A Bus Journey

cbpolicystudies   November 13, 2023   No Comments on A Bus Journey

Travelling by public transport, especially BMTC buses is something that I have been doing for a long time – about 8 years now. I take one of the traditional bus routes in Bangalore (Mysore Road) which has its significance culturally and historically[1] and thus embarking on this bus journey is an adventure that encloses a multitude of experiences. As I… Read more »

Fighting the good fight: My journey as a feminist researcher

“The heart of justice is truth telling, seeing ourselves and the world the way it is rather than the way we want it to be. More than ever before we, as a society, need to renew a commitment to truth telling.” bell hooks This month of March is quite significant for many of us in CBPS.  We are gearing up… Read more »

The Economic Survey 2020-2021: Growth does not necessarily work for the Poor

Dedicating to the COVID Warriors, the 561 page long Economic Survey of India for the year 2020-21 was placed before the Parliament of India on January 29, 2021.  The survey being an exercise on the macro economic status of the economy, estimated the COVID induced economic contraction at 7.7 percent of the GDP during FY 2020-21, with the GDP being… Read more »

Union Budget and the health of Democracy

I am writing this note after listening to the finance minister’s speech which was accompanied by the thumping of the ruling party on the floor. After listening to the very carefully crafted rhetoric that was put before the citizenry, I (as a citizen of this country) want to present my position vis – a – vis the much-emphasized spending on… Read more »

Levitt Model for Covid-19: No room for complacency

A disease prediction model proposed by 2013 Nobel laureate Michael Levitt that relies on a simple mathematical formula was recently applied to India and various states by Prof. Bhaskaran Raman, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Bombay. Several researchers have already highlighted the limitations of this model such as assuming a linear extrapolation of the growth rate and not factoring the time-dependent… Read more »

Remembering Nehru

Nehru’s death anniversary – May 27. I recall going, like so many others, to Teen Murty. An opportunity to reflect on Nehru’s achievements and failures. Acknowledging several failures, I see his overall contributions as positive, importantly positive. Today, ‘Nehru ke Aulaad’ has become an abuse. This is tragic. He is accused of awarding himself the Bharat Ratna. No one remembers… Read more »

Indian women work much harder than men – is anyone listening?

All women work. Even those who are not considered ‘working,’ work, and work hard. That is because they are the ones who are usually responsible for all care work in the family. This is true for the entire world but truer for India and other South Asian countries. According to a global report published by Organisation for Economic Co-operation and… Read more »

इस मौखिक गोलबंदी के बाद!

इस मौखिक गोलबंदी के बाद! इसके बाद एक उजाला है, अंधेरे की परछाई के उस पार जो बन्द होते दरवाजों की कंगूरों से झांकती हैं स्थिर होकर, देखती हैं चटाई को बनते हुए जिसे एक स्त्री बनाती है, अपने खर्राये हुए तलवों को छुपाते हुए जांघों पर रख कर सहेजती हुई इस गोलबंदी का असर है उसके ऊपर भी हो… Read more »

The Question of Difference (Part three of three): Poverty of Imagination

Feminist or a Womanist? . . . Those in the middle get caught in the cross – fire away at the other side. If you are not for us, then you must be against us. If you are not for us, then you must be against us. People get scared enough, they pick a team. Be it for Buddha or… Read more »

The question of difference (Part two of three):  Meaning of difference

Sleeping, turning in turn like planets Sleeping, turning in turn like planets rotating in their midnight meadow: a touch is enough to let us know we’re not alone in the universe, even in sleep: the dream-ghosts of two worlds walking their ghost-towns, almost address each other. I’ve wakened to your muttered words spoken light- or dark-years away as if my… Read more »