Good morning, Bengaluru!
🌧️ Today’s weather: High: 37 ℃ | Low: 24 ℃ | Partly cloudy sky with one or two spells of rain or thundershowers.
🧐 Did you know? There were a total of 12,627 criminal offences registered in Bengaluru in 2023.
🎨 Graffiti art for awareness
Graffiti for Hope revitalizes Bengaluru’s streets.
What’s it about? A new initiative by Rotary International, dubbed Graffiti for Hope, has transformed a mundane wall near the Adugodi Police Station in Bengaluru into a vivid canvas. Spearheaded by Kolkata-based artist Sayam Porey, the project addresses pressing social issues like women’s safety, drug abuse, and cybercrime through impactful murals.
- The murals use striking imagery to provoke thought and discussion, similar to graphic anti-smoking campaigns.
- Themes of the artwork include the raw realities of domestic violence, addiction, and cyber threats, alongside symbols of hope like doves.
Positive response: The community’s engagement and response have been overwhelmingly positive, with locals actively participating and supporting the artist during the creation process. This initiative not only raises social awareness but also fosters a closer relationship between the public and the police, showcasing a supportive side of law enforcement often overshadowed by negative stereotypes.
🧑🏽⚖️ Criminal cases among candidates
High number of criminal cases among Bengaluru Lok Sabha candidates.
What’s it about? A new report from Bangalore Political Action Committee (BPAC) and DAKSH highlights the criminal cases registered against candidates contesting the upcoming Lok Sabha elections in Bengaluru. The report reveals that most candidates from the two major parties, BJP and Congress, except for one, have pending criminal cases.
- Sowmya Reddy (Congress) and Shobha Karandlaje (BJP) lead with six and five cases respectively, the highest among the candidates.
- Charges against candidates range from unlawful assembly to money laundering and promoting enmity between different groups.
Aiding voters: The BPAC’s report aims to shed light on the nature and severity of the legal challenges facing these candidates to aid voters in making informed decisions. This scrutiny is part of an effort to enhance transparency and accountability in electoral processes.
🚇 Record ridership for Namma Metro
Namma Metro hits highest daily ridership.
What’s it about? Bengaluru’s Namma Metro reached a new peak in daily ridership, with over 792,000 commuters using the service on Monday, April 15. Officials at Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) anticipate this number could soon exceed 800,000 given current trends.
- The previous record was 780,000 passengers on January 25, with the recent spike attributed to increased office returns and expanded early morning services.
- The 5 am services from Majestic station have seen high uptake, improving accessibility across the city.
Pink Line update: Alongside its record ridership, BMRCL is nearing completion of the Pink Line’s tunnelling, a significant expansion set to enhance the network further. This new line, with both underground and elevated sections, will connect Bannerghatta Road to Nagawara, facilitating smoother commutes across key areas of Bengaluru.
🏢 KPMG opens new innovation centre
KPMG launches second innovation centre in India.
What’s it about? KPMG has inaugurated the KPMG Innovation Kaleidoscope Insights Centre in Bengaluru, marking the establishment of its second such centre in India and the 29th globally. The new centre in Bengaluru follows the first Indian centre opened in Mumbai in 2022.
- The Bengaluru centre will feature advanced technologies including AR-VR, Tax Technologies, Digital ESG solutions, and Gen AI across various domains.
- Yezdi Nagporewalla, CEO of KPMG in India, emphasized the centre’s role in merging human intellect with advanced technology to foster innovation and growth.
Expanding success: The centre aims to be a hub for digital innovation, enhancing the firm’s service offerings to Global Capability Centres (GCCs) and clients. With existing collaborations in the Mumbai centre yielding solutions developed with major tech partners, the Bengaluru centre is poised to expand this success, planning to introduce over 500 solutions.
✨ Things to do…
Here are some fun and interesting things to do in the city over the weekend!
- Witness the treasure of Sufi music at The Classic Sufi Concert 2.0.
- Trade your clothes at the Swap Party 2.0 by The Shift.
- If you don’t like cricket, Not Watching IPL – Stand Up Comedy Show is for you.
- Enjoy musical innovation by listening live to Guitar Prasanna.
- Watch a Harry Potter movie under the open sky at SCC SkyCinema.
🛋️ Local Lounge
Yesterday’s Poll Results:
- My permanent residence is in Bengaluru: 68.4% 🏆
- My permanent residence is not in Bengaluru: 31.6%
Answers to Yesterday’s Question:
Which sport do you play regularly these days?
Debtaru: “Football”
That’s it for today. Have a great weekend!