Ravish Kumar is named for the prestigious Ramon Magsaysay Award, which is Asia’s premier prize and the highest honour that celebrates the greatness of spirit and transformative leadership in Asia, for his “unfaltering commitment to a professional, ethical journalism of the highest standards”, where he “deals with real-life, under-reported problems of ordinary people”.

Born in Motihari, Bihar in 1974, Ravish is an Indian TV anchor, writer, journalist and media personality. He is a Managing editor at NDTV India and hosts several programs including the channel’s flagship weekday show Prime Time, Hum Log and Ravish Ki Report. He is the sixth Indian journalist to receive the Ramon Magsaysay Award for outstanding contribution to journalism. As an author he has published books named “The Free Voice – On Democracy, Culture and The Nation”, “Ishq Mein Shahar Hona”, “Dekhate Rahiye” and “Ravishpanti”.

He keeps raising his voice in support of various social causes through his social media handles. We share some of his thoughts.

Some dedications by his fans.

As Barack Obama said, “In the 21st century, the best anti-poverty program around is a world-class education.”

There are numerous examples of great people, who broke the shackles of poverty with the help of education. But, there are only a few who dedicate their lives for enriching the lives of others. Mr. Anand Kumar of the Super 30 is one such man.

A highly distinguished educationalist and a mathematician, he hails from Bihar. He is recognized for his incredible initiative ‘Super 30’, where he coaches students from underprivileged backgrounds for the entrance exams of IITs, for free.

Anand was born in Patna, Bihar. As his father was a clerk in the postal department, he did his schooling from a Hindi-medium government school. His interest and intelligence in mathematics secured him a seat at Cambridge University. Due to the lack of financial resources, he had to give up on this golden opportunity.

In 1992, he started teaching mathematics at his institute The Ramanujan School of Mathematics. Gradually, he enrolled students from economically backward sections who had intelligence and potential and started training them for IIT entrance for free. This is the Super 30 program.

The endurance, struggle and patience throughout his journey have been beautifully portrayed by Hrithik Roshan in the film titled ‘Super 30’. Showcasing the remarkable story of Mr. Anand Kumar, the film conveys the message that even one person can make a difference in the world.

Age never determines the impact that one can create. Examples of young activists like Malala Yousafzai or Greta Thunberg exemplifies the power that every young person has in creating a better world around. So underestimating the potential of young people in making a difference is wrong done to them.

Wali Rahmani is one such youngster who is using his voice to create awareness. A 20-year-old law student from India, he uses social media to spread awareness and fight fake news, hatred and fascism. He educates people on issues of national importance such as governance, policies, constitution, media, communal hate and fake news.

But it doesn’t stop there. Recently, in Kolkata, he opened an orphanage called Umeed, where he takes care of around 20 orphan kids. Establishing this orphanage as his social responsibility, he aims to groom these children into the leaders of tomorrow.

Widely recognised for his work, he has been featured in most of the leading media outlets. The Talented Indian Community extends best wishes to him for a more impactful and fulfilling career ahead.

Environmental threat is the biggest existential crisis faced by mankind today. Pollution, climate change or waste generation, everything has led to the degradation of our planet. The primary reason for it all is unsustainable human behaviour. But, the entire picture is not grim yet.

Afroz Shah, the 2016 Champions of Earth Awardee, is the man who led the world’s biggest beach cleanup in Versova. He exemplifies the impact that one man can create through his resolve and persistence. People like him are leading the way to a better planet. We just need to join them in their movement.

The chance to make a difference is here. Dhruv Rathee and Afroz Shah have come up with the CHAMPION CHALLENGE. It is aimed at encouraging people to take up cleanup drives in their localities along with creating awareness about green and sustainable lifestyle. The winner of the challenge will be rewarded with Rs 1 Lakh for their outstanding contribution to the environment.

Let us all come forward and participate in this challenge in large numbers. Watch the video to understand everything about the challenge.

“Winners are not people who never fail, but people who never quit.” Established by numerous successful people that failure and struggle are the most inevitable part of the journey to success, the actual decisive factor is the strength to stand up after life beats you down. Shubham Gupta reiterates this truth yet again.

Born and raised in Jaipur, Shubham had a very simple middle-class life. The hurdles that he faced while growing up were preparing him for the future of his dreams. One such occasion was when he had to continue his studies while helping his father in their shop due to a phase of economic hardships. However, after overcoming all challenges, he came to Delhi to pursue his graduation in B.A. (Hons.) Economics from the University of Delhi.

He recounts that as a ten-year-old when he saw his father traumatized by a few bad experiences with the bureaucrats, it had an impact on his tender mind. With time, he also recognized his strong willingness to make a difference in the lives of people around. Collectively, both these factors pulled him towards the prestigious civil services.

The entire journey of UPSC was filled with ups and downs. The four attempts that he gave at this exam was balanced with an equal share of failures and successes. After his first failed attempt in 2015, he cleared the exam in 2016 with All India Rank of 366 and was allocated the Indian Audit and Accounts Service. His third attempt came as a shock as he failed at the preliminary stage itself, despite being in the service already. This tested his morale and made him realize the unpredictable nature of the exam. After a lot of contemplation, he tried his luck for the fourth and final time. And this time destiny had planned to reward his efforts with an All India Rank of 6.

Throughout the entire journey, he realized that the unpredictable nature of the exam can only be tackled with mental strength and the right temperament. He attributes his success to the trinity of dedication, commitment and perseverance that kept him motivated throughout this journey, along with unconditional support of his family and teachers.

His advice to all the aspirants is that treat UPSC as just one of the stages of life. It is only a means to an end, and not the end in itself. The essence of what one does in his life should be driven by his ‘antardhwani’ or the inner drumbeat in life. As far as preparation is considered, he suggests the aspirants stay organic in their preparation and try to avoid referring multiple sources for one single subject, with more focus on qualitative learning.

Some interesting tidbits about him.

a. An issue close to your heart: Girl child education.

b. Your best-loved book: “Tuesdays with Morrie” by Mitch Albom.

c. A quote that you live by: “I am the master of my mate; I am the captain of my soul” from the poem ‘Invictus’ by William Ernest Henley.

d. The best advice you have ever received: Don’t ever let somebody tell you that you can’t do it. If you want something, Go Get It. Period.

e. A superhero that you would love to be: Batman.

Although one phase of the journey ended, the other and more important phase begins. The Talented Indian Community extends best wishes to him for a successful, impactful and fulfilling career as an IAS officer ahead.