On November 20, 2025, the New Mangalore Port Authority (NMPA) celebrated the conclusion of its Vigilance Awareness Week 2025 with a ceremony held at the BDC Auditorium in Panambur. The event was presided over by Dr. A. V. Ramana, Chairman of NMPA, alongside Smt. S. Shanthi, the Deputy Chairperson, and Shri Padmanabhachar K., the Chief Vigilance Officer of NMPA.
The Vigilance Awareness Week was preceded by a three-month campaign, initiated on August 18, 2025, which focused on preventive vigilance measures. Various training programs were organized during this period covering crucial topics like the Right to Information Act, Ethics, Governance, Conduct Rules, and Cyber Security. Notable talks, including one by Shri Sanjay Krishna Navhale emphasizing the importance of ethics, were held to foster a culture of integrity.
The ceremonial observance commenced with an integrity pledge-taking event on October 27, where employees committed to uphold ethical practices. Alongside this, the Vigilance Department organized numerous strategies to raise awareness among the workforce and the community. Activities included essay and slogan writing competitions in local schools, providing a platform for students to express their views on vigilance.
A walkathon flagged off by Dr. Ramana, held on November 3, was another community engagement effort aimed at promoting the fight against corruption. A sand sculpture on the theme “Vigilance: Our Shared Responsibility” at Panambur Beach further illustrated the campaign’s message. During the week, the NMPA also hosted events for stakeholders and vendors, focusing on grievance redressal.
At the valedictory ceremony, which marked the culmination of the week’s activities, the Chairman unveiled important manuals under preventive vigilance initiatives. In his address, Shri Padmanabhachar K. emphasized the importance of collective responsibility in promoting integrity within public governance. He praised the active participation of 190 students and employees in various competitions and highlighted several preventive measures undertaken by NMPA, such as biometric access systems and an online complaint portal.
Smt. S. Shanthi stressed the necessity of fostering integrity to preempt vigilance issues. She acknowledged proactive measures taken during the week to refine standard operating procedures, emphasizing that many errors arise inadvertently and should be prevented through awareness and education.
In his concluding remarks, Dr. Ramana expressed pride in NMPA’s reputation as one of the least corrupt ports in the country, attributing this to its robust systems and transparency. He described corruption as a “leakage” of public resources and reiterated the importance of ethical behavior starting from leadership positions throughout the organization. Dr. Ramana encouraged all employees to remain dedicated to ethical practices, thereby contributing to the broader goal of national development.
The event concluded with a prize distribution ceremony recognizing the achievements of participants in competitions, followed by cultural performances by local students and port staff, highlighting the spirit of community involvement and engagement in the week’s initiatives. Overall, the NMPA’s Vigilance Awareness Week symbolized its commitment to fostering integrity and transparency, reinforcing the necessity of ethical governance for national progress.
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