Odisha’s popular singer Humane Sagar dies at 36
Bhubaneswar PTI): Odisha’s popular singer Humane Sagar died on Monday while undergoing treatment at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) here, a bulletin issued by the health facility said.
He was 36.
Sagar was admitted to the premier health facility on Friday as he was diagnosed with bilateral pneumonia, acute on chronic liver failure (ACLF), multi-organ dysfunction syndrome and other complications, the bulletin said.
He breathed his last at 9.08 pm, it said.
Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi expressed grief over the untimely demise of Sagar.
“I am deeply saddened to learn of the passing of renowned playback singer Humane Sagar. His demise is an irreparable loss to our music and cinema. I convey my condolences to the bereaved family and pray to God for the peace of the departed soul. Om Shanti”.
In a condolence message, Leader of Opposition Naveen Patnaik said Sagar's "soulful music has touched the hearts of countless listeners", and his contributions to Odia music will always remain memorable.
"Along with praying for the eternal peace of his immortal soul, I convey my condolences to the bereaved family members during this sorrowful time," he said.
AIIMS Bhubaneswar, in a statement, said, “Humane Sagar (36) did not respond to treatment in spite of all aggressive and advanced care provided by an expert team of specialist doctors and expired at 9.08 pm on November 17.”
He was admitted to AIIMS, Bhubaneswar on November 14 with "diagnosis of bilateral pneumonia, acute on chronic liver failure (ACLF), dilated cardiomyopathy with severe LV systolic dysfunction, MODS (multi-organ dysfunction syndrome)- refractory shock, severe respiratory failure, anuric acute kidney injury, encephalopathy, hepatopathy, thrombocytopenia and Ccoagulopathy".
Born at Titlagarh of Bolangir district, Sagar was a renowned singer in the Odia music industry and known for his emotional depth and unique singing style.
He lent his voice to more than 100 Odia songs.
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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.
