Governance

In Chennai’s Perumbakkam resettlement site, residents working as domestic workers leave home at 9 am and return only after 6 pm. For them, the Election Commission of India’s (ECI) Special Intensive Revision (SIR) seems almost impossible to navigate. A community worker from the area observes that in earlier voter roll verifications, households received a simple part-number booklet. Now, Booth Level Officers (BLOs) set up camps instead of going door-to-door, asking residents to collect the forms themselves. The new form asks for additional details such as parents’ voter IDs, which many residents do not know, she adds. With low literacy levels,…

On a normal day, fatigue is a persistent challenge for Smitha Sadasivan, Senior Adviser at the Disability Rights India Foundation and a person living with Multiple Sclerosis. Yet, it is manageable with rest periods, nutritional supplements, hydration, and some mild activity. But heatwaves worsen her symptoms. "During heatwaves, none of these measures help. Only limited nutrition and hydration offer some relief,” says Smitha. Extreme climate events, such as heatwaves, floods, or cyclones, pose problems for everyone. Yet for people with disabilities, the challenges are far greater, as daily barriers to safety and mobility become worse during such crises. Smitha explains…

Municipal elections rarely make global headlines. Yet the recent election of Zohran Mamdani as mayor of New York City reverberated around the world. Far more than a leadership change in one city, it signals a profound shift in how urban politics is imagined, contested, and won in the centre of global capitalism and the largest urban centre of the United States. At its heart, it was a referendum on who gets to claim the city: the affluent few who see the metropolis as a portfolio of assets, or the millions who call it home. Mamdani’s victory, as the child of…

Assembly elections in Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and three other states are scheduled for 2026. Close on the heels of the Bihar elections, where the Election Commission of India (ECI) conducted a Special Intensive Revision (SIR), the ECI has now announced that all poll-bound states and union territories will undergo a similar revision exercise. Form distribution has already begun in the Chennai district, and according to the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC), as of now, more than 40% residents have been covered in this exercise.  This makes it essential for every eligible voter in Tamil Nadu to verify their inclusion in the…

On October 15th, the Karnataka government released the Draft Karnataka Domestic Workers (Social Security and Welfare) Bill, 2025, for public consultation. This move follows the Supreme Court’s directive calling for a well-defined legal framework to safeguard and regulate the rights of domestic workers. Stakeholders have welcomed the state government's proposed legislation, but concerns remain about key provisions in the draft bill. Domestic workers' unions and Bengaluru apartment groups have addressed a letter to the Karnataka Labour Minister highlighting these issues, including insights from an Oorvani Foundation roundtable. Also, scroll further down for a report on citizen feedback gathered by Civis through a public…

The Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA) released a draft ward delimitation plan that restructures Bengaluru into five municipal zones—Central, South, East, West, and North. This marks a major shift in how the city will be governed, represented, and serviced. The new boundaries will impact every neighbourhood’s access to civic infrastructure, political representation, and administrative coordination. Oorvani Foundation and Citizen Matters have been tracking this issue for years, and as a part of our flagship programme, Citizen Clinic, we crowdsourced queries and concerns from residents and civic groups. These have been addressed by Vachana V R, Associate Director - Policy, Jana Urban Space…

“I haven’t received a single benefit from the welfare board. Every time I apply, the reason for rejection changes, without any clear explanation. I’m tired of running around,” says Sendhil K, a construction worker from Kolar with 15 years of experience, currently working in Bengaluru. He had applied for scholarship benefits for his two children studying in the city. He also claims he hasn’t received any welfare kits issued by the Board or the COVID-19 relief funds. Now, he says, he’s lost all hope of ever receiving support, including a pension after retirement. Retired construction worker Prabhakaran's experience is no…

As of September 2nd, 2025, Bengaluru transitioned into a new urban governance system based on the Greater Bengaluru Governance Act, 2024. This Act implements a three-tier structure: The Greater Bengaluru Authority (GBA): It is chaired by the Chief Minister and comprises all Karnataka ministers and Members of Parliament, Members of the Legislative Assembly and Council from Bengaluru, as well as the mayors of the five newly formed City Corporations. Its primary role is to harmonise planning, development, and service delivery by all the departments and agencies across the five City Corporations. Five City Corporations: The city is divided into five smaller…

A collective of various voluntary groups, civil society organisations, activists, educators and students has demanded urgent state-led action to uphold the right to shelter and dignity for persons living on the streets in Tamil Nadu. This campaign has been initiated by the Information and Resource Centre of the Deprived Urban Communities (IRCDUC) and other NGOs in Chennai and across the State, to support homeless people, whose lives are jeopardised by the absence of a dedicated state programme. Here are the recommendations put forward as part of the campaign: State-wide recommendations Tamil Nadu must urgently evolve a state-specific scheme for persons…

“The impact of childhood trauma still haunts me. I was a very extroverted child, but as I began to feel different, I became introverted. This took a serious toll on my self-esteem,” says Shivv Pandey, a trans man and Bengaluru-based activist. Like Shivv, many transgender individuals carry unresolved trauma into adulthood, with limited access to even basic mental health support. As they struggle to survive in a hostile society, their mental health remains neglected, overlooked in policies, support systems, and even within their personal lives. In an earlier article, we highlighted the lack of psychological support for transgender youth in…