Constitution a shield to protect people's rights: Rahul Gandhi
New Delhi (PTI): Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday said the Constitution is every Indian's greatest weapon and shield as his party asserted that its resolve to protect the Constitution is as "strong as a rock".
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, who unfurled the national flag on India's 77th Republic Day, said the need of the hour is to stand firm in defending the principles and spirit of our Constitution.
"Justice, liberty, equality, and fraternity are the enduring values bequeathed to us by our founding fathers, and it is our sacred duty to protect them. We must be prepared to make every necessary sacrifice to safeguard the Constitution," Kharge said in a post in Hindi on X.
"This will be our true tribute to the sacrifices of our ancestors," he said. "Once again, I extend my heartfelt greetings to all of you on this glorious occasion of Republic Day."
Gandhi also extended greetings to all citizens on Republic Day.
"Our Constitution is the greatest weapon of every Indian, it is our voice, the shield protecting our rights. Our republic stands on this strong foundation, and it will be strengthened only through equality and harmony," Gandhi said in a post in Hindi on X.
"Protecting the Constitution is protecting the Indian Republi , it is the truest tribute to the sacrifices of our freedom fighters. Jai Hind! Jai Samvidhan!" said the Leader of Opposition who attended the Republic Day parade at the Kartavya Path.
Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also greeted citizens on Republic Day.
"Today, our Constitution came into effect, guaranteeing every Indian the values of liberty, equality, justice, and fraternity. Our Constitution is the shield that protects all 140 crore Indians. Our resolve to protect it is as strong as a rock. Long live the Constitution! Jai Hind!" she said in a post in Hindi on X.
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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.
