The Observer Edition 3 Volume 22

The Observer An IIJNM publication

Vol 22, Issue 3

One in five women is diagnosed with PCOS, greater awareness needed about it | P 2

Thursday, September 27, 2022

Pandemic and Bangalore University delay have led to many dropouts

By Hamsaveni N

U

Most private colleges in Bengaluru have closed admissions for their post-graduate courses, forcing students to stick on to government colleges | Credit: Hamsaveni. N studies. Most of my friends are planning to drop out this year as they can’t get into private colleges... Bangalore University should have done better planning on completing courses on time.”

Sowmya, a final-year student

said: “I want to do MBA via correspondence, but I am not sure if admissions will still be open by the time I complete my undergraduate final exam. I don’t know if I will get a seat or not. There is too much of a delay from their

end. Most of us don’t know about the admissions being closed in private colleges. There is… fear.. among students.”

Venkatesh, a final-year degree student, faces a similar dilemma.

“Because of this delay, I can’t decide whether to choose post-graduate studies or not, because what if I can't get into a good college through PGCET. Everything is in a mess,” he said.

A student from Shrusti Degree College said: “I was really not aware about private college admissions being closed in most colleges. None of our professors reported the same. I was planning to do a course via correspondence. I don’t know if I can get into private colleges. I think most of us might need to drop out and wait for next year.”

A parent of a final-year degree student observed” “Most parents don’t know much about the situation. We know that the pandemic has impacted the education system, but here it is the question of students and their lives.”

Students should not suffer any more. Universities need to work harder.

Continued on page 3

Citizens disappointed over VV Puram traffic station has delay in Whitefield Metro 90 cops but inadequate infra

By Yashaswini Sri

C

ommuters are disappointed because the trial run of the Baiyappanahalli-toWhitefield Metro line, set for September, has been postponed due to the recent floods in Bengaluru.

M Padmaraju, Public Information Officer of the Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (BMRCL), said: “By September, the BMRCL hoped to begin the trial run. While we want to complete the Metro line by the deadline, safety standards cannot be compromised. We are hoping there won’t be a lot of rain in the upcoming days.”

Every day, people visiting or

living in Whitefield find it difficult to travel places around the city. Roads adjacent to the Metro construction are damaged, heightening the commuters’ woes.

T. Raghu, an autorickshaw driver, said: “On Saturdays and Sundays, people flock around Whitefield main road. Congestion on the road near the Metro construction makes it difficult to drop off passengers at their destinations. Uber and Ola auto drivers find it extremely challenging, too.”

People get off at Baiyappanahalli metro station to visit malls and restaurants around Whitefield.

Continued on page 3

Website: theweeklyobserver.in Epaper: https://issuu.com/ theweeklyobserver

Vegetable vendors at KR Market await financial aid from government post pandemic losses | P 3

Final-year UG students left with limited options for PG studies ndergraduate students of Bangalore University’s batch of 2019-2022 are left with limited options for their post-graduation and higher studies as their final exams are scheduled in September. Most private colleges in Bengaluru have closed admissions for their 2022-2024 post-graduate courses.

Students who had plans to pursue their post-graduate programs in private institutions and abroad have to cut down their plans for this year as they are yet to complete their final exams. Sixth-semester exams for the undergraduate students, from September-end, will get over by October-end. Usually, these exams end by June.

With private universities and colleges closing their admissions, the students will have to stick to government colleges.

Uthpalla, a final-year BBA student from New Horizon College, informed The Observer: “I am planning to write PGCET for my MBA program. The delay in our university exam has impacted a lot of us for our post-graduate

@theweeklyobserver

By Arsha B.S

T

he VV Puram Traffic Police Station has a lack of infrastructure, affecting the work of its personnel.

Inspector Shiv Shankar informed The Observer: “Even if we have any problems, we cannot comment on it. The police station is assigned by the higher authorities.”

A constable assigned to work in the station said the lack of proper infrastructure is a problem.

Chandrashekhar R V, a Technical Assistant with the Karnataka State Police Housing and Infrastructure Development Corporation, said: “Police stations are

News briefs Supreme Court hearings go live for the first time For the first time, the Supreme Court went live on Tuesday as the hearing of the cases scheduled to be livestreamed during the day could be seen online. The top court had suggested live-streaming about four years ago. To access the proceedings, one can visit webcast.gov.in/scindia/. HT

Air hostess raped in Delhi, accused arrested

An air hostess, 34, was allegedly raped by an acquaintance at south Delhi’s Freedom Fighter Enclave, police said. The accused, Harjeet Yadav, 39, a political party’s block president from Khanpur, has been arrested Hindu

Madhya Pradesh police detain 21 over PFI links

The Madhya Pradesh Police have detained 21 people from eight districts of the state over links with the Popular Front of India, state Home Minister Narottam Mishra said on Tuesday. DH

Yamuna crosses danger mark, evacuation begins

East Delhi District Magistrate Anil Banka said people were evacuated from low-lying areas near the river banks to higher areas as the water level crossed the 206-meter mark on Tuesday morning. Arrangements have been made for their stay at govt. schools and night shelters in nearby areas. PTI

NASA craft crashes into asteroid in defence test

After flying in space for 10 months, a NASA spacecraft successfully crashed into an asteroid on Tuesday in a first-of-its-kind mission to test whether space rocks that might threaten Earth in the future could be nudged safely out of the way, the US space agency said. PTI

France to hold edu fairs in four cities in Oct.

Among 90 staff, only 20 work in the station.|Credit: Arsha B.S constructed depending upon the strength of the policemen working there. However, if the staff want a renovation, they have to request our superior officer. Only then would we be able to do something about it.”

Continued on page 3

France will host a series of education fairs in India called ‘Choose France Tour 2022’ from October 11 to October 16 to attract students for higher education.The education fairs will be held in Kochi, Bengaluru, Mumbai and New Delhi. Representatives of 37 leading universities, Grandes Ecoles, and colleges will participate in it. Hindu

MENSTRUAL HEALTH

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Women affected by PCOS need to seek assistance from docs ‘It should be a valid reason for leave or WFH’

By Janani Srinivas

W

ith one in five women diagnosed with PCOS, doctors say there is a need to educate them on the syndrome.

Many women do not seek medical help because they find it uncomfortable to discuss it.

Women see their close ones going through PCOS, but don’t speak at their workplaces.

Neeraja Padmakumar, a genome analyst and mother, informed The Observer: “Even though women constantly face problems over menstruation, the only issue that affects them is PCOS. Although I have not gone through it, I have observed my own friends going through this painful phase. Solutions could be multiple, but it requires more voices to reach places.”

Swaksha Krishnakumar, a writer, shared: “When I was 12 years old and began having irregular periods, little did I know what PCOS was. As I grew up, the problem occurred in the form of getting periods once in two months, and that is when I discovered myself gaining weight, experiencing constant hair fall,

Around the city Navratri Utsav 2022 by JSMA,6:30 pm onwards,27 Sept- October 5,at Star Convention Center, JP Nagar.

Jagriti Open Mic Saturdays, 5:30 pm onwards, from Oct 1,Jagriti Theatres, Whitefield,Price : INR 300 Koramangala Karaoke Night, 10:00 pm onwards, from Sept 27,Marcopolo Cafe, Koramangla,Price : INR 300 Celebrating SPB by Rajhesh Vaidhya, 6:30 pm onwards,Oct 1 ,Chowdiah Memorial Hall,Price: 500 Comedy Show,7:00 pm onwards,till Oct 3, Cafe Hideout, Koramangla,Price: INR 199 Pottery Workshop, 11 AM to 12 noon,1 Oct-29 Oct, Lahe Lahe, Indiranagar, INR 944

Quiz 1.Who was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2016?

2.How many FIFA World Cup titles have Brazil won?

3. Who was the first Indian woman to scale Mount Everest?

4. Which species of Frog is considered to be one of the most poisonous animals on the planet?

5. What was the first word sent on the Internet?

Answers on Page 3

Treatments could be different, but still there is no conclusive evidence over PCOS yet. | Credit : Ishan Rathi and acne. It was only after an ultrasound that I found out that I had PCOS. Although factors like lifestyle, diet and stress impact a woman’s body, it is all about how you manage and take care of yourself.”

Kritika Salian, a 3D designer, said: “I was diagnosed with PCOS at an early stage. We found out that there was a small cyst in the ovaries. I started to develop facial hair, which was a downside for me. I was put on medication for six months. I also had blood tests and sonography to check the

overall progress. It is high time that menstrual pain was considered a valid reason for women to be on leave.”

Simran Sharma, a trainee journalist, said: “When I first visited a doctor during my first year of college, she detected that I had PCOS. Even if PCOS can increase your weight, or cause acne all over your face, the aspect that is ignored is mental health.

Physical health would be important, but mood swings would lead a woman’s mood to drop…. Yes, I am not emotionally

stable, I have cramps, I feel pain.

It is necessary that companies cut some slack, not in the form of leave, but (allow) work from home. It may stay with me for my entire life, but I maintain a particular lifestyle and diet that allow me to remain stable.”

Apeksha Priya, a journalist, said: “The perception that people have is that if a girl is thin or fat, she has PCOS, which is not true.”

Dr Radha Rao, a consultant obstetrician and gynecologist, explained: “Often, women go through hormonal issues or obesity, which causes a full-blown syndrome. Although PCOS can be controlled, it depends on the stages of life. Treatments could be different, but still there is no conclusive evidence over PCOS yet.”

Dr M.K. Girija, professor of Obstetrics & Gynecology, shared: “The Covid scenario brought about a situation where women with PCOS faced the worst. A healthy lifestyle can be the key to improving the issue, but if you want people to stay aware of PCOS, it must start early.”

While doctors and researchers are still finding the cause for PCOS, some have said that genetics, hormones and environment cause it. All that they require at present are three things — support, awareness and more solutions. janani.s@iijnm.org

The Observer Tuesday, September 27, 2022

Citizen’s Voice The Hindu takes the path to a new style The new The Hindu layout that was launched recently allows the newspaper to cover more news stories.

The vibrant visual elements make the paper fun, but extra spacing between columns is slightly off-putting. All its features add to a new aesthetic.

The bolder, bigger font and the additions to make the paper more reader-friendly.

‘Cleaner, Sharper, and Bolder’ is precisely that, but I miss the old version and its simple style.

Surabhi Mantha

Sex education is very important in schools A taboo topic in Indian society, ‘sex’ is avoided everywhere. It helps to be aware of the various sexual changes at a young age; it raises awareness to avoid having misconceptions regarding sex-related issues.

Several kinds of sexual abuse can be avoided if children receive proper sex education.

Many parents and teachers avoid this topic out of awkwardness which should not be the case.

Harshita Meenakshi

Tweetcasm Axar Patel is such a great player.

He takes wickets, takes catches, throws directly on the stump but most importantly he drops catches of players like Steve Smith. Brilliant.

Sagar (@sagarcasm)

Women unaware about menstrual hygiene are vulnerable to health issues Use of cloth causes them skin problems

By Priya Pathak

A

ccording to the National Family Health Survey, 50 per cent of women aged 1524 years still use cloth instead of pad for menstrual hygiene. These data point to a lack of awareness about menstrual hygiene, increasing the risk of health problems.

Menstruation is still considered a taboo subject in large parts of India.

Chandrakala, the owner of a small shop in Gollahalli, Kumbalgodu, was unaware about sanitary napkins until her daughter Lavanya made her familiar with sanitary napkins.

“Using cloth instead of pads for six years is causing pain in my stomach and legs. It is difficult to clean cloth. I have faced so many infections because of cloth,” she informed The Observer. Lavanya,

Chandrakala was unaware about sanitary napkins. | Credit : Priya Pathak who got information about pads in her school, taught her mother to use pads instead of cloth.

“Girls are now given sessions in schools to spread awareness about menstrual hygiene, so that they do not face the same problems like their mothers,” said Lavanya.

Gayatri, 20, who recently shifted from a village to Bengaluru, shared: “Using cloth created problems of boils and rashes.” Her husband informed

her about sanitary napkins.

Irregular periods have prevented her from conceiving. This has also resulted in problems with her inlaws and led to self-doubt.

“Disposal of sanitary napkins is the major problem faced by women in rural areas,” Gayatri added.

College student Rashmita, who lives in Devagere, rued the unavailability of menstrual cups in nearby medical shops. Amazon does not deliver them because of her remote location.

Gynecologist Suhasini Inamdar said: “Using menstrual cups is the best, but it depends from family to family as it can break your hymen at times, which is an issue according to some families. Using cloth can cause diseases like bacterial infection, skin problems, and problems in the uterus. Washable pads are suggested only if they are washed with warm water and soap, and dried in the sun.”

“Women should use an affordable and convenient way to care for menstrual hygiene as it is an internal part of their lives.

Ignoring it can cause severe

problems to their health,” she added.

Aastha Bihar, a member of the Rotaract Club of Koramangala, said: “A young team of club members did a project named ‘Bleed Green’ which had the motto of creating awareness about menstrual hygiene and distributing sanitary napkins to 5,000 women.”

Braja Kishore Pradhan, Vice President of the NGO Aahwahan Foundation, shared: “We have adopted 205 schools and colleges, where they arrange various kinds of awareness sessions, projects targeting young girls…, and making them understand the process of menstruation. We visit schools, rural, semi-rural and slum areas and ensure proper consultation for under-privileged women and girls. We visit schools with experts in gynecology and with sanitary napkins. Proper treatment is given to women suffering from problems at an affordable cost.”

The NGO has provided 15,000 women and girls with sanitary napkins, he added. priya.p@iijnm.org

CITY

The Observer Thursday, September 27, 2022

Continued from page 1 ayanth P, another Technical Assistant with the corporation, said: “The government has to release funds to renovate the police station.

In some cases, they have excess funds after the construction of a police station. Upon a request from them, we use these extra funds to renovate the space. As long as we do not have the resources, we cannot do anything about it. We work as middlemen between the government and police officials.”

The Observer found that the facilities provided to the personnel are minimal. Twenty of them work in the station with six tables. As the space is occupied by policemen, women personnel stand outside. There are separate restrooms for men and women, but they lack amenities. Policemen and the writer work in a crammed with equipment that connects them to officers on the beat. Other policemen posted at the station refused to comment on the issue.

The station, located on Kalasipalya main road, covers JC Road, Town Hall, Victoria Hospital, Lalbagh West and NR Road. It is situated on the ground floor of a two-storey building. arsha.s@iijnm.org

J

We got no govt aid, say KR Market vendors They are rich, so don’t need help: BBMP

By Ahona Roy

V

egetable vendors in KR Market say they did not receive any financial help from the state government during and after the Covid-induced lockdowns.

Krishnappa, a vegetable seller, informed The Observer: “The government had promised us loans from banks, but nothing of that sort happened.”

Krishnappa, who earlier used to earn Rs 3,000 a day, now makes a mere Rs 200.

Nagamma, a fruit seller, spoke about how after the lockdown she could only earn Rs 300 to Rs 500 — barely enough to support her family as the sole wage earner.

The government did not assure them of any loans or any other financial help.

Vello, another vegetable seller, said during and after the lockdowns, all he earns is Rs 500 a day.

Bheema Gamakar, who sells vegetables at the market, alleged: “The government does not care about poor people like us.” He earns Rs 500 daily.

The Giant’s Causeway Courtesy: Wikipedia

The PMSVANidhi scheme, introduced by the government aims to provide micro-credit facilities to street vendors whose livelihoods had been affected due to the pandemic | Credit: Ahona Roy Asked about it, a BBMP officialwho did not wanted to be named said the vegetable sellers are well-off and do not need any financial support.

“They are wealthy people and are only pretending to be poor so that they can enjoy the benefits of schemes facilitated by the government,” he said. He denied the allegations of the vegetable vendors that the state government did not give them any loans. “Each member of the family was given a loan

of Rs 10,000 under the PM CARES Fund…. ever since the Covid lockdown was announced.

Over 10,000 of them got loans under PM CARES.” The central government had launched the Prime Minister Street Vendors Atmanirbhar Nidhi (PM SVANidhi) with the aim of providing micro-credit facilities to street vendors whose livelihoods had been affected due to the pandemic. ahona.r@iijnm.org

We had to postpone Corruption is the reason examinations, says BU for bad roads: Expert Continued from page 1 r Jayakar SA, Vice-Chancellor of Bengaluru University, Jnana Bharathi campus, said they can’t compromise on the syllabus and the stimulated period for the sake of completing the semester early.

“We are trying our best to complete the semester. We will see what we can do as a university for students who want to join other universities and private colleges.

We shall discuss this after the exams are done,” he said.

CN Sridhar, Registrar of Bengaluru City University, said: “The pandemic has affected the education sector completely. Because of the recent student demands, we had to postpone the exams. Since it is a concern for many students and parents, we are trying to make swift decisions. The effect of the pandemic may have been huge, but universities will take time to slowly fall back into normalcy. All universities in Karnataka are in the same boat currently. ” Dr Jayakar added: “We have already started classes for first year UG under the NEP (National Education Policy) so that they will not face any similar issues. We will announce the re-

D

Wonders of the world

sults of the current sixth semester once the exams are done.”

Mohan, a professor from Government First Grade College, Yelahanka, said: “It is agreed upon that students are going to get affected due to this delay. We hoped for the university to bring out alternatives, but due to the

The university says it is trying its best to complete the semester | Credit: Hamsaveni N pandemic, we became helpless.

We hope that the universities take steps to see that no student drops out from getting higher education.”

After recovering from the pandemic, universities have started admissions for first-year degree courses. They are also hoping that gradually things will fall in line. hamsaveni.n@iijnm.org

Continued from page 1 ai Yashwanth, a techie working in HSR Layout said: “Travelling from Whitefield to HSR Layout is hectic and expensive. If the Whitefield Metro line is connected to Baiyappanahalli, my commute to my workplace will become much easier and more affordable. During weekends, I cannot even go out with my colleagues because Whitefield is far away from the heart of Bangalore. Metro was supposed to make many lives, like mine, easier.”

S. Samuel, who was visiting Phoenix Marketcity Mall with his friends during a weekend, "The malls in Whitefield are great. We travel all the way from Deepanjali Nagar to have fun at these malls. As soon as I heard that the extension of Baiyappanahalli to Whitefield had started, I was thrilled. It costs us Rs 170 to travel from Baiyappanahalli to Phoenix Marketcity Mall. If the Metro Rail (corporation) completes the remaining work, it will save a lot of money and time.”

U B Shanthkumar, a town planner with SR Associates, commented: “Corruption is always the reason for bad infrastructure and unfulfilled deadlines. From

S

BBMP to contractors, it works the same way. This results in bad roads and years of construction which affects people living in Bengaluru.”

Located in the north coast of Northern Ireland, The Giant’s Causeway is an area of about 40,000 interlocking basalt columns with the tallest being about 12 metres (39 ft) high.

Although the basalt columns are the result of an ancient volcanic fissure eruption, the Irish legend states that the columns are the remains of a causeway built by a giant.

Source: Wikipedia

Quote of the Week

“

“By giving us the opinions of the uneducated, journalism keeps us in touch with the ignorance of the community.”

— Oscar Wilde

Did You Know?

The 1939 novel Gadsby is the longest book ever published that doesn't contain the letter 'e.'

Quiz Answers 1.Bob Dylan 2.Five titles 3.Bachendri Pal 4. The Golden poison frog 5. “lo”

The facilities provided at police station are minimal

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Weather Maximum Temperature: 27°C Minimum Temperture: 19°C Precipitation: 10% Humidity: 69% Wind Speed: 18 km/hr People can start using Metro from Feb 2023’| Credit:Yashaswini Sri However, BMRCL Official Raj Gopalan said that the contractors determine whether the work is completed on schedule or not. The time lost because of the floods will be accommodated according to the deadline. “If everything goes well, people can start using this extended line from February 2023.” Many people are still optimistic about the extension of the Metro and believe it will be completed within a year. They expect BMRCL to meet the scheduled deadline and not become a victim of delays once again. yashaswini.s@iijnm.org

The Observer Produced by the Print students of the Indian Institute of Journalism & New Media at Nityananda Nagar, Kumbalgodu, Kengeri hobli, Bengaluru 560074.

Editor: Arsha B.S News Editor: Priya Pathak Copy editors: Ahona Roy, Hamsaveni. N, Janani Srinivas Photo editor: Yashaswini Sri Other IIJNM publications l The Beat magazine l CityCast l The SoftCopy