City: Bengaluru

Population First Calls for Entries for  The Laadli Media and Advertising Awards for Gender Sensitivity 2012-13 (LMAAGS) Western Region Population First invites the media to send in their entries for the fifth Laadli Media and Advertising Awards for Gender Sensitivity - Western Region. The Western Region Awards are open to advertising and media professionals/freelancers from Daman & Diu, Goa, Gujarat, Maharashtra and Rajasthan. News features, articles, editorials, Op-eds, investigative reports, human interest stories  from print and electronic media and ads and jingles from the advertising agencies for products, services and public service announcements are considered for the awards.  The entries…

Meghala, who died on 17 July 2013, due to malnutrition coupled with pneumonia. Pic: Javed Iqbal   “Poverty is the worst form of violence.” - Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi There were two little girls in Bangalore. They lived quite far away from each other, and never knew the other existed.  They were diagnosed with similar illnesses in a gap of two weeks – one having contracted pneumonia and the other affected with pneumonitis (a milder form of pneumonia). Both of them weighed exactly 11.8 kgs at the time of diagnosis. One lived in a slum, and the other in a middle-class…

On July 16th, an 18-year-old student from Christ University consumed poison, alleging sexual harassment from her NCC instructor. The girl is out of danger now. Though the teacher was taken into custody, there are no further reports on whether he is still in custody or if he was let off. The college authorities, not surprisingly, sided with the teacher. I haven’t been able to confirm if the student has resumed her studies in the same college or if she has moved out. One report says that the father withdrew the case because he “realised that she is a female child…

Press Release Volvo Sustainable Mobility Award 2013 Highlight Demand for Sustainable Mobility across India; Entries for Third Edition of the Award close on August 31, 2013 The demand for Sustainable Mobility in cities across India is growing significantly and this is evident from the registrations received for the Volvo Sustainable Mobility Award 2013. An interesting mix of stakeholders comprising NGOs and organisations to institutions have responded to the Award, which is now in its third year. Registrations close on August 31, 2013 and last date for submission of projects is September 10, 2013. For information about the award and to…

Press Release Call for Entries for the 5th Edition of the Southern Region Laadli Media and Advertising Awards for Gender Sensitivity 2012-13 Population First , a Mumbai based NGO working on health, gender and population invites  media and advertising professionals to send in their entries for the 5th Edition of the Southern Region Laadli Media and Advertising Awards for Gender Sensitivity 2012-13 . The Awards have been instituted in association with UNFPA to acknowledge, highlight and celebrate the commendable efforts undertaken by Print and Electronic media (TV, Radio and Web) and Advertising, to support gender-just perspectives. Entries are invited from:…

Everyone knows of the national bird, the Indian Peacock. But do you know what the State bird is? Karnataka, along with other States (Andhra Pradesh,Bihar, and Odisha) has chosen the Indian Roller.  It’s a bird that almost as beautiful as the Peacock, and as interesting too. These birds can often be seen perched on telephone or telegraph wires, and they feed on  insects, spiders, small lizards, snakes and frogs, too. Pic: Deepa Mohan. Contrary to the belief that birds are afraid of fire, these birds seem to know that fire attracts insects, and they can often be found swooping on…

Freedom from garbage. The words have a nice ring to them, which is probably why the BBMP chose the name, KasaMuktha, for its new effort to manage waste in the city. Forced by the High Court to ensure that all solid waste is segregated at source in homes and offices, the municipality is struggling to come up with an alternative that is acceptable to citizens, and works well. Why? Simple. All our earlier efforts to 'manage' trash were built around landfills. Simply collect the trash from the citizens of Bangalore, and take it away to villages outside the city and…

You have endured the tension those nine months could cause, and experienced the joy that lies in the anticipation of becoming a new parent. However, have you chosen the right place to welcome the young one? Yes, it is important. Choosing a hospital where the would-be-mom is comfortable is of utmost importance and should be planned in advance. While some of the would-be-moms choose to be with one hospital right through their pregnancy, there are a few who end up delivering at a different hospital with a different obstetrician, as they change doctors or hospitals towards the end of the…

As the monsoons hit Bangalore quenching the thirst of a parched landscape, the heavenly waters also bring with it the burden of deadly diseases like dengue. As industrial revolution and rapid scientific advancement made life easy for human life on this planet, it also brought in unforeseen challenges with regard to health and hygiene. Dengue fever, from being present in small pockets around the tropical earth, has now become a pandemic putting almost one third of the world population at risk. It is a flu-like viral fever spread by mosquito bites. The severe form potentially kills 1 in 5 affected…

A friend forwarded me the link to a parenting blog recently. The blogger, mother of a seven-year-old, takes up the challenge of yelling less. She’s inspired by the blog famous among parenting blogs, Orange Rhino. For those who are not familiar, The Orange Rhino is the name of a challenge where the aforementioned blogger decided to go 365 days without yelling at her kids. All four of them. Yes. Four. And she succeeded. As for me, I prefer the Maun Vrat, the age-old spiritual practice of silence. Of course, I have my own version of it. Mine comes into application…