In Focus | Citizen Matters, Bengaluru

Time has perhaps come for a separate law for crimes against women: S T Ramesh, ex-DGP

January 16, 2020 Bhanutej N

There has been much talk about gender-sensitisation of the police as well as procedural reforms vis-à-vis justice for rape survivors and other women victims of crime. S T Ramesh, former DGP and IGP of Karnataka Police, was a reformer within the force. Here are his thoughts on the subject.

Bengaluru’s women factory workers can now do night shifts, but will it help them?

January 16, 2020 Harsha Raj Gatty

As per a recent state government notification, women factory workers can now do night shifts. While the progressive move has been lauded, there are concerns that it could lead to more exploitation of workers

Bengaluru’s traffic cop shortage: Can technology, mannequins bridge the gap?

January 6, 2020 Tushar Kaushik

Bengaluru has only around 4,600 traffic cops for a vehicle population of over 80 lakh. Administrators are trying to bridge the gap with technology, but experts say technology without expertise and infrastructure doesn’t help

Poor attendance, no accountability: Why Bengaluru’s ward committees aren’t yielding results

December 10, 2019 Harsha Raj Gatty

A year ago, ward committee meetings started in Bengaluru. Then why is it that citizens still don’t have a say in the governance of their wards?

Bengaluru’s pothole victims’ pain continues, no formal way yet to claim compensation

December 5, 2019 Harsha Raj Gatty

Potholes have led to several accidents and deaths in Bengaluru. But compensation for victims have always been at the Mayor’s discretion. Despite a HC order, BBMP has not yet set up a formal process for compensation

Why pedestrians prefer risking lives over using skywalks in Bengaluru

October 28, 2019 Ananya Iyer

With long flights of stairs, dysfunctional lifts, and even criminals lurking around, skywalks in Bengaluru have few users. These multi-crore projects are justified only if safety and convenience of users is taken seriously

Averting Day Zero: How Bengaluru should manage its water

October 23, 2019 Sneha Visakha

A slew of regulations are needed to arrest Bengaluru’s worsening water scarcity. These include change in water pricing, integrated management of various water resources, and so on

Not just Lalbagh, your small neighbourhood park too can protect Bengaluru’s biodiversity

October 3, 2019 Manupriya

A recent study finds that Bengaluru’s neighbourhood parks establish a long continuum of greenery, facilitating the movement of birds, butterflies and insects. Hence the focus should be on setting up many small parks rather than a few large ones, says the study

Climate Strike comes to India — three things to keep in mind

September 29, 2019 Satarupa Sen Bhattacharya

Over the last one week, thousands of Indian students and youth across India, inspired by the Global Climate Strike organised by ‘Fridays for Future’, marched together to demand immediate action to mitigate local and global climate risks. What should be the way forward?

No pay, few matches, little support but Karnataka’s professional women footballers still dream big

September 14, 2019 Grace Madigan

Often playing pro bono, with hardly anyone rooting for them, Karnataka’s women footballers are struggling. But their love of the game is the one thing that sustains them

How women’s football changed the lives of Sana, Raksha, Athmika and others

September 13, 2019 Grace Madigan

Through football, underprivileged girls in Bengaluru are getting scholarships to attend college, trips abroad, and even a place in the state team. Also, a collective of women have taken initiative to learn the game in their 30s

How Karnataka’s first women’s football league is picking new talent

September 12, 2019 Grace Madigan

Even as women’s football lay neglected for decades, hundreds of women have been playing the game informally in Karnataka. Now the state football association is forming leagues to give them the opportunities they deserve

A pedestrian waiting to cross the road. Pic: The Footpath Initiative

One pedestrian is killed every two days on Bengaluru’s high-speed arterial roads

September 7, 2019 Anusha Chitturi

In 2017, 282 pedestrians were killed in vehicle crashes in Bengaluru. Majority of these crashes occurred when the pedestrian was trying to cross a major arterial road, like the ORR, that’s designed for maximum vehicle speed

Sacred sites in Bengaluru: Where heritage helps conserve biodiversity

August 29, 2019 Sahana Ghosh

Despite Bengaluru’s rapid urbanisation, its kattes and temples still harbour over 120 different tree species. Majority of these are native species including neem and peepal. These trees should be mapped and given protected status, conservationists say

Are cases of wrong-side driving increasing on Bengaluru’s roads?

August 15, 2019 Kedar Koushik

Melissa Arulappan recently counted 13 bikers driving on the wrong side on a one-way street, all within two seconds. This is not a one-off incident. Citizens across Bengaluru have been noticing an increasing number of such violations in the recent past. What’s going on?

Volunteering is cool: How Bengaluru’s youth are helping out orphanages, cleaning black spots, and more

August 13, 2019 Ekta Sawant

Are Bengaluru’s youth disconnected from social realities? Here is a look at the city’s young volunteers that prove they aren’t. From serving others to saving the planet, there’s much these volunteers are trying to do

Thirsty city tantrums: How Bengaluru’s thirst for water is felt 400 km away

August 9, 2019 Kedar Koushik

To satiate Bengaluru’s unending thirst, water has been diverted from many rivers, including those from the Western Ghats. But these projects are starving local populations of water, and destroying ecosystems

Pasta or Pav bhaji? Roti or Ragi mudde? How Bengaluru’s schools and students deal with food

July 31, 2019 Tanika Deuskar

As children increasingly consume junk food, some Bengaluru schools have adopted strict policies to ensure that their students eat healthy. These schools’ policies range from providing food cooked at school itself, to replacing any junk food children bring from home

Bengaluru’s real estate market up last year; but can apartment construction ban help the water situation?

July 18, 2019 Kedar Koushik

Residential projects are increasing in Bengaluru again, after a slump. Would an apartment construction ban really help the city’s water situation now? How would it affect the economy?

Beer vs water: Bengaluru’s microbreweries in a time of water shortage

July 17, 2019 Grace Madigan

It takes seven litres of water to brew just a litre of beer! But as the city struggles with a water crisis, Bengaluru’s craft microbreweries are finding ways to cut down their water use