karnataka

The Smart Cities Mission project was one of the most ambitious projects launched by the Union Government in 2015. Identifying 100 cities (currently 99) across the country for sustainable development at an estimated cost of Rs 98,000 crore, the project was among the first major efforts launched by the Modi Government with a focus on urban development. Among the cities identified, based on their Mission proposals, seven were in Karnataka – Mangalore, Belgaum, Shimoga, Tumkur, Davangere, Bangalore and the twin cities of Hubballi-Dharwad in the northern part of the state. As the Ministry as well as the cities chosen acknowledge,…

Those familiar with the social structure in the North Karnataka region will tell you, religious mathas in North Karnataka hold a very powerful place. Epicentres of power and faith, they make an appearance on the list of must- visit places for devotees and politicians alike, albeit for different reasons. One of the defining features for many of them are the community kitchens they run, where thousands of people eat everyday. Largely run on donations from devotees, these kitchens could, however, pose a serious challenge for those in the business of waste management. But even as management of kitchen waste from…

Volunteers from Million Voter Rising, the citizen group from Mahadevapura, interviewed candidates contesting in the Karnataka Assembly elections from Mahadevapura constituency. This is the transcript of the interview with the incumbent MLA from Bharatiya Janata Party, Aravinda Limbavali. https://youtu.be/CixmRAQvjcI Mahadevapura MLA Aravinda Limbavali’s proposed manifesto for the constituency has 5 focus issues: traffic, environment, infrastructure, law and order, and social empowerment Does Mahadevpura have any problems and what are they according to you? First of all, I want to thank organisations such as Whitefield Rising that are there in my constituency. They regularly come to me, we discuss various issues. Not…

As I sat in the office cafeteria yesterday over a cup of tea, the Surat rape flashed on TV.  When I saw that her hand was broken, I flew into a momentary rage and wanted to sweep every tea cup off every table of every employee. I wanted to smash everything. For Mumbai, where every single deaf and mute girl has been raped at Karjat boarding school in Mumbai. Every single girl who boards there. Every single one between the ages of 6 and 13. Every single one. By their "caretaker.” For Unnao, Kathua, Orissa and the endless stream from…

Over the past couple of months, there have been some bird counts, in a laudable attempt to document the species of birds found in the outskirts of Bangalore, and elsewhere in Karnataka, and their numbers as well. The first initiative, at Bannerghatta National Park, was started in February 2018, to take place on the second Saturday of each month, and will continue over the entire period of a year, through all the seasons. The data will be collated at the end and presented in a report to give a picture of the bird species and numbers throughout the year. The…

Karnataka, one of the only five remaining states in the country where Congress rule still prevails, is gearing up to host a major electoral battle that will not just decide the next Assembly but is also expected to create a reflective impact on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 2019 election campaign. Two months prior to the state elections, the anxiety of the people is palpable in the ‘Karnataka Voters' Survey 2018’  released by the Chief Election Commissioner, Om Prakash Rawat, at IIM Bangalore on March 9. The state’s capital with a population of 12.34 million is home to 28 of the…

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah symbolically hoisting Karnataka's unique identity in the form of the state flag is not just his pre-election flirting with federalism, but what the constitution itself prescribes. This is not a nouveau concept leaning towards radical secessionism, it is a fundamental attribute that both founding fathers, Gandhi and Ambedkar recognised as imperative, as India was assembled from various entities. That is the very reason Gandhi propounded swaraj. He knew all too well that with India having been assembled from a plural and motley collection of communities, each so distinct, nothing but self rule could possibly work. How could a…

In 2013, the Karnataka Forest Department (KFD) and Jungle Lodges and Resorts (JLR) together started a pioneering effort in the field of wildlife and conservation: training wildlife volunteers who could bridge the gap between the Forest Department and the general public,  helping with various tasks that KFD personnel have to carry out. Here is one account of the programme as it stood in 2013. Several batches of volunteers attended the training programmes across several landscapes: Bandipur, Bhadra, Dandeli, Kudremukh and Nagarhole. About 550 people in all attended the programmes.They were called Eco-volunteers and the government organization in charge was the…

At a four-road intersection near Besant Women's College in Mangalore, a 49-year-old man sporting an orange reflector jacket over a neatly pressed Khaki shirt, trouser and black shoes, flags down an errant SUV from Kalakunj road. This gives the on-duty traffic constable enough time for not only clearing the traffic from MG Road (PVS circle to Ladyhill circle), but also to allow some school children to cross the road to safety - another job well done. But the duo cannot yet heave a sigh of relief, for over the next three hours between 5 and 8 pm, Ramesh Gowda and…

Many Indian state governments have experimented with subsidised canteens over the last few years. The most recent addition to this has been the Karnataka government launch of ‘Indira Canteens’ in Bengaluru this month (August 2017). According to media reports, the canteens in most states have been very popular, a fact borne out by the long queues often seen outside these. Intended for the urban poor - mainly the destitute, elderly, unemployed, migrants and the working poor - these canteens usually serve food for Rs 10 or much less. The concept of subsidised food canteens became especially popular after the success…