Digvijaya Singh hints at George's re-induction into Cabinet

September 21, 2016

Hyderabad, Sep 21: The Congress leadership believes there was not “enough reason” for former Karnataka Minister K J George to resign, senior party leader Digvijaya Singh said on Tuesday, hinting at his (George's) likely return to the Siddaramaiah Cabinet.

“As far as we are concerned, merely a complaint or statement by a person who commits suicide is not enough reason for anyone to resign,” the party general secretary in charge of Karnataka affairs said here.

Singh was asked if the Congress leadership has approved the reinstatement of George in the wake of Karnataka CID, earlier this month, giving a clean chit to him and two senior police officers in connection with the suicide of DySP M K Ganapathi. “There was no reason for him (George) to resign in the first place, but on his personal thing he resigned. As far as the high command is concerned, there is nothing against George,” he said.

Asked if the Party high command had given green signal for the re-entry of George, Singh said, “That is for the chief minister to decide. It is the prerogative of the chief minister.

We do not interfere in these matters.” George had resigned on July 18, after a court directed the police to register an FIR against him and two police officers in connection with the matter. On the criticism in some quarters that Siddaramaiah did not handle the situation well on September 12, when Bengaluru witnessed large-scale violence over the Cauvery water-sharing row with Tamil Nadu, Singh admitted that the government was “not very stringent” that day.

“The agitation is by farmers. No government, when it's a sensitive issue of water, can be seen to be aggressively taking action against genuine demands of farmers. So, the Karnataka government was sort of not very stringent on the first day. So, some violence did happen. The second day onwards, it was controlled,” he said.

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This useless guy is good for nothing. He will definetly come back because he has the influence from Madam Sonia.
Better give him a party position and keep away from Ministry.

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Air India Express brings back Mangaluru–Muscat direct flights from March 2026

News Network

December 15,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 15: Air India Express has announced that it will resume direct flight services between Mangaluru and Muscat from March 2026, restoring an important international air link for passengers from the coastal region.

Airport authorities said the service will operate twice a week—on Sundays and Tuesdays—from March 1. The initial flights are scheduled on March 3, 8 and 10, followed by March 15 and 17, with the same operating pattern to continue thereafter. The flight duration is approximately three hours and 25 minutes.

The Mangaluru–Muscat route was earlier operated under the 2025 summer schedule, with services beginning on July 14. At that time, Air India Express had operated four flights a week before suspending the service.

Officials said the summer schedule will come into effect from March 29, after which changes in flight timings and departure schedules from Mangaluru are expected. Passengers have been advised to check the latest schedules while planning their travel.

The resumption of direct flights to Muscat is expected to significantly benefit expatriates, business travellers and others, further strengthening Mangaluru’s air connectivity with the Gulf region.

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Elusive bamboo shrimp resurfaces in Mangaluru estuary after 70 years

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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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