City: Bengaluru

Consider the following scenario. You are the parent of a five year old. You want your child to get quality education. Since you have decided to go for an English medium school, government schools are ruled out. You feel that without quality English medium schooling, your child will not have the education and therefore the opportunity to do well in life. So you approach all the reputed English medium schools that you can and secure your child's admission in one of them.Believable, right? A parent is never willing to send his or her child to low-cost private school when he…

When I was looking recently at some old books at home, I came across a guide book on Bangalore. It was published in 1956 by Satyaprakash and Company. In the preface, it says " The necessity of a proper guide book to the city of Bangalore need hardly be emphasized. The importance of Bangalore ...is greatly increased. This city of 'long distances' is growing industrially and commercially.." I have tried represent the city of that time and have included some photos and quoted lines from the book. Bangalore in 1956 The most interesting part of the book is the map…

Most urban houses which had kitchen gardens a few decades ago, have developed into residential or industrial premises to satisfy the growing population. The land value also increased multifold and the concept of garden has taken a back seat. Cities have become concrete jungles. The numbers of people growing crops are dwindling and the population in urban areas has increased multifold. The high demand and pull for perishable fruits and vegetables to cities has led to malpractices, toxic agriculture and processing interventions, unexpectedly high costs and many related problems.  Consumers are becoming more aware and realizing the health hazards due…

Recently I ventured into the RTO office at Bhattarahalli, K R Puram, to renew my driving licence (DL). Using the Citizen Matters guide and BMTCinfo.com, I figured the bus routes from Mayo Hall. I reached the office, which is 6 km from KR Puram Railway/bus station, in little over an hour. I went with a lot of optimism, as I had heard things had gotten streamlined and 'clean'. I was armed with the Form 9 that I had downloaded from the RTO site and filled. When I reached the office, I saw several agents hovering at the entrance, whom I…

Bengaluru has already lost thousands of acres of land to encroachers. But if you know about a case of encroachment, there are many government bodies where you can complain. Here is a list of whom you can contact, and how. 1) BMTF (Bangalore Metropolitan Task Force): The state government had formed BMTF in 1996 to check land grabs and building violations in Bangalore Metropolitan Area (BMA). BMA includes Bangalore urban and rural districts, and part of Kolar district. All encroachments of government land/water bodies in these areas - even those that come under BBMP, BDA, BWSSB etc - will be…

Even after repeated appeals, protest marches and follow-up, there has been no let-up in encroachment of the Haralakunte or Somasundarapalya Lake in HSR Layout. Various groups have been dumping debris into the lake with impunity for long and of late, tankers have taken to pumping out whatever water is left. As residents of the area we feel that given the trend, it may not be long before Bangalore loses yet another of its precious water bodies.The most sustainable solution to water woes of any community could come through its water bodies. Not every locality in Bangalore has one; we were…

At the recent Malnad Mela, I met an elderly gentleman who, growing an organic vegetable garden, had come to the mela specifically looking for flower seeds! He wanted to increase the presence of bees and other natural pollinators in his garden. Not only did this open up an interesting discussion among other visitors, it also got me thinking about the flower-friends of my organic garden.Topping that list is Marigold - perhaps the most common and easiest to grow. Marigold. Pic: Vinita Also known as 'gendha' or ' sendigai poo' or ' chendu hoovu', Marigolds are commonly described as African, French…

On February 23rd, get on your bicycle and join the Critical Mass Bangalore group for a two- hour leisurely ride through the city. We assemble at Press Club, Cubbon Park, at 8am. The last one was on Republic Day last month, which fell on a Saturday. Critical Mass Bangalore's January 26th leisure ride through the city. Pic: Sreenath Somarajapuram. Critical Mass bicycle rides happen on the last Friday or weekend of every month in more than 300 cities worldwide. The concept began in San Francisco 20 years ago, and the idea is simple - reclaim the streets of your city…

One of the delights in our city is to watch the various flowering trees, and at this time of the year, one of the spectacular sights is that of the Flame of the Forest (Palash...the scientific name is Butea monosperma). The name of the tree is well-deserved...the bright orange flowers of the tree look exactly as if tongues of flame were engulfing the tree. At this time, the tree sheds all its leaves, too, and the effect is stunning. But there is an even more interesting aspect to the flowering of the Flame of the Forest...that is, the flowers, and…

"I want a Bangalore, where a child and an elderly person can both feel safe while crossing the road", proclaimed esteemed Kannada writer, Sri Ananthamurthy, at the recent Bangalore Literature Festival, 2012. Much more than a reputed author and social commentator, this distinguished gentleman has driven home the point about our city's warped road sensibility. However, these words of wisdom from a celebrated old guru, is something that Bangalore apparently is least inclined to heed.In this modern burgeoning city and India's fifth largest metropolis, the chances of a pedestrian crossing the street without being knocked down are looking progressively bleak.…