Indian software engineer becomes US citizen in rare ceremony at White House hosted by Trump
New York/Washington: President Donald Trump has presided over a rare naturalisation ceremony at the White House where five immigrants, including a software developer from India, were sworn in as American citizens, as the US leader welcomed them to the "magnificent nation that is comprised of every race, religion and colour.
Trump hosted the naturalisation ceremony at the White House and the video of the ceremony was played during the second night of the Republican National Convention on Tuesday.
Immigrants from five countries - India, Bolivia, Lebanon, Sudan and Ghana, stood in a line during the ceremony in the White House.
With their right hand raised and a US flag in their left hand, they were administered the Oath of Allegiance by Acting United States Secretary of Homeland Security Chad Wolf, while Trump looked on.
Sudha Sundari Narayanan, a software developer from India, was among those sworn in as American citizens.
Today America rejoices as we welcome five absolutely incredible new members into our great American family. You are now fellow citizens of the greatest nation on the face of God's Earth. Congratulations, Trump said.
Trump said the newly sworn-in American citizens followed the rules, obeyed the laws, learned the nation's history, embraced American values and proved themselves to be men and women of the highest integrity.
It's not so easy. You went through a lot and we appreciate you being here with us today. You've earned the most prized treasured, cherished and priceless possession anywhere in the world. It's called American citizenship. There is no higher honour and no greater privilege, Trump said adding that it is an honour for him to be their President.
Later, Trump read out the names and a few details of the five new citizens.
Trump said Narayanan is a phenomenal success", born in India, who came to the United States 13 years ago.
Sudha is a talented software developer and she and her husband are raising two beautiful, wonderful children the apples of your life'. Thank you very much and congratulations. Fantastic job.
Trump handed Narayanan, who was wearing a bright coral pink sari, her Certificate of Citizenship.
In his remarks, Trump congratulated the new citizens and said it is his honour to be with them. He added that with the rights and freedoms each of them now enjoy as citizens, there is no dream beyond their wildest reach because Americans can do anything.
Today you have also accepted the profound duties and responsibilities that come with American citizenship. By swearing the Oath of Allegiance, each of you has entered a sacred and unbreakable covenant with our nation.
Trump said the five new citizens have pledged their undying loyalty to the American people, the American Constitution and the American way of life. The history and heritage of the United States are now yours to preserve and pass down to the next generation. Our culture, our traditions and our values are now yours to uphold and live by.
He added that the US Bill of Rights is now yours to support, protect, and defend. As citizens, you're now stewards of this magnificent nation, a family comprised of every race, colour, religion, creed, united by the bonds of love.
The United States Bill of Rights comprises the first ten amendments to the United States Constitution.
First Lady Melania Trump also recalled her immigrant journey in the US. During her address at the Rose Garden, she said she arrived in the US when she was 26 years old, adding that living and working in the land of opportunity was a dream come true for her.
But I wanted more. I wanted to be a citizen. After 10 years of paperwork and patience, I studied for the test in 2006 and became an American citizen.
As an immigrant and a very independent woman, I understand what a privilege it is to live here and to enjoy the freedoms and opportunities that we have.
Immigration featured in addresses during the second night of the convention.
Florida Lieutenant Governor Jeanette Nu ez said that as the daughter of Cuban immigrants, her story began in 1959, before I was born, when my parents' dreams of a prosperous life became a nightmare. Chaos spread quickly when Fidel Castro took control of Cuba.
Trump's son Eric Trump said Democratic Presidential nominee Joe Biden "has pledged to stop border wall construction and give amnesty and healthcare to all illegal immigrants.
Immigration has been a very critical agenda of the Trump campaign and his presidency, with Trump asserting throughout that as the American President he will ensure job security and safety for American citizens first.
As job losses mounted and the American economy suffered due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Trump ordered some stringent immigration restrictions, including suspending the H1B visas, which is popular among Indian IT professionals, along with other foreign work visas for the rest of the year.
Trump has said the step was essential to help millions of Americans who have lost their jobs due to the current economic crisis.
Indian IT workers form the majority of H1B visa holders in the US and have to wait decades for Green Cards due to a huge backlog.
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Single higher education regulator bill tabled in LS; Oppn flags ‘centralisation,' JPC likely
New Delhi: A bill to set up a 13-member body to regulate institutions of higher education was introduced in the Lok Sabha on Monday.
Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan introduced the Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan Bill, which seeks to establish an overarching higher education commission along with three councils for regulation, accreditation, and ensuring academic standards for universities and higher education institutions in India.
Meanwhile, the move drew strong opposition, with members warning that it could weaken institutional autonomy and result in excessive centralisation of higher education in India.
The Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan Bill, 2025, earlier known as the Higher Education Council of India (HECI) Bill, has been introduced in line with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020.
The proposed legislation seeks to merge three existing regulatory bodies, the University Grants Commission (UGC), the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), and the National Council for Teacher Education (NCTE), into a single unified body called the Viksit Bharat Shiksha Adhishthan.
At present, the UGC regulates non-technical higher education institutions, the AICTE oversees technical education, and the NCTE governs teacher education in India.
Under the proposed framework, the new commission will function through three separate councils responsible for regulation, accreditation, and the maintenance of academic standards across universities and higher education institutions in the country.
According to the Bill, the present challenges faced by higher educational institutions due to the multiplicity of regulators having non-harmonised regulatory approval protocols will be done away with.
The higher education commission, which will be headed by a chairperson appointed by the President of India, will cover all central universities and colleges under it, institutes of national importance functioning under the administrative purview of the Ministry of Education, including IITs, NITs, IISc, IISERs, IIMs, and IIITs.
At present, IITs and IIMs are not regulated by the University Grants Commission (UGC).
Government to refer bill to JPC; Oppn slams it
The government has expressed its willingness to refer it to a joint committee after several members of the Lok Sabha expressed strong opposition to the Bill, stating that they were not given time to study its provisions.
Responding to the opposition, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said the government intends to refer the Bill to a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) for detailed examination.
Congress Lok Sabha MP Manish Tewari warned that the Bill could result in “excessive centralisation” of higher education. He argued that the proposed law violates the constitutional division of legislative powers between the Union and the states.
According to him, the Bill goes beyond setting academic standards and intrudes into areas such as administration, affiliation, and the establishment and closure of university campuses. These matters, he said, fall under Entry 25 of the Concurrent List and Entry 32 of the State List, which cover the incorporation and regulation of state universities.
Tewari further stated that the Bill suffers from “excessive delegation of legislative power” to the proposed commission. He pointed out that crucial aspects such as accreditation frameworks, degree-granting powers, penalties, institutional autonomy, and even the supersession of institutions are left to be decided through rules, regulations, and executive directions. He argued that this amounts to a violation of established constitutional principles governing delegated legislation.
Under the Bill, the regulatory council will have the power to impose heavy penalties on higher education institutions for violating provisions of the Act or related rules. Penalties range from ₹10 lakh to ₹75 lakh for repeated violations, while establishing an institution without approval from the commission or the state government could attract a fine of up to ₹2 crore.
Concerns were also raised by members from southern states over the Hindi nomenclature of the Bill. N.K. Premachandran, an MP from the Revolutionary Socialist Party representing Kollam in Kerala, said even the name of the Bill was difficult to pronounce.
He pointed out that under Article 348 of the Constitution, the text of any Bill introduced in Parliament must be in English unless Parliament decides otherwise.
DMK MP T.M. Selvaganapathy also criticised the government for naming laws and schemes only in Hindi. He said the Constitution clearly mandates that the nomenclature of a Bill should be in English so that citizens across the country can understand its intent.
Congress MP S. Jothimani from Tamil Nadu’s Karur constituency described the Bill as another attempt to impose Hindi and termed it “an attack on federalism.”
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