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Time of India
21 hours ago
- General
- Time of India
From national crisis to national cure: Lessons from Indore's clean sweep
V. Raghunathan is a former Director of the Schulich School of Business (India Program), York University, Toronto, a former professor at IIM Ahmedabad and a former President of ING Vysya Bank. A prolific author, he has written over 15 books, including the national bestseller Games Indians Play (Penguin). With more than 600 published papers and articles, his latest books include The Lion, The Admiral, and A Cat Called B. Uma Vijaylakshmi (Westland, 2025) and To Every Parent; To Every Child (Penguin, 2025) and Irrationally Rational: 10 Nobel Laureates Script the Story of Behavioural Economics (Penguin 2022), among others. LESS ... MORE We are a nation of stark contradictions: deeply spiritual, revering rivers like the Ganga and Yamuna in our mythology and rituals yet ranked among the world's most polluted nations. If we are ashamed, it's not showing. At least not enough. Our sacred rivers are heavily contaminated by untreated sewage, industrial effluents, and religious offerings. Urban drainage systems remain outdated, and sanitation workers –many from marginalized communities – risk their lives cleaning sewers without proper safety gear, reflecting systemic neglect and caste-based discrimination. Air pollution, especially in Delhi, and streets clogged with garbage and stench further underscore the crisis. Even India's proud railway network discharges waste directly onto tracks, exemplifying systemic neglect. Despite ambitious initiatives like Swachh Bharat, many toilets remain unused, and waste management remains primitive, burning, burying, or dumping refuse in open spaces. Public areas are overwhelmed with plastic, food waste, and debris, driven by cultural laxity and apathy. Education campaigns alone have limited impact without enforcement or civic pride. Ultimately, India's sanitation challenge isn't just infrastructural; it demands a cultural reset, transforming slogans into ingrained civic habits. But amid this pervasive gloom, there is a shining beacon: Indore. Once a typical mid-sized city plagued by waste, stench, and civic apathy, Indore has redefined what's possible. It has topped India's Swachh Survekshan rankings for six consecutive years, proving that cleanliness is not a fantasy but an achievable reality. This success didn't happen by chance; it was the result of deliberate design, relentless execution, and a profound cultural shift. India doesn't lack the knowledge or technology; it lacks the will and persistent effort. Indore demonstrated that with political resolve, professional leadership, and active citizen participation, transformation is inevitable. So, what exactly did Indore do right? Can its model be replicated across India? The answer lies in a series of strategic steps: A mission-oriented approach Indore's core strength was establishing a unified, empowered, and accountable sanitation task force. Instead of responsibility being scattered across multiple departments, the city brought together municipal officials, private waste contractors, sanitation workers, engineers, health officials, and citizens. This was more than creating committees; it was about making cleanliness a civic mission. Targets were set, budgets allocated, and results tracked. The city's leadership, from the mayor to the frontline workers, embraced the vision of making Indore India's cleanest city, and they delivered. For other cities, a similar Decentralised Urban Sanitation Mission (DUSM) should be established – an autonomous, professional body with a dedicated chief sanitation officer and cross-functional teams. Funding from the Centre and states must prioritize sanitation as a core public health issue, not an afterthought. Segregated at source Indore broke new ground by enforcing 100% household segregation of waste into wet, dry, and hazardous categories. It was not just about distributing coloured bins; it involved sustained public education, strict penalties, and daily feedback. Over 1,600 'safai mitras' or sanitation ambassadors, were deployed, each assigned specific households and trained to promote cleanliness. GPS-tracked waste collection vehicles monitored punctuality and coverage. Wet waste was processed locally through composting and bio-methanation, dry waste was sorted for recycling, and hazardous waste was carefully disposed of. This professional backbone and community buy-in reduced landfill dependence, increased recycling, and restored dignity to sanitation workers. India must emulate this model, not with promises, but with on-ground action. Professionalisation of sanitation services Dependence on contractual labour and outdated methods hampers progress. Indore invested in professional facility management firms, performance-based contracts, and tech-enabled monitoring. Workers received protective gear, uniforms, insurance, and training. Routine cleaning, proactive drain clearance, and emergency response systems became standard. India needs a National Institute of Urban Cleanliness Management to train municipal leaders, engineers, and frontline workers. Sanitation must become a science and profession, not caste-based toil. Staff must be paid better, insured, housed, and protected; dignity and safety are non-negotiable. Upgrade Infrastructure Physical infrastructure is vital. Indore replaced open drains with covered sewers, built public toilets every 500 meters, and installed modern dustbins based on data, not politics. A central control centre monitored real-time operations, waste vehicle movements, and public complaints. QR codes allowed citizens to rate toilets; apps and helplines made reporting issues easy. Transparency built trust, encouraging usage. Every city must conduct ground-level audits, prioritize maintenance over new construction, and ensure infrastructure supports daily cleaning and waste disposal. Behavioural change: As in the 'Roko-Toko' revolution Perhaps Indore's most understated achievement is the cultural shift it inspired. The 'Roko-Toko' campaign, meaning 'Stop and Remind', encouraged children, shopkeepers, and volunteers to politely stop people from littering, offering chocolates or tokens as incentives to do the right thing. This simple act fostered pride and made cleanliness a matter of honour. Schools actively engaged students in cleanliness drives, while local celebrities, radio shows, and community events helped reinforce the message. To deepen this impact, India should emulate the Japanese model by mandating schools, both government and private, to involve staff and students in maintaining cleanliness, including proper waste disposal and toilet hygiene, with staff equipped with protective gear like gloves and masks. This requires a serious overhaul of school curricula to include environmental civics and sanitation ethics. Public campaigns must move beyond preachy slogans; humour, pride, and community ownership should become the driving forces. 'Swachh Bharat' will only succeed when cleanliness becomes a daily habit, ingrained in the cultural fabric rather than just posters and slogans. The War on Plastic and Air Pollution Plastic waste must be tackled at the source. Indore promoted cloth bags, ran buyback schemes for plastic, and encouraged eco-friendly packaging like areca leaves and coconut shells. Strict enforcement of single-use plastic bans is essential. Additionally, air quality must be integrated into sanitation efforts; dust suppression, mechanized street sweeping, and emissions control are public health priorities, not luxuries. Railways and rural adaptation Railways and transit hubs are critical fronts in the fight for hygiene. All trains must adopt bio-vacuum toilets with automatic locks when stationary, preventing waste discharge onto tracks. Major stations should be managed by professional cleaning firms under strict service-level agreements, with regular audits to ensure standards. Tracks must be maintained like hospital floors – clean and hygienic. In rural India, the focus must go beyond toilet construction. Toilets must be functional, with reliable water supply and maintenance. Village-level composting, segregated waste collection, and panchayat-linked funding can incentivize sustained performance. Awareness campaigns should address behavioural taboos respectfully, fostering long-term change. In conclusion, Indore is not a miracle; it is a model. If a city with all its complexities can lead the way, every municipality, district, and state in India can follow suit. But this requires political resolve, civic participation, and consistent, professional execution. The real lesson is not just how to clean a city but how to build a culture of cleanliness, one that endures. If India can do this, we can finally stop bowing to the Ganga with one hand while poisoning her with the other. Facebook Twitter Linkedin Email Disclaimer Views expressed above are the author's own.
Campaign ME
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Campaign ME
The Loudest Roar returns for its third year
Now in its third year, The Loudest Roar has reopened for 2025, offering emerging creatives the opportunity to engage with the Cannes Lions awards process by predicting this year's Grand Prix winners. Developed in the region, the platform focuses on three key categories – Titanium, Innovation, and Glass: The Lion – known for recognising ideas that challenge convention and redefine the role of creativity in society and business. Participants can watch shortlisted case studies, submit their Grand Prix predictions, and see how their judgment compares once the official winners are announced. Voting has now closed for the Innovation category, but entries for Titanium and Glass remain open via While the top-scoring participant receives a prize, the broader aim is to create a learning environment that encourages critical thinking around award-winning creative work. The platform also features a growing resource library, with over an hour of insights from 20+ Cannes Lions veterans offering guidance on how experienced jurors evaluate campaigns. Some of the most referenced cues include: 'Will the work still inspire at 8am and at 11pm?' – Oliver Apers, ECD, BETC Paris 'Look for innovative ideas that are iterated over time.' – Tracey Follows, CEO, FutureMade 'Be subjective, but ready to change your mind.' – Mihnea Gheorghiu, Global CCO, LePub To date, The Loudest Roar has attracted over 500 participants from 77 countries, with an average Grand Prix prediction match of less than 20 per cent. This gap between jury outcomes and emerging creative instincts has sparked conversations about evolving standards of impact and originality. In 2024, the platform introduced its first Jury Room Simulation in Dubai, moderated by former Cannes juror Jennifer Fischer. Students from UAE-based universities took part in the exercise, collaboratively discussing shortlists and learning what it's like to assess and defend work in a jury-style format. 'The dream is to make it the go-to platform for predicting and discussing Cannes Lions, like a fantasy league for our industry and hopefully the wider public, one day,' Chirag Khushalani, Ideator of The Loudest Roar. Participants can sign-up and predict on the platform's website:
Time Out
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time Out
‘The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe' review
This review is from 2019. The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe returns for 2025 in a production based upon Sally Cookson's original that's redirected by Michael Fentiman, with set and costume design by Tom Paris. Katy Stephens stars as the White Witch. Kind of caught halfway between 'Game of Thrones' and 'The Wind in the Willows', it's fair to say that CS Lewis's 'The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe' – with its well-spoken child heroes, twee talking animals and heavy Christian vibes – can be left looking a bit old-fashioned. Endlessly adapted long before the current era of sophisticated CGI-driven fantasy, has its time passed now that everything from 'His Dark Materials' to 'The Wheel of Time' is being adapted for the telly? Truthfully, the answer to that question probably lies with the fate of Netflix's imminent lavish adaptation. But for now, we have a very smart stage version from Sally Cookson, that balances the stiff-upper-lipped charms of the book with a real sense of the encroaching wildness – even madness – of the fantastical kingdom of Narnia. The opening section is jolly hockey sticks à gogo, with the audience cast as wartime child evacuees, spirited away from the Blitz on the same train as Lewis's young heroes the Pevensies. By the end, it's become something that feel rapturously wild, as Narnia awakes in a frenzy of colour and feeling from the century-long magical winter placed on it by Laura Elphinstone's sleekly malevolent White Witch. Yes, Lewis shoved loaded, fairly blatant Christian allegory into his story, chiefly in the death and resurrection of the noble lion Aslan. But it was never as straightforward as 'The Bible'-but-with-lions, and Cookson's take feels more indebted to ancient rites of death and rebirth that Christianity absorbed. Aslan, in particular, is out there, a glowing-eyed psychedelic monstrosity with blue wings that looks like a fusion of lion and dragon, with a human avatar in the form of musclebound, fur-clad Wil Johnson, who's more barbarian shaman than Christian priest. It if it's not as overly dark as many fantasy books, it's perhaps easiest to remember it for all the cute stuff at the beginning, as the youngest of the children, Lucy, steps through a wardrobe into snowbound Narnia and befriends the neurotic faun Mr Tumnus. It's harder, perhaps, to recollect that by the end a sort of strange incarnation of Father Christmas has given the kids real weapons and they have engaged in a bloody fight to the death with the White Witch's army of demons. Indebted more to childhood fantasies of pretend sword battles than grim psychological realism, the journey from youthful innocence to stabbing killer wolves in the face is a pretty full-on trajectory to realise on stage, and with the exception of John Leaders's uptight Edmund, the Pevensies here don't really make the impression that the lion or the witch do. But if a slight lack of psychological acuity is the trade-off for embracing the full-on weirdness of the book, it's worth it. Cookson and designer Rae Smith delight in the novel's eccentricities rather than fight them: their Narnia is a DIY-inflected nirvana where a very funny sight gag about talking animals communicating via cans on strings can sit next to Elphinstone being genuinely terrifying, swelling to enormous height as cackling fiends gather around her. Pretty much everything in the book is retained, and if the first half slightly struggles to find a coherent tone to process it all, in the second half it arrives at its destination – a wilderness of pure imagination, unshackled, ecstatic and pagan.
Chicago Tribune
12-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Chicago Tribune
Of Notoriety: ‘Narnia' on stage, Trivia Night and Neverly Brothers for Father's Day
Based on C.S. Lewis's 'The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe,' a new stage run of 'The Chronicles of Narnia' is the musical adaption directed by Debbie Bartholomew at Footlight Players, 1705 Franklin St. in Michigan City until June 22. Intelligent talking animals ruled by the majestic King Aslan, the great lion of Narnia, are the inspiration for much symbolism and interpretation throughout this two-hour journey. Though Aslan is often absent from the land, with his very existence doubted by some, he returns when the need for him is greatest. From the opening song 'Aslan's on the Move' to the joyous tune of 'Narnia You Can't Imagine,' it's a theater experience for families and all ages. Performances are 7 p.m. Fridays and 2 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. Tickets range from $12 to $17 at or call 219-874-4035. Chicago Street Theatre is hosting the 2025 charity event return of 'Trivia Night,' with free admission, free hors d'oeuvres, prizes and a 50-50 raffle. Hosted at the stage space at 154 W. Chicago St. in Valparaiso, guests have a chance to show off general theater knowledge while helping raise money for theater programming and needs. There will be seven categories, ranging from Shakespeare quotes and holiday shows to prop descriptions and scary scripts. Spouses of current board members and staff may play but will be ineligible to receive prizes. Captains are asked to gather a team of 2-6 players, and reservations are required. Call 219-464-1636 or visit The Neverly Brothers' concerts are a tribute to one of the most exciting chapters in music history: the birth, near death and resurrection of rock 'n' roll. Their one-of-a-kind, high-energy stage performances take you on a tour of rock history from 1955 to 1965. Audiences will learn rock history while being thoroughly entertained with a chronological song sequence, stories behind the music and vintage wardrobe changes when the Neverly Brothers return to the Theatre at the Center stage 1040 Ridge Road in Munster for a 3 p.m., June 15 Father's Day Sunday concert. Music fans can expect show-stopping renditions of hits by Jerry Lee Lewis ('Great Balls of Fire'), Chuck Berry ('Johnny B. Goode'), Eddie Cochran ('Summertime Blues'), Buddy Holly ('That'll be the Day'), The Beatles ('Twist & Shout'), The Rolling Stones ('Satisfaction'), The Kinks ('You Really Got Me'), The Dave Clark Five ('Glad All Over') and other favorites. Tickets are $40 at or 219-836-3255. Music icon Buddy Guy celebrates his 89th birthday on July 30, and the party has already started with his 'Buddy Guy Damn Right Encore' tour with one concert at 8 p.m. Friday, June 13 at Four Winds Casino in New Buffalo at the Four Winds Silver Creek Event Center at 11111 Wilson Road. Tickets start at $70 at 866-494-6371 or Eight-time Grammy Award-winning blues legend Buddy Guy is giving fans another chance to experience his electrifying live show with the newly announced Damn Right Encore tour. As one of the last living legends of the blues, Buddy has inspired generations of musicians, from Jimi Hendrix to Eric Clapton and John Mayer. His Damn Right Farewell tour is a celebration of his extraordinary career for fans to have the opportunity to witness a blues master at work. 'Happy Birthday, Wanda June' is a satirical play by the late great Kurt Vonnegut who died in 2007. Performances are 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 3 p.m. Sundays now through June 22 at 4th Street Theater, 125 N. 4th St. in Chesterton. Directed by Bob Cooley, it is the 90-minute stage story of a woman with a little boy who has two suitors: a doctor and a vacuum cleaner salesman. Her husband, a famous big-game hunter and adventurer, disappeared years ago in the Amazon. She is about to be declared a widow when he walks in with the pilot with whom he crashed in the Amazon valley. It happens to be his birthday, an event which all those present had decided to celebrate and for which they had just purchased a cake on the spur of the moment. The cake had been intended for somebody named Wanda June, who apparently never got to celebrate at all. The adventurer turns out to be a wild champion of havoc who alienates friends and demolishes any social scene. The show deals with adult themes that may not be appropriate for all audiences. Tickets are $20 at or call 219-926-7875.
Spectator
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Spectator
Spectator Competition: First thoughts
Competition 3403 invited you to provide an extract from a prequel to a well-known work of prose or poetry. It was a stellar haul this week, with prose and poetry represented equally. I was sorry not to have space for Ralph Goldswain's 'Eleventh Night', Brian Murdoch's The Lion, the Witch and the Trip to Ikea, George Simmers's 'On First Considering Looking into Chapman's Homer' or John O'Byrne's The Pretrial. Also worthy of special mention are Sue Pickard, Alan Bradnam, Mike Morrison, D.A. Prince, Nick Syrett, Joe Houlihan, Sylvia Fairley, Martin Parker and the Revd Dr Peter Mullen. The £25 John Lewis vouchers go to those entries printed below. Had she been of a less patient nature, Maisie Farange, a girl of six years, custody of whom proved contentious in the acrimonious divorce of her parents, might have contested the argument, advanced by attorneys in the case, that her opinions ought not be sought on the grounds of her inexperience. Considerable lawyerly wit was deployed in the listing of things of which Maisie as yet knew nothing. The proceedings of certain of the Punic Wars were instanced, together with the ability to parse Latin sentences and the process for successfully bleeding a radiator. Maisie's mind, they argued, stood as an unfurnished room, wanting only the chattels of knowledge to fill it. Maisie, hitherto content to run about said empty room and greatly enamoured of its unique atmosphere, demanded from the court an exhaustive list of accomplishments required for the attainment of personhood. Its compilation, and necessarily the case, continues. Adrian Fry/'What Maisie Doesn't Yet Know' A handsome young Owlet aloft in a tree Gazed down on a Kitten below, The Owlet was smitten at once by the Kitten Whose whiskers were whiter than snow. 'Dear Kitten,' he said 'we're too young to be wed But I simply adore your sweet purr, Do you think that we might, when we're older, unite In a marriage of feathers and fur?' 'We might or might not,' the Kitten replied, 'I imagine it rather depends On how things turn out but I'm sure beyond doubt We'd be happy for now to be friends. Let's frolic and play for a year and a day Content to be cheerful and free, What the future might hold has yet to be told And till then we must just wait and see.' Alan Millard/'The Owlet and the Kitten That's my first duchess painted on the wall Looking as grim as a warrior from Gaul. She'd move in mourning black from room to room And everywhere she breathed was filled with gloom. I dreamt of having someone who'd beguile And warm my heart with the magic of a smile; Someone who'd grace the title that I gave her With regal looks and exquisite behaviour. Instead I got a witch whose evil spell Made me believe that I had gone to hell. But thankfully she's dead and I must find A wife who dotes on me, who's warm and kind, And mindful of the horrors of the past I pray my next duchess will be my last. Frank McDonald/'My First Duchess' Santiago, clutching the plastic Che Guevara bucket his mum had bought in Havana, caught a sudden movement in the rock pool. Translucent, mysterious, with dark brown stripes – la gamba! With his long antennae the shrimp looked to Santiago like a bull in the corrida. Imagining himself in the plaza de toros, he waved his net like a matador's cape. The shrimp glared at him, did a little salsa turn then darted under a rock. Santiago waited, net in one hand, bucket in the other. 'I will catch you, hijo de puta, if I have to wait for ever,' he thought, smoking an imaginary Cohiba cigar. Then he began to move the other rocks. 'Cangrejo,' he muttered, as a little crab scuttled away. But with the shrimp, it was personal. An obsession. 'Shrimp,' he said softly, 'I love you and respect you very much. But you will be in this bucket before sunset.' David Silverman/'The Young Boy and the Rockpool' And I saw in my dream, a man that stood not up, nor moved (Esther 5:9), but turned aside and stood still (II Sam. 18:30), and could not in three days expound the riddle of what he must do (Judg. 14:14, Num. 6:21). And it came to pass after three days, that he was still in the same place where he was on the first day of the first month when I saw him (Josh. 3:2, John 11:6, II Chr. 29:17, Rev 1:7), without hope, not walking northward, southward, eastward, or westward (Job 7:6, II Cor. 4:2, Gen. 13:14), and stood like a pot of ointment (I Sam. 6:14, Job 41:31), as the horse, or as the mule, which have no understanding (Ps. 32:9), proceeding neither to the right hand, nor to the left (Rev. 22:1, 11 Chr. 34:2), and falling into a trance (Num. 24:16). The fool! (Ps. 53:1). Bill Greenwell/'Pilgrim's Standstill')' Do not go careless into that good morn, young dads should juggle coffee cups and toys; engage, engage with your offspring and spawn. Jog with the pram, change nappies, feed at dawn, Join playgroup meetings, relish bathtime noise, Engage, engage with your offspring and spawn. Read bedtime stories, scrub off puréed corn, Dress them in onesies, rompers, corduroys, Engage, engage, with your offspring and spawn. Take naps, build castles, get those pictures drawn, Give up wild nights of drinking with the boys, Engage, engage with your offspring and spawn. For each new father this time flies, I warn, Curse, bless the little darlings and their joys, Do not go careless into that good morn, Engage, engage with your offspring and spawn. Janine Beacham No. 3406: Problematic You are invited to cast a well-known fictional or non-fictional character, living or dead, in the role of agony aunt or uncle and provide a problem of your invention and their solution. Please email entries (150 words maximum) to competition@ by midday on 25 June.
