Udupi District Celebrates 80th Independence Day with Fervour
Udupi: Udupi district celebrated the 80th Independence Day with patriotic fervour at the Mahatma Gandhi District Stadium in Ajjarkad on Saturday.
State Food and Civil Supplies Minister and Udupi District In-charge Minister Rizwan Arshad hoisted the National Flag, received the ceremonial guard of honour and delivered the Independence Day address.
The minister announced an ambitious initiative by the district administration, in association with the V-Care Society, to scientifically collect flowers used daily in temples across the district and convert them into value-added, eco-friendly products such as incense sticks and bamboo-free dhoop sticks, instead of allowing floral waste to be discarded indiscriminately.
He also highlighted several initiatives of the state government, including the launch of free bus passes for school and college students. Under the scheme, students can travel free of cost on buses operated by all state transport corporations.
The government has launched the ‘Praja Seva’ department to address public grievances and initiated the recruitment process for 72,186 posts across various departments.
Udupi district has recorded a 29 per cent deficit in rainfall compared to the normal average. Precautionary measures have been taken for agriculture, livestock and drought management, while ₹40 lakh has been provided as compensation to those affected by excessive rainfall.
Under the Gruha Lakshmi scheme, 2,38,080 women have registered in the district, with ₹1,366 crore credited to the accounts of 2,13,712 beneficiaries. Under the Shakti scheme, 4.58 crore women passengers have benefited, with the government spending ₹181.46 crore.
Under the Gruha Jyothi scheme, 3,31,311 consumers have registered, with ₹721.35 crore spent up to June 2026. The Anna Bhagya scheme has 8,23,787 beneficiaries in the district, while ₹12.88 crore has been transferred through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) to 4,600 eligible beneficiaries under the Yuva Nidhi scheme.
Udupi recorded a 99.58 per cent pass rate in the 2025–26 SSLC examinations. In the Second PUC examinations, the district recorded a pass percentage of 96.43, securing first position in the state.
Around 1.98 lakh fishermen are engaged in fishing activities in the district. During the previous year, 3,51,893 tonnes of fish were produced, while fish products worth ₹1,797 crore were exported.
Under the Jal Jeevan Mission, 525 projects have been taken up at a cost of ₹734.02 crore to provide clean drinking water to 2.47 lakh households in the district. Of these, 487 projects have been completed.
Farmers are being provided subsidies through various schemes covering crop insurance, agricultural mechanisation, horticulture and micro-irrigation.
To address the shortage of doctors in the state health department, steps have been taken to directly recruit 200 doctors and appoint another 1,000 doctors on a contractual basis. A centralised 108 Command and Control Centre has also been established for emergency services, with 100 bike ambulances being deployed.
The government is giving priority to youth empowerment, with this year’s Independence Day celebrations being held under the theme ‘Yuva Karnataka–Nava Bharat’. Village-stay programmes are also being organised to allow students to experience rural life.
An ‘Udupi Civic Watch’ app has been developed to monitor waste disposal in public places and is currently being implemented on a pilot basis in Saligrama Town Panchayat. The initiative is planned to be expanded across the district in the future.
As part of efforts to promote tourism, a mascot reflecting Udupi’s local art, culture, heritage and lifestyle has been selected. Selected entries from among the 2,838 images submitted for the competition are being displayed.
The minister also unveiled the tourism mascot and released ‘Udupi Sugandha’ as part of initiatives to promote the district’s tourism sector.
He said the government has taken decisive steps towards the overall development of the state and stressed that elected representatives and officials have a responsibility to ensure that government schemes and achievements reach the people.
MLA Yashpal Suvarna presided over the programme. Manjunath Bhandary, M.A. Gafur, Ashok Kumar Kodavoor, Dinakar Herur, Deputy Commissioner Swaroop T.K., Superintendent of Police Hariram Shankar and Zilla Panchayat CEO Prateek Bayal were among those present.
Earlier, the minister received the guard of honour during an impressive parade. Achievers from the district were felicitated, followed by a colourful cultural programme presented by school students from Udupi and surrounding areas.