Rural India

To make museums accessible to children in rural areas, Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya initiated the ‘Museum on Wheels’ in 2015. To date, it has reached over 14 lakh individuals, covering a distance of over 85,359 km.

To improve primary healthcare services in rural areas, Akanksh Tandon launched DigiQure, which provides teleconsultations at Re 1. He claims to have catered to over 20,000 people in rural Madhya Pradesh so far.

Chetna Gala Sinha (65) started the Mann Deshi Mahila Sahakari Bank in 1997 after her neighbour was not allowed to open a savings account in multiple banks. Watch how Chetna, with the support of rural women, succeeds in establishing the bank in Western Maharashtra.

Having led a traumatic childhood ridden with poverty, Shamashuddin Baligar founded Vanasiri Rural Development Society (VRDS) in 2005 to help people from rural Karnataka find employment.

Brothers Rajat and Mohit Jain are the creators of Pataa, an online application that aims to address unstructured addressing systems in India to solve last-mile delivery issues.

Coming from a remote village in Uttarakhand, it was with great difficulty that Himanshu Kafaltia cracked the civil service exams. But once he succeeded, he aims to make easier for the next generation by setting up libraries in every village.

Central Square Foundation, a non-profit organisation, is working towards transforming the school education system in India by improving learning outcomes for all children as per NIPUN Bharat Mission guidelines.

Dr Manisha Gupte and Dr Ramesh Awasthi run MASUM (Mahila Sarvangeen Utkarsh Mandal), a collective of thousands of women across Maharashtra who mobilise to gain a better understanding of their sexuality, and what rights they have over their bodies.

On Republic Day, here's a list of 20 inspiring Indian villages that are showing the way forward in education, waste management, renewable energy, women empowerment and more.

Delhi entrepreneur Kunal Vaid runs Resham Sutra, a venture wherein solar-powered silk machines help thousands of women and farmers earn money through weaving in a safe, stable and secure manner.