bangalore journal

The state government has notified the reservation of seats for Schedule Caste (SC), Schedule Tribe (ST), Backward Classes (BC) communities and women for the upcoming BBMP elections. Article 243T (Part IX A) of the Indian Constitution says: (1) Seats shall be reserved for the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes in every municipality and the number of seats so reserved shall bear, as nearly as may be, the same proportion to the total number of seats to be filled by direct election in that municipality as the population of the Scheduled Castes in the municipal area or of the Scheduled…

There are 99 couples on the waiting list of Adoption Coordinating Agency (ACA), Karnataka, some of them patiently awaiting their turn since 2006. ACA is an NGO recognised by the Central Adoption Resource Agency (CARA) that facilitates adoptions across the country. The wait is due to a shortage of healthy babies below one year at these agencies, And most parents want to adopt babies very young. A happy 6 month old with her new mother. Pic Gokul Janga. Behind the Wait It's a common story across agencies in Bangalore. "There are not enough healthy infants and toddlers in adoption centres…

I expected muddy water, unclean tanks and an unkempt environment. But a recent visit to the Government Aquarium on Kasturba Road, proved me wrong. Even though the Aquarium could do with a few more features, possibly to attract marine enthusiasts, I was pleasantly surprised. Especially after my last visit, many many years ago. The Government Aquarium is located on Kasturba Road in the Cubbon Park premises A variety of fishes can be found here, spread across two floors. This one though, had a blank name board 'Feather Back' - For the most time, it seemed to remain towards the bottom…

The land we live in is Karnataka which is beautiful all around. It gives us immense pride to speak in Kannada, It gives us immense energy... Kannada reverberates wherever you go - from the lyrics of 'Kannada', a song from the Taan Saints.On the occasion of Rajyotsava day today, Bangalore based music group Taan Saints have released a music video. Citizen Matters is happy to share the video here and joins Taan Saints in greeting you all on this special day. Sung By : Swastika Borkataki Bugley, Adarsh Bungley, Pavan Ananth, Prathap SounderLyrics : Badekilla PradeepMusic Composed By : Taan…

Festive season is also marriage season in the city? How does Bangalore’s urban, professional crowd find that perfect match when it comes to an arranged marriage? Citizen Matters checked some trends. You may expect a 31-year-old man to have his own checklist when it comes to selecting a prospective bride. Yes, Suresh Kumar (name changed) does, but along with conditions like she should be a working woman, well educated and good conversationalist, comes another point added by his mother: the caste and community should match. It’s one of the reasons Suresh, who’s registered on a number of online sites, jokes…

The smell of sulphur wafting through the air, the night-sky filled with beautiful firework displays, constant sounds of bombs being blown – crackers are an integral part of the hindu festival Diwali, or Deepavali as it is termed in  some parts of south India. The Late A Chelladurai, General Director of the Sivakasi-headquartered Standard Fireworks Ltd., once wrote, “At no time was there or is there a product that has contributed more to relaxation, merriment and enjoyment - both for young and old alike. Let us enjoy fireworks!”  But unlike a decade ago, when this was a sight only during…

We alone are responsible for the path that we choose to tread. In this rat-race, take time to pause. Are you on the right path? These thoughts were best reflected when I came across this path at Lalbagh Gardens on a beautiful day, when the flowers were all in bloom. ⊕

Around the world, every day, millions of people take actions - big and small - that contribute to making their community and their world a more sustainable place to live.But what difference do those those 24 little hours actually make?In fact, what difference can we all make if we sum up the 24 hours of everyone around the globe who is out there doing something positive for the planet?On September 23rd WWF invites YOU to help answer these questions. We will share these ideas in a global discussion using the free micro-blogging service Twitter.We want to know about the environmental…

Contacts play the most important role when you are doing a story. And it takes a while to build a rapport with these contacts. Once you establish this rapport, it's all for the best. This works all the more well with government officials. But what happens when these officials get transferred? Especially when you are the middle of a story? Let me tell you, it is disappointing. Very disappointing. And what if you feel you have something to do with these transfers? Not directly, but probably...hmmm...in a karmic way shall I say? Well, it all started off with the much-approachable…

There is complete chaos with the markings that BBMP has made on the properties on 100 ft Ring Road in JP Nagar, where they say they will now acquire part of our property to widen an already wide road.1. Minutes of a CDP (Comprehensive Development Plan 2015) meeting classifies this as a medium density road, why would the BBMP need more than a 100 ft road for a medium density road.2. The Peripheral Ring Road is getting ready, should they not divert all heavy vehicles to that road which would then mean there would be no need for road widening.3. These…