Information for Travelers

Voting Slogan Contest
Tax Information
Dangerous Pharmaceuticals
Registration with Selective Service
Pandemic Flu Preparedness DVD in Hindi
ACS Unit Location & Hours (including upcoming holiday schedule)

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1. Voting Slogan Contest.

The 2008 primary and general elections promise to be very exciting, and the U.S. Government needs a slogan to inspire interest and participation. The Voting Slogan Contest is a biennial contest sponsored by the Federal Voting Assistance Program (FVAP) in its efforts to promote interest in elections among all U.S. citizens residing outside the United States. It is very easy to participate. Just create a simple slogan that expresses in your own words the importance of voting or something that may inspire someone to vote, and submit it to the FVAP.

Upon completion of the contest, a panel of independent judges will review slogan submissions and choose the winning slogan on its originality and motivational value. This winning slogan will be featured in the FVAP’s 2008 information campaign which focuses on increasing voter awareness among U.S. citizens worldwide and encouraging them to participate. In addition, slogans will be posted on the FVAP Website at www.fvap.gov in the 2008-2009 Voting Assistance Guide, on motivational posters, audiovisual materials and in other FVAP publications and manuals. The contest winner and runners-up will not only feel the satisfaction of knowing that their slogan is helping improve voter awareness, but they will also be given a certificate of recognition for their contribution to this important endeavor.

The deadline for submission is April 9, 2007. All submissions must include your full name, mailing address, daytime telephone number, fax number and email address so that we may contact you upon winning. Send entries via one of the following methods:
Email:
slogan@fvap.ncr.gov. Text only, one slogan per email with contact information on each email. Enter "Voting Slogan Contest" on Subject line. Due to security concerns, email messages with attachments are subject to deletion.
Fax:
(703) 696-1352. Submit separate page for each slogan with contact information on each page. No cover sheet is necessary.
Mail:
Federal Voting Assistance Program
Attn.: Voting Slogan Contest
1155 Defense Pentagon
Washington,DC 20301
USA

If submitting by mail, please type or print (legibly) on regular size paper one slogan per page with contact information on each page.

Please join the FVAP in helping to inspire others to vote by submitting your entry today. You could be one of this year’s winners!

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2. Tax Information

The regular deadline for calendar year filers of Form 1040 is April 15. However, certain U.S. citizens or residents living overseas can take advantage of an automatic 2-month extension to file and pay any taxes owed. To determine whether you are eligible for the 2-month extension, please read IRS Publication 54 "Tax Guide for U.S. Citizens and Resident Aliens Abroad," available on the IRS’ website at www.irs.gov. This publication and many other IRS forms and publications are also available for pick up at the American Citizen Services Unit of the U.S. Consulate General in Kolkata.

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3. Dangerous Pharmaceuticals.

American citizens should be aware that a number of pharmaceutical products are available on the Indian market, even though such products have been banned in other countries (including the United States) due to potentially dangerous side effects. For example, a popular cough/cold medication "phenylpropanolamine" was banned in the United States due to an increased risk of stroke, but is widely available in India. Similarly, a popular pain killer "metamizole" has been banned in many countries, including the United States, for the risk of side effects.

A useful website containing a list of drugs that have been withdrawn in certain countries appears at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Withdrawn_drugs. These drugs are sold under various brand names, so always check the name of the underlying drug.

Here are some handy hints from our Embassy Medical Unit’s resident pharmacist on how to avoid problematic products:

1) Never purchase prescription drugs without consulting a physician.

2) Always purchase medicines from a reputable chemist (pharmacy).

3) Ask for products made by reputable Indian or international pharmaceutical manufacturers, such as Glaxo, Merck, Schering, Sanofi, Aventis, Astra, Ranbaxy, Cipla, Dr. Reddy’s, Hetero, Wockhardt, etc.

4) Always get a receipt/invoice for the medicines purchased and save the receipt until medicines are consumed. No one would like to give you a proof of selling spurious drug and be behind bars, should something go wrong! If a chemist is not giving invoice, do not buy the product.

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4. Registration with Selective Service.

All male American citizens between the ages of 18 and 25 are reminded that they are required by law to register with the Selective Service System, even if they live outside the United States. Registration can be done by completing a card available at the Embassy’s American Citizen Services Unit, or by registering on-line at www.sss.gov. This website also contains more information on Selective Service (more commonly known as the "draft").

The last time that the United States used the Selective Service System was during the war in Vietnam in the 1960s and 70s. The System has not been used since. As noted on the Selective Service’s website (www.sss.gov), there are no plans to reinstate a draft at this time. Nevertheless, in a crisis requiring a draft, men would be called in sequence determined by random lottery number and year of birth. Then, they would be examined for mental, physical and moral fitness by the military before being deferred or exempted from military service or inducted into the Armed Forces of the United States.

Please note that failure to register can result in denial of certain government benefits. For example, an application for a federally insured student loan could be denied if the applicant is unable to produce his Selective Service registration number. Therefore, it’s wise to register promptly upon attaining age 18!

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5. Pandemic Flu Preparedness DVD in Hindi

In our last newsletter, we made available a DVD (in English) that provides valuable information for preparing for a possible influenza pandemic. Now a version of that DVD is available dubbed in Hindi. If you would like a copy of the DVD, you can pick one up at the American Citizen Services Unit (please see our working hours below), or we can mail you a copy. To request that a copy of the DVD be mailed to you, please write to KolkataACS@state.gov, providing your full mailing address in India. Also be sure to specify whether you want the English or Hindi version.

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6. ACS Location & Hours and Upcoming Holidays

Our hours: The American Citizen Services Unit is open to the public from Monday to Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and from 2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. We are available outside of these hours for emergency services. To contact us, call 91-33-3984-2400. You can also e-mail us at KolkataACS@state.gov.

Upcoming Indian and American holidays on which the Consulate will be closed are April 6 (Good Friday) and May 28 (Memorial Day). The Consulate is always available for emergency services for American citizens.

If you believe you may have missed a recent "warden message" sent to American citizens in India, all recent warden messages issued by the Consulate are available on our website at http://kolkata.usconsulate.gov/warden_messages2.html.