THE ROTATOR - Issue 49

Smart Moves in Learning: RCB and Israel Partner for Digital Classrooms

Rotary Bangalore Vidyalaya (RBV), the flagship project of the Rotary Club of Bangalore, continues to exemplify RCB’s unwavering commitment to education. For over 35 years, this high school has been nurtured by the RCB Charitable Trust and now serves 550 students, supported by 31 dedicated teachers. With well-equipped science and computer labs, RBV provides a strong academic foundation — and now, it has taken a leap into the future with a major technology upgrade.
In a remarkable collaboration between the Rotary Club of Bangalore and the Consulate General of Israel in South India, a state-of-the-art smart board was inaugurated at RBV, marking a milestone in the school’s digital journey. The inauguration was held on Thursday, June 12, 2025, at 11:00 AM, on the school campus. Ms. Inbal Ston, Deputy Consul General of Israel in South India, unveiled the smart board in the presence of RCB President Rtn. Gowri Oza and members of the RBV Task Force.

This initiative is part of a broader RCB project to install smart boards in 20 schools, underscoring the club’s longstanding mission to improve learning outcomes through digital infrastructure. The Consulate has also contributed a smart board to the Government High School in Bagalur, where a similar inauguration is scheduled shortly.
Ms. Ston, a former science teacher, spoke warmly of her personal connection to education and technology. “I hope these children will embrace this tool to expand their knowledge and prepare for the future,” she said.
“This smart board represents more than just technology—it reflects our commitment to student-centred, interactive learning that sparks curiosity, collaboration, and creativity,” said President Gowri Oza, expressing gratitude to the Consulate General of Israel.
By enabling multimedia lessons, real-time collaboration, and access to global educational resources, smart boards are expected to transform classroom learning experiences meaningfully.
Special thanks to Rtn. Rajkiran C, whose initiative and engagement with the Israeli Consulate made this collaboration possible. Projects like these thrive because of such champions.
-Rtn. Anju Agadi

The RCB 2025 Exemplars

As a joint project with Rotary Club of Tumkur, Rotary Club of Bangalore donated a laptop to Manoj M, a needy and deserving 4th semester Zoology MSc student of the University of Mysuru.
Thank you, Rtn. Jigisha Rajguru, for championing this project and arranging to procure three laptops. The other two laptops too will find their way to deserving students soon.

Raag-Rang Rekindles Musical Camaraderie at Rotary’s Annual Showdown

A spirited evening of melodies, nostalgia, and friendly rivalry unfolded as the 23rd edition of Rotary’s beloved annual interclub Antakshari competition, aptly rebranded as “Raag-Rang.” The musical showdown saw enthusiastic participation from four Rotary clubs, each donning lively team names: Rotary Junction (Mastane), Rotary Cantonment (Deewane), Rotary Indiranagar (Parwane), and the host club Rotary Club of Bangalore (Anjane).

Setting the tone for the evening, Rotarian Pradeep Rao welcomed members and guests, noting that Raag-Rang, in its 23rd edition, was a fitting tribute to the spirit of togetherness and cultural enjoyment that Rotary fosters. Bringing flair and energy to the stage was the charismatic Riaz Basha, who served as the host for the evening. He struck an immediate chord with the audience by opening with a nostalgic performance of the classic “Yaad aa raha hai tera pyar.”

The competition followed a structured yet dynamic format, challenging participants with five unique rounds. The first round, designed as a warm-up round saw Rotary Bangalore (Anjane) team making an early impact by scoring 200 points but later stumbled, incurring penalties and losing some ground.
The second round featured silent visual clips from well-known Hindi films, requiring the teams to identify the film and sing any song from it. This round tested both visual recall and musical association, and the silent tension in the hall was often broken by gasps of recognition or spontaneous humming from the audience. 
In the third round, titled ‘Pehchan,’ an audio clip of a film dialogue was played. Participants had to correctly identify the actor delivering the line and then sing a song picturised on that actor. The fourth round introduced a more nuanced challenge: only the antara (verse) of a song was played, and the teams were tasked with identifying the song and singing the correct mukhda. 
The fifth and final round returned to audio, but with a twist—teams had to identify a song based solely on its melodic instrumental introduction. The absence of lyrics made this round particularly tricky, but it was also where musical intuition shone.
After a closely fought contest, the host team RCB (Anjane), comprising Krishna Arjun, Reema Kumar, and Anu Varma, emerged victorious with a total score of 750 points. They were followed by Rotary Club Indiranagar (Parwane) as runners-up, who scored 400 points. Rotary Cantonment (Deewane) and Rotary Junction (Mastane) secured the third and fourth positions respectively, adding their own flair and charm to the proceedings.
The evening concluded with a celebratory prize distribution ceremony. Riaz led the audience in singing a group song, “Pal, pal, dil ke paas” President Gowri S. Oza and Secretary Sohil D. Shah presented trophies to the winning and runner-up teams, applauding their musical talent and team spirit. Special appreciation was extended to Anusha Murthy, Medha Rao, and Rajni Mohinani, who diligently managed timekeeping and scoring, ensuring smooth flow and fair play throughout the event.

Getting to Know Rtn. Dr. Nita Roy

Tell us a bit about yourself — your professional journey, passions, or hobbies.
I’m a biotechnologist with a PhD in Molecular Biology from Cornell Medical University & Sloan Kettering, New York. My 30+ year career in Bangalore includes 19 years at Biocon under Kiran Mazumdar Shaw’s leadership, followed by 12 years heading L’Oréal’s Advanced Research labs. Now, I mentor and invest in startups. As a proud Rotarian, I’m passionate about giving back, and I enjoy travel, local cuisines, and community work.

It’s been two years since you joined RCB. What do you enjoy most about being part of the club?
Being part of the Rotary Club of Bangalore has been incredibly fulfilling. I value the strong sense of purpose, community, and camaraderie. The diversity of members makes every interaction enriching. I appreciate how RCB turns passion into action, and it’s inspiring to work with those committed to meaningful change.

You’ve led the cervical cancer awareness initiative with such commitment. Are there any other causes you’d like to champion through Rotary?
I’ve had the privilege of leading 37 ShieldHer cervical cancer awareness sessions, reaching 9,500 beneficiaries across schools, colleges, and organizations. The support I received made this journey truly rewarding. Going forward, I’m keen
to contribute to other community service projects in preventive healthcare and wellness. Empowering people through health awareness creates a ripple effect that strengthens families and communities, and I look forward to championing more such causes with RCB.

What’s something about you — a talent, habit, or quirk — that might surprise fellow Rotarians?
If I shared my quirks upfront, they’d no longer be surprises! Instead, I invite fellow Rotarians to engage with me, ask curious questions, and uncover the hidden habits that make me unique. Let’s make discovery part of the fun!

How do you like to unwind or spend a relaxed weekend?
I love to travel and discover —whether it’s a new city or a forest jungle or a nearby food joint with great reviews. Culinary exploration is my happy place. I also enjoy spending quiet time with family, watching an engaging movie or binging on Netflix series. Sometimes, it’s just a long walk in Cubbon Park, an impromptu road trip or a soothing massage that helps me relax and reflect.

Any ideas or suggestions for making RCB even better?
RCB does incredible work, with service at its heart. To strengthen this further, we should focus on engaging new Rotarians early—through buddies, responsibilities, and impact stories. Sharing our successes more widely can boost visibility and draw fresh energy. More cross-club events and social mixers can deepen bonds within the Rotary network.

If you had to sum up your Rotary journey in just a few words, what would they be?
Service, Transformation, Relationships and Growth 

Together for Her Health – A Look Back at Our Cervical Cancer Awareness Campaign

Launched in November 2023, ShieldHer: United Against Cervical Cancer is a community-driven initiative by the Rotary Club of Bangalore in collaboration with the Karnataka State Chapter of the Association of Gynaecologic Oncologists of India (KSC-AGOI). Wonderfully supported by Rtn. Dr. Sowmya PR, the program aims to raise awareness about cervical cancer prevention through early screening and HPV vaccination.
As of May 2025, 37 sessions have been conducted across schools, colleges, organizations and companies, reaching 9,350 beneficiaries—including students
(girls and boys), teachers, parents, staff and employees.
These sessions reveal a concerning lack of awareness about the role of persistent HPV infection and risk factors in causing cervical cancer. Even amongst educated communities, the hesitation by women to undergo regular screening for the early detection of Cervical cancer is quite startling. There were several stories about how family members succumbed to this cancer because of late-stage detection. The ray of hope was truly seen in the younger generations, who expressed keen interest to protect themselves through HPV vaccination!
Moving forward, the ShieldHer initiative envisions a sustained impact by continuing awareness sessions to reach wider audiences, supporting government outreach when the HPV vaccine is rolled out under the Universal Immunization Program, and expanding efforts to include cervical cancer screening camps for underprivileged communities. Together, these steps will help us move closer to the WHO’s goal of eliminating cervical cancer by 2030.

Rtn. Dr. Nita Roy
Both driven and dedicated, Dr. Nita Roy has been leading the program
as its initiator and coordinator.

A huge appreciation also to Rtn. Dr. Nita Roy for her generous sponsoring the solarization of a p r i m a r y h e a l t h c e n t r e a t Bettahalasuru. This was recently inaugurated by President Gowri, Rtn. Kavita Muthappa and other Rotarians on May 28th. 

Rtn. Minku Buttar presents RCB at the Beaumaris Club in Melbourne

During a private visit to Melbourne, Rtn. Minku Buttar visited a local Rotary club and was invited to be the guest speaker. Here is her report:
I presented a detailed RCB PowerPoint for over 40 minutes, exploring possible synergies and alliances between our clubs.
The 48 Rotarians present, including President David Hone and President-Elect Peter Murie, resonated with my view that visiting any of the
45,000 Rotary clubs worldwide brings the same warm camaraderie — and often the subtle risk of being asked to volunteer!
I shared, “Though we may think and work differently, we all act with responsibility, leadership, passion, and expertise to address social issues and create lasting change. We are united in purpose.”
The meeting opened possibilities of collaboration on global grants and a medical camp in rural Nepal.

-Rtn. Minku Buttar