City: Bengaluru

"If they try, visually impaired are no less than anybody, (sic)" says Soundarya Kumar Prathan, 12, the youngest player from Orissa, among the visually challenged participants. A four-day rated National Level Open Chess Tournament for blind was conducted at Kanteerava Stadium from 1 - 4 January.   71 people participated in tournament. Pic: Deepthi M S The Fédération Internationale des Échecs (FIDE) or World Chess Federation is an international organization that connects the various national chess federations around the world and acts as the governing body of international chess competitions.The tournament was conducted to mark the Louis Braille Day by…

It was a warm Sunday morning and a sizeable crowd listened in rapt attention to Dr B N Vishwanath at the Celebrity Paradise Club house in Electronic City on January 8th. Dr Vishwanath, the organic kitchen garden evangelist, was talking about the importance of growing one's own food. Apart from health benefits, especially for children, the physical exercise of gardening outdoors also keeps you fit, he said. Visitors buying plants, seedlings and tools. Pic: Meera K. Vishwanath presented some facts on the food that we eat today, emphasising on the dangers of pesticide-laden food. He and his colleague S Laxminarayanan…

The third edition of the organic gardening event, Oota from your Thota (OfyT) will be held on Sunday, January 8th at Electronic City. The event is to support aspiring gardeners grow gardens in their homes. An introductory workshop on organic terrace gardening will be held, along with a special session on waste management and composting practices. A mela is also planned for sale of plants, seeds, garden tools, compost, organic food, ecofriendly cloth bags etc, along with an open forum for discussions.The event is supported by NGO Garden City Farmers Trust (GCFT) and Apna Complex. Citizen Matters is media partner…

We, the Proud Indians, are a group of young, regular Indians with regular aspirations who deeply believe that an honest and strong India will be possible only when each of us is willing to strive in that direction. Proud Indians is a small group from Hyderabad from varied backgrounds. Through the walk they aim to inspire citizens to be honest at a personal level, to help tackle corruption. The group started their walk from Kanyakumari on December 18th. In the first segment of the walk from December 18th-31st, they covered 500 kms in Kerala . On January 1st, they started…

    The newspaper write-up for Dustin Bayi describes the play as "the complex relationship of a Christian family with local rituals and belief in spirit worship". Further "a powerful plot, reputed artists, authentic sets, music, and colorful costumes make this play a must-watch". This write-up seemed exciting enough, particularly in the light of the recent incidents with churches in Mangalore and Bangalore. Also, the play being staged on Christmas Day seemed symbolic as the occasion to watch it. The plot Pic: Kriyative Theatre Dustin Bayi is a short story by Gopalakrishna Aithal. It is adapted for the stage by…

Jan JD-S Bangalore city corporator Diwaan Ali shot dead.Feb Anita Reddy, Founder, Association for Voluntary Action and Services, wins Namma Bengalurean of the Year Award, 2010, instituted by Namma Bengaluru Foundation.Mar High Court dismisses midnight tender case, clearing the way for BBMP to initiate works like road widening, signal free corridors etc worth Rs 22,000 cr.Provisional census data shows population density in Bangalore district increase by 147% in the last decade, literacy goes up by 6%.Apr Bangalore Traffic Police joins Facebook, becoming the first government agency in the city to have live interactions with citizens online.HC rules that all Bangalore…

Wastewater collection and treatment Wastewater collection and treatment was a rather poor show in 2011. Though underground sewage lines are being laid in the periphery of the city and some decentralised wastewater treatment plants sprang up. Bellandur lake covered in froth due to pollution. File pic: Meera K This will be a real tough challenge for the city because the resource recovery from polluters is also very poor since domestic households who send in the sewage to the lines pay the equivalent of 50 paise a day. Fixing and collecting the right price and making the polluter pays principle will…

Running culture is not new to the city. Bengaluru has hosted many marathons and is also witnessing an increase in the number of runner enthusiasts. Among those are Athreya Chidambi and Neera Katwal. They have been among the top finishers in the last few marathons. Chidambi and Neera were the first Indians to finish the Midnight Marathon in Bangalore. Athreya Chidambi and Neera Katwal at the Ultra marathon in November2011. Pic: Anju "It was on one of my new years' resolution list," says 33-year-old Athreya Chidambi, reminiscing about the time when he first gave running a ‘try.' Chidambi, who is…

It was a few years ago. I was stopped by the traffic policeman in Richmond Town for “jumping red light and reckless driving”. As expected, I was told that I’d have to pay a fine, but at the end of the conversation that ensued, I was let off with no exchange of money, just a warning. Now here again I was, at another traffic signal in Richmond Town, in front of another policeman, but for a different traffic violation. I realize that I run the risk of being classified as a habitual traffic offender, but I must clarify that on…

A playschool is meant for kids under the age of 5 and is primarily aimed at providing quality education for kindergarten kids. So if you love kids then starting a playschool may be a good idea. The staff have to be well trained to take care of children.File pic: Padmalatha Ravi So what is the advantage of starting a play school? You get a high degree of satisfaction working with kids and contributing to their growth and development. You help nurture a positive environment for kids where their physical and mental growth takes place seamlessly. As Anjana Sen, Director of…