Bishop Peter Paul Saldanha urges students to remain grateful at Educare Scholarship event
Mangaluru: Bishop of Mangalore, Most Rev. Dr. Peter Paul Saldanha, on Sunday, reminded young students to remain grounded and grateful, urging them never to forget the sacrifices of their parents, the guidance of their teachers, and the support of their community. He was speaking at the symbolic distribution ceremony of the Educare interest-free loan scholarship, held at Rosario Cathedral in Mangalore.
“You are the shining stars of the Mangalorean Konkani Catholic community, known across the world for talent and generosity. Gratitude is the best attitude,” Bishop Saldanha told the gathered students and parents.
The Educare scholarship, an initiative under the Catholic Organization for Development and Peace (CODP), Diocese of Mangalore, was started in 2013 by NRI entrepreneur and philanthropist Michael D’Souza and his family. Over the past 12 years, the scheme has disbursed ₹29 crore in interest-free loans to students pursuing higher education in various fields. So far, ₹20 crore has been repaid by beneficiaries, while ₹9 crore remains in active circulation.
As of this year, the initiative has supported 125 medical students, 762 engineers, 491 nurses, 904 postgraduates, 1,013 undergraduates, and 137 diploma holders.
For the academic year 2025–26 alone, ₹1.9 crore was distributed to 220 students, including 87 graduates, 43 postgraduates, 52 engineering students, 31 nursing students, and 7 pursuing medicine. In the previous academic year (2024–25), ₹2.45 crore was given to 284 students, with a slightly higher intake across various streams.
Recalling the story of Thomas Alva Edison, whose mother’s belief in him shaped his future despite early academic struggles, Bishop Saldanha likened Michael D’Souza’s role to that of a parent, offering selfless support to young minds in need.
Fr. Vincent D’Souza, Director of CODP, welcomed the audience and led the prayer service. He described Michael D’Souza as a “missionary of social development” whose contributions have transformed countless lives across the diocese.
Sharing his journey, Michael D’Souza spoke about the changing landscape of education. “In our time, graduating from college was itself considered higher education. Today, it is almost a minimum requirement, but it's become costly. Middle-class families often find it difficult to afford,” he said. Highlighting the scale of the initiative, he added that CODP has processed nearly 9,000 interest-free loans under the Educare scheme.
“Wealth comes and goes, but knowledge stays. Stay humble. Let money and degrees not affect your attitude. Always be thankful—and never forget your parents, your mother tongue, or your motherland,” he said.
Several students who benefited from the scholarship—Melisha Priya Quadras (Kinnigoli), Shallet Rebello (Mulky), Joyce Sharal D’Souza (Pangala), Nirmala (Kadaba), Pradeep Pinto (Bejai), Sharal D’Souza (Mariashram), Nishmitha (Vittal), and Anish D’Souza (Germany)—shared emotional words of gratitude towards Michael D’Souza, his family, and the CODP.
Educare panel member Prof. Richard Alvares addressed the students, urging them to follow the “5G philosophy” – God, Goal, Gratefulness, Growth, and Gift. “Invest your time wisely and believe in yourself,” he said, pointing to recent regional achievers as role models.
The event saw the presence of several dignitaries including Mrs. Flavia D’Souza, Mr. Manu, Educare advisor Prof. CA Lionel Aranha, former banker Stephen Pinto, educationist Oswald Rodrigues, and Henry D’Souza.
Shiny D’Souza, a former Educare scholar, anchored the event. The vote of thanks was delivered by Rev. Fr. Lawrence Cutinha, Assistant Director of CODP. Over 500 students and parents attended the event.
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Power tariffs under BESCOM to rise from May 1
Bengaluru (PTI): Power bills for consumers under the Bangalore Electricity Supply Company Limited (BESCOM) will go up from May 1, following an order issued by the Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission (KERC) on Friday.
The hike comes after KERC allowed the BESCOM to recover a revenue deficit of Rs 2,068 crore incurred in 2024-25, from the consumers.
As a result, for every unit of electricity consumed in 2024-25, the customers will be charged an additional 56 paise, it said.
"BESCOM shall calculate, for each of the active consumers of FY2024-25 the amount to be recovered based on their actual energy consumption during FY2024-25. Such amount shall be recovered during FY 2026-27 in equal monthly instalments, to be called as 'FY25 True up Charges', commencing from the first meter reading date falling on or after 1 May 2026 and concluding with the reading date ending on 30 April 2027," the order said.
"It is further ordered that BESCOM shall maintain a separate head of account, allocated for the purpose, to record the adjustment of the said amount to ensure full recovery of the deficit," it added.
Similarly Chamundeshwari Electricity Supply Corporation Limited (CESC) has also recorded a revenue deficit of Rs 121.71 crore and can collect an additional 15 paisa per unit for consumption in 2024-25, official sources said.
