Rights panel chief concerned over human rights violations in Mangalore prison

January 17, 2012

Mangalore, January 17: Karnataka State Human Rights Commission Chairperson Justice S R Nayak took officials at district jail to task for alleged human rights violation of men and women prisoners.

Speaking to media persons after inspection of prison and interaction with a few prisoners, Justice Nayak said expressed his resentment for packing 245 prisoners in a prison that has maximum capacity to house 150 prisoners. “This amounts to the violation of human rights of the prisoners”, he said.

He said that prisoners have brought a few important problems to his notice during the surprise visit.

Construct New Prison

When the officials informed him about the allotment of 100 acres of land at Cheloor near Mudipu on the outskirts of the city for the construction of a new prison, Justice Nayak said that the authorities should ensure that the proposed building would be ready within a year. “Overpopulation of inmates is a matter of grave concern”, he said.

Trial Delay

He also expressed concern over the delay of court trial for prisoners, many of whom are languishing behind bars for several months. Lack of escort staff is one of the reasons for the delay in producing prisoners before the court, he pointed out.

Lack of Cleanliness

Justice Nayak also said that the filthy condition of the prison might result in spread of diseases among inmates. A couple of HIV affected prisoners also there in the overcrowded prison. “If you fail to take immediate measures to clean the jail premises you will face serious problems”, he warned the jailor P S Ambekar.

Uneatable Food

“A number of prisoners have complained about uneatable food being served to them. Even though you cannot serve VIP class food for the prisoners, who are accused in various cases, they have right to have healthy food”, Justice Nayak said.

Comments

Add new comment

Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.

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.

Comments