Global Indianstory Global Indian ExclusiveSimone Sharma: Building opportunities for teens through YouthGrowYouth

Simone Sharma: Building opportunities for teens through YouthGrowYouth

Written by: Amrita Priya

(January 14, 2023) Growing up, student entrepreneur Simone Sharma dreamed of being a doctor. Life, however, had other plans. Along the way, she discovered that volunteer work could boost her CV and increase the odds of getting scholarships to good colleges. Although she wanted to give it a try, she didn’t know where to begin. The hunt for volunteering opportunities, however, sowed the seed for her own non-profit, YouthGrowYouth, which works with youngsters like herself.

Little did she know that in a short span of time, she would be able to reach out to more than 60,000 highschoolers, create a team of volunteers from across the globe and connect youngsters to several opportunities. This successful stint with social entrepreneurship has influenced the seventeen-year-old’s future plans, inspiring her to study business instead of medicine.

Simone Sharma

Through YouthGrowYouth, Simone has been helping youngsters discover a rich array of extracurricular options, and explore their career interests. The non-profit’s programmes range from helping youngsters with volunteering positions, internships, mentorships, exclusive Ivy League programmes and more.

“YouthGrowYouth has a team of 20 volunteers from India and places like Germany and Canada, who enable global online opportunities,” Simone tells Global Indian.

Impressive associations

Recently, the non-profit became affiliated with the United Nations Youth Council and has since expanded to promoting gender equality and mass literacy among vulnerable youth. “The UNYC affiliation has broadened our horizons as we get to be part of regional meetings and interact with board members,” remarks the youngster.

With Simone at the helm, YouthGrowYouth managed to get selected for the Crimson Youth Entrepreneurship Society’s 2022 cohort. “It’s a non-profit accelerator run by Harvard University students dedicated to help young founders create meaningful impacts in their communities and beyond,” tells Simone.

Excited about being part of such a significant cohort, chosen from amongst thousands of applicants, she says, “The selection process went on for three months. By the end of it, only 20 youth-led startups from all over the world were chosen. I am so glad we are one of them.”

The selection comes with the perks of resources for growth. “We are able to access many Harvard webinars, which aren’t otherwise available to the public. We also have access to Harvard-based mentors who groom us to make our startups better,” tells the young social entrepreneur.

Another interesting association has been YouthGowYouth’s selection for the first-ever Google Startup School India edition. Over the course of the nine-week online training programme, the early-stage startup founders were equipped with knowledge, tools and products that any growing organisation needs – all delivered by Google experts and unicorn founders.

The Bengaluru based teen is also one of the 120 participants selected out of 4,000 applicants for the YLC Leadership cum Entrepreneurship Conference. “In an online two-week programme, I was trained in a curriculum developed by Harvard Business School, Harvard Law School and Harvard Graduate School of Education on how to strengthen my organization’s presence,” she says.

Multifaceted teen

Social entrepreneurship, which Simone stumbled onto by chance, is not the only area in which the teenager excels. She has been a runner-up at the National Spelling Bee 2019. She has also tried her hand at pageantry and although she couldn’t earn the top spot in the Star Miss Teen India contest, she managed to earn the Miss Teen India Karnataka 2022 title as one of the finalists. There were other contestants representing the state.

“The contest was held at The Leela Palace, New Delhi. There were accomplished participants from across India. I managed to stand out in the talent round due to my poetry writing skills,” she mentions adding, ‘Though I stammered in nervousness when I was told to recite, losing my shot at winning the title, the days leading to the contest provided a holistic and growing experience for me.”

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A post shared by simone (@simonepoetry_)

Her poems are part of two anthologies published by a publishing house named Writer’s Pocket Publishing. The daughter of an army colonel, Simone is good at sports, and has represented her district and state in basketball tournaments.

“It’s ironic that although I want to pursue business analytics, I am studying science,” smiles the 12th grader of Jain Heritage School. The student entrepreneur aspires to pursue her college education abroad and expand YouthGrowYouth on campus there, to widen its horizons even more.

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Published on 14, Jan 2023

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Not so black and white: How photographer Akshat Bagla is making waves in NYC

(November 3, 2022) Photographer Akshat Bagla first arrived on the scene when he was 17 years old, as an Artist-in-Residence at his local chapter of the Rotary Club in Kolkata. He hasn't looked back since. After graduating from the School of Visual Arts in New York, the now 23-year-old Akshat has been appointed as the Director of Photography for Differio, the world's largest gay menswear company. Akshat was 13 years old when he first learned from his cousin how to use a camera. As the family gathered around the dinner table, the cousins would spend their time taking photos of the food. "I thank my cousin, he's the reason I'm here," Akshat told The Daring. He and his camera were not easily parted after that and Akshat would take photographs of everything he could, from his friends to things he saw on the streets. [caption id="attachment_23761" align="aligncenter" width="594"] Akshat Bagla[/caption] Akshat's road less travelled Born in Kolkata, to a business family that distributes raw paper, Akshat was trained from an early age as the young scion, primed even as a child to take over the family business. The advent of photography changed all that. The moment of reckoning arrived when

trained from an early age as the young scion, primed even as a child to take over the family business. The advent of photography changed all that. The moment of reckoning arrived when he came home with his first set of images. "I put everything on the computer, and I saw the images. I was reliving the whole moment. I was looking at something I experienced but in the form of a photo, which I could cherish for the longest time," he told The Daring. "What got to me more than the camera and the medium itself is the whole idea of capturing a moment for eternity, you know?"

He did his best to photograph everything he could, going out into the streets as much as he could. Not that walking through the streets was easy. Akshat had grown up sheltered and his parents didn't fancy the idea of wandering around alone. When the pandemic started in March 2020, Akshat returned home to Kolkata. He would go out every day, waking up early to take photographs. "I explored so many areas, and I talked to more people than I ever did in the sixteen years of living there before."

[caption id="attachment_23762" align="aligncenter" width="708"] A photo in Kolkata by Akshat Bagla. Source: www.akshatbagla.com[/caption]

Answering the call to adventure

It was the start of a new life in more ways than one. The camera that always hung at his side emboldened the young man, helping him open himself up to the world. "It made me more outgoing and able to talk to anyone, anywhere," he said.

Being able to follow his dreams took some doing, especially at home. Still, his parents did come around to his way of thinking. The first turning point came when he was 17, when he was entrusted with restructuring and editing the priceless photo archive of The Rotary Club of Calcutta, which chronicles the institution's century-long history.

Studying at the School of Visual Arts only brought him more exposure, from working with the online presence of Indus Net Technologies to photographing bread for the NYC-based academy Bengingi. Akshat has also chronicled the Black Lives Matter protests and done Gay Pride photo shoots for Differio. He has also made himself a name as a re-branding expert.

[caption id="attachment_23763" align="aligncenter" width="1000"] A photo shot by Akshat Bagla in New York City. Source: www.akshatbagla.com[/caption]

Staying true to his roots

Black and white photography is all the rage these days, as it has been for a while. Not for Akshat, though. He prefers to lean into his Indian-ness, to celebrate the vibrance and colour of his homeland. "As a visual artist, I rely on our traditional affinity to colours," he said, in an interview with Outlook. "Cinematic fashion / food photography and rebranding - my two specialties - call for careful proportion between daring and comforting," he told Newstrack.

Bagla's bread photographs for Bengingi and the Gay Pride photo shoot for Differio have been hailed as works of art, although they stand as marketing campaigns. In America, Akshat honed his skills, learning to frame images from what he saw around him. At the BLM protests, where thousands gathered on the streets, Akshat would walk effortlessly up to people and strike up a conversation, before documenting them. "I'm trying to tell their story at the end of the day," he said.

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Reading Time: 5 mins

Changing the way we build: Architect Medha Priya is India’s young champion of sustainable infrastructure

(April 20, 2023) The importance of green and sustainable buildings cannot be overstated in the context of today's ever-growing climate crisis. As urbanisation continues to accelerate, the demand for new infrastructure increases, presenting a unique opportunity to shift towards sustainable construction practices that have a lasting positive impact on the environment. One person who is working hard towards this cause, is architect Medha Priya. Making waves in the fight against climate change by championing green and sustainable buildings, the young United Nations champion has dedicated her career to creating eco-friendly structures that not only benefit the environment but also help in reducing energy consumption. "Sustainable architecture can play a crucial role in combating climate change by reducing greenhouse gas emissions, promoting energy efficiency, and reducing the environmental footprint of buildings," the Global Indian said, while discussing the importance of sustainable building designs, adding, "Sustainable buildings prioritise the use of energy-efficient design strategies and thus reduce the energy demand of buildings and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. It also incorporates design features such as green roofs, living walls, and rain gardens. These features can mitigate the urban heat island effect, reduce stormwater runoff, and improve air quality." Discovering a passion for sustainable

ce the energy demand of buildings and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. It also incorporates design features such as green roofs, living walls, and rain gardens. These features can mitigate the urban heat island effect, reduce stormwater runoff, and improve air quality."

Discovering a passion for sustainable architecture

The Bengaluru-based architect, who is currently a key member of the United Nation's ‘We The Change’ initiative, had just completed her X standard when an incident shocked her. In April 2013, an eight-story garment factory building called Rana Plaza collapsed in Dhaka, killing 1,132 and injuring more than 2,500 people. The collapse was attributed to poor construction, substandard building materials, and disregard for construction codes. Known as one of the world’s worst industrial accidents owing to irresponsible decision-making and neglect, the incident greatly inspired Medha's career choice.

"I had just completed my board examination when this incident took place. The incident was entirely preventable. At that age, I didn’t know anything about green spaces or sustainability, but all I knew was, someone has to make better spaces for people to live or work in and that was the beginning of my journey." the architect said.

Soon after finishing school, the youngster joined the renowned Birla Institute of Technology to pursue an undergraduate course in architecture. It was while she was working on a college project that the architect realised how much harm unsustainable constructions do to the planet. Explaining her research, she said, "About 37 per cent of greenhouse gases comes out of the construction activity. When I realised how polluting it is to the planet, I decided to work for the environment and help the country make greener infrastructures. I joined one of the sustainability consultancies in Delhi where I got the opportunity to look at the designs of the buildings, approve construction materials and convey strategies to maintain good working conditions for the workers."

Women power and the green movement

Currently pursuing her Masters in Design at the National Institute of Design, Bangalore, the young architect is running a global awareness programme about sustainable infrastructure. The architect is also a vocal champion of women's leadership in the field and has been doing her bit to educate young girls about the current climate crisis with ‘ABC of SDGs’ classes. "If women are represented more in climate action decision-making, it will help mobilise communities and drive social and environmental change, especially at the grassroots level," she said, during a press interaction, adding, "Women are more likely than men to experience the impacts of climate change, particularly in developing countries. They bring unique perspectives and solutions to the climate crisis, drawing on their experiences and knowledge of the communities they live in. By promoting women’s leadership in the climate movement, we can foster new ideas and approaches to addressing the climate crisis."

Spreading the word

The architect, who goes to different colleges and schools now and then only to talk about the climate crisis the world is facing, sustainable development goals, and the need to achieve them for a safe and better world, has a big plan ahead. After completing her masters, she wishes to move ahead and design something which not just benefits a few hundred people living in a building but can help as many people as possible. "As infrastructure is an important sector for the overall development of any country, it is important to regulate and assess upcoming projects for their impact on the environment. I wish to move towards designing solutions that will help people overall," said the champion.

Follow Medha Priya on LinkedIn

Reading Time: 6 mins

How language redeemer Shruti Rijhwani mines your language with AI &ML

(March 23, 2022) Humans aren’t the best at preservation. Case in point, the world as we know it. Now, fathom how a country like India, that had 1,100 languages, has lost 220 forever. That 20 percent is just skimming the tip of this nadir – Across the world too, the findings are concerning. Over 1,500 endangered languages will no longer be spoken by the end of this century. Or that of the world’s 7,000 recognised languages, around half are currently endangered. Language redeemer Shruti Rijhwani decided to address this lacuna, and preserve them. The Pittsburg-based coding whiz used algorithms to preserve languages like Hokkaido Ainu (spoken among few elderly Japanese), Griko (Italiot Greek), Yakkha (from Nepal and Sikkim) and Kwak'wala (estimates state only 200 speak it fluently in Western Canada). Way back in 2011, a young girl aspired for a career in technology. She was to travel to Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani, for a BSc in computer science. There, she strengthened her foundation and ambled along to Carnegie Mellon University for an MS in language technologies, followed by a PhD in the same at the School of Computer Science. About to graduate in May 2022, Shruti Rijhwani

022, Shruti Rijhwani was awarded the Forbes 30 under 30 2022. Her metier was restoring lost languages using artificial intelligence and machine learning. In that, restoring world history. The Bloomberg PhD fellow first got interested in languages as a preppy research intern at Microsoft Research (2015).

[caption id="attachment_13118" align="aligncenter" width="522"] Shruti Rijhwani[/caption]

Now, busying with her final thesis, to graduate as a PhD, Shruti Rijhwani speaks from Pittsburgh to Global Indian, “My PhD thesis at CMU encompasses my research on developing machine learning algorithms to improve the accuracy of extracting text in endangered languages from printed books - those endangered. The books and documents in these languages do not have a digital format. My research works towards improving automatic digitisation using machine learning and natural language processing,” explains the traditionalist whose was honoured by Forbes in the science category.

A girl who loved computers

Brought up in Bengaluru, India, her parents and sister, while away from her, are a constant source of motivation. “I really miss my family in India,” says the language champion.

Not just her family, Shruti, misses her visits to India before Covid-19 hit, “I really miss the food – I always look forward to visiting my favourite restaurants in Bengaluru whenever I visit my family,” says the NLP expert.

For laymen, Shruti explains this quest into languages and tech that led her to becoming a research fellow at Microsoft Research then Bloomberg AI, publishing innumerable papers, to then getting consumed into the world of languages.

“I became interested in NLP after an internship at Microsoft Research in Bengaluru,” says Shruti, who then realised that many existing language technologies support a limited number of languages as opposed to being able to support the 7,000+ languages in the world.

“Many communities that speak endangered languages want language technologies that work well for their language, but it’s challenging. My project tries to build algorithms that work well for endangered languages in collaboration with linguists and endangered language communities,” explains the language redeemer.

At heart, a language expert

For Rijhwani, the primary technical challenge was that most state-of-the-art NLP methods rely on a large amount text resources, or data for ML – which endangered languages don’t have. “My research helps overcome a part of this challenge by developing techniques that perform well without much data,” she explains.

As complex as it sounds, the language redeemer breaks it down. “The algorithms take scanned images of non-digitised books and handwritten documents, automatically recognise characters, and produce digitised text. The recognition sees the algorithm looking at the shape of each character, and trying to match it to an existing pattern,” explains Shruti excitedly. While the recognition is not perfect, she has developed algorithms to automatically correct errors using NLP techniques through patterns that correct them.

Incredibly honored to be recognized on the 2022 @Forbes 30 under 30 list in Science!

✨*HUGE* thanks to my collaborators and mentors, @mulix, @anas_ant, @gneubig
✨More about my recent work: https://t.co/Qbum8a2qvL @ForbesUnder30 #ForbesUnder30 https://t.co/xfdWhMffXP

— Shruti Rijhwani (@shrutirij) December 2, 2021

Elaborating on NLP, the 29-year-old explains that it is broad name for technologies that enable the understanding of human languages by computers. “There are multiple applications - automatically translating text (eg, Google Translate), searching the web, or automatic question- answer. Some work I did early in my PhD builds NLP models for automatically processing entities in human language (like location and person names). Now, I am using NLP techniques to improve text extraction accuracy for endangered languages,” adds the PhD student who is grateful for her mentor Graham Neubig’s guidance.

Those early days as a research intern, at Microsoft Research inspired Shruti to apply for a PhD. “During two summers, I worked as a research intern at Bloomberg AI. I enjoyed both, it gave me a good sense of how NLP research works. It also brought about collaborations with researchers at Bloomberg, leading to published research papers,” she adds.

Creating a niche

The Forbes 30 under 30 reveals that she had a fairly normal childhood, grew up in a space where independence was respected. Though not drawn to science as a child, Shruti enjoyed computer programming. Now, graduating in May, deep in her dissertation, and a final project on improving text extracting from endangered language texts, she loves working in her beautiful office, writing code, doing data analysis, or talking with collaborators! “The environment at CMU is exciting for research as many students are working on diverse and challenging problems, so it’s fun to learn about and discuss different research ideas,” says the language restorer.

Shruti loves a challenge, Thus working on difficult research problems is hugely motivational. “I’m not afraid to run from a challenge. I enjoy taking up risky projects. I believe my projects have significant practical or real-world impact,” explains this student for life.

Her dream job predictably also involves being able to develop ML and natural language processing algorithms to solve large-scale and real-life or practical challenges. “I want to develop NLP models and techniques to expand technologies to more languages and tasks, supporting populations that don’t have access to them,” says the coder.

The adventurer behind the coder

All coding and no play is also not what Shruti prescribes to. “I love spending time outdoors: I often go hiking in Pittsburgh, there are so many amazing state and city parks. For a vacation, I’d go near the ocean as I love snorkelling and I’m a certified scuba diver,” says the language redeemer.

During Covid-19, Shruti discovered a talent for woodwork – even bought a few power tools, and ended up building multiple pieces of furniture and décor.

Her long-term partner is her constant source of support through school and now PhD. “He is incredible at helping me balance work and life, ensuring I take breaks and enjoy life outside of research,” reveals the ML and AI language whiz who wants students to enter stem, especially girls. “Science and stem research is awesome! It’s an exciting career, technologies are being rapidly developed and it’s a lot of fun to learn, and discover new things every day. It’s challenging no doubt, this direction, but it’s absolutely rewarding,” concludes the language redeemer.

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Reading Time: 6 min

Saanvi Sita Mylavarapu: Nature lover Illinois teenager on a mission to summit all seven peaks

(January 7, 2023) At 18000 feet above sea level, Illinois-based Saanvi Sita Mylavarapu stopped feeling her feet. With no insulated boots to keep her warm, she felt "like a thousand needles were poking at the same time." Having arrived at the Mt Everest base a day before, Saanvi was excited for her trek to Kala Patthar, known for its incredible views of Mount Everest. But it was unlike any of the treks she had ever been on. The mountaineers who were happily sitting by the fire the night before were airlifted in helicopters the next day. "The uncertainty due to altitude" hit her hard during the trek, but it was her mental strength that kept her going. Despite reaching a stage when she stopped feeling her feet, she kept walking. "I kept thinking about getting to the top and kept reminding myself why I was doing this," says the teenager for whom the ascent was the first step towards her goal of climbing all seven summits someday. [caption id="attachment_26243" align="aligncenter" width="1080"] Saanvi Sita Mylavarapu on her way to Kala Patthar[/caption] She was only six when she began going on hikes, and in the last nine years, she has hiked over

ta Mylavarapu | Global Indian" width="1080" height="810" /> Saanvi Sita Mylavarapu on her way to Kala Patthar[/caption]

She was only six when she began going on hikes, and in the last nine years, she has hiked over 25 national parks in the US and most recently made it to the top of Mt Whitney through Mountaineer's route. But her passion for hiking comes with a purpose. The Independence High School student is on a mission to inspire teenagers to be close to nature. "The best things in life are free - sunlight, water, air, soil. I want people to spend more time in nature. We don't need to save the planet. We just need to stop spoiling it," Saanvi tells Global Indian.

A childhood hobby turns into a passion

The Chicago-born girl was five when she first saw her dad's sparkling eyes after he returned from a hike. As a young girl, it got her excited to see that a hike made her dad this happy, and soon the family ended up taking a road trip together to Tennessee Kentucky to visit Mammoth Cave National Park. "Being in nature changed the way I view the world. My mom, who has chronic issues, has been my inspiration as I saw her going through transformative change, thanks to being in nature," she adds. Soon, it became a regular affair, and every holiday season, the Mylavarapus would take off to a new national park. While most of her friends would go to beaches and resorts, she was the only one going on hikes. "For us, it was a great family bonding time."

[caption id="attachment_26242" align="aligncenter" width="1080"] Saanvi Sita Mylavarapu[/caption]

What began as a passion for nature soon took the form of a purpose when in elementary school, Saanvi was introduced to climate change. However, the first thing that came to her mind as a 10-year-old was, "but my lifestyle is sustainable." And she kept wondering why? "Some research helped me understand that as a nature lover, I had a lower carbon footprint and it's also helping heal my mind, body, and soul. That's when I realised that everyone can make a connection with nature." This led her to start an Instagram page which she uses to inspire more youngsters to take their heads out of the screens and revel in the beauty of nature.

Choosing nature over technology

Her first brush with nature began at an age when she was yet to be swarmed into the world of digital media. And it was this that helped her find her rhythm in a chaotic world. "Since I'd be hiking and backpacking for weeks in areas where there was no mobile connectivity, I realised how little things we need to be happy. I don't use electronics much. In fact, walking in nature is more entertaining to me than social media."

Saanvi, who is a National Park Trust Student Ambassador, never misses a chance to help kids understand how they can contribute to nature. "The new generation is engulfed in technology, and I want to encourage them to go out. Instead of breathing recycled indoor air, go out and breathe fresh air. Spend more time in nature, and help the planet at the same time."

Making it to the top

This love for hiking later translated into a passion for mountain climbing, and she did start on the right food with Kala Patthar and Mt Whitney. "I think that high to be on the top of the world is true. It is unimaginable happiness," she beams, adding, "In the end, everything seems worth it, even the pain. Because you want to do this all over again." But it isn't a cakewalk as Saanvi has been hiking for years and does rock climbing three-four times a week. "I am in the cross-country team of my school. But more than physical, one also needs to focus on mental strength." So, what keeps her motivated to keep marching forward even during strenuous climbs? "My favourite food," she laughs, adding, "I keep thinking of these two fast-food places in the US that I go to for a taco and a burrito. That's how I keep myself motivated."

It's been nine years since Saanvi has been hiking, and she calls her parents the wind beneath her wings. While her dad Naveen, who is a bank manager, got her interested in hiking, she calls her mom an inspiration. "Even on days that I felt like giving up, they kept pushing me and helped me get past my mental blocks." Still, in Class 11, Saanvi is yet to find her future road map but wants to be either a doctor or a marine biologist. However, at some point in life, she sees herself just hiking. For someone who loves hiking, is learning Kuchipudi, and is a trained violinist and a Carnatic singer, Saanvi likes to strike a balance. "I focus on what I'm passionate about."

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A post shared by Saanvi Sita Mylavarapu (@chalkbagsntents)

Ask her for a piece of advice, and the teenager says, "Simple changes can go a long way, and help reduce carbon footprint and climate change drastically. Earth is a couple of billion years old, and our life span as a human is 70-80 years. So, in these years, explore the earth as much as you can."

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Reading Time: 6 min

Arunima Sen: The innovator solving the world’s pressing problems

(September 5, 2024) "Kalpana Chawla's story inspired many people. She came from a small town but nothing could beat her determination to dream big and achieve it. At a time when her field was largely male-dominated, she broke stereotypes to convert her dreams into a reality. Little did she know that she would inspire millions of girls like me, who were forced to back off from their dreams or not." That's how innovator and technologist Arunima Sen begins her TedX Talk. The girl whose curiosity about science and technology led her to become an innovator and a designer, is now finding solutions to the world's most pressing problems. From developing a device that determines micronutrient levels in the human body using hair strands to building a prototype of an energy-efficient solar hybrid bus to a green building, the 23-year-old is keen to find answers. The STEM enthusiast, who aspires to work towards achieving the United Nations Sustainable Goals, was named a 2020 Global Teen Leader of the We Are Family Foundation and is one of The Mars Generation’s 24 under 24 Innovators in STEAM and Space. An innate love for science Growing up in Bengaluru, Sen was always surrounded by

c="https://www.globalindian.com/youth/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/arunima1.jpg" alt="Arunima Sen | Global Indian" width="613" height="633" />

An innate love for science

Growing up in Bengaluru, Sen was always surrounded by discussions on varied scientific research projects, thanks to her parents, who worked at the Indian Space Research Organisation. The environment helped ignite a scientific temper and fanned her curiosity. This early interest in science found her gravitating toward global problems, for which she decided to find solutions using STEM. As she tended to her autistic brother's special needs, she would often ponder over the various problems that humans face, and try to look for solutions. For this, she would spend hours reading on the internet about scientific advancements. As she did her research, she found that technology is at the root of everything, and when combined with engineering, it can positively impact society. "As youngsters, we are the future of this country and the world. We need to come up with solutions," she told a daily.

Solving global problems

As early as Class 10, she was selected for The Junior Academy conducted by The New York Academy of Sciences - a program meant for teenagers interested in science and finding solutions to different problems. Her first project was measuring the micronutrients in a person's body, for developing countries like South Africa, India, and South-East Asia, providing data on health problems is essential. Sen, who believes that micronutrients play an important role in health, worked on a prototype called Arduino Pro Mini that gives an exact measure of micronutrients in the body. "We wanted to make this method non-invasive, so what we do is collect strands of hair and dip them in a particular chemical solution. Once the solution absorbs the nutrients from the hair, it is analysed via spectrophotometry. To put it in layman's terms, we measure the wavelength that the nutrients emit using spectrophotometry. By observing these wavelengths, we get to know if there is a deficiency of micro-nutrients or not," she told edexlive.

[caption id="attachment_23347" align="aligncenter" width="422"] Arunima Sen with PM Narendra Modi while receiving Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar[/caption]

The Global Indian collaborated with like-minded students from Poland, Finland, and the USA to develop a cost-effective device. "It is small and has a spectral response range of 320-1000 mm, a range that works for all micronutrients that our project is working with. It is designed to be used either via Bluetooth with a compatible phone or a tablet or with an integrated touchscreen display to allow use in the most varied conditions,” Arunima said in an interview. Her research will help patients in India on a micro level.

Creating impact

Apart from it, she also worked on Homestead Greens - the high-rise buildings that can save energy and lower the emission of carbon - with students from Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Norway, and Romania. While living in a locality that had frequent power cuts, she realised it wasn't a green building and produced a lot of carbon dioxide, thus adding to global warming. That's when she decided to work on a prototype of a building that was energy efficient as well as helped with harvesting rainwater - a design meant for commercial and non-commercial purposes. "One part of the building wall is covered with solar panels that help in trapping a lot of natural energy. We also have automatic lights that turn off or become dim when you leave the room. The building will also have a trellis of vines and climbers that run down the building. These plants will be watered by the rainwater harvesting system. This helps us save over a thousand litres of water," she added.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=38&v=XjVlvH5LV_E&feature=emb_title

The recipient of Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar, who is pursuing her bachelor's in Computer Science and Physics from Ashoka University, is also a Yale Young Global Scholar of Yale University and a member of the Junior academy of the New York Academy of Sciences.

Even during the pandemic, she didn't put brakes on her work. During an interaction with the press, Arunima said, "I am currently being mentored by professionals from Sidewalk Labs — an urban innovation company working to make cities more sustainable and affordable for all. Since the pandemic had brought many discussions and assignments to a halt, my friend and I are working to resume it soon."

Arunima's journey is a powerful demonstration of the impact that determination, curiosity, and the relentless pursuit of knowledge can have. Despite the challenges she faced, she has consistently pushed the boundaries of what is possible, using her passion for science and technology to address some of the world's most pressing issues. Her work is not just about innovation; it is about making a tangible difference in the lives of people and the environment. She is a true changemaker, proving that age is no barrier to making a global impact.

Follow Arunima Sen on Linkedin