hyderabad l wednesday l october 22, 2025 l `9.00 l PAGES 16 l late city EDITION Sanae Takaichi wins historic vote, is Japan’s first woman pm Sanae Takaichi, a staunch conservative who admires Margaret Thatcher, became Japan’s first woman prime minister on Tuesday hardliner with eye on defence, economy The 64-year-old, who won the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) leadership this month, has positioned herself as a hardliner focused on defence and economic security. After forging a last-minute coalition deal, Takaichi was appointed by parliament on Tuesday as the country’s first woman head of government and Japan’s fifth leader in as many years ■ 237 votary of aggressive monetary easing ■ Takaichi supports aggressive monetary easing and big fiscal spending, echoing her political mentor’s Shinzo Abe’s“Abenomics” policies, which, if implemented again, could rattle markets | P9 On tariffs, she said she won’t shy away from renegotiations with US if the deal is implemented in a way deemed harmful or unfair to Japan votes were won by takaichi, 4 more than a majority 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 Relief as $1L H-1B fee does not apply to US visa holders J AYA N TH J A C O B & P U S HPITA D E Y @ New Delhi New Delhi hyderabad Heavy smog (L) near India Gate at dawn on Tuesday; and at 10.30 pm at ECIL in Hyderabad on Tuesday| Sayantan Ghosh/ Vinay Madapu Post-Diwali air quality in Delhi worst in 4 years Revellers flouted time limit for firecrackers PM2.5 Levels in Delhi I f r a h Mu f t i @ New Delhi Despite a Supreme Court fiat and the Delhi government’s repeated appeals for a “Green Diwali”, the national capital woke up to a thick, suffocating haze the morning after the festival, as pollution levels shot through the roof across Delhi-NCR on Tuesday The city witnessed its . worst air quality since 2021, with PM2.5 levels zooming to 488 micrograms per cubic metre within 24 hours after Diwali—over three times the prefestival level of 156.6. PM2.5 represents the quantity of fine particles that easily penetrate the respiratory system. This year’s spike was the highest in five years (see graphic). Though the SC allowed bursting firecrackers only between 8 -10 pm, crackers boomed till 2.30 am. By 6.05 am on Tuesday , the city’s overall AQI was 347, falling in the ‘very poor’ category Of the 37 air quality moni. toring stations, 34 recorded readings in the red zone — ‘very poor’ to ‘severe’. Last year, the AQI stood at 359 the morning after Diwali. Among the city’s 10 most polluted areas, Bawana topped the list with AQI of 418, followed by Wazirpur at 408 and Jahangirpuri at 404, all falling in the severe category. Slightly better, but still alarming, were Burari Crossing and Shadipur, both recording 393, and Ashok Vihar at 386, placing them in the very Tata Trusts reappoints Venu Srinivasan for life B E N N K O C H U V E E DA N @ Mumbai Tata Trusts, which owns and controls the $180-billion Tata empire, has ‘unanimously’ reappointed Venu Srinivasan, chairman emeritus of the TVS Group, as a trustee for life. With the reappointment of Srinivasan, 73, ahead of his term expiring on October 23, the focus now shifts to the upcoming decision on Mehli Mistry, whose trusteeship expires on October 28. The development comes amid reports of a vertical split within Tata Trusts, with one faction aligning with Noel Tata, who took over as chairman following Ratan Tata’s death, and the other comprising loyalists of the former doyen. Mehli Mistry is the younger brother late Cyrus Mistry and Noel is married to their sister Aloo Mistry Mehli was brought . on board by Ratan Tata during the crisis following Cyrus Mistry’s sacking in October 2016. “Renewal, after which it will be for life, requires unanimous approval,” a source said. Pre-Diwali | 500 454.5 Post-Diwali Worse 488 than 2021 400 319.7 300 220 168 200 163.1 100 129.3 2021 204 92.9 2022 2023 156.6 2024 2025 Particulate Matter(PM)2.5 in µg/m³ poor range. Other localities like RK Puram (369), Rohini (367), and Vivek Vihar (367) also saw heaqy pollutants. As for the NCR, its overall average AQI was 388. Health experts raised alarms over the worsening situation. “Studies show pollution causes a 22–25% rise in heart, asthma, and bronchitis attacks,” said Dr G C Khilnani, chairman, PSRI Institute of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine. A 2017 tweet by Delhi’s current CM Rekha Gupta resurfaced online: “My city is melting, it’s all smoke, in the air… So much poison, who is spewing it?” It went viral on Tuesday, capturing the city’s toxic irony . Breathless Air pollution in Hyd rises 86% on Diwali day S i d d h a r d h a G at t i m i @ Hyderabad Hyderabad witnessed an 86% spike in fine particulate matter (PM2.5) levels on Diwali day compared to normal conditions, according to the Telangana Pollution Control Board (TGPCB). However, the city’s air quality was relatively better than last year’s festival readings. Special Diwali monitoring conducted by TGPCB showed that PM2.5 concentrations rose from 37 µg/m³ on a normal day to 69 µg/m³ on October 20, while PM10 increased by 68.13%, from 91 µg/m³ to 153 µg/m³. In comparison, last year’s Diwali had recorded higher levels of 84 µg/ m³ (PM2.5) and 184 µg/m³ (PM10), the Board noted. It recorded an uptick in sulphur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOX) levels during Diwali, though they remained well within national standards. SO2 rose from 8 to 17 µg/m³, and NOX from 26 to 30 µg/m³. Last year, the levels were 14 µg/m³ (SO2) and 40 µg/m³ (NOX). Noise levels across the city also spiked as crackers were set off well into the night. Continuous monitoring at eight stations showed that industrial zones registered a rise of 3.1 decibels (dB) in the day and 6.2 dB at night. Commercial areas saw increases of 2.5 dB and 3.9 dB, while residential and sensitive zones recorded day-night increases of 1.6 dB and 3.7 dB, and 1.1 dB and 4 dB, respectively . When compared with Diwali 2024, overall noise pollution levels declined. Industrial areas were quieter by 3.5 dB (day) and 2.9 dB (night), while commercial and residential zones saw reductions of up to 7 dB. konda surekha, accompanied by Konda Murali & TPCC chief B Mahesh Kumar Goud, met Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Tuesday, signalling an end to the controversy that erupted following the dismissal of the minister’s OSD | P4 A month after US President Donald Trump’s proclamation jacking up the fee for H1-B visas to a steep $100,000 caused panic among international students and professionals, the US government has now clarified that the fee won’t apply to current visa holders and recent international graduates. In a detailed clarification issued on Monday, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) said the fee will not be applicable to those already in the country seeking a ‘change of status’ or an ‘extension of stay’. The fee is only applicable to petitions filed on or after 12:01 am ET on September 21, 2025, for beneficiaries outside the US without a valid H-1B visa, or those requesting consular processing. While the September 21 Presidential proclamation created confusion regarding the entry of professionals to the US, the USCIS confirmed that the proclamation does not impact travel for current H-1B visa holders Proclamation applies to new H-1B petitions filed on or after September 21, 2025, on behalf of beneficiaries who are outside the US and do not have a valid H-1B visa — USCIS statement or those with an approved change of status petition. Importantly USCIS said that , even those with expired F-1 or H-1B visas who depart the US and later return on an approved petition will not be subject to the fee, provided their original petition was filed before the September 21 cutoff date. The update offers long-awaited clarity to thousands of skilled foreign workers and international graduates navigating an already complex immigration landscape in the US. Battle for the Hills KCR is BRS star campaigner BRS president and former chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao was listed among the 40 star campaigners of the party for the Jubilee Hills bypoll. The list was cleared by the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) on Tuesday. However, it remains to be seen whether KCR will personally take part in the campaign, considering the fact that the gaps between his public meetings have been growing longer. Kishan, Ramchander at Deepak Reddy nomination Union minister G Kishan Reddy, along with BJP state president N Ramchander Rao, accompanied party candidate for the Jubilee Hills byelection Lankala Deepak Reddy when he filed his nomination on Tuesday. Kishan alleged that the BRS regime had left Telangana with a 10 lakh crore debt burden, and the present government incurred `3 lakh crore debt within two years Owaisi backs Congress candidate AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi on Tuesday said that his party will support Congress candidate Naveen Yadav in the Jubilee Hills bypoll as the “outcome would not make or break the incumbent government” Congress’ political hypocrisy exposed, claims KTR Reacting to the Congress including “defected” MLA Danam Nagender’s name in its list of star campaigners, BRS working president KT Rama Rao on Tuesday called it “political hypocrisy” 150 aspirants file papers till 11.10 pm on Tuesday 189 tokens issued on the final day of Party contenders, independent candidates, filing nominations RRR-affected farmers, leaders of OU and associations of unemployed people filed papers 45–49 candidates waiting in queue to file nominations till 11 pm on Tuesday Between October 13–18, 112 candidates filed 127 nominations Officials accepted nominations only from those inside the gate by Last date for filing nominations is October 21 3 pm deadline Withdrawal of candidature till October 24 Representatives of regional Polling scheduled for November 11 organisations and civil groups also filed nominations Counting of votes on November 14 Scrutiny of nominations by Election process expected to conclude by Returning Officer on October 22 November 16, 2025 At least 30 rebels give NDA, Oppn a headache RAMA S HA N K AR @ Patna REBEL and independent candidates may spin the poll arithmetic for both the ruling NDA and the Opposition Mahagathbandhan in the Bihar Assembly elections, scheduled in two phases on November 6 and 11. As many as 30 rebels and independents are contesting in the first phase of the 243-member Assembly polls. Several aspirants who have been denied tickets have joined smaller outfits like the Jan Suraaj Party of Prashant Kishor or entered the fray as independents. The nominations of Shashi Bhushan Singh, sitting MLA from Sugauli (East BJP-JD(U) pressuring candidates: kishor Jan Suraaj Party founder Prashant Kishor on Tuesday alleged that three of his party candidates for the upcoming Bihar Assembly elections withdrew their nomination papers under “pressure” from the ruling ruling BJP-JD(U) combine | P8 Champaran), and Seema Singh of the LJP (Ram Vilas) from Marhaura (Saran), were cancelled due to technical reasons. Singh had filed papers as a Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) candidate — one of the INDIA bloc allies — while LJP (RV) is part of the NDA. Discontent, as per sources, simmers within both alliances. In the NDA, many have turned rebels. JD(U) MLA Narendra Kumar Neeraj, alias Gopal Mandal, is contesting as an Independent from Gopalpur, which he has represented four times. The JD(U) has fielded former MP Shailesh Kumar, alias Bulo Mandal, from the seat. Similarly BJP MLA Rash, mi Verma is fighting as an Independent from Narkatiaganj. Several Patna constituencies—Digha, Patna Sahib, Kumharar, Maner, Paliganj, Danapur, Bikram, and Barh—are witnessing intra-alliance resistance. In Digha, BJP MLA Sanjeev Chaurasia faces JD(U) rebel Ritesh Ranjan Singh of Jan Suraaj and CPI(ML) Liberation’s Divya Gautam. In Parihar, Ritu Jaiswal, who had unsuccessfully contested 2020 assembly election, has turned an RJD rebel. She has filed her nomination against RJD’s Smita Purbe, daughterin-law of former RJD state chief Ram Chandra Purbe. More reports: P8 Healthcare professionals, workers under national interest waivers (such as those in defence), and employees of universities, nonprofit research institutions, and government research bodies are believed to fall under exempt categories, though further clarification is expected. Students go to the US as F1 visa holders and later transition to H1B through employer sponsorship. International students in the US, especially from STEM fields, can work for up to three years after graduation. According to the Open Doors report for 2023-24, there are over 3.3 lakh Indian students in the US and 95% of them are enrolled in post graduate courses or PhD programmes. Indians, who continue to form the largest group of international students in the US alongside the country’s tech professionals, are one of the biggest beneficiaries of H-1B visas. According to US administration data, Indians account for nearly 70% of new H-1B visa allocations, followed by Chinese nationals at 11–12%. express read FIR against former Punjab DGP, wife Chandigarh: Former Punjab DGP Mohammad Mustafa, his wife Razia Sultana, along with their daughter and daughterin-law, have been booked for murder and criminal conspiracy in connection with the death of their son Aqil Akhter | P8 Putin-Trump summit unlikely soon Moscow: Russia on Tuesday said there was “no precise timeframe” for a summit between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump on Ukraine and doused hopes for a swift preparatory meeting to finalise the talks | P9 Police dept courage has ended Maoist menace in state: CM E x p r ess N e w s S e r v i ce @ Hyderabad Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Tuesday appealed to Maoists to surrender before the Telangana police and join the mainstream. Speaking at a Police Commemoration Day event in Hyderabad, he recalled that many Maoist leaders had already laid down arms. “Telangana once suffered from Maoist and terrorist activities. The indomitable spirit and courage shown by the state police has helped curb these threats. I appeal to all active Maoist leaders and members to surrender and become partners in nation-building,” the chief minister stated. He commended the Telangana police for their role in eliminating Rowdy-sheeter the Maoist threat and adapting Riyaz shot dead new technologies to strengthen policing. Nizamabad: The last rites Citing the India Justice Report of rowdy-sheeter Shaik 2025, Revanth pointed out that TeRiyaz, who was killed in langana was ranked first in the an alleged encounter country for policing and had also with the police in the earned praise from the Ministry GGH, Nizamabad on of External Affairs for its transMonday, were performed parent passport verification by his family members system. after a postmortem was The chief minister paid tributes conducted in the to 191 police personnel, including presence of a magistrate six from Telangana, who lost their on Tuesday | P2 lives in service. He said policing was meant to safeguard law-abiding citizens while ensuring that protests in a democracy did not inconvenience the public. He announced `1 crore ex gratia, a government job, a 300 sq yd house plot, and the last drawn salary till retirement for the family of Pramod Kumar, a CCS constable from Nizamabad who was killed while on duty last week by rowdy-sheeter Shaik Riyaz. Additional ex gratia of `16 lakh from the Police Security Welfare Fund and `8 lakh from the Police Welfare Fund would also be given, the chief minister pointed out.  continued on P5 Probe ordered into alleged custodial torture at Kollapur T G N a i d u @ Hyderabad The Telangana High Court has directed the Superintendent of Police, Nagarkurnool, to conduct a detailed inquiry into the alleged custodial assault of a complainant by Kollapur police personnel and to produce CCTV footage from the police station recorded between 11 am and 3 pm on September 17, 2025. Expressing his strong displeasure, Justice NV Shravan Kumar issued the direction while hearing a writ petition filed by Chirumani Balaraju of Mulachintalapalli village, who alleged that he was illegally de- tained and assaulted when he went to lodge a complaint. Balaraju said one Goda Kurmayya had dumped gravel on his land, and when he objected, Kurmayya’s relatives assaulted him. On September 17, when he approached Kollapur police, the SI and two constables allegedly beat him with leather belts and lathis. He submitted photographs of his injuries and said the incident was recorded on CCTV . The court directed the SP to preserve the footage and ensure a comprehensive inquiry into the conduct of the police officers and posted the matter to November 6.