Mangaluru: Yenepoya Speciality Hospital gets NABH accreditation

The coastal city of Mangaluru was the hottest place in the country on Wednesday with a maximum temperature of 38.8 degrees Celsius, a trend that mostly continued into Thursday, March 9, when India Meteorological Department (IMD) said mercury ruled in the range of 37-39 degrees Celsius over many parts of Coastal Karnataka and Goa.

Similar conditions were reported from isolated places of Saurashtra, Kutch and Vidarbha, while maximum temperatures were in the range of 35-37 degrees Celsius over parts of Vidarbha and East Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Konkan, Saurashtra, Kutch, Coastal Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Odisha, Rayalaseema and West Madhya Pradesh.

The temperature recorded in Mangaluru on Wednesday was the highest since 2010, surpassing the previous high of 37.9 degrees Celsius in 2017.

On March 2, just six days ago, the city had already recorded the highest temperature in the country at 37.9 degrees Celsius. Currently, the prevailing temperature is 5.4 degrees Celsius higher than the usual temperature for this time of year.

Meanwhile, Karwar recorded a temperature of 38.6 degrees Celsius on Wednesday, which is six degrees Celsius higher than usual for this season.

According to IMD, many parts of the state are likely to experience an increase of three degrees Celsius in temperature in the coming days. However, rain is expected after March in some parts of the state, while coastal areas are likely to receive rain in March itself.

The primary reason for the increase in temperature is the dry weather and heat wave blowing from North to South. Moreover, in April, the temperature in Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, and Uttara Kannada is expected to increase by six degrees Celsius, according to IMD reports.

Udupi, Mar 12: Two elderly women from Udupi district passed away at the holy city of Makkah in Saudi Arabia during their Umrah pilgrimage. 

The deceased are Mariyamma and Khatijamma, both in their late sixties. They were residents of Kota in Brahmavara taluk of Udupi. 

The two women, said to be relatives, were part of nearly three dozen pilgrims that had undertaken pilgrimage through a Mangaluru based agency. They had started journey on March 1.

It is learnt that Mariyamma died of heart attack on March 9 in Makkah when the group was gearing up to head to Madeenah after completing Umrah rituals. Khatijamma, who had fallen sick, passed away a couple of days later, i.e. on March 11. 

The last rites of both the women were held in Makkah. 

Bengaluru, Mar 10: The Karnataka High Court has quashed the circular issued by the state government changing the method of assessment for class 5 and 8 students for the academic year 2022-23.

Justice Pradeep Singh Yerur said that the circular issued in this regard is not in consonance with section 38 (4) of the RTE Act which states that every rule or notification shall be placed before the state legislature as soon as possible.

The court also said that the order does not stop the state government from implementing the new method of assessment in accordance with the provisions under RTE Act. 

The petitioners had challenged the decision to conduct state level ‘board exams’ instead of school-level assessment. The petitions filed by the Organization for Unaided Recognized Schools, Registered Unaided Private Schools' Management Association and others had challenged the December 12, 2022 circular issued by the state government.

The petitioners claimed that the decision to change the assessment has come at a time when the students were preparing for their final examinations. They claimed the introduction of board exams would adversely affect the interest of both the students as well as the teachers.