New Delhi: The Delhi Gymkhana Club (DGC) is gearing up for a series of legal battles in the Delhi High Court challenging the Centre’s order to hand over 27.3 acres of the club’s valuable land to its permanent members and employees. Many members rejected the government’s argument that the club is located on a “highly sensitive and strategic area” and that it would be used in the future to “strengthen and secure defense infrastructure and other critical public security objectives”.Club members said senior lawyer and Congress MP Abhishek Manu Singhvi has been appointed to represent the members of the DGC, which has been at 2, Safdarjung Road for over 113 years. Two petitions are likely to be filed – one by the members and the other by the club’s approximately 600 employees.A day after the Land and Development Office (L&DO), which comes under the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, had directed the DGC to hand over its entire premises – all its buildings, structures, lawns and fittings – the permanent members of the club held a marathon meeting on Sunday evening to decide on the legal course of action. L&DO has asked DGC to vacate the premises by June 5 by prematurely terminating the “permanent lease”.On Saturday, a government-appointed general committee (GC) had informed club members that it would meet ministry officials and seek clarity on issues of interest to members and employees. However, a person involved in the deliberations said, “What will the government-appointed committee say to the government against its order? Therefore, the only option we have is to approach the court. There is a lack of transparency and ethical issues related to the future of the employees.” We also resolved to tell the people at large that most of the members are pensioners.Meanwhile, it is learned that the GC had written to the L&DO on Sunday urging it not to consider any disestablishment until there is clarity about the issues – if there is any plan to allot a replacement plot, consider the investment made in improving the infrastructure and facilities and the safety of all staff and employees of the club.General PK Sehgal (retd), who has been associated with the club since 1972, said the members have unanimously decided to legally challenge the expulsion order. The “sudden decision” to take back the land has raised concerns among members about the future of the club and where the club will be relocated, he said.Expressing concern about the future of the club and its staff, given the risk of losing livelihoods, public figures including Kiran Bedi, India’s first female IPS officer and former Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry, called the government’s move “sad and unfortunate”, while some members alleged that the official reasons mentioned in the order were “frivolous”.A former DGC general secretary said, “The club has been there since the 1930s and the PM residence was shifted to the present location in 1984. If there was any security issue, the PM residence would not have been shifted. There have been no problems in the last 42 years.”On Sunday, Gymkhana Employees Welfare Association also protested against the government’s decision. “Our slums are already being demolished, we have been working here for 25-26 years, our only source of income is being taken away, where will we go now?” asked an employee. Association president Nandan Singh Negi said, “The employees are in despair, they are worried about their families.”Nitin Verma, a member, said the government wanted to close the club on “hypothetical” grounds. He said, “The utmost discipline is maintained here… everyone is checked… now even the Prime Minister’s residence is being shifted. What is the security concern in this? Because nothing has happened till now. I think it is just imaginary.”In a post on X, Kiran Bedi said she hoped the proposal would be reconsidered and said that late Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had built a new pool during his lifetime and excellent tennis matches have been played here. “So much history, so many memories and generations of sporting excellence are linked to this place. The DGC is not just a property – it is part of our institutional and sporting heritage. Change may be necessary, but the history and legacy deserve thoughtful preservation. We may also plan to add something new there,” he said.Some members also accused the government of not giving enough time and not paying attention to the future of the club’s employees. Sehgal said that 600 employees are in danger of losing their jobs due to the government order without any prior warning or advance notice. However, ministry officials said proper procedure has been followed and the order has been issued giving two weeks’ time.Former diplomat KC Singh said it was “unsustainable” to “destroy” the club. He said the club is also famous for its tennis and squash facilities apart from its other services. Tagging Kiran Bedi, he said that DGC is a storehouse of sports, services and cultural memories.Former club president and former RAW chief AS Dulat said the members are disappointed with the development and have decided to file a petition against the move, signatures for which are being collected.Historian Swapna Liddle said that until 1945 the club was essentially a British club only for officers and a certain class. He said that Indians started getting admission into the club in 1945 and after independence its identity developed a lot. “One of the interesting things that happened around independence was that parties were being organized in the club for bureaucrats and armed personnel who were going to Pakistan. These were people who were in the same service, and now they were all moving apart. A lot of the parties held at that time were farewell parties for people going to Pakistan,” she said.

Thousands of H1-B visa holders in the US will no longer be required to automatically leave the country when applying for permanent residence, after US immigration officials issued clarification on a controversial new policy introduced by the Trump administration.The clarification comes days after the Trump administration issued a major policy memo that limited the circumstances under which foreign nationals can apply for a green card from inside the US. The move caused consternation among international workers, including a large number of Indian professionals working in the US technology sector.However, US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) spokesman Zach Kahler later told Newsweek that many applicants who provide an economic benefit or serve the national interest can still remain in the US during the process.“Those that offer applications that provide economic benefits or are otherwise in the national interest will likely be able to proceed on their existing path,” Kahler said in an email.He said others “may be asked to apply abroad depending on individual circumstances.”The administration’s earlier guidance suggested a tougher approach. In a press release accompanying the policy memorandum, Kahler said most temporary visa holders will now be expected to return to their home countries before applying for permanent residence.“We are returning to the original intent of the law to ensure that aliens properly navigate our country’s immigration system,” Kahler said.He said: “From now on, a foreigner who is temporarily in the US and wants a green card must return to his or her home country to apply, except in exceptional circumstances.”For decades, workers on temporary visas, such as H1-B, L-1, and student visas, were generally allowed to transition to permanent residence through the domestic adjustment-status process. That system enabled applicants to remain employed in the US while avoiding the lengthy disruptions caused by foreign processing.The issue is particularly important for H-1B visa holders, many of whom work in fields including technology, healthcare, engineering and finance. Immigration lawyers warn that forcing workers to leave the country during this process could create great uncertainty for both families and employers. Applicants from countries facing visa backlogs or limited consular appointments could potentially be stranded abroad for months or years to complete processing outside the US.The policy has also raised concerns over family separation, work disruption and a lack of clear guidance on who actually qualifies under the “economic benefit” or “national interest” exemptions.According to USCIS, the H-1B visa program allows U.S. employers to hire foreign professionals in particular occupations for up to three years, with extensions available in some cases. The program is capped at 85,000 new visas annually, with 20,000 reserved for applicants holding advanced US degrees.Indians still remain the largest group among H-1B visa holders in the US.

Srinagar: Two days after claiming that the Center has agreed in principle to provide the Ladakh Union Territory with an Assembly, a Chief Minister and constitutional protections akin to Article 371, a prominent representative of Ladakh said on Sunday, “No final agreement or concrete outcome has been reached yet”.“Discussions are still ongoing,” Sajjad Kargili, co-chairman of the Kargil Democratic Alliance (KDA), said in a statement. “We had shared our draft proposals demanding statehood and Sixth Schedule safeguards and the government has now responded with some suggestions. A formal draft is expected before the next meeting,” said Kargili, who was part of the talks in New Delhi with the Union Home Ministry’s sub-committee on Friday.He said that once the draft is received from the Home Ministry, they will hold detailed consultations with other Ladakh representatives as well as constitutional and legal experts.After Friday’s talks, Leh Apex Body (LAB) and KDA members had assured the Center of restoring democracy in Ladakh and providing constitutional safeguards on the lines of Articles 371 A, F and G applicable to Nagaland, Sikkim and Mizoram.According to LAB and KDA, the Center told them that the only reason why Ladakh should no longer be made a state is because of lack of sufficient revenue to meet basic expenses like salaries of employees. However, he said, the new model will give full statehood to Ladakh after meeting the revenue criteria.The Home Ministry had constituted a committee under the leadership of junior minister Nityanand Rai on January 2, 2023, to address the major issues of Ladakh. Since then several rounds of talks have taken place.On September 24, 2025, four people were killed and over 80 injured in alleged police firing on protesters demanding statehood in Leh, following which the process came to a halt.LAB member and environmentalist Sonam Wangchuk was accused of inciting the protesters. He was arrested, charged under NSA and kept in Jodhpur jail.The Center had canceled his NSA custody in March this year.After his release, Wangchuk has pressed for such talks. He was part of Friday’s talks with the Centre.