FRIDAY, OCTOBER 9 , 2026 INDIA THIS WEEK 1 A Weekly Newspaper Featuring News and Trends from the Indian Sub-Continent Published From the US Capital Web Site: WWW.Indiathisweek.us Volume 36 No. 41 Washington DC. Phone: 301-445-0200; 301-917-4800; 301-445-1868 E-Mail: indiathisweekads@gmail.com Friday October 9, 2026 Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka among 260 detained as Delhi Police say INDIA bloc march had no permission New Delhi [India], October 6 (ANI): The Delhi Police on Tuesday said it detained Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and other INDIA bloc leaders from the Akashvani Bhavan premises to “maintain law and order” and prevent the situation from deteriorating, stating that they had entered the premises “without permission” and staged a sit-in protest. According to a Delhi Police statement, the action was taken in accordance with the law after Gandhi “refused to vacate” the area, stating that “they would not move until a delegation of MPs was granted time to meet officials of the Election Commission of India (ECI).” “To maintain law and order and prevent the situation from deteriorating further, Delhi Police had to take action to remove the protesters from the premises. During this action, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi, and other protesters were removed from the complex and detained as necessary,” the Delhi Police statement said. Detailing the sequence of events, the Delhi Police said it gathered information through social media regarding a proposed march by the INDIA bloc from Parliament House to Nirvachan Sadan at around 10:30 am on Tuesday. The police claimed that no official permission had been sought or granted for the rally.”No application seeking permission for the proposed march had been submitted to the Office of the Deputy Commissioner of Police, New Delhi District. Therefore, no permission was granted for the said proposed march,” the police said. The police said that after repeated non-compliance, security forces detained around 260 individuals, including 10 Members of Parliament. Following their detention, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and other leaders were taken to New Police Lines, Kingsway Camp, and were later released. Earlier, Congress leaders staged a sit-in protest at Akashvani Bhavan after leaders of several INDIA bloc parties were stopped during a march towards Nirvachan Sadan, the headquarters of the Election Commission of India. The protest is part of a broader “Save Democracy” campaign announced by the Opposition, under which its leaders have been holding demonstrations and public programmes against the ECI amid a row over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise. Congress General Secretary (Organisation) KC Venugopal, who was among the party leaders staging the sit-in protest, said they would not move until their demands were met.“Unmoved. Unfazed. We will not budge until our demands are met. We will not rest until our democracy is saved from the Vote Chors,” Venugopal posted on X.While protesting, Rahul Gandhi said the Opposition would continue its protest inside the Akashvani Bhavan premises, and said that if Delhi Police was “uncomfortable” with the demonstration, it should provide an alternative venue. The fresh controversy comes in the backdrop of an Indian Express report, which claimed that two of the Election Commissioners, Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, raised 14 objections during the SIR exercise. The Election Commission has maintained that the decisions were unanimous.Opposition leaders have also raised questions over the modification in Form 6. The Supreme Court on Monday said that it had not approved any modified version of Form 6 being used for the enrolment of new voters during the SIR exercise. (ANI) US House bill honors Indian pilot Smit Machchhar for thwarting attempted terror attack on flydubai flight Washington, DC, October 6 (ANI): A bill introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by Congressmen Josh Gottheimer, Don Bacon and Michael McCaul seeks to honor Indian Captain Smit Machchhar for his actions in thwarting an attempted terrorist attack aboard flydubai Flight 1073, while also recognizing the crew and passengers who helped secure the aircraft. The resolution, introduced on October 5, honors Machchhar and the crew and passengers of flydubai Flight 1073 while condemning the attempted attack on the aircraft. The measure has been referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs. According to the resolution, flydubai Flight 1073 departed Dubai International Airport for Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv on September 30, carrying approximately 174 passengers, including four U.S. citizens and 27 children. Midway through the flight, the first officer attacked Captain Machchhar on the flight deck with the aircraft’s emergency crash axe and attempted to seize control of the aircraft. The aircraft lost more than 16,000 feet of altitude in under 30 seconds, the resolution said. Machchhar Remember: “America does not belong to those who hate it, America belongs to those who love it” President Donald J. Trump fought off the attack despite suffering grave injuries and used his remaining strength to unlock the cockpit door, allowing off-duty pilots to enter and land the aircraft while crew members and passengers restrained the first officer, according to the resolution. The aircraft subsequently landed safely at Tabuk Airport in Saudi Arabia, with all passengers and crew accounted for. The resolution cited an October 3 announcement by the attorney general of the United Arab Emirates that the Emirati investigation had determined that the first officer attempted to carry out a terrorist act. The House measure honors Machchhar for protecting everyone aboard the aircraft and commends the actions of the off-duty pilots, cabin crew and passengers who secured the flight deck and brought the aircraft safely down. It also wishes Machchhar and all those injured a full recovery, condemns the attack on flydubai Flight 1073 as an act of terrorism and an attack on the safety of international civil aviation, and calls for a full and expeditious investiga- tion by the governments of Saudi Arabia and the UAE. The resolution further calls for the United States and Israel to be kept fully informed of the investigation. The measure was introduced by Josh Gottheimer, Don Bacon and Michael McCaul. Meanwhile, the Indian Embassy in the UAE said Captain Smit Machchhar is making steady progress in his recovery and that it remains in close contact with his family, doctors and local authorities. In a post on X, the Indian Embassy reassured the public regarding Captain Machchhar’s health and confirmed that full support is being extended to him and his relatives. “Health Update: Capt Smit continues to make steady progress and is regaining his health,” the Indian Embassy in the UAE stated, adding that it “remains in close touch with his family, doctors & local authorities, extending all possible assistance.” The diplomatic mission also expressed gratitude to the community and well-wishers across both nations for their support throughout his recovery.
INDIA THIS WEEK FRIDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2026 Sai Sri Valli Mogilineedi Named National Finalist in 2026 Junior Innovators Challenge By Geeta Goindi October 1, 2026 – Indian-American student Sai Sri Valli Mogilineedi of Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, has been named one of just 30 national finalists in the prestigious 2026 Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Innovators Challenge (JIC), the nation’s premier STEM research competition for middle school students. Selected from a highly competitive field of 1,997 entrants nationwide, Sai Sri Valli will travel to Washington, D.C., Oct. 2328 for Finals Week, where students will compete for more than $100,000 in awards. Organized by the nonprofit Society for Science, the Junior Innovators Challenge recognizes outstanding young scientists and engineers for creativity, scientific rigor and their ability to address real-world problems. Now a student at Cumberland Valley Ninth Grade Academy, Sai Sri Valli conducted her award-winning project as an eighth-grader at Mountain View Middle School in Mechanicsburg. But behind the sophisticated science was something deeply personal: her grandfather’s struggle with persistent heartburn. Sai Sri Valli had watched as he turned to over-the-counter antacids, only to find that their effects did not last. “They only gave him short-term relief,” she said in a finalist profile published by Society for Science. “This was not only the case for my grandfather, but it was the case for many people struggling with Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD).” That experience prompted a question: Could she find a way to make an antacid work longer? The question became the foundation of her project, “A Novel Controlled Release System for GERD Drugs Using Immobilization Techniques.” Traditional antacids can act quickly, but because they dissolve rapidly, their effects may be shortlived. Sai Sri Valli set out to develop a controlled-release system that could deliver the medication more gradually and potentially last longer. Using calcium carbonate, an active ingredient in many antacids, she experimented with encapsulating the compound in calcium alginate beads. She crushed antacid tablets, dissolved them in water at different strengths and combined them with sodium alginate, a substance derived from algae that can form a gel. She then exposed the resulting beads to different pH levels to determine how quickly they released the medication. Her experiments showed that the calcium alginate beads released calcium carbonate more slowly under acidic conditions comparable to those in the stomach, while releasing their contents more rapidly in a basic solution. The results suggest the approach could potentially offer more sustained delivery of the antacid. The work earned recognition at the Capital authorities. No suspect has been publicly identified and investigators have not announced a motive. “This possible hate crime comes at a time of unprecedented hate & vitriol directed at the Hindu American community, and we ask that law enforcement make apprehending the perpetrator(s) a top priority,” HAF said. The organization also called on elected leaders and government agencies to “publicly and unequivocally condemn hateful rhetoric against Indian and Hindu American communities.” HAF Executive Director Suhag Shukla warned that hostility expressed online was spilling into the physical world. “This is real now. Online hate has morphed into a real world attack on a Hindu temple,” she said, urging authorities to review the video and identify those responsible. CoHNA also condemned the incident and called on Richmond Heights Mayor Kim Thomas and local authorities to respond publicly and take swift action. The attack came at the beginning of Hindu Heritage Month in Ohio and ahead of Navratri celebrations, adding to concerns over the safety of places of worship. It also follows a series of incidents involving Hindu temples across the United States in recent years, although authorities have not established any connection between the cases. In September 2024, BAPS temples in Melville, New York, and the Sacramento area were vandalized within days of each other. The Sacramento-area temple was defaced with anti-Hindu messages and its water lines were cut. In March 2025, the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Chino Hills, California, was vandalized with anti-Hindu and anti-India graffiti. The three incidents were investigat- Area Science and Engineering Fair (CASEF), helping propel Sai Sri Valli to the national stage. The path to the Junior Innovators Challenge is highly selective. Students must first place among the top 10 percent of sixth-, seventh- or eighthgrade competitors at a Society for Science-affiliated fair to be eligible to apply. This year, 300 Junior Innovators were chosen from the 1,997 entrants before the field was narrowed further for Finals Week. In Washington, finalists will participate in a series of team-based, hands-on STEM challenges, while also presenting and discussing their original research with judges. The competition’s top honor is the $25,000 Thermo Fisher Scientific ASCEND Award. Outside the laboratory, Sai Sri Valli’s interests span academics, music, dance and community service. She is an enthusiastic participant in Science Olympiad, which gives her an opportunity to explore Indian-American student Sai Sri Valli Mogilineedi has been named a national finalist in the 2026 Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Innovators Challenge, the nation’s premier STEM research competition for middle school students. Photo courtesy of Society for Science subjects beyond the regular school curriculum. “I get to learn more about topics that interest me than just my school’s curriculum,” she said. Ecology is a particular interest, and she has attended summer camps exploring the subject as well as forensics. She also plays the violin and oboe, performs Kuchipudi, an Indian classical dance form, and volunteers with Caitlin’s Smiles, helping assemble craft kits for children in hospitals. Looking ahead, Sai Sri Valli hopes to become a surgeon. “I love learning about human anatomy, physiology, and the diseases and disorders that affect it,” she said. For the young scientist, an idea born from watching her grandfather cope with heartburn has carried her from an eighthgrade science project in Pennsylvania to one of the country’s most prominent stages for young STEM innovators. Ohio Hindu Temple Attacked With Bricks While Priests, Devotees Were Inside By Geeta Goindi October 4, 2026 – A Hindu temple in the Greater Cleveland area was attacked Friday afternoon, shattering windows while priests and devotees were inside and prompting community organizations to call for an investigation into a possible hate crime. The incident occurred around 1:30 p.m. on October 2 at the Shree Swaminarayan Vadtal Dham Hindu Mandir in Richmond Heights, Ohio, according to the Hindu American Foundation (HAF) and the Coalition of Hindus of North America (CoHNA). Bricks were thrown at the building, breaking several windows and scattering glass inside. No injuries have been reported. HAF said surveillance footage of the incident is being reviewed by authorities and that the organization is alerting the FBI and federal civil rights ed as possible hate crimes. In June 2025, the Shri Shri Radha Krishna Temple in Spanish Fork, Utah, was struck by gunfire on multiple occasions, with bullet holes found in the building, including through a window of the worship room. The Richmond Heights incident occurred on the birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, whose philosophy of nonviolence inspired civil rights movements around the world. For the priests and devotees inside the Ohio temple Friday afternoon, the violence was immediate: bricks struck their place of worship, windows shattered and glass fell inside the building. The investigation is continuing. Immigration Lawyer Law Office of Ryan Morgan Knight Email or call for free consultation ryan@immigrationknight.com 1 (888) 735-0560 Ryan Knight Licensed to practice immigration law Nationwide; Licensed to practice art law in Maryland
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Discover more great reasons to choose an Erickson Senior Living®-managed community. • The Grandview℠ Bethesda, MD • Greenspring® Springfield, VA • Woodleigh Chase® Fairfax, VA • Riderwood® Silver Spring, MD 2323460 Call 1-800-691-2034 or visit EricksonSeniorLiving.com for your free brochure. • Ashby Ponds® Ashburn, VA “Daily drama” to “street anarchy”: BJP mounts all-out counter to INDIA bloc’s march to EC; targets Rahul Gandhi New Delhi [India], October 6 (ANI): The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday mounted a broad counteroffensive against the INDIA bloc’s march to the Election Commission, with several party leaders accusing Congress leader Rahul Gandhi of targeting constitutional institutions and describing the Opposition’s protest as “daily drama” and “street anarchy”. From calling the Opposition’s protest against the Election Commission a “daily drama” to accusing it of promoting “street anarchy”, the Bharatiya Janata Party on Tuesday mounted an allout counter to the INDIA bloc’s march to the poll pane, with several leaders targeting Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over his criticism of constitutional institutions. Speaking to reporters, Union Minister Kiren Rijiju accused Rahul Gandhi and the Congress of repeatedly targeting the Election Commission and the Supreme Court after failing to secure electoral mandates. The BJP’s response came after INDIA bloc MPs marched towards the Election Commission headquarters in Delhi to protest the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and seek answers from Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar. After being stopped by barricades, Opposition leaders staged a sit-in at Akashvani Bhawan. Rahul Gandhi said the Opposition would continue its protest and sought a meeting with the Election Commissioners. Several Congress leaders and workers were subsequently detained by the Delhi Police.Rijiju accused Rahul Gandhi and his associates of orchestrating what he termed “daily drama” against constitutional institutions, saying such conduct would neither strengthen democracy nor help Congress regain public support.“The time has come to put an end to the daily drama orchestrated by the Congress party - specifically Rahul Gandhi and his associates - who constantly attack institutions like the Election Commission and the Supreme Court. This drama has been ongoing since 2014; how long will it continue?” Rijiju said.He alleged that Congress attacks the Election Commission when it loses elections and subsequently questions the Supreme Court when its decisions go against the party. Urging Gandhi to learn from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP workers, Rijiju said the Congress should focus on public service rather than “theatrics”.Rijiju also accused the Congress of echoing narratives promoted by what he described as “anti-India forces” and said the party should not undermine constitutional institutions. He said India was moving towards becoming a developed nation and asserted that “simply being born into a certain family” would no longer guarantee the Prime Minister’s post.“Why stage dramas by attacking the Election Commission, the Supreme Court, and constitutional institutions? This charade will not work,” Rijiju said, adding that Congress needed to focus on service and not rely only on social media narratives. BJP National Spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari separately targeted Rahul Gandhi over an AI-generated video that had circulated on social media and allegedly showed a Delhi Police officer attempting to sexually harass a woman journalist. Bhandari said the Delhi Police had subsequently established that the video was fake and created using AI.“Rahul Gandhi had made a post... alleging that an officer of the Delhi Police had attempted to sexually harass a female journalist. The Delhi Police held a press conference... and the video that was spread was a fake video,” Bhandari said.He alleged that the Congress ecosystem amplified the video and attempted to build a false narrative around it. Bhandari said the episode was part of what he described as a wider pattern of using “false narratives” to create unrest and target institutions.Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan attacked Congress over its objections to electoral-roll revision and defended the need for an accurate voter list.“Why does the Congress have such an affinity for fake votes? Do they know that Congress’s politics can only survive if fake votes exist?” Chouhan asked, alleging that the party was trying to protect bogus voters.Calling a clean voter list the “soul of democracy”, Chouhan said the Congress loses its composure whenever voter-list purification takes place. He also questioned the Oppo- sition’s allegations of “vote theft”, saying: “If you win, democracy is fine, and the voter list is in order. If you lose, it’s theft.”Chouhan further accused Opposition leaders of becoming frustrated after electoral defeats and resorting to threats. He said political parties should work among the people rather than blame constitutional institutions after losing elections.“Threats will not work,” Chouhan said, adding that if Prime Minister Narendra Modi “resides in the hearts of the people”, neither he nor the BJP or NDA could be removed through threats.
INDIA THIS WEEK FRIDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2026 At 14, Aryash Shyam Wins National Writing Prize for Historical Fiction By Geeta Goindi October 5, 2026 – At 14, Indian-American student Aryash Shyam is already making his mark in science, technology and broadcasting. Now, the Pennsylvania ninth-grader has added another distinction to a growing list of achievements – a national literary prize. Aryash has been named one of four middle-school winners of the 2026 John Estey Student Writing Competition, presented by the American Writers Museum in Chicago, for “The Weight of Lead,” a work of historical fiction set in a Philadelphia print shop on July 4, 1776. The award carries a $1,000 prize, and Aryash’s winning work has been published by the museum. Set against the birth of the United States, “The Weight of Lead” explores a contradiction at the heart of the nation’s founding: the promise that “all men are created equal” and the reality that freedom and equality did not extend to everyone. The story follows Will, a 13-yearold printer’s apprentice helping set the type for the Declaration of Independence. As he handles the lead letters that will carry the revolutionary words into history, he becomes increasingly conscious of another boy whose prospects for freedom are profoundly different from his own. It is a sophis- ticated subject for a young writer, but one that reflects Aryash’s broader curiosity about ideas and their consequences. “I always found myself paying attention to how everyday things work,” Aryash says of growing up in Pennsylvania’s Lehigh Valley. “I spent a lot of time reading on my own and noticing the details of the world around me, simply out of natural curiosity.” That curiosity extends well beyond literature. A ninth-grade student at Lehigh Valley Academy, Aryash has distinguished himself in fields ranging from space biology and gene editing to artificial intelligence, robotics and science communication. Earlier this year, he won a 2026 Genes in Space Junior Scientist Award for a proposal exploring whether a compact CRISPR-based diagnostic system could function in microgravity. Genes in Space selected just five Junior Scientist Award recipients from 130 submissions by seventh- and eighth-grade students nationwide. Aryash’s project, “Validating a Cell-Free CRISPR Fluorescent RNA Diagnostic in Microgravity,” examines whether a freeze-dried CRISPR-Cas13 system could be activated with water and produce a fluorescent signal when target RNA is present. The idea could have implications for monitoring astro- naut health during spaceflight as well as for diagnostic testing in remote or resource-limited settings on Earth. Aryash has also demonstrated an unusual ability to make complex scientific subjects accessible through the written word. In September, he was named firstplace winner in the high-school category of the 2026 American National Standards Institute Student Paper Competition for “Designing Out Error: How ISO 80369 Turned a Deadly Universal Connector into a Life-Saving Standard.” The achievement was particularly notable because Aryash had completed middle school only months earlier. His paper drew upon something personal – his own experience as a surgical patient at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia – to examine how standards governing medical tubing connectors can prevent potentially dangerous errors by making incompatible systems physically impossible to connect. All three essays he submitted to the 2026 John Locke Institute Global Essay Prize – in economics, philosophy, and science and technology – were also shortlisted. But Aryash does not confine his ideas to paper. He is the creator of GreenBeam, an artificial intelligence-powered ro- botic system designed to identify and target weeds without routinely spraying chemical herbicides. “I kept coming back to a problem that seemed solvable,” Aryash says. “Invasive plant species – plants that spread aggressively outside their native range – are typically removed using chemical herbicides that can damage surrounding ecosystems. I wanted to find a better way.” His answer was to combine computer vision with precision targeting. “GreenB e am is my answer: a computer-vision system – software that allows a camera to identify specific plants by sight – paired with a precision laser that can target and eliminate invasive plants without applying any chemicals to the surrounding soil or native plants,” he explains. Aryash built the core system in Python and trained it on plant imagery. The project earned him Pennsylvania State Merit recognition in the 2025 3M Young Scientist Challenge. His passion for communicating ideas has also taken him behind the microphone. Aryash hosts Teen Scientist, a monthly program on WDIY 88.1 FM, Lehigh Valley Public Radio, an NPR member station, where he interviews researchers and innovators on subjects ranging from artificial intelligence and biotechnology to space, mathematics and climate innovation. “Every first Thursday of the month, I sit across from someone whose work is quietly reshaping the world, and I get to ask them anything,” Aryash says. He remembers the first time the studio’s “ON-AIR” light turned red.“A real scientist across the table, a page of questions I had carefully prepared, and thirty minutes to make the conversation count,” he recalls. “I was a little nervous at first, but once we started talking, the excitement took over.” He has also created Editing Humanity: A CRISPR Conundrum, a documentary examining the science and ethics of gene editing, and founded RacingGecko, a STEM-learning platform aimed at making subjects such as mathematics, artificial intelligence and coding more accessible to younger students. “If I can understand it well enough to explain it clearly on camera, then the explanation is probably the right length and the right level,” Aryash says. “I believe students learn better from peers who remember what it felt like to not understand something yet.” For a teenager whose pursuits stretch from the printing press of 1776 to the possibilities of CRISPR in space, the subjects may appear strikingly different. Yet a common thread runs through them: a desire to understand how things work, what they mean and how ideas can be used to solve problems. His latest recognition brings that journey back to the written word – and to a young printer’s apprentice contemplating the meaning of equality as some of the most consequential words in American history take shape, one lead letter at a time. TO PLACE ADVERTISEMENTS CALL: 301-445-0200 • 301-917-4800 E MAIL: INDIATHISWEEKADS@GMAIL . COM WEB: I NDIATHISWEEK . ONLINE
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INDIA THIS WEEK FRIDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2026 “Big week ahead”: Trump administration signals major action on foreign labour visa front Washington, DC [US], October 5 (ANI): US Department of Labor Inspector General Anthony D’Esposito has indicated that the Trump administration is preparing for heightened enforcement concerning foreign labour visa frameworks, taking to social media to signal that a significant period lies ahead as examinations intensify regarding the recruitment of overseas personnel.“Big week ahead on the foreign labour visa front,” D’Esposito wrote on X. “We’re taking LFG to a whole new level. The Poetic Pen INDIA THIS WEEK- October 9, 2026 What a Waste? By Rajan George Life is precious—you live but once, And you cannot add to it at will. It is a gift bestowed by God, And when He calls, you must go, With no return to this earthly life. Life is an opportunity to choose The path that shapes your eternal destiny. If you would gain that precious gift, You must seek and follow truth, And walk in the light it brings. Yet people often glory in the mundane, Failing to discern their true purpose, Their minds obscured by doctrines of men. They surrender themselves to ignorance, Deception, and the darkness of falsehood. A certain man, beguiled by deceptive doctrines, Carried out a deadly plot, Shooting thirteen fellow workers to death. The law eventually caught up with him, And he reaped the fate he had sown— Death by the firing squad, As justice answered the deaths of his victims. An airline co-pilot conceived a plan To destroy a plane carrying nearly 180 people. When his attempt to murder the pilot was foiled, He was placed in handcuffs, While the aircraft landed safely. No noble cause can justify murder; The slaughter of innocent lives Does not validate any cause. Instead, such acts expose The sickness within a society That allows heinous crimes to take root. Precious lives are destroyed forever By those who promote wicked plots, Masquerading as benevolent schemes— Claiming to serve and uplift the weak, While in truth destroying the very souls They pretend to bless. They captivate fragile minds With false promises and enticing lies, Indoctrinating the unsuspecting Until deception becomes their truth, And they willingly sacrifice their lives. Train your children, then, in what is good. Guard their minds from harmful influences. Do not expose them to indoctrination That plants seeds of deception in their hearts. For what is planted in a child from an early age May remain with them even when they grow old. Life is precious—A gift that cannot be reclaimed. Do not waste it on hatred, deception, or destruction. Choose truth. Choose goodness. Choose life. American jobs. American workers.”The Labor Department official refrained from specifying any particular visa initiative, corporate entity or ongoing inquiry within his online statement.His remarks unfold as the White House intensifies its oversight of employment-centric immigration mechanisms amid allegations that commercial enterprises might be leveraging foreign worker permits in manners that disadvantage domestic personnel. Furthermore, this commentary arrives against the backdrop of wider governmental initiatives designed to tighten regulations surrounding the H-1B visa apparatus and enforce stricter scrutiny upon companies sponsoring foreign employees. US Vice President JD Vance characterised the H-1B visa structure as “completely broken” on October 2, affirming his backing for its total abolition while asserting that corporations have exploited the system to substitute American staff with lower-cost overseas labour. Through a video published on X, Vance stated that the mechanism had been “totally taken advantage of” by technological enterprises, accounting firms and organisations operating across other commercial sectors.He drew a distinction between importing exceptionally skilled foreign specialists into the United States and utilising the framework primarily for wage reduction purposes.“ If you’re going to bring in an accountant making $45,000 a year to replace an accountant who is an American making $60,000 a year, that’s not you using the programme to bring in a genius,” Vance stated.“ That’s you destroying American jobs and defrauding the American people,” he added.Additionally, Vance defended the executive branch’s USD 100,000 financial requirement levied on specific H-1B petitions associated with workers situated outside the US. This monetary mandate was initially instituted in September 2025 before being prolonged by the administration in Sep- INDIA THIS WEEK Phone: 301-445-0200; 301-917-4800 www.indiathisweek.online India This Week is published every Friday by ADV Solutions Inc, Views expressed in this paper are those of the individual writers and not necessarily of India This Week. India This Week accepts no liability for the errors in advertisements or in any of its reports. For remedial actions any errors should be brought to the attention of the editor by the information provided below. Publisher: Chief Editor: Contributing Editors: Dr. Babu Stephen Rajan George Saju Mathew Isaac George Asst. Editors: Manu Jacob Sherena Panjikkaran Special Business Correspondent Elisha B. Pulivarti Business Coordinators Rajan C. George Jithu Johny Panjikkaran Dr. Renuka Misra, Special Correspondent: Geeta Goindi Community Coordinator: Prof. Vinod Goel India Office Manesh Krishna Columnists: Anadi Naik World Religions Dr. Sam Prasad Jillella Photo Journalist: Mathew Karmel, System Admn. & Maintenance: Rajan C. George Layout & Graphics: Prinston Samuel, Business Affairs: Mrs. Molly George CALL US • 301-445-0200 • 301-917-4800 e-Mails: Advertisements: indiathisweekads@gmail.com Press Releases: indiathisweekpress@yahoo.com Web: www.indiathisweek.online tember 2026 to remain active through September 21, 2027, incorporating narrow exemptions reserved for instances deemed critical to national interests.“ If you’re just trying to replace an American accountant with a cheaper foreign accountant, then you’re not going to y $100,000,” Vance remarked. The administration has similarly implemented broader modifications impac An executive directive promulgated on September 18 mandated that the Departments of State, Labour and Homeland Security investigate whether sponsoring businesses had recently executed, or intended to execute, staff reductions affecting comparable domestic employees. Concurrently, the Department of Labor received instructions to audit previously submitted labour-condition applications to identify potential infractions.Concurrently, the administration has instituted a tiered selection protocol that grants preference to higher-remuneration roles. Nevertheless, Vance suggested that such adjustments might fail to resolve what he characterised as fundamental systemic flaws within the programme.“ My view is the H-1B programme is completely broken, and I’d be very supportive of just eliminating it,” he noted.“ But while we have it, what we have to do is protect American workers.” The administration’s USD 100,000 H-1B financial assessment has likewise encountered legal challenges. A federal magistrate issued Remember: an injunction against the fee on October 1 after determining that the executive branch had failed to adhere to mandatory administrative rulemaking protocols. That judicial decision succeeded an earlier preliminary injunction targeting the same policy measure. These latest developments coincide with the ongoing emphasis placed by the White House on safeguarding domestic workers and scrutinising employment-based migration channels. In a separate development, the US State Department has identified 50 nations whose nationals are subject to financial bonds valued at USD 10,000, USD 15,000 or USD 20,000 upon qualifying for B1/B2 tourist and commercial visas. India remains exempted from this obligation, whereas regional South Asian neighbours including Bangladesh, Bhutan and Nepal feature among the affected territories. Both Nepal and Bangladesh have been subject to the directive since January 21, while Bhutan was incorporated into the framework beginning January 1. Under this regulatory scheme, the exact bond valuation is established by a consular official during the course of the visa interview. The State Department clarified that the initiative functions under Section 221(g)(3) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, having been formalised via a final rule enacted on August 3 utilising visa-overstay statistics compiled by the US Department of Homeland Security. (ANI) “In Him was life, and that life was the light of men. The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.…
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