200 more stray dogs killed in Telangana village
Hyderabad (PTI): In yet another incident of alleged stray dogs killing in Telangana, about 200 canines were killed in Hanamkonda district, taking the toll to 1,100 in the state since December 2025, animal rights activists claimed.
An animal welfare activist, A Goutham, in a complaint lodged with police on Monday stated that 200 stray dogs were brutally killed about one month ago in Pathipaka village of Shayampet mandal by administering poisonous injections allegedly on the orders of Gram Panchayat Secretary.
Goutham, who works as Cruelty Prevention Manager, associated with the Stray Animal Foundation of India (NGO) said after getting information in this regard, he, along with other animal welfare activists, visited the village and enquired few villagers regarding the mass killing of stray dogs, and they stated about the Gram Panchayat Secretary's alleged involvement in the killings.
The carcasses of the dogs were then buried in graveyard, the complainant said, and sought for registration of FIR.
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A police official at Shayampet Police Station said they have included the latest complaint with an FIR already registered by them in connection with the alleged killing of around 300 stray dogs in Shayampet and Arepally villages in Hanamkonda district. Earlier, nine persons, including two women sarpanches and their husbands, were booked over the killings.
Further investigation is going on, he said.
Several incidents of stray dog killings were reported in Telangana in January alone.
The killings are suspected to have been carried out by some elected representatives, including Sarpanchs, allegedly to fulfill promises made to villagers ahead of gram panchayat elections held in December last year, to address the stray dog menace.
About 300 canines were allegedly killed in Pegadapally village of Jagtial district by administering poisonous injections on January 22.
Animal rights activists in a complaint blamed the village Sarpanch and Gram Panchayat Secretary for the gruesome act, following which police registered an FIR against the duo under relevant sections of BNS and Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act.
A case was registered against the sarpanch, secretary and ward member of Yacharam gram panchayat after 100 dogs were allegedly killed by injecting with some poisonous substances at Yacharam village near here on January 19.
In another incident, around 200 stray dogs were allegedly killed in Kamareddy district, and a case was booked against six persons, including five village sarpanches, for their alleged involvement in the incident.
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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.
