Asian Games declared open, Indians march on The Indian contingent, led by double Olympic medallist shooter Manu Bhaker (centre right) and Asiad gold medallist Kabaddi player Pawan Sehrawat (centre left), march on during the Opening Ceremony of the 20th Asian Games at Mizoho Sports Park in Nagoya, Japan on Saturday. India’s medal hunt begins on Sunday in teqball | P11 tadepalligudem l sunday l september 20, 2026 l `12.00 l PAGES 24 l city EDITION PIC: PTI 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 Trump signs Russia curbs Act, extends H-1B visa fee Legislation authorises US prez to slap up to 100% tariff on India D i pa k M o n d a l @ New Delhi WITH THIS ISSUE Essay The Republic of the Plate PLUS 12 P AGES US visa fee extension faces legal wrangles US President Donald Trump late Friday (US time) signed the controversial ‘Lindsey O Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026’, authorising US to impose tariffs of up to 100% J aya n t h J a c o b @ New Delhi on imports from the five largest foreign buyers of Russian crude oil and natural gas, putting US President Donald Trump has extended the India and China at direct risk of penalties. measure requiring a $100,000 fee on employers The Act provides for property-blocking sancfor new H-1B visa applications by another year, tions on foreign vessels that knowingly transthe White House said. port certain Russian-origin products, including Trump, who has intensified his immigration crude oil, uranium and coal. crackdown, has repeatedly attacked The US Senate passed the Bill on Authe H-1B programme and pushed to gust 7, while the House of Representamake the $100,000 fee permanent, up tives approved it on September 16. The from the existing $2,000–$5,000 range. law will take effect within 30 days. DurThe move, however, has also been ing this period, the US Trade Reprecaught in legal tangles. sentative will identify countries to be “The restrictions enacted by the 2025 targeted and recommend tariff rates. Proclamation have proven to be highly The law provides a chance to countries effective. It is in the interests of US to to reduce Russian energy purchases extend the 2025 Proclamation for an adwithin 180 days and negotiate with US ditional 12 months, until 12:00 am eastfor a lower tariff. Apart from China and ern daylight time on September 21, India, Turkiye, EU and Myanmar are other three top importers of Russian An extension of the 2027, ” the proclamation said. The policy is particularly consecrude. 2025 Proclamation quential for Indian professionals. The India, which sourced around 30% of will continue to its crude oil imports from Russia in protect the economic US Citizenship and Immigration ServFY2026 — $40.8 billion out of total and national security ices data shows 71% of approved H-1B interests of the petitions in fiscal 2024 involved beneficrude imports of $134.7 billion — now United States ciaries born in India, compared with faces the risk of tariffs of up to 100% 11.7% born in China.The H-1B proon its exports to the US. Donald Trump gramme, created by Congress in 1990, India has maintained it will take necenables US employers to temporarily employ essary measures to protect its economic interforeign professionals in specialised occupaests. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) tions. It is heavily used by technology compahad earlier said the law could affect bilateral nies and has become an important mode for ties and international energy market. recruiting workers from India and China. “The Indian side has made clear its determiThe extension comes amid legal challenges. nation to take all necessary measures to protect A federal judge blocked the $100,000 requireits trade and economic interests,” MEA said ment in June 2026 and ruled that the adminisTrade and geopolitical analysts said India tration lacked authority to impose the payment, should negotiate with US to limit the law’s according to Reuters. impact. ‘System’ is suppressing youth: Rahul P r e e t h a n a i r @ Indore Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Saturday said the ‘system’ is suppressing students and does not want them to raise questions about unemployment and examination irregularities. Addressing a huge gathering of students at the ‘Chhatron Ki Goonj’ event in Indore, Rahul said the very institutions created to support students and protect universities and colleges are now working against them. “The system has captured the entire country It does not want students . to raise questions,” he said. “Students are asking questions about the system, including about certain industrialists, but the Andhbhakts oppose them. Only students can wipe out violence and hatred from the country, not Andhbhakts.” He said nearly 10 lakh teaching posts were vacant across the country and this reflected the government’s failure to protect the future of the youth. “The students are the foundation of the country. Students make the country And as I said earlier, edu. cation is not a luxury. Education is not a favour. Education is the right of every student in India,” he said. He charged that the system does not want the judiciary, the bureaucracy, the Election Commission and other institutions to function independently. He claimed that the six people who run the system are Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, and industrialists Gautam Adani and Mukesh Ambani. rainfall deficit Declare drought-affected mandals by Oct 1: Naidu S V i s w a n at h @ Vijayawada Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has directed officials to scientifically assess the prevailing drought-like conditions in the State, and declare drought-affected mandals by October 1. At an official meeting at his camp office in Undavalli on Saturday Naidu reviewed the rainfall deficit, drought , impact, status of agricultural and horticultural crops, problems faced by small and marginal farmers and drinking water availability He stressed the need for tak. ing advance measures to prevent crop loss and drinking water shortage. Officials informed the Chief Minister that a preliminary assessment for the 2026 Kharif season indicated drought-like conditions in 513 mandals across 28 districts. The situation was classified as severe in 268 mandals and moderate in 245 mandals. The assessment was based on information from six departments, covered rainfall, crop cultivation, groundwater levels, soil moisture, satellite imagery and P4 water storage in reservoirs, they said.