Rizwan Arshad re-elected as Youth Congress President with thumping majority

In a significant milestone, the Dakshina Kannada Zilla Panchayat Higher Primary School in Newpadpu, Harekala, has introduced a bilingual Kannada-English medium this academic year, a move spearheaded by Padma Shri awardee Harekala Hajabba. The school has so far received 13 admissions for its Class 1 bilingual program.

This initiative is part of a broader effort by the state government, which approved 38 schools across the district to launch bilingual mediums. Expressing his delight, Hajabba shared that he had been advocating for a bilingual school for years. "The bilingual medium will greatly benefit students in this region who otherwise rely on private schools. However, we currently face a shortage of classrooms. Construction of two additional classrooms is underway, and once completed, we expect higher admissions," he said.

The school had previously been permitted to introduce LKG and UKG classes in the last academic year. According to the school’s headmistress, Rajeshwari, while the pre-primary sections have seen good enrolment, the bilingual Class 1 faced challenges, securing only 13 students. She attributed this to the late notification of permission, which arrived a month after the academic year began, leading many children to enroll elsewhere.

Rajeshwari remains optimistic about the future. "We expect better admissions next academic year as awareness about bilingual education at this government school grows," she said, adding that the classroom shortage will soon be addressed.

Deputy Director of Public Instruction (DDPI) Venkatesha Subraya Patagara noted that bilingual schools across Dakshina Kannada have generally received a positive response, with some schools enrolling more than 100 students. The effort to offer bilingual education in government schools marks a step forward in providing affordable, quality education to underserved regions.

Udupi, Dec 7: A tragic incident involving the death of a 38-year-old hotel worker in Manipal has been confirmed as a case of suicide, dispelling initial reports of murder. Udupi Superintendent of Police (SP) Dr. Arun Kumar clarified the matter after an investigation, including CCTV footage review, revealed the victim, Sridhara, took his own life in a shocking and rare manner.

Incident Overview
The lifeless body of Sridhara, a resident of Kasarakoda and hotel employee in Manipal, was discovered early Friday near Ananta Kalyana Nagara. Initially, it was believed he had been murdered, his throat reportedly slit with a beer bottle. However, a detailed inspection of the scene and CCTV evidence from a nearby shop confirmed that Sridhara inflicted the fatal injury on himself.

Footage revealed the chilling sequence: Sridhara was seen walking purposefully to the spot before suddenly using a beer bottle to slit his throat, collapsing moments later. The act left his throat almost entirely severed, and the beer bottle, along with an empty bag, was found near his body.

Suspected Drug Influence
Authorities suspect Sridhara may have been under the influence of narcotics at the time. A post-mortem examination was conducted at KMC Manipal to uncover any potential contributing factors.

Public Concern and Investigation Status
Although the investigation has ruled out foul play, local residents have urged authorities to probe further to ensure no external involvement was overlooked. The police, while confident in their findings, have withheld the CCTV footage from public release due to the sensitive nature of the case and ongoing inquiries.

“This was a tragic and rare method of suicide, confirmed through thorough investigation and verified CCTV evidence,” SP Dr. Arun Kumar stated, urging the public to avoid speculation.

The incident has left the community in shock, sparking discussions around mental health awareness and the impact of substance abuse. Authorities continue to investigate further to close the case conclusively.

Angry BJP lawmakers stormed Assembly Speaker U T Khader’s chambers at the Suvarna Vidhana Soudha, escalating tensions after the ruling Congress turned the tables on the saffron party over the Panchamasali Lingayat community’s reservation issue.

The friction began when Congress MLA Vijayanand Kashappanavar, a Panchamasali Lingayat, was allowed to criticise the Basavaraj Bommai-led BJP government’s controversial decision to scrap the 4 per cent Muslim quota, reallocating it equally to Lingayats and Vokkaligas. Kashappanavar slammed the BJP’s move, accusing it of being a mere election gimmick.

“The previous BJP government created two new reservation categories, 2C for Vokkaligas and 2D for Lingayats, just before the 2023 Assembly elections,” Kashappanavar said. “When challenged in the Supreme Court, the BJP government admitted it would not implement the decision. They announced it for votes but backtracked in court, misleading Panchamasali seer Basava Jaya Mrityunjaya Swami.”

Adding fuel to the fire, Kashappanavar alleged that RSS members had incited violence during a protest for enhanced Panchamasali Lingayat reservation. This claim enraged BJP lawmakers, who demanded the comment be expunged. However, Speaker Khader permitted Revenue Minister Krishna Byre Gowda to read aloud the BJP government’s affidavit to the Supreme Court.

“If the Panchamasali Lingayat community has faced injustice, it is because of the BJP,” Gowda declared, sparking further protests from the opposition. BJP leaders accused Khader of being “one-sided” and disregarding a point of order raised by BJP MLA V Sunil Kumar.

When Khader adjourned the session for lunch, the confrontation boiled over. Opposition Leader R Ashoka, BJP state president B Y Vijayendra, MLAs Dr C N Ashwath Narayan, Sunil Kumar, and others barged into Khader’s chambers. Chaos ensued as shouting and hollering echoed through the halls, prompting marshalls to intervene.

“The Speaker was warned that if he continued behaving this way, we would boycott the session,” Narayan stated afterward.