Obama names 3 Indian-Americans to advisory body

Washington, Sep 25: President Barack Obama is naming three Indian Americans to an advisory council on faith-based and neighbourhood partnerships that brings together religious and secular leaders as well as scholars and experts in their fields. The Council focuses on steps the government should take to reduce poverty and inequality and create opportunity for all, according to a White House announcement. Naming Preeta Bansal, Nipun Mehta and Jasjit Singh and 14 others Obama said: "I am confident that these outstanding men and women will serve the American people well, and I look forward to working with them." Bansal is a lecturer at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Media Lab and a Senior Advisor at MIT's Laboratory for Social Machines. Nipun Mehta, is the founder of ServiceSpace, a non-profit organization established in 1999. From 1998 to 2001, he was a software engineer at Sun Microsystems. Jasjit Singh is Executive Director of the Sikh American Legal Defence and Education Fund (SALDEF), a position he has held since 2012.