Marathas show off might demanding quota in jobs, education

Agencies

August 9, 2017

Mumbai, Aug 9: Mumbai’s Azad Maidan turned into a sea of orange on Wednesday as thousands of people demanding reservation for the Maratha community gathered there in what was their 58th protest in a year.

Wearing orange caps and carrying flags, the protesters walked down south Mumbai’s JJ flyover, which was closed for vehicular traffic, winding their way to the protest venue.

At the Jijamata Udyan, where the ''Maratha morcha'' began at 11 am, protesters tore banners put up by the Shiv Sena, stressing that they did not want any “political interference''.

Rajya Sabha member Chhatrapati Sambhaji Raje told reporters at Azad Maidan that he was participating in the march not as a Member of Parliament but as an “ordinary member” of the Maratha community.

Bollywood actor Riteish Deshmukh also voiced his support to the protest march with a late night tweet.

“Ek Maratha, Lakh Maratha,” the actor tweeted in Marathi, referring to a popular slogan.

At Azad Maidan, a morcha participant — dressed like Chhatrapati Shivaji — was heard extolling the virtues of a “government of the people and for the people”, as practised by the Maratha king.

Ishanvi Deshmukh, a three-year-old girl, impressed the gathering with a well-memorised speech seeking reservation for the community.

Demand for quota in jobs, education

Some residents of Kopardi village in Ahmednagar district, where the brutal rape and murder in July 2016 of a 14-year-old girl belonging to the community triggered massive protests across the State, also participated in the Wednesday morcha.

Also present at the venue was Manohar Anandrao Patil from Latur district, who said he had participated in all the 58 Maratha morchas till date.

The first protest was held in Aurangabad on August 9 last year.

Another protester came to the venue in the attire of a farmer in distress, with a noose dangling from his neck.

“This is an attempt to draw the government’s attention to the plight of farmers,” he said.

All parking areas in Navi Mumbai were full as morcha participants coming from across Maharashtra parked their vehicles on vacant lots.

The protesters have been demanding reservation in jobs and educational institutions for members of the community, punishment for culprits in the Kopardi case and loan waivers for farmers.

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Mangaluru’s KPT becomes India’s first autonomous govt polytechnic

News Network

January 23,2026

Mangaluru: The Karnataka Government Polytechnic (KPT), Mangaluru, has achieved autonomous status from the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), becoming the first government polytechnic in the country to receive such recognition in its 78-year history. The status was granted by AICTE, New Delhi, and subsequently approved by the Karnataka Board of Technical Education in October last year.

Officials said the autonomy was conferred a few months ago. Until recently, AICTE extended autonomous status only to engineering colleges, excluding diploma institutions. However, with a renewed national focus on skill development, several government polytechnics across India have now been granted autonomy.

KPT, the second-largest polytechnic in Karnataka, was established in 1946 with four branches and has since expanded to offer eight diploma programmes, including computer science and polymer technology. The institution is spread across a 19-acre campus.

Ravindra M Keni, the first dean of the institution, told The Times of India that AICTE had proposed autonomous status for polytechnic institutions that are over 25 years old. “Many colleges applied. In the first round, 100 institutions were shortlisted, which was further narrowed down to 15 in the second round. We have already completed one semester after becoming an autonomous institution,” he said. He added that nearly 500 students are admitted annually across eight three-year diploma courses.

Explaining the factors that helped KPT secure autonomy, Keni said the institution has consistently recorded 100 per cent admissions and placements for its graduates. He also noted its strong performance in sports, with the college emerging champions for 12 consecutive years, along with active student participation in NCC and NSS activities.

Autonomous status allows KPT to design industry-oriented curricula, conduct examinations, prepare question papers, and manage academic documentation independently. The institution can also directly collaborate with industries and receive priority funding from AICTE or the Ministry of Education. While academic autonomy has been granted, financial control will continue to rest with the state government.

“There will be separate committees for examinations, question paper setting, boards of studies, and boards of examiners. The institution will now have the freedom to conduct admissions without government notifications and issue its own marks cards,” Keni said, adding that new academic initiatives would be planned after a year of functioning under the autonomous framework.

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