In Focus – Citizen Matters, Bengaluru

‘Not plastic’, but Bengaluru will now grapple with discarded polyester flags post Independence Day

August 17, 2018 Seema Prasad

The state ban on plastic and the central government advisory against use of plastic flags this Independence Day meant that many vendors switched to polyester fabric flags. But what does this really mean? What will be the impact of our celebrations on the environment?

Aspirations of the young urban poor: A job that pays well, and has ‘prestige’

August 14, 2018 Manasi Paresh Kumar

With no influential friends or social network and limited education, where do the children of our domestic workers, security personnel or other blue/grey-collared workers find jobs? How often are their expectations being met?

Why does Bengaluru need a new Special Purpose Vehicle for its suburban rail project?

August 2, 2018 Manasi Paresh Kumar

In 2014, the state government registered the BSRCL as a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) for the Suburban Railways project. Now the CM has announced another SPV, to be set up within a month to help speed up the project. What’s really happening?

Bengaluru’s treated water foaming in Kolar: Plan to use in irrigation on hold

August 1, 2018 News Desk

Plan of using treated water in agriculture is a new idea. The foam and froth have put a temporary stop to the project. What needs to be done to make the project a viable option where treated water can be used?

Bengaluru Buzz: Trader licences revoked, SPV project pushed and 1000 transformers uprooted

July 28, 2018 News Desk

Your chance to catch up on news that matters: Here’s a quick wrap of some important headlines from your city over the week gone by.

Bengaluru is treating groundwater like ‘overdrawn credit card’

July 25, 2018 Sahana Ghosh

Aquifers in Bengaluru are over-exploited. Experts feel it is just a matter of time for parts of Bengaluru to be forced into a Capetown-like situation. World Resource Institute calls for a paradigm shift, from linear, centralised model to circular decentralised model of water supply.

Have STP and fire hydrant in your apartment? This is what BESCOM can charge

July 25, 2018 Seema Prasad

The recent case where BESCOM sought to penalise an apartment complex for paying domestic tariff charges despite use of STPs and fire hydrants has finally been resolved. Here’s all that you should know about the controversy and its resolution, so that you are not wrongly charged in future.

Run smaller buses, not pod taxis: Prof Ashish Verma

July 24, 2018 Manasi Paresh Kumar

Bengaluru is once again toying with the idea of introducing pod taxis. But it is at best a fast mode of personal rapid transit, with limited and low carrying capacity. Neither will it provide last mile connectivity. Do we have better alternatives? Ashish Verma explains.

Bengaluru Buzz: BMTC losses, water woes, HDK’s push for Metro Phase II on Hosur Road

July 21, 2018 News Desk

As you wind up for the week, take a quick look at some of the headlines that have caught Bengaluru’s attention over the last seven days. Don’t miss the buzz in your city.

Bangalore Buzz: BBMP vs pourakarmikas, new plans to ease traffic, and more

July 14, 2018 Seema Prasad

The latest in the controversy over non-payment of salaries to pourakarmikas, objections to certain proposed corridors and a collaboration with Japan to install smart traffic signals across the city — did you catch all this on the papers over the week gone by? A quick recap of these and other pertinent news from namma Bengaluru.

NIMHANS launches digital academy to help tackle India’s mental health crisis

July 13, 2018 Seema Prasad

In June 2018, NIMHANS, which has 5.5 lakh people from around the country seeking help at its doors annually, formally launched a digital academy that will impart virtual training to doctors around the country to address and treat common mental health disorders.

How do corporates see and treat the problems in employability?

July 4, 2018 Siddharth Anil Nair

With low level of skills and willingness to learn, jobs aren’t easy to come by, but in-house training and on-the-job training by the corporates helps improve the skills and employability for management graduates. What does the scenario look like?