Nasscom to Counter H1-B Visa Bill
Mumbai: In a bid to counter the bill for H1-B visas which has been re-introduced in the US Congress after a failed attempt in July last year, Nasscom will highlight the discriminatory nature of the proposed provisions, a top official said.
"The US government's statistics said there is shortage of skilled workers. It is question of demand and supply. The current bill and many other such legislative measures are applied on a discriminatory basis.
"We continue to share our perceptions about the skill shortages that exist, the kind of contribution the IT industry has made to corporate America. We share our deep concern at the discriminatory nature of the proposed provisions," Nasscom's President R. Chandrashekhar told BTVi in an interview.
The bill proposes a minimum pay of $100,000 annually to every employee taken to US under the H1-B visa which is an over 66 per cent increase from the current average. He said the bill was a statement of intention at this point of time. "We have to see what route it takes.
It does not immediately mean that anything is going to happen in a hurry," said Chandrashekhar. The competitiveness of the industry arises from the value proposition of India, he said. "In the past, there has been reluctance in the US Congress to deal with such issues relating to immigration on a piecemeal basis in preference for a more comprehensive bill which covers all the aspects of immigration," he said.
--IANS
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A woman was killed and four other civilians were injured in Uri in Jammu and Kashmir's Baramulla district as the Pakistan army intensified artillery fire across the Line of Control (LoC) in Kashmir, officials said, adding that a large number of houses have also been damaged in the cross-border shelling.
Reports state that a Pakistani shell struck the vehicle the woman was traveling in, resulting in her death. The woman was identified as Nargis Bashir, and some of her family members had boarded a vehicle to flee from the Razarwani village in Uri that was hit by the mortar and artillery shells from Pakistan.
In an attempt to educate and make people aware about the consequences of war amid Pakistan's continuous firing in the border states, the Delhi government did a mock drill to test air raid sirens installed at the Public Works Department (PWD) at ITO and asked people to not react out of panic.
District Magistrate (Central) G. Sudhakar also urged people to remain calm and not be alarmed when they hear the sirens.
At least twice, sirens sounded during the drill, which started at 3 pm.
PWD Minister Parvesh Verma said 40-50 more such sirens will be installed across the national capital, each of which will cover an area of 8 km.
Residents present in Rajouri along the Line of Control have started moving to safer areas after heavy cross-border shelling and attempted drone and missile attacks last night by Pakistan. All drone and missile attacks were intercepted and foiled by India's air defence system.
#WATCH | J&K | Residents of Rajouri living along the LOC have started moving to safer areas after heavy cross-border shelling and attempted drone and missile attacks last night by Pakistan.
— ANI (@ANI) May 9, 2025
All drone and missile attacks were intercepted by India's air defence system and foiled,… pic.twitter.com/XITK0CsejT
Pakistan has claimed that its Economic Affairs Division account on social media has been hacked and called the post where it appealed for more loans from the international community owing to losses from Operation Sindoor "fake."
In a post on X, Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs Fact Checker shared a picture of the post and mentioned that it was "fake." Additionally, it asserted that the account had undergone hacking.
A missile-like object is found deep inside the Dal Lake after loud explosions were heard on Saturday morning in Srinagar, which is a major tourist attraction. The defense ministry also confirms that Pakistan has intruded into Srinagar's airspace in a press release.
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