Former railway minister Jaffer Sharief passes away at 85

News Network

November 25, 2018

Bengaluru, Nov 25: Veteran politician Challakere Kareem Jaffer Sharief passed away in Bengaluru on Sunday. The 85 year old former union minister was hospitalised a few days back.

Born on November 3, 1933, in Chitradurga of erstwhile Mysore Kingdom, Sharief was best known for his tenure as the Railways Minister (1991-95) in the P V Narasimha Rao Cabinet.

He brought several railway projects to Bengaluru and is credited for handling the broad gauge conversion of the railway tracks across the country. Sherief represented the Bengaluru North Lok Sabha constituency without a break between 1977 and 1996.

Sharief, many times, wanted to enter the state politics and even cherished the dream of becoming chief minister. During his last days, Sharief fell out with the Congress as he felt he was being sidelined.

According to his close associate Mr. Sharief had been stressed out as he was busy preparing for the release of the Urdu translation of Moulana Abul Kalam Azad’s ‘India Wins Freedom’. “He had invited former President Pranab Mukherjee for the book release that was scheduled to be held at Palace Grounds on November 28,” he said.

Born in Challakere in Chitradurga district of Karnataka on November 3, 1933, Mr. Sharief was the Railway Minister in the Narasimha Rao government (1991-95). He represented the Bengaluru North Constituency.

A seven-time Member of Parliament, Mr. Sharief began his political career in the Congress under guidance of the former Chief Minister of Karnataka, the late S Nijalingappa. After the Congress split in 1969, he joined the Congress led by Indira Gandhi.

He became a member of the Lok Sabha in the elections held soon after Emergency in 1977. He was a member of the 6th, 7th, 8th , 9th, 10th , 12th and 13th Lok Sabhas.

His last Lok Sabha election was in 2009, in which he was defeated by BJP’s D.B. Chandre Gowda in the Bengaluru North constituency.

As the Railway Minister, he was instrumental in gauge conversion (meter gauge to broad gauge) of railways in Karnataka. He played a vital role in getting the Wheel and Axle Plant in Bengaluru.

Congress leaders across the State have condoled the death of the senior leader of the party.

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Major facelift for Mangaluru's sporting heart: Mangala Stadium set for 2-month closure to upgrade synthetic track

News Network

December 15,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 15: Educational institutions in Mangaluru that rely on the popular Mangala Stadium for their annual sports events are bracing for an inconvenience as the city's key sporting venue is set to close its gates for a significant upgrade. The stadium is expected to be unavailable for approximately two months starting from January 15, 2026.

The closure is necessitated by a proposed overhaul of the stadium's facilities, with a special focus on upgrading the synthetic track. Pradeep Dsouza, Assistant Director of the District of Youth Empowerment and Sports (DYES), Dakshina Kannada, confirmed the development.

"Experts have visited the stadium, conducted a thorough inspection, and have given the go-ahead for a complete makeover," Dsouza stated. "Funds have been allocated for the project, and we are currently awaiting the final green signal from state officials to commence the work. We anticipate that the work will likely begin in the second week of January. Consequently, we have stopped renting out the stadium to colleges and other organizations in preparation for the upgrade."

The timing presents a logistical challenge for colleges, as many schools have already concluded their sports meets.

"Colleges will now be organizing their events and will need to find alternative locations to host their sports meets," Dsouza added. He suggested a few potential venues, including the Dakshina Kannada police ground, University College grounds, Panambur grounds, Swaraj Maidan in Moodbidri, and the Mangalore University sports grounds in Konaje.

However, many institutions note that finding a comparable venue will be difficult. While the DK police ground and University College grounds are closer to the city center, they do not possess the extensive facilities and infrastructure offered by Mangala Stadium.

Dr. P Dayananda Pai - P Satisha Govt First Grade College, Carstreet, is one such institution dependent on the stadium. Principal Jayakar Bhandary expressed hope for a swift completion of the work. "We expect the work to be completed at the earliest. If not, we will be forced to look for other venues to host the sports day for our students," Bhandary said, highlighting the pressing need for the city's main sporting facility.

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