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MUMBAI: Chetan Singh Solanki, a professor at IIT Bombay, sparked chatter on social media after a picture of him wearing a pair of torn socks at a 5-star hotel in New Delhi was widely circulated. Many mocked him over this, and Solanki decided to address the trolling.
Also known as the “Solar Man of India” or “Solar Gandhi”, Solanki made a lengthy post on along with the picture in question.
“…because I can afford it, but nature cannot! Someone snapped this photo of me at the Hyatt in Delhi, during a quiet moment before delivering my talk at the The Economic Times Energy Leadership Summit on 25th Sept. Yes, my torn socks were exposed! I need to replace them, I will and sure, I can afford to – but nature cannot. In nature, everything is finite,” Solanki wrote in the post.
“Lately, I’ve been making a conscious effort to use material as efficiently as possible. I may use the best gadgets to enhance my productivity, but I strive to use the least amount of material to reduce my carbon footprint. Just as a businessman seeks to maximize the return on financial investments, as a social worker, I aim to maximize the impact of my time, creating the greatest possible change,” the post read.
Who is Chetan Singh Solanki?
Chetan Singh Solanki is a professor of Energy Science at IIT Bombay. He serves as the brand ambassador of solar energy for the Government of Madhya Pradesh. According to the official website of IIT Bombay, Solanki has a doctoral degree from the Interuniversity Microelectronics Center (IMEC) at Ketholik University in Leuven, Belgium. He is also known as the “Solar Man of India”.