Bangalore Political Action Committee

Abbreviation	B.PAC
Formation	2013; 12 years ago (2013)
Founders	Kiran Mazumdar Shaw T. V. Mohandas Pai
Type	Non-profit
Headquarters	Bengaluru, Karnataka
Location	India
Website	bpac.in

Bangalore Political Action Committee (stylised as B.PAC) is a Bengaluru-based non-profit organisation, founded by the citizens of Bengaluru, to help improve urban infrastructure, municipal governance, and the overall quality of life.[1][2][3] The organisation advocates good governance practices and citizen participation for sustainable development.[4][5] It is primarily a think-tank that carries out research and recommends policy amendments to assist the local and state level governments.[6][7][8]

B.PAC works with the government of Karnataka and other government and non-government organisations.[9] It is not affiliated with any political party or government organisation.[10] There are 12 employees in B.PAC and they carry out their initiatives with the help of local volunteers.[11][12] B.PAC's extent of work also includes supporting women and children welfare, political leadership, and urban traffic management.[13][14][15]

Programs & Initiatives

B.ENGAGED, a program by B.PAC, was started in 2019 to engage with corporators, government institutions, and citizen groups to advance good governance practices. This program is led by Harshitha Venkatesh.[16]

B.CLIP, which stands for B.PAC Civic Leadership Incubator Program, is an initiative by B.PAC in collaboration with Takshashila Institution.[17][18] This program serves as a learning platform for aspiring BBMP corporators, providing them with knowledge and skills to broaden their impact.[19][20][21] Since its inception in 2013, nine batches have been conducted.[22] Notable individuals, including politicians and civic activists such as Sowmya Reddy and Sampath Ramanujam, have participated in the B.CLIP program.[23][24][25]

B.SAFE, one of the programs by B.PAC, works towards enhancing safety and empowerment for women and children in Bengaluru.[26][27] The B.SAFE Constituency initiative, a part of B.SAFE, works with B.SAFE Ambassadors to conduct audits of public spaces in Bengaluru.[28] These assessments focus on evaluating the presence of adequate safety infrastructure for women and children.[29] So far, B.SAFE Constituency Initiative has been conducted in 4 Bengaluru assembly constituencies - Mahadevapura, Malleshawaram, Dasarahalli, and Hebbal.[30][27] Ms. Chitra Talwar is the program mentor of B.SAFE.[27]

Founders & Members

B.PAC was founded in 2013 by Kiran Mazumdar Shaw and T. V. Mohandas Pai to tackle the garbage crisis in Bengaluru.[31][32]

Charu Sharma, Ashwini Nachappa, Prasad Bidapa, and Nisha Millet are members of B.PAC.[33][34][35]

Ashwin Mahesh has also been associated with B.PAC.[36]

Awards & Recognition

On National Voters' Day 2020, B.PAC was recognised as "The best Not for Profit" by the Election Commission of India for electoral awareness initiatives during 2019 Lok Sabha Elections.[37][38]

References

1. "Bangalore Political Action Committee: How it is building citizen participation in politics, policy". The South First. March 24, 2023.
2. "BPAC agenda for better city governance unveiled". The New Indian Express.
3. "Right time for action plan to fulfil dreams: Narayana Murthy". Economic Times.
4. "Bangalore Political Action Committee: How it is building citizen participation in politics, policy". The South First. March 24, 2023.
5. "B.PAC to crowdsource ideas for sustainability manifesto for Bengaluru". Livemint.
6. South. "B.PAC and WRI India launch Personal2Public campaign to promote public transport use". The South First.
7. "B-PAC's Bengaluru MLA assessments: Here's how to read, understand these ratings". The News Minute. 16 April 2016.
8. "Why more vehicle owners don't use metro? B.PAC to find out". The New Indian Express.
9. "B.PAC survey: 57% in Bengaluru say 'not satisfied' with governance". Hindustan Times. Sep 22, 2022.
10. "Bangalore Political Action Committee launches sixth Civic Leadership Incubator Program batch". The Economic Times.
11. "B.PAC, DULT release findings from cyclists' survey". Citizen Matters. 5 October 2021.
12. Kassam, Meenaz (2016). Philanthropy in India. SAGE Publications. p. 195. ISBN 9789351507512.
13. "Uber and B.PAC partner to work on sustainable mobility initiatives for Bengaluru". The Hindu Business Line. July 9, 2019.
14. "BBMP polls: B.PAC trains 43 members in civic leadership programme". The Hindu.
15. "Uber, B.PAC's 'Sustainable Mobility' report suggests ways to tackle congestion in Bengaluru". The Hindu Businessline.
16. Fathima, Iffath. "Fellowship takes public policy to classrooms". Bangalore Mirror. Retrieved 2024-03-03.
17. Devadiga, Deeksha (2023-03-24). "Bangalore Political Action Committee: How it is building citizen participation in politics, policy". The South First. Retrieved 2024-03-03.
18. "School for Politicians". Open The Magazine. 2014-02-11. Retrieved 2024-03-03.
19. Staff Reporter (2022-08-16). "BBMP polls: BPAC trains 43 members in civic leadership programme". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 2024-03-03.
20. "Bangalore: BBMP? We should call it 'BB empty' instead". DNA India. Retrieved 2024-03-03.
21. "Bangalore Political Action Committee (B.PAC), a citizen's group that works towards better governance in Bangalore announced the launch of B.CLIP, a civic leadership incubator programme. B.CLIP seeks to encourage citizens to enter public service with a view to create a new cadre of civic leaders who will successfully drive and scale civic initiatives at the grass roots and create transformative change in our communities through good governance". The Times of India. 2013-09-20. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 2024-03-03.
22. Fathima, Iffath. "Toolkit for better civic leadership". Bangalore Mirror. Retrieved 2024-03-03.
23. Wangchuk, Rinchen Norbu (2022-03-10). "Think India Needs Cleaner Politics? This Team Trains Future Civic Leaders & Politicians". The Better India. Retrieved 2024-03-03.
24. Service, Express News (2015-01-11). "BCLIP Shows the Way to Waste Management". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 2024-03-03.
25. Nath, Sayantani Nath (2019-10-11). "This WhatsApp Group Has Resolved 500+ Civic Issues Across Bengaluru - From Bumpy Roads To Faulty Drainage". thelogicalindian.com. Retrieved 2024-03-03.
26. Kappan, Rasheed. "Public safety in Bengaluru: A reality check". Deccan Herald. Retrieved 2024-03-03.
27. Devadiga, Deeksha (2024-01-23). "Advocating for equal access: A decade in making Bengaluru a safe and empowered space for women". The South First. Retrieved 2024-03-03.
28. "Poorly-lit Bengaluru streets a major concern for women's safety, says report". The Times of India. 2023-10-28. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 2024-03-03.
29. Service, Express News (2023-10-29). "Fix streetlights, make bus stops more accessible, recommends B.PAC report". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 2024-03-03.
30. Fathima, Iffath (Nov 18, 2023). "Women's safety audit". Bangalore Mirror. Retrieved 2024-03-03.
31. "Karnataka polls: B.PAC submits suggestions to Chief Electoral Officer to improve voter registration". Economic Times.
32. "Disconnect of Bengaluru's Corporates More Worrisome Than Cauvery". The Quint.
33. "Bangalore biz group makes political debut, backed 14 candidates for clean administration". India Today. Retrieved 2023-11-10.
34. "The Click In The Ballot". Outlook India. 5 February 2022.
35. Sengupta, Devina (2012-12-08). "Top corporate heads in Bangalore form an ad hoc team to work with government bodies". The Economic Times. ISSN 0013-0389. Retrieved 2023-11-10.
36. Dalal, Mihir (2013-02-03). "Narayana Murthy-backed panel to seek clean governance in Bangalore". mint. Retrieved 2023-11-10.
37. "Third batch of B.CLIP: B.PAC Civic Leadership Incubator Programme concludes". Takshashila Institution.
38. "Do you know your corporator? B.PAC begins awareness campaign across Bengaluru!". Residents Watch. Dec 2019.