A recent viral photo of IIT Bombay Professor Chetan Solanki’s torn socks at a luxury hotel has sparked a crucial conversation about priorities and values. The professor was seen sitting in a luxurious hotel with his laptop doing some work but wearing a torn black colored socks. Professor Solanki, also known as the ‘solar gandhi’ or ‘solar man of india’ is a renowned expert in renewable energy.
He was attending a conference at the hotel when the picture was clicked. The picture was taken few minutes before his speech at the economic times energy leadership summit held on 25th september. This image drew huge attention on social media.
Responding to it, the professor’s said, “I’m not upset by the trolling, but by how people fail to realize that this is what we should be striving for, we need to shift our focus from material possessions to knowledge and substance. As educators, we must lead by example.” Solanki is a faculty member at IIT Bombay for over two decades.
He is well know for his work in promoting solar energy and advocating for environmental sustainability. The professor has travelled more than 43,000 kilometers across 20 states in India to raise awarness about solar energy and the need for environmental conservation. He shared a post adressing his photo of wearing a torn socks.
He shared that his decision to continue wearing the torn socks was a conscious effort to reduce waste and use resource. “I may use the best gadgets to enhance my productivit.