TP, ZP election in 2nd or 3rd week of Feb: Karnataka Election chief

January 5, 2016

Mysuru, Jan 5: State Election Commissioner P N Sreenivasachari said the election to the Taluk Panchayats and Zilla Panchayats may be held either in the second or third week of February and the corresponding notification is likely to be issued in the second week of this month.

Sreenivasachari
He was addressing media persons, after holding a meeting of the officials from the districts under the region about the preparations for the elections. Deputy Commissioners, Superintendents of Police and heads of the Excise departments of Mysuru, Mandya, Hassan, Chamarajanagar, Kodagu, Dakshina Kannada, Udupi and Chikkamagaluru districts took part in the meeting.

The officials were directed to take all necessary steps to make the elections peaceful. They were given information about preparing the electoral lists, setting up of polling booths, inspection of electronic voting machines, and selection and training of staffers for the election process.

He said, a Belagavi region-level meeting had already been held recently and similar meetings would be held on January 6 at Bengaluru, and on January 8 at Kalaburgi before the issuance of the notification.

Stating that the elections will be held in two phases, he said, the limitation for election expenses of the candidates will be Rs 1 lakh for ZP constituencies and Rs 50,000 for TP.

“The voters list has been updated up to December 27 last and it will be published on January 11. The process of addition and deletion of the names in the list will be allowed till the last date for filing of nominations. All officials have been directed to minimise errors in the list,” he said.

He said, the State government had been directed not to effect transfers of any official, either in the police or other departments, in view of conducting the elections in a fair way. “State-level observers will be appointed to oversee the election process. Even though the process needs the service of many officials, the police personnel of the State are sufficient and no police force from neighbouring states will be sought. However, the officials concerned have been asked to set up check posts at the borders of the districts,” he said.

Reacting to a question on the controversy regarding reservations, Sreenivasachari said, the reservations of the ZP?and TP constituencies have been decided by the Election Commission itself, based on the respective deputy commissioner’s recommendations.

“There was a problem with the reservation to ‘general women’ in eight constituencies. The issues have been ironed out by effecting some changes,” he added.

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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 2,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 2: Mangaluru International Airport responded to a medical emergency late on Monday night. Air India Express flight IX 522, travelling from Riyadh to Thiruvananthapuram, was diverted to Mangaluru Airport after a passenger in his late 30s experienced a medical emergency on board.

The Airport’s Operations Control Centre received an alert regarding the passenger’s health condition. The airport activated its emergency response protocol, mobilising the airport medical team and coordinating with stakeholders including CISF, immigration, and customs. 

Upon landing, airport medical personnel attended to the passenger, assessed his condition, and arranged to shift him to a local tertiary-care hospital for further treatment. The passenger’s relatives accompanied the passenger, who incidentally received necessary medical care on board, which helped stabilise the situation.

Following the handling of the emergency, the flight departed for Thiruvananthapuram at 2:05 am on Tuesday.

"We appreciate the cooperation of all parties involved, and this incident reaffirms our ongoing commitment to prioritising passenger safety and readiness to respond to unforeseen emergencies with professionalism and care," the Airport spokesperson said. 

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News Network
December 3,2025

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Mangaluru, Dec 3: A group of Congress workers gathered at the Mangaluru International Airport on Wednesday to welcome AICC general secretary K C Venugopal, but the reception quickly turned into a display of support for Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar.

Venugopal arrived in the city to participate in the centenary commemoration of the historic dialogue between Mahatma Gandhi and Narayana Guru. The event, organised by the Sivagiri Mutt, Varkala, in association with the Mangalore University Sri Narayana Guru Study Chair, is being held on the university’s Konaje campus.

KPCC general secretary Mithun Rai and several party workers had assembled at the airport to receive Venugopal. However, the moment he stepped out, workers began raising slogans backing Shivakumar.

The university programme will be inaugurated by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.

This show of support comes just a day after Siddaramaiah remarked that Shivakumar would lead the government “when the high command decides.” The chief minister made the comment after a breakfast meeting at Shivakumar’s residence—another public display of camaraderie between the two leaders amid ongoing attempts by the party high command to downplay their leadership rivalry.

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