Global Indianstory Global Indian ExclusiveEisha Yadav: On a mission to avert old-age loneliness and social isolation

Eisha Yadav: On a mission to avert old-age loneliness and social isolation

Written by: Amrita Priya

(June 14, 2023) “Ignoring the well-being of the 103 million (elderly) population of India is no less a humanitarian crisis. Just as the children, the grandparents of the society deserve to have a better, rest of their life,” Eisha Yadav wrote, in her entry to the essay competition organised by US based India Philanthropy Alliance (IPA) – a coalition of non-profit, philanthropic, and charitable organisations that mobilise people and funding in the United States to support meaningful causes in India. The youngster won the first prize and a cash award of $1000 to donate to a non-profit of her choice.

“After doing a lot of research, it was clear that the team of HelpAge India were not only doing great work in the field of combating social isolation and loneliness of the elderly but also making sure that they don’t have to work in their old years, and have enough money to take care of their health.” says Eisha as she connects with Global Indian from California. The youngster donated the entire prize money to the organisation. That was in 2021. “We are still working together to this day,” she says with a smile.

Eisha Yadav

Personal experiences and finding a purpose

The ninth grader’s choice of non-profit (HelpAge India) to donate her prize money and later get actively associated with them as a volunteer from the US stems from her personal experiences.

At 90, and until he succumbed to COVID-19, Eisha’s fiercely independent maternal grandfather lived by himself in his hometown, Raipur in India. “Earlier, when my grandma was alive and needed medical attention, they lived in a different Indian city. I could not help but notice, in both cases, how lonely and bored they felt, and how unprepared and lacking the society was to support the lifestyles of the elderly” she mentions.

After her grandmother passed away her grandpa became lonelier. “It was sad and heart breaking to see him struggle with loneliness and isolation. “Though he was active, it was difficult to find things to engage himself. “Back in the US, Eisha and her mother tried to look up for opportunities for some interesting hobby classes to keep him engaged. “There were hardly any good options,” she says. Even though he found love from family members, it was hard for him to feel happy and experience a sense of wellbeing because he felt very lonely and isolated.

“I felt bad about how, in such a big society, the elderly population suffers from loneliness,” she says. “The city he knew, loved and cared for so much was not able to support his wants and needs,” she adds.

During this time, she came across the news of the essay competition of IPA. “I thought it was a cool opportunity to put across the thoughts that were worrying me so much to people who cared. Winning the competition opened a lot of opportunities for me to do something about an issue I really cared about due to my personal experiences,” Eisha remarks.

Finding support

“I have a lot of support from the organisation (HelpAge India) and I really try to do what I can to make a difference,” she says. As a high school student there are time constraints but Eisha tries to give as much time as possible to the cause. “For most causes to get successful awareness is foremost. Once you can raise awareness, you can take the cause forward easily,” she says.

She has been spreading awareness on different platforms including presentation in the local mall in California. “Since I stay in the Bay Area, there is a huge population of Indian people with whom I can engage for the cause,” she says. “I am working with American friends of HelpAge India. We are working on new initiatives and helping in fundraising and supporting the prior programmes of the organisation,” she explains.

Way ahead

Born and raised in California, Eisha has seen US cities with adult service and recreation centres offering organized activities designed specifically for the elderly. Her paternal grandfather, who is retired from the Indian Army and now stays in Bengaluru, also enjoys good facilities and community centres.

“But it is something lacking in the city in which her maternal grandparents lived. They had boring and lonely lives,” she says. “My plan is to work with local establishments in India, one city at a time, and launch programs that mimic the US and Army community centres for elderly.

“As long as I can remember I have had a knack of solving problems in whichever way I could. I always strive to make my community a better place.” The youngster is grateful that her writing talent led her to an association with the India philanthropy Alliance. “That really got me into philanthropy. The fact that my ideas were recognised and I as a kid can make a difference in issues that I care about has got me going,” the fourteen-year-old student of Menlo School, Atherton adds.

HelpAge India reports:

31 percent of the elderly have fear of getting hurt in the locality due to frailty and bad infrastructure.
59 percent of elderly report abuse as being prevalent in Indian society.
Disrespect, verbal abuse and neglect were reported as the most common forms of abuse. Son and daughter in law are reported as the major abusers, and those other than the immediate family are major perpetrators of abuse.
46 percent of the elders were not aware of any abuse redressal mechanism.
79 percent of the respondents felt that their family do not spend enough time with them.
57 percent feel financially insecure because their expenses are exceeding their savings or income.

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Published on 14, Jun 2023

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Rhodes Scholar Swathi Srinivasan: Cancer survivor and health equity advocate

(October 1, 2024) "Find out what you care about and then see what questions you can ask about it." Rhodes scholar Swathi Srinivasan is a great believer in pursuing the things one is truly passionate about - that's why she's able to put so much on her plate. She had a patent by the time she finished high school, did a double major at Harvard University and was selected as a Rhodes Scholar 2021. Swathi also has a slew of recognition to her credit - she is a 2016 Melvyn Scholar, a Science Day alumna and an AJAS scholar too. Ever since she began her research work in high school, Swathi has gone on to work for UNAIDS in Geneva to understand the work being done to address HIV at an international level. She is part of the policy programme at the Harvard Kennedy School and has travelled the world for research on global healthcare for HIV/ AIDS, the opioid crisis and the Covid-19 pandemic and has also worked with the government of Massachusetts. Swathi was raised in an exceptionally well-educated and accomplished household. Her mother, Rekha, arrived in the US over two decades ago, after her wedding to Swathi's

wedding to Swathi's dad. She earned a PhD in the US and began teaching organic chemistry. Rekha is also a Fulbright scholar - in 2019 and 2020, she came to India and Nepal to offer STEM workshops across the two countries. Swathi's dad, a biomedical engineer, is credited with creating an improved incubator, among other paediatric devices.

[caption id="attachment_39659" align="aligncenter" width="251"] Rhodes scholar Swathi Srinivasan[/caption]

Battling the emperor of maladies

It's the sort of atmosphere, one imagines, that would have given the young Swathi a leg-up like no other. The accomplished Rhodes scholar, however, has faced more than her fair share of challenges. In late 2019, she was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma, a fairly aggressive cancer that attacks the lymph nodes and immune system. "I would ride my bike to chemotherapy everyday," she says, recalling her daily six-mile trip to the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston. She would ride in sunshine, rain and snow, despite having lost her hair. She managed all this without missing a single class.

Instead of lamenting her lot in life, Swathi used even this time to ponder the struggles of global healthcare, especially among the marginalised. "I was thinking of the side effects of chemotherapy, which is a really big issue too and matter differently to different people. I'm in school, I can take a day off when I feel nauseous but a single parent can't do that, can they? They have to show up at work no matter what." She could ride her bike to the hospital but wondered "how other people do it, if they live further away from the hospital and don't have a car. I was back to the question of inequality and this time around, I was a lot more connected to it." It inspired her to go back to the lab, to work on a form of chemotherapy that reduces side effects.

A low-cost incubator

Growing up, Swathi was always encouraged to pursue her interests, which were quite varied. When she wanted to be a fashion designer, her mom bought her a sewing machine. When she wanted to make jewellery, her mother helped her buy gemstones online. If she wanted to conduct an experiment, her mother would bring home the ingredients she needed. As for Swathi, she gives full credit to her parents and her mentors and its eager, she says, "to pay it forward." Her mother would take her to the lab when she was still a toddler and she had observed her father working. And when she still in high school, she had devised her own incubator.

"I burnt my hand on a resistor in the Physics lab one day," Swathi said. "And I was like, this device is pretty cool. So I created a grid of resistors and made a heating pad." She was inspired by her father's work but the incubators he created were very expensive, Swathi wanted accessibility. She discovered the MIT Think initiative for high school students and applied, even though she wasn't affiliated with a lab at the time. "I had no mentors or a lab to support me but I needed the money and said so. They said 'sure'," she recalls. "They brought me to MIT and I met all these crazy scientists doing amazing work. I even met a scientist I had cited in my bibliography." Her prototype involves a secondary heating mechanism embedded into a gel-based incubator, which keeps the gel hot for more than 30 hours.

Harvard calling

Unsurprisingly, Swathi graduated from high school and went to Harvard University with stars in her eyes, intent on becoming a neurosurgeon, with a special interest in the prevalence and treatment of Alzheimer's Disease. As she sat in class, she wondered - say there was a breakthrough in a cure. Would everyone with the disease have access to treatment? The answer was simple: no. Swathi found herself more intrigued by this question than the one she had intended to ask in the laboratory. She switched her major to public health, studying a double major in Economics, Sociology, Philosophy and History.

Here, Swathi's focus remained on studying public health epidemics and her thesis was on the impact of inequality on HIV/AIDS and the Covid-19 pandemic. She also did a minor in chemistry, which she uses to formulate her chemotherapy research. She was in an atmosphere where her talent and academic rigour were matched by her peers. "Some of my peers were featured in Forbes 30 Under 30," Swathi remarked. "They have published multiple papers, were ballet dancers in national companies... this naturally gets in your head and requires some adjusting."

The Rhodes scholarship

A highly-rigorous selection process precedes the Rhodes scholarship. For Swathi, it involved eight letters of recommendation and a letter of endorsement from her university, which put her against 125 applicants. Harvard selected 45 and she was among them, going on to become one of the 32 scholars selected from the United States. Every year, 100 students are selected to join the world's academic elite at Oxford Universiy, as the Rhodes Scholars for the year. In her personal essay, she talked about her own life and her roots, and how she saw poverty in India. "I actually woke up one morning and it showed up on my Facebook feed on US News, Yahoo and AP," she said in an interview.

Now at Oxford University, the Global Indian's purpose has not changed, she lives by the same lessons she earned from hermother. "We have gotten to where we are because so many people have lifted us up," she said. "Therefore, it's our job to lift up others."

Follow Swathi, a Rhodes scholar on LinkedIn

Rohan Varinakaval: Indian-American teen finds solution for schools amid air quality crisis

(February 17, 2024) It was in December of 2019 that while navigating through the bustling streets of Delhi, New Jersey-based Rohan Varinakaval had to hold his breath to avoid a cloud of smog. His tryst with Delhi's smog during his visit to India to meet his sick grandfather in a hospital left him shocked. It was a paradox - he could see that the capital was home to the best healthcare but at the time it was imprisoned by pollution, a result of farmers burning crop residue which was leading to an environmental health crisis. He found that this pollution is lessening the lifespan of an average Delhiite by nearly a decade. "Amidst this haze, thousands of students persistently attended school, their commitment to education unwavering. Students, even those with conditions such as asthma, were subjecting themselves to these toxic surroundings," said Rohan, who saw a void in the realm of air quality monitoring. This led him to take action, and he developed myAQI. Unlike regular monitors that only give air quality readings, myAQI does more. It gives schools easy advice based on current data. Instead of just knowing pollution levels, principals can get helpful tips like 'Keep students inside

Keep students inside during recess' or 'Open windows.'

[caption id="attachment_35898" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Rohan Varinakaval[/caption]

It began when Rohan realised that smog permeates through classrooms and even makes indoor learning environments safe, and the absence of air conditioning and filtration systems, it accelerates the risk. "Discussions with friends and family indicated that despite this grim scenario, the severe pollution was not being accorded priority, and school administrators were unable to address the health risks involved," he added.

On delving deeper, he found that air quality monitoring devices only provide data but do not interpret air quality data. Moreover, their usage in Indian schools was almost negligible. "They received current air quality figures, but no practical steps to counter the problem," revealed Rohan.

Passionate about engineering solutions, he was keen to find a solution. He spent countless hours talking to school leaders in both the US and India, making the app fit their needs, and fixing problems that popped up during testing the first version. So, using a particulate matter sensor and microprocessor, he created myAQI - a small, affordable air quality monitoring device designed especially for Indian schools. But what makes it different is its adaptability as Rohan understood that pollution affects people differently. Those who already have health problems like asthma, allergies, bronchitis, and COPD are more likely to get sick from bad air. His device helps provide customised recommendations for these sensitive groups, thus ensuring that everyone in the school, even those with health problems, stay safe.

"School administrators can install a myAQI device within their premises, register via an Android app, and obtain summaries of the air quality data. The most significant feature of the app, though, is its ability to offer recommendations for appropriate action based on the prevailing air quality and trends. It also allows administrators to view separate sets of suggestions tailored for different student populations with specific respiratory conditions such as asthma, allergies, bronchitis, and COPD," he added.

The Indian-American teen wants school leaders to use myAQI to help shape school rules, make smarter choices about dealing with air quality, and understand pollution levels inside their buildings better. His device can sit in a classroom and gather data from a small area, so leaders can put it where it's most needed.

Till now, the student at the Pingry School in New Jersey has distributed the device to ten schools in India, which include a total of over 16,000 students and is flooded with requests from many more schools. In the future, he wants to expand his project by providing several devices to each school. Additionally, he aims to inspire more young innovators to address environmental challenges globally.

[caption id="attachment_35901" align="aligncenter" width="368"] myAQI[/caption]

It was in December of 2019 that while navigating through the bustling streets of Delhi, New Jersey-based Rohan Varinakaval had to hold his breath to avoid a cloud of smog. His tryst with Delhi's smog during his visit to India to meet his sick grandfather in a hospital left him shocked. It was a paradox - he could see that the capital was home to the best healthcare but at the time it was imprisoned by pollution, a result of farmers burning crop residue which was leading to an environmental health crisis. He found that this pollution is lessening the lifespan of an average Delhiite by nearly a decade. "Amidst this haze, thousands of students persistently attended school, their commitment to education unwavering. Students, even those with conditions such as asthma, were subjecting themselves to these toxic surroundings," said Rohan, who saw a void in the realm of air quality monitoring.

This led him to take action, and he developed myAQI. Unlike regular monitors that only give air quality readings, myAQI does more. It gives schools easy advice based on current data. Instead of just knowing pollution levels, principals can get helpful tips like 'Keep students inside during recess' or 'Open windows.'

Follow Rohan Varinakaval on LinkedIn

Innovation in orbit: India’s space tech pioneers make their mark

(November 28, 2023) From launching Chandrayaan 3 in July, to sticking its perfect landing on the Moon's south pole, and launching a mission to study the sun - the Indian Space Research Organisation has just witnessed what we can safely call the most successful year. Although ISRO didn't have a traditional beginning and faced significant financial constraints, it has emerged as one of the world's most successful space agencies. Remarkably, this achievement has not only transformed ISRO but has also inspired countless aspiring youngsters who wish to take the Indian flag to space one day. In recent years, India's space technology startup ecosystem has experienced significant growth. Nevertheless, 2023 marked a milestone year as various private entities entered the scene by launching their own satellites. According to the most recent Economic Survey, India now boasts a total of 104 space startups and 368 space technology companies. With the industry poised to attract over $300 million in investments in 2023, Global Indian examines the prominent participants in India's space technology ecosystem. AgniKul Cosmos Their journey began at IIT Madras in 2017 with just ₹3 crores in seed funding. Back then, Srinath Ravichandran and Moin SPM had just one goal: to build

n investments in 2023, Global Indian examines the prominent participants in India's space technology ecosystem.

AgniKul Cosmos

Their journey began at IIT Madras in 2017 with just ₹3 crores in seed funding. Back then, Srinath Ravichandran and Moin SPM had just one goal: to build and launch a space rocket within a few years. Although they faced many challenges over the last six years, these two young individuals successfully established India's first private launchpad and mission control center at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota in November 2022. With a total funding of $34.5 million, AgniKul is now one of India's most respected space startups.

[caption id="attachment_26136" align="aligncenter" width="602"] Srinath Ravichandran and Moin SPM, founders, AgniKul Cosmos[/caption]

The facility at Sriharikota has a launchpad and mission control center. It's special because it has India's first rocket engine that was made using 3D printing. They built this facility in just two months. Soon, they'll use it to launch India's first private spaceflight into orbit. "We are trying to get the first few launches this year. These would be developmental flights (test launches). Then scale to a commercial launch in 2023," Srinath had said during a press interaction, adding, "There are going to be big breakthroughs in the Indian space industry in the next few years. The gestation period is a bit long, but I think we are already there. The government being upfront is going to encourage a lot of people to give it a shot. ISRO is helpful and it also has the attention of the Prime Minister’s Office. India will be among the top three in the next five years."

Skyroot Aerospace

One of India's most accomplished space companies, Skyroot Aerospace, has finally launched the Vikram-S after much waiting and several years of effort. This achievement is a big step forward for India's private space industry. The rocket, which is a single-stage design with a spinning motion and uses solid propellant, can carry a payload weighing about 550 kilograms. It's carrying three customer payloads, including one from a customer outside of India. This six-meter-long rocket was built in just two years and features a core structure made entirely of lightweight carbon fiber.

[caption id="attachment_26121" align="aligncenter" width="601"] Pawan Kumar Chandana and Naga Bharath Daka, founders, Skyroot Aerospace[/caption]

Two friends, Pawan Kumar Chandana and Naga Bharath Daka, founded a company in Hyderabad. Their goal is to become the world's leading provider for launching small satellites within the next five years. Speaking about their ambitions and plans, Pawan recently said in an interview, "2023 is just the beginning of an era of SpaceTech, which would be the next trillion-dollar industry. We are more like a cab to space, where we can offer dedicated rides to required orbits to satellite customers while companies like SpaceX are focused on building very large vehicles.”

Dhruva Space

In 2012, while ISRO was busy with the Mars Orbiter Mission (Mangalyaan), a man named Sanjay Nekkanti had a vision. He dreamed of creating India's first private satellite and enabling organizations to harness the potential of small satellites. This dream led to the birth of Dhruva Space, India's inaugural space technology company. Later, the founder was joined by his friends from BITS-Pilani - Abhay Egoor, Krishna Teja, and Chaitanya Dora. Fast forward to 2022, the company reached a significant milestone when it successfully deployed its satellite orbital deployer on the PSLV C53 in June, followed by the launch of its two Thybolt satellites on PSLV C54.

[caption id="attachment_26122" align="aligncenter" width="600"] Sanjay Nekkanti, founder, Dhruva Space[/caption]

This startup, which operates in both Hyderabad, India, and Graz, Austria, provides versatile satellite platforms that can be customized for various applications. Their goal is to make space access quicker, more dependable, and more affordable. Dhruva Space also offers a comprehensive solution, allowing clients to own and manage space-based assets in one place. Speaking to the press after launching two satellites in November last year, Abhay said, "We are looking to raise or invest about USD 20 to 25 million over the next two years where this amount of capital would be used to invest and build an infrastructure facility for assembly, integration, and testing of satellites up to 100 kg class. We are exploring setting up the same facility in Hyderabad. We are already in conversation with parties."

Pixxel

Back in 2019, while still in college, two 20-year-olds, Awais Ahmed and Kshitij Khandelwal, made an unconventional choice. Instead of pursuing a traditional job, they decided to venture into something new. Although their decision might not have had unanimous support at first, the entire nation celebrated when these two young entrepreneurs successfully launched their satellites, named Shakuntala, into a low Earth orbit (LEO) using a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket in April 2022. Pixxel continued to make strides in the space industry by launching their second satellite on Isro's Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) C54 mission.

[caption id="attachment_26123" align="aligncenter" width="604"] Awais Ahmed and Kshitij Khandelwal, founders, Pixxel[/caption]

Giving an insight into their company and its mission, Awais said, "Our one-line model is to make satellite imagery data useful. This is why we process the data once we have it beamed down from the satellites. Once the data is ready, there are a lot of companies that know how to analyse satellite imagery. There is Orbital Insight, there are precision agricultural companies and hedge funds that buy this data to extract insights from this. They are going to be our customers. We will be working with banking institutions, agriculture, mining companies, oil and gas companies, and defence organisations. All of them are going to be our customer base."

Bellatrix Aerospace

It took a while for them to establish themselves in the space technology sector, but once they grasped the dynamics, they've been excelling in every aspect. Founded by two young entrepreneurs, Rohan M Ganapathy and Yashas Karanam, the Bengaluru-based company, Bellatrix Aerospace, is gearing up to conduct tests on their propulsion technologies, which are responsible for directing satellites to their intended locations, in 2023. Their ambitious plan includes launching a "space taxi" service by 2024.

[caption id="attachment_26124" align="aligncenter" width="600"] Rohan M Ganapathy and Yashas Karanam, founders, Bellatrix Aerospace[/caption]

The startup has introduced a cutting-edge facility to accelerate its prototyping and model production, complementing its testing lab affiliated with the Indian Institute of Science (IISc). In an intriguing move, the company is set to invest $76 million in the establishment of a local Research and Development (R&D) center and manufacturing plant in Bengaluru. This new facility is anticipated to produce a variety of thrusters, including the hall thruster, microwave plasma thruster, nano thruster, and environmentally-friendly propulsion systems.

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Chess player R Vaishali: Meet India’s 84th Grandmaster

(May 12, 2024) Ever since she was little, R Vaishali found herself drawn to an 8x8 square grid with alternating dark and light squares - a chessboard. She would spend hours learning the game and coming up with strategies to oust her opponents. She harboured the dream of becoming a grandmaster someday, and that day finally arrived this month when R Vaishali was named India's 84th Grandmaster. "Achieving the title was a dream come true," said the 22-year-old chess player, who is the sister of Pragganandhaa, India's youngest Grandmaster. Vaishali achieved the necessary 2500 ELO points during the Llobregat Open tournament in Spain, making her the third Indian woman, following Koneru Humpy and Harika Dronavalli, to attain the title of Grandmaster. Nevertheless, she received the title officially during the FIDE Council meeting at the Candidates Tournament in Toronto last month. "Yeah, it took some time to get it official, but I'm happy that the title is finally out. I was okay with it (the delay)," the Global Indian said. [caption id="attachment_37771" align="aligncenter" width="619"] R Vaishali is India's 84th Grandmaster[/caption] The long wait In 2018, she achieved the title of Woman Grandmaster after fulfilling her final norm at the Riga Technical

m/youth///wp-content/uploads/2024/05/vaish1-1024x683.jpg" alt="R Vaishali | Global Indian" width="619" height="413" /> R Vaishali is India's 84th Grandmaster[/caption]

The long wait

In 2018, she achieved the title of Woman Grandmaster after fulfilling her final norm at the Riga Technical University Open in Riga, Latvia. However, she had to wait for six long years to obtain the GM title, and those years filled her with doubt, especially after her ratings stagnated due to the lack of competition during the Covid-19 pandemic.

"In between, I could not play any tournament for two years due to the (Covid-19) pandemic. But I was working throughout, trying to improve my game. I completed my International Master (IM) cycle post-pandemic (in 2021)," she said, adding, "Although I was improving my game slowly, my rating became stagnant. There were some low moments when I felt I might not get the title, but people believed in me and helped me to attain it."

It was only a week before the Llobregat Open tournament in Spain that R Vaishali decided to participate as she was just short of three points to achieve the title of Grandmaster. "My only goal to participate in the tournament was to get the title, and I was glad that I achieved it in the first two rounds," said the Arjuna Awardee.

[caption id="attachment_37773" align="aligncenter" width="776"] R Vaishali receives Arjuna Award[/caption]

Hooked to the boardgame

Born in Chennai to a banker father and a homemaker mother, R Vaishali got interested in chess at a young age. At the age of 12 in 2013, she scored a victory against the future World Chess Champion Magnus Carlsen during a simultaneous exhibition match that Carlsen conducted while visiting her hometown of Chennai for the World Chess Championship 2013. Three years later, she attained the title of Woman International Master (WIM), and by October of the same year, she held the second rank in India and was ranked as the 12th best U16 girl player globally. During this period, her Elo rating stood at 2300.

Two Grandmasters under one roof

Growing up, she played friendly matches with her brother R Pragganandhaa. Together they are the first brother-sister duo to become Grandmasters in chess history. Talking about her relationship with Praggnanandhaa, Vaishali stated, "We talk a lot about our games, which is natural since we have been playing together since our childhood." "He helps me a lot with my game. It's great to have such a strong player at home with whom I can discuss more about the game at any time."

[caption id="attachment_37772" align="aligncenter" width="689"] R Vaishali with mom Nagalakshmi and brother Pragganandhaa[/caption]

After getting the GM title, she is now looking up to the World Championship and "playing against some of the best women chess players in the world." Though she is currently pursuing a PG Diploma course in Human Resource Management, R Vaishali is keen to pursue chess as a career. "I am in the final year of my Human Resource Management course after having completed my B Com. But I don't have any academic aspirations. I just want to complete this PG and focus on playing chess full-time and professionally," says the girl who has found her support system in her parents. While her mother accompanies her to the tournaments on most occasions, her father takes care of the logistics, planning, and finances. "In fact, both of them take care of most of our needs, which indeed helps us focus more on our game. Really grateful to them," she added.

Making the right noise - globally

It was in 1988 that Vishwanathan Anand became India's first grandmaster and now R Vaishali is the 84th Grandmaster. Calling him an inspiration for chess players in India, she said, "It all started with one man - Anand sir, and it has reached where it is now. He has brought in many changes, and his Westbridge Anand Chess Academy, of which I am a part too, has helped us train with some of the top trainers. Moreover, he inspires us and encourages us."

The game of chess has been booming in India in a big way in the last few decades, and R Vaishali credits government support. "Moreover, a lot of sponsors are coming in, and tournaments happening in India which is helping the chess players shine. As we speak, there must be someone else who must be in the making of the 85th grandmaster title," says the girl who loves dosa, and that's the one thing she wants to gorge on as soon as she returns home from a tournament.

With many Indian names shining in the world of chess, R Vaishali is certain that the future looks bright. Moreover, she believes that Fishrandom chess, also known as Chess960, is the future of chess. "Going forward, we will have more Fishrandom tournaments."

India's 84th Grandmaster, R Vaishali, is happy that she is serving as an inspiration for many upcoming chess players. "I often meet a lot of kids during tournaments and I am happy that Chess is getting its due."

Follow R Vaishali on X

8-year-old Indian scuba diver Tharaagai Aarathana’s deep dive into marine conservation

(February 22, 2022) "Pristine water, a school of colourful fishes swimming in synchronicity, a jellyfish floating away to the surface, and a dugong resting in water," are some of eight-year-old Indian scuba diver and eco-crusader Tharaagai Aarathana’s earliest memories of snorkelling. She was just three when she first witnessed the beauty of underwater life, but over the years began to understand the grim reality of marine pollution. "Who's responsible for the reduced marine life? It's us! Plastic waste is causing havoc for underwater life, and we should do everything possible to protect it," Tharaagai tells Global Indian in an exclusive interview. Sharing a special bond with the ocean, the eco-warrior, who can dive up to 2 metres, has till now fished out 600kg of plastic waste to help protect marine life. Moreover, she set a record in Assist World Records in January 2022 for swimming a 19km stretch from Covelong to Neelankari to bring attention to the cause of conserving aquatic life. [caption id="attachment_11145" align="aligncenter" width="641"] Tharaagai Aarathana is an Indian scuba diver.[/caption] Bonding with water Before she even began crawling, Tharaagai was smitten by water. "She was just three days old when I started adapting her to water. Every

softTeams-image.jpg" alt="Indian scuba diver | Tharaagai Aarathana" width="641" height="427" /> Tharaagai Aarathana is an Indian scuba diver.[/caption]

Bonding with water

Before she even began crawling, Tharaagai was smitten by water. "She was just three days old when I started adapting her to water. Every day for 10 minutes in the morning and evening, I would make her sit in the water," says her father Aravind Tharunsri, who is a scuba diving instructor. Tharaagai's love for water was a gift to her from her dad, something she has held onto dearly in the last eight years. "I was nine months old when I started floating in the water, and by the time I turned two-and-a-half, I had begun swimming. Over the years, I have formed a strong bond with water," says the girl who began training for scuba diving in shallow waters when she was five. From learning in a small tub to practicing in the swimming pool, Thaaragai made sure to follow her dad's instructions to the tee. "We played games like collecting coins from the bottom of the tub as a part of the practice session," adds the Class 2 student.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P2iE87eSk_I

An eco-crusader in the making

A water baby, Tharaagai loves being in the ocean, and this proximity to the sea has made her aware of marine pollution. "I was three when I started accompanying my father to weekly beach cleanups. Though I didn't understand much back then, I did see a lot of plastic waste on the beaches," says the Chennai resident, who is now an eco-crusader. Thanks to her dad, she learned about ocean pollution while seeing him impart training to the Tamil Nadu Marine Police and fisheries department along with the Wildlife Institute of India a few years ago. "Since I'd be accompanying my dad to the training, I learned how plastic and abandoned nets were adding to the pollution and affecting marine life," explains Tharaagai who has been raising awareness on protecting endangered marine species, especially the Dugong (sea cow).

[caption id="attachment_11150" align="aligncenter" width="758"] Tharaagai Aarathana collecting plastic waste from a beach[/caption]

"During the awareness programs and training, she would absorb all the information. She learned that there are less than 150 dugongs left in India, and decided to save them from plastic pollution. She is creating awareness among kids through presentations in various schools," beams her proud father, who himself has been working closely to protect marine life for many years now. 44-year-old Aravind started South India's first-ever scuba diving center Temple Adventures in Pondicherry in 2007. "Back then, there were only 2-3 scuba diving centres in the country. A chance encounter with two Australian friends in 2004 changed my life forever when they introduced me to scuba diving as a profession. There has been no looking back since then," adds Aravind.

Like father, like daughter

His passion for protecting the environment has rubbed off on his daughter as the two are now working as a team of eco-crusaders. "She has collected over 200 kgs of plastic waste from the ocean bed and 400 kgs from beaches, while I have collected over 15,000 kgs of plastic waste till now. Every week, we clean up the beaches as well as the ocean beds. I then segregate the plastic and send the one that can be upcycled to the recycle plant. While the other is taken care of by the government who dispose of it properly," reveals Aravind.

[caption id="attachment_11148" align="aligncenter" width="677"] Tharaagai Aarathana collecting plastic from ocean bed[/caption]

Tharagaai learned the grim reality of marine pollution when she saw her father bring heaps of plastic waste from the ocean bed to the shore. "Every year scuba divers rescue innumerable marine species that become entangled in the abandoned nets. It breaks my heart to see marine life affected by the waste," says the Indian scuba diver. Too young to rescue the fishes now, she is keen to follow suit when she grows up. "Many fishes get tangled in the ghost nets and often die. Turtles, on the other hand, unintentionally consume plastic as it resembles jellyfish. The pollution is threatening the marine ecosystem but we try our best to protect it by cleaning the ocean beds and beaches," adds Aravind, who wants to educate the next generation to feel a greater sense of responsibility towards the environment.

Following in her father’s footsteps, Tharaagai is helping bring attention to conserving marine life. On National Girl Child Day (January 24) this year, she set a record in Assist World Records for swimming a 19-km stretch from Covelong to Neelankari, under the theme Save the Ocean. "She completed it in six hours and fourteen minutes, despite drastic weather changes. It started raining, and the temperature dropped and it got cold. I tried to talk her out of it, but she continued and finished the stretch," says Aravind who was swimming alongside his daughter to motivate her.

[caption id="attachment_11151" align="aligncenter" width="431"] Tharaagai with her parents[/caption]

Tharaagai, who wants to be a scuba diver like her father when she grows up, loves cycling and exercising. Being home-schooled, she enjoys the freedom to travel with her dad to different locations in India and work as an eco-crusader. "Caring for the planet Earth," is the biggest lesson that she has learned in her journey. The eight-year-old, who fishes out plastic waste from the ocean to conserve marine life, is asking people to not use plastic. "Marine life will be safe if you don't use plastic," advises the young Indian scuba diver.

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