Udupi: Govt school headmaster dies by suicide; financial stress suspected
Udupi (Karnataka), Jul 8 (PTI): A government school headmaster in Udupi district died by suicide on Tuesday morning, allegedly due to financial stress, police said.
The deceased, identified as Kubera Dharma Nayak (49), also known as Kuberappa, was serving as headmaster at Sulgodu Government Higher Primary School in Hallihole village.
According to police, the incident occurred near the Kamalashile bridge.
Nayak was found hanging from a tree, with his raincoat and two-wheeler parked nearby. Originally from Chitradurga, he had been living in government quarters in Hosangady with his wife and three daughters.
Nayak had been working in the education department since 2002 and was promoted to headmaster in 2022.
A senior police officer said preliminary reports indicate that Nayak had taken multiple loans, including one from a chit fund.
A related loan document had recently reached the Byndoor Area Education Office.
Officials from the Byndoor Zonal Education Office, local police, and members of the Primary School Teachers’ Association visited the site. A case has been registered at the Shankaranarayana police station based on a complaint filed by his wife.
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K’taka HC declines stay on menstrual leave order, says issue of public importance
Bengaluru: The State Government has strongly defended its decision to grant one day of paid menstrual leave every month to women employees, telling the Karnataka High Court that the notification was issued in the larger interest of women and is legally sound. The Court, treating the matter as one of significant public importance, refused to stay the implementation of the order and adjourned the hearing to January 20.
The Labour Department’s November 20, 2025 notification was challenged by the Bangalore Hotels Association, Avirat Defence System, Facile Aerospace Technologies Ltd and Samos Technologies Ltd. Justice Jyoti Mulimani heard the petitions on Wednesday.
At the start of the hearing, the bench asked whether the State had filed its objections. Advocate General K. Shashikiran Shetty informed the Court that objections had been submitted and that copies would be provided to the petitioners.
Defending the notification, the Advocate General said the government had introduced a progressive measure aimed at women’s welfare, one that no other state in India had implemented so far. He told the Court that 72 objections were received and considered before finalising the notification. He argued that the government was empowered to frame such policy under Article 42 of the Constitution and noted that the Supreme Court and the Law Commission had earlier made recommendations in this direction.
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When the Court asked whether the notification applied to all sectors, the Advocate General replied in the affirmative. The bench observed that the matter required detailed hearing because of its wider public impact and decided to take it up in January. The Court added that petitioners may file their responses to the State’s objections before the next hearing.
Petitioners’ counsel B.K. Prashanth requested that the State be restrained from enforcing the order until the case is decided. The Advocate General responded that the government had already begun implementing the notification across all sectors.
Justice Mulimani noted that nothing would change between now and the next hearing and emphasised that the Court would consider all arguments thoroughly before issuing any direction. The bench then adjourned the matter to January 20 and asked petitioners to file any additional applications with copies to the State’s counsel.
