Institutions and individuals should work for rural development: Shettar

June 23, 2012

Dharmasthala, June 23: Minister for Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Jagadish Shettar said that institutions and individuals with integrity should work towards rural development.

Speaking at the tri-decennial celebrations of Shri Kshetra Dharmastala Rural Development Programme, Mr. Shettar said there was lack of hands with integrity, more so in the Government.

He lauded the selfless service of Shri Kshetra Dharmastala Trust and its head Veerendra Heggade for the economic and social development of various sections of society. Mr. Shettar said the trust had worked for the empowerment of women.

The trust and Mr. Heggade had done good service in the field of education and self-employment training.

By taking over the management of 527 rural self-employment training institutes of the Union Rural Development Ministry, the trust could spread its good work across the country, he added.

K. Jayaprakash Hegde, MP, said he was ready to offer funds available under the MP's Local Area Development Scheme to various activities taken up by the trust under the SKDRDP. Nalin Kumar Kateel, MP, and Union Minister for Rural Development Jairam Ramesh spoke. Mr. Ramesh released a book on SKDRDP written by G.V. Joshi. He distributed dividends to the members of self-help groups under the SKDRDP.

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Elusive bamboo shrimp resurfaces in Mangaluru estuary after 70 years

News Network

December 7,2025

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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