Dr V S Acharya passes away; Karnataka declares three-day mourning

February 14, 2012

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Bangalore, February 14: Karnataka Higher Education Minister and BJP veteran V S Acharya passed away in Bangalore on Tuesday following a massive heart attack. He was 71.

Dr. Acharya, who arrived from Udupi on Tuesday morning, reached Government Science College on Nrupathunga Road in Bangalore, where he was scheduled to participate in a seminar. As he was walking towards the stage, Dr. Acharya collapsed, and was taken to a hospital.

He had been keeping indifferent health for the last few months, prompting media speculation that he would be stepping down.

Acharya's mortal remains were kept in official residence on the Racecourse road for a couple of hours for public viewing, before it was flown to Mangalore Airport. He is expected to be cremated in the evening at Beedinagudde.

"He (Acharya) is no more with us", Chief Minister D V Sadananda Gowda, said as he rushed to the Hospital to pay his last respects.

A member of the Legislative Council, he also held the portfolios of Planning and Statistics, Information Technology and Biotechnology.

A registered medical practitioner, Acharya, born on July 6, 1940, started his political career in the erstwhile Bharatiya Jana Sangh and was President of Udupi city Municipality from 1968 to 1976.

Acharya had served as Home Minister in the B S Yeddyurappa ministry.

The Karnataka government declared three-day mourning as a mark of respect to Acharya and also a day's holiday today in Bangalore, Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts (Acharya represented Uudpi constituency).

Acharya, a senior state Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader, leaves behind his wife, four sons and a daughter.

Acharya, a medical doctor, hailed from coastal district of Udupi. He had been jailed for 19 months during the 1975-77 internal emergency imposed by then prime minister Indira Gandhi.n the past.

Dr Acharya was the senior most minister in D V Sadanada Gowda government. Formerly he had served as minister of medical education and animal husbandry in the BJP-JDS coalition government.

He is a native of Udupi and a physician by profession. His father was Katte Vyasa Acharya, a Sanskrit scholar.

He started his political career in the erstwhile Bharatiya Jana Sangh (predecessor of Bharatiya Janata Party). He was elected as a municipal councillor, then as president in Udupi municipal council in 1968. This was the first ever win of elected body in South India by the Jan Sangh.

He was elected as a member of the Karnataka legislative assembly (M.L.A) in 1983. He had been a member of legislative council (M.L.C) of Karnataka state since 2002.



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A PICTORIAL TRIBUTE TO Dr V S ACHARYA

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December 2,2025

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Bengaluru: 'Nati koli saaru' (country chicken curry) considered one of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s favourites along with steaming hot idlis was on the breakfast menu at Deputy CM D K Shivakumar’s residence on Tuesday, according to official sources.

The spread also included 'nati koli' fry, vada and pongal, among other items, they said.

In an apparent show of unity, Siddaramaiah visited Shivakumar’s residence for breakfast, just days after the two leaders shared a meal amid a simmering power tussle in the state Congress.

Siddaramaiah drove to the Deputy CM’s residence in Sadashivanagar, where he was received by Shivakumar and his brother D K Suresh, who is a former Congress MP.

Suresh and Kunigal MLA H D Ranganath, a relative of Shivakumar, joined them for breakfast, which featured a mix of vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes.

Speaking to reporters later, Siddaramaiah said Shivakumar had invited him during his visit to the CM’s residence for breakfast on Saturday.

Asked about the difference between the two meals, the chief minister said, "At his (Shivakumar’s) house it was non-veg, while at my house it was veg. He is a vegetarian, I am a non-vegetarian. I had not prepared non-veg. I told DK to get chicken from the village as you won’t get the original in Bengaluru."

Shivakumar said he had initially invited Siddaramaiah to his residence, but the CM had suggested visiting his place first and reciprocating later. "It was a vegetarian breakfast at the CM’s house on Saturday," he noted.

"Today, I invited him (the CM) to my house. He enjoyed the breakfast, which had his Mysuru taste," Shivakumar added. At this point, Siddaramaiah remarked that Shivakumar’s wife is also from Mysuru.

Saturday’s breakfast at Siddaramaiah’s official residence, held as part of efforts by the Congress high command to ease tensions in the leadership dispute between the two, reportedly included idlis and sambar, according to official sources.

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News Network
December 5,2025

Mangaluru: In a significant step to curb online hate and intimidation, Mangaluru City Police have registered a suo motu case against multiple Instagram accounts accused of circulating alleged provocative and threatening content.

While monitoring social media activity on Tuesday, Kankanady Town PSI Anitha Nikkam identified the Instagram handle ‘team_targetttt_900’ for posting a hate message alongside images of lethal weapons. Another account, ‘team_nagara_900’, allegedly shared a threatening post targeting activist Bharath Kumdelu, tagging additional pages such as KARAVALI-OFFICIAL.

Several other accounts — including ‘immu_bhai.fan’, ‘target_boy_900’, ‘kings_of_manglore’, ‘team_target_boys.900’, ‘arshad_mangalore’, ‘target_ka19_ullal’, ‘team_target__’, ‘troll_tigersz_900’, ‘tr_group_900’, and ‘team_target_900’ — are also under scrutiny for spreading similar inflammatory material, police said.

Authorities have urged citizens, especially young social media users, to report suspicious pages and avoid engaging with groups that glorify violence or threaten individuals. Online hate can quickly escalate into real-world harm, and police stress that sharing or promoting such content can attract legal consequences.

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December 2,2025

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Udupi, Dec 2: A wave of regional pride is sweeping through Udupi district as Shagun S Verma Hegde, a talented Class 9 student from Christ King English Medium High School, Karkala, has been named the captain of the Indian National Team for the Under-15 Girls’ Volleyball Championship.

Shagun holds the unique distinction of being the sole player from Karnataka selected to represent the country in the prestigious international tournament. The championship, organized by the School Games Federation, is scheduled to take place in Shangluo, China, from December 3 to 13, where Shagun will lead the national squad.

A Remarkable Journey to the Top

Shagun’s selection is a testament to her dedication and exceptional skill on the court. Her journey included several rigorous rounds of selection:

•    She was the only player from Udupi district to qualify for the state-level selection camp.

•    Out of eight players from Karnataka who advanced to the national selection camp in Pune, Maharashtra, Shagun was the only one to secure a place in the final national squad.

•    The national camp saw participation from approximately 200 players, which was shortlisted to 23. Shagun not only made the final cut but was also ranked as the second-best player overall, solidifying her leadership role.

Shagun, who is the daughter of Sandesh Verma and Shruthiraj of Kallotte, Karkala, has trained under experienced coaches Santosh D’Souza, Jeevan D’Silva, Jairaj Poojary, and Ramesh. Her selection as the team captain has brought profound honour to her family, school, the Udupi district, and the entire state of Karnataka.

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