17 candidates in fray for Dakshina Kannada LS seat

Mangalore, Mar 26: A total of 17 candidates have filed 30 sets of nomination papers altogether from the 17-Dakshina Kannada Lok Sabha constituency in the coming elections next month, said Deputy Commissioner A B Ibrahim, who is also the District Election Officer.

Speaking at a press conference here on Wednesday, he informed reporters that the scrutiny of the nomination papers submitted by the 17 contesting candidates would be completed by Thursday afternoon. Seven candidates filed their nomination papers at the office of the Deputy Commissioner on Wednesday, including B Janardhan Poojary from Congress, Anand Gatty, Supreeth Kumar Poojary, Deepak Rajesh Coelho, Subramanya, K M Somshekhar and one set by Nalin Kumar Kateel from BJP, he said.

The candidates who have filed nominations are Nalin Kumar Kateel (BJP), Supreeth Kumar Poojary (Nationalist Congress Party (not received B ' Form) and Hindustan Janta Party), Iruvail Chandrahas Shetty (Independent), Marpalli Ramiah Vasudeva (AAP), Sudatta Jain (Independent), K Yadava Shetty (CPM), Mohammed Haneef Khan (SDPI), Moose Kunhi (BSP), Mohammed Akram (Social Democratic Party of India dummy), Maxim Pinto (Independent), Abdul Hameed (Independent), K Kushala Bellare (Independent), Janardhana Poojary (Congress), Ananda Gatty (Independent), Deepak Rajesh Coelho (Independent), Subramanya (Independent) and K N Somashekar (Independent).

Wednesday was the last date for filing nomination papers for contesting in the elections. The last 10 minutes saw four candidates filing nominations.

Violations of moral code of conduct recorded

Mr Ibrahim said that a total of 23 complaints related to violation of moral code of conduct had been recorded by the district administration till date. A total of nine cases have been registered by the police department and 14 cases by the Excise department. Overall, 46 complaints altogether have been received in the district, he said.

He said that an amount of Rs 14.70 lakhs had been seized as unaccounted cash by the surveillance teams in the district, including Rs 6.2 lakhs at Talapady on Tuesday and Rs 4 lakhs at Mulki on Wednesday.

85 percent weapons deposited '

“Dakshina Kannada district having the highest number of registered firearms in the state, about 85 percent of weapons have been deposited with the police department by their respective owners. There are about 11,843 registered firearms in the district, out of which 11,113 have been deposited,” he said.

The deadline for depositing the remaining firearms is March 27.

Posters, stickers distributed as part of SVEEP

CEO of DK Zilla Panchayat Tulasi Maddineni said that as part of Systematic Voters ' Education and Electoral Participation (SVEEP) process, posters and stickers on the importance of voting would be distributed throughout the district.

On Friday, a human chain will be formed by student volunteers as part of SVEEP, and stickers will be stuck on small vehicles to urge citizens to exercise their right to vote. In this regard, one lakh stickers have been printed in the district. The district administration has received a large number of pledge letters pledging to exercise their right to vote. Students will conduct street plays and songs as part of the SVEEP programme, she said.

She also said that images for flex banners and hoardings had been published on the official DK website and those interested could print the same and put up hoardings in their residential area, without altering the banners.

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Elusive bamboo shrimp resurfaces in Mangaluru estuary after 70 years

News Network

December 7,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 7: A rare bamboo shrimp has been rediscovered on mainland India more than 70 years after it was last reported, confirming for the first time the presence of Atyopsis spinipes in the country. The find was made by researchers from the Centre for Climate Change Studies at Sathyabama Institute of Science and Technology, Chennai, during surveys in Karnataka and Odisha.

The team — shrimp expert Dr S Prakash, PhD scholar K Kunjulakshmi, and Mangaluru-based researcher Maclean Antony Santos — combined field surveys, ecological assessments and DNA analysis to identify the elusive species. Their findings, published in Zootaxa, resolve decades of taxonomic confusion stemming from a 1951 report that misidentified the species as Atyopsis moluccensis without strong evidence.

The shrimp has now been confirmed at two locations: the Mulki–Pavanje estuary near Mangaluru and the Kuakhai River in Bhubaneswar. Historical specimens from the Andaman Islands, previously labelled as A. moluccensis, were also found to be misidentified and actually belong to A. spinipes.

The rediscovery began after an aquarium hobbyist in Odisha spotted a shrimp in 2022, prompting systematic surveys across Udupi, Karwar and Mangaluru. Four female specimens were collected in Mulki and one in Odisha, all genetically matching.

Researchers warn the species may exist in very small, vulnerable populations as freshwater habitats face increasing pressure from pollution, sand mining and infrastructure development. All verified specimens have been deposited with the Zoological Survey of India for future reference.

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