Rafale Deal: A Shameless Silence!
When the country is still struggling with the second wave of the Coronavirus, the government finds itself caught in the Rafale whirlpool yet again.The controversy over the Rafale deal broke out much before the pandemic with several organizations approaching the Supreme Court demanding an investigation into the deal but without any success as the apex court held the view that that ‘there is no need for an investigation.’
The NDA government seems to have considered the Supreme Court’s stand as a clean chit for itself forgetting that there is a difference in saying that there is no need for an investigation and getting an acquittal after prosecution. When the CBI showed some interest in the Rafale deal, the government clipped its wings.. Everyone who demanded an investigation was portrayed as “having no concern for the national security.”
After Modi got elected for the second term, the Congress party also became silent over the Rafale deal. Just when it was assumed that the controversy had died down, it has now resurfaced with the French government ordering a judicial probe into a French company’s role in the alleged deal. This was after a French website published several explosive reports that millions of Euros were exchanged as part of the agreement between the Indian government and the French company, Dassault, and that Indian officials were also bribed. Transparency over the deal pertaining to the purchase of Rafale aircraft is more important to India than France as it could have an impact on India’s defence whereas for France it could only be an issue of financial irregularities.
Though it was the UPA government that laid the foundation for the controversial Rafale deal, it had roped in Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), the pride of India in the aviation sector, as a partner and the deal provided an opportunity for purchasing a large number of aircrafts at lower prices besides acquiring latest aircraft technologies. But after the Modi government came to power, significant changes were made to the deal including the questionable move of replacing HAL with Reliance that had no prior experience in the defence sector.
Not just that, as a part of the revised agreement, India agreed to pay more for fewer aircrafts. When a whiff of the large-scale irregularities was felt, protests were organized throughout the country with several investigating agencies raising doubts but all such suspicions were stamped down and several important letters of correspondence and documents went missing. In effect, the government put a lot of effort and made sure that no investigation could be carried out and gave itself a clean chit.
Similarly, decades ago, when the Bofors controversy broke out, an investigation was conducted but the investigation refuted Rajiv Gandhi’s involvement and gave him a clean chit. Arun Shourie who was then writing about the Bofors scam had said in a press conference that the Rafale deal is larger in magnitude than Bofors. Regardless of the fact that several journalists and lawyers approached the Supreme Court demanding an investigation into the Rafale deal, Prime Minister Modi should have on his own ordered an investigation. If it did not have any role in the deal, why is the Modi government hesitating to face an investigation? An investigation would not only shut the opposition but also increase Modi government’s credibility. More than anything else, it would resolve the concerns that people have over the nation’s security. Ironically, by not ordering an investigation, it is almost like Modi has in part accepted the allegations.
The French government’s investigation has given a fresh lease of life to the controversy with questions being raised over India’s silence. The Opposition is demanding an immediate investigation by a Joint Parliamentary Committee. When a country that is part of the deal has expressed its suspicion about financial irregularities, how can India that is a party to the deal not be anguished? If financial irregularities have indeed taken place, India has a lot to answer. Even then, why is the country’s “chowkidar” not uttering a word? This is shameless silence. The fact that an international controversy that has national ramifications on the army and defence sectors has not stirred the government to take cognizance of the issue could trigger yet another round of ‘Chowkidhaar Chor” slogans. Before such slogans can reverberate all across the country, the Chowkidhar must speak.
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Texas halts H-1B visas at state universities, agencies; to affect Indians
Houston (US) (PTI): Texas Governor Greg Abbott has ordered state agencies and public universities to immediately halt new H-1B visa petitions, tightening hiring rules at taxpayer-funded institutions, a step likely to impact Indian professionals.
The freeze will remain in effect through May 2027.
The directive issued on Tuesday said that the state agencies and public universities must stop filing new petitions unless they receive written approval from the Texas Workforce Commission.
The governor's order, in a red state that is home to thousands of H-1B visa holders, comes as the Trump administration has initiated steps to reshape the visa programme.
“In light of recent reports of abuse in the federal H-1B visa programme, and amid the federal government’s ongoing review of that programme to ensure American jobs are going to American workers, I am directing all state agencies to immediately freeze new H-1B visa petitions as outlined in this letter,” Abbot said.
Institutions must also report on H-1B usage, including numbers, job roles, countries of origin, and visa expiry dates, the letter said.
US President Donald Trump on September 19 last year signed a proclamation ‘Restriction on entry of certain non-immigrant workers’ that restricted the entry into the US of those workers whose H-1B petitions are not accompanied or supplemented by a payment of USD 1,00,000.
The H1-B visa fee of USD 1,00,000 would be applicable only to new applicants, i.e. all new H-1B visa petitions submitted after September 21, including those for the FY2026 lottery.
Indians make up an estimated 71 per cent of all approved H-1B applications in recent years, according to US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), with China in the second spot. The major fields include technology, engineering, medicine, and research.
Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) is the second-highest beneficiary with 5,505 approved H-1B visas in 2025, after Amazon (10,044 workers on H-1B visas), according to the USCIS. Other top beneficiaries include Microsoft (5,189), Meta (5,123), Apple (4,202), Google (4,181), Deloitte (2,353), Infosys (2,004), Wipro (1,523) and Tech Mahindra Americas (951).
Texas public universities employ hundreds of foreign faculty and researchers, many from India, across engineering, healthcare, and technology fields.
Date from Open Doors -- a comprehensive information resource on international students and scholars studying or teaching at higher education institutions in the US -- for 2022-2023 showed 2,70,000 students from India embarked on graduate and undergraduate degrees in US universities, accounting for 25 per cent of the international student population in the US and 1.5 per cent of the total student population.
Indian students infuse roughly USD 10 billion annually into universities and related businesses across the country through tuition and other expenses – while also creating around 93,000 jobs, according to the Open Doors data.
Analysts warn the freeze could slow recruitment of highly skilled professionals, affecting academic research and innovation.
Supporters say the directive protects local jobs, while critics caution it could weaken Texas’ competitiveness in higher education and research.
The order comes amid broader debate in the US over skilled immigration and state-level interventions in federal programmes.
H-1B visas allow US companies to hire technically-skilled professionals that are not easily available in America. Initially granted for three years, these can be extended for another three years.
In September 2025, Trump had also signed an executive order ‘The Gold Card’, aimed at setting up a new visa pathway for those committed to supporting the United States; with individuals who can pay USD 1 million to the US Treasury, or USD 2 million if a corporation is sponsoring them, to get access to expedited visa treatment and a path to a Green Card.
