WASHINGTON: President Barack Obama, with the largest number of Indian Americans in his administration, keeps dipping into the expanding talent pool of the three million-strong Indian American community, to take care of issues ranging from combating terrorist propaganda abroad to nation's health at home.

Last week, after an international conference on terrorism, Obama named Rashad Hussain, a Muslim of Indian heritage, as U.S. Special Envoy and Coordinator for Strategic Counter-Terrorism Communications. Son of immigrant parents from India, Hussain had since 2010 served as U.S. Special Envoy to the 57-member Organisation for Islamic Cooperation, to build partnerships with Muslim communities around the world.

Also last week, the White House named Dhanurjay 'DJ' Patil as its first chief data scientist to help shape policies and practices to help the U.S. remain a leader in technology and innovation.

Rajiv Shah, another son of immigrant Indian parents, Friday left the U.S. Agency for International Development after five years at the helm of the agency engaged in a mission of ending extreme poverty and promoting resilient, democratic societies.

At a little over three million, Americans of Indian ancestry make up about one percent of the U.S. population, the country's third largest Asian ancestry group after Chinese Americans and Filipino Americans. But they are America's best educated and the richest lot gaining prominence in every field from academia to science and technology.
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Source: IANS