GENRE: Explainers

The term for Mumbai's corporators closes in March 2022, and the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), Mumbai's civic body, has started preparations for the upcoming civic elections. 227 elected corporators from across 24 administrative wards are accountable to represent citizens and their local issues in the city council. This makes it important for Mumbaikars to elect the right candidate in their wards. The BMC, also known as Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM), is one of the richest municipal corporations in the world. It is sitting on fixed deposits of over Rs 80,000 crore and has an annual budget of over…

I recently visited my parents in Patna where their Indie-dog Julie had given birth to 8 pups. Unlike Bengaluru, Patna has limited facilities for pet care - vaccination, sterilisation, and adoption, so My brother and I decided to get them back to Bengaluru with me. We travelled with the pups by train - Here are the learnings from that experience. Travelling long distances with your furry companion can be daunting, especially if it is the first time. Advance preparations help. Before you begin your journey, take your pet to the veterinarian to make sure it is fit to travel, as…

“People in Chennai have almost forgotten what it is like to have an elected representative from their wards,” jokes Charu Govindan, coordinator of Chennai-based citizen's group, Voice of People. Charu was referring to how the city has gone without an elected local body council for an entire term since 2016. Although the official website of the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) still states that the administrative set up includes a council of 200 councillors, headed by a Mayor, that hasn’t been the case in the past five years. Local body elections have not been held since the term of the last…

Over the past 15 years, not a single corporator has lost their seat or been disqualified because they indulged in corrupt practices during the elections. 23 corporators have lost their seats in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), mostly due to submission of false caste certification. But, the BMC has failed to lodge criminal proceedings against them, and has restricted itself to just replacing them with the election runners-up.  This is not to suggest that electoral malpractices do not take place during Mumbai’s civic elections. But according to the nominated corporator on the BEST panel, Sunil Ganacharya, most charges of electoral…

A little discussed but horrifying statistic is getting lost in all the analysis of the effects of the total lockdown during the 2020-21 pandemic. Over 5000 women had complained to the National Commission for Women (NCW) of facing domestic violence in 2020. As compared to 3369 domestic violence complaints during 2019-2020. An NCW report adds that during 2020-2021, the number of such complaints had risen to 6049. The reason was obvious — more women faced abuse and violence as they were confined to their homes with their abusers. Globally, fewer than 40% of women who experience violence seek help of…

“I really want to begin investing my savings but the thought of losing money in volatile markets really pulls me back,” says Vandana Singh, who works as a senior software engineer at a multinational corporation. “The fact that financial decisions are made by the ‘men’ of the house has intrinsically made women believe that it’s not their cup of tea,” says Veera Jain, research associate at a prestigious educational institution.  Have you ever wondered why, despite it being one of the most important aspects of living a fulfilling and secure life, there has been no inclusion of financial education in…

To achieve targets under the Karnataka Electric Vehicle and Energy Storage Policy, BESCOM has set up electric vehicle (EV) charging stations at 74 locations in Bengaluru, with 136 charging points. It plans to set up 300 more charging stations in collaboration with BMRCL (Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation Ltd), BBMP, apartment RWAs (Resident Welfare Associations), etc. GoK is amending the building bylaws to have malls, apartments, and high rise buildings provide dedicated EV charging points in their parking lots. Meanwhile, apartment complexes are already witnessing an increase in EV adoption among residents, leading to a demand for charging stations. To facilitate…

Anu pushes her overloaded trolley past the supermarket door, towards her car. At home, she empties the contents of her bag onto the counter and then goes about emptying packets into her storage containers -  Biscuits, Dry Fruits, Pulses, Spices. She is left with the discarded packets — most of which can be termed plastic packaging waste — that she places in the bag kept aside for recycling. Her bag already contains some takeaway boxes,  yogurt containers, a flour (atta) packet, chocolate wrappers, some personal care and cleaning containers. As a citizen, she has done her job of ensuring that…

The general rule for contesting in a local civic body election is that the person should be more than 21 years of age and should be a resident of Mumbai. Section 14 of the Mumbai Municipal Corporation Act, 1888 stipulates that the contesting candidate in the BMC elections must be enrolled as a voter in the jurisdiction of Mumbai. Since 1995, when the Maharashtra Municipal Corporations and Municipal Councils, Nagar Panchayats and Industrial Townships (Second Amendment) Act, 1995 came into force, a corporator cannot have more than two children. Gulshan Chouhan, a corporator from South Mumbai, was disqualified in 2011…

This year, the incessant rains has brought the joy of seeing all dams across the state full. Yet it has also been a matter of concern as several low-rise multi dwelling buildings in Bengaluru have collapsed, with residents having had a narrow escape. These recent events of families losing their homes along with their entire life’s hard-earned savings from furniture to food grains has shocked us all. Yet, the question remains. Why do houses collapse this way? While the rain has played its part, there is also another aspect: many buildings do not adhere to the construction standards and regulations.…