Education

Parents always compare their children's accomplishments with other children. I know my mom does! It is funny how she seems to always say, "look how your friend studies! She gets A+ in everything and you are sitting in front of me with what is equal to a fail mark? Why can't you be more like her?" My usual reply is, "she is my friend, not yours so I know how much she gets!" "I have spoken to her parents! I know she does very well. At least much better than you!" "Ma, you stretch the truth about how well I…

Making Human Rights a Household Concept is its mission. Standing by victims of discrimination, repression and violence is the very raison d'etre of the South India Cell for Human Rights Education and Monitoring (SICHREM) headquartered in Lingarajapuram in Bangalore. Envisioning a fearless society which uniformly respects the rights of everyone and particularly the marginalized, some concerned citizens started SICHREM in 1995. The NGO has been responding to the growing insensitivity to the law by the state and others through direct intervention, helpline, campaigns and tracking and reporting on unacceptable actions such as torture of prisoners, ill treatment of kids in…

At Christ University, the just concluded intra-collegiate fest 'Darpan' was a milieu of interesting activities. The students eagerly await the events designed for them such as the Western Electricals and Indian Non-theme Dance. Aditi Kashyap, 18, a journalism student at Christ University who participated the various art events says "taking part in Darpan is refreshing and a break from the hectic schedule that we have. I go with the intention of participating, and not winning." Since the winners of the events held here get to represent the college in inter-collegiate fests, there is a lot of hype surrounding the events.…

Among the many times that I wonder about how the extremely marginalized cope with an empty stomach is when I hear the words "Mummy, I am hungry" on television. It is the ad jingle for a snack popular with children and youth since it entered India over twenty five years back. And it reminds me of the umpteen choices of 'fast' foods (usually unhealthy), available in urban areas. But, unlike the mum in the commercial, mothers of many children in this unenviable position cannot conjure up anything filling or tasty in two minutes! Take the case of Vimala and her…

St Joseph's College of Arts and Science, has become the first in the city to be completely powered by solar energy. In order to meet all its energy requirements, the college has a solar power plant, comprising of 432 solar panels, which provide electricity to power all the facilities. These panels produce a 100 kilo watts of power and were installed at an estimated cost of Rs. 1.6 crore. The solar power plant has been operational since May this year. The person who initiated the project in the college is former Principal Fr Ambrose Pinto, who resigned this April. Explaining…

Four years into her career as a software developer, Rashmi M, 27, is doing a course in technical writing. Technical writing, for her, is a way to weave in her knowledge in technology and interest in writing. "Technical writing is more creative, also my knowledge in technology will be useful in this field," says Rashmi, a resident of Banshankari 1st stage.With increasing opportunities and demands in the market, youngsters in the city are constantly updating themselves with knowledge in new domains. While for some this is a way to move into a new field, for others it is to enhance…

11th Jun is PNLIT Founder's Day and what better way to celebrate it in 2011, than at the local Puttenahalli Government School, JP Nagar 7th Phase. The school, with Chenna Basappa as Head Master, has 850-odd students in Std 1 to Std 10. The first batch of about 90 students is due to appear for the SSLC exam in April 2012. In addition, there is an Anganwadi that the younger children attend. Prize Distribution at Puttenahalli Gov school. Best all-round performer receiving his watch from Nidhi Aggarwal, a donor PNLIT, along with the staff of Puttenahalli Government School, organised a…

Amidst the flurry of charitable trusts and non-governmental organizations - there is a rather strange breed of social initiatives thriving these days. These are not run by full time activists or social workers but by ordinary citizens like you and me- doing full time jobs and shouldering other family responsibilities. The couple behind the study centre: Jayaseelan and Lalitha. One such couple in Bangalore - Lalitha and Jayaseelan are running a students' study center in Cox Town in Bangalore for the wards of the slum dwellers nearby. They are normal people, with abnormal will. The journey began 25 years ago…

Think about libraries, and what comes to mind are long, dusty rows of somewhat mangled books, and grumpy librarians. But new generation libraries in Bengaluru are far different. These libraries are not too high-brow, nor are they content with being collectors of classics or most popular reads alone. They engage with readers, consider their preferences while expanding collections, and are easily accessible with online book catalogues and door delivery options. Suman H M, 19, second year degree student at Jyothi Nivas College, has been a member of Just Books library for the last one year. "They are convenient as I…

You are visiting Bangalore and want to spend a few hours outside with your family or friends, preferably in a clean and green environment. Or are an 'old' Bangalorean who wants to relive her/his childhood. Where do you go? Cubbon Park, a lovely lung space in the heart of the city is a great option. And the Jawahar Bal Bhavan, a place for children inside the one hundred and forty year old park is a lot of fun too. Spread over 12.5 acres, it has a toy train, swings, slides, boating and a lot of trees and grassy patches for…