President's Secretary expresses concern over situation of minorities in Mangalore

November 28, 2011

Mangalore, November 28: Dr Christy Leon Fernandez, Secretary to the President of India Pratibha Devisingh Patil expressed his concern over the situation of minorities, including Christians, during his meeting with Rev Dr Aloysius Paul D'Souza, the Bishop of Mangalore on Sunday, November 27 in the Bishop's House of Mangalore.

He said that minorities should be very cautious lest there should be laws and legislations endangering the existence of minorities and their rights.

He was honoured by the Bishop of Mangalore on behalf of the Christians of Mangalore.

“I am very much impressed by the spiritual geography of central Milagres Church of Mangalore. I will carry a picture of Our Lady of Miracles and add to my collection of unique pictures and statues of Mother Mary,” said art lover Dr Fernandez.

Dr Fernandez is a Christian originally from Cochin. He is a 1973 Gujarat cadre Indian Administrative Service officer. He is holding the top bureaucratic post in Rashtrapati Bhawan since 2007 July immediately after the present President had taken charge of the office. He was the Tourism Secretary in the central government for four years before being appointed as the Secretary to the President.

Even though he was due for retirement in June 2009, he has been asked by the President to continue as her secretary till her tenure is completed in mid-2012.

PRO Fr William Menezes, president of Rachana Marcel Monteiro, president of Konkanni Prachar Sanchalan Roy Castelino, Christian lay leaders Walter D'Souza, Melwyn P. Noronha, Fr Rithesh Rodrigues and others were present on the occasion.

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Mangaluru Tees Off Big: Golf Excellence Academy to Open at Pilikula

News Network

February 1,2026

The coastal city of Mangaluru is gearing up for a major sporting milestone with the launch of a Golf Excellence Academy at the Pilikula Golf Club (PGC), scheduled to open on May 31. The initiative aims to position Mangaluru firmly on India’s national golfing map.

Speaking to reporters on Saturday during PGC’s first-ever floodlit Pro-Am tournament, club captain Manoj Kumar Shetty said the project is being funded by UAE-based philanthropist Michael D’Souza and is currently in the design phase. Experts from leading golf academies across the country are expected to visit Mangaluru to help shape the training programme and infrastructure.

The academy will train 20 young golfers at a time, with a long-term vision of producing national-level players from the region. Until now, PGC relied on an in-house coach, but the recent renovation of the course and the introduction of floodlights have opened new possibilities for expanding the sport.

Shetty said discussions are underway with two reputed coaching academies, whose heads are expected to visit PGC shortly. “A dormitory for trainers is already under construction. We are inviting academies to assess the facilities and suggest changes so we can build a truly world-class Golf Excellence Academy,” he said.

Professional golfer Aryan Roopa Anand noted that the floodlit course would be a game-changer for young players. “Students can now practise after school hours, even up to 8 or 9 pm, without compromising on academics,” he said.

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