A reminder that consumers must always check food labels before buying - Ms. Saroja, Executive Director, CAG, says that analog paneer contains no milk and is made using vegetable oils and other ingredients. Banned in three states, its low cost can mislead consumers.
In an important message about the need to consume foods in keeping with their nutritional value, Ms. Saroja, Executive Director, CAG, says that the belief that consuming ration-shop rice can control diabetes is a myth and not scientifically proven.
A road is not just for vehicles; it is for the pedestrians too. In 2024, over 36,000 pedestrians lost their lives in India, including around 5,000 in Tamil Nadu. A CAG audit highlights the need for well-planned, accessible footpaths to help prevent such accidents.
India may be meeting record peak electricity demand on paper, but recurring local power cuts raise deeper questions about the resilience of our grid system. Vishnu Rao, Programme Lead, CAG, points out, “Local disruptions can be extensive yet remain outside the public domain,” revealing gaps between official data and lived reality.
Passengers experiencing poor service from airlines must first reach out to the airline itself. If it remains unresolved, they may approach The Consumer Commission for redress, notes S. Saroja, Executive Director, CAG, in this piece on consumer rights when flying.
Flyovers have long been seen as the default solution to the city’s traffic congestion. However, Nina Subramani, Senior Researcher with CAG’s Road Safety and Sustainable Mobility team, reminds us that while flyovers may provide temporary relief, traffic often surges again shortly thereafter, making public transport the most reliable and sustainable solution to ease congestion.
Speaking on the Integrated Road Accident Database (iRAD), Nina Subramani, Senior Researcher at CAG explains that iRAD has the potential to function as more than just a reporting tool. When used in combination with a Safe System approach, it can be a preventative tool also.
Removing pedestrian infrastructure to make room for public transport is ironic at best, as explained by Sowmya Kannan, Researcher at CAG. With Chennai's roads marred by pedestrian fatalities and inaccessible, non-inclusive spaces, only public awareness, more sympathetic urban planning and enforcement in all forms, can move this city out of its rut.
Saroja.S, Executive Director of CAG gives useful pointers on how to file an RTI, including drafting questions that are specific and concise. Filing and obtaining information via RTIs are core to building accountability into governance, but the process itself remains cumbersome, with plenty of room for improvement.
Chennai's water bodies are plagued by waste dumping, with plastic and garbage polluting canals and lakes. Vamsi Shankar Kapilavai, Senior Researcher at CAG, says that shutting down SUP manufacturing units will be the first step to tackling this issue. #Chennai #WasteManagement #PlasticPollution