GENRE: Explainers

It was the summer of 2014 when my family had planned a 3-day trip out of Bengaluru. Everyone was almost done with packing when we realised that we needed to find somebody to water the plants. Unfortunately, we could not find anybody who was free to pitch in. It was then that a bulb lit up over my father’s head and it was decided that we would set up a simple drip irrigation system that would water our plants. In less than four hours, the required materials were bought and we took off for our holiday, confident that our plants…

Gurudas Sivadas, a resident of 8th block Koramangala in Bengaluru, received a call from an unknown number (84689 38330), one day. A woman told him that his late father, who had expired in 1997, had left behind a life insurance policy, with him as the nominee. He was asked to claim the amount in the policy, Rs 145,580, on the same day from Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC), failing which the money would be transferred to the government account, as the delay in making the claims was too long. When Sivadas said he would seek advice from one of…

“The tattoo is the mark of the soul. It can act as a window we can see in, or it can be a shield to protect us from those who can see past the surface.” - Author unknown It was the year 2006 when an 18-year-old girl decided to get tattooed. While it had been playing on her mind for sometime, she was yet to decide what she wanted and by whom she would get it done. One fine day, walking down Commercial Street in Bengaluru with a friend, she saw a board that said ‘Tattoos’ and in she went. About…

Pic credit: CARA - www.adoptionindia.nic.in  “We were nervous when we were to meet the judge for the first time since we weren't sure what to expect. He welcomed us into his chambers and the first thing he said was, ‘I wanted to thank you for taking the bold step of adopting a child. I am sure you will give this child a better life than he would have got otherwise.’ We always felt that we were also getting a better life and explained that to the judge and he smiled. As much as we needed him, I think the little guy…

Method 1: I found this mobile number on Quikr mfor obtaining Senior Citizen Cards in the J P Nagar area: +91 9945837981. I called the number and after a while, the person called back. He wanted me to keep ready three passport photos, and the xerox of ONE of the following: Aadhar Card Voter Id Driving licence Passport He said that someone would come and collect these, and also bring the Senior Citizen card to my address. Method 2: The alternative is going to the BJP Office in Jayanagar Address:“Shasakara Kacheri”, 18th Main, 35th Cross, 4th ‘T’ Block, Jayanagar, Bengaluru 560…

Pic source: myprivatetutor.com Katerina Milkova, a working mother in Bangalore, wanted a personal tutor for her son who is in 5th grade. She tried a couple of home tutoring service providers, and her search ended when she found EON Education. They met her at her convenience and explained the process very professionally. They provided a demo class for her and arranged for a passionate teacher to come home. “The tutor writes what has been taught in a logbook, with the date and duration of the class. My son is also given tests by her and his scores are recorded. It…

Citizen Matters is happy to announce that all our popular guidebooks, Living in Bengaluru 2.0, Buying, Investing and Renting Property in Bengaluru and Get To Know Bengaluru Better are now available for purchase as e-books on three different platforms, Newshunt, Rockstand and Kindle. The prices range from Rs 80 to Rs 125 (Note: Our partner platforms may discount prices from time to time). All three e-books are available for iOS and Android platforms, and can be downloaded from iTunes and Google Play respectively. To download any of these apps, please follow the links below. Newshunt: iTunes | Google Play Rockstand: iTunes | Google…

Swine Flu has resulted in the death of 11 persons in Bengaluru Urban district, as on February 23rd, 2015, according to State Health Department reports. The Department also puts the total number of disease-affected in the district at 207 and critically ill patients at 8. An CNN-IBN report stated that the total death toll in India has crossed 800 since mid-December 2014. In this backdrop, here are some commonly asked questions about Swine Flu and the answers. What are the common symptoms of H1N1? Clinical symptoms of swine influenza include fever and upper respiratory symptoms such as cough, running nose…

The BBMP elections are fast-approaching. If you thought BBMP election is not as important as the state or parliamentary elections, you are wrong. It is the local municipal administration, in Bengaluru’s case, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), that is responsible for the mess that you experience because of potholed roads, uncleared garbage or the streets with no light. Being the election that decides who rules the city, this is the most important election of all which can change the way you live in the city. Irrespective of whether BBMP is divided into multipe municipalities or not, indications are that…

We wrote about the detailed procedure for linking Aadhaar card with bank accounts and LPG accounts a year ago. This was when the UPA Government had launched the Direct Benefit Transfer scheme, the scheme where LPG subsidy is transferred directly into bank accounts. A pilot run was conducted in Tumakuru, Mysuru and Bengaluru. Due to elections and various other issues the scheme did not take off then. The newly-elected NDA Government has decided to retain the scheme, and has already launched a pilot once again in 54 districts across India, including Tumakuru, Mysuru and Bengaluru. This scheme will ensure that…