RSS PulkitApril 2009 Winner, for story Not just the Nano ... "I have also been trying to draw their attention to the fresh water crisis and how our wasteful ways severely compound the plight of slum dwellers and villagers" |
 |
NGO Post: Tell us a little about yourself.
Pulkit:
I belong to Ahmedabad
where I spent the first 21 years of my
life, playing backyard cricket, pestering my lovely little sister
and enjoying the blissful care of mommy dearest. In between all this, I
also managed to study a wee bit to get into Nirma Institute for
IT engineering, which was followed by MS by research (specialization
in computer vision) from IIIT Hyderabad. I earn my wages by working as
a computer science researcher with HP Labs. In a life-turning event, on
Nov 2007, I embraced Sejal as my partner for life. Until
I was a semester into my masters, my idea of playing a part in shaping
a better world pretty much revolved around technology and research,
along with the long standing view of setting aside a part of one's
monthly income for helping the helpless. While the impact of recurring
contributions is unquestionable, I realized
that my computer science research ain't necessarily aligned with the
goal of equal opportunities for all,
and
that I needed to do more. Having said that, I fully back innovation
where it matters, esp. in areas like health and clean energy. Anyhow,
this led me to my first ever volunteering
stint - teaching some construction workers' kids in the vicinity of the
campus in Hyderabad, followed by AshaKiran, a group I and two friends
founded to
serve the same community in a broader way,
including healthcare. After moving to Bangalore, I have joined hands
with AID (Association for India's Development), along with Prerna. I am
especially grateful to AID Bangalore because of which my learning curve w.r.t.
community development has been fairly steep.
NGO Post: What are your areas of interest in the social sector?
Pulkit: I am into a little bit of everything. But, if pressed to pick, I would single out climate change at the moment.NGO Post: What are your current activities for the non-profit sector?
Pulkit: A few months back, I and a couple of AIDers set up what we call Ambedkar Tuition Centers in two of the slum localities of Bangalore. I had earlier been involved in imparting computer training to some of these kids as well. I am also a volunteer with Prerna's Adugodi center, where I have been taking spoken English. Some of these activities have been stalled right now due to summer vacations. Education apart, I have been trying to spread awareness about the hazardous implications of GM (Genetically Modified) foods. Two major events we recently put together were the Brinjal festival at Lalbagh and an awareness campaign outside the Forum shopping mall.On the climate change front, I have been proactively advocating CBW (Cycle, Bus, Walk) - which also alleviates congestion, improves health (without having to devote extra time) and conserves money - through online means [a witty cartoon and compelling facts], to everyone within my reach. I have also been trying to draw their attention to the fresh water crisis and how our wasteful ways severely compound the plight of slum dwellers and villagers [an award-winning clip]. The plan of making presentations along these lines to colleges, companies, etc. hasn't quite materialized yet.
