Desi talk

www.desitalkchicago.com – that’s all you need to know 17 NATIONAL AFFAIRS October 10, 2025 Congressman Frank Pallone Calls For Early US-India Dialogue To Remove Obstacles In Strategic Partnership C ongressman Frank Pallone, D-NJ, a long-time ‘Friend of India” called for an early resolution to obstacles in the US-India strategic partner- ship, and criticized the $100,000 additional fee for H-1B visas, as well as the tariff regime slapped by President Trump on India which was com- ing in the way of trade negotiations between the two democracies. At a webinar held Oct. 4, 2025, by the Global Orga- nization of People of Indian Origin (GOPIO) entitled, “H-1BVisa Storm, Current Challenges and Pathways Forward,” Pallone, a Padma Bhushan recipient and member of Congress for 18 terms, said the Trump administration is focusing on the wrong priorities. Rep. Pallone emphasized that rather than investing in training programs to develop locally qualified talent, billions are being spent on a fee that does not address the root problem. Linking the $100,000 H-1B fee to tariffs, was like adjusting the lottery to favor higher- paid employees, and disadvantage small businesses creating economic distortions, the press release from GOPIO said. Congressman Pallone contended there was a broad bipartisan support in Congress for continuing the H1B Visa program. He said the Indian American community and organization such as GOPIO should engage with the Members of Congress to help develop a consensus towards a more considered approach towards preserving the many benefits of the H1BVisa program that has led to many positive outcomes for the US economy, the GOPIO press release said. He also warned that in the global competition for talent, countries like Germany and China are ready to attract highly qualified professionals, which could ulti- mately weaken the U.S. economy instead of strength- ening it. He also expressed some concern about what he saw as India’s growing turn toward China and Russia. “Meanwhile, India’s pivot toward countries such as Russia and China – partially in response to U.S. policy – raises additional strategic and economic concerns.” He called for an early US-India dialogue to remove the current hiccups. The webinar began with a welcome from GOPIO’s Associate Secretary and Chair ofWebinar Series Sunil Vuppala. GOPIO Chairman Dr. Thomas Abraham not- ed how “shocked” everyone was when President Trump announced $100,000 fee for H-1BVisa on September 19, and described the benefits of the visa program to the US economy. The Moderator for the panel discussion was New York Immigration Attorney Dilli Bhatta. The panel- lists included Immigration Attorneys David Nachman, Stephanie Dy, and Prashanti Reddy. Panelists described in detail, the impact of the new $100,000 fee. They also noted that the current policy upheaval extended far beyond H-1B visas, affecting tariffs, lottery mechanisms, and international competi- tiveness, all of which could have lasting consequences for U.S. innovation and global leadership and stressed the urgency of proactive community engagement and informed advocacy. By a StaffWriter PHOTO:CourtesyGOPIO Rep. Frank Pallone with GOPIO officials and speakers at the Webinar. From l. to r., Top Row: Dilli batta, Rep. Frank Pallone Jr., Prakash Shah; Middle Row: Dr. Thomas Abraham, Prashanti Reddy, David Nachman; Bottom Row: Stephanie Dy, Siddarth Jain and Vatsala Upadhayay. Two Indian-Origin Scientists Among 18 Finalists Named For Prestigious Blavatnik National Awards For Young Scientists T his September 9, the Blavatnik Family Founda- tion and the NewYork Academy of Scientists announced the Finalists for the 2025 Blavatnik National Awards for Young Scientists. Three of the 18 will go on to be named Laureates and receive a $250,000 prize at a Gala ceremony in NewYork City on October 7, 2025. The Young Scientists Awards recognize scientific advances made by researchers in the United States across the following disciplines: Life Sciences, Chemical Sciences, and Physical Sciences & Engineering, a press release from Blavatnik said. Former Director of the National Science Foundation and current President of the Global Learning Council in Switzerland Dr. Subra Suresh, will announce the three 2025 Laureates at the awards ceremony to be held at the American Museum of Natural History. An independent jury of expert scientists selected this year’s Finalists from a pool of 310 nominees representing 161 academic and research institutions across 42 U.S. states. Each Laureate will receive an unrestricted award of $250,000, the world’s largest unrestricted science prize, available for early-career scientists in the U.S. The re- maining 15 Finalists will each receive $15,000. The two Indian origin 2025 Finalists are Yogesh Surendranath, PhD, Massachusetts Institute of Technol- ogy (Inorganic & Solid-State Chemistry), in the Chemical Sciences category; and Prateek Mittal, PhD, Princeton University (Computer Science) in the Physical Sciences & Engineering category. Surendranath is recognized for pioneering molecular- level control of catalyst surfaces and electrostatic envi- ronments to revolutionize chemical reactions, enabling sustainable fuel production and significant reductions in carbon emissions. Mittal is recognized for pioneering work powering the security and privacy of the internet, generating over 2.5 billion cryptographic certificates and securing more than 350 million websites. Surendranath is the Donner Professor of Science at MIT. A B.S. in Chemistra and a B.A. in Physics from the University of Virginia, he received his Ph.D. fromMIT, and was a Postdoctoral Fellow at Berkeley. According to his Research Summary on Blavatni- kawards.org , Surendranath’s pioneering work gives a new understanding of how electric fields at catalyst surfaces control key chemical reactions. His breakthroughs advance sustainable chemistry by reducing carbon emis- sions and unlocking new routes for converting abundant resources like carbon dioxide and methane into valuable products. According to Blavatnik, “Surendranath’s research reshapes fundamental catalysis science and drives technologies essential for a low-carbon future, making it highly deserving of recognition.” Mittal is a Professor of Computer Science at Princeton University. A graduate of the Indian Institute of Technol- ogy, Guwahati, he has a Master of Science and a Ph.D. from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. According to Blavatnik, in our increasingly digitized world, the privacy and security of the information we transmit online is of paramount importance, and “Re- search being led by computer scientist Prateek Mittal, PhD, seeks to ensure that our data is safeguarded against those who would try and take it for their own benefit.” By discovering and fixing security vulnerabilities in well-known protocols, “Mittal has already transformed the methods being used to secure our internet data – leading to hundreds of millions of websites, both private and government-run alike, being secured,” the award- giving organization said. Internationally recognized by the scientific commu- nity, the Blavatnik Awards for Young Scientists, has at the close of 2025, recognized more than 500 scientists from 120 international research institutions and awarded prizes totaling nearly $20 million. To date, Blavatnik Awards honorees have founded 50 companies after receiving the award, six of which are publicly traded and collectively valued at over $10 billion. By a StaffWriter PHOTO:BLAVATNIKAWARDS.ORG Yogesh Surendranath Prateek Mittal