Deepa's Jottings

Here's a message that I received at 8.45 pm on Feb 20th 2016. Public meeting has been organised on 21st Feb at BMRCL office Shanthinagarat 11 am in connection with Constructn of Metro station in LaxmanRao park area.Pl attend.Srinivas, Chief Engineer, BMRCL  If citizens are told at 8.45 pm (that, too, by email, which they may not see on a Saturday evening) that there is to be a public meeting the next morning (Sunday) at 11 am, how many of them can turn up? Sundays are planned with family or hobbies in mind, well in advance. Can BMRCL not give citizens a few days' notice when a…

Here's a message that I received at 8.45 pm on Feb 20th 2016. Public meeting has been organised on 21st Feb at BMRCL office Shanthinagarat 11 am in connection with Constructn of Metro station in LaxmanRao park area.Pl attend.Srinivas, Chief Engineer, BMRCL  If citizens are told at 8.45 pm (that, too, by email, which they may not see on a Saturday evening) that there is to be a public meeting the next morning (Sunday) at 11 am, how many of them can turn up? Sundays are planned with family or hobbies in mind, well in advance. Can BMRCL not give citizens a few days' notice when a…

Some time ago, the Government tried to make the Aadhar card mandatory to have a LPG connection. But due to protests from consumers, the requirement was withdrawn. Now, Indane (I do  not know about other LPG companies) is once again forcing some consumers to have an Aadhar card. Those consumers whose income falls below Rs.10 lakh per annum are eligible to get a discount on the price of a cooking gas cylinder. However, they are required to go to their agency and give a declaration to the effect.  The government has made it mandatory for such consumers to provide a…

Some time ago, the Government tried to make the Aadhar card mandatory to have a LPG connection. But due to protests from consumers, the requirement was withdrawn. Now, Indane (I do  not know about other LPG companies) is once again forcing some consumers to have an Aadhar card. Those consumers whose income falls below Rs.10 lakh per annum are eligible to get a discount on the price of a cooking gas cylinder. However, they are required to go to their agency and give a declaration to the effect.  The government has made it mandatory for such consumers to provide a…

I conducted the Campus Bird Count at the Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore, on two days, Saturday, 13th Feb, and Sunday, 14th Feb 2016. I had already mentioned that as birders and naturalists, our team would be carrying their own water bottles, and that IIMB should only provide for filling up the bottles and not set out PET bottles of mineral water. After the count on the morning of the 13th, IIM-B hosted our birding team for breakfast. I noted the small mineral water PET bottles at each place setting and requested the Dean of Administration, Dr G Shainesh, not…

I conducted the Campus Bird Count at the Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore, on two days, Saturday, 13th Feb, and Sunday, 14th Feb 2016. I had already mentioned that as birders and naturalists, our team would be carrying their own water bottles, and that IIMB should only provide for filling up the bottles and not set out PET bottles of mineral water. After the count on the morning of the 13th, IIM-B hosted our birding team for breakfast. I noted the small mineral water PET bottles at each place setting and requested the Dean of Administration, Dr G Shainesh, not…

All of us bemoan the fact that so many PET bottles get used and thrown into the landscape, where they will not bio-degrade. Well, I've been noticing that the Government (or, rather, the power companies) have come up with a great "jugaad" (creative solution) that uses these bottles. The ends of the transmission wires are fed into the bottle and sealed, thus ensuring that short circuits do not happen, the ends are protected from the elements, easily visible, and in a lightweight container. Congratulations to the very creative person who thought "out of the box" and "in the bottle" on…

All of us bemoan the fact that so many PET bottles get used and thrown into the landscape, where they will not bio-degrade. Well, I've been noticing that the Government (or, rather, the power companies) have come up with a great "jugaad" (creative solution) that uses these bottles. The ends of the transmission wires are fed into the bottle and sealed, thus ensuring that short circuits do not happen, the ends are protected from the elements, easily visible, and in a lightweight container. Congratulations to the very creative person who thought "out of the box" and "in the bottle" on…

Recently, the Bangalore Traffic Police made it mandatory for pillion riders to wear helmets. It's been a law, for some years now, for two-wheeler drivers to wear them. Here's a family I snapped...   This was not on any side road, it was on the main highway leading to the airport from the city.  I've had a neurosurgeon neighbour, and two of my surgeon brothers in law, tell me what horrific head injuries can happen when a two-wheeler is involved in an accident. The pillion rider can, in fact, be thrown even further than the driver, and head injuries are…

Recently, the Bangalore Traffic Police made it mandatory for pillion riders to wear helmets. It's been a law, for some years now, for two-wheeler drivers to wear them. Here's a family I snapped...   This was not on any side road, it was on the main highway leading to the airport from the city.  I've had a neurosurgeon neighbour, and two of my surgeon brothers in law, tell me what horrific head injuries can happen when a two-wheeler is involved in an accident. The pillion rider can, in fact, be thrown even further than the driver, and head injuries are…