ndia’s ever-burgeoning youth population has become the subject of plenty of articles, attention and speculation. As per the 2011 census data, around 41 per cent of India’s population is below the age of 20 years. The potential is immense – as a human resource to be harnessed for the country’s development, as a customer base…
A not-for-profit organisation that you probably have vaguely heard of, Caritas International is a conglomeration of over 160 Catholic organisations which focuses on relief work and social service spanning multiple areas. One of the largest charitable organisations in the world and surpassed only by the International Red Cross in terms of its network, it works…
rom an individual’s passion to an institution dedicated to causes, and then onwards to a global movement, BoscoNet has come a long way, and has benefitted millions of marginalised communities on its journey. The story began over a century ago when on a cold morning of February, in 1827, fed up of the everyday struggles…
Sports in India is a bit like politics. Everyone has an opinion on it but that’s about it. We all know that one colleague who can rattle off every possible statistic on Tendulkar, the friend who can convincingly argue that Messi’s right foot is better than his left, the stranger who chides you for not…
ne of the better-known NGOs in India and an early champion and innovator of the self-help group, or SHG, model in India, Pradan (acronym for Professional Assistance for Development Action) aims to reduce poverty by organising rural communities into groups to promote economic activities and mobilising finance for the same. Most of its work centres…
group of friends travelling from a foreign land could not bear to see the miseries of children in Indian slums. They decided to do something, take a first step in making a difference to at least a few lives, if not all. They formed a group, sensitised their own people in another country about India’s…
hristel House India’s first learning centre commenced operation in Bangalore in July 2001. Just over 300 children – in the age group of 5 to 10 years – enrolled from kindergarten through to Grade III. During those early days, classes were conducted from rented facilities, inside cramped classrooms. Infrastructure was basic and outdoor space did…
RISTI – Society for Research and Initiatives for Sustainable Technologies and Institutions – came into existence in 1993, as a result of the felt need for institutional support to the activities of the Honey Bee Network. This network, with presence in more than 75 countries, is populated by innovators, farmers, scholars, academicians, policymakers, entrepreneurs and…
atavaran works on socio-environmental issues through creating simple, replicable models to mitigate problems. One aspect of Vatavaran’s work is managing garbage through the so-called Cleaning Brigade Scheme. The scheme is scientific, employment-generating, and resident-friendly. Cleaning brigades manage solid waste for at least 2.5 million residents in Delhi. The working principle is that since each of…
n 1914 Dr Sorabji P Shroff, who had just returned from England after completing his Fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons (FRCS), set up his one-room clinic in the walled city of Delhi. The uppermost thought in the 36-year-old enthusiast’s mind was to serve his impoverished countrymen, with the driving idea being ensuring ‘quality…
