Khader blasts BJP for booking Masood for condemning Bhat's speech

February 7, 2012

Bangalore, February 7: Congress MLA, UT Khader has expressed concern over efforts to disturb peace in the Dakshina Kannada district by certain people through provocative speeches targeting minorities.

Raising the issue during the zero hour in the Assembly on Monday, Mr. Khader lamented that instead of taking action against the man who had delivered a highly provocative speech in Uppinangady, the police have booked a case against a Muslim leader for condemning the speech in a press conference.

He said that he was deeply hurt by the incident and asked, “How can you take away the rights of the minorities to even raise objection to the baseless and vitriolic allegations leveled against them from a public forum?”.

BJP MLA Jeevaraj took objection to Mr. Khader's statement and urged him to reveal the content of the statement given by the Muslim leader in his press conference. Mr. Khader and other Congress MLAs including Gopal Bhandary opposed Jeevaraj's statement and hit out at the ruling party for fomenting communal tension in the coastal district.

Mr. Khader also sought a reply on the government about the entire issue. Reacting to the matter, Suresh Kumar, Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister, said, the Home Minister was in the Upper House. Once he returns to the Assembly, he will reply.

Mr. Khader also raised the issue under calling attention motion. The government promised to give a reply through the Home Minister.

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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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