CITIZEN JOURNALISM

Making Mumbai: A space for youth to share and learn from one another on co-creating their city. Pic: Vivek Venkatraman

From ‘right to play’ to ‘right to vote’: How Mumbai youth are helping fellow citizens claim their rights

March 13, 2020 Doel Jaikishen

Many youngsters across Greater Mumbai have formed collectives to help co-create a more inclusive city. Their initiatives have received a big boost from the youth event ‘Making Mumbai’, part of the annual urban festival ComplexCity, organised by not-for-profit YUVA.

From a street play presented at the ComplexCity Bolti Bombay youth competitions. Pic: Vivek Venkatraman

Co-creating Mumbai afresh via ComplexCity

March 12, 2020 Doel Jaikishen

ComplexCity, an annual festival in Mumbai organised by the non-profit YUVA, enables city residents to openly engage, express and exchange views, and collaborate to explore solutions to the city’s pressing problems. A round-up of the 2020 event.

Simple tips for citizens to ensure safe journeys

December 24, 2019 Vijay Bagaria

Earlier this year, the Motor Vehicles Amendment Act 2019 was passed with a view to strengthening road safety. Despite the new law and harsher penalties for violation of traffic rules, accident headlines make it to news every other day. In the end, our safety is our responsibility.

How to claim health insurance benefits successfully from multiple policies

December 10, 2019 Anuj Jindal

Many of us have multiple health insurance policies but we rarely consider using them together to maximise claims following a treatment. Yet, all it takes is just four informed steps.

Safe and healthy food for children: Proposed FSSAI regulation puts the onus on schools

December 6, 2019 Surabhi Soral

Draft regulation, now being finalised, says schools must take concrete steps to ensure that only healthy food is served on campuses. No food categorised as HFSS (high in fats, sugar and salt) may be offered or sold within 50 m of a school campus.

Not just me, it’s ‘we’ who are responsible for safety of women commuters

November 26, 2019 Trupti Deshpande

Reports of harassment and molestation of women commuters, often involving app-cabs, have become all too common. For all practical purposes, though, the responsibility to make commute safe lies with multiple agencies — operators, government departments and yes, commuters themselves.

Why young Indians should put ‘equity’ at the forefront of climate activism

October 21, 2019 Anjali Sharma

A climate movement here cannot be built without acknowledging the differentiated responsibility of developed and developing countries in causing climate change. The rhetoric of ‘young vs old’ is not just oversimplification, but simply untrue in the case of India.

Adoption jokes are not ok, and here’s why

August 27, 2019 Mahesh V

Urban online gifting options are plenty today. But when a range of products meant for siblings deliberately calls one out as the ‘adopted’ one and makes adoption the stuff of jokes, should we just play along and accept it as ‘normal’ humour?

Will Kochi’s new integrated transport system be more friendly towards people with disabilities?

July 6, 2019 Nelda Tomy

A recent survey undertaken as part of an academic project brought to light the woes of people with disabilities in Kochi when it came to commute. A look at what needs to be done to make the city transport system more inclusive

This World Menstrual Hygiene Day, let’s think of sustainable options

May 28, 2019 Odette Katrak

World Menstrual Hygiene Day is intended to focus on the millions of women worldwide without access to hygienic solutions during their monthly period. Today, we continue the focus, but with a changed track in the context of the global environment crisis.

Now that the elections are nearly over, can we stop playing ‘Citizens For A Day’?

May 17, 2019 Kiran Hosakote

Elections always send Indians into a tizzy. Despite the poor track record of those contesting the elections, voters’ faith in them seems quite unwavering. Why is that so? Is it time to look inwards?

Be the change that you want to see in your city

April 26, 2019 Valentina Gazzola

If you have blamed the Government all along for deteriorating environment and other conditions in your city, now may be the time to rethink and react. These are five ways in which you can become an active and aware citizen and bring about change for the better.

Here’s what citizens are demanding for inclusive and just urban development

April 16, 2019 Evita Das

Members of civil society organizations, urban poor and worker collectives place their demands that reimagine cities and envision more inclusive and sustainable urban development, so that there is a place for all in these cities.

Voting over in Chittoor; here’s what citizens expect elected MLAs and MPs to deliver

April 12, 2019 Dilli Babu

Andhra Pradesh voted to elect their MLAs and MPs on April 11th; meanwhile, residents of Chittoor city have put together a comprehensive manifesto that speaks about the welfare schemes they would expect their chosen leaders to implement.

Can water ATMs ease the daily struggle of the poor in Bhubaneswar?

March 23, 2019 Basudev Mahapatra

Water ATMs now provide around 2.9 lakh litres of safe, affordable water every month to residents of 40 slums in Bhubaneswar. But in a city which has 400 plus slums and where the total demand for water is estimated to hit 143 million litres a day in 2019, can this really be a significant game-changer?

Forget Kiki and Ice-bucket, take the Minimum Water Challenge instead!

March 22, 2019 Odette Katrak

Here’s a challenge that actually makes a difference. It will make water saving a daily habit among citizens, so that every day is World Water Day and there is never a D-Day scenario because of water scarcity!

Why every citizen must press for the Consumer Protection Bill to be passed

March 7, 2019 Bhamy Shenoy

Introduced first in 2015 and eventually passed by the Lok Sabha in December 2018, the Consumer Protection Bill is yet to be debated or approved in the Rajya Sabha. The author attracts attention to the significant provisions of the new law and encourages readers to sign a petition calling for its enactment.