Y 18 JUNE 2021

FRIDA
SUPPLEMENTARY ISSUE
From 2005 -2014 Mr. Pitroda was Chairman of the
National Knowledge Commission and Advisor to the
Indian prime minister with a cabinet minister's rank. He
was also Chairman of the National Innovation
Council, Smart grid task, Railway modernization,
and Public broadcast reforms. He is the fo under,
investor, and Chairman of six start-ups and five
The nonprofit foundations. Mr. Pitroda holds over 100
patents, 20 Hon. PhDs, and has published and

Chaka
lectured extensively globally. He is a member of
the American Academy of Engineers. His
biography was published in 1992, and Penguin
Bulletin of Rotary Club of Calcutta published his autobiography "Dreaming Big" in
R I Dist 3291 2015.
First Published in 1925
Editor: Rtn. Samiran Sen
Volume 88. No. 47
thechaka001@gmail.com

TODAY’S GUEST SPEAKER Sam Pitroda revolutionized India's

telephone communication

MEGA EVENTS OF THE MONTH

MEMBER NITE

Sam Pitroda
India's IT Pioneer
Mr. Sam Pitroda is an internationally
r e s p e c t e d d e ve l o p m e n t t h i n ke r,
policymaker, inventor, and entrepreneur
who has spent over 55 years in Telecom
developments. Members' Nite & Members Escapades Committee
will organise a special Members' Nite on Sunday, 20
Credited with having laid the foundation
June at 6 p.m. on Zoom.
o f I n d i a ' s Te c h n o l o g y a n d
Members, please join this fun-filled event with family
Telecommunications revolution in the
1980s, during Rajiv Gandhi government,
Mr. Pitroda has been a leading A MORNING WITH A NOBEL LAUREATE
campaigner to help bridge the global On Thursday, 24 June at 11 a.m. Shri Kailash
digital divide. In the mid-1990s, He Satyathi, Nobel Peace Prize Awardee - 2014, will
founded Worldtel in London to help honour us with his presence in a virtual interaction
privatize telecom in developing countries. session anchored by RIPE Shekhar Mehta.
He invented the electronic diary in 1974,
DON'T MISS THIS EXCEPTIONAL EVENT!!
mobile wallet in 1996, and set up C-SAM
Inc., acquired by Master Card in 2013. We Meet Every Tuesday At 1 p.m. At ROTARY SADAN
www.rotacal.org
E-mail: rota2573@dataone.in
The CHAKA Friday 16 June 2021 Volume 88. No. 47

REPORT ON INTERNATIONAL INTERACT CONFERENCE

An International Interact Conference was organized on 9th June 2021 on virtual mode (zoom), under the aegis of Rotary
Club of Calcutta.
The theme for the conference was "Mental Wellness for
Students during global Covid crisis" and each participant
was awarded by certificate of participation. The initiative
was taken by the Youth Services Committee, and the
conference was a superbly successful event. There were a
total of 15 participating Interact Clubs from Bangladesh,
Sri Lanka, the Philippines, and India.
The inaugural address was delivered by the club
president, Rtn. Dr. Debashis Mitra. Then the Co-Chair of the
committee, Rtn. Malika Mukherji Sarkar, extended a warm
welcome to the keynote speaker. Thereafter, the Keynote
Speech was delivered by Mr. Stephen Manallack from
Australia (former President, Australia India Business
Council, and Global Communication Coach). He spoke of
his experience abo ut visiting India some 12 times during
his lifetime and his advice on how to effectively and
empathetically handle mental wellness for students.
Thereafter, PDG Rtn. Rajani Mukherji shared his thoughts
and advice on the focus areas for the Interact Clubs. The
conference was attended by eminent Rotarians from our
club, including members of the Board of Directors.
There were more than 120 Interactors from 4 countries who
attended representing the participating clubs, and the Presidents of the Interact Clubs took turns in speaking on their club's
initiatives and projects. We also had 2 guest international speakers from Manila and Dhaka, who shared their goodwill messages.
The session concluded with the brief address of Rtn. Purnendu Roychowdhury, Zonal Secretary, RID 3291 and expression of thanks
by R. Ann. Sucharita Roychowdhury, the main inspiration behind this International Interact Conference. The conference concluded
with the vote of thanks extended by Rtn. Debasish Biswas.
Reported by Rtn. Debasish Biswas, Chairman, Youth Services Committee

WELCOME ROTARY NEW YEAR WITH

102nd INSTALLATION -8 JULY DOCTOR'S DAY – 1 JULY

Published by Rtn. Bodhibrata Das, Hony. Secretary, Rotary Club of Calcutta

94/2 Chowringhee Road, Kolkata 70020 Tel: 2223 8686/8787
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