Goan Students Bag Lion's Share in Kavita Trust's Konkani poetry competition

[email protected] (CD Network)
October 23, 2016

Mangaluru, Oct 23: Kavita Trust, which works for the promotion of Konkani poetry, has announced the names of prize winners of its tenth All India Konkani poetry writing competition.

konkani

Andrea Menezes, tenth standard student of Our Lady of the Rosary High School, Dona Paula, Goa has won the first prize. Her poemKanni Maddachi' (the story of a coconut tree) has been chosen for its contemporary theme.

The government of Goa, last year, through an amendment to Preservation of Trees Act, 1984 withdrew the status of a 'tree' given to coconut tree, which resulted in lot of uproar in Goa. Fearing it will be cut by everyone, in its personified form, the tree requests the people to rescue it from the dangers of getting extinct, at least in Goa.

Sanika Pawar, a seventh class student of Sarvodadaya Educational Society's High School, Curchorem, Goa has won the second prize for her poemMhaka Dista' (I Feel). The poem has been chosen for its simple, but powerful imagery to depict the tiny but selfless, expectations of a child.

Three students have been chosen for the third place. They are Khyathi Nayak, 8th class student of Canara High School, Dongerkeri, Mangaluru for his poemMegelo Aan' (My Father), Savari Phal Desai, 7th class student of Holy Cross Institute, Quepem, Goa for her poemKira Kira' (Parrot) and Rahi Gaonkar, 8th class student of Our Lady of Lourdes High School, Valpoi, Sattari, Goa for her poemNhoim' (The River).

While the winners will get cash prizes, certificates and mementos, all the 241 participants from Karnataka, Goa and Kerala will be sent certificates of appreciation.

The competition is being held every year in the memory of late Charles and Teresa Rodrigues, parents of Kavita Trust founder Melvyn Rodrigues. In the past ten years, 1889 students have taken part in this competition.

Kannada author and critic Narendra Pai will distribute prizes on November 6 during a programme in Mangaluru which will be held at World Konkani Centre.

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News Network
December 16,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 16: The Mangaluru City police have significantly escalated their campaign against drug trafficking, arresting 25 individuals and booking 12 cases under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act between November 30 and December 13. The crackdown resulted in the seizure of a substantial quantity of illicit substances, including 685.6 grams of MDMA and 1.5 kg of ganja.

The success of this recent drive has been significantly boosted by the city’s innovative, QR code-based anonymous reporting system.

"The anonymous reporting system has received an encouraging response. Several recent arrests were made based on inputs received through this system, helping police tighten the noose around drug peddlers," said the City Police Commissioner.

The latest arrests contribute to a robust year-to-date record, underscoring the police's relentless commitment to combating the drug menace.

Up to December 14 this year, the police have registered a total of 107 cases of drug peddling, leading to the arrest of 219 peddlers. Furthermore, they have booked 562 cases of drug consumption, resulting in the arrest of 671 individuals.

The scale of the seizure for the year reflects the magnitude of the problem being tackled: police have seized 320.6 kg of ganja worth ₹88.7 lakh and 1.4 kg of MDMA valued at ₹1.2 crore. Other significant seizures include hydro-weed ganja worth ₹94.7 lakh and cocaine worth ₹1.9 lakh, among others.

The Commissioner emphasized a policy of rigorous enforcement: "We ensure that peddlers are caught red-handed so that they cannot later dispute the case or claim innocence."

To counter the rising trend of substance abuse among youth, the Mangaluru City police have rolled out uniform guidelines for random drug testing across educational institutions.

As part of the drive, tests were conducted in approximately 100 institutions, screening an estimated 5,500 to 6,000 students in the first phase. 20 students tested positive for drug consumption during the initial screening.

Students who tested positive have been provided counselling and are scheduled for re-testing in the second quarter. The testing will also be expanded to students not covered in the first phase. In a move to ensure strict implementation, police personnel were deployed in mufti in some institutions. Reiterating a zero-tolerance stance, the Commissioner confirmed that random testing will continue, and colleges have also been instructed to conduct drug tests at the time of admission to deter substance abuse from an early stage.

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