Born into the Jenu Kuruba tribe of Karnataka's Mysuru district, Shri Somanna’s journey is one of resilience, leadership, and quiet revolution. Orphaned at the age of two and forced into bonded labour as a child, Somanna broke free in 1978 following the abolition of bonded labour in Karnataka and never looked back.

From joining the Dalit movement to founding the Budakattu Krishikara Sangha (BKS), he dedicated his life to organising, empowering, and advocating for tribal communities across H.D. Kote, Saragur, and beyond.

In this episode of Padma Pride, we journey through Somanna’s remarkable efforts—whether it was resisting luxury development in national parks, fighting for forest rights under PESA and FRA, or facilitating land and rehabilitation for thousands of displaced tribal families. His activism has impacted over 4,000 families, securing community forest rights, housing, roads, ration access, pensions, and more.

About Padma Pride

Padma Pride is an inspiring audio series by The Good Sight and Rise Against Hunger India, celebrating Padma Awardees and their extraordinary impact. Every Sunday, webring you the story of a changemaker shaping India’s future. (Narration: Shalini Singh, The Good Sight).

💌 We’d love to hear from you! Share your thoughts at⁠ contact@padmapride.com⁠.

You know, when we talk about healthcare or education in rural India, we often hear words like access, infrastructure, or policy gaps. But behind all those buzzwords are real people—families, frontline workers, local entrepreneurs—doing the hard work of making things better, every single day.

Sometimes, change doesn’t come from just building more hospitals or schools. It comes from reimagining how services reach people—whether it’s a mother in a remote village choosing when to have her next child, or a young person stepping up to offer basic health support in their own community.

And that’s exactly what today’s episode is about.

We’re in conversation with Prachi Shukla, India Country Director of World Health Partners (WHP)—an organization working across India to tackle big challenges in creative, grounded ways. From family planning to rural education, and from supporting local health entrepreneurs to building tech-based solutions, WHP has done a bit of everything.

Discussion Highlights

🔹How telemedicine is transforming healthcare access in rural India

🔹Lessons from launching “TB Mukt Panchayat” at the grassroots

🔹What 36,000 sterilisation procedures taught WHP about scale and empathy

🔹Strategies to deliver respectful, safe reproductive health services to women

• 🔹Building people-powered healthcare systems through local entrepreneurship and trust

  If your organisation is dedicated to driving positive social change, we want to hear from you.

  Reach out to us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Good Sight⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ by emailing us at⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ contact@thegoodsight.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ with a brief description of your work and achievements, or give us a call at 9696399931.

  
  

Sometimes, the earth is graced by souls who not only sow crops in the fields but also plant hope in people's hearts.

In this moving episode, we bring you the inspiring story of Padma Shri Sanjay Anant Patil, lovingly known as Sanjay Kaka — a farmer, innovator, and quiet revolutionary who transformed dry, uncultivable land into a thriving oasis without machines, electricity, or chemicals.

From crafting 125-ft-long hand-dug tunnels to harvesting rainwater and creating life-saving "jeevamrut" from cow dung and urine, his journey is a lesson in resilience, simplicity, and devotion to the earth.

Honoured with the Krishi Ratna, the Innovative Farmer Award, and finally, India’s prestigious Padma Shri in 2024, Sanjay Kaka's life is a living testament to what can bloom when love meets the land.

Tune in to witness how one man’s green dreams became a movement that now inspires thousands of farmers every year.

About Padma Pride

Padma Pride is an inspiring audio series by The Good Sight and Rise Against Hunger India, celebrating Padma Awardees and their extraordinary impact. Every Sunday, webring you the story of a changemaker shaping India’s future. (Narration: Shalini Singh, The Good Sight).

💌 We’d love to hear from you! Share your thoughts at⁠ contact@padmapride.com⁠.

In India, the digital divide isn’t just about internet access—it’s about missed opportunities, unequal learning environments, and entire communities left behind. But behind the scenes, some are working tirelessly to close that gap—not with noise, but with real, on-the-ground change.

In this episode, we sit down with Vikram Kumar, National Head – Partnerships & Communications at NIIT Foundation, to explore how technology, training, and trust are rewriting the narrative for underserved communities.

Discussion Highlights

• 🔹Digital buses that bring interactive classrooms directly to remote neighborhoods

• 🔹Career centers that not only train but successfully place youth in jobs

• 🔹Women taking their first steps into the digital world—emailing, budgeting, and even starting businesses

• 🔹The iconic Hole-in-the-Wall experiment and how curiosity became the best teacher

• 🔹How virtual education models have reached over 88,000 learners despite infrastructural hurdles

  🔹A 7% drop in dropout rates—and the strategies that kept learners coming back

• 🔹Why cybersecurity literacy matters in digital empowerment, especially for women and youth

• This is more than a conversation about education—it's about empowerment, equity, and building futures from the grassroots up.

  If your organisation is dedicated to driving positive social change, we want to hear from you.

  Reach out to us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Good Sight⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ by emailing us at⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ contact@thegoodsight.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ with a brief description of your work and achievements, or give us a call at 9696399931.

  
  

Sometimes, the greatest achievement isn’t a title—it’s a purpose. After a celebrated career as an anesthetist, Dr. Maya Tandon saw a deeper calling: saving lives beyond the operation theater. Witnessing the power of first responders abroad, she launched ‘Sahayata’ after retirement—a grassroots movement to train ordinary citizens in life-saving skills for road accidents. No salaries, no awards sought—only the mission: "Not one life lost for lack of timely help."

From setting up Rajasthan’s road safety policies to training thousands, Dr. Tandon’s story is a testament to how one woman’s vision can redefine public health. Honored with the Padma Shri, she continues to inspire at 87.

This is not just a story of a doctor—it’s the journey of a guardian of life itself.

About Padma Pride

Padma Pride is an inspiring audio series by The Good Sight and Rise Against Hunger India, celebrating Padma Awardees and their extraordinary impact. Every Sunday, webring you the story of a changemaker shaping India’s future. (Narration: Shalini Singh, The Good Sight).

💌 We’d love to hear from you! Share your thoughts at⁠ contact@padmapride.com⁠.

What does it take to turn rural deprivation into opportunity — not with charity, but with dignity and ownership?

In this episode , we speak with Mangesh Wange, CEO of Swades Foundation, about how they're transforming rural India from the inside out — empowering communities with clean water, quality education, healthcare, and sustainable livelihoods.

Discussion Highlights

• 🔹The Swades Foundation’s unique ‘4E’ strategy: Engage, Empower, Execute, and Exit — and how it works in practice.

• 🔹How mass and excellence scholarships are expanding educational and career horizons for rural youth.

• 🔹One student’s inspiring journey from limited options to a professional dream career.

• 🔹Tackling the toughest challenges in rural development — and the lessons learned.

• 🔹Making education engaging and holistic in places where rote learning dominates.

  🔹What fuels Mangesh’s motivation to keep going, even when the work gets hard.

• Tune in for a grounded, honest conversation about rural transformation — where dignity, not dependence, leads the way.

  If your organisation is dedicated to driving positive social change, we want to hear from you.

  Reach out to us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Good Sight⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ by emailing us at⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ contact@thegoodsight.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ with a brief description of your work and achievements, or give us a call at 9696399931.

  
  

When Urmila Srivastava lost both her parents as a young girl, life could have easily silenced her. Instead, it handed her a melody — one shaped by love, loss, resilience, and an unshakable devotion to music. As she raised her younger brothers and continued her schooling against all odds, it was the soul of Eastern Uttar Pradesh — its Kajri and folk songs — that gave her strength and purpose.

Over the next five decades, Urmila Ji became a beloved voice on All India Radio and Doordarshan, a guiding force for thousands of music students, and a cultural ambassador who carried India's folk heritage from the heartlands of Mirzapur to global stages in Bhutan, Mauritius, and beyond.

Nicknamed the "Kajri Samragyi" — the Queen of Kajri — her songs tell the stories of rural India: of monsoons and memories, joy and longing, and the quiet dignity of everyday life.

In this episode, we trace the remarkable journey of a woman who didn’t just sing folk music — she lived it.

About Padma Pride

Padma Pride is an inspiring audio series by The Good Sight and Rise Against Hunger India, celebrating Padma Awardees and their extraordinary impact. Every Sunday, webring you the story of a changemaker shaping India’s future. (Narration: Shalini Singh, The Good Sight).

💌 We’d love to hear from you! Share your thoughts at⁠ contact@padmapride.com⁠.

If you’ve ever walked through the narrow lanes of small towns or sat across from a young dreamer in an urban slum, you’ll know—talent is everywhere, but opportunity? Not so much.

Millions of young Indians stand at the edge of possibility, armed with ambition but held back by lack of access, skills, or support. And when it comes to adolescent girls in underserved geographies, the gap grows even wider.

That’s where Kiwaad—meaning ‘doorway’—steps in. Through industry-aligned training in retail, BFSI, and digital skills, Kiwaad isn’t just creating livelihoods—it’s transforming identities.

In this episode, we’re joined by Nidhi Rai, the passionate founder of Kiwaad, who’s on a mission to ensure that no young dreamer gets left behind.

Discussion Highlights

🔹The overlooked challenges facing adolescent girls in India’s youth landscape

🔹The meaning behind ‘Kiwaad’ and the kind of opportunities it aims to unlock

🔹Barriers in remote districts like mobility, early marriage, and digital access—and how Kiwaad tackles them

🔹Beyond numbers: spotting real change through confidence, agency, and decision-making

🔹Blending community models with tech: using digital tools even in low-connectivity areas

Reach out to us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Good Sight⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ by emailing us at⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ contact@thegoodsight.org⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ with a brief description of your work and achievements, or give us a call at 9696399931.