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UnWrapIndia: Gifts from the Real India

A few years ago, I had the opportunity to visit Channapatna, a small city located 60 km south-west of Bangalore on the Bangalore-Mysore state highway. For someone coming from Delhi, this place “gombegala ooru” meaning toy town was a whole new experience. In Delhi, there is not much for children to do except a few [...]

January 16, 2012 / 2 Comments / Read More

Science From The Fields: How Three Women Farmers Learnt to Innovate

December 12, 2011 No Comment

Laxmi Lokur is 38 and single. “I have no time for marriage,”she says, before she starts talking about her favourite subject – agriculture and all the various projects she has undertaken to attract youngsters to the field, quite literally. Lokur hails from Karnataka’s Belgaum district and lives on her farm spread over 22 acres. With [...]

Help A Child : Transforming India through the Gift of Education

December 1, 2011 1 Comment

As most of us know, Education is one of the possible remedies the doctors have recommended for India to reap it’s demographic dividend in the coming decades. But the truth is higher education has increasingly become unaffordable for the middle class India let alone the BHARAT that’s lives on less than $1 per day. But [...]

Mysore Ganjifa: Reviving a Forgotten Art Form

October 12, 2011 No Comment

In search of Ganjifa and the Artist “Ganjifa” is the name given to an ancient Indian card game. Historically this game is believed to have been brought to India and popularised during the Moghul period. Quite aptly the name Ganjifa comes from the Persian word “Ganjifeh” which means playing cards. The speciality of these cards [...]

Kalkeri Sangeet Vidyalaya: A School for Music and More

September 26, 2011 No Comment

The Kalkeri Sangeet Vidyalaya (KSV), located in Kalkeri, Dharwad district, Karnataka, provides a musical and academic education to one hundred and sixty children. In addition, food, accommodation, health care and clothing are also provided, and everything is free. There are no fees at all. KSV believes that it is the fundamental right of all children [...]

Akshara Foundation: Socializing the path to elementary education

August 9, 2011 1 Comment

On seeing us, two watchful eyes which were till then following every child’s activity looked up with an inviting smile. On stepping inside, a quick glance at the library room, past the 1000 and odd books, handicraft items, the carrom board and chess games which are all delectably enjoyed by the curious little members with [...]

Babajob: More jobs for India’s masses

July 15, 2011 No Comment

Sujatha wasn’t very happy in her job. Her work as a sales girl in a Bangalore shop paid 7000 Rs (110 Euro) a month, but her hours were long and irregular. Sujatha wanted to find a new job, but most lower-paying jobs in India are found through word of mouth, and she wasn’t having much [...]

NextDrop: Using SMS to inform citizens when water would flow from municipal taps

July 5, 2011 2 Comments

Water. A basic amenity needed by all of us. Yet, in most towns and cities across the country, the municipal taps are unreliable. Water supply being sporadic in nature, thousands of people queue up in front of these taps not knowing when the water would flow. Households lose immense amounts of time waiting for water [...]

The Ugly Indian shows us the way

June 22, 2011 3 Comments

Visit The Ugly Indian and you are asked a question with 4 options. I doubt anyone will *not* click on the obvious answer. And that accuracy in answering the question indicates that we are indeed aware of our apathy towards public spaces, properties and immediate surroundings. But why is that the case? And can this [...]

Kanchana Kathiresan: Making a difference in Mysore

June 13, 2011 1 Comment

Kanchana Kathiresan is one of those people whose stories are an endless source of inspiration. She makes you wonder how real life accounts can be as fascinating as fiction. Why is Kanchana’s life so extraordinary? Because of what she has seen and experienced, and how she is using every bit of it for the society. [...]