Shivani Gupta

Imagine harvesting crisp lettuce, crunchy kale, or peppery arugula without stepping out of your flat. Hydroponics turns this into reality, giving you nutritious, homegrown greens in any season. Here are eight simple tips to help you get started.

Meet five farmers who turned surplus harvests into profitable ventures. From turmeric powder to jackfruit burgers and jamun products, they show how simple processing reduces waste and creates income.

Inspired by the Kargil War, Sunita Pahal rose from rural Haryana to become an IAF Wing Commander, proving that military isn’t just for boys, it’s for anyone with courage and resilience.

IAS officer Indrajeet Singh transformed Lucknow’s waste management, turning toxic legacy dumps into a net-zero waste city. With reforms, citizen participation, and waste-to-wealth projects, Lucknow rose from 44th to 3rd in Swachh Survekshan rankings.

After working for seven years at the Supreme Court, Meenakshi chose a different path of building a cafe run entirely by women, where food, confidence, and independence are served fresh every day.

In Punjab’s Dhar block, IFS officer Dharmveer Dairu and the Forest Department are reviving the long-lost practice of sericulture by planting mulberry trees, building rearing houses, and training farmers. The project is not only boosting livelihoods of farmers but also strengthening community ties to forests.

A senior medical officer from Barmer, Dr Jogesh Choudhary, turned a failed experiment into a flourishing sandalwood farm. Inspired by Karnataka’s plantations, he blends science, patience, and passion to grow a forest in the harsh desert climate.

What if furniture could grow, not be built? In Mumbai, architects Bhakti Loonawat and Suyash Sawant launched ‘Anomalia’ to turn mushrooms into consoles, blocks, and textiles — light, durable pieces that challenge how we think about design.

An accidental discovery at Tal Chappar turned Sharvan Patel’s lens into a mission. Today, 130 Khailis ponds across Rajasthan sustain blackbucks, mongooses, peacocks, and migratory birds — but the journey began with just one pond.

Ayush Jain turned failures into success in his fourth UPSC attempt with Political Science and International Relations (PSIR) optional. His strategies, notes, and answer-writing tips are a masterclass for aspirants.