#CyberSafeUdupi: Police drive to build a cyber-aware community gains momentum

Bengaluru: The stage is set in India's Silicon Valley for a major push toward future-proofing the state's workforce, as the Karnataka government prepares to host the inaugural Bengaluru Skill Summit 2025 from November 4 to 6. Organized by the Department of Skill Development, Entrepreneurship and Livelihood (SDEL), the event is poised to be the largest platform in the state dedicated to bridging the critical skill gaps required for the "Workforce 2030."

Dr Sharanaprakash Rudrappa Patil, Minister for Skill Development, Entrepreneurship, Livelihood and Medical Education, Government of Karnataka had previously announced that the three-day summit, to be held at The Lalit Ashok, will be a first-of-its-kind mega conference. Its central theme, "Workforce 2030: Scale, Systems, Synergy," highlights the urgency of aligning academic training with rapidly evolving industrial, technological, and global standards.

Focus on Emerging Sectors and Inclusion

The Summit comes at a crucial time when industry leaders frequently point to the disconnect between education and employment needs. A key focus will be on the upskilling and reskilling required for emerging sectors such as green skills, Artificial Intelligence (AI) readiness, and advanced manufacturing.

A core tenet of the summit is inclusivity. Special attention will be given to creating opportunities for youth, particularly women, people from rural communities, and persons with disabilities, aligning with the government's flagship initiatives like the Yuva Nidhi scheme for unemployed graduates and diploma holders.

Skillathon and Kaushalya Awards: Highlights

Among the most anticipated events is the Skillathon 2025, an innovation challenge organized in collaboration with Melton Foundation India. This competition, which has seen participation from over 240 college teams, challenges students to develop bold, implementable solutions for vocational education and employment challenges. The shortlisted teams will compete in the Grand Finale on November 5th, showcasing their creativity and problem-solving abilities in real-world contexts.

The Summit will also be the venue for the Kaushalya Karnataka Awards, honouring individuals, institutions, and corporates for their outstanding contributions to the skill development ecosystem across the state.

With over 3,000 expected participants, including national and international leaders, top industry CEOs, government officials, and academia, the Bengaluru Skill Summit 2025 marks a significant commitment by the Karnataka government to positioning the state not just as a technology hub, but as a global benchmark for a skilled, innovative, and inclusive future workforce.

Udupi, Oct 27: The Udupi district police have apprehended a woman accused of orchestrating a massive financial fraud, cheating two individuals out of over Rs 1.45 crore by falsely promising a government subsidy loan under the Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP).

The arrested woman, identified as Kaushalya, was taken into custody by the Brahmavar police following a complaint filed by Saritha Lewis, a resident of Herady, Brahmavar taluk.

The Modus Operandi

According to the complaint, Saritha Lewis (39) was introduced to the accused, Kaushalya, in November 2023. Despite initial reservations, Kaushalya allegedly convinced Lewis that she possessed the necessary influence and connections to facilitate a substantial PMEGP subsidy loan.

To gain trust and continue the deception, Kaushalya allegedly impersonated a bank official over the phone during conversations with the victims.

Over time, Kaushalya demanded large sums of money in multiple installments under various pretexts related to the loan's processing. Believing the promises, Lewis transferred a total of Rs 80,72,000 in cash and bank transfers.

In a similar fashion, Kaushalya targeted Lewis's relative, Anjaline D’Silva, collecting an additional Rs 65,00,000 for the same promised PMEGP loan.

The total amount swindled from the two victims collectively amounts to Rs 1,45,72,000, which was collected for a promised PMEGP subsidy loan of Rs 4 crore.

Network of Receivers Under Scanner

The money was reportedly routed through a chain of individuals, with the transfers made to Kaushalya’s own account as well as to her husband, Sandesh, and others identified as Prakash, Ashish Shetty, Rajendra Byndoor, Geeta, Harini, Navya, Kumar, Malathi, Praveen, Hariprasad, Nagaraj, and Bharati Singh.

The Brahmavar police have registered a case and initiated a thorough investigation to uncover the full extent of the fraud and the role of the other individuals involved in receiving the funds. The accused, Kaushalya, remains in police custody as the probe continues. 

Udupi, Oct 28: The deep-sea fishing season along the Karnataka coast has been dealt a crippling blow, as persistent heavy rainfall and the impact of recent cyclonic activity have forced the entire fleet to return and anchor. Malpe harbour, a bustling hub, is now eerily still, with hundreds of trawlers moored not only at the port but also crowding the backwaters near Baputota.

Fishermen are reporting significant losses and growing distress, lamenting that unpredictable and severe weather conditions have plagued the season almost from its start. Repeated cyclonic warnings and sudden changes in the Arabian Sea have made deep-sea ventures hazardous, if not impossible.

The industry’s woes began just as the trawling restrictions were lifted. Strong winds and heavy rain repeatedly forced boats to remain docked. After only a few operational days in August, intermittent cyclones disrupted activity throughout September. Now, the renewed spell of heavy rain and powerful winds this month has brought the deep-sea fishing operations to a complete standstill.

Compared to previous years, the current season is proving disastrous. While a fortunate few initially netted decent quantities of prawns and sardines, the majority have been unlucky. "Even though fish are available in the sea, the conditions are making it impossible to go out and catch them," a fisherman stated. The community is lamenting the loss of the peak season months. "Usually, August, September, and October are the best months for fishing, but this year, due to adverse weather, activities have remained far below expectations," another added.

Narayan Karkera, President of the Malpe Fishermen’s Association, highlighted the dual challenges facing the sector. “At the beginning of the season, many boats could not go out due to a shortage of workers. Though workers from other states have now returned, the cyclone has again made fishing impossible.” He further noted that even for the boats that did manage to venture out, catches of high-value fish like mackerel have been disappointingly low, leading to a stark disparity in hauls. The severity of the weather has even forced some Malpe boats to seek refuge as far as Karwar port. “For the last four to five days, due to the cyclone, boats have returned to shore. So far, this year’s fishing season has not been satisfactory,” Karkera concluded.