GENRE: Features

Smart cities need a vision. But perhaps more importantly, they need people who are able to draft that and take it to fruition. On February 28 2017, the Ministry of Urban Development (MoUD) of the Government of India asked states to create a professional municipal workforce and carry out merit-based recruitment of suitably qualified people. It also urged lateral entry of experts and professionals for specific posts and for a specified contract period in their bid to ensure "professionalization of municipal cadre" in the states. A similar thrust was evident even in the formulation of the implementation policy of the…

I had my periods when I was nine, and used mostly disposable sanitary pads and occasionally, homemade cloth pads. My mom experimented and introduced me to tampons when I was in Grade 9 and the freedom was mindblowing! Can’t thank her enough. I became a responsible waste management volunteer in 2011 and it was a full year before I discovered a menstrual cup! Between Grade 9 and 2011, I travelled to more than 30 countries and even lived in the US for three years. I feel menstrual cups are the best kept secret of all times! The system didn’t expose me…

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…

Several blooms to delight the senses! A walk in Lalbagh is always something that will bring a lot of joy. I decided to capture some of the blossoms that appealed to my eyes, my nose, my touch, and sometimes, as they rustled in the morning breeze, to my ears, too! Some of them are quite uncommon trees that I have not yet seen outside the park. The Purple Bauhinia (Bauhinia blakena) and the Cabbage Bark Tree (Andira inermis) can be seen in the garden. These are the flowers of the Cabbage Bark Tree (Andira inermis). Pic: Deepa Mohan The beauty…

I was heading down M G Road in Bengaluru and just as I approached Anil Kumble Circle, I immediately looked back to see how much this one road had changed since this picture was taken from the same spot many years ago: Pic: Abraham Koshy The obvious difference is the exhaustive removal of the colour green from the scene; the entire tree-lined walkway on the left has now given way to a boulevard. I bade the crown jewel of this phenomenon, Namma Metro, goodbye as I turned into Cubban Park to head my destination for the day, Neralu, a citizen-organised…

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…

Remember when it was 'that time of the month' and you dreaded the lumpy sanitary pad which left you constantly stressed about staining your pants? Well, the world has moved on from all thing chunky to all things sleek, pads included, but it's still uncomfortable, causes rashes, leaks and leaves you stressed for the week. The biggest problem of the now long sleek pads, with extra absorbents and what-not, is the volume of garbage they generate. This, in addition to being expensive and uncomfortable. There is no safe way to dispose of these pads and tampons. They clog drain pipes,…

For two decades now, the Women’s Reservation Bill, which was proposed to amend the Constitution of India to reserve 33% of all seats in the Lower house of Parliament of India, the Lok Sabha, and in all state legislative assemblies for women, has either been defeated or has lapsed. The law, which would give a boost to active political participation of women and help them fight the abuse, discrimination and inequality they have historically suffered, has sadly not received enough importance even from parties headed by women. On March 5th, Satta Panchayat Iyyakam, a Chennai-based NGO fighting to protect the…

It’s been just over a month since the Jallikattu protests on Marina, and the issue has faded from the headlines. The sport is being held, albeit under certain regulations and with some changes, but there are some questions that still linger. One of the primary reasons cited by the educated, city-bred protester against the ban on Jallikattu had been the undesirable implications for native cattle breeds and the indirect impact on the milk we consume. But can the resumption of a sport really revive the native cattle industry and is it enough incentive for farmers to turn away from foreign…