HYDERABAD l saturday l january 24, 2026 l `9.00 l PAGES 16 l late cITY EDITION Florida may freeze new H-1B visa hires at Universities for a year VISA Florida’s university system is proposing one-year bar on new hires using H-1B visas, following a directive from Governor Ron DeSantis florida governor behind the move The Florida Board of Governors is scheduled to review and potentially introduce the policy change on January 29, Politico reported. If approved by the full board, it would enter a 14-day public comment period before final implementation. This stems from an October 2025 directive by Governor Ron DeSantis, who wanted a halt on “H-1B abuse” ■ 600 proposal won’t affect existing H-1bs ■ The freeze applies across the entire State University System of Florida, covering major institutions such as the University of Florida, Florida State University, University of South Florida, and others The policy would not affect existing H-1B visa holders already employed at these universities, it only blocks new recruitment employees of Florida’s public universities are on h-1b visa CHENNAI ■ MADURAI ■ VIJAYAWADA ■ BENGALURU ■ KOCHI ■ HYDERABAD ■ VISAKHAPATNAM ■ COIMBATORE ■ KOZHIKODE ■ THIRUVANANTHAPURAM ■ BELAGAVI ■ BHUBANESWAR ■ SHIVAMOgGA ■ MANGALURU ■ TIRUPATI ■ TIRUCHY ■ TIRUNELVELI ■ SAMBALPUR ■ HUBBALLI ■ DHARMAPURI ■ KOTTAYAM ■ KANNUR ■ VILLUPURAM ■ KOLLAM ■ TADEPALLIGUDEM ■ NAGAPATTINAM ■ THRISSUR ■ KALABURAGI Left point on Sonia in Sabarimala gold row upsets Rahul Gandhi P r e e t h a N a i r @ New Delhi right on track Prime Minister Narendra Modi, centre, during the launch of various developmental projects and the flagging off of new train services, in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. State Governor Rajendra Arlekar, third left, and state Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, third right, are also seen | PTI Tapgate SIT examines KTR for 7 hrs Investigators primarily focused on money trail during session with ex-minister, sources say C h i t h a l u r i R e v a n t h @ Hyderabad BRS working president and former minister KT Rama Rao was examined by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) for around seven hours on Friday in connection with the phonetapping case, sources said. Rama Rao was the second senior BRS leader to appear before the SIT, after former minister T Harish Rao, who was examined on Tuesday Former . Task Force DCP Radha Kishan Rao, one of the accused in the case, was also summoned to the Jubilee Hills police station. However, he was not confronted with Rama Rao. Rama Rao told reporters after the examination that the SIT asked him the same set of questions repeatedly and sought to know whether he was acquainted with certain individuals. He rejected media reports claiming that he was questioned along with Radha Kishan Rao. “There was no other Rao during the questioning except me,” Rama Rao said. He added that SIT officials told him he could be summoned again if required. Though what transpired during the seven-hour examination remained unclear, sources said that the former minister was questioned about donations received by the BRS during the 2023 elections, funds obtained through Electoral Bonds, and whether phones were tapped to “facilitate” fund-raising. The SIT reportedly asked whether a war room was set up in Sircilla, which Rama Rao represents in the Assembly for phone-tapping. , Sources said the SIT questioned him on whether funds were transferred from the BRS account to procure software required for phone-tapping from Israel. He was also asked about his acquaintance with A Sravan Rao, owner of a ver nacular news channel and an accused in the case, sources said. They said that the SIT also questioned Rama Rao about the alleged tapping of phones of A Revanth Reddy, the then Opposition leader. Queries were raised about WhatsApp and Telegram calls made by Rama Rao to Praneeth Rao, Prabhakar Rao, Radha Kishan Rao and other accused persons in the case. Officials reportedly referred to Electoral Bonds worth `13 crore purchased by S. Sridhar Rao of Sandhya Convention in favour of the BRS, allegedly to settle a property issue. Speaking to reporters after emerging from the police station, Rama Rao said he had asked the SIT officials whether they could say that no phone-tapping was taking place now. He claimed that the officials “minced words” in response.  continued on P4 Harish writes to kishan on ‘major scams’ BRS working president KT Rama Rao arrives for examination by the SIT probing the alleged phone-tapping case, on Friday | Vinay Madapu Hyderabad: Continuing to target the state government on the coal block tenders of the SCCL, BRS leader T Harish Rao on Friday alleged that several “major scams” took place in the 107 MW solar power project of Singareni. In a 11-point letter he wrote to Union Coal & Mines Minister G Kishan Reddy, the former minister demanded immediate action on the issue. Alleging that Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy’s brother-in-law has a role in Singareni irregularities, he said: “If the chief minister is honest, he should order an SIT probe against his brother-in-law Srujan Reddy.” | P4 Steel sector cartelisation under CCI lens INDIA’s largest steel companies — Tata Steel, JSW Steel and state-run SAIL and Rashtriya Ispat Nigam Limited (RINL) — disclosed their pricing plans to rivals and coordinated production cuts to reduce supplies, according to a confidential antitrust investigation report seen by Reuters. It was earlier reported that CCI found 28 firms colluded on steel prices, meaning they could face hefty fines. The investigation report by the Competition Commission of India into the four major companies that has not been made public, shows the ‌ omc mission reviewed dozens of WhatsApp ‌ hats, including c from groups named “Friends of Steel”, “Tycoons” and “Steel Live Market” that were seized during 2022 industry raids. It analysed pricing changes, sales and production patterns. Tata Steel, JSW Steel and state-run Steel Authority of India Limited (‌ AIL), and S RINL colluded during 20182023, the report says. “There is enough circumstantial evidence ... of concerted efforts by SAIL, RINL, JSW and Tata Steel,” the commission report, drafted in April 2025, said, as per Reuters. The four companies “were influencing the market with the sensitive price information in advance,” it said. Consultancy BigMint estimates the companies account for 44.4% of India’s steel market. Tata Steel said it “denies any wrongdoing”, and that it determines its prices independently based on market conditions and other factors. JSW, SAIL and RINL did not respond to queries from Reuters. With the controversy over the alleged ‘Sabarimala gold theft’ intensifying, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is learnt to be ‘deeply upset’ with the party’s Kerala leaders over the manner in which the issue was handled, particularly after Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson and his mother Sonia Gandhi’s name figured in the political sparring. According to sources, Rahul felt that sections of the state Congress leadership adopted a short-sighted approach in pursuing the controversy, allowing the ruling CPI(M)-led LDF to drag his mother’s name and sharpen its counter-offensive. Prakash The political slugfest intensified after admits he photographs surfaced purportedly showmet Potty ing Unnikrishnan Potty, the prime accused in the Sabarimala gold theft case, UDF convenor and Congress MP along with Sonia Gandhi and Congress MPs Adoor Prakash and Anto Antony. Adoor Prakash The CPI(M) and the Kerala government admitted that seized on the images to allege links behe met Potty on tween the Congress leadership and the multiple accused, a charge the Congress dismissed occasions, but as a smear campaign. dismissed Sources said Rahul believed that allegations the Congress’s aggressive campaign linking him to strategy forced the Left to intensify the the gold case issue and turn it into a larger political confrontation. Was UDF’s The Sabarimala gold loss cases relate major poll to the alleged misappropriation of the plank precious metal from the Dwarapalaka (guardian deity) idols and sanctum sancThe alleged gold torum door frames at the Lord Ayyappa heist was the temple. A Special Investigation Team UDF’s principal probing the cases has arrested 12 people, campaign plank during the recent including Potty and two former presidents of the Travancore Devaswom panchayat Board in connection with the matter. elections, a The issue dominated proceedings in strategy that the Kerala assembly this week, triggering appeared to heated exchanges with ministers, includfavour the ing V Sivankutty and M B Rajesh. While Cong-led front referring to the photograph appearing to show the accused with Sonia Gandhi, Satheesan Rajesh said that the photo showed “the raised it thief and the person who pocketed the The issue was loot” together. While Leader of Opposiinitially raised in tion V D Satheesan wrote to Speaker A N the assembly by Shamseer demanding that the remarks V D Satheesan, be expunged, Congress insiders say it has who questioned done huge damage to the party . the loss of gold Sources said the Congress leadership from the has so far failed to offer a convincing exSabarimala planation regarding the photograph, allowing the CPI(M) to weaponise it. The Congress’s use of the song Pottiye Kettiyatharappa during protests and campaign events linked to the alleged gold theft case also drew criticism that it was ill-advised and led to deepening animosity between the UDF and the LDF. Sources in the Left said it felt compelled to launch a counter-offensive after sustained attacks by the Congress, both at the national level and outside Parliament. ACB finds crores in assets linked to suspended sub-registrar ` @ 91.99 Currency hits lifetime low weighed down by the steep selloff in the equities markets, which fell on four of the five trading days this week, coupled with dollar demand | p10 Exp r e s s N e w s S e r v i c e @ Hyderabad ACB sleuths on Friday conducted searches at eight locations linked to Rangareddy joint sub-registrar Kandadi Madhusudhan Reddy, including his residence and premises belonging to relatives, friends, benamis and associates across Telangana. In a press release, the ACB said a disproportionate assets (DA) case was re gistered against Madhusudhan Reddy, who is under suspension, for allegedly acquiring assets disproportionate to his known sources of income through corrupt practices during his service. During the searches, officials found documents relating to an independent G+2 house on 300 sq yd at Kapra in Medchal-Malkajgiri, an open plot at Chintapallyguda village in Ibrahimpatnam, 27 acres of agricultural land at Naskal village in Parigi mandal, one acre of commer- K Madhusudhan Reddy cial land at Mangalpally village in Ibrahimpatnam, and a farmhouse with a swimming pool worth `1.24 crore at Naskal. Net cash of about `9 lakh and gold or naments weighing around 1.2 kg were also seized. Three cars—an Innova Fortuner, a Volvo XC60 B5 and a Volkswagen Taigun GT Plus—were found. The document value of movable and immovable assets was estimated at `7.83 crore. ACB officials said the market value could be many times higher. The ACB also stated that Madhusudhan Reddy invested around `80 lakh in a liquor business under the name ARK Spirits and floated two shell companies in the names of his wife and children. “Further verification of additional assets is under way . The case is under investigation,” the release said. EXpress news service @ New Delhi e x p r e ss r e a d Medaram: QR codes to keep tabs on kids Mulugu: For the first time at Asia’s largest tribal festival, the Medaram jatara, Mulugu police will be using QR code-based ‘Child Tracking Monitoring System’ to trace missing children and elderly persons with their loved ones | P2 Rising silver prices hit waraq makers Hyderabad: The impact of rising prices of silver in the international market is being acutely felt in an unlikely corner of the economy — the wafer-thin silver waraq used to garnish and decorate kaju katli and other traditional sweets | P2 beyond reach Pregnant, undocumented & turned away: A nomadic woman’s search for care N a v e e n K u m a r Ta l l a m @ Karimnagar At 23, and in the final weeks of her pregnancy, Ubidi Rekha has been moving from one hospital to another in Karimnagar, seeking a place to give birth. Each visit has ended the same way: she is asked for an Aadhaar card she does not have, and sent away . Rekha belongs to the Beda Budaga Jangam nomadic community. Her life, like that of many from Ramakrishna Colo- ny village in Thimmapur mandal, has been shaped by migration. From childhood, her family travelled across states in search of daily-wage work. She was born while they were away from their native village. Her birth was never registered. That single omission has followed her into adulthood. Without a birth record, she could not obtain Aadhaar. Without Aadhaar, she has struggled to access welfare schemes, routine healthcare and, now, a safe delivery . In recent weeks, as her pregnancy advanced, Rekha approached government hospitals, including the Karimnagar Mother and Child Hospital. According to her, she was told that admission for delivery would require Aadhaar identification. Private hospitals were not an option; her family cannot afford them. Officials deny that treatment is refused on medical grounds. District General Hospital su- perintendent Dr G Veera Reddy said Aadhaar was sought for identification, and that patients without it are treated as “unknown persons” and reported to the police outpost, but not denied care. He added that if any issues arise, they should be brought to his notice. On the ground, however, the gap between policy and practice remains. For Rekha, each referral and refusal has meant another anxious day closer to delivery, without clarity on where she will give birth. “If I don’t have an Aadhaar card, can I not become a mother?” she asks. Local BJP leader Sugurthi Jagadeeshwara Chary attempted to intervene. He helped obtain a residence certificate from the gram panchayat, but technical issues meant the Aadhaar portal did not accept Rekha’s details. The application stalled. Chary said Rekha’s case reflects a wider problem. Many women and children from nomadic communities, he said, remain outside formal records because of home births, migration and lack of documentation. As a result, children face obstacles in education, and families are excluded from welfare schemes meant for them. Meanwhile, for the nomadic community the question is not , about a missing document, but about a system that is beyond the reach of those who live outside fixed addresses and official registers. Ubidi Rekha Ubidi Rekha