National Youth Festival, awardees left in the lurch as launch nears

January 12, 2012

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Mangalore, January 12: With only hours left for the inauguration of the 17th Natioinal Youth Festival here in the coastal city, the organizers appear to be racing against time to finish off the preparation work even as the launch of the food festival, the first event in the calendar, was postponed to afternoon.

On Thursday, as day broke Mangalore Central Railway Station was swarmed with delegates and guests from across the country. But they were in for a chaotic reception as arrangements and hospitality were quite off the mark.

Chaos reigned supreme as delegates and guests were left to fend for themselves in the absence of proper guidance and travel arrangements.

Ram Dayal Sen, one of the awardees from Rajasthan, was very disappointed as there was no protocol officer deputed to escort him and there was no pick up for him from the station.

According to him the awardees were treated very casually and being ignored in terms of the facilities. “I was selected for the awards by the government of India taking into consideration my 10-12 years of service in field of social work. I didn't expect such a treatment,” he fumed.

“Although several pick-up vehicles were parked outside the station, drivers were not well-informed and hence refused to oblige us. They did not seem to have any record of our travel,” added Arunkumawat, another awardee.

Even the director of National Youth Project , S.N. Subbarao, who arrived from Bangalore, had to wait for 10 minutes as there was no festival coordinators to receive him and inform him about his accommodation.

However, Deputy Commissioner, Mangalore, Channappa Gawda, said that the lodging , food and travel arrangements had been coordinated well.

“The pick up and drop of all the guest and delegates have been done according to the schedule,” he told coastaldigest.com.

The situation at Mangala Stadium, the key venue of the event, was also near-chaotic as confusion prevailed over the opening of the food festival, which was scheduled for 10 am. A posse of journalists and photographers had arrived at the venue in the morning, but had to return disappointed.

According to highly placed sources, the inauguration had to be postponed due the delay of the flight of one of the chief guests. However, the coordinator of Nehru Yuva Kendra said no inaugural ceremony for the food festival was scheduled. "It is a miscommunication," he said.

Meanwhile, there was a long queue of officers at the DUDC cell at the DC office on Thursday morning for obtaining the entry passes (with photo). The number of relatives of the officers was more than the officers, being sent on duty for the festival, said a source.

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News Network
September 14,2024

Bengaluru: Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara on Saturday said the situation in violence-hit Nagamangala town in Mandya district is peaceful now, and steps have been taken to ensure that no untoward incidents take place.

Clashes had broken out between two groups during the Ganesh idol procession in the town, following which mobs went on a rampage with stone pelting and targeting several shops and vehicles leading to tension on Wednesday night.

"Situation in Nagamangala is now peaceful and there is no problem there. I have also instructed officials to hold a peace meeting there. We have instructed officers to ensure that no untoward incidents take place, enough police force is also stationed there," Parameshwara told reporters here.

About 55 people have been arrested in connection with the incident and they have been sent to judicial custody, according to police sources.

Responding to a question on opposition parties including JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy raising doubts about the FIR, he said, "The police will do what has to be done in accordance with law..."

Asked about BJP sending a fact finding team to Nagamangala, the Home Minister said, "Let them find the facts and inform us, and if there is any fact from their fact finding, we will look into it. It will make our work a bit easier." The BJP panel consisting of MLA C N Ashwath Narayan, former Minister Byrathi Basavaraj, former Minister K C Narayana Gowda, state secretary Lakshmi Ashwin Gowda, and former IPS officer Bhaskar Rao, will visit the spot and submit a comprehensive report to the party in a week.

According to police, an argument had broken out between two groups, when the Ganesh idol procession by devotees from Badri Koppalu village reached a place of worship on Wednesday, and some miscreants hurled stones, which escalated the situation.

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News Network
September 20,2024

Starting in the 2025-26 academic year, private universities in Karnataka offering professional courses will no longer conduct separate entrance exams. This decision follows a directive from the state’s Higher Education Department, prompting private universities to form an association and agree to this significant change.

In a recent meeting with Higher Education Minister Dr. M. C. Sudhakar, representatives from 17 private universities confirmed their decision to discontinue individual entrance tests. Of the 27 private universities in the state, 17 offer professional courses, and they have collectively agreed to accept scores from existing national or state-level entrance exams.

“Some universities will consider JEE scores, others will rely on KCET, and a few are inclined towards COMEDK,” Dr. Sudhakar stated, leaving the choice of examination to the universities themselves. However, the department has also suggested that the universities consider a unified entrance test for admissions.

Looking ahead, Dr. Sudhakar hinted that the government may introduce a common entrance test for general degree courses at private universities as well. "As government colleges and universities currently don’t require entrance exams for general degree courses, we haven’t made any decisions on this yet," he explained.

The meeting also addressed concerns over the high fees charged by private universities. To regulate this, the universities were instructed to establish fee fixation committees, headed by retired judges, as required by law. These committees will be responsible for determining tuition fees. Additionally, the government will continue to regulate fees for 40% of seats in professional courses that are filled through KCET.

In an effort to bring greater uniformity among private institutions, the government is considering enacting a common law for all private universities, which would replace the individual acts currently governing each university. This would place all private universities under a single regulatory framework.

This move is expected to streamline the admissions process and create a more standardized system for both professional and general degree programs across Karnataka's private universities.

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News Network
September 13,2024

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NRI professionals hailing from the coastal and Malnad regions of Karnataka, now based in Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Hong Kong, and Australia, have been urging the Indian government and airlines to introduce a direct flight between Mangalore International Airport (MIA) and Singapore’s Changi Airport.

These professionals argue that Singapore’s strategic location as a hub connecting India with East Asia makes this flight essential. They highlight that this route would serve over 12 million people from the coastal and hill regions of southern India, fostering stronger ties with East Asian economies.

The group, consisting of individuals from Dakshina Kannada, Uttara Kannada, Udupi, Chikkamagaluru, Kodagu, Shivamogga, and Hassan, is spearheaded by Rajesh H Acharya, director of HQ Connections Pte Ltd, Singapore, and coordinator of the Singapore Tuluver community. Acharya emphasized the significance of the Indian government’s Act East policy, which aims to strengthen relationships between India and ASEAN, East Asia, and the Asia-Pacific region.

“This flight will open new doors for cultural, trade, tourism, and technological exchanges between these regions,” Acharya said.

The Mangalore Chapter of IndUS Entrepreneurs (TiE) has also proposed positioning the region as the 'Silicon Beach of India.' A direct flight would provide greater opportunities for entrepreneurs and investors from both Singapore and Mangaluru, boosting business exchanges.

Moreover, Singapore’s Changi Airport could see increased tourism from the Karnataka coast, while Coastal Karnataka would benefit from a surge in visitors from ASEAN countries, the Far East, Australia, New Zealand, and the US West Coast.

While a similar attempt in 2017 did not succeed, Acharya and his team are hopeful that this time their appeal will be taken seriously, tapping into the immense growth potential of the eastern half of the globe.

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