GENRE: Explainers

The transport department’s notification on the mandatory installation of High Security Registration Plates (HSRP) has confused vehicle owners. It is mandatory  for vehicles registered before April 1, 2019, to install HSRPs by November 17, 2023.  The number of such vehicles is well over a crore and it is possible that the date maybe shifted a few times. However, if your vehicle is older than April 2019 it will be necessary to install HSRPs soon. Here is an explainer on what is HSRP and how to get one:      What is HSRP? High Security Registration Plate (HSRP) is a standard for vehicle…

Historically, Mumbai developed, progressed and got urbanised from the southern to the northern regions. This evolution encompassed the establishment of essential institutions such as schools, hospitals, government offices, and soon. However, as the cost of living in the southern parts or SOBO (south Bombay) escalated over the years, population settled in northern suburbs, commuting to work in the south. While this demographic shift might signify growth, it also highlights a challenge: the disparity between basic infrastructure availability and the overall well-being of citizens residing in these areas. As the urban population expanded northward, the existing amenities such as hospitals, did…

In a little over a year, the BBMP has conducted yet another ward delimitation exercise. In June 2022, the civic body announced that Bengaluru would have 243 wards. On August 18th this year, close to midnight, the civic body announced a fresh delimitation exercise that has yielded 225 wards for the city. What are the major changes in the city’s ward boundaries and how can you, the citizen, engage with these changes? Timeline of events Delimitation is an exercise conducted to redraw ward boundaries and account for the change in ward population over time. This is done to ensure proportional…

The system of sharing autorickshaw rides with unknown fellow passengers travelling on the same route, may seem a win-win solution for citizens, as they're convenient, quick and pocket-friendly; and also for auto drivers as they get good money. But it does not always work so smoothly.  Many shared auto stands are run illegally, especially near suburban railway stations. The auto drivers overcharge the commuters and as many as four to five passengers, when only three are allowed. With metered autorickshaws refusing to ply on those routes, commuters do not have much choice.  An estimated 2.5 lakh autorickshaws ply in suburban…

In July 2023, 995 cases of cruelty in domestic violence, under section 498 A, were reported in Karnataka. In Bengaluru, a Deccan Herald report stated that the Parihar-Vanitha Sahayavani counselling centre in Bengaluru received 434 complaints of domestic violence, between April and December, 2022. As more cases of domestic violence are reported, it is important to know the legal definition and consequences of cruelty in domestic violence.  This explainer clarifies how survivors can seek legal help and protection.  What is cruelty in the context of domestic violence? Cruelty includes the actions of torture against a married woman by her husband…

Highlights of the Bill The Bill will apply to the processing of digital personal data within India where such data is collected online, or collected offline and is digitised. It will also apply to such processing outside India, if it is for offering goods or services in India. Personal data may be processed only for a lawful purpose upon consent of an individual. Consent may not be required for specified legitimate uses such as voluntary sharing of data by the individual or processing by the State for permits, licenses, benefits, and services. Data fiduciaries will be obligated to maintain the…

With Siddharamaiah’s government scrapping the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and replacing it with his government’s own new education policy for Karnataka, there is not only ambiguity over what will happen to the students currently admitted as per the central NEP policy, but also lack of clarity over the very implementation of this NEP. Here we try to explain how the National Council of Higher Education (NCHE) had proposed to go ahead with the Four-year Undergraduate Programme (FYUGP) under NEP and how Karnataka is responding to it.  What is FYUGP?  Under the University Grants Commission, Karnataka State Higher Education Council…

Two years ago, a trip to their village turned tragic for the Shettys after they reached Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) at Bengaluru to board an IndiGo flight. Chandra Shetty, 60, collapsed to the floor soon after check-in. As he was lying unconscious, his wife and daughter sought help from the IndiGo ground staff to bring a wheelchair so that he could be rushed to a hospital, but they claimed that the airline staff failed to assist them in time and his condition deteriorated. The family alleged that due to the airline’s negligence, the golden hour passed without medical attention. Chandra…

With admission season in full swing, students and parents in the city are busy choosing courses and colleges. Amidst this anxiety and nervousness, another issue on the minds of students is the implementation of the National Education Policy (NEP). A total of 57 institutes in Mumbai will roll out the NEP from this academic year (2023-2024). One of the major changes that NEP implementation requires is the duration of courses. Three-year undergraduate courses are now a four-year course. An additional year is for the students to attain an honours degree, with a research option in the final year. The policy…

Even as the Maharashtra government announced the implementation of the National Education Policy 2020 in the state, parents and educators are confused about age criteria for entry into primary schooling. One of the major concerns that parents have expressed is about the new age criteria. According to the old criteria, in order to be admitted to nursery class, the child should have completed 2 years and 6 months by the month of June of the academic year. But the new criteria requires the child to have completed 3 years for the same.  Similarly, for class 1, the minimum age for…