If one wishes to study engineering in one of the premier institutes of the country be prepared to shell out Rs 10 lakh, and a medical seat in a private institute would cost around Rs 25 lakhs. Higher education is, indeed, an expensive affair, especially in India.

Thankfully, the central and state governments run many schemes, offer grants and scholarships to make education more accessible to Indian students. Here, we enlist some government scholarships that ease the burden of higher education on needy students.

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1. National Scholarships

Central Sector Scheme of Scholarship for College and University Students

This scholarship provides financial assistance to meritorious students from families with an annual income of less than Rs 6 lakh, to meet a part of their daily expenses while pursuing higher studies. Each year 82,000 scholarships (41000 for boys and 41000 for Girls) are awarded to pursue graduate/postgraduate studies in colleges and universities.

Who can avail this scholarship?

The eligible students who score over 80 percentile of successful candidates in the relevant stream from any Board of Examination in Class XII or equivalent and pursuing regular courses recognised by the All India Council of Technical Education, UGC Act, 1956, Medical Council of India, Dental Council of India and respective regulatory authorities and not availing any other scholarships.

Do note that students pursuing Diploma courses are not eligible under the scheme. Applications become available during June-July each year.

How much scholarship is given?

The scholarship is for Rs 10,000/- per annum for the first three years of College and University courses and Rs 20,000/- per annum per annum for the fourth and fifth year.

Further details available here.

2. All India Council for Technical Education Scholarships

Under the AICTE, there are various scholarship options available for students. One of them is Pragati. A scheme under the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) Pragati is being implemented by AICTE which aims to provide assistance to girls pursuing technical education. There are a total of 4,000 scholarships given out under this scheme (2,000 for Degree courses and 2,000 for Diploma).

Who can avail this scholarship?

This scholarship is available only for girls. Two girl children per family are eligible under this scholarship. However, the income of the family should not be more than Rs 8 lakh per annum during the preceding financial year (in case of married girls, the income of parents/in-laws, whichever is higher, will be considered). The selection of the girls will be made solely on the basis of merit.

How much scholarship is given?

The eligible applicant receives tuition Fee of Rs 30,000 and Rs 2,000 per month for 10 months as incidentals charges each year. In case of tuition fee waiver/reimbursement, students are eligible to get an amount of Rs 30,000/- for the purchase of books/equipment/software/laptop/desktop/vehicle/fee paid towards competitive examination applications forms/exam.

Further details available here.

Saksham scholarship for specially-abled

Another scheme under the MHRD, Saksham scholarship is available for specially-abled children to pursue technical education. Under this scheme 1,000 scholarships available to students (500 for degree and 500 for diploma). Students with disability of not less than 40 per cent and family income of not more than Rs 8 lakh per annum during the preceding financial year.

For further details click here.

3. Sports Scholarships – Sports Authority of India

This scheme aims at recognising achievements of young sports persons and their outstanding performance at the national, state and university levels. A selection committee selects students on the basis of merit. The payments of the scholarships are made through the Regional Centres of the SAI to the head of the Institution in which the awardees study.

Who can avail the scholarship?

The following sporting disciplines can avail of the scholarship:

Archery, Athletics, Badminton, Basketball, Boxing, Cycling, Football, Gymnastics, Handball, Hockey, Judo, Kabaddi, Kho-kho, Tennis, Shooting, Swimming, Table Tennis, Volleyball, Weight lifting, Wrestling.

Other Disciplines – Ball Badminton, Baseball, Billiards and Snookers, Carrom, Chess, Cricket, Equestrian, Fencing, Golf, Kayaking and Canoeing, Karate, Power-lifting, Rowing, Softball, Squash, Teakwood, Wushu, and Yachting.

How much scholarship is given?

This scholarship is given out to 150 students per State and 100 per Union Territory. The value of each scholarship at the State level is Rs 6,600/- per annum i.e. Rs 550/- per month. Do note that the applicant should not be more than 18 years old on the first day of the competition for which the scholarship is applied. The value of each scholarship at the national level will be Rs 8,400/- per annum (12 months) i.e. Rs 700/- per month.

For further details click here.

4. Post Matric Scholarship Scheme for Minorities

This scholarship was set up to help meritorious students belonging to economically weaker sections of the minority community get better opportunities for higher education, increase their rate of attainment of higher education and enhance their employability. The scholarship is awarded for studies in India in a government or private higher secondary school/college/university. It also covers technical and vocational courses in Industrial Training Institutes/ Industrial Training Centres. Do note that any course of less than one-year duration and certificate courses are not covered under this scheme.

Who can avail the scholarship?

Scholarship will be awarded to students who have secured not less than 50 per cent marks or equivalent grade in the previous final examination and the annual income of whose parents/guardians from all sources does not exceed Rs 2 lakh per annum.

Muslims, Sikhs, Christians, Buddhists, Jain and Zoroastrians (Parsis) have been notified as minority communities under Section 2 (c) of the National Commission for Minorities Act, 1992. A total of five lakh scholarships are distributed as ‘Fresh’ Scholarships each year.

For further details click here.

Do take some time and explore before deciding on applying for one.

Also Read: IT Notice to Pension: 6 Changes in Monetary Policy Impacting You From October

(Edited by Saiqua Sultan)

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41-year-old Rajiv Dantodiya’s life reiterates the old adage which teaches us to believe in ourselves. Rajiv, who secured a mere 39 per cent in his class 12, studied at home, cracked IIT, and worked twice as hard to prove himself, currently resides in Sweden and works as a Senior Analytics Reliability Engineer with Tetra Pak.

The Better India spoke to Rajiv about this amazing journey.

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Where it all began

Born in a Rajasthan, Rajiv grew up in a middle-class family, with his father running a small factory and his mother, a housemaker.

“My school education took place in Samod and Dholpur in Rajasthan and to be honest, my background both financially and educationally wasn’t anything to write home about,” begins Rajiv. He says that he never expected to be in the position he is in today.

When Rajiv was growing up, academics was all about mugging up lessons, attending private tuition classes and passing the examination. “I was not cut out for that,” he says to me “I grew up in a very different time. We would wait for the annual examination to get done, sell our books and buy cricket balls with the money we made. That was how much value we attached to education.”

39 per cent in class 12 public examinations

“It was because of a few grace marks in Chemistry that I managed to clear my 12th examination in 1995. Once that happened, I started looking for options for higher education,” he says. With an interest in Science, Rajiv tried to apply for a Bachelor’s degree but his marks were low for a Science course.

It was around this time that Rajiv’s brother filled IIT examination application form and, just on a whim, Rajiv decided to take the exam too. “I went there and gave the exam with absolutely no knowledge of what it entailed. I did not even know that the fundamentals of what we learnt in grades 11 and 12 would be tested. I had assumed this needed some special learning and I remember investing in two or three books as well.”

For Rajiv, who came from a Hindi medium school, the English language was proving to be a challenge. “It felt like diving into a deep end of a swimming pool, without knowing how to swim,” he shares.

The journey of getting into IIT

When Rajiv decided to appear for the Pre-Engineering Test, Rajasthan, he approached a coaching centre. Unfortunately, the centre told him he was not eligible for the test due to his bad scores.

Undeterred, Rajiv began preparing at home for IIT with the help of books that a local bookseller suggested, and a Hindi-to-English dictionary which he says helped him immensely.

Once he started studying, Rajiv began to enjoy the learning and was bolstered with new confidence. “A turning point came when I was able to access some coaching material,” says Rajiv.

Subsequently Rajiv cleared the IIT screening in 2000 and this made him realise that his focus was in the right place.

“It was when I was all alone studying and clearing my doubts by practicing at home that I realised how much intellectual capabilities I actually had,” says Rajiv. One of the sayings that Rajiv lived by during that time, was that, what doesn’t kill you only makes you stronger. Rajiv cleared all the stages of the IIT examination in 2002.

Rajiv then pursued a 5-year dual degree program in Industrial Engineering and Management at IIT-Kharagpur. He then decided to do a PhD from Lulea University, Sweden.

Life at IIT

One would assume that life became easier after Rajiv secured a seat in an IIT. Dispelling that, he shares, “Being at IIT was a whole new challenge. I remember the first time I applied for an internship I was turned away because they needed at least 60 per cent and what I had was 39 per cent. That was very stressful then.”

“During the second year of my journey in IIT, I realised that I would not be in a position to get any usual software placements. That was when I decided to do something different and I was the only one who decided to apply for a Ph.D.”

Rajiv has come a long way from the boy who was told he could not pursue Science to a man whose profession is engineering.

When asked what advice he want to give younger aspirants, he says, “This is my story, of my struggles and victories. Each one of you will have to chart your own course; make your own mistakes and learn from them.”

He leaves us with two words that he feels sums up his journey – ‘focus’ on what you want to achieve and have the dedication’ to get it.

Also Read: Setting Up Your Own Startup? 5 Legal Basics Every Entrepreneur Should Know!

(Edited by Saiqua Sultan)

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The mother stood at the edge of the precipice, looking down at the sheer vertical drop beneath her feet. The dark of the night did not help. Yet, the thought of her child, hungry, crying and waiting for her, firmed her chin. Taking a deep breath, she began the precarious journey down the cliff-side.

The tales of heroism rising from India always speak of ordinary women and men with extraordinary abilities – people do the unexpected, the unthought of. Although for those brave few, courage was the only option in a dire situation, for us, they are the inspiration we need at times.

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Such was the resolve of Hirkani, a poor milkmaid, living in Shivaji’s kingdom. The act of bravery that this mother exhibited to get to her child forced the Maratha ruler to acknowledge her strength. He not only praised her but also built a wall across the sheer cliff that she had climbed down and named it— ‘Hirkani Buruj’.

The incident still echoes down the corridors of time and is a source of fascination to many. Like the recently released movie—Hirkani—directed by Prasad Oak with the popular actor Sonalee Kulkarni playing the lead.

Hirkani and her story

Hirkani lived near the famed Raigad fort, situated near Pune. Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj had seized the fort and turned it into its capital in 1674. The fort sits atop a hill in the Western Ghats and massive walls protect it from all sides. A sheer drop on one side seemed protection enough. Who would climb up or down the dangerous and steep hill-side?

A village sprawled at the base of the hill was the source of the daily merchandise needed by the citizens living within the fort’s compound. To sell their wares, the villagers trekked up the hill via the road leading directly to the fort gates which opened at dawn and shut at dusk each day and the rule dictated that the gates would not be opened for anyone till the next morning.

Like everyone else, Hirkani would also stand in line at the main gates every morning.

On one such day, while getting ready to leave for the fort, Hirkani got delayed as her child was inconsolable.

However, the milkmaid managed to make it to the daily market and sold milk to her regular customers. Unfortunately, she was late to reach the gates in the evening and the Mavla (soldier) in-charge had already shut them at sunset.

Since she had left her baby at home, not returning was not an option. Hirkani tried pleading with the Mavla who did not budge and told her that Chhatrapati’s orders had to be followed at all cost.

With the thought of her baby being alone and hungry, Hirkani did something she had never done before.

She scaled-down the dangerous hillside in the dead of night. Though severely shaken, scratched and hurt from the harrowing journey, the mother managed to reach her baby.

A new day!

The next day, like all other days, Hirkani was at the fort’s gates for the daily market. The Mavla was shocked to see the milkmaid entering the gates. He immediately took her to Chhatrapati Shivaji on charges of breaking the rules.

Shivaji heard her story and then looked at the scratches on her hands and face. Instead of punishing Hirkani, he praised her bravery and immediately ordered for the construction of a wall at the unprotected vertical drop and named it after her.

This Buruj still exists, and so does the tale of Hirkani. While Hirkani did not have any magical powers, what she did have, was a mother’s will to get to her hungry child.

Also Read: Shooter Dadi: The Story of an Octogenarian Who’s Breaking All Barriers With Her Awesome Aim

(Edited by Saiqua Sultan)

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As the puffy bouquet of clouds begin to move away, revealing a glistening shaft of sunlight, Pop Singh stands at the edge of his farm with a look of satisfaction. At a distance lies his secret to happiness, a huge man-made pond in the midst of his 56-acre farm land. Today, all of it belongs to him – the land, the crops, the thousands of gallons of rainwater and a content life, and all this has been made possible by an IAS officer and his water-harvesting model to quench the thirst of many drought-prone villages.

Pop Singh recalls how, just a few years back, this turn of events would have been impossible, especially after he was literally thrown out of a bank for having asked for a loan to dig up a pond! At the time, his village, located near Dewas, Madhya Pradesh, had been reeling under decades of parched reality, just like its neighbours. With more than half of his fields lying to waste due to lack of water, he was desperate for a miracle.

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A miracle came in the form of a smart solution – to build ponds to trap the monsoon waters for irrigation, implemented by a new District Collector (DC). But, one might ask, what’s so special about this method that has been employed by agriculturalists for the past many decades? The answer lay in execution and approach, replies the then DC of Dewas, Umakant Umrao.

“I had a number of focus areas planned when I came to Dewas as a District Collector. I wanted to start with reforms in education and health, but on arrival, I realised that there was a larger problem looming over the region. The area had been experiencing rain deficit for the last three years. From every formal to informal meeting I had in the first week, everyone pointed out the issue of the lack of water. Dewas was perhaps the first district in India, where water was brought in a train. This was much before Latur,” says the IAS officer.

His challenge was to find an economically viable and sustainable solution to Dewas’ water woes.

Umrao found such a solution that, today, has resulted in more than 16,000 ponds spread across 60-80 acres of land in Dewas, and over 1,000 farmers earning more than Rs 25 lakhs a year. Additionally, Dewas has not only seen a speedy rise in its ground water level but has witnessed a 20-fold increase in irrigated land – from a mere 18,000 hectares to more than 4 lakh hectares.

The IAS Officer and his Dewas Model

An IIT-Roorkee Civil Engineering graduate, who had also studied Economics, Umrao had the perfect plan for Dewas’ transformation. And, that started in 2006 with 40 large-scale farmers.

“Being an engineer as well as a farmer’s son, I could understand the problems of the farmers on an organic level. So while devising a scheme for them, I decided to look at the pond building solution from a business perspective. The end goal was to conserve water and make farming sustainable for them, but pitching it that way might not have worked,” explains the IAS officer.

Umrao furthers informs, “For a long time, water conservation has been approached from a perspective of civic duty, I wanted to give it a little twist by bringing forth the angle of a business model for farmers. That’s why we rejected the slogan on the lines of ‘Jal Bachao Jivan Bachao’, and instead introduced, ‘Jal Bachao Labh Kamao’.

The idea was to develop an economically viable model for large-scale farmers who could invest in building a pond in only 10th or 20th part of their farmland. The water collected in these ponds for irrigation purposes would then not only benefit them, but also the small farmers around. So, by calculating the need of water required depending on the farm size, the officer made personalised proposals for digging ponds.

“Big farmers usually use 90 per cent of the water available in a region, and by motivating them to recharge the ground level through these ponds is one of the swiftest methods of conserving water. It also works like a natural cycle of social justice, where they give back to the region what they had used for years. Also, these farmers with bigger land holdings were in a better position to invest in building ponds and become role models to smaller and marginal farmers,” adds Umrao.

So, the next step of the Dewas model was the creation of Bhagirath Krishi Abhiyaan (named after the mythological water hero Bhagirath who brought down the Ganges to the earth), by transforming the farmers into role models or agents of change.

Pop Singh was one of the first in this movement of transformation.

The Challenges

Umrao recalls that he faced a number of hurdles on the way. The first one was getting a loan. At the time, getting a bank loan to dig a pond was something no one would have imagined.

“I was the one to send Pop Singh to the bank for a loan. But, after he was literally thrown out and insulted, I intervened and was told that no bank in the country had, until then, offered loans for digging ponds. Finally, another bank agreed but at a prime lending rate of 17-18 per cent. Pop Singh agreed, and in a few years, not only did he pay it all off, but his income grew from a few thousand to almost Rs 40 lakh a year,” says Umrao. He adds, that digging for the smallest pond (minimum half a bigha) would be an investment of about Rs 1.5 lakh or Rs 2 lakh.

Another aspect that IAS Umaro concentrated was to ensure a shorter break-even time period. According to him, for projects like these it usually takes 20 years to breakeven. “But, I wanted to ensure that they get the returns in less than 3 years. For that, the scheme helped the farmers take three crops instead of one. Also, the continuous recharging of the groundwater helped them to fight drought effectively,” he says.

A Succession of Successes

Pop Singh’s success story, one of the firsts then, resonated with thousands of other farmers in the region. Not only did his pond end water scarcity in his area, raise the ground water level, but also motivated other large farmers to join in. Soon word spread to nearby districts like Vidisha, Ratlam, Mandsaur, Ujjaina and Raisen, where farmers adopted the same model. Seeing the success rate, more banks began to provide loans to smaller farmers and at lower rates as well.

“Now, when you enter the villages in the area, it’s a surprising sight to behold. From thousands of functional tube wells, pucca houses to expensive cars, these villages are filled with signs of prosperity,” adds Umrao.

Further, owing to its transformed ecosystem, these villages have emerged to become hotbeds for migratory birds like Siberian cranes, butterflies, etc.

Since then, IAS Umrao has been sharing this model with other states as well, including the drought-prone Bundelkhand area in Uttar Pradesh, and Marathwada in Maharashtra. Meanwhile, other regions like Latur and Chandrapur have already adopted it.

Its success motivated the Madhya Pradesh government to create mass impact in 2008 by adopting the Dewas model under the name, Balram Talab Yojana. In 2011-12, it was selected by the United Nations as one of the three top water management practices globally!

“People don’t realise this, but land is not the most important element for farming, its water. And, adequate supply of water can truly transform lives. Dewas is a living example of how years of environmental degradation can be healed with the right approach, innovation and perseverance,” concludes the water warrior of Dewas, IAS Umakant Umrao.

Also Read: This Architect’s Low-Cost Algae Wall Filters Polluted Waters With No Chemicals!

(Edited by Saiqua Sultan)

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This article has been sponsored by Amazon.

One of the best things about the festival of lights is how it gives us an opportunity to make our loved ones feel special through the unique gifts that we select for them.

The rush, the hustle, the hurried shopping, all of it reaches a crescendo as soon as you receive one simple message— ‘your package is on the way’⁠—instilling a sense of anticipation for the big brown box of joy to arrive.

That was the prelude to Diwali for many of us this year.

We might think that the box, filled with festive goodies, to be either gifted to others or ourselves, is all we were getting. But, what if I tell you that with every order you placed, you brought a smile to someone’s face?

And, what if these weren’t just cardboard boxes containing products, but a testimony of hard work, dreams, and the gift of joy that you might have just given to the real heroes behind our delightful festivities?

That’s exactly what happened this year when the packages you ordered not only made you happy but also made a difference in lakhs of lives.

The entire ecosystem that starts with you, the consumer, to decision-makers, brands, sellers, to even artisans and the delivery partners who endlessly toil to give you what you desire, has had a prosperous Diwali, thanks to your decision to make a purchase.

Because every single category scroll, a product decision, an addition to your cart for checkout to doorstep delivery⁠—all of it⁠—matters.

Supporting over five lakh artisans, women entrepreneurs, small businesses and new brands, Amazon India has brought together a diverse country on one platform, all seeking to fulfil their dreams.

From Meghalaya to Kerala and beyond, each of their stories, that you are a part of, is a saga of inspiration.

For instance, consider Abdul Gafoor Khatri’s story. One of the few living custodians of the Rogan art form, he is one of the many treasures of the country who manages to keep his legacy alive by selling his art through Amazon and will soon be conferred with India’s highest civilian honour.

Rani Ravindran’s story of selling wooden toys and cotton pillows to earn a livelihood is also awe-inspiring.

A homemaker-turned-entrepreneur, Rani is a native of Periyakulam, Tamil Nadu, who began her Amazon journey driven by the urge of doing more and making something meaningful of her life.

Now a role model for many women and her children as well, Rani’s stint at e-commerce is a raving success with buyers from Tamil Nadu to Kashmir.

She receives almost 1,500 orders a month, making her not just independent, but also capable of supporting her family and her elderly mother.

“Everyone knows me as Periyakulam’s first Amazon seller. I’ve also started helping many women set up their business online. From making my children proud to helping women build their businesses, I’m grateful that today I’m able to inspire the people in my life,” says Rani.

Similarly, Sunehera, a homemaker, followed her passion for crafts and transformed a hobby into a successful business. She has not only transformed her life but has also empowered many other women from underprivileged backgrounds, by employing them and ensuring they have a steady source of income.

Then, there is Ravi Donga, a 20-year-old from Surat, Gujarat who yearned to give gifts to his eight sisters but was unable to do so, due to financial issues.

Soon, he started selling women’s ethnic wear on Amazon, with one design, created by each sister. Thanks to his perseverance, he now has over 1,453 unique designs in his store and has managed a sizable turnover and has finally fulfilled his dream to gift something special to all his eight sisters.

Finally, a trio— Avani, Nehal and Shweta—are among the new generation of e-commerce sellers who are making a substantial difference by using the method of waste recycling to create and sell eco-friendly products.

And acknowledging all their stories and your part in making it a success, Amazon, with its ‘We thank you, India,’ campaign, brings a joyous conclusion to this year’s Diwali.

Check out the video below:

(Edited by Gayatri Mishra)

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According to the Global E-Waste Monitor 2017, India generates nearly 2 million tonnes of electronic waste per year behind only the United States, China, and Japan. Around 82 per cent of the e-waste generated comes from personal devices.

We recycled only 0.036 million tonnes of e-waste in the 2016-17 financial year. Meanwhile, according to a recent ASSOCHAM report, only 1.5 per cent of the total e-waste gets recycled in India. With a growth rate of 30 per cent, e-waste generation is expected to touch a whopping 5 million tonnes by 2020.

These figures are worrisome, and there is an urgent need to address the problem of e-waste.

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Enter Karo Sambhav, a for-profit social venture offering technology-enabled e-waste management solutions. Currently spread across 29 states, 3 union territories, and over 60 cities, Karo Sambhav has collaborated with 25 producers, 2514 schools, 520 bulk consumers, 1007 repair shops, 5,000 informal sector workers including waste pickers and waste aggregators and set up multiple collection points across the country to address the e-waste problem.

Since their operations began in the middle of 2017, Karo Sambhav has successfully collected and sent over 6000 metric tonnes (MTs) of e-waste for responsible recycling.

More critically, it has ensured global brands like Apple, Dell, HP, Lenovo, Vivo, Xiaomi, Cisco, Toshiba, Ericsson, Lenovo and others meet their Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) targets. EPR is “the extension of the responsibility of producers for the environmental impacts of their products to the entire product life cycle, and especially for their take-back, recycling and disposal.”

The Idea behind Karo Sambhav

While India came up with its first set of rules on electronic waste in 2012, there was no industry-driven action for the next five years because of lack of infrastructure, institutional interest and a shoddy ecosystem. Until 2017, no significant progress in handling e-waste took place.

“Although we had witnessed multiple countries succeed in implementing e-waste rules centring on the principle of EPR, this wasn’t happening with India. It was critical, India got this right with e-waste because if it succeeded in this segment, the government could extend the same principle to manufacturers of different products. Therefore, Karo Sambhav was established in 2017 to show that India could succeed with e-waste rules immediately. Otherwise, the government would write off the very principle of EPR,” says Pranshu Singhal, the Founder of Karo Sambhav, in conversation with The Better India (TBI).

Their focus was on addressing the glaring gaps in infrastructure and the very e-waste ecosystem itself for the implementation of regulations that made sense. With little happening, the government soon tightened regulations, set targets for producers of electronic products, and introduced penal provisions for not complying with them. The industry was forced to rethink their position, but there were no service providers to help them.

Can we create an ecosystem that ensures regulations are technology-enabled?

“Once the government sees the success of EPR in e-waste, they can employ it in multiple product categories. For example, in certain countries, EPR is being employed in plastic waste, end-of-life vehicles, etc. Brands all over the world have been resistant to EPR-based regulations because of the high costs it entails, while those in India who want to take up this responsibility never had anyone to support them. At Karo Sambhav, we aim to combine brands wanting to do something positive and regulations the government pushed to create examples of brands meeting e-waste targets. Our name comes from there — a desire to make it possible,” he adds.

How do you address e-waste?

We can divide the e-waste problem into three elements:

1) Collection

How do you collect the products dispersed among different individuals, households, office complexes? How do you get them to embrace responsible recycling? Essentially, how do you drive long term behaviour change in people while parallelly creating systems that enable it?

2) Recycling

Once you’ve collected the e-waste, how do you recycle it?

3) Dealing with by-products from the recycling process

Once you’ve recycled, what do you do with by-products? How do you recycle them?

Karo Sambhav began by focussing on creating collection systems.

But the real challenge of addressing e-waste in India is how to engage with the informal sector, which according to another report, recycles 95 per cent of India’s e-waste. So, how does e-waste usually travel in our cities?

At home, a kabadiwala (scrap collector) turns up, sources the waste, aggregates it, sells it to a larger aggregator, who sells it to another bigger aggregator and finally it gets sold to an informal recycler. The biggest problem with e-waste is not the product but informal recycling of that waste which has toxicity embedded in it. Unless you make physical changes to it, toxicity will not come out.

How do you create an overall ecosystem which is safe, trustworthy, environmentally safe, protects human health and follows all the safety protocols while not compromising on the ability of those working in the informal sector from scrap pickers to waste aggregators to earn?

How do we formalise this informal segment?

“In the first year, formalisation entailed scrap workers and waste aggregators getting a bank account, PAN card, Aadhaar card and a GST number if applicable. In the second year, our focus was on establishing safe working conditions. In the third year, our focus has been improving their business acumen?” says Pranshu.

The focus is to collect waste from people, initiating behavioural change, use the existing informal sector, formalise to improve their livelihoods by supporting them with multiple programmes and stop the flow of e-waste to informal recyclers.

“That’s our broad approach,” says Pranshu.

To establish an ecosystem, Karo Sambhav conducted multiple e-waste awareness initiatives, engaged with civil society, individuals, government institutions, visited waste pickers and aggregators in different cities, who are today formalised and undergoing regular training under Karo Sambhav. They are present in all states and over 60 cities in India.

Engaging Brands

As per the e-waste rules, there are three broad areas of activities for brands who want to fulfil their EPR:

1) Conduct citizen awareness campaigns and engage people to ensure long term behavioural change to recycle their e-waste responsibly

“We ran awareness campaigns for these brands in over 60 cities, working with over 2,500 schools which are long-term engagement programmes running 4-6 months. We also approached bulk consumers like office complexes, resident welfare associations, conducted radio programs and digital programs, and worked with open markets and repair shops. Our initial emphasis was on creating awareness and inspire people to recycle,” says Pranshu.

Charu Mani, the principal of DAV School, Gurugram, where the startup organised an awareness programme, said:

“Our school had an enlightening experience with Karo Sambhav School Programme. We sensitise not only the students but also their families. During our collection drives, students and their families can deposit their e-waste which is then handed over to Karo Sambhav. Over the past year, we have collected around 200 kgs of e-waste. The school is proud to be a part of this movement which has made both the faculty members and students take positive steps towards saving the environment.”

2) Create multiple collection channels across India

Karo Sambhav has done the same through aggregators in the informal sector, who they have helped formalise, alongside repair shops. Today many of them are associated with Karo Sambhav which has become a significant source of e-waste collection.

Ansar Malik, a waste aggregator from Mustafabad in Delhi, says, “Our e-waste collection process starts with kabadiwaalas who collect it from various places and further hand it over to smaller aggregators who then hand it over to us. Karo Sambhav’s logistics team collects the waste from us with proper documentation and pays us through online bank transfers. While our operations are mostly in Delhi in Seelampur, Mustafabad and Mayapuri, we also work in like Punjab and Haryana. E-waste from these regions also lands up in Delhi.”

3) Meet specific targets of e-waste collection calculated based on past sales

“Take the example of smartphone makers. If a particular company is selling the smartphone in 2019/20 and the life span of each phone is five years, we would look at sales data from five years ago, and 30 per cent of that has to be collected this year. We base collection targets on past years sales. Next year, we cap the target at 40 per cent, and it keeps increasing till it hits 70 per cent,” says Pranshu.

However, Karo Sambhav soon saw brands reporting volumes of e-waste collection without ever collecting it. Some recycler would issue a certificate with tampered data to ensure brands achieve their targets on paper. How do we create a transparent and fully automated chain of documentation to tackle the possibility of wrongdoing in the system?

“What we have done is employ multiple IT solutions like barcoding of e-waste that reaches our warehouses so that there is a legitimate paper trail. We have been generating it over the past 1.5 years, and this enables end-to-end visibility of where the e-waste comes from, which waste picker collected and from where they collected it, their KYC details, when was the waste sold, collected, etc. All this documentation is collected to ensure a clean chain of documentation to establish the e-waste trail. This is what we do to enable producers to meet their targets. All our producer members are meeting their targets,” informs Pranshu.

What can individual consumers do?

Whenever individual consumers reaches out to Karo Sambhav, the first thing they ask is whether they can initiate a dialogue with their peer group, office colleagues or residential society.

“We offer our assistance to further that conversation in these locations. In 50-60 cities, we will come back and do a campaign in your residential society. If the society or institution can gather 200kg of e-waste, we will do an end to end pickup. If it’s significantly less than 200 kg, we will request you to come to our nearest collection point or centre and drop off your e-waste there. This process is also evolving. As more brands join and collection channels get better, it becomes easier for people to dispose of their e-waste,” he says.

India has 300 authorised recyclers of e-waste today of varying standards. Karo Sambhav has chosen a few of what they claim are better partners, listed on the firm’s website.

“We are also encouraging a range of entrepreneurs to set up efficient recycling centres. Today, our e-waste is travelling several hundred kilometres for recycling due to lack of responsible recyclers in each state. Every recycler follows their system of reporting, and that makes it very difficult to audit them. We are working with global partners to address these concerns. Although we are not entirely satisfied by the quality of recycling, we already see a shift for the better,” claims Pranshu.

Yet, despite the successes, significant challenges still exist. What happens to the by-products of recycling? Karo Sambhav has developed a robust collection process and recently began a deep dive into recycling, while they look to address recycling by-products very soon. How do they earn money? Each producer/brand pays them a fee for supporting them in their journey like conducting awareness programmes, collecting waste on their behalf, setting up collection systems, etc.

Why should you care about e-waste?

“We need to start collecting materials back we have already utilised. Participating in a responsible recycling scheme, we ensure the waste does not end up in the informal sector which uses unsafe and polluting methods to extract precious metals,” says Pranshu.

While India has a very long way to go in correctly dealing with e-waste, there are ventures like Karo Sambhav that are determined to make it possible.

Also Read: Bengaluru Startup Turns Company e-Waste into Profits, Processes over 500 tonnes!

(Edited by Saiqua Sultan)

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As of December 1, 2019, the Ministry of Road, Transport and Highways has made the FASTag⁠—a prepaid tag facility which debits the toll amount from one’s bank account —mandatory for all vehicles, private and public.

Under the National Electronic Toll Collection (NETC) programme, from December 1 all collection will happen only via the FASTag.

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Additionally, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) will provide FASTags free of cost until from November 22-December 1 at toll plazas, to encourage vehicle owners to get it installed. RTO offices and other transport hubs will also have these FASTags.

While the security deposit for the tag is between Rs 100 to 400 depending on the size of the vehicle, NHAI has claimed that it will waive off this charge during the above-mentioned time period.

What is a FASTag?

• It is a rechargeable prepaid vehicles tag that is radio-frequency identification (RFID) enabled.
• Vehicles possessing the tag can pass through toll plazas as they automatically scan the FASTag to collect toll digitally.
• According to the ministry, toll plazas across the country have been upgraded with necessary arrangements to enable the automatic deduction of toll.
• Furthermore, the ministry also highlighted that since September, more than 6 million FASTags have been issued.
• To offer an incentive for users, the government is also planning on a 2.5 per cent cashback offer for the year 2019-2020, for those using this FASTag
• Your FASTag account can be recharged using a debit card, credit card, netbanking, etc.

Why this move?

With this move, the government aims to achieve a cashless toll collection. It will also enable the fast movement of vehicles across the toll plazas and ensure that the congestion that vehicles cause is reduced considerably.

While this will apply to all the National highways and a selected few State highways, to begin with, by March 2020, it will apply to all State highways.

Where can one get the FASTag?

• If your vehicle was manufactured and purchased after December 1, 2017, then it would already be fitted with the FASTag.
• There are 22 certified banks from where one can buy the FASTag.
• Some of the National highways will also allow people the option of purchasing the FASTags.
• They are also available on e-commerce platforms such as Amazon.

What documents do you need to submit?

If you are planning on purchasing the FASTag, remember that you will need the following documents:

• A copy of the Registration Certificate of the vehicle
• Two passport size photographs
• Other KYC documents necessary for address and ID proof such as PAN card, Voter ID, Driver’s License, Passport or Aadhaar

FASTags have unlimited validity and need to be changed only if they become unreadable due to wear and tear. In such a case, fresh FASTags need to be purchased. In case you lose your FASTag, it must be reported immediately to the place where it was purchased from. Do remember that each vehicle you own must have its own FASTag.

As mentioned above, the security deposit depends on the size of the vehicle. As per the Indian Highways Management Company Limited (IHMCL) website, “If you reside within a range of 10 km from the toll plaza, you can avail a concession on toll to be paid via your FASTag. In such a case, you need to submit the required documents – proof of residence at the bank, nearest Point Of Sale (POS) location to validate that your residential address is within 10 km of a particular toll plaza. Once the address is verified, you can avail a concession on the toll paid via FASTag assigned to your vehicle.”

What happens if your vehicle doesn’t have a FASTag?

If you enter a FASTag-enabled lane without getting a FASTag active, you will be charged double the amount of toll fee and will have to pay by cash. Those who have the FASTag enabled in their vehicle, once your vehicle crosses a FASTag-enabled lane on a toll plaza, an automatic deduction from your bank account will take place, and you will receive an SMS alert on your registered mobile number.

So, if your vehicle doesn’t have a FASTag yet, don’t wait, get yours today!

Also Read:Drive Through Without Paying Toll Fees If Your Wait Time Exceeds 3 Minutes

(Edited by Gayatri Mishra)

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Earlier in July, my younger brother began his sojourn with higher education. Breaking into adulthood and wanting to experience freedom of movement, he wanted a two-wheeler. Like many parents across the country, mine are contemplating which two-wheeler vehicle to buy for my brother. Living in Delhi, a den of toxic air pollution, my suggestion was to go electric.

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Here are five reasons why I think parents should really consider purchasing an electric two-wheeler for their children instead of a conventional IC (internal combustion):

1) Low running cost:

Before buying any vehicle, a large segment of Indian consumers look at fuel prices and mileage.

“Every electric scooter, for example, takes up one to three units of electricity per charge (approx Rs 10 per unit of electricity). Even high end two-wheelers don’t consume more than 3.5 units per charge. For two-wheelers with a range as low as 50 km to ones with 150 km, you’re shelling not more than Rs 30-35 per charge. This is a phenomenal difference as compared to IC engine vehicles. Include oil prices to the mix, and the cost issue is addressed,” says Guhan RP of GUGU Energy, speaking to The Better India.

2) Zero emissions & environment:

Shifting to electric will definitely help in reducing our intake of toxic emissions, particularly of the harmful carbon and nitrous oxide variety. According to the Supreme Court-monitored EPCA, fossil fuel-run vehicles contribute “as much as 40 per cent of total emission load in Delhi and roughly 30 per cent in the region”.

3) Convenience: You can charge any time, anywhere.

“With an electric vehicle, you don’t have to visit the petrol station ever. You can charge it either at your office or residence, and by morning your vehicle enjoys a full charge, you don’t have to wait in line at petrol stations,” says Nischal of BattRE, a Jaipur-based EV manufacturer.

4) Low Maintenance: Buying a vehicle is one thing, but maintaining is another ball game.

“The overall cost of ownership of the vehicle [electric scooter] over a period of five or six years is almost half of the cost petrol fueled vehicles. Running cost of vehicle per km is just around 10-15 paisa. It reduces maintenance costs to almost zero because a petrol-run two wheeler scooter has more than 2,000 moving parts, whereas an electric one has 20-25 moving parts. Thus, maintenance related costs decreases. It is also lighter in weight as compared to petrol/diesel scooter,” says Nischal Chaudhary of BattRE, a Jaipur-based electric scooter manufacturer.

5) Tax benefits: The government’s announcements in the Union Budget 2019-20 gave manufacturers of electric two-wheelers and potential consumers a lot to cheer for.

“Provision of additional income tax deduction of an amount upto Rs 1.5 Lakh on purchase of EVs would encourage customers to opt for EVs. Additionally, bringing down customs duty on lithium-ion cells to nil would further cut down the cost of batteries and help local battery manufacturers to scale-up the business,” says Sohinder Gill, Director General of SMEV, to The Economic Times.

“The government has already moved GST Council to lower the Goods and Services Tax on EVs from 12 percent to 5 percent and the additional income tax reduction is a major boost for end-consumers to purchase EVs. It addresses the concern of the upfront cost of purchasing electric vehicles,” says Tarun Mehta, CEO and Co-Founder of Ather Energy, speaking to the same publication.

Yes, there are a lot of concerns surrounding the electric vehicle segment, particularly with regards to the lack of charging infrastructure and indigenous sourcing of components, among other concerns. However, as Bajaj Auto Managing Director, Ravi Bajaj, told the media earlier this month that creation of demand for EVs and its adoption is squarely the job of manufacturers.

“We should not get caught in this vicious cycle of chicken-and-egg where we say whether EVs should come first or whether EV charging stations should come first because nobody is going to put up an infrastructure for anything unless they actually see demand (for EVs) on the roads . . . . This is our job that we have to put out the EVs, which are such that people buy it despite the absence of infrastructure and all the other known issues,” he said.

However, the government is trying to do its part. Earlier this year, the Urban Development Ministry issued guidelines stating that residential and commercial complexes will have to allot 20 per cent of their parking space for facilities for electric vehicle charging, while eateries will have to reserve space for charging kiosks. There is impetus on both sides to facilitate that transition to EV.

Also Read: With 100+ Km Range, These Electric Bikes & Scooters Won’t Leave You Stranded!

As a consumer, however, you have to take all these facets into account, but in the day of toxic air pollution, parents could do the responsible thing of buying an electric two-wheeler for their children. After all, it’s their lives we are trying to save.

(Edited by Saiqua Sultan)

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For some individuals, the idiom- ‘one man’s trash is another man’s treasure’- is not just a metaphorical commentary on the varied nature of waste. Instead, it’s more literal. To confess, a quick scan through the nearby Kabbadiwala shop, or the yearly-trip to Mumbai’s chor bazaar (Market) to rummage through heaps of conventionally-labeled ‘trash’, to find my treasure, is one of the best ways I spend my time.

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Be it an old tyre turned into a centre-table, a run-down french window revamped into a room-divider or my mother’s broken teapot hanging over the dining space as a quirky chandelier, my house, much like any DIY enthusiast’s, is a hoarder’s paradise.

And so, for a person who is always on the lookout for markets selling seemingly vapid bric-a-brac, Gujarat’s Alang port is a veritable treasure trove full of analog televisions, old table-fans, dart-boards, rare world maps, ship steering wheels, bulkhead marine lights, ceramic crockery sets and antique furniture, among others.

Situated in Bhavnagar district of Gujarat, the bazaar sits on a 1000-mile coastline—the longest in India. And, much like the trinkets and curios it boasts of, the place hidden under heaps of ship scraps, is of great significance to India’s marine history.

Evidently, in the past few decades, Alang has emerged as a major centre for ship breaking in the world. Its high tide and gently sloped structure makes it the perfect spot for the process. Owing to this, every year, more than 200 ships breathe their last here.

In December 2009, the longest ship, Seawise Giant, was sailed to and beached at Alang’s shore for demolition.

Set up in 1983, Alang shipyard has, till date, scrapped more than 8,000 ships including containers, oil tankers, cargo ships and cruise liners, from all over the world, especially Japan, the United Kingdom, United States, Singapore and Norway.

This ship graveyard is indeed one of the largest in the world, which recycles almost half of all decommissioned ships across the globe through its market. Old ship parts, furniture, kitchen supplies, generators, bulbs, or linen, etc, whatever can be salvaged by the locals, is taken to the market for sale, making Alang market one of the most interesting upcycling opportunities!

A new lease of life to dead ships

Every time an old ship arrives at Alang’s shores, the workers break it down into pieces with gas cutters, hammers and blowtorches. While the iron and steel is recycled, the ship’s remaining parts, like furniture, kitchenware, decor, bedding, etc is sold in bulk to dealers specialising in cabins.

These dealers then display the items in an auction for the shopkeepers. While auctions on items from smaller ships with lesser rooms and amenities are done in just a few hours, cruise liners with hundreds of products take days to be auctioned.

But, what makes people demand these products over affordable alternatives? It is not just the rustic look, but also an aspect of longevity. In addition to the glamour gloss of being ‘foreign-manufactured’, these items are also sturdy and waterproof, and so there is a rising demand for them, according to the local shopkeepers.

So, next time you visit the state or are planning to redecorate your space, fret not to take this short adventure, because the best thing about Alang is its unpredictability – you might reach its shores completely clueless, and end up with something completely unusual and unexpected. Happy hunting!

(Edited by Saiqua Sultan)

Nishant Kathpal’s journey to creating a portable diabetic foot screener began when he was barely 16 and had to undergo an operation for gastrointestinal perforation.

He was already scared and in pain from the procedure, but things got worse when his stitches contracted an infection. Over time, the wounds healed, but the memory of that excruciating pain stayed with him.

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Years later, when he visited a hospital for a project, the sight of the agony faced by diabetic patients rekindled those memories.

“I was completing my masters in IIT Bombay at that time and was part of the Biomedical Engineering and Technology incubation Centre (BETiC). There, I was involved in a collaborative engineering course which brought together doctors, researchers and engineers on one platform to create innovations in the healthcare industry,” recalls Nishant.

For those projects, he would make visits to nearby hospitals and on came across several diabetic patients, who had to have their feet amputated. “Seeing them in pain made me more than just uncomfortable, and that was when I decided to focus all my efforts to help them in some way,” he mentions.

India already has over 60 million people living with diabetes and the number is set to increase to 100 million by 2030.

About 25% of diabetic patients develop peripheral neuropathy, which leads to damaged nerves in the soles of their feet. This results in a reduced sensation of pain, which unknowingly leads to high pressure on the soles, building up thicker and harder skin.

Slowly, the hard skin breaks and causes an injury while the person does not feel pain, and thus does not notice. The wound does not heal, turns into an ulcer and the leads to gangrene and eventual amputation, ranging from the toe to the entire leg.

“Globally, every 30 seconds, someone’s foot is amputated because of diabetes. I wanted to find a substantial solution to this problem, and the answer to it came through Dr Rajani Mullerpatan,” adds Nishant.

Dr Rajani, who is the Director of the Centre for Human Movement Science (MGMCHMS) at the MGM Institute of Health Sciences, observed that the sole of diabetic patients is usually stiffer when compared to regular patients.

This observation led to a hypothesis that a single device for objective testing of foot sole stiffness has the potential to efficiently replace many existing tests and help in mass screening and monitoring of the foot complication.

This breakthrough paved the way for Nishant’s STIMU (stiffness measurement unit).

Led by Dr Rajani, Nishant and a team of BETiC engineers and researchers finally developed a portable diabetic foot screening device (STIMU) that can accurately detect diabetic neuropathy at an early stage.

“While most screeners take at least 30 to 40 minutes to complete the tests, STIMU conducts the screening in a matter of just 5 minutes. The idea is to take the device to hospitals and clinics, especially general physicians so that they can easily and quickly conduct a test at an early stage, even before the patient contemplates on consulting a specialist,” says Nishant, who rejected a job offer from Intel, to focus on commercialising the product.

And so far, the journey has been positive and rewarding.

“Our device has a short plunger that presses the foot sole and measures the reaction force, to obtain the stiffness value. The device is fully automatic and can be connected to a mobile phone to visualise the results. These are categorised as green (safe), orange (borderline) and red (diabetic foot condition). The screening takes less than two minutes, compared to over 15 minutes by other products in the market. Early detection of diabetic foot neuropathy condition will enable more effective treatment, preventing millions of such foot amputations worldwide,” he explains.

Since then, his team has not only won the coveted Biotechnology Ignition Grant of Rs 5 million from the Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC) in New Delhi, but has also recently bagged the best IoT Healthcare Innovation award at the IoT Congress 2019, in Bangalore.

They also showcased the device at Go Global India Program at London on December 1 and in February 2020, are going to be present it at the Swissnex Academia-Industry Training Workshop in Switzerland and Advanced Technologies & Treatments for Diabetes Conference in Spain.

Currently, undergoing clinical trials in MGM and other hospitals, Nishant slowly hopes to develop the device further and help it evolve from screening to treatment.

For now, it’s one step at a time.

Also Read: Cancer to Diabetes: Mysuru’s Millet Doctor Ditched US Job to Make India Health

(Edited by Gayatri Mishra)

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“It is no use multiplying sickly, ill-fed and illiterate children at the cost of mother’s health. To stop this evil, every woman should consider this question (of birth control) seriously and should act soon. To solve this problem, female education on an extensive scale is essential.”

Many of us may have read the above lines and nodded in agreement. In the second-most populous country with 1.3 billion people, this statement is relevant, important and most essentially, bold.

But, what if I told you that these line were uttered not in the recent past but 77 years ago by a Dalit woman — Sulochanabai Dongre — during the historic All India Depressed Classes Women’s Conference (AIDCW) on 20 July 1942.

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One of the first Indians to start a nationwide discourse on advocating birth control, Dongre’s contributions might have been lost in the pages of time yet, her beliefs continue to resonate across the world—especially in the debates on a woman’s right to her body.

The AIDCW ushered in a new wave of Dalit Feminism, women emancipation and shed light on the social hierarchy that positions a Dalit woman as the lowest of all.

And at its helm was the conference President, Sulochanabai Dongre.

Dr Jayshree Singh and Gargi Vashistha, in their research paper, A Critical Insight On Status Of Dalit Women In India (2018), write, “Dalit women in India have been living in silence through the centuries . . . They do not have control over their own bodies, earnings, and lives. Instead, somebody else controls them . . . Dalit women are bearing the burden of double-day caste and the division of labour based on sex . . . They are poor, illiterate, sexually harassed, face caste violence and exploited.”

Like Sulochanabai, Social activist Periyar EV Ramasamy was one of the first few to talk about women’s right to their bodies. In 1932, Ramasamy spoke along similar lines in his article on birth control in Kudi Arasu, a magazine that focused on Dalit rights and female emancipation.

The enigma that was Sulochanabai Dongre

Sulochanabai was a member of the All India Women’s Congress, just like other dalit women leaders such as Ramabai Ambedkar. Soon, she along with Ramabai and other Dalit feminists, chose to leave the conference. This mass disassociation of Dalit feminists from nationalist women’s movement was an outcome of internal caste-based discrimination.

For instance, at AIWC conference which was held in 1937, educationist Jaibai Choudhuri had set up separate seats for the Dalit women during meals.

Ideologically too, there was a stark difference between the Dalit Feminist nationalist movement and the upper-caste women’s cultural nationalism. The latter drew inferences from Hindu traditions that glorified Sati and Savitri and supported caste hierarchy. While, the Dalit women led by Sulochanabai, were fighting a larger cause — whereby sexual and social abuse of women was fueled not just by patriarchy but also casteism.

Hence, unlike their counterparts, they did not associate their struggle with aspects of chastity and purity but chose to drive the battle with focus on education and sexual and economic independence.

Dalit Mahila Federation

The mass exodus of Dalit women from AIWC eventually paved the way for the founding of the Dalit Mahila Federation. It was a part of the All India Scheduled Castes Federation in 1942, which was chaired by Sulochanabai.

She then led the All India Depressed Classes Women Congress and presided over the July 1942 conference in Nagpur, that reached out to over 25,000 women with a new narrative for the Dalit struggle.

The prominent presence of these women in fighting for sexual and reproductive rights of their fellow sisters played a significant part in the larger Dalit movement driven by Dr B R Ambedkar. Hence, this conference also positioned Dr Ambedkar as the leader for the voices of the Dalit community, especially those who could not align themselves with Gandhi.

But one of Sulochanabai’s most revolutionary contributions to women’s history includes her discourse on birth control. Her multi-pronged address not only shed light on birth control but various other important women’s issues like education, freedom, choice.

Touting education as a driving force, Sulochanabai spoke about the need for Dalit women to rise above the shackles of religion or tradition.

“In the matter of education, we are still very backward. The girl of today is the mother of tomorrow. She who rocks the cradle liberates the world. So it is important to educate the girls. The girl must know how to bring up children. If there is no education, one’s virtues and talents cannot be developed. Our women must be represented in every district and tehsil local board. Among the 20 legislative many have been uneducated men. If some of these seats had been given to our educated women, our situation could have been improved,” she said.

Thanks to her speeches, these issues found prominence in the mainstream freedom fighting women’s organisation.

The Historic Conference

The AIDCW conference headed by Sulochanabai made history with several revolutionary resolutions on women’s rights, some of which continue to echo in the contemporary world too. These were:

1. Call for better working conditions for women labouring in mills, bidi industries, municipalities and railways. Focus on their right to a casual leave, sufficient compensation for accidents and other benefits.
2. Appoint female supervisors for female workers in the mills to ensure a better working environment.
3. A step against polygamy by uplifting a woman’s right to divorce her husband. A resolution to acknowledge this by a statute was important to monitor such an occurrence, and abolish unfair treatment of women.
4. Establishment of the All India Scheduled Caste Women’s Federation.
5. Call for reserved seats for women from depressed classes, in all legislative and other representative bodies.
6. Emphasis on improving the education of women from depressed classes by urging the government to enact laws that enforce mandatory primary education, along with the provision of scholarships for secondary and higher education.

These resolutions of the Dalit feminist movement were rooted in the Ambedkarite ideologies of self-assertion. It also underlined how one’s right to body transcends any identity markers of caste.

Leader of a powerful women’s movement, Sulochanabai, in every sense of the phrase, was indeed, ahead of her time. She is one of the few unsung sheroes of the freedom struggle.

Also Read: 40 Years Ago, This ‘Striker in Sari’ Smashed Stereotypes of Submissive Indian Women

(Edited by Saiqua Sultan)

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In this article, we look at protests in India to understand how and where a citizen can legally protest.

In the case of Ramlila Maidan Incident v. Home Secretary, Union Of India & Ors., the Supreme Court had stated, “Citizens have a fundamental right to assembly and peaceful protest which cannot be taken away by an arbitrary executive or legislative action.”

It was in Maneka Gandhi vs. Union of India that Justice Bhagwati had said, “If democracy means government of the people by the people, it is obvious that every citizen must be entitled to participate in the democratic process and in order to enable him to intelligently exercise his rights of making a choice, free & general discussion of public matters is absolutely essential.”

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It is critical to remember that all protests are legal only if they are non-violent and carried out with appropriate permissions. “Fundamental duties that are enshrined in the constitution require that the rule of law is followed and that public property is not destroyed,” says Sapna Khajuria, a lawyer from New Delhi, speaking to The Better India.

The right to protest peacefully is enshrined in the Indian Constitution—Article 19(1)(a) guarantees the freedom of speech and expression; Article 19(1)(b) assures citizens the right to assemble peaceably and without arms.

What permissions are needed to hold a protest?

Since ‘Law and Order’ is a State subject, the permissions to organise a protest will vary from state to state. Do check the local laws before you decide to protest. Broadly:
• Ensure that you have a police permit and a No-Objection Certificate (NOC) from the police. In case the police feel that the protest rally or demonstration will lead to unrest and go against public order, permission can be denied.
• Mention all the details of the protest in the petition you submit to the police.
• These must include the reason for the protest, its date and duration, the number of people expected to participate, and the route that the protestors will undertake.
• Also remember to include your name, address, and phone number.
• The documents that must be furnished include proof of identity, proof of residence, a photograph, and an affidavit.

Article 19(1)(3) says this right is subject to “reasonable restrictions” in the interest of public order.

What are these reasonable restrictions?

• If the security of the state is in jeopardy;
• If the friendly relationship we share with a neighbouring country is at stake;
• If public order is disturbed;
• If there is contempt of court;
• If the sovereignty and integrity of India are threatened.

So, by all means, exercise your constitutional rights, but do remember to fulfil your duties as well.

Also Read: How a Karnataka Teacher Used a ‘Pencil’ To Breathe Life Into a Govt School!

(Edited by Vinayak Hegde)

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The writing on the wall is clear—the time for fossil fuel-guzzling vehicles is coming to an end, and the future is indeed, electric.

For global vehicle manufacturing giant MG Motor, their latest instalment, the ZS EV, marks the beginning of its global drive to usher in a cleaner and greener future through sustainable mobility solutions.

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In a conversation with The Better India, Gaurav Gupta, Chief Commercial Officer at MG Motor India, waxed eloquent about the company’s desire to create a product that delivered a premium and connected vehicle ownership experience to customers while also helping them minimise their carbon footprints.

Unveiled in India earlier this month and slated for launch in January 2020, the ZS EV has some fascinating features.

To begin with, it comes equipped with an advanced 44.5 kWh liquid-cooled NMC (Nickel Manganese Cobalt) battery from CATL, which is one of the world’s largest battery manufacturers.

Another element that sets the ZS EV apart is its driving range, which covers 340 kilometres on a full charge. Its clean, efficient, and fast powertrain delivers 353 Nm of instant torque and 143 PS power, accomplishing 100 kmph from a standstill in 8.5 seconds.

In India, the vehicle is being manufactured at the MG Motor Halol facility in Gujarat, and according to media reports, will cost between Rs 20-23 lakh.

“We have equipped every ZS EV with a five-way charging infrastructure, an on-board cable to charge anywhere and an AC fast charger that can be installed for charging at homes and offices. We are also establishing a strong and pan-India DC super-fast charging network that will be initially available at select MG showrooms in Delhi/NCR, Mumbai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, and Ahmedabad. This network will be later expanded to cover MG dealerships in satellite cities along key routes and provide charge-on-the-go with roadside assistance,” says Gupta.

Through super-fast DC fast chargers (50 kW), the ZS EV will reach 80% battery capacity within 50 minutes. The AC fast charger will take around 6-8 hours for a full charge.

“We want to enable and catalyse the EV revolution in India. Fulfilling that vision necessitates a robust ecosystem that caters to the charging needs of electric vehicle owners. Therefore, we have partnered with leading global and local players to fulfil that,” he adds.

On the subject of robustness, the spokesperson says the MG ZS EV has been tested in India for over 100,000 kilometres across different terrains and various climatic conditions.

Aside from these specifications, the makers have embedded the ZS EV with the latest smart technology.

“It is a proper SUV with a complete end-to-end ecosystem for charging infrastructure support and comes with iSMART EV 2.0—the technology that powers the connected mobility experience for its owners. It features an exclusive and updated iSMART EV 2.0 that is powered by an all-new 6-core processor and comes equipped with several industry-first features,” informs Gupta.

For instance, the iSMART EV 2.0 has an inbuilt embedded SIM providing internet on-board and can also be connected to an external Wi-Fi connection. This unique capability allows users to connect their ZS EVs to their home networks and mobile hotspots, making it the first truly connected electric car in India, claims Gupta.

“The in-car experience is also heightened through features like search charging stations nearby, CO2 saved, and 360 Spider also help users to find charging stations when the remaining range is less than 50 KM. The ZS EV also features impressive technology that maximises range, efficiency, and convenience. Its three driving modes and three levels of regenerative braking can be tailored to suit individual driver preferences, making it the perfect companion for everyday driving,” says Gupta when elaborating further on the ZS EV’s features.

The MG ZS EV also comes equipped with an inbuilt PM 2.5 Air filter to provide healthy air inside your SUV cabin. If the AQI outside is around 200-300, the vehicle can bring it under 30 in less than 5 minutes once you roll up your windows.

As stated earlier, the future of mobility in India is electric and connected. This is primarily because of the headroom available for growth in the country.

In 2015, there were only 22 vehicles for every thousand people in the country (excluding two-wheeler vehicles, such as motorcycles, and three-wheelers such as auto-rickshaws). The US, in comparison, had 811 four-wheelers for every 1000 people in 2017, despite operating on a much lower population base.

“With the government’s focus on putting more electric vehicles on the road, we believe that the adoption of EVs in India is inevitable in the long run. Progressive policies such as BS-VI, the tax relief of INR 1.5 lakh on purchase of EVs, and FAME II are already incentivising Indian customers to purchase EVs,” says Gupta.

The likes of MG Motor India are also looking to contribute to the creation of a strong, well-integrated EV ecosystem, from charging infrastructure to battery reuse and recycling.

If they succeed, it could have a domino effect on the rest of the industry.

Also Read: 150 Km on 1 Charge: Meet Revolt RV400, India’s First AI-Enabled Electric Motorcycle

(Edited by Gayatri Mishra)

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Is solar energy all that ‘green’? As it turns out, maybe not.

After extensive analysis, researchers at IIT-Hyderabad in collaboration with Melbourne-based Monash University argue that the hype around solar energy as THE renewable alternative to fossil fuel is overstated.

In a recent paper published in the peer-reviewed journal ‘Geomechanics and Geophysics for Geo-Energy and Geo-Resources,’ they argue that geothermal energy—the use of the earth’s heat to generate power—is a better alternative to solar energy, particularly in terms of carbon dioxide emissions.

“While solar power does have benefits over conventional energy sources, it is far from the zero-emissions energy source that it is claimed to be,” says Professor D Chandrasekharam from the Department of Civil Engineering, IIT Hyderabad.

As per the study, nearly 10 tonnes of quartz is required to manufacture solar cells that can generate 1 megawatt of electricity from the Sun. According to them, this much energy can support 20,000 people annually.

“A Solar PV cell involves two important stages: i) Producing metallurgical grade silicon (MGS) and ii) Producing electronic-grade silicon (EGS) from quartz. In the first stage, an amount of 1756 thousand tonnes of CO2 is released, and a similar amount of CO2 is released during the conversion of EGS to ingots. Imagine how many tonnes of quartz has to be mined to support millions of people in the countries!” adds Dr Chandrasekharam.

Over the lifecycle of a solar PV cell, the total CO2 emissions are about a whopping 3312 million kg, which is way higher than a geothermal energy source, which researchers argue emits about 450 g/kWh generated.

“According to the recently published report by International Energy Agency (IEA), under the sustainable development policy, proposed for adoption to mitigate CO2 emissions (the Year 2040), nearly 54 billion cells are required to meet the generation target of 14,139 TWh. This amounts to releasing huge amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere instead of conserving carbon dioxide says the researchers. While certain alternative energy sources such as solar power are being widely considered among the green energy technologies, no type of energy can be completely environmentally neutral,” states the press release issued by IIT-Hyderabad.

“Unlike other renewables, geothermal energy can supply base-load electricity and the waste after its life cycle, unlike solar PV, is negligible. The best way to go forward is to choose a combination of technologies that can minimize harm to the environment, not chase the horizon of zero harm,” write the researchers in their recent paper.

Meanwhile, the environmental impact of decommissioning solar technology is a serious issue which needs to be dealt with. How do you dispose of all that waste? How will the environment carry that burden?

According to the “End-of-life management of solar photovoltaic panels” publication by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), globally 60 to 75 million tonnes of solar PV panels waste will be by 2050 that cannot be recycled. Thus, it makes sense to either mitigate these elements or look at alternatives like geothermal energy.

What is India’s geothermal potential?

According to the Ministry of Renewable Energy, India has a potential of 10000 MW spread over 300 hot springs across 11 states. 1 MW Geothermal Power Plant generates nearly 8.2 million units (MU) per MW per annum as compared to 1.6 MU for solar, 3.9 MU for wind and 3.9 MU for hydro energy.

How do we generate geothermal energy?

“There are three types of geothermal power plants: dry steam, flash, and binary. Dry steam, the oldest geothermal technology, takes the steam out of fractures in the ground and uses it to drive a turbine directly. Flash plants pull deep, high-pressure hot water into cooler, low-pressure water. The steam that results from this process is used to drive the turbine. In binary plants, the hot water is passed by a secondary fluid with a much lower boiling point than water. This causes the secondary fluid to turn to vapor, which then drives a turbine. Most geothermal power plants in the future will be binary plants,” says this National Geographic report.

While geothermal energy generation in India is still in its infancy, successful pilot projects have been carried out in places like Dholera in Gujarat. Following this success, the state has set up its first geothermal power plant with a capacity ranging from 10 to 20 kilowatts.

According to the United States Energy Information Administration (US-EIA), geothermal plants emit 97% less acid rain-causing sulfur compounds and about 99% less carbon dioxide than fossil fuel power plants of similar size.

What’s particularly remarkable about this energy source is that most power plants recycle the geothermal steam and water they use to generate energy.

Nonetheless, there are some environmental concerns here as well. They revolve the release of hydrogen sulfide gas, disposal of geothermal fluid that contains some toxic materials, noise pollution, soil subsidence and changes in land use associated with exploration and plant construction.

Exploration is also a very capital intensive process, and costs are often very high.

Having said that, geothermal energy is an option many governments are actively considering with the halo around solar energy losing its sheen.

Also Read: 23 GW of Potential and Growing: How Ladakh Plans to Lead India’s Solar Charge!

(Edited by Gayatri Mishra)

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The internet is filled with tips for UPSC aspirants–what they ought to study, how their routine must be, and tips to crack the exam. However, what is often overlooked are the common mistakes that they can make.

In this article, we caught up with 26-year-old Athar Aamir-ul-Shafi Khan who appeared for the Civil Service Examination for the first time in 2014, securing a rank of 571.

Upon writing the exam again in 2016, he bagged the All India Rank of 2. He lists down some of the common mistakes that aspirants often make and shares with us his take on how they can be tackled.

1) Buying any and every book for preparation – Remember that quality trumps quantity

“Instead of picking up multiple texts/books for each subject and reading them all only once, it would be prudent to pick up fewer texts and read them over and over again,” says Khan.

Trying to read too many books for every subject and then not being able to revise is of no help to an aspirant. Given the number of study material available in the market, one must be careful in picking up the right texts and resist the urge to buy too many books.

Word of advice: Do your research well and buy only the books that are absolutely worth it.

2) Preparing a lot, but not taking enough mocks – Practice leads to perfection

Aspirants sometimes do not factor in enough time for mock tests and revision, both of which are extremely important. According to Khan, solving multiple-choice questions before one attempts the prelims paper helps a great deal in improving both accuracy and scoring better.

He adds, “It is also important that aspirants attempt as many mock tests as possible before the actual exam. This will not only help you brush up on your concepts but will evaluate yourself and revise accordingly.”

Word of advice: Practise as much as you can. It will help to improve your handwriting, speed, and assimilating your answers better.

3) Neglecting newspapers

“Many people rely only on various exam portals or monthly magazines for current affairs. However, from personal experience, I found newspapers to be the best source for current affair content. It is important that aspirants get into the regime of reading atleast one good daily newspaper every day,” mentions Khan.

Echoing this in an interview with The Better India, Pratishtha Mamgain, who secured an AIR of 50 in the 2016 examination, said, “I primarily referred to The Hindu and the Indian Express. Up until the prelims I used [The] Hindu as my main source of information and gave a cursory glance to IE, but after the prelims, I switched it up. IE became my main source of information, while I continued reading the editorial in The Hindu.”

It helps to read the news when it’s hot, and in smaller doses every day, instead of trying to cram a truckload of facts before the exam.

Word of advice: Pick a newspaper or two and ensure that you are diligent in reading it throughout your preparation time.

4. Not making your own notes – they are the best refresher guides

One of the key ways in which we can retain information is by revising regularly, and that, in turn, can happen only if we make diligent notes.

“It is natural to forget most of the things we read. One of the things that helped me was to make my own notes and revise them, before the examination,” says Khan.

“Before the examination, revising from one’s books/texts will not only be time-consuming but also be extremely difficult. In times like these, the notes will be of great help,” he adds.

Word of advice: Device your own method of making notes and start for various subjects as early as you can.

5. Do not cut yourself off – You need the fresh air and conversations

Confining oneself indoors is never the answer to finding success, says Khan.

“Many aspirants cut themselves off from the surroundings and people and try to stay indoors buried in books. I think it is unhealthy and also creates a lot of stress,” he says.

In the schedule aspirants draw up for themselves it is essential that they also factor in time to talk to people, friends, and family regularly. One will find that these conversations refresh you and at times, offer a whole new perspective.

“Cutting yourself off everything and everyone will make preparation very unsustainable and even may lead to depression,” he clarifies.

Word of advice: It is essential to take care of one’s health. Good food and exercise help. This is especially important for those who are preparing for the exam far away from home.

Given that Khan has cleared the examination and gone through the process of preparation and appearing for the UPSC, his suggestions will most certainly come in handy.

If you have your own do’s and don’ts, we would love to hear about them.

Also Read: AIR 99 to 12: UPSC Topper Shares Tips on Current Affairs, Writing Notes For Mains

(Edited by Gayatri Mishra)

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Armed dacoits around Indian Bandit Queen-turned-Member of Parliament, Phoolan Devi, along sandy ravines and sparse vegetation… if this is your imagination of Chambal, think again. This division is home to one of Rajasthan’s and India’s first smart villages.

Welcome to Dhanora. Situated in the heartland of Chambal, this tiny village in the Dhaulpur district of Rajasthan has a population of 2,000. Until 2014, it was bereft of sanitation, internal roads, or potable water. It even faced issues like encroachment, power fluctuation, unemployment and crippling poverty. Enter the same village now, and you will be wonderstruck.

The roads that were once littered with waste and faced rampant open-defecation are clean, and lined with lush trees. The village is lit with solar lights, boasts of pucca homes painted in uniform colours, a skill development centre, a meditation centre, and even a public library!

Dhanora is an Adarsh Gram where every household has a toilet with running water, access to concrete roads, a sewage treatment plant for waste management, and property demarcations. Even the manufacture and sale of liquor is banned here.

How did this happen?

The first call for transformation came from IRS officer Dr Satyapal Singh Meena, a native of the village. The sight of an old woman suffering from dysentery being carried to the fields during the rainy season moved him. He made it his mission to transform Dhanora.

During his posting in Aurangabad, Meena had attended an eco-revolution conference organised by NGO Eco Needs Foundation. He was thoroughly impressed by their smart village concept and asked for their help.

Following this, the NGO’s founder Prof Priyanand Agale and his team came on board to kickstart this journey of change. Meena also moved on to join their advisory board. From cooking food for the volunteers to mobilising villagers, his wife and family also became an integral part of the transformative journey.

Speaking to The Better India, Prof Agale shares that his team developed a model that emphasises sustainable development by providing amenities such as sanitation, safe drinking water, internal roads, water conservation, tree plantation and means of livelihood.

And so, from 2014 to 2016, it worked on five elements for the smart village plan.

1) Retrofitting or modifying and beautifying existing structures and removing encroachments
2) Redevelopment, which involves infrastructure development
3) Greenfield, which is environment-related development
4) E-Pan which stands for electronic planning, focusing on communication, and e-learning
5) Livelihood to provide learning and skills to enable people to earn

The first step was to mobilise the community.

But this wasn’t easy. The villagers were initially suspicious of the NGO’s motives. “It took us time. But after holding extensive meetings and explaining our plan of action to the villagers in the gram sabhas, they realised we had no political motives and extended their support,” says Agale.

Organising women’s panchayat and constructing toilets

Mobilising women was tough since interactions between men and veiled women were socially limited. Satyapal Meena’s wife, Geeta Rani, helped overcome this challenge.

“At the first meeting, women spoke about critical issues related to health and hygiene. When the majority of them unanimously raised the issue of open defecation, the team decided to prioritise the construction of toilets. Knowing that the approval only happens in small batches and is a lengthy process, we got in touch with then district collector Kumar Gautam Pal who sanctioned the construction of 822 toilets in a single order.”

Through community participation, shramdaan and fundraising by the villagers, every household built a toilet. The families that couldn’t afford the expense were adopted by the village. One of the biggest outcomes of this was that the State Government declared the village as the first of the district as free from open defecation (ODF).

Sewerage line and Road construction

The next step was digitally mapping the village. This helped create a blueprint and a plan of action to lay the water supply lines, sewage lines, construction of roads, etc.

Once the process was complete, a 2-km sewerage line with a 450-mm diameter was laid throughout the village. Each toilet in the village was connected to this line through inspection chambers and manholes.

A sewerage treatment plant was constructed to treat all the wastewater and reuse it for irrigation purposes in farming.

Next came the roads.

“The roads in our village were so narrow that big vehicles couldn’t enter and had to be parked outside. Besides, they were littered with waste while open drains would run in full force,” says Prem Singh. He’s a teacher in the village and a member of the Gram Vikas Sabha.

So the Eco Needs Foundation team undertook the cleaning of the existing roads by removing the solid waste and the open-dumping places. Solid waste management practices such as segregation were promoted among the villagers, who diligently follow it to date.

The digital mapping also helped demarcate property lines and remove encroachments on the roads. The villagers cooperated, and some of them even gave away land from their residential properties for new and wide concrete roads. From the previous width of 8-10 feet, the roads were widened to 20-25 feet. An additional 2-km road was constructed to Dhodekapura village Panchayat for improved connectivity.

All the development activities were funded by the people of the village, including labour, in the form of shramdaan.

Greenfield Activities

To promote water conservation, they undertook the construction of eight underground percolation tanks and connected them by a 3-km canal, which passed through 80 per cent of farms within the village and recharged groundwater. This was done without any forceful land acquisition and came into existence by the mutual understanding of the villagers.

The project started in 2016 with water conservation structures being constructed in two months. The results started showing results within three months! Thanks to this, the the quantum of groundwater recharge today is 97.49 million litres per year!

“These structures have benefitted us, farmers, greatly. Before the project started, we struggled for water supply. The reuse of wastewater for irrigation purposes has also been a good move that has impacted the farming community. Our agricultural returns have shown a positive rise. Many of us abandoned chemicals and moved to organic and traditional farming practices. Our inputs costs have reduced and therefore profits have shown a steady rise. We no longer stick to monocropping, we are practicing multi-cropping. Thanks to the availability of water, our crops do not run dry or wither in the harsh summers,” says farmer Kishan Singh.

Agale adds how this method of building percolation tanks and connecting them is highly replicable and can benefit dry states like Rajasthan.

Under retrofitting, they dismantled some old and damaged structures. Many structures were restored and elevated. Electric poles that obstructed the street were relocated, and the existing street lights were fitted with solar panels.

Also Read: Shoes For Kids, Blood Bank For Rare Groups: IAS Officer Transforms Lakhs of Lives

The team also undertook the construction of a modern community centre with a 300-person capacity by shifting and renovating the temple of Bhumiya Baba. This was funded by government employees within the village who contributed 25 per cent of their monthly salaries. The villagers also shelled Rs 10 lakh along with shramdaan.

Today, the community centre is a bustling space for villagers–the youth and the elderly alike, who come to spend time together. It is also a space where meetings are conducted, grievances are addressed, and future development projects are discussed. The community centre has been greatly benefitting farmers and youth, for whom educational programmes are broadcast.

Apart from the school library, an open public library was established to promote reading and create a conducive atmosphere for students. A meditation centre was also built.

Presently, an information centre and rural development training centre is under construction. This seminar hall, once complete, will hold workshops, training sessions and showcase audiovisual content for farmers, women and kids.

All kutcha homes were transformed into pucca homes and painted in uniform colours. The walls in the village were painted with positive slogans about education, women empowerment and environment. Plantation drives to improve the green cover were also undertaken. Till date, the villagers have planted almost 5,000 fruit, herbs and medicinal species.

To promote e-learning, the village school was equipped with computers. As for livelihood opportunities, they have built a skill development centre. The Gram Vikas Sabha or village development committee is now working with the NGO to get companies to provide vocational training to youth.

“We are looking at imparting skills like tailoring, pickle, papad making, and driving to those in the village who want to improve their livelihoods.”

Moreover, the Utthan Coaching Institute, a competitive examination coaching centre, equipped with wi-fi and broadcast facilities was established. The one branch in the village and another in the tehsil are the go-to centres for coaching in Rajasthan Public Service commission competitive exams, government jobs in the banking centre, Railways, postal department. While the village branch has 50 students and three full-time professional coaches, the one in the tehsil has 300 students and two full-time coaches. These centres provide free training and also conduct live-coaching sessions with experts from Delhi.

“To mark its identity as the first smart village, the locals sacrificed some of their private landholdings and built a grand entrance. A 30-feet gate resembling the India Gate was carved in stone and installed,” says Agale.

The transformation of the village saw several social outcomes too.

“Today, when someone passes away, the family collects the ashes and uses it as manure to plant a tree in the memory of the deceased, instead of washing them off into water bodies. Further, instead of spending money on the traditional mrutyu bhoj served by the grieving family, this amount is donated for the development of the village,” says Agale.

Similarly, when a daughter is born, every household in the village contributes Rs 200 and the entire village comes together to collect Rs 20,000. This money is used to open a Sukanya Samriddhi bank account for the newborn. As she grows older, the parents continue to add money to her account on a monthly basis.

“Earlier, the women in our village would have to walk a kilometre to fetch water. After the Smart Village Mission, we have running water in our taps at home. Our youth who lacked motivation now look to the future with renewed hope. What makes this incredible is that people donated lakhs to make their village an Adarsh Gram. That is the power of ordinary villagers,” says Prem Singh.

When asked about the approximate budget that transformed Dhanora, Prof Agale answers that it was nearly Rs 2.5 crore. A major part of this was covered by the Gram Panchayat funds disbursed by the Central Government. The villagers, on the other hand, raised close to Rs 20 lakh by door-to-door collection over the years. The Coca Cola Foundation through its CSR wing donated Rs 52 lakh, while Sun Pharma donated Rs 5 lakh. The local MLA and MP donated Rs 15 lakh and Rs 10 lakh each, respectively. The NGO also contributed Rs 15 lakh.

The Government provided direct help by funding the construction of the main road connecting the village to the highway, worth Rs 60 lakh.

Dr Agale is quick to point out that since the requirements of villages differ, the budget and transformation would not be on par with Dhanora.

You May Also Like: Couple Left Singapore to Return to India, Build Their Own 17-Acre Food Forest!

Today, the success of Dhanora has attracted the attention of the state and central governments. Many corporations and good Samaritans come forward to fund projects here. It has become a research space for scholars, students and authorities from other countries who are intrigued by the smart village concept and want to replicate it. The impact witnessed here has also sparked a campaign called the ‘Soch badlo gaon badlo’ which spread to 100 more villages across Rajasthan, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh.

So will this mission succeed? Prof Agale concludes, “If we want sustainable development, we have to start with our villages, because the roads that lead to cities pass through villages. For how long will we crowd our cities and exploit natural resources? When we move towards making our villages smart and self-sufficient, we will reduce the burden of migration in cities. This is a replicable concept. All it requires is intent and financial support.”

(Edited by Shruti Singhal)

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Baba Dioum, the famous Senegalese forest engineer and conservationist, once said, “In the end, we will conserve only what we love, we will love only what we understand, and we will understand only what we are taught.”

This is an approach that drives many wildlife conservationists.

But how do you get ordinary citizens who aren’t invested in wildlife conservation to care about other sentient beings inhabiting our incredible planet?

This is precisely the question that the Karnataka Forest Department is looking to answer through India’s first blue-chip natural history film called Wild Karnataka, scheduled for a full-fledged theatrical release on 17 January 2020.

Backed by stunning visuals showcasing the breathtaking natural wildlife of Karnataka, this 52-minute film hopes to evoke feelings of awe, love and eventually, understanding about natural wonders among everyday people, wonders that exist in their own backyard.

With narration from the iconic Sir David Attenborough, music from Grammy Award-winning composer Rickey Kej and cinematography by a world-class team of Indian filmmakers like Kalyan Varma and Amoghvarsha JS at the helm, Wild Karnataka hopes to get more ordinary Indians invested in wildlife conservation.

“There is a general consensus in the wildlife conservation community that awareness holds the key. If I have to tell you about needing insurance for your house, you need to know why. You need to know what you are insuring, what you are getting insurance for, and what is the value of the house, etc. In the context of wildlife conservation, a small section of the population understands the answers to these questions. But there is a large percentage of this country which is not even aware of what biodiversity lives in our backyards,” says Amoghvarsha JS, in a conversation with The Better India.

Book your tickets now. Click here to book.

Mainstreaming wildlife films/documentaries

Wildlife documentaries have mostly been shown in confined spaces like schools, colleges or seminars. If you open a blue-chip documentary like Wild Karnataka to an audience not invested in wildlife conservation through multiplex screenings, you have a shot at making them care about these things.

For example, I’ve only seen a tiger in the wild once during a school excursion to Nagarhole National Park. That image of a tiger in full flight has never left me. It’s the image that got me invested in stories or initiatives related to tiger conservation.

“See, you can’t expect people to save the tiger unless they care about it. The first step is to help people fall in love with nature. Once you do that, they will automatically care for it. People from Karnataka should take pride in their wildlife. We all know wildlife is under threat in India. This film will help people get in line with conservation. When the time comes, they will step up to save a particular species of animal or a patch of forest,” said Kalyan Varma, in an earlier conversation with The Better India.

Any landmark moment in human history, whether it’s the abolition of apartheid or slavery, or the dawn of the feminist movement, began with a change in consciousness. Take the plastic ban, for example. Why did people decide to participate in it even though it’s hugely convenient and has a massive economic lobby behind it?

It was awareness about plastic’s debilitating effects on the environment and the consciousness that it’s our responsibility to address the problem urgently.

“Our animals don’t come out in protest when their habitats are under danger. Who can be their voice? Us. We have to take the message of wildlife conservation to the masses because they don’t have access to quality documentaries, talks, podcasts, or reading material. Pursuing wildlife filmmaking, visiting national parks and going on safaris is expensive and time consuming. What is the quickest and cheapest way we can bring this experience and build a sense of wonder and awe, particularly in children?” asks Amoghvarsha.

In the age of digital media, where content is constantly consumed, the makers have a very special opportunity to tell this story.

The first step towards mainstreaming wildlife conservation is a change in consciousness. Amoghvarsha is a product of David Attenborough’s films, and he is making films today. There are researchers, conservationists and lawyers battling against illegal encroachments or poaching, and they are all the products of the media they have consumed.

If even a fraction of those who watch this film are inspired to work towards wildlife conservation, the makers have done their job and proved why it is so important for quality wildlife documentaries to go mainstream.

Further democratising the process

Working as ace wildlife photographers and filmmakers, Amoghvarsha and Kalyan Varma have travelled the world working for a whole host of notable international publications and production platforms, including National Geographic. But although their work did get broadcast internationally, it wasn’t readily available in India.

“It was a shame that we hadn’t made a documentary about our own state or backyard. There were questions surrounding funding, acquiring permissions to shoot, and logistics, among other things. There was no precedent for the work we were doing for Wild Karnataka. This is the first Indian wildlife documentary to go on the screen as a full-fledged release like a Bollywood film,” says Amoghvarsha.

Fortunately, the filmmakers had the backing of the State Forest Department, particularly with logistical assistance and sponsors who bought into their vision.

“We have also made a Kannada version of this film, and the plan is to showcase it in rural areas. Our objective is to reach about 50,000 schools. So, while the world can see our work on various platforms, even children studying in villages can watch and relish it. At the same time, we want regular people to go to theatres and watch it with their children and families. This is a classic family entertainer,” says Amoghvarsha.

Most wildlife documentaries are in English. Children studying in local government schools across small towns and rural areas can’t access these documentaries and find them hard to understand. For the Kannada version, therefore, the team has roped in famous Kannada actor-director Rishabh Shetty. They have started running pilots in these schools, and the first cycle of their outreach will include 5,000 schools. For audiences outside cities like Bengaluru, it’s critical to present these films in the vernacular.

Memorable moments built on a unique narrative

There are extraordinary moments in this film, including the sight of otters chasing away a tiger at the Kabini Wildlife Sanctuary. Many of us understand wildlife in the context of predator and prey, but the animal kingdom is a lot more complex.

In the film, there is a remarkable sequence where a sambar deer fends off a pack of wild dogs to protect her young ones. The sight of an underdog taking on a pack of predators and a mother protecting her young ones presents core human experiences as well.

“We have adopted a very different narrative style in this documentary. Rather than talking about it as a wildlife documentary, we want it to be seen as a family entertainer. Instead of a time pass Bollywood flick, take your parents or kids for this incredible visual experience and come back with some knowledge. If people loved Jungle Book, they will love this visual experience even more because the animals are real,” says Amoghvarsha.

The makers don’t want this to become merely a niche film for wildlife lovers. There are around 20 sequences in the film, whereas a typical wildlife documentary will not have more than 12-13 detailed ones that address animal behaviour. In Wild Karnataka, you’ll see a new animal every two minutes and something is happening all the time to keep you engaged.

These 52 minutes should just fly by. In fact, Amoghvarsha tells us that he had to keep reminding their post-production partners that this film is for people who haven’t really seen wildlife before.

At the end of the day, however, it’s about telling a good story.

In funnelling over hours of footage measuring 60 TB of data into just 52 minutes, the makers of this unique film hope to tell a story that will not only influence future wildlife conservationists but also usher in a generation of filmmakers and photographers who will document the earth’s natural beauty for decades to come. With their work, more people in the future will care and the wonderful cycle of wildlife conservation will continue.

“My mantra for youngsters wanting to get into wildlife filmmaking is simple. Start with what you have. There are fantastic mobile phones with which you can shoot a full film. People have this impression that wildlife media is an expensive affair. It’s not if you’re willing to put in the time. Bengaluru, for example, has many parks with plenty of flora and fauna. Pick a story and a subject that is easily accessible because it’s not about the equipment, but how you tell a story. If you’re good, others will notice you. If Wild Karnataka succeeds in capturing the attention of mainstream audiences, then one day, you could also be that person awaiting the grand release of your film at multiplexes across India,” he says.

Book your tickets now. Click here to book.

(Edited by Shruti Singhal)

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The Indian Constitution, which was adopted by the elected Constituent Assembly on 26 November 1949, is the longest in the world. Subsequently, it was legally enforced on 26 January 1950, the day that is today celebrated as Republic Day.

Among the 299 members of the Constituent Assembly, were 15 women—who were either voted in or chosen to represent their province.

Each one of them broke the glass ceiling way before it even became a ‘thing.’ From fighting child marriage to working relentlessly to uplift those who were in weaker economic, financial, and social positions—these freedom fighters, lawyers, reformists, and politicians did extraordinary work and as a part of the assembly, helped craft a politically balanced republic.

This Republic Day, let’s take a look at the lives of these 15 women.

1. Dakshayani Velayudhan

At 34, Dakshayani was the youngest member of the assembly. Hailing from the Pulaya community of Cochin she was among the first generation of women of her community to be educated and was nominated to the to the Cochin Legislative Council in 1945.

An unwavering supporter of a common national identity for every Indian, Dakshayani did not support separate electorates or reservation. Also, despite being a staunch follower of both Gandhi and Dr BR Ambedkar, she never shied away from challenging them both on the strength of her own convictions.

Ten days after the assembly met for the first time, Dakshayani stood before it and delivered her first impassioned speech slamming untouchability, where she stated, “The working of the Constitution will depend upon how the people will conduct themselves in the future, not on the actual execution of the law. So, I hope that in the course of time there will not be such a community known as Untouchables.”

Read more about the incredible work she did here.

2. Ammu Swaminathan

A fiery feminist from her early years, Ammu, when told that she would have to wed at the age of 13, presented her own set of conditions before agreeing. These included moving to Madras and getting an English education.

It was in 1914 that she became an active participant in politics and three years later in 1917, formed the Women’s India Association along with other stalwarts like Annie Besant, Margaret Cousins, Malathi Patwardhan, Mrs Dadabhoy and Mrs Ambujammal.

In 1934 she joined the Indian National Congress and went on to be elected from the Madras Constituency. A firm advocate for the abolishment of the archaic and oppressive caste system Ammu sided with Dr BR Ambedkar for several caste-related issues.

In a speech during the discussion on the motion by Dr B R Ambedkar to pass the draft Constitution on 24 November 1949, an optimistic and confident Ammu said, “People outside have been saying that India did not give equal rights to her women. Now we can say that when the Indian people themselves framed their Constitution, they have given rights to women equal with every other citizen of the country.”

3. Hansa Jivraj Mehta

Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), stated, “All men are born free and equal.” It was subsequently amended to read, “All human beings are born free and equal.”

While the change was small, the impact of it was undoubtedly very far-reaching, and the credit for this rests entirely on Hansa Jivraj Mehta’s shoulders.

Born into affluence on 3 July 1897, Hansa’s father Manubhai Nandshankar Mehta was the then Dewan of Baroda. She went to England as a young child and studied Sociology and Journalism before returning to India.

Hansa was actively involved in the Non-Cooperation and Swadeshi movements. She went on to contest and won the first provincial elections from the Bombay Legislative Council seat in 1937 and served two terms on the council (1937-39 and 1840-49) and would subsequently join the Constituent Assembly.

Just before joining the Constituent Assembly, she was also instrumental in drafting the Indian Women’s Charter of Rights and Duties during the 1946 (and 18th) session of the AIWC in Hyderabad.

On 15 August 1947, Hansa presented the newly-independent nation’s first national flag on behalf of its women, stating, “We have donned the saffron colour, we have fought, suffered and sacrificed in the cause of our country’s freedom. We have today attained our goal. In presenting this symbol of our freedom, we once more offer our services to the nation.”

4. Leela Roy

Born in Goalpara in Assam in October 1900, Leela was the first woman to obtain an MA from the University of Dhaka in 1923. In the same year, she also established ‘Dipali Sangha’, an association for women that encouraged and taught social and political awareness to women.

An ardent supporter of education, she set up the second school for women in Dhaka and laid a firm emphasis on martial arts and vocational training. Also a prolific writer, in 1931, she began publishing Jayasree, the first magazine edited, managed, and wholly contributed by women writers.

Leela was sworn in as a member of the Constituent Assembly from Bengal on 9 December 1946 and was the only woman member from Bengal to be elected. However, she tendered her resignation a few months later as a mark of protest against the partition of India.

5. Durgabai Deshmukh

Durgabai was all of 12 when she first participated in the Non-Cooperation movement. Deeply influenced by Mahatma Gandhi, she immersed herself completely in the freedom struggle.

In 1936, she established the Andhra Mahila Sabha, which within a decade became a great institution of education and social welfare in the city of Madras.

“I had then decided to take up the study of law so that I could give such women free legal aid and assist them to defend themselves,” she wrote in her autobiography following her incarceration, when she shifted focus from politics to her education.

Durgabai studied law, and in 1942, at the height of the Quit India Movement, she was accepted into the Madras Bar.

She was inducted into the constituent assembly in 1946 where she actively participated the debates, fiercely defending property rights for women under the Hindu Code Bill, independence of the judiciary, selection of Hindustani (Hindi+Urdu) as the national language and for lowering the age bar for those seeking to hold seats in the subsequent council of states from 35 to 30.

You can read more about her here.

6. Begum Aizaz Rasul

The only Muslim woman member in the Constituent Assembly, Aizaz Rasul formally gave up the purdah in 1937 when she won her first election from the non-reserved seat and became a member of the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Council.

Hailing from a political family, Rasul’s induction into politics started rather early on in life. She would accompany her father, Zulfiqar Ali Khan, to various meetings and sometimes even took notes as his secretary.

Her monumental contributions to the Constituent Assembly debates have been recorded in many official sources. She went on to serve the Indian National Congress from 1952 to 1958 as a member of the Rajya Sabha. Besides her political commitments, she also served as the President of the Indian Women Hockey Federation for over fifteen years. She was eventually selected as the President of the Asian Women’s Hockey Federation.

She was known to be a very articulate woman who never shied away from making her point. For example, while criticising the limitations set on fundamental rights in the framing of the Constitution, she said, “I find that what has been given with one hand has been taken away by the other.”

7. Kamla Chaudhary

Known to be among the most active women members during the Civil Disobedience Movement in 1930, Kamla was jailed several times during that period.

In 1946, she was made the Vice President at the 54th conference of the Congress held in Meerut and subsequently went on to become a member of the Constituent Assembly from 1947 to 1952.

Kamla was also a prolific writer and wrote extensively on gender discrimination, exploitation of peasants, and poor condition of widows in the society.

8. Sucheta Kriplani

A freedom fighter, a member of the Constituent Assembly, a Chief Minister and a path-breaker for women everywhere – Sucheta Kriplani played a very vital role during India’s freedom struggle. She was also responsible for establishing the Women Wing in the INC in 1940. She also went on to assist Gandhi during the Satyagraha movement as well.

One of the proudest moments for her in her political career came when she was invited to sing renditions of Vande Mataram, Saare Jahan Se Acha and Jana Gana Mana just before India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru delivered his famous “Tryst with Destiny” speech.

You can read more about her life here.

9. Malati Choudhury

It was Mahatma Gandhi who gave Malati the nickname – toofani. A Constituent Assembly member from Odisha, Malati put in immense efforts towards the upliftment of the scheduled caste, scheduled tribes, and other backward classes in society.

At the age of 16, she reached Shantiniketan, where she studied at VisvaBharati University. She went on to marry Nabakrushna Choudhuri, who later became the Chief Minister of Odisha and shifted to Odisha in 1927.

She and her husband played a pivotal role during the Satyagraha movement, where they mobilised people to participate in the movement. They educated and communicated with the people to create a favourable environment for Satyagraha. She is also credited with having set up several organisations such as the Bajiraut Chhatravas for the upliftment of vulnerable communities in Odisha.

10. Purnima Banerjee

As the secretary of the Indian National Congress committee in Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh, Purnima was one among a radical network of women from Uttar Pradesh who stood at the forefront of the freedom movement in the late 1930s and 1940s. One of the things that she is often remembered for is the passionate and fiery speech that she delivered in the Constituent Assembly, displaying her commitment to a socialist ideology.

Jailed during the Satyagraha and Quit India movement protests, reports suggest that she went on to complete her Bachelor of Arts from jail. She is counted amongst the fearless women who were willing and ready to take on the British.

11. Sarojini Naidu

Sarojini Naidu, who is also known as the “Nightingale of India,” holds the distinction of being the first Indian woman to be president of the Indian National Congress in the year 1925. She was also appointed as an Indian State Governor.

Having studied at King’s College in London and later on at Cambridge, she was drawn to Mahatma Gandhi’s Non-Cooperation Movement. In 1924 she travelled across Africa where she spent time understanding the interests of Indians there.

Her anti-British activity led her to face many jail terms. In 1914 she was elected to be a fellow of the Royal Society of Literature. In 1917 Sarojini Naidu led a delegation of women to meet the Montagu-Chelmsford Committee to demand a series of reforms in the condition of Indian women.

12. Rajkumari Amrit Kaur

As the co-founder of the All India Women’s Conference in 1927, Rajkumari Amrit was known to be a humanitarian who worked tirelessly for the upliftment of the downtrodden.

She set up the Tuberculosis Association of India, the Central Leprosy and Research Institute, and was also the Vice-Chair of the board of governors of the League of Red Cross Societies and chair of the executive committee of St John’s Ambulance Society.

She also worked towards abolishing child marriage and the purdah system.

Rajkumari Amrit was also the first woman cabinet minister of free India. According to this report, She introduced the AIIMS Bill, 1956 (which set up AIIMS, Delhi) in both the houses and was instrumental in the passing of the Bill as an Act.

13. Annie Mascarene

Annie represented the Princely State of Travancore and Cochin Union in the Constituent Assembly. During the debates in the assembly, she spoke very passionately about federalism. She went on to be elected as an independent candidate to the first Lok Sabha as well. In doing so, she became the first woman from Kerala to find a spot in the Lok Sabha.

14. Vijaylakshmi Pandit

There is more to Vijayalakshmi Pandit than just being known as the sister of Jawaharlal Nehru. A feisty freedom fighter in her own right, she had been imprisoned on several occasions, including while participating in the Quit India Movement. She was India’s first-ever woman Cabinet Minister and the first Asian president of the United Nations General Assembly

15. Renuka Ray

Renuka Ray was another of those who had chosen a life of service towards India’s independence and development, rather than live in the comfort she was born into.

As the daughter of an ICS officer and a social worker, Renuka Ray had completed her BA from the London School of Economics, before returning to India and joining the All India Women Congress.

She was instrumental in ensuring that the Constitution recognised the equality of women. She had an active political career From 1943 to 1946 she was a member of the Central Legislative Assembly, then of the Constituent Assembly and the Provisional Parliament, and from1952–57, she served on the West Bengal Legislative Assembly as Minister for Relief and Rehabilitation.

In 1957 and again in 1962, she was the member for Malda of the Lok Sabha.

While we celebrate and applaud women who break the glass ceiling today, we must also look back at history and learn about how the women then started it all.

Also Read: This Warm 78-Year-Old ‘Campus Nani’ Teaches You How to Pick Yourself up and March On

(Edited by Gayatri Mishra)

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Every year, on the eve of Republic Day, the Central government announces India’s highest civilian honours, recognising the outstanding achievements of distinguished persons “where an element of public service is involved.”

The awards are Padma Vibhushan (for exceptional and distinguished service), Padma Bhushan (distinguished service of the highest order) and Padma Shri (distinguished service).

Over the years, The Better India has shed light on the work of these distinguished individuals before they received their respective awards.

Today, we recognise 11 such distinguished recipients.

1) Harekala Hajabba, Padma Shri:

Unable to afford an education because of poverty, Hajabba took to selling oranges in the dusty village of New Papdu in Harekala, which is around 25 km from Mangaluru.

One fine day, when some tourists asked about the price of his oranges in English, he couldn’t understand a word. The duo left, and Hajabba was left humiliated. Not wanting anyone else to undergo the same sort of embarrassment that he went through, Hajabba worked towards setting up a school so that the poor children in his village had access to education.

He started with only 28 students in a school attached to a madrasa in 1999, and saved every rupee he earned towards building a proper school.

Today his dream has come true—there stands a school on 1.5 acres of land in the village with more than 150 students from low-income families across all religious and caste backgrounds.

Hajabba, who is fondly known as ‘Akshara Santa’ or ‘Saint of Letters,’ can undoubtedly look back at his incredible work with pride.

2) Sundaram Verma, Padma Shri:

Sundaram Verma developed the Dryland Agroforestry method that uses one litre of water to grow trees.

In the arid lands of Rajasthan’s Danta tehsil, farmer Sundaram Verma has successfully grown 50,000 trees with a technique that requires only one litre of water per tree.

Developed over 10 years of rigorous trial and error, Verma’s six-step Dryland Agroforestry technique is a testament to his persistence, curiosity and innovation. Beyond planting these trees, Verma is even developing a water-saving technique.

“If I, a farmer in Rajasthan, can save 7 lakh litres of rainwater in just a few days with a simple method, then farmers in states like Maharashtra and South India can definitely benefit significantly,” he told The Better India.

3) Dr Yogi Aeron, Padma Shri:

In the corner of Malsi, Dehradun, Yogi Aeron, an octogenarian and practising plastic surgeon, treats close to 500 burn victims and those mauled by wild animals, for free.

To help him in this mission, he has an assistant who has worked with him for over 25 years while one of his sons come and help out whenever they can find the time. Such is their popularity, that there are reportedly 10,000 patients on the waiting list from remote villages in the Himalayas, awaiting treatment.

Besides working in his clinic, he also operates two-week camps across remote villages twice a year with around 15 doctors from the United States.

4) Dr Tsering Landol, Padma Bhushan:

Very few have done more for women’s health in the cold desert of Ladakh than Dr Tsering Landol. Even in her mid-seventies, the retired gynaecologist conducts a clinic once every week, where she screens, counsels and guides women patients, particularly those who are pregnant.

After joining the Sonam Norboo Memorial Hospital, Leh, in 1979 as the region’s first practising gynaecologist, Dr Landol worked under incredibly difficult conditions with bare minimum facilities delivering children and performing surgeries, particularly during the freezing winters. Nonetheless, she persisted, innovated and continued to save lives.

More than treating patients, it was her contribution towards shedding the social stigma associated with women talking about their health problems that changed the course of women’s health in the region. She was also a pioneer in broaching the subject of adolescent healthcare education in schools across Leh, family planning and institutional deliveries.

5) Trinity Saioo, Padma Shri:

Nearly 17 years ago, in the picturesque West Jaintia Hills of Meghalaya, Trinity Saioo, a school teacher, realised that the Lachein variety of turmeric that most farmers grew in the region was low on yield and curcumin, the active ingredient in turmeric, which has potent biological properties.

Harking back to the knowledge she had gathered from her ancestors, she found that Lakadong, a variety produced extensively back in the day, is superior to Lachein and has 7 per cent curcumin which is 2 per cent higher than Lachein. So, she began growing Lakadong variety, as a result of which her family began earning three times more than the other farmers in the area.

As the word got around, the heads of nearby villages invited her to train farmers in turmeric cultivation.

Today, 900 farmers in Meghalaya are growing Lakadong turmeric, and earning well enough to lead a decent life. On her part, Trinity has assisted in the revival of the Life Spice Federation of Self-Help Groups and hired women from 98 Self Help Groups (SHGs). Under  her leadership, the federation now exports Lakadong Turmeric to southern States like Kerala, Karnataka and the other North Eastern States.

6) Kushal Konwar Sarma, Padma Shri:

For 32 years, Dr Kushal Konwar Sarma hasn’t taken a day off from his veterinary duties, and treated 700 elephants and bulls every year.

It is the memory of losing Lakshmi, the elderly elephant Sarma fell in love with as a child in his ancestral village of Barama village of Assam’s Kamrup district, that inspired him to become a vet.

“From tranquilising and capturing 139 rogue jumbos to rescuing and treating hundreds of captive and injured elephants over the years, Dr Sarma has contributed to the conservation of the Asian Elephants in India. Notably, he holds a world record for this feat,” reports The Better India. To prevent human-elephant conflict, he persuades people to adopt bio-fencing rather than setting up protection traps.

Bio-fencing means growing fruit-bearing trees, which ensure that the jumbo is well-fed and wouldn’t need to rampage the property, and thorny varieties, which keep them at bay.

Despite coming face to face with death multiple times, he continues to work with elephants from close quarters.

7) Chewang Motup Goba, Padma Shri:

A native of the Kyagar village in Nubra Valley, Motup is a passionate mountaineer and entrepreneur who conducts the 72 km Khardung La Challenge, the highest ultra marathon in the world, along the same path. This race has become a benchmark for elite athletes from all around the globe. Started in 2012, alongside the Ladakh Marathon, the Khardung La Challenge is the ultimate test of human endurance.

Besides, he conducts the marathon, half-marathon and the 7 km Run for Fun, which was created to scout young Ladakhi school children with talent and encourage them to run, alongside other tourists who want to participate.

All these events from start to finish are organised by Rimo Expeditions, an eco-friendly mountaineering company which Motup started alongside his wife, Yangdu Gombu.

The main objectives behind these events, was to create a real platform for the boys and girls of Ladakh to show their potential in long-distance running, and nourish the local economy, as they bring in an influx of tourists in the lean month of September. Additionally,  any event that the company conducts—be it an expedition or a marathon—is environment-friendly, and the use of single-use plastics is banned.

8) Dr Ravi Kannan, Padma Shri:

In 2007, Dr Ravi Kannan, a renowned oncologist moved from Chennai to Silchar, to work at the Cachar Cancer Hospital Society, located in the remote Barak Valley of Assam. The hospital, which was set up in 1996, was reeling with several problems, including the lack of infrastructure and trained staff.

Today, thanks to Dr Kannan’s vision and stupendous work, this small cancer centre is a world-class cancer hospital, that provides a full range of oncology services to over 2000 patients annually.

Additionally, since most of the patients belong to the lower economic strata and are financially challenged, the hospital treats them at extremely low costs or for free.

“It is his selfless service and vision that have transformed this unknown cancer hospital into a comprehensive cancer centre that is providing free and heavily subsidised treatment to thousands of poor patients every year,” says Rajeev Kumar, a colleague, to The Better India.

9) Javed Ahmad Tak, Padma Shri:

Javed Ahmad Tak was shot during a militant attack in South Kashmir’s Bijbehara town, which is around 45 Km from Srinagar, during a time when militancy in Kashmir, was at an all-time high.

Only 21 years old at the time, the attack damaged his spine, kidney, pancreas and intestines. Hospitalised for nearly two years, his mental health was shattered.

To calm his mind, he began teaching children from economically poor backgrounds living in his neighbourhood on his wheelchair. Completing his Master’s in Social Work from Kashmir University, he also began fighting for the rights of the disability community and other marginalised sections like those suffering from leprosy.

After filing a series of successful PILs advocating for better working conditions and opportunities for the disability community, he even opened the Valley’s first mixed disability school. To those ignored by the education system, Tak has brought a ray of hope.

10) Rahibai Soma Popere aka ‘Seed Mother’, Padma Shri:

For Rahibai Soma Popere of Kombhalne village in Maharashtra, conserving hundreds of native seed varieties is her way of protecting farmers living in drought-affected Ahmednagar district.

Not only are these varieties drought and disease resistant, but do a better job of retaining soil fertility. More importantly, food crops grown from these native varieties offer more nutrition as compared to hybrid crops.

In early mid-50s, Rahibai began her fight to conserve these local varieties of seeds with assistance from fellow women farmers in Akole taluka, and eventually established an SHG called Kalsubai Parisar Biyanee Samvardhan Samiti to further her endeavours.

“After successfully implementing all that she learnt, Rahibai now trains farmers and students on seed selection, techniques to improve soil fertility and pest management among others. She supplies farmers with seedlings of native crops, encouraging them to switch to native varieties,” says the report published in The Better India.

Thanks to her cultivation practices, her own crop yields have increased by 30%. To further her goal, she established a seed bank where farmers are given seeds on the condition that they return twice the quantity of seeds they borrowed in the first place. The seed bank distributes 122 varieties of 32 crops, offering a better alternative to expensive hybrid seeds.

11) Sathyanarayan Mundayoor aka ‘Uncle Moosa’, Padma Shri:

Back in 1979, Sathyanarayan Mundayoor, who is fondly known in the hills of Arunachal Pradesh as ‘Uncle Moosa,’ quit his comfortable job in the income tax department in search of a life with more meaning.

Chancing upon an advertisement for a position at the Vivekananda Kendra Vidyalaya (VKV) in the Northeastern state, he worked as an education officer there until 1996. Once again, however, he was disillusioned, and this time it was against the lack of imagination in the formal education system.

What he wanted was to stimulate the reading habits of children and allow them to discover the power of imagination.

“In 2007, in collaboration with the Association of Writers and Illustrators for Children (AWIC) and the Vivekananda Trust (of which he is a member), the gift of children’s’ books and magazines became the first library as part of the Lohit Youth Library Movement in the government town of Tezu. The library was named the Bamboosa Library after the bamboo plant. Today, 13 such libraries can be found in off-the-beaten-path places like Wakro, Chongkham, Anjaw, and Lathao,” says this TBI report.

(Edited by Gayatri Mishra)

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