From free medical care for beggars to students developing devices for visually impaired people, here are the top social stories you should not miss

Makerspaces in schools: Gurgaon students develop smart devices to enable visually impaired persons

Students of Gurgaon’s Heritage Xperiential Learning School, known for its project-based learning approach, have developed devices like an automated walking stick, 3D printed braille cards, and “help me” shoes to aid visually impaired persons. The students have, under the Saksham Project, a part of the school’s pedagogical Maker-centred learning programme, successfully designed and developed devices such as an automated walking stick, 3D printed Braille cards, and “help me” shoes. The project was introduced in 2016 to enable students to use digital tools to address issues of social relevance.

IIT, IIM alumnus helping farmers grow ‘Food Forests’ without chemicals

After looking at the way the natural fertility of the land was being destroyed, Sandeep Saxena, a chemical engineering graduate from IIT Kanpur and an IIM Lucknow alumnus, left his job and decided to do something to address the issue. In 2007, he founded an organisation called Aranyaani in Madhya Pradesh to raise ‘food forests’ on 2,500 acres of fallow lands. The organisation is also assisting farmers in the state to have their own food forest on approximately 4,000 acres of land.

Spy in the sky: ISRO to launch electronic intelligence satellite ‘EMISAT’ for DRDO on April 1

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will use its PSLV launch vehicle to put an electronic intelligence satellite EMISAT for the Defence Development and Research Organisation (DRDO) on April 1 in space. This will be PSLV’s 47th mission to space. This is also reportedly the first time that ISRO will put satellites in three different orbits. The flight sequence of the rocket will take about 180 minutes from its launch, which is slated for 9:30 am, IST. Initially, the launch was scheduled for March 21, but was later changed to April 1.

From doctor to entrepreneur: this Pune doctor provides free medical treatment to beggars

On the streets of Pune, Dr Abhijit Sonawane and his wife Dr Manisha Sonawane aim to rehabilitate the poor and homeless by providing holistic, psychological, and free medical care. Every morning, Dr Abhijit heads out to various locations such as temples, mosques, and churches, where a majority of homeless elderly beggars assemble to seek donations. He carries with him basic medical supplies, conducts check-ups, and provides medicine to those in need. With an aim to make them self-sufficient, the duo helps the specially-abled and senior homeless citizens to relocate to old-age homes. At times, they have even helped them out financially to set up small businesses. Since April 2017, the couple has supported 50 elderly beggars to discontinue begging. Till date, the doctor couple has helped over 1,100 beggars, and provided them with free medical care.

On his 100th birthday, this Kerala man is preparing for his 30th trek in the Himalayas

Meet P Chitran Namboodiripad, a resident of Thrissur in Kerala who wants to celebrate his 100th birthday trekking in the Himalayas. Namboodiripad has, over the last three decades, made 29 trips to holy shrines in the Himalayas, and his last trip was in December 2018, when he visited Badrinath and Kedarnath. He was part of a 118-member group that went on a pilgrimage from Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala.