All posts tagged: aog heroes

Jamsetji Tata – The Philosopher Of Giving

Industrialists, entrepreneurs and business personnel are often expected to contribute to society from the immense wealth they possess. Many have done it in the past, be it Bill and Melinda Gates or Warren Buffet. But the genesis of giving can be traced back to the extraordinarily humane thinking of one man — Jamsetji Nusserwanji Tata, pioneer, patriot and philanthropist.

Globally, J.N. TATA has emerged as the biggest philanthropist, by donating 102 billion dollars in total. It’s been more than 100 years that this amount of giving remains unmatched. But beyond the numbers, Jamsetji has brought a culture of philanthropy that the market follows today.

Initially, JNT’s vision for India led him to start (in the year 1892) India’s first scholarship for higher education. The JN Tata Endowment was the first of the Tata Trusts, indicating the beginning of the 126-year journey of nation-building and societal welfare. His patriotism was such that he had pledged half his personal fortune- 3 million rupees – to setting up the Indian Institute of Science in Bengaluru and thus began the glory of giving.

Then the TATA and Sons started giving to causes, be it the freedom fight or to the setting up of medical & educational institutions, the TATAs did it all.

Over the past 12 decades, the Tata Trusts have outlined a philanthropic purpose in promoting social progress and in creating some of India’s most extraordinary institutes, among them the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Tata Memorial Centre, the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research and the National Centre for Performing Arts. Two-thirds of the shareholding of Tata Sons, the promoter and holding company of the Tata group, is held by the Trusts(a non-profit organisation), assuring that the funds in the Trusts are given back to society.

This is Jamsetji’s intensity and legacy. May his work, inspire more people to give.

The one-rupee-clinic: An AOG story

Dr Shankar Ramchandani, the “doctor of the masses and not the classes”, has opened a clinic in Burla that charges only Re 1 as fee – a nominal charge that has presented the enterprise with the title of “One Rupee” clinic.

Dr Ramchandani is an Assistant Professor at the Veer Surendra Sai Institute of Medical Sciences and Research. “I joined VIMSAR as a senior resident, and senior residents are not allowed to do private practice. Hence, I could not start the “One Rupee” clinic. But I was promoted as assistant professor recently, and as an assistant professor, I am allowed to do private practice after my duty hours and hence, I have started the clinic in a rented house now, “the doctor explained.

The rupee one concept has been established, to ensure that the patients don’t feel that they have paid nothing for treatment. “They should also think that they have paid some money for their treatment,” the excellent doctor quoted.

The long queues of patients at the Veer Surendra Sai Institute of Medical Sciences and Research motivated Dr Ramchandani to open the clinic which has been set up at the Kachha Market in Burla, remains open to all from 7 am to 8 am and from 6 pm to 7 pm. “I have seen elderly people and people with disabilities waiting for hours for consultation with doctors in OPD. They don’t need to wait for hours and suffer at the hospital. They can come to my clinic and get a consultation at Rupee 1 only,” Dr Shankar Ramchandani said in conclusion.

Watch: https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x7zbltq

Constable spends Rs 10,000 every month from his salary on poor

K Krishna Murthy, a head constable attached to Parvatipuram town police station, has gone out of his way to help the poor and the needy.

During the COVID-19 crisis, Murthy selected 30 poor people every month to provide them with essentials. Presently, he focuses on supplying warm clothes to the poor and abandoned as the temperature dropped during the winter. He procures the requirements and other supplies, spending his salary every month. He pays Rs 10,000 from his salary every month to help the needy. “I have been supporting the poor since 2017. I get a Rs 45,000 take-home salary and spend only Rs 10,000 for the social service,” Murthy informed.

“He came to our village to help the poor on the request of his colleague, who hails from our village,” he remarked. Murthy’s colleague Aluru Atchyuta Rao said his friend provides groceries to the orphanages and nursing homes.

Aside from conferring a helping hand to the needy, Krishna also distributes books to students on certain birthdays and important dates. He further tells, “On birthdays of prominent leaders, such as Dr Abdul Kalam, Swami Vivekananda, Mother Teresa and Dr B R Ambedkar, I distribute books. Reading their autobiographies, I hope these kids wish to become good humanitarians. This exercise also motivates them to read.”

From Book Seller to Life-Saver

Abhimanyu Das, a book salesman from Cuttack city, life was a routine affair. In the year 1998, things turned around for Abhimanyu when his mother passed away due to cancer.

“Life came crashing for me. My mother was my strength, and losing her created a void in my life. Fortunately, we were financially well-to-do, so we could take care of her medical expenses till the end. But, when I saw other cancer patients suffering in the hospital, I realised not everyone is fortunate like us. My mother’s death instilled the seeds of social work in my mind,”
says Abhimanyu

For the next few years, Abhimanyu started helping others. “In 2002, while I was away for work, I met with a serious road accident. My ligament was damaged and I was advised bed rest for several months. Over the next few years, I underwent four operations. Unable to work anymore, my younger brother took up the sales job while I was confined to my home. One day, while reading the newspaper, I came across the story of a poor man who wanted some monetary help. That was a heads up for me. From that day, I would search for such stories in the newspaper and reach out to the concerned people and extend help,”
says Abhimanyu

Abhimanyu wanted to do more for the cancer patients, having faced a personal tragedy.

Since eleven years, Abhimanyu visits the Acharya Harihar Regional Cancer Care Hospital and SCB Medical College and Hospital daily without fail. He treats minor injuries, personally looks after the need of patients and also gets food for those without a family.

Abhimanyu has not limited himself to just helping poor people. He also cremates dead bodies – a movement he started in 2006. Since then Abhimanyu has cremated over 1,300 dead bodies. Working during COVID-19 pandemic, he said, “We are fighting the disease, not the patients. I can’t abandon people just like that. On the contrary, in testing times like these, my work is doubled. Of course, I wear face masks, headgear and even PPE kits while entering the affected area, but there is no question of not helping.”

Das’s story is a testimonial to how “Art Of Giving” can change the society, as several levels.

Muthayya Vanitha

Women behind the Chandrayaan-2 Mission:

Chandrayaan-2, India’s Moon mission, has been launched from Andhra Pradesh’s Sriharikota. Chandrayaan-2 is India’s second lunar exploration mission after Chandrayaan-1. Developed by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), this mission was led by two women scientists of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO).

Muthayya Vanitha, Project Director, was leading the Chandryaan-2 and on the other hand, Ritu Karidhal was working as Mission Director. On the other hand, Mission Director Ritu Karidhal was earlier working as Deputy Director of the Mars Mission. This was the first time that women power is heading this much of highly important ISRO mission.

GSLV Mk-III-M-1 is carrying three robotics to the Moon on 22 July 2019 at 2.43 PM IST. It consists of a lunar orbiter, lander and rover, all developed in India. The main scientific objective is to map the location and abundance of lunar water.

Muthayya Vanitha & Ritu Karidhal have been associated with ISRO, for the last two decades. Before this, they were part of several launches as well as the advancement of sub-systems for satellites. ISRO has earlier had women project directors for the launch of communication and other satellites.

Anand Kumar

Super 30, a super Art Of Giving:

Anand Kumar is an Indian educationalist and a mathematician best known for his Super 30 programme, which coaches underprivileged students for IIT-JEE, the entrance examination for the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs).

He was born to a simple homemaker and a clerk in the postal department in Patna, Bihar. Unable to buy private schools, Anand Kumar studied in a Hindi-medium government school. The death of his father at a young age pushed the family into deep financial crisis, where his mother had to start the business of rolling papads to sustain the family. Despite his financial circumstances, Kumar was a gifted child, especially in mathematics. The papers he wrote on the number theory during his graduation were published in journals such as Mathematical Spectrum and The Mathematical Gazette.

In 1992, Kumar began teaching mathematics in a rented room for Rs. 500 a month, under the banner- Ramanujan School of Mathematics (RSM). In a span of three years, he was teaching almost 500 students. In 2002, an underprivileged student sought to coach for IIT-JEE from Kumar, stating he couldn’t afford the annual admission fee.

This inspired Kumar to start the Super 30 programme in 2002, which hunts for 30 meritorious students from economically backward sections of the society. In an extremely generous feat of Art Of giving, Kumar provides free coaching, shelter and food to help the students crack entrance exam of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT). By 2018, 422 out of 480 students had cleared the entrance for IITs under his supervision. The man’s work inspired Hritik Roshan’s, Super 30 under the banner of Phantom Films.

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