Educators Honoured at ‘Prerana Diwas 2025' in Moodbidri
Karnataka Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot, who felicitated the awardees, underscored the vital role of teachers in nation-building. 'Teachers are torchbearers of knowledge and values. Like a lamp that dispels darkness, educators guide generations toward enlightenment,' he said, recalling the contributions of Chanakya and Dr S. Radhakrishnan. He called for a value-based, student-centric education system that blends technological progress with ethical foundations.
In his keynote address, Hosa Digantha CEO Prakash P.S. emphasised the cultural core of Indian education and urged for greater introspection on whether the current system upholds values like truth, discipline, and non-violence.
Lifetime Achievement Awards were conferred on Dr H.S. Ballal, Pro-Chancellor of Manipal Academy of Higher Education, and Dr Ananthakrishna Bhat, founder of the Saraswati Group of Institutions, Meghalaya, for their service to education and public life.
The ceremony also honoured educators in various categories:
Best Academic Administrators: Dr Kurian (Alva's College), Dr Premalatha V. (Canara College)
Best Researchers: Prof. Harish Joshi (MAHE), Dr Shantharam Rai C. (A.J. Institute)
Best Teachers: Dr Subhashini Srivatsa (Mangalore University), Dr Rajendra P. (Ajjarkad College)
Best Librarians: Prof. Vijayalatha (Madikeri), Yashodha (Kaup)
Best Physical Education Teachers: Dr Radhakrishna (Belthangady), Tammayya (Virajpet)
Research scholars awarded Ph.D.s in 2025 were also felicitated.
MP Capt. Brijesh Chowta, MLA Umanath Kotian, Mangalore University Vice Chancellor Dr P.L. Dharma, and Alva's Foundation Chair Dr M. Mohan Alva were among the dignitaries present.
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Boeing 737 plane of American Airlines aborts takeoff, catches fire after landing gear failure, 173 passengers rescued; chilling video goes viral
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The Hindu
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The tale of the tigers
Where it all began… Did you know that a rough conservative estimate of India's tiger population at the start of the 20the Century was around 40,000? The top end of the estimates even placed the number of tigers in the Indian subcontinent in 1900 at around 1,00,000! That number, however, nosedived to a mere 1,827 in 1972, the estimated population figure the result of a nation-wide tiger census conducted that year. This meant that in just 70 years, only about one in every 25 tigers (or 4 out of every 100) remained, even if we were to start with the conservative estimate. The dismally low number was an urgent call for action. The Government of India set up the Project Tiger in 1973 with the primary objective of protecting the Bengal Tiger, and its natural habitats, while ensuring a viable tiger population for ecological balance. Secondary objectives included controlling poaching and illegal trades, raising awareness about tiger conservation among the public, and developing and incorporating better methods to monitor tiger populations. How was it implemented? A multi-pronged approach has been employed to implement Project Tiger through the last half a century or so. Central to it has been the establishment of tiger reserves, which are managed with a core-buffer strategy. While the core areas enjoy legal protection as national parks or sanctuaries, buffer zones around the core areas allow for sustainable human activities, balancing conservation efforts with local needs. The tiger reserves are designed such that they serve as secure habitats for the tigers, and minimise human-wildlife conflict. The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) was established under the Wild Life (Protection) Act of 1972 and serves as the wildlife conservation agency that provides regulatory oversight and also manages the funding of Project Tiger. Even though the project is an initiative by the Indian government, a number of collaborators from other countries and organisations have also lent their support to aid the efforts of tiger conservation. Data that highlights the project's success 50+ When the project was started, there were nine tiger reserves, including the iconic Jim Corbett National Park – India's first national park, established in 1936. In a little over 50 years, the number of tiger reserves have ballooned to more than 50, meaning that the country has been adding almost one tiger reserve every year. As big as Jharkhand When Project Tiger was launched in 1973, an area of 9,115 sq. km was encompassed by the nine reserves. As of 2025, the area under the 50+ reserves across 18 states in the country has gone past the 75,000 sq. km mark. If all those areas were to be placed together to form a single parcel of land, it would be comparable with the state of Jharkhand, which has an area of 79,714 sq. km. Over 2% of the country India has an overall area of 3.287 million sq. km. If the area demarcated as tiger reserves were compared with the total area of the country, it is a little over one-fiftieth of the total area. This means that over 2% (2.2%, if you wish to be more precise) of India's landmass is now devoted to this project. More than 3,000 tigers The most recent estimate of tiger population in the country ranges from a minimum of 3,167 to a maximum of 3,925, with an average of 3,682 – generally given out as the number of tigers in India. While a jump from 1,827 in 1973 to 3,682 in 2022 represents a commendable annual growth rate of 6.1%, the growth in reality was far from linear. This means that the rate of growth didn't steadily keep on increasing, and there were, in fact, even some dips before the numbers bounced back. The estimate in 2006, for instance, was 1,411 – even lower than the 1972 mark! This decrease from previous estimates actually led to a major overhaul in the way in which things were done, and they have borne fruit as the tiger numbers have more than doubled in the last two decades. Roughly 75% India's tiger population has, in fact, doubled in a decade according to a study whose results were published earlier this year. As a result, India is now home to roughly 75% of the global tiger population. Yes, you read that right. Three out of every four tigers in the world are now in India! A tigress's tale Programmes like Project Tiger do better off with a face. Machhli was the poster child of this conservation effort as she saw the numbers of her species both decline and grow during her lifetime. Meet Machhli Name: Machhli, also spelt Machli or Machali Tiger code: T-16 Gender: Female Species: Bengal tiger First seen: 1997 Died: August 18, 2016 Habitat: Ranthambore National Park Nicknames: Queen Mother of Tigers, Tigress Queen of Ranthambore, The Lady of the Lakes, Crocodile Killer Claims to fame: India's most famous tigress; labelled most photographed tigress in the world. Machhli inherited her name – Hindi word for 'fish' – from her mother and also because of the fish-shaped mark on her left ear. A dominant cub, she started hunting at the age of two and her ferocity was well documented throughout her lifetime. The most famous incident showcasing this is her fight with a 14-foot mugger crocodile, which she killed while losing a couple of canine teeth. She gave birth to five litters and raised 11 cubs, contributing significantly to the park's tiger count. Some of her cubs were even relocated as a couple of female cubs were transferred to Sariska Tiger Reserve to boost the big cats population there as well. She soon became a favourite subject for wildlife photographers and filmmakers, and her photogenic nature even earned her the title of being the most photographed tigress in the world. This had a strong impact on both tourism and conservation, as it brought more footfalls to Ranthambore and more eyeballs to the conservations efforts. As is to be expected, Machhli did split opinion as well. By the time she died in 2016 as a 19-year-old, she had far outlived most 'wild' tigers, who generally live to the age of 10-15. Her fame and the money that she brought in meant that she was tended for as she aged, raising questions of whether she was still 'wild' at all. If that weren't enough, some commentators even stated that the establishment was going out of the way to keep its star alive, even though she was no longer performing any ecological function. This drain in resources, they believed, could have been better employed in actual conservation efforts. Machhli was, doubtless, an icon. And when it comes to capturing the public's imagination and grabbing their attention, an icon always works. The Tiger Man of India If Machhli is seen as the face of Project Tiger, then Kailash Sankhala is the brains behind it. Nicknamed the 'Tiger Man of India,' Sankhala is an Indian biologist and conservationist who served as the first director of the project. Here's more about the man who lived for a cause that he cared about… An early start Born in Jodhpur in 1925, Kailash Sankhala obtained his master's degree in Botany from Jaswant College, Jodhpur in 1950. 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Nominations open for ‘Best Teacher' award
Leaders of Andhra Pradesh Primary Teachers' Association (APPTA) has invited nominations for the national-level 'Best Teacher Award' instituted in memory of late Rampal Singh, former president of the All-India Primary Teachers Federation (AIPTF). In a statement on Sunday, the APPTA president A.G.S. Ganapathi Rao and general secretary K. Prakash Rao announced that interested and eligible candidates can submit their applications with supporting documents through the link: The last date for submission of nomination is August 30, 2025. They said that Rampal Singh had rendered exceptional service to the teaching community during his tenure as the national president and general secretary of AIPTF, secretary general of the SAARC Teachers' Federation and as a Board Member of the Education International. He played a key role in resolving numerous educational challenges and worked tirelessly to raise the status of Indian teachers to international levels.
