To identify and develop unique & high potential change agents of India through a multi-disciplinary programme guided by eminent leaders and scholars of our time.

Ann Abraham
Born into a Christian family in Kerala, I have been taught to love my neighbor as myself. Being a student of the department of Civil Engineering from NIT Calicut, throughout the four years of my study, I have not only come to realize the immense fields of application of civil engineering subjects, but also to work and interact with others around the country. Spending time with these friends spiked my curiosity and interest in different cultures and helped develop an active human network.

As a civil engineer, I am passionate about my studies in earthquake engineering, Biomimetic and other related fields. I am also passionate about my writing, designing, singing, nurturing other creative abilities and getting to know people, histories and cultures. It was my privilege to work with eminent professors in different fields of civil engineering, which enabled me to be more focused, dedicated, interested and specialized in my field of interest.

As time passes by, I see myself changing for the better, a responsible citizen who makes her country proud, to be able to stand up for the less fortunate and be the voice of the masses. As a civil engineer, I seek to design an earthquake resistant structure, biomimetic in design and thought, and one that is truly Indian. To this dream I strive, and hope that the year ahead at YIFP drives my passion in life and open vistas to a brilliant future.

Ashish Agrawal
I was an active member of the Entrepreneurship Development Cell of my college (IITRoorkee). While working for it, I met many entrepreneurs who inspired me to take up the issues which I strongly feel about.

A risk taker at heart, I have tried to move out of conformity. In order to understand the education sector at grass root level, I left my lucrative corporate job within a few months and joined Pratham. As a part of the content development team, I designed a Teachers’ Manual to be used by the government school teachers to teach Mathematics to secondary class students.

To study the dynamics of this field and other development issues from the policy point of view, I joined the LAMP Fellowship 2011-12, wherein I worked with a Member of Parliament as a legislative research associate. My research largely focused on the existing policies and pending legislations in the field of primary and higher education and social development issues.

I am also interested in education research and classroom dynamics. I have also been working on creation of Maths content for a start up called ‘Unlearn Formulae’.

Avni Ahuja
From a marvelously nomadic existence in my childhood, having changed eight schools in twelve years in various cities across India, I ended up pursuing my first love, Biology, at Fergusson College, Pune. Three years of studying fascinating subjects such as Genetics, Immunology and Recombinant DNA technology along with organizing fests and participating in debates meant that some experiences from graduation would hold me in great stead for the years to come.

A desire to explore newer avenues led me to do my Masters in Business Administration from Faculty of Management Studies, Delhi University where I did a double major in Marketing and Finance. I was also the Secretary of Alumni Relations Cell in FMS, a society which is the focal point of contact for the huge and illustrious alumni base.

My academic roller-coaster ride has made me appreciate the diversity of perspectives which can only come through exposure to subjects as varied as Evolutionary Biology in graduation to Consumer Behavior and Financial Management in post graduation. Being a part of various teams’ right from school level, where I was the Head Girl to being the Coordinator of the annual biotechnology fest has inculcated in me a strong belief in the power of team work.

Post MBA, I was a part of Deutsche Bank’s Investment Banking division in Mumbai.

An avid reader and an armchair cricketer, I also love travelling.

Mark Twain famously said “Explore. Dream, Discover.” As a staunch believer in the power of dreams, twenty years down the line, I would have liked to live my life just like that.

Priyanka Ahuja
I graduated as an engineer from BMS college of Engineering, Bangalore. Through various personal and professional experiences, I developed a strong belief in respecting individuality, doing what makes me happy and giving my best to every task I take up. A foodie, traveler and dreamer at heart, I am inspired by the power of innovation and how a simple idea can lead to a huge impact.

Soon after my graduation, I joined Mind Tree as a software engineer. An always-curious nature to understand the bigger picture led me to a successful transition – from a software engineer to a Business Analyst. I was part of the core team involved in setting up the first-of-its-kind non-technical group for one of the biggest customers of Mind Tree. This role groomed my skills in understanding business requirements, project coordination, customer-interaction and marketing one’s brand.

Simultaneously, I got an opportunity to mentor freshly recruited colleagues in the company and inculcate professional values in them through various innovative workshops. This stint gave me a platform to explore myself all over again and the passion to chase my dream grew stronger. With an open mind to learn and explore, here I am at The Young India Fellowship to do something remarkable and make a difference!

Jery Althaf
I am from Kerala. I did my schooling at Chinmaya Vidyalaya, Kannur and graduated from the College of Engineering, Trivandrum.

“Advancing Technology for Humanity”, has been my motivation over the last 4 years, ever since my association with IEEE. I believe that technology can be the one big driver to solve most of the concerns of humanity. I presently work with the Asia Pacific Special Interest Group on Humanitarian Technologies Ad-Hoc team.

From initiating the IEEE activities in College to being the first technical coordinator of IEEE student activities, I have been actively involved in creating, promoting and managing technology through IEEE. I received the President’s certificate for being the technical lead of the ‘Electrification of a Rural Village’ project and for the revival of IEEE branch at my college. I have published two papers, ‘Intelligent industrial robotic arm’ (ICMET 2011, ASME) and ‘Low-cost electrification using solar energy’ (ICFN 2011, IJCTE).

Besides being a part of IEEE, I was the student representative of my batch in college and was a member of the core organising team for a national level cultural and technical festival. I was also actively involved in sports and have won numerous prizes at both school and college level.

I believe it is easy to innovate but difficult to sustain and I feel sustenance should be a major agenda for building strong foundations. I respect people who start their own ventures and in future would love to have a start-up of my own, where I want to use technology to impact the lives of a larger section of society.

Lokesh Anand
After completing my Bachelor’s in Commerce from Hans Raj College, University Of Delhi, I would have most probably landed up with a boring desk job had it not been for the Young India Fellowship Programme. I have always been passionate about things beyond books, and all mediums of creative expression entice me – be it Poetry, Writing, Acting, Music or any other art form. I have dabbled in all kinds of co-curricular activities- Oratory, Creative Writing, Theatre, Quizzing and Modeling United Nations Conferences. I have always been passionate about holistic learning and I believe everyone has multiple intelligences that crave satisfaction.

I am a values-oriented person and am inspired by the likes of Mr Ratan Naval Tata, Mr N R Narayana Murthy and Mr. Warren Buffet. Pursuit of English Literature is the next thing on my to-do list. In the long run, I would like to enter the field of management, leadership and motivation and become an author and public speaker. I also feel very strongly about education reform in India and would love to work in that field.

Meesha R Arora
Born and brought up in the city of Delhi, I did my schooling from Sanskriti School, graduated in Economics from Stephen’s and did my post-graduation in the same subject from TERI School of advanced Studies.

I have been extremely passionate about sports, particularly swimming. It’s been close to 12 years now since I first took the plunge. Today, after winning several national medals, state championships and holding numerous meet records, I feel my association with the sport has taught me invaluable lessons of life - the importance of teambuilding, hard work and perseverance, the art of prioritizing and accepting failures, as the stepping-stones to success.

My summer internship at RBI, where I worked on finding alternative channels for currency distribution and my current involvement with a dissertation on Microfinance for women has taught me that there are many pertinent issues our country is dealing with. And it’s the duty of the youth to take forward the pioneering work done by many scholars and great people and work for the welfare of the nation.

In future, I wish to be learned enough to contribute to the development of my country in the best way possible. In my opinion, education is the means to achieve great ends. Tony Dorsett once said “To succeed...You need to find something to hold on to, something to motivate you and something to inspire you”. I thank all the people who are close to me and have motivated me to be a part of YIFP and hope that as a student in the current batch, I will find the ‘something’ which will inspire me to make the best of thisonce-in-a life-time opportunity.

Alok Arunam
Inspired by Swami Vivekananda’s vision, and driven with an ambitious hope to bring a difference in the lives of a few who suffer in silence – I want to embark on a journey of my own.

As an avid believer in acquiring a systemic insight to the problem, I have worked on utilizing design thinking methodology to analyse approaches towards sustainability at the National Institute of Design (NID). I represented IIT Madras at the prestigious Made in Brunel design show ‘09, London where I showcased the product design of Beedi filter. Having spent five years at IIT Madras, I have been interested in appreciating subtlety in mathematical intricacies and was awarded for Best Mathematical Modelling at CPDEMS’ 2011 (DAAD organised international workshop on mathematical modelling) and NOTT award by General Electric (GE) JFWTC Bangalore. As a TJY (Tata JagritiYatra) and CCS (Centre for Civil Society) fellow, I have attempted to understand the varied texture of socio-economic issues at grass root level from both public policy as well as the social entrepreneurial perspective.

I am a passionate believer in the beauty of ideas. Most of my endeavors have originated from a certain appreciation of deep philosophical enquiry. I have been drawn to the writings of Herman Hesse, Camus, Kafka, Einstein, Thoreau, Emerson and Pamuk. I am interested in Vedanta philosophy, Samvaad, Indian heritage, Historical symbols and Generative art. My hobbies include cycling and listening to Indian classical violin music.

Having faced the struggles initially to aspire big as a village youth and having realized the enormity of challenges in maintaining an Indian identity afterwards, I want to firstly, empower village youth to explore opportunities available to realize their full potential and secondly, inspire ‘well educated youth’ to evolve other ways of being rooted in indigenous wisdom.

Natasha Zarine
I grew up on a farm in a small town on the Konkan Coast and went to a local school that my mother co-founded. I completed my Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Mumbai and then followed it up with a one-year exploratory break. That was when I volunteered with ANET and worked as an Eco-Tours Operator in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, rediscovering my love and passion for the outdoors, adventure and environment.

Coming to think of it, that was what steered me to study law and Environmental Law was the focus. So after 3 years of living in Bombay City and travelling the country, I have realized that my pet peeve is ‘Waste Management’, or the lack thereof in Indian cities and towns and villages, ecologically fragile zones, wildlife sanctuaries, everywhere! And my dream would be to work in this area in a concerted sustainable manner to "Clean Up (garbage, GHG emissions) & Create (renewable energy)!

Having worked as Program Researcher and Fund Raising Manager with Tamarind Tree Trust, I have realized the power of innovation, of small steps, of the value of education. Tamarind Tree Trust is managed and run by a dedicated duo living in a small village called Sogave, who through their passionate and persistent endeavor, educate 100 tribal children each year.

I love to hike, trek, garden, read, write and while away time with our dogs… I am currently editing a travel-adventure book about a boy who finally fulfills his dream of Living The Himalaya, traversing the mighty range from The Everest Region in Nepal, through the Nubra Valley in Ladakh, 26,000 kms on foot, 54 high passes. Truly a thing of wonder.

Jit Shankar Banerjee
I grew up in Howrah near Kolkata and went to two of the most picturesque and prestigious schools in the City of Joy. I took up Humanities in high school and then decided to pursue English Literature in college. Switching cities, I moved to the nation’s capital and life took a sharp turn. In my three years at Hindu College, University of Delhi, I have shared inter-personal space with people from the length and breadth of the country and have been utterly surprised to discover how strongly these relationships complimented my interest in reading, watching and listening as widely as possible. I am deeply passionate about self-expression and its different forms, be it bathroom singing or flash-fiction. I have been an above average student throughout school and college and have been involved in debating, theatre and event management. At Hindu, I was a member of the Academic Council of my department and organised and moderated the much popular Dr. Lalita Subbu Memorial Weekly Seminars. I was also the Editor-in-Chief of the college magazine. I want to delve into social research or journalism and would love to be in a profession that requires me to travel widely.

Akanksha Banerjee
I studied in eleven schools across continents during my twelve years of schooling and I intend to keep the nomad in me alive for many years to come. I am passionate about everything I do in life; I believe in going big or not going at all. I love creating things via writing and by hand.

I have just completed my undergraduate studies at Lady Shri Ram College under the BA Honours programme in History.

My passion has taken me everywhere, from the NSRCEL in IIMB where I interned with the incubation cell, to healthcare research with eMids Technologies, an Intel research project at UST Global and an initiative in innovating on European railroad travel at Erehwon Consulting.

I ran a profitable canteen in tenth grade catering to 250 students as part of a pilot business studies project for over four months. I took the profits from that initiative and invested it in the stock market. I wrote a weekly column for the Deccan Herald and served as a member of the editorial board of my college's department journal. I was also a writer with the Bangalore Arts Review. I have been active in theatre throughout my school and college life, both as an actor and a director.

My motivation is to reach out to people and learn from them; this has been the basis for some of my social service undertakings as, for instance, when I worked as a teacher volunteer with DRISHYA, a school for marginalised urban children, teaching English to 20 children for two years. I designed the curriculum and delivered the content.

I am looking forward to studying law after fulfilling the requirements of the Young India Fellowship and hope to bring about policy changes in the country because of my training in the law.

Aaron Basaiawmoit
I am from Shillong, Meghalaya. I studied at St. Edmund’s School, after which I graduated in Mechanical Engineering from Birla Institute of Technology, Mesra. I am passionate about playing my guitar, computer gaming, adventure sports, music composition, debating, event hosting, driving, and teaching underprivileged children. I am currently working as the Deputy Director, Administration at Bansara Eye Care Centre in Shillong. I also run a small canteen and help my father with his company that deals with HVAC works (Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning). I have won many prizes in debating, extempore, Social Services such as the Alaric WatzelBathew Prize for social service in class X, have won many prizes in and jam events from school to college (first extempore at IITKharagpurSpringfest in the month of January 2009, won State level debate by centre for Civic Society in 2005), first North East Level LAN Gaming tournament in Shillong in August, 2009, won all Counter Strike Gaming Events in College, 2nd in the Rock festival Overdrive 2007, second in Dhwani Inter College Tech Fest BIT 2009, part of the Guinness world record for the most number of guitarists playing at once at Shillong Autumn Festival 2006-07 .I aspire to be someone who will make a difference in the state of Meghalaya so that this state too can be comparable with the rest of the country; succinctly someone who would be acting locally but thinks globally.

Malini Bose
An economics graduate from St. Stephen’s College, University of Delhi, and a childhood spent in Kolkata, not even Enid Blyton could have written me a better school life. As the Head-Girl of Loreto House, I managed teams in inter-school festivals, was placed second at the national-level Teenager of the Year competition in Mumbai and received the Best All-Rounder certificate at the state-level Telegraph School Awards.

In college, writing papers under my professors’ aegis has been particularly rewarding. I enjoyed comparing the initial planning processes of India and Russia, and running econometric regressions to determine the influences on a young person’s voting pattern.

I had the opportunity to immerse myself in St. Stephen’s College’s rich co-curricular ethos as the Planning Forum’s President, where I organized and participated in panel discussions and debates. As the Secretary General, I expanded the previously small-scale Stephen’s Model United Nations, to a 200-delegate conference. I was also the Chief Editor of the college’s current-affairs journal.

While at St. Stephen`s I could also pursue Theatre - a life-long passion. In the last year, I have directed an adaptation of Ionesco’s The Lesson at Delhi’s Indian Habitat Centre and Kolkata’s Gyan Manch and Stoppard’s The Real Inspector Hound at an international crime fiction conference.

As trainee analyst at ITC, I analyzed macro-economic data for the BRICs nations. At Rediffusion Y&R, I helped provide an economic perspective to their advertising strategy. I would like to continue working in this line and eventually make an impact in the sphere of economic policy formulation.

Souvik Lal Chakraborty
I completed my graduation from Jadavpur University’s Department of International Relations, Kolkata with B.A in Political science.I received scholarship from Govt of India, Department of Human Resource Development for outstanding results in Higher Secondary Examination. Apart from academics, I was involved in extra-curricular activities since my childhood. I completed a three year course in drama from Nehru Children’s Museum, Kolkata under the guidance of eminent theatre personality Late Rama Prasad Banik. I participated in various workshops involving drama.

While pursuing my graduation, I completed a certificate course on ‘Radio Productions’ under the School of Media Communication and Culture, Jadavpur University. I won the best speaker award in a state level debate competition which was organized by a leading Bengali Entertainment channel.

Presently I am working on a project called “East Kolkata Wetlands -360 Degree View”, under the collaboration of Miami University, U.S.A and Jadavpur University, Kolkata. While being a part of this project I directed a documentary called “East Kolkata Wetlands: Bheri owner’s Perspective”. In the future, I want to research on environmental politics.It is my dream to form a Centre for Water Body Protection in India. I think Young India Fellowship Programme will help me achieve this goal.

Kailash Chandra
I belong to Sikar in Rajasthan. After completing my BSc (Ag) from Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, I went on to do a degree in Agriculture Business Management (ABM), from MANAGE in Hyderabad. I won the Reserve Bank of India Young Scholar Award at Reserve Bank of India, Kanpur and received the National Talent Scholarship by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, New Delhi. I have presented papers at two international & four national conferences. I interned at Maharashtra Hybrid Seed Co. Ltd (MAHYCO). I was a part of the Core team of VDLM (Vivekananda Divine Life Mission), a student initiative @ SRK Hostel, BHU, Varanasi. I have conducted workshops & seminars on financial Literacy for students in many schools & colleges in Kanpur(UP), Varanasi(UP), Sikar(Raj), Hyderabad(AP). I have received awards from Agricultural Technology Management Agency (ATMA) & department of horticulture (DOH) for helping farmers adopt technology, micro irrigation & water harvesting. I am passionate about working for the betterment of Indian farmers. I aspire to be an Agriculture-entrepreneur in the future. I want to create business opportunities for farmers so that they can be part of the growth story of India.

Akshi Chawla
I am a student, perpetually keen to learn from experiences, nature and people. Fascinated by languages and literature, I am a bibliophile and hope to learn Urdu someday. I enjoy road trips to the countryside with my family and I cherish time spent with my grandparents. Quality cinema, instrumental music and instances of resilience are other things that move me.

I did my schooling from Yadavindra Public School, Mohali. Thereafter, I pursued a Bachelors of Arts with Psychology Honors from M.C.M.D.A.V. College, Chandigarh. Throughout school and college, along with academics, I was actively involved in various extra-curricular activities including debating, dramatics, literary events, quizzes, craft, trekking and field trips.

Since my childhood, I’ve been filled with a strong desire to spread education – one which can liberate people. I’ve had a handful of opportunities to teach and all the experiences have been extremely profound and satisfying. Along with education, concern for the environment is something that deeply motivates me.

The words of John F. Kennedy, “Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country” never fail to inspire me and I intend to join the Indian Administrative Services and make a worthy contribution to my country.

Abhishek Choudhary
Her voice, locked in her heart, when says her story;
In the Proud tongue, once mocked and conquered to civilise.
Ho, Oriya, Santhali , Magahi , Maithili or maybe in Bhojpuri;
The voice of dreams, demands to deliver, a world with a new design.

Striving to strategies my abstract dream, I Believe that the gender dichotomy could be bridged by an appropriationist approach, and by creating local leaders at the community level. I define myself as a personification of courage, confidence and commitment.

An English literature graduate from Hans Raj College, University of Delhi, I have invested a major chunk of my energy in people’s theatre, youth politics and social activism. After graduation, I joined the Gandhi fellowship program whereI explored my ‘self’ while working with children and women from the tribal, rural and urban areas. Two years on fieldwork taught me that change is more than protest rallies or winning college elections. Change is not a contest or combat for power or popularity, it is a visionary mission to create an impact.

Institutionalisation of staff engagement and motivating processes in a Municipal school in Mumbai, increasing parents participation from 16 % to 68 % in another school, conducting theatre and story writing workshops for the kids from low income group, initiating a campaign, ‘Garv se bolo’, against the taboo around menstruation, are somesocial work I have engaged myself with. These engagements have strengthened my self-belief in social change and enables me to foresee a revolutionized Bharat.

Krishna Chaitanya
The very thought of my childhood experiences - green fields, the smell of mud and the warmth provided by relatively unpolluted mother nature of my village, makes me feel nostalgic. But my recent experience in the same village has redefined and rejuvenated my pursuit of happiness. These experiences have converted my cognition and action into functions with optimism, pragmatism, altruism and humour as equally weighted variables.

I pursued Masters in Economics and Bachelors in Chemical Engineering from BITS Pilani. The freedom and flexibility offered at BITS have encouraged me to explore and widen the horizons of my knowledge- base and value system.

A Stand-up Comedian, Video Editing, Lyric-Writing, Radio-Jockeying, folk Drumming are some of the potentials I possess and they have enabled me to put a smile on the faces of many.

My knowledge in the fields of Economics, Psychology and Public Administration along with my observations of rural life from close quarters has enabled me to think in the direction of multi-disciplinary reform solutions addressing various executive bottlenecks in education and agriculture to start with. To transform these ideas into actions I choose to become a civil servant and I have joined YIFP to become a better civil servant.

Hardika Dayalani
I grew up watching too many engineering related shows on Discovery Channel. I just knew I had to be an engineer. An intriguing problem has an almost hypnotic power on me.

I studied naval architecture from IIT Kharagpur. After graduation, I chose to work in a small shipyard. I wanted to avoid getting hemmed in by hierarchy and have a more comprehensive learning experience. I got the opportunity to work on some very interesting situations, one of which lead to the publication of a paper titled ‘Side Launching of Catamaran in Restricted Waters’ in the proceedings of the International Conference on Ship and Offshore Technology, India – 2011.

I was deeply involved with an amateur dramatics society in college. During my third year, I headed this society, along with three co-governors. We went on to win a national level inter-college dramatics competition hosted by NLS Bangalore. My biggest achievement was to inspire and extract honest performances from my juniors. One of them went on to outperform me and win the Best Actor award at the said competition. That remains the proudest moment of life so far.

I aspire to make an intellectually nomadic journey. I refuse to be restricted to a certain genre of engineering studies and that is what I am looking to achieve through the Young India Fellowship Programme - to get introduced to different kinds of problems and learn different perspectives of looking at them.

Nikita Dcruz
Working intensively with rural communities in India during the last two years has made me believe thatlife is as simple as you dare it to be. Life is all about daring oneself to be the best one can and by keeping it simple. The simple desire to learn new concepts and broaden my perspectives has brought me to this Fellowship.

Two years ago, before I joined the ICICI Fellowship program, I was a fresh graduate from St. Xavier's College, Mumbai. As a city dweller, I had absolutely no idea about the life and realities of rural India. Sociology and Anthropology, my subjects of graduation, built in me a curiosity to observe and understand different cultures and communities. My stint with the ICICI Fellowship took me to Samarthan in Bhopal, an NGO working for strengthening governance in both rural and urban communities in the district of Sehore. The Fellowship gave me a firsthand experience of rural realities as well as the challenges and opportunities faced by the people.

I have been a volunteer for a Mumbai based NGO called Loksatta Andolan, which works on the concept of good governance in urban areas. I was also a part of Jaago Re, the campaign on electoral reforms in Mumbai. I strongly believe in working for the development sector in India and am passionate about exploring the dynamics of different communities in the context of development.

Sanaa Degani
Looking through the tinted glass and foliage, I saw the dullsky turn blue and the concrete jungle around me turn into a green paradise.Even as a child I saw the grey city of Mumbai through these terrariums. My father nurtured these miniature forests and landscapes with care and gave themlife through his collection of miniature ceramic animals. I shrunk into thesetiny spaces and walked into worlds that he had created.

My wonder for spaces amalgamated a keen interest in designingthem. From Public Spaces andarchitecture to exhibitions and installations, I wanted to be efficient enough to createexperiences for people where the space not only told stories, but made themfeel. Specializing in Spatial and Exhibition Design at The National Institute of Design (NID) opened up the creative world of concepts, structures, etc. for me, thusproviding a strong base for my journey towards creating them. My greatest achievement from NID was creating a communitydesign for a six hundred year old Public market space for the people of themarket. This project not only helped improve my vision and skill as a designerin the area of Public Spaces, but also opened the domain of interaction andtaught me required skills to work closely with a variety of people from different backgrounds.

In my most recent venture towards becoming a multi-faceteddesigner, I created a range of furniture inspired from Mumbai, called ‘MumbaiMeriJaan’ for an exhibition.I get a thrill out of adventure sports and love to travel,meet people and experiment different cuisines.I am always up for a challenge and ready to plunge intosomething new, leading towards the vision of a multi- disciplinary designstudio in the future.

Devika
Why should the accident of birth limit somebody’s dreams and opportunities? is a question I constantly ask. I chose to work in the social development sector because inequality rankles me. It is fortunate that my mother wholeheartedly supported me to avail of every opportunity that came my way even if that meant moving into domains unfamiliar to her and unheard of in the place I come from.

I grew up in Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh where I was the city topper in CBSE Senior Secondary scoring 94.4% and coming 3rd in the Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangathan Jabalpur Region in my Higher Secondary class scoring 94.8%. At BITS Pilani Goa Campus, I learnt the art of multi-tasking by juggling various posts of Chief Election Commissioner for Student Union elections, writer, founder of a reading club, organiser and coordinator for various festivals and events while balancing the academics of dual degrees M.Sc. (Hons) Economics and B.E. (Hons) Computer Science. My final year research was on non-profit organisations. Along with the thesis, I also worked as an Associate at Samhita Social Ventures from July-December 2011, which gave me a very good overview of the entire social sector in India. For a deeper understanding, I travelled on my own to 25 NGOs in eight states across India in 40 days in 2012. At YIFP, my learning continues…

Siddharth Dixit
A mechanical Engineer from Manipal Institute of Technology, Manipal, I have been working as a Design Engineer with John Deere India Pvt. Limited since July 2009. As an undergraduate, I was very interested in Fluid mechanics and its various applications. This led me to work at many prestigious research organizations in India such as Jawaharlal Nehru Center for Advanced Scientific Research at Bangalore, School of Physical Sciences at Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi and High Performance Computing Lab at IIT, Kanpur as a Research Fellow. I also presented a research paper at International Conference on Advances in Manufacturing Engineering held at Manipal on “CFD analysis of nozzle geometry in abrasive water suspension jets”. I am a firm believer in the power of technology to bring change in the society. This belief and my desire to use technology for the betterment of society inspired me to start Acacia Foundation, a NPO, with likeminded friends. It is an online platform which strives to bridge the gap between the needs of underprivileged, mentally and/or physically challenged children and the society’s will to help them. I wish to create opportunities for underprivileged section of the society which not only help them in pushing themselves out of poverty but also create social parity among different classes in the society. I believe Young India Fellowship Programme through its rich course work, learned faculties and exceptional students will open me to a vast treasure of knowledge and equip me with skills needed to solve myriads of problems I will face in future.

Tarang Chetan Doshi
I am Tarang Doshi from Mumbai. I studied at Fatima High School and graduated in Management Studies from Narsee Monjee College of Commerce and Economics. I am very passionate about cricket, entrepreneurship, politics, start-ups, music and fostering a spirit of innovation in everything done.

I won the first prize for the most innovative business plan on “Bike Taxi”. I was also the Head of technical department of the management festival, Drishti, where we associated with a wide range of international artists and reputed tech riders and handled a large team of members and assistants. I have interned with Accenture in their outsourcing unit and Joy Products in their marketing and distribution departments.

Currently I am working on my first venture, ‘World Of Workshops - WOW!’, which has transformed the concept of employee engagement in a corporate set-up. I have been working closely on developing and implementing WOW! in Mumbai since the past eighteen months. I have also conceptualised and designed my second venture -iCube, which deals in implementing Innovation Centres across schools to deal with the problem of practical education and instil curiosity in students. One of my other areas of interest is Politics, where I currently hold the position of Vice-President of Congress Human Rights Department in Ghatkopar area of Mumbai.

I aspire to convert WOW! from service to an experience for the corporate citizens in the next few years. Also I intend to make iCube a one-stop shop for school innovation, which can be afforded and benefitted by everyone.

Pramod Emjay
Coming from the city of Chennai, I graduated as an Instrumentation and Control engineer from NIT, Trichy. I spent the past year working with the Risk Analytics division of HSBC, handling, among other projects, the model monitoring and analysis for the portfolios in Canada and some in the USA.

Although my most recent professional activity was in the finance sector, my interest lies in the energy industry. Whether it was because of the coursework at college or the continuous cuts of power we were put through, I developed an interest in that one field which is so crucial to the functioning of modern civilisation and yet, is underdeveloped in our country. My goal is to enter the field and play a part in shaping it, by driving interest and investment in newer aspects of the sector.

Over the course of the four years at college, I have served as the Overall Coordinator for the Rotaract Club, an editor for the Writers’ Circle and an Events Coordinator for the Speakers’ Forum. My primary hobby has been quizzing, with victories at colleges around the country, as well as at events such as the ET in Campus quiz and the Tata Crucible Corporate edition.

Bano Fatima
To be an agent of positive change is what drives me.

Choosing to study Political Science in opposition to expectations of ‘lucrative’ options in Economics was my first step towards the journey of self discovery.

A Social Entrepreneur by choice, I co-founded ‘Weavers’ Hut’- a social enterprise aimed at providing a platform for enabling economic and social empowerment of underprivileged handloom weavers in certain isolated villages of Uttar Pradesh.

While urban India is on a fast track, millions of rural Indians are left behind, bereft of basic necessities and victims of unplanned development. This is the Indian populace that remains in need of change. Working closely with families of handloom weavers has led me to explore ways to facilitate their improvement by promoting rural livelihood strategies. Project Umeed, an offshoot of ‘Weaver’s Hut’ addresses issues of gender bias and promotes life-skill development for women and girls.

Working as a young student, woman entrepreneur, in rural, patriarchal societies, has presented hurdles. Overcoming social and management related challenges has been and continues to be a great learning experience for me.

Lady Shri Ram College has provided me with the diverse exposure so relevant for the understanding of political and social complexities. This coupled with some readings at the London School of Economics has inspired me to work in development aimed at bringing about change.

Kshiti Jayant Gala
All set to graduate in Economics from St. Xavier’s College, University of Mumbai, I am an aspiring Developmental Economist. I believe in applying the principles of Economics to bridge the inequities that the world faces today.

I have consistently topped my college examinations, received the Sir Dorabji Tata Merit Scholarship, was selected and funded for the ProgramIndia Leadership Exchange, Stern School of Business (New York University), was the Organizer in Charge for ‘Conclave’ – the Think Tank of Malhar and led the Extra-Curricular Committee of St. Xavier’s College as Cultural Secretary.

I also had the distinction of being awarded the Most Resourceful Campus Ambassador in an all-India level at ‘Teach for India’. I have been a reader and writer for visually challenged students, which has sensitised me towards the need for better educational facilities for the differently abled. I am especially passionate about the challenges that confront women and children. I have helped my family establish a medical and women’s empowerment center in my native village Tumbdi (Kutch), which I hope to transform into a full-fledged hospital in the near future.

My quest for knowledge has grown further after I worked as a Barefoot Researcher for Partners for Urban Knowledge Action and Research (PUKAR) studying the problems faced by migrant rickshaw drivers in Mumbai.

The above mentioned experiences have whetted my interest in Developmental Economics which I intend to use to make rational and sound policies at the national level.

Vennela Gandikota
My father says, “You learn something new every day”. My engagement with the world started in school with mock UN conferences, which led to writing articles for newspapers and engaging in debates and conferences. From social discussions, to running a family newsletter, I love to initiate and organize. A unique marketing presentation that I designed in college or an evening, writing poetry, is what keeps me engaged and passionate about the world around me.

I will be graduating with a Bachelors of Commerce from St.Francis College for Women, Hyderabad, where I was the President of the Commerce Organization for Emerging Entrepreneurs, a club that aims at building entrepreneur skills through workshops, fests and competitions. I was instrumental in starting the first theme-based fest in Hyderabad, which portrayed themes, such as ‘Wake up’ and ‘Yuva’. I was awarded the proficiency prize in my 2nd year and ‘Student with maximum participation in extracurricular activities’, which brought full circle, my definition of an ideal student life.

In the years ahead, I would like to assist in delivery of services in order to create value and deliver benefits at the ground level inIndia. The aim is to sharpen delivery of government services, to makethem faster, more efficient and purposeful. With innovative marketing, we can channelize the efforts of the government to benefit the end user - the common man. With this initiative, I sincerely hope to make a difference in the lives of millions while enjoying the delight of entrepreneurship.

Jayesh Ganesh
As a child, I grew up in different cities in India. This has helped shape my liberal worldview and appreciation for various cultures. Cities have always fascinated me. After studying architecture at VNIT, Nagpur, I pursued post graduation in Urban Design from CEPT University, Ahmedabad. Here I was recommended by the University to participate in the Les Ateliers International Workshop to propose development strategies for La Defense, Paris; for which I was awarded the honorary Diploma of the University of Cergy-Pontoise.

I then taught at PVP College of Architecture, Pune. During this time I also worked on several projects through my practice, Jayesh Ganesh Design Studio—a purpose driven, research oriented freelance creative concern. I have been involved in studying the old city of Pune with organisations like Parisar and INTACH. My interests in research include urban sociology and governance, sustainable urban transportation and integration of natural systems in cities. I aspire to address these issues in my capacity as a professional on national and international platforms: with the knowledge, networks and exposure gained from the Fellowship.

Philately and numismatics are my childhood hobbies. I am an avid traveller. Nature and wildlife are my greatest passions and I was an active member of the ‘Nagpur Naturalists’ as an ornithologist.

Shrutika Garg
I come from the colourful, elegant, architectonic and vibrant land of Rajasthan. Born and brought up in the beautiful pink city of Jaipur in an all doctor’s family, I contrasted out to be an engineer from IIT Delhi.

Although my degree says B.Tech in Civil engineering, I also graduated as a ‘theatre enthusiast’. Switching between acting, writing, directing and producing, I was part of more performances than the number of courses I took in four years! When falling asleep on the wooden floors of the stage was a daily ritual, and the sound of the audience’s applaud was dearer than scoring an A grade, I knew that this love affair will last forever. I got the opportunity to serve as the Secretary of Dance and Dramatics Club, IIT Delhi and I lived the most challenging and memorable year of my undergraduate life. It matured with the sweet smell of success in the form of ‘Cumulative Outstanding Contribution’ award by the Board for Recreational and Creative Activities, IIT-D. The passion took the form of ‘Desires Unlimited Drama Society’ which has produced over 25 hit shows in Delhi/NCR and Bengaluru with productions like – ‘Shit Happens’, ‘Horn OK Please’, ‘R U Single’, ‘Jai and Juliet’ etc. I can be spotted in some commercial virals for Godrej, , Britannia, British census, etc. ().My two year stint with the corporate world came in the form of Retail Analytics industry. The rich experience as an analyst at Dunnhum by gave me the unforgettable experience of working with the FMCG giants of the world.

Living in a rapidly developing concrete city like Gurgaon also throws the reality of the not-so-developed world in your face. The increasing count of literate professionals in the city faces a neck-to-neck with those living under the stars. Being on the fortunate side of the unevenly distributed education, I have tried to participate in reducing the gap. I am currently the treasurer of an NGO, Learn Empower Uplift Foundation (L.E.U.) and an administrator at our NGO funded school –Bal Shiksha Kendra, in Harijan Basti, Gurgaon which caters to free education for over 150 Kids since 2009.

Being an old-fashioned, tenacious Indian cricket fan, I too believe in the ‘God’ theory.A firm believer in the Gandhian principle of – ‘be the change that you want to see’, I am motivated to ‘make it count’ on every level.

Prashant Gautam
‘Aatmadeepobhav’ – Be your own lamp, light up your own path!

These words define my being, my heritage, my journey. Born to parents who loved books, poetry and theatre, I grew up to adore stories. In school, I composed poems for local periodicals, wrote plays, read ‘Tinkle’ obsessively and was forever fascinated by movies. I chose to study Computer Science engineering in Gwalior, but my creative urges led me to ITIHAAS, a Delhi-based educational trust, and I spent my college years shuttling between the two cities, maintaining a balance between my passion and academics.

ITIHAAS is a pioneer in Heritage Education, taking its programs to students across India, in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture. Starting out as the first ever ITIHAAS intern, I became a part of its core team, and worked with thousands of students, dabbling in content development, pedagogy enrichment and PR. I also helped ITIHAAS replicate its Delhi model for educational initiatives in Agra and Gwalior. In 2010, I assisted in the launch of ‘Anveshan’ – the annual ITIHAAS Young Writers’ Forum that gives schoolchildren a platform to document their local heritage and now has its outreach across the SAARC countries.

An aspiring novelist, my essays were short-listed for the Habitat Young Visionary Award, organized by the India Habitat Center, for two years in a row – 2009 and 2010. I have also been associated with JANAM (Jana Natya Manch), active in Delhi’s street theatre space for the past 40 years. I wish to join the creative industry, and share stories and experiences that can entertain, enrich and inspire, catalyzing positive social change. Through the Young India Fellowship, I hope to earn the exposure and perspective that will provide momentum to my endeavours.

Shubhrima Ghosh
Hailing from an academic background, I understood the importance of education quite early in my life. I believe an educated India is the first step towards building a strong India. My yearning for knowledge and a fascination for the enigma called life, saw me complete my M.Tech in Biotechnology from NIT, Durgapur. A research internship at Bose Institute, Kolkata opened my eyes towards cutting-edge scientific research. I was part of a team investigating the potential of indigenous herbs as a cure for cancer. I feel there is a dearth of scientific research which directly benefits the common man. I want to contribute to biological research for human welfare as an educator bringing science to the grassroots level. An avid reader and passionate landscape photographer, I am a radical thinker in head and a dreamer at heart. Through organizing and anchoring successful events, I have learned the need for accepting challenges through strong partnerships, team spirit and leadership qualities. Through the Young India FellowshipProgramme, I intend to embark on a journey to rediscover myself. I firmly believe in the words of Benjamin Disraeli – “Experience is the child of thought, and thought is the child of action”.

Shivani Govind
“The more knowledge one gains, the more important becomes the question of what that knowledge will be used for.”- Dr. Daisaku Ikeda

Hello everyone! I am ShivaniGovind, a Young India Fellow (2012-2013). Raised in a single parent home with modest means, I learnt, at a very young age, the importance and the art of balancing my academics, extra-curricular activities and my responsibilities at home. I greatly appreciate my humble roots, for they allowed me to identify opportunities of learning and development, taught me to strive harder and to continuously polish myself in order to unravel and manifest my innate intellectual and creative potential.

Never an easy child to please, my insatiable appetite for asking questions and the insistent desire to answer them persisted as I grew. This directed me to pursue Economics – a fascinating subject I felt best geared towards answering the questions that it raised. Reaching beyond the conventional in order to gain exposure, I witnessed severe deprivations, policy failures and the horrors of daily struggle for survival, through involvement in social and developmental causes as a NREGA surveyor; student volunteer at ‘Blending Spectrum’, undertaken by an organisation ‘The Youth Parliament’ that dealt with the issue of street children in various capacities;peer educator as part of ‘V.O.I.C.E.S - the School Project’ to list a few. These enriching experiences deepened my ambition to be the change agent that not only affects livelihoods but empowers and enables people to believe in and reveal their potential.

The questions I asked greatly evolved through my undergraduate experience which further prompted me to pursue my post graduation in Economics from Toulouse School of Economics, France – a top ten research facility – in search of new and sophisticated answers(or hope) as an Eiffel Scholar. I recently graduated, with a better understanding of the world and myself, and with an even longer list of questions I am yet to explore. The biggest lesson I learnt there– “Life too would be a lot more wonderful, if we dropped the non-significant variables for they just take up degrees of freedom (Econometric Philosophy)”, a lesson which prompted me to apply to the YIF.

I am highly inquisitive and adventurous, enjoy learning and seek knowledge in every endeavour and interaction, which explains my love for quirky and unconventional new travel, adventure and cultural experiences. An aspiring creative writer and story teller, an avid film, TV series and music enthusiast, I have dabbled in all aspects of film making, acting included. Exploring creative media and refining my creative thought-process is an exercise that greatly excites me, one which I hope to pursue as a life-time commitment. Also, I am a fierce animal lover and activist.

I believe my unique and fearless seeking spirit is what allows me to gain immensely – from general exposure, confidence, new skills and new friends to life and perspective-altering experiences. As part of the fellowship, I aspire to grow as a humanistic and dynamic youth leader that paves a unique path and actualizes a life dedicated at creating value.

Kaavya Gupta
“A bird doesn’t sing because it has an answer, it sings because it has a song.”
- Maya Angelou

My life, so far, is like a song with many diverse notes, each appearing to be distinct and disconnected, but together a harmonious composition.

I recently graduated in Economics from Hindu College, University of Delhi. During my DU stint, I also ran two youth leadership projects: one as the executive board member of the Delhi University chapter of AIESEC, the largest youth-run organisation in the world, and second, while interning at Coca-Cola India on a CSR campaign- “Support My School”. Both of these enabled me to appreciate the need to take responsibility and demonstrate initiative.

I am a western vocalist and flautist, and the co-founder of Cobbled Street, a Delhi-based jazz/funk band. My band has topped the jazz charts in Delhi on ReverbNation (a web portal for musicians). I have been a State topper at the Intermediate Level (Grade 5) Graded Examination in Musical Performance (Flute) by Trinity Guildhall London. I am also a vocalist at Artistes Unlimited, the largest platform in India for the promotion of performing arts. As the President of the Western Music Society of Hindu College, I revived the choir and the college band, and led it to many victories in various college festivals.

Along the course of following my own path, I have had many different experiences and have interacted with numerous individuals with very diverse backgrounds. This enabled me to explore, question, re-think and finally give shape to my perspectives. I have come to appreciate the unique talents each one of us possesses. I envision a society where individuality is respected and is used as a resource to initiate positive impact on society.

Mohini Gupta
A literature student from Lady Shri Ram College, University of Delhi, from an early age, I have been encouraged to pursue my passions. My interest in language, music and mathematics has paved the way for an integrated pursuit of academic inquiry.

I started learning the piano at the age of three and was lucky to have a wonderful teacher who taught me the relationship between notes by jumping up and down a staircase at the church next door. This instilled in me a passion for music. After completing Grade 8 in Piano from Trinity College London, I have been teaching at Theme Music Institute in New Delhi. My passion has helped me become a better teacher. Through vocal training in Hindustani Classical Music, I have come to understand both the Indian and Western worlds through music.

As the co-ordinator of Interface, a students’ forum in my college, I have been organising academic talks, including a conference on Gandhi, which drew participants’ from the Ohio Wesleyan University. I feel privileged to have received the Principal’s award for this work at my graduation.

My other interests include poetry and translation. Penguin Books India as a part of Leila Seth’s autobiography has published my translations of Vikram Seth’s poems.

I look forward to being a part of this programme and hope to delve deeper into my potential through its interdisciplinary approach. I believe it will give me the space to gain an insight into what I want to pursue further.

Siddhartha Gupta
I hail from Delhi, and I am an engineer, by degree and in spirit.What has been a driving force for me in these past four years is the need to experiment, the test subject being myself. Be it sports—I am a competitive swimmer and I love the art of body building. Or be it my psyche—I have a deep rooted interest in philosophy and psychology, in terms of pathways to living life. I have read the works of Osho, Robin Sharma, Ayn Rand, Richard Branson, Dr. Kevin Dutton, and am on my way to Noam Chomsky’s lab. Be it art—I can sing well too (or so they tell me). Or be it the good old Electrical Engineering itself—IIT Kanpur has nice labs, you see.

I believe human beings are the most interesting creatures on this planet because of one main reason – the human brain. That, along with the human body, is not only among the most complex machineries on Earth, but also one of the most mysterious. The understanding I have gained so far has helped me resolve a multitude of internal and external conflicts. It has helped me be myself, in the truest sense of the words.

I can talk and write well. So that is what I am looking for in a potential career option—harnessing the power of the spoken/written word to enthrall and enrapture. How I intend to do it is a very good question, indeed. By being a Sales wizard? Maybe. Through Journalism? Maybe. Or through Entrepreneurship? Why not?

Debabrata Halder
I am a highly motivated individual. I belong to Purbasridharpur village of Mathurapur II Block in 24 Parganas (South), West Bengal, India. I began my career as a development practitioner, establishing a socio-economic development organisation—MUKTI(www.muktiweb.org) in 2003. I was an executive board member of Mukti and served the people who lived in the last miles of the Sundarbans. I have combined experience in strategic and accountable management, civil society partnership, policy research and dialogue as a result of this key position in the organisation.

I obtained a Mechanical Engineering degree from Jadavpur University, Kolkata in 2009. This degree gave me an opportunity to work at Cognizant Technology Solutions, Kolkata. My work involved leadership development, strategic management and systematic team building both at Cognizant Technology and MUKTI.

As a part of my extra-curricular activities, I was a placement coordinator for student placements countrywide in 2009. Through advocacy and negotiation I achieved a win-win situation with employers—both state and non-state players.

I also facilitate policy debates with policy makers and civil society for progressive elimination in favour of the grassroots in the Sundarbans. Finally, I aspire to be a social entrepreneur by holistic multidisciplinary learning at YIFP. I believe this would help me in meaningfully changing people’s lives.

Rishi Iyengar
My passion for writing and my desire to have a positive impact on society led me to the choice of journalism as a career. I decided not to pursue it straight out of school, choosing to broaden my horizons while still working towards my goal through a bachelor’s degree in Political Science, which I recently completed. During my undergraduate studies at Fergusson College, Pune, I got the opportunity to work with two reputed newspapers — The Indian Express and Sakaal Times. The experiences I had in the world of journalism reaffirmed my decision to take it up as a career. I presently hold an admission offer to the Columbia University’s School of Journalism and I plan to take that up once I complete the Young India FellowshipProgramme.

My interests have always been extremely varied, ranging from sports and music to literature and poetry. I have pursued all of them wholeheartedly. I published a book of my own poetry when I was thirteen. I captained the Pune basketball team at two state championships. I have also completed Grade 3 of the Trinity Guildhall Piano Examination conducted by the Trinity College, London. I have thus come to define myself on the basis of the things I am passionate about, and they have played a monumental role in shaping the person that I am today and hope to be tomorrow.

My varied cultural background (I was born in USA to a Bengali mother and a Tamil father, but have lived in Pune since I was four) coupled with travels to over thirty countries with my jet-setting family has given me a holistic world-view as well as an appreciation of different cultures. It has also instilled in me the ability to interact with people from all walks of life, and an adaptability that will hold me in good stead not only through this program but also through life.

Apoorva Jain
"Khudi ko kar buland itna, ke har takdeer se pehlay, Khuda bande se khud puche, bata teri raza kiya hai."

("Make your will so strong that even God should ask you for your consent before making any decisions about your life")

These lines told to me by my mother have always inspired me to do things differently and work hard so, that I can create a difference in the lives of the people around me.

Since childhood, increasing pollution and population has impacted me as a human; this led me to develop an interest in the area of Renewable Energy. I started working in the area of solar energy in the 1st year of engineering and published six research papers. Being an Electronics Engineer, I worked on a project based on texturization of crystalline solar cells under the guidance of my professor Dr. P K Basu which led to a 80% cost reduction in that step and which was adopted by Udhaya Energy Photovoltaics Pvt. Ltd., Coimbatore. While working on the same, I won the Green Entrepreneurial Award and I got a chance to visit SERIS, National University of Singapore.

Besides this, I have worked with BalVihar, All India Confederation of Blind, Indian Youth Climate Network (IYCN) and Helpage India. During my under graduation, I started a rural awareness programme for spreading awareness about HIV, girl child education and child education etc. amongst BPL families located in the village ofNauchali in Faridabad and recorded audio lessons for the blind in All India Confederation of Blind. This inspired me to work in the area of the education; I got a chance to work on developing an interactive 3D educational platform using Microsoft Kinect Technology which could be used to impart education to children, differently abled and unskilled labourers in a team of three. This project was the only one to be selected from Asia and was ranked in the world’s top five projects in the main competition held in the Challenge Future Summit under the patronage of UNESCO in Slovenia, where our team represented India on the Summit.

At college, I have been the E-Leader of two Entrepreneurial Cells, Head-ISTE Student Chapter, Head-Placement Committee and Student Head for Cultural and Technical Festivals for four years.

In the past one year, I worked with SENES Consultants India Pvt. Ltd. and Infosys Limited in the area of carbon credits, climate change and IT.

Shreyas Anur Jayanth
Born into a South Indian Brahmin family, I was brought up on science, numbers & curd-rice. My parents and my sister worked diligently on the hyper-energetic child and imparted strong cultural values along with a solid educational foundation. At the age of 16, I invested all my scholarship savings into an e-commerce venture where I was exposed to the nuances of people, money & society.

I pursued Bachelors in Business Management from Christ University and was among the toppers of my batch. I was selected as the International Climate Champion by British Council and was chosen as the Emerging Young Business Leader in Apogee ’09. Besides college, I freelanced for a market research agency, tutored kids in high school math and science at the Samarthanam Trust, interned as a trainer/coach with a Performance Solutions startup and eventually lucked out as an intra-day trader posting over 25% returns in the 2009 summer.

I am a certified Neuro-Linguistic Programming Practitioner from NFNLP, Florida and certified in Non-Directional Counseling from Banjara Academy, Bangalore. I have been associated with the Teach For India Movement as a Young Professional Ambassador and added value to the movement for educational equity in India. I have worked with DE Shaw India Software Private Limited as a Specialist, Human Capital and the Business Partner for IT groups.

I am passionate about exploring – ‘Why people do what they do and how to make it better?’ I aspire to radically impact the current education system in India and create powerful mindsets in children to leave my small mark on the world.

Rupesh Jhabak
I am Rupesh Jhabak. I am from Bhopal where I finished school and graduated from The EFL University, Hyderabad in the subjects: literature, linguistics and films. My areas of interests are contemporary literature, modern art, film criticism and philosophy. I’m also attracted towards literary and cultural theory. I have found libraries to be the best place to spend a large part of my day “trying to” read.

This interest in literature and its extraordinariness grew, amongst other reasons, as an upshot of a national level story-writing contest (CYAC ’07) where I was judged the winner and had my stories published by Rupa Publication. I like to visit museums and walk about crowded city streets, am very inquisitive, I like to eat and I would like to be able to travel more. I am currently working with an online advertising firm and a Hyderabad-based website where I post book and film reviews. I have also volunteered with ‘Make A Difference’ as a PR and an English teacher.

I write and would want to do that professionally at a latter point in life. At YIFP, I expect to be able to augment and tweak my current sensibilities, my point of view, and place myself better in the current world scenario. I wish through the time spend with YIFP to find that one curious idea that I will be most fascinated by and will be instinctively bound to chase through my postgraduate and research years.

Melbin Thomas Jose
I graduated with a B Tech – M Tech Dual degree in Civil Engineering from IIT, Kanpur in February 2012. Since then I have been working with the Bhaichung Bhutia Football Schools, an initiative by Bhaichung Bhutia that aims to improve the level of football in India, by training at the grassroots level.

In college, most of my evenings were spent on the football field where I learnt something new about the game every day. Having said this, I want to learn all I can about football and apply it in practice. Leading my team, IITK FC to victory in Kanpur District Championship 2011, has been the most enriching and exhilarating experience of my life.

My dream is to create an environment in India where every child and his/her parents will seriously think of a career in sports, as a viable option. For this dream to come true, we need more perceptive scouts and qualified coacheswho can teach the children the best game. I aim to be instrumental in this wave of change.

Kunal Joshi
I finished my schooling from St. Joseph’s College, Allahabad before deciding to pursue Physics at St. Stephen’s College, New Delhi.

I have been passionate about many things, such as education, music, theatre, languages, animal welfare, and many more. I’ve done a lot to pursue each of these, but whatever I’ve done, I’ve done with a view to contribute at least to my immediate surroundings.

While I found Physics to be intellectually very stimulating and may pursue it again in the future, I felt it failed to give me room to make as much of a difference to people’s lives as I could. Like many others, I have been very privileged and realize that most of these privileges haven’t been earned. So I want to use whatever resources I have access to, in helping others not as fortunate as I have been, to do more with their lives.

Aman Kaleem
I am a trader of stories. I try to weave some of my own, forget some and live some. I am from a small town in Uttar Pradesh - Aligarh.

I am a graduate of Mass communication from AJKMCRC, JamiaMilliaIslamia. My graduating film Eidiyaan has won a number of awards in film festivals. I was working as a programmer for the International Film Festival of India which meant selecting films and filmmakers from all over the world.I was weaving my passion into categories of films, searchingfor the definition of cinema in this country.

I have been actively engaged in creating an alternative discourse in the regions of conflict like Kashmir and the North-East India. My films are a part of this dissent. It includes the series of three films which deal with different paradigms of the political crisis in Kashmir.

I have been a guest faculty at Aligarh Muslim University for the paper, ‘Script writing in cinema’. I am a professional translator researching on the literature in regional languages during India- Pakistan partition. I have represented India for theatre and debate competition in South Asia.

Honest storytelling is what matters to me the most. I aspire to create manifestations of my dreams into my films.

Simeen Kaleem
A scientist at heart, set to graduate from Miranda House, University of Delhi, I believe that the most powerful antigen in human biology is a new idea. For me that antigen has been my ideas in genetics, which triggered further interest in doing research in genetics and working for the cure of cancer.

During my college years, I have also undergone a training session with the Health Ministry of India, for Gene cloning and Polymorphism which has taught me various hands on approach in the field of genetics.

I have also been the editor of the zoological magazine ‘The Evolvere-2011’, at Miranda House. Furthermore, my fascination and love for animals made me travel around, with the team of ‘WILD LIFE SOS’, enacting the Noble task of saving bears around the globe.

My study in YIFP will accelerate the rate of my success with network of ideas from mentors, teachers and friends. Moreover, it will provide me a platform for holistic learning and understanding. Thus, I believe my stay at YIFP will be the most formative experience of my lifetime.

Shanti Swaroop Kandala
Space has no limits and neither does an individual’s imagination and goals. Set to graduate with a Masters in Aerospace Engineering from Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), South Korea, I describe myself as an avid space buff, a space dreamer and a social animal. I am also a sportsperson and excel in indoor games as well.My passion for space earned me the honor of being appointed as the president of the student chapter of the Astronautical Society of India at my undergraduate university. It did not take me long enough to realize that I belong to the space community; and since then, I have always walked on the path which leads me closer to my dreams.

Apart from excelling in academics, I always craved for practical learning. And this yearning ultimately laid the seed for STUDSAT – the smallest student satellite to be designed, fabricated and launched by India till date. With this I forayed into space technology in India, and since then there was no looking back. My knowledge and understanding were further enhanced by the support of Mr. D. V. A. Raghava Murthy, Project Director, Small Satellite Projects, ISRO. During this journey, I successfully led a team from South Korea to be placed among the ten finalists, chosen globally, for working out on feasible ideas for nano-satellite constellation in response to a call by the Axel Space Inc. of Japan. I have also been working on breakthrough technologies in the field of space sciences. Furthermore, I have recently been appointed as the technical advisor for Azad–1, the student satellite of MANIT, Bhopal.

Despite my challenging graduate course, I found time to be actively involved in the student committee of my university. Currently, I am a reporter for my university newsletter. I am also the Indian student representative, Head of the Promotions Committee and cabinet member of the International Student Association at KAIST. My tryst with space hasn’t made me forget my social responsibilities. As the student head of an NGO called Planetary Society of India, I have worked closely with many schools to encourage children to take up careers in space sciences. I look forward towards the journey at YIFP and hope it serves as a platform that gets me closer to the society and to my goals.

Chaitanya Kanuri
Choosing to become an architect was the first conscious decision I made as an adult. While it combines technology and art, architecture is the perfect representation of what I strive for in life—to experience the best of all worlds, to live many lives in one and not restrict myself to just the one path. After graduation, I worked as an architect in a job that allowed me to immerse myself in the reality of work life. I spent time in the field and this made me even more convinced of my choice of profession. It was during a sabbatical—doing the things I enjoy but couldn’t indulge in whole-heartedly while working, things like, travelling, reading, writing and designing—that I was selected for the Young India Fellowship Programme. Through this fellowship, I hope to be able to explore avenues that will give me a broader perspective, both as an individual and as a professional. I strongly believe that architecture shouldn’t be restricted to a privileged few. In the future, I hope to be able to play my part in ushering in the day where good design is an expected right of the masses.

Varun Kashyap
I am a 2010 Batch Mechanical Engineering graduate from PEC University of Technology (formerly Punjab Engineering College), Chandigarh. After graduation, I did a 7-month internship at the Commonwealth Youth Programme, in the area of Youth Enterprise and Sustainable Livelihoods before being appointed in the National Youth Corps for the National Service Scheme run by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports.

While at college, I completed the Open Learning Diploma in Entrepreneurship from the Entrepreneurship Institute of India and the Commonwealth International Diploma in Youth in Development Work. After graduation, having developed a keen interest in the supply chain of fresh farm produce, I did a Post Graduate Programme in Agriculture Policy from IGNOU. I started my own venture concerning the agriculture supply chain.

I was the President of the Students’ Council and a member of the Senate Student Affairs committee. I was the Sports Secretary and led the Athletics and Football team at various national events.

I was appointed the Student Coordinator for NSS and spearheaded projects in education, health, microfinance and other social and economic development issues. I revived an ailing Micro-finance unit right from my 1st year at college and through the financial support from Commonwealth Youth Programme, managed to run two self-help groups in the adopted slum, one into pickle-making and other into stitching activity. It was through my engagement in this activity, that I developed a social consciousness, as well as entrepreneurial skills and attitude.

I was awarded the Chandigarh (UT) Advisor’s Gold Medal for Best Sportsperson 2010 and the Sheilly Sachdeva Memorial Gold Medal for Best in Social Activities 2010, at the Annual convocation at PEC University of Technology. I was also awarded the Chandigarh (UT) State Award 2010 for the Best NSS Volunteer in Chandigarh.

Martin Luther King Jr precisely said “If you have not found something that you are willing to die for, then you are not fit to live”. Passion to bring about positive change and a life full of purpose and good deeds matter most to me. I am passionate towards doing something that goes deep down in history for the lives changed, number of jobs or the wealth created. Putting this passion to effort, thoughts to action, problems to solutions, cause to result is the most important thing for me.

Simerpreet Kaur
I have felt Mother India in all its colors since my childhood.Born in Chhattisgarh, brought up in Punjab and having studied in Karnataka,I hold a bachelor’s degree in computer science and engineering from Visveswaraya Technological University, Belgaum, Karnataka.

I have worked with Cisco systems on Long term Evolution [LTE/MME].My keen interest in planning and managing events made me an active participant in organizing national level fests in college as the chairperson of Indian Society for Technical Education [ISTE] and Computer Society of India [CSI] Student Chapters.

I represented my college in the first National Indian Students Forum (NISF) aimed at building management and leadership skills by Society for Promotion of Engineering Education Development (SPEED) and NIT Hamirpur and got selected to attend a Leadership building workshop organised by the university.

Life has given me ample opportunities to know, nurture and realize my dreams. Having worked actively with different NGOs in the learning and development sectors and with under privileged students, I aspire to work closely with the policy makers in such a way that can help in building a more aware and fulfilled society. YIFP is one step ahead in that direction and a golden chance to learn amongst the best of minds with brimming new ideas.

Safa Mohsin Khan
I attended the Mahindra United World College, a high school that believes in ‘education as a force to unite people, nations and cultures for peace and a sustainable future’. Since then, I began thinking about ways to make positive changes in the lives of those around me. I eventually received a scholarship to attend Middlebury College, a liberal arts school in Vermont, USA where I pursued a B.A. in Economics. During those six years, I was involved with several community service projects. One of them was a mentoring group called ‘Friends for Burma’, an initiative aimed to provide support to children belonging to recently resettled Burmese refugees in Burlington, Vermont. This campus organization was also represented at the Clinton Global Initiative University (Miami, 2010).

I have been fortunate enough to meet people from immensely diverse backgrounds. This has reiterated my belief in the fact that we learn the most from interaction with our peers. It is with this belief that I have joined the Young India Fellowship Programme. I look forward to being inspired not only by the amazing faculty members, but also by the diverse group of Fellows.

Cheistha Kochhar
My learning in life so far has been from various sources – People, Self, Start-up, Economics Honors in under-graduation, McKinsey and others. But my key takeaway of these 21 years has been from the Army background I come from – “Options summarize existence. Decisions define life”.

Inspired by each element of the universe around, I have always been eager to experiment with the practical application of the theoretical lessons I learnt. In my first year of college, I interned with the Center for Civil Society and was humbly honored to receive an in-principle approval from the Chief Minister of New Delhi to my proposed state solution. This was when I realized my strong passion for public service. In second year, I had the privilege of a six-month internship with The Unique Identification Authority of India. Notwithstanding the innumerable lessons learnt from this stint in the founding team of the project, what I hold as my most possessed learning from the exceptional people at the UIDAI is the importance of being ‘aware’.

Owing to supportive forces I have been blessed with, I was able to discover the instinctive entrepreneur in me at college. I launched my company PROSOCC at the age of 19, with the desire to combine my passion for public policies and skill in entrepreneurship. Due to a phenomenal team I was fortunate to have, PROSOCC is a profitable success today.

With these tangibles, I was admitted at The London School of Economics for my post-graduation, as a J.N. Tata Scholar and a recipient of LSE’s Modu Timblu Award [given to only one Indian]. However, I chose to work with McKinsey and Company because I felt that the impact I envisioned would have suffered without experiencing ground realities. After almost one most wonderful and enriching year at McKinsey, I learnt that to be an effective leader and create an exponential impact, one does not need to know only (say) 10 things. What is equally important is having 10 perspectives for one thing.

I am at the Young India Fellowship Programme to gain a deeper insight into these perspectives from the phenomenal peers and faculty. I hold strong faith in what I once heard - ‘Gravitate to people and what is best for you will gravitate to you’.

Ashish Kumar
I believe, “Knowing something of everything” is superior to “Knowing everything of something”. Mentored at Super-30, Patna for IITJEE and graduating from IIT Madras, my academic quests have been diverse- BTech (major) in Biotechnology and Minor-degree in Operations-Research from IITM, NSE Professional-Certification, German, Economics, and management courses.

I got a flavour of research during my summer internship on Developmental Genetics at NCBS, Bangalore. My feasibility analysis report on an algal strain as bio fuel source at a renewable energy startup, Energy-Alternatives India, was sold to NTPC. Projects on “Performance-analysis of Indian Mutual-Funds”, “Relational-contract via Game-theory” and an industrial project from Caterpillar on Data analytics have made my work experience multifarious.

An ardent lover of Sufi-music, Indian art and theatre, my social footprint consists of my work in child education and rights with NGOs -Bhumi and CRY. An avid newspaper-reader, I love reading about India, particularly its contemporary Economic, History and Geopolitics.

Writing is my passion. I have presented papers and won essay writing competitions at many prestigious national symposiums and conferences. I have been writing articles and short-stories for different online newspapers, the most recent stint being with Youth-ki-Awaz as an intern.

The diversity of courses and the experience at the YIFP attract me. I plan to work in public policy making and contemporary economics. I urge to give back to the society and being a change agent is ingrained deeply in me and would be the prime guiding force in deciding my path post the YIFP. I feel a strong connect to my hometown of Patna and salvaging its lost pride is an important agenda for me.

Nicky Lama
I will be graduating from St. Joseph’s College, Bangalore, with a triple major in Economics, Sociology and Industrial Relations. I come from a small Tribal Community of Tamang from Darjeeling. Having done my primary and secondary education in Dr. Graham’s Homes, Kalimpong, West Bengal. I have grabbed every opportunity that life has presented me with. Being an animal lover, I have been actively involved in animal welfare services. I excelled in sports like basketball, athletics reaching the district level in swimming at the same time. Being the school prefect and captain of the swimming and elocution team, have been the highlight of my school years. Always aspiring to be a leader, I was elected the President of the Northeast and Tibetan Students Forum, St. Joseph’s College, Bangalore, and spear headed the team organizing ‘FOOTPRINTS’, one of the biggest College Fests in the city.

I’ve had a diverse range of involvement in the professional Arena where I have worked as a VJ (TV Host) in Nepal. I have also worked as a part time swimming coach, a choreographer and a fashion model.

I believe that a person should aspire to excel in all spheres and at the same time give back to the community. I aspire to enlighten the society with the knowledge and experience I gain, especially in the regions of the Northeast where people are oblivious to the various opportunities available to them. I’ve worked on several projects to educate the children living in these rural areas and also counsel parents about the wide range of lucrative careers available for their children.

I have worked very hard to sharpen my communication skills and I believe nothing comes easy in life and thus, being given this wonderful opportunity to be a part of the Young India Fellowship Programme, I wish to learn even more and discover paths I have not yet tread upon and share it with the world.

Lubin Lucas
Brought up in the vibrant city of Bangalore, I am a single child of two exceptional people who emphasised on the importance of living life as a good human being. Their efforts saw me gain exposure to Bharat-natyam and the world of music from a very early age. Schooling at Sacred Heart Girls’ High School evoked in me a sense of curiosity and determination to succeed and introduced me to the fascinating world of the written word, and gave me lifelong friends. It was also where I first realised my ability to lead, after I won the elections to the post of Head Girl, in tenth grade. These years also saw me complete my Junior Examination in Bharat-natyam.

My pre-graduation years at Mount Carmel College were some of the best years of my life. My association with music, writing for college magazines and incredible lecturers nurtured the musician, the writer, as well as the leader in me, which culminated in my election to the post of President of the Student Body2009-2010. Post-graduation in Clinical Psychology at Christ University was academically an enriching experience, as I journeyed further into the recesses of the human mind. Co-authoring and presenting a paper on the Causes behind Attrition at the National Psychology - HRM Conference (2011) in Christ University, was an important milestone for me.

Being a Clinical Psychology Intern at St. John’s Medical College Hospital and St. Martha’s Hospital has brought me face-to-face with a clear picture of the study of mental health in India. It has made me realise that I have a passion for the field, a deep-rooted interest in people and that I am not afraid to learn. I believe in hard work and I welcome novel experiences. I now look forward to the Young Indian Fellowship Programme, to further broaden my knowledge about the world and her inhabitants.

Jasmine Luthra
“I cannot believe that the purpose of life is just to be happy. I think the purpose of life is to be useful, to be responsible, and to be compassionate. It is, above all to matter, to count, to stand for something, to have made some difference that you lived at all.”
-Leo Rosten

I aspire to give meaning to my life in a similar way. Coming from a traditional Sikh family, I have always been strong headed. I was raised on simple but strong moral principles. Fighting a locomotive disorder since a very young age, exposed to regular sessions at government hospitals, I thought I had seen it all. But things changed when I entered college. Studying different papers widened my social awareness and working with organizations like Pravah exposed me to previously unknown realities. An amalgamation of such exposures pushed me into a molting process. I shed my inhibitions while trying to understand points of view different from mine. Since then, after much introspection, I have learned to think critically and have developed my own opinions. Even though I assert myself confidently, I am also more liberal, rational, and open to new experiences.

An Economics graduate from Shri Ram College of Commerce, Delhi University, I have worked for various college societies like the Students’ Union, Debating Society, Students In Free Enterprise (SIFE), YAMUNA –the college magazine and other organizations such as Teach for India, where I was awarded the Best Campus Ambassador. Each of these has added to my personality. I have developed traits such as dedication, commitment and sincerity. As an individual, I feel I am meticulous, sensitive and sensitized.

I envision a social change –a change by which I refer to an inclusive and constructive growth, narrowed disparity in terms of opportunities and a real sense of security and freedom. For me, it is important to see beyond the cynical cloud that surrounds our country’s political set-up. Rather than being derisive, I want to take an initiative and be involved in the active process of change. However, I am still trying to find the most appropriate role for me in this process. I believe a year at Young India Fellowship Programme would provide me the right exposure and an opportunity to reflect on the same and comprehend my potential.

Tripti Manghnani
I graduated with a Bachelors of Commerce, specializing in marketing, from St. Francis College for Women, Hyderabad. As an active member of several organizations and participant in several inter-collegiate competitions, I learnt as much outside college as I did in it.

In 2008, I began volunteering with Shaheen Women’s Welfare & Resource Association, which works with marginalised women in Old City, Hyderabad. I taught written and spoken English basics, to a class of 30 young women at the welfare centre.

After graduation, I worked at D. E. Shaw & Group, as an associate in their Financial Research department for around 2 years.

Post my stint at D. E. Shaw, I was appointed Joint-Secretary of Shaheen, where I worked full time. At Shaheen, the on-field work taught me how to counsel victims of domestic violence, assist them with legal aid and monetary compensation. I also learnt the importance of research and report writing when I helped the organisation secure a 15,000 US Dollar grant.

Shaheen offers vocational training and facilities to practice tailoring and Karchupi work (hand embellishment of a garment). I am confident that when properly channelised, the skills that these industrious women or other such women possess can be transformed into a commercially viable business venture. I hope to continue working on the various gender issues our country is plagued with and make a contribution towards women’s welfare.

Shreya Anne Mathai
A student of Economics from St. Stephen’s College, I believe that the science of financial management needs to be forged in a crucible of justice for our economic models to achieve social relevance.

As an intern at Citibank Mumbai, I completed a project designed at outlining a ‘Channel Finance’ program for the office, which sparked in me a real interest for Finance. I have also worked as a research assistant at Third Eye Risk Insights, a New York based consulting firm, where I learnt some valuable tools of enterprise risk management.

I am passionate about music and literature. I have been playing the piano since I was eight and my love for music has led me to be extensively involved in musical productions. I currently co-edit The Forum, a college magazine about current affairs and have published academic papers in economic journals of Delhi University.

Volunteering at NGOs across Mumbai, I have realized how stark the differences are between the have and have-nots. Growing economic inequality and crippling poverty plague the evolving Indian economic system. Improved access to finance can help solve these problems. My paper, ‘Financial Access in South Asia’ got me selected to represent the country at the South Asian Economics Students Meet, 2011. I hope to work in the areas of financial inclusion and financial literacy one day.

Manish Meena
A native of Jaipur, I have a B Tech – M Tech (Dual Degree) in Chemical Engineering from IIT, Kharagpur. My role models are my parents who taught me that hard work is the key to success; talent is only an accessory.

I worked in the field of multiphase flows at IITKGP. I studied simulation of two-phase flow through U-Bend under my B Tech Project. I also developed a novel method for the preparation of two-inlet arrangement for circular microchannel under my M Tech project. I was awarded the ‘Best B Tech Project Thesis award’ (2nd prize) at IITKGP.

I served Nehru Hall, IITKGP as the Second Senate Member managing a team of 5 General Secretaries and 26 Secretaries and maintained the hall budget of around Rs 700,000. I was involved in various extra-curricular activities, such as dramatics and hockey. My stay at Nehru Hall gave me anopportunity to learn to achieve my goals and give my best in every endeavour I take up.

I am a modest learner who wants to broaden my perspective, enhance my skills and make a difference with the Young India Fellowship Programme. I believe that although everyone has limits, it is important to keep pushing the limits relentlessly.

Saumya Mehrotra
When you are living your own dreams, or chasing them just as well, is when your life becomes truly yours. I am 22,and am an NIFT graduate hailing from New Delhi.Immediately after college, I joined a fashion buying house as an analyst. However, my interest and passion for working on environmental issues led me to give up my job and take up a few initiatives in the same field.

After working with the Indian Youth Climate Network and being chosen as one of the International Climate Champions by the British Council, I rolled out – an exclusive social network created to bring together all the people, causes and resources related to the field of environment from across the world on one single platform. We have also been granted the ‘SwecchaVSO Influence Fellowship 2011’, under which went offline to conducting environmental fests at various schools in Delhi.Also, having been thoroughly involved in music and trained in Indian classical vocals since childhood, the realization of the desire to promote Indian music and independent musicians made me team up with my friends to start – a website promoting and featuring indie artists from India and Pakistan.

Coming from a family comprising of a scientist, a painter and a software developer, I have been a witness to various kinds of approaches taken for problem solving in daily life. This has resulted in an amalgamated me – taking an approach where I combine technique, aesthetics and logic in my endeavors.

Maria Merchant
As a Designer, I am inspired by the design marvels of everyday life. The intricacies behind apparently simple, yet timeless masterpieces have always intrigued me as a child. This has been particularly instrumental in my taking up a graduate program in Product Design, at the National Institute of Design (NID).

While at NID, a school that follows the Ulm-Bauhaus pedagogy with a multidisciplinary approach, I have had the opportunity to carry out several design projects. An exchange semester spent at the Pforzheim School of Design, Germany, funded by a DAAD scholarship of 1000€, was a fascinating learning experience.

Versatility of my interests has allowed me to gain varied work experiences; from designing Streetlight or a control panel for the Indian Railways, to documenting a declining craft. After graduation, I joined Primus Design, Mumbai, to work on more industrial and engineering-based products.

Having perceived the relevance of design on various levels, I am inspired to explore its wide horizon. Since India is a developing nation, I find an excellent opportunity to implement fresh ideas here. I also believe that since design doesn’t function in isolation, I look forward to gaining lots of exposure, ingenious and collaborative skills during the Fellowship programme.

Anuja Tarini Mishra
Born and brought up in the temple state of Odisha, my parents have instilled in me sincerity and a sense of how to prioritize my tasks. This has helped me manage multiple activities simultaneously, be it attending conferences or concerts.

I have completed my masters in Zoology, I pursue Odissi Vocal professionally. I also had a few years of professional training in Hindustani Vocal, Odissi Dance and Fine Arts. I was an Air Wing NCC cadet and completed my C certificate course with A grade, during which I had a chance to attend the Republic Day Camp and fly a micro-light aircraft in the All India Vayu Sainik Camp 2008, one of my happiest experiences till date. I enjoy debating, group discussions and seminar presenting competitions and have won quite a few prizes.

I am a member of the Snake helpline in Bhubaneswar and the Nature and Wildlife Conservation Society of Orissa, the first NGO of the state and a frequent visitor to Regional Museum of Natural History, Bhubaneswar, my inspiration and also a second home.

My passion is music, my first love. I have received the junior as well as the senior National Scholarship from the Ministry of Culture and also performed for Doordarshan and qualified AIR auditions.

I count my selection for Rajpath and winning the Kamalnayan Bajaj Memorial Inter-university Elocution competition (English), Wardha as two of my prized achievements. I was declared All Rounder in school and college, Literary Champion in college and Best Senior Wing cadet in my group in NCC.

I realise that our true success lies in being of some benefit to humanity and our families, without whose support we cannot accomplish much. I hope my time in YIFP helps me do some good and make a difference.

Taysir Moonim
Originally from Bombay, I have grown up in Pune in the heart of a family that loves and fights fiercely. I have, since I passed out of school in 2005, worked in various capacities (management, administration, entrepreneurial, creative) with a number of diverse organisations (business, legal firm, NGOs, SEO firm). I also write.

While at college, I worked for a year with AIESEC Pune, and successfully co-founded and established AIESEC Goa, an expansion initiative of AIESEC India (2009 – 2010) which was instated as an official chapter by the end of the year. I graduated in Psychology from St. Mira’s College for Girls, Pune in 2011.

I have always looked for something more. As a student, I faced a lot of difficulties with the educational system. As an AIESECer, I travelled and worked independently with corporates, NGOs and students from diverse backgrounds. There, I was instantly interested in developing the organisational infrastructure for people to maximise their potential within. One grows up in India, knowing there are a lot of deficits in every support system set up by the state or the nation and that there is no fast track for succour, for security. As I studied, worked and just lived, I realised there are many people leading invisible lives, especially relevant in the field of mental health. Reforms that are implemented as whitewash simply are not acceptable. I believe it is our turn now, to change this – to be more effective, more efficient and make our values speak for themselves.

In my final year of graduation, I defined my focus: I wish to study and develop mental healthcare infrastructure in India, from a multi disciplinary perspective in a socio-cultural-political context that is inclusive of changes in public policy to optimise impact and outreach.

I have recently worked as a Research Assistant (Advocacy for Mental Health Rights) at the Center for Advocacy in Mental Health (CAMH), Pune on a series of projects – The Red Door, with user survivor and self advocate, ReshmaValliappan; assisted CAMH Director Dr. Bhargavi Davar with a legal review of the Central Acts of the GOI and developed an art charity ‘Alter Ego’ as a fundraiser for CAMH with the support of several renowned artists.

Shweta Mukesh
I was fortunate to grow up in three countries and travel extensively. These experiences nurtured an early interest in information asymmetry, economics, and policy. Through my school years, I worked with NGOs, political campaigns, and led my school’s debates, Model United Nations (MUN), and Help Darfur Now organizations.

I studied Economics and International Studies at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD). UCSD inspired me with phenomenal faculty, diverse students, and a supportive administration. Over the course of three years, I worked in rural Belize, served as the Director of Communications at PROSPECT – the journal of international affairs at UCSD and the Director of the Center on Education at the Roosevelt Institute, organized MUN conferences for over 200 students, along with other activities. PROSPECT proved particularly rewarding as I worked with a team of five to successfully increase readership by 500% to an average of a hundred thousand readers per year across 163 countries, managed major in-house media coverage for Clinton Global Initiative University 2011, built partnerships with major departments, international journals, and world-renowned speakers. I also had the honor of interviewing former President Bill Clinton. I graduated from UCSD one year early and was bestowed with the Alumni Award – given to one graduating student for academic excellence and service to the community.

After graduating, I returned to India and joined Policy Innovations (PI) as a Project Manager. At PI, I worked on projects ranging from evaluating education programs in Assam to examining gaming as a facilitator for community building. I am passionate about changing the status quo and building systems that provide people with better quality information and platforms to engage in dialogue.

Aishwarya Muralidhar
Einstein once claimed, “I have no special talent. I am only passionately curious“. In that respect, I have something in common with the famous physicist. Interest and passion led me to take up writing, play direction, acting, dance and music. I have even represented my state in debating and creative writing.Despite excelling in math and physics, I chose to pursue my Bachelor’s in Zoology, Biotechnology and Chemistry from St. Francis College for Women, Hyderabad.

For me, life is an adventure. Every day is an opportunity to discover something new, and with this view I set out to do things that I’m passionate about: writing, dancing, acting, directing, and playing and composing music. I represented my school, college and state in many national events and festivals in debating and creative writing. In college I headed three major clubs: Prakriti Nature Club, Spectrum Science Club, and the College Choir. My academic and extra-curricular efforts won me the All-Rounder of the Year and the Environmentalist of the Year awards.

Even though I was born and raised in concrete jungles, the natural world had always beckoned to me. My ardour for wildlife was the one thing that dominated my other interests. But, I was constantly told that wildlife research had no future, especially for a woman in India, and I grew to accept that view. However, when I enrolled into St. Francis College for Women, Hyderabad, I followed my heart and did my Bachelor’s in Zoology, Biotechnology and Chemistry. I idolize Dr. Jane Goodall, Steve Irwin and Dr. David Livingstone. Others may have their doubts, but I am determined to be the intrepid adventurous wildlife biologist I was meant to be, protecting wildlife in India and across the globe.

Shruti K. Neelakantan
I was a journalism student at M. O. P. Vaishnav College for Women, Chennai. I was also the International ClimateChampion selected by the British Council. I have been working towards mitigatingclimate change for five years now and have had many opportunities to witness change firsthand. I have had the chance to visit the Arctic region andrecently the Alps and witnessed the melting of glaciers and change intemperature.

With my continued passion for theenvironment, I have been involved in various projects. Apart from presentations, speeches and conferences, I have conducted Eco-Kids camp for children to create awareness among them, to act faster. I have also been working towards transforming my neighborhood to an environment friendly place. I have been elected as theTUNZA- Global Advisor for the UNEP representing the Asia Pacific region with 49 countries under my jurisdiction. I was also the first Indian to have beenselected for this post.

Simranpreet Singh Oberoi
I would like to define myself as a passionate educator, an entrepreneur at heart, unreasonable, idealist, traveler and a believer. And I constantly endeavor to get better at each one of them. I believe that God completes the sentences we begin and therefore a strong belief in one’s dreams is all one needs to do magical things. Concerned about the way students in India made their career choices, I started ‘SkyKpaar’ with a belief that the future of education would be highly individualized (catering to specific desires) and highly collective (networked, peer-based, socially relevant).

I envision a world where there would be no boundaries between school, work and life. My mission is to personalize education and put students in an environment where they can naturally discover their true passion.

Several Experiential Learning programmes have been conducted for over a thousand students in Mumbai, Pune and Ahmedabad. Companies such as Games2Win, Lowe-Lintas, 104.8 OYEFm and noted artists such as Mohan Kannan from Agnee Band and AnirudhIyer – a Filmmaker from London, have gone out of their way to help us achieve what we set out for.

While pursuing Mechanical Engineering at MIT (Pune), right from being a part of the BAJA SAE Team where we built an all terrain vehicle, to the organizingcommittees of various National events like the Robocon & the First Indian Students Parliament, I wore several hats each time exploring a different side of me.

During my internship at Thermax Limited, I completed an Analytical Project which saved close to Rupees thirty lakhs for the company and thus received ‘The Best Project Award’. Being a part of Jagriti Yatra’08 proved to be a great source of inspiration following which I co-founded the Entrepreneurship Cell at my campus and led several programs under its aegis which includes running two campus companies. For this contribution, I received a scholarship from college to be a part of the Indian Delegation for the World Youth Congress held at Turkey.

Disruptive ideas with a high impact potential excite me and I love creating things out of nothing. I believe that God never gives you an idea without the power to make it come true.

Through a programme as unique as YIFP, I wish to take my ideas to the next level. If Steve Jobs, who was born out of wedlock, was put up for adoption at birth, dropped out of college but could change the world, we cannot really have any excuse.

Honey Pamnani
I am a law graduate from IIT, Kharagpur and an Electronics & Instrumentation Engineer from one of the oldest and most prestigious Devi Ahilya University of Madhya Pradesh.

Being an all round enthusiast, I won the intra-school Bournvita Quiz Contest and various prestigious debate competitions. I was awarded the Hindustan Times Pace-Outstanding Scholar’s award in Class X for academic excellence, enthusiastic involvement and achievements in extra-curricular activities and potential for leadership. I was among top 1 % candidates in State Pre-engineering entrance examination-2005.

While studying engineering I organized an electronics quiz and hosted cultural fests for three years. I continued this as the General Secretary-Hall (Social & Cultural) at IITKharagpur. I co-founded the IPR committee of IEEE-IIT Kharagpur and worked for the Legal aid facilitation division. I have been involved with various spiritual organisations and strongly advocate community service and human compassion.

I have been versatile in my choice of internships. I have worked at an anti-IP NGO, as an academic intern at IIM Bangalore and at law firms & MNCs during my LLB. I am a humble learner and look forward to learn and broaden my perspective in fields like economics, finance, climate change & humanities. My dream is to reach an influential position in a global set-up, and to strive to help and empower the underprivileged in India.

Shivangi Pareek
I trace my familial roots to Rajasthan. But owing to migration, generations ago, I have studied and stayed in and around Delhi all my life. After graduation in English Literature from Lady Shri Ram College, I went onto pursuing Masters in English Literature from Delhi University. Being a student of literature, I perhaps do not need to stress my interest in reading on a variety of subjects.I also have a keen interest in designing and hope to learn painting on a professional level at some point.

I was awarded a merit certificate by C.B.S.E. for being among the top 0.01% of the successful candidates in English language paper in A.I.S.S.C.E. I have also won several certificates and awards for participating in a range of competitionsincluding the meritorious ‘The Best Student’ award and a certificate for ‘All Round Participation’ for representing my school in various competitions. In 2004, I was selected for a month long educational summer program organized by The National Museum of Natural History. As a student at Lady Shri Ram College, I was the Core committee member of the Literary Society (Expressions) of college for two consecutive years and was awarded a college prize for meritorious contribution towards creative writing. During college, I also volunteered with some organizations, including KRITI, an organization that works for the education of underprivileged children and ‘Sadhana’, a commune based in Tamil Nadu working on organic farming and an afforestation project. Recently, I worked as a part of a team comprising of a few university students to renew ‘Literophile’, a journal that had been out of print for the last few years. ‘Literophile’ is now a popular and independent quarterly journal that promotes student research.

I wish to pursue research in the field of indigenous arts and handicrafts tradition of India. It is with a view to help conserve and sustain the artists and the artisans who constitute these traditions that I wish to model my research and an organization at a later point. With a vision to support artisans and also encourage creativity (as opposed to consumption), I wish to weave a new understanding of traditional crafts.

Sourav Poddar
I am an undergraduate in Biological Sciences and Bio-engineering from IIT Kanpur. At the end of my second year at IIT-K, I did an internship with MHFC India, a micro-housing finance company, and for the first time, I was able to realise the power of ideas. Education was something that I was always very passionate about, because I see it as a solution to lot of our social problems. In my third year, along with a couple of friends from IIT Bombay, I started a social campaign, with an aim to sensitize and mobilize school students to address education related issues in Bhopal. The campaign mobilised students from class seven to ten from elite schools of Bhopal. Each school adopted one or two Anganwadis (kindergarten school) and worked towards solving problems plaguing it. This campaign was awarded one of top five social ideas among fifty thousand other ideas at the ITC-Classmate Ideas for India Competition and at the Villgro Youth Innovator Awards. Encouraged by the success of our campaign, we then launched a monthly publication for school students with the aim to provide them with an awareness and exposure that is not available to students in tier II cities. We have managed to reach out to a thousand subscribers in the first year and plan to reach out to a lot more in the coming year. Creating a sustainable business that also targets a social problem is something that I aspire to do in the future.

Ayush Prasad
Born into a family of bureaucrats, I have grown up and studied in over 12 schools in Karnataka, Jammu & Kashmir, Delhi and Melbourne. I am an Electrical & Electronics Engineer from Manipal Institute of Technology and was working with TCS Innovation Labs at Bangalore for the last 20 months. I have worked in variety of media agencies including Print, Web and Radio. I am passionate inventing new technologies and have filed for 5patents. I have also been a debater. I aspire to be a business leader someday.

Karthik Purushothaman
If you’re viewing this profile, you’re probably looking for motivation. That, or statistics in general. That’s why you viewed the last profile. That’s why you’d check the next one. And this is me asking you to read to completion, for I might be the single most inspiring person you’d come across. Why?

“I’ve never lived the dream of the Prom Kings
or the Drama Queens,
I’d like to think the best of me
is still hiding up my sleeve...”

I’m Karthik Purushothaman, about 21 and an Aerospace Engineering graduate from IIT Madras. Which means I’ve passed courses, packed my bags and piled them over here at the YIFP. I’m all set to begin, just like you.

I’m a Table Tennis Player [once ranked in India] sent to mind-manufacture, who’s come out for a start-from-scratch. I’m a closet-musician who lives movies and wants to make one. And another. And another. And so on. Ambition, to me, is routine, while accomplishment is just another deadline met. And I will not wait for midlife crisis to rediscover passion— I’d rather chase seconds than wait for hours together. The intention is to ‘inspire by being’, to stretch the lines of life, to deconstruct living to be an exploit of joy even in deepest misery.

YIFP wasn’t an option. It’s not makeshift for IIM-rejection [I landed both Ahmedabad and Bangalore]. It’s not a hiatus vehicle. In a life of pursuit, the Young India Fellowship Programme is one. And this is me shouting ‘Action!’ as my clapboard snaps for the very first time.

Raghav Raghunathan
I have lived by the motto: 'Keep it intense, Keep it elegant, Keep it beautiful'. My passion in technology and material sciences led me to major in Metallurgical and Material Sciences from NITK Surathkal. One of the key learning experiences in NITK was being a summer research Fellow at the University of Birmingham at the Casting Research Centre on a project funded by Rolls Royce.

My interest in policy and economics lead me to work with Prof Vivek Moorthy, a macroeconomist under the RBI’s Young Scholar Scheme on monetary policy tools and inflation. My work here got published in an international journal.

During my internship at Milaap, a social enterprise, I got to experience various roles ranging from restructuring Milaap's online and mass media presence, to piloting key business development and outreach programmes. This resulted in several corporate partnerships apart from the founders being featured as Young Turks in CNBC-TV18. I contributed several articles under the need for better sanitation, enterprise development, and education which reflected the content and personality of Milaap's interventions.

I got to experience a transformational stint while at NITK where I had the opportunity to build EFOREA a 10 member student club strong, into a pan-India organisation. As the Chairman of the club I focussed on spreading entrepreneurial awareness from the roots and later lead the club into becoming the institute’s E-CELL by providing an international business plan event and mentorship platforms with NSRCEL, IIM B and funding from Dept. of Science and Technology. EFOREA today has incubated over 25 start-up ideas with several of them on the road to becoming established enterprises. My effort in opening a Techno Entrepreneurship Promotion Programme - a student funding facility for innovations in NITK bore fruits only after I followed up the issue with the Secretaries of DST and MHRD.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mangalore/Entrepreneurship-cell-praises-e-cell-in-National-Institute-of-Technology-Karnataka/opinions/13547343.cms

I also founded TechVentures, an industry institute interface that aims to crowd source techno-managerial solutions for SME industries by exposing students to industry based problems. This was rated as one of India’s best ventures by Tata Foundation and NEN.

http://www.bangaloremirror.com/article/73/201205082012050815040395363cdcc25/NITK-students%E2%80%99-firm-ranked-among-India%E2%80%99s-best-10.html

Working with Prof Rishikesha Krishnan inspired me to work towards creating a robust social and economic infrastructure to take India from being pioneers in ‘Jugaad’ to excelling in systemic innovation. I wish to use my collective experience in various areas in contributing to policy-making in the area of technology and entrepreneurship in consultation with the Government.

Rinju Rajan
I am an integrated masters graduate in Development Studies from the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras. I harbour a deep interest in the economics of urbanization, city planning and public policy. During my international summer internships, I learnt about various topics like climate change, green products management and business modelling for solar cells implementation in communities. Research in these areas and looking closely at the environment and society moulded me into a developmental scientist. I would attribute this to studying an arts degree in a technological institute. Being a foreign delegate at the Asian Youth Energy Summit (was one among the thirty chosen globally) opened a new arena for me to think and work towards projects on development planning and project appraisal.

Apart from academics, I am a trained dancer and choreographer for the past twenty years. I have mastered the following dance forms: Kathakali, Mohiniyattam, Bharatanatyam, Kuchipudi, Odissi, Manipuri and Kathak. In my life at IIT Madras, I led the largest team of events for the annual cultural festival Saarang in the year 2011. This taught me immensely about event management, team building and work ethics.

I am an unconventional yet versatile individual. I am passionate about every choice I have made in my life and I don’t believe in doing different things, but in doing things differently.

Bhavna Vijay Rajpal
“The city of dreams awaits you” – when one is greeted with this multi-hued beautiful signboard at the Mumbai airport, one is eventually inspired to dream in life, both literally and figuratively. Yes, I belong to that amazing city of dreams. And, when I bagged a gold medal for having topped in English Literature in my final year of Bachelors, at the state level, I realized that one is indeed born to dream big.

Passionate towards English language and literature, and a teacher by choice, I have been teaching and mentoring students of higher secondary school since four years now. During my college years, I developed a deep affinity towards the visually-challenged and over a period of five years, I rendered different services ranging from teaching, formulating and typing notes to running of awareness programmes at XRCVC (Xavier’s Resource Centre for the Visually Challenged). During the same time period, due to inexplicable circumstances, having to assist my father in his business – manage accounts in spite of belonging to a non-commerce background, learn to multi-task – has only churned me into a successful businesswoman today and has also taught me how team work can help one rise like a phoenix. Thereafter, I went to pursue a Masters in English Literature from The University of Leeds. Among many other amazing things, studying at Leeds gave me an opportunity to write and present research papers at different conferences.

On returning from England, I joined an International school in the suburbs of Bombay, as an English teacher. Being asked to train teachers to speak grammatically correct English along with the students there, re-affirmed my urge to change the existing pitiable state of English grammar among students. Knowing correct English grammar and speaking grammatically-correct English is the fuel on which the wagon of education runs. In my opinion, if this fuel itself is adulterated, it’ll stymie the smooth running of the wagon. And, that decisive moment to quit the school for a brighter dream awakened the leader in me.

Dr. A P J Abdul Kalam rightly underlines the importance of building a strong foundation in a child’s formative years, in You Are Born To Blossom – “Simple basics in education can carry a child to greater heights.” Being a go-getter, through YIFP’s exceptionally good mentoring and awe-inspiring curriculum, I wish to bring an iota of change in the Indian education system through this minuscule plan of English grammar training to the teachers in the remote suburbs of Mumbai. So that, these ‘guiding lights’ manage to themselves shine bright before leading the way for those whom they serve as pole stars.

Vijayaragavan Ramanujam
My life in a phrase: “Labor by birth, politician by thought, businessman by inheritance & entrepreneur by desire.” On graduating as a bachelor in aeronautical engineering, I worked with Ramco Systems Ltd. for 18 months in the role of a functional consultant in global aviation (maintenance) industry vertical. At Ramco, I had numerous opportunities where I applied skills nurtured by an engineering education in real time business. In addition to the above, there were a few other experiences at Ramco, which can best be explained by the term ‘Transformational’.

Recently, I gained confidence in my ability to successfully pursue my passion, which resulted in my quitting a well- paying job. I co-founded a private trust ‘Human Touch’ with the aim to provide under privileged rural “junior India”, counseling sessions for both career & mental health and also finance assistance in the form of scholarships. Realising the great prospects available for scaling up this humble initiative, I have come to the Young India Fellowship looking for perspectives.

I have also co-founded EDALL SYSTEMS (www.edall.co.in) along with a few engineering classmates, notably Mr. Pritam Ashutosh Sahu. At Edall, we aim to provide students with complete educational aids of the highest quality, anytime, anywhere.

In addition to the above, I have received a ‘Merit Certificate’ from CBSE, for scoring amongst the top 1% candidates in ‘Introduction to IT’ in the Senior Secondary board exams. I represented the state of Kerala in the 'VIIth Sub. Junior National Netball Championship' and have played several competitive sports at the state & higher level, such as Basketball, Equestrian & Yoga. I intend to scale up both my ventures to a size at which they benefit maximum younger generation globally. I would like to lead our nation into ‘the golden age’, in which entrepreneurship fosters development.

Thumu Pranay Reddy
An ex Indian air force, an alumnus of the National Defense Academy, and a graduate from Jawaharlal Nehru University, I was relieved from the services as an aviator on medical grounds to an injury attributable to military service.

I topped in English (western UP) in the ISC 2008 and earned AIR 73 in the UPSC (NDA entry) 2008 among the candidates selected for joining the ranks of IAF as a pilot. I always had a patriotic bent of mind and wanted to serve my country and hence joined the armed forces, besides I was passionate about aircrafts since my childhood. Thus, air force catered both – my passion as well as patriotism.

I had an impeccable time as a trainee pilot during my stay at the NDA. I trained myself as a seasoned horse rider, an avid golfer, pro sailor, a qualified lake swimmer, a champion angler, a prolific debater and quizzer and an acclaimed marksman.

I was a part of a delegation from NDA which visited INS Beas, ACC&S and IAF squadron Jamnagar.A whooping amount of INR 1.1 million was spent on my training at NDA which wasn’t put to any avail, hence I feel it is incumbent upon me to payback the same to my nation. Being in the armed forces,I was serving my nation and I promise I will continue to do so in a civilian mould.

Debanshu Roy
Hailing from the industrial town of Jamshedpur where engineering is the first choice of subject for most students, I was the rebel who chose medicine. But once at Grant Medical College, Mumbai, I realized that the application of knowledge is seamless and interdisciplinary. I designed vaccination plans for disturbed areas in India. I realized these were the epicenters of disease. Since they had no access to government control or immunization—this was preventing complete immunization of the country. I also conceived of the concepts of a perpetual blood bank, which would never run out of stock, auto disposable syringes and neuronal drug delivery systems.

Having worked in the department of emergency medicine at St Georges Hospital made me aware of precious timesaving intervention possible by the use of technology, IT and AI assisted diagnostics, etc. This is what presently occupies my interest.

I have an immense love for theatre. I was awarded the best speaker on multiple national level platforms. I was a member [and scriptwriter] for the college street-play team, and have been a quiz enthusiast.

I was also the joint secretary of our college magazine. And as the public relations head for the college festival, I took the [then regional] festival to a national level for the first time in the history of our 150 years’ old institution.

I have volunteered at NGOs like Umang, Apnalaya, The Magic Bus, and more recently, The Foundation. At Foundation, I helped prepare a bunch of children for their 10th board exams. It was a wonderful experience and set me thinking of eventually having an educational startup.

Soumit Saha
"A good traveler has no fixed plans and isnot intent on arriving." –LaoTzu.

My life is defined by the experiences I have had and the ones I have created. It struck me long back that I would not live the only life I have, by doing whatI don’t like. BITS Pilani has been the best four years so far. One of thetoppers of my batch, I have worked on Energy Audits, Wind Turbines, With Greenpeaceand Genpact, started a Campus Radio station, did travel-portrait photography – all these diverseactivites, only in search of the right fit. And I feel the journey needsthis last leg at YIFP.

An urbanupbringing with great schooling, academically brilliant and open-minded family and carrying many dreams, I am an engineer, a photographer, a radio jockey, ajournalist, a traveler and an ardent foodie.I still feel that I have barelyscratched the surface of my life. Great adaptability defines me. Every problemis an avenue to improve and learn.My life’spassion is to live many lives in one. I wishto get married to the love of my life and to retire as the head chef of myown restaurant.

Namrata Saraogi
A need for continuous learning has been an integral part of me. I believe it’s not just the theoretical knowledge, but also the application of it, which makes the experience of learning complete.

After completing my post-graduation in Economics from University College London (UCL), I acquired enriching work experience as an intern with the Planning Commission under the Development Policy Division. During my stint, I worked on projects like Direct Cash Transfers (a project initiated by Nandan Nilekani) and the National Food Security Bill, 2011. I was also a part of the group involved in the making of the Twelfth Five-Year Plan (2012-2017). I was fortunate enough to work closely with the top-level policy makers of the country and contribute, in a small way, to the development of the nation.

As an undergraduate, I also had a brief stint at PricewaterhouseCoopers, one of the top consulting firms in the world.

My aim is to reach an influential position in the world of research and policymaking and, thereby contribute to the society in a positive way. I believe that YIFP, through its curriculum, would be able to provide me with the entrepreneurial skills needed to groom me into a socially conscious leader.

Poornima Sardana
Having grown up on a plethora of narratives, I decided to take them seriously. My graduation in Communication Design from NIFT, New Delhi exposed me to the means of doing so – be it visual, aural or multi-sensorial. I delved into the world of comics and graphic novels academically, under the wide umbrella of storytelling. This ran parallel to explorations and consequent creations such as scripts, illustrations, video documentation, tools, academic papers etc. which I consistently worked upon.

Design further taught me to be sensitive to contexts and varying perceptions. While researching on the prevalence and influence of child sexual abuse as part of my graduation project, my faith in narratives was strengthened along with my interest in the role of education system. My internship at KATHA (New Delhi) and a project with Dragonfly Innovations (U.S.A.) chiseled my approach with a focus on expression and empowerment. An internship with Happily Unmarried (New Delhi) introduced in my work the element of humour. My recent interaction with NGO Chetna (Ahmedabad) helped me discover the role of empathy, be it advocacy in public policy or a communication tool for awareness.

Moving from academics, I travel to explore the pluralities around me and be sensitive to different contexts and perceptions. I have been lucky enough to have some thrilling and memorable experiences with the fauna around me and wish to utilize this empathy constructively. I write to express what I comprehend and draw to illustrate the written word. I am embarking on flute lessons; I would be thrilled to perform in theatre. I am experimenting with my culinary desires and wish to combine different forms of storytelling and skills with an understanding that can joust between the objective and the subjective. I hope to carve an enriched and reasoned path through the experiences at the Young India Fellowship Programme.

Shubhang Sreenivas Setlur
Born in Ahmedabad and brought up in Bangalore amidst a truly multicultural environment, I graduated from Gujarat National Law University with an honors degree in Law and Commerce in 2011. Prior to the YIFP, I was engaged as a legal associate with the law firm, Lakshmikumaran and Sridharan.

I love law for what it is, and am passionate about everything to do with law, with no boundaries of specialization binding me within it. I had the unique opportunity of being selected as a research assistant to the Indian member of the International Law Commission, United Nations at its 63rd session. I was involved in conducting research on drafts pertaining to International Law being discussed at the commission, thereby, aiding in formulating India’s comments at the commission. Being involved in contributing to India’s stance at a global forum was an enriching and enthralling experience and has left a long standing impact on me. I realized that given the global canvas that it offers, International Law and International relations have fascinated me from a young age.

I am passionate about writing. My essay on urban reforms based on my internship experience at Janaagraha made it to the ‘List oftop 230 authors’ at the 2008 World Bank Essay Writing Competition. Apart from this, I headed the college review, The GNLU Law Review, as its Editor in Chief and oversaw its journey to International acclaim. Experiences about law school and the law in general, was put forth by me through my popular blogging handle on Legallyindia, a legal news website. At the college level, I was actively involved in mooting, debating, article writing and paper presentations and had secured several accolades for college including winning the only International moot on arbitration in India.

I believe thatYIFP can shape an individual to be of tangible relevance to the society that we live in. Especially, for someone with varied interest areas like me,YIFP will play a determinative role in harnessing and developing these multiple facets. In this regard, the finesse and the expertise gained atYIFP can help me become a comprehensive legal practitioner who can successfully serve interests in India and abroad. In the long run, I aim to represent India at global forums and serve Indian interests at International organizations.

Bhavya Sharma
A Chartered Accountant (CA) by profession and a commerce graduate from Jesus & Mary College (Delhi University), I had been employed with KPMG for over three years. This educational and professional journey has been one which has demanded extreme discipline and perseverance, making these attributes an inherent part of my being.

My passion for reading can be summed up in the words of Harper Lee, “I do not love to read, one does not love breathing”. Books have been my vehicle to explore diverse ideas and times and encouraged me to challenge the mundane. I am equally passionate about dancing and truly believe that dance conveys expression as powerfully as the pen. Other interests include travelling extensively and event management.

Besides my profession, have been deeply involved in causes which help elevate the quality of living today. Whether it was the “each one-teach one” programme during my undergraduate days, the “Clean Yamuna” movement by the Art of Living or the “Tree plantation” drives by KPMG – have been enthusiastically involved in such initiatives.

My life thus far has followed the beaten path, but now I am keen to explore the road less travelled and challenge myself yet again – albeit in diverse disciplines.

Garima Shekhar
My quest for knowledge began the day my parents sent me to Welham Girls School, Dehradun. Being sent to a boarding school at the age of ten, I learnt how to take independent decisions early in life. Welham immensely focused on my all round development, thus laying the seeds for my future achievements. From learning how to hold a tennis racket correctly to spending Wednesday afternoons with the children at Mother Teresa’s Orphanage, I tried to engage myself in as many activities as I could.

I was awarded the Khandelwal Shield by my school for securing the highest aggregate in the ISC examination. The Academic Excellence Award for securing the first position in the board examination was bestowed on me by the Governor of Uttrakhand. I was also awarded School Colours in Academics in 2008 for displaying persistent academic prowess. I was also given the Faculty Trophy for ‘Sustained Academic Excellence’ in the Science Stream. I was awarded the Mahindra Search for Talent Scholarship for securing the first rank in 2007. I also played Table Tennis at intra-school, district, zones and state levels. I was adjudged ‘Nation’s top 1%’ in the National Standard Examination in Physics [also known as the Physics Olympiad].

I moved to Delhi to study economics at my undergraduate level in Lady Shri Ram College. At the same time I also did a certificate course in Russian from the Slavonic & Finno-Ugrian Studies department at University of Delhi. I used this time to understand what I really want from life. I want to push the boundaries made by culture and society and understand the raw elements that constitute human existence.

Ashweetha SA
From my very childhood, I have aspired to be an IAS officer since I am able to visualize a great opportunity to serve the people of my motherland through the civil services. The public library has been the biggest source of inspiration for me and the book that I have read, refined my thoughts and givesme the stamina to excel. Being a woman, from an orthodox Hindu family and hailing from a very rural background, education was perceived as a far-fetched fantasy for me. However, I have pursued the same through my persistent efforts.

I believe that the objective of education is to make a man complete in all respects and I am fortunate that I have studied in schools and colleges which impart human values.Education has bestowed uponme the sense of compassion, fraternity, social responsibility and adds values to my dreams.

With active encouragement from my family and my teachers, I represented my school and college in various competitions and programmes wherein I won a lot of prizes and praise for my dedicated efforts. I was awarded the best outgoing student award in my college for my academic excellence and active participation in co-curricular activities.I am an avid reader and writer, and regularly contribute essays, short stories, verses to regional, school and college magazines.

Being a school pupil leader in my secondary school days and secretary of the Tamil literary association in higher secondary days and the coordinator of many programmes in college instilled more and more confidence in me to develop my potential as a "leader”. My self-imbibed obligation to serve the society spurred me to volunteer in various activities like NSS, YRC, and blood donation camps.

I believe firmly that real satisfaction lies in serving people selflessly and I love to work with people for the sake of the people. It is the sacred duty of every personto help the people who are in need, but what is really worrying is that people are afraid of the government machinery. I feel that there is a need to give everyone a patient hearing and I am looking forward to creating a system that will aid the common man.

YIFP is a dream opportunity for a person like me who has hadminimalaccess to technology, high quality learning and limited monetary resources. I am confident of getting into the civil servicesand I am sure that the YIFP will broaden my perspectives and avenues to chase after my dream career, and make me as an agent of positive and qualitative change in this society.

Kartikey Shukla
I come from Maharajganj district in Uttar Pradesh. I completed my BA (hons) in Social Work with a specialisation in Rural Development from Tata Institute of Social Sciences [School of Rural development] Tuljapur, Maharashtra. Since my early years I have been drawn to a peaceful and sustainable Rural Development model.

I always have been a part of Grassroots community development planning and social services. I was a scout volunteer for four years and was awarded by the Governor and also received a President’s award.

Indian Social Stratification has always struck me as unique. I have presented many papers on different social issues at various academic institutions. I studied as an Erasmus Mundus Scholar at Lund University in Sweden for a semester.

I have done various campaigns in Rural Marathwada as part of my field work. The duration of field work was six months in a three year term. I am presently interning with the National Horticulture Research Development Foundation at Nashik.

I have travelled and worked with different tribal communities in the North East and in the tribal belt of Central India. I believe that Education, Social Entrepreneurship and Youth Development can change the face of Rural India.

Monika Shukla
Born in Bhilai steel city, I was raised with the ‘utmost dedication to academics’ - philosophy. Though keeping my academic as my top priority, I enthusiastically involved myself in other activities such as the Science Olympiads, National level quizzes and pursued calligraphy and choreography on the side. I relinquished the offer from Bangalore Medical College, to earn a Bachelor’s degree in Instrumentation Engineering from IIT, Kharagpur. A splendid span of four years as a silver medalist at the premier institute followed by two years as a technologist at Goldman Sachs Group Inc. presented me with the best of both worlds for learning, earning and growing.

I have been constantly engaging my passion for social causes, environment sensitization or even stirring the Indian educational scenario by promoting composting in my hometown, teaching the underprivileged and differently abled, fundraising and marketing their homespun products, conceptualizing and executing tree-plantation drives in my local organisations. I have also tried to instill the same spirit in others in the process. I aspire to embark upon a journey to put these pieces together toward a greater social good as a grass-root entrepreneur.

Mallika Sridhar
Having strongly believed and always been encouraged to be an all-rounder, I have been the recipient of numerous awards in school and college for my endeavours in music, theatre, public speaking, writing, art and sport. My passion and perseverance to achieve all of these tasks to finesse, is helping me mature into a holistic person. It has impelled me to diversify and take my talents to all, believing it will bring joy and enlightenment.

A science student, Vice Head Girl, a mathematics topper and having been awarded the ‘Pratibha Puraskar’ by the Delhi Government, I went on to pursue my Engineering at Cummins College of Engineering for Women, in Pune. At the institute, which was a venture started by Bharat Ratna awardee Maharshi Karve, I contributed to the college and hostel’s sanstha community. I went on to become the lead western vocalist and this very foundation in music, gave me the wonderful opportunity to be a part of the annual Christmas celebrations at the Rashtrapati Bhawan for four consecutive years, where I interacted with the then presidents of India KR Narayanan, Dr A P J Abdul Kalam and many other dignitaries. Being the English editor for the college, I had the opportunity to interact with Prof Douglas Osheroff, the Nobel Laureate for Physics, who gave me a great insight into his life and works.

I also had the opportunity to pursue my passion - theatre, in a musical drama competition amongst the colleges in Pune by participating in prize winning roles in the English adaptation of the French play, “Miser” by Moliere and the famous Firodia Karandak.

As a student, I was an active writer with my articles published in leading newspapers such as the Times of India, editorial- The Brief Case. I also maintain a blog where I occasionally post my thoughts.

I have been working as a telecom engineer in Ericsson for the past two years and on the side, teach underprivileged children at the Noida Lok Manch.

I envision a country where women and children are empowered and a country where there is technological advancement with sensitivity to ecology. I am sure that the fellowship programme will mould and enable me to realise this dream, by helping me amalgamate my talents and abilities along with a great academic learning.

Pavithra Srinivasan
A woman, a writer, a dreamer, a wannabe anthropologist, a Chennai-ite, an aspiring journalist – there are many phrases I enjoy trying on me to describe what I see myself as. My name is Pavithra Srinivasan, and I am all of these and more. A student of English Literature from Lady Shri Ram College, University of Delhi and a Print Journalism student from Asian College of Journalism, Chennai, I come from a family that considers a sound education system the one remedy to every malaise in society. At the Young India Fellowship Programme, I hope to bring my love for words, my armchair anthropology, and my boundless idealism together to understand how best to nudge our current education system towards that malaise-remedying ideal. My investigative report at ACJ involved analysing the precarious state of Humanities education at the Higher Secondary level in Chennai’s State Board schools. Based on my findings, I cannot wait to begin looking at the best possible ways to revitalize Humanities at the level of the school.

Adityaraman Sriraman
The journey of being a programmer, to a consultant and then a school teacher has been diverse and humbling. I have been extremely fortunate to have the chance to learn from all these experiences in such a short span of time.

The past two years for me have been nothing short of incredible and inspiring. These two years have seen me as a Teach for India fellow in a low income municipal school, an experience that has shaped so much of who I have become today. Teaching a set of wonderful kids has been a privilege – and it is teaching these kids that has in turn, taught me. As the saying goes, you teach best when you most need to learn – and I've learned a great deal.

Thirteen students displayed great mastery, coming within the top 2000 ranks in the city in the International Math Olympiad. Other students were deeply invested in their own interests – but there were also a handful of students who have shown little or no improvement in these two years. The reasons for this are several and varied, and these children run a high risk of dropping out. However, even the kids who do exceptionally well are neither provided opportunities an average school gives to its students. The reasons are many, the path ahead is long, but I hope to work someday towards addressing the issue in education.

Selected to intern at Mckinsey and Company for the summer – As part of the project, I learned how a truly large scale project can really transform our government systems.

Prior to this experience, I worked abroad for Gemalto(formerly Schlumberger Axalto) and was recognised for my work there.

I graduated from BMS College of Engineering in Bangalore, and enjoyed playing an active role in cultural activities – mainly in the music and quiz teams.

I honestly believe each one of us in this world has the ability to make a difference, to whatever capacity our mind, body and skills allow us to do so. All we need is a little faith and and a whole lot of time. Change isn't quick or easy. But even when you're stumbling – you're still moving forward. And moving forward with honest intent and faith, is what I believe in the most.

Prashast Srivastava
“Instead of cursing the darkness, why don’t we light a lamp?” – This quote from one of my textbooks in school, still remains with me, inspiring me to be a driver of change. After my graduation from BITS-Pilani in 2009, I was working with John Deere as a Graduate Engineering Trainee. However, I realized that my interest was not in the field and hence, I quit my job. This gave me enough free time and I had an opportunity to read about Mahatma Gandhi.

“My life is my message.” – These words by Gandhi have always inspired me. One does not need to do miracles to give out a message; a simple life based on strong values is enough. They have helped me realize the importance one needs to put in, making sure every day of your life counts. I have, therefore, always strived to learn something from every situation I have been in. Every single instance of success and failure I have encountered, I have ensured that I get something out of it. This willingness to learn, to patiently face success and failure, to make every day worthwhile, has been a constant source of motivation for me.

Shweta Subbaraman
A typical day in Hyderabad starts with the morning call for prayer, the flutter of pigeons in the mosque, the sweet smell of Irani chai and the gentle breeze that soothes the rocky terrain of the Deccan. Blossoming in the hues and the spirit of the city, I have been fortunate enough to have the time and opportunity to watch life unravel delicately, a very self-fulfilling journey in itself.By virtue of being brought up in a household where character building is given more predominance than material achievements, I have had the freedom to explore my interests in classical dance, music and art which have played a pivotal role in shaping my personality.

After passing out from school with Art as one of the main subjects, I decided to pursue my interest in a reputable design school. A year after completion, circumstances brought me back home to Hyderabad. What I shelved as a profession, I continued to pursue in a holistic fashion by teaching Art to small children. That was my first exposure to knowing that age had very little to do with creativity.College life has been fulfilling. Besides management education, I have been involved in a host of activities starting from being a part of the choir, a member of the Internal Quality Assurance Cell, the Google Campus Ambassador and also a keen participant of an NGO dealing with human rights.

The most important learning for me has been the amalgamation of art and management. I have begun to understand the importance of addressing situations creatively, but with a process orientation.I hope to live with an undying passion for life with a very conscious remembrance of a beautiful saying – “Fret not where the road will take you. Instead concentrate on the first step. That’s the hardest part and that’s what you are responsible for. Once you take that step let everything do what it naturally does and the rest will follow. Do not go with the flow. Be the flow.”

Neelakshi Tewari
I have been a Googler, President of the Hindu College Debating Society, Correspondent of DU Beat – the Campus Newspaper and the ‘College Administrative Process Expert’ amongst my college mates. I love good food, books, and stationery. I am interested in education, business, debating, doing events and analyzing ‘systems’. After graduating in Literature in 2011, I joined Google to satisfy my curiosity about corporate ‘systems’ by learning about them first hand. As President of the college Debating Society, I was responsible for the 8thPremchand Memorial International Parliamentary Debate, an event attended by 150 participants from all over the sub-continent.

I believe that freedom is the highest of all values and essential to being human. I also believe that consistency and integrity in a leader’s vision, is essential to the success of any undertaking. What pains me is the state of our education system today and the fact that we have to battle it to remain critical-thinking individuals with holistic visions and idealistic notions about the world. I would love to change that.

At YIFP, I want to learn from my peers, study the world and engage with it. I want to prepare myself for the challenges that being a thinking, critical individual with a conscience will inevitably bring.

Harsh Mani Tripathi
I was always fascinated by intelligent systems. Hence I pursued electrical and electronics engineering at SRM University, Chennai. Soon after joining college, Robotics and Embedded systems caught my attention. I started learning these technologies and participated in numerous national level robotics competitions. I also won many of these competitions. I brainstormed India's first ‘all robotics’ national level techfest, Robolympix, and became the coordinator for this event in my first year.

While providing training to other engineering students I realised that there is a huge gap between the skills that industry requires and the ones being taught to them. My childhood dream of becoming an entrepreneur materialized in my second year when I co-founded CatSystems in January 2010, which later took the form of Vilikh Technologies Pvt Ltd, with the aim of providing training in the fields of embedded systems and robotics to budding engineers. Under Vilikh Technologies I set up an e-commerce portal for providing the best embedded computing tools to fulfill the need of researchers, hobbyists and engineers.

With the purpose of expanding the e-commerce portal and initiating joint research and development in the areas of embedded systems and robotics, I partnered with four companies—two in USA and one each in Korea and Italy. I worked on commercially viable projects like a two wheel balancing robot, networking robots and interactive robotic toys with my US counterparts. I also worked with my Korean partners on implementing networking protocols using hardwired TCP/IP stacks for embedded computing applications.

Through Vilikh Technogies I went on to promote the novel concept of open source hardware and trained around 350 budding engineers in embedded systems design using open source hardware. Under Vilikh I guided many engineering interns to carry out various technical projects in the areas of their interest. It was an honour to deliver guest lectures at two renowned universities in Chennai. I served as the Convenor of the Entrepreneurship Cell of my college and helped organize a number of related events.

In January 2011, I was recognised as one of the best student entrepreneurs in the country by the National Entrepreneurship Network and was awarded the prestigious IBM-NEN First Dot Award.

I have a strong desire to bring positive change and I want my work to benefit the masses and create a large-scale impact on the society. I have always longed to be a change agent and live a purposeful life for society.

Aarushi Uboweja
Though I’ll graduate with a degree in Civil Engineering from Delhi College of Engineering this year, my interests include language, moral philosophy, poetry and economics. It was in the multitudes of DPS R. K. Puram, my alma mater that I developed an abiding love for language; where I realized that one of the most exciting things about learning something new is the perception of how we use words to communicate what we think; where I stared writing.

I was awarded the Junior Science Talent Search Examination scholarship by the Government of Delhi in 2006. I have also had a paper published on ‘Low Cost Materials for Housing Construction and Earthquake Engineering’ at the eighth Asian Seismological Commission General Assembly held in Vietnam in 2010.

I was a Co-President of the Poetry Club at DPS R. K. Puram. At school, I also published two articles in the Hindustan Times. During my internship with Hindustan Times-Mint, I authored six articles in the paper. I assist my father’s accountancy firm in drafting technical proposals to international organizations such as UNDP and UN Women, several of which have been accepted. I have also worked in the UNDP Delhi Office in the capacity of an HR consultant.

I want to take this one year to learn as much as I can and to reflect critically upon my own suppositions.

Bhawana Upadhyay
After completing my graduation in Metallurgical Engineering from IIT Madras, I opted for a road less travelled and entered the domain of public service. I invested a good part of my post-graduate year in studying the nuances of public policy-making, reforms in the education sector and women’s empowerment, together with subjects like economics, polity and public administration. I’m currently working with MAKE A DIFFERENCE, an organization engaged in empowering underprivileged children through education and career awareness workshops.

An early exposure to various projects with the National Commission for Women gave me a better understanding of our social structures. It also gave me hope that we do in fact have the power to make a difference. I was felicitated by the Madhya Pradesh Governor for the work I did with the NCW.

I was the coordinator of Quality Management System of the ISO certified technical festival of my institute and this honed my administrational skills. As the event coordinator of the Cultural festival, I managed the biggest professional choreography show witnessing a footfall of over 10000 people.

My extra-curricular endeavours include dance and sports. I was awarded a Senior Diploma in Kathak by Prayag University, Allahabad and was judged as the best female dancer of my college for three years in a row. I also co-founded the Institute’s first dance club, which won the SaarangChoreo Night ’07 &’08 and has nurtured some of the finest dance talent in Chennai. I also represented my institute in athletics at Inter-IIT Sports Meets and won a Gold medal in Track events.

I feel YIFP will act as a portal for an exchange of ideas, which will in turn help us fine-tune our perspectives, induce pragmatism in us and enhance our leadership capabilities. I see this fellowship as a chance to motivate myself to achieve the highest standards of performance, thereby instilling professionalism, industrious work ethics and holistic growth.

Saransh Vaswani
How hard is it to explain to your family that you want to be a social entrepreneur? It is a challenge when youcome from a family that has never ventured into the field of entrepreneurship, a father working as a Chief Medical Officer, a mother working as a dietician and a brother who is a Marine Engineer. Then again, if one looks at the same situation, it turns out to be the perfect setting for me to be what I want to be, since all my family members expect nothing specific out of me, resulting in a complete freedom of choice.

I am from Jhansi where I completed my entire schooling, after which I graduated in Computer Science from Hansraj College, University of Delhi. I was involved with a political theatre group called JANAM as a street artist for two years during my college years. I likeproducing and watching films, composing songs and writing poems.

I joined the Gandhi fellowship program for two years after my graduation and engaged in building capacity ofheadmasters working in government schools in an attempt to transform them into school leaders. During the various phases of the fellowship, which varied from teaching kids of primary classes in a village, toliving there with the community, I have realised how important it isto find solutions to social problems and now have a strong inclination towardsbringing about social change.

Radhika Melethil Vivekanandan
“When you want something, the entire universe conspires in helping you to achieve it”.

I approach life in a way that I cherish each and every moment in my life. I pursued a five year integrated course in Computer Science from Pondicherry University. The course had an added privilege of Mathematics and Statistics. Also, during the course period, I always made sure that I took an extra subject from a different domain. Finally, I ended up trying to learn a bit of Thermodynamics, Ecological Anthropology, French and Ecology to name a few.

My first break in research was when I was selected for the summer research fellowship by Indian Academy of Sciences. I was working with Prof. Peeyush Chandra in the area of Mathematical Modeling at IITK (Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur). In the successive year I was awarded SURGE (Summer Undergraduate Research Grant for Excellence) by IITK. This period paved to work on developing a mathematical model for the Heroin drug users. The developed model was presented in MMIP-2011 held at NIT Calicut and the same was published by Macmillan Publishers.

I was involved in organizing seminars, conferences and led a pivotal role in the All India Computer Science students meet – ‘Recursion’10’. On the extracurricular side, I was active in conducting and participating in various quiz programmes. I also have the experience of anchoring in cultural fests and participating in debates. For a short period, I was working with Pupil bay- an online educational venture as a subject expert. I have interest in managerial aspects, literature and music. I have also been learning music for the past fifteen years and have performed at various concerts as well. At the Young India Fellowship, I feel that the management and subject skills in me can be developed and I wish to spread the knowledge within me in a fruitful way.

A. M. Shodhan Babu
An internship with Human Rights Law Network (HRLN), where I helped formulate a dossier of RTI cases for the layman, researched on a model whistle-blower law, and participated in a survey of 21 villages displaced by the Bhakra-Nangal Project, woke me up to the vast scope for improvement in our democracy.

I also interned with a senior counsel of the Supreme Court and a part-time member of the Law Commission, and inter alia researched on honour killings. The abolition of Sati was taken as a parallel and similar measures were suggested. My other internships have been in the areas of commercial law, litigation and alternate dispute resolution.

I will be graduating from Symbiosis Law School, where I was a member of the co-curricular committee and the head of the extra-curricular committee. I was instrumental in starting Symbhav, our college festival, and in three years ensuring that it became the largest festival in Pune in terms of participation and sponsorship.

I believe astounding results can be achieved by hard work, innovation and vision. We, as a society, have to ensure that we bring out the potential of individuals for individual betterment and the betterment of our social order.

Adhiraj Sarmah
A B.Com. (Honours) graduate with a major in marketing management from St. Xavier’s College, Kolkata, I was working with Nestle India Ltd. before being selected for the Young India Fellowship. I was managing the Nestle Professional Business Group, including vending, food services and alternate trade channels, for Orissa.

I have always been into sports. I completed the Bronze standard of the International Award for Young People – Duke of Edinburgh (2002) and was selected Sportsman of the Year in school (2005).

My life’s most enriching experience has been the three years of professional football that I played in Kolkata and leading the Calcutta Football Club as captain in the 1st Division Sahara Football League (2008). I feel playing in a highly competitive league alongside immensely motivated professionals can inspire you in a way little else can.

Zinedine Zidane, one of the world’s greatest footballers, once said: “On that day I realised that if you believe … everything is possible.” This statement has been a defining and guiding principle in my life. I can say with great pride that I believe in my passion for football, in myself and in my desire to contribute to the world through sport.

Ahana Sood
Born in the City of Joy and raised all over India (courtesy parents serving in the armed forces), I believe it’s unfair to state that I belong to only Himachal Pradesh. As a child, I was fascinated by the subtle art of treating people’s taste buds. So much so, that even as a 7-year-old, I was known for my cheese omelettes!

Instead of academic accolades, I would like to showcase a side of me that cannot be captured by merit certificates or similar pieces of paper.

Now, the intangibles of the world interest me – perhaps that’s why travelling to uncharted territories is quintessential. From the Rann of Kutch to the Bay of Bengal, from the Kangra Valley to the Western Ghats, travelling whetted my appetite of exploring and learning. Geography and history lessons don’t compare when you take a first-hand look at Shah Jahan’s epic love for Mumtaz or stroll across the salt desert.

The Indian economics story has always fascinated me. I presented a paper on the economic reforms of 1991 while at high school.

I completed my graduate studies from Chandigarh. It was here, while at college, that I got associated with the Red Ribbon Society and got enmeshed in the battle against the stigma attached to the HIV virus and its victims. Post college in 2009, in quest of living the corporate dream, I took up my first job with Barclays. A year later, I decided to take a sabbatical to pursue interests that I had overlooked - travel and the culinary arts. I got an opportunity to intern under a professional pastry chef for five months and can clearly state that being a culinary expert is no cakewalk!

After a year of rediscovering myself, reliving my strengths, my weaknesses, my best and my worst, I am ready to be a part of the coveted league of 50 young Indians who are raring to go and bring about change – the need of the hour!

Alpana Srivastava
A civil engineer from Birla Institute of Technology, Mesra, Ranchi, I topped my degree course and was awarded a gold medal. I went on to work with a leading iron and steel company.

An avid reader, creative writer, amateur photographer and a poet at heart, I have always been involved with extra-curricular activities. I was the co-president of the college photography club and wrote for the college newsletter and magazine. I was involved with the National Service Scheme, working on rural literacy programmes and blood donation camps.

I believe that actions speak. Aware of my responsibility towards the environment, my major areas of work (as a part of my final year project) included development of alternative sources of energy and prediction of emissions from a cement plant.

I believe in result-oriented strategies. I have recently developed an interest in capital markets and am currently pursuing a course (NCFM) offered by National Stock Exchange (NSE).

As I love to explore and learn, I am – during my time as a Young India Fellow – looking forward to learning a lot of things, interacting with mentors, classmates and teachers, and hoping to make a difference.

Akanksha Gulia
A strong believer in Mahatma Gandhi’s words “Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will”, I recently graduated with an engineering degree from Jaypee Institute of Information Technology, Noida.

Passionate about writing and the environment, I started writing for Delhi Greens, an environmental NGO, and learnt about the implications of the changing environment on people. I then joined Youth Leader India magazine, a UNESCO project, to spread awareness on Millennium Development Goals. This led to my being chosen as one of the six Indians who received the United Nations Online Volunteering Award 2010. As a part of magazine team, I interact with people and write stories of positive change. I am also freelancing for Down to Earth, a science and environment fortnightly.

From a scholarship to attend Shiv Khera’s Blue Print for Success in 2008, getting selected for the first Urban Habitat Forum Fellowship 2009, participating in YUVA Meet 2010 , being a British Council International Climate Champion, being chosen for the 3rd Annual International Climate Champions Camp 2011 to organizing TEDx Ludhiana 2011, I have been actively involved in youth leadership, environment and entrepreneurship activities.

I believe we need to draft a wide range of visionary plans, policies and practices around a new social paradigm to achieve the goal of sustainability. I want to work on bridging the gap between designed practices and their implementation. I am keen to develop business solutions and create sustainable opportunities for our people, causing as little harm as possible to our environment.

Akanksha Shrivastava
I graduated as an accessory design graduate from National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT), India’s premier fashion institute. My bureaucrat father and philanthropist mother were the first role models of my life. My father made it a point to expose us to a different culture every year. By the time I was 25 years old, I had travelled to 25 states and union territories. I attribute a lot of my personal success to the knowledge, exposure and vision gained through my travels.

Soon after my stint at NIFT, I joined Tanishq as a core team member of the international business division. The entrepreneurial role helped hone my skills in market research, new product development, project co-ordination and crisis management. At Tanishq, I was awarded the Moment of Fame award for Exceptional Design in the US Project.

Stimulated by this valuable work experience, I launched my own design consultancy. The first project I did was in collaboration with Roopa Vohra, a couture designer, and involved working towards preservation of traditional jewellery techniques. For another project, I helped develop a line to launch a Hong Kong-based manufacturer in India.

Meanwhile, I got a chance to give back to my alma mater. I was conferred the task of teaching the nuances of design to current NIFT students. A few months later, I realised that as I taught them, I was learning and evolving everyday as a creative professional. My sojourn at NIFT broadened my vision and instilled the desire to bring about a change.

I decided to pursue my first love that had to my design degree in the first place – the splendid crafts of India. Simultaneously I began consulting for Ekriti, became a part of the founding team and set forth on a mission to try and positively influence society through this venture.

Ambesh Tiwari
An engineer by education and a media person by choice, I belong to Bhopal. I love travelling and meeting new people, interests that are aptly supported by my profession.

I have been hosting quizzes over the past two years. Over time, I developed content for three television game/quiz shows. I feel I gained enormous experience in understanding the mind of the Indian audience as each of them targeted a different audience. I led the team organising Inquizitive, Madhya Pradesh’s biggest college quiz. I was also a part of a quiz show that included Shah Rukh Khan as host. Working with such a big star was like a dream come true.

I have been instrumental in the development of university smart cards, which are on the same lines as Universal Identification (UID) cards. This project helped me learn a lot about executing ground activities and being responsible.

Honesty is a virtue that has been inculcated in me since childhood and is at the root of everything I do. People like Dr. Prannoy Roy, Siddharth Basu and Steve Jobs inspire me. In the future, I would love to run my own media house.

Ambika Ghuge
I wish to pursue a life and a career that allows me to be as creative, independent and diversified as I wish to be, while also giving me an opportunity to contribute to society in very tangible terms.

I’m passionate about entrepreneurship and am currently a partner in an integrated hatchery and poultry production unit in one of the poorest districts of Orissa. I dream big, but I realise that both passion and practical approach are necessary to fulfil my dreams. I have, therefore, taken small steps to gain entrepreneurial experience since my college days by founding the Entrepreneurship Cell, doing a short course in entrepreneurship, and experimenting with environmental business as one of British Council’s International Climate Champions and as an intern with World Wildlife Fund for Nature-India.

I treat life as one big adventure, and have learnt to treat challenges as opportunities. I never hold myself back from doing what I love; for me, the stakes are never too high if I am pursuing my dreams. I trust people and I am patient with others, for I always believe that behind everybody is an untold story.

My academic training may be in economics and finance, but I hope to have learnt a whole lot more during my time as a Young India Fellow.

Ankita Shirodariya
A traveler at heart, a teacher by passion and a zealous economics student with a flair for languages, I am basically a dreamer. My interests led me to secure diplomas in French, Spanish and Japanese along with a degree in economics and honorary degrees in French literature and economics from St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai. I feel the only way to know a culture is to learn their language.

At 16, I started teaching phonetics and grammar at the Fun Learning Academy. Later, I started giving tuitions in French and Japanese. I used the money I made to supplement and continue various academic pursuits. It is a great feeling to have achieved financial independence at my age.

I have undertaken a few courses in hypnotherapy. Becoming aware of my own reactions, I gained a new perspective that allowed me to understand people better. I believe that “If you have a problem with a person behaving in a certain manner that you don’t agree to, the problem is yours and you have to work on yourself”.

My will to succeed against all odds has seen me through so far, and I am confident that it will continue to aid me in all my endeavours.

Ankur Tulsian
As a student mentor at IIT Bombay, I co-led the initiative to set up the Freshman Forum - a knowledge portal for new entrants. I took ownership of the task and ensured consistent flow of information, helping freshmen integrate into the vibrant campus life. The forum saw over 1.5 lakh page views in the two months of its uptime and was appreciated by the media.

During my tenure as the marketing manager for Radiance, the institute’s mechanical engineering festival, I insisted on the highest standards of organisation to expand the scope of the festival. To facilitate expansion, I envisaged and executed a new marketing strategy, adapting it dynamically to suit market demands. The garnered sponsorship (Rs. 7 lakh) was the highest for any department festival. I was also the chief editor of MEME, the department newsletter. For my contributions to the department, I was awarded the Overall Outstanding Undergraduate of the Mechanical Engineering Class of 2011 award.

During my internship with Morgan Stanley, I demonstrated self-motivation by working independently without deadlines. I structured the project execution, setting short-term targets that enabled me to develop the application in time.

I am passionate about writing. I maintain a personal blog and am a freelance writer for InstaMedia and Digit. I also like travelling and photography. Recently, I went across the country on the Tata Jagriti Yatra. The journey and the people I met reinforced my desire to create an impact in whatever I do.

Antony Arul Gnanapragasam
I was born in Puliyangudi, a backward village in Tamil Nadu’s Tirunelveli district. My toddler years were spent in Chandigarh, and childhood and adolescence in Chennai suburbs.

Coached by inspiring teachers, I was an average student through school. Fighting peer pressure, I enrolled in a B. Tech. course in agricultural engineering at a government college in Trichy.

One of my achievements while at college was the Birthday Saplings Scheme under which students and staff were presented with saplings on their birthday and made responsible for taking care of them. The project involved roping in support and taking responsibility.

Graduating as an agricultural engineer, I see a desperate need for a strong agrarian academia to serve the necessities of the lot that feeds mankind. When I presented three papers at international and national platforms, I realised that there is no dearth of research in agriculture. The only problem is taking relevant work from the lab to the field.

I believe that no mass movements can be as effective as those that originate as individual initiatives. I have decided what my initiative will be – I want to revolutionise Indian agricultural research and education as a professor who makes a difference.

Anushree Kunhambu
I always had a proclivity to biology, the science of the living, and my interest was further spurred when I took up science in high school. I helped, as editor-in-chief, to launch the first edition of Delphic, a science magazine covering the latest advancements in science and technology, in school. As a result, I was also appointed science official at Welham Girls’ School.

I pursued my bachelors in biotechnology and learnt that one needs to have practical skills to make a contribution. Apart from practical classes in college, I did summer training in plant tissue culture techniques at The Forest Research Institute, Dehradun, to broaden the spectrum of my knowledge.

Growing up in Dehradun, I always felt close to Mother Nature. In college, environmental engineering caught my fancy as it provides alternatives such as biofuel and biogas that can help prevent over dependence on fossil fuels and save our planet from the abuse we inflict upon it.

Apart from academics, I’ve been involved in co-curricular activities and sports equally. I’ve been pursuing Bharatnatyam for 17 years under the tutelage of my mother and guru Mrs. C.K Rajalakshmi. I was complimented by Padma Shri danseuse Geeta Chandran during my arrangetram (debut stage performance). I completed my Visharadh Purna in dance from Akhil Bharatiya Gandharva Mahavidhyala, and was awarded the Ashna Gupta Trophy for the Best Dancer in my final year at school.

I also have an undying passion for basketball. I’ve represented my state (Uttarakhand) at the national level at Gotan, Rajasthan. In college, I played for the university team and completed the bronze level of the International Award for Young People – Duke of Edinburgh. I also pursued karate – I was awarded the brown belt (II Kyu), and represented my district.

At college, I’m presently the college cultural secretary (2010-2011). Last semester, I and my team organised several events such as Freshers’ Day, Innomind Awards and TED X SRM(Theme: Grow Up Share). In this semester, I had the responsibility of organising Milan, the national-level cultural festival.

Many people believe that social service is the best way to give back, but I feel that the responsibility of safeguarding our environment is an equally important task that we should not neglect.

Arpitha Upendra Kodiveri
Set to graduate from Pune’s ILS Law College, it was when I wrote my first research paper on the conflict between tribal rights and tiger conservation for the S.P. Sathe Conference (in 2008) that I discovered that I was able to fathom the jurisprudence underlying these acts and create new theories for the formulation of future laws.

As an intern at Kalpavriksh in 2009, I saw the effect of present laws. I began to realise that a theory needs to be useful to be practically applicable. From then, most of my research focused on viable jurisprudential solutions to various environmental problems.

I have been deeply influenced by the thoughts of Thomas Berry, the founder of Earth Jurisprudence. In June 2010, I was accepted as an intern at Yale University Interdisciplinary Center for Bioethics where I worked with Professor John Grim, a student of Thomas Berry. It was here that I understood the need for inter-disciplinary research in the areas of environmental law and policy. I learned that one needs a broad knowledge base to identify and create innovative solutions.

Arunima Anand
I will soon graduate with a degree in English Honours from Jesus and Mary College, Delhi University. A native of Bhagalpur in Bihar, I was awarded the Swapna Dev Memorial Award for academic excellence by UGC chairman Professor Ved Prakash.

One of my strong points is my ability to work on my own and with diverse teams delivering results. That’s what led to being ranked in the ‘A’ category in the Young Scientist Talent Test, finishing second in athletics at the ICSE/ISC zonal sports meet or winning Best Business Plan Award at a B-Plan competition at IIT Kharagpur. At the B-Plan contest, which my team won in 2008, we were awarded Rs. 15 lakh as seed capital. In 2009, my team won the best Elevator Pitch Award at IIT Kharagpur and the Best Innovation Award in bio-business domain at IIT Kanpur.

When it came to business plans, I was working as the key promoter of the team and was entrusted with market surveys and product promotion. My role was to bolster the marketing approach for which I was working with over one lakh identified self-help groups in collaboration with the Orissa Government’s Mission Shakti Project.

I am keen to work for the uplift of the most underprivileged section of Indian society by ensuring their education. The Young India Fellowship will provide me with the opportunity and give me the expertise to forge my vision into a venture.

Balaji Asok Kumar
When I was 19 years old, I and a team of five set up PRI, Pursuers for Reforming India, a non-governmental organisation, to educate youngsters below the poverty line. Keen to automate the income for PRI through a website, I came up with an idea that reversed the strategies of LinkedIn. Over time, I felt the website could work at its best when worked with a business perspective.

My passion for motorcycles pushed me to take up mechanical engineering. My expertise in computers led to the position of a programmer at Ramco Systems. Work never cast a shadow on my passion. I used to work from 8.30 a.m. to 7.30 p.m. at Ramco, rush home to do my own research, and experiment on my ideas from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. It took me eight months of research to come up with two unique concepts – Cloudie and Techophyll, which I believe will completely change the Internet.

After my stint at the Young India Fellowship, I plan to start off with Cloudie. I want to officially release the application in the United States as that is where my competitors are headquartered.

Chiteisri Devi
In 2005, as I passed out of Bishop Cotton Girls School, Bangalore, I was awarded the Stella Samuel Award for being the Most Promising Outgoing Student of Class XII and for displaying “academic prowess, enthusiastic involvement in extra-curricular activities, maturity of character and potential for leadership”. My childhood was nomadic and Bishop Cotton was the last of nine schools I attended. The four years I spent at that school were the only time I could get involved in various activities and achieve top grades.

After graduating from ILS Law College, Pune, I worked as a legal officer with Paryavaran Mitra, Jan Vikas Trust, in Ahmedabad. I interned there previously and was offered the position to join them after finishing college.

I am passionate about gender and environment issues. My internships with various environmental NGOs and a month-long course (Agenda for Survival – Policies, Practices and Politics of Environment in India) at Centre for Science and Environment, New Delhi, gave me an understanding of the socio-environmental fabric of India. At college, I was the president of Hariyali, the environment cell, was on the core committee of the 3rd Annual S.P. Sathe Memorial Conference on Environment, and presented a paper (The Biological Diversity Act, 2002 - Challenges Ahead). Through college I also pursued courses on intellectual property rights, geopolitics and international relations, European Union law, feminist jurisprudence and even a home study course in ornithology.

My hobbies include reading, writing (I contribute to Gobar Times, the monthly supplement of Down to Earth, on a freelance basis), art, swimming, snorkeling and scuba diving (I am a certified by Scuba Schools International). The only child of a single parent, I am a keen traveller (having visited 23 countries) and am still a nomad at heart. The identity crisis I faced as a child has become my biggest strength as I am adaptable, focused and nurture a deep respect for diversity.

Deepak Bansal
I believe that my work and experiences at WMNLab, National Taiwan University, Taipei, are among the most enriching of my life. During my four-month stay in Taiwan and Hong Kong, I did research on 4G and other next-generation wireless technologies to improve performance and efficiency. My work was highly praised and led to full funding.

When I was at LNM Institute of Information Technology (LNM IIT), working towards a degree in electrical and computer engineering, I gained knowledge and skills in varied areas of information technology and microelectronics. I also learnt about finance and international economics. The all-round exposure, experience and development were priceless.

I think “everything is possible, just think big”. I was part of a three-member team that won first prize along with another team from University of California, at Simplicity, an international-level contest. Apart from research internships at GSSST, IIT Kharagpur, I conceptualised and organised a micro controller programming-based contest, one of the first of its kind in India. I have been keenly involved in embedded systems and robotics while at university. My final-year research in optical communication has been published.

My courses, research and experiences in Hong Kong and Taipei led me to realise that nanoscience has the power to provide affordable and effective solutions to basic problems of energy, water, food and healthcare. I feel there are many entrepreneurial opportunities in this field in developing countries like India.

An intense lover of nature and wildlife, I think that “Green” is the next revolution as sustainable technology and development is indispensable in any area for long-term growth and stability. In Taipei, I saw real-time implementation of one of the best recycling practices in the world - they collect and recycle each bit of paper, metal and plastic from every street and building very effectively. Some day, I want to bring this to India.

I strongly believe that “Opportunities lie behind every obstacle”. Through the Young India Fellowship, I aim to achieve my lifelong vision of making this world greener, healthier and happier.

Dhaneesh Jameson
Being a film-maker was never on my list of ambitions as a child. Over time, my passion for design scored over the pressure to pursue engineering. I joined the National Institute of Design (NID) in 2004 and enrolled in a course in animation filming.

I picked up the basics of design and ventured into film-making. My works are greatly influenced by films that make viewers think beyond conventional conclusions. My first animation movie, One Fine Friday, filmed as a student project, won awards at International Animation Day 2007 for Best Execution. My latest film, Wilson Pereira, is the fruit of my love for exploration and experimentation with the media of creative arts. The film, which has won national and international awards, has been dubbed in three languages by acting stalwarts like Naseeruddin Shah, Mohan Lal and Tom Alter.

I am passionate about travel and meeting people. Not only does travelling allow me to explore photography, my all-time favorite hobby, but is also a great source of inspiration.

Garima Rana
A final year engineering student at Indira Gandhi Institute of Technology, GGSIPU, New Delhi, I was one of the 31 Indian students that were selected for the prestigious GE Foundation Scholarship given to undergraduate as well as postgraduate students in acknowledgement of their academic excellence and leadership potential. As the founding member of Leaders for Tomorrow, a youth leadership forum for social development, I led the member induction and fundraising departments of the organisation active across all the major college campuses in New Delhi. Here, I conceived and executed the Visit for Compassion Programme wherein day-long visits to grassroots development organisations were organised which developed my belief in the power of pairing ideas with relevant opportunities for catalyzing sensitization into positive social impact. This belief was further strengthened with my diverse experiences - be it at the Clinton Global Initiative University (university counterpart of CGI), where I led a yearlong interaction among an international cohort of change-makers, or at the Adivasi villages in Madhya Pradesh, where I worked with rural entrepreneurs as part of an internship with Lighting a Billion Lives Dept. at The Energy and Resources Institute, New Delhi. In 2009, I started Vermpet, which envisages reducing the problem of ever-growing waste in New Delhi by promoting community composting activities. Vermpet, a recipient of the CGIU Outstanding Commitment Award- 2009, currently offers services to 10 larger organisations and 20 individual households, something that has been made possible by its collaborations with organisations such as Global Giving Foundation, Pat Tillman Foundation and State Council for Educational Research and Training, New Delhi.

Gaurav Mohta
I dream of being remembered as someone who brought about development, harmony and change instead of being a mere spectator whining about how bad things are. Humble and focused, I am keen to inspire others to dream more, do more and become more.

I worked with Ericsson for a year after earning my Bachelor of Technology degree from Amity University in 2010. My job and education have instilled in me the habit of making decisions based on careful analysis of all factors. Whether it meant constituting various student clubs, leading the sponsorship committee of the institute’s annual festival, receiving a scholarship from Nokia Siemens Networks, or initiating Social Responsibility activities at the workplace, I have always tried to be versatile and flexible. I was adjudged the best student across three categories – Acumen in Industry Interaction, Organising Institutional Events, and Most Responsible Person.

Stock markets, business magazines, poems and social work interest me. I enjoy following trends, solving problems creatively and am constantly on the lookout for ways to improve and revolutionise the way people do things. I intend to work in the fields of management and policymaking in the future. With the experience gathered as a Young India Fellow, I hope to become part of a network of thinkers of modern-day society and inspire people to become better human beings.

Itika Gupta
An electrical and electronics engineer from National Institute of Technology, Hamirpur, I grew up in the serene environment of Shimla. My education and initial training at Loreto Convent laid the foundation for my feelings about societal development and national integrity.

I may be an engineer, but my love for subjects as varied as aircraft, life sciences, liberal arts, media and social entrepreneurship brought me to Young India Fellowship to learn through highly motivating and profitable interaction sessions.

After participating in the 4th Global Students Forum held in Bhubaneswar by Society for Promotion of Engineering Education Development (SPEED), I was entrusted with the initiation, finance, hospitality and media preparations for the first National Indian Students Forum (NISF) in April 2009. For this, I received commendations from His Holiness Dalai Lama.

In my third year at college, I co-designed an oil metering mechanism for an auto-rickshaw and won first prize at a national-level competition organised by Department of Science and Innovation. The project led to an internship opportunity at Laurea SID Labs, Finland. I continued my pursuit for experimental learning with a summer internship at Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru, in the aerospace department.

While at college I was the student head for the 21st Annual Cultural Festival as well as the vice-president of Indian Society for Technical Education (students’ chapter). I also learnt a lot as an active member of Literacy Mission, a society that educated under-privileged children and adults in nearby villages and slums.

I envision a society free from hunger and an environment that is ecologically balanced. To convert this vision into a reality, I am keen to turn it into a social enterprise. I feel the purpose of my life will be fulfilled if I bring about a change in the living standards of even a small community.

Jairaj Bhattacharya
I passed out as an electronics engineer with a specialisation in embedded systems from International Institute of Information Technology (IIIT), Hyderabad. I worked for a year at the Institute for Sustainable Nanoelectronics, Singapore, where I designed a low-cost tablet (I-slate). The tablet, which used parsimonious architecture, was intended for primary education in schools. Prototypes were tested in villages near Hyderabad.

I was also the team leader of the first Indian/Asian team that won first place at the CANSAT Competition conducted by the American Astronautical Society (AAS) and American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA). The competition required teams to design, fabricate and launch a micro-satellite with abilities of remote sensing and payload recovery. Universities from around the world such as U-Penn, Michigan and MIT participated in the contest.

I did a summer internship at LabSTICC and CNRS, France, where I worked on code profiling for memory estimation of hardware architecture. I also have to my credit a publication on high performance binary to decimal converters that was presented at the 2010 International Symposium on VLSI Design, Automation and Test (2010 VLSI-DAT) in Hsinchu, Taiwan.

As the robotics club coordinator, R&D student coordinator and the placement coordinator for my university, I launched ventures in the form of robotic kits, robotic magazines and conducted workshops to expand the club. I won a B-plan competition for an idea in smart energy automation, after which the sponsors funded the project and invested in the robotics club.

At IIIT, I discovered my passion for entrepreneurship and problem solving. I aspire to work on technological solutions that bring sustainability at the bottom of the pyramid.

Jatin Sharma
All set to receive my B. Tech. degree in communication and computer engineering from LNM Institute of Information Technology (LNMIIT), Jaipur, I woke up to the importance of collective efforts when I was elected school captain.

Although always a school topper, I was never really into textbooks. My first love was robotics and I worked on several robots. I soon developed an interest in electronics and became the Circuit Man at my institute. I founded Phoenix, a club to share my knowledge with other members. We don't believe in cramming at Phoenix; we focus on experimentation and design to solve everyday problems. I belong to Rajasthan where water and electricity are scarce, so I designed Jal Tarang, a desert water cooler pump controller that conserves both. Akshansh, a wildlife tracking system, came about to protect endangered animals. I believe low-cost medication is very important for India and am working on a health-monitoring wristwatch for senior citizens and the poor.

The freedom to experiment and explore distinguishes undergraduate studies from school. I learned a lot during my late-night lab experiments – from the concept of a team to how to divide work and contribute. I was invited by Omega Electronics, Positron Technologies and IIT Rajasthan to interact with students. For my internships and trainings, I was at IIT Kharagpur, IIT Bombay and Ericsson India Pvt. Ltd., where I was exposed to cutting-edge research and got my publications.

I am a poet, like to act and follow cricket. Other than Hindi and English, I am acquainted with French. I was elected the student representative for the undergraduate course committee in university elections and made several refinements in undergraduate curricula.

I believe that my first obligation is towards society. I have received a lot and feel the need to give back. If you are a big man but don’t help the needy and poor, you are no better than a machine. With the fellowship, I want to learn new things and share the knowledge in real-time systems.

Kshitij Garg
I completed my B.Tech. course from the Department of Materials and Metallurgical Engineering at IIT Kanpur. I belong to Jaipur and my working philosophy has always been “Innovation, Ideation and Implementation”.

During a summer internship at Jindal Steel and Power Limited, Raigarh, I took up a project on efficiency enhancement, which led to a reduction of 33 per cent in the crack frequency for beam blanks. I then developed a marketing strategy for Ecosphere, a social firm, cracking the first deal with a retail chain for sale of products at their store. This led to a 35 per cent increase in sale.

The desire to identify and address the need gaps to make my surroundings a better place led to my being a part of Panoramic Dreamz, an on-campus startup. This zero-investment company is involved in making advertisements, videos and design solutions. I was also the campus head for National Social Entrepreneurship Forum (NSEF), IIT Kanpur Chapter, and was selected the NSEF Author of Change, 2010.

My business idea was among the top 8 final ideas from 250 teams worldwide at a B-Plan competition organised by Said Business School, Oxford University. The B-Plan, which focused on the supply chain management of electric and electronic waste generated in India, was also appreciated at competitions at IIT Bombay, IIT Kharagpur and IIT Kanpur.

I am interested in social causes, the most prominent being spreading awareness to clean up the River Ganga. I believe that even a small effort in the direction of conservation can lead to a better earth and that we all should work towards this goal.

Mahesh Jakhotia
A Masters in Economics and Bachelors in Electronics & Instrumentation from Birla Institute of Technology & Science (BITS)-Pilani, I believe that the following three things define me – my keenness to learn and ideate, my professional experience and my passion for aquatic marathons.

My innate desire to learn inspires me to attain knowledge in fields I am interested in. I love ideating on business strategies and bringing out new solutions. I was a part of the team which won $7,000 in P&G alumni philanthropy contest’11. The funds will be used by Head Held High foundation to train 20 illiterate below poverty line youth to become english speaking call center executives. I led two teams which qualified as Asian Finalists to the Global Social Venture Competition (GSVC) held at the Indian School of Business (ISB) for business plans —Vidyut Shakti in 2009 and Social Stock Exchange in 2010. My project Vidyut Shakti’s summary was also published on CNNmoney.com and won the challenge round of Rice University Business Plan competition.

I was a part of www.mentored-research.com start-up in its initial stages, which mentors students interested in equity research. As a thesis student at the ISB’s Wadhwani Centre for Entrepreneurship Development, I developed a practical framework to rate social enterprises on the basis of holistic parameters (social and financial). During my stint as a financial analyst intern at Thomson-Reuters, I developed Intrinsic Valuation model for Eikon, a $2000 licensed product of the $13.3 billion company.

As the President of BITS Economics and Finance Association, I designed India’s first macroeconomic simulation game in which the player dons the role of the finance minister and controls the financial policies.

My passion for aquatic marathons and long distance swimming inspired me to swim Seliger Lake in Russia. Swimming hundred kms at a stretch is one of my 30 under 30 goals. I thrive well in groups because of an important value imbibed during my childhood that -"If you work without caring who gets the credits, then miracles happen".

Mohammad Irfan Dar
I belong to Srinagar, Kashmir, a region that’s been torn apart by conflict. Over the years I have regularly worked with orphans in the state; today, those children are part of a theatre group that performs across India. Seeing the children rebel against all odds and succeed gave me the inspiration to dream furiously.

I obtained a B. Sc. degree in biochemistry from University of Kashmir in 2008 and an M.A. in mass communication from AJK Mass Communication Research Centre at Jamia Millia Islamia University, New Delhi, in 2010.

I co-own Red Stone Films, an independent media outfit, and have made Eidyaan, a short film. I want my stories and films to help children in Kashmir and other conflict zones grow up in a fearless and constructive environment, instead of under the barrel of a gun. I dream that films will help bring about a change in Kashmir.

Mrudula N. S.
A graduate in mechanical engineering from IIT Madras, my heart lies in subjects like literature and developmental studies.

During my three years with IViL-IIT for Villages, a student club of IIT Madras committed to rural development, I had the unique opportunity of touching many rural households. I was involved in designing easy-to-do science experiments for rural schools, educational camps and career guidance sessions for village youth, and generating revenue for self-help groups. The most memorable project was setting up an ICT-enabled knowledge centre in a village near Chennai. Envisaged to be a one-stop shop for all knowledge needs of the village, it is the first such project attempted by students. Through IViL, I have come to rethink several “developmental paradigms”, as we know them today.

One of 30 participants chosen from India to participate in the three-day Symposium on Sustainable Development, 2009, I made a presentation on how traditional or indigenous knowledge systems have a prominent role to play in holistic development.

An avid reader, my voracious appetite for reading is well reflected in a little library of my own. Tolstoy, Thackeray, Melville, Salinger, Tagore, Coleridge and Frost – they all find place in my library! In high school, I took to writing and several of my poems were published in campus magazines like The Fourth Estate and Reflections. I also conducted a three-day Creative Writing event at Saarang, the annual cultural festival of IIT Madras.

I have always pushed myself to excel - be it topping the state in Class 10 CBSE Board exams, being awarded the prestigious WISE (Working Internships in Science and Engineering) Scholarship by the DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service), or getting the Prof. V. Radhakrishnan Endowment Award for securing the highest grades in my class at IIT Madras.

To me, a career to me is not about pay cheques, growth trajectories, and the glitz quotient; I am keen on being valuable and making an impact. I want to be a “thought” leader, one who can inspire and influence people at the helm to affairs to make a positive change. I see the Young India Fellowship putting me on the path to this.

Pavan Kumar
A keen learner and a hands-on worker – that is what I am. Co-founding I AM, a venture that radically redefines common and malignant notions in society through 30-second videos, was a task that defined me. Over the year I worked on this venture, I had quite a few new experiences – I learnt to see things from different perspectives, figured out how to work with a multi-faceted team, discovered the skill to negotiate with tough people, and gathered an ability to envision sustainable ventures.

Bringing together a team of diverse individuals, creating an environment of trust and enabling everyone to perform beyond their best to accomplish a collective interest is something I find exciting.

A keen participant in B-Plan competitions, technical paper presentations and debating competitions, I belong to Hyderabad and am passionate about exploring everything under the sun. I love to read fiction and believe that organising college cultural events in different genres is my forte. Other things I am good at? Creating websites, listening patiently and crisp presentations.

With a degree in electronics and communication engineering under my belt, I believe that my intrinsic nature – an ability to work hard, learn fast and explore – will stand me in good stead.

Pragya Mukherjee
A student of literature at Lady Shri Ram College in New Delhi till recently, I am an avid reader and film enthusiast, an aspiring writer and film-maker, and a staunch believer in the power of leadership.

Since childhood, I have been involved in creative writing and theatre, and won several competitions through my school and college years. I worked as the associate editor for DU Beat, a student-initiated Delhi University weekly, and as a member of the editorial board for a Times of India supplement in Kolkata. A cursory interest in cinema was whetted by my exposure to a range of world cinema in recent years. Participating in and winning second place at an inter-college film-making competition was the first step in consolidating my interest as a viable passion.

My college selected me for a scholarship summer exchange programme with the National University of Singapore where I chose to study two modules widely differing from my course.

I learnt the challenges and rewards of leadership only on being consecutively elected department secretary in my second year of college and college president in my final year. The prestigious Shri Daulatrai M. Desai Award for Leadership that was conferred upon me when I graduated in no way compares with the experience I gained and privilege I felt when I was trusted to lead and represent such a diverse and talented peer group.

Prateek Hegde
A techie at heart, I am an ocean engineer about to graduate from IIT Madras. Apart from engineering, I’m keenly interested in marketing and public relations. A strong believer in “I think, therefore I can”, I desire to be a social entrepreneur some day in the future.

I may not have been involved with a startup in any way, but I believe the responsibilities I took on at college gave me enough training to consider myself an entrepreneur of sorts.

As a core member of the team that organised Shaastra, the annual tech fest of IIT Madras, I led a three-tier team of 75 people, which was responsible for sponsorship and public relations. We interacted with major corporates and media houses across the country, and raised more than Rs. 70 lakh in sponsorships. I also explored social media and viral marketing techniques to publicise the festival that eventually attracted footfalls of over 15,000.

In my second year at college, I and three others built a bicycle robot that could balance a two-wheeler automatically. This was showcased at Shaastra and was covered extensively in the media. I was part of the national winning team of Robocon 2009, a prestigious Asia-Pacific robotic contest, and went on to represent India at the international meet in Tokyo later that year. Being one of the core members of my institute’s robotics club, I conducted tutorial sessions and mentored various student projects. I was one of the early active members of the Centre For Innovation (CFI), a unique facility at IIT Madras to encourage student projects, where I also led the alumni relations’ team. I initiated the IIT Madras Confluence, an alumni congress to enhance alumni participation in student projects.

To me, the Young India Fellowship is a unique opportunity to learn, explore, and take a giant leap towards my goal, under the supervision of world-class faculty, the guidance of experienced mentors and with inspiration from a highly motivated peer group.

Prerak Garg
A native of Jaipur, I have a B.Tech. degree in chemical engineering from IIT Kharagpur. A Grade ‘A’ Officer in Indian Oil Corporation Ltd. (IOCL) before I was chosen as a Young India Fellow, I believe in hard work and pursuit of excellence in every endeavour I take up.

I worked on various challenging projects during my short stint at IOCL. I developed a scheme to revamp the existing heat exchanger network at the atmospheric and vacuum distillation unit using pinch analysis. The energy saving potential of the project amounts to Rs. 2-3 crore per annum; the model can be replicated in all refineries for huge monetary savings.

I topped the district in all ICSE schools in my Class 10 board examinations. I was also the recipient of the DAAD’s (German Academic Exchange Service) prestigious WISE (Working Internships in Science and Engineering) Scholarship in 2008-09, which led to a summer internship at the University of Leipzig, Germany. I also interned at National Chemical Laboratory (NCL), Pune, where I worked on a project whose results were used in a technology sold to Aditya Birla Chemicals. At college, I was a regular in various extra-curricular activities, be it dramatics, water polo and the like.

With the Young India Fellowship, I seek to learn and broaden my perspective in fields like economics, finance, climate change and humanities. I believe in people – you never know with whom you might be sitting one day working on the next big idea. I hope to meet some very inspiring people and work with them as a Young India Fellow.

Raghav Mimani
A chemical engineering graduate from BITS Pilani, I value people, experiences and impact. At BITS, I was the general secretary of the students’ union and was actively involved with the Centre for Entrepreneurial Leadership (CEL), SPIC MACAY and the Wall Street Club (WSC) amongst others. Intrigued by the world of business and policy since childhood, I’ve always wanted to be a business entrepreneur. Hard-wired with curiosity, I am almost always engaged with people, learning from their experiences about the world and its intricacies, or learning more about technology by reading/browsing.

Life has been a series of experiences that I value. I have striven hard for and been fortunate enough to have lived through a few serendipitous efforts including being awarded the Green Globe Foundation Award and the Mantra Award; winning the National Knowledge Commission essay competition; being a fellow of Grassroutes and Engineers for Social Impact (E4SI) and an International Climate Champion of British Council; and interning at Grasim Industries, iDiscoveri and IICT among others.

Highly keen on travel, music, writing, reading and sports, I am a firm believer in “the audacity of hope” – just get the person to believe in the “what”, reason out the “why’” and s/he will take care of any “how” themselves. I hope that the Young India Fellowship will give me the chance to observe and understand the dynamics of such theories and help put them into practice.

Richa Pandey
I am a social entrepreneur, not by design, but by choice. While working as freelance Web design and content developer, in 2010 I co-founded Aksharangana, an organisation that provides alternative education and important life skills to marginalised slum children in Lucknow district, Uttar Pradesh. Through this initiative, I have till now enrolled 50 children who dropped out back in school.

A strong advocate of quality education for all, I feel education is the best panacea for targeting problems such as unemployment and poverty. I also see technology as a major tool to help deliver quality education. For this, in January 2011, I worked with Lucknow-based Sanatkada Organisation and Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) on computer literacy workshops for illiterate and semi-literate women and children.

The youth, I feel, have the biggest potential when it comes to socio-economic development. During my college years (2006-1010), I and my classmates initiated a free education programe for rural kids in Gorakhpur. This programme is running successfully, thanks to the current batch of students.

Women’s empowerment is very close to my heart. I interned with Grameen Development Services, a micro-finance organisation, in July-August 2010 to research on “Impact of micro-finance on socio-economic development of women”. With the Young India Fellowship, I aim to take up all these issues that are close to my heart.

Rishabh Kaul
A senior at BITS Pilani, I am pursuing courses in economics and civil engineering. I am deeply interested in disruptive early-stage ventures and am currently interning at National Entrepreneurship Network (NEN). At NEN, I’m part of a member team advising and providing strategic support to 50-plus NEN volunteers who run the 2,500-plus strong entrepreneurship clubs across seven cities.

My deep interest in the intersection of business and development motivated me to research mobile usage/small borrowings at NCAER’s Center for Macro Consumer Research, intern at Sarvajal (Piramal Water) where I doubled sales of two rural franchisees, and work at L.V. Prasad Eye Institute, researching cost-effectiveness of various primary eye-care models. I also head partnerships/outreach of Grassroutes, a unique road-trip fellowship that sends youth to the hinterland to sensitise them by working alongside change makers.

I was one of the few Indians invited to United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change’s COP 15 in Copenhagen as a staff writer for Nextbillion, a leading BoP strategy publication by WDI, UMich-Ann Arbor, and the World Business Dialogue in Cologne.

My love for my alma mater led me to volunteer as director of the inaugural BITS Alumni Global Meet, where I worked with cross-functional teams to create the entire agenda. Other interests include quizzing and cricket trivia.

Rolly Seth
From being a facilitator for a research project at University of California, Berkeley, to working at Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), India’s largest R&D organisation, I have tried to prove that hard work, sincerity and the right attitude can help one achieve things that otherwise seem impossible.

I worked at CSIR from 2009-2011 as a Quick Hire Scientist Fellow on the ambitious transformation project. I also got the opportunity to work with Dr. K. Jayakumar, Joint Secretary, CSIR, on his book Dynamics of Organisational Transformation.

I got my degree in electronics and communication engineering from Amity University with a 9.54 cumulative grade point average in 2009. In 2010, my name was accredited in the European Journal Informatica with my paper on pervasive computing. At present, I am working on my second paper (semantic Web). At Raman Research Institute, Bangalore, our team was successful in building an economical spectrum analyser, which otherwise costs lakhs.

As an undergraduate, after brief stints at Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. (HAL), and Central Electronics Engineering Research Institute (CEERI), I worked at GMRT, the world’s largest array of radio telescopes at metre wavelength near Pune.

Sandhya Iyer
My guiding principles are simple: To always do the right thing, to persevere and fight for what I believe in, and to always speak the truth.

When I was in Class 2, I burst into tears the first time I walked on stage and had to face a mike. Pained and embarrassed, I swore to face my fears. It was at an inter-college debate that I was finally declared the best speaker.

In Class 5, I received 98 marks out of 100 in social studies though my actual marks were 96. I was torn between doing the right thing and keeping the higher marks. I ended up telling my teacher the truth. She changed the marks to 100, and I learned the power of honesty.

During my second year of college, I took up a distance education course in creative writing at Symbiosis. Penning my thoughts helps clear my mind and keeps me organised, and this course helped improve my communication skills. I volunteered as a reader for visually challenged kids in my final year. The experience humbled me and gave me an insight into a critical issue.

I will graduate as a chemical engineer in the coming month. My focus in the future will be to work on implementing sustainable solutions for environmental problems. I also aim to act as a bridge between society and the corporate world to bring about a positive change.

Sanchet Sharma
I completed my internship in February 2011 from the Occupational Therapy School & Centre, T.N. Medical College, & B.Y.L. Nair Hospital affiliated to the Maharashtra University of Health Sciences.

As a part of a one-month community-based rehabilitation posting at an urban health centre at Cheetah Camp, a densely populated slum in Trombay, I had to work with residents from the Department of Preventive and Social Medicine to screen kids for disabilities, and give tips to jari workers to prevent work-related musculoskeletal problems. It was difficult for the patients to buy or rent equipment for exercises. So, I modified the exercises by asking them to use things available in their homes – for example, using a water bottle to strengthen weak muscles instead of a weighted cuff. Apart from the physical issues, the psychological problems were more challenging. This stint changed my outlook towards slum dwellers and brought me closer to the reality of life.

During the last two months of my internship, I secured the second prize for Best Poster Presentation at the 48th Annual National Conference of All India Occupational Therapists’ Association, Chennai, and the first prize for Poster Presentation at Trinity 2011, the state-level medical students’ conference held at Lokmanya Tilak Municipal Medical College & General Hospital, Sion.

When I graduated, it was the first time that the convocation ceremony for the class of 2011- interns from the departments of occupational therapy, physiotherapy, and audiology & speech therapy - was held in the institute. I was the chief co-coordinator between the three departments to ensure that it was an event “for the students, by the students and of the students”. Leading a team of more than 25 students, organising a small event for 48 graduating interns, assigning duties to volunteers, and getting permissions while working as an intern, I was able to figure out how strike a balance between my personal and professional life. This was an altogether out-of-the-book experience in a medical school.

I worked with the Blue Ribbon Movement Social Leaders Programme, an 8-month journey for a selected group of people aged between 17 and 24 years to get trained as managers and leaders by doing a hands-on city-wide social project. Our batch took up the cause of cleanliness and organised a campaign titled “I Clean Toh Mumbai Clean”.

I strongly believe that all of us need to act in our own capacity, to the best of our ability and knowledge, and that this awareness needs to be accompanied by action, and be integrated into a system for it to be lasting.

Sanjog Sahu
A student of environmental anthropology, I have been training in western Orissa for the last two years. My research focuses on the relationship the DongariaKondha community has historically shared with the surrounding ecosystem of the Niyamgiri Hills and how this has changed over the years. In particular, I am studying how contemporary notions of development affect this relationship.

I completed my schooling from Rajkumar College, Raipur, and graduated in law from Symbiosis Law School, Pune, in 2009. My current research is the outcome of my years at law school, where I began to realise that the apparent inability of governments and institutions to grasp the magnitude of environmental problems was indicative of the priorities of the modern society that elected and sustained them. This led me to appreciate that anthropology could provide me a broader perspective for the interpretation of sustainable development: from moving beyond the usual deliberations on policy changes, technological improvements, legislative checks, and judicial intervention to interpreting the developmental process as a function of societies’ changing perceptions of their natural environment.

Outside academia, I look for ways to engage with the larger community on contemporary issues. I am one of the founding members of TEDxBhubaneswar 2011, where the theme, “Living Tomorrow, Today” aims to bring into focus some of the most pressing environmental and developmental problems Orissa faces today. I am also an avid trekker, a passion I can indulge in during the course of my research in the Eastern Ghats.

Samder Singh
An author, entrepreneur, social activist, leadership consultant, inspirational orator, engineer and a philanthropist – I have been involved in a lot of things.

After obtaining an engineering degree in electronics and telecommunication from Global Institute of Technology, Jaipur (2010), my next endeavour is the pursuit of the prestigious Young India Fellowship.

I authored Things They Don’t Teach at College, a Butterfly Leadership International Publication (2010). I also came up with the Self-Analyse Management (SAM) Theory, a self-feedback managerial theory to help corporates and government organisations. I have also volunteered for four years with the Akshayapatra Foundation.

I stared my first venture, Butterfly Leadership International (BLI), during my college days. After completing my B. Tech in July 2010, I joined Mahindra Satyam’s Human Resources department. But my passion for entrepreneurship led me to quit in three months. I returned to my home town, Jaipur, and started a green energy consulting company, Balsam Sustainable Energy Services (BSES). I am an advisor at Jeeet Nano-electronics Pvt. Ltd., one of South Asia’s only few undergraduate student-owned nano-electronics company.

Sasidhar Sista
I graduated from BITS Pilani in 2009. After a six-month internship at INSEAD Business School, Singapore, I joined its Centre for Digital Economy – eLab, as a research assistant. My core concentration was on the development of a new media content analysis engine. Here I developed an interest in how new media can revolutionise today’s businesses. Later, I worked with Fisheye Analytics, Singapore, a media intelligence start-up founded by a few INSEAD Alumni.

The diverse learning possibilities offered at BITS impressed me. Sticking to my interests, I undertook projects in the areas of renewable energy and web development. Apart from the courses taught in classrooms, BITS nurtures leadership qualities by allowing students to manage campus operations. I am happy to have taken every such opportunity that came my way – be it as president of the chemical association, co-ordinator of regional association or as canteen secretary.

It gives me immense confidence and pleasure when I think about how I, along with few of my friends, in 2007 revamped a regional association and started YUVA, a youth festival.

I’m in search of my BIG Idea (as coined by Robert Tuchman in his book Young Guns) that constructively contributes to society. I see the need to have a system that can solve local community problems, spread the word about real education and push the concept of renewable energy deeper into society, beyond ideation. The definition of “return of investment” for any of my endeavours is complete only if it has a sizable, positive social impact.

Saumya Gupta
I am a chemical engineering graduate from IIT Bombay. At IIT, as a core group member of Mood Indigo, the cultural festival, I headed a two-tier team of 120 students who conceptualised and executed over 60 performances, workshops and exhibitions. With my team, I secured a place for Mood Indigo 2009 in Limca Book of Records for the maximum international artists at a college festival. To achieve this feat, we garnered sponsorships worth Rs 40 lakh from 27 embassies and cultural organisations.

At IIT, I also co-founded Junoon (a youth awareness group), promoted BioSynth (a student initiative for facilitating research on renewable energy), guided freshmen as an Institute Student Mentor, and organised blood donation and thalassaemia awareness campaigns across Mumbai. I am a passionate dancer and am professionally trained in hip-hop and salsa. I also enjoy sketching, photography and singing.

During my two-month internship at Procter & Gamble, I devised a two-year executable strategy to achieve 25 per cent reduction in the carbon footprint of their Goa site by identifying 51 projects with a potential savings of $282,000 per annum. The project was showcased as a success story at the P&G global meet in Cincinnati and the company consequently offered me a pre-placement job.

My internship at P&G sensitised me to the frivolous consumption of resources as well as the endless saving opportunities existing in society today. In the long run, I envisage mobilising businesses and assisting development policymakers to contribute to the evolution of a sustainable society.

Saurav Neel Patyal
A Bachelors of Electrical & Electronics Engineering and a Masters of Economics from BITS Pilani, where I topped my class, I live by – “At worst, I’ll learn something. At best, I’ll find my calling.”

My goal is to work with diverse teams on cross-sector problems where I can have high personal impact. Excited by entrepreneurship, I first led students at one of India’s top 5 Entrepreneurship Cells at BITS. I then helped build a revenue model and connect international stakeholders for the nascent Laurus Edutech Skill India, a for-profit that has already certified over 70,000 candidates from various vocational streams.

Focussing on market based solutions for isolated communities, I co-founded a non-profit, The Parivartan Foundation, winning seed funding of $10,000 from the Goldman Sachs Social Entrepreneurship Fund in 2009. Today, Parivartan impacts 40000+ rural folk in Andhra Pradesh and Jharkhand in the areas of education, digital divide alleviation and support for marginal farmers.

Over the last year, I have modelled customer behaviour and forecasted loss for the sub-prime Consumer Lending and Mortgage portfolios of HSBC as a Risk Management Intern. A youth leader, I have been sponsored as a high-impact international change maker to attend the StartingBloc Institute for Social Innovation at Boston, Clinton Global Initiative University at Miami and Education Without Borders Conference at Dubai.

Inspired by “The Motorcycle Diaries’, I have undertaken a motorcycle journey across Nepal and seen the impact of Maoism. Being an Army Diplomat’s son, I have also visited Pakistan and witnessed the turbulence there. An adventure sports enthusiast, I love white water rafting in the Ganges and trekking in the Himalayas. When I am not learning Spanish or playing the drums, I enjoy fantasy fiction literature!

Sayali Phadke
A Kathak dancer, I believe that dancing is the most instinctive way to express feelings, especially joy. I am a fan of Marathi literature and culture. Having done my schooling in Marathi, I find that my ideas flow better in that language than in any other. Therefore my writing, poetry and articles, is primarily in Marathi. I am obsessed with being organised and like to think in a detailed and critical manner. I feel that my knowledge of certain things is bookish and am working on improving my understanding of the same.

I think I am more privileged than many others of my age. For example, having access to technology opens up various opportunities to me. Information relating to the Young India Fellowship was one such opportunity. On the other hand, working with the underprivileged has made me realise how lucky I am. My work with learning-disabled children at Khushi has motivated me to work for the betterment of the underprivileged.

Shashank Shekhr Rai
I graduated from Hans Raj College, University of Delhi, and stepped into the world of social work and public policy. When I look back, it won't be wrong to say that instead of me picking a career, my career chose me.

I have been involved at various stages of development work with organisations like Leadership Training Service, National Service Scheme and Leaders for Tomorrow among others. Public policy seemed to be the next natural step. I took my first steps in the field of policymaking when I founded Youth for Policy and Dialogue, India's first think tank of young people.

Over time, I have worked as a social worker with developmental organisations, at administrative positions in youth forums, and as a researcher and at think tanks. My areas of work include education, transport, micro-finance, insurance and skill development.

Start-ups and inefficient systems interest me for I firmly believe that every beginning has a hidden potential for greatness and every failure disguises the seeds of success. The idea of change is central to my thought process – it is what propels me to work towards building a better future.

Sharada Vadlamani
On the professional level, I am hard working, enthusiastic and creative. I have been so all through my life, which is why I was actively engaged in various co-curricular activities ranging from performing arts, volunteering for social causes, literary events and management festivals in school and college. While studying for a BBM degree at Christ University in Bangalore, I interned at various advertising companies and ended up co-founding Adventis Media.

I am inquisitive and adventurous, and love to travel, read and experience new places and cultures. I believe in living life to the fullest and am determined and dedicated in my efforts when it comes to what I believe in and am passionate about.

As an individual, I believe that life is too short to hesitate and believe in taking chances. I am grateful for the life that has been bestowed upon me by my parents and the people around me, and treasure and value relationships. I feel I must reach out to those who are less fortunate than me - that led to volunteering stints with various NGOS while I was at school and college. I have now drawn up plans for Anouk, an online lending and borrowing platform of seed capital and larger monetary lending by individuals, companies and other organisations to help fund small and medium-scale businesses, as well as agricultural and allied activities in rural and semi-rural regions.

Shruti Shah
A fresh engineering graduate from BITS Pilani, I am keen on value creation, freedom and jugaad! Most of my ideas – be it about myself, people and the world in general – were shaped during my years at BITS because of the people I met there and things I was part of. I learnt the importance of value creation and what it meant to me when I led entrepreneurial initiatives at BITS’ Centre of Entrepreneurial Leadership, one of the premier e-cells in the country. There is nothing like identifying a problem, coming up with a solution, and seeing it implemented. I was the production manager of the first TEDx Pilani showcased internationally at APOGEE 2010, the annual international technology showcase at BITS Pilani. I was the founder of Summer in a Startup, a programme that locates structured summer internships at startups for all three BITS campuses. I was one of the semi-finalists (out of 16,000 entries) at Economic Times Power of Ideas 2010 and a Kairos Global Fellow, 2011, selected to represent India at the World Foresight Forum, Netherlands.

Road tripping in rural Bengal as a Grassroutes 2009 Fellow, and designing study modules for children at NISHTHA (which provides shelter to children of sex workers in Baruipur village), I learnt about my passion for change.

By spending a summer at p2w2.com, a startup launched by an ISB graduate in the summer of 2009, I learnt the ins and outs of a startup. I learnt that in a startup the same person plays multiple roles, be they of a clerk or the chief executive. I knew then that this is the kind of life I wanted, a life where the purpose is so big that the title does not matter.

An initiative with my friends – recycling paper and selling paper bags at the supermarket on campus in conjunction with 21 women of Saraswati Cooperative Society – taught me about empowerment of women and what it can do to society.

I am keenly interested in people, technology, empowerment of women, social change, social media, theatre, travelling, Ayn Rand and Pink Floyd.

What matters most to me is that at any point in my life, wherever I am and whatever I may be doing, I need to create some value in some way, address something that needs to be addressed, and make a positive impact on somebody’s life. I believe all we have is one life and that each of us is nothing but a collection of personal stories. I wish to collect more and more stories so that when I look back at my life at any point of time, it creates a beautiful, meaningful picture.

Spandana D
Hailing from Nizamabad district in Andhra Pradesh, I have completed my B.Tech from G. Narayanamma Institute of Technology and Science (affiliated to Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University).

I feel being educated at Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya helped me a great deal. I’ve gained the most from this opportunity. I had my first exposure to regionalism while at school and tried to bridge the gap between people of two regions. I was taught to think beyond the barriers of region, religion, language, and to view every aspect from the nation’s perspective.

I have always learnt and taken inspiration from society. I interact with people of my village to better understand the conditions of governance and democracy at the grass-root level. I use social networking sites as a medium to interact with people from different backgrounds – discussing issues and sharing ideas has helped me get a broader view of problems.

I have done an online course on the Right to Information Act 2005 conducted by the Centre for Good Governance in collaboration with Department of Personnel and Training, Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions. I have also been following Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) for the past two years.

My areas of interest are political science, international relations, democracy and the Indian constitution. My aim is to work for a fair democratic process, transparent governance, rights and equality through democratic reforms, empowerment of citizens and social literacy.

Srishti Sardana
The human mind has intrigued thinkers and philosophers since the origin of mankind. The vast possibilities continue to amaze and astound, and we continue to learn something new each day. After acquiring a basic insight into the field of psychological sciences from Presidency College, Madras, I was involved in a project with female sex workers. I helped devise ways to help them overcome occupational mental health hazards even as I pursued a master’s programme at Christ University, Bangalore.

I committed to work at National Sports Medicine Centre in August 2009 and was there for eight months. Internships and in-house counseling at Infosys Technologies, Orchid Chemicals and Chandra Engineering Company added to my repertoire of skills as a clinician. I, along with Dr. Sangeetha Madhu, have been instrumental in setting up Chennai Institute for Learning and Development (CHILD), a unique enterprise to provide out-of-the-box therapeutic mechanisms to the child and adolescent population.

My style of functioning, “never-say-die” attitude, courage and perseverance have been manifested in my therapeutic work with clients – be it cognitive retraining with a head injury patient, supportive psychotherapy with an autistic adult, play therapy for a child with suicidal tendencies, behaviour therapy for those with a tendency to stammer, or group therapy for adolescents with social anxiety.

With the guidance and blessings of my parents and gurus, I aspire to bridge the void between neurosciences and forensic psychology, and ease the journey of each individual to judge, act and reason with his own capacity, and use it for a wider benefit.

I am currently on a one-year sabbatical to pursue the Young India Fellowship. I believe that my eagerness to learn and motivation to seek excellence will stand me in good stead in my quest.

Subhodeep Jash
After graduating as a lawyer from Symbiosis Law School, Pune, in 2010, I started working as a research intern at Trade Policy Division in the Ministry of Commerce. I am attached to the Services (GATS) Desk and have put together research papers and opinions on various international trade policy matters. These include examining the prospects for liberalisation of environmental services, legal services and retail services in the country; and analysing the state of play in GATS negotiations under the aegis of the ongoing Doha round talks at the WTO. I was fortunate to observe Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations with EU, Canada and Japan and carry out background work in this regard. Working with top-level economic policymakers of the country, I am glad to have played a small part in shaping major foreign investment and trade policies of India.

During my tenure at the ministry, I also assisted in research for the erstwhile additional secretary for an Election Commission study concerning curbs on candidature for persons with criminal antecedents.

At college, I won several competitions such as the Pune regional round of Tata Crucible Business Quiz and the Economic Times Campus Quiz, Pune (2008 and 2010). I also contributed articles to The Statesman during my days at St. Xavier’s Collegiate School, Kolkata.

I believe that developments in law, policy and markets are inextricably linked to lives of people. By contributing to such areas, I wish to make a difference to community life in India.

Sudheer Babu Marisetty
I am extremely grateful to my grandparents, who lived in a semi-rural area in Andhra Pradesh and brought me up. When I was 17 years old, I stepped into BITS Pilani to pursue my undergraduate studies in information systems. While at BITS, I won the student union elections with one of the highest majorities. As president of the union, I had the incredible opportunity to represent over 4,000 students and work with diverse teams. As the financial head for India’s renowned student-run festivals such as OASIS and APOGEE, I successfully managed a budget of over Rs. 1 crore in the year 2009-10. I’m also an IncrediblEurope Young Ambassador. The leadership training and confidence I derived from these experiences have been invaluable in my personal and professional life.

I was associated with netCustomer as an intern and worked to implement a global Customer Relationship Management (CRM) project in a rural set-up in Pilani. I also worked with Krishna District Milk Producers Cooperative Union to set up a biogas plant. This project was completed in collaboration with Non-conventional Energy Development Corporation of AP (NEDCAP). These unique work experiences helped me develop an appreciation for attention to detail, teamwork, and the challenges and opportunities that rural India offers.

Suvajit Chakraborty
A native of West Bengal, I completed my schooling from Delhi Public School, Farakka. I then joined the BBA LLB course at Symbiosis Law School in Pune.

Apart from academics (I was in the top 5 per cent of the batch), I have been involved in several extra-curricular activities. My primary interest remains quizzing. During my time at law school, I was on the teams that won the regional rounds of Tata Crucible Business Quiz (2008), Economic Times Campus Quiz (2008 and 2010), Nobel Foundation Quiz organised by Embassy of Sweden (2009), General Quiz at IIT Bombay’s Mood Indigo (2008 and 2009), and IQ-IMS Quotient Pune Round and West Zone (2007 and 2008). During my school days, I was a part of the team that won the ESPN School Quiz 2002.

As team captain, I led my team to the runners-up position in the International Law Competition “Youth for Peace” held in Minsk, Belarus, in 2010. I served in a leadership position as vice president of Symbiosis Law School Student Council for 2009-2010 and was adjudged the Best Outgoing Student for 2005-2010 for all-round excellence.

I chose to work with Times Internet Limited, the Internet arm of the Times of India Group, which gave me an opportunity to understand the cross-links between media laws, cyber laws and Intellectual Property Rights. I strongly believe that “a great thought is the sign of a great mind; implementing that thought is the sign of a great man”, and want to use my knowledge and experience to make a better India.

Tanvi Jain
Inspired by Muhammad Yunus’ Banker to the Poor, I conducted extensive research on micro-finance in Bangladesh. I visited villages, interacted with people who had taken micro-loans and emerged out of the shadow of poverty, and went on to make a film on micro-finance. My film won an award and was also lauded by Professor Muhammad Yunus.

To bring about change in India’s developmental sector, I co-founded Parivartan Foundation, a youth-run non-profit initiative that is currently running various projects across 11 villages in Andhra Pradesh. As winners of the Goldman Sachs Social Entrepreneurship Fund 2009, we received funding of $10,000 to start this organisation.

An economics graduate from Lady Shri Ram College, I have been at Singapore Management University for a brief period. I was awarded the Goldman Sachs Global Leaders Award and selected as one of 15 Global Leaders to represent India at a conference in New York. The conference included 75 delegates from the top 100 global universities.

Since two years now, I have been working at Goldman Sachs in the real estate strategy and procurement divisions. I have supported major India-based real estate projects, managed complex sourcing projects and received the best performance review among my global peers. I also acquired enriching work experience as an intern at Centre for Policy Dialogue, a leading think tank in Bangladesh responsible for preparing an independent review of Bangladesh’s development.

My goal is to reach an influential position in a global conglomerate and use resources available to me to enable the underprivileged in India to emerge out of poverty by augmenting their income-generating abilities.

Tulasi Prasad
The most memorable moment in my life remains the exhibition organised in my school exhibition hall for me to display my 40 paintings. I was in Class 8, and, since then, have always wanted to pursue art.

Fate, however, had other plans in store. We had to leave our state, Orissa, and flee to Bangalore. My education was forgotten as the family struggled to make a living. I remember selling samosas and wafers on the streets with my father and brothers. This experience was the biggest test as well as a huge learning experience for my family. I realised the value of education when I had to give it up. The experience made us strong, courageous and humane.

I was able to pursue art (painting) after a year. I was part of a crowd at Jawahar Kala Kendra, sketching spontaneously, when I was awarded a trophy for my efforts. Since then, my work in textiles has made me sensitive and responsible to man, mind and nature.

I believe in empowerment through education, and education, to me, is not just from institutes and books. Building one’s own life and finding God in one’s work is something I have learnt from my family. I am a humble learner who looks forward to learning more perspectives, growing and making a difference with the Young India Fellowship.

Tushar Chugh
I would like to “imagine a world where technology helps solve the toughest problems”. As an electronics and communication engineer about to graduate from Manav Rachna College of Engineering, Faridabad, I am keen to make a difference to society with my technical skills and experience.

I work in the field of embedded systems and robotics. I started my journey by participating in competitions held at technical festivals of colleges like IIT Guwahati, IIT Bombay, Delhi College of Engineering and Netaji Subhas Institute of Technology. I learnt a lot during my industrial training - on bio-metrics at IIT Delhi in 2010 and on embedded systems at Excel Technologies, Noida, in 2009.

Over the years, I have developed some systems that target United Nations Millennium Development Goals and can serve society. The Wizitank (an unmanned ground vehicle), which I spearheaded and my team WizMinds represented for India at Microsoft Imagine Cup 2010 in Warsaw, Poland, can be used for low intensity conflicts by the military. The project was ranked among the top 15 in a contest where about 124 countries participated. The PregnaCare System, which focuses on maternal and child health concerns, was represented by Supersonic Tortoises at the Imagine Cup 2011 national finals in New Delhi and was awarded second prize.

My papers have been published at conference proceedings of ICMEE 2010 (Kyoto, Japan), ICIT 2009 (India), and the technical paper presentation on e-Governance at Bharati Vidyapeeth, New Delhi.

Always keen to learn more about technology, I am also passionate about teaching it to others. Apart from founding TechnoPlanet, an embedded and robotics hobby and research lab, on campus and other clubs like Opensource Club (in association with Sun Microsystems), my group Wizminds targeted about 3,000 students through workshops and seminars. I am now working on building AtomMan - The Techno Teacher, a robot that will assist in teaching. With Young India Fellowship as a platform, I want to extend my outreach to more people and realise my dream.

Utkarsh Amitabh
Yeh zindagi eik mussalsal safar hai ki manzil pe pahunche to manzil badha di (This life is a journey in continuum, reach your goal and push it further).

I like to approach life with a sense of adventure and possibility. While preparing for my engineering entrance examinations I often asked myself what I was actually preparing for. I did not have an answer. I then set out on a journey of self-exploration, aspiring to find answers for myself and for the wider world as well.

While pursuing mechanical engineering at Delhi College of Engineering, I led technical societies like S.A.E and I.S.H.R.A.E, and was involved in the Formula-1 business outreach team. I also formulated business plans on carbon credits and waste management, and soon discovered that my heart lay in the people around me. That impelled the theatre activist and the passionate debater within me to wake up. I am a core member of the Indian Debating Union, have been recognised as one of the 5 Young Visionaries of the country by the India Habitat Centre for Vision on Gender Democracy, and have acted in the Mouse Trap, the world’s longest running play.

As a consultant to Teach for India and Muhammad Yunus’ Grameen Creative Lab, I tried to leverage the management skills I garnered while working with Deloitte and create a sustainable model of development for the marginalised. At Teach for India, I was responsible for the strategic structuring and planning of the fellowship selection model and brought together 300 leaders from different parts of the country in the movement for educational equity. At Grameen Creative Lab, I designed proposals for bringing together various stakeholders in the idea of social business.

I am a firm believer in the power of dreams – be they personal, inter-personal or social. I am sure our dreams have the power to make a difference globally.

Vikramjeet Sharma
With a degree in computer science and engineering from Panjab University, I have been working as an IT security consultant with Religare Technologies since July 2009.

I was a student of Class 6 when my science project on “Superstitions in India (Marriage of Science & Culture)” was selected and appreciated at the 5th All India National Children’s Science Congress. That was when I discovered my presentation, leadership and analytical skills, and the areas requiring improvements.

After that, I kept burnishing my oratory skills by actively participating in debates, elocutions and extempore. I went on to win umpteen awards at the state and regional levels. Due recognition from mentors and close friends has helped restructure my creativity/creative abilities. Picasso once said that, “All children are born artists but the problem is to remain an artist as we grow up.” I tried to keep the childhood artist alive in me and participated in various state-level drawing and painting competitions. Even today I keep sketching and drawing in my leisure time.

In 2002, I got recognition from the National Science Olympiad Foundation and All India Talent Search Examination (Children’s Education Trust of India) for my performance in these exams.

While at college, I discovered my propensity towards organising events and participating in business-plan competitions. I served as organising head of Computer Society of India (CSI), Student Chapter, Chandigarh; Academic Committee member of Chandigarh Youth Festival; and Sports Secretary of Boys’ Hostel 2, Punjab University, Chandigarh. I was also the co-convenor of GOONJ, the annual techno-cultural fest of our engineering institute. All this instilled in me a sense of responsibility, time management and multitasking.

My B-Plan, Sarvotthan – Upliftment of All, was one of the final entries (representing Asia) at Youth Business Plan Development, the annual B-Plan contest at Oxford University’s SAID Business School. The plan aimed at delivering free basic education to children of labourers working at construction sites, healthcare and counseling services to labourers and rejuvenating traditional arts like embroidery and potter.

Life so far has nurtured me as a creative technical professional. But I believe that our education system is destroying the extraordinary creative abilities that children possess. It grows them out of their creative abilities rather than growing them into it. I am currently developing flash animations and videos to impart basic education to children in villages in a creative way through battery-run kiosks.

The Young India Fellowship appears to be a unique opportunity to give wings to my dreams and guide me on the road less travelled. I am reminded of the lines from a poem by Robert Frost: “Two roads diverged in a wood, and I — I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference.”

Varun Rustagi
An engineering graduate from New Delhi, I am driven by the zeal to learn. A line follower robot, successful academic projects and two technical internships with multinationals - ArcelorMittal Steel Industry, Kazakhstan (2009), and & Ericsson Pvt. Limited (2010), India - are testimony to my technical skills.

I am a competent leader. Elected an Undergraduate Committee Member and Students’ Representative (Students Gymkhana, LNM Institute of Information Technology, 2008-10) and member of the Placement Cell (LNMIIT), I served as an effective link for as many as 800 students. I also served as coordinator of Vivacity, the national level cultural-technical festival, and was in charge of the finance department, event promotion team, and celebrity nights. This helped hone my managerial skills. I have also been involved in dance and dramatics. I represented my college and won dance competitions, and won skit competitions at school and college level. I am a speaker, and have won various extempore, debate and public speaking competitions in school and college.

My mentors, peers and the people I work with have lauded me for my commitment, dedication and confidence. I have been persistent when it comes to knowledge gain and personality development – this has enabled me to gain international corporate exposure, to learn French as a foreign language, to be meritorious in academics, get involved in extra-curricular activities and strive for the company of great people. Last, but not the least, I am a believer.

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