Finally a hassle-free chemistry exam: II PU students heave a sigh of relief

[email protected] (CD Network | Photos by Suresh)

April 12, 2016

Mangaluru/Udupi, Apr 12: For second PU students in Dakshina Kannada who appeared for the chemistry paper for the third time, the exam was an easy pie. Around 12,758 students from the district appeared for the chemistry paper after rigorous preparation in the district.

"Compared to the first exam, this paper was easy. However, it depends on how one attempts the paper," according to Sourav Patage, a second PU student from St Aloysius PU College. He added that an average student can score about 60 marks easily.

Among the four parts of the question paper, Sourav pointed out that five and two marks questions were easy to answer and one mark questions were a bit tricky. Sourav said that he has already got an admission to Manipal University for BSc in biotechnology and wants to be a scientist. "However, I have also registered for the CET exam and it is just to check my intellectual capacity."

Another PU student Nichelle echoed Sourav's opinion, "The question paper was 100% better than the previous one."

However, Gladson Tony felt that the question paper was similar to the first paper that was leaked. "The paper was on par with the previous one," he said.

Officials at the department of pre-university education said while 12,758 students appeared for the exam ,75 students were absent.

Deputy commissioner A B Ibrahim said the examination was held in 51 centres in the district without any hitch. The two assistant commissioners from Mangaluru and Puttur sub-divisions personally brought the question paper sets from Dharwad and Bengaluru, he said adding the papers were dispatched from the district treasury at 4.30am to the respective examination centres.

"We had enlisted the services of 51 gazetted officers for the purpose and all were provided with special vehicles to take the papers to their respective centres under police escort," he said adding the officers were at the respective examination centres till the examination process was complete.
Given that the question papers had been leaked twice, Ibrahim said the state government machinery headed by senior IAS officers ensured that there were no hitches this time.

Udupi

Second-year PU chemistry re-exam held peacefully in Udupi. RB Nayak, deputy director of the department of pre-university education said of the 4,256 students enrolled for the exam, 4,246 attended it while 10 were absent.

Vijay Krishna, a student of MGM PU College, said, "We are happy that after two question paper leaks, the PU Board has finally completed the exam. The chemistry paper was easier than the earlier (leaked) one. Harshita, another student, said "We are happy that the exam was held without any problems. However, our parents are worried that there is very little time to prepare for the competitive entrance exams for admission to professional courses."

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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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