All govt residential schools in Karnataka to be renamed as Maharishi Valmiki Residential Schools

Udupi: The pontiffs of Sri Paryaya Puttige Mutt, the sacred seat of Jagadguru Shrimad Madhvacharya Moola Samsthanam, have submitted a proposal to the Prime Minister seeking comprehensive development for Udupi district. 

Proposal for International Airport

A key request is the establishment of an international airport. Highlighting that around 1,000 acres of land are available and suitable, the pontiffs noted that the existing Mangalore Airport provides limited international connectivity. They suggested the airport be developed under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) or as a Greenfield Airport to boost trade, education, healthcare, and spiritual tourism.

Metro and Rapid Transit Connectivity

The proposal also calls for Metro Rail or Rapid Transit between Mangaluru and Udupi. The 55 km coastal stretch experiences heavy daily commuter traffic, causing congestion. The district administration is ready to prepare an initial project report for a Mass Rapid Transit corridor and requested inclusion under national urban mobility programmes to ensure safe, green, and time-efficient regional transport.

Port and Coastal Development

The pontiffs urged the development of an international-standard port with a cruise terminal along Udupi’s coast. They also requested fast-tracking of pending coastal tourism projects and revising Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) norms to encourage sustainable infrastructure and hospitality investment.

IT, AI and Technological Infrastructure

Support was sought for an IT and AI Innovation Park with incubation facilities under Digital India and Startup India initiatives. The proposal also emphasized the need for strengthened data security and cloud computing infrastructure to boost India’s technological independence.

Sports and Education Initiatives

The pontiffs requested national sports status for Kambala, along with financial and infrastructure support. They also sought the establishment of an AIIMS in Udupi, a new IIT campus, and approval for an IIM to promote higher education in the district.

Representation to the Prime Minister

Sri Sugunendra Tirtha Pontiff and Sri Sushrendra Tirtha Swamiji represented the pontiffs in submitting the comprehensive development proposal to the Prime Minister during his recent visit.

Udupi: The Malpe Police have arrested two men from Uttar Pradesh for allegedly sharing classified information related to Indian Navy vessels with individuals in Pakistan, posing a serious threat to national security.

According to a complaint filed by the CEO of Udupi Cochin Shipyard, Malpe—an institution under the Union Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways—the prime accused, Rohit (29), was working as an insulator through subcontractor M/S Shushma Marine Pvt Ltd. He had earlier served at Cochin Shipyard Limited in Kochi, Kerala, where naval ships are under construction.

Udupi SP Hariram Shankar said the accused had unlawfully shared, via WhatsApp, confidential identification numbers of Navy-related ships and other classified details while working in Kerala, allegedly for illegal gains.

After joining the Malpe shipyard unit, Rohit reportedly continued collecting sensitive information through a friend in Kochi and circulated it to unauthorised individuals, violating national security protocols and potentially endangering India’s sovereignty, unity, and integrity.

Based on the complaint, Malpe Police registered a case under Section 152 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Sections 3 and 5 of the Official Secrets Act, 1923.

A police team led by Karkala Subdivision Assistant Superintendent of Police Harsha Priyamvada—along with PSI Anil Kumar D, ASI Harish, and PC Ravi Jadhav—conducted the investigation and arrested the two accused, identified as Rohit (29) and Santri (37), both residents of Sultanpur district, Uttar Pradesh.

The duo was produced before the court, which remanded them in judicial custody till December 3. Further investigation is in progress.

Authorities at Pakistan’s high-security Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi on Wednesday dismissed speculation about the condition of imprisoned former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan, rejecting rumours that he had been moved out of the facility or was in danger. Officials said Khan was in “good health” and described the viral death claims as “baseless.”

“There is no truth to reports about his transfer from Adiala Jail,” the Rawalpindi prison administration said in a statement, according to Geo News. “He is fully healthy and receiving complete medical attention.”

Amid swirling rumours on social media, Imran Khan’s party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), urged the federal government to issue an official clarification and demanded that authorities allow his family to meet him immediately, Dawn reported.

The frenzy began after Khan’s three sisters called for an impartial probe into what they described as a “brutal” police assault on them and other PTI supporters outside Adiala Jail last week. Soon after, several social media handles circulated unverified claims alleging that Khan had been “killed” inside the prison.

The rumours intensified when a handle named “Afghanistan Times” claimed that “credible sources” had confirmed Khan’s “murder” and that his body had been moved out of the jail — allegations that have not been verified by any credible agency.

Imran Khan, PTI’s patron-in-chief, has been lodged in the Rawalpindi prison since August 2023 in multiple cases. For over a month, an undeclared restriction has prevented family members and senior PTI leaders from meeting him. Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi has reportedly been denied access despite making seven attempts.

In a letter to Punjab Police Chief Usman Anwar, Khan’s sisters — Noreen Niazi, Aleema Khan, and Dr. Uzma Khan — said they were “peacefully protesting” outside the jail when police allegedly launched an unprovoked assault after streetlights were switched off.

“At 71, I was seized by my hair, thrown to the ground and dragged across the road,” Noreen Niazi said, alleging that other women present were also slapped and manhandled.

Adiala Jail officials reiterated that speculation over Imran Khan’s health was unfounded and insisted that his well-being was being ensured, Geo News reported.