Thousands run for 'Clean, Green, Progressive Mangalore'

[email protected] (CD Network,Photos by Ramesh Pandith)

February 20, 2011

Mangalore, February 20: Thousands of enthusiasts took part in the twin marathons organised by Dakshina Kannada district administration with the sponsorship of Vijaya Bank under the slogan of “Clean, Green, Progressive Mangalore” on Sunday morning.

The participation of Payyoli Express P T Usha, and golden girls of Indian athletics Reeth Abraham, and Vandana Rao brought a new spirit to the runners of 21km long 'Half Marathon' and 6km long mini-marathon which commenced from Nehru Maidan at 6:30 am and 7:00 am respectively.

After flagging off the Half Marathon, District In-charge Minister Krishna J Palemar expressed hope that the event will emerge as an annual feature on the lines of similar events in Bangalore or Chennai.

Deputy Commissioner Subodh Yadav said the event is the first such experiment by the administration of using sports for a social cause of projecting the need for sustainable development and not losing sight of environmental concerns while treading the path of development.

According to the Dakshina Kannada district administration, it has received more than 7,000 registrations from people, who intend to take part in the half-marathon and the mini-marathon.

In a systematic arrangement, male athletes started off first in the half-marathon followed by the women competitors. And this was followed by starts for participants in the mini-marathon for men and women respectively.

The competitors traversed along a pre-determined course through the length and breadth of the city and the event and culminated at the Mangala Stadium.

Traffic diversion

District administration had made certain changes in the movement of traffic during the course of the event (between 6:30am and 10:00am) to facilitate its smooth conduct, and urged people to cooperate with the police.

While half marathon passed through Pandeshwar, Mangaladevi, Jeppu Market, Valencia, Kankanady, Jyoti Circle, Hampankatta, Navabharath Circle, PVS Circle, City Hospital, Nantoor, Kadri Park, Battagudde, Kadri Kambla Junction, Pinto Bakery Junction, Bejai Road, KSRTC, Kuntikan Road, Infosys, Urwa Store and Chilimbi, before concluding at Mangala Stadium, the mini marathon took the route of Hampankatta, Tagore Park, Jyoti Circle, Bunts Hostel, Karangalpady, Jail Road, Canara College Road, M G Road, Lady Hill, Press Club, Corporation Bank Library Road, and culminated at Mangala Stadium.

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RuTAGe smart village centres in DK, Udupi to being technology closer to rural communities

News Network

January 20,2026

Mangaluru: In a major step towards strengthening rural innovation, the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser (PSA) to the Government of India is supporting the establishment of RuTAGe Smart Village Centres (RSVCs) across the country through collaborations with academic institutions, civil society organisations and philanthropic partners.

As part of this national initiative, Nitte (Deemed to be University) will set up the first RSVCs in the region at Nitte GP in Udupi district and at the Nitte Health Centre, Sevanjali Trust, Farangipete, in Dakshina Kannada district. The centres will be inaugurated on January 21. In South India, the programme is being implemented by the Section Infin-8 Foundation (SI-8).

Speaking to reporters on Monday, SI-8 founder-director Vishwas US said experts from Nitte University and SI-8 would work closely with farmers, students, youth and local entrepreneurs to adapt and deploy technologies tailored to local needs.

Project head Prof Iddya Karunasagar, representing Nitte DU, said the RSVCs at Nitte and Farangipete would serve as demonstration hubs for a wide range of agriculture, energy, skill-development and assistive technologies. These include solar dryers for fruits, vegetables and crops; soil-testing solutions; power weeders and women-friendly farm tools; wind-powered devices for rural artisans; grain storage systems; grass-cutting and tree-climbing equipment; and liquid fertiliser production using cowshed waste.

SI-8 CEO Aravind C Kumar said the centres would also provide access to digital and knowledge-based platforms such as ISRO applications, government scheme portals, market linkage tools and gamified learning resources, along with assistive technologies for persons with visual impairments.

Highlighting the broader impact of the initiative, Principal Scientific Adviser Prof Ajay Kumar Sood said it demonstrated how applied research could bridge the rural–urban divide and help create self-reliant, technology-enabled villages.

The initiative has been made possible through philanthropic support from Dr NC Murthy of ACM Business Solutions, LLC, USA. Dr Sapna Poti, Director (Strategic Alliances) at the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser, said the long-term objective is to build self-sufficient, technology-driven communities capable of generating sustainable livelihoods on their own.

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