Changemakers

Young volunteers in Rajasthan are turning polluted lakes and neglected temples into clean, shared spaces through weekly community action.

In a corner of Bihar, a decade-long journey is improving communities. From schools to villages, from livelihoods to health, one rail project became more than steel and engines — it became a catalyst for change, hope, and opportunities for generations.

After 37 years in the Indian Army, Major General Ashim Kohli found a new way to serve. By recycling retired army uniforms into school bags for underprivileged children, he’s ensuring the uniforms’ duty never truly ends.

When Sristi Bose noticed girls missing school during their periods, she began asking questions. Today, through Project Ecosanitation, college students are reaching 355 rural girls with honest conversations on menstrual health, dignity, and choice.

From dirty streets to walkable roads, landfills to lively community spaces, these five stories show how local action can transform everyday problems into lasting solutions.

Born with cerebral palsy, Vinayana Khurana overcame immense physical challenges to become a poet, life coach, and guest teacher at Delhi University. Her journey proves that sometimes obstacles can become growth opportunities.

After losing his sister to poverty, Selvakumar — known as ‘Tailor Bro’ — began training women in tailoring for just Re 1. Over 18 years, he has empowered 4.6 lakh women across Tamil Nadu, while over 40 lakh more are learning through his YouTube channel, which helps women train and earn from home.

Displaced from Kashmir in 1989, Maya Kaul — mother of actor Manav Kaul — rebuilt her life in Madhya Pradesh through education, quietly turning survival into service. Today, at 73, she supports 60 anganwadis, helps women earn with dignity, and continues to nurture children and communities — never calling herself a changemaker, even as she transforms lives.

This Republic Day long weekend, travel takes on deeper meaning. From a Himachal homestay where learning comes with every meal, to forests revived over decades and journeys led by local communities, these stories show how thoughtful travel can heal land, strengthen livelihoods, and slow life down in the best way.

Left at a Nagpur shelter as a newborn, Falgun grew up oceans away with one unanswered question. Four decades later, his return to India led to a reunion that stitched his story back together.