Global Indianstory Global Indian ExclusiveLittle Miss Sunshine: Teen invents ‘solar cycle’ as a cost-effective irrigation solution

Little Miss Sunshine: Teen invents ‘solar cycle’ as a cost-effective irrigation solution

Written by: Amrita Priya

(May 29, 2022) Working on a Miyawaki forest plantation drive near Kommasandra Lake in Bengaluru, 16-year-old Rachanaa Bodugu realised she had been mistaken in thinking farmers have an easy job. There’s usually no electricity during the day, for starters, which means pumping water into the fields is a challenge. “Electricity is mostly available in the night time and farmers struggle to irrigate their crops,” says the teen, who is a class 11 student at Indus International School. A little digging showed that agricultural processes are not water-efficient, leading to sky-high energy bills for farmers. “Irrigation by manual methods is very laborious,” Rachanaa tells Global Indian. “I was compelled to come up with a solution.”

Rachanaa Bodugu

Eco-friendly solution

“It is a step towards sustainability and effectiveness of farmers,” Rachanaa remarks, adding, “during the plantation of 2,000 plants for Miyawaki forest, I realised how much manual labour goes into watering the plants.” She started researching ways to water plants more efficiently. Trawling through the internet, she hit upon an idea, and backed every step of her innovation with reliable research. It is an unusual model that the teen came up with – a three-wheel cycle that runs on solar panels. Once the design was ready, she fine-tuned the idea with her mentor, Anand Malligavad, under whose guidance she had been working to rejuvenate Kommasandra Lake and reviving the fauna around its lakebed.

Rachanaa giving finishing touches to her innovation – the solar cycle

Her mentor, Anand, is a mechanical engineer and a lake conservationist – well qualified to give Rachanaa the feedback she needed. Her cycle is fitted with a drum, a pump and has solar panels installed on top. It doesn’t require fossil fuel to run and can pump water from a nearby source. “Madhusudhan, an acquaintance, helped me with the solar panels,” says Rachanaa. Using funds provided by her parents, the teen set to work on a cost-effective prototype.

“The protype has been tested successfully and I am hopeful for CSR funds so that more and more farmers can be helped,” she tells.

Finding the path

Spending about four months in lake rejuvenation and revival of fauna around it sparked Rachanaa’s mind with great insights. “I was intrigued by Anand sir’s initiatives of lake revival, and joined him out of curiosity,” She went expecting a laidback cleaning drive but was impressed to find the team using highly scientific methods. “Those few months spent making a difference around Kommasandra Lake were a great learning opportunity,” she smiles.

Kommasandra Lake in Bengaluru

Triggered by her own hardships, her vision to help farmers in and around Bengaluru is commendable, given her age. “My innovation would make life not only less laborious but more convenient for them as they would not feel compelled to work at night when electricity is available, losing their sleep and making themselves prone to injuries in the dark,” she believes.

Rachanaa with her mentor, water conservationist, Anand Malligavad

Rachanaa finds inspiration in Anand, whose work fills her with desire to be of more help to the people at large. “He has been impressively rejuvenating so many lakes in such a short time and that too without spending much money,” says the youngster, who aspires to be an entrepreneur and remain attached to the cause of saving the environment. She also loves spending time with her parents Sudhakar and Geeta and her brother, Krishna, as well as painting, sculpting, watching YouTube and Netflix.

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Published on 29, May 2022

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Radha Pandya: Taking forward the traditional art form of Bharatanatyam in the US

(November 11, 2023) Kohl-rimmed eyes, with beautiful mudras, and nuanced facial expressions, there's a story unfolding on the stage at Piscataway in New Jersey. The 18-year-old Indian American is bringing to life the story of Krishna, an Indian god, who helped protect Draupadi after her husband lost her in a game of dice. This is her 40th performance on stage, ever since she began learning the traditional dance art form of Bharatanatyam at the age of four. In these years, she has dedicated herself to honing a 3,000-year-old Indian dance, ensuring that the legacy of her culture is passed on through the generations. "When we are growing up in America, away from our origins of India or other areas around there, I think we sometimes lose our connection with our culture," said Radha, adding, "This is what keeps us tied to that... dancing and teaching this to young kids is a way of preserving this legacy, especially this super old and ancient dance form." A senior at Piscataway High School, Radha started learning Bharatanatyam in Greensboro, North Carolina with Veena Argade, and later with Priya Gopal. She later began training under Guru Srimathi Selvi Chandranathan, who trained Radha at Bharata

, Radha started learning Bharatanatyam in Greensboro, North Carolina with Veena Argade, and later with Priya Gopal. She later began training under Guru Srimathi Selvi Chandranathan, who trained Radha at Bharata Kala Nrityakshetra dance school in Piscataway. Her Guru got a glimpse of her talent even when she was a kid, and knew that she had the potential to make it big.

With over a million Asians that live in New Jersey, Indian Americans make up the largest ethnic group. And it's this Indian community in New Jersey that has helped cement the tradition and infuse the culture and history of India in the natives.

It's been rigorous training for the last 14 years for Radha, and is keen to carry the legacy of Bharatanatyam forward through her art. For her, everything comes alive as she takes the centrestage, and immerses herself in the art form. Growing up, she heard stories and now portraying those stories on the big stage, she feels honoured. Bringing to life the story of Krishna, she considers it a responsibility that she needs to uphold with dignity. "Performing this scene (protecting Draupadi) was very emotional because you are playing these different roles. You are playing the bad king, the good king, and then you are playing the woman who's trying to save herself and her dignity. And then you are playing the saviour," the Global Indian added.

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

At a time when most kids her age prefer dancing to Bollywood tunes, she wants to keep the tradition of Bharatanatyam alive through her performances. "For me, I have been wanting to do this forever," added Radha, who says that her art form is completely different from what her friends have opted for. "A lot of them do Bollywood dances or things that are seen on TV and commercialized, but this is a completely classical dance, so it is a little different from what you normally see," said the teenager.

In the last 14 years, Radha's dance journey has helped her develop a greater appreciation for her culture and heritage. Radha, who is interested in pursuing the sciences in the future, and has also been part of the Princeton W.E.B Du Bois Accelerated Learning Academy, is keen to take the art form to the next level. Her love for Bharatanatyam goes beyond performances as she is also mentoring young students in the art form.

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Greeshma Davu: NRI teen empowering underprivileged girls through education

(November 8, 2023) Monika Chandolu, a resident of Movva village in Krishna district in Vijayawada, got an impressive 95.4 percent in her 12th grade and qualified for the JEE Mains exam. She is confident of clearing her JEE advanced test and getting admission into a top institute. This wouldn't have been possible without the help of 16-year-old Greeshma Davu, an Indian American living in the suburb of Washington DC, who is helping many deserving students like Monika by providing financial assistance for their education. Greeshma is on a mission to empower underprivileged girls and is doing everything possible to help the girls get the right access to education, and it's her parents who are helping her in the process. She is assisting Monika in her pursuit of engineering education using Tata's Palleseva organization, which is located in Kaza village within the same mandal. [caption id="attachment_33957" align="aligncenter" width="525"] Greeshma Davu[/caption] "During a visit to my grandparent's hometown in India, I have learned about the dire consequences of inadequate education. Witnessing the lack of access to basic rights for women, I became motivated to make a difference through charity," she told a daily. While her parents have been the wind beneath her

quences of inadequate education. Witnessing the lack of access to basic rights for women, I became motivated to make a difference through charity," she told a daily.

While her parents have been the wind beneath her wings, she has been working hard to provide financial help to girls like Monika by working at Kumon learning centers, as well as working as an intern at the University of Virginia Neuro Science Lab. The concept of aiding the underprivileged by offering education took shape during her visit to India, where she saw distressing situations in which women encountered hardships because of their limited access to education.

In addition to her commitment to academics and sports, the teenager is also actively involved in charitable work through her non-profit organization, 'Care 4 Needy,' which extends its assistance to both Indian and American communities. 'Care 4 Needy' was founded in January 2022, with the initiative stemming from the vision of Greeshma's mother and founder, Srilatha Tata, along with her maternal uncle, Pavan Kumar Tata. Greeshma and her uncle, Anil Kumar Tata, serve as co-founders of the organisation.

This dual-pronged dedication to education and community service exemplifies their family's commitment to making a positive impact both locally and abroad through 'Care 4 Needy.'

Apart from charitable work, Greeshma has demonstrated her academic prowess by achieving the sixth position in the State Technology Student Association (TSA) conference, showcasing her excellence in this field. Simultaneously, she is passionate about sports and has earned a spot on the Junior Varsity Volleyball team at Rockridge High School, her former educational institution.

Furthermore, Greeshma is not only excelling in her studies and sports but also showing her commitment to social causes. Her goal is to provide sanitary napkins to women and teenagers in rural areas, and she has already managed to raise an impressive $20,000 in funds to support this vital cause. Her dedication to both academic and humanitarian pursuits is truly inspiring.

"Working at the National Institute of Health to support those suffering from lupus disease, Greeshma achieved recognition in the State Technology Student Association. With the guidance of her mentors Ravi Davu and Dr Prakash Bethapudi, she also published research on brain tumour identification," Greeshma's mother added.

Nadia Nazar: Championing youth-led climate justice worldwide with Zero Hour

(September 4, 2024) The daughter of a marine biologist, Nadia Nazar grew up seeing how climate change was harming animals. And eventually, she began to see what it was doing to people too. One thing led to another and in 2018, Nadia co-founded Zero Hour, a "youth-led international coimate justice organisation." Soon after their founding, they organised the Youth Climate Summit, which included rallying hundreds of young people to march on Washington DC. Nadia's efforts culminated in public officials signing a pledge to not refuse money from fossil fuel campaigns. After the Summit's success, Zero Hour chapters sprung up across the world, from LA to Portugal to India. Nadia and her co-founder, Jamie Margolin, are no longer strangers to testifying in Congress and Margolin even spoke alongside climate activist Greta Thunberg. In February 2019, Nadia addressed the House Natural Resources Committee Hearing on climate change, speaking about the impact of climate change in developing countries and low-income communities in the US. A talented artist, Nadia, who is currently at Maryland Institute College of Art, believes strongly in art as an effective tool for climate justice, and serves as Zero Hour's art director. Founding Zero Hour Nadia was born and raised

er wp-image-33511" src="https://www.globalindian.com/youth//wp-content/uploads/2023/10/nadia-CARD.jpg" alt="Nadia Nazar | Climate Justice | Zero Hour" width="598" height="293" />

Founding Zero Hour

Nadia was born and raised in Baltimore county and was in middle school when she first learned about climate change during an environmental science class. With her mother being a marine biologist, Nadia had already witnessed the devastation that climate change could cause and wondered what she could do to offer a solution. "It was really devastating because animals are not doing anything to cause the problem but they're the ones being affected first," Nadia told the Baltimore Sun.

The Youth Climate Summit

Over 100 young people stood together to deliver the No Fossil Fuel Money Pledge to elected officials, a day that Nadia still recalls with a smile. Dozens of sister marches had taken place across the US, in a highly publicised spectacle. For 14-year old Global Indian and her co-founder Jamie Margolin, who was also a high school student, Zero Hour's first event had been a huge success.

The Zero Hour story began when Nadia first discovered Jamie Margolin, a high school student who was working on bringing more young people into the fight against climate change. Nadia reached out and the two began to work together. "I was a very goal-oriented person and I really wanted to start this youth march," Jamie said, shortly after the summit. "When Nadia was basically the only person reaching out to me back then, consistently coming up with ideas and being proactive, I was very excited to work with her. She shared the vision that I had and so sharing everything we built together was incredible." They saw a manifold increase in success, though and 44 chapters of Zero Hour sprung up across the US and internationally.

The Summit happened merely weeks after Zero Hour came to be. And even if Margolin was "goal-oriented," organising a nation-wide movement was not easy. The long hours, short deadlines and the sheer intensity of purpose left the teenagers with self-doubt and burnout. "It took a toll on my mental health," Nadia said. "I only really started taking care of my mental health when COVID started because I finally had the time. Learning how to sleep every day made a difference."

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A post shared by Nadia Nazar (@nadianazar)

Making sacrifices for a cause

However, Nadia Nazar admits that her life is drastically different from that of her peers. She sacrifices the parties, the travelling and many of the little things that are part of the high school experience. "They are hard choices to make but I make them for a reason," she says. During Covid, she went back to the self-care basics. "None of us really prioritised rest. You would go to school, come home and do homework and then stay up all night working after that. It was not healthy for any of us. It was draining and it made the work so much harder."

Art for climate justice

"Anyone can understand art especially if you don't have words to communicate," says Nadia, who had always been interested in art and painting. Now, she sees art as a highly effective tool for change, and to spread awareness. "I think it's so important that we also talk about the emotional aspect of climate change... let's tell the stories of how people are being affected - the anger, the anxiousness and the grief. Art has been a really good tool for that."

Follow Nadia Nazar on Instagram.

Indian teen ace shooter Esha Singh readies for world cup, all guns blazing

(February 8, 2022) Esha Singh was barely nine when she heard a blaring gunshot for the first time at a firing range in Hyderabad. It excited her. That reverberating sound led her to pick up a shotgun. Though heavy, it overwhelmed her, as she welcomed the adrenaline rush. A quick tour of the armoury, introduced to guns of all shapes and sizes, a rifle caught her eye, but that was too heavy. Esha settled for a lighter air pistol as she felt it suited her best. Eventually, it did. Now 17, Esha is a sharp shooter who shoots with utmost precision. One of India’s finest and promising shooters, she is now aiming for the bull’s eye at the International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) World Cup to be held in Cairo in February-end 2022. She also won the Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar 2020. [caption id="attachment_10545" align="aligncenter" width="546"] Esha Singh with President Ram Nath Kovind[/caption] “My ultimate goal is to win an Olympic medal and to accomplish as many wins as I can to make my country proud,” smiles Esha Singh in an exclusive with Global Indian. Esha was among the select few whose name figured in the Indian squad for the prestigious championships. Active, sporty, now accurate!

proud,” smiles Esha Singh in an exclusive with Global Indian. Esha was among the select few whose name figured in the Indian squad for the prestigious championships.

Active, sporty, now accurate!

Born and brought up in Hyderabad, Indian ace shooter Esha credits her businessman father Sachin Singh, a rally driver, for the initial push into sport. “Since my father is also a sportsperson, he often highlighted the importance of sporting activities, which give one a sense of discipline and dedication - much needed in life,” says Esha, who enjoyed badminton, tennis, skating and go-karting before shooting took centre stage. Schooled (1st-10th) at Bolton School, Esha is now in grade 11 at Reqelford High School. Her father comes from a line of ancestors in Rajasthan and her mother Srilatha Sachin Singh is an entrepreneur from Andhra Pradesh.

Indian ace shooter Esha Singh says, ‘Muzzle tov!’

“Shooting was a whole new world for me,” quips Esha, who became Telangana’s state champion in the 10m air pistol category (2015). That first time at the firing range changed her life forever. “I was not even aware that a sport like this existed until I heard the gunshot for the first time,” smiles the January 1, 2005 born Indian ace shooter.

As national champion in the 10m air pistol category (2018), she clinched gold medals at the second edition of Khelo India Youth Games in January 2019 (under-17 category) and Asian Airgun championships in Taoyuan, Taiwan in March-April 2019. She also won a silver medal at the ISSF Junior World Cup at Suhl, Germany in July 2019, a bronze in the 10 m Air Pistol mixed team event there, besides winning two gold medals at the Asian Junior Championships (in 10 m air pistol women and 10 m air pistol mixed team) held in Doha, Qatar in November 2019.

Passion aside, Esha’s determination is rock solid. “Once I set my mind on something, I pursue it dedicatedly, and do all it takes to achieve it,” declares the teenager, who also competes in the 25m standard pistol and 25m pistol events. The Indian ace shooter was also selected for the Indian core team for the Tokyo Olympics.

Focussing on her strengths

Having good focus is important, and the Indian ace shooter elaborates, “A shooter needs to go through intense mind-training - train the brain the right way. Shooting is a mind game. There is no such thing as a lucky day, it all depends on the mindset and thoughts on the day." The ace shooter is the proud owner of a 1.25 metre sports pistol and 2.10 metre air pistol, though her first was the Pardini Kids Air Pistol.

Hand-eye coordination is key. “One must train in these skills to be better at shooting. Physical fitness sharpens these skills. I workout five times a week and also undergo mind-training and meditation,” explains the shooter, who defeated Commonwealth Games and Youth Olympics gold-medalist Manu Bhaker and multi-medalist Heena Sidhu in the 62nd National Shooting Championships at Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala to become the youngest champion in the senior category, when she was just as 13.

Tough and long training days with no distractions are crucial for tournaments and championships. On an ordinary day, Esha trains five to six hours a day at the paper-practice range set up by her father at home. “My typical day starts at 5 am, and main training begins at 9 am. The range keeps me occupied till around 4 pm. I have the rest of the day to do normal things – schoolwork and studies,” informs the Indian ace shooter.

Getting ready for the world championship now, that regimen remains a constant every day.

An Indian ace shooter’s hardwork and perseverance

Unlike other sports, shooting is expensive, and Esha agrees, though adds, “Like any sport, it requires a huge commitment. Our generation is lucky to have private sponsors to help budding athletes,” smiles the shooter.

Esha loves the Gachibowli firing range in Hyderabad. “The government has been extremely helpful. The Khelo India project is a great scheme for young sportspersons,” adds Esha, who has visited several firing ranges abroad.

Away from the shooting range, Esha tries not to think about the sport. That is when her hobbies kick in. A nature buff, she loves greenery, bird-watches, sketches, and is a bookworm too. Busy in The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, her friends motivate her. “They see me as an influence to pursue what they are passionate about. They feel, and also make me feel proud of my accomplishments,” smiles the girl who is a crime-thriller and 90’s sitcom buff.

Will shooting be a full-time profession? “Yes. With the right dedication and support, shooting can indeed be a full-time profession. It does take a lot of time out of your life but eventually it will be worth it,” urges the fan of hip-hop, pop and rap.

Her role model in the sport is “Gagan Narang as I trained in his academy (Gun For Glory in Pune) in the beginning. I spent my days looking at his posters. His work motivated and inspired me,” the Indian ace shooter signs off.

Follow Esha Singh on Instagram

Reading Time: 6 min

Basketball player Ryan Agarwal wishes to represent India in the American landscape

(February 25, 2023) The news was as exciting as it was historic. One of the most prominent basketball teams in the USA, Dallas Mavericks, had picked Satnam Singh to be their team member, making him the first Indian-born player to be selected in an NBA draft in 2015. Little did the world know that Satnam's entry in the NBA would open doors for an aspiring Indian American basketball player, Ryan Agarwal, who at the time was just another sixth grader at a Dallas middle school. Now a Stanford freshman, Ryan is one of the only Indian-American players on the Division I level and wishes to represent India in the American basketball landscape. "Even as I play today, I just have to keep in mind the fact that I help represent such a big community, and only a few people have the ability to do what I’m trying to do,” the basketball player said in a recent interview, adding, "It’s amazing to see how many people support me and have my back." The Stanford player, who is also deemed as the rising star of US basketball, is fully aware that his game could push him to be greater on the court,

ing, "It’s amazing to see how many people support me and have my back." The Stanford player, who is also deemed as the rising star of US basketball, is fully aware that his game could push him to be greater on the court, but it doesn’t pressure him. "Basketball is just kind of fun for me. I don’t really feel like it’s a burden on me," the Global Indian shared.

A star in the making

Ryan's parents had emigrated from India, and he was born in a Dallas suburb. While the young kid never saw someone playing basketball or considered it as a career path, it was the selection of Satnam in the Dallas Mavericks that encouraged him to start playing. In 2017, Ryan and his cousin had a chance to watch Satnam in an NBA G League game, and it was there that Ryan realised he wanted to play just like him. And once he had made up his mind, there was no looking back. The youngster started playing at his school and was soon picked up to be a part of the local team. Standing at 6’7 and a slender 175 pounds, the Indian American player is a certified bucket.

[caption id="attachment_27827" align="aligncenter" width="651"] Ryan with his family[/caption]

While he loved playing the sport and spending several hours mastering the skill, Ryan credits his parents for supporting him throughout the journey. Even though they were initially unsure about the rigorous world of recruiting and elite sports, watching their son play gave them immense confidence. Eventually, Ryan shared, that several families started reaching out to them to ask for advice, partly on how to encourage their children in sports and get them noticed by college coaches. "I’m blessed with the parents I have, because they put me in every sport possible to just try to see what I love, which honestly, not a lot of Indian parents do,” Ryan said, adding, "I think that’s the biggest thing for me. If it wasn’t for the support from my parents, who knows where I would be.”

More mountains to climb

The 18-year-old, who is a part of the Standford team now, understands how rare it is to see Indian basketball players playing at the Division I level and also realises his responsibility to encourage other South Asian kids, who aspire to be basketball players. "We didn’t really have a lot of players that were Indian-American playing Division I basketball that we could all look up to,” Ryan told in an interview, adding, "In AAU travel ball, I didn’t see any Indians at all. Even in Texas, playing travel ball against other teams, I didn’t see a lot. It was just kind of on my own team if anything.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=acCnKfoOb-U

However, the teen player didn’t shy away from a certain amount of pressure that comes with people judging an entire culture based on his play. In fact, a few months back, Ryan also shared a video highlighting the efforts of his coaches and relatives who helped him during his journey, saying that he wants "to set an example for a whole heritage and prove that we can do it, too.”

So far this season, Agarwal has come off the bench for Stanford in nearly two-thirds of its games, averaging roughly eight minutes when he plays. Rivals.com once ranked Agarwal as a top-20 shooting guard, but Stanford Coach Jerod Haase believes that Ryan is a more complete player because of his size at 6-foot-6 and his passing ability. "I want to continue getting better and better and ready for the next level. I’ll be in the gym probably more than ever with my trainers and by myself," the player shared.

Follow Ryan Agarwal on Twitter

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