India's Dhanush wins air rifle gold, Murtaza settles for silver in Deaflympics
New Delhi (PTI): Shooter Dhanush Srikanth continued to excel and evolve on the global stage, winning the men's 10m air rifle gold medal to open India's account in the Deaflympics in Tokyo on Sunday.
The 23-year-old, who made his Deaflympic debut at the age of 19 in 2022 in Caxias Do Sul (Brazil) and immediately made a huge statement by winning two gold, came up with another superb performance by setting the Deaf Final World Record of 252.2 on way to the top-podium spot.
Compatriot Mohammed Murtaza Vania finished with a score of 250.1 in the final to take the silver medal while South Korea's Baek Seunghak settled for bronze with a score of 223.6.
The champion shooter, who trains in Hyderabad, qualified for the finals in first position with a score of 630.6 - a Deaflympic record - while Murtaza (626.3) was a distant second.
In the final, Dhanush, who is a national camper based in the National Centre of Excellence (NCOE) at the Karni Singh Ranges in Delhi, broke both the Deaflympics and Deaf Final World Record to add a second men's 10m air rifle Deaflympics gold to his name.
During the 2022 Deaflympics in Caxias Do Sul he had won both the individual and mixed team gold.
The marksman, competing in an international competition after more than a year - he last took part at the World Deaf Shooting Championship in 2024 at Hanover winning three gold medals - will aim for a fourth career Deaflympics gold medal when he pairs with Mahit Sandhu on Monday in the 10m air rifle mixed team event.
Sandhu, 20, clinched the silver medal in women's 10m air rifle with a score of 250.5. Compatriot Komal Waghmare (228.3) took the bronze, while Ukraine's Lydkova Violeta bagged the gold with a world record score of 252.4.
Sandhu qualified in second place for the eight-shooter final, tallying 623.4, while Waghmare (622.0) was third.
"Dhanush sounded quite confident yesterday when I spoke to him," said his mother Asha Srikanth from Hyderabad.
"His ranking has been fluctuating since December last year when he competed in the National Shooting Championships, but the performance will give him a lot of encouragement," said Asha about her son, who had risen to No.1 in the country after clinching silver at the Nationals.
Deaf shooters compete with normal athletes in the Nationals and also get selected for national camps and international competitions based on their rankings.
"Dhanush last competed at the Deaf Championships in Hanover last year. His ranking has fluctuated after December 2024, which is the reason he could not make it to the World Cups, Asian Championships and other competitions," said Asha.
"But he is back in the top 10 in India, which is good," she said.
The marksman, who was born with a congenital hearing impairment, has undergone two cochlear implants.
"He is a cochlear implant child, had two surgeries at the age of one year and then at nine. He can't speak, he just speaks a few words, and most of it (explanation) is through actions," said Dhanush's mother.
"He hears through his machine, otherwise he manages."
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Governor urges enhanced budgetary support for higher education in state budget
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot on Saturday urged the state government to provide stronger budgetary backing to the Higher Education department in the forthcoming state budget.
Presiding over the Karnataka State Public Universities Vice Chancellors’ Conference–2026, organised by Lok Bhavan in collaboration with the Higher Education department and the Karnataka Higher Education Council, the Governor stressed that public universities require structured and sustained financial support, a press release issued by Lok Bhavan said.
“Universities, having limited internal revenue sources, require special financial care and structured budgetary support,” the release quoted Gehlot as saying, while appealing to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to ensure the March 6 State Budget is more beneficial to higher education.
The Governor expressed satisfaction over the Chief Minister’s participation in the conference and voiced confidence that the upcoming budget would prioritise higher education.
He specifically called for filling long-pending vacancies in institutions such as Karnataka State Dr Gangubai Hangal Music and Performing Arts University, Sampurnanand Sanskrit University, Kannada University, Karnataka Janapada University, and Dr B R Ambedkar School of Economics University, along with adequate financial provisions for their development.
Emphasising the need to strengthen government universities, Gehlot said deliberations at the conference reflected Karnataka’s readiness to steer higher education in a new direction.
He also called for increasing admissions in government institutions and examining why students prefer private universities despite higher fees.
The Governor stressed strict adherence to academic calendars to ensure timely admissions, examinations and declaration of results.
Improved coordination between Vice Chancellors and Registrars, upskilling of academic staff, curriculum updates aligned with present-day needs and the introduction of job-oriented courses were identified as priorities.
Highlighting campus development, he stressed the need to improve quality, cleanliness and greenery, and urged active implementation of initiatives such as “One Tree for Mother.”
He also encouraged universities to promote sports participation to enable students to represent institutions at district, state, national and international levels.
On governance and transparency, Gehlot pressed for strict compliance with central and UGC guidelines within stipulated timelines.
The release said he emphasised that institutional credibility depends on resolving internal disputes democratically and maintaining transparency in financial matters.
He added that the Chancellor must foster harmony among stakeholders to avoid unnecessary inquiries and administrative disruptions.
The Governor suggested that universities expand international collaborations for academic and student exchange, enhance national rankings and address faculty shortages and infrastructure gaps.
Leveraging central schemes and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) funds was suggested as a way to bridge financial constraints with State support.
According to him, universities should preference to Indian traditional dress as uniform attire during annual convocation ceremonies to promote cultural heritage.
The conference commenced with the rendition of Vande Mataram, Jana Gana Mana and Naada Geethe. Higher Education Minister M C Sudhakar welcomed participants and outlined the objectives of the conference.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and his deputy D K Shivakumar were among those present on the occasion.
