THE ROTATOR - Issue 31

Happy reading!
Your Rotator Team 2025–26

RCB Student Scholarship Programme

Out of the many qualitative programmes of RCB, the Student Scholarship initiative stands out as truly impactful. RCB continues to uphold its commitment to education by providing scholarships to deserving students.
These scholarships are funded through the corpus of the Menda Educational Scholarship and the Hayagriv – Visala Scholarship, both of which are maintained as fixed deposits.
The total scholarship corpus currently stands at close to RI.5 crore, generating an annual interest income of over XII lakh. This entire income is utilised to support beneficiaries under the Student Scholarship Programme, through which approximately 80 students receive financial assistance each year.
During the current year, every contribution made to the Community Chest has been generously matched by the Menda Foundation, resulting in an addition of over a lakh to the corpus. We place on record our sincere gratitude to Rtn. Arjun Menda and Rtn. C. V. Hayagriv for their continued generosity and unwavering commitment to the cause of education.
The attached list details the amount disbursed to the twelve existing scholarship beneficiaries.

1. Tarun S — B Tech – 2nd Year— Rotary Menda Education Scholarship
   S Vyasa College of Engineering — S Vyasa Deemed to be University
2. Karthikeyan — B Com – 3rd Year — Rotary Menda Education Scholarship
   Kristu Jayanti College — 05,000 — Kristu Jayanti College
3. Niranjan – B Com — 1st Year— Rotary Menda Education Scholarship
   K L E Degree College — Principal, KLE’s Evening Degree College
4. Prem Kumar —B E Computer— 3rd Year — Rotary Menda Education Scholarship
   Sambrahama Institute of Technology — — Sambrahama Institute of Technology
5. Neha Hegde — B E Mechanical — 4th Year — Rotary Hayagriv – Visala Scholarship
   Dayanand Sagar College of Engineering — Dayananda Sagar College of
   Engineering
6. Akshaya S — B Com – 3rd Year — Rotary Hayagriv – Visala Scholarship
   Maharani Lakshmi Ammanni College — e 25,000 — Maharani Lakshmi Ammanni College
7. Pragathi R— PUC — II Year— Rotary Hayagriv – Visala Scholarship
   Sri Mahaveer Jain College— {10,000 — Jain College, VV Puram
8. N R Rupesh — BBA — 2nd Year— Rotary Menda Education Scholarship
   Vivekananda Institute – {25,000 — Principal, Vivekananda Institute
9. Pavithra B— B Tech — 2nd Year — Rotary Hayagriv – Visala Scholarship
   Presidency University — — Presidency University
10. Likith H P— B E— 2nd Year — Rotary Menda Education Scholarship
    Sridevi Institute of Technology and Engineering — – Shridevi Institute of
    Engineering & Technology
11. Syed Afeef —B E — 4th Year— Rotary Menda Education Scholarship
    Presidency University – — Presidency University
12. Vismitha V— 10th — Rotary Hayagriv – Visala Scholarship
    Sri Saraswathi Vidya Mandira – {6,000 — Sree Saraswati Vidya Mandira

Inclusive Wellness Win: Hormones, Health & 140 Empowered Students

The Rotary Club of Bangalore (RCB), in collaboration with the Karnataka Endocrine Society (KES), conducted the 4th awareness session of the Endocrine Wellness Series —Hormones in Harmony for a Healthy Life, on 29th January at the Oceanik Institute of Higher Education, Devinagar, Bengaluru.
The session reached 140 students, including 110 students with hearing or visual impairment and 16 faculty/staff members. Expert speakers Dr. Gopinath N. (Consultant Endocrinologist, Manipal Hospital, Yelahanka) and Dr. Rashmi K. G. (Consultant Endocrinologist, Manipal Hospitals, Hebbal & Yelahanka) led the sessions on “Live Life in Style—The Healthy Way.”
To ensure inclusive and effective communication, the program was conducted primarily in Kannada and “Kanglish”, with sign language interpreters facilitating seamless engagement for hearing-impaired students. The session emphasized the role of sleep, nutrition, hydration, physical activity, yoga, and mental well-being in achieving hormonal harmony. In addition, Dr. Gopinath connected strongly with the boys through live demonstrations of simple exercises and lifestyle practices, while Dr. Rashmi addressed girls’ health concerns, including menstrual health and PCOS. Students responded with enthusiasm and appreciation, reflecting the program’s meaningful impact. RCB and KES extend heartfelt thanks to the management of Oceanik Institute for their support and coordination in making this inclusive initiative a success. Thanks also to Rotarians Dr. Gertrude D’Souza and Kalyani Talukdar for their support during this session.
-Rtn Dr. Nita Roy & Rtn Dr. Sowmya PR

A Young Major’s Story: Life at Siachen Glacier

The Siachen Glacier is a place where silence is louder than gunfire. Our guest speaker Major Paul Deepak Naidu, (now retired as Maj General) of the Indian Army’s Military Engineering Service said that his posting here was not just a duty,it was a crucible of stress, challenge, and ultimately, satisfaction.
The world around him was endless white, jagged peaks, and winds that cut like knives. His mission was clear: to oversee engineering works that kept soldiers alive in the world’s highest battlefield.
That night, he wrote in his diary: “Every breath feels borrowed. Every step feels like defiance. But this is where I must prove myself.”
Avalanches could strike without warning, and temperatures plunged to minus 50 degrees Celsius. He often woke at night, listening to the glacier groan under shifting ice, wondering if the shelters he had reinforced would hold.
One evening, a young jawan asked nervously, “Sahab, will this bunker survive the storm?” The Major looked at the trembling walls, then at the soldier’s anxious eyes. “It will,” he said firmly, though inside he carried the weight of uncertainty. That moment captured the essence of his stress: lives depended on his decisions.
Engineering at Siachen was unlike anything he had studied. Cement refused to set, machinery froze, and even hammering a nail felt like a battle. He improvised constantly using chemicals to cure concrete, insulating pipelines with cloth, and motivating his men to keep working despite frostbite.
During one supply drop, a blizzard swept in. Visibility was near zero, and the helicopter hovered dangerously. The Major stood on a ridge, waving a bright flag, guiding the pilot. “Steady… steady… now!” he shouted against the wind. The crates landed safely, and the men cheered. It was a small victory, but in Siachen, survival itself was triumph.
Another day, when a frozen pipeline threatened to cut off water supply, he worked with his team for hours in biting cold. “Sir, our hands are numb,” a soldier muttered. The Major replied, “We’ll warm them when the water flows again.” And when it finally did, the relief on their faces was worth every frozen finger.
Despite the hardships, satisfaction came in quiet, human moments. One night, huddled around a heater, a sepoy sang an old folk song.
The Major joined in, his voice cracking in the thin air, but the laughter that followed warmed them more than the fire.
In his diary he wrote: “Medals may shine, but here, satisfaction is in a soldier’s smile, in a shelter that stands, in knowing I made survival
possible.”
Years later, the Major remembered Siachen not just as a posting but as a defining chapter of his life. Stress had taught him resilience, challenges had sharpened his ingenuity, and satisfaction had given him purpose. The glacier had tested him, but it had also shaped him into a soldier who understood that true service lies in enduring hardship so others may stand guard.

Happy in Hampi: Where History Met Hilarity

I was genuinely surprised when the President asked me to organise a cultural sightseeing trip to Hampi for the RCB members, especially since I am neither from the travel nor the hospitality industry. Little did I know what I was getting into, considering that most of our members are high flyers who have travelled the world. Nevertheless, Sunil and I put in our best effort, and to my pleasant surprise, it was appreciated by everyone making all the planning, calls, and last-minute tweaks completely worth it.
Our three-day trip to Hampi turned out to be one of those journeys that stays with you long after you return. It had everything from history, great company, good food to plenty of laughter along the way. 
We began Day 1 with a visit to the Virupaksha Temple, which set a calm and meaningful tone for the trip. The long bus ride that followed was anything but dull; it was filled with fun, frolic, conversations, and shared moments that brought the group closer.
Day 2 was full and rewarding, with visits to the Shree VittalaTemple, Lotus Mahal, Queen’s Bath, Elephant Stables, and the Maharaja Palace. The coracle ride was a definite highlight-simple, serene, and memorable. Our guide deserves a special mention for being a true character who brought Hampi’s stories to life with humour and insight.
Day 3 offered a slower pace with visits to Panchavati, the Jain Temple, Zen Gardens, and the Jindal Museum, providing a thoughtful and relaxing conclusion to the trip.                                                    
Our stay at Hyatt Place was comfortable and welcoming, complemented by consistently good food throughout the journey.
This trip came together thanks to m any hands and hearts. A big thank you to Shraddha, Soumya, and Prathap of FlyHighFIySafe for seamless coordination, Ann. Kalpana for efficiently managing the accounts, and President Rtn. Sukhen Padmanabha and Secretary Rtn. Kavita Muthappa for their constant motivation and support.
Photo memories courtesy Rtn. Ganesh Venkatamaran capturing moments we will cherish.
-Rtn. Satej Alur

STRONG HER – Classes 11 & 12

In today’s world, a girl must be empowered not just to dream, but to protect herself.
On 29th January, 2026, Project Strong Her by Team Health and Wellness RD3192, in association with RCB, Rotary Raj Vilas, and Rotary Skyway, conducted two impactful empowerment sessions for school girls. The morning session was held for 70 girls at Akai Public School, Sanjay Nagar, in affiliation with Rotary Raj Vilas. The afternoon session reached 140 girls at Doddaballapur, at the Jawahar Navodaya PM Shri School.
Rtn. Minku Buttar led the awareness segment, focusing on building inner strength, confidence, self-worth, and emotional resilience. The self-defence training, conducted by the Taekwondo Association of Karnataka, equipped the girls with practical skills so they can move through life feeling safe, seen, and strong in mind, body, and heart.
Present were Rtn. Malavika ( RCB) and other participating club members, Taekwondo visitors from Korea. We witnessed the girls’ enthusiastic participation, thier energy shift from curiosity to confidence, and empowerment.
– Rtn Minku Buttar