Articles by Ranga Prasad

Rangaprasad is Joint Secretary of Satta Panchayat Iyakkam (SPI), a Tamil Nadu based NGO working for good governance. He is part of the Media & Research team and does policy research. A spokesperson of the NGO, he has represented SPI in prime TV debate shows.

Feeling too lazy to step out of your home? Don’t like your PG/hostel food? Your spouse can’t cook? No time to prepare lunch? Ran out of groceries? For all these reasons and more, food delivery services are a quick, one-click solution for millennials. An aerial view of Chennai today would show the long stretch of beach, sparse tree cover, myriad projects under construction across the city... and a sea of red, orange and green riders dotting its roads. Rapidly growing market Such is the rapid growth of food delivery services in the city over the past 5 years. The market leader…

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Are you a Chennaiite negotiating the busy roads of the city almost daily? Have you noticed the sidewalks being dug up on your way to Anna library or EA Mall or Chennai Central in recent times? Did you wonder why these roads are being dug up all of a sudden throughout the city?  Of floods and droughts Chennai has seen the worst of nature's fury several times in the recent past, with the frequency of floods and droughts having increased drastically. Post the historic floods in 2015, Cyclone Vardah devastated the city once again in 2016. However, as the monsoon…

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Most of us would be surprised to know that Chennai’s is the oldest city Corporation in Asia, only behind London in the world. It is also interesting to note that Chennai’s suburban Railways was started as early as 1931 to bridge the northern and southern parts of the city. Since independence, the Chennai suburban transportation system has been operated by Southern Railways, the oldest operating zone in independent India. Suburban railways has evolved as an arterial system for transportation in Chennai and  handles 17,60,000 people per day.  Yet, as the commuter load increased a critical gap began to be felt…

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On May 20th, the Adyar Cancer Institute conducted a workshop to mark the observance of World No Tobacco Day (May 31). The workshop, themed ‘Tobacco: A Threat to Development’ aimed to sensitize and empower youngsters falling prey to tobacco addiction. The event was inaugurated by Padma Vibhushan Dr. Shanta, Honorary Chairperson of the Cancer Institute, sitting Madras High Court Judge, Justice Kirubakaran and Tamil Nadu Traders Association President, Thiru. Ta. Velliyan. A crowd of 150 which included representations from various political parties and leading NGOs were present. Satta Panchayat Iyakkam, which has always advocated prohibition of smoking, actively participated in the…

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