Alcoholic teacher shapes students' future here in Bichole

July 27, 2013

Karwar, Jul 27: Teachers play an important role in moulding the personality of young children. But, if the teacher himself is an alcoholic who comes to class in an inebriated state, there is no hope for the minds that he moulds.

As shocking as it may sound, one such person is a teacher in a government primary school situated in Bichole in Gotegali gram panchayat limits in Karwar taluk. Manjunath Kelasi is the headmaster of the government school in Bichole which is approximately 35 kms away from Karwar.

This teacher is the reason that children in the school are deprived of education. Since the village is far from the district quarters, none of the officials in the education department pay a visit to the school, thereby allowing the drunken teacher to continue his illegal habit unabatedly without any interruption.

Having served in the school from the past 15 years, this headmaster comes to class in a drunken stupor and takes classes in the same manner without constraints. It makes no difference to him whether or not students in the class gain any knowledge through his lessons.

If the drinking habit wasn't enough, the man passes the time during the day by chewing tobacco in the campus without any guilt. Teaching in a drunken stupor all the while chewing tobacco in his inner wear is the daily routine for Manjunath in the school.

The village of Bichole is largely inhabited by Kunabi folk who send their children to school to be educated. However, with such a teacher hovering over young and innocent kids at school, it is almost definite that they would fall into all the wrong habits.

The school has two teachers to look after students from Class 1 to 4, and with the next school being 15 kms away, poor families have no other option than to send their wards to this school. The way between the village and the other school in largely forested area which is why parents are hesitant to send their children to a different school. It does not help that there is no proper bus facility from the village either.

However, the children studying in this primary school are being deprived of a proper education. Besides, the drunken state of the headmaster Manjunath is proving a nightmare for the parents of these children.

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QR-code tips power Mangaluru's major drug bust: 25 arrested in 2 weeks

News Network

December 16,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 16: The Mangaluru City police have significantly escalated their campaign against drug trafficking, arresting 25 individuals and booking 12 cases under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act between November 30 and December 13. The crackdown resulted in the seizure of a substantial quantity of illicit substances, including 685.6 grams of MDMA and 1.5 kg of ganja.

The success of this recent drive has been significantly boosted by the city’s innovative, QR code-based anonymous reporting system.

"The anonymous reporting system has received an encouraging response. Several recent arrests were made based on inputs received through this system, helping police tighten the noose around drug peddlers," said the City Police Commissioner.

The latest arrests contribute to a robust year-to-date record, underscoring the police's relentless commitment to combating the drug menace.

Up to December 14 this year, the police have registered a total of 107 cases of drug peddling, leading to the arrest of 219 peddlers. Furthermore, they have booked 562 cases of drug consumption, resulting in the arrest of 671 individuals.

The scale of the seizure for the year reflects the magnitude of the problem being tackled: police have seized 320.6 kg of ganja worth ₹88.7 lakh and 1.4 kg of MDMA valued at ₹1.2 crore. Other significant seizures include hydro-weed ganja worth ₹94.7 lakh and cocaine worth ₹1.9 lakh, among others.

The Commissioner emphasized a policy of rigorous enforcement: "We ensure that peddlers are caught red-handed so that they cannot later dispute the case or claim innocence."

To counter the rising trend of substance abuse among youth, the Mangaluru City police have rolled out uniform guidelines for random drug testing across educational institutions.

As part of the drive, tests were conducted in approximately 100 institutions, screening an estimated 5,500 to 6,000 students in the first phase. 20 students tested positive for drug consumption during the initial screening.

Students who tested positive have been provided counselling and are scheduled for re-testing in the second quarter. The testing will also be expanded to students not covered in the first phase. In a move to ensure strict implementation, police personnel were deployed in mufti in some institutions. Reiterating a zero-tolerance stance, the Commissioner confirmed that random testing will continue, and colleges have also been instructed to conduct drug tests at the time of admission to deter substance abuse from an early stage.

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