CITIZEN JOURNALISM

In the last few years, quite a few individual residents in Bangalore have installed solar panels on their rooftops, that produce electricity to power their homes. A small number of these people have also connected their solar systems to the BESCOM grid and there are many others who would like to so too.What is Solar Power?Photovoltaic (PV) panels are ones in which the main operating elements are semiconductor materials like Silicon. When sunlight strikes these panels, electric power output is created which is Direct Current (DC power), like that of a battery. To run home electric equipments, one option would…

Media reports have highlighted the shocking acts of sale of babies by Get Well Hospital, Neelasandra on Friday December 28th, 2012. Reference:  (Times of India, Deccan Herald and The Hindu) This is not the first instance where there has been evidence that this hospital has been involved in child trafficking. There was another sting operation conducted at this hospital by the Ashok Nagar Police Station and APSA in mid 2010, which was also videotaped and shown in the media at that time. YET this hospital and its owners have been functioning with impunity since then with no follow up after…

Earlier in December, the Karnataka High Court issued a judgment saying dogs deemed a menace or seen to cause nuisance can be exterminated by Bangalore authorities whether or not there is evidence of their having mauled or bitten children or adults. An independent dog with collar companion to indigent humans. Chief Justice Vikramjit Sen and Justice B V Nagarathna failed to define the terms "menace" and "nuisance". Bangalore-based voluntary organisation, Voice of Stray Dogs, has made a detailed assessment of the judgment. The lives of the independent dogs in Karnataka's capital would thus depend on arbitrary definitions that may be…

At the Bangalore Literature Festival last week, I adopted a cautious, rodent-like approach to finding the best seat in the capacious front lawn. I took, at first, a modest seat by the aisle, encountered a wall of tall people obstructing my view of literary greats; shifted to another seat, this time on the other side, a little further up. I spent five minutes paying full attention to Ashish Sen speaking about Mahesh Dattani's works as the playwright himself sat beside and sagaciously offered agreement until the aged gentleman in the row before mine began to rise every five minutes; perhaps…

Aashayein Foundation organised 'UDAY 2012',  an annual cultural meet for children from the city on December 16th at Mt Carmel College, Palace Road. Uday brought together children from government schools and orphanages on a common platform to showcase their talent in performing arts. A total of 230 children from six government schools and four orphanages participated in the event showcasing their talent in classical dance and singing.While the children in government schools and orphanages are powerhouses of talent, they seldom get an opportunity to showcase and develop them. The idea is not only to encourage the children showcase their non-academic…

Pandit Ravi Shankar's farewell to Bangalore a while ago brought back old memories of the great musician's concerts I attended in Bangalore and elsewhere. The first time was a late evening concert in the Town Hall in the late '50s. I was supposed to escort my sister and her friends back home after the concert. I reached a half hour before the concert was supposed to end. The side doors were kept open. I was in college. I had put on a Gandhi cap (we used to wear it for the PT classses) and that too with a hole in…

The manual ticket counter is functional again at the city railway station, as the e-ticket machines for platform tickets take in only old-five rupee coins, which are not being minted anymore. Passengers have started depending more on the manual ticket counters as majority of them have only new-five rupee coins. This has led to a drastic drop in the printing of tickets by the machines to one or maximum two tickets a week. Pic:author Hariharan Narayanan, who had come to drop his wife at the railway station said: "The city railway station has e-kiosk to dispense platform tickets. It accepts…

Bangalore is projected as an emerging "City of Opportunities". It is the most favoured destination, not only in India, but also globally. Unfortunately, there is minimal co-ordination between interconnected government departments and delays in commencement and execution of most infrastructure projects. Recently, the Federation Of Karnataka Chambers Of Commerce and Industry had invited N. Sivasailam, MD, BMRCL, to address its members. Based on various observations, I have the following suggestions to make the Bangalore Metro passenger friendly and improve overall city infrastructure: 1. Asphalting of roads a few roads below the underpasses of Namma Metro across the city need asphalting. We…

"Bad Pati." - said my twelve year old granddaughter.This was her reaction to my dumping milk bags into the kitchen waste bin that contained only ‘wet waste'."Sorry dear, I won't do it again." - I said feeling proud of my eco-friendly grandchild. Yes. I felt ashamed. It is true that grown-ups should show more concern about such things in the presence of the younger generation. If we ‘pooh-pooh' their remarks and continue to be callous it would be shameful.I was walking in the park in our neighborhood and was rather upset when two youngsters threw the paper plates in which…

As the fear of bird flu looms over Bangalore, here are some facts that one ought to know: What is bird flu?Flu stands for influenza, a viral infection caused by the flu virus. And bird flu is ‘flu occurring in birds'. Depending on minor differences on the genetic make up of the virus, influenza virus is of type A, B and C. The current outbreak is caused by a subtype of influenza A, known as H5N1.If it is an infection of birds, why should humans be worried?Humans can catch bird flu directly through close contact with live infected birds. It…