Author: Deepika chandrasekar

 JPMorgan Chase, the largest bank in the United States, has instructed its H-1B visa holders currently outside the country to return before September 21, following President Donald Trump’s new order that places an annual $100,000 fee on companies for each skilled foreign worker employed under the H-1B program. The directive, which came into effect at 12:01 a.m. ET on September 21, has sent ripples through the technology and banking industries, particularly Indian IT firms that are heavily dependent on these visas to deploy engineers and consultants to American clients. According to Reuters, JPMorgan’s external immigration counsel sent a precautionary email…

Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared on Saturday that India’s greatest obstacle is not any external adversary but its deep reliance on foreign nations. Addressing a gathering in Bhavnagar, Gujarat, he emphasized that dependence undermines strength, dignity, and global standing. “We have no significant enemy worldwide. Our only true enemy is dependence on others,” Modi said. “The larger our reliance, the greater our national failure. The future of 1.4 billion Indians cannot be left in foreign hands.” The Prime Minister linked his remarks to the broader vision of Atmanirbharta (self-reliance), highlighting it as the foundation for India’s progress. According to him,…

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while addressing a gathering in Dhar, Madhya Pradesh on his 75th birthday, praised the Indian armed forces for their decisive strike in Operation Sindoor. He highlighted how the offensive left Pakistan-backed terror groups shaken, with a Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) commander admitting the devastating impact of the May 7 operation. The Prime Minister referred to a recently surfaced confession video in which senior JeM figure Masood Ilyas Kashmiri revealed that the Indian military destroyed their Bahawalpur base, inflicting heavy casualties on the family of the group’s leader, Maulana Masood Azhar. Modi said, “Just yesterday, the nation and the…

India and the European Union are set to hold the 14th round of negotiations for a proposed free trade agreement in Brussels from October 6 to 10. Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal affirmed that both sides are committed to forging a balanced and mutually beneficial agreement in the near future. While acknowledging that not all issues may see immediate consensus, Goyal expressed confidence in reaching a “very good agreement” through the ongoing discussions. Intense negotiations between Indian and EU teams have been underway to address key trade and investment matters, with the 13th round having been conducted from September…

Kashyap Pramod Patel, who took charge as director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in 2025, has been thrust into the spotlight for his role in the investigation into the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. His appointment to this position reflects a career marked by years of experience across criminal defense, prosecution, national security, and political advising. Patel’s trajectory provides an extraordinary look at how law, intelligence, and politics converge at the highest levels of American power. Born in Garden City, New York, in 1980, Patel’s upbringing was deeply influenced by his family’s history. His father, a Ugandan refugee…

A new academic study has revealed that Indian-Americans have overwhelmingly favored the Democratic Party in political campaign donations over the past two decades. The research, led by Karnav Popat and Vishnu Prakash of Ashoka University alongside Joyojeet Pal of the University of Michigan, found that Indian-Americans provided about $46.6 million to Democrats compared to $16.3 million to Republicans during the 2020 presidential cycle. The study highlights that Indian-American donors from nearly every sector—including traditionally conservative fields such as finance—aligned more with Democrats. Joyojeet Pal suggested that former President Donald Trump’s tariffs on India may have been linked to the community’s…

Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, during his visit to the United Arab Emirates on Thursday, described the BAPS Hindu Temple in Abu Dhabi as an “impossible miracle.” He praised the Mandir’s breathtaking design, creative expression, and message of inclusivity, calling it a shining example of India’s spiritual heritage flourishing abroad. Pradhan expressed his admiration for the tireless service of BAPS saints and the Swaminarayan Sanstha, noting that their dedication represents a “civilizational milestone” on foreign soil. He emphasized that the temple is not merely a place of worship but a symbol of India’s timeless values of peace, unity, and spirituality,…

Indian American animal rights leader Poorva Joshipura has been appointed as the first-ever president of PETA International, marking a historic milestone for the organization. A longtime member of the board of directors of PETA India, Joshipura will now oversee PETA’s projects and initiatives across Europe, Asia, and parts of the Middle East. Born in Philadelphia to Gujarati parents and raised in Suffolk, Virginia, Joshipura’s journey into animal activism began more than 25 years ago. She joined PETA as an intern at its Norfolk, Virginia headquarters in 1999, after graduating magna cum laude in psychology from Old Dominion University. Over the…

Banten Province has embraced the national Child-Friendly Temple movement by designating six temples as centers for child development that integrate religious instruction, character education, and the cultivation of mutual respect. According to Ida Bagus Alit Wiratmaja, Chairperson of the Indonesian Hindu Dharma Council (PHDI) in Banten, this initiative is part of a nationwide program organized by the Directorate General of Hindu Community Guidance in partnership with the PHDI Central Office. “Child-Friendly Temples are more than places of worship—they are Centers of Excellence dedicated to nurturing the next generation of Hindus,” Ida Bagus Alit said on August 10, 2025. He emphasized…

Seventeen-year-old Tejasvi Manoj, an Indian-American from Frisco, Texas, has been named TIME magazine’s ‘Kid of the Year’ for 2025 for her groundbreaking initiative ‘Shield Seniors’, a platform designed to help older adults recognise and report online scams. TIME noted that “older Americans clearly need protection, and Tejasvi was determined to provide it,” praising her commitment to building digital safety for seniors. She also became the first honouree to simultaneously earn a TIME for Kids Service Star, a recognition of young changemakers making a social impact. ‘Shield Seniors’ is currently in a private preview stage, using a free AI engine to…