Mangalore crash: Govt to hold regular hearings on compensation appeals

New Delhi, November 19: The government has decided to fast-track the resolution of disputes over compensation to the families of the Mangalore aircrash victims by holding regular hearings on their appeals.

At a meeting chaired by Civil Aviation Minister Vayalar Ravi, top officials of the Ministry and Air India decided to hold regular hearings to resolve the appeals for compensation following the August 25 Kerala High Court order that set aside a single judge order directing the airline to pay a minimum compensation of Rs 75 lakh each to the affected families.

158 people onboard Air India Express Flight 812 from Dubai were killed on May 22, 2010, when the Boeing 737–800 overshot the Mangalore runway on landing, fell over a cliff and caught fire, spreading wreckage across the surrounding hillside. Only eight passengers survived with injuries.

Air India and its attorneys would hold regular hearings to expedite the claim cases of 83 affected families, official sources said, adding that these hearings would be held in an expeditious manner.

The claims of 75 victims' next of kin have already been settled, they said.

A division bench of the Kerala High Court had held that Air India was liable to pay only actual damages proved by the claimants in case of death and the victims in case of injury.

Maintaining that unnecessary litigation be avoided, the bench had said the liability can be determined through negotiated settlement or by civil court of competitive jurisdiction, while allowing an appeal filed by Air India.

If no settlement is possible, actual damages can be determined by the civil court, the bench had observed.

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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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