Students to get scholarships worth Rs 1 cr

Mangalore, August 25: Vishwa Konkani Student Scholarship Fund, established by World Konkani Centre, Mangalore, will award scholarships worth Rs 1 crore to over 300 Engineering and MBBS students from economically backward families of Konkani communities in an Award Ceremony to be held on August 26 at T V Raman Pai Convention Centre, Kodialbail, Mangalore.

Scholarships amounting Rs 30,000 and Rs 40,000 will be awarded for the Engineering and MBBS aspirants respectively. Scholarships will be distributed by Manipal Universal Learning Chairman T V Mohandas Pai. Konkani Language and Cultural Foundation Chairman Emeritus R V Deshapande will be the chief guest while Chairman Dr P?Dayananda Pai will preside over the function. Managing Director of Ryan International Group Grace Pinto and Industrialist M Jagannath Shenoi, Mysore, will be the guests. 'Vishwa Konkani Student Scholarship Fund' envisages grant of educational scholarship to economically backward students having Konkani language as their mother tongue. Instituted in the year 2010, it was envisioned by T V Mohandas Pai.

In view of widening the scope to the scholarship fund and to include preliminary and qualifying courses to the existing set up, Vishwa Konkani Student Scholarship Fund has designed a new scheme to support educational quest of PUC Students. In a major attempt to empower economically backward Konkani Speaking Communities like, Kudubi, Kharvi, Siddi etc, the VKSSF is planning to initiate a new scholarship scheme for the high school-level students from these communities. These two schemes will be announced in the award ceremony.

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Mangaluru’s KPT becomes India’s first autonomous govt polytechnic

News Network

January 23,2026

Mangaluru: The Karnataka Government Polytechnic (KPT), Mangaluru, has achieved autonomous status from the All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), becoming the first government polytechnic in the country to receive such recognition in its 78-year history. The status was granted by AICTE, New Delhi, and subsequently approved by the Karnataka Board of Technical Education in October last year.

Officials said the autonomy was conferred a few months ago. Until recently, AICTE extended autonomous status only to engineering colleges, excluding diploma institutions. However, with a renewed national focus on skill development, several government polytechnics across India have now been granted autonomy.

KPT, the second-largest polytechnic in Karnataka, was established in 1946 with four branches and has since expanded to offer eight diploma programmes, including computer science and polymer technology. The institution is spread across a 19-acre campus.

Ravindra M Keni, the first dean of the institution, told The Times of India that AICTE had proposed autonomous status for polytechnic institutions that are over 25 years old. “Many colleges applied. In the first round, 100 institutions were shortlisted, which was further narrowed down to 15 in the second round. We have already completed one semester after becoming an autonomous institution,” he said. He added that nearly 500 students are admitted annually across eight three-year diploma courses.

Explaining the factors that helped KPT secure autonomy, Keni said the institution has consistently recorded 100 per cent admissions and placements for its graduates. He also noted its strong performance in sports, with the college emerging champions for 12 consecutive years, along with active student participation in NCC and NSS activities.

Autonomous status allows KPT to design industry-oriented curricula, conduct examinations, prepare question papers, and manage academic documentation independently. The institution can also directly collaborate with industries and receive priority funding from AICTE or the Ministry of Education. While academic autonomy has been granted, financial control will continue to rest with the state government.

“There will be separate committees for examinations, question paper setting, boards of studies, and boards of examiners. The institution will now have the freedom to conduct admissions without government notifications and issue its own marks cards,” Keni said, adding that new academic initiatives would be planned after a year of functioning under the autonomous framework.

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