On 15^th Aug 2017 the world’s largest democracy – #India turns 70 . We live in an era where we have the opportunity to participate in creating a nation that is truly #SaareJahanSeAccha .

Great citizens make a nation great . We would like to invoke your inner citizen activist by suggesting 70 doable ways in which we can contribute to creating an even greater, joyous , sustainable and #SwachhBharat.

1. Plant saplings
2. Eliminate plastic bags from your daily life
3. Car pool
4. Compost
5. Repair the objects you use so that you can use them longer
6. Help an underprivileged person open a bank a/c
7. Donate books
8. Donate toys
9. Volunteer for a social cause
10. Pledge never to litter
11. Help an underprivileged person get insurance cover
12. Support education for a child
13. Follow traffic rules
14. Don’t waste food
15. Smile – spread happiness
16. Don’t give bribes
17. Don’t take any bribes
18. Encourage people in your vicinity to keep the areas clean
19. Visit an old relative / neighbour . You will make their day.
20. Support ‘Made in India’ products
21. Get off the phone . Spend time with people and make a difference
22. Enable financial literacy
23. Create a veg/herb garden
24. Be kind to animals
25. Get involved in local civic issues. Write to your local representatives / govt on issues that impact your area
26. Remember that as an Indian – you are an Ambassador of India – within India & overseas .
27. Try to learn a new language – an Indian language .
28. Each time you buy something you are voting for the kind of world you wish to live in. Pl choose consciously .
29. Help beautify a common space
30. Each of us has talents and passions . Pl choose causes you resonate with and bring your contribution to it.
31. Help the elderly go digital
32. Do fund raising for a cause you believe in
33. Initiate a collection drive for clothes and donate them to the needy
34. Walk to places nearby . You’ll save on fuel , money & get fitter
35. Use public transport as much as possible
36. Be an engaged , active citizen
37. Thank 5 people who made a positive difference to your life
38. Give an unexpected treat to those who work in your home
39. Let people in your community know they can approach you for help
40. When you notice awesome service – make it a point to acknowledge it .
41. Save water
42. Do your bit to help make India safer for women and children
43. Save energy – switch off appliances when not in use
44. Travel to places in #IncredibleIndia
45. We are a diverse nation – unique in the world . Let’s remember that we are first and foremost – Indians.
46. Switch to LED lights – progressively
47. Support the differently abled
48. Go digital in your payments
49. Carry a #Reusable Bag – Always while shopping
50. Inspire people in your family / community to go eco
51. Create cool stuff with upcycled material
52. Learn something new every month about India and it’s amazing culture
53. Dispose electronic waste responsibly
54. Meditate
55. Learn Yoga – your body and eventually family will thank you for a healthier , calmer you !
56. Send a message of support to our Armed Forces
57. While driving give way to ambulances / fire brigades
58. Write 10 things you love about India . Share them with your family & friends
59. Stand up for what you believe in . Make your voice count .
60. Make sure you vote in the elections
61. Support green biz
62. Reuse objects – so that you send out lesser trash to the land fill
63. Ditch bottled water . Carry your own bottle of water – it is safer , planet and wallet friendly
64. In your sphere of work – see in what ways you can go eco . Go ahead and make it happen
65. Don’t spit – in any public space
66. There are many avenues where you can share your ideas for India – e.g MyGov.in , NaMo app .Your ideas can help shape India.
67. Support the traditional crafts of India
68. Our country is our larger home . Treat it with respect
69. Stop people from defacing national monuments / public spaces
70. Commit to doing something #IndiaPositive every week

One #IndiaPositive Action a week

One Billion Indians . 52 billion potential #IndiaPositive Actions .

#NewINDIA  #SaareJahanSeAccha

Each One Of Us Can Make A Difference . Together We Make Change.

Image : Isha Yoga

Honorable Prime Minister : Sri Narendra Modi ji ,

Namaskaram ,

In your #MannKiBaat on 26th March 2017 you spoke about #Yoga and asked for suggestions on promoting it .

Yoga is a rich treasure of our culture . Practice of Yoga can help create a more calm and joyous world .

I would like to share some ideas on promoting Yoga in India and internationally :

-       Yoga should be taught in schools and colleges across India . This will be an invaluable gift to students . Studies in USA have shown how Yoga when taught to children has had dramatic effects on their well being . Children in India are currently being denied their heritage by way of an education system where they spend 15-18 years and are never taught yoga.

-       The world of today is way more complex and competitive . Children are subject to huge amount of pressure , stress and distractions simply because the world is a very different place . Imagine an army that has powerful weapons yet sends it’s soldiers to war without ammunition. We’re doing that to our children in India by depriving them of Yoga in our education system.

-       All Indian airports should have a meditation room where people can practice Meditation / Yoga / Pranayama .

-       This will help those who already practice it to continue even when traveling

-       It would inspire other travelers to explore Yoga / Meditation

-       Larger airports like Mumbai / Delhi should have larger spaces for this where trained teacher & videos to basic yoga can be made available.

-       Progressively train stations and large bus stations ( as have been recently inaugurated in Gujarat ) should also have this facility of a space where people can meditate / do yoga . This should become part of specs of any future transport space of a certain scale .

-       Govt of India can take up spaces in international airports – especially those that are vibrant transit hubs like Singapore , Dubai , London , Qatar etc. Passengers often have long transit at these airports . Mostly people shop / eat or go on city tours.  GOI can take up spaces that can be managed by organizations like Art of Living / Isha Foundation where there can be an introduction to Yoga by way of videos, Live classes by a trained instructor.

Organizations like Isha Foundation / Art of Living  have an international footprint . They would be able to arrange for trained yoga teachers in various locations . A common curriculum can be evolved so that irrespective of which org manages the space – the structure and content would be largely common . It would be a powerful way to present Yoga and India to the world . This would have a positive impact on Indian tourism .

( I have listed 2 org for the purpose of illustration . There may be several more who can participate ) .

I thank you for your vision , zeal and efforts to promote Yoga in India and internationally .

Kind Regards ,

Savitha Rao

#Demonetisation taught us a LOT . In one stroke we had to shake off old, entrenched habits and imbibe a new way of living. It was inconvenient. But as a nation we adapted to it .

Pre 8 Nov 2016 it would have been inconceivable that we could do without cash. Now , we reach out for our digital wallets quite naturally. We’re being conscious of what we buy .

It’s time now that we #DeMonetise plastic bags from our lives . There would be temporary inconvenience . Soon , we will remember to carry reusable bags daily .

Each one of us can make a difference. Together we make Change.

At Clean Planet we love all things sustainable and handcrafted . Our eco handcrafted range is contemporary , stylish and impeccable.

From Ikat to block prints to Khadi to hand embroidered accessories – the range represents the diversity of India’s rich textile heritage. Craft and contemporary styling come together as stylish totes , clutches , pouches , gift bags , slings .

Look out for this vibrant tag on Indigenius handcrafted products !

Clean Planet : Made in India. To Make a Better India.

A meeting with Major D P Singh in Delhi earlier this year sparked off a discussion on a event to culminate on 3 Dec 2016 which is ‘World Disabilities Day‘ . The idea was to combine focus on needs of differently abled people and SwachhBharat - a cause very dear to us.

We’re happy to partner with Swachh Ability Run – a first of it’s kind marathon and cleanathon that focuses on Differently Abled Persons and Swachhta .

It’s been our pleasure to have designed the logo for SwachhAbility Run.

Not only is the event the ‘first of it’s kind’ – even the collaborators are first of it’s kind : The Indian Army , J.K Cement , Delhi Dynamos – a football team , Clean Planet , Proton Sports , The Challenging Ones – NGO founded by Major D P Singh.

Join us at Chandigarh on 27th Nov 2016 all the way to Delhi on 3rd Dec 2016 to make an #Inclusive and #SwachhBharat.

We’re pleased to share the latest creation – Upcycled Fabric Coasters – colorful , vibrant and eco friendly these delightful coasters can be used on the dining table as also as decor .

These delightful products will soon be available at select outlets .

Made in India. To Make a Better India.

Thank you for all that you are doing for India. It is the first time that a Prime Minister has invited citizens to share ideas for the 15th Aug address to the nation. One of the many firsts of this truly inclusive government under your visionary leadership.

I run a business wherein we create eco and handcrafted products that help people bring sustainability and craft into their everyday living. We believe that ‘Each One of Us Can Make a Difference. Together we make Change‘.

This 15th Aug pl invite every citizen to do something positive for India – every week. By 15th Aug 2017 we would have potentially 52 constructive actions for the nation. There are people in India (like you) who have dedicated their life to the nation. We have millions who are focused only on their life. In my work in the space of sustainability i have seen that for a lot of people there is a peculiar combination of apathy & powerlessness. With the rise of social media people voice their views. There is a lot of arm chair activism. Which perhaps (and hopefully ) is the first step towards activism in action.

Doing something for India – is not a call just to citizens with smart phones and access to social media . EVERY citizen should be invited , challenged , inspired to do something tangible and positive for India.

An auto driver may give a free lift to an aged underprivileged person , a college student can help a local Ngo , a working professional may help a student , a bank official official makes people aware about insurance n inspires them to go for it , a housewife decides to make her home plastic free , appreciate and support the social workers in your area , pledge to stop littering. People can use their core skills to make a difference. e.g a doctor treats at least 1 patient a week free of cost , a nurse tends extra care to a patient who does not have a family. Start a hashtag e.g #IndiaPositive. Idea is not self publicity. The goal is for Indians to get inspired by other Indians. As you have seen in your journey so far – once you engage people the outcomes are brilliant. All the astrologers of the world put together cannot predict the outcomes. Think of the hashtag as a way to crowdsource ideas for Indians by Indians to make a better India. Encourage media to run programs every month . In your #MannKiBaat every time remind people to continue their ‘#India Positive’ work , ask schools to get kids to write essays on what they are doing for it. Translate the essence of the Hashtag into regional languages. The spirit of it is more important than the physical words.

1 billion people. 52 billion potential ‘India Positive’ acts . This will bring Indians closer to each other and to India. We have problems of people from some regions not feeling welcome in some places , definitely we have a socio economic divide. Conscious ‘India Positive’ acts can integrate and turbo charge India in ways we cannot even imagine. People in some states feel less of a connection to India. Imagine Indians in Kashmir and N.East thinking about what they can do for India. When a person does something consciously and ongoingly for the country – they will become more engaged & aware citizens. An engaged & aware citizen is less likely to litter India , to let women be brutalised , to watch anti national elements try to fragment India. Our police and armed forces will have 1 billion new recruits. Today overseas Indians know that if their message reaches Ms Sushma Swaraj they can expected to be helped . Imagine a India where Indians in India know that they can rely on their fellow citizens .

Giving & Doing are powerful anti dotes to helplessness . It will connect a person to their inner strength. Let this herald the start of a new tradition in India. The current generation of kids grow up watching their parents consciously doing something positive for India. What a legacy that will be ! Truly it will make India ” Saare Jahan Se Accha”.

Jai Hind

Savitha Rao

Founder , Clean Planet

www.cleanplanet.in

We love all things eco friendly and handcrafted . We bring together our love for both in “Indigenius” range of vibrant products .

This smart pouch is impeccably crafted from hand block printed cotton fabric . A smart metal zip makes it a must have in anyone’s handbag .

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Buy here.

Most of us think we vote once in 5 years . The truth is that we vote everyday for the kind of world we wish to live it through every purchase we make . This is equally – if not more important that the government we elect .

Want a world with less trash ? Buy better products that will last longer . Want better health ? Buy fresh, organic food that is nourishing rather than canned food . Want a world where businesses are responsible ? Support responsible businesses.

Whether we are conscious of it or not – we do vote daily .

Vote wisely.