Ahead of the budget session of the Parliament, Prime Minister Narendra Modi sounded a warning to the opposition urging them to not disrupt the proceedings. “I hope the MPs who are in the habit of ripping apart democratic values will self-introspect on what they did in their term as members of Parliament,” he said.

“Those who contributed positively to the Parliament will be remembered by all. But those members who caused disruptions will hardly be remembered. This budget session is an opportunity for repentance and to leave positive footprints. I urge all the MPs not to miss this opportunity and perform their best,” PM Modi added.

“I am of the firm belief that the country is moving forward and touching new heights of progress … the country is experiencing all-round and inclusive development,” he said.

The Budget Session, which is scheduled to conclude on February 9, will also witness Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presenting the interim budget on February 1.

PM Modi also said that the BJP would present the full budget once the new government is formed.

“We are going to follow the tradition of presenting a full budget after the new government is formed,” PM Modi said.

In a move to fortify the integrity of the H-1B registration process and mitigate fraud risks, the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has announced a final rule for the fiscal year 2025 (FY 2025) H-1B cap.

The rule introduces a beneficiary-centric selection process, ensuring fairness and equal opportunities for all beneficiaries, regardless of the number of registrations submitted on their behalf.

Registrations will now be selected based on unique beneficiaries, reducing the potential for fraud and ensuring equal chances of selection. Beginning with the FY 2025 initial registration period, USCIS will mandate registrants to provide valid passport information or valid travel document information for each beneficiary.

The final rule clarifies requirements regarding the requested employment start date on certain petitions subject to the H-1B cap, allowing filing with requested start dates after October 1 of the relevant fiscal year.

The rule codifies USCIS’ ability to deny or revoke H-1B petitions if the registration contains false attestation or is otherwise invalid.

USCIS has also announced a Fee Schedule final rule, effective after the initial registration period for FY 2025 H-1B cap.

The initial registration period for the FY 2025 H-1B cap will open on March 6, 2024, and run through March 22, 2024.

USCIS will launch organisational accounts on February 28, 2024, allowing collaboration on H-1B registrations, petitions, and associated forms. Online filing of Form I-129 and Form I-907 for non-cap H-1B petitions will also commence on the same date.

While petitioners can continue to file paper Form I-129 H-1B petitions, online filing options will be available starting April 1, 2024.

USCIS Director Ur M Jaddou stated, “The improvements in these areas should make H-1B selections more equitable for petitioners and beneficiaries and will allow for the H-1B process to be fully electronic from registration until final decision.”

These reforms aim to enhance the overall H-1B programme, making it more transparent, efficient, and resistant to fraudulent activities.

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s latest volte-face may have exposed him to a fresh wave of criticism over his string of flip-flops, but has improved the BJP’s prospects months before the Lok Sabha polls, an NDTV Prashnam survey has found.

The survey, conducted on a sample size of nearly 4,000 people, suggests that the Bihar reversal is likely to translate into an advantage for the BJP in the general election. About 53 per cent of the people participating in the survey said they would vote for the BJP-JDU alliance in the upcoming polls. About 23 per cent said they would back the RJD-Congress bloc. The remaining were divided between supporters of other parties and those who were still undecided.

Asked what would have been their choice if the Mahagathbandhan of JDU, RJD and Congress was still intact, 35 per cent of those in the survey said they would have backed the Opposition bloc. This was matched by those who said they would back the NDA anyway.

This suggests that Mr Kumar’s flip-flop may have turned the poll fight from a neck and neck contest to the NDA’s advantage.

About 73 per cent of NDA voters said they would back the BJP-JDU alliance after the Bihar reversal, indicating that BJP voters have largely accepted Mr Kumar’s return to the NDA fold.

Not just the Lok Sabha polls, Mr Kumar’s switch may bring dividends to the BJP in the Assembly polls next year too, the survey found. 

About 54 per cent of those part of the survey said they would back the BJP0-JDU alliance in the state polls. Twenty-seven per cent opted for the RJD-Congress team.

In contrast, 41 per cent said that they would have voted for the Mahagathbandhan in 2025 if it remained intact. About 38 per cent said they would side with NDA anyway.

The survey also tried to decode if Mr Kumar, who has gone from being a ‘sushashan babu’ to being the flagbearer of flip-flops, still enjoys popular support.

About 36 per cent of the Opposition alliance voters said they would back the nine-time Chief Minister anyway in the Lok Sabha polls. For the assembly polls, this went up to 46 per cent. Seventy per cent of those in the survey said they would support the BJP-JDU alliance in 2025 now that Mr Kumar had switched over.