Some feisty women leaders of SHGs in Uttar Pradesh are leading movements that fight against alcoholism and other social evils. Mehru Jaffer meets one such leader, Meera Chaudhury of Janakpur

What pleases Sanchaita Gajapati Raju on her winning the Google Global Impact Challenge award is that she polled maximum votes, an indicator of people's understanding of the importance of clean water and sanitation, says Kavita Kanan Chandra

Knowing education's role in socio-economic mobility from his family history, Aditya Natraj trained school heads and ensured that the overall quality of rural education improved. It also brought down the dropout rate, says Souzeina Musthtaq

This Diwali passed off without much noise in Mumbai, thanks to the noise raised by Sumaira Abdulali, founder of Awaaz, who has even taken on the sand mafia. She continues her fight despite facing physical attacks, says Kavita Kanan Chandra

Going beyond textbooks, Karpagam Ramalingam inculcates a sense of love for the environment among her students. Though she is sad that some trees planted by her students have been chopped, the 46-year-old soldiers on, says P C Vinoj Kumar

For 22-year-old, wheel chair-bound, Rekha Kumari, her own life experiences were a source of inspiration to take the fight for rights of disabled children straight to the UN, says Saadia Azim

In her mission to educate girls, Safeena Husain faces challenges as the government machinery seldom works and parents too are chary of sending girls to school, says Kavita Kanan Chandra

The fight of Jazeera V, who has taken on illegal sand mining in Kerala, is a saga of courage, determination and dedication. Taking the protest to Delhi, she told Souzeina Mushtaq that she could not bear the sight of her own beach shrinking

Suzette Jordan has come a long way: From a blurred image on television screens to an activist, from a victim to a healer of wounded hearts. Kamalika Sengupta meets Kolkata’s brave heart, who was once called just as ‘Park Street rape victim’

When Chennai’s auto-rickshaw drivers cocked a snook at the law for years and fleeced commuters, people waited for a messiah to come and do something that will bring back the meter. P C Vinoj Kumar meets the man who launched that campaign

Vimlendu Jha is a social activist with a difference. From Narmada to Chamoli to Yamuna, he has been everywhere, fighting. He now fights to clean up the Yamuna even as he runs a store in Hauz Khas selling up-cycled products, says Akash Bisht

A mathematics wizard in Patna sends children of vegetable vendors, rickshaw pullers and daily wage earners to IITs through Super 30, a free coaching programme. Kavita Kanan Chandra says that nearly 300 students have cleared JEE in 10 years

Rural women in public life are bringing about a change in Haryana, not just in their domain of politics or governance but in general society by liberating other women. Bula Devi checks out

Chucking an engineering career in US, Senthil Kumar Gopalan comes to India, landing in a Tamil Nadu village, where he re-engineers the life of rural poor. P C Vinoj Kumar finds the holistic development engendered by his NGO, Payir, amazing

Balasaheb Darade is a politician of another hue. The 29-year-old could have pursued the American dream, easily. But he chose to work in his Vidarbha region of Maharashtra to bring the change that people want. Kavita Kanan Chandra spoke to him