Articles by News Desk

Heroes are those who rise when they fall, choose to fight back a wrong or injustice instead of accepting it. When the Vibgyor High school in Marathahalli, Bengaluru, ran into controversy because of the alleged rape of a student, the way the parents of the school children were united in their fight against the inefficient system that could not protect a child is an example to follow. They made use of online groups to unite together for the cause and bring home one single point - no more threat to security of kids. They framed a set of questions and…

Citizens and Resident Welfare Associations in Bengaluru have objected to the recommendations made by the Karnataka Information and Communication Technology Group Report (KIG Report) that does not address the crucial challenges faced by the citizens, especially in terms of real governance reforms and transparency. Objecting to the recommendations made in the report, the Namma Bengaluru Foundation (NBF) BRACE - a consortium of 750 Residents Association in the city said the report represents a surrender of the city's Development to the commercial interests represented by builders, contractors and real estate companies - many of whose commercial interests are directly responsible for…

The Bruhat Bengaluru Beedhi Vyaapaari Sanghatanegala Okkoota (Federation of Street Vendor Unions of Bangalore) is a federation of Street Vendor unions in several areas of Bangalore. Our member organisations have organised unions in Vijayanagar, Gandhinagar, Shivajinagar, K.R.Market, Kamakshipalya, Aerohalli Ward No.72, Yegganahalli, Rajajinagar, Dodda Gollarahatti, 1st & 2nd Block, Nandini Layout, Nandini Layout,Ramkrishnanagar, Cholurpalya, Goragunte playa, Kamalanagar and several other areas of Bangalore. One of our member organisations, the Vijayanagar Beedhi Vyaaparigala Sanghatane is in fact the first registered Street Vendors Union in Karnataka. We have been working with vendors in different areas, making them aware of the New Street…

Yezdi Roadkings at last year's Jawa Day. Pic:Raj Photography Come Sunday, the 13th of July, witness a spectacle that happens only once in a year - the largest gathering of Jawa’s and Yezdi’s in Bengaluru. Manufactured by the Ideal Jawa Company in Mysore until 1996, these 250 cc bikes known for their distinct beats from its twin exhaust, will come back alive on the road to celebrate the 12th International Jawa Yezdi Day. The International Jawa Yezdi Day is an annual celebration held on the second Sunday of every July across the globe to celebrate the power and legacy of…

Pic courtesy: skyscrapercity.com   Railway Minister for India is from our own Bengaluru. Bangalore North MP D V Sadananda Gowda is all set to present railway budget tomorrow. What does the Railway Budget mean to Bengaluru? Here are some expectations from this budget expressed by several citizens of Bengaluru, who have been in touch with Railways and have been bargaining for particular issues. FKCCI president also had some of his own demands. Sumathi Rao Malleswaram Swabhimana Initiative We want the land adjacent to all the tracks inside the city to be kept clean. Malleswaram has a railway station and there…

Cycling enthusiasts attending Cycle Day event at Yelahanka. Directorate of Urban Land Transport (DULT), UDD, Government of Karnataka which is part of Bangalore Coalition for Open Streets (BCOS) along with local partner Yelahanka United Environment Association (YUVA) conducted the ‘Cycle Day’ event in Yelahanka New Town next to the Allalasandra lake. The program was attended by over 3,000 local residents and cyclists from across Bangalore who enthusiastically participated in the cycle day event. S R Vishwanath, MLA Yelahanka, Manjula-Commissioner DULT, Muniraju-Corporator Ward 4, Mr.Virupaksha Mysore-Additional Commissioner, BBMP-Yelahanka zone and S T Tayappa-President, YUVA addressed the participants. Cycle Day has been…

Consider this. Bengaluru is the first city in India to drink treated water. Bangalore has the highest density of borewells. It is home to 4 lakh borewells; India has about 30 million across the country. Bangalore has the largest number of Sewage Treatment Plants; this includes those that are functional and nonfunctional. And this. Bangalore was once home to over 900 lakes and tanks. Today the number stands at a meagre 200. Bangalore is likely to be the first city in India that will hit critical ceilings on water availability. There is a possibility that Bangalore will have to be…

Namma Bengaluru leads the way when it comes to civic initiatives towards solving problems. You cannot see this level of awareness among citizens in any other city in India. This amazing city, which is a melting pot of activism and civic action, is constantly changing, with its proactive citizens bringing up various initiatives. This series will track such initiatives in Bengaluru, that arise hope and inspire people. Featured below are some of the initiatives in Bengaluru that have showed the way in how waste can be managed better or made use in better way. They follow focussed, simple ways to…

Bengaluru has lots of people who want to minimise their waste by preparing their own compost, and growing vegetables from that. Some such people started this wondeful initiative - Oota From Your thota, the organic vegetable gardening fair. The fair is here again. Trees of Bengaluru is pitching in this time. When: Sunday, June 15 Venue: Whitefield Club, Whitefield main road Map: http://goo.gl/2PjU1f Tree walks will be conducted by Trees of Bengaluru. 1)  A season Watch Workshop - 11 AM 2) Tree Walk for kids - 4 PM 3) Tree Walk for adults - 4 PM Here's where you can…

Pic courtesy: BPAC The Bangalore Political Action Committee (BPAC) inaugurated the second batch of its flagship program- B.CLIP (B.PAC Civic Leadership Incubator Program) amidst the presence of Bangalore’s citizens, intellectuals and political representatives. The inauguration of the second batch of B.CLIP solidifies B.PAC’s commitment in ensuring the creation of a talented and capable pool of leaders for the city. The B.PAC Civic Leadership Incubator Program (B.CLIP) is a 9-month Leadership Training Program that seeks to inspire, equip and mobilize aspiring citizens to engage in the political process leading up to the municipal corporation elections and help improve city governance. The…