Success only comes to those who work hard and create a niche for themselves, despite any failures or lack of resources.

Today, we bring you stories of five differently-abled Indians who beat all odds to crack one of the toughest examinations in the country, the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) exams.

1. Ira Singhal, 2014, AIR 1

Hailing from Delhi, Ira topped the exam in her fourth attempt in 2014. She became the first physically-challenged woman to top the civil services exam in the general category.

But this wasn’t the first time she had cleared the exam. In 2010, Singhal was denied a post despite clearing the exam, due to her 62 per cent disability owing to scoliosis. It was a spine-related disorder that affected both her arms.

Authorities stated the disability wouldn’t allow her to pull, push, and lift heavy packets, an ability they considered necessary for the Indian Revenue Services (Customs and Central Excise).

But Ira did not give up.

She led a four-year fight in the Central Administrative Services to earn her posting in December 2014. Speaking to the Hindustan Times, after the 2014 exam results, she had said, “Irony is that on medical and physical grounds, I am not eligible to be an IRS, a clerk or even a sweeper, but the rules do allow me to become an IAS (officer).”

She added how, as an IAS officer, she would focus on empowering women, children, and the physically challenged.

“I want to say to everyone, let your daughters study and work. Let them go out in the world and make something of their lives,” Singhal said.

Read her journey here.

2. Kempa Honnaiah, 2016, AIR 340

He was born to Honnaiah and Muniyamma from Chowdanakuppe village, Tumakuru district, Karnataka. In Class 3, retinal damage snatched his eyesight. After dropping out for a while, he completed his education from the government blind school in Mysuru. He graduated from Maharaja College and went on to complete his masters from Karnataka State Open University (KSOU), and his MPhil from Kannada University, Hampi. Kempa Honnaiah later became a Kannada lecturer at Vontikoppal Government PU College in Mysuru.

He became a household name after securing the commendable rank of 340 in the Civil Services Examination (CSE) conducted by the UPSC. He cracked the exam in his third attempt in 2016, without any special coaching.

At the felicitation ceremony, he attributed his success to his wife and friends, speaking to Deccan Herald saying, “My wife, Anchita, has been a pillar of support all along. She helped me read, make notes and made me listen to recordings. She is the main force behind this achievement. She is the real IAS officer here.”

Fondly known as ‘Kempa IAS’ by his doting sons, he said, “I want to concentrate on creating more opportunities for the differently-abled after getting my posting. I will go wherever I am posted.”

Read more about his journey here.

3. Balalatha Mallavarapu, 2016, AIR 167

In 2017, Gopala Krishna Ronanki secured the third place in the coveted UPSC exams. He was mentored by Balalatha Mallavarapu, who secured a rank of 167 in 2016.

She had attempted the exams previously in 2009 and secured a rank of 399 to join the Indian Defence Services.

Hailing from Nagole, Hyderabad, Balalatha has also been helping aspirants get into civil services alongside her profession. She mentors those who can’t afford expensive coaching classes.

“My aim is to provide guidance and training to more people rather than become an IAS officer,” she told The Times of India.

Read more about her journey here.

4. Satendar Singh, 2018, AIR 714

Hailing from Amroha district in Uttar Pradesh, Satender scored an All India Rank of 714 in the coveted Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) Examination in 2018.

He was 1.5 years old when he contracted pneumonia. When his parents took him to a local hospital, he was administered a wrong injection. The damage to his retina and optic nerves caused him to lose his eyesight.

However, he went to the Hindi-medium Government Senior Secondary School for Blind Boys in the Kingsway Camp area in New Delhi.

When he was enrolled for BA at Stephen’s College in New Delhi, he faced new challenges. One of which was his inability to speak and understand concepts in English. Some suggested he drop out or switch courses, but Singh taught himself English within a year. He completed his Masters in International Relations and enrolled for MPhil at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU). He also started teaching at the Sri Aurobindo College, Delhi University, and decided to write the civil services exam.

He did not clear his first UPSC attempt in 2016. Merely a month or two before writing the Mains paper in October 2017, he was afflicted by a severe intestinal infection. The long recuperation slowed his preparation.

The faith and support of his friends and girlfriend pushed him back on his feet. “My friend, Sachin Chandel, told me to cheer up, saying these would be the stories I would share one day, once I crack[ed] the exam,” he told The Better India. 

In a message to aspirants, he said, “By cracking the civil services exam, I wanted to prove that a body, with its physical limitations, is never an obstruction in the realisation of your goals. Notions of disability or able-body do not define who you are.”

Reach his story here.

5. Jayant Makale, 2018, AIR 923

In 2014, Beed-based Jayant Mankale lost 75 per cent of his vision to retinitis pigmentosa. He began preparing for the UPSC without any coaching. He lost his father, whose pension of Rs 7,300 hardly helped pay off his college loan. His mother and sister had to take to selling homemade spices, pickles, and other food items to make ends meet.

Speaking to HT, Mankale had said, “I could not afford audio books or a screen reader. Therefore, I started listening [to] various debates on the radio, Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha TV. I took pictures of pages through my mobile and often zoomed in to read them. I have never read a National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) book, and I couldn’t use hand-written notes, which made preparation very difficult.”

When he approached Pravin Chavan and Manohar Bhole for guidance, they readily extended their support and helped him for free.

His hard work and the support of his family and wellwishers paid off when he secured the All India rank of 923 in his fourth attempt in 2018.

Read more about him here.

You May Also Like: 22-YO Son of Petrol Pump Worker Beat All Odds To Crack UPSC in 1st Attempt!

Think these stories could motivate other UPSC aspirants? Share it with them or tag them in the comments.

(Edited by Shruti Singhal)

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Rwitwika Bhattacharya, a postgraduate from the Harvard Kennedy School, finished her contract at the World Bank in 2012. She then made a very important decision—to ditch corporate consultancy and start a public policy venture in India.

Thus, the Swaniti Initiative was born. It is a social enterprise that works with policymakers and elected representatives to deliver development solutions across the country.

Rwitwika grew up interacting with many MPs as her father was active in politics. She thus found it easy to reach out to them through Swaniti. The initiative began by working with MPs on problems like agriculture, education, livelihood, renewable energy, social welfare, water, health, and nutrition through its programme, SPARC. It stands for Supporting Parliamentarians on Analysis and Research in the Constituency Fellowship.

Now, it extends to State governments and the District Administrations.

But what exactly do they do?

Swaniti Initiative works with government systems to improve public services.

“If the very fundamentals of how much money is coming in, where it’s going, how much is being spent, and the output of these programmes isn’t closely tracked on the ground, at say the village level, then preventing corruption becomes impossible. Having worked with state and district administrations, this is something we have noticed,” says Rwitwika.

Government systems are usually weak and scattered, sometimes with not enough or inefficient workers. These offices do not accurately track how money for public schemes and programmes is utilised at the panchayat and district level as they may not have proper support systems.

Looking at the Building and Other Construction Workers (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act, 1996, and the BOCW Welfare Cess Act, 1996, Swaniti saw that only 28 per cent of the corpus that promised social benefits to construction workers was utilised even 22 years after the passing of that law.

It is easier for larger initiatives like Swachh Bharat and Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao as the District Magistrate can keep track of the utilisation of money that comes in. Swaniti helps at the local level by intervening in different states and uses the following model to come up information through data collected or available:

1) What does the demography look like?

2) What are the major issues?

3) What are government agencies doing to address them?

They identify problems, analyse them, and identify possible steps as resolutions and take them to the district administration.

This serves as an example, showing how such data can be used to provide viable solutions.

One such thing they did was in the Pindar Valley, Uttarakhand, where they noticed 700 men (the ones who stayed back instead of leaving in search of employment opportunities) who were chronically unemployed. Swaniti identified around Rs 70 lakh lying unused in addition to finding another solution—building parks in the community for the women and children, thus creating employment for at least 7-8 months.

Sometimes, they even go directly to local communities. They track the money that comes into women SHGs (Self Help Groups). The women utilise these funds and create opportunities for themselves while adding to economic activity. Swaniti has prevented over Rs 100 crore in funds from being wasted at the district level.

But just collecting the data is not enough. They help the district administration plug gaps in the collection process by actually helping them out. Swaniti is more than a data or tech company.

“Unlike other organisations, we don’t drop in from Delhi, tell them what to do and fly out,” Rwitwika says. She adds, “For us, the magic combination is using information intelligently and having people on the ground who can assist with the implementation.”

After working at it for nearly three years, Swaniti has developed Jaano India—a one-stop shop for finding all data related to district constituency and their respective members of parliaments.

“Voters can see their MP, measure his/her performance, rate it, and check their background. They can also check out how much of a margin his/her party won by in the last election, and their performance in the previous elections,” says Rajat Gupta, an integral part of this project.

It even has a map of India in which you can visualise data points at the district level. The topics you can view come under health, literacy, sex ratio, land utilisation, the percentage of working women and the implementation of certain key government schemes. These have all been updated according to the latest figures from different government websites.

But that’s not all. Swaniti has come up with something to help the MPs out as well.

UPaAI (Unified Planning and Analysis Interface) is an app on both Android and iOS platforms, integrating the data on infrastructure and other development markers on each constituency.

This information can help them make better decisions on how to utilise MPLAD funds and coordinate with state and district authorities on various welfare programmes.

Rwitwika’s decision to come back to India and immerse herself in the betterment of the political situation is an uncommon choice. Not many people realise the significant difference they can make if they choose to become involved in politics. And it doesn’t have to be a direct involvement; organisations like Swaniti work tirelessly in the background to ensure that the economy and the society of the country are smoothly running.

The next time you complain about no good candidates to vote for, ask yourself what you are doing to change that. It is not all bad. Someone is doing something right. And that someone may as well be you. Power doesn’t always rob. Sometimes, it rewards.

#EndTheStereotype

This story is part of The Stereotypeface Project, an initiative by The Better India that challenges 26 stereotypes, which continue to exist even today. We are showcasing these stereotypes through all the letters of the English language alphabet.

Stereotypes exist everywhere — they are passed down over generations. Instead of embracing and celebrating what makes us unique, we stand divided because of them!

We’ve unconsciously learned to stereotype, now let’s consciously #EndTheStereotype.

Visit www.stereotypes.in to know more about the campaign and support the effort!

How can you support this campaign?

1. Follow this thread on Twitter or Facebook
2. Re-Tweet / Re-share the stereotypeface that you would like to put an end to
3. Use #EndTheStereotype and tag @TheBetterIndia

(Edited by Shruti Singhal)

Like this story? Or have something to share? Write to us: contact@thebetterindia.com, or connect with us on Facebook and Twitter.

“History owes an apology to the members of this community and their families,” said Justice Indu Malhotra, while decriminalising section 377 last year.

6 September 2018 was a historic day for members of the LGBTQI+ community in India. For the first time, they could walk freely without the fear of spending up to ten years in prison.

For people like 29-year-old Kaushik, a materials engineer employed in a Swiss-based company, this judgment has been a beacon of hope.

Kaushik was 12 when he first realised that he was attracted to men. At first, he assumed it was a phase, and that he would be ‘normal’ with age. But as he grew older, his attraction to men only grew stronger.

Luckily for him, chat rooms on the internet connected him with others all over the world. “For that split second, in a crowded internet cafe (we did not have a computer at home till late), you felt a little less alone,” he recounted.

He pursued engineering at IIT-Madras, and grew more confident in the exposure he received there. Although he tried to face the bullies head-on and made friends, he could not overcome all his barriers until he moved to Switzerland for his PhD.

Switzerland’s society, more open than India’s, allowed him to explore his sexuality more freely. He met Glenn, a human rights advocate in Geneva, and is now married to him. Perhaps Glenn’s liking for Bengaluru’s Masala Dosas, Puliyogare and Rava Kesari played a part in this.

“He wore his sexual orientation with so much ease and confidence that I started seeing myself as capable of having the same kind of confidence. With time, this confidence grew, and like most other gay folks, the first person I came out to was myself. The moment I could tell myself that I was gay without hesitation was a moment of relief. It felt so right, and there was suddenly so much more hope. I had come around to accept my identity fully, and it just fed into the self-confidence. Once that set in, coming out to friends was much easier,” Kaushik told us.

The same year, in 2012, he came out to his parents.

Unlike others, they were loving, compassionate, and most importantly, accepting. They did not exclude or ostracise him—rather, they wanted to understand him.

“They were courageous enough to ask me all sorts of personal questions. This kind of openness in their generation, and in India in general, is extremely rare and I was fortunate enough to have it,” he says.

Although they were afraid that he would have to live alone, Kaushik silenced their fears in a few months by telling them about Glenn. The couple was soon accepted by the family, and in December 2015, they got married in France.

Kaushik feels that homophobia is the real problem, as he continues to receive slurs. The conversations about different sexual identities have begun more vociferously in the aftermath of the 377 verdict. Families like his show that our society can be accepting of different identities, proving that queer is normal.

#EndTheStereotype

This story is part of The Stereotypeface Project, an initiative by The Better India that challenges 26 stereotypes, which continue to exist even today. We are showcasing these stereotypes through all the letters of the English language alphabet.

Stereotypes exist everywhere — they are passed down over generations. Instead of embracing and celebrating what makes us unique, we stand divided because of them!

We’ve unconsciously learned to stereotype, now let’s consciously #EndTheStereotype.

Visit www.stereotypes.in to know more about the campaign and support the effort!

How can you support this campaign?

1. Follow this thread on Twitter or Facebook
2. Re-Tweet / Re-share the stereotypeface that you would like to put an end to
3. Use #EndTheStereotype and tag @TheBetterIndia

(Edited by Shruti Singhal)

Like this story? Or have something to share? Write to us: contact@thebetterindia.com, or connect with us on Facebook and Twitter.

Religious co-existence is a touchy subject around the world. However, the town of Maholi, in Sitapur district of Uttar Pradesh, has been forging a path of co-existence.

The people of various faiths are not just accepting of each other – they are accommodative. From using loudspeakers judiciously, to helping out with arrangements during festivals, the town had a spirit of getting along in every aspect of life.

One particular situation is the perfect example of this harmony – the River Kathina that flows through their town. Polluted and filthy, Kathina’s deterioration was worrying members of all faiths – all of whom used the water for their rituals and customs.

Kickstarted by an ashram and the temple administration, the drive to clean up the river immediately saw members of the mosque and the gurudwara join in.

This combined effort encouraged more people to participate, speeding up the process.

Picture for representation only. Source: Maxpixel

“Keeping our rivers clean is our duty and we will continue seva whenever required,” Ujagar Singh, a member of the gurudwara community said. To the Sikhs, the cleaning of River Kathina was equivalent to ‘seva’ or serving the community – an essential tenet of Sikhism.

Together they removed truckloads of hyacinth that was obstructing the flow of water and got rid of garbage like plastic, polythene, human waste, animal carcasses, and even boat wrecks.

It took volunteers three days to clear excrement from the banks! Finally, they managed to clear a one-kilometre stretch.

They now plan to have a proper waste managing system for their small town and have decided to muster support from local administration to prevent littering.

“The challenge is to maintain the cleanliness level of the river. We could clean only a small stretch this time, but we will rally again and take the movement to the second phase,” said Abdul Rauf from the mosque committee.

Religious centres – ashrams, temples, mosques, gurudwaras etc., are natural assemblies of people, who can be motivated to do almost anything by their respective leaders and community members. And the actions that led to the cleaning of the Kathina river give ample proof – religion need not come in the way of unity, and the common good.

In our day-to-day lives, we owe it to our fellow human beings and to civilisation in general to judge each person based on how they behave, speak or interact with us rather than their faith.

Let us hate the crime, not the co-religionists.

#EndTheStereotype

This story is part of The Stereotypeface Project, an initiative by The Better India that challenges 26 stereotypes, which continue to exist even today. We are showcasing these stereotypes through all the letters of the English language alphabet.

Stereotypes exist everywhere — they are passed down over generations. Instead of embracing and celebrating what makes us unique, we stand divided because of them!

We’ve unconsciously learned to stereotype, now let’s consciously #EndTheStereotype.

Visit www.stereotypes.in to know more about the campaign and support the effort!

How can you support this campaign?

1. Follow this thread on Twitter or Facebook
2. Re-Tweet / Re-share the stereotypeface that you would like to put an end to
3. Use #EndTheStereotype and tag @TheBetterIndia

(Edited by Vinayak Hegde)

Like this story? Or have something to share? Write to us: contact@thebetterindia.com, or connect with us on Facebook and Twitter.

The pristine backwaters surrounding Kumbalangi, a fishing village in Kerala, that are shrouded in Chinese fishing nets are a sight to behold.

And it was this beautiful image that stayed with Unni George through the ups and downs of his life.

Having grown up in the village, his tryst with the backwaters began when he was just 7 years old.

“I began fishing as a child. Watching the waters move calmly and sitting by the shores for hours waiting for the catch has been since been the most settling chore. Fishing is a lot like life and our quest for opportunities. You have to be patient and attentive, to catch the right one at the right moment!” observes the 32-year-old.

Unni’s recipes are inspired by the local cuisine that smells and tastes of nostalgia, which come alive with traditional spices produced by the organic farmers of the state. You can get your own delicious dose of authentic Kerala cuisine here.

And this philosophy has finally led Unni to a life of fame after several tumultuous years. An Internet sensation now, Unni’s YouTube channel, ‘OMKV Fishing & Cooking’ has a total of 179,221 subscribers, making him one of the most popular vloggers in the country.

For the name of the channel, he appropriated the well-known Malayalam slang expression, OMKV, a modified acronym for ‘Oodu Meene Kandam Vazhi,’ which translates to ‘tell the fish to run across the backwater.’

His unusual choice of expression on camera has garnered appreciation all across the country and beyond.

But things weren’t always this good.

Battling with surgery

Back in 2016, Unni was working as a construction worker, when all of a sudden, life began to fall apart for him and his family.

While on the job, one day, he fell sick with acute pain in his stomach and was eventually diagnosed with kidney failure. “My wife was three months pregnant at the time, and both my kidneys had given up. We were barely managing to make ends meet and then this news completely shattered us. It was like the sky was falling on my head, and I didn’t know what to do,” he shares.

Desperate, they began to reach out to friends and family for help. While help poured in from some people, his surgery alone needed Rs 15 lakhs, so his friends pushed his case on social media asking for more funds.

Eventually, help arrived, and his surgery was successful. But, two weeks later, his wife went into labour, pushing him to take a loan of Rs 3 lakhs to pay for her surgery.

Drowning in debt, monthly medical expenses and restricted by post-surgery recovery, their lives came to a standstill.

“Together we were spending almost Rs 20,000 a month just for medicines. This is more than we were earning. Also, because of the surgery, I had to tone down my work at the construction site. I couldn’t even pick up anything above 5 kgs. Friends and family advised me to change jobs, but as i had not finished my studies, opportunities had become slim,” he says.

“Every day was a battle. I remember sitting by the water and staring at nothing thinking what to do next,” he adds.

The silver-lining by the shore

After much contemplation, it seems the backwaters came to his rescue. Almost two years later, he went back to his childhood love, fishing and made it his profession, but with a twist.

“I was introduced by a few friends to the concept of YouTube. I began to research and found out that it was full of videos of food, travel, fishing, etc. but not a combination of food and fishing, the two things I was very good at. Also, my research revealed that vlogging was an emerging profession among the youth, and I thought of dabbling in it,” he adds.

After months of research and YouTube tutorials on vlogging, Unni was finally ready, and with the help of a friend’s DSLR camera, he recorded and uploaded his first video in May 2018, where he caught and cooked his own fish from the backwaters.

His videos involve him travelling across the coastal regions of Kochi to catch the best fish and cook in the local style caught the attention due to its unique style.

A touch of simplicity while presenting in the videos won lakhs of hearts in Kerala and beyond, making him an internet sensation.

“After I hit 25,000 followers, I began to get calls from YouTube congratulating me on my success and pushing me to do better. Today I earn more than Rs 50,000 every month and also have several sponsors helping me make my videos better,” he says.

No need for sympathy

“I want people to know me for what I am today, not what I was,” he exclaims, pointing out that many of his followers did not know about his difficult past and his incredible journey.

Elaborating on that, he adds that the intent of this channel was to introduce people to the simple way of cooking in the local style along with the art of fishing. It was a place of passion, where he wanted people to come with appreciation, not sympathy.

Also Read: Tracing Uttarakhand’s Ancient Tradition of Making Flavoured Pahadi Salts by Hand!

“In the initial days, many friends told me to make a video about my difficult past, as that would garner more followers. But, I did not want their sympathy subscriptions. So, only after I hit 1 lakh subscriptions and got my silver play button, did I record a video about my life’s journey and share it with everyone,” he adds.

Living his dream today with family, Unni still finds it hard to believe how his life has turned out to be.

“A lot of people were sceptical and advised me to give up making videos as it was a waste of time. But I stuck to it as it made me happy. Now, because of this, I have paid all the debts due to my treatment, worth lakhs!” concludes Unni, who makes sure that he and his family do not forget the hard times by helping anyone in need, just the way they were once helped.

(Edited by Gayatri Mishra)

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Would you like to read about someone who is truly inspirational?

Yes, a majority of our stories will leave you feeling motivated, but this story of 34-year-old Ira Singhal is what one would refer to as true ‘inspiration.’

Ira is the first person with a disability to have topped the UPSC CSE exam. This gritty officer suffers from a medical condition called scoliosis, which is essentially the curvature of the spine.

Having appeared for the Civil Service Examination thrice before finally nailing it and securing the All India Rank 1 in 2015, Ira speaks about how the journey has been humbling, sometimes frustrating, and at all times worth it.

Not one to let any disability come in her way, Ira has, all through her life, broken the glass ceiling and shattered the stereotypes that each one of us harbours.

In this exclusive interview with The Better India, we ask Ira what keeps her motivated and how she has managed to achieve all that she has without ever letting anything dampen her spirit.

She currently holds the position of Deputy Commissioner, North Delhi Municipal Corporation.

Having grown up in Meerut and Delhi, Ira says, “ I spent 12 years of my life in Meerut after which I moved to Delhi. I pursued an engineering degree in NSIT (Netaji Subhas Institute of Technology) and went on to complete my MBA in Marketing and Finance from FMS (Faculty of Management Studies), University of Delhi. It was during my stint at Cadbury’s as a strategy manager that I felt the need to write the civil service examination.”

The seeds of wanting to become an IAS officer, however, were sown in Ira way earlier when she was only in Class 3.

“I was in Meerut at the time, and every time a curfew would be imposed, everyone would say that the District Magistrate (DM) has issued the orders. As a child, I was fascinated that someone had the power to issue such orders. It was the intrigue that stayed with me for all the years to come.”

Just as I ask my next question, Ira says something of great significance.

“Make your plans; no one knows you like you do. Do not wait for someone else to validate your dreams for you—go ahead and grab them.”

And that is when I ask her how she achieved all that she dreamt of.

Dreams do come true

While Ira’s dream did come true in 2015, the journey she travelled to get there was a rather difficult one. Taking us through it all, she says, “I attempted the CSE for the first time in 2010 and subsequently in 2011, 2012, 2013 as well. I did clear the examination in my first attempt itself, but because of my disability, I was declared ineligible to occupy any post other than the Indian Revenue Service.”

Unwilling to give up without a fight, Ira moved Central Administrative Tribunal challenging the status. After a long battle, she won her case in 2014.

While the case was pending Ira wrote the examination again and for the third time cleared and got the same service yet again. Around the same time, the judgement was delivered, and Ira got a posting.

She says, “My aim in filing the case was also to ensure that the doors were opened for several others like me who were being denied a posting because of some disability. While that did not happen, I got a posting.”

For three months after the judgement, Ira heard nothing and kept waiting for her letter of joining. While she waited for the paperwork to move and her appointment letter to be delivered, a friend had suggested that during the time she was waiting, she could attempt the paper again.

“I gave the prelims for the fourth time rather reluctantly, all the while waiting for my letter. As I completed my mains, I finally got my letter, and I put aside all the materials and books and went for training. It was a time I spent very sincerely at the academy, not even thinking about the results.”

As fate would have it, Ira topped the exam in her fourth attempt, and with that, she created history and made her entry into the Indian Administrative Service.

“Until this happened to me, I was of the firm belief that the government would uphold the right to equality and give me a fair chance. I thought that such discrimination only happened in the private sector, but what I experienced and saw first hand changed that perception completely,” she narrates.

In conclusion, she says, “Work hard for yourself—that is the only way you can make them come true.”

While Ira has a physical disability, she has neither used it as a crutch nor let anyone feel pity for her. Her achievements are a testament to the strength she has in her, and she is truly a role model we should all look up to.

#EndTheStereotype

This story is part of The Stereotypeface Project, an initiative by The Better India that challenges 26 stereotypes, which continue to exist even today. We are showcasing these stereotypes through all the letters of the English language alphabet.

Stereotypes exist everywhere — they are passed down over generations. Instead of embracing and celebrating what makes us unique, we stand divided because of them!

We’ve unconsciously learned to stereotype, now let’s consciously #EndTheStereotype.

Visit www.stereotypes.in to know more about the campaign and support the effort!

How can you support this campaign?

1. Follow this thread on Twitter or Facebook
2. Re-Tweet / Re-share the stereotypeface that you would like to put an end to
3. Use #EndTheStereotype and tag @TheBetterIndia

(Edited by Gayatri Mishra)

Like this story? Or have something to share?
Write to us: contact@thebetterindia.com
Connect with us on Facebook and Twitter.

People say that charity begins at home, but the world outside it as also as important.

Your home is not secluded or separate from the rest of the world, so any positive change should be adopted both at home and outside to reap actual benefits

These were the thoughts running through 32-year-old IAS officer Megh Nidhi Dahal when he implemented a zero plastic policy in his workspace.

An advocate of eco-friendly lifestyle, Megh realised that observing positive habits at home was not enough to make a substantial difference.

Living a life devoid of plastic may look impossible, but it is just a matter of overcoming social conditioning. Replace your plastic toothbrush with a bamboo one, or the plastic straw with a bamboo or steel straw. Here’s how you can take a small step towards a big change. 

“Every day we spend so much time outside of our homes. It’s important that we continue the good habits beyond our personal space, in the workplace as well. What is the point of keeping your house clean, if the area outside it is overflowing with filth? Similarly, environment-sensitive habits cannot be followed at home alone; they need to become a part of our personal and public life,” he said while speaking with The Better India.

With the idea of Swachh Bharat in his mind, Megh, the sub-divisional officer (SDO) cum district election officer of North Salmara, Assam, launched a drive for zero plastic use in his government office, almost two years ago and the manifestation of the same was recently revealed during the 2019 Lok Sabha polls in his area.

However, conducting such a big event plastic-free was a challenge.

“I have had some experience of Panchayat Elections during 2018 November-December, where I noted several obstacles or bottle-necks. A major negative outcome of such events, I noticed was the humongous use of plastic and the waste it left behind,” he says.

Scared that such an outcome would follow this year, the SDO began to plan a way out.

“This year, we had a total of 484 polling stations, which meant that they contained 4000 to 5000 people that needed to be fed. In such scenarios involving a large group of people, the usual practice is to provide food in plastic plates and bowls and dispose of them after use. This is extremely harmful to the environment,” shares Megh.

Also Read: Made of Cardboard, This Rs 10 School Bag Doubles As a Desk For Rural Kids!

Hence, he decided to change that.

The transformation started with the replacing of plastic and thermocol plates with reusable melamine plates. A total of 1,200 plates were rented, and the people were served in batches.

A conscious choice of food to minimise plastic use was also done. The next step was to replace plastic glasses with those made of glass and for the first time using corn starch bowls instead of thermocol ones.

“While leaning the plot of land to make arrangements for the event, we found out a pit full of thermocol bowls and plates that were dumped last year after the event, as we did not have an economical alternative for bowls at the time. This year, corn starch bowls came to the rescue. A quick research online claimed that they are completely biodegradable and so we got it on board,” he adds.

This, however, is not an action in isolation. For the past three years in Assam, he has been promoting a no-plastic environment in the government offices by replacing plastic or paper cups with earthen cups.

“During office meetings or everyday work breaks, everyone is supposed to only use reusable plates and earthen pots for coffee or tea. And we continue this practice even during large events, like the recent Yoga Day celebrations where we were able to conduct a zero plastic event, with glass tumblers and stainless steel jars instead of pet bottles,” he shares.

He elaborates that growing up in Sikkim, which has imposed a ban on plastic use years ago, also helped shape his lack of dependence on it.

“Today, plastic is everywhere and has emerged to be something which is seemingly unavoidable. But that’s a myth. I grew up in Lingmoo, a village in South Sikkim, where concepts like waste management are not surprising or new. Most households don’t even need that because the waste generated is so less and largely reusable or biodegradable. So, a path to zero plastic use is to reduce the waste generation at large,” he adds.

Megh further shuts down the impression that eco-friendly products or life choices are a considerable burden on the pocket.

“If you carefully calculate the cost of buying such long-term use products and compare them with the cost of disposable plastic products, you would come to a very close margin. But, this calculation needs to also factor in the long-term damage done by the use of plastic and the expenditure incurred to rid the environment of it. In that case, you will find the use of plastic indeed is an expensive choice!” informs the IAS officer, who continues to make efforts to change the mindset of the people around.

We appreciate such steps by individuals like Megh who not only set a powerful precedent for the entire country but also reiterate the fact that indeed change can begin from a single point and grow into a phenomenon!

(Edited by Gayatri Mishra)

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The year was 1983. It was the first time that residents of Herma, a tiny hamlet in Tripura, who considered electricity a distant dream, saw dim bulbs come to life. All with the power of the sun.

Nripen Chakraborty the then CM of Tripura and Dr Manmohan Singh, the Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission, were witness to this moment.

A first-of-its-kind project in India, it became a trailblazer for solar rural electrification projects to follow, and the man responsible for this, was Kolkata-based scientist, SP Gon Chaudhuri.

Singh, who was thoroughly impressed with the young Bengali scientist’s work, referred him to the North Eastern Council as an advisor and he was eventually entrusted with the task of introducing non-conventional energy sources across states of the frontier region.

Known as the Solar Man of Kolkata, the man with a 35-year-old career in renewable energy, was recently honoured with the prestigious Mission Innovation Champion Award in Vancouver, Canada on May 27, 2019.

A follow-up of the Paris Convention, the award was presented to individuals who contributed to the field of solar or clean energy.

Gon Chaudhuri has completed numerous Solar PV projects within India and abroad. He also set up India’s first megawatt-scale-grid-connected solar power plant and the first floating solar power plant.

Apart from electrifying households in Sundarbans with the mini-grid concept, he also designed the first solar housing complex in Kolkata.

The Better India got in touch with him to document his journey.

Who is SP Gon Chaudhuri?

An electrical engineer from Jadavpur University, Santi Pada Gon Chaudhuri completed his specialisation from Edinburgh University and received a Doctorate of Science from the Kolkata University.

In the delta region of Sunderbans, which is home to close to five million, people lived without electricity until the 90s and were mostly dependent on kerosene lamps.

In 1994, Gon Chaudhuri brought electricity to households in the Kamalpur Village in the Sagar islands by introducing solar lighting system through the mini-grid concept. He set up a solar power plant in the village and constructed a local grid to help people get electricity for a limited time.

“This was the first time a village was electrified through the mini-grid concept in Asia,” claims Gon Chaudhuri. “Today lakhs of households depend on solar power in the Sunderbans,” he adds.

The success of the project funded by the Central Government and the State Government of West Bengal paved the way for similar programmes across Rajasthan, Chattisgarh, and Jharkhand.

Many criticised Gon Chaudhuri’s work stating that ‘India was a poor country and solar energy was expensive.’ But the scientist stood his ground and was able to garner support and funding, from the Government of India.

Ever since there has been no looking back.

Here’s a look at some of his innovations:

1) Micro-solar dome

This is a small device that captures solar energy during the day and operates at night using a solar PV system. The Department of Science and technology supported the invention as a research project. Gon Chaudhuri has patented the technology behind it.

The device, which comes with a cutter and an adhesive, has an upper and lower dome that can be fixed on the tin-sheet roofs of people living in slums and jhuggi jhopdis. It is also equipped with a USB port where you can charge phones.

It can be mounted on any type of roof, namely, GCI sheet, asbestos, clay tiles, stone, and even concrete.

The upper dome consists of solar panels which capture solar energy and retains it in lithium batteries. There is a shutter in the bottom of the lower dome, which can be closed if the light is not required in the daytime. The device is leak-proof and works throughout the day, in addition to four hours after sunset.

“More than 50 crore people do not have enough light even during the day time. Some people in Rajasthan have to walk five km to charge their phones. With the help of the micro-solar dome, they do it at home now. The cost of one such device is Rs 1600, with a subsidy of Rs 720 by the MNRE (Ministry of New and Renewable Energy).”

The GOI commissioned him to put up these micro-solar domes in remote tribal areas. So far, 10,000 micro solar domes are successfully running in more than 11 states.

After Cyclone Fani ravaged the state of Odisha and paralysed the state with power cuts, more than 100 micro solar domes were distributed to several survivors free of cost. Thanks to the invention, they were able to get electricity and charge their phones.

Now, the GOI has decided to cover another 50,000 homes in rural areas across various states, with the micro-solar dome, and Gon Chaudhuri has partnered with IIT-Kharagpur to execute the project.

2) Solar Water Purifier

To cater to the needs of safe and clean potable water in government schools, Gon Chaudhuri invented a solar water purifier.

He claims that the device is the first-of-its-kind, and can treat water containing suspended particles and bacteria through solar-powered UV light while saving 30 units of power in a month.

While a smaller storage purifier that can serve 100 students costs Rs 40,000, a bigger one for 400 students can cost up to Rs 1 lakh, and one catering to 500 students per day costs 1.5 lakh.

“The system requires no external electricity. Even on cloudy days, the storage capacity of these is about 200 litres, which can last for three to four days. Currently, there are five manufacturers in the market for the micro-solar dome and two for the solar purifier,” says Gon Chaudhuri.

You May Also Like: Time To Replace LPG? This Gujarat Man’s Solar Stove Lowers Cooking Costs by 80%

3) Janata Solar ATM

“In rural India, more than 45 per cent of women do not use ATMs due to low literacy rates and the non-user friendly nature of the machine. Also, the power in villages in erratic. Thus, a solar-operated ATM could be a solution.”

Keeping in mind the difficulty of remembering the PIN, the solar-powered ATM, christened the ‘Janta ATM’ incorporates the use of biometrics. (If mass produced, this would require permission from the Reserve Bank and need users to register with the banks first.)

A touchpad on the device identifies your finger impression. Now, assuming you are registered, your name and picture will appear. The screen will have photographs of different denominations that you can select. The ATM will dispense the selected amount. A headset attached to it will read out your updated bank account statement.

“We are using the machine in the office. The final prototype has been developed. We are working with the Centre currently. Only when it gets approved and launched formally as a programme, we will float tenders for manufacture to mass-produce this.”

4) Solar Pump

Under Swachh Bharat, several toilets have been constructed in villages, but a jarring issue for many is that these toilets have become defunct.

Why? Because there is no running water in the taps.

So, Gon Chaudhuri developed a small micro solar pump which would operate and lift water from the nearest body to a small tank above the toilets, to ensure people get 24×7 running water.

He is working with ONGC’s CSR wing on this project, and together, they have set up this pump in over 100 schools for girls across Tripura, benefitting more than 30,000 students in the process.

5) Solar Power Storage

The latest innovation that he is working on is the storage of solar power. In November 2018, the scientist came up with a prototype of a machine that will store solar power in water for 24 hours.

“Right now, only a small amount of solar power can be stored in batteries. With this machine, solar power can be stored for 24 hours, and the cost is about 1/5 of that in batteries. Also, batteries storing solar power have an average life expectancy of six years, while through this machine, solar power could be stored in water for over 40 years,” he said.

Speaking to the Times of India in 2018, he added that the integrated machine has five parts: namely a solar panel, a micro-solar pump, a micro-hydel equipment, a water tank, and a water reservoir.

Explaining the working, he said, “Once the solar panel produces solar power, it is first stored in the underground reservoir and then pumped into the overhead water tank, where it is stored as potential energy. To generate power, a micro-hydel equipment will be switched on, and that will bring the high-pressured, stored solar-powered water into the main machine, which will turn it into electricity.”

Speaking to TBI, he added how this is a brand new concept across the globe and the first such plant to be set up in Manipur will be completed by the first quarter next year. “If the project is successful, it would be a revolution in solar energy.”

All said, there are still a few challenges, but his team is working with the University of Sheffield and Visva Bharati University in Santiniketan to tackle them.

The retired government servant who teaches in IIT Kharagpur and IISc Shibpur also runs a research centre where 20 young scholars, funded by GOI, are working on innovations in different sectors of solar energy.

At their Guwahati centre, they also conduct training for solar technicians under the programme Surya Mitra, and in Agartala and Tripura, they work on solar solutions for tribals. More than 50 individuals have been working on solar innovations for twenty years dedicatedly, thanks to his vision.

The Future of Renewable Energy

The history of energy in India has witnessed a transition, and yet we continue to remain a nation dependent on coal, the use of which has been banned in most countries. As a country who has signed the Paris convention, we only have until 2030 to reduce our carbon emissions by 33 per cent.

In the light of the Paris Convention, the scientist signs off, “If we want to achieve it, we have to review our energy policy and modify it to reduce our emissions. Renewable energy could play an important role in two sectors—power and transport. We have limited hydro resources, and the use of nuclear power is yet to gain acceptance for various political and social reasons. India will require 7,00,000 MW of electricity in 2030, and we currently generate about 3,00,000 MW. How do we bridge this gap? Solar energy! It has the potential of producing more than 10,00,000 MW of electricity and is undoubtedly our best option.”

(Edited by Gayatri Mishra)

If this story inspired you, write to S P Gon Chaudhuri at nbirt2012@gmail.com

All Photo Credits: S P Gon Chaudhuri

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Over 370 million people from indigenous tribes across the world continue to struggle to preserve their traditional ways amidst a changing world that seems to have little space for traditional methods.

But amid this struggle, one village in Nagaland is at the forefront of championing women’s rights, supporting sustainable livelihood and restoring traditional food systems and agricultural practices.

Chizami, a small village in Phek district, has implemented socio-economic reforms and environmental protection for over a decade and is now a model village in the state.

And all of this thanks to economically marginalised women, who have played an essential role in bringing about this transformation while keeping it rooted in traditional practices.

The impetus for this can be said to have been sparked by Monisha Behal, a woman’s right activist and the founder of the North East Network (NEN).

Behal came to Nagaland in 1994, hoping to improve the women health standards of the state.

In 1996 when she was conducting a workshop in Pfutsero, Behal met Seno Tsuhah. Seno worked as a teacher at a government primary school in Sumi, a village adjacent to Chizami. She was a representative of the Chizami Women’s Society (CWS).

The partnership they developed eventually grew into the Nagaland chapter of the NEN.

At the time, Nagaland was emerging from a sixty-year conflict, so it was critical to engage and empower the youth to bring socio-economic change.

The duo started with health, sanitation, and nutrition, and then expanded their work to other areas as well.

NEN, along with the CWS, started skill enhancement programmes such as bamboo craft, food processing, organic farming, rooftop water harvesting and low-cost sanitation, along with discourses on governance, women empowerment, and human rights issues.

It took eight long years, but Seno

even managed to convince the village council that women deserve equal pay as men in unskilled farm labour.

And in January 2014, the village council passed a resolution for equal wages in agricultural labour. By the next year, another landmark move came – two women inducted into the Enhulumi village council.

Weaving is present in every Naga household, but due to a lack of entrepreneurship and viability, it had been steadily declining across the state. NEN decided to preserve this tradition along with creating livelihood opportunities for marginalised women.

That is how, in 2008, Chizami Weaves was born. The seven weavers they started with has now grown to over 300 women

in Chizami and ten other villages in the Phek district.

Experts from Delhi and Mumbai helped them develop new products and introduce new colours other than the traditional black, white and red, and they have also expanded beyond shawls as well, going into stoles, cushion covers, belts, bags, mufflers, coasters, table mats and runners. These products are now sent to emporiums in metropolitan cities like Bengaluru, Mumbai, New Delhi, and Kolkata.

Chizami Weaves also promotes textiles made by loin loom or the backstrap loom, one of the oldest forms of the loom, still traditionally being used by the Chaksang Nagas and other North Eastern tribes.

The weavers providing for their families and also make their presence known by speaking up about public health, livelihood, environment, and other such issues.

Source

NEN is also trying to revive traditional farming practices like millet-based biodiverse agriculture in villages. Such crops fare better in this climate as they are resilient, apart from having various health benefits. 150 farmers from eight villages now practice millet-based farming, thanks to awareness raised.

A group of female farmers have come together to manage traditional seed banks in Chizami and are also promoting sustainable agricultural practices. To bring more attention to millets, they’ve even revived Ethsuunye, a five-day millet festival.

Alder trees have been planted along with traditional Naga leafy vegetables to enhance traditional agricultural practices.

The central government has recognised the efforts of NEN and CWS. Seno has been awarded the Stree Shakti Puraskar in 2005, 2006, and 2007 by the Ministry of Women and Child Development for “dedicated and selfless work in the field of women development and empowerment in the face of extreme difficulties and challenges”.

Indeed Chizami Za (Chizami Day) was celebrated on 8 January 2015 for the first time. Their theme? Recognising history, celebrating the present, and inspiring the future.

All of this is to end that stereotype once and for all – different means backwards. Tribal practices that have brought such change in Chizami are constantly endangered as they lose lands, traditional methods and knowledge due to a constant drive towards ‘monoculture modernity’.

However, the knowledge of the ages gained by such tribes, their customs and culture, have an equal place in this world and do not deserve to be considered ‘primitive’.

The work of groups like NEN go a long way in proving this, and one hopes their work spreads far and wide.

#EndTheStereotype

This story is part of The Stereotypeface Project, an initiative by The Better India that challenges 26 stereotypes, which continue to exist even today. We are showcasing these stereotypes through all the letters of the English language alphabet.

Stereotypes exist everywhere — they are passed down over generations. Instead of embracing and celebrating what makes us unique, we stand divided because of them!

We’ve unconsciously learned to stereotype, now let’s consciously #EndTheStereotype.

Visit www.stereotypes.in to know more about the campaign and support the effort!

How can you support this campaign?

1. Follow this thread on Twitter or Facebook
2. Re-Tweet / Re-share the stereotypeface that you would like to put an end to
3. Use #EndTheStereotype and tag @TheBetterIndia

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Help often comes from the most unexpected avenues, and during the recent Mumbai monsoon deluge, it arrived through the internet.

On Monday, July 1, when the early hour showers continued to flood the city till the evening, everyday life had come to a standstill.

Navigating through the flooded streets and dodging the treacherous rains, several Mumbaikars faced quite the struggle.

However, various residents began a noble chain of helping those stuck in the rain. The initiative was started on social media under different hashtags like #RainHost and #RainDost, which involved Mumbaikers opening their homes to complete strangers, as an act of selfless humanity.

Mehul Gohil, a resident of Vile Parle, was among the first ones to do so.

Extending a helping hand, he tweeted that anybody in need of help while stuck in the rains can reach out to him.

Writing that he was situated in Ville Parle, he also stated that his home was open to anyone in need.

Hello! If you are anywhere around VileParle(e) and stuck in #MumbaiRains then I can offer you food, shelter, wifi & furry friends company. Just a DM away! #MumbaiRainsLive

— Mehul Gohil (@mehulgohil) July 1, 2019

A gesture as this not only received an overwhelming appreciation but also inspired many more to follow suit.

Another individual with the handle @NatellaPuncakes tweeted:

If you’re stuck in Khar/Santacruz West, i can host 4-5 people comfortably. I have 2 dogs and plenty of food, clean water and dry towels/clothes. #MumbaiRainsLive#MumbaiRains
My DMs are open.

— ProcrastiNatu (@NatellaPuncakes) July 2, 2019

A friend in need is a friend indeed

Speaking to The Better India, Mehul says that the idea was rooted in an experience of personal struggle.

“In 2005, during the Mumbai floods, I was stuck on the road along with my bike. I was in a very helpless situation with neck-deep in water, in search of some help, any help at all. I somehow managed to get home and help another man whose car was stuck in the water. Even though this happened 14 years ago, the day is fresh in my memory and continues to make me realise the importance of helping others, especially during adversity,” he shares.

Adding that situations like these can bring the worst, and yet the best out of people, he says that he is glad that a gesture as small as this has grown into a movement.

“A Rain Host is not just a person who provides a roof over your head during adversity, but someone who will genuinely help you when in need, just like a true friend. Something as great as this should not be an unusual phenomenon, but a mass movement!” says Mehul.

Not just for people but for furry friends as well

While natural adversities as this cause a great deal of anxiety and problem for citizens, it is a bigger challenge for stray animals.

Mehul makes sure that not just people but stray cats and dogs are also welcome at his home.

“During rains, these animals are the worst hit as they don’t have a place or shelter to go to. A lot of housing societies or buildings shun them or even beat them up when they try to take shelter, which is pathetic and extremely sad. But, as an individual, I can do my bit while informing and motivating others to do the same. Also, at my home where I already have two pet dogs, I follow a policy of animals first, always!” he adds.

Also Read: Pune Floods: Brave Constable Springs to Action, Rescues 15 Kids Single-Handedly!

His efforts have received wide appreciation from across the country, with several coming forward to help raise funds for the initiative as well.

Currently, he plans to increase the impact of the movement by organising a Rain Host Meet.

He is just one among the many who are behind the trending hashtags that have saved and helped many in the city. Although a simple gesture, it is a standing example of how, when we please can genuinely make a tremendous difference, no matter the circumstances!

(Edited by Gayatri Mishra)

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In 2017, Palghar, Maharashtra, a change was taking place. 89 per cent of the minor-missing cases were solved and 450 children were either reunited with their parents or found shelter in Child Welfare Centres. Additionally, more than 100 victims of sex and labour trafficking were rescued.

The person behind it all was IPS Officer Raj Tilak Roushan, Additional Superintendent of Police of Vasai-Virar, Palghar.

“While working in the private sector, you are only making rich people richer. At the peak of my professional career, I found my true calling, which was to serve the country. Hence, I prepared for the Civil Services and joined the Indian Police Service,” says Raj, an alumnus of IIT Kharagpur, who heard the call of duty when he was working in the private sector.

When he was transferred from Osmanabad to Vasau-Virar, Palgarh, the first thing Raj did was study the crimes in the district. He was shocked to see the missing-children statistics. In Palgarh alone, 30 to 40 cases of missing children were being registered per month under section 363 of the Indian Penal Code (legal provision for kidnapping).

“It was important that these cases are taken seriously and investigated just like other serious offences like murder. We needed to come up with a more efficient tracking method,” he says.

Every police personnel has to follow the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) to carry out complex routines by bridging miscommunications and achieving a quality output in the quickest time possible.

Raj, with his team, looked at the available data from the last six years and identified gaps and designed a 72-column objective format proform for missing children cases that covered a complete 360-degree profile of the victim so that everything was covered by the IO (Investigating Officer) during an investigation.

The officers were asked to investigate each case as if it was their own family that had gone missing. Every missing case was investigated as a human trafficking case to solve the case faster. The team held awareness programs and briefed auto and cab drivers as well. An innovative way to spot traffickers was also identified where a lady police constable was briefed to act as a distraught teenager sitting in a public space like a garden with other policemen as backup.

The new protocols worked, increasing the detection rate from 66 to 89 per cent in Palgarh in 2017.

“The new protocol changed my entire methodology and perception towards solving cases of missing minors. The joy of reuniting children with their parents helped me stay committed and focused. Even now, I have profiles of untraced children on my phone. Whenever I get time, I forward the images to my colleagues and sources,” said Maruti Patil, who works at the Crime Branch at Kuala Police Station.

When people think of uniforms, corruption comes to our mind. But heroes like Raj Tilak Roshan prove that the men in khakis are, at times, misrepresented. When the bad make headlines, why don’t the good? The ones that silently guard and protect our streets are not the ones we are told about. Maybe it’s time to hear those stories that aren’t shouted out loud, but whispered through the tides of change.

#EndTheStereotype

This story is part of The Stereotypeface Project, an initiative by The Better India that challenges 26 stereotypes, which continue to exist even today. We are showcasing these stereotypes through all the letters of the English language alphabet.

Stereotypes exist everywhere — they are passed down over generations. Instead of embracing and celebrating what makes us unique, we stand divided because of them!

We’ve unconsciously learned to stereotype, now let’s consciously #EndTheStereotype.

Visit www.stereotypes.in to know more about the campaign and support the effort!

How can you support this campaign?

1. Follow this thread on Twitter or Facebook
2. Re-Tweet / Re-share the stereotypeface that you would like to put an end to
3. Use #EndTheStereotype and tag @TheBetterIndia

Like this story? Or have something to share? Write to us: contact@thebetterindia.com, or connect with us on Facebook and Twitter.

Sunil Sharma, a pure vegetarian runner, used to be a district manager in a company in Chandigarh. He quit to become a professional athlete as it is difficult to maintain a full-time job if one wakes up at 3 in the morning to do yoga from 4 AM to 5 AM, and then run for 40 to 50 km. Sunil returns at 9 AM and after stretching for a while, he leaves again for a day of gymming, cycling, or swimming. Finally at 11 PM, he comes back home, cooks dinner, eats, and falls asleep.

Along with this back-breaking schedule, Sunil donates blood four times a month.

It is an unfounded belief that vegetarians are weak because they do not get the protein that meat-eaters do in the course of a day. Sunil, running 40-50 km a day, is debunking the myth.

The earliest memory Sunil has of participating in a race is when he was in school where he ran a kilometre or two. The price for the race was Rs. 2. In 2002, he won silver in a cross country race, but it was 2012 when he really started running.

While pursuing his Masters from Punjab University, Chandigarh, he, along with a couple of friends, was simultaneously running an NGO that provided free blood to the needy, and took care of the expenses for their treatment.

One day, while searching for a blood group for a patient, he found that where a large number of people in the University were apprehensive about donating blood, more than half the people did not even know what their blood group was.

Sunil started “Run 4 Social Cause” – a Facebook page that organised running events that were centered around helping those in need. He has since participated in several notable runs – Save Forest and Save Water in Chandigarh, Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao from Chandigarh to Delhi, The Great Indian Run from Delhi to Mumbai, the Kargil International Marathon and many others.

One of the most notable runs he participated in was The Great Sirmour Run which raised Rs. 3,46,000 and 10 per cent of which went to the Red Cross and the rest to patients with kidney ailments.

Sunil’s dream is to complete a run spanning China, India, and ending in Pakistan. The athlete also wishes to run from Gangotri to Kolkata, along the banks of the Ganges, in an attempt to save the rivers. But what he wants the most is to inspire people to donate blood and save lives.

Meat is not the only source of protein that one needs to be “strong” or for the matter, the idea of meat being the only way one can gain muscle strength is unscientific. Proving this right is Martina Navratilova, a vegetarian record-breaking tennis ace with 18 Grand Slam titles. Argentinian footballer Sergio Aguero, one of the world’s highest goal scorers, is a vegetarian too.

What is weak is the understanding that vegetarians aren’t physically strong. And it is time we discarded this incorrect notion.

#EndTheStereotype

This story is part of The Stereotypeface Project, an initiative by The Better India that challenges 26 stereotypes, which continue to exist even today. We are showcasing these stereotypes through all the letters of the English language alphabet.

Stereotypes exist everywhere — they are passed down over generations. Instead of embracing and celebrating what makes us unique, we stand divided because of them!

We’ve unconsciously learned to stereotype, now let’s consciously #EndTheStereotype.

Visit www.stereotypes.in to know more about the campaign and support the effort!

How can you support this campaign?

1. Follow this thread on Twitter or Facebook
2. Re-Tweet / Re-share the stereotypeface that you would like to put an end to
3. Use #EndTheStereotype and tag @TheBetterIndia

Like this story? Or have something to share? Write to us: contact@thebetterindia.com, or connect with us on Facebook and Twitter.

A native of Uttarakhand, Dipti Joshi lost her husband at a young age, which put the entire responsibility of supporting her family of three on her shoulders.

To make ends meet, she opened a tiny tea-stall along the roadside in Kumaon hills. However, with only a few customers, who were mostly truck drivers or travellers on road trips, halting at her shack, she barely managed to eke out a living.

Additionally, her stall was dull in appearance and not aesthetically pleasing. Even Dipti would not stay there for longer than she needed to.

But she never imagined that a chance halt would change everything for her.

A group of people from Kiran Nadar Museum of Art (KNMA), Delhi, were on a trip to the hills of Uttarakhand when they chanced upon her little tea stall. When they heard her story, they decided that they had to help her.

With the help of local school students, the KNMA team painted over the walls of Joshi Tea Stall in Aipan, the traditional painting style from Kumaon. This promoted the local tradition and culture of that area.

And thus the Josh Café was born.

What makes it even more amazing is that KNMA did all of this for free, with the intention of promoting art and its application to impact lives.

This philanthropic endeavour from the KNMA was a game changer for Dipti. More people and children began coming to the Josh Cafe, and Dipti found her income gradually becoming steadier and better.

While an act of kindness transformed Dipti’s life, not all widows are as fortunate.

Many parts of India still support regressive customs when it comes to widowed women. They are shunned, mistreated and abandoned.

We’ve come a long way since social ills, and absurd cultural traditions burdened the society, but we still have a lot of work left to do, when it comes to protecting the fundamental human rights of women.

Let’s make a start today.

#EndTheStereotype

This story is part of The Stereotypeface Project, an initiative by The Better India that challenges 26 stereotypes, which continue to exist even today. We are showcasing these stereotypes through all the letters of the English language alphabet.

Stereotypes exist everywhere — they are passed down over generations. Instead of embracing and celebrating what makes us unique, we stand divided because of them!

We’ve unconsciously learned to stereotype, now let’s consciously #EndTheStereotype.

Visit www.stereotypes.in to know more about the campaign and support the effort!

How can you support this campaign?

1. Follow this thread on Twitter or Facebook
2. Re-Tweet / Re-share the stereotypeface that you would like to put an end to
3. Use #EndTheStereotype and tag @TheBetterIndia

(Edited by Gayatri Mishra)

Like this story? Or have something to share? Write to us: contact@thebetterindia.com, or connect with us on Facebook and Twitter.

Tsetan Dolkar recalls how, as a child, she spent the harsh winters at her home in Sakti village, Leh district, around a bukhari (traditional heater) listening to her family members praising her grandfather for the abundant availability of firewood—a fuel central to surviving the unforgiving cold months.

At the time, she had not really taken note of these comments, as she had seen her family offer wood to fellow residents in her village, monasteries and old-age homes during the winters.

“Growing up with an abundance of wood around me, I did not realise the effort it took for my grandfather to plant, raise and nurture these trees. Although I used to regularly shoo away goats and water the trees in these orchards as a child, it was when I grew up that I realised the importance of his lifelong work, particularly the time when my parents were constructing the family home. Without the wood available at the family orchard, they would have had to spend lakhs just to buy the required construction material. That’s when I decided to talk to him about his work,” says Dolkar, an Assistant Professor of Geography, speaking to The Better India (TBI).

Over the course of five decades, 84-year-old Tashi Pembar Siaser has helped plant and nurture approximately 4,000 trees spread over 40 kanals (5 acres) at an altitude of over 11,500 feet. Many of the willow and poplar trees, along with other variant species, are now third and fourth generation trees. While their tree trunks are used extensively in the construction of homes, the wooden twigs are laid together for roofing in traditional structures, which in local parlance is called ‘talbu’.

“Many of my neighbours have taken saplings from me. I encourage it because once the tree survives and grows, it becomes a real source of income, unlike an annual crop. Upon seeing this in play, many people began growing these trees,” says Tashi.

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Born in 1936 in Sakti village, 45 km away from Leh, Tashi was the eldest of eight siblings. Born into poverty, his father passed away when he was just 15 years old. The entire responsibility of caring for his grandparents and siblings fell on his shoulders.

“I was struggling to make ends meet for my large family. There were days when collecting fuelwood, and dung cake was a family affair during the day. We would pluck and collect twigs from wild bushes. For social occasions like marriage or death ceremony, our neighbours would hire us to collect firewood,” recalls Tashi.

When Tashi began planting these trees, he had no idea that he was doing something to protect the environment. His plantation drive was to meet his family’s needs.

“Back then, diverting water from streams wasn’t a big hurdle. We had enough water to plant them. It was only much later in life that I heard that planting trees and the general greenery help maintain air quality,” adds Tashi.

He recalls that it was sometime during his late thirties that he began planting trees. At the time, there were only patches of trees owned by a few households in the village. A cousin brother, who owned a piece of land in the village, gave him a few saplings free of cost. Carrying the saplings on horseback, Tashi began his plantation drive.

“The work became never-ending. I also got saplings from other villages like Chemrey, Phyang and Sham. In fact, at one point, I acquired saplings from the Forest Department, who incentivised this exercise by paying me 50 paise for planting a tree. They even gave me Rs 4,000 for constructing a wall around the plantation to protect the trees from goats. These animals were particularly a threat to newly-sown sapling or offshoots of trees, which they peel off and eat. Nearly every family at the time reared goats,” he recalls.

What began as an individual pursuit eventually turned into a full-fledged family affair because hiring labour was out of the question. For his wife and eight children, watering the plants and protecting them from goats became a question of duty.

“Now, they’re reaping the benefits of this plantation in terms of construction material, fuelwood for winter and so. Most of my children, who are now living separately with their children, now have all the wood they need for their household needs,” he says.

For Tsetan Dolkar, her grandfather’s work has become a real source of inspiration.

“It’s amazing how a simple farmer can leave behind a real legacy with his sheer hard work and dedication. He was one of the first farmers to grow cauliflower, cabbage, carrot, green peas and so on in the village, which is located in the eastern part of Ladakh. Growing these plants in these cold and high-altitude regions was once considered impossible. Today, Sakti village is known for its high production of green peas,” she says.

Moreover, even today, Tashi continues to impart lessons to his grandchildren. “My grandfather told me about the ideal length of saplings, and the depth of the hole one must make while sowing it. He said offshoots, when growing up, are straighter and told us that it takes more years for these trees to grow in our village than other areas at lower reaches than ours. Fortunately, since these trees take a few more years to grow, they are sturdier and stronger,” recalls Dolkar.

However, when asked whether it’s possible to expand these plantations today, the octogenarian expressed his doubts. There isn’t a scarcity of wood, but watering, protecting and looking after these trees has become a concern with most working youngsters either engaged in their own business or government service, he claims. In other words, there aren’t enough people to take care of them, besides concerns over water supply. Nonetheless, his work is inspiring future generations.

“His work represents the age-old adage that hard work and dedication can allow us to attain anything. One important insight I gain from his work is that to supplement a farmer’s income, planting these trees is a great source of additional income. It is in tune with the environment’s needs, besides sustaining farmers financially. My father, who served in the Indian Army for 33 years (retiring three years ago) and my mother, a housewife, continue to do their part in planting trees, while I’ve also engaged in the same,” says Dolkar.

Despite his doubts, Tashi wants youngsters in Ladakh to take over from where he left.

Also Read: Inspiring! Ladakh Mason Quits Job to Save 70+ Abandoned Animals With His Own Funds

“It’s a great endeavour worth pursuing, especially with improved transportation, water diversion techniques and the availability of various government schemes like NREGA. People can plant trees with greater ease today, and it’s a profitable venture. In order to inspire people to plant trees, the focus must not merely be on its environmental benefits but also as a source of alternative livelihood. Only then we can ensure greater spurt of greenery in this cold desert,” he says.

From the throes of poverty to protecting the environment in this cold desert, the 84-year-old has come a very long way. What began as a venture to fulfil his family’s material needs has inadvertently become a remarkable example of sustainable development at its finest.

Picture Courtesy: Tsetan Dolkar

(Edited by Saiqua Sultan)

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“I wish it was a fictional story and not our real life,” says Dr Nisha Tiwari, and I am struck by the pain in her voice, even though this is a phone call, and she is miles away in Delhi.

15th September 2017. Nisha, a Delhi-based clinical psychologist, was eight-and-a-half months pregnant with her second child, (a daughter), when her five-year-old son, Atharv, complained of a stabbing pain in his left leg.

Sensing the severity, the second-time mother-to-be called her husband, also a medical professional, and Atharv was rushed to the hospital.

The scans were normal and the painkillers subsided the pain. Until another episode made a recurrence, a week later.

At the time, Atharv was one of the youngest students at the Taekwondo batch almost on the verge of winning his first belt. His parents thought the recurring pain could be due to a muscle or ligament tear during training.

But they were wrong. The pain did not subside it got worse.

“My daughter was born on 2nd October, and I remember the day well because ever since that night, he has never slept a single night without pain. And yet, my boy is the strongest warrior I know.”

Braving the mind-numbing pain, Atharv would get up every morning, take painkillers and go to school. In the next two months, when the pain had spread to other areas, the doctors conducted an MRI.

Atharva also underwent two major surgeries for the purpose of biopsy, and the results revealed the worst nightmare for a parent.

It was osteosarcoma, an aggressive and malignant type of bone cancer. While his parents were devastated, the doctors too were dumbfounded to see a five-year-old suffering from the rare condition.

Atharva underwent eight months of aggressive chemotherapy.

“He escaped death more than once at the time. In February 2018, during his birthday month, he underwent a Rotationplasty type B2, one of the rarest types of amputation surgeries. He has been put as 95 per cent ortho disability.”

During those long eight months of his treatment and recovery, Atharv had the central line inserted to administer fluids and drugs.

Every 15 days, when the suture would break, he underwent the painful process of having them redone. Despite not being able to move freely, being administered epidural anaesthesia for nine days continuously and morphine on 1.5 months, he did not lose hope.

The little boy perhaps has more strength and optimism that adults like us do.

It’s been a year and four months since the surgery. Despite having his lower body in a cast for a long time, he would lie down in the same position or tilt the bed and paint.

Four months after the surgery, a scan revealed that the cancer had spread to both his lungs, and more chemo and surgery were advised. He has had more than 500 blood transfusions, till date.

His surgeon was clear; Atharv’s heart isn’t strong enough to take more rounds of surgeries or chemo. So his parents made the difficult decision to not go with chemotherapy or surgeries any further.

“It is only his fighting spirit that has helped him survive. At a time when medical professionals lost hope, he has recovered drastically, with cancer now affecting only his left femur. Yes, he is under rigorous physiotherapy, and a lot of complications still do exist. He has terrible headaches and vomiting, but he is battling against all the odds to find joy in the smallest of things.”

Why is Atharv’s story so remarkable? Because this little warrior, who turned seven this February is an inspiration for everyone.

Atharv, who was in isolation for more than 11 months, taught himself to move around. First, with the help of a wheelchair and later a walker. He also wears his customised prosthesis for two hours a day. He is not only moving around but also plays cricket using the assistive equipment.

On the day he was released, in a programme held by the society the Tiwaris live on rent in, he walked up to the stage and narrated his story bravely for everyone to hear. He even sang a song for his little sister.

Atharv goes to school once a week for two hours, as his father sits in the waiting area of the campus. He cannot sit for long durations, but he still travels to the school for his exams. After having scored almost full marks in the last academic year, he is now studying in class three.

The Tiwaris have faced several financial crises in the last two years owing to the piling medical bills and have almost lost their own home to builder issues. Even so, the couple is pushing on. Their major pillars of support have been Nisha’s parents, her brother and her in-laws who have not only extended emotional support but financial support too.

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“Name any organisation helping cancer patients. And I have approached them. None of them got back or helped. We couldn’t waste hours sitting in their offices when our son was suffering in a hospital bed. Even when we needed assistance with his prosthesis, no NGO wanted to help us. They were scared to touch him because of the complications of the surgery.”

Nisha hasn’t been to her clinic in almost two years as her time has been divided between taking care of her daughter, who is 1.5 years old, and Atharv.

But in the last two years, she and her husband have given it their all to keep the young boy motivated.

Nisha adds how some of Atharv’s heroes and role models have played a major role in keeping him going. Indian Cricket Team Captain, Virat Kohli, who was travelling for the World Cup, was gracious enough to have sent Atharv a video message as soon as Nisha approached him.

Similarly, Atharv’s favourite hero, Akshay Kumar, took time off his busy shooting schedule to meet the little fan personally four months ago.

“He gave him a lot of motivation. Atharv couldn’t stop beaming and was smiling from ear to ear.”

Today, Atharv wants to help other kids like him.

“As a critical child with a 105-degree fever and a central line, he had blood transfusions on a wheelchair at AIIMS because no bed was available. He has seen the ground reality and even as young as he is, he wants to do things that can help other kids like him who do not get adequate treatment or even a bed in critical stages. He tells me, ‘Just like how you and pappa would give me my favourite food and toys when I was in pain, can’t we do that for other kids?’ How can a kid his age who has been through so much be so giving in nature? It amazes me every time.”

Atharv who watched war dramas during his recovery period in the hospital also nurtures the dream of joining the Indian Army.

When his parents arranged for a trip for him to meet a few officers in the Indian Army, they were moved at the heartwarming response of the uniformed men.

“Atharv wrote a letter to them about why he wanted to join the Indian Army. The officers of the Rajputana Rifles regiment in a moving gesture applauded him for his bravery, invited him for a small programme and gave him a uniform. They also told us, if Atharv’s health permits, they would give him free training with the regiment. So, yes, at seven he has already joined the AArmy,” she smiles.

When asked who he wants to meet next, the little boy with the sparkling eyes mentions MS, Dhoni, the former skipper of the Indian cricket team because it was Dhoni’s story that motivated him to start playing cricket.

Well, we hope his small wish reaches the right ears.

Till then, when life bogs you down, don’t forget to gain strength and inspiration from the story of this little warrior! Show him some love and share positive messages for him in the comments!

If this story inspired you, send positive vibes Atharv’s way. Write to Nisha at drnishadubey@gmail.com.

(Edited by Gayatri Mishra)

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For an entire generation of cricket lovers, Sunil Gavaskar stood like a colossus. He was the very definition of a batsman. With his near-perfect technique, ability, and strength of character, he was, in the eyes of many commentators, India’s first true cricketing hero.

In his debut Test series against the West Indies, he amassed a record 774 runs with four centuries. To this day, the aggregate remains a world record and a tall ambition for anyone playing their debut test series.

He would go on to captain the Indian side and win tournaments interchangeably with the legendary Kapil Dev, including the memorable 1983 World Cup.

Despite standing just 5.5 feet tall and playing without a helmet, with his immaculate technique Gavaskar fearlessly took on the greatest fast bowlers of his era like Andy Roberts, Michael Holding, Joel Garner, Richard Hadlee, Dennis Lillee, and Jeff Thompson. He showed the world that the Indian cricket team could mix it with the best in the world.

Hero to modern cricketing legends like Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid, Gavaskar represented the best of Indian cricket for a very long time.

Besides his tremendous performance on the field with 34 Test centuries (until Tendulkar broke this record) at an average of 50+ runs, he was a champion for his fellow players off the pitch.

“…Gavaskar had, in the past, fought bravely for the rights of his fellow cricketers. Gavaskar played an important role in organising a players’ association that succeeded in raising match fees manifold and in securing pensions for retired cricketers. Gavaskar led a movement in his native Mumbai to have flats allotted to former Test players who lived in the city,” writes Ramachandra Guha, cricket enthusiast and noted historian, for ESPN Cricinfo.

However, one of his most memorable contributions off the field came a few years after his retirement from the game, during the 1992-1993 Mumbai riots, where he saved a family from a rampaging mob at the risk of losing his own life.

During the riots, the city was under fire, and the situation was tense.

One morning outside Sportsfield, an apartment building in Mumbai, which was home to many sporting superstars including Gavaskar, an unruly crowd had gathered.

“An intercom alert was promptly conveyed to each flat. At the time, we did not realise that the reason for the assembly was that a driver and his family, belonging to a particular religion, were to pass by shortly. The crowd seemed to know about this and, on seeing the car, pelted it and managed to stop it in front of our building. There were frightened women and children inside, pleading for mercy,” writes Yajurvindra Singh for The Week.

On hearing about the situation, Gavaskar ran down and asked his fellow Team India players residing in the apartment to follow suit. Alongside former Indian all-rounder and former Mumbai teammate Eknath Solkar, Gavaskar fearlessly confronted the mob, standing in defense of the helpless family.

Without any fear for his own life, he challenged the mob, saying that they would have to attack him first before they laid a finger on any occupants of the car.

On seeing a living Indian legend stand in defense, just as he did for the national cricket team on many occasions, the situation diffused, the mob dispersed, and the family was secured.

“The team of sportsmen with a bat, tennis racket, and a hockey stick was a sight to see,” adds Yajurvindra Singh.

During a gathering of the Sports Journalist’s Association of Mumbai in 2016, he was presented with the Golden Jubilee Lifetime Achievement Award. His son, Rohan Gavaskar, said:

“He told the mob, whatever you are going to do to that family, you are going to do to me first and then better sense prevailed and the family was allowed to go on its way. It takes a special kind of courage to put your life at risk and confront the hate mob, and I guess, it takes a special kind of courage to sort of face the kind of bowlers which he did in his career without a helmet. People called it courage, someone may call insanity, but in my mind, it needs a special courage to do that.”

Also Read: Rahul Dravid: A Toast To the Brilliant Mind Behind India’s U-19 Team

This isn’t a story many people know. If it weren’t for the likes of Yajurvindra Singh or his son Rohan Gavaskar, the youth may not have glimpsed this remarkably facet of Gavaskar’s personality. On the field and off, the original Little Master showed us what ‘courage under fire’ truly means.

(Edited by Shruti Singhal)

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“It might seem strange to kids these days, but the first time I met my husband was at the mandap of our wedding,” smiles Mukta Verma, a retired government registrar, as she narrates the story of how she found the man of dreams.

Mukta was born in a small town in Bihar. Growing up with nine siblings, resources were limited. But even at the time, her advocate father and government school teacher mother, made education a priority for their seven daughters and two sons.

Mukta was homeschooled until class five, and she joined the government secondary school in Class six.

“Our lives were very simple back then. We studied, met people, spent time with our family and listened to the radio. Travel was a luxury, and we didn’t have that kind of money either.”

Sanjeeva was the eldest of five children to a government high school teacher and a homemaker. When he married Mukta in 1985, he was a first line manager for a pharmaceutical company in Patna. He started working at a very young age and travelled almost 15 days a month.

Echoing Mukta’s words, he says, “Where we grew up there was no tradition of the couple meeting before they got married. I remember the day vividly; I had returned from a tour when my uncle and father informed me that my marriage had been finalised. When I asked, where? They said, ‘We are not supposed to inform you,’” laughs the man, who retired as an Assistant General Manager.

One of the first things, Sanjeeva, asked Mukta after their marriage was, “What are the places you have travelled?”

Mukta had only travelled to Gaya and Varanasi once. She also informed her husband that she had never owned a passport.

His quick reply was, “We have to apply for a passport because we’re going to travel the world together.”

“When my husband first told me that we would travel together, I was so happy,” she says.

Mukta and Sanjeeva have been together for more than 34 years, and their love for each other and travel has only grown stronger.

Despite their hectic schedules, where Sanjeeva was constantly touring for work and Mukta was transferred, the couple made it a point to travel to the different parts of India every six months. Initially, it was just the two of them. Eventually, their children and the entire family joined them, and their travels through eye-catching locations such as Jammu, Vaishnodevi, Kathmandu, Shimla, and many more, only added to the beautiful memories they made together.

The couple recalls a funny anecdote from their first trip to Darjeeling, which was their honeymoon.

“We were travelling in a bus. As it was raining heavily, we tried to shut the window, but landed up breaking it in the process. So, we spent the next 12 hours getting thoroughly drenched in the rain!” says Sanjeeva.

As the years passed, the couple kept ticking off more and more travel locations within the country off their list. The next big dream was to travel to Europe.

It was at the time that tragedy struck the family. Mukta was diagnosed with breast cancer.

“It was in October 2005. When I went for a checkup, the doctor immediately confirmed the tumour was malignant, and the only option was to undergo a double mastectomy immediately. I was shocked and didn’t know what to do,” recalls Mukta.

A mastectomy is the medical term for the surgical removal of one or both breasts. So double mastectomy meant surgically removing both breasts.

“It was a major shock to the entire family and me. But we had to take a stand. We immediately decided to go ahead with the procedure and came to Mumbai from Patna, for her treatment,” says Sanjeeva.

Just when they thought she was out of danger, in 2016, her medical results revealed a relapse. Her body had become resistant to the drugs, and the cancer had spread to her bones, lungs, and brain. She had to undergo rigorous radiation and chemotherapy for it.

“It was the course of her treatment that made our travelling plans abroad even stronger. When I spoke to her radiologist, he appreciated the thought and encouraged us to travel.”

And so the couple’s first trip abroad was across Europe, and ever since, there has been no looking back. They have travelled to London, Netherlands, Belgium, Austria, Germany, Switzerland, France, Italy and most recently, Russia.

“We sit together mapping the places we want to visit. Once we are back from one trip, we plan the next. I saw how the first trip motivated her. I don’t think our travel plans will stop anytime soon.”

Truly the world is their oyster.

Also Read: Mumbai Man is Setting Up Low-Cost Rainwater Harvesting Systems in Schools!

Shedding light on her favourite countries to travel, Mukta says, “I truly enjoyed walking the streets of France, Italy, and Switzerland. The architecture, the sculptures, the memorials—everything narrates the rich history and culture of these countries. It is almost as if you see the past come alive.”

From the works of Michelangelo and Leonardo Da Vinci that were way ahead of their time to the medieval cathedral of Notre-Dame in Paris, that was burned to the ground; she loves it all.

“The transport system in the Netherlands is awe-inspiring too. People mostly cycle there, while some use trams and buses. The streets are empty roads and pollution-free. I enjoyed visiting five colleges at Oxford University, where the main hall had photographs and canvases of scientists, philosophers, litterateurs, etc. I also loved the synergy that exists in the architectural style in London and some of the heritage buildings in India.”

When asked their secret to a happy marriage, Mukta says, “We ensured that we never got our work home. We kept our professional and personal life separate. When my husband was at work, he gave it his 100 per cent. But he never brought work pressure home. His time was dedicated to the family. Once he returned, he would be the most supportive husband and a doting father. To young couples, I say, whenever you find the time, even if you have limited resources, travel together. You needn’t travel abroad. India too has beautiful locations to explore.”

Sanjeeva signs off, “Mutual understanding is the most important value that binds a couple together. Place your family first. Ensure to make time for them. Life’s meaning lies not just in a successful career but finding mental peace too. Travel is the best teacher.”

(Edited by Gayatri Mishra)

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Be it the son of a farm-labourer or a small-time eggseller, the many competitive entrance exams held in the country provide a fair chance to students from diverse socio-economic backgrounds to prove their merit and study in premier institutes.

But given the nature of the exams and the tough competition that exists, many a time, students from adverse financial backgrounds find it difficult to crack the exams without the right guidance or coaching. This is where the heroes that this article speaks about come in.

Today, we look at the stories of five teachers who are empowering students from impoverished backgrounds with free coaching to help them pursue their engineering and medical dreams.

From selling papads to helping deserving candidates crack IIT entrance exam

He was born to a humble homemaker and a clerk in the postal department in Patna, Bihar. Unable to afford private schools, Anand Kumar studied in a Hindi-medium government school. The death of his father at a young age, pushed the family into deep financial crisis, where his mother had to start the business of rolling papads to sustain the family. Kumar delivered these homemade papads to shops and homes on his bicycle.

Despite his financial circumstances, Kumar was a gifted child, especially in mathematics. The papers he wrote on the number theory during his graduation were published in journals such as Mathematical Spectrum and The Mathematical Gazette.

In 1992, Kumar began teaching mathematics in a rented room for Rs. 500 a month, under the banner, the Ramanujan School of Mathematics (RSM). Within three years, he was teaching almost 500 students. In 2002, an underprivileged student sought coaching for IIT-JEE from Kumar, stating he couldn’t afford the annual admission fee.

This inspired Kumar to start the Super 30 programme in 2002, which hunts for 30 meritorious talents from economically backward sections of the society and provides free coaching, lodging and food to help them crack entrance exams for the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT). The past years have seen good results, with some shares of controversies too. The man’s work also inspired Hritik Roshan’s recent film, Super 30. Know more about him here.

Odisha Tea-Seller Became a Teacher to Help Needy Kids Crack NEET For Free!

In his first year of coaching, Odisha-based Ajay Bahadur Singh is a proud mentor. Why? Because 14 of his students from financially weak backgrounds cracked the sought-after National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) 2019.

Ajay once nursed the dream of becoming a doctor too. But his father’s untimely death after a failed kidney transplant put a stop to his medical dream.

To make ends meet, he set up a stall where he sold tea and sherbet. He juggled jobs like selling soda-maker machines, taking tuitions, and even selling soft drinks at weddings and religious functions to pay for his father’s treatment.

Eventually, the chaiwallah (tea-seller) decided to start an entrance exam coaching institute. Not only to help his finances, but also to help students in need of guidance to crack engineering and medical entrance tests.

But Ajay could never forget how circumstances did not allow him to pursue the medical path. He wanted to help kids who wanted to become doctors, but did not have the financial backing to do so.

In 2017, he established Zindagi Foundation, where bright students who couldn’t afford the highly expensive medical entrance coaching were enrolled and given free coaching, food and accommodation. Know more about it here.

Inspired by Super 30, Rajasthan Doc Provides Free NEET Coaching to Poor Students

Inspired by Anand Kumar’s Super 30, Dr Bharat Saran set up ‘50 Villagers Seva Sansthan’ in Barmer, Rajasthan in 2012. The initiative coaches children from the economically weaker sections for medical entrance examination. It takes in 25 students from classes 11 and 12, each.

Speaking to The Better India, he shares, “So many students are forced to drop out of school once they complete their class 10 exams, we found that while many of them were talented and had the aptitude, it was their economic conditions that made them leave school. I wanted to help them complete their education.”

His team chooses students based on different parameters. One of the qualifying criteria is that the student should have completed class 10 with first division, post which they have to appear for a 50-mark paper that is designed to assess their aptitude, followed by a home visit to validate their economic status.

On an average, Rs 25,000 is spent each year for one student’s accommodation, food, books, and daily expenses.

Despite being in a debt of almost Rs 9 lakh for unpaid rent for the building that the students occupy and books they have bought, among other expenses, the institute continues to run.

“We work only on the donations which range from Rs 500 to Rs 5 lakh. We are often ridiculed and mocked for our work, but none of that has stopped us.”

Know more here.

Also Read: Students, Didn’t Crack GATE or JEE? Here’s How You Can Still Study at This IIT!

This Cleric’s Initiative Helped Underprivileged Students Crack JEE

In 2018, over 137 students from Rahmani 30 qualified for the JEE Advanced exams.

Rahmani 30, run by senior cleric, Maulana Wali Rahmani provides free residential-cum-coaching programmes for JEE (Main), JEE (Advanced), NEET, chartered accountancy and law entrance exams to economically, socially and educationally backward minority students.

Between 2008 to 2017, the programme helped 213 students get through the IITs.

Rahmani 30 enrolls students after a standardised, written objective test and an interview for the final selection. Once selected, the students are provided with accommodation and meals during the tenure of the coaching.

Skilled teachers teach specialised topics and regular tests and exams are conducted to measure the student’s progress. Even the lecturer’s progress is measured to maintain transparency between students and the administration.

Know more about the initiative here.

Once a Naxalite, This Physics Teacher Has Educated Poor Kids For Free For 30 Years

Subhash Chandra Kundu from Basirhat rejected Naxalism to teaching the wonders of science. After being released from the Dum Dum correctional centre in 1974, he traded the path of armed revolution with the work of spreading education among the poor.

He established the Institute of Physics in 1988 on a small plot of land. Before this, as a teacher at Basirhat High School, he taught tuition to students for free.

Most students who come to his institute belong to families who cannot afford to send their wards to college. Thanks to his efforts, many have beaten poverty to teach at top institutions like the IITs and St Xavier’s College in Calcutta.

Thanks to donations from his ex-students and well-wishers, the institute has grown over the past three decades.

Today, the two-storey college houses two classrooms and well-equipped laboratories.

Despite suffering partial paralysis a decade ago due to a cerebral stroke, he has not only continued his work but holds exhibitions and quizzes across the district. Know more about him here.

(Edited by Saiqua Sultan)

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What is your definition of a hero?

For me, a hero is someone who does noble acts, brave deeds, or outstanding service to humanity. Today, I am writing about a 76-year-old Delhi resident who lives up to all these ideals and expectations. So unassuming is Harjinder Singh that when I speak to him, he sheepishly tells me that he is famous on Facebook where a few pages have featured him. Little does he know that he is known well beyond the confines of social media.

He begins by telling me about the various positions he has held over the years, “I have been a Traffic Warden for the Delhi Police and also the General Secretary of the Autorickshaw Union. Having started as an autorickshaw driver in 1964, it has been over 55 years since I have been driving and not once have I got any challan or even been stopped by traffic police,” he says with pride.

I ask him what he did as a Traffic Warden, and with great enthusiasm, he tells me,

I acted as a bridge between the Delhi Traffic Police and the general public. It was a big thing for an autorickshaw driver to be named a Traffic Warden, there was even a press release that was issued for the same.

Singh recently made news headlines for running an “auto ambulance” on the streets of Delhi. The autorickshaw that Singh drives is well-stocked with a first-aid kit that contains all the emergency requisites like bandages, antiseptic lotion, cream for burns and paracetamol. To ensure that he had the basic knowledge of administering first-aid, he underwent training himself.

Having started this service in 1978, Singh says, “I will do this until I breathe my last.”

When I asked what the source of his deep commitment to the community was, Singh shares, “I remember the time when there were floods in Delhi. I, as a part of the Sikh community, got together with many others and did seva (service) wherever I could. That ended, but my desire to continue to help people did not. So, around that time, I started the free auto ambulance service.”

Whenever I see an injured person on the street, I make it a point to take them to the nearest hospital so that they can get immediate medical assistance, says Singh.

When asked if he can share the number of people he has helped over the years, he says, “So many, but I have never kept a count. Earlier on I would get certificates from the hospital for this, but then I have helped so many that I have just lost count.”

Just as I pose my next question, he hurriedly asks me if we can speak at a later time since he had just received a call about an accident. As his autorickshaw displays his number, many people, who have saved the same, reach out when they encounter an accident on the streets of Delhi.

Not one to refuse, Singh says, “I cannot be everywhere but will try my best to help as many as I can.”

Over and above all this, whatever money he makes from driving the auto, he keeps aside some for his family, and the rest he spends on buying medicines for patients who are unable to afford them. “I make a note of their name, number, and address, and whenever I am in the vicinity, I drop off the free medicines to them.”

Given his age, he is often urged by his family members to take a break and stay at home to which he replies that working keeps him mentally alert and happy. “The more work I do, the happier I feel. I do not want to be either dependent on anyone or feel like a burden.”

You May Also Like: This Lady Has Single-Handedly Helped More Than 150 Terminally Ill Kids in Delhi!

When you speak to Singh, what will strike you almost immediately is his humility and his deep-rooted desire to help people. “I do not want ever to stand around and watch some helpless person lose his life,” he says as we end our conversation.

If you wish to speak to him or would like to reach out and help Singh in some way, you could do so by calling him at +91-8750697110.

(Edited by Saiqua Sultan)

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Of 119 qualifying countries, India ranks 103 in the 2018 Global Hunger Index.

This means that more than 34 infants per 1,000 infants die in their mother’s womb every year. Of those born, almost nine lakh don’t survive till the age of five. And approximately 19 crore people in the country are forced to sleep with an empty stomach.

These aren’t just dry facts, but a reality where people spend each day of their lives grappling with poverty, seeking freedom from hunger and malnutrition.

And despite its prevalence, awareness continues to be scarce. The #StrikeOutChampionship campaign by Bajaj Finserv was launched to bridge that gap. With a focus on spreading awareness on healthcare issues affecting children in India, it targets three key problems—Hunger, Poverty and Malnutrition.

The month-long campaign was recently launched on Instagram by actor Neha Dhupia and consists of three challenges, the first being ‘Show Your Mark’, which involves people to improve child health in India.

To join the challenge, Instagram users were asked to post pictures of the vaccination marks on their arms and tag @Bajaj_Finserv along with #StrikeOutChampionship on their Facebook, Twitter and Instagram profiles. The second challenge involves a tongue twister that focuses on the issue of malnutrition among children in the country. One can participate by posting a video of themselves saying ‘Better fed bellies make Bachpan better’ on their social media handles. The participants could earn points through various activities like taking the challenges and sharing them in their networks. Find out more about the campaign here.

While this is your contribution towards changing the scenario, here some of India’s inspiring hunger heroes who are taking the extra step not just to raise awareness but also to solve the problem.

1. Feed the Need

With the slogan ‘Hunger Free Hyderabad’, the Great Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC), along with Apple Homes, a non-profit based in the city, started an initiative called ‘Feed the Need’. It serves food, snacks, and water from public refrigerators to anyone in need and attempts to address the twin problems of hunger and food wastage.

Speaking to The Better India, Dr Neelima Arya, founder of Apple Homes says, “Our objective is to feed the poor, the unemployed, and auto/cab drivers who work day and night, and those travelling on the roads. However, it is not meant solely for them—anyone can pick up a water bottle or fruit or anything else they may require.”

2. ‘Magic’ Fridge

Residents of Suncity, a society in Gurugram, have an innovative approach to combat food wastage. They have installed a fridge near the entrance of the apartment where residents and others can contribute.

It houses vegetarian as well as non-vegetarian food items and is not restricted to the residents alone, as anyone can open and take whatever they please from the said fridge, all for free!

The response to the fridge has been tremendous where packed boxes of sweets to regular dishes and dairy products like milk and ghee are left by residents. “Sometimes you may feel conscious about giving away food to drivers and watchmen, so this was one way in which we could bring together those who wanted to donate and those who required the food,” says Rahul Khera, one of the residents.

3. Roti Bank

They say that it takes a whole community to bring about change. This Uttar Pradesh town is doing just that.

In a small town in the Bundelkhand region, Mahoba has a unique way of dealing with hunger and food wastage—the residents make food in their homes to feed the town’s hungry and homeless. An extra portion of roti and sabzi is made in over 500 households, collected by volunteers, and distributed by the shops in the town.

Named Roti Bank, the initiative by Tara Patkar, a former journalist, has a team of 10 people who help feed at least 1,000 people in a single day!

4. No Food Waste

Three young boys, Padmanaban Gopalan, Sudhakar M, and Dinesh Manickam, started an initiative called No Food Waste, where they collect excess food from events like weddings and parties and distribute it among the hungry in Coimbatore.

The trio runs a volunteer-staffed hotline for the organisers of such events, who can donate any excess food to the needy.

This effort has now received support from a US-based NGO, Pollination Project, which has selected them as the best initiative among many others nominated from across the world. As a result, they have received a $1,000 grant to work further on the project. Check out their Facebook page for more details.

5. Robin Hood Army

Much like a heroic outlaw in the English folklore, these Robin Hoods, spread across the country and beyond, in even Pakistan, go out at night fighting the biggest enemy of all—hunger!

It was started by a group of six people in Delhi who wanted to bridge the gap between two extremes—the wastage of immense amounts of food and the presence of acute hunger. To solve these problems, a channel was needed to transport the excess to those who needed it. And, this is where the Robin Hoods came to the rescue!

They now pick up the leftover food from different restaurants at dinner time and distribute it among the hungry.

Today, with over 1,000 volunteers, they are spread across 18 cities, serving more than 2.5 lakh people so far.

These individuals are not larger-than-life heroes, but people like you and I. Their work in the area is extraordinary because of their will to make a difference, which is never measured in quantity but quality.

(Edited by Shruti Singhal)

Feature image source: Robin Hood Army/Facebook

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