Category: Governance

For years, domestic workers in Bengaluru and other cities in Karnataka have protested the lack of social security or legal mandates to protect them against exploitation. The State government has finally addressed some of their long-standing demands and released the Draft Karnataka Domestic Workers (Social Security and Welfare) Bill, 2025, on October 15 for public consultation. This move follows the Supreme Court's directive calling for a well-defined legal framework to safeguard and regulate the rights of domestic workers. According to G Manjunath, Additional Labour Commissioner and author of the bill, the goal of the draft bill is to “provide rights-based,…

Meenakshi (name changed), migrated from Tamil Nadu to Bengaluru 18 years ago and now lives in a steel shed in Laggere. During rains, she collects the water leaking through her roof in pots to prevent flooding in the house. The situation is the same with almost all of her neighbours.  “I used to cover the roof with tarpaulins but they wear off soon. And I can’t afford to change them often,” Meenakshi said. She complained that the shed gets unbearably hot during summers and chilly during rains. “I spend most days of summer outside the house as it would be…