Meet Meghana Gaddam, New Zealand’s Indian origin Youth Parliament member
Compiled by: Amrita Priya
(January 5, 2023) Meghana Gaddam stood before the New Zealand parliament, greeting the speaker with a ‘Namaskaram’ before turning to the minister of health to ask, “How do health system reforms address the existing nationwide resource constraint in the health sector particularly labour shortages.” By her side stood MP Tim van de Molen, whom she was assisting. Meghana is a member of the Youth Parliament, part of a novel method of functioning in the New Zealand government. Citizens elect close to 120 MPs, each one of whom works in close association with a nominated Youth Parliament member.
In 2022, when Meghana was nominated for the role, her responsibilities included helping the MP deal with issues related to the youth and to act as their voice within the parliament.She has been working with Waikato’s MP Tim van de Molen with a focus on shelter for every person, especially in the wake of Covid-19 induced poverty and homelessness.
Meghana Gaddam in the New Zealand Parliament
“Nothing is impossible for a strong-willed person, if one is determined to do best to achieve their goals in life,” she remarked while interacting with media after getting selected for the coveted role.
Inclination towards social work
The Youth Parliament is held every three years, providing young New Zealanders the chance to learn first-hand about the country’s democracy, influence decision-making and have their voices heard. As the government made its selection, it recognized Meghana’s exposure to social service and efforts to raise funds for orphans in Waikato.
“With my friends, I had taken up activities to support orphans and kids from refugee camps who had migrated from Turkey, Syria, Iran, and Iraq,” she revealed in an interview.
Meghana Gaddam with MP Tim van de Molen in New Zealand Parliament
Tim Van de Molen, the MP whom Meghana is currently ,assisting remarked in an interview that the four-minute video, where she gave her opinion on issues facing youth in the Waikato, was excellent and seemed as if it came straight from the Parliament’s general debate.
From India to New Zealand
Meghana’s father, Gaddam Ravikumar immigrated to New Zealand twenty-two years ago with his newly wedded wife, and settled in Waikato as a real estate businessman. Meghana was born there, and the family has been staying in St Kilda.
Meghana Gaddam with her parents
Always a bright student, she completed her International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme’ (IBDP) from St Peter’s, Cambridge, graduating as head girl.
Meghana excelled academically and also participated in various social service initiatives in school. She did a two-year stint at the Refugee Orientation Centre Trust in Hamilton and was an active Model United Nations participant.
This laid the foundation of the people’s person that the nineteen-year-old Global Indian eventually became.
The Indian roots
Though born and brought up in New Zealand, the youth icon of the island country hasn’t forgotten her Indian roots. Visiting her native place, Tanguturu in Prakasam district of Andhra Pradesh with her parents has been an annual affair.
The youngster fluently converses in Telugu and clued in to Indian culture. She is also always in the thick of traditions followed by the diaspora.
(March 22, 2022) Arpan Dey was 15-years-old when a friend mentioned the Junior Academy of Sciences, a part of the prestigious New York Academy of Sciences, telling him to apply. “I never imagined I would get in, but I did send an application. I was selected,” the now 17-year-old teen physicist says, in an interview with Global Indian. Only a month earlier, in July 2020, Arpan had founded his own blog, the Journal of Young Physicists, where he presently serves as the senior physics editor. In 2021, the West Bengal-based lad also published his debut book, Our Physics So Far, an attempt to examine consciousness through metaphysics and quantum mechanics, all for laypeople. The science gene activated Raised on a diet of popular science books, combined with a flair for writing that had already manifested in poetry and short stories, it seemed only natural that Arpan Dey should venture into science communication. Brian Greene (The Elegant Universe), Stephen Hawking, Michio Kaku and Steven Weinberg provided a literary diet the teenage physicist just couldn't resist. These works make up a small part of an impressive reading list. The pandemic was a busy time for the teen physicist. Aside from working on
n Hawking, Michio Kaku and Steven Weinberg provided a literary diet the teenage physicist just couldn't resist. These works make up a small part of an impressive reading list.
The pandemic was a busy time for the teen physicist. Aside from working on building scientific communities for young students, Arpan also began writing his own book. The idea of being a science communicator and bringing the many wonders of physics to laymen seemed the next logical step, for he was already wading through complex metaphysical research, smitten with great thinkers like the physicist and mathematician Roger Penrose (Shadows of the Mind) and Erwin Schrodinger (What Is Life), often hailed as the father of quantum mechanics.
“I thought there should be a place for young students to publish articles on physics,” says Arpan, about how he began his physics blog, Journal of Young Physicists, back in July 2020. He put the word out, and soon enough, had a group of people on board. The 16-member team is made up of a diverse set of students from around the world, all bound by the universe that is theoretical physics.
Quantum physics explained
Even his idea for a book began organically. “I had a collection of notes on quantum physics and I thought, ‘Why can't I write a book on this, and bring physics to the layman?’” The research alone, he says, took nearly two years to complete. What began as a bunch of notes on quantum physics became Our Physics So far (2021). In order to stand out from the others on the same subject, Arpan decided to stick with the idea of consciousness and metaphysics. “The writing itself took about three or four months after that,” recalls the teen physicist.
[caption id="attachment_13088" align="aligncenter" width="455"] Arpan Dey with his book, Our Physics So Far[/caption]
During his research on quantum physics, he came across the Young Scientists Journal, a peer-reviewed publication. "After my piece was accepted, I realised that it was being run by young students. We have professors guiding us but the editors are mostly students," adds the 12th grader. He soon took over as editor, and it has been two years since. Arpan was also a curriculum developer for project reSTEM, part of the Young Scientists Journal, which aims to develop research hubs in schools around the world. “My job is handling content while colleagues handle outreach," says the teenage theoretical physicist.
Prodigious beginnings
Arpan is hardly your garden variety science prodigy. “I wasn’t even so interested in maths and physics at first,” he confesses, smiling. Instead, he would wonder about the meaning of consciousness and from where it emerged. “These questions came naturally to me. Just as others might wonder why the sky is blue, I think about the meaning of life and death, of why we are conscious beings, and what that means,” explains the teen physicist. His parents, Arpita, a homemaker and Arun Kumar Dey, a teacher of economics, and his faculty at Delhi Public School in Burdwan, West Bengal, encouraged him. His father Arun also runs his own institution and was only too happy to bring his son books to read.
The first book to trigger his interest in the universe wasn’t on physics. Instead, it began with a copy of David Eagleman’s The Brain: The Story of You. “My interest in the idea of consciousness came because of my fascination with the human brain. I read Eagleman and that led me to ask if physics can answer the question of consciousness,” says the teenage theoretical physicist. Similar questions, he found were being raised in quantum physics and quantum mechanics. “I decided I wanted to study consciousness through a physics perspective,” he says. Thus began his tryst with Penrose, Hawking and Schrodinger, setting him firmly on the path to becoming a theoretical physicist himself.
In the early days, he was working to build a network of scientists with whom he corresponded. “I have interviewed Edward Witten,” he says, of the American mathematical and theoretical physicist who is the winner of the Fields Medal, the Dirac Medal, Albert Einstein Medal and a MacArthur Fellowship. The Young Scientists Journal published the interview in August 2020. “I would email professors and physicists with my ideas,” Arpan explains. “I would find them online, and reach out, some responded. Two years ago, when I came up with a quantum physics idea that used a modified Schrodinger equation. I needed to know the implications of the model.” One of his first mentors, the teenage theoretical physicist says, was Saumen Datta, of the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research.
An avid reader, Arpan loves fiction, enjoys Sherlock Holmes, Harry Potter and Feluda. His creative leaning is towards short stories (sci-fi and detective), and poems. Musically inclined, Dey composes music, writes songs and collaborates with vocalists. His songs are on his Youtube page, Arpan Amplified.
(April 3, 2022) Into his teens, a peer-education programme opened up new possibilities that gave the differently-abled a “smiley” to tackle life. Then a Class 8 student, D Kavin Vendhan gave students with special learning needs guidance at his school. A month into this not just changed his perspective, it also gave him a purpose. “It made me understand the importance of non-academic skills, and how every child has potential beyond marks,” says Kavin who founded Society for Motivation Innovative Leadership and Empowerment of Youth (Smiley) India, a non-profit initiative in 2019. The idea of empowering youngsters resonated with the youth of Chennai who came forward to participate in the programme. Kavin's Smiley India not only won the trust of youngsters but also picked the Ashoka Changemaker Award 2019 and Diana Award 2021. “It was a validation for the work that we have been doing over the years,” Kavin Vendhan tells Global Indian. [caption id="attachment_13948" align="aligncenter" width="709"] Kavin Vendhan with his Diana Award 2021[/caption] A special place for all children The Hyderabad-born Tamilian was a victim of bullying at his primary school. His father, a public health professional, with a transferable job, Kavin studied in over 12 schools. Often, it
an" width="709" height="473" /> Kavin Vendhan with his Diana Award 2021[/caption]
A special place for all children
The Hyderabad-born Tamilian was a victim of bullying at his primary school. His father, a public health professional, with a transferable job, Kavin studied in over 12 schools. Often, it was hard fitting in due to speech difficulties. “Kids made fun of me in primary school,” reveals Kavin who even confronted a friend for bullying another child at school. “I had been through it, and, as an act of vengeance, I also bullied students in middle school. However, something in me shifted looking at my friend. I asked myself if what we were doing was right,” says Kavin. His turning point became a beacon for other children to stand up against bullying. Empowered by the realisation that anyone has the power to bring about change, Smiley India is spearheading this movement.
Its full potential struck him in 2015 when he joined to help children at school. "Our school had children with special needs, and in the programme, each student was assigned a peer who would help them learn and grasp subjects better. That experience nourished me as a person and helped me imbibe the quality of empathy,” says the first-year law student even though the very next year, many were dropped from school citing “learning issues.”
[caption id="attachment_13946" align="aligncenter" width="656"] Kavin Vendhan during a workshop with school kids[/caption]
“Schools only value marks, and don't believe in a child's potential beyond that. That's when I realised the significance of skills and talent over marks,” says Kavin, committed to finding a solution. He joined hands with a handful of children from the programme, and launched Smiley India, a movement for the students and by the students.
Spreading smiles
“We focus on the importance of non-academic education, social responsibility, and addressing mental health issues,” says the Tamil Nadu Dr Ambedkar Law University student whose aim is “Better Youth for Better India.”
“The youth is the future of India. We work on the overall development of young minds by conducting workshops. We give them a platform to speak their minds and understand the possibilities within,” adds the 18-year-old whose non-profit has 70 volunteers between 13-19 years of age across Chennai and Chengalpattu.
[caption id="attachment_13949" align="aligncenter" width="635"] Kavin with Smiley India volunteers[/caption]
One in seven Indians aged between 15-24 is depressed, according to a Unicef report, and Kavin is no stranger to this disorder. “There is so much going on in the minds of youngsters. We want them to open up in a protective environment without any sense of shame or guilt. Not many open up to adults about mental health issues. We bridge that gap, as we encourage them to speak to peers who act as a support group," says the young changemaker who started training peers as counsellors, reaching out to 1,500 students.
A benchmark for all
Kavin believes that the “pressure in the educational system” pushes students to the brink and they feel “isolated.” “We try to build trust. About 90 percent of the issues are minor and can be taken care of at the initial stage, but serious cases are referred to psychologists,” says Kavin who witnessed a rise in suicide among youngsters during the lockdown. “It becomes more important to speak to youngsters at a time when they feel isolated with a lack of social support.”
His relentless work earned Kavin a Diana Award in 2021. “I felt grateful to the 40 volunteers for their hard work,” he beams with pride. The young changemaker is ecstatic that the awards and recognition have “changed perspectives” of people towards his non-profit. “The tables have turned. Now, schools approach us to conduct workshops and sessions,” says an excited Kavin, answering the early skepticism of volunteers' parents.
[caption id="attachment_13947" align="aligncenter" width="649"] Kavin Vendhan creating awareness among school teachers[/caption]
The laurels have been the perfect nudge for Smiley India, but not without the challenges. With almost no resources, Kavin found it hard to “bridge the distance between his vision and reality.” Also, as a young organisation with teenager founders, trust had to be built. “At times, even volunteers questioned themselves and their mission,” reveals Kavin, who is planning to expand Smiley India’s mission to Tamil Nadu and other southern states. “The aim is to create a peer-based programme, and make them understand that change can be sustained in school,” avers Kavin.
The self-proclaimed movie buff finds life lessons in films like KungFu Panda and Spiderman. The avid reader indulges in martial arts too. The changemaker gives his parents the credit for “supporting me blindly and instilling the ideals in my mind.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gwo02fERnJQ
Kavin aspires to get into civil services by cracking the UPSC exam next. Smiley India’s good work will continue. “It has now become a functional organism with a life of its own,” adds Kavin.
The young changemaker advises fellow youngsters to “follow your heart and dreams,” he feels, adding, "Everyone has a unique purpose in life. Try hard to make it a reality."
(July 10, 2022) Many of the Indian classical dance forms have a legacy of over five thousand years. Their emotive power and graceful moves have always managed to mesmerise the audience, not just in India but also abroad. Unfortunately, in the past, these dance forms, and their exponents, went through a period of regression due to the changing socio-political scenarios of the nation. However, over the years many Indian dancers have worked tirelessly to put these forms back on stage. Today, many young Indians are not only training in various Indian classical dances, but also taking it to the international platform, and garnering much-deserved praise for it. Global Indian puts the spotlight on young artists, who are taking Indian classical dances to new heights. Remona Evette Pereira She was only three years old when Remona Evette Pereira's mother first took her to a Bharatanatyam class. Although she wasn't sure if her daughter would enjoy it, Ramona fell in love with the sound of ghungroos quite instantly. Such was her passion that Ramona went on to learn several other classical, semi-classical, and western dance forms - including Kuchipudi, Kathak, and Yakshagana. [caption id="attachment_19110" align="aligncenter" width="608"] Remona Evette Pereira, Bharatanatyam dancer[/caption] In
In the last thirteen years, Ramona has done countless stage shows and bagged hundreds of trophies and mementos in innumerable competitions. The Mangaluru resident recently won the coveted Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar 2022 for her outstanding contributions in the field of art and culture. While giving her the award, during a virtual session, PM Modi said that young people like Ramona are the way forward for the country. During her interaction with the Prime Minister, Ramona shared that she owed a lot to her mother and family.
Currently pursuing her first year of pre-university studies at Nanthoor Padua PU College, Ramona is training under eminent classical dancer and guru, Shrividya Muralidhar. The youngster, who comes from an economically weaker family, wants to keep performing on national and international stages and spread the richness of Indian classical art.
Shrinika Purohit
Soon after the eminent Odissi exponent Minati Mishra finished her performance during the 2013 Odissi International to thunderous applause, the stage was taken over by a three-year-old. A beautifully-dressed Shrinika Purohit, mesmerised the audience, receiving a standing ovation. After Shrinika's performance, Minati Mishra exclaimed that the child was "God’s gift to Odissi."
Today, 10-year-old Bengaluru-based Shrinika has performed on various prestigious stages, including the India International Dance Festival and International Odissi Festival organized by eminent journalist and art critic Shyamahari Chakra. Not just in India, the young danseuse has done several shows in Singapore, Japan, and the USA, where she is more popularly known as the "wonder kid of Odissi". Although she wants to continue dancing and perform on various other stages, the young kid aspires to become a scientist when she grows up.
She’s fifteen and already making headlines. Vriti Gujral, an eighth-grader from New Delhi, is a Kathak dancer, who has won the hearts of many maestros. Although her journey as a dancer started when she was only six, it took a major turn in 2016, during the auditions for World Cultural Festival. Over 37,000 artists performed in Delhi during this festival, however, it was Vriti who grabbed the attention of Padma Vibhushan Pt. Birju Maharaj. She was invited to give a solo performance at the Vasantosav festival. Many great maestros of the Kathak fraternity noticed Vriti's seven-minute-long solo performance and the young dancer was later asked to perform on several national and international stages.
Her perfection of mudras and facial expressions earned Vriti a scholarship from the Centre of Cultural Resource and Training (CCRT), India. In 2020, the youngster received the Global Child Prodigy Award, for her exceptional dancing talent in Kathak. Dreaming of becoming a professional dancer, just like her idol Pt. Birju Maharaj, Vriti wants to take Kathak to a level where today's generation can not only enjoy it but also aspire for it.
In an industry dominated by women, Gaurav Bhatti is an emerging Kathak artist, who recently won the first Dr. Sunil Kothari Award for his graceful dancing style. A kathak dancer with the Aditi Mangaldas Dance Company - The Drishtikon Foundation, Gaurav's tryst with dancing started as a teenager. However, for several years, the Punjab born artist couldn't share his aspirations to become a professional dancer with his family.
Encouraged by his parents to pursue a career in science, Gaurav took up a course in visible arts in Canada. It was here that he started training under Saveeta Sharma in Ottawa, and later with gurus Lata Bakalkar in Mumbai and Aditi Mangaldas in Delhi. While he has given several stage performances, Gaurav aspires to keep innovating and discovering new methods of expression in kathak.
(July 12, 2023) It was in her third attempt that twenty-five-year-old Manju Bangalore won Miss Oregon USA 2023 title becoming the first South Asian woman to do so. The persistent and multifaceted youngster called the win, ‘the cherry on top’ because it gave her ‘a bit more platform’ to do the kind of work that she has been doing. Manju is a role model for young Brown girls in the US, not just as a pageant winner but as an aspiring astronaut, actor, model, activist, author and a non-profit founder who started Operation Period and Painting with Parkinson’s. The postgraduate student at the International Institute for Astronautical Sciences in the US, will be proudly representing her state, Oregon in the upcoming 72nd Miss USA pageant, slated to take place in October in Nevada. Whether it is the world of pageantry, academics, extracurricular activities or her career, Manju has displayed consistent excellence, occasionally pushing her own boundaries. Her motivations are not solely driven by the desire to enhance her resume but stems from an innate inner drive to fulfil her purpose – personal growth and to make a positive impact on the community. [caption id="attachment_31812" align="aligncenter" width="689"] Manju Bangalore being crowned
Whether it is the world of pageantry, academics, extracurricular activities or her career, Manju has displayed consistent excellence, occasionally pushing her own boundaries. Her motivations are not solely driven by the desire to enhance her resume but stems from an innate inner drive to fulfil her purpose – personal growth and to make a positive impact on the community.
[caption id="attachment_31812" align="aligncenter" width="689"] Manju Bangalore being crowned as Miss Oregon USA[/caption]
Bagging five NASA and one White House internship
Before joining the International Institute for Astronautical Sciences, Manju graduated from the University of Oregon with a major in physics and minor in maths. An ambitious young woman who wanted a head start in her career, she was looking everywhere for internships. She ended up bagging not one or two but five NASA internships and one White house internship on science policy.
“Over the course of my five NASA internships, four of which were in the astronaut office, I contributed to propulsion research and helped design and build the cockpit displays of the Orion spacecraft,” she said. Talking about her White House experience she remarked, “One of my favourite memories was staffing a Hidden Figures screening for First Lady Michelle Obama.”
Finding inspiration in Kalpana Chawla
From the tender age of four, Manju aspired to become an astronaut. This dream had been sparked during a visit to the air and space museum in her locality. It was there that she had stumbled upon the remarkable story of Kalpana Chawla - the pioneering Indian woman who ventured into space. “Just seeing someone who looks like me doing this incredible thing made me feel like I could do it,” she remarked. Her strong work ethic and the trait of dedication and hard work comes from her parents, Phani and Geetha Bangalore, who migrated from South India and own and operate a seed-testing lab in Oregon
[caption id="attachment_31813" align="aligncenter" width="436"] Manju Bangalore at the International Institute for Astronautical Sciences[/caption]
While she was pursuing her undergraduate studies at theUniversity of Oregon, she applied for hundreds of internships and ‘got rejected by ninety-nine percent of them’. Quite by chance she had come across NASA’s portal during her search and had discovered that there was an entire portal of NASA focused on internship. Like other applications she went ahead with applying there too without any high hopes. But to her immense joy, she was selected by NASA Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama.
Later, her application to work at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy was accepted too. At the White House, she met astronaut Sunita Williams who guided her to land four more internships at NASA's Johnson Space Center, in the astronaut office. “I learnt quite a lot working on the cockpit displays of the spacecraft that will go back to the moon and then to Mars one day,” she shared.
Fuelled by these experiences, Manju enrolled herself into the International Institute of Astronautical Sciences’ postgraduate programme. “The school hasn’t selected us by any means to go to space, but they are putting us through the training that’s necessary to one day go to space,” shared the happy youngster.
Operation Period and Painting with Parkinson’s
When Manju was 17, she started Operation Period to address menstrual disparities that she saw around her. The seed for starting this venture germinated in her mind when she encountered a woman in a medical store who was desperately in need of menstrual products but could not purchase them due to lack of money. Not only did Manju generously pay for her needs but came out of the store with the determination to do something about women like the one she met in the store.
Through Operation Period, the youngster has made a significant impact, distributing over 300,000 menstrual products worldwide and organizing events to raise awareness about menstrual health education.
She also runs a second non-profit, Painting with Parkinson’s, to help bring meaning through art to people like her father, who suffers from the disease. The non-profit provides free painting kits and organises free painting classes to people affected by PD. “I believe that art has the power to heal, and everyone is an artist and should let that light shine,” she remarked.
From science and service to the world of pageantry
The multifaceted youngster has been participating in pageants since she was in her teens. The Oregon resident had made a couple of unsuccessful attempts in the Oregon Teen USA competition, but she remained determined. In 2017 she had managed to get successful in the local pageant, Miss Benton County USA. When she entered her twenties and could no longer participate in the Oregon teen pageant, she set herself on the Oregon Miss USA competition. It took her three attempts to finally win the crown. Overjoyed with the fruit of her persistence she shared, “The months that have followed after winning have been the best months of my life.”
[caption id="attachment_31814" align="aligncenter" width="444"] Manju Bangalore at an event[/caption]
Multiple experiences on the pageant stage have given the Global Indian a unique perspective on what it takes to be a winner. “A beauty pageant obviously has a component of outward appearance, but also in those seemingly beauty-oriented competitions, they are still looking at how poised you are, how confident on stage you are,” she said adding, “I was by no means the tiniest person on stage; I am curvier, and none of that was held against me.” In fact, Manju thinks it helped her. “It showed that I am confident in my body and who I am. It has helped me develop a thick skin, to face and filter out the detractors.”
The Indian-origin American embraces and beholds her looks, her identity and her culture with utmost pride.
Wearing many hats
Manju has a knack for acting since her school days. Her stint in modelling and the world of pageantry led her to some good acting projects. She has guest starred on two television shows - Black is King, Depot and Animal Kingdom and is hopeful for more work on this front in future. Working inBlack is King was particularly special because she got an opportunity to work with Beyoncé, the American singer and songwriter. Recently Manju turned an author with her debut children's book, You can be all the things you want to be.
[caption id="attachment_31815" align="aligncenter" width="457"] Manju Bangalore with her debut book[/caption]
Born to immigrant parents, growing up Manju realised that the world is not an equal place. Instead of being bogged down by racism that she and her family faced, the youngster grew up with the sense of responsibility towards people who are looked down upon for being different. Manju is also a supporter of black and transgender rights and goes out of her way to support these causes. She looks at the Miss Oregon USA 2023 title to be a good platform to work on these issues.
(December 30, 2022) A photo is worth a thousand words, and Indian photographers are making sure to capture the breath-taking beauty of nature and the rawness of emotions to weave a story that evokes a feeling in almost everyone. With a legacy of cultural diversity and deep-rooted artistic expression, India is producing photographers who have captured moments that speak to the world. They are bringing forth stories that resonate with a larger audience and creates a shift in their perspective. Seeing the world through their lens is what makes them unique, and they are taking the world with them on this journey called life. Global Indian turns the spotlight on such young photographers who are making heads turn with their captures. Suyash Keshari [caption id="attachment_8073" align="aligncenter" width="400"] Suyash Keshari is a wildlife filmmaker.[/caption] Solo, the tigress, stole the thunder on Safari with Suyash – Season 1, a wildlife series by environmentalist Suyash Keshari. Amidst the lush foliage, rolling hills and grasslands of Bandhavgarh National Park, Solo found her habitat where she first met Suyash nine years ago. A capture of the six-month-old earned Suyash the Nature’s Best Photography Asia Award, which incidentally hung at Smithsonian Natural History Museum in Washington
an.com/story/art-culture/suyash-keshari-the-25-year-old-wildlife-conservationist-behind-indias-first-wildlife-ott-platform/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Suyash Keshari. Amidst the lush foliage, rolling hills and grasslands of Bandhavgarh National Park, Solo found her habitat where she first met Suyash nine years ago. A capture of the six-month-old earned Suyash the Nature’s Best Photography Asia Award, which incidentally hung at Smithsonian Natural History Museum in Washington DC for a year. Solo played a huge part in Suyash’s journey into wildlife filmmaking as his debut five-part series managed to impress the World Wildlife Fund, which eventually became its distributor. For the past four years, this champion of wildlife conservation has been navigating through unexplored territory of the park to capture the raw and unfiltered beauty of nature, and has now launched India's first OTT wildlife platform.
Prathamesh Jaju
It was seven days past the full moon, and astrophotographer Prathamesh Jaju from Pune, telescope and planetary camera in hand, was on his terrace. There with utmost concentration, he captured the last quarter moon on an ordinary night in May. The photo taking shape in those four hours made this amateur astrophotographer an instant internet sensation. Taking one of the clearest and most detailed images of the Moon is no mean feat. The then 16-year-old did it and it went viral with 69,734 likes. Prathamesh even got approval from a NASA scientist for the sensational click that beautifully captured the craters and mineral deposits on the lunar surface.
Crammed into a narrow alleyway in the backstreets of Kumortuli in North Kolkata, a sculptor is sculpting the face of goddess Durga ahead of Pujo. That stunning photo by young photographer Pubarun Basu speaks volumes of his love for the craft. Yet, it’s only one among his many stellar photographs. Another photo turned the tide for this muse-seeking shutterbug – a 2020 photo titled No Escape from Reality that won him the Youth Photographer of the Year 2021 at the Sony World Photography Awards. Basu was the first Indian to achieve the feat.
The wilderness is her office, Nature, a constant companion. The first Indian to win the coveted Wildlife Photographer Award in 2020 for her photograph on fireflies Lights of Passion (chosen from 50,000 entries from 80 countries) Aishwarya Sridhar’s entry held pride of place in the august halls of the National Museum of History in London at one time. “Every day is a new adventure. I look forward to spending time in the wilderness,” says the preservationist, who cherishes all those moments in verdant landscapes but feels most fortunate to have seen a tigress training her cubs to hunt in the wild. Sridhar is also the winner of Sanctuary Asia’s Young Naturalist Award, the Princess Diana Award, and is a Jackson Wild summit fellow (considered the Emmy of wildlife filmmaking).
Tanmay Sapkal
A photograph of Comet Neowise, shot from atop Mount Tamalpais in the US' West Coast, landed amateur photographer Tanmay Sapkal the International Landscape Photography 2021.
Braving sub-zero temperatures, venturing out at unearthly times of day and night, and spending hours on met department updates – the life of a photographer isn’t easy. Tanmay and his wife live in San Francisco (she also works for Apple). Evenings are spent, “working on images, searching for what to do next, and talking to photographers.” In summer, when the sun sets late, Tanmay takes advantage of the light, and drives off to photography locations after his work as a tech designer is done.
The key to being a good landscape photographer, he explains, is “to know the weather.” It’s usually an interesting weather change that draws Tanmay to a spot, as “plants and trees change with seasons, as does the light.” So, if a big cloud system rolls in from the West Coast, it ascertains the location. Seasoned landscape photographers wander off into forests for weeks on end, carrying equipment, food, water and tents, “It’s easy to go missing or to be attacked by a bear,” he says. Although, given his propensity for shuffling off into snow-covered woods, thermal shock is also a concern.
Arpan Dey with his book, Our Physics So Far[/caption]
Kavin Vendhan during a workshop with school kids[/caption]
Kavin with Smiley India volunteers[/caption]
Kavin Vendhan creating awareness among school teachers[/caption]
Manju Bangalore being crowned as Miss Oregon USA[/caption]
Manju Bangalore at t
Manju Bangalore[/caption]
Manju Bangalore at an event[/caption]
Manju Bangalore with her debut book[/caption]
Pubarun Basu[/caption]
Aishwarya Sridhar[/caption]