City: Bengaluru

Children from government school in Kaikondrahalli walking back home. Pic: Shree D N The anger of not just parents in Bengaluru, but that of all adults concerned with the safety of children plays out through media and talk shows, through demonstrations and protest walks. As outraged parents and civil society groups meet government officials and senior police officers, school administrators and lawyers, there is deep satisfaction that everybody is taking this incident with the seriousness it deserves. The parents have put forth a 40-point charter for child safety standards which they want schools to follow. It includes trained security staff, CCTVs…

Lack of occupancy certifcate might mean your dreamhome might have certain violations too. File pic. “We are happy to inform you that your dream home is ready for possession and registration. Handover & registration process will be initiated on receipt of the balance payment. We wish you a comfortable stay in your new apartment.”  This is the news you have been waiting for! Ever since the day that you booked the apartment, three years ago, you have been saving and planning to fulfil the dream of your very own home. This email is soon followed by the Final Payment Request Letter…

The inaugural TEDxBangalore event will take place on August 3rd 2014, under the theme ‘Challenge_____’, at the MLR Convention Centre. TEDxBangalore is poised to be India's largest TEDx event with over 1500 ardent TEDx aficionados, leading thinkers, visionaries and doers coming together in Bangalore to find inspiration and celebrate dialogue. “We are fortunate that we live in an era of change and abundance, and that we have everything we need to build something far bigger than ourselves”, said Sartaj Singh Anand, TEDxBangalore curator.It was with this belief that TEDxBangalore was conceived. The event will be hosted in three thematic sessions…

Residents of the eastern part of Bengaluru would have found it difficult to ignore the omnipresent banners that have sprung up on road dividers, announcing the launch of “signal free corridor road from Domlur to Murugeshpalya.” I want to assess the implications of this project to the city transport’s most neglected users - the pedestrians. One of the banners on the Old Airport Road announcing the launching of the signal free corridor The principal-agent problem At the first glance, projects that solely promise faster moving traffic are illustrative of the classical principal-agent problem in governmental issues. On one side, there…

In April 2014, a young boy from Noble Saint English School, Kadugondana Halli in Bengaluru, appeared for his SSLC exam. This was his third attempt at the clearing his 10th standard exams. When the results were announced two months later, he had cleared all papers but one - Mathematics. Young Fayaz at his home, with his Mathematics text book. Pic: Ganga Madappa The young boy is Fayaz and he is a quadriparetic. Quadriparesis, the condition that Fayaz is inflicted with, refers to muscle weakness affecting all four limbs. Due to his condition, Fayaz cannot lift his hands or walk. The…

Growing up in the lap of nature influences one’s life in a profound way. One learns to appreciate nature and all its wonders in a more special manner, than someone who has grown up in a town or city. It allows one discover and acknowledge the beauty in the little things that nature has to offer - in the pattern of a dragonfly's wing, in every tiny droplet of rain, in the various moods of the weather. Raviprakash S S is among the lucky ones. As a young boy, growing up in the Malenad region, he was exposed to nature…

    Bengaluru this week  July 24th 2014       CITIZEN MATTERS Bangalore's own interactive newsmagazine Speak up, it's your city!   City news that matters >> As Bangalore fights to bring justice to its rape victims, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah asked, ‘Is this the only news you have?’ This triggered national-level debates on primetime television and the government is currently under fire. >> While the entire city is enraged, 27 BBMP councillors, including the deputy mayor are on a trip to Russia. >> Chief Minister will visit Mandur this weekend. Meanwhile, High Court has ordered that Mavallipura facility leased to Ramky…

In an effort to tackle the waste management crisis that Bangalore is buckling under, the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has considered dealing with organic waste by converting it into biogas.  BBMP has plans to setup 16 biomethanation plants across the city, some of which are complete and some in progress. The contracts have been awarded to Mailhem Engineers for four plants and to Ashoka Biogreen for 12 plants. Illustrative picture of Bio-methanation plant. Pic source: cmdachennai.gov.in On 22-Jun-2014, the biomethanation plant  at KR Market was inaugurated. According to reports, Mayor B.S. Sathyanarayana said the plant would convert biodegradable waste into energy, and…

  Going by media reports, it appears as if there is a sudden spurt of crime against women and children, in the garden city known for peace. However, according to the data, it shows that the crime against women and children always existed, in all parts of the state and the country. It is not true that Vibgyor is the only school that such a ghastly incident took place. There are other schools in which such incidents happened, but escaped media limelight. The bottomline is, crime against children in the city always existed, to which we as a society chose…

A map of Bangalore from 1920s that shows planned localities including Chamrajpet area. Pic courtesy: Wikipedia One of the most iconic and beloved movies in Kannada while growing up was ‘Ganeshana Maduve’. In the opening scene, you have the director giving a voice over set, with a complete sense of irony, to the tune of Punyakoti, a long poem you had to memorize when you were barely nine. The voiceover introduces a vataara, or a colony, based in Ranga Rao Road, which straddles Chamarajpet, Shankarapuram and Basavangudi with the iconic Brahmin’s Coffee Bar, set at a corner. One of the…