Dakshina Kannada: An educational hub with uneducated representatives

coastaldigest.com web desk

April 29, 2018

Mangaluru, Apr 29: Karnataka’s coastal district of Dakshina Kannada is known as a the district of intelligent people. It has the highest literacy rate. Besides this is the educational hub of south India. Ironically, many of the elected representatives of this district are school dropouts. BJP leader Nalin Kumar Kateel, who represents the district in the parliament, has not studied beyond Class 10. However, he managed to defeat Congress veteran Janardhana Poojary, who holds B.Com and LLB degrees, twice.

*U T Khader, J R Lobo and Ramanath Rai are the only three graduates among the eight sitting MLAs of DK

*School dropout S Angara (BJP) defeated MBBS graduate Dr Raghu (Congress) twice in Sullia Assembly constituency

*BJP leader Nalin Kumar Kateel, who studied up to Class 10 defeated Congress veteran B Janardhana Poojary (B.Com, LLB) twice in Lok Sabha polls

Only three of the eight sitting MLAs in the district hold bachelor degrees. U T Khader, Minister for Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs, who represents Mangaluru (Ullal) constituency in the Assembly, is an LLB gradate. He is also perusing master degree in Kannada literature in an open university.

J R Lobo, a former state civil servant, who represents Mangaluru City South in the Assembly, holds BSc and B Ed degrees. B Ramanath Rai, Minister for Forest, Ecology and Environment, and MLA from Bantwal constituency, is a BA graduate.

K Abhayachandra Jain, the MLA from Mulki-Moodbidri constituency, has completed diploma in automobile (diesel mechanic). Vasanth Bangera, the MLA from Belthangady constituency, has completed Pre-University course.

Shakuntala Shetty, the former BJP leader, who won from the Puttur constituency on a Congress ticket in the last assembly polls, bid goodbye to education after completing Class 10.

B A Mohiuddin Bava, the MLA from the Mangaluru City North, hasn’t completed SSLC. Interestingly, he is the brother of JD(S) leader B M Farookh, who holds a bachelor degree in engineering and a master degree in business administration.

S Angara, the MLA from Sullia, who is also the lone BJP legislator in entire district, is a Class IX dropout. He has twice defeated Congress candidate Dr Rahgu, who is an MBBS gradate.

Comments

Mangaloreans are literate, not educated.

BJP is anyway a Bhararatiya Agnan Party. But what happened to Congress? Why feilding undeducated candidates?

hahaha. That's why this kateel wanted to arson his own constituency!

Need not to go to college to become MP of Dakshina Kannada. Delivering provocative speeches like Kateel is more than enough. Buddhivanthe people of DK will vote.

Baavaka endo paadil saale kaida aakyo?

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Mangaluru software engineer dies in Bengaluru apartment fire

News Network

January 6,2026

Bengaluru A 34-year-old software engineer from Mangaluru lost her life due to asphyxiation after a fire broke out in her apartment in Ramamurthy Nagar late on Saturday night.

The deceased has been identified as Sharmila, a native of Kavoor in Mangaluru. She had relocated to Bengaluru about a year ago in search of better career prospects and was residing in an apartment complex at Subramanya Layout.

The incident occurred around 11 pm when Sharmila was alone in the flat, as her roommate had travelled out of town for the weekend. Preliminary investigations suggest that the fire may have been triggered by a short circuit in one of the rooms. Within a short span, the apartment was filled with dense, toxic smoke.

As the flames spread, the power supply to the building was cut off, plunging the flat into darkness. Police believe that Sharmila, trapped inside the smoke-filled apartment and unable to find an exit or a source of ventilation, succumbed to smoke inhalation.

The fire caused extensive damage to household items, with beds, curtains and other furniture completely gutted. Personnel from the Ramamurthy Nagar police shifted the body for post-mortem examination, which has since been completed. The mortal remains were later handed over to her family.

A case has been registered, and the police have launched a detailed investigation to determine the exact cause of the suspected electrical failure.

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UT Iftikhar Ali calls on universities to ensure NEET-based Physiotherapy, OT admissions from 2026–27

News Network

January 14,2026

The National Commission for Allied and Healthcare Professions (NCAHP) has announced that admissions to undergraduate programmes in physiotherapy and occupational therapy will henceforth be conducted exclusively through the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET).

In a press release issued by Prof. U. T. Iftikhar Ali Fareed, Chairman of the Karnataka State Allied and Healthcare Council, stated that the NCAHP has clarified the category-wise degree nomenclature and admission criteria for allied and healthcare undergraduate programmes, effective from the academic year 2026–27.

According to the notification, admissions to the Bachelor of Physiotherapy (BPT) – Category 3 and Bachelor of Occupational Therapy (BOT) – Category 6 will be conducted only through NEET, in accordance with the National Commission for Allied and Healthcare Professions Act, 2021.

All Vice-Chancellors of public, private, and deemed-to-be universities in Karnataka have been asked to ensure strict compliance with the NCAHP guidelines and to disseminate the information widely among affiliated colleges, faculty, and students.

Prof. Ifthikar Ali emphasized that universities must take necessary steps to implement the admission procedure for the academic year 2026–27 and subsequent years.

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