Melbourne: K'taka Ministerial delegation visits varsities, education hubs to explore collaborations
A high-level ministerial delegation from Karnataka, led by Medical Education Minister Dr. Sharan Prakash Patil and Dr. UT Ifthikhar Fareed, Chairman of the Karnataka State Allied & Healthcare Council, has arrived in Australia for an official visit aimed at exploring potential collaborations in medical education, healthcare, and the allied health sectors. The delegation, which will visit Melbourne and Sydney, intends to strengthen ties between Karnataka and Australia in these crucial fields.
The delegation arrived in Melbourne on 31st January 2025 and wasted no time in embarking on an ambitious itinerary, beginning with a significant meeting with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. This meeting marked a promising start to the visit, with discussions focused on enhancing bilateral relations, particularly in the areas of healthcare education and research.
Following their meeting with the Prime Minister, the delegation’s agenda in Melbourne included several key engagements designed to facilitate deeper cooperation between Karnataka and Australia. The delegation attended a morning tea at the Victorian Parliament, where they had the opportunity to engage with various local policymakers, academics, and healthcare leaders. This was followed by an executive luncheon at RMIT University, which provided a platform for fruitful discussions on the integration of innovative medical practices, training programs, and educational exchanges between Karnataka and Australian institutions.
The day’s activities also included visits to the Epworth Richmond Healthcare Simulation & Education Centre and Monash Health, two of Melbourne’s leading healthcare facilities. At these institutions, the Karnataka delegation interacted with senior executives and medical professionals, discussing the latest advancements in healthcare training, simulation, and hands-on medical education. These visits are expected to lead to partnerships in areas such as medical simulations, research collaborations, and the development of joint programs to enhance the quality of healthcare education in Karnataka.
On 2nd February 2025, the delegation will travel to Sydney, where they will continue their efforts to forge new pathways for cooperation. The schedule in Sydney includes a visit to the Consul General’s office, where they will meet with consular officials and explore opportunities for international collaborations between the two regions. Additionally, they will hold meetings with representatives from some of Australia’s top universities, including the University of Sydney, UNSW Health, Macquarie University, and Western Sydney University. These discussions are aimed at fostering advanced training programs, research collaborations, and skill development initiatives in allied healthcare, with a focus on building expertise in areas like nursing, allied health sciences, and medical technology.
A particularly significant aspect of the delegation’s Sydney visit is the Healthcare Education Roundtable, which will take place at the NSW Parliament. The roundtable will bring together policymakers, academic leaders, and healthcare professionals from both Karnataka and Australia to discuss strategies for strengthening healthcare education and improving health outcomes through collaborative efforts. Additionally, the delegation will engage in discussions with Study NSW Government representatives, exploring ways to make Karnataka’s healthcare sector more competitive on the global stage through international partnerships.
The delegation’s schedule also includes visits to cutting-edge healthcare innovation centres such as Westmead Healthcare and the Liverpool Ingham Institute. These centres are recognized for their pioneering work in healthcare research and technology, and the Karnataka delegation is expected to explore opportunities for joint research, technology transfer, and the development of training programs in these advanced fields.
This visit is expected to pave the way for substantial collaborations between Karnataka and Australia, with the potential to improve healthcare education, create new training programs, and establish a framework for ongoing research and technological advancements.
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Mangaluru Konkani writer H.M. Pernal wins 2025 Sahitya Akademi Award
Mangaluru: Noted Konkani writer and journalist H.M. Pernal (Henry Mendonca) from Mangaluru has been selected for the 2025 Sahitya Akademi Award for his acclaimed literary criticism work Konkani Kavyem: Rupam Ani Rupakam (2021).
The Sahitya Akademi Award is one of the highest literary honours given by the Government of India. Every year, the Akademi recognises outstanding literary works in 24 languages, including 22 scheduled languages along with English and Rajasthani.
Konkani has been a scheduled language since 1992 and is spoken in five states — Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra and Gujarat. The language had received recognition from the Sahitya Akademi in 1975. From 1977 onwards, the Akademi has been presenting awards to notable works in Konkani literature.
From Mangaluru, Cha. Fra. D’Costa (1992) and Melvyn Rodrigues (2011) had earlier received the Sahitya Akademi Award for their poetry collections, while Edwin J.F.D. Souza was honoured with the award in 2016 for his novel. With this recognition, H.M. Pernal becomes the fourth Konkani writer from Karnataka to receive the Sahitya Akademi Award.
His book Konkani Kavyem: Rupam Ani Rupakam has created a historic milestone as the first Konkani work in the literary criticism category to receive the Sahitya Akademi Award. Earlier, the book had received the Best Book Award from the Karnataka Konkani Sahitya Akademi in 2021 and the Best Book Award from the Goa Konkani Akademi in 2023.
The book carries an extensive foreword written by Jnanpith award-winning Konkani writer Damodar Mauzo and has been published by Kavita Publications of Mangaluru.
Henry Mendonca was born in Pernal in Udupi district. He completed his schooling at Hindu Junior College in Shirva and pursued his degree at MSRS College, before obtaining his postgraduate education in Mumbai. Professionally, he is a commercial accountant.
He began his writing career in Kannada through magazines such as Taranga, Sankramana and Shudra. In the early 1980s, he entered Konkani literature as a cartoonist in the magazine Yuvak. Over the years, he has established himself as a short story writer, poet, critic, editor and publisher.
In 2011, he founded the literary online magazine Kitaal, which has been publishing continuously for the past fourteen years and has become a prominent platform for both senior and emerging writers in the digital Konkani literary space.
In 2013, he started the literary magazine Arso as a fortnightly publication. It is now being published as a monthly magazine in its twelfth year under the editorship of poet Wilson Katil. The annual special issues of Arso have gained special recognition in literary circles.
Through his own publishing house Kitaal Prakashan, Pernal has published more than 15 original literary works.
So far, he has published four poetry collections — Chalyank Chatray (1999), Kaydyacho Kavita (2004), Bhamunanchem Chedum (2006) and Janel (2025). He has also published two short story collections — Devak Sodullo Pado (2002) and Beeg Ani Bigat (2016), along with the award-winning literary criticism work Konkani Kavyem: Rupam Ani Rupakam (2021).
His short story collection Beeg Ani Bigat received the Shrimati Vimala V. Pai Best Literary Work Award in 2017, presented by the Vishwa Konkani Kendra in memory of the mother of noted entrepreneur T.V. Mohandas Pai. For his contribution to Konkani poetry, he received the Mathayas Family Endowment Poetry Award from Kavita Trust in 2018.
He was also honoured with the Best Book Award by the Karnataka Konkani Sahitya Akademi in 2021 for Konkani Kavyem: Rupam Ani Rupakam, the Konkani Sahitya Gaurav Award by the Karnataka Konkani Sahitya Akademi in 2022, the Dakshina Kannada District Rajyotsava Award in 2023 for his contributions to Konkani literature and journalism, and the Best Book Award from the Goa Konkani Akademi in 2023 for the same book.
Pernal has written more than 850 poems, over 100 short stories and more than 2,000 articles. Through print and digital media, he has consistently contributed to the growth of Konkani literature.
Since 2012, he has been identifying and encouraging emerging writers by presenting the Kitaal Yuva Puraskar every year. The award is sponsored by the family of Abu Dhabi-based entrepreneur and philanthropist Leo Rodrigues and includes a citation and a cash prize of Rs 25,000.
At present, Pernal is the chief editor of the Vision Konkani Book Grant Project initiated by Michael D’Souza. Under this scheme, Konkani writers are provided financial assistance of up to Rs 40,000 for the publication of a book.
The project, with a total budget of Rs 40 lakh, is fully sponsored by NRI entrepreneur and Konkani language patron Michael D’Souza. It is being implemented under the supervision of the Vishwa Konkani Kendra and aims to support the publication of 100 books over a five-year period.
A committed leader in the Konkani literary community, Pernal served as the working president of the All India Silver Jubilee Konkani Literary Conference held in Mangaluru in 2023. He is currently serving as the treasurer of the All India Konkani Parishad.
He has also served as the president of the Konkani Writers’ Union and is presently a member of the Konkani Language Advisory Board of the Sahitya Akademi.
