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Indian Express
8 hours ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
US visa policy changes, social media vetting raise concerns for Pune students regarding their re-entry
Written by Antara Kulkarni and Riddhi Berry For many Indians living in the United States, the thought of travelling home to visit loved ones has become filled with uncertainty and anxiety regarding their return. Recent visa policies introduced in the past year have exacerbated these concerns. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio ordered the suspension of student visa processing in May to prepare for more extensive screening measures. Processing resumed a month later with the implementation of social media vetting, which required foreign applicants to provide open access to all their social media accounts, associating this requirement to national security concerns. While former policies already involved limited social media checks, new measures assess applicants' potential risks and is a wider vetting process. 'Now that they're going through social media, another complexity is added,' says Anuradha Gupta, 18, a student from Pune studying in California. 'If you're a part of any political or activist organisation, they would consider it as instigating the public, and you'd get deported. University organisations have advised us not to come back, and because I did, I'm scared that I'll get to customs and borders and they won't let me in even though I have all of my student documents,' says Gupta. The US administration began abruptly revoking foreign students' visas without notice in April through Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) terminations reported by universities nationwide. SEVIS, a government system used to monitor non-immigrant students and exchange visitors, was reinstated within the month, but the volatility of the situation alarmed international students. 'Many people suggested that I stay back in the US,' says Raghav Shetty, 18, a student from Pune studying in Minnesota. 'There was a lot of uncertainty because there were days when you would wake up to find out that some of the SEVIS records had been terminated, and then a few days later, they said that the records had been restored.' Shetty explains. Such varying policies put students at risk of being affected by unknown changes at any point, making it harder to return home. While Isha Agarwal, 18, a student from Pune studying in California, acknowledged this, she felt it to be a calculated risk. 'When I came back, I took a risk because immigration policies are changing every day. But I don't have a public social media presence, haven't participated in political activities and haven't had any interaction with the police,' says Agarwal. However, she further elaborates on the impact of changing policies on students. 'There shouldn't be a problem, and I'm not on an immigrant visa, but there are international travel policies that are also risky, especially for international students and their return.' While students are wary of their return, working professionals living seem to be more confident about their return to the US. 'I, personally, have not faced any significant issues related to visa uncertainty,' says Nishant Chitkara, 25. The H1B Modernisation Final Rule, introduced by the Department of Homeland Security in January, aimed to streamline the visa review and approval process for working professionals. 'I'm on an H1B and feel stable in my current situation. I don't have any concerns about my ability to move back to India if needed. I've never had to cancel any travel plans out of fear. I do plan my trips based on holidays and work constraints, and I keep the number of visits limited, but not due to concerns about re-entry or job security,' Chitkara says. (Antara Kulkarni and Riddhi Berry are interns with The Indian Express)
Indian Express
2 days ago
- Automotive
- Indian Express
‘Rush hour is now crawl hour': damaged roads in Pune's Nigdi-Akurdi, Tathawade frustrate commuters; residents seek urgent repair
Written by Riddhi Berry & Shubham Kurale Commuters plying through the service road between Nigdi and Khandoba Mal Chowk in Akurdi and on Tathawade Road have been grappling with potholes and damaged drainage chambers for over a month. Fed up with the daily ordeal, residents have demanded urgent repairs on the stretch instead of patchworks. Rohit Narayankar, a resident of Nigdi Pradhikaran, commutes daily to Shivajinagar for work. 'Since June, we have been facing this inconvenience, and it has become risky for two-wheelers to navigate around potholes that are a foot deep. Even buses are getting stuck in the damaged drainage chambers, causing the morning rush hour to turn into crawl hour,' he said. 'I have seen minor accidents happening regularly along the service road, and the patchwork done recently just saw the addition of some paving blocks, which has made the stretch even more unstable. It damages the vehicle's suspension, adding to maintenance costs, besides causing back aches and neck pain,' added Narayankar. 'There is congestion on the Tathawade service road in the morning because of the potholes. I often get late while going to work and cannot open my shop on time,' said Raju Ram Bishnoi, who owns a grocery store on Tathawade Road. 'We face a lot of problems due to damaged roads, which is why many people prefer a different route,' he said. As many prefer alternative routes, businesses on the stretch are affected. Popat Ranade, the owner of a plant nursery along the Tathawade service road, said, 'I don't get a lot of customers because the roads are bad and there is also a lot of construction work going on. If the roads were good, more people would use them and buy plants from my shop.' 'Heavy vehicles for the Metro work nearby worsen the traffic, while luxury buses from the Rudra parking area add to the snarls as they halt on the narrow road. We want development projects. We also understand that issues will happen, but with better quality of roads and management, this inconvenience can be addressed,' said Onkar Chakane, a resident of Akurdi. Several school buses as well as buses of the Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Limited (PMPML) frequent the narrow service road. 'It is not just the people who travel in public transport that face safety issues, many children are commuting in school buses that have to pass through the road, and serious accidents could take place,' says a resident of a housing society in the area. Speaking to The Indian Express, Ashlesh Chavan, Junior Engineer, Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC), said that the excavation work for the Pune Metro project has loosened the area below the road, 'which is causing potholes, particularly on the asphalt roads. We have done patchwork in those sections, and care has been taken that the potholes do not re-emerge.' 'People can complain about potholes on our new 'PCMC PotHole Management' app, which offers the option to geo-tag photos. Latitude and longitude data provides its exact location, and prompt action is taken to repair it,' Chavan added. On July 5, the Sumit Social Foundation, an NGO, even conducted a bell-ringing protest in front of the Bajaj Auto office in Akurdi, calling for urgent repairs on the stretch. (Riddhi Berry & Shubham Kurale are interns with The Indian Express)
Indian Express
7 days ago
- Business
- Indian Express
Shelter struggles: Why many students in Pune are opting for luxury hostels
Written by Kivi Lydia Vito, Riddhi Berry An increasing number of students and working professionals in Pune are opting for high-end luxury hostels as a preferred alternative to traditional accommodations. These accommodations offer fully furnished rooms, meal plans, gyms, and vibrant common areas, often located in gated communities with 24/7 security and app-based check-in systems. They combine comfort, safety and a sense of independence, making them a popular choice. Several companies in Pune offer such luxury accommodations, including Cozmo Living and Tribe Stays. Both provide single and twin-sharing rooms for boys and girls. At Cozmo Living, twin-sharing rooms start at Rs 18,000 per month, while single rooms begin at Rs 38,000 per month. Tribe Stays offers both twin-sharing and private single rooms for students, with prices ranging from Rs 40,000 to Rs 42,000 per month. Kaif Shaikh, a 16-year-old boy preparing for the IIT-JEE, says that the amenities at Cozmo Living in Viman Nagar add to the comfort and ease of his daily routine. 'We have access to the swimming pool and gym in the society as part of the accommodation, and there are air conditioners in the rooms as well, so I prefer living here instead of other PGs or hostels.' The apartments and rooms, part of these accommodations, come fully furnished with specifically catered meal plans as well. This focus on comfort and convenience is echoed by Prateek Garg, co-founder of Cozmo Living and a graduate of Symbiosis University. Based on his own experience as a student in Pune, he said, 'We did not really have good quality rooms and had to worry about little things like cooking and cleaning, instead of focusing on our careers and studies. This is what inspired us to build a space where students could focus on their futures and let us deal with the small stuff.' Along with comfort and amenities, safety plays a major role in the appeal of luxury PGs, Sakshi Jaiswal, who is originally from Ranchi and currently working in Pune, says, 'Personally, for me, I think it is safer than normal PGs. There is a MyGate facility (a community and security management platform designed for gated communities) because the apartments are in a proper housing complex. So, the entries of every person can be backtracked because every detail is recorded.' Operators of such premium accommodations also emphasise the role of technology in enhancing resident safety. 'Our app-based check-in is not just about convenience, it is built for accountability and safety. Every resident is digitally verified before moving in and grievances can be raised through the app as well. This ensures we always know who is on the premises, which adds a strong layer of security without compromising anyone's safety,' says Malika Kandru, marketing manager at Tribe Stays. She continues, 'Security is something we never compromise on. We have guards stationed at every entrance of our living spaces, and we maintain clear boundaries where boys cannot access girls' spaces and vice versa.' Some students also feel that the environment created by such living spaces is more interactive and enjoyable than that of university hostels. Yash Joshi, a management student at Symbiosis University who lives in Tribe Stays, says, 'We have a common area and café where everyone who stays here can hang out and chill. In the university hostels, we need to be back by 8 or 9 pm, even on weekends, but here we don't have such restrictions, so most students prefer to live outside.' Although the prices of these luxury co-living spaces are slightly on the higher side, many students still prefer them over regular hostels and PGs. Shilpa Aditya, a management student at Symbiosis University who lives at Tribe Stays, says, 'It is much more comfortable living here than in the university hostel. We get AC rooms, the food is better, and there are vending machines, so we can grab something to eat at any hour. There is no curfew either, which makes it much more convenient for us.' This growing preference for comfort and flexibility over cost is also reflected in how student housing is evolving. Kandru, speaking from the organisational side, notes the rising interest in such accommodation. 'There is a clear shift in how students and even their parents are approaching housing. The demographic for our living space is from 18–24, and there is a demand for premium living that combines comfort, safety, and independence,' she says. Kivi Lydia Vito and Riddhi Berry are interns at The Indian Express.
