tuesdAY new us visa rules: firms to pay a bomb for extending l-1s, h-1bs 11 august, 2026 Large employers now have to pay a fee of $4,000 for H-1B and $4,500 for L-1 applications for extension of visas of their employees epaper.morningstandard.in facebook.com/TheMorningStandard X.com/TheMornStandard iran new military chief named takes effect from september 9 Earlier, these fees were applicable only for initial H-1B and L-1 petitions or if the applicants changed jobs. The 9-11 Response and Biometric Entry-Exit Fee, applicable to employers with 50 or more employees in the US if more than 50% are in H-1B or L-1 nonimmigrant status, takes effect from September 9, as per the Department of Homeland Security The country’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei on Monday appointed Major General Ali Abdollahi as chief of staff of the armed forces. A CAPITAL VIEW OF NEWS Page 9 l New Delhi l l J8.00 PAGES 12 $157.3 mn is the annual revenue that the fee hike will generate for the us Women’s jeans don’t corrupt boys: HC U D AYA N K I S HORE @ New Delhi The suggestion that a woman wearing jeans could “corrupt young boys” reflects a “deeply troubling and unacceptable mindset”, the Delhi High Court said on Monday making , clear that the responsibility for conduct can’t be placed on the clothes of women. It said the answer was not to control what women wore, but to teach children to control their conduct, respect personal boundaries and treat every human being with dignity . Justice Chandrasekharan Batons, tear gas mark march of Ranchi students AT LEAST four students and one policemen were injured during a clash near the Jharkhand Assembly on Monday, when police used water cannons, tear gas and batons to stop students protesting against alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations, officials said. The clash took place after the protesters breached multiple barricades near the Vidhan Sabha. This is for the first time in the history of Jharkhand that protesting students reached so close to the state assembly . Though the administration had erected multiple barricades and deployed a large police contingent to stop the protesters from reaching the Assembly, the students waded through the barriers. They dismantled seven to eight barricades near Jagannath Temple before resuming their march. Ranchi Rural SP Gaurav Goswami said police had to use batons after some protesters at- tempted to reach the final barricading, where prohibitory orders under Section 163 were already in force. The students are adamant on their demands of cancellation of the 14th Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) (Preliminary) Group 1 examination and a CBI inquiry into the Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission Combined Graduate Level (JSSC CGL) examination. Student leader Devendra Nath Mahto, who has been on a hunger strike for nine days, reached the protest site in an ambulance and participated in the march on a stretcher. “The reverse of the word ‘yuva’ (youth) is ‘vayu’ (air), and no one can stop the air,” Mahto said. “The government is trying to suppress our voice by using water cannons and tear gas shells. This is reprehensible,” Mahto said. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi condemned the use of force against students protesting in Jharkhand and called on the state government, of which Exclusive for CBI, NIA cases Set up 2 spl courts for Manipur violence: SC U D AYA N K I S HORE @ New Delhi THE Supreme Court on Monday asked authorities concerned to consider setting up two trial courts to exclusively deal with cases arising out of the 2023 Manipur violence. A bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and justices Joymalya Bagchi and V Mohana said that one court will be for CBI cases, while another will try cases lodged by NIA. “Our concern is whether these courts are dealing exclusively with CBI and NIA cases arising out of the Manipur violence, or whether they are also dealing with other cases,” the bench said. It directed the state and Central security agencies to ensure that probe agencies carry out their investigations without interruption. “With respect to law and order, the CBI and NIA shall be facilitated so that they are able to carry out investigation uninterruptedly said CJI Surya Kant. Before this or,” der, cases of the 2023 Manipur violence were being heard in the SC, the HC bench at Gauhati and local courts in the state. The bench took note of Centre’s submission that the CBI filed final reports in 27 of 31 Manipur violence cases, while NIA filed chargesheets in 15 of 30 cases. The Supreme Court took suo motu cognisance of the issue after a video of two women being paraded without clothes amid the violence went viral. Meet with Naga body Manipur CM Yumnam Khemchand Singh on Monday reviewed security situation along the National Highways, even as a state government delegation held a meeting with the United Naga Council (UNC) to cajole it to lift “economic blockade” for resumption of bus services E x p r e s s Re a d Sourav Ganguly, wife get death threats Sourav Ganguly, ex-president of the Board of Cricket Control of India (BCCI), and his wife Dona received death threats. Ganguly’s private secretary Tania Bhattacharya has lodged a complaint with Thakurpukur police station. The letter written in English contains threats like ‘eliminate’ or ‘finish’ Ganguly. Sudha made the observation while convicting a man accused of sexually harassing a girl in 2013. The accused had been acquitted by a trial court in 2014. The HC was hearing an appeal against that order. According to the survivor, the accused, her neighbour, stalked her, made sexually coloured remarks and touched her inappropriately . The HC criticised the line of cross-examination adopted by the defence counsel, saying questions about the survivor’s clothing were “wholly irrelevant” and appeared intended to morally judge her. The judge noted that the questions put to the survivor referred to her “wester n” dressing, the religion of the local residents and their objections to her clothing. “What a girl or woman chooses to wear is a matter of her personal choice. Neither her neigh- Parliament deadlock Shah ready to debate students’ stir; Cong adds temple theft to demand Police use water cannons on agitators, CM appeals to resolve issue with dialogue Muk e s h r a n j a n @ Ranchi What a girl or woman chooses to wear is a matter of her personal choice... The suggestion that a woman wearing jeans may corrupt young boys reflects deeply troubling, unacceptable mindset —Judge Student leader Devendra Nath Mahto (above) during the march towards the Jharkhand assembly; and police personnel deploy water cannons (top) to disperse student protesters | PTI Deepti Gaur Mukerjee new higher edu secy Senior bureaucrat Deepti Gaur Mukerjee was on Monday appointed the new Higher Education Secretary. She succeeds Vineet Joshi, who was appointed last month as the Secretary in the Ministry of Panchayati Raj | P7 Congress is a part, to hear the protesters out and resolve their issues immediately . Meanwhile, the state CID on Monday arrested former JPSC Chairman L Khiangte in connection with alleged irregularities in 14th Combined Civil Services Examination. Chief Minister Hemant Soren in a late night post on X said, “I assure you (protesters) that action will be taken on your demands with utmost seriousness and sensitivity... let us resolve this issue together through dialogue.” PREETHA N AIR @ New Delhi THE Parliament stand-off continued on Monday even after the government offered a debate and Home Minister Amit Shah’s reply on the student protests and police action, with the Congress insisting that Prime Minister Narendra Modi reply to a discussion on the donation theft at the Ayodhya Ram temple. While Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi demanded that Shah disclose who authorised the use of pellet guns against the protesters, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju hit back saying Shah will give a proper reply but the Opposition should not try to run away from the discussion by disrupting House proceedings. Speaking to reporters after the Business Advisory Committee meeting, Rijiju said the government is ready for a full-fledged discussion in the Lok Sabha on the student protests and police action across the country and Shah will reply to the debate, provided the Opposition promises to listen peacefully . Congress is shifting goalposts: Nadda Responding to Rahul Gandhi’s charges, Union Health Minister JP Nadda said the Congress is repeatedly shifting goalposts to disrupt Parliament. He said the Opposition party’s demand moved from a debate on NEET paper leak, a statement from Home Minister Amit Shah on the student protests, and then to the Ram temple trust issue Shah has not been seen in the House in the ongoing session even though he has been regularly coming to Parliament House complex. On a question whether the issue of alleged theft of donation will also be discussed, he said the Uttar Pradesh government’s probe through a special investigation team and several other steps are going on. Responding to the government’s offer that Shah will speak in Parliament, Rahul said the question was never about whether Shah can give a speech in Parliament on ‘general issues’. “The question was that Home Minister Shah has to make it clear who authorised the shooting of our children in Delhi. He is the home minister; pellet guns were fired,” Rahul said, asking Shah to come clean on whether he gave the firing orders or not. Talking to the media alongside party chief Mallikarjun Kharge, Rahul said if Shah ordered it, he is culpable; if he didn’t know, he is incompetent, adding Shah “should go” either way . Rahul added that Modi must apologise for the police action during the protests. The third issue, he said, is the Ayodhya donation theft. Kharge said the Opposition wanted a discussion on these issues but the government did not say anything for 15 days, which shows it did not want a discussion. p7 Govt willing to consider JPC route for FCRA bill P r e e t h a N a i r @ New Delhi The government is likely to consider referring the contentious Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026, to a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) for detailed scrutiny before tabling it in Parliament, said sources. Neither the FCRA Bill nor the proposed Delimitation Bill figured in Monday’s Business Advisory Committee (BAC) meeting despite strong speculation that the government could take up the legislation in the remaining days of the monsoon session. This newspaper reported on Saturday that the government has not listed the two bills for the BAC meeting on Monday . Opposition sources told this DMK calls for withdrawal of the bill The bill has drawn pushback from DMK, whose support is crucial for the government for the Delimitation Bill. A delegation led by DMK MP P Wilson met Home Minister Amit Shah and urged him to withdraw the bill and repeal Section 15 of the existing law newspaper that the government has proposed referring the bill to a JPC. However, they insisted that the legislation be withdrawn altogether. On Saturday, NCP(SP) working president Supriya Sule said one cannot always view foreign funding with suspicion and urged the Centre to either withdraw it or refer it to a JPC. The party opposed the FCRA Bill in its present form, she said. Meanwhile, a delegation of eight NCP(SP) MPs in the Lok Sabha met PM Narendra Modi on Monday . The FCRA Amendment Bill, 2026, was introduced in the Lok Sabha on March 25 this year. However, it was put on hold after pushback from various stakeholders. The bill has drawn pushback from the DMK at a time when the Centre is looking to secure the party’s support for its proposed delimitation bill. In a social media post, DMK president MK Sta- lin said that a delegation of the Joint Action Forum on Minorities, led by party MP P Wilson, met Union Home Minister Amit Shah and urged him to withdraw the FCRA Amendment Bill and sought the repeal of Section 15 of the existing law. Alternatively, it asked the government to refer the bill, along with a comprehensive review of the functioning of the FCRA, to a JPC. On Sunday, Mizoram Chief Minister Lalduhoma and leading Christian organisations also urged the Centre to refer the bill to a JPC. The Congress and other Opposition parties, including Samajwadi Party and the Left, said that they will strongly oppose the bill if it is introduced in Parliament. bours, nor society, nor the accused, nor counsel appearing in a court of law has any right to dictate her clothing. It is simply none of their concern. The suggestion that a woman wearing jeans may ‘corrupt young boys’ reflects a deeply troubling and unacceptable mindset,” the judge said. The judge added, “The answer does not lie in controlling the clothes of women. Parents and society must instead teach their children to control their conduct, respect personal boundaries and treat every human with dignity .” e-Visa entry network expanded with 11 new ports The government has notified 11 additional international ports to facilitate the entry and exit of foreign nationals holding e-Visas, the MHA said on Monday. | P7 Kerala move to name bizman in NIT-Calicut body sparks row P o o j a N a i r @ Kozhikode A routine nomination has turned into a major row, with the recommendation of businessman Lefeer Muhamed as one of the Kerala government nominees to the governing body of the National Institute of Technology Calicut (NIT-C) ruffling political feathers. The state government has the authority to recommend two members to the NIT-C governing body for a two-year term. The current nominations were decided by the UDF. Under an understanding within the alliance, one nomination was allocated to the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) and the other to the Congress. While the Congress picked K Ananda Mani of Kozhikode, the League nominated Lefeer. Taking exception to Lafeer’s nomination, the BJP has launched protests and announced plans to intensify the agitation if the nomination is not reconsidered. The party has said that the customs department, in January 2021, had questioned Lafeer, who has businesses overseas, in connection with the Kerala gold and dollar smuggling case. The party has alleged that the state government had failed to exercise due diligence while recommending members to a key academic institution. The composition of the top body at NIT-C is governed by the National Institutes of Technology Act, 2007, which lays down the structure of the Board of Governors (BoG). `271 cr penthouse: Gurugram in Mumbai-Manhattan league h a r p r e e t b a j w a @ Chandigarh Gurugram is now in the same league as Manhattan and Mumbai when it comes to real estate. A penthouse in the Millennium City has sold for `271 crore, making it the most expensive single residential transaction ever recorded in India on a persquare-foot basis. E n t r e p r e n e u r M a n av Sardana, associated with Imperial Auto, acquired by global private equity firm Warburg Pincus, bought the penthouse at DLF’s ultra-luxury The Dahl- ias in Sector 54, Golf Course Road, people aware of the transaction said. The residence has a 17,200 sqft super area and 10,500 sqft carpet area, translating to about `1.58 lakh per sqft on super area and nearly `2.6 lakh per sqft on carpet area. That takes Gurugram close to Mumbai, India’s most expensive residential market, where transactions in Worli and other prime locations have crossed `2 lakh per sqft. It is also in the price bracket of Manhattan’s most exclusive condominiums, where premium units command `1.7-2.6 lakh per sqft. The deal breaks the previous benchmark set by investor Madhusudan Kela, who bought a unit in The Dahlias for `120.7 crore. In 2024, entrepreneur Ri- shi Parti bought a 16,290 sqft penthouse at DLF’s The Camellias for `190 crore, at about `1.8 lakh per sq ft on carpet area. The Dahlias, launched in October 2024, comprises 420 residences across 29 levels and eight towers spread over 17 acres in DLF Phase 5, amid more than 50 acres of manmade lakes. DLF has positioned it as one of its most ambitious super-luxury residential developments, with the project value at more than `40,000 crore. Apartments cost between `100 crore and `170 crore, while penthouses cost more. The buyer profile is changing too. DLF has said nearly a third of demand is coming from outside the NCR and from NRIs. DLF managing director and chief business officer Aakash Ohri recently said that about 34 units had been sold in the preceding quarter. Luxury-apartment demand has risen across India’s seven major cities since the Covid pandemic, with Gurugram and Mumbai witnessing a series of big-ticket apartment and penthouse sales.