GENRE: Explainers

Recently, you have read a lot about RUMPs in this space – Re-Usable Menstrual Products – Menstrual Cups and Cloth Pads. Initially feeling a little lost about what they are, you probably watched some videos on YouTube as well – which left you more confused on how to select the right product for yourself. If you are one of those who don’t mind inserting a foreign object in your vagina – without thinking twice – switch to a cup. You will never regret it. It’s comfortable, convenient, cost-effective and eco-friendly. But if you are one of those, who just can’t…

It was 11.25 am on a hot Thursday morning. I had been sitting on a hard wooden stool for roughly 70 minutes at that point and my butt was uncomfortably numb. There was no end in sight to my vigil. I was waiting for a notary, whom I didn’t know from Adam, to issue me a signed official document (on a Rs 20 stamp paper issued by the government, no less!) certifying I was who I claimed to be. All this, so that I could move a step forward in getting my residential address changed on my driving license. If…

Committed to a greener planet and thinking of giving up sanitary pads for menstrual cups? Here are a few tips that will help you make that switch. Almost two years ago, I tried a menstrual cup for the first time. I was 24 years old and was a newbie to the world of cups. As excited as I was about trying a cup, I was also equally apprehensive. A hundred god-awful thoughts crossed my mind as I gathered the wits to “do the deed”. On the one hand, I was feeling guilty of not telling my mother that I was…

Why is the BBMP issuing closure notices to commercial/non-residential establishments in residential areas? The Revised Master Plan 2015 (RMP – 2015), the master plan in force amended in 2015, restricts non-residential uses of land in residential zones (so classified under the RMP 2015). As per the amended RMP – 2015, 1)    No commercial activities of whatsoever nature are allowed in any of the three Rings (of the Bengaluru Metropolitan Area) in Residential Main and Residential Mixed Zones if the road width is less than or equal to 40 feet. 2)    Ancillary usage (uses mentioned in the notification only) are permitted…

Pic courtesy: facebook.com/MRCampaignKA In mid-January 2017, social media groups in Bengaluru buzzed with posts of confused parents who sought to know whether they should vaccinate their child in school - the schools were asking their consent to vaccinate the children against Measles and Rubella. This is a part of Union government’s National Health Mission initiative to vaccinate children across India against commonly occurring diseases among children - Universal Immunisation Programme (UIP). On February 7th, 2017, the Department of Health and Family Welfare, Karnataka launched a mass measles and rubella vaccination campaign to immunise all children in the State aged between…

It’s the school admission season. While many parents are busy admitting their wards to top schools in the city, there are parents from underprivileged sections who too would be aspiring to admit their kids to private schools. While the sky high fees in private unaided schools was a deterrent for these parents to not apply at such schools in the past, the Right To Education (RTE) Act introduced five years ago came as a ray of hope for many. The mandate for every private school to allocate 25 per cent seats under the RTE Act for children from weaker sections…

In India as in other societies, ageing population and the kind of legislative and social interventions required to address concerns peculiar to senior citizens pose a stiff challenge for policymakers. In India, it is particularly difficult, given the sheer bulk of numbers and vast socio-economic divide. According to a report published in February 2016 by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, the number of senior citizens in the country – those above the age of 60 – has gone up from 7.6 crore in 2001 to 10.3 crore in 2011, a massive 35.5% jump. In our cities in particular,…

The increasing emphasis by the government on the Aadhaar framework as the basis of a developing social security net for the citizen makes it ever more relevant and important to have. Despite Supreme Court rulings to the contrary, the Central and several state governments have made Aadhaar mandatory for citizens to avail a range of services and to get benefits of various government schemes. Even the Union Budget presented by Arun Jaitley on February 1st indicated an obvious push for Aadhaar, with recommendations for various facilities linked to the unique identification number. Yet, the ordinary citizen continues to have privacy…

Let there be no disasters today. That is the prayer every firefighter begins his day with. Having said that, they have to be prepared for every emergency, every contingency. Central to their efforts and success is their training, discipline and the equipment at their disposal. Karnataka State Fire and Emergency Services is the agency that handles fire rescue and other disaster management operations in Karnataka. We visited Jayanagar fire station in Bengaluru to understand how the department works. Among the fire stations in Bengaluru, Jayanagar fire station in Bengaluru South Range is among the largest and busiest. It has a…

In the wake of the Indian government’s decision to demonetise currency notes of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 from the market, and ensuing restrictions on withdrawing money from banks, the common man has had to grapple with considerable liquidity challenges. More than three weeks since the announcement, those primarily using cash as trading currency are still facing a crunch. ATM queues, paucity of lower denomination notes, confusion over exchange and withdrawal policies linger. For a citizenry used to working with cash, this appears as an insurmountable hurdle. They are just at their wits’ end. The government, however, has been pitching…