Governance

Earlier this decade, ‘new political movements’ focusing on transparency and fighting corruption -- such as India Against Corruption -- were the flavour in many Indian cities. As Kerala goes into election mode with local bodies polls this week, several such movements at the local level have fielded independent candidates for city corporations and municipalities across the state. Most of these movements are new, some being formed in the last few months even, but are mostly helmed by those with some experience in social work or activism. These groups have for now avoided political affiliation, and consider themselves an alternative to…

Tamil Nadu will see an all-important election for its state legislative assembly in 2021. With key political parties already kicking off their campaigns, voters too must do their part to ensure that their names are on the voting rolls. The Election Commission of India has released the draft voters' list for the state. Citizens can go through the draft voter rolls and get any changes in the same made if they find their details to be incorrect or if they have shifted residence. They can do this during the claims and objections period that will last until December 15th.  The required…

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is a large, complex organisation whose functioning largely remains enveloped in secrecy. Its website is a maze; decisions taken by its pivotal body—the standing committee—out of the public radar; and calls for independent audits routinely blocked. Decoding BMC’s numerous services and mammoth budget is a daunting task, best performed by seasoned journalists and accounting experts.  ASICS 2017, an independent benchmarking of cities report, finds that BMC needs to “adopt open data standards, usher in radical transparency in finances and operations; systematically provide actionable data at a neighborhood level”.  Reports like these repeatedly highlight at a…

Who governs the lakes of our cities? Or should that question be: who should be governing our lakes? Most of us believe it should be the government. A lot of us assume that places like lakes are, by default, to be  taken care of (preserved, maintained and conserved) by the government. And we are not wrong there. It is the government who does that, by default. But what we often don’t realise is that that reality can be changed, and the community that inhabits the areas around these lakes have a big role to play.  At the same time, a…

How many of us consider approaching the consumer court for a faulty piece of electronics, for an insurance claim that’s not honoured or for services like warranty and maintenance contracts that are promised but not provided? What happens when you do? How long do you wait? And how many of us succeed? The idea and intention behind setting up Consumer Dispute Redressal Commissions was to ensure swift and cost-effective access to justice to us, the consumers. Though it serves this purpose (in comparison to having to fight consumer cases in other courts, where it would take longer), a report by…

[In Part 1 of this series we saw that sex workers in Bengaluru are facing starvation and violence due to the COVID lockdown. In Part 2, we explore why they haven't been able to access aid and support, and how this could change.]  “What is there to feel sorry? They have created their own problems out of greed and lust” says Shamim, waiting for a relative near the Majestic bus station. Shamim was responding to my question: “Where are the women who used to hang out here at night? Any idea how these poor souls are managing?” He hesitantly confesses that…

On November 3, Rajarajeshwari Nagar assembly constituency will go into bypolls. The bypoll was necessitated by incumbent MLA Munirathna N's disqualification, for violating the anti-defection law. Munirathna was elected from the Congress in 2018, but defected to the BJP in mid-2019. He’s contesting as the BJP candidate this time. The election results will be announced on November 10. The constituency is made up of nine wards - Jalahalli, Rajarajeshwarinagar, Jnana Bharati, Kottegepalya, Laggere, HMT ward, Lakshmidevi nagar, JP Park and Yeshwanthpura. RR Nagar is one of the four largest assembly sections in Bengaluru, with 4.6 lakh voters this by-election. The constituency…

On October 28, elections will be held for the position of MLC (Member of Legislative Council) from Bangalore Teachers’ Constituency. This constituency consists of Bengaluru Urban, Bengaluru Rural and Ramanagara districts. Find the parts coming under the constituency here.  What is a teachers' constituency? Not all residents can vote in a teachers' constituency election. Only a full-time teacher in at least a secondary school or higher, is eligible to vote. Also, the person should have been holding this position for the previous three years. In Bengaluru Urban district, all teachers who meet this criteria can vote in the Bangalore Teachers'…

In the recently concluded monsoon session of the Karnataka state assembly, two audit reports by the CAG of India were tabled: Report No 1 of 2020, tabled on September 22, pertains to State Finances of Karnataka Government for the year 2018-19.Report No 2 of 2020, tabled on September 23, presents the Performance Audit on Implementation of the 74th Constitutional Amendment Act. (Read the English version of the CAG report here, and the Kannada version here.) Also, on September 23, CAG’s Audit Report on Union Government (Finance Accounts) for the year 2018-19 was tabled in parliament. This showed a savings of…

Each year at Dasara, Malleswaram 8th Cross turns into a vibrant, festive street, owing to its many temples and commercial areas. It attracts thousands of people each day from all over the city. However, this year, the same packed streets pose a health hazard for residents and visitors due to the potential for spread of COVID. 8th Cross, October 2, 15 days before Dasara 8th Cross, October 16, one day to Dasara Keeping this in mind, Malleswaram Urban Living Lab - a collaboration between Malleswaram Social, a resident community group, and Sensing Local, an urban do-tank - has been working…