Have you ever been to a place where time seems to pause? That is exactly how I felt when I visited Gangi, the last village of Tehri Garhwal in Uttarakhand. Tucked away in the high mountains, Gangi is beautiful, raw, and untouched, almost as if the world outside has forgotten it. I spent six hours […]...

It started with a simple observation.I visited multiple schools during field visits for my project, and in every school I went to, I saw the same pattern repeat: students copying and asking each other for answers for a survey even after being told that there were no right or wrong answers. My first thought was, […]...

Tamil Nadu’s delta region, often called the rice bowl of South India, is home to some of the finest traditional rice varieties known for their flavours, textures, and powerful health benefits. These heirloom grains preserved through generations come in a range of natural colours: pure white, off white, brown, red, and even deep black. Beyond […]...

Some moments in life come quietly, yet they leave behind an echo that stays with us long after. During a baseline survey in a small village of Tehri Garhwal, under a project by Mount Valley Development Association, I experienced one such moment. Field visits are usually busy, structured, and full of tasks. There are questionnaires […]...

August 27th marked Ganesh Chaturthi, the beginning of a festival season that would soon bring something extraordinary into my journey at Sukma. A few days before the celebrations began, Shree, Sudhesh, and Darab had arrived, and slowly we grew closer. By the time my birthday on August 29th had passed, I found myself surrounded by […]...

On 11 June, exactly at 6:37 PM UPSC CSE preliminary exam results is out with trembling fingers . I typed my roll number in Holy PDF…. “Sorry! Result not found ” Read the screen. I searched it again and again and the result was the same . I felt a choking sensation in my throat. […]...

After all the activities from our induction training, group building, self reflection, skills and exposure visits, some eventful, some tiring , we were ready to leave. It was then that we got the message of ticket cancellations of our direct train from Pune to Raipur. We rejoiced by dancing and feeling happy for the one […]...

  Who will break my locked home             And take me away? Sitting at the balcony, looking at the moon and listening to this song. Seems aesthetic right! But the feeling is not. Never imagined the song that used to talk to my heart will silence my soul. It took my mind back to four months before.  […]...

“Everytime someone steps up and says who they are, the world becomes a better, more interesting place.”- Captain Raymond Holt, Brooklyn 99 When I parted ways with my co-fellows to join the NGO, I didn’t realize I was also stepping into season two of the loneliest times of my life. Most of my days I […]...

It’s been more than a month now since I’ve arrived in Pati, a quite, hilly block of Champawat, Uttarakhand. I came here as a fellow, hoping to serve- whatever that truly meant. But I think it’s Pati that’s serving me- with lessons, with warmth, with simplicity that we often forget to value.  One thing I […]...

On the morning of 3rd June 2025, I set out on a journey I never imagined I would take alone. It was my first solo travel experience to the mountains. More than just a trip, it felt like the first step toward becoming an independent girl with big dreams in her eyes and the determination […]...

“Wake up early, wear something old, and don’t forget to bring your curiosity”. That was the only instruction I got before spending a day in the paddy fields of Needamangalam. And that one day turned out to be one of the most grounding and humbling experiences I’ve ever had. It all started when I asked […]...