Editor,
The Mandatory Medical Service Policy approved by the Cabinet is a wrong move. According to the Policy, medical students who study under state sponsorship will be exempted from serving the State Government if they work in non-profit organizations or central government hospitals located within the State. The rationale is that they are serving the people of the State by being in the State.
This rationale fails on two counts. First, the cost of healthcare in such non-profit organizations cannot be compared to the cost in state government hospitals. In fact, the cost of healthcare in non-profit organizations is almost as high as that of other private hospitals. So, in terms of cost, the service to the people cannot be compared to state government hospitals.
Secondly, can such non-profit organizations or central government hospitals reach the nook and corners of our state? We have government CHC’s and PHC’s whose reach is vital for our rural areas. Can we afford to have the best doctors under state sponsorship serving in organizations that are concentrated in the city?
Thirdly, the question is, can such doctors, working in non-profit organization, also serve as visiting consultants in other private hospitals? If yes, then the end result is simply using the State’s expenses for the benefit of private hospitals, with no added benefit to the people of the State.
Yours etc.,
Kitdor H. Blah,
Via email
US citizenship via investment route
Editor,
It is astonishing that Indians are ready to invest Rs 44 crore to get US citizenship. By the end of 2024 there were 58 million dollar- millionaires in the world. Of these the US alone accounts for nearly one-third (21 million) of the super-rich population. whereas the Western bloc, comprising the US, its European allies, Australia and Japan, has 44 of the super rich individuals or three-fourths of the global super-rich.
The US already had a similar programme, the EB-5 visa, since 1990, which granted Green Cards to foreigners who invested $1 million in businesses that could create at least 10 jobs. The new Gold Card scheme merely increases the amount that foreigners are required to invest in the US from $1 million to $5 million. Trump expects to reduce the United States’ $36-trillion debt by selling Gold Cards. According to him, the US could generate $5 trillion if one million foreigners buy Gold Cards. According to an estimate, 23,000 high-net-worth individuals (HNWIs) have forsaken Indian passports to obtain foreign citizenship over the past 10 years. This places India second among the countries that have witnessed wealthy individuals migrating abroad, after China.
The remaining 14 million dollar-millionaires reside in other countries. This makes Trump’s plan to attract a significant number of the super-rich a distant proposition, especially after the required investment was increased fivefold. Trump’s easy US citizenship for the world’s super rich may prove beneficial for the US economy. and it will start in about two weeks. and the proposed gold card would be among the most expensive visa programmes in the world. The move comes at a time when the US President is devoting much of his time to deporting millions of undocumented immigrants. It also provides a twist on America’s traditional reputation as a refuge for the hardworking poor “yearning to breathe free ”
The “golden visas” are common around the world, including in European Union states like Spain and Greece. In some countries, such as Malta, Egypt and Jordan, foreign applicants can even obtain citizenship directly through investment. These programmes are most competitive in the Caribbean, with countries like Dominica, Granada, St Kitts and Nevis setting their fees as low as $200,000-$300,000. While a US gold card would likely be in high demand, it may come with the unique drawback of exposing holders to the US taxes, no matter where they are in the world and no matter where their assets are. Generally, golden visa programmes are controversial because they can attract individuals seeking to use them for money laundering or fraud. These concerns have led several European countries, including the UK, the Netherlands and Greece to roll back their golden visa programmes in recent years.
Trump’s golden visa plan could face even more controversy if he tries to push it through without Congressional approval, which he claims is unnecessary. Congress is responsible for determining citizenship qualifications and, in the past, authorised the EB-5 programme that Trump says he intends to end. The proposed gold card visa is set to reshape the US immigra-tion landscape, offering a faster but significantly costlier alternative to existing pathways like the H-1B and EB-5 investor visa. With a staggering $5 million — far surpassing the EB-5’s $8 lakh requirement this visa will be accessible only to India’s wealthiest individuals. This has raised concerns among Indian nationals awaiting the US green cards. Indian tech professionals currently on an H-1B visa often pursue the EB-2 or EB-3 employment-based green card route, which is time consuming. If Trump reinstates restrictive H-1B policies, this could further complicate the process for Indian applicants.
Only time will tell the impact of this step.
Yours etc.,
Yash Pal Ralhan,
Via email