Articles by News Desk

Business Iron ore transportation trucks hit by slump The steep fall in demand for iron ore has affected the resale value of trucks used for their transportation. Earlier these trucks had a resale value of Rs.13-15 lakhs. Now they are available for Rs.8-10 lakhs. Trucks owners are now feeling the heat as income from ore transportation has fallen drastically. More than 12,000 trucks were involved in this business during 2004-2008 when iron ore was in huge demand. (Prajavani, Monday, Nov 3) Onion prices to increase further Onion growers have reason to smile and buyers have to reason to cry. The…

Ranga Shankara is organising a seminar on Company Theatre at 6 pm on 3rd November as part of the Ranga Shankara Theatre Festival '08, which pays tribute to this golden era of Indian theatre.Speakers at the seminar include,Amal Allana, renowned director and Chairperson of the National School of Drama, who will speak on gender impersonation in Company Nataka and reflect on the phenomenon in her own plays.Nissar Allana, renowned stage designer and author of Painted Scenaries: Backdrops of the 19th Century Marathi Sangeet Natak, who will speak on the subject of his book, the sceneries of the Marathi stageProf. Ramakrishna…

Ananya initiated the ‘Hadu Hakki’ project with the aim of introducing and encouraging learning and appreciation of Carnatic music among children. Supported by a grant from the India Foundation for the Arts, ‘Hadu Hakki’, a series of 19-episodes were aired through all the All India Radio stations of Karnataka, last year. The series were designed as simple interactive sessions to present the children with an overview of Carnatic music and were accompanied by articles for children in Ananya’s monthly magazine ‘Ananya Abhivyakti’. As a fitting finale to this, Ananya now presents ‘Hadu Hakki Habba’, a festival that aspires to encourage…

Business Iron ore mining no longer lucrative Global recession has its cascading effect on iron ore mining in Karnataka. This business once changed the face of Karnataka and its politics. With the price of iron ore going down, the huge machines at the mining sites have now stopped working. A ton of iron ore from Bellary which cost Rs.3000 until recently, has now dropped to just Rs.350. The possible closure of mines may throw thousands of families to the streets. (Kannada Prabha, Saturday, Oct 25) Pay and Park rule to return The ‘Pay and Park’ rule by BBMP is all…

The road widening project started by the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) sees yet another development. Two NGOs, the Environment Support Group (ESG), and CIVIC Bangalore have created an online petition to a BBMP committee overseeing tree-cutting decisions on the project. The petition is urging them to involve Bangaloreans in planning and decision making processes, in order to help prioritise safety of cyclists, pedestrians, senior citizens, children, differently abled and so on. The petitioners feel that with intelligent road design it is possible to safeguard lives, livelihoods, homes, heritage and green cover of the city, which is largely provided by…

Arts and Culture Kannada books go go hitech Nallur Prasad, President of Kannada Sahitya Parishad, a supreme body of Kannada literary works, said that a proposal to computerise the administration and digitalisation of all Kannada books is submitted to the government. Work on the website has also begun.. Mr Prasad opined that Kannada books should be made available on the internet so that anyone across the world will have access to them. (Kannada Prabha, Saturday, Oct 11) Civic Not a bus in sight The rapid development of the city has surprised many. However there is a village in Bangalore which…

PANEL DISCUSSIONCONFLICT AND THE FUTURE FOR BANGALOREANSFacilitated by Hosted by 4:00 pm, Sunday, 19 October 2008Alliance Francaise de Bangalore. No 108, Thimmaiah Road, Vasanth Nagar, Bangalore All are welcome!The panel discussion is part of a weeklong festival of films and discussions, facilitated by Meta-Culture, a conflict resolution centre. The panelistsM Narasimha is the founder-secretary of the Udayabhanu Kala Sangha, a Bangalore-based volunteer-driven cultural and social organisation, founded in 1965. He was formerly Assistant General Manager at Hindustan Machine Tools. He has been a social worker for four decades in the area of Kannada literature, culture and education.Dr Ambar Abdul Qaiyum…

PERCEPTIONS and PERSPECTIVESDispute and Resolution In CinemaA week long festival of films and discussionsOctober 13 – 19 To celebrate Conflict Resolution Day, October 16th, Meta-Culture Dialogics, Center for Dispute Transformation and Dialogue, in collaboration with Bangalore Film Society, and Alliance Francaise de Bangalore, and with the generous support of Arghyam, Citizen Matters and Visthar, are presenting a week long Festival of Films on Conflict and Resolution. After a very successful launch in 2007, with over a thousand viewers, Meta-Culture Dialogics is renewing its effort to reach out to the Bangalorean public, offering alternative ways of looking at disputes and conflicts…

 Cartoon by: Narasimha VedalaSetback spaces specifies the space left between a building and the boundary of the plot. It is meant to ensure sufficient light, air and privacy to the occupants of the building and to the immediate neighbours. Space should allow for movement of vehicles around the building in case of an emergency, like a fire.Recommended setback rules according to the BBMP byelaws.BBMP byelaw setback According to a retired senior BBMP official, it is estimated that 50 per cent of properties show more than 75 per cent deviations from the sanctioned plan. ⊕

The Ranga Shankara Theatre Festival '08 will include the second edition of its very successful Theatre and Arts Appreciation Course, designed on the lines of the well-known culture course at Neenasam, Heggodu.The course, launched at the Ranga Shankara Theatre Festival '07, provides a unique opportunity to learn the essence of theatre and arts appreciation by developing new ways "seeing and listening". Last year's course was a resounding success, with participants from various walks of life – from students to professors, software professionals to bankers - participating enthusiastically in the highly interactive sessions. The likes of Satyadev Dubey, Girish Karnad, UR…