Global Indianstory Chess GrandmasterShreyas Royal: India-born chess player is UK’s youngest international master

Shreyas Royal: India-born chess player is UK’s youngest international master

Compiled by: Team GI Youth

(July 9, 2023) Shreyas Royal was just nine when he made the ceremonial opening move for the Viswanathan Anand-Magnus Carlsen game at London in 2017. This speaks volumes about his genius skills in the game of chess. London-based Indian-origin Shreyas is now 14, and it was in 2022 that he broke the UK record for the youngest ever grandmaster performance when he scored seven points from nine games at the Bavarian Open in Germany. He now aims to in the top 10 in the world or become a world champion by the age of 21.

Shreyas Royal

Life in London, and discovering chess

The Bengaluru-born was still a toddler when he relocated to South-East London in 2012 after his father got a job as an IT project manager in the UK. As young as three, Shreyas was introduced to chess, courtesy his dad Jitendra Singh, who noticed his son’s sharp memory and thought that any mind game as a hobby would be great for him for a start. This is how chess happened to Shreyas; however, the chess prodigy wasn’t instantly hooked to the game. “It took me some time, but I was curious. I started playing with other children at school, and I started winning. And that got me hooked. And playing chess has also helped me to develop a few other skills, like being more patient and sitting still,” he said in an interview.

When Shreyas was six years old, his parents signed him up at a local chess club in East Ham, East London, with a private coach, and his determination helped him win a tournament, thus leading him to become the world’s youngest “candidate master”. He even represented England in European Schools Chess Championships in Greece where he bagged a silver. In August 2017, he was ranked joint fourth in his age group at the World Cadets Chess Championships in Brazil. In a short span, he has won multiple awards. So much so that Chris Ward, a chess grandmaster and former British champion, described Shreyas as “the best prospect the country has ever seen”.

How Shreyas’ talent shaped his family’s future

However, things took a difficult turn when in 2018 Shreyas’s family was on the verge of packing up bags and returning to India owing to the expiration of his dad’s work permit. He was told that visa could be extended only if he earned £120,000 a year, which he did not. However, Home Secretary Sajid Javid intervened and made a personal decision to allow the family to stay in the UK, looking at Shreyas’s talent. “The UK is a country that fosters world class talent and Shreyas is one of the most gifted chess players in his generation. We have always been clear we want a world-class immigration system that welcomes highly-talented individuals from across the globe,” said Sajid Javid.

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The sigh of relief helped him focus back on the game, and he even began home schooling to focus more on the game.

Strategy is key

Before each game, he prepares well before going up against his highly skilled opponents by determining their strengths and weaknesses. “I check to see what openings he has struggled against in the past and also look at some of his statistics, how well he has fared against weaker opponents. Aiming for any type of an advantage with white and equality with black out of the opening are also very vital goals,” said the chess prodigy who went on to become the English U7 champion, British U8 champion, U8 European champion.

The teenager, who loves listening to music and watching cricket, has fallen in love in the chess, and it’s this fondness that brings him back to the board each time. “It is a very fascinating game in which I feel I have a lot more to learn,” he told Olympics.

The 14-year-old chess prodigy of Indian origin, has already etched his name in the archives of chess history. Breaking the UK record for the youngest ever grandmaster performance at the Bavarian Open is just the beginning of his remarkable journey. With unwavering determination, tireless hard work, and an unyielding love for the game, Shreyas has propelled himself to the forefront of the chess world. “For me, it’s not so much about the money, it’s about having fun playing chess. I just enjoy it.”

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Published on 09, Jul 2023

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The last straw: Aditya Mukarji’s global fight against plastics

(December 21, 2023) Aditya Mukarji is a familiar face in the growing crop of young global climate warriors, who are boldly taking their fight to the doorsteps of the powers that be. Mukarji's cause is the battle against single-use plastics, one of the most pressing environmental hazards of the day. We use trillions of single use plastics per year and since the majority of these aren't recycled, they make their way to landfills and oceans. Birds and marine animals mistake them for food and fish consume thousands of tonnes per year. This plastic makes its way up the food chain and goes full circle back to human beings, who reportedly consume the equivalent of half a credit card each week. Now a Sophomore President's Scholar at the University of Toronto, the Global Indian has been part of the climate strike in New York led by Greta Thunberg and served as a Youth Ambassador for the Earth Day Network in 2020. He is also the Co-Founder and Environment Head of The Alternatives, an online page with a global following that spreads awareness about the harms of plastic pollution. In 2021, he represented India at the Youth4Climate Driving Ambition in Milan, at

of plastic pollution. In 2021, he represented India at the Youth4Climate Driving Ambition in Milan, at COP26 and in 2019, was an India representative at the UN Youth Climate Summit.

How it began

In 2018, Aditya Mukarji came across a video of a doctor trying to pull a plastic straw out of a turtle's nose. The imagery was stark, and left Mukarji, who was only 14 at the time, feeling quite disturbed. "The crying and bleeding of the turtle really impacted me, and made me feel guilty for human actions, which we take without thinking of the consequences for other living forms," Mukarji remarked in an interview later. He hadn't imagined that the plastic we use everyday had such a catastrophic effect on the environment. He began reading up about the consequences, and learned that oceans and landmasses are inundated with single-use plastics that don't biodegrade.

Mukarji turned to his mentor, Ms Bharti Chatturvedi, of Chintan, who told him about the problems of waste management and waste pickers. The solution, he felt, lay in tackling the problem at its source - and eradicating the use of single-use plastics in the hospitality industry. Mukarji, then a class 11 student at Shri Ram School, Gurugram, embarked on a door to-door campaign in and around Delhi-NCR, where he lived at the time, to spread awareness about the problem and to promote eco-friendly solutions. "I feel like straws are hte most useless invention for the common man,' he said. "They have the least utility and maximum environmental impact."

Two years after he began his campaign, Mukarji was able to avert the use of over 26 million plastic objects, and had persuaded some 200 establishments to become environmentally friendly. It took persistence, he says. "I called them countless times." Eventually, they understood his passion for the campaign, as well as the wisdom of his message, and he says, "many complied." The Lalit Group of hotels, Claridges, The Delhi Golf Club, the Gymkhana Club, PVR and INOX, JW Marriot Aerocity and JSW Steel all went plastic free at the behest of this determined teenager.

Not wanting to stop there, Mukarji also works on waste management and segregation at source. In India, he conducted went door to door, and to housing societies, asking them to change their waste segregation methods. During this time, he was interning with the United Nations Development Programme's plastic waste management programme. He was able to get letters of intent to segregate 35 tonnes of waste monthly.

The UN's eco warrior

He soon received recognition for his work. At 16, he was named a 2020 International Young Eco-Hero by Action for Nature, one of 17 activists from around the world to receive that recognition. "It's a very major responsibility and we have been tasked with the promotion of action in India as well as motivating other youth to take up climate action too. "No social movement or climate action movement can be truly successful unless the change is not started at the grassroots level," Mukarji remarks. "And this is where I want to change the use and throw mentality of people, make them environmentally friendly and reconnect them with their roots and heritage by taking small and simple steps," he said in an interview with NDTV.

In 2020, Mukarji collaborated with universities and organisations around the world in a global afforestation initiative called Forest of Hope. As the name implies, the aim is to increase the planet's dwindling green cover. Forest of Hope had numerous partners, including Neotia University, St Stephens College, 1 Billion Trees Africa and the Kelowna City Council in India, among others.

That year, he also interned with the United Nations Development Programme, an achievement made even more remarkable by the fact that the UN, which doesn't accept interns below the age of 18, made an exception for him. After that, he was invited to speak at the UN headquarters in India about his work and his efforts to promote a plastic-free society. "IN September 2019, I was asked to be a part of the UN Youth Climate Action Summit in New York," he told Social Story. "Here I got a chance to not only interact with UN Secretary-General Antionio Gutteres, but also join Greta Thunberg in the march."

Looking ahead

After that, Mukarji became one of the 17 Young Climate Leaders for the UN India Campaign, 'We the Change', in 2022. Now a student at the University of Toronto, Mukarji will graduate from Trinity College in 2026. He is also a part of Invest India, an initiative by the Ministry of Commer, GoI, is a Diana Awardee from 2021 and has been named an Aatma Nirbhar Champion. He also continues to practice a sustainable lifestyle on his own, through what he describes as small measures, like using a bamboo toothbrush, carrying his own jute bag to the grocery store, even if they offer eco-friendly bags, using ceramic cups at Starbucks or carrying his own cup if he wants a takeaway, living up to his own credence, ‘RefuseIfYouCannotReuse’.

Follow Aditya Mukarji on LinkedIn.

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Apsara Iyer: The first Indian-origin female president of Harvard Law Review

(March 22, 2023) In 1990, when former US President Barack Obama was in his second year at Harvard Law School, he created history by becoming the first black president of the Harvard Law Review – a monthly journal comprising 2500 pages per volume published every month from November to June. This year, history has been made once more by Apsara Iyer, who became the first Indian-origin female to be elected the president of the prestigious journal in its 137-year history. The second year student succeeded Priscila Coronado and has begun her full-time volunteer position as editor-in-chief, supervising the law review’s team of nearly 80 editors. “Since joining the Law Review, I have been inspired by her (Priscila Coronado’s) skilful management, compassion, and capacity to build vibrant, inclusive communities. I am so grateful that we ‘Volume 137’ inherit her legacy, and I am honoured to continue building on this important work over the next year,” said Apsara after being elected. [embed]https://twitter.com/Harvard_Law/status/1622264234221486080?s=20[/embed] Overseeing a rich legacy Launched in 1887, by former Supreme Court judge Justice Louis D. Brandeis, the Harvard Law Review is an entirely student-edited journal. It is the world’s most impactful student law journal, among the 143 published around

) skilful management, compassion, and capacity to build vibrant, inclusive communities. I am so grateful that we ‘Volume 137’ inherit her legacy, and I am honoured to continue building on this important work over the next year,” said Apsara after being elected.

[embed]https://twitter.com/Harvard_Law/status/1622264234221486080?s=20[/embed]

Overseeing a rich legacy

Launched in 1887, by former Supreme Court judge Justice Louis D. Brandeis, the Harvard Law Review is an entirely student-edited journal. It is the world’s most impactful student law journal, among the 143 published around the world.

According to the Review’s website, “the journal is designed to be an effective research tool for practicing lawyers and students of law.” Apart from student contributions, the review features write-ups from professors, judges, and solicits who contribute articles, analysis of leading cases, comments on recent decisions by courts and developments in the field of law. The students on the team follow a rigorous editorial process to produce the hefty annual volume.

Apsara’s academic journey

The Indian-American law student graduated from the Yale University in 2016 with a B.A. in math, economics, and Spanish. She went on to do an MPhil in Economics at the University of Oxford as a Clarendon Scholar.

She enrolled in Harvard Law School in 2020 and became a part of the editorial team of the Harvard Law Review.

“Apsara has changed the lives of many editors for the better, and I know she will continue to do so, “said Priscila, Apsara’s predecessor. “From the start, she has impressed her fellow editors with her remarkable intelligence, thoughtfulness, warmth, and fierce advocacy. The Law Review is extremely lucky to have her lead this institution,” she added.

[caption id="attachment_28636" align="aligncenter" width="515"] Apsara Iyer[/caption]

The Global Indian is associated with the International Human Rights Clinic of Harvard and is a member of the South Asian Law Students Association.

The art crime investigator

A deep interest in indigenous communities and archaeology led Apsara to join the Manhattan District Attorney’s Antiquities Trafficking Unit (ATU), after she completed her MPhil.

At ATU, she became deeply engaged in investigating art crime and repatriation, coordinating with international and federal law-enforcement authorities to repatriate more than 1,100 stolen works of art to 15 countries.

“Several of these objects were from India,” she said, in an interview with Mid-Day, “I was the lead analyst on many investigations concerning trafficking networks operating in India and Southeast Asia,” she revealed.

[caption id="attachment_28637" align="aligncenter" width="886"] Apsara Iyer with ATU team[/caption]

Among her first cases at the District Attorney’s office was one involving a Nataraja idol, stolen from the Punnainallur Mariamman temple in Thanjavur. “Over the next three years, I worked tirelessly with the lead prosecutor to uncover new evidences, witnesses, and investigative leads. Our work single-handedly resulted in the return of the Nataraja to the Government of India,” she explained. “In such cases, I have seen first-hand how the communities had maintained hope and prayed for years for the relics to be returned,” she added.

The Indian-origin law student’s favourite memories from the Manhattan District Attorney’s Antiquities Trafficking Unit are of organising repatriation ceremonies to return stolen objects to their lawful owners.

At the intersection of archaeology and law

Apsara’s interest in history and antiquities was first kindled in high school, when she worked on an archaeological excavation site in Peru. When she joined Yale, her research was focused on the value of cultural heritage.

“During one of my field research projects in India, I had the opportunity to visit a site that had been looted. I distinctly remember that while I was at the site, someone asked me, ‘What are you going to do about this?’ she recounted in the Mid-Day interview. “This wake-up call led me to work in law to address the issue of antiquities trafficking,” she revealed.

[caption id="attachment_28639" align="aligncenter" width="754"] Apsara Iyer with ATU team[/caption]

Apsara’s commitment towards fighting illicit antiquities trafficking has been so strong, that she even took a leave of absence from Harvard Law School in 2021-22 to return to the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, where she worked on an international antiquity trafficking investigation case as the deputy of the ATU.

In the future, Apsara aims to work at the intersection of law and archaeology. “I would love to continue working in this space (archaeology), probably in a prosecutorial role, possibly in an international court,” she had said, in an interview published in Harvard Law Today, a news portal of Harvard Law School.

Born to Tamil parents who moved to USA before her birth, Apsara grew up in Indiana. Apart from being exemplary in studies she is good at art and is a trained boxer.

Follow Apsara Iyer on Facebook

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Indian teen painter Semmozhi – A creator-preneur who has six million followers

(January 7, 2022) As a five-year-old, N Semmozhi would be immersed in sketching and painting for hours. Random drawings but immensely creative. An image in her head would be put to paper. Some made sense, others did not. Now 16, Semmozhi is one of those creative bees who has a rare quality of dreaming her painting, and then painting that dream. The teen content creator is self-sufficient, not dependent on parents for pocket money as her artwork has already made her an independent artist. She has six million-plus followers of her art page -- Art and Soul -- on Trell today. “Content creation is all about bringing your ideas to life. Sometimes we have something in our heads, but have trouble translating that on paper. My content helps me visualise what I see,” smiles the 16-year-old. For the girl with a penchant for imagery, an artwork is the representation of an artist’s soul. “From colour combinations, loose strokes of brush and little shades in the corners. That's what Art and Soul is about,” informs the youngster, in an interview with Global Indian. When art came a-calling Born and brought up in Chennai, Semmozhi was always curious with an enduring passion

s, loose strokes of brush and little shades in the corners. That's what Art and Soul is about,” informs the youngster, in an interview with Global Indian.

When art came a-calling

Born and brought up in Chennai, Semmozhi was always curious with an enduring passion for art. “My father realised my talent early, enrolled me in art classes. Art grows within you and I am the evidence of it,” smiles this 11^th grader at Union Christian Public school in Chennai. Her mother is a chartered accountant and CFO at a hospital, and her father runs a garment chain.

Her journey of converting art from a hobby to a career has been exhilarating. Early this year, she started uploading artworks on social media with the handle “artandsoulby semmu” and within a couple of weeks, a video went viral. “Seeing social media’s potential, I joined Trell in July to create more videos on arts and crafts to share my passion with the world,” informs Semmozhi, quoting Pablo Picasso, “Art washes from the soul the dust of everyday life...”

[caption id="attachment_9388" align="aligncenter" width="271"] An artwork by N Semmozhi[/caption]

How she reached six million

With tips from masterclasses with content experts, Semmozhi was off to a flying start. Her followers kept increasing by leaps and bounds, and soon crossed 6 million. “I wanted my content viewers to create something similar (to her artwork) that is still uniquely theirs,” quips the creator-preneur, who confesses that initially she was scared whether she could pull it off.

Her art speaks for itself - From landscape painting to skyscapes to a perfect moon light painting to charcoal shading of stones lying on the seashore, she does it effortlessly. She can come up with lightning clouds, a 3-D chair and even a resin comb in a matter of minutes. “The pandemic only had a positive impact on me and helped me bring out my artistic skills. Online classes gave me sufficient time to hone my craft and the support from my family made it even easier to focus on my passion,” says the immensely talented content creator who calls herself a perfectionist.

Paying it forward

The first pay cheque is cherished, especially as a teenager. It was no different for Semmozhi. And no, she didn’t use it on gifts for family or herself. The 16-year-old donated her first earnings to the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister’s Covid relief fund. Not satisfied, she handed over her second salary too. The gesture was well-appreciated from all quarters more so as her contribution was personally accepted by minister for school education, Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi. “People of my generation are quickly becoming agents of change and am elated to actively be a part of this movement,” feels the teenager who says earning makes her responsible.

The eleventh grader aspires to direct innovative box-office reality shows in future. “Equipping the basic qualities of an artist and learning the hardships of making money in the course of my career has taught me that people with real skills need to be treasured and provided with opportunities,” says Semmozhi, a huge fan of reality shows.

[caption id="attachment_9390" align="aligncenter" width="498"] An artwork by N Semmozhi[/caption]

Interestingly, for her CBSE main board exams, Semmozhi opted for painting as her major paper. This despite her peers and other people advising against it. “I found it hard to cope with the drawing syllabus since it involved mural traditions, temple architecture, Warli Art and post-Mauryan trends in Indian art and architecture, caves and sculptures. Later, I realised that not only did it make me better at details, I also found an affinity to learn the most boring subject of all time -- history,” smiles Semmozhi, whose school provided her expert coaching as the only student who opted for the subject.

When not creating content, Semmozhi loves to dance and cook. “Becoming an artist has been my childhood dream but I do like to dance all my worries away,” signs off Semmozhi, whose favourite Global Indian is Indra Nooyi, CEO of PepsiCo.

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It’s a homerun: Indian American player, Arjun Nimmala is creating waves in the world of baseball

(July 8, 2023) Baseball is the one sport in the USA that unites communities, ignites passions and instills a love for sport that lasts a lifetime. Entering this competitive world of baseball is an Indian American teenager, Arjun Nimmala - who is possibly the first Indian-origin player to be a part of the MLB draft class which is set to take place in Seattle between July 9 and 11. A former cricket player, and a recent graduate from Strawberry Crest High School in the delightful outskirts of Tampa, the seventeen-year-old sensation has secured his ticket to the hallowed halls of Florida State University come autumn. But that's not all. The youngster is currently under the tutelage of none other than New York Mets' shortstop extraordinaire, Francisco Lindor, who also happens to be Arjun's favourite player. Interestingly, the Global Indian's “capabilities at the shortstop position lead many to draw comparisons to Minnesota Twins shortstop and former Rookie of the Year, Carlos Correa.” Hitting it out of the park As a young lad growing up in Valrico, Florida, Arjun and his family embarked on journeys to their home in Vijayawada, India. During these sojourns, the player would engage in spirited matches of

ar, Carlos Correa.”

Hitting it out of the park

As a young lad growing up in Valrico, Florida, Arjun and his family embarked on journeys to their home in Vijayawada, India. During these sojourns, the player would engage in spirited matches of cricket with his cousins and friends. While he displayed prowess as a batsman, his bowling skills proved less than stellar. Nonetheless, cricket became an integral part of his life, a pastime he cherished deeply.

"I'm horrible, I don't get the form right. I'm just a hitter," the young player said during an interview, adding, "I also played a little bit of soccer and basketball, and those are both really fun sports for me." When pondering if his talent could reach the heights of a Division I athlete in cricket, he hesitated momentarily before nodding affirmatively. "If I really practiced to the point that the others did, I think I would've been pretty good at cricket," he said.

But fate had something else in store for him. As he stepped into the hallowed halls of high school in 2019, Nimmala bid adieu to cricket, along with soccer and basketball, setting his sights firmly on the diamond, where baseball beckoned with irresistible allure. "Basketball was quite competitive, and decided to continue with the game because I was quite passionate about it."

Swinging for the fences

Eventually, the player's batting practices became incredibly impressive, with scouts projecting anywhere from 25 to 35 homers annually from his raw power. He also proved to be an extremely valuable asset for his school team, winning several matches for them. "I realised I was pretty good at baseball at the age of 12-13. Some of those skills started to pop out. And from then I was like, ‘Oh, I'm going to go play college baseball'," the player said.

When it comes to defense, Arjun shines brightly at shortstop, showcasing remarkable skills that have garnered praise. On the offensive front, the young player possesses a treasure trove of attributes crucial for projecting him as a consistent hitter. His hitting mechanics, impressive bat speed, nimble hands, and astute game intelligence all hint at the potential to excel in hitting for average. Yet, in his encounters against top-tier opponents, his in-game performances have fallen into the category of good rather than truly exceptional.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JOwMT3hHqqo

Speaking about his latest achievement of joining the MLB, the young player said, "It was always a dream of mine to play Major League Baseball ever since I knew what the MLB was. It's a dream come true. I hope I play well enough for them to really watch me, like how Japan stopped and watched Shohei Ohtani in the WBC. I hope they pay attention, that'd be so cool. I just want them to watch and be proud of what we Indians can do," the player shared.

Follow Arjun Nimmala on Instagram and Twitter

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Sai Hitesh Vavilapalli: Indian-American teen’s nonprofit empowers the visually impaired

(November 17, 2023) He was just 14 when Portland-based Sai Hitesh Vavilapalli embarked on a journey to cultivate his interest in social justice and human rights, especially focussed on advocating for the visually impaired. It began when he flew down to India for his Christmas break, and visited a blind school in a quaint little town of Kakinada where his parents volunteered. "It was then I realised I should also do my best to give something back to society, and do something for the underprivileged," he said in an interview. Upon his return to the US, the Indian-American, whose parents migrated from Vishakapatnam, was keen to make a change and soon organised a cultural night. From this, he raised $4200 which he used to start a non-profit The I Mission in 2016. Explaining the mission of the NGO, he said, "What we do is we gather many patients together and we do screening examines and we have eye camps to test whether they are ready to go through the cataract and retinal surgeries that our partners and the people that we work with offer." [caption id="attachment_34153" align="aligncenter" width="723"] Sai Hitesh Vavilapalli is an Indian-American changemaker[/caption] The next year, he returned

p-content/uploads/2023/11/vali2.jpg" alt="Sai Hitesh Vavilapalli | Global Indian" width="723" height="502" /> Sai Hitesh Vavilapalli is an Indian-American changemaker[/caption]

The next year, he returned to India with a vision to help the poor. It was with the help of Sankar Foundation Eye Hospital that he organised a couple of free eye camps in Vishakhapatnam, and also helped perform about 500 free cataract surgeries. Moreover, The I Mission also donated two Perkins mechanical braillers to a rural south Indian school in order to provide support for visually impaired female students in their pursuit of reading.

.Seeing the impact that his work was creating, he continued returning to India every year to help visually impaired people. On his next trip, The I Mission coordinated and funded a total of 48 cataract surgeries for underprivileged individuals, in addition to one retinal surgery. They also took on the responsibility of supporting three blind schools in the region. Initially, individuals in need of cataract or retinal surgery were identified through comprehensive screening tests conducted during eye-checking camps.

[caption id="attachment_34152" align="aligncenter" width="488"] Sai Hitesh Vavilapali is an Indian-American changemaker[/caption]

Beyond providing essential eye health check-ups and surgical interventions for visually impaired individuals in rural India, The I Mission also conducts educational workshops. These workshops are designed to empower students, enhance their mathematical skills for competitive platforms like MathCounts, improve their public speaking abilities, and develop their reading comprehension. The workshops are structured to be both enjoyable and educational, offering engaging activities tailored to the varying levels of receptivity among the students.

In the last few years, The I Mission has supported over 5,000 free eye screenings, 1,719 cataract surgeries, and 13 retinal detachment surgeries, besides adopting three blind schools in India. "To fund the camps, we not only conduct cultural events but have also tied up with brands like Nike and Intel. We intend to approach some more corporate firms in the coming years," he added.

Hitesh, who plans to become a doctor, is working with a professor as a research intern at Oregon Health Science University, with a focus on discovering potential remedies for cataract and other eye-related issues prevalent among the tribal communities residing in the Eastern Ghats of India. He plans to take the nonprofit to the next level in the coming years by spreading its wings across the world.