City: Bengaluru

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…

Let there be no disasters today. That is the prayer every firefighter begins his day with. Having said that, they have to be prepared for every emergency, every contingency. Central to their efforts and success is their training, discipline and the equipment at their disposal. Karnataka State Fire and Emergency Services is the agency that handles fire rescue and other disaster management operations in Karnataka. We visited Jayanagar fire station in Bengaluru to understand how the department works. Among the fire stations in Bengaluru, Jayanagar fire station in Bengaluru South Range is among the largest and busiest. It has a…

What is Lalbagh flower show? Every year in January and August, a flower show is organised in Lalbagh, the majestic central park in Bengaluru, to celebrate Republic Day and Independence Day. In addition to the thematic display of flowers across the garden, this time the Glass House has been decked up with a floral replica of Gol Gumbaz, the largest dome in India, a monument built by Adil Shah, the erstwhile king of Bijapur. Four lakh roses in four colours would be used for this. There are also dozens of stands with artisan crafts, spices, coffee, books, purses, scarves, seeds,…