This article on using mobile technology for social good is part of the #Mobile4Good series & is made possible by Vodafone India.
Searching for a good dhobi, driver, plumber, or cobbler? Look no more. This app can help you find all such service providers near your place with just one click. That trustworthy plumber, the next-door washerman, your favourite gardener, the electrician who has always been there, and the cobbler who sits at the very same corner every day – these people are such an essential and comforting part of our everyday lives. Their availability is very important for the smooth functioning of any residential area. If you move to another home and can’t find service providers in your locality, things can’t function properly till this matter is settled first. And increasingly today, as any homemaker will tell you, it is becoming harder and harder to find good help. Well, not anymore! It does not matter if you are a new or old resident in an area, finding service providers for daily requirements is now just a phone call away. All thanks to iSewa, an app that helps you find exactly who you need, provides his/her exact address, and helps you call the person right to your doorstep if needed.
This app brings different types of service providers to the same platform and helps them, as well as users, in more ways than one.
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Ravee S Aahluwalia of Patiala Foundation[/caption]
Developed by Patiala Foundation in November 2015, iSewa already has over 200 downloads. More than 600 services have been registered – pandits, bag repair services, carpenters, cooks, domestic help, and more – they are all there!
Patiala Foundation is an NGO that has been working on developing livelihood projects since 2009. Two years ago, they started a facility named dial-a-rickshaw, with a view to making it easier for residents of Patiala to find auto rickshaws when needed.
“Many people, who don’t have their own vehicles, often find it difficult to travel independently because they first have to walk for some distance to find an auto,” says Ravee S Aahluwalia, Chief Functionary (General Secretary) of Patiala Foundation.The team first developed a complete database of auto drivers in Patiala who wanted to be associated with them. Users simply had to call a number and inform the operators about their location. The Foundation members would then look for available drivers in the locality and direct them to the passengers. The one challenge that they faced the most though was that every time a driver denied duty they had to call someone else; this resulted in a lot of time being lost.
While working to find a solution to this challenge, Ravee came up with an idea.
“I thought of making a mobile app in which we can upload all the available data as is. So a passenger just has to open the page of his particular colony and he/she will find the details of all available rickshaw drivers,” he says.It was while developing this idea that another one struck Ravee....that the app could be extended for all service providers like cobblers, carpenters, plumbers, electricians, etc., across the country. And that is how iSewa was born. Instead of mapping different cities and finding these providers, Patiala Foundation decided to make the process more community oriented. They developed the app in such a way that the users themselves are responsible for adding different providers that they trust. Someone who has been living in a particular area for years would definitely know about the best services available there — they can easily add them on the app for others to utilise.
In this way, it becomes easier for users to find services and also for the providers to get more customers.
If you have to add a service to the app, you need to log in. Your information is verified by the Patiala Foundation team with the help of a phone call to the provider to make sure that all the details are correct. Missing information is added as well.
Those who are looking for services don’t need to log in. iSewa is available on Android phones and will be soon launched for iOS as well. The services can also be accessed directly from the Foundation’s website.
The app can be used all over India. If a city is not available on the app currently it’s because no one has added any service providers from there as yet. However, a new user can definitely add information about services.
Other than service provides, the app also provides information about blood donors. “We have started adding details of blood donors in different cities, of people who are voluntarily ready to donate. People can log into iSewa and find the right match in case of an emergency,” says Ravee.
Patiala Foundation is also planning to form groups of different service providers in different cities and conduct training sessions for them.
“Let’s suppose there are ten plumbers in one locality. We will organize a training session for them, in which we will invite some expert from the field who will help enhance their skills. We will also organize knowledge camps for these people to help them learn about various government schemes that may be of benefit to them.”In this way, iSewa can help increase livelihood opportunities for service providers in different cities. As a non-profit organization, the Foundation has developed the app mostly with the help of donations and collections from the members. Some other services available on the app include florists, hair-stylists, drycleaners, masons, painters, etc.
“There is an elderly man in Karnal who cleans brass utensils. Earlier, he used to visit just two or three houses in a week on his bicycle, and that was all. Not many people knew about him. But several people wanted to find someone who could help them clean their antique brass collections and utensils. We uploaded his details on the app. Today, he gets calls from about five to six houses in a day and remains very busy. That is the kind of impact iSewa is creating,” concludes Ravee.Download iSewa here. Featured image credits: (L) Wikimedia, (R) Wikimedia.
But Ranjit Katyal, the character played by Akshay Kumar in the movie, does not actually exist. According to the director 
His grandfather, Malchand Jangid, a resident of Churu in Rajasthan, was an amazing sandalwood craftsman who won the national award in 1971 and a special award the very next year from the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.
They draw inspiration for their work from history, mythology and day-to-day life in India.
All three Jangids have got their names listed in the Limca Book of Records for their remarkable work. Mahesh's record is for a delicate chain that he made from a solid piece of sandalwood. The chain has no joints, it weighs just 160 gm, and is 315 mm in length. Mohit has his name in the record book for the smallest playable violin, and Rohit is in there for designing the smallest carved house-fly.
One of the most unique aspects of their art form is that they specialise in making small pockets or compartments within the main structure. One can open the compartment with the help of a flap and it reveals some sculptures depicting a story or a scene taken from history.
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The Jaipur Column[/caption]
Hritesh and Priti Lohiya[/caption]
8-year-old Shivampet Ruchitha became the youngest person to receive the award this year. On July 24, 2014, Ruchita saved two of her school mates when a train hit their school bus. She noticed that their bus had stopped on a railway track and a train was coming towards them. Showing extraordinary presence of mind, she pushed two students out of the window and jumped off the bus herself too. Unfortunately, she could not save her younger sister who was sitting in the front row. Her younger brother sustained severe injuries, but he has recovered now. 16 students, the driver, and the conductor lost their lives in that accident. She was honoured with the Geeta Chopra award.
In July 2014, a tiger entered 16-year-old Arjun Singh’s house in Uttarakhand. He showed extreme courage and fought it off, saving his mother’s life who had fainted as soon as the tiger entered. Arjun went into a room and picked up a sickle to fight the tiger. As it was too small to hit from a distance, Arjun grabbed a stick and waved it towards the tiger. He did not stop until the villagers reached there and the animal ran away on seeing the crowd. Arjun received the Sanjay Chopra award.
Shivansh Singh, a 14-year-old medal-winning swimmer from Faizabad, was posthumously honoured with the prestigious Bharat Award. He lost his life while trying to save his friend from drowning in the Saryu River.
Gaurav was only 15 when he lost his life while rescuing four of his friends from drowning in the Ambazari lake. He was a good swimmer and had gone to the lake one afternoon in June 2014. While playing in the water, his friends suddenly started drowning. 
12-year-old Aromal is one of the six winners from Kerala. He saved two women from drowning in a 14-feet pond and was honoured with the Bapu Gaidhani Award.
This 13-year-old received the Bapu Gaidhani Award for saving a boy who accidentally fell into a well.
On January 2, 2015, Ramdinthara saved two boys who were stuck on a transformer fence. The 15-year-old pulled the boys out with his bare hands and took them to the hospital. Son of a tea-seller, Ramdinthara was walking past the transformer when he saw that two boys were struggling to free themselves after falling on the fence. He overcame his fear in just a few seconds and grabbed their hair to pull them up. He received the Bapu Gaidhani Award.
13-year-old Chongtham Kuber Meitei became a local hero after he jumped into a 10-feet deep well to save a girl from drowning. He was awarded with the General National Bravery Award.
10-year-old Kashish protected his 15-months-old sibling from a German Shepherd. He received the General National Bravery Award.
14-year-old Muhammad Shamnad showed outstanding courage when he risked his life to save a little girl from drowning in a pond. He received the General National Bravery Award.
14-year-old Mohit saved his 10-year-old neighbour from drowning in Banganga Lake last year. When Krishna Pashtye slipped into the lake, Mohit was the only one of the hundreds of onlookers who had the courage to dive into the lake and save her. He was honoured with General National Bravery Award.
15-year-old Abhijith was honoured with the General National Bravery Award for saving his friend from drowning in a 25 feet deep pond.
Sarwanand Saha received the General National Bravery Award for saving a man from drowning in Mahanadi River.
This 15-year-old saved his mother from electrocution. His mother came in contact with a live electric wire at their residence in Agapura when she was washing the floor. Sai Krishna was quick to think on his feet and he instantly rushed forward to turn off the mains supply while making sure that he did not step into the water. He was honoured with the General National Bravery Award.
On April 4, 2015, Dishant Mehndiratta was at his home in Panchkula, with his mother and younger brother. His father had just left for work when a stranger knocked at the door asking for him. The family invited him in and Dishant’s mother, Archana, called her husband to inform about the visitor. His father couldn't recognise the man and asked him to come later. This was when the stranger asked if he could use the toilet. And while Archana was leading the way to show him the bathroom, he suddenly took out a knife and put it on her neck. He started threatening the children, asking them to bring out all the cash and valuables. Dishant made a quick plan and fell down on the man’s feet pretending to plead with him. And after a few seconds, he suddenly stood up, grabbed the knife from his hand, and threw it away. The family raised an alarm and got him arrested. Dishant received the General National Bravery Award for this courageous act.
When a man snatched away her father’s mobile phone, 10-year-old Joena Chakraborty started running after him without wasting a single second, and brought the phone back.
Nilesh Bhil from Kothli was awarded the General National Bravery Award for saving a boy from drowning.
14-year-old Beedhovan saved a boy from electrocution and was honoured with the General National Bravery Award.
13-year-old Nithin was honoured for saving his neighbour’s family after their house caught fire in a cylinder blast.
On November 16 last year, a boat got overturned in Sarayu River. 12-year-old Bhimsen, who was present on his own boat, jumped into the water and saved 14 people from drowning.
Angelica Tynsong, 13, from Ri Bhoi district, saved her 7-month-old brother when their house caught fire on February 1, 2015. Her brother was sleeping while she was washing clothes, and their parents were not present in the house at the time of the incident.
14-year-old Anandu Dileep was going to his tuition class with his friends. They were crossing a bridge when his friend slipped and fell into the 10-feet-deep canal. Anandu jumped into the water and rescued him.
Maurice was playing on the terrace with his friend who suddenly got an electric shock. Had it not been for Maurice’s presence of mind, his friend would have lost his life. The 14-year-old picked up a cane chair and started hitting him till he was free.
Vaibhav Ramesh Ghangare from Wardha also received the General National Bravery Award. He saved a 6-year-old child from drowning.
KKGSS' khadi manufacturing units are located in Bagalkot, from where the cloth is first sourced. It is then divided into three lots, dyed accordingly and cut into the required shapes. The chakra is printed on the white cloth and the three pieces are stitched together. The flags are then ironed and packed.
