Kalaburagi: The death of a medical specialist and a native of Chimmanachoda village in Chincholi taluk, Dr. Rahul Chandraprakash Ragate (30), under mysterious circumstances near a bridge in Gold Coast city of Australia on Thursday morning has come late to light.

The deceased Dr. Ragate was reportedly the son of Dr. Chandraprakash Ragate, a retired district surgeon from Bidar district, and Vijayashree.

On Thursday morning, Dr. Ragate is learned to have gone for a swim near the bridge. The passersby, however, noticed that he did not resurface for a considerably long time and, turning suspicious, informed the Queensland Police. The doctor's body was found after a search conducted by the investigation team.

The doctor's friend Shivakumar Chetty has said that Dr. Ragate had been registrar at the University of Birmingham, UK, before shifting to Australia. He has been working in Gold Coast since June 1 and had gone for a walk on Thursday morning near the site where he reportedly drowned, which has given rise to suspicion regarding the cause for his death. A police investigation would reveal the truth, Chetty has added.

Former Union Minister Bhagwanth Khoona has reportedly spoken to the Indian Embassy in Australia asking for necessary steps to be taken to send Dr. Ragate's body back to India.

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Mysuru: Seven villages in Mysuru district have been selected as contestants to compete under the Central Government’s Model Solar Village initiative. The winning village will receive an incentive of Rs 1 crore from the Union Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE).

According to a press release from the Mysuru division Engineer, Works and Maintenance, Chamundeshwari Electricity Supply Corporation Limited (CESC), cited by Deccan Herald on Friday, the competition will started on July 1, 2025 and will run until December 31, 2025. At the end of the evaluation period, the village that demonstrates the highest adoption and usage of renewable energy will be declared the winner.

The selection of the participating villages—Varkodu, Bilikere, Gandhanahalli, Saligrama, Tandavapura, Mooguru, and Bettadapura—was finalised at a district-level committee (DLC) meeting chaired by the Regional Commissioner of Mysuru.

During the competition, a range of renewable energy initiatives will be implemented through the respective grama panchayats. “They are: installation of rooftop solar power units under Prime Minister's Solar Rooftop Scheme for houses. Encouragement of rooftop solar installation, without subsidy for other consumers; promotion of solar irrigation pump sets under Prime Minister's Solar Rooftop Scheme for houses. Encouragement of rooftop solar installation, without subsidy for other consumers; promotion of solar irrigation pump sets under Pradhan Mantri Kisan Urja Suraksha Evam Utthaan Mahabhiyan scheme; installation of solar power units on government buildings with funding through Public-Private Partnership, RCSCO or budget grants; and installation of solar power units for drinking water facilities and street lights," the press note states.

“In the end of the contest, the village that uses the maximum renewable energy will be declared as the ‘Model Solar Village’, based on an evaluation,” the press release added.