More than 5,000 complaints of H-1B visa fraud and abuse have been received by a federal agency on a dedicated e-mail helpline that was launched by the Trump administration last year, an official said, writes Lalit K. Jha.

Amid the U.S. plan to scrap a rule allowing spouses of H-1B visa holders to work legally in the country, India’s External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said, May 20, the government would make all efforts to persuade the Trump administration against such a move.

Gasoline and diesel prices are quoting all-time highs in India due to rise in international crude oil prices and refusal of federal and state governments to cut steep duties in the form of excise, value added tax, cesses and royalties. On May 26, domestic petrol prices increased for the 13th day in a row, to quote nearly Rs. 78/liter. In Mumbai and Chennai, petrol was priced over Rs. 85.8 and nearly Rs. 81/liter, respectively. Diesel prices, also at all-time highs, are quoting between Rs. 69 and Rs. 74/liter across major cities, writes Siddharth Srivastava.

Yogananda read from his poem My India, concluding with the words “Where Ganges, woods, Himalayan caves, and men dream God—I am hallowed; my body touched that sod.” As he uttered these words, he lifted his eyes to the Ajna Chakra and his body slumped to the floor. This article explains how Yogananda’s vision was prophetic. According to several media reports, Steve Jobs personally planned a gift for family and friends attending his funeral service and it wasn’t an Apple product. Instead, it was the book, “The Autobiography of a Yogi” by Yogananda Paramahansa, writes Pradeep B. Deshpande.

Karthik Nemmani, a 14-year-old Indian American boy, won the prestigious Scripps National Spelling Bee, June 1, taking home more than $42,000 in cash and prizes after correctly spelling “koinonia” to become the 14th champion from the community in 11 consecutive years.

The water crisis in India is touching dangerous levels and yet the country seems oblivious of the needs for conserving water on a war footing. This is despite the fact that India is not a water-scarce country, as it receives an average annual rainfall of 1170 millimeters, writes Priyanka Bhardwaj.

An impressive lineup of singers, an outdoor venue, and abundant food and drinks, sounds like a party and indeed it was. Featuring legendary names like Usha Uthup and Mika Singh singing classic hits, and Arijit Singh singing latest numbers, the 2018 Gaana Festival was a hit amongst Silicon Valley’s desi residents. Vansh A. Gupta presents a photo essay.