advocate for enhancing educational equity, aiming to help first- generation students and others negotiate the high school and college admissions process. “This is a fabulous country and, just like they say, a country of opportunities,” said Kaushal, who was born in India and moved to the United States with her par- ents at age 6. “You get the best education here. But many students don’t know how to make their college applications shine, what AP classes to take or which extracur- riculars to pursue.” A SayrevilleWar Memorial High School graduate, Kaushal said she seeks to help students “who are not familiar with the American school system, something that many initially faced when I had come here to school.” As the first in her family to attend a U.S. university, the 19-year-old said “a lot of students don’t realize that there’s so much more to do in education than just the academic portion. There are extracur- riculars, there are volunteer opportunities, there are internships – and these students who don’t have parents from this coun- try don’t really know how to navigate the competitive landscape of high school. So, I basically help those students out.” “A lot of students don’t realize that there’s so much more to do in education than just the academic portion.” -Asmi Kaushal Rutgers-New Brunswick student To this end, she has provided free workshops at her high school and online on Advanced Placement-course selection, summer classes, volunteering opportuni- ties and extracurricular activities. She also plans to develop a program that can assist high school students by pairing them with college students pursuing the same majors. The critical goal is to assist any student, chart a higher education path and, hope- fully, “get into their dream college.” “There’s a lot that you need to know when you are going into college applica- tions, competing with students who’ve been living here forever, who have parents who studied here,” she said. At Rutgers, Kaushal is majoring in mechanical engi- neering (possibly with an aerospace con- centration) with a minor in mathematics. “When I was in high school, I didn’t even know that I wanted to do engineer- ing,” said Kaushal, who initially consid- ered studying law, but soon realized she should lean into her passions, physics and math. “I was naturally good at it, so that drove me into engineering,” she said. “With everything being so robot-based and just tech-based, I think that’s what’s appealing to me the most.” When not busy as Miss New Jersey International, Kaushal finds plenty to do at the university. As a member of the Rutgers Soci- ety ofWomen Engineers, she assisted the advocacy chair as well as helped with events and handling the group’s social media page. Kaushal also is a representative for the class of 2027 on the Engineering Governing Coun- cil, where she serves as communica- tion committee associate who helps compile and edit a monthly news- letter and as a webmaster for the council’s website. Moreover, she is part of Rutgers University Airborne, a student-run engineering club that develops, builds and flies fixed-wing, remote- controlled aircraft. Kaushal is a member of the aerostructures team, which designs internal components for the small flying machines. A freelance model, Kaushal saw the Miss New Jersey International pageant as an opportunity for advocacy. “You can use your platform and, being a student, basically be heard and no- ticed by others,” she said. “You can make change and influence others in that way. And that really struck with me.” Close proximity to home, in-state tuition and the School of Engineering providing a “very good program” drew Kaushal to Rutgers-New Brunswick. “I think earning merit-based schol- arships, and paying for tuition can be difficult in general,” said Kaushal, who commutes. “So, one of the biggest things in my mind was I wanted to stay in state.” She added, “Rutgers has been instru- mental in my educational journey. I am proud to be a student at Rutgers.” -This article ran on Rutgers.edu on May 30, 2025. Usedwith express permission from Rutgers By Mike Lucas PHOTO: Jeff Arban/Rutgers University PHOTO:Courtesyof Asmi Kaushal Asmi Kaushal, standing outside the Richard Weeks Hall of Engineering, is advocating for enhancing educational equity. Rutgers-New Brunswick student Asmi Kaushal was crowned Miss New Jersey International, her first pageant, in early March. Community News India Times (June 7, 2025 - June 13, 2025) June 13, 2025 26 PHOTO:Giving Back Foundation Meera Gandhi, founder and CEO of The Giving Back Foundation, hosts UPLIFTNY25 to celebrate Interna- tional Yoga Day in Central Park. - Continued On Page 27