Transgender fear inclusion in NRC

The transgender community, unable to have access to documents and residence proof, fear the worst Swalpi Bajpai The contentious NRC bill lacks inclusivity of the transgender community putting them at risk of being stateless. They are often disowned by their family, leaving them with no access to important documents like identification and residence proof. Sophie […]

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Threadbare lives of Bengaluru’s seamstresses

More than 90 percent of home-based garment workers can be called ‘forced laborers’ as they are paid less than the state stipulated minimum wage. By Jagriti Parakh While walking down the narrow lanes of Hosahalli, through the dimly lit basement shops along Mysore Road, and across the dystopian concrete buildings in Peenya and BTM Layout […]

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Schools irresolute on Child Protection Policy

After some initial action, schools now lack provisions that are mandated under the state protection policy. Adilin Beatrice C Many schools in Bengaluru do not have Child Protection Committees (CMCs), suggestion or complaint boxes as mandated by the Karnataka State Child Protection Policy (KSCPP). Some schools initially followed the rules but later gave up.  Amruth […]

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Touch-me-not: From the Eyes of the Domestic Worker

Untouchability, although a cognizable offense in India, is still practiced covertly in several households. In the city of Bangalore, not sharing utensils and other items is just another assertion of the belief that ‘one who cleans my washroom can’t cook my food’. Yamini Chincholi Imagine that you have just mopped up the utility where you […]

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E-ticketing fails, BMTC services need mending

Despite the city’s attempts to make public transport smart by introducing Intelligent Transport system (ITS), passengers are issued paper tickets.  Savyata Mishra Anil Kumar boards the bus from Majestic bus station to Uttarahalli every day after work by paying Rs 22. A few months ago, he was being issued one electronically generated ticket of the […]

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Price of Essential Commodities Continue To Soar High

Consumers have resorted to buying a reduced amount of goods due to the price hike in the retail market. Ambalika Banerjee The rise in food inflation in the Indian economy has impacted the purchasing power of its consumers. Consumers have resorted to buying a reduced amount of goods due to the price hike in the […]

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Shelter homes only on paper, transgenders live on streets

Despite government’s promise of shelter homes, transgenders continue to risk their lives living on streets. Aarthi N Transgenders who were promised shelter homes by BBMP in 2019 are still waiting for them. The result: They continue to live on the streets. Swetha, a transgender in Shivajinagar, informed The Observer:  “Shelter homes will be helpful for […]

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Harmful coping mechanisms

Non-suicidal self-injury is becoming an increasingly common behaviour among school-aged youth. Psychologists say they receive several cases of self-harm by school kids every day and that the numbers across the country is even more alarming. Before Tejaswini enters a room, her arrival is announced by the jingling sound of her silver bangles. The most inherent […]

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From “Not in my backyard” to “Yes in my back yard”

National Green Tribunal urges for de-centralized management of waste as BBMP (Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike) drowns in city produced garbage. As BBMP runs out of places to dump waste and the waste disposal apocalypse looms large over the city, National Green Tribunal (NGT) singled out de-centralized waste management as the only plausible solution to the […]

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