Prakash Rai meets Kejriwal, seeks support for ‘political journey’

News Network

January 11, 2019

New Delhi, Jan 11: Actor Prakash Raj, who recently announced his decision to contest the Lok Sabha elections as an Independent candidate from Bengaluru Central, met Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convener and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal here on Thursday.

After the announcement last week, the AAP had offered support to Mr. Raj, who has been open in his criticism of the Narendra Modi government.

In a tweet after meeting Mr. Kejriwal at his residence, Mr. Raj said: “Met delhi CM @ArvindKejriwal thanked him and @AamAadmiParty for the support in my political journey. Discussed and requested to share various ways to address issues which his team has commendably done..#bengalurucentral #citizensvoice in parliament #justasking in parliament too.”

In response, Mr. Kejriwal tweeted: “We need people like Prakash Raj to enter Parliament. Prakash ji, it was great meeting u today. AAP fully supports u and we agree wid ur decision to fight as an independent candidate. We need independent and non-partisan voices too in Parliament.”

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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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