City: Bengaluru

Senior citizens of Brigade Millennium apartments took the lead to organise the much needed Aadhaar Camp in our enclave with Mayflower flat's lobby as the venue between January 4th and 20th. The residents, under the umbrella of 'Elders Forum' contacted UID officials, who pointed them to one of their contract agencies, Mars Systems. Since there were 800+ apartments, the residents found it convenient to organise a camp. Resident volunteers coordinated each block and allotted specific timings for enrollment. They could also ensure domestic help and drivers employed in the complex could register.  The UI camp was conducted in a spirit…

In the last few weeks, we have started segregating waste in our apartment complex. Valuable lessons have been learnt on the problems created by thoughtless waste disposal, while understanding how resistant residents can be to change, even if it is for ‘greater good.'But what I did not expect is - insights into gender equation in households. Before you accuse me of bringing in feminist agenda into waste management, hear me out, I do have a point.Firstly, when the entire city was stinking up and grappling with how to dispose garbage safely, it was the women in the apartment who mooted…

“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,…