Articles by Pravir Bagrodia

Deepanjali Mishra. Pic: Pravir B. Sukanti and Bhagirathi Mishra are on cloud nine. Since May 28, when the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) declared the results for Grade 10 board examination, these Whitefield residents are elated. Their daughter, Deepanjali, has done exceptionally well, securing A1 score in all five subjects. “My parents were really happy because it was their dream that I score well in 10th,” she exclaims when asked for her reaction. Her father is employed as a plumber in a housing complex, where her mother works as a cook. Her uncle is an electrician. “I was able…

In 2015, Whitefield Rising volunteers joined hands with Samridhdhi Trust to run a Bridge School for children of construction workers in Nallurahalli area of Whitefield. Rotary and various companies contributed to the cause. Meanwhile, many students who went through various bridge schools run by Samridhdhi Trust in Bengaluru have passed recently held board exam with flying colours.   The Bangalore Effective Education Task Force (BEETF) Annual Day is organised to celebrate the achievement of our students and BEETF for bridging the gap in education and admitting 500+ ultra-poor, out-of-school-children to mainstream formal schools in the year 2015-2016.  Date: 28th May 2016.Time: 10:45 am -…

The morning of April 23rd saw around 25 residents of Mahadevapura Zone coming together in support of the anti-plastic ban. Volunteers of Whitefield Rising visited dozens of shops on Borewell Road, creating awareness about plastic and Styrofoam menace. During the drive, BBMP officials seized disposable material from shops that were selling or using them despite the ban. "This was the fifth such drive in Hagadur (Ward 84) within a month. As part of this campaign, we educate traders about the banned items and available alternatives," said Vaibhav Jain, a Whitefield Rising volunteer. "Excessive use of plastic leads to land, water…

Pic: Rajesh Shah Varthur and Bellandur lakes have been in the news over the past one year due to froth and fire. These lakes were last desilted in 1970. As part of the rejuvenation efforts, scientists from Indian Institute of Science (IISc) and other experts have been recommending wet dredging to remove the silt and sludge. To estimate the amount of silt and sludge that have accumulated over the years, Prof. Ramachandra of IISc recommended a bathymetric survey. IISc and MEG Teams at KK English School Citizens who took into consideration the recommendations of teh scientists seriously, joined their hands…

A bus shelter and an expansive walkway is to be formally inaugurated on Monday (October 5, 2015) at 12:15 PM near International Tech Park Bangalore (ITPB) on Whitefield Road. The Xerox CSR project was executed in partnership with Whitefield Rising (WR). As a community partner, WR played the role of an enabler in this initiative. The guests of honour include Shri Arvind Limbavali, MLA, Mahadevapura constituency, Muniswamy, Corporator, Kadugudi ward, and Ekroop Caur, Managing Director, BMTC. The event will be graced by Ms. Arpana Mehra, Vice President, Xerox, and Mr Mohan Kumar, AVP and Head of CSR on ‘Environment Sustainability’…

I am keying in these words while commuting to office in a bus. As is the norm with most buses, the big vehicle stopped ahead of the shelter at Whitefield’s oldest stop, impeding movement at the T-junction, and causing hardship to waiting passengers. As it is, with the raised platform razed during the recent repair works, pedestrians find it tough to cross the busy street. Dozens of photos and emails, meetings and training sessions later, there is no visible change: BMTC personnel refuse to fall in line. Of buses and fares With a monthly bus pass in pocket, I am…