Guarantee schemes improve family relationships of 89% beneficiaries, states version of Guv’s speech
Bengaluru: The state government has said in the version of the Governor’s address prepared by it that 89 per cent of beneficiaries have seen an improvement in their family relationships due to the state government’s ambitious five guarantee schemes.
So far, Rs 1,16,706 crore has been allocated for the five guarantee schemes, Gruha Jyoti, Gruha Lakshmi, Anna Bhagya, Shakti and Yuvanidhi.
It has been also informed in the speech that the FPI has entered into agreements with academic and research institutions such as King’s College London, Just Jobs Network, XKDR Forum, Azim Premji University, Indus Action and Lokneeti/CSDS to scientifically evaluate the social and economic impacts of these schemes.
Extensive studies conducted by these organisations have confirmed revolutionary changes in food security, poverty eradication and women empowerment in the state.
It is stated that people are spending the money received through the guarantee schemes on nutritious food, medicines and children’s education.
The proportion of households receiving cash transfers from the government into bank accounts has increased from 9.3 per cent in 2022 to 72.7 per cent by 2024.
According to a study by Azim Premji University, the number of women travelling under the Shakti scheme on many routes, including major commercial areas of Bengaluru, is higher than that of men, marking a significant change in the city’s mobility.
The scheme saves an average of Rs 1,500 to Rs 2,000 per month per woman. It has helped 19 per cent of women across the state and 34 per cent in Bengaluru secure well-paid jobs. It is also stated that 83 per cent of people have been able to access good health services.
It is stated that due to the ‘Anna Bhagya’ scheme, which is making the dream of a ‘hunger-free Karnataka’ a reality, 83 per cent of women are improving their family’s nutrition by purchasing quality food items such as pulses, vegetables, fruits, eggs and meat with the money saved through the guarantee schemes.
About 80 per cent of women feel that they are more financially independent and play a leading role in family decision-making due to the ‘Gruha Lakshmi’ scheme.
Further, 37 per cent of beneficiaries have said that they are becoming debt-free by using the money from the guarantee schemes to repay old family loans.
Karnataka has initiated a new paradigm through the women empowerment schemes implemented by the government. It is believed that these schemes have not only provided financial assistance but have also enabled social transformation.
As a result of the ‘Yuva Nidhi’ scheme, which supports the youth, 28 per cent of young people are engaged in skill learning, while 20 per cent are becoming financially independent.
The ‘Gruha Lakshmi Credit Cooperative Society’ has been established to support the financial independence of women. It was proposed in the speech that the ‘Akka Pade’ (which means elder sister force) scheme will be implemented in the year 2025–26 with the aim of providing immediate protection to women and children in danger and distress.
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.
