Four Students Drown While Swimming in Surathkal
Mangaluru: Four students tragically drowned while swimming under the Koppal dam railway bridge in Surathkal on Tuesday afternoon. The incident came to light late at night.
The deceased, all students of a private school in Surathkal, have been identified as Yashvit (15), Raghavendra (15), Nirup (15), and Anvit (15).
According to reports, the students had gone for an English Pre-Preparation Examination and then proceeded to Old Town, where they went for a swim under the railway bridge. Four of the students left their school bags on the riverbank and entered the water. Unfortunately, they drowned while their three friends who were with them went home.
ALSO READ: More than 10 people injured in head-on collision between auto rickshaws in Vitla
Upon receiving a complaint about the missing children, the Surathkal police launched an investigation. They checked CCTV footage near the school and bus stand, which showed the children boarding a bus at Surathkal bus stand and getting down at the Haleangadi bus stop. The police then confirmed the location of the boys using their mobile phone signals.
The bodies of the deceased have been sent to VenLock Hospital in Mangalore for post-mortem.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Karnataka poised to lead India's space tech growth: Minister Priyank Kharge
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka is well-positioned to power India’s next phase of growth in the global space economy, state IT Minister Priyank Kharge said on Monday.
He added that the Space Tech Policy 2025-2030 marks a major step towards positioning the state as India’s leading space technology hub.
The policy aims to help Karnataka capture 50 per cent of the national space technology market and 5 per cent of the global space economy by 2034, Priyank said.
Outlining the vision behind the policy, which was announced last month during the Bengaluru Tech Summit, Priyank stated that the state has set clear and measurable goals to accelerate growth in the space sector.
"Through this policy, Karnataka aims to mobilise investments of USD 5 billion, support over 500 space start-ups and MSMEs, create more than 50,000 high-skill jobs, and enable companies in the state to design and launch over 50 satellites in the coming years," he said, in a statement.
ALSO READ: Bomb threat at Mangaluru RTO turns out to be hoax
Reiterating Bengaluru’s legacy as India’s technology and innovation capital, the minister noted that the city has consistently transformed innovative ideas into nationally and globally significant missions.
"From satellites and aerospace to robotics and deep tech, Bengaluru has been the place where India’s global aspirations take shape. This ecosystem has been built over decades with the establishment of institutions such as HAL, NAL, and ISRO," he said.
The minister added that the Space Tech Policy 2025-2030 represents the next phase of Karnataka’s technology-led growth.
"The policy is designed to strengthen the state’s leadership across both upstream space technologies—covering deep-tech research, manufacturing, and core systems—and downstream innovation, where space-based applications are developed to address real-world challenges," he said.
According to the statement, key focus areas under the policy include supporting companies engaged in next-generation space capabilities such as space technology manufacturing, deftronics, and advanced wireless communications for defence and strategic applications.
To enable this, the state will establish dedicated space manufacturing clusters, develop common testing and validation facilities, and leverage Karnataka’s strong institutional linkages with organisations such as ISRO and DRDO.
"With this policy, Karnataka will create an ecosystem where innovation, manufacturing, and services companies in the sector can thrive," Priyank said.
"The state is now well-positioned to power India’s next phase of growth in the global space economy," he added.
