Governance

DPDP Act sparks privacy vs transparency debate The Digital Personal Data Protection Rules (DPDP Bill 2025), drawn up by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), are designed to facilitate the implementation of the Digital Personal Data Protection Act (DPDP Act), 2023. The DPDP Act, 2023, lays out guidelines for the collection, processing, and protection of personal data while ensuring individuals' privacy rights. The Act was passed in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha in August 2023 and subsequently received assent from the President of India. However, the DPDP Bill has stoked a controversy over its ruling on the…

Across Indian cities, resettlement policies have often failed to provide long-term solutions for displaced communities, leaving them with insecure tenure, inadequate infrastructure, and limited growth opportunities. These challenges become even more apparent in resettlement schemes such as Chennai's Perumbakkam, where displaced communities were relocated into government-built apartments nearly 30 kilometres away. Antony, one of the first allottees of a plot in Chennai's Ambedkar Nagar, compares plots and apartments. He explains that having land allows gradual construction and improvements. "This is best. Here, with land, we can construct over time. There (in Perumbakkam), they cannot. There, even if they have money,…

Monitoring groundwater level is like keeping a tab on your income and expenses—if you are spending more, it is a warning sign. You can cut down spending or find ways to earn more. Similarly, a city must decide whether to reduce extraction in certain areas or improve recharge methods, such as rainwater harvesting, wastewater treatment, or preserving open spaces. So, does Bengaluru have enough groundwater monitoring systems? While a WELL Labs report estimates the city's groundwater consumption as 1,392 million litres a day (MLD), BWSSB’s groundwater outlook report states that the extraction is only 800 MLD. This suggests a significant…

As Odisha’s Jaga Mission progressed, the vision expanded from developing slums into liveable habitats with the active participation of the community, to developing the upgraded slums as empowered units of hyperlocal self-governance. The highlights of participatory slum transformation were discussed in the first part of this series. Taking forward the idea of collaborative problem solving, the Mission now sought to put in place systems to institutionalise decentralised participatory governance in the upgraded slum neighbourhoods. The objective was to transfer the management of neighbourhoods, encompassing the 4 lakh slum households across 115 cities in the state, to the Slum Dwellers Associations…

The Karnataka state budgets for 2025–26 present an ambitious blueprint for Bengaluru. With allocations that rival national infrastructure plans — ₹40,000 crore for tunnel corridors, ₹8,916 crore for a double-decker flyover, and ₹27,000 crore for the newly coined “Bengaluru Business Corridor” the government appears determined to transform the city’s landscape. But this grand investment raises a deeper question: Is this a vision for a people-centred city or simply an infrastructure-centric spectacle? What emerges is a familiar story, not unique to Bengaluru but emblematic of urban development across India. Faced with growing chaos, the instinct is to “throw concrete at the…

As per Census 2011, one out of every six city dwellers — that is, 17.4% of the total urban population in India — lives in slums. While union and different state governments have made several efforts to address the challenges of housing and to improve the dismal living conditions in slums, a unique model has emerged in Odisha in recent years. The Odisha model has not only been successful in addressing the challenges that are integral to slum upgradation, but it also shows the way to collaborative problem solving in our cities, which are faced with systemic challenges that are…

In an earlier article, we highlighted how Bengaluru lags behind in utilisation of funds received under the National Clean Air Programme, and how that, coupled with the lack of an elected municipal body, threatens the prospect of climate action. In November 2023, BBMP launched the Bengaluru Climate Action and Resilience Plan (BCAP), with the objective of addressing climate issues in the city.  Following the launch of the BCAP, a climate action cell was established in February 2024 to coordinate the work of different departments towards climate action. Some of these plans are to be realised utilising NCAP funds, either exclusively…

In the first part of this series, we explored the legal and practical challenges faced by apartment owners and associations and the need for clarity about the legislations that govern apartment ownership in Karnataka. Part 2 focused on frequently asked questions about the registration of apartment associations and took a closer look at the regulatory landscape in the State. Effective management of apartment associations is critical to ensure the smooth functioning of residential communities. However, disputes over maintenance charges, redevelopment processes, financial mismanagement and compliance with legal norms often create conflicts between stakeholders. Part 3 of our series on apartment…

Bengaluru’s air quality has been seriously worsening post COVID. The annual levels of PM10 saw a decline between 2018 and 2021, but has been slowly increasing since then. Government authorities say that the air quality in Bengaluru is better compared to other cities. But while the PM2.5 levels may conform to the national standards, according to a Greenpeace report it is still four to nine times higher than WHO standards. There is thus a huge need for improvement. The city, however, has used very little of the clean air funds received under the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP). Also non-utilisation…

Once known for its pleasant climate, Bengaluru now faces a climate crisis. Rapid urbanisation, vehicular emissions, and construction dust have led to hazardous air pollution, with PM2.5 and PM10 levels endangering health. Rising temperatures, water scarcity, vanishing green cover, and rampant concretisation have intensified the urban heat island (UHI) effect. Erratic rainfall and groundwater depletion further threaten a water emergency, affecting households across the city. The Bengaluru Climate Action and Resilience Plan (BCAP) was introduced in November 2023 to build adaptation and resilience against climate change, but implementation gaps persist. The absence of a dedicated climate budget, lack of transparency…