Tiff over exchange of bodies at hospital

September 10, 2011

Mangalore, September 10: It is an uncommon occurrence for students to exchange textbooks, or notebooks in their hurry to rush home. Here is a classic case of human error, where bodies of two persons were exchanged while they were being delivered to relatives from the mortuary.

The body of Ganesh, a resident of Bantwal who died in an accident was kept in the mortuary of Government Wenlock Hospital. Meanwhile, the body of Raju from Tamil Nadu, who died falling from a fishing boat four days ago, too, was kept at the same morgue.

Incidentally, relatives of both dead persons reached the mortuary to claim the bodies on Thursday. After the autopsy, mortuary staff brought the body of Ganesh outside first. Immediately, relatives of Raju took the body without identifying it and kept it in the ambulance which they hired. However, they did not leave the mortuary premises as they had to wait for one of their relatives.

When the mortuary staff brought the body of Raju outside, relatives of Ganesh came forward to claim it. However, relatives of Ganesh found that the body was not of their kin. Following this, a verbal tiff ensued between both relatives and the hospital staff. Relatives of both sides took the mortuary staff to task. Later, the commotion ended after both relatives exchanging the bodies.

Wenlock Hospital resident medical officer P Saroja told TOI that both were medico-legal cases and hence, the hospital staff had handed over the bodies to police. Hence, the police and the relatives should have confirmed the identity of bodies before it was delivered, she added.

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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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