A mega project for tribals
Rotary Peace Conference in Istanbul
Driving change in women
A bouquet of projects by Mumbai Rotarians
Tough goals set for DGEs at Jaipur Disha
An open cupboard for women and children’s clothes
Championing polio immunisation in the Himalayas
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TheMarch issue features a refreshing cover page featuring Rotary Peace Fellow Diego Carneiro playing the cello. The points raised in the Editor's Note were thought-provoking. The Rotary Peace Centres serve as one of the critical focus areas of ‘Peacebuilding and Conflict Resolution’, which is the need of the hour amidst unrest and conflict all over the world. It is heartening that TRF has chosen Symbiosis University, Pune, as its ninth Peace Centre. Congrats to Rotary in India for achieving this rare feat while facing stiff competition from South Korea.
The style of presentation in paying tribute to PRIP Bill Boyd (2006-07) by past RI Presidents Rajendra Saboo and KR Ravindran is interesting to read as it is laced with personal anecdotes and interaction.
Anthri Vedi, RC Hyderabad Mega City — D 3150
It was a delight to see the picture of the Brazilian cellist and Rotary peace fellow Diego Carneiro in the March issue.
RIPresident’s call for action in this designated month of ‘Water, sanitation and hygiene’ (March issue) can make a huge impact, even with small interventions.
When I was club president in 2016, we put up handwash stations in schools, and a mirror on the wall behind the station, and the result was amazing, as it made the students wear a neat look, while improving their health and hygiene.
R Murali Krishna RC Berhampur — D 3262
The article Digital education for rural schools is informative and noteworthy as it was done through a CSR grant of $30,000 given by the Mohini
RI President Stephanie Urchick explains the magic of Rotary during her visit to the Dominican Republic for the installation of a water filter unit. As usual, the editor’s note is an eyeopener as it dwells on the safety of foreign students at a time when a Rotary Peace Centre is coming up in Pune.
RID Anirudha Roychowdhury stressed the importance of clean water and Rotary’s role in fulfilling this need through programmes like WASH. Trustee Chair Mark Maloney describes how global grants are utilised for getting clean water in marginalised societies.
I am glad to note that Symbiosis University, Pune, will be hosting the Asia Peace Centre. The cover story, Building bridges between music notes and hearts is read-worthy and motivational. All other articles are informative and inspiring for readers.
Club matters and accompanying pictures are colourful and informative as well. Kudos to the editorial team.
Philip Mulappone M T RC Trivandrum Suburban — D 3211
Health and Hygiene and member contributions, which benefitted 63 government schools. I congratulate the Rotarians of RC Indore Meghdoot, teachers and parents for this great project in schools.
S N Shanmugam
RC Panruti — D 2981
Timeless elegance of the saree
Auniquearticle Celebrating the saree’s timeless elegance (Feb issue) nicely captures the rich legacy of sarees.
The Rotary clubs of Chennai deserve congratulations for celebrating World Saree Day. The name ‘sari’ originated from the Sanskrit word Saadi meaning ‘a strip of cloth’. In Sanskrit literature,
it is mentioned as Sattika and as Jatakas in Buddhist literature. Thanks for giving this opportunity to know more about the saree.
Dr Sanjay Aggarwal RC Solan — D 3080
Your editorial on former PM Dr Manmohan Singh is well written bringing out his scholarly traits and gentleman politician in him -- a species on fast vanishing mode. This is soothing to read when most of the educated population tends to be carried away with fake narratives, without understanding real facts. Thanks once again for highlighting the qualities of this gentleman PM.
Bhalchandra P Atre
RC Aurangabad Elite — D 3132
Iappreciate your editorial titled Time for self-introspection. However, I believe it could have been more impactful if it had focused on the constructive role Rotary play in addressing global challenges, by highlighting Rotary’s initiatives in education, inclusivity, and crisis management. The edit could have offered a more compelling and relevant perspective on the transformative impact Rotary can have on society.
Venkatesh MN
RC Bangalore Southwest — D 3191
IreadRotary News regularly every month, as my son is the member of a Rotary club in Ahmedabad. It was nice to read the Membership Summary listing the districts, total clubs, total members, percentage of women Rotarians, Rotaract clubs and Interact Clubs.
In the March issue, articles like Smiles from Miles with nice pictures are interesting. Though not a Rotarian, I have given lectures at Rotary clubs on personality development and Budget, being a chartered accountant.
Ajit C Shah, Ahmedabad
Congratulations for a terrific job in bringing out Rotary News. While all articles are relevant, have an exciting narrative and appropriately sized, none will leave unread the book review column and the last page.
P E Ramakrishnan RC Madras East — D 3234
Foster global peace
There are unrest, violence, conflicts and disasters across the world. It is time to act now. Maybe we could form groups of Rotary volunteers with peace flags and visit those countries that are in the midst of conflict and appeal to the warring parties to
RI bans use of term ‘Rotary India’ as it has no RI licence
Witheffect from March 31, 2025, Rotary India Literacy Mission will be known as India Literacy Mission. This follows a decision adopted by the RI Board, in its February 2025 meeting. In a letter addressed to the district governors of Zones 4, 5, 6 and 7, RI General Secretary John Hewko said, “The Board notes that Rotary International has not granted a licence to any person or entity to use Rotary India as its name.”
In a subsequent letter, he said a decision taken at the recent RI Board meet, had directed “RILM to cease use of any of the Rotary Marks in any of its material printed or electronic, or in association in any way with its activity after 31 March 2025; use of the rotaryteach.org domain and to transfer its ownership to RI before March 31, 2025; to comply with all terms concerning termination of the Licence.”
The Board has requested RI Director Raju Subramanian and Directors-elect M Muruganandam and KP Nagesh “to retain a forensic auditor or independent investigator to review RILM activities over the last five years at no cost to RI and submit a report to the Board.”
Following a Board resolution and the directives of RI Directors Anirudha Roychowdhury and Raju Subramanian, the former Rotary India website and mobile app are renamed RIZones4567.org, encompassing all districts of RI Zones 4, 5, 6, and 7.
quell fighting, lay down their arms and become friends with the world.
In the March issue, Rotary President’s message titled One small act is relevant. I observe that be it meetings or events, a glass full of water is offered to everyone. Instead, we can have half a glass of water, and those who require more water can pour as much as they require.
Pratap Gokuldas RC Coimbatore West — D 3201
On the cover: A hamlet in Jawadhu Hills on the Eastern Ghats in Tamil Nadu where Rotary clubs of RID 3234 are executing service projects.
We welcome your feedback Write to the Editor: rotarynews@rosaonline.org; rushbhagat@gmail.com.
Mail your project details, along with hi-res photos, to rotarynewsmagazine @gmail.com.
Messages on your club/district projects, information and links on zoom meetings/webinar should be sent only by e-mail to the Editor at rushbhagat@gmail.com or rotarynewsmagazine @gmail.com.
WHATSAPP MESSAGES WILL NOT BE ENTERTAINED.
As the chill of winter gives way to the warmth of spring, we have an opportunity to rejuvenate our commitments to each other and to the communities we serve.
A shining example is the Rotary Club of Windsor-Roseland in Ontario, whose members support a programme providing hot meals to people facing homelessness and food insecurity. On any given evening, the Soup Shack run by Feed Windsor-Essex serves up to 130 people, offering nourishment and a sense of community and care.
Club member and past district governor Aruna Koushik got the club involved after seeing a news segment about the Soup Shack.
Koushik collaborated with club members to quickly approve the purchase of a stove, pots and pans for its new permanent space. Soon after, club members met with the Soup Shack team, toured the new location, and presented a cheque for 3,000 Canadian dollars (about $2,000) to support its efforts. They also committed to volunteering their time to prepare and serve meals once the facility is operational.
This exemplifies how Rotary members can come together to address community needs, foster engagement, and make a tangible impact. By identifying opportunities for service and mobilising resources, we not only support those in need but also strengthen our bonds with each other and with the communities we serve.
As we embrace the renewal that spring offers, let’s take inspiration from the Windsor-Roseland
club. Consider these ways to reinvigorate engagement within your club:
Identify emerging needs: Stay attuned to the evolving challenges in your communities. Engage with local organisations to understand where your club’s support can make the most difference.
Mobilise resources quickly: When opportunities arise, act swiftly. Leverage the skills and networks within your club to gather resources, from financial contributions to equipment to volunteer time.
Foster collaboration: Encourage members to take initiative and collaborate on projects. Empowering individuals to lead and contribute their unique talents enhance engagement and drive success.
Commit to ongoing involvement: Beyond initial contributions, pledge continued support. Regular service keeps members connected and reinforces the club’s commitment to sustained impact. By embracing these approaches, we can harness the energy of spring to renew our dedication to service and engagement. Let’s seize this season as an opportunity to revitalise our efforts, strengthen our connections, and continue making a positive difference in the world. This is The Magic of Rotary — transforming lives, inspiring hope, and creating lasting change for the communities we serve.
Stephanie A Urchick President, Rotary International
s a proud Indian citizen, I’ve squirmed, as I’m sure you’ve done too, at the painful sight of planeloads of handcuffed and chained illegal Indian immigrants being sent back home by the hyper-steroid-mode US government. As Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently said in the US, most of these undocumented Indians are “children of very ordinary families lured by big dreams and promises.”
in the US! Think Satya Nadella, Sundar Pichai, Indra Nooyi…
One can argue that given India’s huge population — upward of 1.5 billion — a few lakh people are a drop in the ocean. But more than numbers, this is about pride, dignity, respect. Which Indian would be comfortable watching her countrymen being sent back like convicts? The Hindi film Aa ab laut chaley might be as cliched as such films tend to be, but it did touch a sensitive spot in the heart, and one cheered on for the protagonists who root for returning home from the US, and the recent Shahrukh Khan starrer Dunki is another heartbreaking film, even though badly made, on the same topic of illegal immigration.
So how many Indians are staying illegally in the US? The numbers are varied and confusing; one set contradicts another. But an authentic source quoted by the BBC is a recent paper written by Abby Budiman and Devesh Kapur, social scientists from the Johns Hopkins University, who have researched the demographics, entry methods, locations, etc. The number of illegal immigrants vary largely, depending on the differing calculation methods. The Pew Research Center and the Center for Migration Studies of New York put the estimate at 7 lakh illegal Indian immigrants in 2022, making them the third-largest group after Mexico and El Salvador. But in contrast, the Migration Policy Institute (MPI) puts the figure at 3.75 lakh, making it the fifth largest group. The official data from the Department of Homeland Security puts the number at only 2.2 lakh in 2022. The numbers may vary, but there is agreement that these numbers have dropped over the years; the reasons given are Covid and a sizeable number getting legal validation by some means.
Amidst the conflicting numbers, this research paper says that the Pew and CMS high numbers are unlikely as that would mean that one in four Indian immigrants in the US is undocumented, “an unlikely scenario given migration patterns. Indian immigrants are one of the fastest-growing groups in the US, surging from 6 lakh in 1990 to 3.2 million in 2022.” And look at how well the Indian diaspora has done Rasheeda Bhagat
The connect to Rotary lies in thousands of Indian Rotarians being engaged in improving livelihoods across the country. A decent income in a stable vocation is sufficient to prevent most people from leaving home and undertaking a dangerous journey to a foreign land. After all India is not a war-torn country or conflict-ridden region. Those who take high risks to illegally migrate to so-called wonderlands, often putting their lives in danger, would not do so if they had viable options at home… to lead a decent life. As we make giant strides across the world on the wings of technology, higher education, sharper minds, unadulterated focus and the willingness to work hard, one looks forward to the day when our fellow citizens will turn away from taking such high risks to illegally cross borders to countries which clearly don’t want them.
Wohsubahkabhitohaayegi (That dawn will come too…), as Mukesh sang so beautifully in the film Phir subahhogi
Dear Fellow Rotarians, Nature thrives on balance — every creature, from the smallest insect to the tallest tree, follows an unspoken code, existing in harmony with the ecosystem. Seasons change with precision, rivers carve their paths with purpose, and animals take only what they need to survive. Yet, amidst this intricate order, humankind stands apart — driven not just by necessity but often by desire. Unlike nature, which sustains, we consume; unlike forests, which replenish, we deplete. Our choices, shaped as much by need as by excess, have upset this delicate balance, making it imperative that we rethink our role as stewards of the planet. This month, as we focus on the environment, let us reflect not only on what we can do but what we must do to restore this equilibrium.
As the Rotary year wanes, we shift from counting months to counting days. The Magic Year will soon yield to Unite for Good, and while new leadership is prepared, the present teams press forward to fulfil their commitments. The seamless transition of leadership within Rotary is a testament to the strength of our organisation. As the proverb reminds us, “A society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in.” True leadership is not about authority but legacy — the ability to sustain momentum, inspire those who follow, and ensure that every Rotarian and their family find meaning in fellowship and service.
For over 120 years, Rotary has worked magic in communities worldwide. Now, it is time to
create magic for Rotary — to strengthen the very organisation that has given us so much. Two priorities demand our focus: growing our membership and securing our Foundation’s future. We stand at the threshold of achieving our $2.025 billion endowment goal, but until the final dollar is raised, our mission remains unfinished. This is our moment to seek, inspire and lead by example. True generosity is not just about giving — it is about igniting the spirit of giving in others. As I once read, “Spend your money on the things money can buy and spend your time on the things money can’t buy.” Let us invest in a future where our contributions create a lasting impact — one that money alone cannot measure, but humanity will always cherish.
The measure of our time in Rotary will not be in the projects we complete or the funds we raise, but in the lives we touch and the futures we help shape. As we stand at this juncture, with one year drawing to a close and another on the horizon, let us act with the quiet determination of those who build not for today, but for generations to come. Whether through service, generosity or the simple act of bringing others into our fold, our legacy will be written in the opportunities we create and the goodwill we foster.
The moment to act is always now, and the true measure of our effort will not be found in recognition, but in the better world we leave behind.
Raju Subramanian RI Director, 2023–25
Convention
Among the most anticipated parts of the Rotary International Convention are the breakout sessions that give you the chance to design your own master class in how to punch up the power of your projects. The smaller-group sessions are where much of the convention’s in-depth learning happens, and the lineup of topics for Calgary is stacked with inspiration and innovation.
Learn to use artificial intelligence responsibly to supercharge project results and inject fun into club activities. In a live interactive simulation, immerse yourself in two contrasting cultures to understand how differences deeply affect leaders. Discover the secrets to an empowering storytelling method called photovoice, asking people to record their everyday experiences in photos to inspire action.
Choose from 70 breakout sessions to bank ideas to invigorate your club and its projects. For example, explore how to weave peacebuilding into any initiative to expand its benefits. Hear from Rotaractors and young Rotarians on how they put The Rotary Foundation to work with community improvement grants. Learn techniques to welcome and keep young leaders and diverse members. You’ll examine generational differences and how to use emotional intelligence and global connections.
Back to that idea to inject more fun into Rotary: Have you seen the videos of members interviewed in Singapore with a teensy microphone? In one posted on Rotary’s social media accounts, general secretary John Hewko shows off his dance moves during the interview in a convention hallway. See what you’ll miss if you miss the convention June 21–25 in Canada? Hewko, who’s been to more than a dozen conventions, says via the tiny mic, “If you want to understand the world and see the world in action, you come to a Rotary convention.”
RID 2981
Learn more and register at convention.rotary.org
As on March 18,
RID 2982
RID 3000
RID 3011
RID 3012
RID 3020
RID 3030
RID 3040
RID 3053
RID 3055
RID 3056
RID 3060
RID 3070
RID 3080
RID 3090
RID 3100
RID 3110
RID 3120
RID 3131
RID 3132
RID 3141
RID 3142
RID 3150
RID 3160
RID 3170
RID 3181
RID 3182
RID 3191
RID 3192
RID 3201
RID 3203
RID 3204
RID 3211
RID 3212
RID 3231
RID 3233
RID 3234
RID 3240
RID 3250
RID 3261
RID 3262
RID 3291
Baskaran S
Sivakumar V
Raja Govindasamy R
Mahesh P Trikha
Prashant Raj Sharma
Venkateswara Rao M
Rajinder Singh Khurana
Anish Malik
Rahul Shrivastava
Mohan Parashar
Raakhi Gupta
Tushar Shah
Parminder Singh Grover
Rajpal Singh
Sandeep Chauhan
Deepa Khanna
Neerav Nimesh Agrawal
Paritosh Bajaj
Shital Sharad Shah
Suresh Heralal Saboo
Chetan Desai
Dinesh Mehta
Sharath Choudary Katragadda
Sadhu Gopala Krishna
Sharad Pai
Vikramdatta
Dev Anand
Satish Madhavan Kananore
Mahadev Prasad NS
Sundaravadivelu N
Suresh Babu S
Santhosh Sreedhar
Sudhi Jabbar
Meerankhan Saleem
Rajanbabu M
Mahaveer Chand Bothra
Saravanan NS
Sukhminder Singh
Bipin Chachan
Akhil Mishra
Yagyansis Mohapatra
Krishnendu Gupta
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Contributions are welcome but will be edited. Content can be reproduced with permission and attributed to RNT.
Raju Subramanian RID 3141
RI Director & Chairman, Rotary News Trust
Anirudha Roychowdhury RID 3291
RI Director
Dr Bharat Pandya RID 3141 TRF Trustee
Rajendra K Saboo RID 3080
Kalyan Banerjee RID 3060
Shekhar Mehta RID 3291
Ashok Mahajan RID 3141
PT Prabhakar RID 3234
Dr Manoj D Desai RID 3060
C Basker RID 3000
Kamal Sanghvi RID 3250
Dr Mahesh Kotbagi RID 3131
AS Venkatesh RID 3234
Gulam A Vahanvaty RID 3141
RI Directors-elect
M Muruganandam RID 3000
KP Nagesh RID 3191
Executive Committee Members (2024–25)
NS Mahadev Prasad RID 3192 Chairman, Governors Council
Akhil Mishra RID 3261 Secretary, Governors Council
R Raja Govindasamy RID 3000 Treasurer, Governors Council
Raakhi Gupta RID 3056 Advisor, Governors Council
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Magazine
Chair
As my 26 years of Rotary leadership at the international level winds down, I’ve been reflecting on favourite memories and the extraordinary opportunities Rotary has given me. One stands out this month: the decision to establish the environment as one of Rotary’s areas of focus.
We had seen how Rotary members were already preserving waterways, planting trees, and reducing pollution. Environmental stewardship was clearly an essential part of our work. As RI president in 2019–20, I was proud to have proposed the addition of the environment as an area of focus, after years of advocacy by Rotary members.
I am even prouder of what that addition — and all of you — made possible. Since July 1, 2021, clubs and districts, supported by global grants, have expanded their work to protect our planet’s resources — restoring mangroves, saving forests, and cultivating coral reefs.
These grants hold endless possibilities, and I invite you to dream. Take inspiration from initiatives like Keep Mongolia Green, championed by past RI President DK Lee, President-nominee Sangkoo Yun, and Rotary members in Korea. This major reforestation is combating Gobi Desert dust storms and creating Mongolia’s largest green zone.
I am also proud of our new strategic partnership with the United Nations Environment Programme. This collaboration empowers Rotary members to implement projects such as river cleanups and plastic waste reduction, leveraging global resources and expertise.
In November, I had the pleasure of leading a delegation of Rotary volunteers at the United Nations climate conference in Azerbaijan. You can read my account of it on ‘Rotary 360’ at blog.rotary.org
So many opportunities are waiting for us. We know how much we can achieve together, so team up with your district and apply for a Foundation grant to support an environmental project.
Stewardship of the environment is deeply personal to my wife, Gay, and me. That is why we have established a named endowment fund through the Foundation, helping to ensure that future generations working on these projects will have the resources they need.
As we celebrate Environmental Month this April, I invite you to consider how you can make an impact. Every action matters. Explore environmental project ideas in Rotary’s new Service Project Center, take part in an existing initiative, or support The Rotary Foundation through a gift. In this way, members worldwide can protect our shared home.
I thank you, as always, for all that you do for Rotary and our Foundation.
Mark Daniel Maloney TRF Trustee Chair
Rasheeda Bhagat
Rotarians V Irulandi, S Saiseshan and S Seshadri with villagers at Jamunamarathur hamlet. Water from the larger tank is used for cleaning and bathing purposes while water from the smaller tank that has filtered water is used for drinking and cooking.
Imagine a scenario when you have to switch off all the lights and fans in your house in order to have enough voltage to run the motor to fill your overhead tank. As power supply is erratic and inadequate, even though many houses in this area do have overhead water tanks, they are rarely used. While most hamlets have power, it is only single phase. The reliability of such power is also a question mark, due to the power outages and the low voltage. And if and when power goes, which is mostly during the rainy season, it won’t be restored for days, as the terrain becomes slushy and very difficult to reach.
We are talking about the villages in the Jawadhu Hills in Tamil Nadu, which are an extension of the Eastern Ghats, with many parts reaching an altitude of 3,800ft in this tribal belt, hardly 250km away from Chennai, but presenting a very challenging hilly terrain to implement community welfare projects. In this difficult area, a small but dedicated band of Rotarians from Chennai are carrying out a transformational project to improve lives and livelihoods, nutrition levels, children’s education, and easier availability of water for household use and drinking.
The hamlets in this visually beautiful and verdant green region are home to about 100,000 indigenous tribal people. There are 11 panchayats and 229 hamlets within a 150sqkm radius. The hills get good rainfall, but the hilly terrain means most of the water runs off as there are no big-ticket water conservation efforts. Tribal women face a huge challenge in fetching water from the source which
In the villages which have no school, parents take their children to the villages where the forest department’s schools are available, and leave them there for five days of the week.
might be up or down from their homes. With no extensive or desirable road network, and availability of schools only in the bigger hamlets, even basic education for the children is a challenge.
To cut to the chase, the socioeconomic conditions of the struggling
tribals of Jawadhu Hills have resulted in a strong partnership between a few Rotarians in the then RI District 3232, cutting across clubs, that has led to a mega project on which `1.3 crore has been spent till now. In March 2023, with the objective of improving the lives of tribals in Jawadhu Hills, a survey was conducted by a three-member team comprising past president of RC Chennai Mitra S Saiseshan, a retired Indian Forest Service officer V Irulandi, and S Seshadri, the secretary of IFTR (Indigenous and Frontier Research Centre), a non-profit research organisation working with the then RID 3232. Rotary tied up with the IFTR as it aims to accelerate the use of modern science and technology for the development interventions to improve the livelihoods of people who need help.
Asked about the genesis of this transformational and all-encompassing project, Saiseshan says, “I wanted to do something for the tribals, and around that time I met Irulandi, a Rotarian who is a retired IFS officer. Since he retired from a top post in the forest department, when he calls, people respond, and in that area you can’t
As a first step, the team visited Jawadhu Hills to assess the ground realities and identify the gaps in the development process to take up possible interventions. The team visited a few villages in the Jamunamarathur, Polur and Melpattu ranges and interacted with the tribal people. The Rotarians also went to the schools run by the Forest department and the Tamil Nadu Education department.
Based on this initial field visit and study done by this small team,
do much without support from locals. He used his Forest department contacts to identify and take us to remote villages which most needed our support.”
That is how the initial villages were identified after which the project team identified a young horticultural graduate to work with them, at a monthly salary of `10,000 paid by the IFTR.
As for future plans, now the team wants to establish a digital
the IDEAL Jawadhu (Infrastructure Development, Environment, Energy and Education, Agriculture, Livelihood) project was initiated, with IFTR being the implementing agency and the Rotary Clubs of Chennai Mitra and Alandur being the anchor clubs.
The venture’s CSR partner is the AMM Murugappa Chettiar Research
centre, given that their exposure to technology and technological tools for learning is very limited. “We’ve spoken to one of the professors in IIT-Madras to see if he can help us establish a stem lab in Jamunamarathur, which is not very remote and the only place which has the required internet connectivity. Sometimes when we go inside you can’t even reach us,” he smiles.
Centre (MCRC) at Jamunamarathur, with the Forest department being an important partner and stakeholder. Saiseshan explains that as Irulandi had retired as a senior official of the Forest department, it was easy for him to get the support and cooperation of forest officials. “The meeting kickstarted various activities and IDEAL Jawadhu is now a landmark project of RID 3234 (after 3232 was split) and the anchor clubs now are RCs Chennai Mitra and Chennai Green City,” says
Saiseshan. Irulandi has now joined RC Chennai Green City, and the key anchor from IFTR, Seshadri, is a member of RC Chennai Akshaya. The project is on for nearly two years.
He explains that even though the height is good enough to get good rainfall, and the higher reaches are clothed in green, due to lack of storage facilities the summer months resemble an arid region. Agriculture is the main activity and most of the people can be classified as small or marginal farmers. With the water availability being poor around the year, “they do not get good yield of crops. Hence, many go as labourers to different places, including Kerala and Karnataka to work in coffee, tea and rubber plantations.”
The shortage of water, particularly in the summer months, results in poor hygiene and sanitation, adversely affecting the health of the local people. The remote unscalable location, combined with lack of healthcare and poor transportation
facilities, leads to high rates of morbidity and poor life expectancy.
The Rotarians soon tackled the water problem to save women the difficult trek to fetch water home. While the larger homes have their own wells, the smaller homes and farms share common village wells. To help the villagers, solar pumps were provided, connected to mini tanks placed closer to the hamlet. The water pumped into the larger tank is used for cleaning and bathing, while the smaller tanks make available filtered water for drinking and cooking. The filtration is through Tata Swachh filters placed between the two tanks. This has been done in 15 villages and this is a big help to the women.
Next on the cards are check dams; wanting to ascertain that these will work in a hilly terrain and how they should go about this aspect, water management experts at the Anna and Madras Universities have been consulted. “If they are interested, we’ll take them to the region and see what can be done.”
A good percentage of the tribal population here is still illiterate, even though some of the youngsters have managed to graduate with a few even completing their postgraduate education. While key villages or hamlets are accessible by black-topped roads, many hamlets continue to have only mud roads which are accessible only on two-wheelers or by walk. Many of the villages do not have their own schools, which means that often the children have to walk for about 5km to reach the elementary schools being run by the forest department. Thanks to the provision of daily breakfast and
noon meal, the enrolment in schools is going up steadily.
“But owing to the distance, and the poor job market even after completing UG degrees, there is a lack of confidence in the minds of people to send their children for higher education. More so in the case of girl children. Most of them study only up to Class 8, as most Forest department run schools are only up to the eighth class. The higher secondary schools are even further away and the parents are unwilling to let girl children go long distances by walking,” explains Saisehan.
The thirst for some basic education among parents is such that in
the villages which have no school, parents take their children to the villages where the Forest department’s schools are available, and leave them there for five days of the week. During the weekends, the parents take their children back home, and the whole routine is repeated come Monday.
When they interact with the children the Rotarians find that the children don’t have much idea of what the world is like outside this hilly terrain. If you ask the children what they want to become after completing their education, they either say government (no classification or designation) or police.
Forget learning through computers, most schools do not even have a TV. In some of the schools the government has given TVs; “where smart TVs are available, we are pushing learning through technology.”
The Rotarians have also made a representation to the government on improving road connectivity, so that access to schools can improve, particularly for girls. One spinoff from the phenomenon of pulling girls out of schools after Class 8 is that parents are
in a hurry to get their daughters married. Another problem of schools being far-flung is that teachers are frequently absent, further deteriorating the quality of education.
Saiseshan explains that when the children are expected to stay in what are virtually boarding schools for five days — they go home only during the weekends — they are bored. So to make their evenings interesting, “in four places we’ve given smart TVs, and in other places we’ve given chess and carrom boards so that they can play some games.” The chess and carrom boards were funded by A Rajasekaran, a member of RC Chennai Gems. In one school, where there was a drinking water problem, a water tank and a solar pump were put up.
He adds that improved infrastructure will speed up development; “obviously we can’t lay roads, so we’ve reached out to the higher-level government officers. We do what we can, but at every level we need government permission, which really delays things, but where permission is not needed, things are put in place quickly.”
We do what we can, but at every level we need government permission, which really delays things, but where permission is not needed, things are put in place quickly.
Bad road connectivity also has a huge impact on the health of this tribal population which suffers from high rates of morbidity and mortality. In most villages, explains Irulandi, even PHCs are absent. “The tribals must mostly come to Jamunamarathur, the largest hamlet in Jawadhu Hills, for treatment. Those who suffer the most include the old and the infirm, and in emergencies, they have to be carried to wherever medical care is available. You can imagine what happens during
Saiseshan, who is the CSR chair for RC Chennai Mitra and district chair for special initiatives, points out an interesting aspect when he says that the Jawadhu Hills are one of the hotbeds for millet cultivation in Tamil Nadu. They grow pearl, Foxtail, little and finger millets. Earlier the tribals also had the seeds of Kodo and Proso millets, which were grown widely.
But during the medical camps they conducted, the project leaders found that these villagers suffered from iron
deficiency. “So we gave them ironfortified hybrid millet seeds, which they planted and is growing very well there… the stalks are taller than me,” grins Saiseshan. Now the IFTR will conduct a study on its impact and suggest further course of action. He adds that it’s a pity that the locals have moved away from millets to rice, because millets now fetch an attractive price as the well-to-do urbans have started consuming them. “They are selling the millets because they get higher prices as people like us now want to consume millets… it is a commercial decision but nutritionally not
that great. Once we found this, we are trying to educate them.”
The idea is not to stop them from selling millets and making more money, but to find a way by which they can grow more millets and consume a part of their produce and sell the rest. Other ways to boost their farm produce is by adequate innovations and interventions such as village climate risk management committees, community seed and fodder banks, climate adapted cultivation systems, crop diversification and increased cropping intensity.
emergencies.” Most pregnant women get admitted at least a week to 10 days in advance, just to avoid the last minute complications due to bad roads making travel slow.
Most of the tribal population in this belt comes under the BPL (below poverty line) category. Farming is their hereditary profession, and most of it is done during the monsoon rains, except for those who can afford to have their own wells for irrigation. There are no check dams and water is a major problem during summer. Rainwater is not harvested due to the hilly terrain.
With migration during summer months being common, this is a profitable market for money lenders from outside who visit the place, find jobs
These tribals who were growing and earlier consuming millets, were now selling it to agents and consuming rice brought from the PDS system, adversely impacting their nutrition.
for people and lend money on interest, most of which is spent on liquor. Apart from erratic availability of water, the other challenges farmers face include pre- and post-harvest processing, storage, marketing, infrastructure, and so on. Some collect non-timber forest
produce and grow a variety of trees including tamarind, jackfruit, coconut, lemon, plantain and gooseberry on their land.
Recently, the government and a few private organisations have started promoting farm produce companies/ cooperatives such as the Jawadhu Hills Tribal Farm Produce Company, which was formed in 2020. But the gap in marketing persists, with the tribal farmers selling their produce to marketing agents from the plains at non-profitable rates.
Irulandi says opportunities are available to help the farmers improve their income through innovative approaches such as introduction of climate-resilient farming, interventions in soil quality improvement and moisture conservation, efficient usage
of water and water conservation, introduction of improved crop varieties that can better withstand drought conditions, production of livestock feed and better nutrition.
“Adoption of climate resilient technologies will help sustain the ecosystem, like use of solar power for irrigation, solar lighting and even solar based post-harvest processing,” he adds.
While the tribals earlier consumed the millets grown by them, these days they sell huge quantities of millet and buy rice from the PDS system, as over the years rice-eating habit was encouraged by the government in schools. Ironically, with eating rice being perceived as superior to millet consumption, some farmers have started cultivating paddy, apart from
maize, gherkins, cotton, and other horticulture crops.
As the urban elite find more health and nutritional value in millets and switch over from rice and wheat to millets, “we found that these tribals who were growing and earlier consuming millets, were now selling it to agents and consuming rice brought from the PDS system, adversely impacting their nutrition. Hence we have started giving them iron-fortified hybrid pearl millet seeds after counselling them that the produce harvested should be used for their own consumption,” says Saiseshan.
RID 3234 DG NS Saravanan sums it up neatly when he says that IDEAL Jawadhu is “a flagship tribal empowerment project of RID 3234. Around `1.3 crore have already been spent on various interventions like providing solar panel and pumps, water tanks with purifiers, solar street lights, solar lamps for homes, TLUD (smoke free) stoves, iron-fortified hybrid millet seeds for farmers, spectra dryers for value addition to farm products, smart TVs for after school education, carrom and chess boards for Forest Middle Schools, and more.” The solar street lights
come with sensors, that switch on or off automatically based on the light conditions. They also sense movement and adjust brightness accordingly. This way power is conserved and available for longer duration.
He says this project has already touched the lives of tribal people in around 30 villages impacting 1,800 families. “I’ve personally visited Jamunamarathur and a couple of other hamlets, and can vouch for the impact that is being created in the lives of these people in the hills. I’m happy that past president Saiseshan from my home club, RC Chennai Mitra, is leading this project, along with past
Spectra dryers were handed over at some villages for drying moringa leaves and selling them as powder, which fetches a better price.
president Irulandi, a retired senior IFS officer, from RC Chennai Green City. Both of them have worked very hard on this project which is giving the desired impact.”
Saravanan added that this will be a long-term project for the district and as it is scaled up, more and more clubs will get involved. DGE Vinod Saraogi and DGN Suresh Jain have promised continued support. “This is also a wonderful example of Rotary working with CSR funds, the government, Forest department, local bodies and other NGOs specialising in the agri/ecology space. We are grateful to MCRC and IFTR for their valuable partnership and support.”
Seshadri adds that other initiatives include providing smokeless stoves; 75 have been given in two villages so far. Under the income enhancement plan, spectra dryers were handed over at some villages for drying moringa leaves and selling them as powder, which fetches a better price.
To prepare the youth for a better future, the Jawadhu IDEAL team has launched a joint initiative with the Jamunamarathur range of the Forest
department. As a government job is the dream of many tribal youth, clearing the TNPSC examination is essential, and hence over 100 youth were coached by external trainers and the Forest department staff. RCs Madras Industrial City and Chennai Metrozone participated in this programme along with the anchor clubs RCs Chennai Mitra and Chennai Green City
Work is underway in identifying space for a Digital Training Centre and STEM and Basic Sciences Lab, for which AT&T, through a Bengaluru Rotarian, has donated some laptops. TN special secretary (forests) has promised to provide space.
Saiseshan says the Forest department identified the villages and “introduced us to the heads of local bodies, who helped with approvals for the solar projects. CSR support came from MCRC, Grundfos and AT&T. The installation of solar lights and pumps were taken care of by Sunlit Future, while the Open Mentor Trust and IIT-M Pravartak stepped in for education.”
Designed by N Krishnamurthy
uilding peace requires thoughtful, sustained efforts and meaningful partnerships,” said RI President Stephanie Urchick, speaking at the Presidential Peace Conference in Istanbul. Held from Feb 20–22, the event centred on Healing in a Divided World
In her opening address, Stephanie described the dedication required for true healing to take place. “Our time together here is a testament to our shared belief in the power of peacebuilding. The act of healing in a divided world is not something we can achieve quickly or easily. It takes an intentional commitment over time. Peace is not just an ideal to which we aspire, it’s a responsibility we must actively pursue,” she said.
The conference marked the launch of Rotary’s eighth Peace Center — the Otto and Fran Walter Rotary Peace Center at the Bahcesehir University in Istanbul. This is the first centre dedicated to peacebuilding in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, offering a professional development certificate in Positive Peace.
Helman, who, along with her late husband Frank, managed the foundation, and served on the search committee that chose Bahcesehir University.
“Thanks to its collaboration with the United Nations, our Peace Fellows will receive high-level training in sustainable peace leadership. Working alongside UN experts, they will contribute to global efforts advancing the Sustainable Development Goals. In a world often divided by conflict and despair, the launch of this Peace Center is proof of what we can achieve when we come together with hope, purpose and resolve,” she said.
Each year, Rotary awards up to 130 fully funded fellowships Peace is not just an ideal to which we aspire, it’s a responsibility we must actively pursue.
The RI President acknowledged the Otto and Fran Walter Foundation’s historic $15.5 million gift that made the centre possible. She also recognised TRF Trustee Marty
Stephanie Urchick RI President
for peace and development leaders to study at its seven Peace Centers. Since 2002, more than 1,800 peace fellows from over 140 countries have been trained for leadership roles in governments, NGOs and international organisations.
Rotary Peace Fellowship applications for the 2026–27 academic year will be open until May 15, 2025. For more details refer https://on.rotary. org/3J6sYLP
A key session explored how technology can both support and threaten peace efforts. Experts discussed artificial intelligence, the role of technology in peacebuilding, and the growing challenge of misinformation.
Sheldon Himelfarb, an awardwinning filmmaker and the founder of PeaceTech Lab, called for peacebuilders to forge a global response to misinformation. “Misinformation is becoming an existential threat on par with war, pandemics and climate change. But every day, more people are working on solutions and developing tools for fact-checking, content labelling, media literacy programmes and AI for peacebuilding,” he said.
Climate change and conflict Environmental issues were another major focus at this conference. Nada El Agizy, president of the Rotary E-Club of Egy-International and director of Sustainable Development and International Cooperation at the League of Arab States, highlighted the unique risks faced by the MENA region. “Climate change is one of the most significant challenges the Arab states have ever faced. This region is a climate-change hotspot, highly vulnerable to the devastating effects of global warming,” she said.
Freddy Mutanguha, a survivor of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi (an ethnic group of the African Great Lakes region), spoke about the genocide’s
impact, his role in developing peace education programmes in Rwanda, which are now part of the national school curriculum, and the importance of forgiveness in reconciliation.
Other notable speakers included PRIP KR Ravindran; TRF Trustee Chair Mark Maloney; RI general secretary John Hewko; Elizabeth Spehar, United Nations Assistant Secretary-General for Peacebuilding Support; Kumi Naidoo, South African Human Rights and Environmental Justice activist, and Dr Ayça Demet Atay, associate professor at Near East University in North Cyprus, Rotary Peace Fellow alumna, and founder of the Rotary Club of Peace in Istanbul.
RI directors Anirudha Roychowdhury and Raju Subramanian were present at the conference; PRID Safak Alpay was the chairman. About 1,000 delegates from across 88 countries participated.
Rasheeda Bhagat
At the Disha conclave held in Jaipur for the training of incoming district governors, DGNs and the district leadership teams from Zones 4 and 7, incoming RI Director KP Nagesh, who is in charge of these zones, asked the district leaders to aim high and take TRF-giving and
membership to new highs during the next two years.
Through a series of charts and visual graphs he urged them to do their best to take India’s position in membership to No 1. Displaying a graphic on membership of Rotary in the world, he said: “Look at this chart; this will tell you what is the need of the
hour in India. We are in No 2 position with 176,280 members, against the US which is No 1 with 273,149 members.”
Breaking down the numbers, he said the US had 153 Rotary districts, whereas India has only 42 districts. This meant that in the US there are 47 clubs in one district, against 111 clubs per district in India. Whereas the US had 1,785 Rotarians per district, in India we had a whopping 4,197 members in each district. “There is clearly an opportunity here, which we are not encashing. We are eligible to make three districts from each existing district,” he said.
If this opportunity was encashed, “we can have 100 representatives at the CoL, where so many important decisions are taken. We can have eight
zones and four RI directors, as every two zones have one director.”
Nagesh said that while aiming at a membership figure of three lakh by June 2027, India has to work on the mantra “‘Divide to Multiply. Each of you must think how to grow big. Look at history; wherever a new district is formed, the growth is vertical, even in B class cities, be it Mysore or Pune. Pune is one of the best examples in membership growth.”
Below: RI Director Raju Subramanian inaugurates the House of Friendship at Disha, Jaipur, in the presence of TRF Trustee Bharat Pandya, RIDE Nagesh and conference chair PDG Rajesh Agarwal.
He told the DGEs that for their Rotary year 2025–26, they should religiously keep their focus on what he and his fellow RIDE M Muruganandam call Mission
2.25 lakh. Under this mission, they have to remember that all the DGEs have 365 days. On each day if one new club could be formed in Zones 4 and 7, and one in the other two Zones — 5 and 6, “then you can end your year with 730 clubs. If each club has an average of 30 members, then the 730 new clubs will have 21,900 new members.” The same could be repeated the next year and this would really boost Rotary’s membership in India, he added.
Coming to TRF-giving, RIDE
Nagesh said the incoming district leaders should really set high goals. “Unless
we set goals there will be no direction and without direction the fate of an organisation can be imagined. So in 2017, at the first Disha in Mumbai, initiated by the then RI Director C Basker, it was decided to have an annual goal-setting exercise. Thanks to this direction and focus, we have moved to a fixed No 2 position in TRF-giving and the No 1 position in membership growth, year-afteryear. But our aim should be to move to the top position in both TRF-giving and total membership. After all membership is the key to the impact that our work can create, and both RIPE Mario de Camargo and RIPN Sangkoo Yun have been emphasising on membership growth.” Nagesh added that for the first time, this year’s Disha conclave was being held in two parts — one each for two zones. While urging the DGEs to set high goals in both TRF-giving and membership, he
assured them that these goals would be “achievable because each of you is a leader.”
He also reiterated that goals thus set would be time-bound and would get both awards and recognition. Giving an example on membership growth, Nagesh said, “We have about 800–900 assistant governors; imagine if each AG started a new club, we would have 900 clubs, and 27,000 new Rotarians.”
Addressing the delegates, RIDE M Muruganandam said that he began his Rotary journey more than three decades ago as a Rotaractor and “even before becoming a Rotarian I was a Major Donor. It is very simple, whenever you’re giving to TRF, don’t give unless you are convinced. But once you’re happy, keep giving, because you are giving to a 107-yearold Foundation that is doing so much good in the world.”
Quoting RIPN de Camargo, he said Rotary’s biggest asset is not its 120-year-old history but its members, and more members would mean more service to improve the world.
Elaborating on his topic Mission 2.25 lakh: The 1:2:3 growth formula, and sharing slides on awareness and knowledge about Rotary worldwide, he said a recent survey done by RI on the awareness of Rotary had shown that while the respondents in Taiwan emerged the largest at 91 per cent, India stood second at 83 per cent. In both the US and UK, the figure was a dismal 52 per cent each; in Japan it was 42 per cent and Korea only 33 per cent. But when it came to how familiar are you with the work that Rotary does, the figure for India was the highest at 73 per cent, followed by Nigeria at 57 per cent and Taiwan 54 per cent.
The incoming director said that even though India had a strong position in membership, there were
major concerns. Presenting a number of charts on what he and RIPE Nagesh have devised... the RAG (Red, Amber, Green) analysis, he said a club could be classified green if it had 50 or more members. What we want are “bigger, bolder and better clubs”; amber if it had 25 to 50 members; and red if it had less than 25 members. His study had shown that of the two Zones 4 and 7 — for which this Disha was being held, in Zone 4, only 277 or 21 per cent of the clubs were in the green zone. While 376 clubs or 28 per cent were sitting in the amber zone, a disturbing number of 680 clubs or 51 per cent were in the red zone. “This means you are off the mark, please try and push these into the amber zone.”
The RAG analysis of Zone 7, which had 984 clubs, had shown that 328 or 33 per cent clubs were in the red zone, 395 or 40 per cent were in the amber zone and 261 or 27 per cent were in the green zone. “Please tell all your presidents to take the clubs from red to amber and amber to green,” he added. When the other two zones — 5 and 6 — were included in this analysis, of the 1,329 clubs in Zone 5, 461 were in the red corner, 586 sat in the amber zone and only 282 had the green label. In Zone 6, of the 1,173 clubs, 590 were red, 282 amber and only 201 green.
There are 111 clubs per district in India, and a whopping 4,197 members in each district. We are eligible to make 3 districts from each existing district.
K P Nagesh RI Director Elect
Coming to the all-India statistics, of the total 4,819 clubs in India, 2,059 or 42 per cent clubs were in the red zone, 1,739 or 36 per cent were in amber, and only 1,021 or 22 per cent were in the green zone. “The fact remains that we are not growing… it is humbug to say we are!”
Next, coming to the membership trend and growth in Zones 4 and 7, the incoming director said that the members in Zone 4 had gone up from 39,776 in 2020–21 to 44,485 in 24–25. In Zone 7, during the same period, the numbers had risen from 35,457 to 39,454. The net growth in five years in
both these zones was 9,066, or 1,813 members a year. “The math is simple, every year you are growing by 1,813, which means that a district is not even giving 100 extra members. Surely there was potential for more growth than this,” he added.
Coming to induction of youth into Rotary, Muruganandam said it was a pity that at a time when all senior RI leaders were talking about the need to make Rotary ‘young’, scant attention was being paid in India to boost Rotaract numbers. “The average age in this room is 50, and at this age we think only of two things, your health and your children. Please think of your kids as nothing other than Rotaractors and Interactors. If you want to see the Rotary Wheel for another 100 years, and do more service projects, think of Rotaractors and Interactors. Otherwise, we are killing our organisation.”
Sadly enough, as many as 74 per cent of Rotary clubs had not sponsored
even a single Rotaract club and 79 per cent clubs not even one Interact club. The best “youth service mechanism” for Rotary in India was for every Rotarian to get two Rotaractors and three Interactors. It was a pity that in Zone 4 out of 1,333 Rotary clubs, only 381 clubs had sponsored a Rotaract club. This meant that a whopping 71 per cent of the clubs (952 clubs) had not sponsored a single Rotaract club. Coming to Interact, only 410 clubs had formed an Interact club, with 923 (61 per cent) not doing so. Similarly, only 424 clubs had formed an RCC, with 909 (68 per cent) scoring a zero.
In Zone 7 too the picture was not much better. Of the 984 clubs, only 345 had sponsored a Rotaract club, 382 had
sponsored an Interact club and 422 had started an RCC. In these three areas, 639 (65 per cent), 602 (61 per cent) and 562 clubs (57 per cent), had drawn a blank. “This is very unfortunate, there has been degrowth of Rotaract by over 22,000 members in five years,” he added.
The result was their numbers shrinking in Zone 4 from 25,561 in 677 clubs to 14,312 in 597 clubs in 2024–25. In Zone 7 too these numbers had shrunk from 21,003 in 692 clubs to 10,034 in only 598 clubs during the same period. The total number by which Rotaract had shrunk in these two zones was a disturbing 22,218, added Muruganandam.
He urged the incoming district leadership teams to concentrate in the coming years on setting up new clubs in all kinds of formats and follow the RAG analysis, moving red to amber and amber to green zones. “By doing this alone we can add 25,000 members a year and 50,000 in two years.”
Past RI Director AS Venkatesh admitted that the goals the assembled district leaders had been given were tough, but giving several examples and holding their attention through
The average age in this room is 50, and at this age we think only of two things, your health and your children. Please think of your kids as Rotaractors and Interactors.
M Muruganandam RI Director Elect
interesting anecdotes, he said if they focused on the huge opportunity that lay before them, they would succeed.
The earlier evening, one of the DGEs had expressed to him scepticism on there being too many training events. To this he responded with a statement attributed to Bruce Lee, who had said: ‘I don’t fear a person who knows 1,000 tricks but only the person who knows only one trick but has practised it 1,000 times.’
“Your efficiency, efficacy and impact all depends on how well you are tuned and that happens only through repeated training. Famous cricketer Ricky Ponting’s cover drive may be a treat to watch and looks effortless but what lies behind it must be that he’d have practised his cover drive 20,000 times in the nets. That is not visible when he is on the field.”
Similar was the case with all leaders about to take on their roles. “You have to hone your skills really hard in order to deliver. All of us have chosen to take on a role in Rotary willingly. Each one of us had a chance to say ‘No’; nobody can say I was pushed into it. You have taken up the governor’s role voluntarily, and now you will have to do many things to make it a success.”
When it came to membership, it was crucial to ask the prospective members the right questions such as what they would like to do. “We are so trapped in our own achievements
and laurels we have earned, that we fail to ask what do they expect or are interested in. If you have to achieve targets never achieved before, you have to do things differently.”
Venkatesh added: “Don’t be shy about asking others to join Rotary. We have 176,000 Rotarians in India, even if 20 per cent, or 35,000 ask a person once a week, that is 50 times a year, and even if the conversion rate is only 10 per cent, imagine how many new members we will get. If you wait for people to come and look at our achievements, bill boards, t-shirts, and ask to join Rotary that is not going to happen.”
Underlining the importance of passion and focus, he related a story from Alibaba co-founder Jack Ma’s biography, saying that when a person is locked for 30 minutes in a room with 50 rabbits, and is challenged to catch one, over 90 per cent fail to do so. This was because he’d invariably try to catch the rabbit near his feet, and if that one runs away, the next closest one and so on, till the time runs out. The trick is to focus on only one rabbit, chase it till you catch it, without letting the mind being diverted by the other 49 rabbits.
The same thing happens with many Rotary leaders; they get attracted to one project, and then another catches
their fancy. At the end of the year little is achieved. Once again quoting from Ricky Ponting’s biography Venkatesh said when the great cricketer was once asked if he mapped the fielders where he was out batting, he had said: ‘No, I map the gaps in the field and not the fielders! So are we looking at the opportunities or the hurdles? The gaps are the opportunities and the fielders are the hurdles. There are plenty of opportunities out there.”
He then gave the example of the legendary donor to TRF, Ravishankar Dakoju from Bengaluru; “he has a single-minded focus on the environment and once approached me for seed ball manufacturing. I connected him with somebody in his city and then forgot about it.”
We are so trapped in our own achievements and laurels we have earned, that we fail to ask what the prospective members expect or are interested in.
A S Venkatesh
Past RI Director
SBut Dakoju didn’t forget, he came back and said: ‘Venky, that didn’t work out. You still have to give me the right connect.’ And next week it will be hopefully done. That is the kind of single-minded focus you will need. There will be hurdles, but you will have to move past them. You’ve been asked to focus on something which has never been done before, so there will be hurdles/problems but the choice is yours, will you look at the hurdles or the opportunities?”
Unfortunately, there was a limitation in leadership roles for women, as well as cultural and social barriers, which you will have to address.”
Axis Max.” A bequest can also be made through equities, mutual funds and wills, he added.
ome of the interesting topics covered during the three-day event included a talk by PDG S Nagendra on how to strengthen women’s role in Rotary, particularly in leadership position. Many opportunities exist to increase Rotary’s membership in India by getting more women. “We have to change the mindset and perception that Rotary is male dominated.
New strategies were needed to look for women members; he advised them to concentrate on hospitals where there were more women doctors, educational institutions with sizable women faculty members, and women’s organisations.
PDG Sam Movva told the incoming governors that there were novel ways to boost TRF-giving and one of these was the Bequest Society, where members could perpetuate their families’ names by donations in various ways. There are 43 such organisations in Zones 4 and 7. “A bequest is a commitment of at least $10,000, and one of the most popular ways of giving is through insurance… this year a committee has been formed under TRF Trustee Bharat Pandya’s leadership to look at garnering various policy instruments. The agencies chosen are LIC, Kotak Mahindra and
Disha chairman PDG Rajesh Agarwal said retention was as important as adding new members. “That is the biggest challenge, you will have to ensure that every existing member feels valued… are we doing enough to ensure each member in our clubs is enjoying all aspects of Rotary?”
Programme coordinator PDG Suresh Hari explained the process of strategic goal-setting, and urged the DGEs to aim high in setting their goals and then work hard to achieve them.
Conference secretary PDG Anil Agarwal, focusing on the DRRs in the room, said in order to infuse young blood into Rotary, district leaders would have to focus on Rotaractors. “If you really want to make yourself leadership efficient, and Rotary a much better place, you will have to focus on Rotaractors and Interactors.”
Pictures: Rasheeda Bhagat
Etelka Lehoczky
Rotary recognised six members and alumni as People of Action: Champions of Peace in January. This honour celebrates the recipients’ work to build peace around the world. Their ambitious and wide-ranging efforts include teaching technical skills to refugee children and promoting sustainable agriculture. The honorees exemplify Rotary’s values and the dedication it takes to make a lasting impact. Their projects empower farmers and refugees, heal postwar trauma, and establish dialogue among diverse groups.
Area of action: Supporting farmers through regenerative agricultural practices
Swati Herkal is a past district governor and past chair of the Governor’s Council of Rotary News Trust. She is also a member of The Rotary Foundation Cadre of Technical Advisers. An active philanthropist, she has served other organisations in various capacities.
Swati initiated a project to address economic instability and social challenges in rural farming communities. These communities face increasing poverty, unemployment, migration and poor soil conditions. All those challenges taken together contribute to social unrest and exacerbate inequality. Swati’s initiative encourages farmers to use composting and other sustainable agricultural practices to increase productivity.
for more than 1,200 other farmers who were eager to adopt innovative methods. Women in these communities produced and sold compost, gaining a degree of financial independence. By demonstrating the success of regenerative farming, the project also offered a more promising career path for young people who might otherwise have left agriculture. The initiative is now being expanded to 50 additional villages.
empowering participants to navigate the online world safely and confidently. The initial stage of the project involved 296 children and 78 teachers. Continued engagement with the community has been a key aspect of the programme’s sustainability. Thanks to funding from corporate and government partners, it has now worked with more than 4,000 refugee and migrant children across Germany.
Anne built strong partnerships with Rotary clubs in the community and abroad and secured critical long-term funding. Her background in peacebuilding and innovation allowed her and her team to create a programme that has long-term social and economic benefits for the participants and their families.
Area of action: Integrating peacebuilding into Colombia’s Nationally Determined Contributions
In the project’s first phase, 70 participating farmers reported reduced costs, increased crop yields, and improved soil fertility. They also joined a Rotary Community Corps and served as mentors
Area of action: Preparing refugee children for the digital world
Anne Kjær Bathel is a Rotary Peace Fellow, former Rotary Youth Exchange student, social entrepreneur, mentor, and founder of the ReDI School of Digital Integration.
Anne helped develop and execute the concept for ReDI Digital Kids, which offers technical education to refugee children in Germany. The programme fosters children’s curiosity and creativity and encourages them to communicate and interact in group settings. It also builds digital literacy,
María Cristina Cifuentes, a Rotary Peace Fellow, member of the Rotary Action Group for Peace, and global climate justice ambassador, leads a pioneering project to integrate a peacebuilding approach into Colombia’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC). The NDC is a climate action plan submitted to the UN. This marks the first time Colombia’s NDC has incorporated peace as a critical element for sustainability and resilience against climate change.
The project establishes five pillars for Colombia’s NDC: governance and transparency, social empowerment and human rights, sustainable development and Positive Peace, human security and climate resilience, and innovation and
capacity building. It focuses on communities that are vulnerable and have historically been excluded from decision-making processes, including children, indigenous peoples and rural populations.
While studying for a master’s degree as a Rotary Peace Fellow, Maria designed a framework to foster peace in fragile contexts. She proposed this methodology to Colombia’s Ministry of Environment, aligning it with climate goals. The framework was integrated into the NDC 3.0 update for 2025–30. It incorporates ethical transition principles and the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals as well as a commitment to human rights, gender policies, and child-sensitive indicators. This innovative approach highlights the role of peace and social justice in driving transformative climate action.
Rotary Peace Fellow
Corridors of Peace offers training in literacy as well as sewing, agriculture, soapmaking, and other skills that are both marketable and sustainable. By learning these trades, women and girls can generate income, improve their living conditions, and achieve financial independence. The programme builds peace by addressing the root causes of conflict: poverty, inequality and disenfranchisement.
Domino Frank is a Rotary Peace Fellow with more than 20 years of experience in humanitarian development and peacebuilding. He is a strategic advocate and project coordinator for the Corridors of Peace programme in Guéréda, Chad. He focuses on helping displaced women and young people in conflict zones, offering vital services such as vocational training, education and healthcare.
Area of action: Starting dialogues on challenging issues
Linda Low is a Rotary Peace Fellow and charter president of RC Global Partners in Peace, which has members all over the world. Based in Seattle, Washington, Linda developed a process to facilitate dialogue among diverse groups to reduce divisiveness and polarisation. The programme, called Leadership Dialogues, was conceived in 2016 and is now used in communities across the US and around the world.
In a region destabilised by conflict and displacement, many women and young girls lack educational and economic opportunities. As a result, they may get trapped in cycles of poverty and dependency. The lack of opportunity fuels deeper social and economic divides, exacerbating tensions within the community and contributing to instability.
Rotary E-Club of Global Impact, RID 1990
and some Rotary districts have integrated Leadership Dialogues into their awareness campaigns and community engagement initiatives. Most participants surveyed have said the experience changed how they engage in dialogue. Sanela Music Bosnia-Herzegovina
As a child, Sanela Music was a refugee who fled the 1992–95 war in Bosnia-Herzegovina. Today, she’s an international human resources consultant, a Rotary representative to the United Nations in Geneva, and a dedicated peacebuilder working with TRF and the SANCHILD Foundation.
Sanela leads the Harmony Project, which addresses postwar trauma by equipping communities to hold dialogues that promote healing and build lasting peace. Launched in 2021, it has carried out 47 initiatives that have benefited more than a thousand individuals and indirectly impacted nearly 50,000 people in 34 cities.
Leadership Dialogues brings people together to discuss difficult issues and leaves participants with a clearer understanding of others’ points of view. By emphasising shared values, thoughtful listening, and empathy, Leadership Dialogues encourages people to engage in productive discussion and appreciate different opinions and experiences. As a result, communities become stronger and more collaborative. Linda has personally facilitated dialogues with at least 2,000 people, around half of them Rotary members. She has also helped many Rotarians in the US learn to facilitate dialogues,
The Harmony Project in Schools empowers teachers and students to manage their emotions and build resilience and trust. Approved by two ministries of education in Bosnia-Herzegovina, the project reduces conflicts, stigmas and cultural divides. It also enhances inter-ethnic connections. Participants report experiencing transformative changes in their relationships and an overall improvement in their well-being. Inspired by the project’s outcomes, Sanela is working with peace education experts and Rotary partners to expand it across the Balkans and beyond.
©Rotary.org
Rasheeda Bhagat
t the recent Disha conclave, a goal-setting seminar, held in Jaipur for the incoming governors of Zones 4 and 7, the one message that was given by every leader was to focus on Rotary’s membership with the central aim to attract new members, retain existing ones, increase the gender balance in Rotary in India and swell the number of Rotaractors and Interactors.
we see a world where people are doing work to create lasting change.”
Addressing the inaugural session on the topic TRF, a catalyst for growth, TRF Trustee Bharat Pandya said “The most important thing in Rotary is membership; it is at the core, at the heart of Rotary, whether for community service, public image or TRF. Rotarians are at the heart of Rotary and TRF is the backbone of Rotary, and together with our action plan and vision statement,
He said the priorities of Rotary’s Action Plan were to “increase our impact, grow our membership and expand our reach. If you had a magical wand in your hand, where would you use it? To fight disease, work for improved water and sanitation, to save mothers and children, support education, promote peace or protect our environment? The magic wand you have in your hand is TRF humanitarian services, district grants for small-scale local needs which can be done at your discretion, PETS, RYLA, supporting Rotaract and Interact, etc. Through these you can create impact and expand your reach, but true magic happens because of global grants; long-term sustainable change, around your own communities
and around the world… GGs are akin to not only giving fish to a man, but also teaching him how to fish, so that the project becomes self-sustaining, people are able to stand on their own feet and earn their livelihood.”
Pandya shared with the DGEs, DGNs and other zonal leaders the results of a recent survey done by TRF among Rotarians to find out how happy or unhappy they were with GGs. About 10 per cent responded, and among those, 20 per cent had participated in GGs. Of these 91 per cent were satisfied, 92 per cent felt GGs were an important part of their Rotary experience, and 87 per cent wanted to do GGs again. This proved, he said, that “global grants are important not only for increasing Rotary’s impact and growing its membership but also to keep existing members engaged and happy.”
TRF Trustee Bharat Pandya and RI Director Raju Subramanian (seated) with (from L) Disha committee member V G Kiran Kumar, conclave secretary PDG Anil Agarwal, conclave president Rajesh Agarwal, Uma and RIDE K P Nagesh, and Ghanshyam Singh.
In another survey done by TRF in 2023–24 among clubs that were at least 10 years old, 51 per cent of the clubs which responded had participated in GGs in some form or another. Either they had written, done, supported, given some money, were hosts, were international partners or had implemented the project.
This proved that “TRF is a very important tool for growing members, increasing impact, expanding our reach and enhancing participant engagement. A classic case of this is polio. George Bernard Shaw was once asked where is Rotary going. He was a very sarcastic person and said it is going to lunch.
From that image of Rotary as a wining, dining organisation, the image of Rotary has undergone a sea change and one programme responsible for it is the PolioPlus programme, which has really put Rotary centre stage and given it a seat at the centre table along with world organisations and governments,” said Pandya.
At the pledging event in Berlin two years ago, where Rotary had once again committed $150 million for polio, as other governments pledged too, the Gates Foundation representatives clearly acknowledged that “the pledging by governments is happening thanks to Rotary because of the credibility, trust and faith that TRF commands.”
Pandya next explained the importance of Rotary Peace Centers, and the peace scholars these were training.
“Today there are 1,800 peace scholars, working at different levels in different organisations. Some are in the police, some in government service, WHO, UNICEF etc and they are really
working to bring peace and goodwill in their own ways and furthering the image of Rotary.”
The Programs of Scale, of which the first three had gone to Africa, and the fourth one was given to India, for water harvesting, planting fruit trees and improve agricultural incomes while protecting the environment, were making a big impact too. The trustees will select the recipient of the fifth Programs of Scale at their meeting in April, he added.
Thus, The Rotary Foundation was in essence a catalytic force “which has been transforming communities and countries close to our homes and across the world. And that is because of the passion and dedication of Rotarians like all of you,” he added. Spelling out the Foundation’s priorities in 2025–26, the TRF trustee said, “Eradication of polio was, is, and will remain the Foundation’s number one priority. Twelve cases of polio were found in 2023, 99 cases of polio last year, and seven (so far) this year. The US government has withdrawn support to WHO and shut down USAID. So, challenges are there, but let me assure you that TRF is committed to eradicating polio as that is our promise to the children of this world.”
ITrustee Pandya
n his address, RI Director Raju Subramanian dwelt on the importance of facilitation and explained how it was different from traditional leadership traits, and said the world has changed drastically with rapidly advancing technology. “The traditional top-down approach to leadership is no longer important; instead, facilitation has emerged as something that empowers individuals, fosters collaboration and drives meaningful change.”
RI had recognised the importance of conversation and facilitation over
20 years ago, introducing facilitation at the International Assembly. Facilitation is “an art of guiding a group to achieve a common goal. A facilitator does not impose decisions. Unlike traditional leadership styles in the past, a leader does not dictate decisions, he acts as a neutral guide, creating an enabling environment where ideas flow, discussions are streamlined and conclusions achieved.”
Hence at Rotary training events like Disha, the facilitators helped everybody “articulate their thoughts, listen attentively and help achieve a shared outcome and mission. It empowers people to collaborate and make better decisions together.”
A good facilitator, he added, ensures that every voice in the room, and not just the dominant one, is heard, “because innovation thrives on inclusivity, and when assumptions are challenged to arrive at a solution. Instead of forcing decisions from the top facilitation helps groups reach a consensus organically, making solutions more
organically, making solutions more sustainable and acceptable to all.”
Subramanian said a facilitator acts more like a guide and helps teams navigate the discussion without taking control of the group, but structures conversations so that solutions emerge. “You also ensure that meetings be held on time and don’t go off the topic. Facilitators create space for ideas, insights and innovation, make discussions productive and decision-making easily possible with clarity.”
When decision making is easily possible with clarity and benefits, facilitations can be transformative. Better collaboration encourages teamwork and open communication, and makes everyone realise that “one man’s idea may not be the final thought leading to a conclusion, but together, when we approach a problem, we find a solution adaptable and acceptable to all. Inclusive conversation gives everyone a voice, regardless of hierarchy.”
Underlining the benefits of this kind of facilitation in a group of leaders, he adds that a good facilitator not only makes the conversation smooth, it shows people that somebody else’s idea can be better than yours. “It also diminishes ego and the I-factor, because you accept the idea of somebody
else, you learn to listen and also accept somebody else’s view maybe the correct view.”
The main problem, said the RI director, is that “we have forgotten the act of active listening. A facilitator practices active listening and pays close attention to what others are saying, and acknowledges different points of view. Five people will never think the same. But sitting in a room with a good facilitator, you will ultimately veer down to a conclusion all of you are in sync with.”
Asking powerful and open-ended questions to guide the discussion is another trait of a good facilitator, who has been trained for several days before entering the room. He guides the discussion in such a way that makes everyone wonder if she should think differently and if the other person has a better point of view.
Coming to DEI — diversity, equity and inclusion — Subramanian said a good facilitator must make all the participants comfortable. He should never take sides, and always remain neutral as he navigates the discussion in the group.
Pictures by Rasheeda Bhagat Disha Bhubaneswar in the next issue
Jaishree
e are proud to say that we have put nine women on the driver’s seat in these two years,” smiles Kanakjeet Agarwal, secretary, RC Rourkela Queens, RID 3261.
Last year the club, led by the then president Kiran Arora, launched Project Saksham , an initiative to empower women, “not just for a day, but for a lifetime.” Five economically-deprived women with driving skills and valid licence were identified and provided electric autorickshaws to help them earn a livelihood.
“All these women were struggling to make ends meet but were determined to move forward. A year has passed now and we are happy to
see all of them self-reliant, supporting their families and taking control of their future,” she says. Mandodari, a domestic helper who was struggling to educate her daughters, now has a steady income to secure their future. Manju, previously reliant on odd jobs, has become the backbone of her family; Mandakini, a widow; Santoshi and Rashmita are the other beneficiaries of Project Saksham that has made them all achievers.
Spurred by the success of the project, this year on International Women’s Day (March 8), the club, led by president Barkha Gupta, donated e-autorickshaws to four women going through various sorts of challenges. The five beneficiaries from
last year came for the handover event on Women’s Day to mentor and inspire this year’s recipients on their new journey of empowerment. Their stories of struggle and triumph awed everyone present.
“When we saw them return this year, not as recipients, but as strong, financially independent women, we knew that our initiative had created something truly magical. It was a proud moment for all of us,” says Kanakjeet. DGN Alam Singh Roopra, charter president Harpal Roopra and social worker Poonam Kerketta were present at the event.
To maintain the integrity of the project, the club ensures each recipient is carefully vetted. Legal agreements are signed, preventing the sale or misuse of the vehicles. “We keep track of their progress always because we make use of their services for our club-related transport needs. Many of our members hire them to drop their children in coaching classes, or for other personal work,” says project chair Seema Poddar. Kanakjeet adds that this not only gives them a steady clientele but also assures them of financial security. The club, chartered in 2018, has 59 members.
Each e-autorickshaw costs ` 2 lakh. The project was supported by Eastern Alloys, and club members Abha Mohunta and Jyoti Agarwal. Club advisor Ajay Agarwal offered guidance for the project both the years. Encouraged by the impact, president-elect Grishma Parmar has pledged to continue Project Saksham in the coming Rotary year.
The club organised a three-day RYLA for 150 school students at Agrasen Bhawan, a wedding venue in Rourkela. The camp focused on leadership development, with PDG Ashok Singh encouraging the participants to embrace cultural values while preparing for the future. PDG F C Mohanty, DGN Roopra, District RYLA chair Ranjit Singh Hura and Interact chair Uttam Garg were also present. From a jungle trek to learning CPR administration, the RYLA provided a mix of adventure and essential life skills.
Rasheeda Bhagat
Adesh Shivkar
When members of the Rotary Club of Bombay Bay View, RID 3141, found that the breathtaking sight of flamingos wading through the mangroves in Navi Mumbai was marred by a startling reality… the ecosystem that attracts and sustains these beautiful winged creatures being choked with plastic waste and debris that was thrown indiscriminately here, they decided to act.
“The contrast between the beautiful sight of the flamingos and the filthy plastic waste was a grim reminder to us about the crass
indifference of so many human beings to the environment, and the urgent need to do something to take remedial action,” says Rackhee Mehta, secretary of the club.
To set matters right and reverse the damage, the club put together a group of dedicated volunteers, including club members, to make a concerted effort to restore the mangroves. “Armed with gloves and determination, we participated in a massive clean-up drive, removing heaps of plastic, discarded waste, and other pollutants suffocating this delicate habitat. Our commitment didn’t stop at manual effort — we
also made a financial contribution to an NGO working on conservation and sustenance of wetlands, ensuring long-term impact,” she says.
This project gets particular significance as in recent times Mumbai has seen unprecedented flooding following heavy rains due to indiscriminate construction and other man-made action that have choked up the metro’s crucial drainage systems.
For the core team of this club, this project is important because “we all know that environmental responsibility is not a choice — it is a necessity. And that mangroves act as natural shields, protecting coastal
The oceans and their ecosystems reflect our action — what we give, they return.
cities from floods while providing a crucial breeding ground for countless species of birds, including flamingos. However, relentless pollution and indiscriminate action such as dumping plastic waste to choke these precious ecosystems threaten their survival,” she says, adding, “every discarded plastic bag, bottle, or wrapper finds its way back to us — through polluted waters, dwindling wildlife, and an unliveable future.”
The way forward, believe these Rotarians, is community-driven clean-up efforts, sustainable waste management and conducting awareness campaigns among different groups across the city. “The oceans and their ecosystems reflect our action — what we give, they return. The time to act is now. Let’s stand up for nature before it’s too late,” adds club member Vidya Moorjani.
Embracing orphan children
In another project that is close to the members’ hearts, the club, which has formed a partnership with the Nandadeep Orphanage, has been consistently supporting this orphanage, which houses 45 children. During the Covid pandemic, while doing humanitarian service, the club discovered this orphanage which was found struggling to meet
the basic needs of the children.
The club’s leadership team decided to step in to address the urgent needs of the inmates for groceries and other essentials.
“What began as a simple act of support evolved into
a deep partnership as we connected with the children and witnessed their resilience,” says club president Rajni Barasia.
Witnessing first-hand the dedication and hard work done by Dr Ketan Soni, trustee and caretaker, the club expanded its support to include monthly contributions for rent, groceries, electricity bills, caretaker salaries, clothing, and other necessities. This NGO Foundation provides shelter, food and education by enrolling into schools orphaned and street children, offering them a chance for a better future.
Keeping in mind their mental well-being too, the club engaged a psychiatrist to assess the children and the members found to their relief that the children were happy, had a stable mental outlook and were progressing well.
For visually-challenged children In yet another meaningful project to empower visually-challenged students, the club members are helping a visually-impaired banker Anil
Divate who has dedicated his life to helping others. “Despite his own challenges, Diwate supports 26 blind students pursuing higher education in Dombivli. He is just giving back to the community the kindness that he had received in his youth, which helped him to get an education and a career,” says Rajni.
She explains that the help extended by the club to this endeavour includes personalised cupboards for each student, five new laptops, tables and chairs to give them a comfortable environment to study. Under its ongoing programme titled Annapoorna, monthly groceries are made available to the students to ensure they get adequate nutrition. “For this initiative, benefitting 26 students, the Rotarians
Club president Rajni with visually-challenged people
The club members have also embraced a project to provide safe and private space for women police officers in Railways and vulnerable children at the Churchgate Railway Station in Mumbai. The initiative was inaugurated by Railways Police Commissioner Ravindra Shisve who appreciated this critical facility and assured the club members of full support.
The private space set up by the club at the Churchgate Railway Station is a big help for women police to rest and change their clothes in the privacy of a safe, clean place.
Rackhee explains that this project was done at the request of the local Railway police who underlined the urgent need for getting a secure environment for women officers and a safe refuge for lost or distressed children at railway stations. This private space has been a big help for women police to rest and change their clothes in the privacy of a safe, clean place.
Also, because of this station being a terminus for the local trains, quite a few runaway or destitute girls, who come to Mumbai from other cities with dreams in their eyes, only to find out they have been cheated, get stranded here. Such girls used to be taken to the nearby Railway Police station, but it was a very difficult task for the police to get them to open up and talk or give information in a police station environment. Railway Police chief Shisve had a vision that if a safe and secure permanent structure could be
created at the Churchgate Railway Station, where space was available, these girls could be helped. They would open up and speak the truth and they could be made comfortable while they waited for somebody from either their families or an NGO to pick them up.
As an open space was available the club helped to convert it into a comfortable resting place with insulated corrugated sheets, providing “fans, a proper functioning washroom and water connection. We are happy that the women constables use this regularly and it has also become a safe shelter for lost or vulnerable children, offering them protection until they are reunited with their families or assisted by NGOs. Children are now using this space regularly,” she adds.
The Rotarians spent around `2.7 lakh for this protective shelter.
Designed by N Krishnamurthy
Deep p k ak Shi h kaarpuur
An interesting development in the area of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is proving transformative in agriculture. The application of AI in farming has shown remarkable potential, with the Baramati district in Maharashtra leading the charge in enhancing agricultural productivity. For centuries, unpredictability has been the bane of a farmer’s existence, with too little or too much rain, pests and disease all threatening to destroy crops, pushing him into debt and, in some cases, even driving him to suicide. With climate change, the unpredictability has only become more pronounced and made a farmer’s work that much harder.
Baramati farmers are working towards achieving remarkable results in sugarcane farming using AI technology, setting an example for the future of agriculture. Microsoft chairman Satya Nadella, who recently visited India, recognised their efforts and praised this innovative work during his visit to Baramati. With the assistance of the Agriculture Development Trust (ADT) in Baramati and support from Microsoft’s AI tools, these farmers have been able to boost their crop yield, thus leading the way for integrating AI into agriculture as a part of this groundbreaking project.
A weather station with guages and sensors installed in a
The ADT has been guiding around 1,000 farmers in using AI technology for sugarcane farming on an experimental basis, with the focus on improving
sustainability and productivity. The use of AI in agriculture aims to provide real-time solutions for optimal crop management, thereby empowering farmers to make data-driven decisions.
India is the largest producer of sugarcane in terms of total area, but in terms of total productivity Brazil, Chile are way ahead. What we lack is use of modern technology and discipline, and the AI application can prove to be a gamechanger.
Implementing data-driven farming solutions
The foundation of this initiative lies in Microsoft’s Azure Data Manager for Agriculture (ADMA). This platform collects and processes data from various sources such as satellite weather stations and soil sensors. This data provides farmers with a comprehensive view of their land’s condition, helping them make better decisions regarding
planting, irrigation and fertilisation. Complementing ADMA is FarmVibes.AI, an open-source tool from Microsoft Research that offers insight into soil moisture, temperature, humidity and nutrient levels. These details are delivered through Agripilot.ai, a mobile application that offers personalised recommendations in local languages, ensuring accessibility for every farmer, regardless of his technological proficiency.
Data-driven decision making
Thanks to these AI tools, the selected farmers can make informed decisions aimed at precision farming, monitoring real-time climatic conditions, assessing soil health, moisture and nutrient levels.
Best of all, the AI solutions on offer to the farmers are in their local language Marathi, ensuring optimum understanding and effective utilisation.
Data integration: AI systems amalgamate information from satellites, drones and soil sensors to provide a comprehensive overview of farm health. This integration facilitates precise irrigation schedules, optimal planting times and targeted pest control measures.
Mobile applications: The app, customised for ADT Baramati, delivers real-time, localised insight to farmers in Marathi. It offers daily alerts tailored to each farm, guiding farmers on specific action pertaining to fertilisation, pest scouting, etc.
Coming to results, these farms have seen significant improvement; the sugarcane test plots have yielded stalks that are taller and thicker, weighing 30–40 per cent more at harvest, and yielding 20 per cent more sucrose. Also, there has been reduced water and fertiliser usage, contributing to more sustainable farming practices.
The family of Suresh Jagtap, 65, has been farming in Baramati’s Nimbut village for generations, moving from producing vegetables and fruits to sugarcane which brings in more money. But to ensure maximum return, it isn’t enough to ensure that the crop survives the vagaries of weather and pests; a farmer has to ensure lower input costs as well as harvest at the right time — a 20-day window — to get the highest possible sucrose content. Recently, Jagtap turned to AI for help, aided by scientists at the ADT and use of Microsoft’s AI technology.
On this farmer’s field is located a weather station, a tall metal structure with wind, rain, solar, temperature and humidity gauges at the top and sensors at the bottom, to measure moisture, pH (acidity or alkalinity), electrical conductivity and nutrients
like potassium and hydrogen. The data from these is combined with satellite and drone imagery as well as historical data and then analysed to generate simple daily alerts sent to farmers through a mobile app, with instructions such as — ‘water more, spray fertiliser, check for pests’ etc given. Exact locations are marked for the farmers on a satellite map of their farms.
While the harvest won’t be until October or November this year, Jagtap says he has been following all the steps since planting a one-acre test plot on his four-acre farm six months ago, and can already see the difference. “The growth is good. The leaves are greener and the height is more uniform,” he says.
‘Farm of the future’ Pratap Pawar, MD, Sakal Papers and brain behind this project, says that the Trust unveiled its AI project
called the ‘Farm of the Future’ in January 2024 with approximately a dozen crops, including sugarcane and tomato under its radar. “Seeing is believing is the philosophy of farmers,” he says.
The success of AI in Baramati’s agriculture has garnered international attention. Nadella has highlighted these advancements, sharing a video that showcases the transformative impact of AI on local farming practices. Elon Musk also praised the initiative, stating, “AI will improve everything.” Overall, the integration of AI in Baramati’s farming practices exemplifies how technology can empower small farmers, leading to increased productivity, resource efficiency and sustainability in agriculture.
The writer is an IT entrepreneur, digital literacy activist and past governor of RID 3131.
Jaishree
This year’s Rotary Day (Feb 23) was a memorable one for the Rotary Club of Dondaicha, RID 3060. The club arranged surgical treatment for 127 individuals, all of them from cashstrapped families and distant villages surrounding this Maharashtrian town in Dhule district.
For over four decades, RC Dondaicha’s annual surgery camp has been a highly anticipated event in the region. “We have so far
performed over 8,000 surgeries, addressing a range of medical conditions requiring surgical intervention,” says PDG Shrikant Indani, a member of this club.
Highlighting the camp’s impact, he shares that some people travel over 100km to receive medical treatment that they otherwise cannot afford. “Many come with chronic health issues or ailments that have been left untreated for years due to financial constraints or lack of access to proper medical facilities.
The camp offers them a ray of hope, where they can receive treatment from skilled surgeons without paying a single paisa for the operations, medicines or post-operative care.” Many of the beneficiaries are elderly patients whose untreated health conditions have worsened over time. For them, this camp is nothing short of a lifeline.
This year’s camp successfully facilitated 80 minor and 47 major surgeries, all performed at the Sub District Hospital and the Suvidha Hospital — both an integral part of the club’s project over the years. Indani recalls instances where timely surgical intervention proved lifesaving. “A villager who arrived for a knee surgery was diagnosed with a malignant cyst, saving him from an undetected cancer. Similarly, a woman who came in for a lipoma removal was found to have a malignant tumour. Over the years, we’ve witnessed many such people
Surgery camp in progress.
The camp offers a ray of hope, as disadvantged people can receive treatment from skilled surgeons without paying a single paisa for the surgery or medicines.
whose lives were saved through these camps.”
The hospitals’ well-equipped facilities ensured patients received high quality care before, during and after surgery. Medical professionals not only performed the procedures, but also helped with the pre-surgical evaluations to ensure patients were
fit for surgery. “Our club has built a strong partnership with these surgeons, and a dedicated team of Rotarians works tirelessly to ensure the camp’s success year-after-year,” he adds.
Indani thanks club members
Dr BL Jain, Dr Omprakash Agrawal, Dr Kunal Bachchav, and the local surgeons Dr Kulkarni and Darshan Kulkarni, who performed the surgeries. Club president Pankaj Jain, project chair Ankush Agarwal and club secretary Brijesh Agrawal ensured that all aspects of the camp — managing logistics, medical supplies and patient care — ran smoothly.
“With continued support from donors such as Shyamlal Agarwal, Aalay Surgical and Gama Surgical, and
It was a rare opportunity put to good use by over 1,300 Interactors from RID 3201 as they interacted with Rotary leaders at the inter-Interact District Council, along with a literary meet, titled Pegasus 2024 hosted by RC Kovaipudur. The event themed ‘Chiselling the leaders of tomorrow’ extended a platform for young Interactors to meet Rotarians and learn from them Rotary ideals like ‘Service above Self’ and the Four-Way Test. DGE Chella Raghavendran (RID 3206) urged the youngsters to give importance to three Ds — discipline,
local leaders, we will be able to carry on this noble tradition for years to come,” he says.
Chartered in 1979 in a dry region with a few scattered industries, RC Dondaicha now has 50 Rotarians. Its permanent projects include an eye hospital, a mobile clinic, a school educating 1,500 students, and a microcredit society that has been supporting small and large businesses for two decades now. Indani shares an interesting note on its genesis.
“When we started the eye hospital, funding was a major challenge; most often, we had to dig into our pockets for the hospital’s recurring expenses. That’s when we launched the microcredit society which now has deposits of `35 crore.”
Members of RC Kovaipudur with Interactors at the Pegasus 2024 event.
dedication and determination — in their lives, while DGN RS Maruthi spoke on the pivotal role of youth in shaping the country.
Club president R Lokanatha Guptha said the goal of Pegasus is to empower youth by giving them a platform to exhibit and refine their leadership skills and knowledge. District Interact representative Rethanya and her predecessor Mahalakshmi
captivated the audience with their oratorical skills that inspired the young participants from different schools across RID 3201. Speaking at the valedictory session, DG N Sundaravadivelu urged the Rotarians to provide opportunity for youngsters to showcase their diverse talent. Around 10 literary and cultural performances were staged by Interactors at the day-long event.
Rasheeda Bhagat
uite often, it comes naturally to women to find simple solutions to major problems. This has been proved once again by members of the all-women Rotary Club of Dindigul Queencity, RID 3000, Tamil Nadu. In a remarkable act of community service, these women Rotarians have placed three open cupboards filled with clothes for women and children at the Dindigul Government Hospital (two) and the Rotary Hall in the city. These cupboards offer free, round-the-clock access to used clothing for those in need. “Ours is an all-women’s club and we felt that if we allow the choice to the women to select the clothes they want, and without their being supervised, it would give them a lot more dignity, than somebody handing out the clothes to them,” says club member Aarthy Mukesh, who edits the club’s bulletin. When this club, led by president Kavitha Senthilkumar, was looking for a good project to undertake, a club member, Dr Sunita, who is a paediatrician working at this government hospital, told the members that there is a great need of providing decent clothes to women and children.“We all decided that we should do it in a way that does not
at
A woman with her child picking up clothes from a Rotary
compromise the dignity of the needy women, who are always hesitant to ask for clothes as it amounts to begging.”
So the idea of the “open cupboard” came up and the club members donated around ` 24,000 to make three wooden cupboards.While seeking the donation of clothes for women and children, including newborn babies, it was made clear “that we will not keep in this cupboard clothes that are torn or in tatters.So once we get clothes, they are inspected, washed/ cleaned, neatly folded and packed and only then kept in the cupboard,” she says.
To their pleasant surprise they got so many clothes, and that too in a great condition, that they have plenty of them to meet the need which is great too.“We’ve done this now for a few days, and we find that as soon as the three cupboards are filled, they get empty, because there is such a big need.”The cupboards are immediately re-stocked from the collection which is being kept in a room given by a club member in her house.
Aarthy explains that infant clothes are very handy for the babies who are abandoned at birth for various reasons and end up at the hospital.
Asked if this “open cupboard” is not
vulnerable to being raided or misused by anti-social elements who could easily sell the clothes, she says that while in the hospital the onus is on the staff to ensure that the clothes kept in these almirahs are taken only by the genuine users, “at our Rotary centre, where the cupboard is kept in the compound, we have a security person, who ensures that only those who genuinely need the clothes come and take them,” says Kavitha, the club president.
She is happy that this project of the club is such a big hit that everyday the cupboard needs to get restocked. The Interactors at the SBC Academy are also helping the club to collect clothes for these cupboards.
Another notable project of the club is giving vaccination to girls and young women to prevent cervical cancer. This project is particularly close to the club president Kavitha and secretary Parkavi Santhosh, and they even made the theme of their year Queens year for Cervi Cure.
This women’s club has been working with the government hospital and “there is so much need for various things here that the staff members often approach our club for help. “They are now renovating the paediatric ward and asked us if we could do something about the walls. My daughter is an artist and I will ask her to do some decorative work free of cost,” she adds.
At the moment, following an outpouring of support for the ‘open cupboard’ project, there are enough clothes available for the needy women and children. But if anybody wishes to donate clothes for this cause, they can be sent to Kavitha Senthilkumar, Plot No 25, Bairavas Nivas, 5th Main Street, MVM Nagar, Dindigul 624001. Tamil Nadu. Phone: 95667 77496
There were several challenges, with funding being the main one to get the vaccines and the required equipment. But Kavery Hospital, Tirunelveli, came to their rescue by providing the bus for PAP smear tests and free vaccination.
Till now the club has vaccinated about 2,000 girls through camps organised every month under the guidance of club member and gynaecologist Dr Balasundari, Dharshini Hospital. Rotaract students from St Antony’s College for women provide assistance in helping people to fill forms and other logistics at these camps. The vaccine doses were also donated by the Kavery Hospital.“But we need funding for this project as each HPV vaccine costs above `3,000. Being an all-women’s club, we have our advantages and disadvantages; unlike many male Rotarians, we women cannot make big donations for any project, and hence are in urgent need of money for this project. We all know that cervical
cancer is a big killer of women, and since it is preventable we want to do all that we can, to protect girls and women from this danger,” says Aarthy.
Asked about CSR funding, she said that they do approach corporate for CSR grants and often get funds, but the amount is small, as Dindigul is a comparatively small city and doesn’t have corporate giants. Big money is required as often girls who are 14 and above need three vaccine doses; second one after one month and the third one on the 6th month.
Around 1,000 vaccine shots were given at a camp organised by the club in early March. To spread awareness about the dangers posed by cervical cancer, Dr Balasundari gave lectures at about dozen high schools in the city on how vaccination can protect them from this dangerous cancer.
“Her talks are very effective as she can relate many stories from her personal experience of what the risk of infection and the suffering a woman undergoes once she is diagnosed with cervical cancer.” She herself has handled many such cases in her practice. She emphasises in her talks how the next generation
of women can be saved from such suffering if they have adequate protection through vaccination.
In December, to spread awareness on preventing cervical cancer, the club, which was started in 1997
and celebrated its silver jubilee last year, organised a rally in the city in which 200 women rode on twowheelers carrying messages about the need for vaccination. The club also distributes pamphlets at departmental stores and other public places to increase awareness about the possibility to prevent cervical cancer through vaccination.
An MCom graduate with a PG diploma in Public Relations, Aarthy couldn’t take up a career as she has to raise her children, and occasionally helps her husband in his pharma business. But over the years, as she had a little free time on her hands, she joined Rotary three years ago, “mostly to pass time. But now I have formed such wonderful friendships and discovered the kind of fruitful community welfare work we can do through Rotary. I am still learning, but enjoying the journey,” she beams.
Animesh Chatterjee of RC Burdwan South andAmit Samata of RC Burdwan, RID 3240, embarked on a challenging expedition from Kolkata to the Everest Base Camp in Nepal to promote polio immunisation. Both have 15 years of experience in mountaineering.
Our trek to the Everest Base Camp wasn’t just about reaching a destination; it was about spreading hope, overcoming challenges and reaffirming our commitment to a better world. Our adventure began on November 5, 2024, when we boarded a small aircraft in Kathmandu, Nepal, to reach the Edmund Hillary Tenzing Norgay Airport in Lukla, located at an altitude of 11,000ft, and considered to be one of the most dangerous airports in the world. We began our trekking journey from Lukla. Our goal was not just to conquer the challenging Himalayan trails, but also to raise awareness for the End Polio campaign, a cause that remains central to Rotary’s global mission.
Over eight days, we traversed through rugged terrain, scaling heights that tested our physical and mental limits. The trek covered a total distance of 103km, with the highest point being Kala Patthar, situated at a staggering altitude of 20,200ft.
The challenges were immense — biting cold that plummeted to temperatures as low as -15°C, relentless inclines and thin mountain air that made breathing laborious. Each day was marked by long hours of walking, navigating icy paths and braving freezing winds. Despite the hardships, our resolve remained unshaken, fuelled by the greater purpose of our journey. Our route took us through several picturesque Himalayan villages, including Phakding, Tengboche, Dingboche, Lobuche and Gorak Shep, each one offering a unique blend of natural beauty and cultural richness. The sight of prayer flags fluttering against the backdrop of snow-capped peaks, the warmth of Sherpa hospitality, and the serene monasteries provided us with moments of solace and inspiration.
were surrounded by the grandeur of the world’s tallest mountain. Standing there with the ‘End Polio’ banner, we felt an overwhelming sense of accomplishment. This was more than just a personal achievement; it was a message of hope and resilience, broadcast to the world from one of its remotest corners.
Throughout the journey, our primary mission was to spread awareness about polio eradication. Despite the logistical challenges of the trek, we carried the banner with pride and shared Rotary’s message with everyone we encountered. The mountain trails, though demanding, became a platform for advocacy as we spoke to locals and fellow trekkers about the importance of immunisation and Rotary’s global health initiatives. The harsh climate tested our endurance, and the lack of oxygen at higher altitudes made even simple tasks arduous. Yet, our determination to fulfill our mission kept us going. Overcoming these obstacles brought us closer as a
On November 13 at precisely 3:20 pm, we reached the Everest Base Camp. The moment was surreal, as we
team and reinforced our belief in the power of collective effort.
Returning to Lukla after completing the trek was a moment of triumph and reflection. The journey had left us physically exhausted but mentally exilerated. We were reminded of the significance of perseverance, not just in the mountains but also in the fight against polio, which requires relentless dedication and global cooperation.
It was an honour to represent our Rotary district and bring attention to a campaign that has already made significant strides in eradicating polio from the world.
As we returned home, safe and healthy, we carried with us memories of an unforgettable adventure and the satisfaction of having made a small but meaningful contribution to a global cause.
V Muthukumaran
It is up to the 1.4 million Rotarians to create the right impact in the world through service projects, the kind of new members they bring in, and showcasing our brand for the “magic of Rotary to happen,” said Trustee Ijeoma Pearl Okoro, RI president representative in her inaugural address at the RID 3234’s conference (discon) titled Sanghamitra — The magic of friendship in Chennai. Rotary should be made irresistible by “making the club experience beautiful. Our strength lies in membership across 36,000 clubs in 515 RI districts spread over 34 zones in 200 countries and regions. Hence, we have to engage our members through meaningful activities,” she said. Also, there is a need to rope in Rotaractors
into our Rotary projects and outreach efforts “for you can’t beat their energy and enthusiasm.” Now, Rotaract clubs will be able to expand their reach and impact by taking up global, district grant projects in a big way, she noted.
A member of RC Port Harcourt, RID 9141, Nigeria, she recalled her interaction with the late PDG Rekha Shetty and memories of her earlier visits to Chennai. “A discon is a time to learn and unlearn, make new friends, and celebrate the spirit of diversity.”
Addressing the conference DG NS Saravanan said that as governor, “I had never set a target, but started with the hope that our work and effort will make us proud in the future.” In just seven months, the district clubs have contributed over $1 million to
TRF, and in other performance indices too “we are at the level mandated by RI,” he said. With a line-up of lively, stimulating sessions, good speakers and entertainment shows for two days, it is time to relax and enjoy the programmes, he said, and thanked discon chair Ravi Sundaresan and his team for “working tirelessly to put up this grand ensemble.”
Network with other Rotarians and create new bonds of friendship which will help you to grow as a person, said PRID AS Venkatesh. “While you will enjoy listening to great speakers and celebrities, take time off to make new friends and widen your contact as that will broaden your vision,” he said. The maiden discon of RID 3234 in its charter year “is nothing short of an
amazing show including the food that is simply awesome,” he said.
Speaking on the startup ecosystem, S Krishnan, secretary, ministry of electronics and information technology (MeitY), said higher educational institutes must take a leaf out of IITMadras whose IIT-M Research Park is incubating a number of startups led by “innovative entrepreneurs”.
Even if just one per cent of over two lakh students who join engineering colleges (government counselling) each year in Tamil Nadu alone, that is 2,000 youth, aspire to be entrepreneurs, “we can create a new ecosystem with enough facilities for incubators at higher institutes and places across India for the innovators to succeed. We need to facilitate startups to come out with new business models, create jobs and wealth.”
In the coming years, disruptive technologies like AI, semiconductors and deep tech will create a new paradigm in doing business. The digital economy which was less than six per cent of the GDP a few years ago, has crossed 13 per cent now, and poised
to surpass 20 per cent by the turn of this decade, he said. The ease of doing business for startups is critical for their success, hence venture and risk capitalists have to help the entrepreneurs in setting up that ecosystem.
Earlier, IIT-Madras director V Kamakoti speaking on the ‘Future of youth education’ said the schooling system in India is very good. “By its very design our primary education has built in ethical values in its core curriculum.” The children have integrated this school education in their formative years as part of their life, he said.
But the problem is in the Gross Enrolment Ratio which is at a pathetic 28.2 per cent; that is out of 100 students
Left: RID 3234 DG NS
Saravanan and Bharati, along with (from left) RID 3233
DGN Shriram Duvvuri, DGE
D Devendran, PDGs Muthu Palaniappan, R Srinivasan, I S A K Nazar, PRID AS Venkatesh, RID 3234 DGE
Vinod Saraogi, RID 3233
DG Mahaveer Bothra and PDG N Nandakumar.
who complete school education in India, 72 of them never go to college at all.
“To address this GER issue, we have set up over 2,000 Vidya Shakti centres in villages that serve as a digital bridge between poor students and the IIT faculty, students and alumni who interact with rural children in their mother tongue, and motivate them to scale up their aspirations in higher education,” he explained. IIT-Madras has opened up its programmes for all through its digital non-campus programmes like BS in Data Science; and Electronic Systems — both these courses are open to all irrespective of age and qualifications. But they have to pass an entrance test (ET) for which training is given by the IIT faculty and poor students can avail fee scholarships. At present around 46,000 students are enrolled in these two BS programmes.
India’s higher education must align with the 17 SDGs (sustainable development gaols) of UN, and “that can be done through democratisation of quality and affordable education. Youth must do fundamental work in emerging, critical sectors like AI, biotech, quantum computing, AML (adaptive
Discon mentor AVM Balasubramanian presents Rotary Lifetime Achievement Award to cricketer R Ashwin. Also seen are RI Director Anirudha Roychowdhury and DG Saravanan.
machine learning) etc for India to become a tech superpower,” he added.
Recalling his journey in the IT industry, Infosys co-founder and Axilor Ventures chairman Kris Gopalakrishnan said the IT bellwether with revenue of $20 billion “has been profitable from day one, export driven and one of the top 10 software firms in the world.” Infosys is the first company in India to introduce ESOPs for its employees in the 1990s. The IT major has got the trust of all stakeholders which is critical for the firm’s success.
With $300 billion as revenue (including exports), the IT sector contributed seven per cent of India’s GDP,
Our primary education is good by its very design, but the problem lies in the higher education with GER at 28.2 per cent.
V Kamakoti, IIT-Madras director
eight per cent of its total exports, and employed 5.5 million people, he said. “But we have to address the attrition issue which is over 20 per cent, and for which Infosys provides a special training to new staff at its Mysuru centre.” India has over 100 unicorns (startups with over $1 billion in valuation), it is the youngest nation with over 50 per cent of its population in the 20–35 age group, largest STEM talent pool, and access to latest knowledge tech and equipment… all of which will enable our workforce to create a new development model, new products and digital services for the eight billion people in the world.
However, for India to become a developed nation, “we need to increase its per capita income from the present $3,000 to over $15,000, and this is possible only if we transform from being consumers of products and technologies to producers of cutting-edge services, global brands by owning their intellectual properties, and investing heavily in R&D across sectors.” At present, India’s GDP is $4.3 trillion, the fifth largest economy after the US ($30 trillion), China ($19.5 trillion), Germany ($5 trillion) and Japan ($4.4 trillion).
Ashish Chauhan, CEO, National Stock Exchange, said that just as the people trust Indian parliament, judiciary and the politicians they elect, “they also trust our stock exchange, NSE, which has a market capitalisation of `380 lakh crore and 110 million investors across the country.” Even ordinary men have turned billionaires by investing through the NSE in blue chip companies, he said. The NSE is the fourth largest in terms of market cap after the bourses in the US, China and Japan. The middle-class investors trust the ability of Indian entrepreneurs to create wealth, and hence they buy shares of listed companies with potential for growth. “In the next 50 years, more wealth will be created than in the last 10,000 years and India as the youngest nation in the world, will be at the forefront of this surge in wealth.”
ACS Medical College and Hospital chancellor AC Shanmugam, Asia Engineering Company chairman Mahendra K Jain, Gopalakrishnan and Chauhan were presented with Rotary Lifetime Achievement Awards. On the next day, RI Director Anirudha Roychowdhury honoured cricketer R Ashwin with the same award for his record haul of over 500 wickets in international matches, and making the country proud with his artful spin bowling, winning matches for India, said the citation.
Rotary Village and Peace Park, designed by RC Madras East, at the House of Friendship displayed 16 digital bays for delegates to experience Rotary. Discon chairman Ravi Sundaresan, its mentor AVM Balasubramanian, PDGs Abirami Ramanathan, J Sridhar, district secretary Vidya Ragu and DGND Vijaya Bharathi spoke at the inaugural. Around 2,500 delegates, 700 Rotaractors, and 15 Rotarians from Ethiopia, Nigeria, Sri Lanka, Singapore and Malaysia participated.
PRID Venkatesh: Moderator at RI Assembly
Past RI Director AS Venkatesh made history as the first Indian to serve as moderator at the 2025 Rotary International Assembly in Orlando, Florida. “I was in your seat as governor-elect 18 years ago at San Diego, and have since travelled a long path,” he said, as he officially opened Rotary’s largest training session for governors-elect. Venkatesh served as RI director during 2021–23, and as RI treasurer in 2022–23.
PRID A S
declares the International Assembly held in February at Orlando, US, open.
Team Rotary News
Mega projects in Moradabad
RIDE M Muruganandam and DG
Deepa Khanna were chief guests at the golden jubilee event of RC Moradabad Mid Town, RID 3100. Marking the milestone year, the club completed projects worth ` 12 lakh, including reconstruction of a school building, distributing 1,000 jackets across 20 schools, providing ceiling fans, water coolers and furniture to schools, organising a medical camp and sponsoring school fees for 30 girls.
The Rotary Charitable Diagnostic Centre was inaugurated by RC Mansa Royal, RID 3090, under a GG project ($31,860) done in partnership with four Indian RI districts, RID 7255, US, and RID 1145, UK. The project was supported by IPDG Ghanshyam Kansal, PRID AS Venkatesh and PDG Ravi Bhooplapur from the US.
Rotary Peace Pole in Manipur
To mark Rotary’s 120th anniversary (Feb 23), RC Imphal and RC Polo City Imphal, RID 3240, organised a blood donation camp, collecting around 40 units with support from the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences, Imphal. A Rotary Peace Pole was put up at the Rotary Bhavan, Mantripukhri.
Club member Sumnesh Rastogi handing over a cheque of `5 lakh to RIDE M Muruganandam for reconstruction of a school building.
IPDG Ghanshyam Kansal (centre) with club members at the new diagnostic centre.
Club members at the inauguration of
Pole.
V Muthukumaran
Agreenfield hospice, Nimmathi ($1 million) will be set up by RC Bangalore Midtown with club donations, CSR/GG grants and fundraisers. Through a process of underground recharge near a lake and filtration, “we supply six lakh litres of potable water, 50 per cent of daily requirement, to Devanahalli town. This project worth `2 crore attracts municipality officials to study and replicate it in their areas,” says Satish Madhavan.
E-autorickshaws will be given to 100 women, and 400 child heart surgeries will be done under
. “We have done 2,000 service projects in the first six months of this Rotary year including a vision centre (CSR: ` 8 crore) at the Sri Sathya Sai Sarla Hospital, Muddenahalli; two telemedicine centres at Chikkaballapur; a mental wellness drive touching 10,000 people; a palliative care unit (`27 lakh) at the Government Medical College, Tirupati; and digital classes at 6,000 Arivu Kendras in villages.”
Having found that among the 91 district clubs, “a large number of them, some even over 25 years old, have not done a single global grant project, I urged them to do a GG, with required mentoring,” says Sivakumar.
A novel Epilepsy Prevention Integrated Care (EPIC) project was held recently, 15 creches were upgraded in Ramanagara and Kolar districts, and over 100 digital classrooms, STEM Labs were set up in government schools. His TRF-giving target is $1 million. Confident of the headcount crossing 4,000 from 3,500-plus across 90 clubs, he says Rotary “is a perfect platform to give back to society, and be part of a global effort of doing good.”
Now thanks to this approach, RC Dharmapuri will be setting up two dialysis centres (`32 lakh) at charity hospitals; eight Hosur clubs have donated five dialysis units ($50,000) at the government hospital, Krishnagiri; RC Yercaud will be supplying equipment for blood storage and peripherals (`28 lakh) to the neonatal ward of the GH, Yercaud; and RCs Sankagiri ($32,000) and Salem Texcity ($33,000) will be giving medical equipment to the government hospital and primary health care centre respectively.
In 2015–16, he led (`72 lakh) which distributed around 700 artificial limbs to Sri Lankan students. “It was an eye-opener for me. I got passionately involved in Rotary projects from then on, though I joined it in 2008.”
Following positive feedback from that project, his district clubs distributed 1,000 bicycles to Lankan students in the first phase in March, with the resolve to reach out to 4,000 beneficiaries in the coming months.
His target for TRF-giving is $500,000. “Service projects that change lives motivate me to do better and expand my reach to the underprivileged,” he smiles.
V Sivakumar
Awell-known ambassador for organ dona-
tion, Dr Sandeep Chauhan is promoting this cause for over 10 years in Rajasthan, Haryana and Punjab, “through seminars, special events and medical camps ,” he says. After he joined Rotary in 2011, he took up many projects to create awareness on cadaver organ donation among the public.
He wants to organise at least 250 medical camps, each of which will screen around 250 patients for various ailments. He has inaugurated key projects including a diagnostic lab (GG: $30,000) in Mansa; and two dialysis centres (GG: $30,000) at a charity hospital in Uklana, Haryana, and the GH, Ahmednagar. Another GG project worth $25,000 for installing a blood component separator for thalassaemia patients at the Tapovan Blood Bank, Sri Ganganagar, is in the pipeline.
The district clubs make full use of a mammography bus in the last four years, “and this year we will reach out to 1,500 beneficiaries. We also have a standby mobile clinic from the Tapovan Bank,” he explains. For TRF-giving, he aims to collect $225,000. Chauhan has prepared a calendar of service projects like tree plantation, blood donation and road safety awareness. “Each month, our clubs take up one signature project for a joint initiative.”
For this businessman involved in global trade, “service to humanity” keeps him motivated, and “I enjoy fellowship that connects me with new friends right from 2005 when I joined Rotary,” says Mahesh Trikha.
His big-ticket projects include 5–7 new check dams ( ` 51 lakh) in Alwar, Rajasthan; medical equipment ($15,000) to Maharaja Agrasen Hospital, Delhi; and hi-tech gadgets ($276,000) to a new Rotary Eye Centre at the Vivekanand Arogya Kendra, Gurugram — all of them under GGs in the pipeline. “We will vaccinate 50,000 girls against cervical cancer in the first phase. Our HPV camps are also held in Bengaluru, Guntur and Jaipur.”
He has inducted 160 new members and wants to add 100 more to the tally of 2,700-plus across 135 clubs as on March.
The district has three mammography buses that screen thousands of women every year; a dental hygiene care bus, a diabetes testing van, and a mobile clinic that holds mental wellness camps — all the three vehicles reach out to hundreds of beneficiaries a month. “Our adult literacy programme covers over a lakh of new learners, and this year, we are training 40,000 government school teachers to upgrade their pedagogy,” smiles Trikha. While one million cloth bags are distributed, plastic bags are retrieved from vendors, small shops and retailers.
Over 1,000 cataract surgeries are done each year, and the Rotary Prem Sagar Goel Heart Hospital, Gurugram, is doing congenital heart, cleft lip and palate, and club foot surgeries at a marginal cost for some time now. He aims to collect $1.8 million for TRF.
Source: RI South Asia Office
4,058 6,203 5,324 3,931 4,570 5,543 2,357 3,141 3,408 3,746 5,134 3,099 4,385 2,605 2,204 3,736 3,790 5,427 3,837 6,590 4,004 4,035 2,463 6,624 3,743 3,711 3,337 3,349 6,640 5,208 2,794 5,244 4,662 3,618 3,308 3,194 3,513 4,395 3,420 3,888 3,771 173,995 2,093 1,469 1,152 5,249 2,853 5,556
50 5.91
59
0.99
4.55
07
6.22
4.76
7.73 12 12 25 15 15.60 15.49 13.43 6.26 10.57 11.86 15.78 35 58 14.73 28.65 22.78 12.86 8.93 15.02 10.93 11 02 19.84 22 22 10 00 7.43 9.74
The 2024–25 Annual Fund (AF) Challenge is here
Get ready, Rotary members! The Annual Fund Challenge is back this Rotary year, and it’s bigger, better,
For District District achieving AF per capita of $200 or more
For Club NA
and packed with more opportunities for your district club to shine! Brought to you by Trustee Bharat Pandya and RRFCs from Zones 4, 5, 6, and 7, this year’s challenge
comes with exciting new criteria that increase your chances of victory. Step up, take on the challenge, and secure special honours at the Delhi Institute in November 2025!
100% members contributing $25 or more to AF, or the district reaching an AF per capita of $175 or more
Minimum $25 contribution by each member along with on AF per capita of $200
At least 75% members contributing $25 or more to AF, or the district reaching an AF per capita of $150 or more
Minimum $25 contribution by each member along with AF per capita of $100
At least 50% members contributing $25 or more each to the AF, or the district reaching AF per capita of $100 or more
Minimum $25 contribution by each member
Eligibility Criteria: To be eligible for district award, the district must achieve 100% clubs giving with minimum $100 from each club
For 2023–24 Annual Fund Challenge winners refer 2023–24_annualfundchallengeawards_district-wise-statistics.pdf.
The top three ARRFCs recognised by RRFCs for their district’s performance under AF Challenge for 2023–24 were:
Zone 4 :PDG Sharad Jain (RID 3012)
Zone 5 :PDG A Karthikeyan (RID 3203)
Zone 6 :PP MK JHA (RID 3292)
Zone 7 : PDG Pankaj Shah (RID 3131)
From each zone, district with highest new PHS members (minimum 20 new PHS members) with an overall eligibility of 80% (percentage of PHS members fulfilling their commitment) will be eligible for this award.
Appoint District Foundation positions for 2025–26
To successfully reach the fundraising goals for 2025–26, DGEs must
establish a complete team dedicated to prioritising the Foundation among club leaders. Please appoint the district chairs for Endowment/Major Gifts, CSR, AnnualFund Subcommittee, Paul Harris Society Coordinator, Fundraising Subcommittee and Polio Plus Subcommitee
Report these individuals to RI so that they can have access to essential reports and information that can support all your fundraising efforts. To submit these appointments, log into My Rotary - Manageand select the District Administration tab.
Have you read Rotary News Plus?
This online publication is sent to the e-mail ID of every subscribing member. Read Rotary News Plus on our website www.rotarynewsonline.org
RID
RI District 2981
All the eight Rotary clubs in Mayiladuthurai, TN, jointly hosted a job fair that saw 450 candidates attending on-thespot placement interviews. In the fair, 165 youth received job offers, 50 per cent among them were women.
RC Visakhapatnam
RID
3011
RC Gurgaon Cosmopolitan
A mobile toilet was inaugurated at the Vision Foundation Girls’ Hostel, Sikanderpur, with the support of RCs Delhi Manthan and Gurgaon. The new sanitation facility brought smiles on the faces of girls, many of them from northeast India.
Board games and fruits worth `5,000 were handed over to cancer inflicted children at the St Jude India Child Care Centre. Children were invited for Udaan, a school exhibition on themes like environment, human feelings, fun learning, etc. RID 3020
RC Smart City Chandrapur
Uniforms were distributed to 100 students of a deaf and dumb school in Chandrapur. White canes, blankets and groceries, along with some cash, were given to visuallyimpaired on World Differently-abled Day.
RC Pudukkottai City
A mega health check-up camp was held at the Gandhinagar Corporation Primary School with the support of Duraisamy Nursing Home, Bharat Jankal Pharmacy, Sanjeevi Clinic and Atma Blood Bank. Patients were screened, given consultations and medicines.
RC Hisar
Quilts were distributed to 25 elderly inmates at the Bhumi Ashram, an old age home in Hisar, to protect them from wintery nights. The project lifted the public image of the club in the neighbourhood.
3080
RC Ambala Industrial Area Rotarians led by club president Dalip Kumar distributed sweaters and shoes to students at the B D Arya Senior Secondary School. Sports kits were handed over to principal Shalini Gupta.
WPreeti Mehra
The ‘Solar Gandhi’ shares his thoughts on simple living.
ith summer upon us, keeping cool is a big concern and the subject of much discussion. For those trying to follow a sustainable lifestyle, it is much more challenging to figure out how to save the planet by consuming less energy, yet tide over the hot summer months in reasonable comfort.
This time I thought it best to speak to an authority on the subject. Professor Chetan Solanki from IIT, Mumbai, popularly referred to as ‘Solar Gandhi’, is on an ‘energy swaraj yatra’. He has been living in a self-designed solar-powered vehicle for the past four and a half years, and moves from one geographical location to another educating people, institutions, governments, anyone who wants to listen to him about the importance of reducing energy consumption and saving the planet for generations to come. He uses only solar energy to cook meals for himself and his small team that lives and moves with him.
spreading the word of how rapidly the climate is changing and if we do not do anything about it, our children are doomed to a miserable existence.
He has simple thoughts which run deep. He wants people to realise that, though technology, businesses, consumption and populations are growing, the planet’s size will never grow. It
is finite and so are soil, water and land resources. If we do not stop exploiting them beyond their capacity and allow greenhouse gases to warm our planet, life on earth itself is threatened. In fact, according to data from the Centre for Science and Environment, 2024 was the warmest year on record, with the global average temperature at 1.6 degrees
Prof Chetan Solanki with his solar-powered bus. He is on a 11-year mission to educate people about the need to reduce energy consumption.
Solanki quit his teaching profession to dedicate 11 years of his life to
Instead of looking up to people who travel in BMWs and consume beyond their needs, we need to value people who consume less.
Celsius above the pre-industrial level. A very worrying reality.
Over the last many decades, we have been choosing short-term gain, he says, and that’s what has led to climate change, which is set to create even more climate-related disasters such as floods, cyclones and heatwaves. This in turn will create extensive havoc in terms of loss of lives, damage to infrastructure, property, agriculture and threaten our food security as well. If we instead choose short-term pain, it will translate into long-term gain for our children. “Comfort and convenience are a double-edged sword,” he reiterates emphatically.
So, what does he suggest we do to beat the summer heat, and simultaneously work towards saving the planet? Though his solutions may sound
drastic to many, they are worth listening to and emulating if one can commit oneself. Prof Solanki, of course, does not believe in using air-conditioners, and uses a cooler instead in his retrofitted vehicle. He points out that ACs may improve the air quality and provide indoor comfort, but they guzzle energy, drive up temperatures and contribute to the climate crisis. The refrigerants used in them, particularly hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), are potent greenhouse gases that add to air pollution and help create what is known as the urban heat island effect.
However, for those who just cannot live without an AC and insist on switching it on, he suggests keeping it at 26 degrees or even better, 27 degrees Celsius to create the least climate impact. He recalls how he has seen people using ACs at 18 degrees Celsius and sleeping under a blanket to stay warm, an action that has little logic.
A friend of mine has a suggestion regarding sensible use of ACs. He says closing windows and doors, and switching on the machine at 26° C, 15 minutes before using a room, helps cool things down and prevent you from reaching for the remote and turning the AC to 18° C because the room is too hot and needs to be quickly cooled! Very often, people go off to sleep without adjusting the temperature.
With summer, all water and juice bottles go into the refrigerator. Instead of cooling water in a fridge, the good professor suggests using the potter’s traditional ‘matka’, which has been used for centuries to keep water cool and fresh. Water, he says, takes very high energy to cool or heat. Why not drink cool water stored in earthenware like our ancestors did, he suggests.
Closing windows and doors, and switching on the AC at 26° C, 15 minutes before using a room, helps keep the room temperature down.
We will have to deal with solar panel waste, battery waste, data centres guzzling energy and water, water and air pollution. The better way to deal with climate issue is to cut consumption. So, if you genuinely want to pursue a green lifestyle, he suggests we pledge not to buy clothes for a year as we already have enough of them, reduce ironing clothes as that is energy intensive, repair your shoes, bags and gadgets instead of throwing them away and buying new ones. If we go for holidays nearby, instead of travelling great distances, and if we purchase only what is needed, we could make a difference.
He says that though we are trying to find solutions in shifting to solar power, electric vehicles, charging stations, artificial intelligence etc, in the long run these will become part of the problem.
“There needs to be a change in perception. Instead of looking up to people who travel in BMWs and consume beyond their needs, we need to value people who consume less… only a public movement can do this,” he emphasises. And while he intends to live away from home in his vehicle for seven more years to spread the message, he hopes many others may join him by consuming less, switching off ACs, and be mindful of the lifestyle they pursue. His website (https://energyswaraj.org/) serves as a guide. Perhaps this summer could be the right time to take the pledge!
The writer is a senior journalist who writes on environmental issues
Bharat & Shalan Savur
What really defines you and pigeon-holes you in society’s memory bank is your skin. More accurately, your colour — black, white or brown — is your most visual characteristic; it profiles you in the mental folder. Most often, your reference is not your facial features. It is the more obvious colour of your skin, and this, consciously or unconsciously, becomes your identity card. Beauty is not just skin deep. Because the skin stands for so much more…
Your skin is the body wrap woven by the warps and warts of time. Unlike a snake that sheds and replaces its entire skin in one go, the human conditioning of the skin is a stop-and-start affair spread over time. It is the final frontier of our body.
Your skin is also a good indicator of your inner health. You are what you eat. Hence, quite often, it isn’t what you’ve eaten but what’s eating you that erupts on your face and/or body. An early warning signal of inner turmoil. If health is wealth, hygiene is its hard currency.
The body has three skin levels. Going top-down, the first and outermost is the epidermis. It is tasked with protecting the skin frontier. It hydrates and produces new skin cells when required. The second layer, dermis, contains fibres, a gel-like fluid, capillaries, nerve endings and hair follicles. It also contains sebaceous glands that produce a lubricant and sweat glands which act like an air-conditioner to regulate the temperature of the body. The hypodermis is the third layer that
stores fat and is the buffer that cushions muscles and bones from injuries. The skin ‘breathes’ air, in a manner of speaking, and generates vitamins. An estimated 90 per cent of our blood Vitamin D is D3. Sources, apart from fresh air and sunshine, are eggs and fatty fish like salmon.
Thirty minutes of sunshine on skin suffices to maintain Vitamin D levels, increase immunity and keep our bones strong. Most of our subcontinent celebrates 300–330 sunny days in a year — more than sufficient time for the skin to ‘inhale’ Vitamin D3. The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) states that a daily supplement of 400 IU (International Units) are sufficient. Our wheat-brown skin contains melanin, a natural normal protector against developing melanoma and other skin cancers.
Yet, some studies say that between 50 to 94 per cent of Indians are Vitamin D deficient. Perhaps these figures are conceived and developed by vested interests in the pharma market? Skin specialists do not see eye-to-eye on what is a ‘normal’ Vitamin D level. ICMR values above nine nanograms (NG) per ml as sufficient. America’s Endocrine Society recommends a level above 30 NG/ ml and leading pathological labels alert you if this level dips below the US standard. As always, the US once again sets the skin’s Vitamin D3 standard for the world to follow.
It follows — the US, once famed for its land of opportunity tag, also leads and lends itself to pharma-medico opportunism.
The normal Vitamin D3 level is 12 NG/ml, which combined with the natural intake of calcium, is sufficient protection. This should be underlined and strictly observed. Because social media magnifies this vitamin as a magical pill. A cure-all solution for everything from fatigue, hair loss, diabetes, to high blood pressure. Even cancer. Doctors can be guilty too by acts of commission or just turning a blind eye. Prescribing a harmful Vitamin D shot may not burden their conscience. Chemists, in most cases, overlook their ‘by prescription only’ precaution. Even more significant, a play on a person’s vanity or fears feeds and multiplies that factor.
The truth is simple. Fifteen to 30 minutes of sunshine exposure daily is all that it takes. To top it all, sunshine is one of the few good things that come for free in this sun-bathed country.
Just put on your shoes. And as that old song ‘These boots are meant for walking’ concludes: ‘Keep walking’. A Nancy Sinatra sung solution. Fact, not fancy.
Vitamin D plays a part in producing calcium transporters in our intestinal cells. This process enables the absorption of calcium from food in the digestive track. When calcium
and phosphorus swim together in the bloodstream, they combine to strengthen and mineralise the skeletal structure.
The dermatologist is numero uno in the cosmetic field. A big business market for those who make ‘beautiful skin’ their livelihoods. From to be brides, models, actors, and all those whose appearance matters, the dermatologist is the first and final choice. The layman may not know that these doctors work on skin cancer and autoimmune disorders, but they do know their new avatar. The ‘insta’ in the Instagram world of luxury, travel and ‘selfie-conscious’ individuals. As doctors, they cannot advertise. But hold it, they don’t need to. There is the internet to promote their wares. Their Q&A sessions attract people by the thousands. And mega-buck fortunes are at their beckoning, with followers and clients in their trail.
Meanwhile, the black is beautiful concept went out with the GOAT (greatest of all times) Mohammed Ali who flitted like a butterfly and stung like a bee in the swinging ’60s era. However, fair and lovely more than took its place.
Thirty minutes of sunshine on skin suffices to maintain Vitamin D levels, increase immunity and keep our bones strong.
Let’s come to vegetables that are good for your skin. The beetroot blends appearance with high-level nutrition. As part of a dish or tossed into a salad. In fact, it is so rich as a holistic health food that it requires no other vegetable to complete your salad. It can reverse high blood pressure. It has nitrates which convert into nitric acid and keep our arteries flexible. It also reduces bad cholesterol and triglycerides. Just toss seven or eight pieces in your lunch and dinner. You could also juice it. It provides a rich-red energiser that would make a tomato blush.
Eighty-five per cent of your immunity lies in your gut. And 85 per cent of cancer is lifestyle created. And, of course, the beetroot is loaded with vitamins and minerals. The Vitamin D that sunshine dispenses can be complimented with what beetroot provides. Because it also aids elimination of waste. Giving the skin that extra glow. Bon appetit: Enjoy the sunshine of your life.
The writers are authors of Fitness for Life and Simply Spiritual – You Are Naturally Divine and teachers of the Fitness for Life programme
Reflecting upon an article on translation, and a personal memoir.
Sandhya Rao
eading Jayasree Kalathil’s article on translation, ‘Literary translation and its discontents’, in scroll.in recently, reminded me of something in connection with the translation, some years ago, of a Gujarati folktale into Marathi. In the story — titled All Free in the English version — a man called Bhikhubhai craves freshly grated coconut and so he goes in search of it, but at the cheapest cost. He finally finds himself in a coconut grove where a coconut falls on his head — all for free! It’s a lighthearted story, meant to be taken in the spirit in which it is narrated. However, the Marathi translator simply refused to render the ending as it was. ‘You can die if a coconut falls on the head!’ she exclaimed. ‘I refuse to translate this.’ The arguments went back and forth. She was not wrong, a coconut landing on your head has the potential to kill. She won. While none of this could likely contribute to translation theory, it certainly sheds light on the nuanced
Rnature of the task. Jayasree Kalathil writes, ‘I asked Daisy Rockwell, author, artist, and translator of Geetanjali Shree’s Tomb of Sand (Ret Samadhi) (see Wordsworld, August 2022), the first book from an Indian language (Hindi) to win the International Booker Prize, about the misconceptions she encounters. “The most common misconception is definitely a firm belief that literary translation is an act of word-for-word literal rendering from one language to another,” she told me. “Words and phrases are surrounded by invisible forcefields. These can contain countless things: history, culture, linguistics, emotions, religion … A literary translator works to bring these invisible factors into the translation, not just each word and its literal meaning.” ’
Jayasree draws attention to a beautiful word used by translator Jennifer Croft to describe translation as the ‘afterlife’ of a work: ‘In an interview with Cat Acree, editorcum-writer, for BookPage, she comments that: “What we do (as translators) enriches the cultural ecosystem, the linguistic ecosystem. The original text doesn’t even really matter that much. What matters is this potentially really lovely afterlife that (a work) can have, and all of the echoes and reverberations that it can have throughout that ecosystem.”
This is such a brilliant way of acknowledging translation, particularly relevant in India which is rich with languages, only some of which can be and are being accessed thanks to the work of translators. The idea of ‘afterlife’ seems all the more relevant in the context of the current debate on language imposition. As it is, languages are dying away without our active help. Returning from the last book club meeting, one of my friends bemoaned the fact that her grandchildren were no longer conversing in their mother tongue, something they used to do spontaneously when they were younger. Perhaps we should discuss this in detail in the future.
For now, I’d like to tell you about a surprise words-and-memory related gift that landed on my lap a few days ago. What happened was, my friend from
music class and I were chatting on the phone when she casually mentioned that her dad had jotted down his memories of teaching in a school. My interest was instantly piqued and when I probed further, I discovered that what had started as curiosity on the part of an old student had grown into a sustained recollection committed to writing. ‘It’s not been printed,’ my friend said. ‘It’s in pdf format.’ ‘I want to read it,’ I responded. ‘Please share it with me.’ And so she did. Running into about 180 pages, the memoir compelled my attention and got me thinking about the importance of personal narratives. But, let’s start at the beginning.
The very first chapter of S V Venkatachalam’s memoirs covering the twenty or so years he taught at the Rishi Valley School (RVS) in Madanapalle, Andhra Pradesh, is titled, ‘Teaching in schools, the last option’. Back then, around the 1950s, newspaper reports suggested that people preferred to become doctors, engineers, pilots… anything but teachers. He writes, ‘I remember an occasion when a member of the KFI (Krishnamurti Foundation of India) Trust was talking to a group of students in RVS during
the ’60s and asking them what they would like to become when they grow up. Most of the students mentioned the options stated above, but no one wanted to become a teacher.
“
Words and phrases are surrounded by invisible forcefields…
A literary translator works to bring these invisible factors into the translation, not just each word and its literal meaning.
Surprisingly Arun Joshi stood up and said with a smile, “I would like to become a clown.” All of us had a hearty laugh.’
Well, we do have some brave souls today who are stand-up comics, so in that sense we have come a long way, but doctors, engineers, lawyers, accountants, IT professionals still prevail. Teachers continue to feature nowhere on the list of options. I remember my paternal grandmother telling me that my grandfather, the youngest of eight sons, wanted to become a teacher, but, having failed the intermediate exam, he felt he was not worthy to be a teacher. He studied medicine, instead, and became a TB specialist!
Venkatachalam or Venks/Venks Sir as he was popularly called, had to exercise his powers of persuasion to the fullest in order to train to be a teacher, a science teacher. After all, teachers earned only around 80–90 rupees a month in the ’60s and ’70s. He recalls being told by one of his teachers at the Government Teachers Training College, Mysuru: ‘If the student has not learnt, the teacher has not taught.’ These wise words inspired him to become the kind of teacher he became, one whom students remembered with respect and affection. Yet, he was not simply a man of books and words and scientific experiments, he believed in all-round development. He had been a scout, he had been in the NCC, he was proficient in languages and music, and
was always game for a challenge; these were the values he tried to inject into his students at RVS. He talks about all of these things, the importance of small numbers in classrooms, the natural environment, the spirit of adventure and exploration, the ability to revel in nature.
One of the most beautiful things he records is the practice of Astachal (watching the sunset behind the western mountain) at RVS. The principal, FG Pearce, had carried along the practice of watching the sunset from his previous stint as principal of Scindia School, Gwalior. At RVS, everyone gathered every evening at a particular spot to sit quietly and watch the sun go down behind the Rishi Konda range. In the background were the Horseley Hills. Astachal, the hill at the time of sunset… Such serenity, such calm, such beauty. When Venks Sir writes ‘Children are curious by nature... their curiosity comes in handy for the teacher to encourage them to ask questions. There should be no attempt to stifle them,’ he doesn’t say anything new. But when he adds, ‘An affectionate and happy teacher who will take them outdoors to observe the facts of nature would certainly be one whom the children would love to learn from,’ it should inspire everybody. As the poet William Blake said, ‘…to see a world in a grain of sand…’
We all have stories to share and one of the best legacies we can bequeath to our children and grandchildren is a glimpse into those worlds through any means possible: pictures, words, recordings. They will always be a source of solace, refuge and encouragement. At any time, always.
The columnist is a children’s writer and senior journalist
Atwo-day artificial limb fitment camp was hosted by RC Manipal, RID 3182, to celebrate the birthday of its senior member Premaleela. The prosthetic hand, designed by the Inali Foundation, was fitted on 91 amputees who came from places like Chennai, Belgaum, Bagalkot, Davangere and across Udupi district. The beneficiaries were trained to use the battery-operated Inali hands under Project Premada Kaigalu. Manipal Mahila Samaj, Inali Foundation, IMA Udupi Karavali, IMA UK Women Doctors Wing and RC Poona Downtown have partnered for the project.
A training session on electrical maintenance in progress.
Twenty industrial workers were trained in electrical maintenance at a two-day workshop hosted by RC Bangalore Udyog, RID 3192, at its Rotary building where a state-of-the-art module was installed for the event. The workshop upgraded the skills of trainees and they gave positive feedback to the club on the session which had boosted their confidence.
RI director Anirudha Roychowdhury inaugurated a mobile cancer detection clinic which was donated to the Netaji Subash Chandra Bose Cancer Hospital, New Garia. The global grant project worth $96,887 was led by RC Calcutta in partnership with RCs Dubbo, Dubbo South (Australia) and Singapore.
The medical bus, equipped with hi-tech machines to detect all types of cancer, will be used to conduct special camps in villages across West Bengal. “Those detected with cancerous cells will be given free consultation. Further treatment, if necessary, will be done at a subsidised rate,” said Arindam Roychowdhury, chairman, special projects, RC Calcutta.
PRIP Shekhar Mehta, DG Krishnendu Gupta, PDG Hira Lal Yadav and DRFC Sudip Mukherjee were present at the launch event.
RI Director Anirudha Roychowdhury inaugurating the mobile cancer detection clinic. PDGs Hira Lal Yadav, Sudip Mukherjee and DG Krishnendu Gupta are also seen.
Tailoring machines worth `12 lakh were given to 105 women who had undergone training under Project Velicham (brightness) by RC Vellore Golden City, RID 3231, in Munjurpet village. DG Rajanbabu was the chief guest, while PDG JKN Palani issued certificates to the beneficiaries who had completed the course. DGE V Suresh and DGND T Sivakumar were also present.
RC Moradabad Bharat
RID 3100
An LED TV was donated to an old age home at Milan Vihar for the benefit of 120 inmates who were also given winter clothes, sweets and snacks by Rotarians.
RC Hyderabad Mid Town
RC Kalyan City
3142
A mega medical camp was held at the Hanuman Mandir, Rayate Pimploli, with doctors offering consultations and diagnostic tests for BP, sugar, haemoglobin, BMD, retina check-up and ECG. Medicines were distributed.
3150
Bicycles were donated to five students at the Sarojini Naidu Vanita Maha Vidyalaya, Nampally, as part of Gild Child Empowerment project. College principal Shobana lauded the efforts of the club president Amardeep Singh.
RC Manipal Town
Past president Ganesh Nayak sponsored the screening of the movie Light House for 200 students at Udupi’s Patla School with the aim to promote organ donation. DG Dev Anand and District Organ Donation chairman Sachchidananda Nayak were present.
RC Mira Road
Thirty people have benefitted from free cataract surgeries done by the club, thanks to funding by Fab-Tech Works and Construction Pvt Ltd, to mark its 30th anniversary.
3231
RC Gudiyatham
At the special camp for stomach-related disorders, 24 out of 150 patients examined by doctors from GEM Hospital were referred for further treatment. PDGs
JKN Palani, K Jawarilal Jain and members from KMG Educational Institutions were present.
RID
3203
RC Erode Thindal
A colourful Russian Dance Festival was held at the Vellalar College of Women, Erode, with the support of RC Erode Central. DG Suresh Babu, DGE B Dhanasekar and IndoRussian Friendship Society secretary Thangappan were present.
Compiled by V Muthukumaran
Rotarians and Rotary clubs, or districts, that undertake wellplanned and meticulously executed projects that benefit the local community, transforming people’s lives, naturally want them known to other Rotary clubs. What better way to do this than to showcase the project in Rotary News, which is circulated to over 1.5 lakh Rotarians, about 1,000 public libraries, educational institutions, doctors’ waiting rooms, clinics, etc and read by over 4 lakh readers every month?
We at Rotary News would like to feature the good service projects that Rotary clubs implement. But our problem is lack of information about the good projects, while routine projects keep demanding space. While most of the times we are flooded with routine welfare projects, which we don’t deny are required by the community, such as blood donation events, gifting a vehicle, medical equipment or cataract screening, we often miss out on the bigger, better, or smaller but unique projects for the simple reason that the club do not share them with us.
So here is an invitation to get your communication right; assign somebody in your club to tell us about your major projects. If you think they need to be shared with the rest of the Rotary world, please document, or make an info sheet of
the different stages of the project, keeping in mind the fundamental criteria of journalism.
• Genesis — When was the project conceived.
• Cause — Why was it planned; obviously to fulfil the needs of the local community. Describe this need.
• Cost — How was the money raised; was it a TRF grant?
• Challenges — Was finding the money a problem? Were government clearances required; how were these obtained? Other challenges and finding of solutions.
• Execution — The timeframe in which the project was completed; the different stages.
• Beneficiaries — You will have the best chance of getting your club’s project into Rotary News if you give us human interest stories… pictures and interaction with the beneficiaries.
• Pictures — Take good, action photographs of the project and its beneficiaries, send them in high resolution, original size.
• Project heroes — Highlight the Rotarians who were passionately involved in the project, even if they are not the club leaders and are silent workers.
• As Rotary is keen to get more women and younger members, give us projects done by this group.
Once you have all this in place, invite us to visit your project. Do remember we have only one magazine a month and there is a lot of demand on this space. So, as one RNT Trustee pointed out at a recent Board meet, differentiate between that which is fit for the GML, and that which can go into the national magazine for Rotarians.
Give us your best project for the magazine, rather than sending all kinds of activities, such as distribution of blankets, books or benches.
Finally, remember that we are not looking only at mega projects which cost hundreds of thousands of dollars in global grants. Even a small project that has a unique idea, and gives a simple, outof-the-box solution to the local community, is welcome.
S ource: RI South Asia Office
Fun d (AF) includes S H ARE, AoF and World Fund . PolioPlus e x cludes Bill and Melinda G ates Foundation .
2
,964
9 4,440 1,019 1,211 20,486 2,565 33,429
(former 3281)* 65 (former 3282)* 3292
Undistricted
56,472 27,344 3,246 21,647 16,491 3,601 4,378 5,317 30,816 12,789 13,425 3,401 19,289 7,069 19,318 30,079 29,483 5,331 268 2,247 12,628 4,326 40,036 1,962 2,916 1,071 24,121 0 10,421 1,000 35,361 1,500 86,977 14,563 0 0 2,071 60 3,499 0 17,384 18,942 0 3,129 8,337 129,920 23,339 137,000 50,060 142,486 1,000 2,000 50 12 158 23,500 30,681 16,034 47,001 0 85,000 66,592 2,571 70,746 50,000 6,300 8,335 1,307 168,500 4,052 0 0 1,000 0 90,026
38 66,817 295,336 954,366 932,559 77,570 101,666 28,598 0 61,065 133 181,089 0 9,561 0 34,765 237,365 55,898 843,969 43,476 2,322,162 402,878 746,489 5,787 215,213 0 22,881 133,396 133,670 613,056 67,1
,
,5
,820
0
0
97
,460 126,786 339,053 1,059,798 944,183 289,685 162,186 32,872 48,293 107,943 21,290
,959 29,302 283,419 112,638 111,193 202,941 276,962 749,238 143,963 105,267 40,252 508,199 132,771 416,221 1,088,762 277,120 300,747 23,113 86,035 447,232 92,755 60,286 4,539 11,225 1,994 313,679 49,979 37,528 39,725 63,809 9,973 96,824 40,974 4,037 47,993 40,685 19,041 155,088 22,692 18,492 15,851 29,005 16,562 55,262 481,520 48,515 397,998 391,335 121,640 19,270 44,559 96,097 84,699 65,008 114,475 74,686 47,965 33,072 25,639 285,875 15,978 22,100 112,373 183,266 142,611 3,632 73,780 119,535 60,557 9,750 2,578 6,259 922 79,434
TCA Srinivasa Raghavan
For the last 45 years I have been a journalist. Not just any journalist, but an economic journalist. Mind, not a business journalist but an economic journalist. Someone asked me why I chose this utterly boring specialisation. I hadn’t ever thought about it. But when I did, it quickly became clear that (a) very few journalists knew economics; (b) amongst those who knew economics, very few could write English properly; and (c) amongst those who knew both, hardly any wanted to become low-paid journalists. I was thus rare as a pig with wings and newspapers gave me a job very readily. The pay wasn’t great but the editors by and large didn’t know economics which means they left me alone practically all the time. I could write on any subject. I could write ill-informed articles and, as long as the English was okay along with a modicum of economic jargon, I was the cock of the walk. Not that I wrote nonsense, of course. My father, even though not an economist, knew enough of it to keep me in line. And of course, there was the punctilious girlfriend who would criticise any loose sentence or grammar.
But all things, good and bad, must pass. For reasons that had vaguely to do with the reforms of 1991, a new crop of young people started to get attracted to journalism. These girls and boys not only knew a lot of economics, they were also good at English. Happily, they were not competing with me because they were all at least 10–12 years my junior. But they were sharp, which meant I now had to contend not just with my father and my former girlfriend who had now become wife, but also young men and women with bright eyes and bushy tails. Overall, professional life became a bit
harder because the young are no respecters of seniority. You have to earn their respect.
A few years later, in the mid-1990s, along came television news. It started off a bit clunkily but by the end of the 1990s it had found its rhythm and style, which was basically wham, bam, thank you all. Many of the youngsters who had become print journalists at the start of the 1990s were lured away by TV news. They were now visible to millions and were being paid large sums of money as well. All that was needed was a good accent and a pleasant appearance. Those days it wasn’t the constant barking it has become now. The reporters went out and reported on whatever was happening. The cameras took the visuals and the editors prepared the final version. And the anchors spoke softly. It was costly but very effective. But it had no place for fellows like me who could write but froze in front of the camera.
Then, about a decade ago, along with the rest of social media, came YouTube. It started slowly but over the last three years it has exploded. It has sounded the death knell of professional journalism because it has no mechanism for filtering the good from the bad. If my dog could, it too would make a YouTube video and upload it and you could see it as news. A lot of useful stuff gets uploaded but it’s mind-boggling how much nonsense gets posted and remains on the Internet forever. The good stuff comprises only about ten per cent of all the so-called content. The question is if the good content is worth suffering the bad for. I don’t know, especially with the artificial intelligence muddying the waters even further. Earlier you could withhold a part of the story. Now you can create an entirely false ‘truth’.
Registered No. TN/CCN/360/2024-2026
Licensed to post WPP No.TN/PMG(CCR)/WPP 431/24-26
Total number of pages in this monthly issue, including cover, 84. Price: `40
Regd with RNI 3880/57. Rotary News Published 1st week of every month. Posted at Egmore RMS Patrika Channel. Date of posting: 4–10 every month.
