A nostalgic reunion of Canara College alumni after 25 years: 1987 BCom batch rewinds clock

[email protected] (Media Release)
December 29, 2011

Mangalore, December 29: The 1987 batch of B Com students of Canara College came together recently, in the portals of their college in a get together organised by them for the first time in 25 years after they had graduated from the college.

It was momentous and joyous occasion for a batch of 80 students out of whom 66 attended the get together and recalled the good old memories of their student days.

Putting together 66 students who are scattered in different parts of the globe called coordinated and determined efforts and batch mate A Badrinath Kamath who was the then Union Council Secretary of the college and his team worked with a resolute mind to gather the batch mates and succeeded to a great extent. Many of them had come for the purpose of this reunion on a short holiday from US and other gulf countries.

For all of them it was once again back to college days and such an atmosphere was recreated in the college. On December 25, at 9.30 am all the students assembled at the college campus for breakfast. The function started with the hoisting of national flag and by garlanding the bust of the founder of the college Ammembal Subba Rao Pai.

The students of yesteryear sat in the same class and in the same seats (as much as possible) and Prof Sathish Bhat gave the entire class a nostalgic feeling by calling out attendance and by giving a mock lecture.

The highlight of the event was that a 10 feet cake was cut by all the 66 students to mark the occasion. A Badrinath Kamath, who was instrumental in coordinating the event with active support from a few other batch mates, termed it as “a wonderful experience” to come together after a gap of 25 years. “In these 25 years all of us have undergone marvelous changes and one or two of our classmates are all set to get their children married within a short period”, he opined.

The reunited students took the opportunity to felicitate their teachers as both college and pre-university lecturers and even retired lecturers were also invited for the get together.

Having re-lived the moments of their college days the 'students' disbursed after lunch to meet once again in the evening at “Ocean Pearl” for a family get-together. Versatile singer Srikanth Kamath, who belongs to the same batch, provided a perfect milieu for the evening family gathering through his orchestra. Principal of the college Dr G N Bhat speaking on the occasion appreciated the students for the success they have achieved in their career and in different walks of life. He recalled the indelible mark left by this batch by setting up a garden, the precedent they have set by celebrating Sharada Pooja at College and the social service they rendered by their active participation in National Social service.

On the occasion the reunited students of the batch decided to institute two scholarships in the name of the 1987 batch to two meritorious and needy students of the college. The classmates who collected the email IDs and mobile numbers of their batch mates disbursed after dinner but with a promise to be in touch and to meet again. Badrinath Kamath thanked all his batch mates for making it an enlivening and memorable event.

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News Network
February 1,2026

Golf.jpg

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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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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News Network
February 4,2026

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An Indian resident who won the Dh20 million (approximately Rs 50 crore) jackpot in Abu Dhabi's Big Ticket draw has told of his joy at sharing his life-changing fortune with a friend.

Shanthanu Shettigar, a shop manager in Muscat, regularly buys tickets for the monthly grand prize draw with one of his closest friends – and the pair won on February 3.

Mr Shettigar, 33, who is from Udyavar in Udupi district of the southern state of Karnataka and has lived in the Omani capital for eight years, said he was left speechless after learning of his success.

“When I first moved to Muscat, many of my colleagues were purchasing Big Ticket, which encouraged me to give it a try,” he said.

“I started buying tickets on my own, and later began sharing tickets with a close friend. The ticket that brought me this win was one we purchased together.”

“Like most people, I receive a lot of spam calls, and I was fully absorbed in my work as well. I knew the live draw was taking place tonight, but I never imagined my name would be announced,” he said.

“When I realised it was real and that I had won, I was honestly speechless. It still hasn’t fully sunk in, but I’m extremely happy.”

Mr Shettigar is not sure how he will spend his share of the money, but encouraged others to take part.

“This win was completely unexpected, so I want to take some time to think things through before deciding what to do next,” he said.

“I would definitely encourage others to participate with Big Ticket, whether with family or friends – you never know when your moment might come.”

The Big Ticket was established in 1992 with an initial first prize of Dh1 million. It is one of the most popular monthly raffles in the UAE.

It has transformed the lives of many people across the Emirates and beyond.

Entry to the Big Ticket Millionaire is Dh500. Tickets can be bought online or at counters at Zayed International Airport and Al Ain Airport.

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