City: Bengaluru

“Patience is required to work in the education field,” says Preeti Gehlot, who was appointed as Special Commissioner for Education on January 25th. “It’s not like building a road, but more like bringing behavioural change in students,” she says. Though Preeti is also in-charge of estate, horticulture, lakes and forest, she prefers to devote more attention to education. In an interview with Citizen Matters, Preeti talks about the education department’s plans and proposals as well as priorities and implementation of policies.  Excerpts from the interview: How are BBMP schools different from schools under the jurisdiction of the Karnataka Government?  BBMP…

On April 25th, commuters, residing along Kanakapura Road (KPR) between the Outer Ring Road (ORR) and NICE road junction, were in for a rude shock while traveling to their offices inside the city. The traffic police closed the right turn from KPR to ORR at Sarakki signal. Commuters had to go straight towards BSK TTMC, drive through BSK vegetable market, and take a right turn into 9th Cross, in front of SNN Raj Spiritua to go towards Jayadeva/Silk Board/BG Road. This change in route increased travel time by 20 minutes; 60% of the traffic on KPR, which used to take…

Steps to streamline projects Revenue minister Krishna Byre Gowda met World Bank representatives to discuss funds for a plan to end flooding in the city. The scheme is being worked out by the State Disaster Management Department, Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) and Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) to redevelop stormwater drains, expand the capacity of lakes, increase underground sewage network and treatment plants. Meanwhile, poor budget allocations and lack of a water tariff revision for almost a decade have put many BWSSB projects on hold. The body is dependent on loans for its projects. Even the Cauvery…

Akkai Padmashali is a pioneer in trans rights activism, from being the first transgender person to register her marriage in Karnataka to being a member of the drafting committee in the 2017 state policy for transgender people. Akkai started the human rights organisation, Ondede, which means ‘convergence’ in Kannada. She aspires to bring about ground-level changes in policies to be more inclusive.  In an exclusive interview with Citizen Matters, Akkai spoke about her views on the implementation of the reservation of jobs in public employment for the transgender community (Karnataka is the first state to provide 1% horizontal reservations in…

The explosion of Covid-19 cases in China towards the end of 2022 and early 2023 reminded us, once again, that pandemics have a way of lingering and forcing themselves to the forefront of our consciousness. As public health policy experts have been saying for years, it is not a question of “if” but “when” the next pandemic (or a new and highly virulent variant of Covid-19) arrives. Since a future pandemic seems inevitable, we argue that the questions we should be asking are will we be able to respond effectively when the pandemic arrives and does effective response depend on…

During the pandemic, coaching centres were compelled to conduct classes online. However, post pandemic, the trend seems to have reversed. Many students, preparing for competitive and board exams, are opting for offline classes. However, online study material, apps, recorded zoom classes, and YouTube videos, are being used by students either because they cannot attend classes in person or due to easy accessibility. Students' preferences Lutsuhlu Swuro, who joined Rau’s IAS Study Circle to prepare for the UPSC exam, says there is no alternative to classroom teaching. "The environment at home does not give me enough privacy to focus and study.…

Kavitha and Jyothi are domestic workers from Tamil Nadu who have been living in North Bengaluru for two decades, raised families here, and speak Kannada fluently. However, only Jyothi can access the free bus scheme. Kavitha doesn’t have an Aadhar card with a Karnataka address. The Congress government’s free bus scheme, Shakti, is highly popular and has been lauded across the media. But the benefits of the scheme will not reach all women. Migrant women in the state who are not domiciled, will be left out of it. Free bus travel has opened up the city for women, say activists.…

Mariamma, a 71-year-old weaver of bamboo baskets, sits on the footpath of K R Road, applying ointment to the wounds on her hands, hoping someone would buy the baskets she had woven four days ago. Weaving baskets has been Mariamma’s livelihood for the past 58 years. “I started weaving baskets at the age of 11 when I was a newlywed,” says Mariamma. “I have been doing it alone since 1984 after my husband passed away. Although this is our traditional occupation, we cannot afford to do this anymore, hence I did not let my children take up this profession.” This…

City's no to statewide bandh Leading industries and associations in the city opted out of the state bandh called on June 22nd and assured people that it would be business as usual They were following Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's assurance that he would meet the industry's associations. Members of various trade and industry bodies held a protest in other parts of Karnataka against the hike in power tariff, called by the Hubballi-based KCCI (Karnataka Chamber of Commerce and Industries). Source: The Times of India, Indian Express Read more: Explained: Did the Karnataka government really increase electricity rates by Rs 2.89 per…

On a sunny Sunday morning, May 28th, a group of enthusiastic citizens gathered at Cubbon Park for a community meet-up, organised by Jhatkaa.org, a digital campaigning organisation that empowers citizens using technology to take action on issues that matter to them. The community included individuals who had signed up to volunteer with Jhatkaa in verticals, such as air pollution, gender, sexuality, and policy making. The common goal was to address various pressing issues in Bengaluru, such as street lights, traffic management, and conserving the environment. Over 20 people came together to share their concerns and discuss solutions. The event not…