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 vijayawada l sunday l september 20, 2026 l `12.00 l PAGES 24 l late 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 imcrude oil, uranium and coal. migration crackdown, has repeatedly The US Senate passed the Bill on Auattacked the H-1B programme and gust 7, while the House of Representapushed to make the $100,000 fee pertives approved it on September 16. The manent, up from the existing $2,000– law will take effect within 30 days. $5,000 range. The move, however, has During this period, the US Trade Repalso been caught in legal tangles. resentative will identify countries to “The restrictions enacted by the be targeted and recommend tariff 2025 Proclamation have proven to be rates. The law provides a chance to highly effective. It is in the interests countries to reduce Russian energy of US to extend the 2025 Proclamation purchases within 180 days and negotifor an additional 12 months, until 12:00 ate with US for a lower tariff. Apart am eastern daylight time on Septemfrom China and India, Turkiye, EU An extension of the ber 21, 2027, ” the proclamation said. and Myanmar are other three top im2025 Proclamation The policy is particularly conseporters of Russian crude. will continue to quential for Indian professionals. The India, which sourced around 30% of protect the economic its crude oil imports from Russia in and national security US Citizenship and Immigration Servinterests of the ices data shows 71% of approved H-1B FY2026 — $40.8 billion out of total United States petitions in fiscal 2024 involved beneficrude imports of $134.7 billion — now ciaries born in India, compared with faces the risk of tariffs of up to 100% Donald Trump 11.7% born in China.The H-1B proon its exports to the US. gramme, created by Congress in 1990, enables India has maintained it will take necessary US employers to temporarily employ foreign measures to protect its economic interests. The professionals in specialised occupations. It is Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) had earlier heavily used by technology companies and has said the law could affect bilateral ties and interbecome an important mode for recruiting worknational energy market. ers 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 tration lacked authority to impose the payment, India should negotiate with US to limit the according to Reuters. law’s 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 (blind followers) oppose them. Only students can wipe out violence and hatred from the country, not andhbhakts.” “Students respect women, but andhbhakts are patriarchal and attack and humiliate women. Students are honest, while the andhbhakts are dishonest and liars,” he said, amidst huge applause. 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. Rahul charged that the system does not want the judiciary, the bureaucracy, the Election Commission and other institutions to function independently . 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.