Rahul Verma (social activist)

Not to be confused with Richard Rahul Verma.
Rahul Verma

Rahul Verma[1]
Born (1975-04-26) 26 April 1975
Delhi
Residence New Delhi, India
Nationality Indian
Alma mater Delhi College of Arts and Commerce[2]
Occupation Social activist & Founder of Uday Foundation
Spouse(s) Tulika Verma[2]
Children Arjunuday and Lavanya[2]

Rahul Verma (born 26 April 1975) is a social activist[3][4] and founder of the nonprofit, Uday Foundation.[1] [2][5] He also writes about social and health related causes.[6][7] His columns have appeared in The Times of India,[8][9] NDTV[10] and other publications. His work includes campaigning for ethical concerns in clinical trials,[11][12] banning of junk food in schools[13][14] and a campaign against heavy school bags.[1][15]

Early life

Verma was born in Delhi. His family originally hails from Sikandrabad, Uttar Pradesh. He did his schooling from South Delhi Public School and later completed graduation from Delhi College of Arts and Commerce, where he met his wife, Tulika. Both of them lost their parents at very early age and their common grief brought them closer.[2]

Career

It started in 2007 as a fight to save his son,[16] who was born with multiple congenital defects, lead Verma to leave his corporate career to start a nonprofit – Uday Foundation.[2][17][18] He made a small beginning by raising help for children with medical needs in various government hospitals.[19][20] The foundation created volunteering opportunities for anyone and everyone including storytelling program for children in hospitals,[21][22] story on wheels for children in hospitals[23][24] and relief work during natural disasters.[25][26]

Verma leads a strong volunteering team including people who closely encountered critical illness, out of which a majority are cancer cases.[27][28][29]

Health advocacy

Verma filed various applications under the Right to Information Act related to healthcare and condition of hospitals in India.[30][31][32] In 2010, he filed public interest litigation in the Delhi High Court through his foundation to ban the sale of junk food and carbonated drinks in schools,[33] as on the one hand schools teach children about good nutrition and values of a healthy lifestyle, and on the other hand they make junk food available in the schools.[34] In its final judgement, the Delhi High Court ordered to restrict availability of junk food in and around school campus.[35] He extensively campaigned to reduce weight of school bags.[1][36][37]

Uday Foundation

Rahul Verma along with Jammu Kashmir Police officers during Kashmir Floods 2014

Verma founded Uday Foundation, non profit organization named after his son, Arjunuday, who was born with multiple congenital defects. Arjunuday underwent 9 major operations and 11 hospital admission immediately after his birth. He still goes to AIIMS OPD for regular follow-ups and he cannot have voluntary bowel movements and require an artificial mechanism to empty his colon with the help of daily enema. [2] Today Uday Foundation runs a dedicated free health clinic for underprivileged,[38] along special projects for the welfare of children with medical needs, [39]support and dignity to homeless[40] and emergency response for disasters and other natural calamity.[41]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "NGO appeals to HRD ministry to frame policy for reducing weight of school bags". India Today. 19 July 2015. Retrieved 19 July 2015.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "About us". Uday Foundation. Retrieved 10 July 2015.
  3. ↑ "Case filed in High Court to seek review of Human Organ Transplant Act". The Hindu. 15 February 2008. Retrieved 8 July 2015.
  4. ↑ "Petition on organ donation law sparks debate". Hindustan Times. 13 March 2008. Retrieved 8 July 2015.
  5. ↑ "Junk the junk food". Deccan Herald. 24 January 2012. Retrieved 8 July 2015.
  6. ↑ "Hope and health care — rising from ashes of Kanishka bombing tragedy". The Times of India. 15 April 2015. Retrieved 8 July 2015.
  7. ↑ "Let's not make cancer metaphor of death and guilt". The Times of India. 3 February 2015. Retrieved 8 July 2015.
  8. ↑ "Author Page Rahul Verma". The Times of India. Retrieved 6 August 2015.
  9. ↑ "An open letter to Indra Nooyi, PepsiCo chairman and CEO". The Times of India. 12 October 2012. Retrieved 8 July 2015.
  10. ↑ "OPINION AUTHOR RAHUL VERMA". NDTV. Retrieved 8 July 2015.
  11. ↑ Dr. Lily Srivastava. In Law & Medicine. Universal Law Publishing. p. 123. ISBN 8175349492, 9788175349490. Google Book Search. Retrieved on July 8, 2015
  12. ↑ "Indian Drug Tests Under Investigation After 49 Babies Die". Fox News Channel.
  13. ↑ "A new, healthy way to eat". The Hindu. 1 September 2013. Retrieved 8 July 2015.
  14. ↑ "All-India survey of food served in school canteens". Hindustan Times. 29 August 2012. Retrieved 8 July 2015.
  15. ↑ "HRD ministry urged to reduce weight of school bags". The Times of India. 16 September 2013. Retrieved 8 July 2015.
  16. ↑ "Talking pics: National database". Hindustan Times. 16 July 2009. Retrieved 8 July 2015.
  17. ↑ "Experts warn of worsening health situation in India". CCTV News. April 17, 2015. Retrieved 8 July 2015.
  18. ↑ "Our names may not be Khan". India Today. 11 June 2010. Retrieved 8 July 2015.
  19. ↑ "Indian boy trapped in body of an eight-year-old child after brain tumour". The Daily Telegraph. 29 June 2008. Retrieved 8 July 2015.
  20. ↑ "Stunted by an operation, girl longs to look her age". Mumbai Mirror. 22 July 2008. Retrieved 8 July 2015.
  21. ↑ "When a police officer turned storyteller". Hindustan Times. 5 September 2009. Retrieved 8 July 2015.
  22. ↑ "Ailing kids to get story therapy at Hinduja hospital". The Times of India. 10 November 2009. Retrieved 8 July 2015.
  23. ↑ "Van to spread smiles on faces of sick kids". Deccan Herald. 26 April 2012. Retrieved 8 July 2015.
  24. ↑ "Children get umbrellas, toys in AIIMS cancer unit". Deccan Herald. 9 July 2012. Retrieved 8 July 2015.
  25. ↑ "Uttarakhand: Reaching out to villages which haven't received help yet". NDTV. 7 July 2013. Retrieved 10 July 2015.
  26. ↑ "People enjoyed at Play for Kashmir concert in Gurgaon". The Times of India. 26 September 2014. Retrieved 8 July 2015.
  27. ↑ "Group to run for cancer awareness at Delhi Half Marathon". IANS. 29 September 2012. Retrieved 8 July 2015.
  28. ↑ "Yuvraj Singh an inspiration for cancer patients". The Tribune (Chandigarh). 5 February 2015. Retrieved 8 July 2015.
  29. ↑ "Country needs effective cerebral palsy care". Deccan Herald. 3 September 2012. Retrieved 8 July 2015.
  30. ↑ "Lok Nayak has highest rate of newborn child deaths". Hindustan Times. 14 November 2008. Retrieved 8 July 2015.
  31. ↑ "Crib deaths a concern in Mumbai too". The Times of India. 12 March 2012. Retrieved 8 July 2015.
  32. ↑ "RTI forces RML hospital to adopt radiation safety measures". Hindustan Times. 27 May 2012. Retrieved 8 July 2015.
  33. ↑ "High Court gives Health ministry six months time to frame guidelines". The Indian Express. 12 January 2012. Retrieved 8 July 2015.
  34. ↑ "NGO files petition to ban junk food in schools". CNN IBN. 21 December 2010. Retrieved 8 July 2015.
  35. ↑ "Chips, Burgers and Cold Drinks to be Banned in Delhi Schools". NDTV. 19 March 2015. Retrieved 8 July 2015.
  36. ↑ "Learning is a back-breaking task for schoolchildren". The New Indian Express. 11 November 2013. Retrieved 8 July 2015.
  37. ↑ "Back pain, deformities and lung problems: Doctors reveal the shocking price pupils pay for heavy school bags". Daily Mail. 20 October 2013. Retrieved 8 July 2015.
  38. ↑ "Experts warn of worsening health situation in India". CCTV News. April 17, 2015. Retrieved 31 July 2015.
  39. ↑ "This 14-Year-Old Cancer Fighter's Birthday Gift Touched The Skies". Times Internet. 14 November 2014.
  40. ↑ "Blanket Drive for the Homeless - An NDTV and Uday Foundation Effort". NDTV. 4 January 2015. Retrieved 31 July 2015.
  41. ↑ "Uttarakhand: Reaching out to villages which haven't received help yet". NDTV. 7 July 2013. Retrieved 31 July 2015.

External links

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