City: Bengaluru

In a world increasingly beset with conflicts and the use of violence as the means to resolve these conflicts, Gandhian nonviolence continues to renew and offer relevant and sustainable alternatives. “BeyondThresholds of Conflict”, an International Film Festival on Peace, brings together path breaking films from around the world, that celebrate women’s immensely significant role in nonviolent conflict resolution in their own diverse, and often complicated contexts within their families, communities and countries. This two-day film festival is the travelling edition of the Peace Builders International Film Festival held in New Delhi in Oct’16. The festival will showcase documentaries, animation and…

With the kick off of the year 2017, the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) put up a 35-page brochure [1] highlighting its plans for preparation for Revised Master Plan 2031 of Bengaluru city. The brochure is divided into 10 parts, including legal provisions, population projections, rationalization of jurisdictions of planning district and transport sectors, water and waste water, solid waste management, and power supply projections. As per the revision process of the Master Plan, the Revised Master Plan 2031 is the fourth revision following those made in 1984, 1995, and 2007. Citizens of Bangalore are confronted with plans on the future…

Women from Ambedker Colony, Ullal Upanagar (A suburb in south west Bengaluru) talk about the problems associated with their Ration cards. Their problems relate mostly to ad hoc cancellation of the Ration Cards and non issue of houshold rations from active ration cards. Sometimes they have to go to a designated ration shop far away from their homes, to collect thier rations and involves travel cost and time away from work.

Bangalore city has various famous landmarks. One of these landmarks is KR Market in Bangalore city also known as City Market. KR Market is Asia’s largest flower market and also is one of the largest areas in Bangalore which sells fresh produce.   Every Mayor comes with an agenda to clean-up KR Market, yet it remains dirty. The main reason is there is no proper disposal of waste. Fruit and vegetable vendors throw rotten or reject produce onto the street or on top of existing heaps of garbage around their stalls. This garbage is then collected by pourakarmikas and is…

Sometimes, the departure of one of the circle of friends comes as a shock, and so it was when I got the news of the sudden passing of Ashok Hallur, just short of his fifty-first birthday. Ashok, in his short life, had already made a name for himself as an active wildlife film-maker and avid conservationist. He was born in Bagalkot, Karnataka, on 25 February 1966. He received early schooling at his village, Hanamapura, with a short stint at Kavalur, later moving to Bijapur. One of his teachers noted his artistic ability and advised him to go to art school,…

Ravindra Kalakeshtra, the cultural centre in the heart of Bengaluru was opened in 1963 to commemorate the birth centenary of Rabindranath Tagore in 1961. Listen to one of the performances on the occasion of celebration of 50 years of Ravindra Kalakeshtra.

Bangalore Oniyavara Seva Coota, also known as BOSCO Bangalore, is an organisation established by the Salesians of Don Bosco to protect and take care of children/youth who leave their homes and land up on the streets of Bengaluru due to various reasons. During the 36 years of its existence, BOSCO rescued and rehabilitated more than a lakh and twenty thousand unaccompanied children/youth from the dangerous streets in order to protect and keep them safely. BOSCO is present 24x7 in the streets, railway platforms, bus stands, markets and slums waiting to reach the lost children/youth. BOSCO also plays an important role in…

Did you know that senior citizens are entitled to certain benefits and provisions under the Maintenance and Welfare of Parents and Senior Citizens Act 2007? In fact the Act also provides for childless senior citizens who can claim maintenance from their relatives if needed. There are also provisions and procedure for cancellation of documents under which property has been transferred by senior citizens to children. Unfortunately, awareness of the Act and other rights and benefits accorded to senior citizens under the Indian law remains extremely low according to a survey done by HelpAge India. One in five elders is unaware of…

Dr Shekar Sheshadri talks about the POSCO act and child abuse at the International Academy of Law and Mental Health, Asia Speciifc Conferance 2016, organised by Department of Psychiatry MVJMC and RH Nimanhs and IPS Karnataka Chapter.

A wrecked footpath with cables, garbage, posters. Pic: Nadia Asif If you are a pedestrian you would know that crossing Bengaluru’s busy, lawless roads is nothing less than a life-threatening ordeal. For motorists, pedestrians are obstacles and for the traffic police, pedestrians are insignificant road users who somehow find their way in the mayhem of vehicles coming in from all directions without any order. In a survey conducted by Walkability Asia in seven Indian cities, Bengaluru scored the lowest in walkability. It is common to see bikes using the pavements to ride past static traffic, or autos cutting corners inches…