(November 24, 2023) When Sadhguru recognised Oviya Singh’s efforts to spread awareness on soil conservation, the joy and elation of 12-year-old knew no bounds. “His acknowledgment in one of the Save Soil Campaign events and later, a mention of my name in the ‘youth in action’ section on his website, are recognitions that evoke indescribable emotions,” she smiled.
The NCR-based youngster became one of the youngest TEDx speakers in India last year, gaining recognition in India and beyond. The powerful public speaker has been using her gift of gab to motivate not just youngsters but also industrialists, public figures and government authorities to do their part in making the planet a better place through initiatives like soil conservation and other measures to enhance sustainability.
Oviya Singh
“We will either be remembered as the generation that let the planet die or as the generation that even God looks up to and says ‘damn!, these guys are competition,” the orator remarked in one of her speeches urging children and adults to do their part.
Beyond oratory, the talented youngster has ventured into writing, co-authoring two books. Her first book, Living Life of Inspiration, is a compilation of motivational stories of achievers from different walks of life. Her second book, Rise: Poems of Heat, Resilience, And Light, features inspirational and motivational poems by her and other budding poets.
Awards and accolades
Recently the Global Indian became the recipient of the Nelson Mandela Award that came with the opportunity of visiting the University of Oxford to receive the medal and the certicate in person. It was presented at the Global Peace Summit organised by the NRI Welfare Society in the UK. “The Nelson Mandela Awards event was an extraordinary chapter in my life, one that has left an indelible mark on my soul, inspiring me to strive for excellence and contribute meaningfully to society,” she shared.
Oviya has been Champion at the Youth Spoken Fest twice, and has excelled in various other competitions. She claimed the top position in the National Public Speaking Championship (2019), the Podcast Challenge (2021), and the National Speech and Debate Tournament (2022). She also emerged the winner in the extempore competition at the IDIA International Fiesta 2021. “I didn’t even know that talking could be a talent until they gave me a few awards for just talking,” she laughed in an interview.
A member of PlanetSpark’s podcasting club, the prodigy hosts her podcast Go Out and Contour the World.
Becoming one of India’s youngest TEDx speakers
In last year’s TEDx event held at Jamia Millia Islamia, the then eleven-year-old Oviya had made a mark as one of the youngest Indians to deliver a TEDx Talk. Her talk centred on the critical environmental issue of soil degradation, shedding light on alarming statistics concerning the global decline in agricultural soil quality. This speech was aligned with the event’s theme, ‘Different Lenses.’ She provocatively posed the question, “Is the world running out of food?” to her audience, drawing attention to the pressing matter.
She was among distinguished company. Other speakers at the event included the vice-chancellor of Jamia Millia Islamia University Padma Shri Najma Akhtar, Supreme Court senior advocate Sanjay R Hegde, journalist and anchor Arushi Kapoor, peace activist and author Dr Maria Khan, and finance content creator Ankur Warikoo.
Oviya’s selection as a speaker amongst these influential personalities was a testament to her remarkable gift of expression through speech. “When I came to know that I would be speaking amidst these stalwarts, I was awestruck. ‘How will I even open my mouth in front of these people?’ I thought. But my father motivated me to just forget everything around me and concentrate on my speech. I am glad that it went well and on top of that all the esteemed people present at the event, appreciated my speech,” she remarked.
Finding a purpose
Oviya’s interest in soil was purely accidental. During a workshop on public speaking, she was asked to enlist all the topics that she liked and disliked as the subject of her speech. Her ‘like list’ comprised topics like favourite K-Pop bands, while her ‘dislike list’ encompassed typical topics assigned in school elocution contests, such as the environment.
As part of the workshop she was tasked with researching and speaking about a topic from her ‘dislike list’ – specifically, the environment. During her research on the topic, she stumbled upon ‘the developing crisis that might even lead to the next World War – the global food crises’.
During her research, Oviya also learned that while factors like food wastage and increasing population contribute to this looming crisis, the most alarming factor is agricultural soil degradation, which is severely impacting global food cultivation.
Later, when she got selected to deliver a TEDx Talk, she spoke on ‘soil conservation,’ a topic that she had become very passionate about – making it her purpose to spread awareness on the matter.
Generation for change
Olivia calls herself a part of the ‘generation for change’. Her speeches are centred on not just soil conservation but sustainable living as a whole. “We really need to work for this environment because if we are not going to be the ones who are going to work on it then I don’t think we’ll be even able to survive after 20 or 30 years,” she said adding, “This is the thought that inspires me every morning to get up and keep working for this cause.” Apart from her parents she is indebted to her mentor Priyanka Behl who has been her constant guide.
The youngster who loves playing badminton and reading JK Rowling’s books is hard pressed for time due to her tight academic and oratory schedules. “I had to sacrifice my playing time for oratory,” said the youngster. Her sacrifices are paying off well!
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