Latest news with #Sonepat
Business Standard
01-07-2025
- General
- Business Standard
Wheels of Change: SRMUH Students Carry Hope to the Himalayas
VMPL New Delhi [India], July 1: This week, a group of students from SRM University Delhi-NCR, Sonepat (SRMUH) will leave their campus and begin a journey far from familiar surroundings. They are travelling from India Gate, Delhi to Ladakh. Not for adventure or escape, but to help children in some of the region's most remote villages access something many take for granted: a basic, hopeful education. The initiative is called Wheels of Change. Over eight days, the team will travel from the lands of Delhi & Haryana to the mountains of Leh, Kargil and the Nubra Valley. Along the way, they will visit anganwadis and local schools to deliver learning materials, books, warm clothes and toys to children in places where these are still considered rare. There is no fanfare around it. No slogans or banners. Just a quiet, organised effort by students who believe education should not stop where roads get rough or where attention fades. Notably, the event has already been approved by the Ladakh local administration and is being supported by the Skill Development Council, a Government of India establishment. It will witness the involvement of key stakeholders working toward the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4) -- ensuring inclusive, equitable and accessible education for all. This isn't simply a student trip. It is a minuscule yet heartfelt gesture from the young generation to a younger generation. A journey from current youth to future youth and beyond. Remote Area, Real-Life Barriers The goal is not to make headlines. It is to make a difference, even if only in small and human ways. Many of the children the students will meet attend school without books. Some do not own a proper school bag or writing materials. Others study in rooms that lack warmth or colour, or attention. The students are bringing what they can. School bags filled with stationery, storybooks, art kits, puzzles and soft toys for younger children. Warm jumpers, socks and jackets. Things they hope will not only be used but also treasured. This is not charity, they say. It is an attempt to meet children where they are and remind them that someone has thought of them. Even if just for a few minutes. Even if from far away. Ladakh, despite its challenging terrain, is home to over 900 government schools, spread across more than 1,000 hamlets within a sprawling 60,000 area. Many of these schools sit quietly near popular tourist routes, yet are rarely visited. Perched at altitudes ranging from 9,000 ft to 15,000 ft, these schools typically accommodate 25 to 30 students across all grades. Most of these children are first-generation learners, and the remoteness of their villages, combined with poor connectivity, severely limits their access to quality education near home. A Small Role in a Bigger Goal The students have shaped the campaign in line with Sustainable Development Goal 4, a global call to ensure inclusive and quality education for all. In India, this goal feels especially urgent in remote and rural parts of the country. In Ladakh, schools often function without proper infrastructure. Anganwadi centres, meant to support early childhood education and nutrition, struggle with limited resources. Many are run by dedicated workers who have very little to work with. The students are not claiming they can solve these problems. But they believe they can help. A little support can sometimes keep a child engaged or give the teachers a tool they didn't have yesterday. This simple initiative -- Wheels of Change -- may just pave the way for a legacy that carries forward. In the future, the team hopes to reach out to other remote regions of India, including North East, Bihar, Rajasthan and beyond -- extending their journey, their purpose and their impact. Thoughtful Planning, Modest Intent The trip has been planned with care. Safety measures are in place. All travel and stays have been organised in advance. Students have been briefed not just on route logistics, but on cultural sensitivity and respectful interaction. Faculty members at SRMUH are offering support but have left most of the decisions to the students themselves. From identifying the needs to packing the supplies, the responsibility rests with those who are travelling. The team is also aware of the limitations of such an effort. There is no illusion that a single visit can fix deep-rooted challenges. But they believe gestures matter. Time matters. Being present matters. What This Really Is At its heart, Wheels of Change is about movement, and not just across terrain, but across assumptions. It is about students choosing to step into another part of the country, listen, offer something, and return with more than they gave. It is about actual contributions while others are waiting. Reaching out while others remain distant. It may not look like much on paper. A bag of books. A sweater. A simple toy. But for a child in the hills of Ladakh, it could be the first gift they've received from someone outside their world. And for the students, it may be the most meaningful journey they take during their time at university.
New Indian Express
23-04-2025
- New Indian Express
Newlywed Naval officer from Haryana killed in Pahalgam terror attack
CHANDIGARH: Lieutenant Vinay Narwal, a 26-year-old naval officer from Karnal, Haryana, was among the 26 people killed in the terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, also called 'Mini Switzerland', on Tuesday. He had recently married Himanshi from Gurugram on April 16, and the couple was on their honeymoon in Kashmir. Their wedding reception had taken place just days earlier, on April 19. As per reports which reached here, Narwal was shot in chest, neck and left arm and was brought dead to the hospital. There is no confirmation about the condition of his wife, Himanshi. He completed his Class 10 from Saint Kabir School in Karnal, pursued his Class 12 in Delhi, and went on to earn a B Tech degree from Sonepat. Defence officials confirmed that Lieutenant Vinay Narwal was posted in Kochi and had joined the Indian Navy two years ago. Originally from Bhusli village in Karnal district, he was currently residing in Sector 7, Karnal. He is survived by his father, Rajesh Narwal, a superintendent with the GST wing of the state excise department in Panipat; his mother, Asha Narwal; his younger sister, Srishti; and his grandfather, Hawa Singh, a retired police officer. Singh said, "We have come to know that the terrorist asked the religion and then fired. He and his wife was having food at that time and he was shot in the head. In the information given to us we were told that in the attack he was shot in the head. His father, sisters, father-in-law and mother-in-law have left for Srinagar." "When he was three and half years old we had shifted from our village to Karnal. He did his Class X from here and Class XII from Delhi. Then he did his B Tech from Sonepat. Then through SSB he was directly got commissioned in the navy as second Lieutenant and about one and half years ago he was promoted as Lieutenant,'' he said. Singh said, "His grandson always wanted to serve in the armed forces and since childhood when he use to see military vehicles he use to ask me many questions. I had served in the BSF and I knew how tough is the job guarding the borders and then I joined Haryana Police." As the news of his death reached the neighbors and locals went into a shock and described Narwal as a young officer with a bright future. People gathered at Narwal's residence in Karnal to mourn his death with his family. "Vinay a navy officer was married about four days ago, everyone was happy. We have received the information that he was killed by terrorists and died on the spot said,'' Naresh Bansal, a neighbor.
