Total lockdown in Mangaluru, Udupi for 2nd day as people stay home, buses remain off roads

coastaldigest.com news network
April 25, 2021

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Mangaluru, Apr 25: Activities in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts remained suspended for the second consecutive day today with the enforcement of weekend curfew to prevent spread of covid.

Even though a few marriages were held in different parts of the coastal districts, no major case of breach of law was reported in the region. 

All main roads of Mangaluru wore a deserted look as the residents preferred to stay home and private buses too remained off the road for the second day.

Though shops selling vegetables, fruits, fish, groceries remained open till 10 am, only a few customers were seen in the markets and shops. The street vendors selling vegetables outside Central Market were eagerly waiting for the customers to arrive, to sell all the vegetables they had in store.

Even fish markets wore a deserted look with few fisherwomen arriving to sell the fish. A majority of the hotels remained closed, too. The busy Nanthoor, Ambedkar Circle roads too were deserted with only a few vehicles moving around.

All the post offices coming under Mangaluru Postal division were shut, said Senior Superintendent of Posts Sriharsha N.

The railway authorities were seen entering the names of the passengers and allowing into the platform after checking their temperature and ensuring that they properly wear face masks.

The Mangaluru city police set up checkposts at 54 places in the city, including at major junction like Clock Tower junction where about 12 personnel were posted to stop unnecessary movement of vehicles.

A total of 1,000 police personnel have been used for bandobast duties. As many as 35 mobile squads, with about three squads for each police station, have also been deployed. The police will seize vehicles that are seen unnecessarily moving on the roads, said Police Commissioner N. Shashi Kumar. 

Superintendent of Police Rishikesh Sonawane said 28 checkposts have been set up to across Dakshina Kannada. Sector mobile squads were also patrolling in the district. Apart from cases booked for not wearing masks, six FIRs have been registered for major violation of COVID-19 protocol since April 21, he said.

In Udupi district too, the second day of weekend curfew was total with police barricading some major points in Udupi town and other areas. Motorists who were seen unnecessarily moving on the road were sent back home. Shops selling essential items were closed by 10 a.m. Most of the hotels did not operate and as there were fewer customers. 

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News Network
November 26,2025

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Bengaluru, Nov 26: Karnataka is taking its first concrete steps towards lifting a three-decade-old ban on student elections in colleges and universities. Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar announced Wednesday that the state government will form a small committee to study the reintroduction of campus polls, a practice halted in 1989 following incidents of violence.

Speaking at a 'Constitution Day' event organised by the Karnataka Congress, Mr. Shivakumar underscored the move's aim: nurturing new political leadership from the grassroots.

"Recently, (Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha) Rahul Gandhi wrote a letter to me and Chief Minister (Siddaramaiah) asking us to think about restarting student elections," Shivakumar stated. "I'm announcing today that we'll form a small committee and seek a report on this."

Student elections were banned in Karnataka in 1989, largely due to concerns over violence and the infiltration of political party affiliates into campus life. The ban effectively extinguished vibrant student bodies and the pipeline of young leaders they often produced.

Mr. Shivakumar, who also serves as the Karnataka Congress president, said that former student leaders will be consulted to "study the pros and cons" of the re-introduction.

Acknowledging the history of the ban, he added, "There were many criminal activities taking place back then. We’ll see how we can conduct (student) elections by regulating such criminal activities."

The Deputy CM reminisced about his own journey, which began on campus. He recalled his political activism at Sri Jagadguru Renukacharya College leading to his first Assembly ticket in 1985 at the age of 23. "That's how student leadership was at the time. Such leadership has gone today. College elections have stopped," he lamented, adding that for many, college elections were "like a big movement" where leaders were forged.

The move, driven by the Congress high command's push to cultivate young talent, will face scrutiny from academics and university authorities who have, in the past, expressed concern that the return of polls could disrupt the peaceful academic environment and turn campuses into political battlegrounds.

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coastaldigest.com news network
December 2,2025

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Udupi, Dec 2: A wave of regional pride is sweeping through Udupi district as Shagun S Verma Hegde, a talented Class 9 student from Christ King English Medium High School, Karkala, has been named the captain of the Indian National Team for the Under-15 Girls’ Volleyball Championship.

Shagun holds the unique distinction of being the sole player from Karnataka selected to represent the country in the prestigious international tournament. The championship, organized by the School Games Federation, is scheduled to take place in Shangluo, China, from December 3 to 13, where Shagun will lead the national squad.

A Remarkable Journey to the Top

Shagun’s selection is a testament to her dedication and exceptional skill on the court. Her journey included several rigorous rounds of selection:

•    She was the only player from Udupi district to qualify for the state-level selection camp.

•    Out of eight players from Karnataka who advanced to the national selection camp in Pune, Maharashtra, Shagun was the only one to secure a place in the final national squad.

•    The national camp saw participation from approximately 200 players, which was shortlisted to 23. Shagun not only made the final cut but was also ranked as the second-best player overall, solidifying her leadership role.

Shagun, who is the daughter of Sandesh Verma and Shruthiraj of Kallotte, Karkala, has trained under experienced coaches Santosh D’Souza, Jeevan D’Silva, Jairaj Poojary, and Ramesh. Her selection as the team captain has brought profound honour to her family, school, the Udupi district, and the entire state of Karnataka.

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News Network
November 22,2025

Mangaluru: Police Commissioner Sudheer Kumar Reddy C H has warned of strict action against individuals spreading rumours and attempting to create insecurity within the Muslim community and fuel hatred between Hindus and Muslims through social media.

Referring to a recent social media post alleging that police personnel had entered a masjid premises to check whether beef was being cooked, the commissioner said miscreants were attempting to push their communal agenda. 

“A group of people, both from Mangaluru and abroad, are trying hard to spread rumours. For the past 10 days, they have been attempting to rake up old issues, highlight routine matters as controversies, or fabricate news altogether,” he said.

He reiterated that any such attempts to disturb communal harmony would invite legal action. “Cases will be registered and the accused will be brought to book,” he stated.

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