City: Bengaluru

On February 25, 2021, plans were announced from the highest levels of the state government to comprehensively develop Nandi Hills as an international tourist destination. This is to be done through various measures including a clean-up of the area, refurbishment of various structures and heritage sites, enlargement/improvement of the parking areas, and last but not the least, a ropeway to the summit.   My family and I moved home from the heart of Bengaluru to the foothills of Nandi Hills over seven years ago. The contrast in our altered lifestyles could not have been starker. Swapping traffic noise for bird song We…

Budget: Allocation for Bengaluru reduced Allocation for the development of Bengaluru has come down drastically in the 2021-22 budget, as the state government has focused more on essentials owing to Covid. The budget has earmarked Rs 7,795 crore for the comprehensive development of Bengaluru. Some of the projects include conservation of waterbodies, drain development, and suburban rail. Rs 850 cr has been allocated for suburban rail, and a similar amount for the doubling of two railway lines. Rs 950 cr has been allocated for the rejuvenation of Vrushabhavati and Koramangala valleys as well as their sewage treatment plants (STPs). Some…

Starting March 1, there has been much excitement among our senior citizens – and all because of the Covid vaccine. As one meme doing the social media rounds said, “Children take parents for vaccination!” My parents got the Covid vaccine at Dayanand Sagar Hospital, Kumaraswamy Layout, Bengaluru, on 4th March 2021.  They had registered on the Aarogya Setu app and managed to get an appointment after trying for several hours the previous day. Those familiar with the process would be aware that beneficiaries are asked to select the hospital and date and then choose between “Forenoon” and “Afternoon” slots.  Read…

Managements and teachers of private unaided schools across the state are protesting the state government's decision to cut school fee by 30%. Parents of children studying in these schools wouldn't, however, agree to any change in the government's decision. While this deadlock continues, Citizen Matters held a online panel discussion with different stakeholders on March 5, to look at possible solutions. The panel comprised Chaitra Rudresh who represented the parents' group VOP (Voice of Parents), Sanjeev Narrain of RBANM's Educational Charities, retired Additional Chief Secretary M Madan Gopal, and Kiran Prasad, core committee member of KAMS (Associated Managements of Primary…

As the world has become predominantly urban, with the impact of climate change being experienced worldwide, protecting forests everywhere, particularly close to urban areas, is critical. Forests, especially those near cities, serve in regulating local temperatures, cycling water and nutrients, as repositories of biodiversity, and as a critical resource for the sustenance of rural, pastoral and forest dependent communities. Forests are also sacred spaces for communities that continue to revere shrines inside such spaces.  Understanding the nature and composition of the forests, the community dependencies on them and the legal provisions that protect them is central to protect such forests…

One morning in April 2020, early in the lockdown during the COVID-19 pandemic, I leaned over my terrace parapet of my home in Bengaluru, scanning the spreading branches of a Yekke (aak; aakdo; Calotropis gigantea) plant to spot a pale-billed flowerpecker whose trills I could distinctly hear. Eye to the viewfinder, I looked for the bird, the smallest in India at just over 3 inches.  I found something else entirely. A dark form, an obsidian body with sky-blue eyes, was perched on a flower, its head bent into the petals. Hastily focusing on it, I shot off a few frames…

Seniors' vaccination disorganised From March 8, Covid-19 vaccine shots are likely to be provided at 107 hospitals (100 beds) as well as 141 Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike hospitals and referral hospitals. This would help BBMP vaccinate 60,000 people per day. Thereafter, it would target vaccinating one lakh people a day. ASHA workers are expected to mobilise over 15 lakh slum dwellers and bring them to sites for walk-in registration from next week. From March 1 to 4, Bengaluru Urban recorded 33,632 COVID-19 vaccinations to senior citizens and 5,179 to those above 45 years with comorbidities. An overloaded Co-Win vaccine portal…

As this academic year is coming to a close, students in Bengaluru's private unaided schools are in a dilemma. The state government's recent decision to slash tuition fee in these schools by 30% has led to protests from school managements and a section of teachers, while many parents are demanding transparency and accountability from the managements. Hariprakash Agarwal says his daughter's school blocked her access to online classes last August. The state government had passed orders last April and May that schools should not hike fees this year on account of COVID, but the school was collecting the usual 10%…

What seems right for us may not seem right for others since it depends on perspectives from different points of view.  Parents want lesser fees but want education in top schools. School managements wants more return on their investment. So, these are two different perspectives. They would not converge on the same terms since their interests are different.  As long as the school management has reasonable expectations, conflicts would be less. But again, the definition of ‘reasonable’ varies. If a school is run without much issues, it means the management knows the art of running schools very well. Schools, colleges…

The education sector, especially schools, are generally viewed by the public as the goose that lays the golden egg. Similar to other key critical sectors necessary for the society at large, like hospitals or colleges, this misconception is prevalent about schools as well. Most individuals leading such institutions are so caught up in ensuring the next generation’s education that they do not bother about the noise outside. There is no lobby either, like in the other established industries, to ensure that no harm is done by policies and decisions proposed by the government. Education is a basic right as per…