by Dr Reeta Mahesh (N 120, GK I, 9810157336)
Shalini Modi is a resident of N block, GK I. Apart from being a proud grandmother to three children; she is also an author and a philanthropist.
She is all India topper in Basic Sciences in class 10 in the year 1986 for which she got her prize from the then vice president of India, Ramaswamy Venkataraman. Then on there was no looking back.
She got married at the age of 18 and joined Vanasthali Textiles to handle marketing, designing and merchandising.
Alongside, she raised a family of three children with her loving and supportive husband, Rajesh Modi. She was active in the parents’ body of the schools of her children, helping raise funds and organizing events. She was the Treasurer of the Parent- teacher’s body of Convent of Jesus and Mary school and middle school representative of the British school, New Delhi.
After 16 years of export business she dabbled in retail business for a few years before realizing that it was not her cup of tea. She shut the operations to pursue her interests in Vedic chanting and numerology. She also went on to learn the importance of sound waves created by chanting. Many years later it led her to do an extensive study of Vedic astrology from future point. She graduated in Vedic astrology just before covid struck. She has learnt another branch of astrology called the Lal kitab.
She feels very strongly for the underprivileged, therefore she started to educate them to improve their career prospects. She started from the back lane of her house with 2 children. The strength of the children grew to a 100 in a month’s time. As of now she has 450 children on her rolls. Her family and friends volunteered to teach the children. That’s when she decided to take a place on rent, hire teachers, register as NGO to organize teaching classes.
One thing led to another. Soon she felt the need to make the mothers of these children economically independent. She was supported by the Rotary club to set up a Singer certified unit and then family and friends added more sewing machines. Many batches of students graduated and started earning. She supported them by procuring orders and allowing them to use her machines.
She then went on to start a section with computer education for children so that they could learn word, excel, email, internet usage to be gainfully employed.
She tried her hand at writing during covid at the behest of an editor friend. She has authored two books on mythology, a subject close to her heart. She grew up listening to stories from Ramayana, Mahabharta and Puranas. Amar Chitra Katha added to her knowledge and interest at the same time.
I attended the launch of her second book ‘Seven Immortals’ which is an insightful read.
