Modi govt offers a scenic island to Baba Ramdev to develop as Yoga resort

November 29, 2015

New Delhi, Nov 29: Shipping minister Nitin Gadkari on Saturday announced that centre was keen on offering a scenic island with a lighthouse and yoga on the beach to yoga guru Baba Ramdev, reports an English daily. The island would be developed as a resort that would make an ideal tourist hub for short-duration stays along with yoga, for domestic and foreign visitors.

The event was organised by industry body PHDCCI, where Gadkari spoke about the ministry's proposal of developing 70 such islands with lighthouses as tourist destinations, that they as yoga centres would attract a lot of tourists. He also mentioned that renowned ad filmmaker Prahlad Kakkar has also shown keen interest in developing two islands in Andaman Nicobar Island and Lakshadweep, which would be made on public-private partnership (PPP) basis.

"We have put proposals for Cinque Island in Andaman and Nicobar, and Minicoy Island inLakshadweep to develop eco-friendly resorts only to promote water sports and diving. So, we will get less number of people and there will be no harm to the ecology of the islands," Kakkar said. Kakkar also owns Lacadives, which is one of the country's oldest dive operator.

Ministry sources have also confirmed that any entity interested in developing islands for any tourist purpose are open to participate in the bidding process.

There have been media reports that state that Ramdev has already established aPatanjali Yogpeeth on an island in Scotland.

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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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