SOCIETY

Pic courtesy: Wikimedia Commons Bengaluru-based Centre for Internet and Society has participated in the Expert Committee for DNA Profiling constituted by the Department of Biotechnology in 2012 for the purpose of deliberating on and finalising the draft Human DNA Profiling Bill and appreciates this opportunity. CIS respectively dissents from the January 2015 draft of the Bill. Based on the final draft of the Human DNA Profiling Bill that was circulated on the 13th of January 2015 by the committee, the Centre for Internet and Society is issuing this note of dissent on the following grounds: The Centre for Internet and…

Dhanya M, an HR Consultant, had stopped at Empire Restaurant in Frazer Town to pick up food. As she made her way through the crowd, a man ‘accidentally’ touched her breasts. When Dhanya questioned him, the man feigned ignorance. His friend too joined in to defend him, while the crowd merely stood by. The excuse the friend gave was this: “Please forgive him. He is drunk!” After a five minute argument, where sentences like, “Being drunk is no excuse to molest”, and “What if he did this to your sister?” were uttered, the two men apologised and left. Though Dhanya…

A suspense thriller, Rangi Taranga hit the screens in Sandalwood on July 3rd 2015. The movie was rated 9.5/10 by the movie reviewing website IMDb (Internet Movie Database) and received highly positive reviews from those who watched it. Directed by debutant director Anup Bhandari, with cinematography by Lance Kaplan and William David, who have worked for many Hollywood movies, the cinema attracted the audience just through the word of mouth, in the absence of positive media reviews. However, the theatres in Bengaluru ousted the movie with the release of multi-language film Bahubali. The movie was not given enough shows, and…

How do I slim thee? Let me count the ways... A while ago, I was getting my then-five-year-old ready for school. It was one of those beautiful and bracingly chill Bengaluru mornings where all you want to do is curl up with a mug of filter coffee sweetened with bella. Alas, the little fellow had school. I wanted him to wear a warm coat. He vetoed the one I laid out and instead, insisted he wanted a thin windcheater.  “The warmer coat will keep you nice and snug,” I pointed out. “No, I look fat in it,” he responded, matter…

  Caregivers, housekeepers, maids, nannies, cooks or domestic help - call them by any name, domestic workers in the country are still in the fringes. Why, one may ask? The phrase ‘domestic work’ conjures images of household work associated domesticity – the one of cleaning and caring, and hence relationships that exist within this frame remain in the shadows. There has always been a gendered stigma attached to domestic work especially in India, and the work is always viewed through the lens of power and authority, submission and suppression Of memsahib, her maid and India’s colonial past “This can be…

Elderly people need security. Pic: Abhishek Angad Our nation is facing a crisis in ageing as we attempt to understand and prepare to meet the needs of millions of older adults, current and future. Public and private sectors are engaged in a dialogue to address the needs of a diverse ageing population; to promote their dignity and independence, and expand opportunities for current and future generations of older persons. In India, over 90 million people are above 60 years of age. This is about 7.4% of the total population. The fear is that by 2021 it is estimated to grow…

“Be of service. Whether you make yourself available to a friend or co-worker, or you make time every month to do volunteer work, there is nothing that harvests more of a feeling of empowerment than being of service to someone in need.”                                                                     - Gillian Anderson, Actress and Philanthropist In the past couple of years, Bangalore has seen various individuals and groups stepping up to further a cause that…

What do you think of when you interact with one of the conductors on a Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) bus? Do you view them merely as people who issue tickets on the bus? Many commuters who travel often by bus probably think of them as people they need to haggle with to get their change back; because of course, our conductors are change making machines! How many of us bother to look at these people as humans like us? Not many of us do - so believes Jayalakshmi, a BMTC bus conductor. A bus ride from Hessarghatta to Kalyanagar,…

A key challenge to inclusion of disabled people into the mainstream is the basic lack of access. Accessibility is not limited to physical spaces alone, but also includes transport infrastructure, information and technology, aids and appliances etc. Access is therefore an issue that cuts across disabilities, sectors, abilities and age groups and forms the very basis of empowerment of disabled people. 'Universal Design', i.e. a design that is usable by all therefore becomes intrinsic to any kind of access. It was to recognise innovative work that improved accessibility and promoted the principles of Universal Design that NCPEDP with the support…

There are things about Bengaluru that are easy to agree on: The weather is wonderful, the food is fantastic, and the people are omnipresent. But for foreigners living the Garden City, the pleasantries of this south Indian city can come with a price. S2immigration, an organisation that helps visitors to India with resident permits, visa extension etc, estimates that there are 10,000 professional expats working in Bengaluru. Its booming IT sector, academic opportunities, and expanding economy has drawn people from around the world. According to expats, Bengaluru takes the cake for being the city with the most to offer. Danielle…