Category: Uncategorized

National Award-winning actress Rupashree Vorkady, a native of Mangaluru, expressed immense happiness after receiving the National Film Award for best supporting actress for her performance in the Kannada film Mithya, saying the recognition came as a complete surprise and marked a major milestone in her career.

Addressing a press conference at the Mangaluru Press Club on along with Mithya director Sumanth Bhat and child actor Atish, who also won a National Award for his role in the film, Rupashree said the honour brought immense joy after years of ups and downs in her professional journey.

Sharing her artistic journey spanning over two and a half decades, Rupashree said she has performed in more than 700 Kannada and Tulu plays, staging over 4,000 performances. She began her professional theatre career with director Vijay Kumar Kodialbail’s play Samsarada Circus and later acted with several theatre groups. She also received theatre training under Christopher Ninasam and Vidhu Uchchil Rangayana.

Highlighting her achievements, Rupashree said she had earlier won the Red FM Tulu Film Award for best supporting actress in 2017 and 2025, besides receiving the Best Supporting Actress and Versatile Actor awards three consecutive times at the CFA Awards organised by Sandhiss Company. She has acted in over 85 films in Tulu, Kannada, Konkani, Beary and Arebhashe languages.

She noted that the film Byari, in which she acted, won the National Award (Swarna Kamal), while GT received a National Award and Triple Talaq won a State Award.

Child actor Atish, who won the National Award for Best Child Artist for Mithya, said receiving the honour had fulfilled one of his biggest dreams. He added that he had almost given up hope of winning a National Award as a child actor before the recognition finally came through Mithya.

Director Sumanth Bhat credited actor Rakshit Shetty for encouraging him to enter the film industry. He said the two had worked together on several documentaries while employed at a software company during 2008-09. After Rakshit Shetty established himself as a leading actor, he encouraged Sumanth to pursue filmmaking, saying the industry needed talented people like him.

Sumanth said he entered the film industry during 2020-21 and narrated the story of Mithya to Rakshit Shetty, who agreed to back the project and encouraged him to focus on making the film rather than worrying about commercial returns. He added that the team had never imagined the film would go on to win three National Film Awards, making the achievement even more special.

source/content: daijiworld.com (headline edited)

The acquisition would strengthen the company’s home care and personal care portfolio while expanding its presence in categories that continue to witness sustained consumer demand, said Kumar Chander.

Wipro Consumer Care & Lighting has on Thursday (July 23, 2026) signed definitive agreements to acquire TTK Healthcare Ltd.’s Good Home and Eva brands, as the FMCG company looks to strengthen its presence in the home care and personal care segments. The combined purchase value for these two brands is ₹256 crore, according to industry sources.

The two brands together reported revenues of ₹148 crore in FY26. The acquisition marks Wipro Consumer Care’s 17th acquisition and expands its portfolio across home care, air care and fragrance categories.

Good Home has a presence in products such as air care, odour removers, scrubbers and drain cleaners, while Eva, one of India’s early deodorant brands, offers deodorant body sprays, no-gas perfumes, underarm roll-ons and talcum powders.

Kumar Chander, Chief Executive Officer of Wipro Consumer Care & Lighting and Managing Director of Wipro Enterprises, said the acquisition would strengthen the company’s home care and personal care portfolio while expanding its presence in categories that continue to witness sustained consumer demand.

The company has plans to build on the equity of both brands through product innovation, wider market reach and continued investment in brand development, he added.

Neeraj Khatri, Chief Executive of Wipro Consumer Care, said the acquisition would help the company strengthen its position in the home care and personal care categories, adding that the brands complement its existing portfolio and support its long-term growth strategy.

T.T. Raghunathan, Executive Chairman of TTK Healthcare Ltd., said Good Home and Eva had built strong consumer trust over the years and expressed confidence that Wipro Consumer Care would be able to scale the brands further through its FMCG capabilities.

Sumit Keshan, Managing Partner, Wipro Consumer Care – Ventures and Head of Mergers and Acquisitions, India, said the acquisition aligns with the company’s strategy of building a diversified fast-moving consumer goods business through a mix of organic growth and acquisitions.

Following completion of the transaction, Wipro Consumer Care said it would retain the existing identities of both brands while investing in product innovation, wider distribution and manufacturing, research and development, marketing and distribution capabilities to support long-term growth.

Wipro Consumer Care & Lighting, part of Wipro Enterprises, reported revenues of ₹10,800 crore in FY26. More than half of its revenue comes from international markets, with operations spanning personal care, home care, lighting, electrical products, seating solutions and foods.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

The co-development of ASCENT (Advanced Space Capability, Engineering & New-space Technologies) Centre represents a strategic investment in India’s Space innovation infrastructure, creating a dedicated ecosystem for research, technology development, and mission-oriented engineering.

Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE), an Institution of Eminence Deemed to be University, and Dhruva Space have entered into a strategic partnership through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to co-develop ASCENT (Advanced Space Capability, Engineering & New-space Technologies) Centre at the MAHE Manipal campus.

ASCENT will advance Space systems engineering, applied research, mission development, and technology qualifications by bringing academia and industry together to develop, validate, and translate next-generation Space technologies into operational applications. The Centre will also feature dedicated infrastructure for spacecraft development, integration, testing, and qualification, including a Class 10,000 cleanroom, a Helmholtz cage, and an air-bearing table for spacecraft dynamics and control validation.

The Centre, expected to be inaugurated in late 2026, will enable student-led satellite and hosted payload missions, providing students with an end-to-end experience in spacecraft design, integration, testing, launch preparation, and on-orbit operations. By combining academic learning with real-world engineering programmes, it will cultivate mission-ready expertise while supporting the development of technologies with commercial and national relevance.

Beyond student-led missions, ASCENT will support programmes across emerging Space domains while providing an environment for prototype development, technology demonstration, and the transition of innovations into ecosystem-ready Space applications. Core research and engineering areas at ASCENT will focus on advanced Space systems engineering and mission operations, autonomous and intelligent spacecraft technologies, Space sustainability and Awareness solutions, and emerging applications such as Space-based IoT and Microgravity research. ASCENT envisions the development and operation of at least 3 1U–6U CubeSat missions by 2028, followed by the deployment of a swarm constellation of femto satellites, a fully operational Space Situational Awareness (SSA) Centre, and indigenous bus designs, payloads, and modular satellite platforms by 2030. Looking further ahead, the Centre aims to undertake at least one interplanetary technology demonstration mission by 2035, contributing to the advancement of deep-space exploration and next-generation Space technologies.

As India’s commercial Space ecosystem continues to expand, rapid technological advancement and growing demand for skilled talent are creating a need for environments where research can be translated into flight-ready technologies and operational capabilities. ASCENT has been established to bridge this gap by bringing together academic research, industrial expertise, and hands-on engineering within a single collaborative platform.

Dr Sharath K Rao, vice chancellor, MAHE, said, “The Space sector is undergoing a remarkable transformation, opening new opportunities for innovation, collaboration, and talent development. As institutions of learning and research, universities have a vital responsibility to help shape this future. ASCENT represents our commitment to nurturing talent, advancing knowledge, and contributing to India’s growing space ecosystem”

“Through our partnership with Dhruva Space, our students will have the unique opportunity to work on real satellite missions, gain hands-on experience with industry-grade infrastructure and learn by solving real engineering challenges. These are experiences that go far beyond the classroom. At MAHE, we believe the best way to prepare students is by giving them opportunities to build, test and innovate in real-world environments. ASCENT is designed to bridge the gap between academic learning and industry expectations, ensuring our graduates are not just qualified, but confident and ready to contribute to India’s growing space ecosystem,” he added.

Prof Chandrakala C B, in-charge director, Manipal Institute of Technology (MIT), Manipal, said, “ASCENT represents a significant step in our commitment to advancing multidisciplinary research and innovation in space science and technology. Through this industry–academia collaboration, we aim to create an ecosystem that empowers students, researchers, and industry partners to develop technologies that will contribute to India’s growing space sector.”

Dr Balbir Singh, coordinator, MIT Space Programs, said, “ASCENT is envisioned to become a multidisciplinary centre that will enable advanced research and hands-on learning across the entire space mission lifecycle. Its planned capabilities include advanced space systems engineering and mission operations, student-led satellite and hosted payload missions, and research in solar sails and deployable space systems. The center will also drive innovation in autonomous swarm technologies, ground segment technologies, and Space Internet of Things, while integrating Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning for intelligent autonomous space operations.”

Through microgravity research partnerships, industry-integrated programs, and collaborations across academia, government, and industry, ASCENT aims to strengthen India’s emerging NewSpace ecosystem.

Krishna Teja Penamakuru, chief operations officer & co-founder, Dhruva Space, said, “India’s Space sector is marked by industrialisation, commercialisation, and the rapid expansion of indigenous capabilities. As the ecosystem evolves, the need extends beyond technology alone to the research infrastructure, talent, and industry-academia partnerships that will sustain long-term growth. Through ASCENT, we are establishing a CoE where ideas can mature from research to mission-ready solutions in close collaboration with industry. By bringing together students, researchers, faculty, and practising engineers, we are creating an environment where academic excellence is informed by real-world mission requirements, while industry benefits from innovative research and fresh perspectives.”

By combining MAHE’s multidisciplinary academic strengths with Dhruva Space’s end-to-end Space engineering expertise, ASCENT establishes a long-term foundation for advancing indigenous Space technologies while accelerating the transition from research to operational missions. The Centre will strengthen India’s commercial Space ecosystem by developing mission-ready talent, enabling collaborative R&D, and creating a scalable model for industry-academia collaboration that supports the country’s long-term technological competitiveness.

source/content: daijiworld.com (headline edited)

The Trust said familiar objects from earlier decades can serve as powerful memory cues for people with dementia, helping stimulate recognition, encourage conversations, reduce anxiety and improve emotional well-being.

An old radio gathering dust in the attic, a hand-operated sewing machine, a brass utensil passed down through generations or a black-and-white television that no longer works could soon find a new purpose: helping a person living with dementia reconnect with cherished memories.

Bengaluru-based Nightingales Medical Trust has launched ‘Donate a Memory’, a public campaign inviting individuals and families to donate vintage household objects for Smriti Gram, an integrated dementia care village that the Trust is developing near Doddaballapur. 

Powerful memory cues

The Trust said familiar objects from earlier decades can serve as powerful memory cues for people with dementia, helping stimulate recognition, encourage conversations, reduce anxiety and improve emotional well-being.

Expected to become operational in September, the first phase of Smriti Gram will include a 100-bed residential facility for economically disadvantaged persons living with dementia, along with a training academy and a research and innovation hub. The project is envisioned as a model for person-centred dementia care in India.

As part of the initiative, the campus will feature Reminiscence Corners, Music Therapy Rooms, Art and Craft Studios, Sensory Spaces and Therapeutic Activity Areas, all designed around everyday objects that many older adults would have encountered throughout their lives.

Appeal for donations

The Trust is appealing for donations of items such as old radios, gramophones, black-and-white televisions, tape recorders, rotary telephones, hurricane lamps, traditional grinding stones, brass and copper utensils, firewood stoves, sewing machines, typewriters, wall clocks, calendars, traditional musical instruments and other household articles from past decades.

“Many of these objects may no longer have practical use in our homes, but for a person living with dementia they can become powerful memory triggers that evoke recognition, comfort and joy. Every donated object carries a story, and every story has the potential to reconnect someone with their past,” said S. Premkumar Raja, secretary and co-founder of Nightingales Medical Trust.

Evidence-based care

According to the Trust, Smriti Gram will bring together evidence-based clinical care, therapeutic environmental design, non-pharmacological interventions, rehabilitation, caregiver training and research under one campus. It also plans to integrate modern medicine with evidence-informed complementary therapies to improve the quality of life and preserve the dignity and independence of people living with dementia.

The Trust said the project is intended to become a national demonstration centre for dementia care, innovation and workforce training.

How to donate

Individuals, families, institutions and organisations interested in donating vintage or traditional items may email: contact@nightingaleseldercare.com or dial 080 42426565

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

Dr Guruprasad, an oncologist at KMC Kanachur Hospital, Mangaluru, has achieved a remarkable feat by becoming the first person from Mangaluru to participate in and successfully complete the prestigious English Channel relay swim.

Addressing a press conference at the Mangaluru Press Club on Monday, Dr Guruprasad shared that he took up swimming in his 40s after enrolling alongside his son in a swimming class. Although his son later discontinued, he continued pursuing the sport, eventually transitioning from swimming pools to open-water swimming.

The six-member Indian relay team completed the challenging crossing from England to France on July 3. The relay began at 1.30 am, with the team completing the crossing in 13 hours and 5 minutes. During the relay, each swimmer was required to swim for two to three hours in rotation.

Often regarded as one of the world’s toughest open-water swimming challenges due to freezing temperatures, unpredictable weather, strong currents and rough waves, crossing the English Channel demands exceptional endurance and preparation.

The Indian team included 14-year-old Arnav Chawra, the youngest member, 16-year-old Divya Hitendra Mahajan, who has previously completed a solo Catalina Channel swim, Raghunandan Gangappa, Deepika Rana, Ankita Konwar and Dr. Guruprasad. He said the experience and achievements of his teammates served as a great source of inspiration.

Dr. Guruprasad said the relay was originally scheduled for September 2025 but had to be postponed due to adverse weather conditions before finally taking place in July this year.

Recalling his journey, he said he first learned swimming at the St Aloysius swimming pool in Mangaluru with his son. He later trained in the sea at Udyavara and Thannirbhavi under the guidance of experienced open-water swimmers and coaches Sanketh Bengre and Chaitanya, which helped him develop the confidence and skills required for long-distance sea swimming.

He encouraged swimmers to look beyond pool competitions and explore the opportunities and challenges offered by open-water swimming.

Apart from swimming, Dr Guruprasad has also climbed Mount Kosciuszko, the highest peak in Australia. He has successfully completed the Catalina Channel swim in the Pacific Ocean and has now added the English Channel relay crossing in the Atlantic Ocean to his list of achievements.

Swimming coach Sanketh Bengre was also present at the press conference.

source/content: daijiworld.com (headline edited)

Researchers from the Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (ATREE) have discovered two new species of solitary bees in Arunachal Pradesh. The species, which belong to the genera Elaphropoda and Habropoda, have been named Elaphropoda triangulata, after the triangle-shaped markings on its abdomen, and Habropoda adi, after the Adi indigenous community of Arunachal Pradesh, which inhabits the region where the bees were collected.

Ground-nesting solitary bees

According to Femi Ezhuthupallickal Benny and Priyadarsanan Dharma Rajan, who conducted the study, these species belong to the bee subfamily Anthophorinae, which consists largely of ground-nesting solitary bees. They noted that, as vital pollinators, solitary bees have increasingly gained research and conservation attention in recent years.

These bees were collected using Malaise traps, a passive sampling method that captures flying insects over extended periods and is particularly effective in detecting elusive or low-density species that conventional netting often misses.

How little we know

“These bees are rare and seldom collected, which is part of the reason they have remained undescribed for so long. Their discovery is a reminder of how little we still know about bee diversity in India, and in Arunachal Pradesh in particular,” said Ms. Femi, who is currently pursuing a PhD at University College London.

“This work takes on added urgency given the pace of change in the region. Arunachal Pradesh is currently undergoing rapid infrastructural development, including construction activities and a recently announced hydropower project, raising concerns about habitat disturbance in areas that have not yet been comprehensively surveyed,” said Dr. Priyadarsanan.

Need for research

The discovery of these two species, the authors said, strengthens the case for prioritising taxonomic and ecological research in the region before such habitats are altered. Of the 483 new species discovered in India last year, 65 were from Arunachal Pradesh.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

The curtain fell on a golden era of Indian music as legendary playback singer S Janaki, affectionately revered as “Janaki Amma” and the “Gana Kogile” (Nightingale of Song), was cremated with full state honours on Sunday evening.

The last rites were performed at a farmhouse in Kaniyanahundi in Heggadadevana Kote taluk, approximately 25 km from Mysuru, fulfilling the icon’s final wish to be laid to rest in the royal city she chose as her retirement home.

In a profound departure from long-standing tradition—which has historically reserved the role for men—Janaki’s granddaughter, Apsara Vydyula, performed the final rites. Chanting Vedic hymns and carrying the traditional earthen pot, Apsara circumambulated and lit the funeral pyre of her grandmother.

The rituals were conducted according to Telugu Brahmin customs under the guidance of Ramesh Sharma of Srirangapatna and the Shashwathi Kriya Samithi.

A State’s final farewell

Acting on directives from Karnataka Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, the Mysuru district administration accorded the 88-year-old maestro ultimate state respects. A police contingent offered a solemn gun salute as the national anthem echoed through the farmhouse grounds.

Earlier in the day, Janaki’s mortal remains were kept at the Maharaja’s College Grounds from morning until evening to allow a massive outpouring of grief from the public. Thousands of emotional fans lined the streets as her body was transported in a beautifully decorated vehicle. 

“One of India’s most iconic personalities, the legendary playback singer known as the ‘Gana Kogile’, Janaki, is no longer with us. She served the film industry in several languages for nearly 50 years,” stated Chief Minister Shivakumar in Bengaluru, adding that the government would actively explore avenues to immortalize her rich legacy.

The public homage drew a vast assembly of dignitaries, including Mysuru district in-charge minister Yathindra Siddaramaiah, urban development minister Dr Siddaramaiah, former minister B Sreeramulu, and prominent members of the Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce.

The music and cinematic fraternity turned out in large numbers, with composer Hamsalekha, actors Srinath and Sadhu Kokila, and singers Rajesh Krishnan, Sunitha, Archana Udupa and Vijay Prakash paying their final respects.

In a moving tribute, Vijay Prakash arrived with a group of children from a television reality show who collectively rendered Janaki’s evergreen Kannada anthem, ‘Nodu Baa Nodu Baa Nammura…’.

The heartbreak behind the silence

Janaki passed away at 7:30 pm on Saturday at a private hospital in Mysuru. Doctors reported she had been rushed to the emergency ward in critical condition earlier that day, suffering from viral fever, fluctuating blood pressure, weak kidneys, and a severe foot infection (corn) that had grown infected. Exhausted and fragile, she suffered multiple cardiac arrests during treatment and could not be revived.

Close associates and veteran actress Bharathi revealed that Janaki’s health had been in a fragile state, compounded by profound personal tragedy. She had never fully recovered from the loss of her only son, Murali Krishna, who succumbed to cancer just six months prior on January 22.

The mother and son had been inseparable and were actively searching for a permanent home together in Mysuru at the time. The family had also suffered the loss of Janaki’s elder granddaughter four years ago in a tragic scuba diving fire accident in the United States.

Her caretakers and ardent fans, Naveen and Pavan — who shared an affectionate 34-year bond with the singer since Naveen tracked her down as a 12-year-old boy in Chennai — shared that Janaki had a final, unfulfilled dream.

“Her wish to hold a memorial concert in December as a tribute to her son Murali Krishna remained unfulfilled. She had shortlisted songs, had invited artists including Sujatha Mohan, Chithra and others,” Pavan revealed, promising that the S Janaki Charitable Trust would be revived to fulfill this dream and construct a fitting memorial.

A voice that transcended boundaries 

Born on April 23, 1938, in Pallapatla in Andhra Pradesh’s Guntur district, Janaki was the daughter of Sistla Sreeramamurthy, an ayurvedic doctor and teacher. She formalised her musical roots under Nadaswaram vidwan Paidioswamy and gave her first stage performance at the tender age of nine.

Her professional journey began at 19 with the Tamil film Vidhiyin Vilayattu (1957). Over an extraordinary career spanning more than six decades, Janaki recorded an astonishing 48,000+ songs across approximately 20 Indian languages—chiefly in Kannada (over 8,000 songs), Telugu, Tamil, and Malayalam, alongside Hindi, Odia, Tulu, Urdu, Punjabi, Bengali, and foreign languages like English, Japanese, German, and Sinhala. Her legendary duets alongside icons like P B Srinivas, S P Balasubrahmanyam, and Dr Rajkumar remain gold standards of Indian cinema.

Janaki officially retired from live public concerts on October 28, 2017, during a farewell event at the Open Air Theatre of the University of Mysore. Her caretakers noted that even in retirement, she sang endlessly at home, filling her space with Meera bhajans and classical melodies.

Following her demise, Prime Minister Narendra Modi issued a statement calling her passing “an irreparable loss to the world of music and culture,” noting that her melodies “will continue to enchant listeners in the years to come.”

To ensure her artistic brilliance endures, Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce president Jayamala urged the state government to quickly establish an S Janaki Study Centre at the University of Mysore. Concurrently, Minister Dr Siddaramaiah confirmed he would hold immediate talks with the chief minister regarding the construction of a state memorial to permanently honour the legendary songstress.

source/content: daijiworld.com (headlines edited)

Yakshagana Kalaranga of Udupi presented its annual Yakshagana Kalaranga Award to Venkatarama Bhat of Sullia, G.K. Hegde of Honnavar and Kote Rama Bhat of Karkala at an event in Udupi on Saturday.

The award, comprising a cash prize of ₹20,000, was presented in memory of D.B. Venkatasubba Jois, Matti Muralidhara Rao and Perla Krishna Bhat.

T. Shyama Bhat, member of the Karnataka Human Rights Commission, who presided over the event, said Yakshagana Kalaranga was doing immense work in the social and cultural spheres. He said the Kalaranga was a fine example of what a team of capable leaders and dedicated workers could achieve and urged it to institute two awards in memory of senior Yakshagana artistes Sheni Gopalakrishna Bhat and K. Govinda Bhat.

Senior scholar Taltaje Vasanthakumar, Kalaranga president M. Gangadhar Rao and secretary Murali Kadekar also spoke.

Artistes presented the Talamaddale, Sriranga Tulabhara, on the occasion.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

More than 1,000 innovators from 37 countries participated in the sixth edition of ABB Accelerator, a five-day innovation programme held at the ABB Innovation Center (AIC) in Bengaluru recently.

The programme brought together ABB technologists, industry and academic leaders, 80 startups, and participants from over 350 universities to develop advanced artificial intelligence (AI) and digital technologies for various industrial applications.

GNV Subba Rao, Whole-time Director, ABB Innovation Center, said the Accelerator transformed ideas into scalable products and solutions by combining research and development, engineering expertise, and AI capabilities to address industry challenges.

The ABB Innovation Center in Bengaluru, one of the company’s largest global technology and engineering hubs, employs nearly 4,000 professionals across R&D, engineering, digital technologies, and global operations.

Rajesh Ramachandran, Global Chief Digital Officer, Automation, ABB, said the programme has evolved into a collaborative platform bringing together industry, academia, startups, and technology partners to accelerate AI-driven industrial innovation.

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)

Yogi, writer and artist Namita Kulkarni’s series Colonialism and the Climate Crisis, is a reminder that it is important to appreciate the relationship between climate change and colonialism.

Like many Indians, Namita Kulkarni grew up hearing the phrase “third-world countries” as a derogatory term for former European colonies, primarily in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. “A far more truthful label would be historically pillaged countries, but we know even our history books were written by colonisers who had no interest in owning up to the ugly truth of their centuries of violence and theft,” she elaborates in the text accompanying Coloniser Crisis, a painting that depicts the colonial dimensions of the current climate crisis.

The artwork is a map of the world that has been painted using two different colours, which, according to her, are symbolic of the colonial project: crimson for the former colonisers to indicate the blood they are built on, and gold leaf to symbolise the cultural and economic wealth that was lost during the colonisation process.

The painting is part of a series titled Colonialism and the Climate Crisis, currently on display at the United Nations in New York as part of Canvas for Change, an exhibition organised by ICAAD, showcasing “the role of art in confronting urgent intersectional global human rights issues, including environmental degradation and the climate crisis, racial discrimination, colonialism, and migration,” as the UN website puts it.

Some of the other paintings in this series include Jal Jungle Zameen – Water, Jungle, Land, which focuses on Adivasi rights; Bon Appétit, a comment on overconsumption; and Thirst World Countries, about the global water crisis. “We always see the climate crisis framed as a matter of carbon emissions. If carbon emissions are the problem, we can just compensate or offset our way around it,” says the Bengaluru-based artist over a call from the US. But this framing, she believes, only explains the mechanism. “It doesn’t tell you the context, the history, the story behind it, which is colonisation.”

The artworks on display are a reminder that while we should internalise the significance of climate change in our lives, it is also important to appreciate its relationship to colonialism. The colonising mindset, “where we see nature as a bunch of resources we endlessly extract from,” is what has brought the climate crisis to our doorstep, Namita says, adding that while the former colonised countries, today the Global South, bear the brunt of the climate crisis, “the colonising countries, largely the Global North, are responsible for the highest (carbon) emissions and for building their empires on the bloodshed and genocide of colonised countries.”

Her artwork also acknowledges the perspectives and traditions of indigenous peoples from around the world, who, she says, have lived on the same piece of land in relative harmony. “They manage to live like that, because they put life at the centre, not profit. The more I looked at their perspectives, I found myself amazed by the level of wisdom they have.”

The genesis of this series dates back to a social media post Namita stumbled upon in December 2021. “It was a call for artists, saying we want art on any human rights subject,” says the self-taught artist, travel blogger and yoga teacher. ” Although she had never heard of the International Centre for Advocates Against Discrimination (ICAAD), a New York-based human rights organisation, she decided to apply anyway, says Namita, who had been reflecting on the link between colonisation as the context for the climate crisis for a while, by then. “It has been swimming around my head, and I had been reading about it, listening to people, and just thinking about it quite a bit. So, when this came, I thought that this was a subject that had to be spoken about more.”

She sent them her proposal, accompanied by a few watercolour paintings, “thinking that it was a long shot.” Within a week, she received an email from them, welcoming her to the cohort, recalls Namita, with a laugh, her surprise and happiness at having made it, still lingering in her voice. She, along with the four other artists in the cohort, was first put through a human rights fundamentals course for a couple of months in March and April 2022. “It included videos, readings and discussing things. We were studying the basic concepts of human rights and how art has been used around the world to protest things and how there is no social change without imagination.”

Once they were done with the course, they began work on the art, with September as the deadline for the nine paintings, created with ICAAD’s support. These artworks, “largely acrylic on canvas, though one of them is watercolour on paper with some pressed flowers,” were first exhibited for over a month in November 2022 at Bangalore Creative Circus.

“It was a pretty intense project, and I do feel like I’ve only scratched the surface of the subject,” says Namita, who also sent these paintings to New York, where they were exhibited and a few even sold at a fundraising event for ICAAD in Manhattan in 2025.

“I made these paintings with my soul, and watched it get auctioned by an auctioneer from Sotheby’s, so it was pretty wild,” says Namita, who thinks of her art as a way of looking “into the abyss without falling into it.”

She firmly believes that art can help us relate to the climate crisis at an emotional level. “We all have a strong relationship with the earth, and when you can’t wrap your head around something, art can help you wrap your heart around it.”

source/content: thehindu.com (headline edited)