OPINION

You know how it goes. You’re sitting in a movie hall, watching Kahaani and Vidya Balan is almost being pushed in the path of a speeding train when woaaaa, goes the toddler sitting behind you with his parents. And all you can think is, why do parents need to get kids along for movies.  You do have a thought there, but hold on for a second, especially if children aren't part of the picture in your life at this moment. Once they are around, you may often have to eat words spoken in the pre-child era. Here are my top…

In 2008, according to WHO, 4,58,000 deaths were caused by breast cancer worldwide. Cancer Registry, Bangalore estimates a 2.7% annual increase in breast cancer, for the period 1982-2005 (ICMR Report). In India every year, one lakh new cases are diagnosed, 50% of them in advanced stage. Some important trends over the years are:Shift in cancer incidence to younger age, that are more aggressive.Detection at a late stage: In USA, 89% of women with breast cancer have a 5 year survival rate (a benchmark for control of cancer). In India, the corresponding figure is approximately 69%. The difference is due to…

Sadly, it's only when some people leave the scene that one is moved to write about the immense worth of their lives and work. Though I had met Dr Joseph George (1st October 1921 - 9th July 2012), it was only when he passed away, that I realised that I could have documented this doyen of ornithology in Bangalore, much earlier.Dr Joseph George got the first rank in his bachelor's degree, studying at St Joseph's College, Trichy, and went on to continue his studies at Agra University, with a scholarship. He later completed his doctoral degree. Dr Joseph George. Pic:…

Gandhinagar locality is one of the oldest localities of Bangalore and is the centre of trade, commerce, entertainment and tourism. All the old business streets like Chickpet, Balepet, New Tharagupet, Avenue Road, Cottonpet, Raja Market and so many other hubs are in this locality. It separates Bangalore North and West from Bangalore South and East and hence acts as the main link between these zones. Despite so many important factors, this locality became popular mainly due to a record number of cinema houses that were located on the main road, as well as the surrounding roads. In fact Gandhinagar was…

The Citizen Action Forum (CAF), a federation of RWAs will be sharing their inputs on Bangalore’s Master Plan 2035 with BDA. On May 7th, BDA had quietly begun a process of revision for Bengaluru's city master plan, and invited suggestions from public. This plan will be for the years 2016 to 2035. CAF along with Namma Bengaluru Foundation (NBF) and various individual RWAs will respond at a federation as well as individual level. Inputs to this process can be at two distinctive levels, at a micro and macro level. At a micro level, i.e. the rules and regulations governing various…

“Having a headache?” Take Anacin. “Having loose motions?” Take Norflox or Flagyll. I am sure all of us have witnessed this conversation sometime or other. People self prescribe antibiotics, and even steroids. TV and media advertising support this trend. Remember that old TV ad? “Headache?” “yes” “Nose blocked ?” “Oh yes” “Cough?” “Yes man yes” “Kutch Lete Kyun nahin? (Why don’t you take something?)” And a jingle follows recommending a common medicine. How many of us know that self medication can be dangerous, or perhaps how many of us really care? Do we know that Aspirin (in Anacin) can lead…

Sometimes it is good to step back a few paces, to get a better view and perspective. So it was, that earlier this week I accessed the online editions of the city’s papers while travelling out of the country and got a stark perspective that hit harder than when I see the same cityscape in person. Under the lead items on June 20th, there was a video strip showing pictures taken around the city. One was of the homeless, huddled along a pavement, and another was of a swanky flyover with vehicles whooshing along a curve. The contrast between the…

Go on Google and parenting terms hit you faster than a screaming toddler launching himself at mom, in supersonic speed. But the one that always gets me worried that I belong to the Neanderthal era and cracks me up at the same time has to be the much used and abused term called ‘Attachment parenting.’ Coined by Dr William Sears who wrote a plethora of baby books, it’s one of those terms that certainly doesn’t apply to India. In fact the good American doctor was definitely not thinking of us when he coined it because in India we are always…

Prof. Elinor Ostrom, recipient of the 2009 Nobel Prize for Economics, passed away in Indiana, United States, on 12th June, after a short and intense battle with pancreatic cancer. Her life and her ideas hold deep significance for us in Bangalore. Prof. Ostrom visiting Kaikondanahalli lake in February 2012. Pic: Harini Nagendra In February 2012, Prof. Ostrom visited Bangalore for a few days, giving the T N Khoshoo Memorial Lecture at the Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE). In addition, she was very keen to visit one of the sites of a recent research program that…

Historically, human civilisations growth is punctuated with attention to weight and to diet. Diet fads like low fat diet, low carbohydrate diet, Duke diet, Couch Potato diet, HCG Diet, GM diet, banana breakfast diet, no breakfast diet, fruit diet, salad diet, tomato diet, etc. have evolved over time. In this maze, we have lost sight of what is known as balanced diet.Peer pressure, celebrity endorsement and size-zero concept contributes to diet fads. Some also have the desire to lose a lot of weight, that too very fast!   A balanced diet is a balanced proportion of different components are -…