Srimoyee Chowdhury

From balcony railings to roadside wires, India’s cities are teeming with feathered life. Here are 7 easily recognisable birds you can spot without leaving your street.

In Delhi-NCR’s urban sprawl, Ramveer Tanwar — a former engineer — has been reviving dying ponds through community-led efforts. His initiative, Jal Chaupal, has helped restore over 80 wetlands across India, improving groundwater, biodiversity, and local pride.

West Bengal is quietly scripting a revolution in public service. With 84 women IAS officers—more than any other state in India—it is setting an inspiring example of gender-balanced governance. These women are not just filling quotas; they are leading departments, influencing policies, and bringing real change to the grassroots.

More and more parents are swapping city chaos for compost pits, taking their kids to sustainable farms for a much-needed reset. At these earthy escapes, children plant seeds, play with animals, and learn where their food really comes from — all while getting their hands deliciously dirty.

Aritra Roy, a software engineer from Tripura, completed a triathlon to Mount Everest — cycling across states, summiting the world’s highest peak, and running a marathon — while managing his corporate job at TCS.

Born on Majuli Island, Munmuni Payeng grew up watching floods wash away land and lives. At 25, she’s leading a community-driven mission to plant one million native trees to heal the land and protect Assam’s future.

Starting with a bicycle and a few rupees, Arun Salai has built one of India’s most important collections of traditional seeds — reviving native farming one variety at a time.

What started with one bench in a village is now a movement across India. Using stuffed plastic bottles as bricks, communities have built toilets and classrooms—while diverting 2.3 lakh kg of carbon emissions. It’s simple, scalable, and changing how people see waste.

Pink lotus flowers have returned to Wular Lake in Kashmir after 30 years. Once buried under silt, the blooms now mark a powerful ecological revival.

In the heart of Kolkata, a young boy’s music is stopping people in their tracks. Debraj’s dream? To turn street performances into a passport to Berklee. With every busking session on Park Street, he moves a little closer to his aim.