870 kids below 5 years, underweight in DK district

[email protected] (Naina J A for Deccan Herald )
February 29, 2012

child

Mangalore, February 29: There are 870 severely underweight children between the age group of zero to five in Dakshina Kannada district.

According to a survey conducted by the department of women and child welfare, there are 393 children suffering from severe underweight between the age group of below three years. This includes 190 boys and 203 girls. Between the age group of three to five, there are 477 kids who weigh below the normal weight, of which, 207 are boys and 270 are girls.

According to sources from Women and Child Welfare department, the severe underweight is due to genetical problem, diseases affecting the kids and malnutrition. The severe underweight is not due to malnutrition alone. Those kids who are severely underweight are given additional nutrition supplement through anganwadi centres. If the kids were found suffering from any diseases, then they are given Rs 750 per year for treatment.

“Just because a child is underweight, it does not mean it is malnourished. Underweight is measured by taking into consideration their height, age and birth weight,” the sources said. The average minimum weight of a child who is three years old is 8.5 kg. The minimum weight for a child between the age group of three to five is 12.5 to 14 kg.

In April, 2011, about 1.90 per cent kids between zero to five years were suffereing from severeunderweight. However, in December 2011, it has been reduced to 0.9 per cent. The severe underweight is highest during May, as many kids do not visit Anganwadi centres. This clearly shows the impact of nutrition supplement given to the kids through anganwadi centres, sources said.

All the children in anganwadi are weighed every month to check the condition of the children attending anganwadi. After the direction from the High Court against the State's apathy towards the issue of malnutrition, the departments of Health and Women and Child Welfare Development swung into action to address the problem, all over the State.


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News Network
December 19,2025

Mangaluru: The Mangaluru CEN police have arrested a 23-year-old man for allegedly posting provocative and misleading content on an Instagram page named “mr_a_titude”, targeting the Bajpe police.

Mangaluru Commissioner of Police Sudheer Kumar Reddy C H identified the arrested as Abhishek M, a resident of Katipalla in Mangaluru.

A case has been registered at the Bajpe Police Station under Sections 353(1)(c), 353(2), 56, and 57 read with Section 189 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) in connection with the post.

According to police, the accused uploaded a photograph of a hotel on the Instagram page and alleged that accused persons in a murder case under the Bajpe police jurisdiction were being given “royal treatment” by the police, including being served beef meals daily from the hotel.

The post further accused the police of supporting criminals, misusing their authority, and betraying public trust. Police said the content was provocative in nature and aimed at inciting public outrage against the police.

Following the post, a case was registered at the Bajpe police station, and further investigation was transferred to the CEN police station.

Police records indicate that the accused has a criminal history, with multiple cases registered against him, including murder, attempt to murder, assault, and robbery at the Surathkal Police Station, and one case at the Kaup Police Station.

The Commissioner said the accused was traced and arrested using technical evidence.

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News Network
December 7,2025

SHRIMP.jpg

Mangaluru, Dec 7: A rare bamboo shrimp has been rediscovered on mainland India more than 70 years after it was last reported, confirming for the first time the presence of Atyopsis spinipes in the country. The find was made by researchers from the Centre for Climate Change Studies at Sathyabama Institute of Science and Technology, Chennai, during surveys in Karnataka and Odisha.

The team — shrimp expert Dr S Prakash, PhD scholar K Kunjulakshmi, and Mangaluru-based researcher Maclean Antony Santos — combined field surveys, ecological assessments and DNA analysis to identify the elusive species. Their findings, published in Zootaxa, resolve decades of taxonomic confusion stemming from a 1951 report that misidentified the species as Atyopsis moluccensis without strong evidence.

The shrimp has now been confirmed at two locations: the Mulki–Pavanje estuary near Mangaluru and the Kuakhai River in Bhubaneswar. Historical specimens from the Andaman Islands, previously labelled as A. moluccensis, were also found to be misidentified and actually belong to A. spinipes.

The rediscovery began after an aquarium hobbyist in Odisha spotted a shrimp in 2022, prompting systematic surveys across Udupi, Karwar and Mangaluru. Four female specimens were collected in Mulki and one in Odisha, all genetically matching.

Researchers warn the species may exist in very small, vulnerable populations as freshwater habitats face increasing pressure from pollution, sand mining and infrastructure development. All verified specimens have been deposited with the Zoological Survey of India for future reference.

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News Network
December 15,2025

Mangaluru police have arrested a 27-year-old NRI on his return from Saudi Arabia in connection with an Instagram post allegedly containing derogatory and provocative remarks about the Hindu religion, officials said on Monday.

The accused, Abdul Khader Nehad, a resident of Ulaibettu in Mangaluru, was working in Saudi Arabia when the post was uploaded, police said.

A suo motu case was registered at the Bajpe police station on October 11 after an allegedly offensive post circulated from the Instagram account ‘team_sdpi_2025’. Police said the content was flagged for being provocative and derogatory in nature.

During the investigation, technical analysis traced the Instagram post to Nehad, who was residing abroad at the time, a senior police officer said. Based on these findings, a Look Out Circular (LOC) was issued against him.

On December 14, Nehad arrived from Saudi Arabia at Calicut International Airport in Kerala, where he was taken into custody on arrival. Police said further investigation is underway.

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