City: Bengaluru

“Arey yaar.. in logon ko to kuch kaam dhandha hai nahi, saare aakar yahan baith ke aawaz uthathe hai…. hamare desh mein aise bahut saare hadse hote rehte hai, aise awaaz uthake kya fayda; kuch hone wala to hai nahi” - (These people are not at all serious about the issue, what is the use of protesting on streets then? How are we to benefit from these protests?) - this is what a commuter told me as he stopped his bike for a while to witness people raising their voices at Town Hall – a popular protest spot in Bengaluru.…

I have with me, two news items -- the one dated January 19th reports in prominent, bold type, that the Supreme Court "ordered all states not to give permission for installation of any statue in a public place or road, because citizens' right to move freely must not be obstructed in any manner" and that the government must instead use the money on "ameliorating the plight of the poor and not on showcasing achievements by putting up obstructions on the roads." The Ambedkar statue in front of Vidhan Soudha. File: Meera K The court order specifically mentions statues. Hearing a…

January 22th to 29th is observed as Cervical Cancer prevention week. According to a survey conducted by the oncologists of HCG Hospitals, Bangalore alone records 21.1% out of 100,000 fresh cases of cervical cancer every year. It is comparatively higher than other metropolitan cities. Delhi (17.9%), Kolkata (14.2%), in Mumbai (14.1%) and Chennai (18.5) contribute to fresh cervical cancer cases in comparatively lesser numbers than Bangalore. The survey also reveals that women living in rural areas are more prone to this disease.In India, around 80-85% of women are affected by Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) before the age of 35 years.…

The Chief Electoral Officer published a new set of voters' lists on 28 Jan 2013. Download of the voter lists using a software program, and data extraction from them, was since disabled by converting the files to image files, but Prajalytics, a software company, had already downloaded the files for 27 Bangalore constituencies manually and extracted voter records. The data quoted in succeeding paragraphs is based on the voter lists of 27 constituencies of Bangalore city downloaded on 28th January 2013. Violation of Data ModelThe Instruction Manual for Standardization of Electoral Roll Database (Ver 1.0) published by Election Commission of…

Every morning and evening, sad scenes greet Kadugodi residents at this major point in Whitefield. The railway crossing that connects Kadugodi's population to the bus stand and railway station has become a serious sore point for all in the area, and here's why.At any given time, there will be a goods train with endless carriages waiting for a signal to move. This makes crossing over a nightmare for all ages. In the mornings, when most people are rushing to the bus stand to reach office or school, this poses a great threat. Children and the elderly often have to squeeze…

It is a 'Habba' like no other. 'Wake Up Clean Up' - to be held at Freedom Park between the 3rd and 10th of February - is the city's biggest event ever dedicated to the mounting problem of waste. It aims to create awareness, dialogue and action around the issues, technologies and solutions that can help optimally handle the city's waste. For the first time, Bangalore's citizens (waste generators), vendors (offering waste management solutions), and those commanding the city's infrastructure will come together, with the sole intention of showcasing tailor-made solutions for every segment of society and initiating dialogues to…

Health is not mere absence of disease. It would be better if we have an understanding of health risks, how do we monitor them, and take actions to prevent them from manifesting as a disease condition. You may ask, "Is it possible?", and I say, the answer is yes. To begin with, take a look at what you have inherited from your parents and family. Typically, if one or both of your parents have heart disease, diabetes, hypertension, cancers, asthma etc, there is a possibility that you may also get it some time or other. Map out your family history,…

"I am sure I have answers to all your questions but I can't guarantee satisfaction," said a candid N Sivasailam, MD of Bangalore Metro Rail Company Limited (BMRCL), in his opening remarks. He was conversing with Dr Ashwin Mahesh at a discussion on the Namma Metro at IIM, Bangalore, as part of a series on ‘Practice in Public Spaces', on January 30th. The first session of the series ‘Practice in Public Spaces’. K Jayraj sets the agenda. N Sivasailam is seated on the front row (in a black jacket). Pic: Shamala Kittane The discussion series was initiated by K Jayraj,…

The Electoral Rolls of 27 constituencies of Bangalore have serious errors and omissions. When the authorities did not react to repeated feedbacks and request to correct anomalies, a PIL was filed in the High Court of Karnataka. The Chief Justice agreed with the issues raised in the petition and directed the CEO to correct various data errors and also to restore illegitimately deleted voters. After reported efforts at cleansing the lists, the CEO published a new set of voters' lists on 28th January, 2013. However, soon afterwards, download of the voter-lists was disabled. Prajalytics, a software company, had downloaded the…

On Saturday, January 26th, I completed the Oxfam Trailwalker for the second successive year. A start to finish 100-km walk by teams of four, it offered me quality time for reflection, 32 hours to be precise.Oxfam India Trailwalker is a team challenge organised to raise funds for Oxfam India, the 61 year old NGO, for its activities that fight poverty and injustice. Our member teams walk (or run) 100 km in less than 48 hours, it is a test of physical endurance requiring mental strength and team spirit.The Second Oxfam India Trailwalker took us through a 100 km trail from…