Biomimicry – learning from nature!

Dr V Selvarajan Leave a comment

Bangalore: BMS Institute of Technology and Management (BMSIT) organised a Biomimicry event on 22 April 2026. GREEN CIRCLE and the BMS eco club, OIKOS, jointly organised the event to mark World Earth Day. Biomimicry is the practice of learning from nature and using those ideas to solve human problems. The eco club initiative engaged 53 students across 10 teams, each presenting live working models based on biomimicry principles. The projects focused on real-world applications such as water conservation, climate-responsive design, disaster resilience, and sustainable infrastructure. Key innovations included termite mound-inspired passive cooling systems, honeycomb-structured columns, lotus leaf-inspired self-cleaning surfaces, penguin body-based insulation, spider web-inspired earthquake-resistant structures, etc. The models were evaluated by a panel of three juries, including one industry expert, L. R. Phanindra, GE Healthcare, to ensure a balanced assessment of technical feasibility, innovation, and societal relevance. Projects were also mapped to relevant Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), emphasising their contribution to areas such as clean water, sustainable cities, and climate action. Says Prof Rajesh, ‘the event highlighted the potential of nature-inspired solutions in addressing societal needs and stands as a replicable model supporting the objectives of the Bharat Environment Programme’. The best models were awarded in the felicitation ceremony on the same day. First prize was bagged by Manisha Ramisetty’s team, while second and third places were secured by Anagh Manivarnan’s team and Darshan Gowda’s team, respectively. Dr V. Selvarajan, Green Circle, made a presentation on an eco STP model at People’s Trust based on the cow’s four-chamber stomach designed on the biomimicry principle.  Speaking on the occasion, Principal of BMS IT & M, Dr Sanjay H. A. lauded the efforts of the eco club and encouraged them to do some extracurricular activity on every Saturday. Harish Uthaiah, People’s Trust and Kumar Kalyandurg, Green Circle, were present. Jury members of the Drawing competition, Dr V Selvarajan, Vasantha Kumar, Green Circle, Sreelakshmi B. K., Lumen Technologies and L. R. Phanindra, GE Healthcare, were honoured on the occasion. Rakshitha V, Nedium Chandana, Bhoomika S B, and Machireddy Dhanitha were also awarded the prizes for winning the drawing competition.

Can’t speak or hear, gave voice for Earth

Dr V Selvarajan Leave a comment

Bengaluru, April 22: Oceanik Education Society observed World Earth Day with an environmental awareness programme at its campus, drawing participation from 167 students and 39 staff members. Dr. V. Selvarajan, Chairman of Green Circle Bangalore, attended as Chief Guest, alongside Harish Uthaiah, Managing Trustee of People’s Trust and Kumar Kalyandurg, Secretary, Green Circle, as Guests of Honour. The Institution encourages inclusive education where differently abled children go hand in hand with other students who foster fraternity and friendship. The event featured inter-college competitions in drawing, painting, poster-making, and essay writing, with prizes awarded to winners. A parallel seedball activity led to the preparation of around 1,050 seed balls for afforestation efforts. Addressing the gathering, Dr. Selvarajan highlighted the urgency of climate action, pointing to rising temperatures, food wastage, and increasing waste generation. He urged students to adopt sustainable practices and follow the principle “Think Globally, Act Locally.” The programme concluded with a vote of thanks, leaving students inspired to contribute towards environmental conservation. Principal Prof. Shobha K. M. welcomed all.  The programme concluded with a vote of thanks by Ravi. Dr. N.M. Poovaiah, Founder of the Institution, felicitated all.

Green ideas during summer camp

Dr V Selvarajan Leave a comment

Bangalore: Sai Shankar Vidhya Shala, a rural school at People’s Trust campus in Sriramanahalli, Yelahanka, Bangalore, organised a summer camp for the children from villages. About 30 children participated in the camp. Children were taught Yoga, meditation, dance, and robotics, as well as eco-friendly crafts like paper bag making, Food chain game, Biodiversity Appreciation Album making, and Poster making on what children can do to save the environment. The camp was inaugurated on 14.4.26 by V Selvarajan. Ganga Bhavani, Head Mistress, Sai Shankar Vidhya Shala welcomed the gathering. Hairsh Uthaiah, Managing Trustee of People’s Trust, delivered the keynote address and thanked everyone for joining. Some fun activities and painting programs were also part of the program. Kumar Kalyandurg of Green Circle says that such summer camps engage the children usefully during the holidays. Meenakshi Bose, an artist, guided the students to make paper bags. She also displayed her acrylic paintings during the camp. Shyna and Chalapathi of People’s Trust trained the students in Yoga and meditation. Teachers Rajini, Rathnamma, Vishavani, Pavithra, Sunitha and Venkatesh volunteered to manage the camp. School Administrator Neetha Uthaiah supervised the camp events.

10 small climate action ideas!

Dr V Selvarajan Leave a comment

Bangalore: On 1st April 2026, a Community Organisation Programme focusing on Climate Action Initiatives was conducted by Rohan Benoy and Roshan K. Thomas, students from Kristu Jayanti College. The event was organised for 40 students from classes 6 and 7 of the Total Residential Education Program (TREP) at Sri Sathya Sai Shankar Vidyanikethanam at People’s Trust, Sriramanahalli, Rajanukunte, Bangalore. The objective of the programme was to raise awareness among young students about the importance of environmental conservation and sustainable living, especially in light of the pressing global challenge of climate change. The speaker on the occasion, Dr V. Selvarajan, Chairman, Green Circle, told the children that climate action is possible at their level if they adopt certain environment-friendly simple actions. He gave a list of 10 points and advised the students to practice the same. The other speakers included Harish Uthaiah, Managing Trustee of People’s Trust and Kumar Kalyandurg of Green Circle. Topics covered included waste reduction, resource conservation, and the adoption of eco-friendly habits in daily life. The students came away with the understanding that small actions can lead to significant impacts. They learned practical methods to tackle environmental challenges, such as minimising plastic use, planting trees, saving water, and embracing sustainable alternatives in their routines. The organizer of the program Rohan, said that this program was aimed at enhancing students’ understanding of climate issues and inspiring them to engage in environmental conservation. It fostered a sense of responsibility for a sustainable future.  Roshan adds, ‘After listening to the talk, I feel that children can contribute a lot in the form of simple climate action initiatives.’

Posts

Digitalising trees!

Dr V Selvarajan 1 Comment

Bangalore: Is there any way out to scan a tree to know the entire details about a tree? Kumar Kalyandurg of Green Circle says, ‘Yes! We could capture all data in QR code form and affix it to a tree, as a plate.’ About a year back, Green Circle Bangalore contemplated this project to geotag the trees and approached BMS Institute of Technology & Management, Yelahanka, Bangalore, to use the green technologies to conserve trees. Prof Sridevi of the MCA Dept agreed to the proposal and identified two MCA students for this purpose. BMS IT into a Memorandum of Understanding between Green Circle. As a pilot project, Green Circle chose People’s Trust campus where there are 1000 plus trees belonging to 100 plus varieties. The project was curated by Venu and Sunny, MCA students, who relied on AI data for identifying the trees. They developed the software page, which was incorporated in Green Circle Website. Dr Sanjay HA, Principal of BMS Institute of Technology & Management, inaugurated the first geo-tagging of the project by BMS Rotaract club on 11th Oct 2025. Geotagging of trees was done in several rounds. Volunteers from Green Circle, BMS Rotaractors, NSS from Presidency University, Sai Shankar Vidyashala, and People’s Trust Sri Sathya Sai Shankar Vidyaniketan Boarding Children participated in the tagging. About 1000 trees were geotagged. The valedictory program was organized at People’s trust Auditorium on 15.3.2026. About 150 volunteers participated in the program and were issued the certificates for their service. The Curators of the project Venu and Sunny were honoured with shields. Prof Sridevi Head of the MCA Dept was felicitated for the support from her department. Prof Venkatesh was also felicitated. Prof Tejaswini, in charge of volunteers from BMS, Ganga HM of SSV School, Bobji and Seethamma, Pranjal, Presidency NSS Coordinator, Chalapathi of People’s Trust, Harshita from TREP, and Vasant Kumar, Kumar Kalyandurg and Karthik from GC were felicitated. An 8-foot by 5-foot collage titled “Birds of People’s Trust”, was formally unveiled by Bobji and Harish Uthaiah. This board showcases the beauty and diversity of avian life in the premises, as the photos were clicked by Karthik and Selva. Bobji made a PowerPoint presentation on Conscious Conservation in action. Selvarajan, Chairman, Green Circle, welcomed the audience. Harish Uthaiah, Managing Trustee, People’s Trust, proposed the vote of thanks.Bangalore: Is there any way out to scan a tree to know the entire details about a tree? Kumar Kalyandurg of Green Circle says, ‘Yes! We could capture all data in QR code form and affix it to a tree, as a plate.’ About a year back, Green Circle Bangalore contemplated this project to geotag the trees and approached BMS Institute of Technology & Management, Yelahanka, Bangalore, to use the green technologies to conserve trees. Prof Sridevi of the MCA Dept agreed to the proposal and identified two MCA students for this purpose. BMS IT into a Memorandum of Understanding between Green Circle. As a pilot project, Green Circle chose People’s Trust campus where there are 1000 plus trees belonging to 100 plus varieties. The project was curated by Venu and Sunny, MCA students, who relied on AI data for identifying the trees. They developed the software page, which was incorporated in Green Circle Website. Dr Sanjay HA, Principal of BMS Institute of Technology & Management, inaugurated the first geo-tagging of the project by BMS Rotaract club on 11th Oct 2025. Geotagging of trees was done in several rounds. Volunteers from Green Circle, BMS Rotaractors, NSS from Presidency University, Sai Shankar Vidyashala, and People’s Trust Sri Sathya Sai Shankar Vidyaniketan Boarding Children participated in the tagging. About 1000 trees were geotagged. The valedictory program was organized at People’s trust Auditorium on 15.3.2026. About 150 volunteers participated in the program and were issued the certificates for their service. The Curators of the project Venu and Sunny were honoured with shields. Prof Sridevi Head of the MCA Dept was felicitated for the support from her department. Prof Venkatesh was also felicitated. Prof Tejaswini, in charge of volunteers from BMS, Ganga HM of SSV School, Bobji and Seethamma, Pranjal, Presidency NSS Coordinator, Chalapathi of People’s Trust, Harshita from TREP, and Vasant Kumar, Kumar Kalyandurg and Karthik from GC were felicitated. An 8-foot by 5-foot collage titled “Birds of People’s Trust”, was formally unveiled by Bobji and Harish Uthaiah. This board showcases the beauty and diversity of avian life in the premises, as the photos were clicked by Karthik and Selva. Bobji made a PowerPoint presentation on Conscious Conservation in action. Selvarajan, Chairman, Green Circle, welcomed the audience. Harish Uthaiah, Managing Trustee, People’s Trust, proposed the vote of thanks.

One response to “Digitalising trees!”

  1. Dr V Selvarajan Avatar
    Dr V Selvarajan

    This is a wonderful 3 in 1 program

    Like

    Reply

Leave a comment

Green Circle gets its address!

Dr V Selvarajan Leave a comment

‘It is a great moment for all our work,’ says an emotional Dr V Selvarajan, founder of Green Circle. He adds, ‘In fact, I never even thought that it would be possible. When Green Circle was formed 25 years ago, in Delhi, it was a modest beginning. I had not even Rs 1000 to get it registered’. Green Circle has celebrated its Silver Jubilee at Dwarka New Delhi on 1.11.2025. Within 6 months, a land was allotted by Singanayakkanahalli Gram Panjayat office, which was earmarked for charitable organisations. MLA SR Viswanath was in all praise for Green Circle activities for protecting environment. He recommended to the PDO for allotment of land for its office. Nanje Gowda, a member of the Gram Panchayat and patron of Green Circle, pursued the matter and obtained the documents to the effect. The Panchayat office also requested Green Circle to develop a green patch around its office. Green Circle on 14.3.2026 arranged a Bhoomi Puja in the allotted land. For this purpose, the land was levelled using a JCB and garbage was removed. GC Members Selvarajan, Ramachandra, Kiran Taula, Kumar Kalyandurg, Vasanth Kumar, Vidyasagar Arya, and other members, were present. Harish Uthaiah, Managing Trustee, People’s Trust, was a special invitee for the occasion. Nanje Gowda started the Puja. Others Prof Ramappa, Prof Venkatesh, Kantharaj, Virabatrappa, Santosh were present. Puja was conducted by CRPF temple Pandit. Kiran Taula said, ‘it is a milestone in the history of Green Circle’ Vasanth Kumar added, ‘This is only a beginning, we will soon construct an ecofriendly office. The office will be surrounded by herbal garden. We are planning to make this location a green area’. The place was named as ‘Green Circle Vatika’.

Health Talk on Air Quality

Dr V Selvarajan Leave a comment

Green Circle Dwarka Chapter organized a health talk on pollution at Max Hospital on January 24, 2026. A total of 34 participants attended the event. The program began with A.K. Saigal, who spoke about the activities and initiatives of Green Circle. This was followed by an informative session led by Dr. Shubhanshu Raj Goyal, who explained the harmful effects of air pollution on the lungs. Dr. Shivangi Sundaram, a consultant in surgical oncology, then discussed the negative impacts of air pollution and its link to cancer. After the talks, a question-and-answer session was held, during which attendees expressed their satisfaction with the discussions. Raj Agnihotri and Anurag Mohan encouraged everyone to contribute to Green Circle’s future endeavours. Chitra Jain and Seema Mittal presented potted saplings to the speakers as a token of appreciation. Romila Gandhi, on behalf of Green Circle, thanked the speakers, Max Hospital, and the audience for their participation. Nearly 35 members participated.

Shipra River Bank Cleaning drive

Dr V Selvarajan Leave a comment

Nainital 11.1.26 and 18.1.26

Green Circle Nainital, jointly with Shipra Kalyan decided to conduct a cleaning drive in Shipra river. The Shipra River is one of the rare north-flowing rivers, hence important to keep it clean and alive. The drive was participated in by volunteers of Shipra Kalyan and Green Circle Nainital. 12 sacks of biodegradable waste were removed. The municipality will lift the waste. Also, it was decided to conduct the same drive again on 18th January 2026

Geo-tagging Phase 3 at PT 10.1.26

Dr V Selvarajan Leave a comment

Green Circle’s Geo-tagging of trees, the second phase, which tagged about 200 trees in People’s Trust campus. 40 volunteers from BMS Rotaract club participated in the program. Kumar Kalyandurg, Vasanth Kumar, Sandip, Selva and Biju joined the volunteers in listing the trees. 566 trees were QR coded. As of now, 811 trees were tagged out of 1000 trees. 20 Students of Sai Shankar Vidhyashala also joined the project. Temporary labels were fixed and will be replaced with QR plates. Venu and Sunny, who curated the project, guided the student volunteers in tagging the trees. People’s trust, Managing Trustee Harish Uthaiah thanked all for the volunteering

Pollution and its impact on health

Dr V Selvarajan Leave a comment

Dwarka: An awareness program on the prevention of pollution and its impact on health was held at the Super 30 Centre, Mahavir Enclave. Romila Gandhi and Seema Mittal apprised the children about the importance of the 3 Rs—Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle—and shared simple ways to help prevent pollution. Chitra Jain and Anuraag judged the posters prepared by the Super 30 girls on environmental themes. The girls presented skits and poems and also recited slogans highlighting environmental issues and the need for conservation. Certificates and refreshments were distributed to all the children at the end of the program.