Call to develop culture of corporate ethics

November 3, 2011

Mangalore, November 3: “There is a need for transparency, accountability and good corporate governance in the corporate sector so as to reduce the incidence of corruption in the society” - this was the common view of many students of MBA who participated in an elocution competition here on Wednesday November 2.

The topic for the competition was, 'As CEO how will I combat corruption in my company?' It was organised by DK Anti-Corruption Forum, Mangalore with support from Corporation Bank.

Many of the students underlined the need for a reliable audit process and protection to the whistle blowers as effective strategy to corruption in companies. Empowerment of employees, a compensation system that motivates them and a fair HR policy would help develop a culture of integrity and honesty in the company, was the view of some of the participants. There is a need for the CEOs to be role models to the staff of the organization. A core compliance committee in a company could help address the complaints of corrupt practice in the organization, said many participants.

The programme held in SDM College of Business Management began with an introductory by the Convener of the Forum, T R Bhat. Mrs. Matilda Pinto, Mrs. Molly Chaudhury and Mr. Dheeraj Hejmadi were the judges for the competition in which 15 first prize winners of the qualifying round from different MBA colleges participated. Activist Mrs. Vidya Dinker introduced the guests.

The following were the prize winners:

I Prize: Ms. Ankitha Shetty, MSNM Besant Institute of Postgraduate Studies, Bondel, Mangalore

II Prize: Mr. Rohit Menon, Srinivas Institute of Management Studies, Mangalore

III Prize: Mr. Nelson Prasanna Vas, St Aloysius Institute of Management & Information Technology, Kotekar

In the valedictory P V Bhat Asst General Manager, Corporation Bank, Dr K Devaraj, Principal, SDM College of Business Management and T R Bhat participated and gave away the prizes and certificates. Ananda Rao P. of DKACF compered the programme and Rohan Shiri proposed a vote of thanks.

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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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