40 Free Eye Checkup and Cataract Surgery
February 23 – March 02, 2025
Free Checkup & Cataract Surgeries Eye Camp
Hosted by
Science of Spirituality (SOS)
Sawan Kirpal Ruhani Mission (SKRM)
Sawan Kirpal Ruhani Mission Meets the Challenge
Sawan Kirpal Ruhani Mission (SKRM)/Science of Spirituality (SOS) has adopted the noble cause of eliminating preventable blindness due to cataracts. Twice a year, under the guidance of Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj, world-renowned spiritual Master and head of SKRM/SOS, the organization sets up a Free Eye Checkup and Cataract Surgery Camp to restore vision among individuals especially in underserved communities living in Delhi and its neighboring regions who could otherwise not afford this cost-prohibitive surgery. The organization has partnered with I-CARE Hospital in Noida on this effort. All services at the camp, including the surgery are provided free of cost to all patients in need – made possible through the generous donation of time, talent and supplies spanning two continents.
The 39th eye camp, held in September 2024, brought the gift of sight to 865 patients.
The 40th eye camp is scheduled for February 23 – March 02, 2025. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram for latest updates.
March 2025 Report
The 40th Free Cataract Surgery Camp restores vision of hundreds
Cataract: the Mute Malady
Cataract, or the clouding of the eye-lens, resulting in a gradual deterioration of vision, is the leading cause of visual impairment and blindness worldwide, accounting for nearly one-third of global blindness. Additionally, it impacts the afflicted person’s physical well-being, self-dependence, and quality of life considerably, while also posing a substantial economic burden on individuals and society.
Cataract causes vision loss without early warning signs or symptoms, and by the time symptoms appear, the disease has often advanced significantly. While refractive errors in the eye-lens can be cured by wearing suitable glasses or lenses, cataract can only be removed through surgery. In a study conducted in 2024, the prevalence of cataract among adults in India was 14.25%, with higher rates among females and the older adults. Socioeconomic disparities also play a part, with lower prevalence of cataract among educated people residing in urban areas.
The Next Chapter in the Ongoing Saga of Selfless Service
Selfless service is a core tenet on the path of spirituality. In keeping with this, twice a year, Sawan Kirpal Ruhani Mission (SKRM)/Science of Spirituality (SOS) organizes a Free Eye Checkup and Cataract Surgery Camp to bring the gift of sight to people unable to afford this surgery. To bring this noble vision to fruition, the non-profit spiritual organization has teamed up with the ICARE Eye Hospital in Noida to perform free-of-cost cataract surgeries. Since the beginning of this initiative, the ICARE Eye Hospital has generously donated its operating theatres, doctors, and staff for this lofty cause. The surgeries are performed by the doctors of the ICARE Eye Hospital as well as by visiting doctors from the United States, who offer their skills free of charge in the spirit of selfless service. Over the years, sos/SKRM has helped bring the gift of sight to around 20,000 people.
This year, the 40th Free Eye Checkup and Cataract Surgery Camp was organized from February 23 to March 2, 2025, at Sant Darshan Singh Ji Dham and Kirpal Bagh, Delhi, as part of the selfless service initiatives of the organization during the 36th International Human Unity Conference (February 22-23, 2025). The initial screening of patients was done on February 23 at Sant Darshan Singh Ji Dham. Out of the 1956 people screened here, 830 were operated upon throughout the entire next week. During this whole time, the patients were provided free housing, meals, and transport to the ICARE Eye Hospital in Noida, where they received their free cataract surgery.
Behind the Scene Support
On February 23, more than a couple of thousand people were checked thoroughly by the doctors and the medically trained staff of the ICARE Eye Hospital to identify patients eligible for cataract-removal surgery. Several SKRM volunteers also helped with the registration of the patients and the logistical process. Patients who were assigned date for their surgeries were provided complimentary house and board at Kirpal Bagh throughout the next week. From Kirpal Bagh, patients were transported to the ICARE Eye Hospital in Noida, the venue of the surgeries, on buses provided by the hospital, where talented doctors and staff at ICARE Eye Hospital, as well as a team of dedicated eye surgeons.
Doctors’ Dictum
“It gives us great joy to participate in the organization’s goal of helping people regain eyesight. It’s an advanced disease which the patients are challenged with. Average cataract is relatively advanced, and these surgeries can have a significant impact on their day-to-day lives,” said one of the volunteer eye surgeons from the US.
“I’m grateful to SKRM for giving me this opportunity to do selfless service,” said another doctor, who had spent numerous hours operating on patients daily, in collaboration with a highly skilled team of doctors from the ICARE Eye Hospital.
Patients’ Perspective
The patients who underwent these cataract surgeries expressed great joy and gratitude at having their vision restored after having experienced suffering and discomfort for a long time. They were grateful for their lifechanging surgery, which will help them return to a life of normalcy and perform day-to-day tasks in an effective manner, leading some to have better relationships and others to have financial stability.
A 75 year old patient from Barkatpur Chatari, situated 100 km from Delhi, had this to say, “I had gone to a local eye doctor, who pointed me to Kirpal Ashram in my village, where my name was noted for the free eye surgery. I struggled with seeing at a distance and with reading. My kids have a small business and I was not able to help them much due to my eyesight. It had impacted my relationship with my children. Now, after my successful surgery, I hope that I will be able to help my children with their business, and this would definitely improve my relationship with them.”
A 69 year old patient from Gautam Buddha Nagar, Uttar Pradesh, described, “I got my first eye surgery at the SKRM Eye Camp in September 2023. That surgery went fine and I have good visibility in that eye. Now my other eye had been bothering me for over six months, and my vision had become blurry. I was waiting for the September 2024 Eye Camp to get my cataract removed. Now, after the surgery, the quality of my life has improved significantly.”
Another patient, who lives with her daughter-in-law and four grandkids after her son abandoned the family, said this: “We don’t have any male earning member. My daughter-in-law works and I also do household chores at someone’s home to make ends meet. We are experiencing a lot of financial distress. Had it not been for the free surgery, I would not have been able to afford it elsewhere. I feel tremendously grateful at having been given this opportunity.”
A 50 year old farmer from Bihar explained how the cataract surgery would benefit him, saying, “It had become extremely hard for me to do farming as I was unable to see from one eye. One of my sons helped me a bit with the seeds, but overall it had become increasingly difficult for me. Now, I hope that when my operated eye recovers, I will be able to see better and farm my field, leading to a better quality of life.”
The Core Inspiration
Behind the initiative to bring the gift of sight to the needy is the blueprint of selfless service as taught and exemplified by Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj, who says, “When we serve others, we are letting God’s hands work through us. When God’s hands work through us, that is the glue that puts our broken pieces back together.”
Selfless service is a core tenet on the path of spirituality. Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj teaches that in the spirit of service to humanity, wherein help is rendered lovingly and without any expectation of personal gain, it is our responsibility to share our skills and means with others, so as to help God’s children in need. In his words, “Let us live each day with a spirit of giving. Let us think of others. Let us help others. Let us serve others. Let us tend to the needs of those who are hungry, thirsty, or in pain. Let us seek to sacrifice of ourselves for the good of others. For in this way, we will find the greatest riches. We will be flooded with God’s love and Light.”
About Us
Science of Spirituality
Science of Spirituality is a worldwide, spiritual organization dedicated to transforming lives, under the guidance of renowned spiritual Master Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj.
Science of Spirituality presents spirituality as a science that can be practiced by people of all backgrounds and faiths.
A short excerpt from a talk by Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj on Selfless Service.
“By serving selflessly, we expand our hearts from our own self to our family, to the community, our country, the world, and ultimately to the cosmos.”
