Trump hikes H-1B visa fees to $100,000
Context: In a move that is likely to disrupt the mobility of skilled workers from India to the U.S., U.S. President Donald Trump sharply raised H-1B visa fees, from the current $2,000-$5,000 range to a flat $100,000, or almost ₹90 lakh.
- The presidential proclamation directed the U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security to “restrict approvals” for H-1B visa petitions from applicants who are “currently” outside the United States, unless they are accompanied by the new fees.
- “Skilled labour mobility and exchanges have contributed enormously to technology development, innovation, economic growth, competitiveness and wealth creation in the U.S. and India. Policy makers will therefore assess the recent steps, taking into account mutual benefits, which include strong people-to-people ties between the countries.
State government brings 12 services under ESMA
Context: The State government has notified 12 functions in Bengaluru city, essentially solid waste management, water supply, public health, ambulance and crematorium services, among others, under the Karnataka Essential Services Maintenance Act (K-ESMA), 2013.
- “Government of Karnataka is of the opinion that a refusal to work by employees…would prejudicially affect the maintenance of public utility services which are necessary for the life of the community or would result in the infliction of grave hardship on the community”, making a case to bring these services under K-ESMA, 2013.
- The city has seen several strikes by pourakarmikas and garbage collectors over the last decade and a half, which will become difficult henceforth, with this order. “Ironic that a government which can’t ensure even pay is made on time for auto drivers and loaders on contract, which can’t ensure that they have basic equipment wants to ensure that they won’t strike. Why will workers strike if the government treats them fairly? This is meant to make it difficult for workers to fight for their rights,” said Vinay Sreenivasa, a trade union leader working with pourakarmikas for over a decade now.
- The list of 12 services brought under K-ESMA, 2013 include: water, cleaning and sweeping of all streets, door-to-door collection, transportation and processing of waste, management and maintenance of all municipal water works, collection, removal, treatment and disposal of sewage, maintenance of ambulance service and service for conveying dead bodies to crematorium, among others.
India backs resolution to let Palestine President address UNGA
Context: India voted in favour of a UN General Assembly (GA) resolution that allows Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to address its upcoming high-level session through video after the U.S. denied visas to Palestinian officials, preventing their participation in person.
- The 193-member GA adopted the resolution titled ‘Participation by the State of Palestine’ during its 80th session, with 145 nations voting in favour, five against and six abstentions.
- The U.S. and Israel opposed the measure, while India was among those supporting it.
- It decided that Mr. Abbas can address the General Debate of the 80th UNGA session on September 25 via a “pre-recorded statement”, which will be played in the GA Hall after introduction by its representative physically present in the venue.
Meghalaya groups oppose new directive on uranium mining
Context: Several organisations in Meghalaya have expressed concern over a recent office memorandum issued by the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change, exempting uranium mining from mandatory public consultations.
- The State has one of the country’s largest uranium reserves in the Domiasiat, Wahkaji, and their adjoining areas in the West Khasi Hills district.
- Locals have resisted attempts to explore and extract the radioactive substance, citing health and environmental reasons.
- The Khasi Students’ Union (KSU), which led an anti-uranium movement for decades, reaffirmed its opposition to any move to start mining in Meghalaya. He said the memo excluding atomic, critical, and strategic minerals from public hearings under the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, and it was disconcerting. “The exemption of public consultations is an assault on the rights of the indigenous people. We will oppose fresh attempts to explore uranium in Meghalaya,” KSU president Lambokstar Marngar said.
- The Hynniewtrep Youth Council said the office memorandum underlined the Centre’s bid to extract uranium at any cost after failing for decades to convince the local people to give up their land. “This is a new strategy to snatch the people’s right to their land and resources, and to deny their right to live without being exposed to the dangers associated with uranium mining. Our people are aware of how people in Jharkhand’s Jaduguda have been suffering owing to radioactivity caused by uranium mining there,” a spokesperson of the youth body said.
Mohanlal to receive Dadasaheb Phalke Award
Context: The Ministry of Information & Broadcasting on Saturday announced that actor Mohanlal will be presented the country’s highest film honour, the prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke Award, for 2023. The award will be presented at the 71st National Film Awards ceremony on September 23.
- “On the recommendation of the Dadasaheb Phalke Award Selection Committee, the Government of India is pleased to announce that Shri Mohanlal will be conferred the prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke Award 2023. Mohanlal’s remarkable cinematic journey inspires generations!”
- He has also delivered remarkable performances in Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, and Hindi films. His cinematic and theatrical brilliance across mediums is truly inspiring…may his accomplishments continue to inspire generations to come.”
- “The legendary actor, director, and producer is being honoured for his iconic contribution to Indian Cinema. His unmatched talent, versatility, and relentless hard work have set a golden standard in Indian film history.
- The award will be presented at the 71st National Film Awards ceremony on Sept. 23, 2025,” it said.
- “Outside cinema, he was commissioned as an Honorary Lieutenant Colonel in the Indian Territorial Army in 2009.
- During his career spanning more than four decades, he has worked in about 400 films and bagged five national awards and several Kerala State honours. He was given the Padma Shri in 2001 and the Padma Bhushan in 2019 by the Union government.
El Niño makes India’s heavy rains more intense
- While the El Niño is well known for reducing total rainfall across India, a study that analysed daily data from 1901 to 2020 has reported that it simultaneously increases the intensity of heavy downpours in the wetter parts of central and southwest India. That is, the extremes become more likely even as light and moderate rain events decline. This means El Niño drought years can still bring catastrophic floods, complicating how farmers, city planners, and disaster managers prepare.
Is it feasible to blend isobutanol and diesel?
Context: On September 11, Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari said the Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI) was exploring the possibility of blending isobutanol with diesel.
- Isobutanol is an alcoholic compound with inflammable properties and is used as a solvent in several industries, including painting.
- Mr. Gadkari said ARAI was studying the possibility of blending isobutanol with diesel, after efforts to blend ethanol with diesel was unsuccessful.
Is isobutanol better suited for diesel?
- The discussion on the potential use of isobutanol primarily stems from the assumption that the alcoholic compound blends better with diesel, and after the blending experiment with diesel and ethanol failed.
- Ethanol, however, is available in surplus; as a biofuel, it is being seen as an important contributor to the government’s objective of scaling the net zero emission target by 2070.
- “There was no need to add any complement [for efficiency], and isobutanol’s properties are better than ethanol for blending diesel.
- More importantly,the flash point, or the lowest temperature at which isobutanol yields a vapour igniting a momentary flash, is higher than ethanol. A lower flash point was among the reasons that ethanol was not considered ideal for blending with diesel. Fuels with lower flash points are more volatile and entail a higher risk of catching fire.
- The other aspect relates to diverting some of the raw material required to produce ethanol to make isobutanol, as there is already a surplus of ethanol.
- According to an ISMA note, even after catering for industrial use in different States, the potential for ethanol supply is “more than 50% of the requirement” for the one-fifth blending with petrol.
- In addition to this, the sugar manufacturers’ association has also urged the government to revise the procurement prices for ethanol produced from cane juice/syrup or B-heavy molasses.
- The prices have not been changed since Ethanol Supply Year (ESY) 2022-23, while the Fair and Remunerative prices (FRP), or the minimum price sugar mills are required to pay farmers for sugarcane has increased by 16.5% during the period. “This imbalance has eroded economic viability, discouraged ethanol production and risked a build-up of surplus sugar in the domestic market,” it stated. Thus, the proposed blending also opens another avenue for the surplus production to be used.
How economical is it to make isobutanol?
- Isobutanol can be produced from the same feedstock required to produce ethanol, such as sugarcane syrup and molasses and grains, among others.
- “Natural sugars are fermented by specially designed microbes under sterile conditions, unlike conventional yeast that produces ethanol; these engineered microbes are tuned to produce isobutanol.”
- Producing isobutanol from biomass would require retrofitting a fermentation tank, and a distillation tank to separate ethanol from isobutanol. “A plant with a production capacity of 150 kilo litres per day (klp/d) can easily produce 125 klp/d of ethanol and 20 klp/d of isobutanol without a lot of changes to the overall infrastructure,”.
What are some of the issues to consider?
- Isobutanol’s significantly lower cetane number compared with diesel, and about flash points.
- Isobutanol and diesel may have issues on miscibility (ability of two substances to mix to form a homogenous mixture) though it can be sorted out by mixing biodiesel to the blend. The latter refers to the fuel manufactured from non-edible vegetable oils, used cooking oil and/or animal fat.
- The impact of the blend on the cetane number, which is a measure of combustion quality. An ideal combustion translates to rapid ignition and the fuel combusting completely to produce the necessary energy.
- The alcoholic compound’s significantly lower cetane number compared with the base fuel, diesel, would reduce the blend’s overall cetane number.
- Also, a lower cetane number raises concerns about ‘[diesel] knock’ which can result in reduced power and can potentially damage engines. ‘Knocking’ occurs when the fuel burns unevenly and/or prematurely in the vehicle’s fuel cylinder, also generating an audible sound.
- The cetane value can be restored through proper additives which would entail incremental costs.
- The proposed blend would have an impact on reducing emission and help with import substitution, but the riders must be addressed, and proper studies should be initiated encompassing varied vehicle classes and types.
- More importantly, “No more than 10% blending [of isobutanol] should be considered, else it could have an impact on engines.”
- The blending paradigm is still being studied and the pilot project would take about 18 months to complete. If successful, India would be the first country to have blended isobutanol with diesel.