People who give back
A neighbour who feeds students far from home. A temple volunteer. A shopkeeper who keeps credit open in hard times. A teacher who stays late. Each period we feature one, or a few, people who gave something back.
Person of the year
Jorhat, Assam
In 1979 he began planting bamboo on a bare sandbar of the Brahmaputra. He kept planting, largely unnoticed, for decades. That sandbar is now Molai forest, about 550 hectares, named after him. India awarded him the Padma Shri in 2015. Who better to honour first than a man who planted a forest?
Source: Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)Person of the month
Mangaluru, Karnataka
He sells oranges on the streets of Mangaluru. With his savings, he built a school in his home village of Newpadapu, now known as the Hajabba School, so its children could learn. India honoured him with the Padma Shri.
Source: Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)Person of the week
Honnalli, Uttara Kannada, Karnataka
Remembered, 2024
A woman of the Halakki tribal community, she planted more than 30,000 saplings and knew the forest so well that environmentalists called her the 'Encyclopedia of the Forest'. She received the Padma Shri.
Source: Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)Person of the day
Ramanagara, Karnataka
Remembered, 2025
She planted and cared for 385 banyan trees along 4.5 km of road between Hulikal and Kudur, and nearly 8,000 trees in all. 'Saalumarada' means 'row of trees' in Kannada. She received the Padma Shri in 2019.
Source: Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)Our first selections honour people who worked for years without recognition. From now on, selections come from your nominations.
Did a stranger, neighbour or friend help you when it mattered? Tell their story on their behalf. Our editors review every submission, and we contact the helper before publishing if we can reach them.