THE ROTATOR - Issue 42

Happy reading!
Your Rotator Team 2025–26

Scholarship Support Extended to Miss Mamata

It gives us immense pride to share the inspiring journey of Ms. Mamata, daughter of a gardener from the Avalakuppe area. Her father first approached me nearly four years ago, when Rotary had undertaken the school project in AvalaKuppe. Among his three daughters, Mamata is the youngest. The family has always valued education despite their modest means.

From her early years, Mamata has consistently demonstrated exceptional academic brilliance, securing top ranks from the first standard onward. After completing her 10th standard with outstanding results, her father expressed her desire to continue her education. Recognizing her potential, I personally extended a scholarship to support her PUC studies. She excelled once again, securing high marks and even ranking in one or two subjects.
With a strong aspiration to pursue medicine, Mamata secured a merit seat in Mangalore for MBBS (Homeopathy). However, given her father’s limited income as a gardener, meeting the financial requirements remained a challenge. To ensure her dreams were not hindered, Rotary Club of Bangalore were able to support her with ₹25,000-₹30,000 annually through the scholarship, helping her manage a portion of her academic expenses.

Mamata continued to uphold her record of excellence, passing every year with distinction and steadily progressing toward her professional qualification. Today, we are extremely proud to acknowledge her achievements and the role our support played in her journey.
She has expressed her heartfelt gratitude to RCB for enabling her to pursue and fulfill her dreams. Her success stands as a testament to the transformative impact of educational support and the values Rotary upholds.
RCB thanks Rtns. Arjun Menda and Hayagriv C.V. for their continued support. Also this year all the money given for Birthday’s and Anniversaries has gone to the Arjun Menda scholarship for which Rtn. Arjun Menda has matched it. The board places on record the effort of this year’s scholarship committee comprising of Rtns. Jigisha, Nagaraj Ijjari and Ravi Shankar A.

-IPP Rtn. Gowri Oza

Story Telling- Summer Camp at Shankara Rotary Library

Time just flew by with 12 little kids and the Pink Elephant! Suspense in the air: will the baby elephant get back its original colour?
A bit of imagination too: what would a pink elephant even look like?
We wrapped up our fun storytelling session by learning to draw an elephant and colouring it bright pink! A magical time with the PINK ELEPHANT …..
-Rtn Kalyani Talukdar

From Googly to Gold: Charu Sharma’s Spellbinding Commentary at RCB

When Charu Sharma, the Indian commentator, compere, quizmaster, and director of the Pro Kabaddi League, joined civil engineer and 4 times national rally champion Sagar Muthappa on stage to address Rotarians last Monday the evening quickly transformed into something far more than a talk. It became a commentary, a relay of sports and ideas, unfolding with the rhythm of a live broadcast. The conversation flipped like a television screen, each blink revealing a new sport, a fresh anecdote, or a slice of history. For 52 minutes, the audience was transported into a world where cricket pitches, kabaddi mats, and broadcasting booths merged seamlessly into one narrative.
Sharma began by reflecting on his unlikely journey into sports commentary. In the 1970s, sports in India offered little livelihood, and broadcasting was hardly considered a career. Money was scarce, opportunities were rare, and the idea of making a living through sport seemed fanciful. Yet 1982 changed everything. The Asian Games, hosted in New Delhi, became the turning point.
Sharma, who had never imagined himself as a broadcaster, seized the chance with both hands. That reluctant beginning became the launchpad for a career that would redefine sports commentary in India. He reminded the audience that television was the true game- changer. A single button brought the magic of live sport into homes, creating enormous viewership. Later, OTT platforms expanded this reach, offering audiences the freedom to watch games live, anywhere, anytime. For broadcasters, it was a revolution; for audiences, it was liberation.

When asked about the decline of Test cricket, Sharma slipped into his trademark commentary style. He acknowledged the grandeur of the five-day format but noted its fading relevance in modern life.
Audiences no longer had the patience to sit through endless sessions. The birth of T20 cricket in England was, in his words, “an after-work game,” designed to finish by 8:30 pm, leaving daylight before darkness set in. It was natural, he said, that the long format had to make way for shorter, more engaging versions. Evolution was inevitable. Cricket, he reminded the audience, was never truly global. Dominated by five to seven countries, opportunities for commentators were limited. Only the very best could survive in such a narrow field, and survival demanded adaptability.
Another Rotarian bowled a googly: what about the death of radio commentary?Radio, he said, was undone by television. On radio, a commentator’s pause was unforgivable; on TV, it was invisible, masked by the visuals of bat, ball, and field. Radio lacked commercial appeal, while television thrived on advertising revenue. “Moolah rules the format,” Sharma quipped. Radio, unable to attract business, gasped for breath until it faded into obscurity. He drew a sharp distinction: radio had presenters, television had commentators. TV could paint a vivid picture, agile and swift, while radio lumbered like a dinosaur.
Sharma’s career was not without setbacks. As CEO of Royal Challengers Bangalore during the inaugural IPL season in 2008, he was forced to step down after the team’s poor performance. Yet, this departure opened another door. His passion for promoting kabaddi led him to become director of the Pro Kabaddi League.
Kabaddi, he said, never disappointed him. It was a sport deeply rooted in India’s soil, and its dominance at the Asian Games proved its worth. India’s gold medals in kabaddi from Beijing 1990 to Hangzhou 2022-were a testament to its enduring strength.
Kabaddi’s rise was not just about medals; it was about identity.
The evening was more than a lecture; it was a performance. Sharma and Muthappa volleyed questions and answers like players exchanging strokes. Each query from Rotarians became a delivery, each response a shot. The commentary flowed seamlessly, touching on cricket’s evolution, the death of radio, the rise of television, and kabaddi’s golden legacy. The Rotary House of Friendship was filled with laughter, nostalgia, and admiration. Sharma’s words painted vivid pictures, his anecdotes carried the weight of history, and his commentary style turned a conversation into a match of ideas.

What made Sharma’s narrative compelling was not just his knowledge of sport but his philosophy of life. He had been a reluctant broadcaster, yet he embraced opportunity. He had faced setbacks, yet he turned them into new beginnings. His passion for kabaddi, his embrace of television, and his acknowledgment of cricket’s evolution all pointed to one truth: adaptability is survival, and passion is success.
As the session ended, applause filled the hall. The conversation with Sagar Muthappa was less a dialogue and more a relay, a match played in words, leaving the audience spellbound. In the end, it was clear: Charu Sharma is not just a commentator. He is a storyteller, a chronicler of sport’s evolution, and a voice that continues to echo across India’s sporting landscape.

ShieldHer- Full House, Full Impact :
Advancing Cervical Cancer Awareness at JAIN University

The 61st awareness session of ShieldHer: United Against Cervical Cancer was conducted at JAIN (Deemed-to-be University), Bengaluru, on April 16, 2026 by the Rotary Club of Bangalore in collaboration with the Karnataka State Chapter of the Association of Gynaecologic Oncologists of India. The session featured Dr. Indukala S (Former Professor, Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute, Bengaluru), who shared her valuable insights on cervical cancer, its prevention, and the importance of early detection.
The session witnessed enthusiastic participation from a diverse audience of 130 women and men, including 100 students and 30 faculty members from various academic backgrounds. The auditorium was filled to capacity, with additional seating arranged to accommodate the overwhelming response.
The session was highly interactive, with participants actively engaging in discussions on HPV vaccination, screening practices, and strategies to improve awareness in rural and underserved communities.
Encouragingly, a significant number of students reported having received the HPV vaccine, and several faculty members had undergone Pap smear screening reflecting a growing awareness and proactive approach toward preventive health. Such engagement highlights the importance of continued efforts to inspire individuals to prioritize their health.
We extend our sincere thanks to management of Jain University for their excellent coordination and support in making this impactful session a big success.

-Rtns Dr. Sowmya PR and Dr. Nita Roy

Hormones in Harmony: Balancing Lifestyle for Lifelong Wellness

On April 17, 2026, the Rotary Club of Bangalore (RCB), in collaboration with the Karnataka Endocrine Society (KES), successfully hosted the 8th session of the Endocrine Wellness program Hormones in Harmony, at the Aurigene Pharmaceutical Services campus in Electronic City, Bengaluru. This impactful hybrid event brought together 190 scientific professionals,90 in-person and 100 virtually fostering a collective drive toward transformative community health through practical endocrine insights.
In this session titled “Styling Life Towards Health: Balancing Habits and Hormones,” renowned experts Dr. Jyothi Idiculla (Consultant Endocrinologist at Manipal Hospital), and Dr. Subramanian Kannan (Director & Senior Consultant Endocrinologist at Narayana Health City), delivered compelling insights into the complex world of endocrine health, emphasizing how lifestyle choices play a pivotal role in maintaining hormonal balance and overall well-being. Dr. Idiculla highlighted the risks of Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals (EDCs) in everyday plastics and household items, providing actionable strategies to minimize exposure and protect hormonal health. Dr. Kannan explored the circadian rhythm,our essential internal clock disrupted by modern lifestyles emphasizing simple adjustments for enhanced energy, resilience, and well-being.

The session culminated in a vibrant Q&A, addressing key concerns like high-stress careers, modern parenting, and lifestyle impacts, which sparked enthusiastic participation and underscored our shared commitment to proactive health. Participants left empowered to integrate these principles into their lives.
Sincere thanks to the Aurigene Pharmaceutical Services Ltd. and Aurigene Oncology teams for their exemplary coordination and hospitality.

-Rtns Dr. Nita Roy & Dr. Vimuktha Avinash