GENRE: In Focus

Real estate activity contributes significantly to the overall economic output in India, as it does in most economies across the globe. The sub prime crisis in the US, triggered by the high default rate of sub prime home loan borrowers, has snowballed into an economic crisis that has pulled most of the world into its grip. The co-relation and co-existence of a flourishing real estate sector with a healthy economy has never been more obvious than it is now.  Here’s a reality check on the situation in Namma Bengaluru. (File Pic: Meera K) Cause and effect of the last two…

Over the last week, hundreds of people have been vociferously protesting against the plans of the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) to build a Metro station in Lalbagh and to cut trees along the verdant Lakshman Rao Boulevard, popularly known as Nanda Road. On Sunday evening, 19th April, 250 people gathered along the tree lined road. They sang songs, shouted slogans (“Ulisi ulisi, Nanda Road ulisi”) and held a candle light vigil to protest against the proposed cutting of trees in Lakshman Rao Park. Earlier, on Friday, 17th April, about 220 people formed a human chain along RV Road…

He is probably one of the few people who voted against the party diktat during the trust vote in Parliament in June 2008. This famous cop helped in the arrest of fake stamp paper racket kingpin Abdul Kareem Telgi and former underworld don Muthappa Rai among others, during his services as the Commissioner of Police, Bangalore City. Films have been made based on his work in the Indian Police Service and he has also appeared in one of them, as himself, playing the role of the Police Commissioner. In the middle of his hectic campaigning schedule and with commandos in…

It is a busy morning as I join INC candidate for Bangalore South, Krishna Byregowda on his way to Koramangala village, in his beige colour Innova. After participating in a television debate in the morning, he starts his campaigning for the day.This 36-year-old two- time MLA and currently President of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress is banking on his popularity amongst the youth. He feels that this is the time for change and Indian politics is now ready to see its young faces emerge to power. Krisha Byregowda. Pic: www.krishnabyregowda.inWe are about to move when a group of elderly men stop…

On Wednesday, 15 April at 6:30 AM, I left for Lalbagh. Not for a morning walk, but to meet Captain G R Gopinath, the famous founder of Air Deccan and now an independent candidate from the Bangalore South constituency for the Lok Sabha elections. Gopinath was having a Yoga session that morning and his team had scheduled my meeting after the session, at 7 AM. Capt Gopi at the Press Conference - Announcing the kite as his election symbol (Pic courtesy: votecaptaingopi.com) As I was waiting, I could see most of Gopinath’s supporters and campaigners were in the age group…

Cruising through the tiniest of lanes in north Bangalore through the areas of Malleshwaram, Rajajinagar, Gayathri nagar, L N Puram, Subramanyanagar, he covered a distance of almost 20 kilo metres on a two-wheeler. Sporting a smile, waving out to onlookers, requesting them to support him, Bharatiya Janata Party MP H N Ananth Kumar campaigned for the upcoming elections. He was riding a black Honda Dio with Malleshwaram MLA Dr C N Ashwath Narayan riding pillion, and more than a 100 party workers in tow. H N Ananth Kumar (Pic: Vaishnavi Vittal) After more than two-hours of meeting, interacting and biking…

"Downturn is like baptism with fire. The day I surrendered my ID card, I was really down. It was a long day," expresses Suhas (name changed). Twenty-two year old Suhas started working with Sasken, a leading Bangalore-headquartered communications solutions technology company, in August 2008 as a fresh graduate. By the time he finished his six months training for his position as software engineer, the economic slowdown had hit his company. "The trouble started in October, bad news started pouring in. We were under constant apprehension. We thought we would go in December. In December, the firm started firing senior people.…

“Commerce flourishes by circumstances, precarious, transitory, contingent, almost as the winds and waves that bring it to our shores” - Charles Caleb Colton Even as the world reels under the effect of the economic slowdown, companies catering to the domestic market have not been affected all that much, say experts from various sectors, right here in Bengaluru. What does the downturn mean to industries in this blooming city here? How easy is it for namma students to get jobs this year? Are companies in the city still hiring? Or are they asking employees to swalpa adjust maadi? These are some…

Four terms as an MP. Served as a Union Minister for Civil Aviation, Tourism and Culture, Youth Affairs and Urban Development. Age: 50 years; Assets: Rs. 122.06 Lakhs; Criminal Record: None since 2004. Read his detailed interview here. Compiled with support of Smart Vote. Citizen Matters does not endorse any candidate or their opinions and the opinions of external websites linked to from here. ⊕

White egg-shaped brinjal, orange-yellow round type, red ones, single Brinjal weighing more than 2 kg, small marble-sized ones  - all in all, about 50 varieties of brinjal were on display at the ‘Brinjal diversity Mela’ at Lalbagh on 5th April. Some of these brinjal varieties are rarely cultivated and thus rarely available. This event was an effort to reach out to the public and farmers to inform them about the diversity of a species, educate them about effects of ‘Genetically Modified food technology’. The fest saw notable guests, including film actress Tara and artist MS Murthy and included informative talks…