Civic Administration
- See also: Infrastructure in Bangalore
| Bangalore City officials | |
| Administrator | S. Dilip Rau |
| Municipal Commissioner | Dr. S. Subramanya |
| Police Commissioner | N. Achuta Rao |
The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP, Greater Bangalore Municipal Corporation) is in charge of the civic administration of the city.[27] It was formed in 2007 by merging 100 wards of the erstwhile Bangalore Mahanagara Palike, with the neighbouring 7 City Municipal Councils (CMC), one Town Municipal Council and 110 villages around Bangalore.[27]
Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike is run by a city council. The city council comprises elected representatives, called "corporators", one from each of the wards (localities) of the city. Elections to the council are held once every 5 years, with results being decided by popular vote. A mayor and commissioner of the council are also elected through a quota system from a Scheduled Castes and Tribes candidate or to an Other Backward Class female candidate. Members contesting elections to the council represent one of more of the state's political parties. However, elections to the newly-created body are yet to be held, due to delays in delimitation of wards and finalising voter lists. There are expected to be about 150 wards, up from the 100 wards of the old Bangalore Mahanagara Palike. Elections are tentatively scheduled to be held in early 2008.
Bangalore's rapid growth has created several problems relating to traffic congestion and infrastructural obsolescence that the Bangalore Mahanagara Palike has found challenging to address. A 2003 Battelle Environmental Evaluation System (BEES) evaluation of Bangalore's physical, biological and socioeconomic parameters indicated that Bangalore's water quality and terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems were close to ideal, while the city's socioeconomic parameters (traffic, quality of life) scored poorly.[28] The BMP has been criticised by the Karnataka High Court, citizens and corporations for failing to effectively address the crumbling road and traffic infrastructure of Bangalore.[29] The unplanned nature of growth in the city resulted in massive traffic gridlocks that the municipality attempted to ease by constructing a flyover system and by imposing one-way traffic systems.
Some of the flyovers and one-ways mitigated the traffic situation moderately but were unable to adequately address the disproportionate growth of city traffic.[28] In 2005 both the Central Government and the State Government allocated considerable portions of their annual budgets to address Bangalore's infrastructure.[30] The Bangalore Mahanagara Palike works with the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) and the Bangalore Agenda Task Force (BATF) to design and implement civic projects. Bangalore generates about 3,000 tonnes of solid waste per day, of which about 1,139 tonnes are collected and sent to composting units such as the Karnataka Composting Development Corporation. The remaining solid waste collected by the municipality is dumped in open spaces or on roadsides outside the city.[31]
The Bangalore City Police (BCP) is headed by a Police Commissioner, who is an Indian Police Service (IPS) officer. The BCP has six geographic zones, includes the Traffic Police, the City Armed Reserve, the Central Crime Branch and the City Crime Record Bureau and runs 86 police stations, including two all-women police stations.[32] As capital of the state of Karnataka, Bangalore houses important state government facilities such as the Karnataka High Court, the Vidhana Soudha (the home of the Karnataka state legislature) and Raj Bhavan (the residence of the Governor of Karnataka). Bangalore contributes two members to India's lower house of parliament, the Lok Sabha, and 24 members to the Karnataka State Assembly.[33] In 2007, the Delimitation Commission of India reorganised the constituencies based on the 2001 census, and thus the number of Assembly and Parliamentary constituencies in Bangalore has been increased to 28 and 3 respectively.[34] These changes will take effect from the next elections. Electricity in Bangalore is regulated through the Karnataka Power Transmission Corporation Limited (KPTCL). Like many cities in India, Bangalore experiences scheduled power cuts, especially over the summer, to allow electricity providers to meet the consumption demands of households as well as corporations.
[edit] Economy
- See also: List of IT companies in Bangalore
Bangalore's Rs. 260,260 crore (USD 60.5 billion) economy (2002–03 Net District Income) makes it a major economic centre in India.[35] Indeed, Bangalore is India's fourth largest[36] and fastest growing market.[37] Bangalore's per capita income of Rs. .49,000 (US$ 1,160) is the highest for any Indian city.[36] The city is the third-largest hub for high net worth individuals (HNWI / HNIs), after Mumbai and Delhi. Bangalore is home to over 10,000 individual dollar millionaires and around 60,000 super-rich people who have an investable surplus of Rs. 4.5 crore and Rs. 50 lakh respectively.[38] As of 2001, Bangalore's share of Rs. 1660 crore (US$ 3.7 billion) in Foreign Direct Investment was the third highest for an Indian city.[39] In the 1940s industrial visionaries such as Sir Mirza Ismail and Sir Mokshagundam Visvesvaraya played an important role in the development of Bangalore's strong manufacturing and industrial base. Bangalore is headquarters to several public manufacturing heavy industries such as Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), National Aerospace Laboratories (NAL), Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL), Bharat Electronics Limited, Bharat Earth Movers Limited (BEML) and Hindustan Machine Tools (HMT). In June 1972 the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) was established under the Department of Space and headquartered in the city. Bangalore is called the "Silicon Valley of India" because of the large number of Information Technology companies located in the city which contributed 33% of India's Rs. 144,214 crore (US$ 32 billion) IT exports in 2006-07.[40] Bangalore's IT industry is divided into three main "clusters" — Software Technology Parks of India, Bangalore (STPI); International Technology Park Bangalore (ITPB), formerly International Technology Park Ltd. (ITPL); and Electronics City. Infosys and Wipro, India's second and third largest software companies, have their largest campus in Electronics City. As headquarters to many of the global SEI-CMM Level 5 Companies, Bangalore's place in the global IT map is prominent.
The growth of Information Technology has presented the city with unique challenges. Ideological clashes between the city's IT moguls, who demand an addressal of the infrastructural problems of the city, and the state government, whose electoral base is primarily rural Karnataka's agricultural workers, are aplenty. In July 2004 Wipro CEO Azim Premji threatened to pull his company out of the city, stating, "We do not see the situation (state of Bengaluru's infrastructure) improving in the near future".[41] It must be noted, however, that IT companies do not pay any property tax to the state government, depriving it of much needed revenue to improve infrastructure. However, most infrastructural improvements are done only in areas that directly benefit IT companies, leading to the perception that the common people of Karnataka are subsidising the already rich IT industry.
Bangalore is a hub for biotechnology related industry in India and in the year 2005, around 47% of the 265 biotechnology companies in India were located here; including Biocon, India's largest biotechnology company.[42][43]
Transport
Bangalore's HAL Airport (IATA code: BLR) is India's fourth busiest[44][45] and functions as both a domestic and international airport and is well connected to several destinations in the world. Unlike most airports in the country which are controlled by the Airports Authority of India, the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited owns and operates this airport, and also uses it to test and develop fighter aircraft for the Indian Air Force.[46] With the liberalisation of India's economic policies, many domestic carriers such as SpiceJet, Kingfisher Airlines, Jet Airways and Go Air have started servicing the city, which has lead to congestion problems at this airport.[47] This situation is expected to be eased when the new Bangalore International Airport, which is being constructed in Devanahalli in the outskirts of Bangalore, becomes operational. Currently targeted to be inaugurated in April 2008, this airport will have two runways and is being built to handle 11 million passengers per year.[48] Air Deccan and Kingfisher Airlines have their headquarters in Bangalore.[49]
Bangalore is well connected to the rest of the country through the Indian Railways. The Rajdhani Express connects Bangalore to New Delhi, the capital of India. The city is also connected to Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata, and Hyderabad, as well as other major cities in Karnataka.[50] An intra-city rapid rail transport system called the Namma Metro is being developed and is expected to be operational in 2011. Once completed, this will encompass a 33 km (20.5 mi) elevated and underground rail network, with 32 stations in Phase I and more being added in Phase II.[51]
Three-wheeled, black and yellow auto-rickshaws, referred to as autos, are a popular form of transport.[52] They are metered and can accommodate up to three passengers. Taxi service within Bangalore is provided by several operators commonly referred to as Citi taxis which can take in up to four passengers and are usually metered and more expensive than auto-rickshaws.[52]
Buses operated by Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) are the only means of public transport, available in the city.[53] While commuters can buy tickets on boarding these buses, BMTC also provides an option of a bus pass to frequent users. BMTC also runs air-conditioned red-coloured Volvo buses on major routes.[53]
Demographics
With an estimated population of 5,281,927 in the year 2007, Bangalore is the third most populous city in India and the 27th most populous city in the world.[54] With a decadal growth rate of 38%, Bangalore was the fastest-growing Indian metropolis after New Delhi for the decade 1991–2001.[39] Residents of Bangalore are referred to as Bangaloreans in English or Bengaloorinavaru in Kannada. While Kannadigas are the majority of the population, the cosmopolitan nature of the city has caused people from other states of India to migrate to Bangalore and settle there.[55] Scheduled Castes and Tribes account for 14.3% of the city's population. Kannada, the official language of the state of Karnataka, is widely spoken in Bangalore.
According to the 2001 census of India, 79.37% of Bangalore's population is Hindu, roughly the same as the national average.[56] Muslims comprise 13.37% of the population, which again is roughly the same as the national average, while Christians and Jains account for 5.79% and 1.05% of the population, respectively, double that of their national averages. Women make up 47.5% of Bangalore's population. Bangalore has the second highest literacy rate (83%) for an Indian metropolis, after Mumbai. Roughly 10% of Bangalore's population lives in slums[57] — a relatively low proportion when compared to other cities in the developing world such as Mumbai (42%) and Nairobi (60%).[58] The 2004 National Crime Records Bureau statistics indicate that Bangalore accounts for 9.2% of the total crimes reported from 35 major cities in India. Delhi and Mumbai accounted for 15.7% and 9.5% respectively.[59] Tensions between one of the minority lingual groups, the Tamils, and the majority Kannadigas have led to numerous altercations.[60] Later the same year, the Karnataka Government, acting upon the directives of the Government of India, agreed to release 205 tmc of water from the river Kaveri to the Government of Tamil Nadu, which resulted in anti-Tamil riots that left 20 people dead.[61] After the demolition of the Babri Masjid in the North Indian city of Ayodhya in 1992, communal violence between Hindus and Muslims spread to Bangalore, during which Muslim houses and huts as well as an Arabic school for Muslim girls were raided and torched.[62]
Culture
Bangalore is known as the "Garden City of India" [63] because of its climate, greenery and the presence of many public parks, including the Lal Bagh and Cubbon Park. Deepavali, the "Festival of Lights", transcends demographic and religious lines and is celebrated with great vigour. Dussera, a traditional celebratory hallmark of the old Kingdom of Mysore, is another important festival. Other traditional Indian festivals such as Ganesh Chaturthi, Ugadi, Sankranthi, Eid ul-Fitr, and Christmas are also celebrated. Bangalore is home to the Kannada film industry, which churns out about 80 Kannada movies each year. Most Kannada movies are musicals, and their soundtracks are very popular in the city. The popularity of Kannada movies has spawned a new colloquial dialect, Bangalore Kannada, which draws upon youth culture and influences from English and other Indian languages.
The diversity of cuisine available is reflective of the social and economic diversity of Bangalore. Roadside vendors, tea stalls, and South Indian, North Indian, Chinese and Western fast food are all very popular in the city. Udupi restaurants are very popular and serve predominantly vegetarian, regional cuisine.
Bangalore has many clubs and bars, and is sometimes referred to as the "Pub Capital of India". Bangalore also hosts many rock concerts, with Iron Maiden, Aerosmith, Scorpions, Roger Waters, Uriah Heep, Jethro Tull, Joe Satriani, INXS, No Doubt, Safri Duo, Black Eyed Peas, Deep Purple, Mark Knopfler, The Rolling Stones, and Bryan Adams, among others, having performed in the city.
Cricket is the most popular sport in Bangalore. A significant number of national cricketers have come from Bangalore, including former Indian cricket team captain Rahul Dravid. Other cricketing greats from Bangalore are Gundappa Vishwanath, Anil Kumble, E.A.S. Prasanna, Venkatesh Prasad, Bhagwat Chandrasekhar, Syed Kirmani and Roger Binny. Many children play gully cricket on the roads and in the city's many public fields. Bangalore's main international cricket stadium is the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium, which hosted its first match in 1974.[64] Bangalore has a number of elite clubs, like the Bangalore Golf Club, the Bowring Institute and the exclusive Bangalore Club, which counts among its previous members Winston Churchill and the Maharaja of Mysore.[65]
Education
- See also: Education in India and List of Bangalore colleges
Till the early 19th century, education in Bangalore was mainly undertaken in schools that were run by religious leaders and restricted to pupils of that religion.[66] The western system of education came into vogue during the rule of Mummadi Krishnaraja Wodeyar when two schools were established in Bangalore. This was followed by a school established by the Wesleyan Mission in 1851 and the Bangalore High School which was started by the Government in 1858.[67]
In the present day, schools for young children in Bangalore are mainly based on the kindergarten form of education.[68] Primary and secondary education in Bangalore is offered by various schools which are affiliated to any one of the boards of education like the Karnataka state board, ICSE, CBSE, National Open School (NOS), IGCSE and IB.[69] There are three kinds of schools in Bangalore viz. government (run by the government), aided (financial aid is provided by the government) and un-aided private (no financial aid is provided).[70] After completing their secondary education, students typically enroll in Junior College (also known as Pre-University) in one of three streams — Arts, Commerce or Science.[71] Upon completing the required coursework, students enroll in general or professional degrees.
Bangalore is also the home of the Bangalore University which was established in 1964. Around 500 colleges, having a total student strength of 300 thousand are affiliated to this university. The university has two campuses within Bangalore; Jnanabharathi and Central College.[72]
Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore which was established in 1909 is the premier institute for scientific research and study in India.[73] Bangalore is also the home of colleges like the National Law School of India University (NLSIU) which is one of the most sought after law colleges in India and the Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore which is one of the premier management schools in India.[73]
Media
The first printing-press was established in Bangalore in the year 1840.[74] In 1859, Bangalore Herald became the first English bi-weekly newspaper to be published in Bangalore[75] and in 1860, Mysore Vrittanta Bodhini became the first Kannada newspaper to be circulated in Bangalore.[74] Currently, Vijaya Karnataka and The Times of India are the most widely circulated Kannada and English newspapers in Bangalore respectively.[76][77]
Bangalore got its first radio station when All India Radio, the official broadcaster for the Indian Government, started broadcasting from it's Bangalore station on November 2, 1955.[78] The radio transmission was AM, till in 2001, Radio City became the first private channel in India to start transmitting FM radio from Bangalore.[79] In recent years, quite a number of FM channels have started broadcasting from Bangalore.[80] The city also has various clubs for HAM radio enthusiasts.[81]
Bangalore got its first look at television when Doordarshan established a relay centre here and started relaying programs from November 1, 1981.[82] A production center was established in the Doordarshan's Bangalore office in 1983, thereby allowing the introduction of a news program in Kannada on November 19, 1983.[82] Doordarshan also launched a Kannada satellite channel on August 15, 1991 which is now christened DD Chandana.[82] The advent of private satellite channels in Bangalore started in September 1991 when Star TV started to broadcast its channels.[83] Though the number of satellite TV channels available for viewing in Bangalore has grown over the years[84], the cable operators play a major role in the availability of these channels, which has led to occasional conflicts.[85] Direct To Home services are also available in Bangalore now.[86]
The first internet service provider in Bangalore was STPI, Bangalore which started offering internet services in early 1990s.[87] This internet service was however restricted to corporates, till VSNL started offering dial-up internet services to the general public at the end of 1995.[88] Currently, Bangalore has the largest number of broadband internet connections in India.[89]
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