Distinguished medical professional Dr. Sudharam Rai passes away at 80
Dr. Sudharam Rai, a distinguished medical professional and community leader, passed away. Born on August 19, 1943, into the renowned Bellipady family, Dr. Rai's life was marked by significant contributions to both healthcare and community service.
Dr. Rai received his early education in Puttur and pursued medical studies at Kasturba Medical College in Manipal/Mangalore. During his college years, he was an active student leader, heading the College Union and organizing activities such as marches related to the Pakistan and Chinese border issues and anti-Hindi agitation. He founded the All College Students Union, serving as its first president, a legacy that endures today. An all-rounder, he excelled in sports, becoming the Chess Champion and winning the Mr. KMC title in bodybuilding in 1965.
After qualifying as a doctor, Dr. Rai began his career as an Assistant Surgeon at Govt Wenlock Hospital, Mangalore, and as a part-time Tutor in Surgery at KMC Mangalore in May 1969. His dedication to rural healthcare led him to serve in Jayapura and Balehonnur in Chikmagalur District. During his tenure in Jayapura, he joined the Lions movement and became a Charter Member of the Lions Club of Koppa, which recently celebrated its Golden Jubilee.
In 1976, Dr. Rai pursued higher studies in the United Kingdom during the Emergency period imposed by Mrs. Gandhi. As a junior doctor, he produced a research paper accepted by the World Conference of Psychiatry in 1977, earning him an invitation to be a Co-Chairman. He served in various hospitals in the UK and became a Family Physician/General Practitioner in 1979. Elected Chairman of the British Medical Association, he led nearly 1,000 doctors at the district, regional, and national levels for over 12 years.
Dr. Rai established a pioneering medical complex in Nottinghamshire, including a doctor’s surgery, dental surgery, optician, pharmacy, and shopping centre under one roof, and served as a member of the Parish Council. He also ventured into private enterprise, starting a private school in Nottinghamshire for children aged 5 to 18, which continues to operate. In 1979, he opened his first nursing home, eventually building and operating 15 nursing and residential homes. In 1998, he founded a 34-bed mental hospital, the first of its kind in the UK by a private individual. Dr. Rai was involved in various NHS committees and started a free helpline to support stressed and depressed doctors, helping many of his colleagues.
Dr. Rai served as a part-time Police Surgeon and was part of the Lord Chancellor's Department, assessing compensation for war veterans and social security cases. He also served in the British Army as a Major, working in Hong Kong, Germany, Gibraltar, Cyprus, Kenya, and during the Iraq war, assisting patients with post-traumatic stress syndrome. He was honoured with an invitation from the late Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II to her Jubilee Garden Party, along with his wife. He was an officer of the Magnus Lodge.
After retiring, Dr. Rai returned to Mangalore to serve his community, founding the Global Hospital in 2012. He was instrumental in establishing the Lions Mangalore Centennial Club and, with fellow Lions members, the Tapasya Foundation and Hospice in Mudipu near Mangalore to support terminally ill patients. He also acted in several Kannada and Tulu films, portraying the role of a doctor. He organized the first KMC alumni meeting outside India.
Dr. Rai is survived by his wife Manjula and children Nithin and Neema, who reside in London. The family is involved in various business activities in India and the UK. Dr. Rai's legacy of service, innovative thinking, leadership, and compassion will be remembered and cherished by all who knew him.
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Suspected drones observed along IB in Jammu's Samba, being engaged: Army
Jammu, May 12 (PTI): Security forces are engaging suspected drones observed along the International Border in Samba district of Jammu region on Monday, an Army said.
This fresh incident of drone activity along the borderline comes barely hours after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s first address to the nation following Operation Sindoor and the meeting of the DGMOs of India and Pakistan.
The Army, however, said there is no need to be alarmed.
“A small number of suspected drones have been observed near Samba in J&K. They are being engaged,” it said.
In the backdrop of the situation, several areas witnessed blackouts in Samba, Kathua, Rajouri, and Jammu.
Lights were switched off at the cave shrine of Mata Vaishno Devi and along its track as a precautionary measure, sources said.
On Monday, talks between the DGMOs were held during which issues related to the continuing commitment that both sides must not fire a single shot or initiate any aggressive or inimical action against each other were discussed, the Indian Army said.
It was also agreed that both sides would consider immediate measures to ensure troop reduction along the borders and in forward areas, it added.
The situation remained largely peaceful across Jammu and Kashmir, with no incidents of ceasefire violation reported along the Indo-Pak border Sunday overnight — marking the first calm night after 18 days of hostilities following the Pahalgam terror attack that left 26 people — mostly tourists — dead.
India and Pakistan on Saturday reached an understanding to cease all firing and military actions on land, air, and sea with immediate effect, following four days of intense cross-border drone and missile strikes that brought the two countries to the brink of full-scale war.
Eighteen days of intense hostilities following the Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor, which brought India and Pakistan to the brink of war, ended with a ceasefire that restored calm along the Line of Control, the International Border, and the hinterland in Jammu and Kashmir. The Army thwarted Pakistan’s Hamas-style kamikaze drone attacks during the escalation.
Since the night of April 24, hours after India suspended the Indus Waters Treaty in response to the Pahalgam terror attack, Pakistani troops repeatedly targeted Indian positions along the LoC — beginning in the Kashmir Valley and quickly expanding to the Jammu region.
The latest hostilities began in the northern districts of Kupwara and Baramulla in the Kashmir Valley, before spreading southwards to Rajouri, Poonch, Akhnoor, and the Pargwal sector along the International Border in Jammu district. The firing affected five border districts — Baramulla, Kupwara, Poonch, Rajouri, and Jammu.
The recent round of cross-border firing further undermined the ceasefire agreement reached in February 2021, which has largely been seen as ineffective due to Pakistan’s frequent violations along the 740-km-long LoC.
The April 22 terror attack, which claimed the lives of 26 people — mostly tourists — in Pahalgam’s Baisaran valley, triggered a strong response from the central government.
The India-Pakistan border stretches over 3,300 kilometers, divided into three segments: the International Border (IB), spanning about 2,400 km from Gujarat to Akhnoor in Jammu; the 740-km-long Line of Control (LoC) that divides Jammu and Kashmir; and the 110-km-long Actual Ground Position Line (AGPL), which separates the Siachen Glacier region.
WATCH: OP Sindoor continues. Minutes after PM Speech.
— Rahul Shivshankar (@RShivshankar) May 12, 2025
A small numbers of suspected drones being observed near Samba in J&K. Being engaged . pic.twitter.com/jmGmRkmQ26
