GENRE: Voices

I feel that a large part of what children – especially teens – see on television governs their lives. I would know as I watch girls re-enact scenes from the movies 'Mean Girls' or 'Wild Child' over and over again in school. But for them it is not acting, it is part of living. Television shows to some are simply entertainment but some seem to take it way more seriously than what it is. I mean, they practically live off the TV. When I was just in second grade, I made the mistake of letting my mother join the parent-teacher…

“Kissing a lot of frogs before I meet my prince charming.” She laughs when asked about her collection of around 150 frog figurines of all shapes and sizes. Shobhana Narasimhan, 48, is a professor and chairman at Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research(JNCASR), Bangalore India. She has a PhD in Physics from Harvard University, Cambridge. Passionate for social work and development of women, in the field of physics. She travels the world for this. Shobhana Narasimhan – Physicist at JNC. Pic: Anisha Nair As a school student you had a phobia for Physics. How did you end up being…

With all the traffic around it is easy to miss Star Briyani near Silk Board junction. But once you step inside the food will definitely catch your attention. The menu seems too short. But the taste more than makes up for the length of the menu. They have only three types of briyani - chicken, mutton and egg. In fry or kebab we were left with limited chicken, mutton and fish items.Ambur Briyani has a royal legacy.  It is said to have evolved from Arcot briyani, from the kingdom of Nawab of Arcots.  Ambur is a small little town in…

Eczema in children, is a condition typically characterised by skin lesions associated with itching, sometimes watery discharges,  often complicated by infections, and noted for relapses. The condition has shown a spurt in number of cases recently. In 1972, a  Bihar study revealed prevalence of eczema to be 0.38% of all skin diseases.  38 % of them were reported to be Infantile AD (atopic Dermatitis), a medical term for eczema. Two decades later another study showed the incidence of AD to be 28.46% of total paediatric skin diseases. The reasons for this spurt are not very clear. Some of the causes…

Born in Kochi , Muralidhar Rao has been a Bangalorean since 1959 and a resident of Koramangala since 2005. He is a former industrialist himself. He married his passion for writing and civic mindedness and in 2006 co-founded praja.in. It is an online platform to engage in discussions on civic issues. He is also a member of the citizens group ‘Koramangala Initiative ' His wife, Priya Rao, works as a Associate Director-Technical for Indian Spastics Society in Karnataka region. He has a son and a daughter. Excerpts from his interview. You are a regular commentator on civic and commentator issues.…

The recent state budget has funding for projects including five signal-free corridors (Rs 426 crore), upgradation of 45 roads (Rs 200 crore) and Metro Corridor Reach-1 from Bypanahalli to Kumble Circle (Rs 65 crore). The first two are to be funded by the state government and the latter to be funded equally by BBMP & BMRCL. DPRs (Detailed Project Reports) are getting ready. I hope the tendering process gets underway in June/July. A BBMP underpass in JP Nagar. File pic: Yograj Mudalgi Pilots for each of these projects is to be ready soon for the public to suggest improvements -1.…

Two years ago, she spoke to Citizen Matters about the legal battle she fought for the Meistripalya lake. It was her determination to protect and preserve open spaces in Koramangala that saw her through. Citizen Matters caught up with Laila Ollapally, now 57, after two years to hear more from her. She has now moved on to being a mediator at the Bangalore Mediation Centre (BMC). Mediation provides a platform for dialogue and cases can be solved through conversations outside court. Laila Olapally - Mediator at BMC. Pic: Laila Olapally Residents are coming together and supporting revival of a lot…

When an apartment is built and it is eventually occupied, a few questions do the rounds within the new community. There are always common issues to be coordinated with the builder regarding teething troubles, maintenance, handover and several such issues. Normally, a group of owners comes together to coordinate on behalf of the community. For a period, I was one of them in our large apartment located near Marathahalli in Bengaluru. Among the various challenges we faced, one of the toughest questions to answer was on registering the owner’s association. Today, if a community is lucky, the builder registers the…

On this day, fans carry a towel with them to demonstrate their appreciation for the books and the author, as referred to in Adams' The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. The commemoration was first held in 2001, two weeks after Adams' death on 11 May 2001. As keepers of the faith, and as believers that the solution to all the universe’s problems lies in the number 42, two young startups - Graffiti Collaborative(www.thegraffiti.co), an innovative brand consulting firm, and PoshVine (www.poshvine.com), an online service which provides Bangaloreans insider access to unique dining and culinary experiences - have come together to…

If you stay around Kanakpura Road , you know what a ordeal it is to traverse this road during peak hours. With the Metro construction in full swing, all we are left with is a narrow lane on either side for cars. Buses, jatka vehicles (horse carriages), cement mixtures, autos and lorries. On any normal day, it can take up to 30-45 min to reach the family mart junction from Konanakunte cross. If this weren't enough, we noticed that a huge pandal with loud speakers, lighting arrangement and seating arrangement was done right below the flyover. I believe this is…