GENRE: Explainers

Breast cancer is the most common cancer among women in the world. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), for the majority of women presenting with breast cancer, it is not possible to identify specific risk factors. Recently, Hollywood actor Angelina Jolie was in news after she underwent a double mastectomy following her learning that she was at risk for both breast and ovarian cancer. It was a genetic test that revealed she carried the mutated BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes. So what is this test all about? About five per cent of breast cancers are caused because of mutations in…

There’s surely someone special waiting for you out there, in some part of the world. You need to find him/her. But how? Matrimonial websites have emerged as the answer to this quest. Best thing about such websites is, one can decide about the life partner himself/ herself and search without having to pester brokers or bother parents. It’s completely about the option to select what one wants - social status, income, likes, dislikes, caste, religion, geographical location, special cases, second marriages - you name it, you have it. Matrimonial websites have been of much help, especially to the working professionals…

Pavan, a Bangalore-based sales professional in a company working as regional manager for India, needs to travel frequently to other cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Pune. If he has to catch the early morning flight to Delhi, he needs to reach the airport at 5.15am, which is not easy. There are limited number of buses at that hour; waiting for them is not a wise thing. Pavan has an easy solution: Book a cab to the airport the previous day. Shekhar Mahadev, a software engineer working in Bangalore, says, “I have to keep making a lot of trips to…

We all depend on groundwater. The single largest source of water that Bangalore has created apart from Cauvery, is actually a hole in the ground! We are pulling water that has been down there for hundreds of years, that is somebody else's right as much as it is ours. Some use Cauvery water or groundwater to flush the toilets, while some others are not getting water even to drink. Where does ground water come from? We all live above common aquifers – spaces between soil particles and cracks, fissures and faults in the rocks. The spread of aquifer is independant…

What time are the booths open?Polling starts at 7am and ends by 6pm. How to find your polling booth?  To find your name on the rolls and print the details, do the following:Go to http://ceokarnataka.kar.nic.in/vernacularSearch_New.aspxSelect the district (usually Bangalore, or Bangalore Rural), your constituency, and put your name, relative's name, gender, and hit search.If your entry exists, it will come up on the screen. Click the details link on left hand side of the entry line and you will get a blue popup box that displays all your details including booth location.Using your mouse, mark the entire box. Copy and…

Recently, I came across a booklet released by one of the candidates contesting the Karnataka Assembly elections about his achievements over the past 5 years as a Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA). Over many colourful pages, he described the roads that he had got laid, the clogged drains that had been cleaned, the street lights that he had got erected, the numerous other small tasks that he had done for the city, the different schemes for which he had selected beneficiaries, etc. I spoke to a few people from his constituency only to find that most of them could easily…

The Deputy Chief Electoral Officer P T Kulkarni has confirmed that people whose names are the voters' list this month can vote on 5 May, even if they have not received the voter ID card. This comes as a relief to the citizens who have registered and found their names on the roll, but do not know whether they will be turned down at booths for want of EPIC cards. "Those who don't have EPIC can vote with any of the 21 documents that we have specified, as was the case in the last elections also. Instructions have been issued…

The election slogan of the Congress for the coming elections is ‘Sakkappa Saku', JD(S) is calling upon the citizens to "Be the Change". Likewise, each party has its own slogan. At the end of the day, when all the dance and drama is over, the elected representatives from each of these parties, cutting across party lines and ideology will have only one mantra... the mantra of how to double their personal assets in five years (provided the government stands). Note: This website will soon be migrated to a new system.  If you face any issues, do mail us. You can also…

For LATEST FAQ on 2014 Elections, click here. To know the procedure for online voter registration, click here. The Election Commission has announced a special summary revision of photo electoral rolls. This will help enrol first time voters, voters whose names are not in the rolls, voters who have shifted residences and already enrolled voters who need to correct their details. All citizens who will be 18 years or above, as on January 1st 2013, are eligible. [This article, published in Dec 2012 has been updated 4 Apr 2013]  How to check your name on the voter roll How to…

What is Aadhaar?Aadhaar is a 12-digit individual identification number issued by the Unique Identification Authority of India on behalf of the Government of India.Where can I use it?This number will serve as a proof of identity and address, anywhere in India.Is UID registration and getting Aadhaar card compulsory?No, Aadhaar registration is voluntary, not compulsory. Enrollment is free.Is this like a social security? In a sense, yes; Aadhaar enables identification and may be assigned to every 'resident' of India; it is NOT a proof of citizenship and consequently, not only for Indians. What information is visible on the card?The UID card…