Students will get pure gold medals only if they pay for them:?Minister

Bengaluru, Feb 11: Higher Education Minister Basavaraj Rayareddy said it is not possible to present pure gold medals to rank students of Bangalore University.

If people, including students pay for them, then they will get pure gold medals, he added.

He was replying to Lakshminarayana (BJP) who raised a question in this regard on behalf of K?C?Kondaiah (Cong) in the Legislative Council on Friday.

The minister said the university presents 203 ‘gold medals’ every year.’ Students who secure first rank get a 20 gm silver medal with gold cover. Gold used is 1.30 gm for each medal. Medals are instituted under endowments which fetch more than Rs 4,000 bank interest.

The minister said many endowment awards were instituted three to four decades ago. Those days, it was easy to buy gold medals with the limited money but not anymore because of the high cost of gold.

JD(S) MLC?Saravana, who is into gold business, said, “Instead of insulting students, it is better to tell them they are being given silver medals.”

The minister hit back saying, “You must be saving a lot of gold in your business. Give that to us. We will present gold medals in your name.”

Permission must

Rayareddy said state universities must get the higher education department’s permission to take up civil work worth more than Rs 1 crore.

Replying to Congress member M?Narayanaswamy and BJP’s Mahantesh Kavatagimath, the minister said it has come to his notice that large-scale financial irregularities have taken place in the execution of civil works. It has been decided to put an end to this. If the cost of work is more than Rs 10 crore, then the state Cabinet’s approval is compulsory. Piece contract is not allowed if the cost is more than Rs 1 crore, he added.

He pointed out that Sahyadri College of Kuvempu University had taken up Rs 4.70 crore civil work. But finally it ended up paying the contractor Rs 11.65 crore. Similar cases have were reported in other universities too, he added.

The minister said committees have been formed under the chairmanship of deputy commissioners to probe irregularities in the universities. The reports would reach the government in a month’s time.

“We need to bring transparency in administration of universities. At present, the governor has the authority over the universities. It is planned to bring a comprehensive law to improve the system,” he added.

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Major facelift for Mangaluru's sporting heart: Mangala Stadium set for 2-month closure to upgrade synthetic track

News Network

December 15,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 15: Educational institutions in Mangaluru that rely on the popular Mangala Stadium for their annual sports events are bracing for an inconvenience as the city's key sporting venue is set to close its gates for a significant upgrade. The stadium is expected to be unavailable for approximately two months starting from January 15, 2026.

The closure is necessitated by a proposed overhaul of the stadium's facilities, with a special focus on upgrading the synthetic track. Pradeep Dsouza, Assistant Director of the District of Youth Empowerment and Sports (DYES), Dakshina Kannada, confirmed the development.

"Experts have visited the stadium, conducted a thorough inspection, and have given the go-ahead for a complete makeover," Dsouza stated. "Funds have been allocated for the project, and we are currently awaiting the final green signal from state officials to commence the work. We anticipate that the work will likely begin in the second week of January. Consequently, we have stopped renting out the stadium to colleges and other organizations in preparation for the upgrade."

The timing presents a logistical challenge for colleges, as many schools have already concluded their sports meets.

"Colleges will now be organizing their events and will need to find alternative locations to host their sports meets," Dsouza added. He suggested a few potential venues, including the Dakshina Kannada police ground, University College grounds, Panambur grounds, Swaraj Maidan in Moodbidri, and the Mangalore University sports grounds in Konaje.

However, many institutions note that finding a comparable venue will be difficult. While the DK police ground and University College grounds are closer to the city center, they do not possess the extensive facilities and infrastructure offered by Mangala Stadium.

Dr. P Dayananda Pai - P Satisha Govt First Grade College, Carstreet, is one such institution dependent on the stadium. Principal Jayakar Bhandary expressed hope for a swift completion of the work. "We expect the work to be completed at the earliest. If not, we will be forced to look for other venues to host the sports day for our students," Bhandary said, highlighting the pressing need for the city's main sporting facility.

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