Pilikula gears up for Bal Bharat Srujanotsav

January 8, 2012

Mangalore, January 8: Minister for Women and Child Welfare C C Patil has promised an additional Rs 25 lakh for 'Bal Bharath Srujanotsav 2012' scheduled to be held in Pilikula from January 22 to 25.

Launching the website www.balbharatsrujanotsav.com at Deputy Commissioner's office here on Saturday, he said Bal Bhavan Society has already released Rs 69 lakh for the Srujanotsava.

He also promised that the government will throw its weight behind BBS and the Daskhina Kannada district administration to make the event a success.

Mr Patil called upon the officials to give priority to the cleanliness and security of the children. The food and accommodation facility should be given utmost importance.

Bal Bhavan Society President Sulochana Bhat said that the road leading to Pilikula should be asphalted. The authorities should see that there is uninterrupted supply of drinking water and electricity during the 'Bal Bharath Srujanotsava 2012.'

Earlier, Deputy Commissioner Dr N S Channappa Gowda said that 10 committees have been constituted to look into the success of the programme. Boards and banners will be placed at 15 places in and around Mangalore.

The accommodations have been arranged at Mangala Jyothi School, St Joseph Engineering College, St Joseph Higher Primary School, Raymonds School, Vidya Jyothi School, Thiruvail School, Shubhodaya, and Samyukta and Moodushedde School.

Tenders have been invited for the construction of temporary toilets and bathrooms in these schools. Every accommodation centre will have two government officials and a nodal officer. To transport kids to the venue, 40 school buses will be arranged.

The DC said that the services of Home Guards have been sought to provide security. Mobile ambulance will be stationed to meet any medical emergency, he added.

The website provides complete details on 'Bal Bharath Srujanotsava 2012'. Bal Bhavan Society President Sulochana Bhat said that 28 teams from 20 states including Jammu Kashmir, Gujarath, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Haryana, Orissa, Mizoram, Goa, Daman, Pondicherry and others have already confirmed their participation.

She said that all children who have come from various states will gather for a procession which includes various tableaus and children representing tradition and culture of their state. The procession will move along the Pilikula surrounding and will reach Pilikula Rangamandir. The events of the Srujanotsava include Creative Art Session: drawing/cartoon, clay art, collage, Therma Foam Masks, Kandeel (Goodu Deepa), metal embossing art, Origami art (Paper folding), magic, sand art, greetings making, simple technique art, doll making, kite making.

The science activities include 'Fun Science' – by Visvesvaraya Industrial and Technological Museum, Bangalore; Playing with rockets – by ISRO, Bangalore, 'Chemical magic' – by R Mascarenhas, St Agnes College, Mangalore, science demonstration – By Suresh Dake, Pune, wild life expedition – by Biological Park, Pilikula, live snake demonstration – by Biological Park, Pilikula; Sky watching – By Dr Jayanth, St Agnes College, Mangalore & Team and students scientists interaction programme. Under cultural programme, there will be Garba, folk dance, Koochupudi, Mohiniattam, Dekhani, Yakshagana, and Bombeyata.

January 24 will be a special day for the participating kids as all the kids will be taken to the beach wherein kite flying has been arranged. The children will also be taught sand art, she said. The website also provides details on tourist spots in and around Mangalore.

District-in-Charge Minister Krishna Palemar, Zilla Panchayat CEO Dr K N Vijayaprakash, Additional DC Dr Dayanand were present.

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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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