tirupati l sunday l september 21, 2025 l `12.00 l PAGES 24 l late city EDITION actor Mohanlal to be conferred Dadasaheb Phalke Award The Malayalam actor will be honoured with the country’s highest recognition in cinema for his ‘iconic contributions’ to the field His work has set a gold standard: Ministry The Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting praised Mohanlal for setting a golden standard in Indian film history through his “unmatched talent, versatility, and relentless hard work”. Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the actor’s cinematic and theatrical brilliance across mediums is truly inspiring and called him “the leading light of Malayalam cinema” ■ Sep 23 350 films in career spanning four decades ■ In a rich career spanning four decades, he has acted in more than 350 films across Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu, Hindi and Kannada Known for his natural acting style and versatility, Mohanlal has won two National Film Awards for best actor and nine Kerala State Film Awards. He was honoured with the Padma Bhushan in 2019 When mohanlal will be presented the Dadasaheb Phalke Award 2023 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 I don’t want you! Historically, the US was letting in the bottom quartile, earning $66,000 a year, often needing government assistance. It was illogical. This programme will now only admit people at the very top. If someone is that valuable, companies can pay $100,000 a year. If not, they can hire an American 2.8L Indian jobs on the line as Trump slaps $1L H-1B fee S a n a l S u d e v a n / D i pa k M o n d a l @ Chennai/New Delhi CM: Swachh drive meant to cleanse politics also E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ Guntur Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Saturday emphasised the comprehensive approach of the Swachhandhra initiative, stating, “Swachhandhra is about cleaning our cities, villages, and politics alike.” Addressing a public meeting at Macherla in Palnadu district as part of the monthly Swar nandhra-Swachhandhra programme, he highlighted the gover nment’s focus on environmental cleanliness, citizen participation, and governance reforms. Naidu actively participated in a cleanliness drive near a local tank, joining municipal workers in removing garbage, and inspecting a health camp for sanitation staff. He engaged with workers and medical personnel, acknowledging their crucial role in public hygiene. The Chief Minister also handed over `52 crore in micro-credit assistance to women’s self-help groups, highlighting the government’s commitment to community empowerment. In his address, Naidu contrasted the current governance with past administration, war ning against rowdyism and destructive P4 politics.  CM Chandrababu Naidu administers a pledge at the Swachhandhra programme in Macherla | Express The Trump administration on Saturday imposed a fee of $1,00,000 per year on each H-1B visa holder, dealing a body blow to the 2,83,397 (71%) skilled technology workers from India, as per 2024 data. At 71%, India was the largest beneficiary of H-1B last year, while China was a distant second at 12%. “We need great workers, and this pretty much ensures that that’s what’s going to happen,” Trump said at the Oval Office as Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick stood by The new rule . would raise the cost of sponsoring an Indian H-1B worker from the current $215 to a staggering $100,000 per year or up to $600,000 over a six-year visa period. The Trump administration says the fee is designed to ensure that only “extraordinary” workers are let in. TCS accounted for over 5,505 H-1B visas granted for fiscal year 2025 (October 2024-September 2025), followed by Cognizant (3,700), Infosys (2,004), LTIMindtree (1,807), and HCL Tech (1,728). In 2025, TCS was the second-largest recipient of H-1B visas after Amazon, which received approvals for 10,000. Pew Research notes that since 2010, a majority of H-1B approvals each year went to workers born in India. It added that since fiscal 2012, about 60% or more of H-1B workers approved each year held computer-related jobs. In 2023, the share was 65%, with these workers reporting a median annual salary of $1,23,600. Nasscom, the apex body of India’s technology industry, said the steep in- crease in H-1B visa fees will have a ripple effect on America’s innovation ecosystem and the job market. “It will also impact Indian nationals working in the US on H-1B visas for both global and Indian companies. India’s technology services companies will face business continuity challenges for onshore projects,” it said. Nasscom also flagged the timeline for implementation as a major concern, since the new rules apply to anyone entering the US after 12.01 am on September 21. “A one-day deadline creates considerable uncertainty for businesses, professionals, and students across the world. Policy changes of this scale are best introduced with adequate transition periods,” it added. IT services exports to the US generate around $100 billion in revenue for India, and Trump’s latest move could disrupt this (see box). Although Indian IT firms have increased local hiring in the US, the revised visa fee is expected to have a short-term impact. Some companies may even consider recalling employees to India. Another concern is wage pressure in India’s IT industry if employees return. Yogeesha Channabasappa, an IT consultant, said, “With more people competing for India-based roles, wage growth may flatten in the short run.” Although the announcement came after Indian markets had closed, it jolted Infosys’ American Depository Receipts (ADRs), which fell 3.41% to $16.97 on the New York Stock Exchange. Wipro’s ADRs declined 2.10%. Analysts expect the ripple effect to spill over when Indian markets open on Monday . —Howard Lutnick, US Commerce Secy Top H1B beneficiaries IT firms 2025 5,005 Cognizant 3,660 Infosys 2,004 LTIMindtree 1,807 HCL 1,728 Wipro 1,523 TCS U.S. revenue for major Indian IT cos % US revenue TCS Infosys HCL Tech Wipro Tech  Mahindra 48% 58% 66% 63% 51% Stunned techies scramble to US, scrap fly out plan s l a l i t h a @ New Delhi THE abrupt announcement by the US to levy an annual fee of `88.13 lakh on H1-B visa holders from September 21, with a mere 36-hour window, stunned Indian techies living in the US as well as those planning to visit the country . Plans to travel outside America or in the return direction have been abruptly cancelled or advanced by hundreds of them and their families. While many cancelled plans to travel at the last minute while waiting to board flights to India, several others already in India are scrambling to return amid lack of clarity as the US fiat comes weeks before Indian professionals and their families travel to India for Diwali and other holidays. Atal Agarwal, founder of OpenSphere, an AI company that offers Global Mobility Services for Immigrants, told this paper from Canada that he was inundated with messages for help from Indians in the US. “Never in modern history has a policy affecting 500K+ highly skilled workers been implemented with a 48-hr notice ... Airports are flooded. Flight prices are skyrocketing.” Airfares from New Delhi to the US were in excess of $4,500 on a private airline’s portal. Communication sent to staff by Amazon, Facebook and Microsoft urged employees to stay put in the US while asking those outside to return before the deadline. Individuals on H-1B visas told a news agency anonymously that the underlying emotion among H-1B visa holders and families right now is “a crazy sense of panic and worry”. INDIA vs pakistan Sports no longer tool of diplomacy s w a r o o p s w a m i n at h a n @ Chennai OVER the last few months, there has been a growing clamour for the Indian cricket team to refuse to play Pakistan and it grew before their first match in Asia Cup group stage. India comfortably won the game — there is honestly a noticeable difference in the skill levels of both teams — but what caught the eye was what happened on the sidelines. India’s refusal to shake hands or exchange pleasantries, a kind of common sporting brotherhood. After the match, Suryakumar Yadav expressed his solidarity with the families affected by the attack in Pahalgam in April. Following Sunday that attack the sporting relations between Special India and Pakistan nosedived. An Indian cricket team twice boycotted Pakistan in a meet in England. The Pakistan hockey team — usually habitual travellers to India — skipped the Asia Cup earlier this month; relationships are not the same anymore. Even in a heightened state of tension, sport has been used as a diplomatic tool to try and put peace at the forefront. From 1987, when Pakistan president, Zia-ul-Haq, travelled to India to watch a Test featuring the two countries to 1996, when the two teams joined forces to play a game in Sri Lanka to show it was safe. On Sunday, India and Pakistan will meet again at the Asia Cup. If there’s another round of snubbing extended hands, More on P11 it may well be a new normal.  express read Has humanitarian consequences: MEA agriculture j aya n t h j a c o b @ New Delhi INDIA on Saturday said it is closely studying the full implication of the US decision to impose a $100,000 annual fee on H-1B visas, warning that the move could cause “humanitarian consequences” and disrupt families. In a measured response, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said: “The full implications of the measure are being studied by all concerned, including by Indian industry which has , already put out an initial analysis clarifying some P7 perceptions related to the H1B program.”  W I T H T H I S I SS U E Thinking Inside the Bot PLUS 12 PAGES Naidu: Ours is a ryot-friendly govt Vijayawada: Describing the NDA government as a farmerfriendly one, as it believes that the well-being of farmers contributes to the progress of the State, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu asserted that it would always come to the rescue of farmers whenever they face problems regarding the minimum support price for their produce | P4 Video of Parakamani loot surfaces; TTD member alleges `100 crore scam HC stays settlement of theft case in Lok Adalat, directs CID to seize case records E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ Vijayawada Startling revelations have emerged pertaining to large scale irregularities that took place in the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) during the previous YSRCP regime. Videos and testimonies now suggest that the temple wealth, including Parakamani (cash offerings), Hundi donations, and supplies meant for worship, were systematically looted by some insiders with political protection during 2019-24. An earlier expose of adulterated ghee supply for the Tirumala Laddu Prasadam had already trig g ered national outrage, with the CBI currently probing the matter. Now, fresh evidence has pointed to an even deeper rot in the temple administration during the previous regime. According to a video proof now emerged, a TTD employee named Ravi Kumar was caught stealing cash from Parakama- E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ Vijayawada The video footage of Parakamani theft at Tirumala temple | Express ni. The stolen money was invested in real estate ventures. When the matter came to light, Ravi Kumar is said to have offered to place the money back in the temple hundi. However, top TTD officials, including former chairman B Karunakar Reddy, and the then Executive Officer AV Dharma Reddy, had allegedly turned this episode into an opportunity to loot more. Probe suggests that instead of allowing restitution, they had looted more money, with large amounts converted into P4 property  . Crucial evidence deliberately destroyed: BJP leader TTD Trust Board member and BJP leader G Bhanu Prakash Reddy went on to allege that part of the looted money was diverted to Tadepalli Palace of former Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, and crucial evidence was deliberately destroyed to hush up the scam The Andhra Pradesh High Court has expressed shock over the settlement of Tirumala Parakamani theft case in a Lok Adalat, and stayed its order. The case pertains to the stealing of American Dollars worth `72,000 from the Parakamani by Ravi Kumar, an employee of Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams, in April 2023. The accused was working as a clerk at the Tirumala Pedda Jeeyangar Mutt, and was caught by vigilance officials when he attempted to leave with the foreign currency in his trouser pocket. Following a complaint lodged by TTD Vigilance and Security Assistant Officer Y Satish Kumar, the Tirumala One Town police registered a case, and a chargesheet was filed in the Second Additional Magistrate Court in Tirupati on May 30, 2023. However, in September 2023, Satish Kumar himself had proposed a compromise, leading to the settlement of the theft case in the Lok Adalat. Notices issued to Vigilance official and accused After hearing the arguments, the court ordered that the documents pertaining to the theft case be submitted to the Judicial Registrar in a sealed cover. Notices have been issued to Satish Kumar, and the accused Ravi Kumar. Later, the court posted the matter to October 19 Challenging this, M Srinivasulu, an editor of a daily, filed a petition in the court in September 2024, contending that the compromise was unjust. Hearing the petition, Justice Gannamaneni Ramakrishna Prasad stayed the Lok Adalat order, and directed the CID to seize the case records from Tirumala One Town police station, and the TTD Board meeting resolution copies pertaining to the matter. After hearing the arguments, the court ordered that the documents pertaining to the case be submitted to the Judicial Registrar in a sealed cover. Notices have been issued to Satish Kumar, and the accused Ravi Kumar. Later, the court posted the case to October 19.