Homeopathy Day!

Did you know that India is one of the biggest homeopathic medicine manufacturers and traders globally? World Homeopathy Day is celebrated annually on 10 April, to commemorate the birth anniversary of German physician Dr Samuel Hahnemann, the founder of homeopathy, and to honour the contributions of homeopathy in treating patients across the globe. Homeopathy is an alternative approach to medicine, based on the belief that natural substances, prepared in a special way and used in very small amounts, restore health. 

Inspiring Journey!

Despite battling ovarian cancer for the past few months, Kathak performer Alaknanda Dasgupta refuses to give up performing on stage, which she has been doing for 32 years. The 48-year-old dancer said that dance is like her oxygen, and she cannot give up on it. She also added that dance has helped her to fight the disease. 

Creating a Positive Environment

When he took over charge of the government school in Chikladih, Chhattisgarh, as headmaster in 2011, Kripashanker Srivastava, was aware of the challenges including low enrolment rate and poor infrastructure. Determined to create a positive environment, he used his own funds to give a new makeover to the school. Retiring this year, Srivastava has completely renovated the school in the past ten years, and now it is regarded as good as a private institution. 

Preserving an Ancient Martial Form

Inspired by his father, Dasari Jayachandra from Kadapa, Andhra Pradesh, aspired to master stick and sword fighting and wanted to teach the ancient martial form to future generations. So far, the 26-year-old has trained around 500 students including women, to master this self-defence martial art form in the Kadapa district. His students have won accolades at various district, state, and national level events. 

Innovative Wheelchair

After witnessing the struggles of a paralysed man, Shruti Babu from Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, decided to build something to help people with immobility issues. Hence, the 27-year-old innovated a smart wheelchair cum stretcher, with a self-cleaning commode and rechargeable battery, that can work for up to 30 days. This wheelchair also won Shruti a deal of Rs 1 crore at 10 percent equity, at Shark Tank India Season 2. 

Promoting Positive Ageing!

Duo M.P. Deepu and Rahul Gupta from Haryana, founded SeniorWorld, a wellness company in 2015, to promote positive ageing. SeniorWorld organises customised tours for senior citizens, including cancer patients, parents in old-age homes, and persons with disabilities. Currently, there are 5000 senior citizens associated with the company, travelling around the world and redefining ageing. 

Happy Ram Navami!

Ram Navami, one of the nation’s significant festivals, is celebrated annually on the ninth day of the Chaitra month. The festival is marked to celebrate the birth of Rama, the seventh incarnation of Lord Vishnu. This year, the day falls on 30 March. On this day, devotees observe a day-long fast and offer their prayers to Lord Rama. 

Documenting the Legacy

Professor Jayadheer Tirumala Rao, a historian and professor at Potti Sreeramulu Telugu University (PTSU), Hyderabad, has been touring the states in Andhra Pradesh with his team, to collect artefacts used by ancient nomadic communities. Professor Rao has collected around 4000 artefacts so far. He mentioned that there is a need to preserve and protect the artefacts used by ancient commoners, before their cultural and heritage legacy is lost. 

HOPE!

The students of VR Law College in Nellore, Andhra Pradesh, have been providing legal aid through their organisation, ‘Helping Organisation for People Empowerment (HOPE), to impart legal literacy among people in villages. They also aim to create awareness on various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Protection of Children and Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, including the ones dealing with kidnapping, domestic violence, dowry death, murder and robbery. 

World Theatre Day!

Did you know that over 90 International Theatre Institute (ITI) Centres, celebrate ‘World Theatre Day’, annually in varied ways all over the world? World Theatre Day is celebrated on 27 March to create awareness about the importance of theatre in entertainment and its positive impact on society. The theme of this year is, ‘Theatre and a Culture of Peace’.