Bharat Gaurav Kalpana Chawla - First women aeronautical engineer to travel into space
Kalpana Chawla was India’s first women aeronautical engineer to travel into space. She has been a role model to several women in terms of achievement and contributions to the field of aeronautics. Growing up in a male dominant society, Kalpana never let her dreams of flying be affected in any way. In fact, she was the first woman to study aeronautical engineering in her batch.
Kalpana Chawla was born on the 1st of July, 1961 in a small town in Karnal located in the state of Haryana. Her parents, Banarasi Lal Chawla and Sanjyothi had two other daughters named Sunita and Deepa and a son named Sanjay. Kalpana was the youngest in her family and hence, she was the most pampered too.
She got educated at the Tagore Public School and later enrolled at Punjab Engineering College to complete her Aeronautical Engineering Degree in 1982.
She knew early on in her life that she wanted to be an aerospace engineer. “Every once in a while,” Chawla said to NASA, “we’d ask my dad if we could get a ride in one of these planes (planes from local flying clubs). And, he did take us to the flying club and get us a ride in the Pushpak and a glider that the flying club had,” she was quoted as saying. Kalpana had been inspired by JRD Tata’s work in aviation.
Bharat Gaurav Muni Pulak Sagar
MUNI SHRI PULAKSAGAR JI is known throughout India & the world as Gurudev Pulak Sagar Ji, for his selfless love and compassion towards all beings. His entire life has been dedicated to removing the pain of the poor, awakening society, and teaching them how to lead a peaceful life. When we go through his path of life, we can see that Gurudev has embraced and comforted all sections of society and has considered it as the cause of his birth. Gurudev inspires to make themselves better so as to improvise and uplift society & thus, uplifts the mental level of the people, through his very honest interactions with the mob & inspirational discourses
He was born in a Jain family of Late Bhikamchand Jain & Smt.Gopi Bai Jain on 11th may 1970 at Dhamtari,Chattisgarh. Even as a small child, he drew the attention of people around with the long hours he spent in deep meditation in the lonely areas of the village.
Gurudev was deeply disturbed by the profound sufferings that he witnessed throughout his life. He visited a number of colleges, schools, temples, and jails continuously with heartfelt efforts to reduce the sorrow and pain in society.
While Gurudev is widely regarded as one of the foremost spiritual leaders in India, He claims that his religion is love, affection & pure humanity.
Name before Deeksha: Paras Jain
Date of Birth: 11th May 1970
Place of Birth: Dhamtri, Chattisgarh
Father’s Name: Late Bhikamchand Jain
Mother’s Name: Smt.Gopi Bai Jain
Educational Qualification: Bachelor of Arts ( Jabalpur) Brahmacharya Vrat
( Greh Tyag) : 27 January 1993
Brahmacharya Shri: Acharya Shree Vidya Sagarji Maharaj
Ailak Deeksha Grahan: 27 January 1994
Place of Deeksha: Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh
Muni Deeksha: 11th December 1995
Place of Deeksha: Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh
Deeksha Guru: Acharya Pushpadant Sagar Maharaj
There are two organizations that are working actively all over the country under the precious inspiration of Muni Shree Pulak Sagarji Maharaj for the welfare and awakening of the Jain community.
These organizations are named:
1. Pulakjan Chetna Manch &
2. Jain Mahila Jagriti Manch
Bharat Gaurav Late Rabindranath Tagore - An icon of Indian Culture
Rabindranath Tagore was an icon of Indian culture. He was a poet, philosopher, musician, writer, and educationist. Rabindranath Tagore became the first Asian to become a Nobel laureate when he won the Nobel Prize for his collection of poems, Gitanjali, in 1913. He was popularly called Gurudev and his songs were popularly known as Rabindra-sangeet. Two songs from his Rabindra-sangeet canon are now the national anthems of India and Bangladesh: the Jana Gana Mana and the Amar Shonar Bangla. Rabindranath Tagore was born on May 7, 1861, in a wealthy Brahmin family in Calcutta.
He met William Rothenstein, a noted British painter, in London. Rosenstein was impressed by the poems, made copies, and gave them to Yeats and other English poets. Yeats was enthralled. He later wrote the introduction to Gitanjali when it was published in September 1912 in a limited edition by the India Society in London. Rabindranath Tagore was awarded Nobel Prize for Literature in 1913 for Gitanjali. In 1915 he was knighted by the British King George V. In 1919, following the Jallianwala Bagh massacre, Tagore renounced his knighthood. He was a supporter of Gandhi Ji but he stayed out of politics. He was opposed to nationalism and militarism as a matter of principle, and instead promoted spiritual value and the creation of a new world culture founded in multi-culturalism, diversity, and tolerance. Unable to gain ideological support for his views, here tired into relative solitude. Between the years 1916 and 1934, he traveled widely.
In 1921, Rabindranath Tagore established Viswabharati University. He gave all his money from Nobel Prize and royalty money from his books to this University. Tagore was not only a creative genius, he was quite knowledgeable of Western culture, especially Western poetry and science too. Tagore had a good grasp of modern-post-Newtonian-physics and was well able to hold his own in a debate with Einstein in 1930 on the newly emerging principles of quantum mechanics and chaos.
His meetings and tape-recorded conversations with his contemporaries such Albert Einstein and H. G. Wells, epitomize his brilliance. In 1940 Oxford University arranged a special ceremony in Santiniketan and awarded Rabindranath Tagore with a Doctorate of Literature. Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore passed away on August 7, 1941, in his ancestral home in Calcutta.
Rabindranath Tagore wrote both the words and the music for what would (some16 years after his death) become the National Anthem of India (Jana Gana Mana).
Patriotism: Rabindranath was not only a great poet. He was also a great lover of his country. In 1919 occurred the shameful Jalinwallabag massacre in Amritsar, where innocent men, women, and children were killed by the British. Rabindranath immediately gave up his Knighthood. He also props he sied that such brutality was sure to end the British rule in India very soon.
Viswa-Bharati and Santiniketan: One of the greatest achievements of Tagore was the creation of Viswa-Bharati at Santi Niketan near Bolpur in West Bengal. His aim was to combine the cultural ideals of the East and the West. He was a seminent in painting, music, acting, and dancing, as in poetry. He took part in his plays and recited his poems with sweetness and charm. Therefore, he introduced the cultivation of different arts in Viswa-Bharati. It has now become a famous Indian University.
His message: The poet toured almost all around the world. Everywhere he received the love and respect of all, the rich and the poor, the high and the low. Wherever he went, people came to him to hear his message of love and hope. He was also a religious man. He looked like a saint and lived like a saint. Gandhiji regarded him as the greatest master of culture and sanctity, peace and love; so he called the poet his Gurudeva.
His death: Full of glory and honors the poet passed away on August 7, 1941, at his ancestral home in Calcutta (now Kolkata). His death was mourned all over the world. His centenary has been celebrated throughout India and other Countries in 1961. Many academies and libraries have been established in the name of the immortal Rabindranath to celebrate his birth centenary.
Bharat Gaurav Sumeeti Mittal - Pratham Shiksha
Sumeeti Mittal is the Founder & Trustee of Pratham Shiksha; a Jaipur Rajasthan (India) based charitable organization promoting basic education for underprivileged children living in slum areas of Jaipur, Rajasthan. She has been recently awarded the 100 Women Achievers Award by the Ministry of Women and Child Welfare, Government of India.
The major innovative initiatives of Pratham Shiksha, include Flexi timing classes for the students. The flexible hours help students to work during the day and study in their free hours. This way they are able to earn a livelihood and continue their studies also. Recently the school has collaborated with a private hospital to impart nursing training to around 100 girls and boys. This is in line with the Government’s initiative of Skill India, to develop the skills of people and empower them for a better life. The nursing students will be provided with certifications from the government and will be eligible for nursing posts in both public and private hospitals.
An abroad trip to the US made her ponder over the thought that even the underprivileged children in developed countries go to school and are educated but not so in India. This inspired Sumeeti to start ‘Pratham Shiksha’. The school which started in a garage portion of her house has now evolved to become a full-fledged school up to 8th grade in a rented premise with seven classrooms and other amenities along with conveyance facilities for students. To date, 3000+ students have been educated at Pratham Shiksha. She plans to expand the student base and upgrade the school to the 10th standard. The school also runs vocational classes of basic home services like electrical, plumbing, and stitching courses for boys, girls, and their family members. These courses will equip children with skills to move ahead in life and earn a livelihood for themselves.
Pratham Shiksha has been recognized at Make In India Awards for Excellence — 2015 under NGO Category for its contribution to social development.
In addition, Mittal is also Co-founder & Director of Pratham Software (P) Ltd, a Jaipur-based global IT Service Company focussing on software development, IT consulting and offering offshore outsourcing solutions to enterprises worldwide. She has also set up Robo Galaxy, an e-learning portal and robotic lab catering to students from Grade 3 to Grade 10.
She has been instrumental in founding V-Technos, a global IT training services company focussing on software training and development. V- Technos is imparting a real-world training experience & assist in enhancing skills through intensive hands-on exercises under the guidance of expert instructors. The focus is to provide students with real-life software project experience so that they upscale themselves to the next level of execution of the project thus transforming their skills into quality software delivery.
Sumeeti's zeal to learn new things stimulated her to get PMP certification from the Project Management Institute, Inc. She actively participates in various industry-academia programs organized by institutes and colleges in Jaipur. She interacts with students about emerging trends in corporate culture and the IT industry. She also delivered lectures at International Robotics Conference, Russia in 2014.
A widely traveled and noted speaker, she is on the board of various social forums. She is part of the ‘Mentoring Walk’ group helping her mentees by discussing and resolving issues faced in their personal and professional lives. She has also served on the governing body of FICCI Ladies Organization (FLO), Jaipur Chapter. She is also involved in guiding women entrepreneurs through the Swayam group in setting up and growing their businesses. Sumeeti is Chairperson of Yuva Sanskriti Sansthan, the women's wing. The institution works for the upliftment of the backward sections of society. They organize mass marriage ceremonies for low-income groups and conduct blood donation camps, computer literacy courses, and summer camps for students offering various skill-based short-term courses. The purpose of these initiatives is to help people in raising their standard of living and get respectable jobs.
Puneet Mittal, Sumeeti’s husband, a B.Arch. from MNIT, is the Founder, MD, and CEO of Pratham Software and has always supported them in all her endeavors. He himself is also associated with various professional and charitable organizations including TIE, MNIT Alumni, etc. He feels passionately for society and pursues avenues that can contribute to making this world a more equitable society to live in.
Awards & Honours
1) Awarded among 100Women Achievers by the Ministry of Women and Child Welfare, Government of India. Attended lunch and felicitation ceremony hosted by President of India Sh. Pranab Mukherjee at Rashtrapati Bhavan on 22 Jan 2016.
2) Pratham Shiksha has been recognized at Make In India Awards for Excellence — 2015 under NGO Category for its contribution to social development. The award was presented by the Hon. Governor of Gujrat Sh Kalraj Mishra.
3) Honoured with the top 100 successful women in Rajasthan in an initiative by NGO Tammana an event called ‘Tamanna Udaan Ki’.
4) She has been felicitated by Mayor Jyoti Khandelwal on Women’s day for her outstanding contribution to society.
5) Honoured with “Vivekanand Sammaan” by Rajasthan Yuva Chhatra Sansthan and Nehru Yuva Kendra.
6) Awarded as “Women of the Future Award 2016”. The award ceremony is conducted by First News Channel and FICCI Ladies Organization.
7) She was a part of the Speaker Panel at the Third National Conference on Youth 2025 at Jaipuriya Institute of Management, Jaipur.
Bharat Gaurav Suvigya Sharma - The Artist
As his art form is rare, he promotes it worldwide through his Art- shows & auctions across the globe. We paint intricate Miniature artworks from Coin size to Life-size using the same miniature painting technique with 24Carat Gold.
We do commission artworks for the majority of Industrial & celebrity families in India & the world. Like: Our Honourable Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, Hon. President Shri Ramnath Kovind Sir, Vice President. Shri Venkaiah Naidu ji,
The Ambani Family, Mrs Rajshri Birla, Mr L.N Mittal(London), Binani’s, Singhania’s, Burman’s, Piramal family, Mr Sachin Tendulkar(Cricketer), Miss Priyanka Chopra(Actress), Rani Mukerji(Actress) Kangana Ranaut(Actress), Justin Bieber(Pop Singer), Mr Virat Kohli(Cricketer)Etc.
Attaching some of our recent Portrait & Pichwai Painting works. Our Gold Paintings are a finer refined artform of 24crt Gold Tanjores fused with Miniatures which is a monopoly worldwide. And at the same time, we have been restoring Heritages in India & Abroad like the City Palace of Jaipur, the Singapore art museum and more. As we master Wall art & Fresco Painting. Shows: Group show at Terrace Gallery Sussex, England, March 200 9 to 2012, Group show at Nehru Centre London, England, March 200 7 to 2012,
One-man show at Bajaj Art Gallery, Mumbai from 2001 to 2008.
One-man show at Cymroza Art Gallery 2006 to 2007 Mumbai.
One-man show at Chitrakoot Art Gallery, Calcutta, from 2005 to 2009.
One-man show at Academy of Fine Arts, Calcutta 2005.
Group Exhibition Chennai & Delhi from 2003 to 2007.
One man show at Artisan’s Art Gallery Mumbai 2013 March.
One-man show at Cymroza Art Gallery Mumbai 2014 September. Opened by actress(Ms. Rani Mukerji)One Man show at Bajaj Art Gallery Mumbai 2015 Opened by actress(Ms. Kangana Ranaut)One Man show, Timeless Miniature Art in Association with “Make In India” ArtDesh Gallery February 2016One Man show, at Bajaj Art Gallery, October 2016 (Opened by Cricketer (Mr Sachin Tendulkar) One Man show, at Bajaj Art Gallery, October 2017(Divinity of Art)in association with “Smile Foundation”
He’s been awarded various awards,
Felicitated by the:
-Asia Book Of Records
-India Book Of Records
-Limca Book of Records
-Rajasthan Gaurav Award
-Pride of Rajasthan Award
-Felicitated by India’s 1st Coffee Table Book, “Who’s Who of the Industry” Rajasthan
-“Rajashthan’s Most Powerful 10”
-This 2019 September, he’ll be receiving the President Award by our Honourable President “Shri Ramnath Kovind Sir” at the Rashtrapati Bhawan.
Bharat Gaurav HR Nagendra- Former Space Scientist & Yog Guru
Dr. Nagendra, a former space scientist at NASA, returned to his native India, changing, as he says, from engineering to human engineering “in search of truth.” According to him, the search for ultimate truth through external means (science) did not take him far enough and that is why he chose to dive deep into his own consciousness in search of reality through yoga. He then proceeded to deal with this subject in the scientific manner he has become accustomed to.
In 1975, Dr Nagendra established the internationally famous Vivekananda Kendra Yoga Research Foundation (or V K YOGAS) which has been renamed Swami Vivekananda Yoga Anusandana Samsthana (S-VYASA).
Dr Nagendra Born on Jan 1, 1943, Nagendra is at present the President of S-VYASA, Bangalore, S-VYASA, International, VYERTI, Melbourne, and Vice-Chancellor of S-VYASA Deemed University. He has authored and co-authored about 35 books on yoga, nearly 35research papers in engineering, and 60 in yoga. He has awards from the Ministry of Health, a Yoga Sri award from BKS Iyengar, and a senior Citizens award from New Delhi. He is a consultant in Yoga to many Universities in Australia and the USA and a member of several bodies in Govt. India. After graduation, Nagendra got an ME and Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Science in 1965 and 1968, research at the University of British Columbia, Canada, NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, AL as Post Doctoral ResearchAssociate, and at Harvard University Engineering Sciences laboratory as a Consultantbetween 1969 and 72 and Imperial College of S and T, London before he returned to IISc.
He joined Vivekananda Kendra, Kanyakumari, a service mission as an honorary director of training in 1975. Developing yoga and yoga therapy programs for the modern youth and ailing sick with Dr. Nagarathna, he spent nearly a decade before shifting his head Quarters to Bangalore, Prashanti Kutiram to translate the vision of Swami Vivekananda to combine the best of the East with the best of the East by combining modern scientific research to examine the efficacy of yoga to solve the challenges of the modern era. As the team developed, the campus Prashanti Kutiram took shape, the research papers started getting published in leading mainstream journals of the world, and S-VYASA started gaining greater momentum with nearly about 70 research publications on yoga, about 200 dissertations by students of Certificate and Diploma Courses, about 65 dissertations of Masters degree in yoga and 6 theses of Ph.D., acquiring accreditation from DST, Ministry of Health and FW, Dept of AYUSH, UGC recognizing it as one of the premier yoga institutes of the country, recognized by Bangalore, Mysore, Mangalore, and Rajiv Gandhi Universities from 1991 to 2001, the Hindu University of America in 2002 and finally acquiring the status of a Deemed University named Swami Vivekananda Yoga Anusandhana Samsthana(Research Foundation) SVYASA for short, in 2003 offering courses from Certificate to Doctoral programs in Yogic Sciences.
In search of reality, Dr. HR Nagendra found that modern science has only touched the physical and creation has many subtle and causal dimensions which ancient Seers of India had fathomed, realized, documented, and time tested for its usefulness. So he jumped into this wisdom contained in Upanishads of Yoga and spiritual lore. He was fascinated by the teachings of Swami Vivekananda who brought out his great wisdom in modern terminology and urged him to combine the best of the West with the best of the East.
He has been instrumental in coordinating the efforts of several people to bring up a 35 Acres campus of scenic beauty twenty miles from Bangalore and 5kms from Bannerghatta-Jigni-Anekal National Highway. The campus is the developing Head Quarters of S-VYASA with research as the main aim. Prashanti has developed into a 250 bedded in-depth research center of the yoga of international acclaim called Arogyadhama including Surabhi — a Naturopathy and Ayurveda facility .to treat the patients and promote positive health. Prashanti also houses an intensive, holistic 30 beds Cancer CaIre Center.
Bharat Gaurav B. K. Nirwair- follows humanitarianism and penmanship to spread the teachings of the Brahma Kumaris
B.K Nirwair started to serve as a valuable and effective instrument in spreading the teachings of the Brahma Kumaris, both in India and abroad. He has been the brain behind many programmes, conferences, retreats, and seminars organised by the PBKIVV. His interactions with others have brought about tremendous change in the way people view themselves, which in turn has helped shape the institution to which he owes his allegiance. He has been the source of inspiration behind the setting up of large World Renewal Spiritual Exhibitions, Spiritual Art Galleries, the making of documentary films and other projects on Spirituality in Art.
His interest in spiritual wisdom began in his childhood days when he was attracted to the teachings of Swami Vivekananda and Swami Ramtirath. In 1959, he came in contact with PBKIVV whilst still in the Navy. Based on his personal association with the Founder and other senior members of the institution, he was inspired to spiritually serve the world. By the year 1963, he had a clear vision of the path he had to take and so dedicated his entire life to the task of the Brahma Kumaris, under the guidance of his mentor and guide, Prajapita Brahma himself.
In attempts to share spiritual wisdom with opinion leaders from various professional fields, he has shouldered the responsibility of acting as Secretary-General in International Conferences. The International Headquarters in Mount Abu have hosted a number of such conferences over the years on the themes of “Universal Peace”, “Global Co-operation for a Better World”, “Universal Harmony”, “Spiritual Response to Changing Times”, “Our Efforts for a Value-Based Society” etc. and continues to do so. Many distinguished dignitaries have inaugurated these conferences: ex-President Dr Shankar Dayal Sharma, ex-Prime Minister Mr Rajiv Gandhi, and been addressed by Mr Robert Muller, other UN representatives and world leaders including the Dalai Lama, Lord David Ennals, Prime Minister Mr Atal Bihari Vajpayee and others. Apart from carrying out the role of Secretary-General, he has visited all five continents to propagate the teachings and principles of the Brahma Kumaris.
B.K. Nirwair has not only shown his competence in the realm of spirituality but also in humanitarianism and penmanship. One only needs to spend a few seconds with him to feel his unconditional love and respect for humanity. His concern for fellow human beings cuts all barriers of colour, caste and creed fact which is substantiated by his brain-child, the Global Hospital & Research Centre, Mt. Abu.
Bharat Gaurav Asit Kumar Modi
Asit Kumar Modi is the Founder & Managing Director of Neela Tele Films Private Limited; a renowned production house based in Mumbai, India. His unique ability to understand the audience’s behavior & the need of the hour has led him to create many successful family entertainment shows. He has a great taste for stories and understands the pulse of the audience. He has produced a number of fiction & non-fiction shows for various channels such as Star Plus, Sony, Colors, SAB TV, and so on; with the aim of providing wholesome entertainment to audiences. Asit Kumarr Modi’s vision is to create shows that provide family entertainment along with social significance by permanently creating a place in the hearts of the audience.
Asit KumarrModi has always been admired for his unique pattern to serve pure entertainment to his audience. He takes pride in presenting comedy serials giving momentous insights into social issues with subtle humor that serves as a message of positivity to instill moral values in members of our society, especially children.
He firmly believes that creating awareness through entertainment and laughter is the best way to bring about social change and is the best way to serve the nation.
His passion is exhibited through the daily family comedy show created and designed by him “Taarak Mehta KaOoltahChashmah”, which has completed 12 years of a successful run on SAB TV & has completed 2800+ episodes making it the longest-running daily family comedy show. This show is on-air since 2008 on SAB TV, Sony Pictures Network India Pvt Limited, and is still going strong. The show is the world’s longest-running family comedy show with the same cast and crew.
Bharat Gaurav Major Dhyanchand - Indian Hockey Magician
Major Dhyan Chand was an iconic Indian hockey player who is remembered as a magician of Indian hockey. Major Dhyan Chand is a name that every Indian can say with pride. He was the prime member of the Indian hockey team which brought three Olympic gold medals in field hockey. He had great control over dribbling the ball that no one could ever match. He was honored with Padma Bhushan by the government of India in 1956 for his outstanding contribution to Indian hockey. Major Dhyan Chand’s birthday, August 29, is celebrated as National Sports Day in India. Major sports awards like Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna, Arjuna, and Dronacharya awards are presented on this occasion to the sportsperson who has shown tremendous commitment to the game and made the country proud. Dhyan Chand scored more than 400 goals during his international career which ended in 1948.
Dhyan Chand was often called ‘The Wizard’ by the legends for his magical control over the ball. In Berlin, Adolf Hitler offered him to join the German forces after watching the final match against Germany. Dhyan Chand mesmerized the Japanese by playing with a walking stick when a woman in the stands asked him to play with it. In some places, opposition team players went on to the extent to break his stick to check whether there was any special thing inside the stick as the ball always tends to kiss his stick. Overall, he scored 1000 goals in a career spanning over two decades. During his era, there was nothing to record the brilliant play of this magician.
Introduction to Hockey
In his younger days, Dhyan was not much interested in sports although he liked wrestling a lot. He started playing Hockey with his friends who used to themselves make Hockey sticks from tree branches and balls from ragged clothes. At the age of 14 years, he visited a Hockey match with his father, where one team was down by 2 goals. He insisted his father play from the losing side, and when an Army Officer let him do so, Dhyan scored 4 goals for the team. Impressed by his skills, the Officer offered him to join the army and at the age of 16 years, Dhyan was inducted into the Punjab Regiment as a Sepoy in the year 1922. Subedar-Major Bhole Tiwari of Brahmin Regiment became Dhyan’s mentor inside the Army and taught him the basics of the game. Pankaj Gupta was the first Coach of Dhyan Singh who predicted that one day he would shine like the Moon, called Chand in Hindi. Hence, Dhyan Singh came to be known as Dhyan Chand after that.
Beginning of Legendary Days
There are many incidents that describe the grandeur of Dhyan Chand’s amazing skills as a wonderful Hockey player. In one of them, he scored 3 goals in the last 4 minutes of a match where his team was losing by 2 goals and got his team the victory in the match. This was the final match of the Punjab Infantry Tournament in Jhelum. After this match, Dhyan Chand was named the “Hockey Wizard”. Dhyan Chand delivered a brilliant performance in the first Inter-Provincial (National) Hockey tournament that was organized in the year 1925. Five teams, viz. United Provinces (UP), Punjab, Bengal, Rajputana, and Central Provinces participated in the tournament. On the basis of his performance in the tournament, he was selected for the International Hockey team of India.
Bharat Gaurav Arunachal Muruganantham - PADMAN
From a small village in Coimbatore, INDIA came a man who revolutionized menstrual hygiene. He is a household name in many villages and among youth. In a country where Menstruation is taboo and only 12% of women use sanitary pads, he came forward with innovation to break the taboo. He is the inventor of the world’s first Low-Cost Sanitary Pad Making Machine. It all started when he found his wife using unhygienic collecting filthy rags and newspapers to use during Menstruation.
Troubled by this, he started designing experimental pads. He wanted to provide a hygiene product for her and the rest is history. He tried the pads himself and he is called Menstrual Man. Initially, he made pads out of cotton, but these were rejected by his wife and sisters. Eventually, they stopped co-operating with him and refused to be the test subjects for his innovations. He realized that the raw materials cost ₹10 (14¢ US), but the end product sold for 40 times that price. He looked for female volunteers who could test his inventions, but most were too shy to discuss their menstrual issues with him. He started testing it on himself, using a bladder with animal blood but became the subject of ridicule when the “sanitary pad” was discovered in his village. As menstruation was a taboo subject in India, it left him ostracized by his community and family. He distributed his products free to girls in a local medical college, hoping that they would give him feedback.
It took him two years to discover that the commercial pads used cellulose fibers derived from pine bark wood pulp. The fibers helped the pads absorb while retaining shape. Imported machines that made the pads cost ₹35 million (US$490,000). he devised a low-cost machine that could be operated with minimal training. He sourced the processed pine wood pulp from a supplier in Mumbai, and the machines would grind, de-fibrate, press and sterilize the pads under ultraviolet light before packaging them for sale. The machine costs ₹65,000 (US$900).
He works with women groups and self-help groups across the world. His model is for the women by the women. Muruganantham’s invention is widely praised as a key step in changing women’s lives in India. The machine creates jobs and income for many women, and affordable pads enable many more women to earn their livelihood during menstruation. In addition to his own outreach, Muruganantham’s work has also inspired many other entrepreneurs to enter this area, including some who propose to use waste banana fiber or bamboo for the purpose.
This brought him widespread accolades He was featured as one of Time Magazine’s 100 Influential People of the world in the year 2014 along with Mr. Barack Obama, Mr. Narendra Modi, Mr. Vladimir Putin, and Mr. Pope Francis, Ms. Hillary Clinton, Mr. Jack Ma, and many leaders.