Kerala law college caste row: Principal Lakshmi Nair booked under SC/ST Act

January 30, 2017

Thiruvananthapuram, Jan 30: A case was registered under SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act against Principal of a private law college, where the students are on strike since the past 20 days, demanding her resignation. The case against the Principal Lakshmi Nair has been registered under Sect 31 (s) of the SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act, which was a non-bailable offence, police said.

The case was registered on a complaint of harassment by some students for calling them by their caste names. A group of Students of the Kerala Law Academy Law College, a private management institution, are on a war path since the past 20 days protesting against the alleged harassment and demanding the removal of the Principal, who is the daughter of a close relative of a former CPI(M) MLA.

Congress today decided to sharpen their attack against the college authorities by demanding the immediate resignation of the Principal. KPCC President V M Sudheeran said in the wake of the Kerala university syndicate debarring the principal for five years from examination duties and internal assessment, there was no other option left for her, but to resign.

Alleging that the impasse over the issue was continuing due to the CPI(M)'s intervention, he said the Marxist party should not create any hurdles on the matter concerning the students agitation.

"The Principal should resign and government should be prepared to make her resign. The affiliation of the college should be withdrawn and government should take it over", he told reporters here.

Former KPCC President, K Muraleedharan said if the government fails to find a solution to the issue within 48 hours, he would launch an indefinite hunger strike.

BJP National Executive member, V Muraleedharan, is on an indefinite hunger strike in front of the college since Jan 20 in support of the demands of the students.

The ruling CPI(M), which has so far given a cold shoulder to the agitation, has said the strike by students should not be politicised.

Students organisations affiliated to various political parties, including CPI(M), are on strike and have made it clear that they would continue until the resignation of the Principal.

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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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