DOWN TOWNERR I District 3190 Chartered on June 27, 1990 Charter # 27417

February 2015 Vol 1, Issue 8 Page 1

countries. However, NGOs need to comeup withproject and have to deliver it themselves; companyvision can fulfilled only when the vision is shared bytheir employee volunteers to ensure that the NGOsdeliver what is promised. It’s a give and take.

Rotary, is not an NGO but it has a touch to theground; corporate efforts can be supplemented withRotary expertise in a whole lot of areas likeeducation, training, water & sanitation, adolescentissues, community development health, environmentand so on. Rotary have the execution capabilities, ahuge talent pool and leaders; a proven track record ofdoing good to the society.

Sharing her experience of the GenPact involvement in saving and rejuvenation of Kaikondrahalli lake and also data collection on domestic-helps to assitsthem to get government facilities, is a gigantic task and needs help from everyone and also a sensitized bureaucracy. We need organizations like Rotary, who are passionate about finding solutions, to come forward and partner with the corporate, she added.

In order to be a meaningful player in the CSR sphere, Rotary should go out and position itself as an option to NGOs. It is a great opportunity and organisation like Rotary, which has great experience in these kind of activities should tackle it and make it meaningful.

Rtn. PP Jaisimha introduced Ms. Rajitha and Rotary Information was provided by Rtn. PE Ramdas.

‘GENrating community imPACT : GENPACT CSR INITIATIVES’,

a presentation by Ms. Rajitha, CSR Lead

Ms. Rajitha, a software professional with over sevenyears of active involvement in leading the CSRinitiatives of the BPO behemoth GenPact, said it wasa shared vision rather than a rule of the Governmentwhich has steered GenPact into caring for thecommunity around us, be it education orenvironment or empowerment of students from thelower strata of the society.

Companies are now mandated to spend 3% of the 3years average net profit on CSR activities withstringent rules attached. In the case of GenPact itcomes to Rs.13 crores p.a. With over 14,000 companiesthat need to mandatorily take up CSR activities, theoutlays are huge. However, there is very littleinformation and awareness in companies on whatthey can do and what needs to be done.

At GenPact 97% of the applicants are refusedemployment due to lack of employable skills andthe real world connect , though openings are plentyand there is 30% attrition . Developing employableskills among the students has been a major focusarea for GenPact. GenPact has tied up with NIIT andNASCOM foundation for training.

CSR activities cannot be amateurish, NGOs need tohave a detailed project report; have to sign up for animpact /outcome; it cannot be a random activity; 80Gregistration is a must ; the company’s website carriesthe details; their reputation will at stake.

GenPact wants to leverage their expertise to make adifference; it is a social investment; the basic pillarsare (i) education and employability, (ii) environmentand sustainability and (iii) inclusion.

At GenPact one in every four employee is avolunteer; they are keen on making a difference;GenPact has been carrying out projects in India,Africa, China, LatAm, Europe, USA and other

Source D- 6450

Thank you Rotarians for

freeing us from Polio

February 2015 Vol. 1 Issue 8 Page 2

DOWN TOWNER

A Curtain Raiser for Delightful 2015

Centre for Empowering

FINDING YOU!January 24, 2015

Workshop on

Being a Government College, the students are more often from low literacy and low income groups (see charts below). They lack confidence, guidance and career options and opportunities. They need motivating and enabling i.e. empowering through training exposures, mentoring hand holding, interning, possibly even helping placement etc. With our Rotary network, which is one of the largest talent banks in the world, we can make the difference.

Thanks to the initiative of PDG Rtn. Dr. Madhura Chatrapathy, Down Town started a Center for Empowering at the prestigious Maharanis Science College for Women, Bangalore, which just celebrated its Platinum Jubilee. Being the President of Alumni Association of the College, she feels it was a God sent opportunity for a unique and enduring project of our Silver Jubilee.

A one day workshop on FINDING YOU! was organised on 24th January, 2015 for a batch of 54 students of first degree.

Inaugurating the workshop Dr. Lalithamma B, Principal lauded this Initiative of Rotary Bangalore DownTown .

Kudos to Mr. Mahdev M, a retd. Banker, one of the highly experienced Trainers, he conducted the extremely well received workshop. Travelling from Mysore spending a full day, it was ‘Service Above Self’ .

January 2, 2015

February 2015 Vol.1, Issue 8 Page 3

DOWN TOWNER

February – WORLD UNDERSTANDING MONTHIn honor of the first Rotary meeting that happened on February 23, 1905, Rotary International has designated this day as World Understanding and Peace Day and selected February as World Understanding Month.

61st Anniversary of the first mass polio vaccinationsOn February 23, Rotary celebrates its 110th anniversary. The day also marks the anniversary of the first mass polio vaccinations, which started in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in 1954 and expanded across the United States. A group of childrenfrom Arsenal Elementary School received the first injections of the new polio vaccine developed by Dr. Jonas Salk

A lively and stimulating interactive session by Rtn. DGN H.R. Ananth on the motto of Rotary International and the annual Presidential Themes provided much food for thought.

An engineer by qualification and Managing Director of the well known Bangalore Press, very popular for its calendars and dairies, Rtn. Ananth is also the Vice Chairman of Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan and a Level-III Major Donor.

The discussion centered on the meaning and need of annual Rotary themes and its understanding by Rotarians. The RI Presidents’ themes trigger the thought process in us. At the International Assembly every year, the most electrifying moment for the DGEs is announcement of the ensuing year’s theme by the incoming RI President.

The themes have ranged from the 83 word procla-mation by Pres. Percy Hodgson in 1949, the first RI theme without any logos, to even just two action oriented words. The RI Theme is a dominant thought, a unifying vision, a moral and the central idea behind the story for Rotarians. Rotary’s underlying principle is : SERVICE Above Self, which is profound but simple. A motto encapsulates or describes the guiding principles of an organization over the length of it’s life; whereas a theme appeals to our emotion and intellect; is short lived and in our case, it is just for a year. Theme statement keeps the author; it clarifies our scattered impressions and solidifies the insights. R Rtn. Ananth discussed the mottos and themes of various

organizations like NCC, scouts, military and others to drive home the point that when an oranisation’s motto is accepted and internalized by its members, it helps ensure consistency in how each member conducts himself; it creates unity. In the ordinary course, the theme is directed to the public and the motto is directed towards the organization per se. A theme is what an organization wants people to remember it or to recognize it, whereas the motto is the basic principle or the tenets of the organization.

Even RI International Assembly has a motto : Enter to learn, Go forth to serve. RI Presidents’ Themes have ranged from internal vision like, ‘reach out’; ‘kindle the spark within’; ‘look beyond yourself’; ‘lead the way’; ‘follow your rotary dream’; ‘light up Rotary’; etc., to it’s relationship with the outside world like, ‘Rotary is hope in action’; ‘rotary brings hope’; ‘peace through service’; ‘real happiness is to help others’; and the like.

The interesting interactive session threw up issues like whether annual themes are necessary; whether the motto and the themes are confusing and contradictory; whether the DG should have a separate theme for the District and a whole lot of animated discussion points.

Rtn. Sumitra Iyengar introduced the speaker and Rtn. Devaraj presented a memento. Rotary Info was on ‘Be a Gift to the World’, the theme for 2015-16 was by Rtn. Illavarasan and Rtn. Raghu. thanked the speaker

The quest for world understanding and peace has been a cornerstone of Rotary <

At the 1921 convention in Edinburgh, Scotland, Rotarians unanimously agreed to incorporate peacemaking into Rotary’s constitution and bylaws.

At the 1940 convention in Havana, Cuba, Rotarians adopted a resolution calling for ‚freedom, justice, truth, sanctity of the pledged word, and respect for human rights‛ that became the framework for the UN’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

In 1942, British Rotarians convened a conference to plan a world at peace. Attended by ministers of education and observers from around the world.

Today, Rotary maintains close relationships with many UN agencies. RI’s representatives to the UN in New York host an annual Rotary Day at the United Nations to celebrate this partnership for peace.

In 2002, the Rotary Centers for International Studies admitted the first class of 70 students committed to careers in peacemaking and conflict resolution.

DownTowners pray for peace

with lighted candle Feb23, ‘99

Rtn. DGN H.R. Ananth on ‘Igniting Minds – Triggering Action : RI Themes’

Edited and published by PDG Rtn. Srikanth Chatrapathy for Rotary Bangalore DownTown Pratibha, 132, Level 4, 11th Main, 17th Cross, Malleswaram, Bangalore-560055. email: srikanthchatrapathy@gmail.com

DOWN TOWNER

Up Dates - February 2015

February 2015

February 2015

Sirsi Circle Maternity Home 8.30 am

Joint Meeting of Rotary Bangalore Spandana with Garden City,DownTown and Vidyapeeta

Today we do not have role models at the macrolevel in our country but we can be the rolemodels for our children at the micro level. If youwant to make a difference, start with yourself notwith your index finger and you CAN make adifference . . . a lot of difference in your own waywas the strong message of Dr. Nehruzii, aproduct of the famous Dale Carnegie BusinessSchool, USA; a successful entrepreneur ,aneducationist -founder Chairman of Gems B-School and a much sought after corporate andpersonality enrichment trainer.

Citing many home grown instances adding thathis touch of candour and humour he drove homethe message ‚We are the key‛. Pointing tochallenge of waste management of Bangalore hesaid neither civic authorities nor we citizensknow either the solution. If we can find way toprocess waste at the origin i.e, at our house itself,rather than at the disposal stage? In Japan everyhouse shreds waste, a neat pack is kept outsidefor pick up. WE need to think of such a solutionat the micro level. We need to be part of thesolution rather than part of the problem.Today, parents are busy, teachers are snobbishand not student-friendly; we are unresponsive tochildren and lack sensitivity, leading to lot ofinsecurity among children. ‘We are there withyou’ should be the motto of all parents.

Being a Rotarian is being a leader, engaged inbringing about a change. People, who becomehighly skilled in certain areas, are extraordinarilyeffective at leading and influencing other peoplesand bringing change, he added.

Rotary, too should change. Old should give wayto new, he narrated his visit to an excellentproject Crematorium by Rotary in Salem. Theyhave made the place serene, clean and calm.

India is a youngest country in the world today.Graying West is looking at us; times havechanged even a college drop- out can earn welland lead a good life. There are opportunitieseverywhere. Rotary should look at making theyoung productive. Everything starts with us; it isall inside us – to make a difference or to leavethings as they are, Dr. Nehruzii concluded.

Rtn. Pres. Guru Nagesh welcomed the gathering ,Rtn. Pres.Vasu introduced the speaker and Rtn.Pres. Rukmananda proposed the formal vote ofthanks.

01 Rtn. Devaraj N

05 Annet Karthik S/o. Ramdas K S

09 Rtn. Illavarasan

11 Annet Abhishek S/o. Raghu Allam

12 Annet Praveen S/o. Narayana Reddy G

13 Rtn. Anil Urs

19 Mr. Anish Kumar W/o Sheela Anish

20 Annet Anjali D/o. Devadasan Kizhapat

26 Rtn. Prashanth Babu

06 Rtn. Rajendra Akki and Ann. Deepa

13 Rtn. Arun Bhasin and Ann. Anukampa

26 Rtn. (PP) Zaibi SWH and Ann. Dipali

06.02.’15: Joint Meeting with Rotary Cubbon Park. Address by Rtn. Dr. Prafula on"Oro Facial Pain & Therapy‛ at Bangalore City Institute - 7.00 pm.

15.02.’15: Family Lunch Host : PP RevathiVenkatraman, at her residence 11 am

20.02.’15: Literacy Project, School Benches presen-tation to Kadusonappanahalli Govt. School 10 am

27.02.’15: Quizzing ‚ Your Club - Your Rotary‛

Next NID 2015

Sunday February 22, 2015

GEMs of Thought

Dr. M I M Nehruzii PhD

On WE ARE THE KEY