Global Indianstory Global Indian ExclusiveFor a better tomorrow: Three Indian teenagers in the ’21 revolutionary youth’ list

For a better tomorrow: Three Indian teenagers in the ’21 revolutionary youth’ list

Compiled by: Team GI Youth

(January 18, 2023) The last few years have seen several Indian-origin teenagers emerge as leaders of tomorrow. From environment to technology, and even politics, these teenagers are super focussed on coming up with viable solutions for various problems the world is facing. Global Indian takes a look at the journey and contributions of three Indian-origin teenagers, who have been named among Teen Vogue’s annual 21 Under 21 list of “changemakers, influencers, activists, and artists who have made a substantial impact in both their communities and the world.”

Sridevi Krothapalli

It was her parents who first influenced her to dive into the world of coding, however as she grew up her interest moved toward astrophysics and cosmology. Only 17, Sridevi Krothapalli was selected to attend the Stanford Program for Inspiring the Next Generation of Women in Physics hosted by the Stanford Physics Department and the Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology.

Teenager | Sridevi Krothapalli | Global Indian

Always willing to go that extra mile to help people, the teenager started working as a student tutor at the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy, to improve students’ mathematics, science, and English skills, and prepare those interested in attending the Academy for the application process. “By applying coding skills to physics-based projects in environmental engineering and tutoring other students in physics-oriented topics in my community, I realised my ambition to break the gender gap in the field of physics and mathematics,” she told Teen Vogue, adding, “I hope to pursue making scientific discoveries that will better the lives of others all over the world.”

However, this teenager is not only a physics pro. Her talents in art and literature have helped her to dedicate her time to other causes as well. She is the founding president of the non-profit, Kahani, which distributes literary and art magazines to children’s hospitals around the world. The teenager’s work might seem complex, but for her “kindness and love have been a guiding force to speak what comes to heart and incite positive change.”

Shiva Rajbhandari

A climate change leader, activist, and prolific writer – this 18-year-old teenager is all that, and much more. As a young boy, Shiva Rajbhandari would listen to his father quite intently talking about the climate crisis and how deforestation has affected tribal lives. And it wasn’t long after that the teenager started running various campaigns against climate change, gun violence, and various other issues that plague society today. “As I grew in my activism, I began working for tribal justice, voting rights, and gun violence prevention,” Shiva, who started off working in climate activism, said, adding, “After a two-year long campaign to create a clean energy commitment and long-term sustainability plan in our school district, I decided to run for the school board.”

The teenager, who is an elected student leader in his school, talks about keeping things in perspective and including everyone in the decision-making process. “Activism takes place at the intersection of your interests, your skills, and your community’s needs. From artists to writers to speakers to scientists, there is room for everybody in our movement,” Shiva said.”

Alishba Imran

Growing up in Toronto, Alishba carved a space for herself in the world of machine learning, robotics, and blockchain at the very young age of 18. About four years back, Alishba, who had zero knowledge about programming or coding back then, enrolled herself to join her school’s robotics team. While she faced several issues, her focus to learn, earned her the position of the lead programmer on the team. And there has been no turning back since then.

A few years after this incident, while on a service trip in India, the teenager learned about the lack of medication in various rural parts of the country. To come up with a solution for this, Alishba taught herself blockchain coding and launched Honestblocks, a platform that tracks counterfeit medicine in the supply chain. Her codebase for the initiative has since been integrated into IBM and used globally. She then co-founded Voltx to accelerate the development of renewable energy storage devices using machine learning and physics models to accelerate the lab to commercialization process for electrochemical devices.

“The biggest thing you can optimize for in life is people. Spend time exploring your interests, what you’re good at, and what brings you energy. I think the best things to work on are at the intersection of what you’re good at, what you enjoy, and are a way for you to create value for the world,” the teenager said.

Name*

Email*

Name*

Email*

0 Comments

Inline Feedbacks

View all comments

Published on 18, Jan 2023

Share with

ALSO READ

Nebula Space Organisation: These students are building India’s first Gamma-Ray CubeSat to study black holes

(August 28, 2024) In 2021, at the age of 16, Snehadeep Kumar spent the lockdown trawling Discord, looking for like-minded people to join his space tech startup. At the time, the teenager's mission was to build the world's smallest telescope. Three years later, he has altered his goal, but his mission remains the same - to stay on the frontiers of cutting-edge space research. Snehadeep is the co-founder of the Nebula Space Organization, a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society, an Honorable Kentucky Colonel and a Young Member of the New York Academy of Sciences. The Nebula team is currently working on building India's first gamma base cube sat. Cubesats are a class of nanosatellites, usually measuring 10x10x10 cms. Now, the development of CubeSats is an industry unto itself, as they provide a cost-friendly platform for scientific investigations. "Satellites usually cost anywhere between $75 million. A CubeSat reduces costs by about 90 percent," Snehadeep tells Global Indian, holding up a model of a CubeSat to demonstrate. In 2010, ISRO launched the AstroSat, built with a budget of $50 million. The satellite, which was roughly the size of a room, was searching for gamma ray bursts to understand how black holes

, which was roughly the size of a room, was searching for gamma ray bursts to understand how black holes are formed. "Now, we're attempting to do the same thing with a CubeSat, which will cost only Rs 10 lakh," he explains.

The Nebula team has developed a proof of concept, which they have presented at ISRO. "We were one of two CubeSat based teams selected by ISRO for the National Space Science Symposium," Snehadeep says. They have also been selected to attend the International Astronautical Congress 2024, to be held in Italy this year.

[caption id="attachment_38992" align="aligncenter" width="400"] Snehadeep Kumar, co-founder, Nebula Space Organisation, is attempting to build the smallest CubeSat[/caption]

For over a decade, ISRO has been supportive of students in space tech, and welcomed their innovations. In 2010, ISRO launched STUDSAT, a CubeSat designed by students. The project had been conceptualised and executed by undergraduate students across the country. The picosatellite was launched on July 12, 2010, from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre. At the time, the objective was for students to get hands-on experience in space missions, and they were given autonomy with the design and fabrication of the picosatellite. It was also the smallest satellite launched indigenously by an Indian organization.

Growing Nebula

What started as an online group has come a long way. "When I started in October 2021, I had to work with an online team, but it's not possible to run a space tech startup that way," Snehadeep admits. At the time, they wanted to build the world’s smallest, functional space telescope, and were also studying the Milankovitch Cycles (changes in climate caused by the Earth’s movements).

His fortunes changed when he began his undergrad, at the Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology in Bhubaneswar. There, he had the opportunity to build a team, and also met Mohit Kumar Nayak, who is the Managing Director of Nebula. "I have always wanted to explore space and space tech, since my childhood days when I would spend nights in my father's village in Odisha looking at the stars," says Mohit. Now, he's responsible for growing the business itself, and spends his time attending conferences and networking with potential investors.

"Nebula is in the growing phase, we have done the theory and the research and we are preparing for the assembling and manufacturing part," Mohit explains. Their aim is to begin building the protype in October 2024, which will go through three rounds of testing.

"The first round of testing is with a hydrogen balloon. Then the prototype will be sent to a private testing unit. The third phase is approaching bigger agencies who can deploy our satellite in outer space," Snehadeep explains.

When science caught his fancy

Snehadeep's talent for science surfaced early - by the age of eight, in fact. His parents, keen to stoke his curiosity, subscribed to several student newspapers like Times NIE, which he read cover to cover. “I would read about science and scientific experiments and be completely fascinated by it all, also films like Interstellar and Inception, and Christopher Nolan’s Tenet inspired me,” says the Indian teen scientist. His father works at SAIL, and his mother is a homemaker.

[caption id="attachment_38993" align="aligncenter" width="590"] The Nebula team[/caption]

In third grade, an astute science teacher at his school DAV Model School, Durgapur, Soma Ghosh, noticed Snehadeep’s inclinations and took it upon herself to encourage him. “She asked me to participate in a science competition - Intel IRIS,” says the lad who grew up in Durgapur, Bengal. With her help, he built a functioning electromagnetic circuit, connected to a bell. “She taught me how to conduct a project, and write about it,” he adds. In Class 9, another mentor, Sushmita Chandra, a science teacher, cemented his knowledge – he worked on three projects with her.

That year, he began looking into trapping excess water from the soil. “Roots don’t absorb all the water, so where does the rest go? Can we save it? I placed a device that comprised a filtration tank, and a containment tank - water goes into the container, then into the filter for purifying,” says the Indian teen scientist, of the filtration tank which contained moringa seeds, a natural purifier. “We tested the water, and it was fit to drink. SRM University funded the project. I also began thinking of publishing this in a journal,” he adds. Another project involved creating electricity out of carbon monoxide released from cars – creating a rechargeable hybrid battery.

The perils of publishing

Getting published is tough, the Indian teen scientist found out. He approached Nature.com and Scientific American, and was turned down. “I also learned that we need to pay to have our articles published. Besides, journals like Scientific American accept submissions only from PhD candidates, or people with undergraduate degrees,” the Indian teen scientist says.

By this time, Snehadeep was already in communication with some of the world’s top scientists - Dr Tom Welton, president of the Royal Society of Chemistry, London and the Nobel Prize-winning physicist Gerard ‘t Hooft, who, “likes to chat with students. He would send me practice papers to solve,” smiles the Indian teen scientist, adding, “I have always been interacting with scientists, Nobel Laureates, to discuss problems in maths and physics."

Always on the lookout for new programmes to do, new things to learn, normal teen activities are much too passe for him. “I received an acceptance from the Oxford summer programme but won't be able to attend because of dates,” he mulls. The Indian teen scientist is also part of the Asteroid Search by Nasa’s Astronomers Without Borders, an initiative through which citizen scientists get the chance to make original astronomical discoveries.

Snehadeep's achievements:

Received a Rs 56 lakh scholarship from Lifology, to pursue a bachelor’s degree from select universities across the world.
Top 10 from India by Environcentre Foundation in 2021, for his project “Coagulated water filter and purifier.”
Silver medal in the SRM University Mission Invention. The country's biggest science fair
A Young Fellow of Harvard’s CYES. The Harvard's Entrepreneurship Society, with a very selective procedure
Immerse Education Cambridge Summer Camp in 2020 and Oxford Summer Camp in 2022
A young member of the prestigious New York Academy of Sciences, which selects 1,000 students from over 2 million entries.

Follow Snehadeep Kumar on LinkedIn

Meet the five Indian students selected for Rhodes Scholarship 2023

(November 20, 2022) It was in 1903 that Rhodes scholarship, the educational grant to the University of Oxford, came into existence, thanks to Cecil John Rhodes, a British mining magnate, who is also the founder of De Beers - a diamond firm which until recently controlled global trade. The oldest and one of the most prestigious international scholarship programmes was initially established with the purpose of promoting unity among English speaking countries. However, it was revised over the years, and since the 21st century, citizens from all the countries made the eligibility cut. For Indians, the scholarship made inroads in 1947, and this year marks the 75th anniversary of the Rhodes Scholarship in India. "It is an opportunity to look back and celebrate the tremendous contributions to India and the world made by the nearly 250 men and women who have won the Rhodes Scholarship to Oxford over the past decades," said Elizabeth Kiss, Warden of Rhodes House, Oxford University, and CEO of the Rhodes Trust. 2023 Rhodes Scholars The Rhodes selection criteria are powerful and have remained largely unchanged over the past 100+ years. While the language goes back to the Rhodes Trust's founding documents, the ideas are as

le/scholarships-international/94455993/expanding-the-opportunities-to-win-rhodes-scholarship" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said Elizabeth Kiss, Warden of Rhodes House, Oxford University, and CEO of the Rhodes Trust.

2023 Rhodes Scholars

The Rhodes selection criteria are powerful and have remained largely unchanged over the past 100+ years. While the language goes back to the Rhodes Trust's founding documents, the ideas are as relevant today as they have ever been - Nandan Kamath, national secretary, Rhodes Scholarships for India

Kamath, a lawyer by profession himself was a Rhodes scholar in 2000 and graduated from Balliol College at the University of Oxford. It was he who announced the names of the scholars who made the cut this year for the session beginning in 2023.

Vedanta Thapar: The final-year Physics student at St Stephen's College, Delhi University is interested in the physics and mathematics of complex systems as well as in the social issues connected to scientific research. At Oxford University, he wishes to study scientific computing and mathematical modelling with a focus on climate dynamics and policy challenges associated with it. Vedanta is a badminton player who grew up in Delhi.

Syed Muhammed Khalid: The final year English Literature student at St Stephen’s College, Delhi University holds an interest in the documentation of people's stories and movements. The youngster, who hails from Allahabad, aims to study about Indian Muslims in South Asia to get a grasp on the diversity within the community and how they respond to pressures on their identity. The literature student is involved in theatre and loves football.

[caption id="attachment_24380" align="aligncenter" width="1200"] Rhodes Scholars 2023[/caption]

Hansa Mukherjee: The final-year Economics student at Lady Shri Ram College for Women, Delhi University holds interest in researching social and behavioural interventions for improving women’s healthcare outcomes. The trained Odissi dancer is passionate about art history and graphic design.

Dr Kirtana Sivasubramanian: The scholar with an MBBS degree from Government Medical College, Omandurar Government Estate, Chennai seeks to research the potential of genetic engineering to utilise the immune system effectively in treating diseases. She aims to explore fundamental concepts of T-cell Biology that might enhance immunotherapy for cancer and autoimmune conditions. The scholar is devoted to use primary research and innovation for making cutting-edge therapies accessible to all and would love to explore it more deeply at Oxford.

Daksh Walia: The final year Master’s student of Economics at Ashoka University is interested in studying labour economics with a focus on the determinants of female labour force participation in India. He aims to gain an understanding of the economics of climate change. Daksh plans to continue working on economic research at Oxford, while simultaneously pursuing his passion for studying justice and the social production of knowledge.

Road to Rhodes Scholarship

All 250 candidates, who have been selected for Rhodes Scholarship in past 75 years, have had to pass through a competitive application process. The selection process includes a thorough review of the applications before the finalists get interviewed by a selection committee comprising of experts and leaders from diverse fields. After the preliminary interviews, another round of interviews gets conducted to shortlist the final winners.

We are committed to raising funds to permanently endow more Indian Rhodes Scholarships so that more remarkable students from this great country can join and contribute to our global community - Elizabeth Kiss, CEO, Rhodes Trust

This year’s Rhodes scholars from India - Vedanta, Syed, Hansa, Kirtana and Daksh will be heading to Oxford University in October 2023 to join a cohort of more than 100 scholars from around the globe to pursue their fully sponsored postgraduate studies, becoming part of a strong community of people aiming to bring a positive difference to the world.

The applications for the 2024 Rhodes Scholarships will open in June / July 2023. More information about the Scholarship application can be found here.

Some of the Global Indians who have been Rhodes Scholars in the past:

Girish Karnad - The playwright, author, actor and director
Montek Singh Ahluwalia - Economist and policy expert who won the Padma Vibhushan award
Dr Menaka Guruswamy - Senior Advocate at the Supreme Court of India
Sagarika Ghose - The journalist, columnist and author who has written biographies of former Prime Ministers Indira Gandhi and Atal Bihari Vajpayee
Tanjore Ramachandra Anantharaman - One of India's eminent metallurgists and materials scientists

Reading Time: 5 mins

Creating impact: Meet the 5 young Indian innovators driving change

(January 21, 2023) "Creativity is thinking up new things. Innovation is doing new things." These words of Theodore Levitt stand true for the brigade of Indian teen innovators who are helping solve the biggest issues, one problem at a time. From saving the earth to creating social impact, this new generation of precocious youth is solving the problems of today with ambitious, ground-breaking technology. Global Indian turns the spotlight on such young innovators who are breaking the glass ceiling with their innovations. Zain Samdani As a 15-year-old visiting India from Saudi Arabia, Zain Samdani had no idea that this family vacation was set to change the course of his life. A meeting with his partially paralysed distant maternal uncle left him “shocked.” In the era of technology, seeing his uncle dependent on others for every small thing was nothing short of a horror. That encounter nudged this robotics enthusiast and innovator to develop Neuro-ExoHeal, an exoskeletal hand rehabilitation device that utilises neuroplasticity and Azure technology to help patients with neurological damage recover faster at an affordable price. The innovation not only left Google CEO Sundar Pichai impressed but also made the 21-year-old win Microsoft 2022 Imagine Cup World Championship, which is

ly left Google CEO Sundar Pichai impressed but also made the 21-year-old win Microsoft 2022 Imagine Cup World Championship, which is considered as the ‘Olympics of Technology’ with more than 10,000 participants from 160 countries.

[caption id="attachment_17917" align="aligncenter" width="587"] Zain Samdani[/caption]

"Having been interested in robotics from a very young age, I started working with prosthetic designs in 2013. But I realised that a cosmetic prosthetic hand could cost between ₹1-₹2 lakh while a robotic prosthetic hand was available anywhere between ₹40-₹50 lakh. I knew that affordability was the key. But the meeting with my uncle only strengthened my passion to find an affordable solution," Zain told Global Indian. The earliest prototype made him one of the 16 global finalists at the Google Science Fair in 2016, and later the advanced version recreated the magic in 2019. "My uncle could feel the sensation on the very first day of using Neuro-ExoHeal. It’s something that otherwise takes weeks or months to achieve."

Follow Zain Samdani on Linkedin, Twitter and Instagram

Jui Keskar

India is home to 0.58 million persons living with Parkinson's disease, and Pune-based inventor Jui Keskar's abode was no different. Having seen her uncle battle the illness for the past nine years with incessant rounds to the hospitals, she was keen to help him. But how? The question gnawed away at her, until the 2020 lockdown came as a blessing in disguise for the teenager, giving her the time to dive into research and find a potential solution to helping her uncle. While scrolling through heaps of data on the internet, the innovator realised that the medication depended on the tremor history, and there was no device to measure them.

[caption id="attachment_20519" align="aligncenter" width="520"] Jui Keskar[/caption]

That was a turning point for the Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar 2022 recipient as she decided to develop a wearable device to measure tremors and analyse data to chalk out a customised medication for the treatment. After months of hard work, the innovator nailed the solution in JTremor-3D, a wearable device that enables the tracking of tremors every 1/10th of a second in a person's body, and stores the data in a Cloud database, which is then sent to the doctor after the information is processed. Embedded with sensors and accelerometers and gyro meters, this device helps in producing the data that can help determine the course of action for a patient.

Follow Jui Keskar on Linkedin

Nikhiya Shamsher

A hospital visit for her project, Compassionate Clowns, changed Nikhiya Shamsher's life forever. She was just 14 when she saw a man who had had half his jaw removed due to oral cancer. Upon inquiring about him, the nurse affirmed that he was one of the few lucky ones to survive. Unable to get the ghastly image out of her head, she began researching on oral subject and found staggering statistics. Five people die every hour because of oral cancer, and India itself accounts for almost one-third of the cases in the world. It's the late diagnosis that accounts for high mortality rate.

[caption id="attachment_20379" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Nikhiya Shamsher receives Diana Award for Prince Williams and Prince Charles[/caption]

Perturbed by the condition of the patients, she found her eureka moment in QuitPuff - a diagnostic device that could help early risk detection of oral pre-cancer and cancer. Explaining the process of its functioning, the innovator told Forbes India, "It is a simple principle, it detects a biomarker present in the saliva, and changes colour. The more the biomarker, the darker the colour will be, which means the higher the risk of developing oral cancer." The device contains QuitPuff reagent which changes colour after an individual spits in it and heats it for 15 minutes. One can compare the colour to the colour chart to understand the risk stage. Priced at ₹38, QuitPuff has already been tested on more than 500 patients.

Follow Nikhiya Shamsher on Linkedin

Siddharth Mandala

He was 12 when the infamous Nirbhaya rape case shook the nation in 2012. People took to the streets asking for justice, and his mom was one among them. Curious about the protests and confused about the word ‘rape’, Siddharth Mandala joined his mom for one of the protests. After surfing the net, he understood the gravity of the issue and decided to do everything in his capacity to prevent sexual assault. This awareness led to the birth of Electroshoe, a small badge that can be clipped onto any footwear, or worn as a ring or pendant and can be easily activated during any threatening situation by pressing. “It pulls out two sharp pointers, mimicking the mechanism of a stun gun and pierces through clothing, and even skin to electrocute the attacker,” explains Siddharth. He took two years to build a working prototype and another three years to create a market-friendly product by interviewing over 500 women across India and California.

[caption id="attachment_15377" align="aligncenter" width="574"] Siddharth Mandala[/caption]

The 21-year-old reveals Electroshoe activates an alarm sound to alert nearby police stations and sends location to family members. “It can even sense angst in a conversation, and can raise alarm,” the entrepreneur told Global Indian. With a built-in solar plate, it recharges itself when exposed to sunlight. “The idea was that it should be something that women can carry with them easily all the time."

Follow Siddharth Mandala on Linkedin

Vinisha Umashankar

"We have every reason to be angry. But I have no time for anger. I want to act. I am not just a girl from India. I am a girl from Earth and I am proud to be so.” These words of the 15-year-old innovator and environmentalist Vinisha Umashankar received a thunderous standing ovation at the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow in 2021. The teen from Tamil Nadu, who was the only school student to earn a spot among the finalists for The Earthshot Prize 2021, was invited by Prince William, The Duke of Cambridge, to speak at the World Leaders’ Summit at the COP26 in November 2021.

[caption id="attachment_17446" align="aligncenter" width="700"] Vinisha Umashankar with her solar-powered ironing cart.[/caption]

At 12, the teen innovator started the idea of inventing a solar-powered ironing cart while accompanying her mother to deliver ironing clothes. Seeing six ironing vendors in her neighbourhood, she realised how charcoal burning is a threat to the environment. She found her eureka in solar power which effectively substitutes charcoal. The innovation won her the Children's Climate Prize in 2020 helped her get a slot as a finalist at The Earthshot Prize in the Clean Our Air category in 2021. “I was happy that environmental innovations like a solar ironing cart got due recognition. It can play a crucial role in reducing environmental damage and climate change. I hope my innovation motivates students to innovate on products that could help protect the environment for future generations. I am happy that the solar ironing cart is my little contribution towards an ambitious goal," she told Global Indian.

Follow Vinisha Umashankar on Linkedin and Twitter

Reading Time: 5 min

Wonder Kid: Kiara Kaur’s journey through books, speeches and world records

(November 29, 2023) “Curiosity is a spark behind every great idea and I'm born with an extra scoop of that,” said five-year-old Kiara Kaur in the opening remark of her TEDx Talk on the theme, ‘Unboxing Curiosity’. In an age where digital technology has deeply integrated into the lives of children, Kiara, a voracious reader is defying the norms. She discovered her love for reading when she was merely two, and since then, has immersed herself in it. “I have read more than 2,000 books until now,” she said adding, “By listening to this you must have assumed that I am a gifted child with an extraordinary talent but let me tell you, I am just like any other kid born in this world.” Owing to her fervent passion for reading, Kiara accomplished remarkable feats by gaining entry into the World Book of Records in London, and also the Asia Book of Records. This achievement involved her reading 36 children’s books consecutively within one hour and 45 minutes back in 2021, when she was just four years old. [caption id="attachment_34326" align="aligncenter" width="897"] Kiara Kaur[/caption] Kiara's dedication has captured significant attention on social media. Her story serves as an inspiration, motivating parents

="Indians in UAE | Kiara Kaur | Global Indian" width="897" height="504" /> Kiara Kaur[/caption]

Kiara's dedication has captured significant attention on social media. Her story serves as an inspiration, motivating parents to instil this valuable habit in their own children. Now at the age of six and based in Dubai, Kiara has turned author too and is a sought-after speaker who has earned a second entry into the World Book of Records in London for becoming the youngest keynote speaker to address the World Expo in Dubai.

The author and the speaker

In 2022 Kiara made history by becoming the youngest keynote speaker at the World Expo in Dubai, earning her a place in the World Book of Records in London. Her impactful speech was titled ‘Small Changes, Big Difference’.

Prior to this achievement, as a first-grader, she had delivered a speech during the International Women’s Week celebrations at the Mexico Pavilion. Her speech centered on the crucial theme of women’s empowerment. Kiara had sought guidance from her grandmother, Commander Dr Rita Bhatra, who served in the Border Security Force for 40 years, while preparing for her talk.

In a significant milestone last year, she became one of the youngest TEDx speaker worldwide by addressing a TEDx event held in Maharashtra on Children’s Day, November 14.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y1kV3NQ87FY

The little bundle of talents has also authored her first book, titled ‘Diary of a 5-Year-Old Genius Chatterbox Who Set World Records,’ which chronicles her extraordinary journey in her own words. Her mother, Dr Little Mahendra, a dean at a Dental College, mentioned in an NDTV interview that she simply typed as Kiara shared, and the process of book writing took seven months to complete.

Love for books and joy of conversations

Kiara loves the smell of the books and the ambiance of bookstores. Her fondness particularly gravitates towards storybooks adorned with big, colourful pictures and illustrations - they hold a special place in her heart. For her stepping into a bookstore feels like entering her natural habitat, as if she belongs there; she often refers to bookstores as 'the books’ paradise.'

Kiara derives immense joy from sharing the knowledge she acquires with those around her. Engaging in lively conversations is another aspect she cherishes deeply. In her TEDx talk she mentioned being called various names such as chatterbox, gaby, or a talking machine. Despite occasionally feeling disheartened by these labels, she equates conversing with people to the joy a child experiences when given a popsicle — it's a wonderful feeling she finds difficult to resist.

Change in people’s attitude

Even before being introduced to phonics, Kiara had displayed an extraordinary ability to read two or three-letter words, leaving her mother astonished. Intrigued by her daughter's aptitude, Kiara's mother decided to purchase a book for the toddler. "I began craving reading every moment," Kiara recalled. "I read everywhere, in the car, in the doctor's waiting room, even in the bathroom. Soon, books became an indispensable part of my life, and I realised the incredible power of knowledge."

[caption id="attachment_34327" align="aligncenter" width="862"] Kiara Kaur[/caption]

As Kiara delved deeper into reading, her conversational skills blossomed, allowing her to engage effortlessly with individuals of all ages. Armed with the power of knowledge, she noticed a shift in people's attitudes toward her. Previously, being labelled a chatterbox indicated that her constant talking might have led to boredom during interactions, but now, people found delight in conversing with her. Kiara's depth of knowledge surpassed expectations for her age, surprising those around her.

“I started receiving more love by people from all the age groups, and today I'm blessed with many friends. We share books, stories, toys and many other things. So you see that's the change knowledge can bring,” the Global Indian remarked.

Finding support in her mom

Kiara gives all the credits of the kind of person she has turned out to be to her mom, acknowledging her as the fundamental force behind her achievements. During her TEDx Talk, she emphasised, "The bond I share with my mom is what has propelled me to stand here before you." She expressed gratitude for the time, energy, and guidance her mother provides, enabling her to spread her wings wide. The six-year-old affectionately refers to her mother as her 'vitamin.' “My curiosity would have remained locked in a box, if my mother would have not supported me and nurtured my curiosity with her patience,’ she said.

It was her mother who initially introduced her to the enchanting world of books, a gesture for which Kiara feels eternally grateful.

The power of mothers

Kiara firmly believes that a conducive environment is pivotal for children to thrive and succeed, emphasising that youngsters learn and emulate elders around them.

She highlighted the strength of mothers in shaping the life of their children. Kiara praised her lineage, pointing out how her great-grandmother's guidance helped her grandmother to become a gynaecologist, and her grandmother's influence then shaped her own mother, who now holds the position of dean at a dental college.

[caption id="attachment_34331" align="aligncenter" width="438"] Cover image of Kiara Kau's book[/caption]

Encouraging parents, Kiara stressed the importance of investing time in children during their formative years. "As kids, we require more than just food to grow,” she said stressing on how every child needs the freedom to explore their curiosity, allowing it to flourish so that they spread the knowledge in the world through intelligence and wisdom.

“This can't be done without the support and guidance of elders. Our young minds are like bird wings, the more we open, the higher we fly so please give us your time today and I am sure you will be proud of us tomorrow,” she remarked.

What's your Global Indian story? Write to us at editor.gi@globalindian.com

Reading Time: 5 mins

Guyanese labourer’s daughter Aruna Sukhdeo is Miss India Worldwide 2023

(July 7, 2023) The daughter of an Indian-Guyanese labourer and a stay-at-home mom, Aruna Sukhdeo created history by winning the Miss India Worldwide 2023 competition becoming the second Indian-origin Guyanese to achieve the feat in the pageant’s 33-year-old history. Since 1990, Miss India Worldwide pageant has seen the participation of young girls of the Indian diaspora from across the world. Conducted by the US-based India Festival Committee (IFC), it provides a common platform for the international Indian community to shine in the world of pageantry. It was a proud moment for the Guyanese diaspora when Aruna raised the Guyanese flag at the international stage upon winning the prestigious title and crown. [caption id="attachment_31688" align="aligncenter" width="568"] Miss India Worldwide 2023, Aruna Sukhdeo[/caption] Aruna who belongs to a family with humble backgrounds would be using the platform to work on the mental health issue – something which is affecting the well-being of youngsters across the globe. The concern comes from her own life experiences. Talking about mental health and depression, she said, “This is something that I have dealt with. In high school, I felt pressured and depressed by just trying to keep my grades up and at the same time, trying to

an.com/youth//wp-content/uploads/2023/07/banner-1.jpg" alt="Indian youth | Aruna Sukhdeo | Global Indian " width="568" height="571" /> Miss India Worldwide 2023, Aruna Sukhdeo[/caption]

Aruna who belongs to a family with humble backgrounds would be using the platform to work on the mental health issue – something which is affecting the well-being of youngsters across the globe. The concern comes from her own life experiences. Talking about mental health and depression, she said, “This is something that I have dealt with. In high school, I felt pressured and depressed by just trying to keep my grades up and at the same time, trying to fit in with my friends and dealing with the pressures of society.”

The fourth-year student of business economics at the University of Guyana (UG), Turkeyen Campus also won the Miss Beautiful Hair title in the competition. With music being her ‘escape’ the youngster who calls herself ‘an aspiring economist and singer’ mesmerised the judges with her singing talent during the competition. Proud of the diversity of India in the final round of the competition she said, “Everywhere we go Indian food and music is celebrated. Diversity is key in my culture and I love it.”

Overcoming fears

The only child of immigrants Bonita Baijnauth and Narhootam Sukhdeo, Aruna visited her native country, India for the first time as the competition was held in Pune. Coming from humble background and owing to fear of height the twenty-year-old had never taken a flight to India or anywhere else but has been raised to respect and identify with the Indian culture.

Every year Miss India Worldwide competition takes place in a different country. Luckily for Aruna it took place in India which gave her an opportunity to come to her native land. Talking about her flight experience, she said, “I felt like I’ve conquered one of my fears right there and that was an experience in itself before even reaching the international stage.”

The Indian experience

Not only did Aruna relish every moment of being in India, she was highly inspired with the ‘amazing’ Indian-origin talent that had travelled from different parts of the world to participate in the competition.

It was intimidating for her to see the best Indian-origin representatives from different countries competing against her. But at the same time, it was a huge opportunity for her to learn. “Simply being with those phenomenal girls, hearing their thoughts, seeing what they bring to the table, was a great experience,” she said after winning the crown.

Being in spotlight

Being on stage is something that Aruna loves right from her nursery days. When she got to know about Miss-India Guyana competition which eventually gave her entry into Miss India Worldwide pageantry, she looked at the platform as an opportunity to work on an issue which is closest to her heart – mental health.

“I looked at the pageant as an opportunity to create a platform for my voice to be heard. If you don’t have a platform, no matter how much effort you make, no one is really going to hear what you’re saying,” the twenty-year-old remarked.

She has been living with her family on the East Coast of Demerara and is totally in love with Guyana as she was born and raised there. By winning the crown Aruna’s goal has been to also ‘put the country into spotlight.’

Multitasking along the way

Although Aruna considers her time management skills to be good, participating in Miss-India Guyana and subsequently Miss India Worldwide posed many challenges as her exams were around the corner while she prepared for the two back-to-back competitions.

Just a day before the Miss-India Guyana competition the timing for her final exams and the final stage rehearsal clashed. She felt like quitting, but then reminded herself that if she wants to do something extraordinary, she would have to take the challenges in stride. “In the end, winning both the local and international titles was a testament to my hard work and determination, and was a very rewarding experience,” she remarked.

Proving the worth

Aruna considers her mother as her greatest source of inspiration who taught her the virtues of kindness, contentment, and compassion. “My mom has taught me to never look down on people, always be confident and brave in life,” said the youngster. She is also grateful to her father who despite having meagre means ensured that Aruna got the best education and all the necessities of life. “My parents support and encourage me to be independent and to give back to others.”

The youngster considers her humble upbringing as a catalyst to work towards making a positive impact in people’s lives, and is determined to make her parents even prouder. “I want to show them that their investment in me has not gone in vain,” says the beauty.

Follow Aruna Sukhdeo on Facebook

Reading Time: 5 mins