Society | Citizen Matters

Op-ed: Gender safety starts when we look beyond statistics and cases

January 15, 2020 Kirthi Jayakumar

Gender-based violence is as old as the hills. To change something that is so deeply embedded in our thinking, we need to respond, rather than react. Awareness and introspection are the keys to changing mindsets and culture.

Have cities really made it easier for women to report crimes against them?

January 15, 2020 Satarupa Sen Bhattacharya

As India strives to ensure faster delivery of justice in cases involving crimes against women, several steps have been taken to improve ease of initial reporting. Here are some reports from different cities that indicate how these are functioning on the ground.

How released female prisoners in Kolkata are trying to build a new life

January 14, 2020 Gurvinder Singh

Shunned by families, often deeply scarred and traumatised by experiences in prison and ostracised by society at large, women convicts can rarely expect a normal life in the city after release. These cases from Kolkata, facilitated by state and NGOs, however raise hope.

Turning fridges to agricultural fields: Mangalore school kids’ unique urban farming experiment

January 5, 2020 Harsha Raj Gatty

The ‘thermally insulated’ compartments of unused, discarded refrigerators are being used as eco-friendly pots for growing a variety of vegetables on the ‘rooftop garden’ of Sayyed Madani Urdu Higher Primary School. The produce contributes significantly to mid day meals prepared in the school.

Elections, Kashmir, environment and citizens: 12 stories from the 12 months gone by

December 31, 2019 Satarupa Sen Bhattacharya

As we come to the end of the year, a look at some of the most topical, important and appreciated stories of 2019.

Delhi fire tragedy a grim reminder of the city’s 32000+ child labourers

December 12, 2019 Oommen C Kurian

Between 2011 and 2017, child workers under the age of 14 increased from a little over 2000 to 32,330 — 41% of them Dalit and 55% Muslim. Now with the recent fire at Anaj Mandi claiming several such young lives, will the Delhi government sit up and act on this mounting problem?

“Home is the safest place”: Pune transwomen recount experiences in public spaces

December 9, 2019 Amla Pisharody

On Trans Remembrance Day, Pune’s transwomen gathered to remember those who lost their lives to transphobia, and shared tales of the stigma, bullying, harassment and fear that they face everyday.

Safe and healthy food for children: Proposed FSSAI regulation puts the onus on schools

December 6, 2019 Surabhi Soral

Draft regulation, now being finalised, says schools must take concrete steps to ensure that only healthy food is served on campuses. No food categorised as HFSS (high in fats, sugar and salt) may be offered or sold within 50 m of a school campus.

Eight months after launch, Kolkata’s ‘pink taxis’ hardly in the pink of health

November 30, 2019 Gurvinder Singh

The pink taxis launched in Kolkata in February 2019 meant to provide a safe commute option for women. They also promised to open up a new world for the 10 women drivers chosen to drive the fleet. Today, not only are they not making enough money, their days are filled with challenges on the roads and off.

Despite digital life certificates, aged pensioners face harrowing experiences during submission

November 26, 2019 Aruna Natarajan

All pensioners must submit a life certificate by November 30th every year in order to continue receiving pension. While the process was digitised with the intent to minimise the physical presence of aged citizens, the experience has been far from seamless for many.

Not just me, it’s ‘we’ who are responsible for safety of women commuters

November 26, 2019 Trupti Deshpande

Reports of harassment and molestation of women commuters, often involving app-cabs, have become all too common. For all practical purposes, though, the responsibility to make commute safe lies with multiple agencies — operators, government departments and yes, commuters themselves.

Garbage to gold: Shillong women’s group shows the way

November 15, 2019 Linda Chhakchhuak

Ambitious, big-money plans remain on paper, but a women’s self help group comprised of waste pickers-turned-recyclers could help the hill station solve its ugly waste crisis.

Students begin crusade to save East Kolkata Wetlands

October 17, 2019 Mou Chakraborty

Young students from the neighbourhoods of the East Kolkata Wetlands, along with students from city schools, are getting ready to join hands and work towards saving this “wetland of international importance” as designated by the Ramsar Convention in 2002.

Biodiesel from used cooking oil: What’s fuelling five buses in Mangalore

October 12, 2019 Harsha Raj Gatty

In Mangalore, a state government-run research centre has developed the technology to convert used cooking oil to biodiesel. Five private buses here now run on biofuel blend

Quaint book café in Shimla, inspired by Kullu’s, a vibrant cultural landmark today

September 25, 2019 Ashwani Sharma

An innovative experiment in Kullu inspired a similar initiative in Shimla, where the book café, managed by jailed convicts, has turned into a vibrant literary hub, attracting the city’s creative fraternity. Such has been its success that three more are being planned.

Not made in heaven: Do’s and don’ts when you look for a life partner online

September 9, 2019 Swati Amar

Online matchmaking among the tech-savvy new generation has led to the proliferation of various matrimonial and dating sites in India. But these come with very real hazards and every user of such sites must always be cautious.

Anecdotes and nostalgia are all that remain around single screen theatres in Kolkata

August 31, 2019 Shoma A Chatterji

As old movie halls in the city pull down their shutters, one after the other, those close to the world of cinema are left ruing that iconic institutions and an entire culture of movie-watching will be lost to the future generations.

Adoption jokes are not ok, and here’s why

August 27, 2019 Mahesh V

Urban online gifting options are plenty today. But when a range of products meant for siblings deliberately calls one out as the ‘adopted’ one and makes adoption the stuff of jokes, should we just play along and accept it as ‘normal’ humour?

Are Indian cities a new Lilliput in the making?

August 6, 2019 Revathi Siva Kumar

India has the largest number of ‘stunted’ children in the world according to the global Global Nutrition Report. And contrary to what many think, they are not only to be found in rural or remote areas. One in four children under five years have stunted growth in our cities, with even the capital Delhi showing alarming rates.

Young, single and working in Kochi? Here’s why finding a home may be your biggest challenge

June 18, 2019 Sangheeta Bhattacharya

With thriving infrastructure, a blooming arts and entertainment scene and an encouraging start-up culture, Kochi has a growing population of young creative millennials, many of them single. But ask them about their experiences with rentals, and horror stories emerge. Especially if they are women.