visakhapatnam 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 workers reporting a median annual salary of $1,23,600. Nasscom, the apex body of India’s The Trump administration on Satur- technology industry, said the steep inday imposed a fee of $1,00,000 per year crease in H-1B visa fees will have a ripon each H-1B visa holder, dealing a body ple effect on America’s innovation ecoblow to the 2,83,397 (71%) skilled tech- system and the job market. “It will also nology workers from India, as per 2024 impact Indian nationals working in the data. At 71%, India was the largest ben- US on H-1B visas for both global and Ineficiary of H-1B last year, while China dian companies. India’s technology was a distant second at 12%. services companies will face business “We need great workers, and this continuity challenges for onshore pretty much ensures that that’s what’s projects,” it said. going to happen,” Trump said at the Nasscom also flagged the timeline for Oval Office as Commerce implementation, since the Secretary Howard Lutnick new rules apply to anyone enOnly for new stood by The new rule would . tering the US after 12.01 am applicants raise the cost of sponsoring on September 21. “A one-day In a late night an Indian H-1B worker from deadline creates considerable clarification, an the current $215 to a staggeruncertainty Policy changes ... unnamed White ing $100,000 per year or up to of this scale are best introHouse official told $600,000 over a six-year visa duced with adequate transithe New York Times period. The administration tion periods,” it added. that the $1,00,000 says the fee is designed to enIT services exports to the H-1B visa fee will sure that only “extraordiUS generate around $100 bilapply only to new nary” workers are let in. lion in revenue for India, and applicants TCS accounted for over Trump’s latest move could 5,505 H-1B visas granted for disrupt this (see box). fiscal year 2025 (October 2024-SeptemAnother concern is wage pressure in ber 2025), followed by Cognizant (3,700), India’s IT industry if employees return. Infosys (2,004), LTIMindtree (1,807), and Yogeesha Channabasappa, an IT conHCL Tech (1,728). In 2025, TCS was the sultant, said, “With more people comsecond-largest recipient of H-1B visas peting for India-based roles, wage after Amazon, which received approv- growth may flatten in the short run.” als for 10,000. Although the announcement came Pew Research notes that since 2010, a after Indian markets had closed, it joltmajority of H-1B approvals each year ed Infosys’ American Depository Rewent to workers born in India. It added ceipts (ADRs), which fell 3.41% to $16.97 that since fiscal 2012, about 60% or on the New York Stock Exchange. more of H-1B workers approved each Wipro’s ADRs declined 2.10%. Analysts year held computer-related jobs. In expect the ripple effect to spill over 2023, the share was 65%, with these when Indian markets open on Monday . 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 interacted 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, warning against rowdyism and P4 destructive politics.  —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.”  WITH THIS ISSUE 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 Nara 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 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 The video footage of Parakamani theft at Tirumala temple | Express now emerged, a TTD employee named Ravi Kumar was caught stealing cash from Parakamani. 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  . INSIDE HC stays settlement of Parakamani case P4 in Lok Adalat