With nearly 8000 post graduate medical specialisation seats going vacant, the National Medical Council has decided to bring down eligibility criteria, allowing even those students with zero and negative marks on their qualifying exams to pursue further studies. Saroja, CAG, asks what the point of qualifying exams is then, if it does not serve a gate-keeping function, allowing only deserving students to progress into specialisations.
As electricity bills soar after the tariff revision by TANGEDCO in 2022, Vishnu Rao, CAG, explains that commercial entities' and industries' high tariffs are currently subsidising domestic use. To keep costs bearable, the state government needs to look into revising the subsidy they offer domestic consumers. Meanwhile consumers must prioritise transitioning into cleaner energy sources such as rooftop solars.
A piece by Shankar Prakash offering a critical review of the Chennai Climate Action Plan, examining its merits and those areas that need improving. An important read as we cross over from 'global warming' to 'global boiling'.
Climate Action Month has been envisioned as a space for multi-stakeholder engagements on the critical topic of climate change. With an array of events across Chennai, the event reached out to wide cross sections of Chennai-ites through popular mediums of comedy, music, and technical engagements.
The Smart Urban Roads project under the Chennai City Partnership Programme does not align with crucial mobility targets.It prioritises motorised transport, and for the most part, sidelines walking, cycling and public transit. Sumana, CAG, comments that if done right, this is an excellent opportunity for the city to meet the livelihood and mobility needs of its people.
Riding on the wrong side of the road can be a costly infraction. An article that explains that public behaviour, road design and enforcement changes are needed to fix this problem.
The National Conference on Air Pollution and Climate Change organised by CAG was a common space to discuss the air pollution / climate change nexus, sources of air pollution and sustainable solutions to break the chain.
An article based on CAG's report on how commuters access public transit information; and why easy, reliable access to this is central to popularising public transport usage.
Saroja, CAG, discusses the new set of rules announced by the Department of Consumer Affairs to curb fake reviews and reviews on e-com sites and how these rules will offer consumers a safer shopping experience.
Afroz, CAG explains why those extensive networks comprising the city's waste workers are absolutely key to any recycle-reuse efforts. As this article explains, it's their work that saves about 2000 tonnes of used clothes from ending up in landfills.