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CMGGA Associates
Pranav vijayvergiya
Degree and Institution: Bachelor of Technology in Mechanical engineering; IIT, Bombay
District: Sonepat
Pranav Vijayvergiya is a Mechanical Engineer from IIT Bombay ( Class of 2015 ). During his education, he worked with General Electric, Bangalore to understand the intersection of theory with real and practical problems. He won the best project award as an intern but found that it was not the field he wants to continue in long run.
Pranav is very passionate about working for the betterment of society and enabling people live a better life. Therefore, after his college, he decided to work in a corporate firm for short run to make himself ready with essential skills. He learned about data analytics and consulting when he was working with Indus Insights. Many of his projects at the company involved extensive analysis and advanced modeling techniques to provide impact giving insights into the client's business activities. During his projects, he realised strongly that he wanted to be a part of projects which has real impact on the society and he could be on the field to see the change.
Pranav loves to travel and stands by the saying, "Not all those who wander are lost". He loves going on unplanned backpacking expeditions and has travelled to 17 states in India. He has completed a basic mountaineering course with Jawahar institute to explore his adventurous interests. Apart from travelling he loves to play table tennis, lawn tennis and badminton. In table tennis he has represented his state in the nationals for 4 times with the best individual ranking of 6.
He now looks forward to joining the Chief minister's good governance associates program to do his part in public policy and most importantly get the learnings which will help him in this domain in the long run.
Dr. Anita Phalswal
Degree and Institution: Bachelor of Homoeopathic Medicine and Surgery, Delhi University.
PG-Diploma in Hospital Management, Masters-In-Clinical Psychology, Annamalai University
District: Jhajjhar
Anita Phalswal is a doctor by profession and a public health enthusiast by passion. She explored corporate, private and public health set ups to pursue career in medical field. Eventually she realized that it was public health concerns that stroke the deepest chords of her heart. She joined National Rural Health Mission and worked across sixteen districts in Haryana as a Quality Monitoring Officer. She is extremely sensitive about mother and child health issues and has worked with utmost dedication towards betterment in MCH services in collaboration with PGIMS, Rohtak as a Senior Investigator.She got an insight of WCD and Education departments while working forBeti-Bachao-Beti-Padhao campaign in Haryana.
On personal fronts, she likes to interact with intellectual and visionary people. She is an avid reader and an instinctive writer. Her taste in books can vary from classic romantic Erich Segal to cult philosopher Ayn Rand. Beside sensible poems and project proposals for friends, she has written articles for news satire website "newsthatmattersnot.com" and write-ups for medical magazines.
She is married to an incredible gentleman who supports her choice of atypical path in medical career. She has one year old Little Twittle who is a dynamite of energy. Motherhood made her realize how powerful and blessed women are and this power can actually move mountains.
Anita learnt the government policy implementation and gaps therein through her work experience at grass rootlevels. This led to her interest in joining the CMGGA programme.She is all geared up to face the challenges and to be a part of "The change" that is to begin.
Favourite Quote:
"There are no under developed nations but are only undermanaged nations." - Peter F Drucker
Vineet Bhalla
Degree and Institution: B.A., LL.B. (Hons.); The West Bengal National University of Juridical Sciences, Kolkata
District: Rewari
A resident of Faridabad in Haryana, Vineet has always been a contrarian. Hespent most of his childhood devouring books instead of going out to play. Later, he chose to study Humanities subjects for the last two years of schooling instead of the more popular Science stream. After school, he took up legal studiesand secured admission into the National University of Juridical Sciences in Kolkata, one of the top law schools in India.
Law school in Kolkata had a profound impact on Vineet. Courses on Constitutional Law, Law and Impoverishment, Human Rights, Socio-Economic Rights and Jurisprudence, alongside a three-year volunteering and Fellowship stint with the non-profit organization Make A Difference (MAD) made him discover his compassion as he realized that his passion lay in working towards making the world a better place for everyone.
With this, Vineet set off on a path divergent from that of a typical law student. He spent his internship vacations with diverse organizations in the development space such as Center for Civil Society, MazdoorKisan Shakti Sangathan, Sambhaavnaa Institute of Policy and Politics, and Alternative Law Forum, and enrolled for public policy courses. After law school, he joined the non-profit organization IDIA (Increasing Diversity by Increasing Access to Legal Education) as an Assistant Director. Alongside this, he also completed a Fellowship with the organization People for Parity.
Through these experiences, Vineet has sought to achieve two objectives: 1. To understand the world and define the problem that he wishes to solve, and 2. To change from within so that he can create change outside himself.He is proud of having engaged with and learnt from some truly outstanding and inspiring individuals over the last few years, as well as having built and led teams towards creating positive social impact during his time with MAD and IDIA.
Vineet looks at the CMGGA programme as the next step in his journey towards reaching his aforementioned objectives, and hopes that the programme will help mould him into one of the individuals required to lead India's next generation of development challenges.
'A comfort zone is a beautiful place, but nothing ever grows there'
Shikha Rana
District: Karnal
Shikha, 27, has an inclination towards bringing in transformation in the public education system. She is brought up in a middle class family which has exposed her to the intricacies involved in attaining education being a girl child. There is a firm belief in most of the Indian families that fiscal and emotional investment should be made in boys' nurturing and education which a clear manifestation of the rigidity prevailing in our society. Her conviction is quality education not only augments career opportunities but to a significant extent is instrumental in blurring social and economical disparities crippling the society.
She believes in what Albert Einstein once said "Education is not the learning of facts, but the training of the mind to think".
Shikha earned an undergraduate degree in Social Work from Delhi University and post graduate degree in the same field from Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai.
She has been engaged with the development sector during the course of studies in Social Work which helped in enhancing her skills. She has garnered considerable experience in the domain of the health during her engagement with Operation ASER, an NGO with an aimed to eradicate Tuberculosis worldwide. In 2012, this assignment helped her develop an insight on how abject health services and other social issues like gender inequality, unemployment, and destitution etc. are the outcomes of a poor education system. To have a nuanced understanding on the issues pertinent to Education she joined ASER centre in 2013, an autonomous research unit of Pratham Education Foundation and worked till mid-2016. She has worked with various government, non-government and communities of 15 states. The assignment spanning 4 years, has armed her with a range of competencies to lead large-scale projects like the Annual Status of Education (ASER Survey), scaling-up programmes/initiatives, designing learning assessments and external evaluations.
Vrashali Khandelwal
Degree and Institution: M.A. Development; Azim Premji University, Bangalore
District: Sirsa
A voracious reader, an ardent traveler and a lucid dreamer, Vrashali truly believes that the best experiences are derived out of new ventures. Her strong academic brilliance was always accompanied by a myriad of other activities such as sports & dramatics. Her spirit of scientific inquiry made her join one of the premier engineering institutes of the country, BITS, Pilani. However, the equations were unable to help her find solutions to more visible social issues that were staring back at her, in her everyday life.
This constant dilemma pushed her to explore other avenues. She looked at the issue of child labour in the campus and undertook a study oriented project to understand the gravity of the problem. At NSS, Pilani she helped the underprivileged children gain a better learning experience. These fledging efforts finally gained momentum when she joined Azim Premji University. While studying Development at the University, Vrashali developed an immense passion for academic research in the subject of development induced displacement. The discussions with the displaced at the Sabarmati riverfront, the slum-dwellers of Bangalore and those at the Narmada valley revealed the importance of inclusive and sustainable development to her. Unsure of a definite answer to these issues, she aspires to take forward an academic route to come up with long term responsive solutions. Her other areas of interest lie in looking at governance and democracy. She has been involved in working on understanding the institute of Ombudsman in the country and hopes to create a broader span of knowledge on this topic. She has also worked with a political think tank, Public Affairs Centre as a research assistant. All these experiences have allowed her transition from a shy, introverted girl to a woman with strong opinions. She hopes that the CMGGA program would allow her to create more meaning in her life.
And those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music.
Sanyukta Sharma
Degree and Institution: Bachelors in Electronics and Communication, Guru Nanak Dev University (Amritsar)
District: Kurukshetra
Growing up in an environment where many children in the village had no option or support to go to school, she realized very quickly that the "Right" considered by many, is a "privilege" to others. From her young age, Sanyukta was very active in studies and equally participated in sports. She is a National level swimmer and an enthusiastic debater. Since childhood, she aspired to do something for the people, give back to the society rather than merely doing the job. Her life took a 360 degree shift once she entered college and began her individual journey of unfolding what caught her attention. Complaining that she has "short-attention span", she participated and excelled in various activities. From wining debates in IIM Lucknow in controversial topics like Article 370, to writing for online magazines, being selected for the Harvard Project for Asian and International Relations (HPAIR) and Oxford Summer Creative Writing School, interning with AIESEC in their community development program in Russia and working with many NGO'S, gave her thorough exposure in diverse fields.
Finally, following her passion and todo her bit in eradicating the problems around her, she joined as a Research Associate in Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad in the domain of Public Policy. Having worked in two projects related to Education and Health, she wants to now expand her horizon, explore more, learn and work on ground in one of the most challenges state in India, that is Haryana through this wonderful opportunity provided by the CMGGA Program.
You only live once, make sure that is while being the best version of yourself.
Ankit Jain
Degree and Institution: B. Tech. (Metallurgical & Materials Engineering), IIT Kharagpur
District: Jind
Ankit defines himself as "abstruse", not only for others but even for himself. He wants to live through a variety of experiences in life, before settling on one as a career.
One such experience, for the last 3 years, waswhile working withBunder Diamond Project of Rio Tinto in Madhya Pradesh. Plentiful opportunities to learn and contribute came his way while he worked across various functions - technical, project strategy, business analysis, financial modeling, project controls –which taught him the fundamentals and applications of project management.
Prior to that, the opportunity to enjoy 4 years of campus life in IIT Kharagpur was a major achievement for Ankit. The activities he got involved in helped develop his leadership and "thinking-out-of-the-box" abilities. As founding member of the Student Welfare Group,he led a group of studentsto devise innovative help-desks for overall well-being of students, especially to identify students facing mental health issues. He considers himself blessed to have been personally able to help 2 students out of depression. Aspart of the IIT Kharagpur chapter of AIESEC, he designed projects and invited foreign internsto work withNGOs in development and education sectors. Ankit pursued his curriculum internship in the University of North Texas(USA)workingon a research projectand exploring life in a different country.He also did a voluntary internship with Rakshak Foundation in Delhi, which made him aware of the civil society'scontribution topolicy-making.
Been brought up in Ghatshila (a sleepy Jharkhand town) hasimbibed in him a love for leisurecycling, yoga & meditation, and reading books ranging from spirituality, socio-economic development, history and economics to business.
Ankit considers the CMGGA programme an important step towards widening his experiences while utilizing his skill-set to contribute to positivedevelopment in good governance of Haryana.
- "Be the change you want to see in this world" – Mahatma Gandhi
Priyanjali Mitra
Degree and Institution: MSc Sociology, University of Oxford (2014)
B.A. Honours (Sociology) LSR, Delhi University (2013)
District: Panipat
Priyanjali is a development professional who worked as a consultant with the International Labour Organization (ILO) over the past year and a half, to understand the legislative and research efforts of a specialized agency of the United Nations.
She considers her experience in Cambodia and Lao PDR as a turning point in her understanding of the complementarity between qualitative and quantitative research in policy, as well as understanding socio-economic realities of these nations.
Having gained a theoretical foundation in the discipline during her under graduation and training in quantitative research methods during her Masters, she is keen on working in the development sector in India with a specific focus on gender, labour and education in India.
In the year 2010,sheco-founded an initiative called the Happiness Projectin Gurgaon, which involved extra-curricular modes of teaching and learning in government schools for primary school children. This project reached out to over 200 children in government schools in Gurgaon, Haryana. Through music, dance, theatre and the arts children were taught topics from their regular curriculum along with engaging their minds in broader issues of social concern. During her time as a graduate student, she was involved with OxPolicy- a student run policy think tank. One of the projects she was involved in was titled 'Political disengagement and disenfranchisement in Britain in wake of the previous general elections'. She is also keenly interested in the development challenges in Haryana, as some of her work in graduate school focused on voter turnouts and socio-economic indicators in the state.
Through the Chief Minister's Good Governance Associates Programme (CMGGA), she hopes to gain field experience at the state and district level and engage with the implementation of the flagship programmes. Apart from international development and politics,she is also keenly interested in philosophy, art, literature and British comedy.She also enjoys listening to jazz and the blues.
"You can't connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backward. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something -- your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life." - Steve Jobs
Pratik Harish
Degree and Institution: Master's Programme in Public Policy, National Law School of India University,Bangalore
District: Kaithal
Being a socially conscious person, Pratik is committed to the goal of contributing to Indian society. He is articulate and balanced in his views and is not bound by dogmatism. Pratik's educational career has transitioned from engineering to social engineering. His study of mechanical engineering helped him develop an analytical and scientific approach to problem solving. Post his engineering, the desire to be a part of positive change in the country through active participation in governance made him join the first batch of the Master's Programme in Public Policy at the prestigious National Law School of India University, Bangalore.
The diversity of students in the public policy course gave Pratik a very good understanding of working with people from different backgrounds. His stint as a member of the recruitment committee for the batch involved a challenging period of balancing the expectations of the students and the prospective employers. As part of the master's programme, the one month spent in the villages of Rajasthan with MKSS under Mrs Aruna Roy helped Pratik to get an appreciation of the rural milieu.
Pratik has participated in a number of activities like Model Youth Parliament and has interned with companies like Bosch, iDeCK and Bangalore Metro. He co-authored a paper on "Regulation in a Crony Capitalist State: The Case of Planning Laws in Bangalore" which was published in The Public Sector. Cricket and tennis are two sports that Pratik enjoys playing while being an avid fan of Formula 1. Pratik also enjoys watching movies and reading.
Through the Chief Minister's Good Governance Associates programme, Pratik hopes that he will be able to get a better understanding of the systems of governance and begin contributing his bit to society.
"Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift. That is why it is called the present" - Kung Fu Panda(movie)
Mohit Soni
Degree and Institution: B.Sc. in Biotechnology from Holkar Science College,Indore. LL.B campus law canter,faculty of law, Delhi University.
District: Nuh
Mohit's journey started from a small city named Saharanpur of Madhya Pradesh. The dire situation of his house gave him an intent desire to solve the associated problem. This shaped his arguing skill at a very early stage. He grew up studying law from the one of the prestigious university – "Delhi University" of India.
Mohit has a great liking for literature. It has always encouraged him to participate in debate, poem and play writing competition. He has won more than 100 competitions, many at national and regional level. Mohit also held the position of student Editor in 2007-08 for the yearly magazine "Spectrum" of Holker Science College.
In the year 2014, a poem titled ("आओ वो बीज ढूंढ लाए; पौध अब अमन की लगाएं"), "Lets search and plant the seed of peace" written by Mohit has been selected (thorugh a competition) as a best non violence lyrics; which was then converted into a song by the Gandhi Bhavan, Delhi University.
While pursuing the degree of Law, he worked as paralegal vounteer to help the needy and spread awareness about legal aid.
"Legal facilities must be at reach to every individual in the society". It is with this desire, he joined gandhi fellowship. During the two years of fellowship he ran several campaing in the villages spreading awareness on social issues, consulting solutions which every indivual should seek and work for. He lead five head masters of 5 different schools working constructively on improving the student learning outcome while shaping the thinking of approximately 500 students and the related stakeholders (teachers, villagers, the community at large etc). Mohit's sensivity to the prevailing social issues, out of box thinking, quizzing and construtive argumenting, learning from experience has kept him exploring and accepting different avenues of thinking. All of this could be seen in his writing which he often publishes in his blog "मेराअंतर्द्वंद्व".
Mohit is looking forward to contribute all of his experience and learing to work closely with the CM to make realize the dream of strong, inclusive and beautiful Haryana.
Favourite quote-
learn to speak out for anything wrong; your silence means its acceptance. "गलत को गलत कहना सीखिये आपकी खामोशी ही आपका समर्थन है।"
Gaurav Dhankar
Degree and Institution: Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in Social work with Specialisation in Rural Development, Tata Institute of Social Science
Young India Fellowship, Ashoka University
District: Bhiwani
An individual with apassion for sports and adventure alike,Gaurav comes from a small village in Rajasthan.The thirst for adventure and travelling reigned supreme in his life and began with him leaving home at the age of ten to join the Rashtriya Military School Belgaum, Karnataka. Seven years in the Military School enabled him to think critically and lead a life with discipline, confidence, and dedication. The overall gentleman's personality and commitment towards studies in school earned him an opportunity to attend the High Altitude Warfare School, Gulmarg, Jammu & Kashmir to learn Skiing.
With theinclination to serve the society and to better understand the social processes, he decided to join the School of Rural Development, Tata Institute of Social Science. Three years of graduation and internships in various states and organizations empowered him to better identify the areas of constructive intervention and realize the importance of apeople-centric approach to social problem solving. In the year 2012, he had an opportunity to present a research paper on the topic – Depletion of Forest and Livelihood Concerns of Tribal's in a national seminar held at Christ University, Bangalore, India. In February 2015, he was trained as a Climate Leader by the former American Vice President Al Gore and was awarded to be a Sustainability Fellow by the International Sustainability School, Nepal.
Gaurav believes that social change is inevitable and with growing population, shrinking natural resources and changing economic needs, it becomes essential to positively influence the process of social change. Other than playing, travelling, reading and writing, Gaurav is a firm believer in the saying "A healthy mind resides in a healthy body"and working out is amust in his life. When not doing any of the mentioned things, he loves to bring people together to discuss politics.
Favourite quote –
"If you wish to know how civilized a culture is, look at how they treat its women." - Bacha Khan
Degree and Institution: M.A. Sociology, IGNOU, New Delhi
B.A. (Hons.) Sociology, BHU, Varanasi.
Work/Internship Experience :Research Associate to Member of Parliament (Rajya Sabha) 2015-16
LAMP Fellow (PRS Legislative Research, New Delhi) 2014-15
RBI Young Scholar Award 2010
District: Palwal
Hailing from a rural background, Gaurav loves social works and takes responsibilities head on for making a rational society. He has been associated with various NGOs since the age of fifteen with serious intentions to make a rational and democratic society. Eager to explore and understand every aspect of the society, he earned Bachelors in Sociology from Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi and thereafter Masters in Sociology from Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU), New Delhi. He is currently pursuing PGD in Rural Development from IGNOU, New Delhi. While gaining the theoretical knowledge at BHU about the society and its engrossed problems, Gaurav practically leaped into the arena of social service by closely associating with National Service Scheme (NSS). He represented the University at the National Youth Festival organised by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Govt. of India. He has won accolades as Best Actor for Short Play in the college festival and also awarded by NSS for Best News Reporting.
As an active member of the society, he took forward his interest in spreading scientific awareness among citizens and students through establishment of Vigyan Club in 2003. He begged award at the State level Bal Vigyan Congress and was selected as the Master Resource Person for "Miracles and its Scientific Explanation" of Science for Society, Patna, Bihar (2004-05). The efforts were extended with the publication of the Science Magazine "Vigyan Drishti" in 2006.
In 2010, Gaurav was selected by the Reserve Bank of India for Young Scholar Award where he worked on financial inclusion and literacy which gave him another important perspective to study the society. As a prolific writer, Gaurav stands no far behind. Since 2010, he has been consistently writing articles on socio-economic, international issues for National Dailies and Magazines such as Yojana, Kurukshetra, Dainik Jagran, Jansatta, Rashtriya Sahara, Dainik Tribune etc. His greatest achievement and an expression of his profound thoughts and ideas is his most recently written book "Towards a United and Strong Nation" which is under publication.
In 2014, he was selected by PRS Legislative Research, New Delhi for Legislative Assistance to Member of Parliament (LAMP) Fellowship. After successful completion of the fellowship, he has been continuously associated with Member of Parliament as a Legislative Research Associate providing research inputs on all legislative issues. Gaurav is poised to leverage his thoughts, intellect and passion for bringing a positive change in the society through the Chief Minister's Good Governance Associates programme and looks forward to giving his best in the organization he will work for.
Favourate quote : "Problems are common, but attitude makes the difference" - A. P. J. Abdul Kalam
Sam Solomon Dasuru
Degree and Institution: The Young India Fellowship (P.G. Diploma in Liberal Arts) Ashoka University
M.Sc. (Hons.) Biological Sciences; Birla Institute of Technology & Science, Pilani
B.E (Hons.) Civil Engineering; Birla Institute of Technology &Science, Pilani
Work/Internship Experience :TotalEnvironment Building Systems
District: Mahendragarh
A modern day nomad, Sam has experienced life across the diverse geography of vibrant ethnic-India, his family hailing from various states of India. At high school, Sam won national level accolades in General Knowledge, Quizzing and Art among which 'The BalRatna Award' 2004 at Hyderabad city-level and a Top-115 Rank at the All India General Knowledge Test 2004 (USO, India) deserve special mention.
At BITS-Pilani, Sam had the unique opportunity to pursue a degree in Biology in tandem with courses in Engineering .He channelized this multi-disciplinary learning research in Bio-gas Plants and towards a sustainable Bio-concrete that could advance construction materials, in collaboration with multiple national research laboratories. Sam's courses on Ecology, Environmental Engineering and his internship with the SAARC Secretariat, Kathmandu, Nepal on Freshwater Pollution helped him better understand today's environmental challenges.
Sam was a student mentor with the university's counseling cell, worked with NSS to impart computer literacy to high-school children in Rajasthan's villages and a musician-artist across college events.
After BITS-Pilani, Sam joined Total Environment in 2012 where his innovation in implementing Japanese 5S systems to a construction setting fetched him a 'Young Performer of the Year Award' 2012-13. He was able to make a smooth transition through various profiles at work and deliveredsignificantly while heading the Site Planning and Management Office, at one of TE's two million Sqft. residential projects.
A deep hunger to understand the world beyond construction,impact society worldwide and tackle today's global issues through innovative solutions led Sam to pursue the Young India Fellowship(YIF). At the YIF, Sam got to broaden his understanding of the sociology of the dynamic India and her environment both through intriguing academia and work experience, where he worked with rural communities in U.P as a part of an internship with the Dalmia Bharat Group Foundation to create opportunities for their livelihoods through a business model selling their moonj handicraft to modern Urban Consumers.
As a CMGGA, Sam seeksan opportunity to understand and engage with the largest engineof systemic change in India i.e the government and work on large scale projects that bring about public welfare in multiple issues through scalable and sustainable impact.
QUOTE :
Sam hopes and prays these lines from Lincoln Brewster's Anthem, 'The power of Your Name' over his life...
"….. And I will live to carry Your compassion,
to love a world that's broken.
To be Your hands and feet.
And I will give with the life that I've been given
And go beyond religion to see the world be changed,
By the Power of Your Name"
Manisha Bhatotia
Degree and Institution: B.Tech and M.Tech in Electronics & Instrumentation; Y.M.C.A University of Science and Technology,Faridabad.
District: Hisar
Born in an educated family, Manisha went to a renowned school of her city. There she got chance to showcase herself as a good orator and leader. She became the Head Girl of her school. Along with studies she always remained indulged in extra-curricular activities. She nurtured the childish dream of becoming a journalist in her early school days, but the tide of her life turned when she was honoured with Young Scientist Award by Mr. A.P.J Abdul Kalam. After this she never turned back and decided to study science. Thus she started her journey at Y.M.C.A University of Science and Technology,Faridabad ,where she did her B.Tech and M.Tech in Electronics & Instrumentation.
The orator within herself made her popular in college too. She was the only one from her college who got the chance to go for the research work at IIT Roorkee. She is the author of many papers in I.E.E.E. She was the topper of her batch in M.tech.
Curious and adventurous by instinct, she is also very passionate about her dressing, food and people. She is greatly inspired by the life of Mr. APJ Abdul Kalam and holds a deep interest in reading all his books. She has deep faith in GOD. To do justice to her birth as a human, she is associated with various NGOs which work for animals and differently abled people. She has strong belief that her knowledge, past experience and a leader within herself will help her to do great as a Chief Minister's Good Governance Associate.
"If you want to shine like a sun, first burn like a sun."-- APJ Abdul Kalam
Deepa Agarwal
District: Ambala
Deepa dreams to be a millionaire. No, it doesn't mean earning a million rupees but impacting a million lives. Born and brought up in a conservative joint family of 25 members in Jaipur, she has been a part of the privileged generation. But her father's struggle from rags to riches has kept her grounded. She has studied in Maharani Gayatri Devi Girls' school, one of the top ten schools in India, where she learnt to strive for the utmost. She excelled in academics and was awarded the best student in Business studies in her 12th board exams. She would not miss a chance to express herself through writing or dance. She would spend most of her holidays visiting various shelter houses for children with her teachers. For her school was not just a place of learning but an opportunity to do all the things that she could not do at home.
Her pursuit of exploring the truth landed her in journalism from Sophia College for Women, Mumbai. Initially she felt inferior and diffident in a multi cultural classroom but eventually she would express her opinion and understand those of others. It gave her an eye to observe things around her. During college she interned with Doordarshan, Jaipur and DNA, Jaipur. She also volunteered for Teach for India for a year.
Exploring the social realities of the country while studying journalism, she now wanted to experience them. She joined the Gandhi fellowship and worked in the Dungarpur district of Rajasthan for two years. During her village immersion, she mobilized the community and raised funds for a project 'Crafting Spaces', which was about installing blackboards in 120 houses to take school to the home. She is unlearning and relearning all the time, breaking her stereotypes. There must have been a lot of failures but her undaunting spirit to celebrate them has taken her forward to the Chief Minister's Good Governance program.
With the CMGGA, she wishes to accelerate her dream of being a millionaire.
Favorite Quote: "Never, never be afraid to do what is right. Society's punishments are small compared to the wounds we inflict on our souls when we look away." –Martin Luther King Jr.
Jashanjit Singh
Degree and Institution: Double Post Graduate: Masters in Social Work (MSW) & Masters in Business Administration (MBA)
District: Yamunanagar
As a Social activist experience, Jashanjit Singh started thinking about Social upliftment during his school days. He cherished his childhood dream forward by doing MSW from Punjabi University, Patiala. His social activist mind always want something better for the community, he likes disciplined life which was signifies by his certificate of appreciation in maintaining discipline at school level. He participated as NSS volunteer and organized blood donation camp at the college level. He was an active volunteer in training programs on capacity building for NGO's supported by CAPART. In addition to this, he also worked on youth empowerment and organized awareness camps. He is gold and silver medalist in Sports but his true love for sports and social work both shown when he was participated as a Volunteer in Special Olympics/ Cultural workshop at District Patiala.
With his wide range of social experiences, he started his first job as Additional Block Programme Officer, MGNREGS, DRDA, Ambala. During his job he was deputed at Village Kalati to control the community riots and provide necessary help to the victims like food, shelter etc. He was awarded certificate of appreciation by Additional Deputy Commissioner Ambala for his outstanding performance. Then, he joined Community Processes Division at National Health Mission, Haryana as Manager CP where he get an opportunity to involved in a PCPNDT team and he played a significant role in uprooting the evil of female foeticide not only from Haryana but also from NCR/Delhi and helped in seizing around 70 pocket size ultrasound/Doppler machines. This showed his team spirit, management skills and commitment for his work. Mission Director, NHM Haryana rewarded him for his achievements. Moving forward, Jashanjit Singh hopes that the CMGGA program will provide him a platform for his broader vision so that he gives his best.
"If you salute your duty, you do not need to salute anybody,
But if you pollute your duty, you have to salute everybody."
- Dr. Abdul Kalam Azad
Surekha Yadav
Degree and Institution: Masters of Urban Planning, SPA Delhi & Bachelors of Architecture, DCRUST Murthal
District: Gurugram
Born into a middle-class family in a village in Haryana, Surekha is highly determined and visionary as a person. Being a daughter of an Air Force officer, she got chance to live in different cities throughout her life, where she got exposure to different cultures, traditions, languages and surroundings. This exposure made her a strong and versatile personality and she learnt how to adapt different situations and atmosphere.
Being observant since childhood she started perceiving the cities and places she lived in. Be it the pattern of the city, character of places, types and designs of buildings, she was fascinated from it all which eventually led her to pursue Architecture as basic degree.
While doing Architecture, she realized the importance of planning and designing a city, the urbanization process, and a city's growth and dynamics. So to understand the bigger picture, she went for Masters of Urban Planning from SPA Delhi. A place where brilliant and vibrant minds are involved in the thought process and decision-making conceptually, technically and practically.
Her curiosity to learn new things led her to do pioneering theses on Green buildings and Smart cities during her academics and she further pursued it as research. Surekha thinks one should always keep reading, researching and exploring things as it makes you more creative and efficient.
Surekha believes that everyone is affected by different individuals or situations that holds significance in their lives. And for her, its her father who has been the greatest influence on her life, who gave her freedom to think and do what she wants to do.
As the part of society, Surekha feels we should give young girls more freedom on their thoughts and decisions so that they can explore their innerselves and abilities which would ultimately make them independent. Being a sportsperson, Surekha is also curious and adventours by instinct. She is also very passionate about travelling, food and craft activities.
Getting forward, Surekha takes CMGGA as an opportunity as well as challenge to do something commendable for the society and people and hence make Haryana a better place with better opportunities.
One should always dream, make them into goals and set plans to achieve them. That's the first part of it. The second part is that you have to believe in yourself.
Karn Ailawadhi
Degree and Institution: Integrated Programme in Management, IIM Indore
From childhood itself, Karn has been a splendid student at academics. Since, he comes from a business family, he chose the commerce stream and eventually topped his school in class 12th. Karn has recently completed his post graduation from IIM Indore, one of the paramount management institutes of the country. He was a participant of the 5 year Integrated programme in management. He specialised in general management and holds keen interest in marketing.
His journey at IIM secured him plentiful opportunities to pursue his interests. He was a member of the "Adult Literacy Programme" initiated by the social sensitivity club -Pragati. Furthermore, he was one of the first members to initiate the project "Disabled friendly campus" at his college. He is a fitness aficionado and an avid runner. Recently, he along with his team, won the "Himalayan mountain challenge", organized by Indiahikes in Uttarakhand. Being a core member of "ADAA", the drama committee of IPM at IIMI, he initiated various workshops and street plays during his tenure. As a language enthusiast, he has learned French, German as well as Spanish. He is passionate about watching English movies and has an impressive collection too.
During his social internship at Waste Warriors (an NGO based in Dharamsala), he worked to promote and provide affordable and sustainable waste management systems that improve our environment. He also interned at Hindware and was responsible to design alternative channels of distribution for the marketing division.
As a part of various successful projects and interacting with people from diverse backgrounds, working in a team comes very naturally to him. He believes that CMGGA programme can prove to be a unique opportunity for him to learn, as well as implement his understanding about providing efficient managerial support for execution at the grass root level.
Favourite quote :
"Great men are not born great, they grow great" – The Godfather
Namrata Mehta
Degree and Institution: Post Graduate Diploma in Experimental Media Arts, Srishti School of Art, Design and Technology.
District: Panchkula
Namrata is an innovation consultant employing user-centered approaches to develop new products, services and systems for improved service delivery.. Over the last 6 years with the Center for Knowledge Societies and the Vihara Innovation Network, she has had the opportunity to work in healthcare, education, utilities, entrepreneurship and financial services, with clients such as GE, Vodafone, Sony, Eko/-, Intel and Samsung, UNDP, BBC Media Action, LIRNEasia, Grameen, USAID, the Gates Foundation and DFAT. Namrata's work has taken her to Sri Lanka, Bangaldesh, Ghana, Myanmar, Indonesia, Canada, the Netherlands, the UK, and Turkey.
More recently, Namrata has been involved in global conversations on public and social innovation, particularly through an innovation lab approach. She is an advisor to the Bihar Innovation Lab and has built a framework for a Civic Innovation Lab.
Namrata has been an instrumental member of Delhi Makers, a community of engineers, designers, entrepreneurs and hobbyists that come together to make, build, tinker, hack and 3d print. She has also developed games as a research tool for policy makers in the agricultural and urban infrastructure sector, at the Center for the Study of Science, Technology and Policy. In her other life, Namrata is an artist and potter, and her work has been exhibited at Khoj International Artist's Association, India Art Fair, and the IWART International Film Festival. She has an undergraduate degree in Sociology from Lady Shri Ram College, Delhi University, and a post graduate diploma in Experimental Media Arts from the Srishti School of Art Design and Technology.
Namrata is a resident of Gurgaon, and spends her time photographing abandoned bathtubs in the city, and sifting through emails on the Gurgaon Governance Google Group, which is where she found out about the CMGGA.
Chance favours the connected mind, Steven Johnson
Palak Rawal
Degree and Institution: Bachelor of Commerce (Hons); SGTB Khalsa College, Delhi University; Post Graduate Diploma in Liberal Studies; Young India Fellowship Programme, Ashoka University
District: Rohtak
Willingness to learn and explore helped Palakto be a part of the 5th batch of the Young India Fellowship programme, a life altering experience for her. At YIF, she met some of the most inspiring peoplewho helped her discover more about herself and life ahead of her.
Since childhood Palakwas a part of a wide range of activities, though one sport – table tennis has stayed with her throughout. Shehas participated in national and state level competitions and captained her college team. This sport is her instant source of relaxation.
Her graduation experience in Delhi University helped her discover ambitions different than most of her peer group. She realized her interest in empowering others through education by being a part of the Igniting Young Minds programme. She then explored her interest through a research internship at the Centre for Civil Society. CCS gave her the opportunity to interact with some of the brightest minds in the country, and provided her insights into policy research. She expanded her experience through a year long long project Haqdarshak, aimed at connecting welfare schemes to beneficiaries. She saw the project evolve from an idea to its first large-scale pilot project. This added to her understanding ofthe functioning of government initiatives and strengthened her belief of contributing to the society.
Apart from accolades in table tennis, an important achievement for her was the 'Best all-rounder student of the college' award, the most prestigious award of her college, given in the final year of graduation.
A weekend travelling plan, spending quality time with friends and family, and the sitcom Friends are a few things that make her happy. With her willingness to learn, passion for work, and interest in the development sector, she is set out to be a part of the Chief Minister's Good Governance Associates programme.
'We must learn from those in whose names we speak'
- At a session at YIF
Anul Jain
District: Faridabad
As a keen student of politics, Anul is extremely fascinated by the complex machinery of democracy in India. From early on, she had a strong desire to be involved with an institution that works at the grassroots, where public opinion is shaped and political ideologies are meshed out. She plunged into student politics and social work as a young student, and went on to complete a Master's degree in Social Development Studies from Azim Premji University, Bangalore.
She has been founding member of a social startup, Binbag which has created a platform for individuals, apartment complexes in Bangalore to recycle their electronic waste, plastics and paper with the highest environmental standards. Some of the deep-rooted problems of Indian society today are being solved by the young generation, and their participation in governance is a source of great excitement for her.
Anul is a successful national-level Table Tennis player and has had the opportunity to discover far-flung regions of India through extensive travel for tournaments. She is passionate about Sports, History, and Ecology. Her dream is to backpack across all States in India to discover different cultures and lifestyles, and understand their unique political structures.
"It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye." – The Little Prince (book)
Chirag Garg
Degree and Institution: B.Tech, Agricultural and Food Engineering, IIT Kharagpur,
District: Fatehabad
Born and brought in Haryana, Chirag's curiosity in other planets and stars, love with mathematics and adventures in science exhibitions, eventually, sailed him to the coast of Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur. His undergraduate studies provided theoretical background in food processing and water management. Contemporaneously, working in annual social-cultural festival committee for three years, thriving in an environment of innovation and entrepreneurship, Chirag ventured several organizations engaging at global, national and community level. Representing India at London in semi-finals of Hult Prize Competition, he realized the need of multidisciplinary lens to tackle global challenges and joined Young India Fellowship wherein, mysteriously, a pathway was carved out for his expedition ahead. An engagement with DMICDC in infrastructure design and field visits uncovered the pathetic conditions of landfill polluting environment and wildlife directly. Agitated by the situation, he decided to work towards this as Mother Teresa Fellow, under Centre for Social Impact and Philanthropy, Ashoka University.
Collaborating with another fellow, in partnership with Kyori Gram Panchayat in Bir, Himachal Pradesh, a community led sustainable waste management system was set up by mobilizing people through cleanliness drives, monetizing Swachcha Bharat Funds to set up dustbins and integrate local informal sector, hence, creating green jobs for the local people, and reducing ecological footprint of Paragliding World Cup 2015. Then, he joined Civic Response Team in Aurangabad, Maharashtra collaborating with Municipal Corporation to execute an ambitious mission of achieving segregation at source to curtail dumping of waste in landfill. This needed revamping city's waste management system focusing on decentralization and sensitizing population to its environment and health aspects. After five months of rigorous training and capacity building of municipal workers combined with a massive awareness campaign, resulted in functional structures at grass root level, enabling almost one-third of the city to segregate waste at source resulting in reduced expenses and carbon footprint.
Through a series of field-based immersions in cities and villages of different sizes and types, Chirag has developed a comparative perspective of interactions and the intersections of urban development, sustainability, public policy and environment. Chirag aspires to build on this perspective in Chief Minister' Good Governance Associates programme and direct his experiences to serve the home state.
"No Sacrifice No Victory " – Transformers (2007)
Aadav SS
UG Degree and Institution: B.Tech Chemical Engineering, SASTRA University
Diploma in Business Law and Entrepreneurship Administration, NUJS
Work Experience: Event Marketing, May 2014 - Feb 2015
Assistant Systems Engineer, Mar 2015-Oct 2015
Research Analyst, Oct 2016- Dec 2016
Business Analyst, Dec 2016-Jun 2017
Internship Experience: Project Internship, BPCL, Dec 2013-Jan 2014
As a son of Ex-IAF, Aadav has been exposed to diversity since childhood. This has kindled his interest in meeting new people, cultures, and travelling places. Since school, he has been an active participant in various activities such as NCC, Culturals and quizzing. He tests his capabilities by exploring opportunities around him and his successes have stood as testimony to that. He completed his undergraduation in Chemical Engineering from SASTRA University where he was involved in organizing workshops and conferences. Undergraduation gave him an immense exposure to marketing and management. He is interested in travelling, swimming, reading, and trekking.
Post his engineering, he took up a small activity with Penumbramag where he was involved in organizing startup-conclave Speak-Up at IIT-M. Post that, his short stint in Business Intelligence at TCS provided him necessary understanding of Equities and Trading markets. Exploring opportunities, he moved to Beroe as Research Analyst to provide category intelligence across Construction, Logistics and Packaging domains and also perform Financial Risk Analysis of the involved stakeholders. Change became his new buzz-word. He was provided with an opportunity as Business Analyst at FixNix, a Governance, Risk and Compliance company. This is where he realized the importance of Governance and Policies that needs to adhered to avoid any risks and malpractices associated with processes. Right from his school, he has been efficient in adapting and picking up new skills, that puts him on a pedestal on any given task.
CMGGA interests him as he believes that Government is where a person will be exposed to the definition of management. An attempt to make things better drives him to be a part of the programme. With CMGGA, he plans to provide smart and efficient solutions addressing the pain-points in the Governance procedures. He aims to make measurable changes that would benefit the government. He believes that "Disclosing the public spend, measured to every rupee and stakeholders and officers involved for public scrutiny, will drive the agenda of ethical governance".
Through CMGGA, Aadav aims to understand and accommodate the ground realities that are faced by the government. In short-term, I would like to reach the pinnacle of corporate leadership with strong ethical values. In the long-term, he has decided to take up farming and build sustainable and economical business solutions for the prosperity of farming community.
Abhinav Vats
UG Degree and Institution: : B.A. (Hons) Economics, Kirorimal College, University of Delhi
Work Experience: Research Analyst, Mckinsey and Company, 2.2 years (March, 2015 to June, 2017)
Abhinav has been a typical city boy, he completed his schooling at DPS Mathura Road in Delhi, pursued Economics at University of Delhi and eventually worked in Delhi NCR. However, throughout his childhood he visited his relatives in Western Uttar Pradesh and those visits always gave him an alarming insight into the economic and social disparities between cities and villages. He realized that his well-being today is a result of the hard-work of his father, who by becoming the first member of his family to migrate to a bigger city, opened a new set of opportunities for later generations. Abhinav feels that his 'village roots' keep him grounded and motivate him towards making a positive social impact in life eventually.
After his graduation, Abhinav worked for over 2 years at Mckinsey. In his first year, he started off as a generalist and built a 'cross-industry' experience. However, as luck would have it, in his second year, he got an opportunity to support a major private foundation in developing their strategy and approach to scaling up the evidence being generated on critical areas related to gender equality, followed by another stint, where he provided analytical support to another major private foundation on innovations in the global public health space. He feels that his work at the firm in the social sector space has been extremely 'self-satisfying' and helped him realize the potential of using large-scale knowledge, resources, problem solving tools and networks on solving pressing social issues. The exposures have transformed his interest into determination and he is coming to the CMGGA program to convert this determination into concrete action. In the long run, Abhinav aspires to hold a position either in the government/top consulting firm/ large foundation, where he is actively solving social problems at scale.
Akshita Jain
UG Degree and Institution: B.A. (Hons.) Economics, St. Stephen's College
Work Experience: Project Associate, Quality Council of India (June 2016 to April 2017)
Internship: Policy Intern, J-PAL (April 2017 to June 2017)
India's dichotomous development story is at the centre of Akshita's academic intrigue in and professional passion for development and its peripheral economic linkages. While pursuing her undergraduate studies in Economics from St. Stephen's College, Akshita developed an innate predilection for economic policy making. Upon graduation, she set off on a path to engage with her passion that has (thus far) taken her through associations with the Quality Council of India and J-Pal, and steered her course towards the CMGGA. In the process, she has picked up invaluable lessons in identifying, analysing and learning the multidimensional aspects of governance and policy, and build a profound repertoire of poverty alleviation and welfare programs in the country.
Akshita was drawn to the CMGGA program in an attempt to better understand the challenges between policy formulation and implementation, and 'get her hands dirty' while learning the nuances of grassroots implementation of policy. She sees the next year as an unique opportunity to further her comprehension of challenges in governance, role of bureaucracy and the various aspects of community participation. Akshita strives to spend her future working at the intersection of economics and politics.
Anju Kumari Arya
UG Degree and Institution: B. Sc in Biotechnology Integrated from University of Rajasthan
PG Degree and Institution: Masters of Arts in Social work with Specialisation in Rural Development from Tata Institute of Social Sciences
Project Coordinator, Childfund India, years (2016 to 2017)
Academic Support Fellow & Assistant Coordinator, Bodh Shiksha Samiti,(2015 to 2016)
Project Officer, Foundation for Ecological Security, ( 2014 to 2015)
Internship Experience:
Intern, Majdoor Kisan Shakti Sanghtan, Rajasthan, 2014.
Intern, Maharastra Centre for Entrepreneurship Development, Aurangabad, Maharastra, 2013.
Intern, Dalit Sangh, Hosanghabad district, Madhya Pradesh, 2012.
Intern, Aamhi Aamchya Aarogya Sathi Organisation, Gadhchiroli, Maharasthra, 2012.
Anju Arya took birth in a remote village of Sikar district in Rajasthan. Being from army background, since childhood she was prepared to face difficulties with courage & determination. Having the spirit of adventure, she always participated in all kind of activities whether its sports, music, dance or acting.
She is firm believer of gender equality. Seeing the conditions of women & ill rituals in rural areas of Rajasthan, she got motivated to work in social sector. While working in education field, she experienced that children are the seeds of hopes for betterment of future of the country where they can bring peace, humanity & equality.
She sees CMGGA as an opportunity to learn the governance system to work for the betterment of people's life. Further, she wants to develop a strategy/approach for the deprived & destitute masses by gathering an in-depth understanding of policy designing & decision making in government system.
UG Degree and Institution: B. A. Programme (Economics and Psychology)
Work experience: Gandhi Fellow (Kaivalya Education Foundation)- 2014-2016,
Programme Associate, Start Up! Management Consultancy Private Limited- 9 months, 2016-2017
Hailing from a small town in Bihar, Muzaffarpur, Archana's childhood was not very different from other children. She grew up listening to humble stories of her parents who fought against all odds to establish their own identities. Values, discipline and hard work constituted the core of this journey. As a result, she was encouraged to think, to not define her capabilities and to not necessarily accept notions and assumptions. To understand the rationale of anything, she began asking questions that turned her different from the others. It helped her understand inequality and especially, gender discrimination . After her schooling from Muzaffarpur, she continued her studies in Lady Shri Ram College for Women. Her Bachelors answered and posed conundrums about society, the widespread oppression of women. The cloud of these thoughts were gradually taking the shape of terminologies and consciousness to act.
After completing the under graduation and having worked with underprivileged children of Nizammudin Basti (Delhi), she joined Gandhi Fellowship. Now she was a part of a system and something more than herself. Five Government schools and hundreds of families with non identical cultures made and broke a number of stereotypes. She learnt to be patient and moderate to understand behaviour change. She engaged with the harsh realities of Education system and worked towards enhancing learning of students. Such a grassroot engagement made her explore the eco system of Non-Government Organisations , not limiting herself to only Education. Conclusion of fellowship opened a new opportunity to work with a reputed social consulting firm where she was engaging with leaders from different domains (Mental Health, Entrepreneurship, Education, Gender Empowerment). She understood how systemic change is initiated, to collaborate with stakeholders, to manage conflicts and to be a team player.
After having engaged with two different identities of the same sector (not for profit and consultancy), she wanted to understand what it takes to frame policies and its enablers and barriers. CMGGA gives that opportunity to not only explore governance but also to team energy and experience together. I aim to learn the nuances of large scale policies, to make it accessible for the last mile communities. I wish to keep working within the system in the coming years.
Arunima Chandra
UG Degree and Institution: B.A. L.L.B (Hons.) Specialization in International Law
Rajiv Gandhi National University of Law, Punjab.
Work Experience: Legislative Assistant to Member of Parliament (LAMP Fellow), PRS Legislative Research (2016 to 2017).
Growing up under the influence of engineer father and singer mother, life for Arunima was a confluence of academics, music, and arts. Throughout school and undergraduate studies, she strived to develop an all-round personality, by being the School President and partaking in dance, music, sports, public speaking, trekking, etc. Her real calling and inclination towards human rights initiatives was identified when she began participating in Model United Nations Conferences in 9th Grade. Since then she developed a passion for the subject and decided to become a Human Rights Lawyer. She pursued her graduation in law from NLU, Patiala, and chose and topped the specialization stream of International Law. She further pursued PG Diploma in Human Rights, International Humanitarian Law, and Refugee Law from the Indian Society of International Law, New Delhi.
To understand the working of the Indian legal system, after graduation, she worked with Additional Advocate General (State of Uttar Pradesh), Supreme Court, as a Junior Advocate. This experience combined with the rigorous curriculum of Law School consolidated her understanding of law interpretation. Post that, she worked as a LAMP Fellow for Mr. Naresh Gujral, Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha. This experience introduced her to law making. Now, through CMGGA, she hopes to learn the grass-root level implementation of laws, the impediments to smooth dispersion of social benefits, and workable solutions to them.
She believes that fighting for human rights is an arduous journey, filled with disappointments, vanishing hopes, and cultivating cynicism, but when it becomes a life-purpose, there's no going back from it; the same work satisfaction cannot be found anywhere else. She plans to pursue LLM in Public International Law and this work experience would render her a holistic understanding of all facets of law, which would further guide her in passionate pursuance of human rights advocacy.
Ashish Vikram
UG Degree and Institution: Open School of Learning, Delhi University
PG Degree and Institution: PG Diploma in Rural Development Management for National Institute of Rural Development & Panchayati Raj, Hyderabad
Work Experience: Young Professional in Odisha Livelihoods Mission, Panchayati Raj Department, Government of Odisha (Aug 2014 to June 2017)
Internship Experience: Intern, APMAS, 1st March to 15 April 2014
An outgoing, self-motivated and fun loving person who hails from the beautiful city of Dehradun. From an early age he cultivated the zeal to work for the well-being of the community. From his schooling days he voluntary started involving with different development organisation in human welfare activities. After schooling he completed his graduation for Delhi university. As having a zeal to work in development sector he continued his academic Post Graduate Studies in National Institute of Rural Development & Panchayati Raj in Hyderabad and Completed his Post Graduate Diploma in Rural Development Management. In it he had acquired the academic pre requisites required for rural development and project management. In his internship he had worked in Grakha Block of Saran District of Bihar with APMAS mainly working on nurturing of Self Help Groups and Community Based Organisation at the grass root level.
After that he had worked with Odisha State Rural Livelihoods Mission and during his work he had worked in State Government for almost 3 years. He has worked in Financial Inclusion vertical where he gained experience in handling different projects and programmes of State Government. He had experience of working from grass root level to state level during his tenure in his above mentioned job. He had directly worked in development of implementation Strategy for Social Security Schemes, Financial Literacy Campaigns, Self Help Group credit linkage programme, Interest Subvention scheme of state government and Special Project under Financial Inclusion.
His above Academic and Professional experience have enabled him to perform as CMGGA and bring out sustainable positive change in the community. His experience in Government sector enforces his working potential for the CMGGA Programme. His knowledge and work will definitely make him a asset for the CMGGA Programme.
Bhaskar Rochak
UG Degree and Institution: B.Sc Honors Mathematics St. Stephen's College, Delhi
Work Experience: Associate, Corporate Executive Board India Private Limited, Feb 2015 to Aug 2015
Analyst, VMock India Private Limited, July 2014 to Feb 2015
Internship Experience: Albright Stonebridge Group, April 2017 to May 2017
Apollo Munich Health Insurance, Dec 2012 to Jan 2013
Government of Bihar, May 2012
District: Sonipat
Bhaskar grew up in a small town in Bihar. His familiarity with governance issues took roots from a very tender age, thanks to a family of government servants. He developed very strong academic foundations during his school days which helped him secure admission in Mathematics course at the prestigious St. Stephen's College. At college, he adopted a more multi-disciplinary approach for widening his horizon of understanding of the world by studying subjects like Economics, Philosophy and Spanish language and by participating in several quiz competitions. He also volunteered as a science teacher with the Social Service League of his college. During his internship with Government of Bihar, Bhaskar conducted social audit of the Integrated Child Development Scheme. The pathetic state of policy implementation encouraged him to contribute in this field. His internship with actuarial sciences industry gave him preliminary exposure with data analytics.
Post college, he decided to work in the corporate sector to acquire essential professional skills. He learned about financial services, data analytics, statistical modelling, and survey design techniques to provide impactful insights into client's business activities.
Having completed one year in the corporate sector, Bhaskar chose to take a study break to develop a better understanding of India as a country. During this period, he did extensive reading of Indian Economy, Polity, and History, enrolled in a PG Diploma course in Rural Development at IGNOU, and earned Financial Market certification from NSE. Prior to joining CMGGA, he was interning with the Albright Stonebridge Group where he provided research assistance to public policy consultants.
At CMGGA, Bhaskar wants to apply all the knowledge and skills he has acquired so far to grow as an effective contributor in India's growth story. Ultimately, Bhaskar hopes to work in the Public Policy space, advising governments and working with think tanks.
"My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style" - Maya Angelou
Gunjan Gahlot
A subtle mind and an able pen define her being. She holds a Masters of Arts in English Literature from Hindu College, Delhi University and thereafter explored International Relations at Kings, London. She has kept her engagement with International Affairs live by participating in Model United Nations, as a Delegate and member of Executive Board. She is also associated with Centre for Civil Society and Sambhaavana Institute of Public Policy. With an experience in Public Policy and Research, she is all set to use her skills in the field to provide innovative solutions to routine quagmires. She vehemently believes that only active citizenry can bring meaning to a Democracy.
She chooses to play Badminton to flush out toxins from mind and is also a vigorous reader. Her favorites include Kafka, Austen and Dahl. She loves travelling and pens down stories of the local people she interacts with in a diary titled 'Safarnama'. Apart from Hindi and English, she knows French and presently practicing Gujarati and Nepali. She has been the President of the College during graduation days and also earned Deepak Malhotra Memorial Award for Academic excellence and Social responsibility in 2015.
She strongly feels about public hygiene and health and is dedicated to Swachh Bharat Mission as an individual. She says that Hygiene has not yet become a significant part of our culture and upbringing. There is no shame in littering and no pride in keeping our surroundings clean. As a result, our efforts sound good on paper but do not succeed in practice.
As a Governance Associate, she looks forward to serve the people of Haryana and utilize the ground experience to serve the nation as a civil servant in near future.
Harshali Dalal
UG Degree and Institution: BA in History and English Literature, Miranda House
PG Degree and Institution: Masters in Urban Policy and Governance, Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai
Internship Experience: Project Assistant, Town and Country Planning Organization, Ministry of Urban Development, Delhi (April 10th 2016 to June 10th 2016)
To learn and conduct research in the domain of policy and public interest, to understand the internal functioning of the government, seeking a place to practice and further enrich her skills in her specialization, Harshali Dalal wished to be a part of the CMGGA fellowship of 2017.
To widen her horizons and be able to understand the practical problems of the world she opted for a number of diverse electives as a part of her BA at Miranda House College, DU. She is especially interested in Modern Indian History and English literature. Her appetite for knowledge also made her undertake a summer school in International Political Economy at King's College London. Her father being an army officer Harshali lived in a number of small and metro cities, which together with turning her into an avid traveller, confronted her with the problems and challenges of different urban settings. With her interest in public policy and the government focusing its energy towards the urban, Harshali took it as an opportunity to specialize in Urban Policy and Governance from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai. Together with undertaking theoretical academic training, she got the opportunity to work on a number of field projects as a part of a team from TISS, which helped develop in her the sensitivity, skills and enthusiasm required to work in the development sector. Her internship at the Town and Country Planning Organization, Ministry of Urban Development (MoUD), inspired her dissertation subject which is a post implementation analysis of the UIDSST scheme of the MoUD in the town of Pilkhuwa. Together with having volunteered at an international conference –'Cities of the Global South 2016', she was a part of a number of training workshops intended to develop one's research and analytical skills.
With CMGGA Harshali seeks to equip herself with the practical knowledge of her field, and a better understanding of government institutions. She wishes to train herself to become a credible researcher and be able to contribute as much as possible to solving the urban problems.
Khush Vachhrajani
UG Degree and Institution: B.E. Civil Engineering, Gujarat Technological University
Work Experience: Gandhi Fellowship 2015-2017
AIESEC, 2013-2015
Internship Experience: Community Development Intern - Project EcoAction, Novosibirsk State University, Russia June'12 - August'12.
Khush is an outlier and an audacious dreamer. Born to a doctor couple and being the only child, he grew up listening to stories from his Nani and learning magic tricks from Nana. He learnt swimming at a very early age of 3 and has been a water-baby ever since. He has got his love for water from his mother, who he considers to be his partner- in-crime during childhood while being a perfect mentor in his teens, subtly planting the seeds of hope, humility and fairness. The supportive environment in his early years helped him think independently, express his choices freely and most importantly, to be compassionate towards all beings.
Khush picked up theatre, sports and music during school. He found happiness in working on new ideas and loved engaging with different people. Coming from a family of doctors, he chose to study engineering with a pursuit of nurturing his creativity more.
Life took a sharp turn for him when he decided to go to Novosibirsk, Russia for a 6 weeks' community development internship through a global non-profit organization AIESEC. Amidst individuals from 9 different cultures and nationalities and for the first time, stepping out of the comfort of home and managing self, he stumbled upon a very important question "What is it that makes me ME?" Hence, his journey, not just towards the outside world but also towards the inside - the self, started.
Being a part of various leadership based projects in AIESEC during his college years, he was looking for the perfect ground to test in action and approach if effective leadership can solve social problems of the country. The Gandhi Fellowship seemed a perfect platform for the same. The mere idea of immersing into rural communities of India excited him to take the leap of faith.
Having lived among the tribal communities in Dungarpur (Rajasthan) for the past 23 months, he now understands the value of having resources and respects privileges. Apart from working in the government schools to improve learning levels of children, he supported 30 SHG women in the tribal communities to set up a community based micro-enterprise and also worked with about 50 farmers in enabling them to adopt sustainable agricultural practices. He is constantly unlearning and relearning in order to understand the society better.
With CMGGA, he is committed to accelerate his dream of impacting a million lives while becoming a better version of himself.
Kritika Choudhary
UG Degree and Institution: B.A. (Hons) History, Lady Shri Ram College for Women, University of Delhi
Postgraduate Degree and Institution:RM.A. Social Work in Criminology and Justice, Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai
Growing up in a military household, Kritika has been able to inculcate a variety of traits specifically the ability to adapt and adjust in harsh conditions, in the most remote corners of the country. With a vast array of exposure to diverse geographical, social and cultural backgrounds, she finds herself at ease while meeting new people or exploring unscathed territories. Kritika has a keen interest in home décor, dancing, animal care, craft and travelling. She is a strong believer in hard work and considers it to be her key to success.
As a child, she excelled in all fields in her school whether it was academics, sports, theatre, dance or other co-curricular activities. Her dedication and sincerity saw her excel in school emerging as the Humanities topper in the city of Jodhpur and winning the best student award.
Pursuing History in LSR, she continued to maintain a balance in her academic and extra-curricular endeavors. Being a member of the dance society, she represented the college winning inter university competitions such as BITS Pilani and IIT Bombay. Kritika was awarded the Letter of Appreciation by her department, Certificate of Merit for contribution to dance society and graduated with First Division.
Masters in TISS saw her grow leaps and bounds both professionally as well as personally. She worked in the field of adoption, missing and kidnapped children in the slums of Mumbai and with the Thane Police making optimum utilization of the opportunities presented to her. During the convocation ceremony, Kritika was awarded the Best Student Shield and topped her course.
Her ongoing journey of being amidst people and igniting change at the grass root level led her to CMGGA. Kritika strongly believes that each individual has responsibilities towards the society and wishes to fulfill them through CMGGA. She strives to work primarily on women and child rights engaging with the community as a whole. It is a huge stepping stone for her to realize her dream and serve the people.
Manish Kumar Jaiswal
UG Degree and Institution: B Tech, NIT Trichy
Work Experience:Procurement Executive, L&T Construction, 1 year (2016-2017)
In a family where policies and politics were discussed at breakfast rather than the taste of food, an analytical, merit centred outlook nurtured in Manish. Brought up in the green town of Peppeganj in district Gorakhpur (UP), it is this place which resonates with his childhood. Grandfather with his anecdotes and mother with her folklores fed his imagination from a prime age. The artistic upbringing was widened by a B Tech in Civil Engineering from NIT Trichy. During College days, NCC gave him the taste of satisfaction which comes from the ethos of Nation service and Aayam club, the freedom to shape his writing in Hindi. He was the Chief Editor of 'Pratimimb', Hindi magazine of NIT Trichy.
During the 3rd year of B Tech, Manish worked as Director's intern to boost the infrastructure of NIT Trichy. It was here, under the guidance of Dr. Srinivasan Sundarajjan, that a desire to change the present was kindled which eventually found its way to CMGGA. His year long stint as Procurement Executive at L&T helped him learn the corporate tools and intricate nuances of Indian market and economy.
Through CMGGA, Manish wishes to learn and feel the real fabric, society is, by diving into their problems. To make positive, smile sprouting changes in the lives of civilians by presenting elegant, artistic yet simple solutions to their day to day grievances. Words fascinate him and world's beauty lures him to explore. He is a working traveller. In his free time he cooks for the need of food, writes for the love of word.
At Sunset, he withdraws from everything to write. Write to live and write to love. "A lasting impact on society through work of literature", is his aim.
Mridul Dhar
UG Degree and Institution: B.E. in Electronics and Communication, Vishwakarma Govt. Engineering College, Gujarat
PG Diploma and Institution: Post Graduate Diploma in Liberal Studies, Ashoka University, Haryana
Work Experience: Test Engineer, Infosys Limited (2014 to 2016)
Internship Experience: Intern, Khetify Limited (2016 to 2017)
A delight to know, chirpy with a larger-than-life persona, this nature-loving Kashmiri hails from the beautiful town of Jammu. A thoughtful extrovert, she loves to meet new people and thrives well in team-building activities. To her human beings are the best of books; each filled with their own mystery. She wants to build a life trajectory where she can utilize her love for relationship building and problem solving to give back to the society. Her core values lie in making a sustainable impact in the society through strategy, implementation and proper feedback mechanism. Coming up with workable solutions for the betterment of public sector gives her immense satisfaction, and this is something she wants to focus on while her time at CMGGA.
A rolling stone, more so by chance, Mridul finished her Bachelors from Gujarat and worked as an engineer for the well-known IT giant Infosys. She's an internationally certified tester and has received the 'Best Debutant' for her outstanding performance in the company and was nominated for the 'Award for Excellence' under the category Social Cause and Sustainability.
She has worked for Make a Difference - Pune Chapter, as a Community Fund Raising Head and Project Discover Mentor. To deeply understand the functioning of the public sector, she participated in Jagriti Yatra-2016. She went on to attend this 15 days train journey across 12 destinations meeting role models from varied development strata; her determination to work for public sector strengthened further. She with her Jagriti Yatra team in Pune have held multiple cloth and grain collection drives for the drought affected regions of Maharashtra.
Mridul is currently pursuing Young India Fellowship at Ashoka University where she says that her time at YIF has served as a major deciding factor in etching-out a career path for herself. Through CMGGA, Mridul aspires to analyse various social issues on ground and suggest sustainable solutions using policy perspective. She believes that this program will enable her to watch government policies closely, identify the bottlenecks of the system and work to reducing/eliminating them. Ultimately, Mridul hopes to work in Public policy space, government consulting and think tanks and bring everything she has learnt through these varied experiences into practice.
Nilanjana Sen
UG Degree and Institution: BA Political Science, Hindu College, University of Delhi
PG Degree and Institution: MA International Relations, South Asian University; MA Contemporary India, King's India Institute, King's College London
Work Experience: Associate Editor (Culture), Fair Observer
Nilanjana spent much of her childhood in small cantonments of Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh before finally moving to New Delhi. She grew up with a fondness for the crisp mountain air, an immense love for books, culture and a good conversation.
She enjoys combining her travels with research and spent the summer of 2017 bag packing across Himachal Pradesh where she met a cross-section of people and the leader of the movement for special status for Dalit tribals in Himachal Pradesh. She believes that some of the most significant sociological and political insights come from ordinary folks who are often looking for people who engage with their views. As an aspiring writer, Nilanjana wishes to play her part in democratising discourse by interacting with and mainstreaming narratives long ignored by academia, media and the government. Her role as a former Associate Editor on the Culture Desk for Fair Observer, has shaped her world-view significantly.
Nilanjana is inclined to study identity politics and her MA dissertation at King's College London on Jats in the Judicial Imagination: A dominant Community's Quest for Backwardness was well appreciated. She was adjudged the Outstanding Student of the Year 2015-16 in MA/Mres programme in Contemporary India in King's India Institute.
Sometimes inspiration is found in the most unlikely places. Nilanjana's decision to apply for the CMGGA's programme was found during her recent work in the various archives located in New Delhi. She worked closely with documents on making of social policy in India and challenges faced by government officials while implementing them. With a strong academic background in political science, international relations and contemporary India, Nilanjana hopes to make a transition to understanding the making and implementation of policies and the key role played by public officials in it.
Nishita Banerjee
UG Degree and Institution: History Honours, Lady Shri Ram College, Delhi University
Work Experience: Gandhi Fellowship: 2014-2016
Digital empowerment foundation: 2016-2017
District: Jhajjar
Nishita Banerjee grew up in a Bengali family with Punjabi customs in Lucknow . She celebrates the multicultural environment that she grew up in. She is fond of understanding diversity and socio-cultural systems of societies which led her to pursue History Honours at Lady Shri Ram College in Delhi where she engaged herself in a milieu of activities. During her college, she documented 21 dying art forms of Lucknow which were later published in a magazine. She also closely worked with Manan Tribes in Periyar Tiger Reserve in Kerala on an ecotourism project where she developed an understanding of standing of ethnicities in working models of development.
After graduation, she joined the Gandhi Fellowship where she resided in tribal belts of Rajasthan for two years. These two years were thoroughly spent in the understanding of 'developmental issues' among Bhil and Meena tribes of Udaipur. During the Fellowship she worked on creating low-cost sanitary pads with women self-help groups under Rajasthan National Rural Livelihood Mission to spread awareness and creating effective means to deal with taboos around menstruation.
She believes strongly in creating self-sustainable villages and in promotion of indigenous crafts which took her to Digital Empowerment Foundation where she worked with weaving community of Barabanki in Uttar Pradesh and connected them to 'global markets' through digital mediums. She realised about the rich traditional livelihoods that are prevalent in rural areas and developed a deep understanding of Indian textiles.
Apart from working in rural areas, she likes to spend her time in documenting India through paintings, Kalighat paintings of 19th century is among her favourites.
She joined CMGGA to gain a better understanding of government systems and to enable herself to deliver large scale impact. She believes that through CMGGA, she would be able to converge people's needs with government's aims. She is highly motivated to understand policy implementation and collate her knowledge in bringing about change.
Pramod Raturi
UG Degree and Institution: Bachelor of Ayurvedic medicine and surgery, State Ayurvedic college and Hospital ,Gurukul Kangri, Haridwar
PG Degree and Institution: Masters in Public Health
Indian Institute of Public Health (Public Health Foundation of India), Gandhinagar, Gujarat
Work Experience: Medical Officer at NHM, Uttarakhand (2013 to 2015)
District: Charkhi Dadri
Pramod was born and brought up in a small town of Uttarakhand i.e. Tehri. He is now a doctor and a public health professional. After completing his graduation, he worked with corporate, private and public health set ups to peruse career in medical field. While working with one of the programmes of the NHM, he realized that there is a lot to be done in public health sector. This has sown seeds of perusing career in public health in deepest of his heart which made him to join the first batch of Master's programme in Public Health at Indian Institute of Public Health, Gandhinagar, Gujarat.
During the tenure of his Master's programme, he participated in various activities like workshops, seminars, surveys, research at institute level. The diversity in the students from 19 states in public health course gave him a very good understanding of working people with diverse background. As a part of Masters' course, he has done two months internship with JHPIEGO in Odhisha in Maternal and child health survival programme. Also he undertook his dissertation project with National health Mission, Uttarakhand in collaboration with Doon Medical College. Learning from classes and direct exposure to the field activities, made him to conclude that there is more scope of improvement in public health at policy, advocacy and governance level. Volunteering as one of his hobbies, he had been actively participated in NGO's which works for livelihood and education in rural areas of Uttarakahand.
It was this understanding that inspired him to apply for CMGGA programme. Through the programme, he hopes to better understand the governance and policy elites of the system which later would help him to strengthen the public health system of the country. He wants to be part of the changes which are ultimately beneficial for society.
Priyanka Sinha
UG Degree and Institution: Mathematics (H), Delhi University
Work Experience: Young Professional, Rajasthan Grameen Ajeevika Vikas Parishad (RGAVP)
District Program Officer, National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC)
Project Coordinator, Pratham Education Foundation
Field Coordinator, RASTA Jharkhand
Priyanka describes herself as 'enthu-cutlet' who wants to live through variety of experiences and consider them to be her best teacher.
Hailing from Giridih, a land of hills and hillocks in Jharkhand, she is a mathematics enthusiast, an ardent traveler and an eloquent speaker. Her education in Mathematics helped her develop an analytical and scientific approach to problem solving. However, the mathematical equations were unable to help her find the solution to visible social issues which she was experiencing in everyday life. This constant dilemma pushed her to explore other domain.
She started to work for NABARD's SHG project in Jharkhand. Her eagerness and passion to explore various aspect of society gave her a valid reason to work in development sector. She garnered considerable experience in education sector during her engagement with Pratham Education Foundation. This assignment helped her develop an insight on how various social issues like gender inequality, unemployment, etc. are the result of a poor education system.
In 2015, she joined NSDC's Skill India Mission in Solan district of Himachal Pradesh. Some notable achievements were rehabilitation of 45 jail inmates through skill development, youth mobilization and contribution to 'Skill Gap Analysis Report'.
In 2016, she worked closely with women centric SHGs under NRLM project in Tonk district of Rajasthan. This gave her an insight into ground realities and the opportunity to work for various government schemes.
She always believes that professionals can act as force multipliers in many ways in the existing governance system in India. They can give assistance in strengthening of monitoring mechanism and method for government programs by encouraging the use of the modern technology in data collection, analysis and implementation. CMGGA program is the platform for her to be a force multiplier and enrich her experience to work for the betterment of society.
Robin Keshaw
UG Degree and Institution: B.E (Hons) in Computer Science, BITS, Pilani
PG Degree and Institution: M.Sc (Hons) in Economics, BITS, Pilani
Work Experience: Member of Technical Staff, Vmware, 2011-2013
Teaching Fellow, Teach For India, 2013-2015
Content Editor, NTI Media, 2015-2016
Assignment Editor, NTI Media, 2016-2017
Forbesganj, a sleepy, nondescript town in northern Bihar is where Robin was born and brought up. His alma mater- BITS, Pilani and its free and diverse culture has played an important role in shaping his worldview. After passing out from Pilani, he joined a software firm, Vmware in Bangalore. After solving technical problems through his programming for two years, he decided to head to social arena. He joined Teach For India fellowship in Delhi, where he taught a bunch of energetic, dreamy-eyed students in a government school for 2 years. TFI fellowship was an enriching and enlightening experience for Robin, and this is where he learned the role of love and empathy in solving social issues.
Post fellowship, Robin joined NTI Media, where he started a weekly newspaper, Sulabh Swachh Bharat, which was entirely focused on positive news, highlighting the good work done by individuals, organisations and government agencies. He started developing a broader understanding of how efficient systems work and how small tweaks and interventions can make policies work effectively on grassroots level. He joined CMGGA to understand more nuanced issues of governance and administration. He wants to setup sustainable, target oriented processes in the district which would result in effective implementation of policies. He wants to keep working on governance issues, post the programme as well.
In long term, Robin wants to establish a free, open-to-all, democratic school where every kid is free to learn whatever he/she wants. Teaching has always been his first love. If you don't find him 'adulting' around with a serious face, he might be busy writing poems or telling stories. He loves running marathons and conquering mountains, literally as well figuratively in life. He considers trekking and traveling as his part-time job. He believes that 'the planet doesn't need more successful people, it desperately needs more peacemakers, healers, restorers, storytellers and lovers of all kinds'.
Shailiza Mayal
UG Degree and Institution: Bachelor of Engineering, Savitribai Phule Pune University
PG Diploma and Institution: Post-Graduation Diploma in Liberal Studies, Ashoka University
Work Experience:Business Operations Associate, ZS Associates (Jul'15 to Jul'16)
Intern, Office of Shri Maheish Girri, Member of Parliament, East Delhi (Sep'16 to May'17)
Born in Jalandhar, brought-up in India, Shailiza has travelled the length and breadth of the country. She has studied in around ten schools while growing up. The fact that her family moved every two years didn't stop her from excelling in her academic endeavours throughout her school life as well as college. She proved her innate thirst for knowledge and dedication by not only outperforming in her college but also by being a consistent rank holder at the university level. While at her job, she felt the need to learn more about the world around her and engage with it. In the pursuit of exposing herself to a multidisciplinary curriculum, she joined the Young India Fellowship (YIF).
At YIF, she came across a diverse range of subjects from the Political Economy of India's Development, Economics of Public Policy, Water and Sanitation, Gender Studies, to International Relations. Apart from the coursework, she also interned with the office of Shri Maheish Girri (Member of Parliament, East Delhi) and assisted the office in the implementation of development projects in the East Delhi constituency. The experience of working on-ground with people from various backgrounds nudged her towards the field of governance and public policy.
With the aim of understanding the on-ground challenges in policy implementation and governance, she applied for the CMGGA programme. She hopes to get a better understanding of people and how the system works. In future, Shailiza seeks to work at the intersection of policy design and governance and hopes that this one year will be filled with unmatched experiences
Shubhi Kesarwani
UG Degree and Institution: BCA, University of Allahabad
PG Degree and Institution: MSW, MNNIT Allahabad
Work Experience: Team & Alumni Engagement Lead, Youth Alliance (May, 2016 to April, 2017)
Internship Experience: Program Coordinator, SWARA (April, 2015 to April, 2016)
Shubhi from Prayag Nagri Allahabad, was brought up in a huge closely knit business family, listening to various mythological, political tales and witnessing the changes due to rapid globalization. Being brought in a small city she was taught to appreciate nature and preserve its by practicing rituals. Hence, finding ways of sustainable living has become her passion. The limitations and restrictions motivated her and gaps became the opportunity to work. Curiosity to understand the inter-connections, regard for believes and the urge to be the change and inspire it, she deviated her professional graph from IT sector and pursued Masters in Social Work.
During the course of education from one of the finest schools of the city, then University and later NIT Allahabad, she learned the importance of the role, the environment and the support system has on the sense of possibilities of an individual. Also, her interaction with the local NGOs and on-ground realities made her realize the lack of integrity and values in the foundation of organizations. To understand the better ways of strengthening the value based service she joined Youth Alliance, a Delhi based organization working around Youth Leadership.
Working in Youth Alliance she learned to appreciate her own gifts and to facilitate the same around. The experience taught her to incorporate System's Thinking and Design Thinking in her approach.
She joined CMGGA with the wish to understand bureaucracy better, to be a part of it and share her learnings to work with the system, empower and support it.
Her aim is to learn the working of complex macro systems with multiple stakeholders involved and combine it with the depths of NGOs. She wishes to engage with youth in different capacities and make them a part of the larger system, channelizing their energies and expanding their potentials.
Tushar Gupta
UG Degree and Institution: B.Tech, Electronics & Communication, SRM University, Chennai
PG Degree and Institution: Master's Programme in Public Policy, National Law School of India University, Bangalore
Internship Experience: Intern, United Nations Development Programme, Nov-Dec 2016
Intern, Prayas Energy Group, October 2016
Intern, World Wildlife Fund, February-March 2016
Intern, Foundation for Ecological Security, October 20
Tushar did his schooling from a school run by the Border Security Force in Jammu city. From his early childhood days he was really passionate about the participation of youth in community services and hence he led various fund raising campaigns for Help Age India. Following the mainstream view he ended up in an engineering college, though he knew that his heart was somewhere else. During his engineering days he started working with Child Rights and You (CRY) which helped him understand the value of working in a policy sphere to bring about a change in the society. Even after winning the best project award for his final year project titled "Reconfigurable Processor for Binary Image Processing", he decided to pursue a Masters in Public Policy at the prestigious National Law School of India University, Bangalore. His life as narrated by him has been an operation at the interface between science and society.
During his time at NLSIU, Tushar got a chance to explore various policy issues spread across different sectors. It all started with an intensive fieldwork in and around Kanha national park in Madhya Pradesh with Foundation for Ecological Security (FES) trying to understand the dynamics around common property resources. This was followed by a stint at World Wildlife Fund (WWF), New Delhi where he tried to find an alignment between the 12th FY plan and the goal 14th and 15th of sustainable development goal's (SDG). His interest to align the basic engineering knowledge with public policy domain landed him in Prayas Energy Group, Pune where he worked on an economic analysis of the thermal power plants commissioned during the 12th FY plan period. His most recent experience has been with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) where he has tried to understand the aspirations of young women aged between 18-25 regarding skill development.
Tushar has always believed in the idea of Young people being at the heart of institutional policy making and their participation going beyond mere consultation. A firm belief in this idea made him apply for CMGGA. As a CMGGA, Tushar wants to understand the system of governance in detail and continue pursuing his passion for Public Policy and community service.

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