KMC to host meet on community health

October 21, 2011

Manipal, October 20: The Department of Community Medicine at Kasturba Medical College will host the 23rd annual conference of Karnataka Association of Community Health on October 21 and 22, at Fortune Inn Valley View.

Speaking to media persons, Department of Community Medicine Head Dr Veena Kamath informed that the theme of the conference is “Infectious diseases: current scenario, future perspectives and challenges for public health”. The theme for the CME is “Current issues in infectious disease epidemiology”. As many as 300 delegates are expected to take part.

Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU), Delhi, Professor Dr A K Agarwal will be the chief guest on the occasion, she added.

Kamath said there will be a full schedule of contributed papers, invited lectures, symposia and posters covering a wide variety of topics related to infectious diseases on the occasion, she added.

The speakers for the first symposium on “Emerging infectious diseases: A public health concern,” are Dr Soumya Swaminathan, from National Institute of Research in Tuberculosis, Chennai; Dr R C Dhiman from National Institute of Malaria Research; Dr Ravikumar, senior regional director, MOHFW, she informed.

“Atimicrobial resistance - Time for action now” is the theme for the second symposium and the speakers are Dr Ranganathan Iyer from Global Hospitals, Hyderabad; Dr R S P Rao from Ras Al Khaimah, UAE and Dr Dilip Mathai Professor from CMC Vellore.

The third symposium, “Infectious diseases: Current scenario and future perspectives” will have Dr N Girish from NIMHANS; Dr Pawan Murthy from WHO, Dr Ramachandra Bairy, DHO Udupi district and Dr H R Raveendra, India TB Program, PATH.

The fourth symposium is about “Alcohol and public health”.

The speakers are Dr Vivek Benegal and Dr N Girish from NIMHANS, Bangalore, Dr Samir Praharaj from KMC Manipal, Dr Krishnamurthy and Dr Leonard M from Manipal University.

Veena Kamath informed that the department has taken up maternal and child health care programmes in the areas like Padubidri, Kaup, Katpadi, Alevoor, Malpe and Udyavara.

Besides health services catering to the needs of as many as 50,000 people are offered covered by insurance scheme which is free of premium. School health programmes are conducted in association with government programmes. The department has offered health check ups to the students of as many as 12 schools in the time span of 2 months, she said.

Comments

Community Medicine is a branch which deals with community health problems. But most community medicine experts have only theoritical knowdlge and no first hand practical exposure They are all arm chair people

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HC refuses to quash probe against Mangaluru WhatsApp admin over offensive posts

News Network

February 1,2026

Bengaluru: The Karnataka High Court has refused to quash an investigation against a WhatsApp group administrator accused of allowing the circulation of obscene and offensive images depicting Hindutva politicians and idols in 2021.

Justice M Nagaprasanna observed that, prima facie, the ingredients of the offence under Section 295A of the Indian Penal Code were made out. “The offence under Section 295A of the IPC is met to every word of its ingredient, albeit prima facie,” the judge said.

The petitioner, Sirajuddin, a resident of Belthangady taluk in Dakshina Kannada district, had challenged the FIR registered against him at the CEN (Cyber, Economics and Narcotics) police station, Mangaluru, for offences under Section 295A of the IPC and Section 67 of the Information Technology Act. Section 295A relates to punishment for deliberate and malicious acts intended to outrage the religious feelings of any class of citizens.

According to the complaint filed by K Jayaraj Salian, also a resident of Belthangady taluk, he received a WhatsApp group link from an unknown source and was added to the group after accessing it. The group reportedly had six administrators and around 250 participants, where obscene and offensive images depicting Hindu deities and certain political figures were allegedly circulated repeatedly.

Sirajuddin was arrested in connection with the case and later released on bail on February 16, 2021. He argued before the court that he was being selectively targeted, while other administrators—including the creator of the group—were neither arrested nor investigated. He also contended that the Magistrate could not have taken cognisance of the offence under Section 295A without prior sanction under Section 196(1) of the CrPC.

Rejecting the argument, Justice Nagaprasanna held that prior sanction is required only at the stage of taking cognisance, and not at the stage of registration of the crime or during investigation.

The judge noted that the State had produced the entire investigation material before the court. “A perusal of the material reveals depictions of Hindu deities in an extraordinarily obscene, demeaning and profane manner. The content is such that its reproduction in a judicial order would itself be inappropriate,” the court said, adding that the material, on its face, had the tendency to outrage religious feelings and disturb communal harmony.

Observing that the case was still at the investigation stage, the court said it could not interdict the probe at this juncture. However, it expressed concern that the investigating officer appeared to have not proceeded uniformly against all administrators. The court clarified that if the investigation revealed the active involvement of any member in permitting the circulation of such content, they must also be proceeded against.

“At this investigative stage, any further observation by this Court would be unnecessary,” the order concluded.

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