Campus Birding- Experiencing Nature

How to sensitise people to preserve the Environment? How to make every citizen an eco-warrior?

Answer is simple. Let them experience Nature first hand. Walk the talk instead of some boring lectures. BITS Pilani Hyderabad campus took its first step in this direction. It organised a Birding-cum-Nature walk for the faculty, staff and their families on 30th July. Deccan Birders (formerly BSAP- Bird Watchers Society of AP) lent a helping hand. Their members guided the 40+ participants. 

BITS alumni celebrate BITSians Day every year during the first weekend of August. We decided to kick off the celebrations this year in a different way. We, few alumni of BITS helped the Hyderabad campus organise the Nature walk. So, here is an account of BITSians Day with a Difference for BITSian readers. For others, it is a tour of the campus, its greenery and its birds.

Pictures for you. Credit for close up shots of the birds goes to Adnan Uddin of Deccan Birders sine I did not carry my DSLR kit. Other pictures are from my phone camera. Thanks Adnan.

Briefing in progress- as captured in a 20-sec video:

We sighted a total of 28 species of birds in our two-hour walk around the campus. Not all were captured in the camera. But listening to their calls, observing their flight, nesting locations and basics of identification methods kept everyone engrossed. Here is a list of birds sighted by us which shows the rich avi-fauna at the campus.

1. Red-vented Bulbul 

2. Tickle's Blue Flycatcher 
3. Spotted Dove

4. Purple Sunbird
5. Common Iora
6. Common Mynah
7. House Swift
8. Swallow
9. Shikra
10. Dusty Crag Martin
11. Rock Pigeon
12. White Browed Wagtail
13. Blue tailed Bee Eater
14. Darter
15. Indian Pond Heron
16. Cattle Egret
17. Tailor Bird
18. Scaly Breasted Munia
19. Asian Koel
20. Golden Oriole
21. Red Wattled Lapwing
22. Ashy Prinia
23. Indian Robin
24. Jungle Babbler 
25. Oriental White Eye
26. Spot-billed duck (in flight)
27. Comb Duck (in flight)
28. White throated Kingfisher

29. Baya Weaver

Can you spot a nest in the picture below?

Another Munia commonly found is the Indian Silverbill. Though we did not spot it in the campus that morning, here is a picture story of earlier sighting at our home in Secunderabad.

Friendly Munias - Can the birds and dogs be friends? Read on. The picture story also has video clippings of Silverbills feeding together.

Moving on, more pictures of the campus birding follow.

Here is a 30-second video showing the campus panorama and an inquisitive question from a child.

Birding continues...

The campus is also home to Star Turtles. Though we could not spot it, one of the faculty members shared a picture on her phone taken near the pond.

My favourite line which I always tell in any environment related gathering , 'Environment is an asset which we have borrowed from our children. We have no right to degrade or destroy it!' Is it not true?

Will Nature's glory remain? Will our children or grand children continue to see the birds and flowers in future?

Talking of preservation, it is a big challenge. Like the Yapral lake which is home to a large variety of birds, is under threat because of pollution and encroachment. You may browse our earlier story linked below:

Shrinking Urban Lakes- Impending Disaster Will the Heron continue to dance like in the picture below?

For more pictures of Hyderabad campus of BITS Pilani, you may browse our earlier story:

The Campus that Rocks

Thanks for browsing. 

Every small effort to preserve our environment counts. Do volunteer whenever you can and speak up!

    - Harsh-the-Ghumakkad/ Hyderabad/ 2nd Aug 2023

Postscript:

3rd August: Sujith who came for birding, has sent the following picture of Oriental White Eye or Indian White Eye. He spotted the bird in Hyderabad campus on 2nd August. The bird is perched on a crimson coloured bottle brush flower. Thanks Sujith.

#bitspilani #hyderabadcampus #campusbirding #bitsiansday2023 #nature #preservation #ghumakkadhb #ghumakkadhb #ecowarriors #everypersoncounts #savetheearth #environment #pollution #encroachment

Convocation With A Difference

"No classes. No teachers. You are your own teacher", this is how I described a convocation ten years ago. Even now, isn't it true ? Think.

Convocation is a formal event. Mostly stiff, long drawn and repetitive. Yet, it triggers excitement because it happens once for the graduating students, unless they decide to study further! Am sharing a short picture story of a convocation which I attended recently. This convocation was different for many reasons:

• Convocation of the Founding Class
• Parents of Chancellor's Awardees honoured on stage
• Valedictorian Address by the topper of the Batch
• Recognising the Best all-rounder
• Rewarding the Dean's List on stage
• Designing of the gowns by a student
• Fun moments

Founding Class

It was the founding class (2021-23) of BITS School of Management (BITSoM) at Mumbai which received their degree certificates. The excitement was writ large on the faces of the graduating students. BITS Pilani is Ghumakkad's alma-mater. A globally renowned institution for Science and Technology, it added a new School of Management in Mumbai in 2021. I remember attending the 1st convocation of BITS Pilani in 1964 as a school student. The loudest applause then went to the first PhD from BITS Dr RP Jain, if my memory serves me right! Yes, the founding class has special status as far as institutional memory is concerned.

Mr Uday Kotak was the Chief Guest while Mr Kumar Mangalam Birla delivered the Chancellor's Address. Mr Birla gave out four tips to become a pioneer in your profession. Browse the short clip below inserted with permission:

Mr Kotak recounted his younger days when he wanted to be a cricket player. Do listen to him in this short 40-sec video.

Honoring the Parents

Parents are always invited for the convocation at all the universities. But the parents of Chancellor's Award recipients at BITSoM were invited on stage to receive the Award along with their ward. This innovative gesture by BITSoM honouring the parents goes a long way in inspiring the future batches. It also strengthens the value system taught at the School. I met the mother of Samarth Mishra, the batch topper after the event and congratulated her. It was an overwhelming feeling more so as he had lost his father when he was 18. Similarly, the parents of Ayush Ranjan, the Best All-rounder of the Class were also honoured by inviting them on stage to receive the Chancellor's award alongside.

Valedictorian Address by Batch Topper 

Another innovation which I observed at the convocation. The batch topper was given the privilege to deliver the Valedictorian Address at the convocation. Just listen to the inspiring and touching speech delivered by Samarth Mishra, who topped the Class of 2023 at BITSoM. Look at his self-confidence, composure and delivery- like a seasoned stage speaker! If the YouTube link below doesn't open, you may click here.

The Best All-rounder of the Class, Ayush Ranjan was also given the privilege to share his experiences with the audience. You may click here to view a short video clip of Ayush's Address.

Dean's List

It is a custom in most universities in north America. Dean's list honours those graduating students who achieved a GPA between 3.5 to 3.9 on a scale of 4. Dean's list awardees get a signed certificate of appreciation. BITSoM also honoured the top-10 students of the graduating class. Actually the number was 11 because there was a tie for the 10th position. This reminded me of 20 merit scholarships being awarded every semester by our batch at BITS Pilani. The first cohort had 21 awardees because there was a four way tie for the 17th rank. Talk of coincidences in life!

Designing of the gowns by a student

Another innovation by BITSoM was designing of the convocation gowns by a student of the graduating class. Ms Pallavi Savant felt so elated on her design being selected by the Institute.

Fun Moments

Every convocation the fun moment arrives with the tossing of the hats on completion of the ceremony. The BITSoM graduates also did that. But there were more fun moments like:

• Screening of the Year Book made by the graduating class
• A professional music performance in between

Sharing few pictures of the Convocation to give you a feeling of vibrancy at the venue- National Centre for Performing Arts (NCPA), Mumbai.

For two of us from the graduating class of 1973, it was a privilege to attend the convocation of another graduating class 50 years apart! From 1973 to 2023, BITS has been an integral part of our life as BITSians.

Previous Convocations

Ghumakkad has been privileged to have attended many convocations in the past. We are sharing below two of our earlier stories of BITS convocations.

Convocation: A Day To Rejoice

Convocation Excitement: We Have Done It

Hope you liked this short story. It proved that innovations are meant not only for product designs, but it can be applied even in mundane activities like a college convocation. Well done Dr Ranjan Banerjee and his team at BITSoM.

Thanks for browsing.

   -  Harsh-the-Ghumakkad with inputs from Samarth Mishra and the ABG Group/ Secunderabad/ 15th May 2023

Postscript 16th May 2023:

Dr Vijay Vittal of Arizona State University, USA wrote: "At our university's convocation our President asks all parents of graduating students to rise and then asks the graduating students to acknowledge and thank the parents for their sacrifices that helped them achieve their goal." Another noble way of acknowledging the contribution of the parents!

#convocation #foundingclass #BITSoM #BITSPilani #BITSAA #BITSians #innovation #management #education #MBA #chancellor #deanslist #vicechancellor #classof2023 #classof1973

BITS Of Social Impact Is Released

"Educational institutions of repute don’t just produce engineers, scientists, doctors, and others, but create leaders. Leaders with the intellectual firepower and the moral compass to build a better world", says Dr Kumar Mangalam Birla in his Foreword to the book 'BITS of Social Impact'. He goes on to add that the book "captures the stories of BITSian Founders who have pursued their passion for making a difference in people’s lives. The stories are insightful and full of compassion."

We are delighted to share that the book has been released during BITSAA Global Meet (BGM) at Jaipur on 7th Jan 2023. See the pictures below.

Sharing few pictures with the founders of social ventures taken either during the BGM or while interviewing them for the stories.

"At last, the job is done", seems to be what the authors are saying!

Highlights

The book would be of interest to  entrepreneurs, researchers, students, budding social entrepreneurs, policy makers, civil service organisations, NGOs, educational institutions, investors and the government. It focuses on real-life stories and examples rather than any theoretical inputs. Key contents are as follows:

• A chapter titled 'Social Entrepreneurship 101' with practical examples and tips. It is like a primer on social entrepreneurship.
• Twenty-five real-life stories of founders and co-founders of successful change makers who have made a social impact. It includes the story of one posthumous change maker.
• Eight short stories of 'Emerging Stars' who have displayed empathy and passion for a chosen social cause.

Featured Founders and Co-founders

The book features the following BITS alumni who either founded or co-founded organisations which have made a social impact. There are numerous other BITSians who work in the social sector as CXOs. The rationale of selecting these founders has been explained in the teaser of the book earlier. We thank the founders for sharing their inspiring journey with us.

PART I: HEALTHCARE

1. Making Genomic Medicines a Reality - Vijay Chandru (Strand Life Sciences)

2. Creating the World’s First Braille Self-Learning Device - Aman Srivastava, 

Sanskriti Dawle, Dilip Ramesh and Saif Shaikh (Thinkerbell Labs; Annie)

3. Making Healthcare Accessible and Affordable for All - Chetan Anand, Anurag Prasad, Shashvat Tripathi and Vaibhav Singh (Visit Health)

4. Making 1.7 Billion People Free from Muscle and Joint Pain - Ashutosh Ajay

Mundhada (Your Physio)

PART II: EDUCATION

5. World-Class Education for Every Child in their Own Language - Aniruddh

Mishra (ApniClass)

6. Empowering the Underprivileged to make India Rise! - Mayur Patnala (Nirmaan)

7. Improving the Quality of Education in Government Schools through Systemic Reform - Madhukar Reddy Banuri (Leadership For Equity)

8. Making Education Accessible to Students from the Lesser Privileged Community - Naveen Bannur (Educait)

9. Caring for the Children of Migrant Labourers - Saraswathi Padmanabhan (Diya Ghar)

10. Computer Literacy for Under-Served Communities - Rakesh Suri (Computer Shiksha)

11. Management for a Just, Equitable, Humane, Sustainable World - Gaurav Shah (ISDM)

12. Towards Creating a Future, Where Passion and Profession Intersect - Surabhi Dewra (Career Guide)

13. Empowering the Rural Youth of India - Ajay Chaturvedi (Kautilya Fellowship Network)

PART III: ENVIRONMENT

14. Waste to Energy - Devendar Kumar Ahuja (Ahuja Engineering)

15. Recharging the Belly of Mother Earth - Vijay K Kedia (Kedia Rainwater Harvesting)

16. Giving Back to Nature - Raghavendra Suryavanshi and Akshat Tyagi (Sustainable Biosolutions)

17. Saving Tons of CO2 - Vinod Agarwal and Kapil Kathpalia (Applied Solar Technologies)

18. Alleviating Water Scarcity in Rural Communities - Bhagwati P Agrawal (Sustainable Innovations)

19. An Innovator Who Overcame All Odds - Bhag Chand Jain (Posthumous) and Ankur Jain (Ankur Scientific)

PART IV: ART AND CULTURE

20. A Polymath Propagating Vedic Knowledge Globally - Dushyanth Sridhar (Desika Daya)

21. Giving Wings through Arts - Vinita Sud Belani (EnActe Arts)

PART V: COMMUNITY TRANSFORMATION

22. Creating Rural Entrepreneurs - Raju Reddy and Phanindra Sama (Kakatiya Sandbox)

23. Transforming the Lives of Communities Around One’s Alma Mater - Sunil Nanda (PARC)

24. The Transformation of Urban India - Ramesh Ramanathan (Jana Group)

25. Supporting the Support System - Raghu Rajagopal (Punarjanm)

EMERGING STARS

1. Ensuring Children Don’t Drop Out of School - Antara Sarkar (Sunday Class)
2. Creating Assistive Technology for The Disabled - Mohit Patil and Parth Shah (Abilitare, USA)
3. Helping the Marginal Farmers with Residue-free Cultivation Practices - Keerthi Priya (Koh! Foods)
4. Women Empowerment, Hunger and Education - Advik Singh (Chhalaang  Foundation)
5. Inculcating Social Leadership in Youth - Akarsh Shroff (YuvaSpark)
6. Making Mental Health Resources Accessible to the Young - Anagha Rajesh (Yours Mindfully)
7. Countering Hate in the Society - Pratyush Rawal (Sadbhavna)
8. Bridging the Gap between Law and Action - Tarun Cherukuri (Indus Action)

Acknowledgements

We are thankful to the following people for their contribution and support during various stages of the book:

1. Dr Kumar Mangalam Birla, Chancellor, BITS Pilani for the Foreword.

2. Dr Archana Pillai of IIM Bangalore and Dr Ranjan Banerjee of BITSoM, for brainstorming the project.

3. Kailash Gupta, K. Srikanth and the BGM-23 team for supporting the idea  behind this book.

4. J.A. Ramamoorty, Nishank Varshney, Anagha Rajesh, Kaushik P.S., Nidhi  Upadhyay and Neeti Pokharna, for research and editing-related support.

5. Akarsh Shroff, for suggesting the book title and winning the title contest.

6. ICFAI Business School (IBS), Centre for Social Initiative and Management (CSIM), Byrraju Foundation and Vishwa Vishwani Institute of Systems and Management (VVISM), all at Hyderabad, for providing the platform for  teaching and fieldwork for the courses and supervising more than 100 field projects on social entrepreneurship over the last twenty years.

7. All the students of Harsh Bhargava, the first author, who undertook projects and internships in the social sector, and thus, enriched the knowledge base with real-life  examples.

8. BITS Pilani, for nurturing and sensitizing its students to the needs of society.

9. Rakesh Chander, Pooja Sanyal, and the team at HarperCollins for rowing the boat together against the tide of time.

10. Haitenlo Semy of HarperCollins for designing the cover.

We seek the pardon of those whom we may have missed out listing here.

Lastly, we are both ever-grateful to our spouses for allowing the ubiquitous laptops to take our place during the last six months!

As a humble gesture from our side, we have pledged the entire royalty from the sale of this book to BITS Pilani.

To encourage the teenaged entrepreneurs at Young Entrepreneurs' Bootcamp (YEB) held at BITS Pilani Hyderabad campus (BPHC) recently, our book was given as Book Prize for best Team Pitch. Readers may browse the YEB story here. Sharing two pictures of the recipients of the Book Prize with Dr G Sundar, Director BPHC. Pictures courtesy DOPY, BPHC.

The book is available on Amazon- both hard copy and Kindle versions.

We hope you enjoy reading the book. We look forward to your feedback either as comments on this blog or on mail ID hbindia@gmail.com .

Postscript, 15th Jan 2023: "The 25 inspiring stories in the book embellished with visuals wherever required and also a few blurbs highlighting the core activities of these social entrepreneurship companies, is a valuable collection of material for those who aspire to be entrepreneurs on similar lines. The language is very easy to comprehend and would surely give the reader a great feel of how India's professional lot are working to make a real difference in elevating the society and mitigating its disparities", wrote Naresh Kumar in his review of our book in Hans India. Readers may browse the epaper for the complete book review.

Thanks for browsing.

   -  Harsh Bhargava with Sai Prameela Konduru/ 8th Jan 2023/ Jaipur 

#socialentrepreneurship #socialimpact #bitsianfounders #socialventures #bitsalumni #bitspailani #bitsaaglobalmeet #bgm2023 #bookrelease #bitsofsocialimpact #saiprameelakonduru #bitsaa #ghumakkadharsh #ghumakkadhb #kumarmangalambirla #reallifestories #volunteering #nep2020