Governance | Citizen Matters

15th Finance Commission: Ignoring lessons from the pandemic

March 8, 2021 Tikender Panwar

The 15th Finance Commission has recommended a road map for devolution of funds to states and ULBs. But it completely ignores their real aspirations and needs, feels the author.

Cybersafety tips: Before you decide to download that app, read this

February 10, 2021 Bhavani Prabhakar

Thousands have fallen prey to cybercriminals and fraudulent digital loan apps during the lockdown. When users install such applications, their data is immediately compromised. How can you stay safe?

COVID-19: When gaps in data and communication made the crisis worse

February 3, 2021 Rishabh Shrivastava

The pandemic was not just a public health crisis but also exposed the government’s lack of a coherent communication strategy.

How good governance can transform a city: The tale of Surat

January 25, 2021 Darshan Desai

Visitors to today’s swanky Surat would find it difficult to imagine what the city was like when plague struck in 1994.

Soon, a green city in each Indian state

January 11, 2021 Mayank Aggarwal

The concept note unveiled by the government looks at combining existing renewable energy programmes, such as those dealing with solar power, electric vehicles or waste to energy.

Technology, Transparency, Swaraj: Mantras of ‘apolitical’ entrants in Kerala municipal polls

December 10, 2020 Navya P K

Several new movements have fielded independent candidates for city corporations and municipalities across the state in the ongoing local body elections.

Urban Local Bodies in Karnataka still waiting for crores due to them

October 21, 2020 Himanshu Upadhyaya and Abhishek Punetha

Not only were PRIs and ULBs deprived of grants worth crores, authorities in Karnataka government also failed to get these grants released from the Centre, say CAG auditors.

New areas included within Ahmedabad city limits, but who gains?

September 8, 2020 Darshan Desai and Neha Amin

The question is especially pertinent given that the AMC is unable to provide basic infrastructure even within its present jurisdiction and faces a big loss of income due to COVID.

How Delhi flattened the COVID curve

August 13, 2020 Vijaya Pushkarna

The Delhi model, as described by the chief minister Kejriwal himself: “Testing, home isolation, transparent data, hospital beds and plasma therapy.”

Will MP government’s ‘Kill Corona’ campaign be enough to reverse the spike in Bhopal and Gwalior-Chambal belt?

July 13, 2020 Rishabh Shrivastava

It was only in June that the state implemented a number of steps, like setting up fever clinics, to curb the spread of the virus. There are also concerns that the upcoming elections may hurt transparency.

Six ways to empower our city governments

June 30, 2020 Milind Mhaske and Meghna Bandelwar

A pan-India research study identifies the challenges faced by urban governments from devolution of power to financial independence, and possible solutions to strengthen them.

Meet the man behind Srinagar’s determined COVID-19 fight: Mayor Junaid Azim Mattu

June 13, 2020 Abid Bashir Wani

“In the long run, we have to move beyond lockdowns and remain vigilant… we need to make certain changes in our lives,” said the flamboyant, active mayor of Srinagar in an exclusive interview.

Why 288 families in Bhopal were left scrounging for food during the lockdown

June 9, 2020 Porag Shome and Neelansh Sethi

Three slums in and around Bhopal are home to 288 Bel-Pardhi families, one of the 198 ‘denotified’ tribes in India. Here is what they faced during the lockdown.

Monsoon readiness in Patna: Plans aplenty on paper, but COVID slows execution

June 8, 2020 Amit Bhelari

After last years floods, a high level committee ordered construction of 17 new sump houses, but this has remained on paper. Work to make existing sump houses functional has also not taken off.

Fighting COVID-19 in Dharavi with just a face mask, Mumbai police gets a raw deal

June 1, 2020 Santoshee Gulabkali Mishra

Over 2000 cops in Mumbai have tested positive and 20 have succumbed to the disease. This could have been minimised had the 50000 strong force been better trained and equipped.