Across cultures and generations, the saree has symbolised grace, versatility and resilience, making it a treasured emblem of identity for women. Deeply rooted in Indian culture, it is worn in various styles across the country. Nepali women prefer the saree for formal occasions, while the Kandyan saree of Sri Lanka has a unique draping style. The garment holds an enduring appeal in the Sindh region of ­Pakistan, the Indian Malaysian ­community and Bangladesh.

Yadhumanaval, the programme to empower girls, particularly in the smaller towns and villages of India by PDG V R Muthu, RID 3212, has picked up traction and is being implemented in other districts with help from Muthu, his club RC ­Virudhunagar and his ­Yadhumanaval team led by a retired professor of ­English and motivational speaker Jayanthasri Balakrishnan.

On Jan 1, 2025, RI District 3233 achieved a remarkable milestone with the formation of RC Chennai Icons, inducting 225 charter members — setting a probable new world record. The previous RI record stood at 221 charter members, while in India, a Rotary club in Bengaluru had held the record with 151 members, said DG Mahveer Bothra. “At 225 members, RC Chennai Icons has broken all records,” said Mahaveer ­Karnawat, the club’s mentor. Mahaveer Jain was installed as club president and Punit Kochar, secretary.

Goa is probably the first state in India to legalise ­motorcycles as commercial vehicles, and service providers such as Rapido and Uber introduced bike taxis as a practical mode of transport more recently.

The Rotary Information Centre, an initiative of RC Daman, RID 3060, serves as a resource hub for the public, sharing information about Rotary’s mission, activities and community impact.

Medical care projects and Adult ­Literacy ­initiative hogged the limelight at the ­installation of RID 3261 DG Akhil Mishra in Jabalpur, MP. During the investiture, Rajya Sabha MP and PDG Vivek Tankha sponsored a ­state-of-the-art bus for differently-abled children at the Justice Tankha ­Memorial Rotary Institute for Special Children; four dialysis machines, a sonography device, and a blood bank freezer for government hospitals in Jabalpur, ­Nainpur and Gadarwara, all worth Rs.75–80 lakh.

Whenever the Arya Kanya Sadan in Faridabad near Delhi, that is home to some 70-odd orphan girls, requires a helping hand, it reaches out to the Rotary Club of Delhi Mayur Vihar, RID 3012, for support.

RC Nizamabad, RID 3150, organised a medical camp for 60 traffic ­constables. Scholarships worth Rs.20,000 were awarded to five girl students pursuing engineering studies.

An Interact club was chartered at the Sri Vageesha Vidhyashram Senior Secondary School, Srirangam, near Trichy in Tamil Nadu, by RC Jambukeshwaram, RID 3000, on Global Handwash Day (Oct 15). The new club was initiated by past president and Rotary Study Circle district secretary Abbas Mantri.

As the Interactors from Utterbuniyadi ­Vidyalaya in Amalsadi, a tribal village near Surat, Gujarat, worked on their cleanliness drive, the wind seemed determined to make their job harder. “The moment we started sweeping, paper bags and plastic bottles flew right past us like they had grown feet,” says Sahil Rathod, the president of the newly installed Interact club. “We couldn’t stop laughing, it was as though the wind was playing games with us. One of us even chased down a plastic bag that had taken off with the breeze.”

One day, during a conversation two Rotary club presidents from nearby districts, RIDs 3132 and 3060, got an idea of conducting an inter-district RYLA at the Ellora Caves, the UNESCO World Heritage site, with the theme ‘Culture, art and cinema’ for school students.