Kin of crash victims to consult Swedish firm before challenging HC verdict

August 28, 2011

Mangalore, August 28: The Mangalore Air Crash Victims' Families Association, set up to fight the cause of victims of IX812 crash on May 22 last year, will take the opinion of Swedish law firm Advokaterna Liman & Partners, before approaching the Supreme Court on the verdict of Kerala Division bench of high court.

Association president Mohammed Beary said: "We are negotiating for a better deal for 48 families (who did not accept compensation) with the insurance arbitrators in London through the Swedish lawyers. We will ask whether those who have already accepted compensation under duress could be included. If not, we will approach the Supreme Court.''

"We want the correct interpretation of the Montreal Convention. As pilot error has been established, the liability clause is void,'' Beary said adding the Thursday's judgment, according to him, is relevant only when there is no pilot error.

Meanwhile, Habib Rahman Ullal, businessman, who lost five family members, says that it's a black day for all the victims families. He lost his two brothers Ahmed Naushad, an accountant and Mohammed Ashraf, a computer engineer. Ashraf's wife Maimuma and children Azad Abdullah (5) and Ayesha Afsin (2, 1/2) also perished in the crash. He contends that the Thursday's order interpreted the convention wrongly. Otherwise why AI hiked compensation for Ashraf, who was drawing Rs 1.7 lakh, from Rs 25 lakh to Rs 90 lakh after negotiations,'' he questions.

He claims AI offered just Rs 1.25 crore at Rs 25 lakh for each of the five victims in the first round of negotiations. The family was coming to Mangalore as Naushad was to get married June 13, 2010. We will go to the Apex Court. We are financially tied up, but will somehow pool money and fight the case,'' he asserts.

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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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