Madikeri: 

The Kodagu Press Club has invited applications for its annual journalism awards, recognising excellence in reporting across multiple categories. Interested journalists have been asked to submit their entries on or before April 30, according to a statement issued by General Secretary M. K. Adarsh.

The “Best Human Interest Report” award has been instituted by veteran journalist Coovercolly Indresh and family in memory of his parents, B. V. Chandrashekar and B. C. Pushpalatha, with an endowment fund of ₹1 lakh to support the award.

The awards also include the “Best Impactful Report,” instituted in memory of senior journalist K. B. Mahantesh. Another category, “Best Environmental Report,” has been instituted by M. N. Chandramohan in memory of his parents M. Narayana and N. Padmavathi.

Each award carries a cash prize of ₹5,000 along with a plaque. The awards will be presented during the Press Club Day celebrations scheduled to be held on June 7 under the presidentship of president Bollajira B. Ayyappa.

As per the guidelines, entries must be special reports published between January 1, 2025, and December 31, 2025. Applicants must be members of the Kodagu Press Club and can submit entries for only one category. It is mandatory to clearly mention the category while applying.

Journalists are required to submit two copies of their published report along with the application at the Kodagu Press Club office. The initiative aims to encourage quality journalism and recognise impactful reporting in the region.

source: http://www.thehansindia.com / The Hans India / Home> News> State> Karnataka> Bengaluru / byThe Hans India/ April 18th,2026

Experienced trekkers cautioned individuals against going on a solo trek or a solo hike on a new trek trail, even as the forest department ramps up safety measures.

Board marking Pushpagiri wildlife range territory under Madikeri Wildlife Division.Photo | Express

Madikeri:

The Kodagu division forest department has currently closed Tadiandamol for trekkers after a woman techie from Kerala went missing for four days while on a solo trek.

Sources confirmed that the trail will open after the department takes a few precautionary measures to avoid repetition of such incidents.

“The Tadiandamol Trek is closed for trekkers till April 11,” confirmed Madikeri Deputy Conservator of Forests Abhishek. He explained that the department will conduct proper markings of the trek trails and will implement more safety measures to avoid such incidents in the future.

He stated that Kumara Parvatha is another major trekking route in the district managed by the department, where the trail is properly visible. However, since this trek also falls in a thick forest region, steps to implement safety will likely be planned.

Meanwhile, Kodagu district has instructed several trekking organisations based in Bengaluru and other cities to ensure safety measures.

However, experienced trekkers caution individuals against going on a solo trek or a solo hike on a new trek trail.

“It is not advisable for anyone, no matter how experienced they are, to go on a solo trek on a trail they are exploring for the first time,” shared Meghna Kushalappa, co-founder of Trek n Tales organisation. 

She advised trekkers to research the trail before they head out and try to physically mark the trail path, in case they are trekking alone.

She suggested that trekkers download several mobile applications like Wiki Loc, Maps.me and Strava, which have trails saved (in paid versions).

She also advised trekkers to carry all basic essentials including a flashlight, extra water and snacks, a whistle, portable charger and a basic first aid kit.

‘KA 12 Miles’, another trek group based in the district, put forth various requests before the authorities to make trekking feasible and safe in the district.

The need for caution/danger boards on the trails, sign boards at deviations, emergency communication stations, rest shelters, backup rescue teams, proper healthcare in base camps in case of emergencies, eco-toilets and proper waste management system are among the few demands put forth by the trekkers from the district.

The group also demands a ban on solo trekkers as incidents like that of the missing woman from Keralam can affect the entire trek community in the district. They opined that all the trek trails in the district are wildlife-prone areas and solo trekking must be prohibited keeping safety in mind.

“Heavy penalties must be imposed for breaking trek rules and guidelines,” demand the KA 12 Miles trekkers. Further, they also urge the departments to make all the treks in the district a plastic-free zone and urge for stricter checking of the trekkers at the chek posts.   

source: http://www.newindianexpress.com / The New Indian Express / Home> Karnataka / by Express News Service / April 06th, 2026

Largely from Adivasi communities, many neither remember their earlier place of enrolment nor possess documents to establish it .

Residents have, over the years, moved across more than 20 plantation belts in the region. | Photo Credit: File photo

In Kedamulur, a village in Virajpet taluk of Kodagu district, Booth Level Officers (BLOs) have not been able to map even a single resident to the 2002 electoral rolls, a key requirement ahead of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) expected to begin in Karnataka in April. 

This is because residents here have, over the years, moved across more than 20 plantation belts in the region. Largely from Adivasi communities such as the Paniya Yerava, Jenu Kuruba, and Yerava, people told The Hindu that they neither remember their earlier place of enrolment nor possess documents to establish it. 

Most families said they have worked across plantations in areas such as Kutta, Ponnampet, Kaarekadu and Ammatti, among others, shifting every few years depending on work. With no records of earlier addresses, they are unable to show where they were living in 2002. In many cases, even recalling details needed to locate their names or those of their parents or grandparents in the electoral rolls has been difficult. 

“No one in Kedamulur could be matched during the mapping exercise,” a BLO associated with the Tomara Booth said, adding that similar conditions exist across plantation areas in Virajpet and Ponnampet taluks, apart from parts of Chikkamagaluru and Sakleshpur. 

Under the SIR process, if a person cannot be linked to the 2002 electoral rolls during the enumeration phase, their name is likely to be left out of the draft rolls that follow. It is only after this stage that individuals are issued notices asking them to submit one of 11 specified documents as proof.

No proof of address

For many families here, accessing those documents itself is a challenge. Gauri, from Adivasi Sangharsh Morcha, said it is common for workers’ documents such as voter ID cards and ration cards to be held by employers, and not returned when they leave plantations. With families shifting every few years, most also do not have proof of permanent residence. Even Aadhaar, which is accepted only as proof of identity and not citizenship for SIR, is not possessed by many in these settlements. 

The SIR guidelines also require people to produce documents based on their age. Those born before 1987 must submit their own documents, those born between 1987 and 2004 must provide documents for themselves and one parent, and those born after 2004 must provide documents for both parents. In communities where older generations themselves lack documents, this requirement, Ms. Gauri argued, is impossible to meet. 

Under the SIR process, if a person cannot be linked to the 2002 electoral rolls during the enumeration phase, their name is likely to be left out of the draft rolls that follow. | Photo Credit: File photo

Discrepancies galore

Even among those who do have documents, discrepancies are common, with differences in spelling, variations in names, and inconsistencies across records.  In several cases, it was common that two documents of the same person had different names. BLOs explained that this can happen for multiple reasons — sometimes, names are changed by employers or recorded along with the name of the community, and in other instances, spellings differ across languages or records.

In one case, a person’s Aadhaar card carried the name “Manju”, while the voter ID recorded it as “Paniya Yerava Manju”. In another, the same individual’s name appeared as “Chubba” in one document and “Subba” in another. BLOs acknowledged that such variations are required to be proven during the SIR and will only make it difficult to establish identity under the SIR, even for those who possess documents.

Adivasi Sangharsh Morcha has called for a survey in Adivasi settlements to identify gaps in documentation and address discrepancies in names across records.

BLOs struggle to reach

For BLOs, the exercise itself has been difficult to carry out. These settlements are located inside plantations with no bus connectivity, requiring them to walk long distances. Even then, workers and their families were always away in estates during the day. Officials said there is little awareness among residents about the exercise, even as they are expected to complete the work within deadlines and adapt to new rules.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> Cities> Bengaluru / by Rishita Khanna / April 01st, 2026