Air crash victim's kin stage hunger protest against compensation discrepancies

February 15, 2012

Mangalore, February 15: Dozens of family members of Mangalore air crash victims on Wednesday staged a hunger protest in front of the Air India Office here.

The day-long protest, against discrepancies in disbursing compensation to kin of Mangalore air crash victims, was organized by the Pravasi Sangam, an organisation for overseas affairs and returnees based in Kerala.

Addressing the protesters Thrissur MLA K V Abdul Khader lashed out at the Union Government and Air India Authority for violating the Montreal Convention in compensation distribution to the family members of Mangalore air crash victims.

“There is no way that Air India or any insurance company can make up for the loss that these families have incurred. It is unfortunate that, unable to understand the seriousness of the situation, the insurance companies are bargaining with the kin to reduce the compensation amount,” he said.

Uduma MLA K Kunhiraman said that one and a half year old plane crash that resulted in death of 158 innocent passengers, led thousand of their dependents as helpless denizens and the relief of benefit that the dependents had to get lawfully from the insurance authorities of Air India has not yet assessed properly as per the relevant provisions of Insurance Act.

“There are umpteen such examples which would prove the discrimination of authorities against the victims and their dependents in the aforesaid plane crash”, he said.

Reiterating demand for equal compensation for the kin of all the victims as per the Montreal Convention, he said in the plane crash at Lebanon 103 victims were compensated by the authorities by paying a fair amount of Rs 1, 269 crore rupees.

DYFI State Vice President Muneer Katipalla came down heavily on the bargaining policy of Central Government and Air India, despite declaring in the public that every heir of the plain crash victims should get a minimum of Rs 75 lakh compensation.

Mr Katipalla also complained that Air India and Reliance Insurance Company are troubling all dependents even after so many months.

Vice President of Pravasi Sangam P K Abdullah, District treasurer Basheer Kallingal, Joint Secretary KV Ganesh, M. Haneef and VV Krishnan, Abdul Khader were among the protesters.

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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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