TEDxSVC presents Sarvodaya

In the parched, brown landscape of Uttar Pradesh’s Bundelkhand region, where hundreds of distressed farmers have taken their lives in the past few decades or have been forced to migrate, Prem Singh’s farm is an exception. In the fabulous green farm, there is plenty for everyone: abundance of water-bodies for animals to drink from, many fruit-bearing trees, a steady produce of organic products, healthy cattle, well-nourished soil and natural fertilizers and, importantly, a steady flow of income. Mr. Singh believes that his experiment with “sustainable and traditional farming” could be replicated at a larger level, and could pave the way for a policy change.  

Women face many difficulties in India including lack of access to education, forced early marriage, misconceptions of menstruation leading to infections, and overconsumption of liquor. Shanti has started to address these problems by creating a core advocacy team comprised of Anganwadi workers (AWW-health care centres established in villages), ASHA workers (Accredited Social Health Activist), and three youth from her village. 

Jaya Sharma is an Indian Cricketer who has played one women's test match and 77 women's one-day internationals including the 2005 women's Cricket World Cup in South Africa.Sharma was the first female recipient of the BCCI player of the year award(2007). 138* vs Pakistan Women at Karachi 2005-06 is still the highest score among Indian Women in Women's ODI'S. 

Pravin Parmar, 29, has always used a diesel pump to irrigate his five-bigha patch of land in Dhundi village in Kheda district, Gujarat. The Rs 750 he would pay for using 15 litres of diesel a day to irrigate his farm ensured that he never earned much — just about Rs 10,000 a month — from his crop of tomato and brinjal. Next year, as early as January or February, however, Parmar is hopeful of supplementing his monthly income by at least Rs 3,000-Rs 4,500, not through agriculture but through power generation. Parmar has dumped his diesel pump and installed a solar-powered pump to irrigate his fields.   

Kaushal Panwar is an assistant professor in the Sanskrit department in Motilal Nehru College, Delhi University. She is fiery, confident and uncompromisingly forthright—just the kind to break down walls. She proudly says she is a Balmiki, unlike many others of her caste who change their surnames in order to escape discrimination. Society, Panwar says, doesn’t let you forget your caste and its long history of discrimination. 

An innovator, a radical thinker and an inspirational leader who has mesmerised exceptionally large crowds with his oratory skills from London to New York, and from Houston to India, Dinesh Singh, the ex vice chancellor of Delhi University, is a man with visionary ideals and a strong determination to turn them into reality. When he enters the room, he fills it with positive vibes and then with his deep, influential voice, he spreads strong ideas of change and upliftment. 

Chaar Yaar is a folk band of four friends; Madan Gopal Singh, Deepak Castellino, Pritam Ghoshal & Amjad Khan. Initially, Chaar Yaar traversed the path of Sufi texts dating back to the 12-13th century. However, as of late they began experimenting with songs and poetry spread across various cultures and different timelines in an effort to bridge the cultural gap between the continents. 

Seema Mustafa is an Indian print and television journalist. She is currently the Editor-in-Chief of The Citizen, a digital newspaper founded by her. Seema Mustafa began her career in journalism with The Pioneer (a Lucknow-based newspaper), moved to The Patriot in 1979, and worked for several other Indian publications. While with the Asian Age, Seema received the prestigious "Prem Bhatia Award for Excellence in Political Reporting and Analysis" in 1999 for her coverage of the Kargil war.