'Raj Bhavan Chalo' to save MGNREGA: Shivakumar
Bengaluru (PTI): The Congress will hold a 'Raj Bhavan Chalo' programme on January 27 to protest against replacing the MGNREGA with VB-G RAM G, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar said on Monday.
In order to save Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), Congress leaders and workers will take out foot march in all the taluks of the state, he said.
"We should have actually carried out BJP Office Chalo as they were responsible for repealing the MGNREGA but we are doing Raj Bhavan Chalo (March towards the Raj Bhavan)," he told reporters here.
According to him, a 'Padayatra' (foot march) of at least five km will be held in every taluk of the state. Protests will also be organised at the panchayat level.
Shivakumar said there was an attempt to destroy MGNREGA, which came as a constitutional right introduced 20 years ago by the Manmohan Singh government.
The scheme, launched in the name of Mahatma Gandhi, guaranteed the right to employment for people in rural areas but that right has now been curtailed. Therefore, a nationwide agitation has been planned on this issue, he said.
"We are prepared to protest and pass a resolution on this issue even in the Legislative Assembly. Under the leadership of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, the agitation will continue until MGNREGA is restored," the Deputy CM said.
When asked about the resolution that would be passed, Shivakumar said, "We will demand the withdrawal of the law that seeks to destroy MGNREGA. Just as the black farm laws were withdrawn, this too must be repealed. The struggle will continue until it is withdrawn."
Shivakumar was apprehensive about the success of the Viksit Bharat Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajivika Mission (Gramin) VB-G RAM G, the recently passed rural employment Act.
"It is not possible to implement the new law. Speaking from my experience as a representative of rural people, its implementation is impossible. Who will provide funding for this scheme. Let the Centre provide the funds."
"Some leaders have said they are ready for a discussion. We are prepared to respond to their arguments in the House," he said.
Asked about the Governor writing to the President regarding developments in the Karnataka Assembly during his customary speech to the legislature on January 22, Shivakumar said, "I have no information about that. The Governor could have stayed till the speech was read and the national anthem was completed."
On January 22 during the joint session of the Karnataka Legislature, Thaawarchand Gehlot read just three lines from the 122-paragraph Governor's address. There were references condemning the Centre for repealing the MGNREGA and introducing VB-G RAM G in the Governor's address.
The Congress legislators protested and tried to Gherao the Gehlot.
Congress leaders charged that Gehlot insulted the National anthem as he did not wait for it to be played.
The opposition BJP defended the Governor saying that the ruling party insulted the Governor and sought action against the Congress legislators.
Reacting to a question, Shivakumar said, "If the Governor did not wish to read the speech related to MGNREGA on January 22, that is his choice. There were also many other options. Reading the government-provided speech is a constitutional duty of the Governor. This has happened not only here but in other states as well."
Greeting people on the occasion of Republic Day, the Deputy CM said the Congress is working to protect the Constitution of the country.
"The reading of the Preamble of the Constitution has been made mandatory in all schools in Karnataka. Through this, our government has worked to create awareness about the Constitution among the new generation. Our government is committed at every level to safeguarding the Constitution," he said.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
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.
