Beyond Layoff

The Indian rupee plunged to a fresh all-time low of ₹91.14 against the US dollar on Tuesday, December 16, 2025, depreciating by 36 paise during afternoon trade. This marked the fourth straight session of record lows, driven by relentless outflows from foreign institutional investors (FIIs) and growing doubts over a potential India-US trade agreement. As global markets grapple with geopolitical tensions and shifting trade dynamics, the currency's slide signals deeper vulnerabilities in India's external balances. Key Drivers Behind the Rupee's Depreciation FIIs have been net sellers of Indian equities and debt for weeks, offloading over $2.5 billion in assets since early December amid rising US bond yields and a stronger dollar index. This capital flight has intensified pressure on the rupee, which has weakened by nearly 5% year-to-date. Uncertainty surrounding the India-US trade deal exacerbates the situation. Negotiations, aimed at reducing tariffs and boosting bilate...

 The U.S. Embassy in India has abruptly postponed thousands of pre-scheduled H-1B visa interviews originally planned for later this month, extending the delays by several months. This move appears to be part of heightened vetting measures that include a thorough review of applicants’ social media activity and online profiles. Applicants who had their visa interview appointments set as early as next week have begun receiving emails informing them that their interviews have been pushed back to dates as late as May 2026. The cancellations affect all appointments from December 15 onwards and have sparked widespread uncertainty among applicants and employers alike. This mass delay is expected to cause significant setbacks for skilled Indian professionals waiting to return to or join the U.S. workforce. Many industries, particularly in technology and engineering sectors where H-1B visa holders are highly concentrated, face potential disruptions due to employees being stranded abroad or u...

Indians migrating to Western countries such as the United States often carry a rich tapestry of their cultural heritage and values with them. This migration creates a dynamic process of cultural preservation and community building, as these immigrants seek to maintain their religious practices and social bonds in a foreign land. One powerful expression of this is the establishment and nurturing of Hindu temples and places of worship, which become crucial centres for cultural identity and community cohesion among Indian diaspora populations. According to Garamchai.com, a comprehensive digital directory of Indian-American religious sites, North America is home to over 800 Hindu temples and places of worship. These temples vary widely in architectural style and scale, reflecting the diverse traditions within Hinduism itself. At the larger end, landmarks like the BAPS Swaminarayan Akshardham temple in New Jersey and the Malibu Hindu Temple in California stand as monumental symbols of fa...

Born with dwarfism, Baraiya has fought legal battles every step of the way to appointment as Medical Officer at Sir T General Hospital, Bhavnagar. At 3 feet, he barely reaches the height of an average hospital stretcher. That is hardly a deterrent for Dr Ganesh Baraiya, who has vaulted over many to become arguably the first person with a 72% disability to become a medical practitioner. Dr. Ganesh Baraiya, known as "Gani" to his friends and a dedicated doctor to his patients, stands just three feet tall, barely reaching the height of a hospital stretcher. Despite having a 72% locomotor disability due to dwarfism caused by a growth hormone deficiency, he has become one of the first medical practitioners with such a condition, inspiring many along the way. At the Trauma Centre of Sir T General Hospital in Bhavnagar, the 25-year-old is often one of the first responders, wearing his stethoscope and guiding interns in patient care. Born the eighth of nine siblings to an illiterate ...

 US President Donald Trump announced plans to permanently pause migration from all "Third World countries" to allow the US immigration system to recover. This follows a shooting near the White House where an Afghan national wounded two National Guard members. Trump also vowed to end federal benefits for non-citizens and deport those deemed security risks or incompatible with Western values. Following a shooting incident near White House on Wednesday, US President Trump emphasised his administration's intent to pause migration from Third World countries. He also warned that he would overturn the 'millions' of admissions approved under Joe Biden's administration. Prior Travel Restrictions In June 2025, Trump's administration restricted entry from 12 countries including Afghanistan, Burma (Myanmar), Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen due to national security issues. Partial restrictions appli...

A recent CBS article grabbed attention with its clickbait title: " AI can already do the work of 12% of America's workforce, MIT researchers find. " While eye-catching, this framing oversimplifies a groundbreaking study from MIT and Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Their Iceberg Index reveals that current AI tools can technically handle tasks worth about 11.7% of U.S. wages—roughly $1.2 trillion—across the $9.4 trillion labor market. ​ What the Iceberg Index Reveals Imagine the U.S. workforce as an iceberg: the visible "tip" is AI's disruption in tech jobs, like software coding, where adoption is already underway. This Surface Index covers just 2.2% of wages ($211 billion) and clusters in coastal states such as Washington (4.2%) and California (3.0%). Below the surface lies the real story—a fivefold larger hidden mass in everyday cognitive work: administrative paperwork, financial analysis, and professional services. These tasks span all 50 states, with surpr...