Captaining Success

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangalore, July 18, 2012: For him, politics is a platform providing an opportunity to serve his motherland and so is the case with army. He has laid his hands in both the fields and has emerged successful.

For Capt.Ganesh Karnik, a former commissioned officer in the Indian Army, politics is a part of life which has thrown up before him enough opportunities to serve the society. True to his dedication and sincerity to his profession he has been recently elected for the second time as a Member of the Karnataka Legislative Council from the South West Teachers Constituency. His re-election can be termed a victory for the yeoman efforts put in by him to solve the problems confronting the teaching fraternity during his first tenure.

 

Capt. Ganesh Karnik hails from Kervashe, a small village in Karkala taluk of Udupi district. His initial schooling was in Karkala and he later did his B.Sc in Agriculture from the Agricultural University, Dharwad. Greatly interested in serving the He joined the Army in 1981 and served as a commissioned officer along the North-East and the western border of the country. Life in the army gave a then young Karnik, a very wonderful exposure. It also enriched his experience and broadened his horizons and perspectives. He voluntarily retired from the Army in 1988 and joined Lamina Suspension Products Ltd. as Assistant General Manager. Later he joined as General Manager of Nitte educational institutions. It was his close association with the teaching and student fraternity here that kindled in him an urge to serve the education front and to do something  for the welfare of the student and the teaching community.

He made his foray into politics when he was first  elected a member of the Karnataka Legislative Council representing South West Teachers’ Constituency in 2006. Since then, he has ably represented the teachers in the Council by making their demands heard at the government level. He also played a predominant role in realizing a number of demands of teachers during his tenure.

Another breakthrough in his career was when the Karnataka Government appointed him the Deputy Chairman of the Karnataka NRI Forum, a prestigious position of  Cabinet rank in 2008.  The Cell aims at co-ordinating with non-resident Indians who are keen on investing in Karnataka and float joint ventures.The forum since then, under his leadership has been playing a very vital role motivating investments and also strengthening linkages between the Karnataka Diaspora and several cultural organizations of people of Karnataka State.

Ganesh Karnik has even served as a  member of the Senate, Syndicate and the Finance Committee of Mangalore University. He was a special invitee to the Coastal Agenda Task Force constituted by the Government of Karnataka for the comprehensive development of the coastal districts of Dakshina Kannada and Udupi. He was the President of the Public Relations Society of India (PRSI), Mangalore- Manipal chapter. He is also a Director of Lakshmi Souhardha Credit Co-Operative Society and a member of the Academic Council of Mangalore University.

Capt Karnik is also the Honorary President of the Sangeet Parishad, Mangalore – an organization of classical music lovers.Apart from politics and social service activities, Karnik also enjoys trekking, sightseeing,  adventure and other outdoor activities.

On his achievements during his first tenure as MLC, Karnik  says there has been a five-fold increase in the budgetary allocation for education from 2004-05 to 2012-13.

In his capacity as elected representative,  Karnik  says he has so far tried his best to serve the teachers and will continue to do the same, now that he has been re-elected. He has also promised  introduction of E-transfer facility, a system which disburses teachers’ salaries without delay.

The re-election of Capt. Karnik  has further increased his responsibilities to live upto the expectations of the voters of the Teachers’ constituency and also to serve the society with much more vigour and prove himself as the true Man of the Masses. Wishing Capt. Ganesh Karnik all success in his second innings as MLC of Graduates Constituency.