FP The publishers permit sharing of the e-paper's pdf on WhatsApp and other social media platforms FREE PRESS Vol. XLII No. 104 | INDORE | SUNDAY | SEPTEMBER 21, 2025 | Pages 20 ` 4 | Regd. No. Indore MP/ICD 216/2024-2026 | RNI No. 38281/83 www.freepressjournal.in WO R L D ALZHEIMER DAY TRUCK TRAGEDY AFTERMATH Essential service vehicles barred during rush hour INDORE: In the aftermath of the airport road accident that claimed three lives and left 18 pedestrians injured, the district administration has decided to strictly stop the entry of heavy vehicles beyond their permissible time of 11 pm to 6 am. Even the entry of vehicles engaged in essential services has been regulated. The entry of these vehicles has been banned between 9 am and 12 noon and from 7 pm to 9 pm. See Page 5 for details Sports Saif, Hridoy fifties guide B’desh to four-wicket win over Lanka P.18 ESTD-1983 iii QUALITY @ VALUE EDITIONS: INDORE WORLD Russia’s large-scale attack on Ukraine kills 3, hurts dozens HARD DRIVE | US President orders steep hike in annual H-1B non-immigrant visa fee to USD 100,000 for new applicants TRUMP DROPS H-1B VISA BOMB Agencies WASHINGTON President Donald Trump on Friday signed a proclamation that will require a $100,000 annual visa fee for highly-skilled foreign workers and rolled out a $1 million “gold card” visa as a pathway to U.S. citizenship for wealthy individuals, moves that face near-certain legal challenges amid widespread criticism he is sidestepping Congress. If the moves survive legal muster, they will deliver staggering price increases. The visa fee for skilled workers would jump from $215. The fee for investor visas, which are common in many European countries, would climb from $10,000-$20,000 a year. H-1B visas, which require at least a bachelor’s degree, are meant for high-skilled jobs that tech companies find difficult to fill. Critics say the program is a pipeline for overseas workers who are often willing to work for as little as $60,000 annually, well below the $100,000plus salaries. (See PG-9) 4Continued on | P10 THE MOST HIT Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) is the second-highest beneficiary with 5,505 approved H-1B visas in 2025, after Amazon (10,044 workers on H-1B visas), according to the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). Other top beneficiaries include Microsoft (5,189), Meta (5,123), Apple (4,202), Google (4,181), Deloitte (2,353), Infosys (2,004), Wipro (1,523) and Tech Mahindra Americas (951). Geographically, California has the highest number of H-1B workers. According to USCIS (year 2024), India comprises 71 % of the beneficiaries, China 11.7%, Philippines 1.3 % , Canada 1.1% ,South Korea 1 %. The rest, Mexico, Taiwan, Pakistan, Brazil, and Nigeria comprise less than 1 % each. India flags disruptions The Government of India has taken note of reports regarding proposed restrictions on the US H-1B visa program. In a press statement, the Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson said that the move is likely to have humanitarian consequences, disrupting families, and that the full implications of the measure are being carefully studied by all concerned parties, including Indian industry, which has already released an initial analysis clarifying certain perceptions related to the H-1B program IT SPELLS CHAOS: NASSCOM FPNS/Mumbai Industry body Nasscom on Saturday warned that the United States’ move to hike H1B visa application fees to a steep USD 100,000 will disrupt business continuity and create chaos for technology firms, professionals and students worldwide. The apex IT industry body flagged the September 21 implementation deadline as unrealistic, saying a one-day notice period creates “considerable uncertainty” and leaves no time for businesses and individuals to adapt. 4Continued on | P10 UJJAIN PUNE BHOPAL NASHIK MUMBAI E-paper Nation Cong takes on modified visa fees P.9 Cinema Deepika begins King shoot P.17 MODI’S RIPOSTE: ATMANIRBHARTA Agencies NEW DELHI Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday made a powerful pitch for India’s economic self-reliance, saying the country’s biggest enemy was its dependence on other nations — a remark that took on sharper relevance in the backdrop of U.S. President Donald Trump’s latestmove to impose a $100,000 (over ₹88 lakh) fee on H-1B visa applicants. Speaking at the ‘Samudra se Samruddhi’ event at Bhavnagar’s Gandhi Maidan, where he inaugurated and laid foundation stones for projects worth ₹34,200 crore, Modi urged the country to see this as a wake-up call. “In the true sense, India does not have any big enemy in the world. Our only enemy is dependence on other countries. The greater the dependence, the higher the rate of failure,” he said. He underlined that India must build everything “from chips to ships,” stressing that the future of 1.4 billion Indians cannot be left to decisions taken in foreign capitals. “There is only one medicine for a hundred sorrows — Atmanirbharta (selfreliance),” the Prime Minister declared, drawing applause from the gathering. Modi linked India’s maritime dependence with its economic vulnerability, revealing that the country spends nearly ₹6 lakh crore annually on foreign shipping services, There is only one medicine for a hundred sorrows — Atmanirbharta (self-reliance) Narendra Modi Prime Minister an amount almost equal to India’s defence budget. “Around 50 years ago, 40% of our trade was carried by Indian ships. Today, that figure has fallen to just 5%. This is unacceptable if we want to stand strong before the world,” he said.In a sharp attack on previous Congress-led governments, Modi accused them of stifling India’s potential by trapping the country in licence-permit raj and later choosing an importdriven approach post-liberalisation. “Scams worth thousands of crores weakened our economy and robbed our youth of opportunities. India has no shortage of talent, but it was suppressed for decades,” he said. 4Continued on | P10 Satna boy’s two drones pass test at army camp FP News Service SATNA A resident of the Kitaha area in the Satna district, Anshuman Shukla, has made two drones for the Indian Army to destroy the enemy. The drones passed the test on the campus of 609 EME Battalion, Meerut district, Uttar Pradesh.  Now, Anshuman is working on increasing their range. Besides Shukla, his two friends, Abhijit Patel and Akhilesh Singh Rathore, are also involved in the project. The Government of India has said Operation Sindoor is underway. The manufacturing of these drones is part of Operation Sindoor. One of the drones has been made to attack the enemies, and the other is for estimating the losses. Son of a contractor, Anil Shukla, Anshuman got the idea of making a drone from the Russia-Ukraine war. Anshuman is doing BE (mechanical) at the Institute of Engineering Technology, Indore. Anshuman and his friends handed over the project to Lieutenant Colonel of 609 Battalion, Nitin Verma. They completed the project from August 10 to September 5. 4Continued on | P10