NEET will affect rural students: UT Khader

[email protected] (CD Network)
October 30, 2012

U_T
Mangalore, October 30: The implementation of National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test for undergraduates (NEET-UG) instead of Common Entrance Test (CET) will affect the rural students and those studying under the state syllabus, said Mangalore MLA U T Khader.

 

Addressing a press meet at district Congress office, here on Tuesday, Mr Khader expressed concern that due to this system, students from poor background in the state would be unable to compete with urban students in the country who had studied CBSE-prepared curriculum in schools and colleges.

 

“They have to be educated and taught in the CBSE syllabus to be as capable as those studying under the central system. To ensure this, teachers also have to be trained, and basic resources are needed. Either the state government has to take proper steps to train them within the upcoming exam in this academic year or the implement itself has to be postponed to the next academic year,” he said.

 

The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has been directed by Supreme Court to conduct the NEET-UG and be made mandatory from the academic year 2013-14. Initially the students were preparing themselves for a common entrance test (CET) in their respective state, but now they have to switch to CBSE model of education.

 

Road repair of 2-km stretch in Ullal

 

Mr Khader said that under the jurisdiction of his constituency, the two-kilometre stretch from Rani Abbakka Circle to Mogaveerapatna and Kotepura in Ullal is in a pathetic condition. The road cannot be traversed. In spite of a special grant of 75 lakhs having been sanctioned a year ago, repair work has not yet begun on that stretch. Out of the grant, only 40 lakhs were released, he said.

 

If the administration does not begin the road repair within 10-15 days, the party will hold a protest together with the residents of surrounding areas, he said, urging the administration to take steps to ensure better roads.

 

The state government is tied up in internal conflicts which haven't been resolved so far. From the past five months, no development or long-term programmes have been undertaken by the government, he said.

 

Local Congress leaders Mohan Mendon and T K Sudhir were present at the press conference.


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News Network
December 4,2025

Udupi: A 40-year-old NRI from Udupi has reportedly lost more than Rs 12.25 lakh in an online investment scam operated through Telegram.

According to a complaint filed at the CEN police station, Leo Jerome Mendonsa, who has been working in Dubai for the past 15 years in computer accessories sales, maintains NRI accounts in Karkala and Nitte.

On November 12, 2025, Mendonsa was added to a Telegram group called Instaflow Earnings by unknown individuals. Users identified as Priya and Dipannita persuaded him to invest in “Revenue Tasks.” Initially, Mendonsa transferred Rs 1,100 multiple times and received the promised returns, encouraging him to continue.

On November 14, another user, Nishmitha Shetty, directed him to register on a website, digitvisionuoce.cc, and invest Rs 4 lakh in various shares. Over the next few days, he made multiple transfers totaling Rs 12,25,000, including Rs 50,000 via Google Pay, believing the scheme was legitimate.

After receiving the money, the alleged handlers stopped responding, and neither the invested amount nor the promised profits were returned.

The CEN police have registered a case under Sections 66(C) and 66(D) of the IT Act and Section 318(4) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), and investigations are ongoing.

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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, Dec 15: Air India Express has announced that it will resume direct flight services between Mangaluru and Muscat from March 2026, restoring an important international air link for passengers from the coastal region.

Airport authorities said the service will operate twice a week—on Sundays and Tuesdays—from March 1. The initial flights are scheduled on March 3, 8 and 10, followed by March 15 and 17, with the same operating pattern to continue thereafter. The flight duration is approximately three hours and 25 minutes.

The Mangaluru–Muscat route was earlier operated under the 2025 summer schedule, with services beginning on July 14. At that time, Air India Express had operated four flights a week before suspending the service.

Officials said the summer schedule will come into effect from March 29, after which changes in flight timings and departure schedules from Mangaluru are expected. Passengers have been advised to check the latest schedules while planning their travel.

The resumption of direct flights to Muscat is expected to significantly benefit expatriates, business travellers and others, further strengthening Mangaluru’s air connectivity with the Gulf region.

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