A photo of a professor from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay wearing torn socks to an event at a five-star hotel in New Delhi has gone viral on social media.
After the picture started circulating online, Chetan Singh Solanki, also known as "Solar Man of India" or "Solar Gandhi," who has been teaching at the prestigious institution for over two decades, offered an explanation behind the viral photo in a LinkedIn post.
Solanki explained in his post why he was wearing torn socks, stating, "because I can afford it but nature can't. Somebody took this picture of me before I gave my speech at The Economic Times Energy Leadership Summit on September 25. This picture is from Hyatt hotel in Delhi. It was quiet at that time. Yes, my torn socks were visible, I need to change them, and I will, and of course, I can afford it, but nature cannot. In nature, everything is limited."
You can find the original post below: [Link to the LinkedIn post]
Solanki expanded on his philosophy of conscious consumption, explaining that while it would be easy for him to replace his socks, doing so would contradict his principles of minimizing waste.
"Now I use things wisely. I may use the best gadgets to increase my productivity, but I try to use as few things as possible to reduce my carbon footprint. Just like a businessman aims for a high return on his investment, my goal as a social activist is to maximize the impact of my time and make the biggest change possible," he added.
The professor is currently on a mission to raise awareness about environmental conservation and has traveled over 43,000 km across 20 states to promote solar energy.
