Fisherwomen get subsidised loans through JLGs

March 29, 2012

Mangalore, March 29: Corporation Bank, in association with Dakshina Kannada and Udupi Co-operative Fish Marketing Federation Ltd., launched a subsidised loan scheme for fisherwomen through joint liability groups (JLGs) in the city on Wednesday.

The bank has identified 72 groups consisting of 700 fisherwomen in Mangalore through the federation and about Rs. 3.50 crore credit will be extended to them through 11 branches of the bank in Mangalore.

Each Joint Liability Group would have a minimum of four and a maximum of 10 members and each member would be eligible for a maximum loan of Rs. 50,000 repayable in 35 months.

Ajai Kumar, Chairman and Managing Director, Corporation Bank, presided over the function. He said the fisherwomen would pay an interest rate of 3 per cent. The balance of the 12.65 per cent rate of interest would be subsidised by the State Government.

“People (who are taking loans from the bank) are repaying the loans,” Mr Kumar said. The bank provides credit linkages to 1,24,000 self-help groups (SHGs) with an amount of Rs. 1,000 crore, he said. Representatives of Sri Raksha Swasahaya Sangha, Mangalore, were given a cheque of Rs. 5 lakh. The other SHGS that received cheques for loans included Sri Vinayaka Swasahaya Sangha, Bokkapatna, Mangalore; Sri Ganesha Swasahaya Sangha, Bokkapatna; Vaishnavi Swasahaya Sangha, Boloor; Spandana Swasahaya Sangha, and Durgambika Swasahaya Sangha from Thota Bengre.

Earlier, in association with the Federation, the bank had financed 223 JLGs, consisting of 2,000 fisherwomen and a loan of Rs. 9.73 crore had been extended through six branches in Udupi district.

B. Nagaraj Shetty, Chairman of the Coastal Development Authority, inaugurated the loan disbursing event.

Yashpal A. Suvarna, president, Fish Marketing Federation; Nitin Kumar, president, Karnataka Fisheries Development Corporation Limited; Palangappa, Assistant Registrar of Co-operative Societies, Mangalore; Suresh Kumar, Joint Director (Fisheries), Mangalore,; and R.P. Arora, Deputy General Manager, Corporation Bank, were present.

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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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