Abolish death penalty, says Salil Shetty

[email protected] (TOI, Photos by Ahmed Anwar)

August 31, 2011

Mangalore, August 31: Amnesty International (AI) is putting its effort to make India sign the pact of moratorium on executions with a view to abolish death penalty.

AI secretary general Salil Shetty said that 135 nations in the world have already established moratorium on execution. "AI opposes death penalty worldwide because it violates the right to life and other human rights. We will build pressure on India to sign moratorium pact on execution," he said acknowledging the felicitation extended to him by Salil Shetty Felicitation Committee here on Tuesday.

AI, which has three million members campaigning for human rights in over 150 countries, aims to work together with full spectrum of people's organisations in India in new, innovative ways to effect real changes, Salil said.

"We are working towards the release of hundreds of prisoners in India, including social activist Binayak Sen, who are being put behind bars without fair trial. We also will launch battle against torture in police stations. We do not have right code of conduct for police in India," he lamented.

India is a democratic nation, but that does not mean that our nation is free from issues related human rights. China too monitors human rights violation, even though it is not a democratic nation,'' he said.

Love for Tulu

Salil, who is a Mangalorean, did not forget his mother tongue even after becoming the secretary general of AI. In the beginning of his speech, he said, "organising committeegu solmelu panduth shuru malpuve (I shall start my speech after thanking organisers).

Throughout his speech, he recalled his childhood and boyhood days of eating 'golibaje' and learning agriculture and culture. He expressed his desire to watch Tulu movie of Vijayakumar Kodiyalbail "Oiryardori Asal".

"This land has produced several famous persons from underworld to Miss World. I would like to call Aishwarya Rai my sister, but looking at my face people may not believe it," Salil said in mirth.

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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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