Teetotaler

Transition is an inevitable element in any being and a person with a contradicting personality probably experiences it not at every junction but probably at every two steps on the road travelled. But can a twist in a personality within a time span of 22 hours be explained? Transitions perhaps need not be absorbed with fear or disgust. But when transformation is the outcome – loneliness, confusion, in capabilities set to sink in. “Nothing to ponder about “might be the most convenient way to overcome it. But after a déjà vu once, twice, thrice a feeling of emptiness, depression, sometimes even a solution to overcome fear become the outcome. At times giving away to let emotions trickle down those cheeks might not comfort for more than 5 moments. Such is the strength of transition when the needle simply doesn’t point to that dot; a very Big dot at that.

Maybe not the best I saw; for all I know greener pastures could thaw But come again, I look forward to everything and anything yet in store; Bigger, brighter, Brighter , bigger A whirlpool of events that churn into a shimmer Cos all is not permanent and a good thing at that ! Everything to change at a drop of a hat A positive adobe on my head A feel I get when I hit the bed……. 2011 , You’ve made me wiser, older and kinder- Thank you for that Hearty Welcome 2012- I shall embrace you with all due respect J

What’s Bangalore’s biggest nightmare? Those in mansions and bungalows can escape it once they are inside their homes. The roadside, slums, villages are filled with it. It is the city’s most dreaded enemy. With rising piles of garbage across town, Bangalore is on the verge of saturation with added pressure on landfills and age- old technologies. Solid waste management takes committed and responsible implementation of waste collection, handling and disposal. With the deep corruption and irresponsible officials, which includes regulators and engineers, it will be very hard to solve this crisis. All those contractors mishandling their contracts should be jailed and be kept away from getting such contracts, so future contractors do an honest job, hopefully. But can anyone point out the exact reason for this crisis? The success and failure of waste management can be attributed to several factors that may seem obvious such as proper disposal of waste, participation of the community, hiring th...

Poverty eradication through networking of women’s groups Kuttiyamma maintains a garden in front of her house. Red roses and lilies bloom there. Her life and status have changed since she shifted to her newly constructed home in Ayyappan Koil Panchayath in Idukkki district of Kerala. She is no more a destitute who lives on charity. Today there are millions like Kuttiyamma who can happily say that they are secure and prosperous. Thanks to “Kudumbashree”, one of the largest women empowering projects in the country. In a country where the poor become poorer as years and decades take a toll, various programmes have been initiated for the eradication of poverty. But despite all the initiatives, there was no significant achievement in the poverty scenario in the country. The poor remained as poor. In the post independence era there is no dearth of programmes and projects to tackle the poverty situation prevailing in the country. But all the programmes were supply driven and not need based...

ATTENTION! According to the statistics for 2007, released by the National Criminal Records Bureau, Tamil Nadu had a total cognizable crime rate of 261.7 per one lakh population, while that of Chennai was 256.9.  The crime rate, defined as the number of crime trends as it balances incidence with growth in population. Chennai’s crime rate ensures that the metro is ranked a creditable 24 th among 35 major cities in the country while Coimbatore stands at the 22nd position and Madurai at the 30 th .  However the situation in Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru can send a chill of apprehension down anyone’s spine.  Delhi has earned the skeptical distinction of being the most unsafe metro in the country, topping the list of the number of crimes. According to latest government statistics, Delhi accounted for 13.2 per cent of a total of 3,43,749 crimes reported in 35 mega cities across the country in 2009 followed by Bengaluru (9.4 %) and Mumbai (9.1%). Now picturise the following ...

Today morning while I was leaving for work, a lady asked me to wait for her to enter the lift before closing it as she had to lock the door of her house. However I had already pressed the button to go downstairs and before I knew it I had reached the basement. I felt as though I had snubbed her request and waited till she reached the basement. I thought it was necessary to apologize. When she arrived I quickly told her a sorry and headed outside. She had a puzzled expression on her face and asked” You waited all this while just to say sorry?” I said “Yes, actually I didn’t mean to press the button. “ She said it was alright and that I didn’t have to wait. Her puzzled expression kept me thinking. These days courtesy is taken for granted or rather to say our hectic , super- sonic paced life has made us ignore the importance of being courteous. Nowadays   I feel people feel glad rather than guilty if they cut the line , save a minute or two and complete their task. But honestly speak...

NGO is a very generic term given to something very noble and specific. There is more to it than just non- governmental organization. What are the problems that they face? Their challenges? Is anyone listening to them? There are many NGOs in India working for the poor and needy. They try to enhance the lives of people in many ways. Not many people realize that these NGOs that try to help people also face many problems at various levels. Last week the team from Innovation Alchemy returned from an eighteen day visit to the NGOs in Bihar, Orissa and Rajasthan who are the winners of the 2011 Development Marketplace. The visit was made to do needs assessment of the winners that will help them in the long run. Bihar Development Trust( BDT), Saran Renewable Energy(SRE), Nidan  in Bihar; Adhikar, Healing Heritage Producers Company, WOSCA (Women’s Organisation for Socio- Cultural  Awareness) in Orissa; Rangsutra Craft’s India ltd. ,Sadhna, BAIF – Bharatiya Agro Industries Foundation...