After Muslim protests, Surya Namaskar out of Yoga Day drill

June 9, 2015

New Delhi, Jun 9: The Centre has decided to drop 'Surya Namaskar' from 'asanas' to be performed by people across the country to commemorate 'International Day of Yoga' on June 21. The trimming of the drill is aimed at catering to the sensibilities of the minorities in the wake of opposition from Muslim groups.

Launching a nationwide campaign against making what it dubbed "Hindu religious practices" compulsory in educational institutions, the All India Muslim Personal Board (AIMPLB) had demanded that the order making Surya Namaskar compulsory in schools be also cancelled.

Surya Namaskar, a yogic practice for comprehensive development of the body, is considered a crucial component for improvement of holistic health.

Earlier in April, the government had come under attack on the use of "Aum", a chant, while issuing a common protocol for celebration of the International Yoga Day.

Meanwhile, preparations are on in full swing for the mega event on June 21, which is expected to witness almost 40,000 people from across the country performing 'asanas' at Delhi's Rajpath. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the gathering, minister of state for AYUSH Shripad Naik said.

The programme, which will be conducted between 7 am and 7:35 am in the entire country simultaneously, is likely to be attended by celebrities like Amitabh Bachchan, Shilpa Shetty and Indian Test skipper Virat Kohli.

"Our ministry is also trying to register the mega event in the Guinness Book of World Records," Naik said. He said free yoga camps are being organized in 651 districts while 100 such camps will be held in Delhi to observe the day. External affairs minister Sushma Swaraj, along with Naik, will launch a special portal for the event on June 9.

In December last year, the United Nations General Assembly adopted June 21 as International Yoga Day after PM Modi urged the world community to celebrate the ancient discipline on a global scale. With over 175 nations supporting Modi's proposal, the move was seen as major diplomatic win for India.

Besides the function at Rajpath, the capital will also celebrate 'Yoga Parv' with art exhibitions, dance and music performances, as well as theatre shows and events like talks, meditation sessions and yoga workshops held across venues between June 21 and 27. According to official sources, the Lalit Kala Akademi, Sahitya Akademi, Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts and National Museum have joined hands for the event. Over 300 selected works of art, dance and music performances, and

other presentations by 150 plus artists from across India and overseas will be showcased to depict the importance of yoga.

Various yoga schools and centres like Isha Foundation, Patanjali and Morarji Desai National Institute of Yoga are also collaborating to conduct workshops and yoga sessions along with showcasing different kinds of ayurvedic, herbal and organic products to visitors at the organic and wellness haat in the capital.

The AYUSH ministry will also organize an international conference on yoga which will focus on holistic health. The theme includes traditional basis of yoga and its role in prevention of diseases along with therapeutic potentials of yoga. The conference will also discuss the importance of yoga for global peace.

The railways has urged its over 13 lakh employees to celebrate the day in a big way.

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Mangaluru’s ₹1,200 crore fix: Massive sewage overhaul to end city’s drainage woes

News Network

December 19,2025

Mangaluru: In a decisive move to tackle the city’s deteriorating sanitation infrastructure, the Mangaluru City Corporation (MCC) has announced a massive ₹1,200 crore action plan to overhaul its underground drainage (UGD) network.

The initiative, spearheaded by Deputy Commissioner and MCC Administrator Darshan HV, aims to bridge "missing links" in the current system that have left residents grappling with overflowing sewage and environmental hazards.

The Breaking Point

The announcement follows a high-intensity phone-in session on Thursday, where the DC was flooded with grievances from frustrated citizens. Residents, including Savithri from Yekkur, described a harrowing reality: raw sewage from apartments leaking into stormwater drains, creating a "permanent stink" and turning residential zones into mosquito breeding grounds.

"We are facing immense difficulties due to the stench and the health risks. Local officials have remained silent until now," one resident reported during the session.

The Strategy: A Six-Year Vision

DC Darshan HV confirmed that the proposed plan is not a temporary patch but a comprehensive six-year roadmap designed to accommodate Mangaluru’s projected population growth. Key highlights of the plan include:

• Infrastructure Expansion: Laying additional pipelines to connect older neighborhoods to the main grid.

• STP Crackdown: Stricter enforcement of Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) regulations. While new apartments are required to have functional STPs, many older buildings lack them entirely, and several newer units are reportedly non-functional.

• Budgetary Push: The plan has already been discussed with the district in-charge minister and the Secretary of the Urban Development Department. It is slated for formal presentation in the upcoming state budget.

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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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