Governance

There are two separate issues in the Bangalore Club case, which the government is now trying to tackle through a law. And of the two, only one is legitimate. The first issue is whether Indian dress code should be disallowed from any premises, even a private one. I don't think so. It's not nice, and some would say it seems undignified. Possibly. But if a private group wants to set up rules for its own members, and they're all ok with it, I wouldn't lose any sleep over it. By the same token, if the government wants to wage war…

There are two separate issues in the Bangalore Club case, which the government is now trying to tackle through a law. And of the two, only one is legitimate. The first issue is whether Indian dress code should be disallowed from any premises, even a private one. I don't think so. It's not nice, and some would say it seems undignified. Possibly. But if a private group wants to set up rules for its own members, and they're all ok with it, I wouldn't lose any sleep over it. By the same token, if the government wants to wage war…

In his classic book, 'Ways of Seeing' John Berger says, "The relation between what we see and what we know is never settled. "Each evening we see the sun set. We know that the earth is turning away from it." what we know a Street for Cars and People to move what we see  what we know There must be an EDGE differentiating spaces and functions, a distinction between where the street vendor belongs, where the pedestrian walks and where the vehicles move. "We only see what we look at. To look is an act of choice." And, if we were…

In his classic book, 'Ways of Seeing' John Berger says, "The relation between what we see and what we know is never settled. "Each evening we see the sun set. We know that the earth is turning away from it." what we know a Street for Cars and People to move what we see  what we know There must be an EDGE differentiating spaces and functions, a distinction between where the street vendor belongs, where the pedestrian walks and where the vehicles move. "We only see what we look at. To look is an act of choice." And, if we were…

A couple of months ago I wrote a couple of articles on my struggle to get a lamppost repaired on the street where I live. The issue was not that the light was faulty—but 15th Cross Malleshwaram is supposed to be a 'model road' where the utilities are buried under the footpath. However, a BBMP repairman who had come to repair a streetlight next to it had just connected a wire from the lamppost to the streetlight about 10 feet above the ground. I requested him to do a proper job but he did not heed to my request. Apart…

A couple of months ago I wrote a couple of articles on my struggle to get a lamppost repaired on the street where I live. The issue was not that the light was faulty—but 15th Cross Malleshwaram is supposed to be a 'model road' where the utilities are buried under the footpath. However, a BBMP repairman who had come to repair a streetlight next to it had just connected a wire from the lamppost to the streetlight about 10 feet above the ground. I requested him to do a proper job but he did not heed to my request. Apart…

I arrived by the Air France flight which lands at  Bangalore International Airport (BIAL) at 23.50 hrs. It most definitely meant that by the time I navigated Customs and Immigration and came out of the Arrivals area, it was about 01.30 hrs.  I am an avid user of public transport, and there is a Vayu Vajra service (KIAS 12) that drops me at my front gate. I would have felt much more safe in using that, rather than taking a cab. But the service is suspended between 00.30hrs and 0700 hrs. Therefore, I had no alternative but to take a…

I arrived by the Air France flight which lands at  Bangalore International Airport (BIAL) at 23.50 hrs. It most definitely meant that by the time I navigated Customs and Immigration and came out of the Arrivals area, it was about 01.30 hrs.  I am an avid user of public transport, and there is a Vayu Vajra service (KIAS 12) that drops me at my front gate. I would have felt much more safe in using that, rather than taking a cab. But the service is suspended between 00.30hrs and 0700 hrs. Therefore, I had no alternative but to take a…

The Registrations for the CEPT Winter School in Ahmedabad are now open! There's a wide variety of courses and one of these is 'The Everyday City'. Sharing the details of this course below. Dates: 1st to 17th Dec 2015 Location: School of Architecture & Planning, CEPT University, Ahmedabad In India, as in other parts of the world, some of the physical development of the city is influenced by the everyday practices of its people. The urban spaces are continually transformed by social, cultural, religious, political, economic and other practices. Currently, these practices intermingle with each other and with the streets…

The Registrations for the CEPT Winter School in Ahmedabad are now open! There's a wide variety of courses and one of these is 'The Everyday City'. Sharing the details of this course below. Dates: 1st to 17th Dec 2015 Location: School of Architecture & Planning, CEPT University, Ahmedabad In India, as in other parts of the world, some of the physical development of the city is influenced by the everyday practices of its people. The urban spaces are continually transformed by social, cultural, religious, political, economic and other practices. Currently, these practices intermingle with each other and with the streets…