Sridevi Krothapalli: Indian-American teen brings joy to hospital kids through art magazine
Compiled by: Team GI Youth
(August 11, 2023) Kahani, which translates to storytelling, has found its place in hospitals in Chicago and other parts of the US. A digital arts and literary magazine that’s distributed to children’s hospitals for kindergarten to middle-school-age patients is the brainchild of Sridevi Krothapalli who turned her passion for art into a project. Growing up, she was drawn to watercolours and would end up making art that comforted her. Over the years, her interest expanded into the realm of digital art and drawing, and in 2020, she turned his love into a student-led nonprofit Kahani. Three years into it, the 17-year-old made it to Teen Vogue’s annual 21 Under 21 list of changemakers, influencers, activists, and artists who are making an impact.
Sridevi Krothapalli
“My mission with Kahani includes helping distribute art and literary magazines for kids in hospitals across the USA to inspire creativity,” she said in an interview. The 17-year-old senior at Illinois Math and Science Academy (IMSA), who aspires to make a career in advocacy and healthcare, has always been keen to give back to the community and “help make an impact.”
The digital magazine with its vibrant artwork, engaging stories, and playful poems, aims to ignite creativity among children during their hospital stay.
“So, they can experience outside of the hospital that gives them the opportunity to engage with this art because that’s what it’s all about. Getting children to play their own role and honestly interpret it anywhere they are,” she added. For this Indian American teen, who originally hails from Telangana, kindness, and love have served as guiding influences, encouraging her to speak from the heart and inspire positive transformation.
In these years, Kahani has been distributed in hospitals across the US including Lurie Children’s Hospital in Chicago, Advocate Children’s Hospital in Park Ridge, Riley Hospital for Children in Indianapolis, and Children’s of Mississippi in Jackson. The staff and parents permit patients to access the magazine through tablets, digital devices, as well as in-house closed-circuit televisions, and websites. The influence of Kahani at Riley Hospital for Children was recently highlighted by an Indiana CBS affiliate station. A hospital spokesperson remarked that the magazine serves as a wonderful illustration of children receiving support from individuals who may be strangers to them. Such literary and artistic content helps create an opportunity for normalisation in the hospital.
Published twice a year, the magazine consists of 20 pages that encompass a diverse array of artistic expressions including poetry, short stories, paintings, and photography. Accompanying the artwork are descriptive captions, and within each edition, there are thought-provoking journaling prompts. “We try to make it as artistically compelling as possible — the most fun things that we can think of and mostly interesting things that you’d see in a nature book. But instead, it’s made by students not so far away,” she told Chicago Tribune.
Witnessing many individuals in her family and community facing illnesses that required them to visit nearby children’s hospitals prompted her to develop a form of creative arts therapy and an initiative tailored to their benefit. Recognising the scarcity of resources crafted by students specifically for this hospital-bound population, she aimed to establish a student-driven endeavour — a collective effort where all the donated creations are the result of students’ artistic endeavours.
The teenager, who is an active member of IMSA’s arts and literary magazine, Heliotrope, produces Kahani with the help of half a dozen people that include her family, friends, and IMSA students. She serves as a designer, artist, and writer, and also oversees outreach and promotion.
Along with her passion for art, she is a physics pro who wants to make scientific discoveries that would make a difference in the world. Moreover, she was selected to attend the Stanford Program for Inspiring the Next Generation of Women in Physics. “By applying coding skills to physics-based projects in environmental engineering and tutoring other students in physics-oriented topics in my community, I realized my ambition to break the gender gap in the field of physics and mathematics,” she told Teen Vogue.
When she is not studying algorithms or working on Kahani, Sridevi loves playing tennis or indulges in filmmaking. Moreover, she holds the position of Regional Board President for the nonprofit organization International Youth Tobacco Control in Illinois wherein she coordinates educational events, establishes connections with fellow tobacco control organisations in the state, and designs informative infographics and digital posters addressing tobacco usage for school districts across the region. “Everything that I do falls under the umbrella of what I’m interested in — the umbrella of public health crises that affect kids’ well-being.”
(January 24, 2024) After a tough selection process with over a thousand applicants from across the country, NLU Delhi’s Ayan Gupta is among the five scholars selected for the Rhodes Scholarship 2024 to study at Oxford University. “Oxford is a brilliant place to study at and who wouldn’t want to,” remarks Ayan as he speaks to Global Indian. While applying for the scholarship, he drew inspiration from a past NLUD graduate who had been successful in getting the scholarship from the Rhodes Trust. A fifth-year NLUD student, Ayan has a keen interest in matters related to sentencing and punishment with a focus on the complexities surrounding the death penalty and prolonged incarceration. At Oxford, Ayan aims to explore the fields of criminology and criminal justice. [caption id="attachment_35405" align="aligncenter" width="667"] Ayan Gupta[/caption] He is of the belief that in the sphere of criminal justice, the system does not lay enough emphasis on empathy. “Hopefully, I would get to contribute to reforms that lead towards a more empathetic criminal justice system,” he envisions after graduating as an Oxford scholar. Passionate about education, Ayan aspires to shape criminal justice education as an academic, and has also garnered experience as a research and teaching assistant
1-1024x718.png" alt="Indian youth | Ayan Gupta | Global Indian " width="667" height="468" /> Ayan Gupta[/caption]
He is of the belief that in the sphere of criminal justice, the system does not lay enough emphasis on empathy. “Hopefully, I would get to contribute to reforms that lead towards a more empathetic criminal justice system,” he envisions after graduating as an Oxford scholar.
Passionate about education, Ayan aspires to shape criminal justice education as an academic, and has also garnered experience as a research and teaching assistant at NLU Delhi. Currently serving as the editor-in-chief of NLUD’s Journal of Legal Studies, Ayan oversees the publication of scholarly papers authored by students, faculty members, and practicing lawyers.
The Rhodes scholarship
“After getting selected for the scholarship by the Rhodes Trust, one still has to go through the application process of securing admission at the University’s master’s course but with the kind of support that the trust provides, the process becomes more comfortable with lesser anxiety surrounding it,” Ayan shares.
Rhodes Trust would be providing scholarship between £30,000 to £50,000 per annum, depending on the course and institution that one enrols into. Additionally, there's a stipend of approximately £20,000 per year, ensuring that all that the scholar needs to do is to focus on the studies, without being concerned about food, lodging, or recreation expenses.
“This opportunity is truly life-changing, and I feel immense gratitude and excitement. The master’s programmes at Oxford spans two years, with an option for a third-year extension under certain circumstances and for specific courses fully funded by the Rhodes Trust,” shares Ayan.
Law with an empathetic lens
During his third year of college, Ayan served as a death penalty research fellow on Project 39A - an NLUD organisation dedicated to death penalty litigation founded by the NLUD Professor Dr Anup Surendranath. The project draws inspiration from Article 39-A of the Indian Constitution, which advocates for the equal justice and equal opportunity, and the importance of addressing disparities that intersect and exclude large segments of our society from effectively seeking justice due to economic and social barriers.
Reflecting on his experience of working on the project, Ayan mentions, “I got introduced to the fact that criminal justice goes much beyond criminal law. Many of the problems that plague the criminal justice system are ingrained in the system. Often, the law is adding to the problems,” he says. “We need to think much harder about what it is that we punish, how we punish, and who are the people we punish. I hope to explore these questions in my master’s programme at Oxford.”
The humane perspective that Ayan wishes to explore may have played a role in his selection for the scholarship. “There is often limited consideration given to the complexities of punishment, and there seems to be a prevailing trend towards stricter punitive measures. However, adopting an empathetic perspective is crucial to recognise that crime is a societal issue,” he says. Ayan is of the opinion that crimes are often rooted in societal, socio-economic, and psychological factors. Addressing these underlying circumstances requires more than just punitive measures. It should involve understanding the reasons behind the crimes and taking an empathetic approach for effective reduction of crime rates.
Talking about his association with Project 39A, he mentions, “I am happy that I was able to discover my area of interest through the project and glad that I would be able to explore it further at Oxford. I am thankful to Dr Anup Surendranath for being a wonderful mentor along the way.”
International law with a comparative lens
Ayan’s interest extends to international law as well. “From international law, it has evolved into more transnational or comparative law,” he remarks.
The scholar’s interest in international law underwent a transformation from an initial focus on environmental law during a moot. This shift led him to critically assess the shortcomings of environmental law. Over time, this curiosity developed into a passion for comparative law, prompting him to explore how different nations address shared challenges.
Stetson International Moot Court competition
In the third year of his college, Ayan participated in the Stetson International Moot Court Competition, which primarily focuses on environmental law. Due to COVID-19, what was initially planned as an in-person event in Florida transformed into an online format. The competition featured more than 20 teams from across the world. Ayan’s team managed to become the semi-finalist in the competition. He was able to bag an individual prize for being the second best oralist.
To get an opportunity to participate in the global competition, Ayan and his team of five members had first competed and emerged as national champions in the India national rounds which saw participation of around 25 teams from across the country. Ayan had emerged as the best oralist in the final round as well the best oralist, overall in the national competition.
Talking about the global competition, the youngster remarks, “The fascinating part of it was that we were arguing with lawyers from different jurisdiction and countries and all of them had their own ways of looking at things and ways of presenting the case depending upon their cultural backgrounds. To experience that diversity was very interesting.”
Learning from experts
While studying at NLUD, Ayan has also served as a research assistant of some academicians. The experience has broadened his intellectual horizons and fuelled his aspirations to become a law faculty in future. Collaborating with Dr Anup Surendranath of NLU Delhi, Dr Aparna Chandra of NLS, and Dr Mayur Suresh of SOAS, London was an extremely rewarding experience for him.
“Working directly with academics as an intern, instead of organisations, provided me with insights into their unique thought processes. Difference in their approaches to handle research exposed me to diverse perspectives of looking at a problem,” he says. This firsthand experience with such experts has polished his ability to contemplate on relevance, critique, and utilise reasoning in academic research.
Personal observations on Rhodes scholarship
Significance of personal essay
“Given the high volume of applications, receiving a call for an interview seems a bigger achievement than actually making it through the interview,” Ayan remarks with a smile. Hence, personal essays play a crucial role as they determine whether one will be selected for an interview and also serve as the foundation for the questions posed during the interview.
In his essay Ayan delved upon his observations and experiences during his involvement as research fellow in Project 39A. He talked about impactful stories of people on death row that struck him hard. He also wrote about his aspiration to be a future law academic to challenge and rectify societal perceptions of criminality, and how his teachers especially Professor Anup, the founder of Project 39A made a huge impact on his life at NLUD.
Misconception around sports
“There's a prevalent misconception that being exceptionally skilled in sports is a prerequisite for earning a Rhodes scholarship. While this may have been somewhat true in the past, it is no longer the case in the present scenario,” says Ayan emphasising that the trust just seeks to understand the multifaceted components of an individual’s personality.
Involvement in sports can simply be a part of one's life. “During my interview, I made it clear that I watch tennis tournaments and play tennis just as a means of relaxation, and have never participated in the sport competitively.”
Before joining NLUD, Ayan studied at Amity International School, Gurgaon. His father is an Udaipur based neurosurgeon while his mother is a former Hindi and Sanskrit teacher. The youngster loves playing ukulele in his free time.
(February 20, 2022) It was a fine summer evening when a 10-year-old Arijit Das and his friends came across a young man building a drone in their neighbourhood playground. The boys were fascinated. As they watched the drone soar into the sky, they were captivated. A kindly neighbour walked them through the basics, explained how he’d built the device and its components. As the young Durgapur resident headed home that evening, his thoughts were filled with the exciting possibilities technology provided. Soon, the self-taught tech whiz was building his own tech projects like a prosthetic limb using arduino and micro controllers. The fields of artificial intelligence and Internet of Things interested him and this student at Hem Sheela Model School began racking up awards and achievements for his projects. From receiving the CSIR Innovation Award in 2021 to becoming the ambassador for Edge Impulse, a San Jose-based machine learning startup, 15-year-old Arijit has come a long way from being that fascinated little one on a Durgapur playground. [caption id="attachment_11095" align="aligncenter" width="647"] Arijit Das[/caption] The boy from Durgapur Born in Durgapur to a physiotherapist father and a homemaker mother, technology was not always on Arijit’s mind. An only child, he was quite
e Impulse | CSIR Winner" width="647" height="818" /> Arijit Das[/caption]
The boy from Durgapur
Born in Durgapur to a physiotherapist father and a homemaker mother, technology was not always on Arijit’s mind. An only child, he was quite happy-go-lucky, till one day, he chanced upon the drone. “When we approached my neighbour, he was kind enough to explain the workings and makings of a drone. It was enough to have me hooked,” says Arijit, recalling the incident from five years ago which sparked his interest in tech. “I went home and ran a google search, and began learning about tech myself,” the tech whiz tells Global Indian.
Soon, Arijit was building his first project for a state level science fair; a modified version of the LiFi concept prototype which used infrared light emitters instead of traditional light bulbs in 2018. Ever since, he has been working on various AI and IoT based projects, and speaking at conferences. In 2019, Arijit built the prosthetic limb, using arduino and micro controllers for a science fair at school. It so happened, that a few NIT-Durgapur employees happened to visit the science fair, and walked away impressed by Arijit’s project. A few weeks later, the lad’s teacher received an email from NIT, inviting Arijit and his team to the college to showcase the project. “Those were our first steps forward,” says the lad, who also showcased the project at the Institute of Engineers India, Durgapur chapter, on National Energy Conservation Day.
Project Innovation for Arijit
“We got one more special chance to present our project at an international conference WEES 2020 organised by the National Institute of Technology Durgapur and RMIT Australia. We were even invited by CSIRO Australia to write a research paper on our project which would get published in one of their energy conservation journals,” says the tech whiz. But then COVID-19 struck and the ensuing disruptions put a spanner in the works.
Not one to be discouraged, Arijit decided to participate in a competition organised by UNDP in April 2020 for designing projects for COVID-19. “I presented them with an idea for a health band that helps both patients and doctors,” says the Stem student, who won the hardware winner category prize for which he was awarded hardware worth $1,000.
Surging ahead with ideas
Some of the other projects Arijit has worked on are an anti-theft system for vehicles for the China-US Young Maker Fair, which he won. In August 2021, he developed an AI-based smart pesticide detector and farming system which went on to win the Deep Learning Superheroes Challenge by Intel. Arijit was featured across many tweets by Intel India too. Awarded the prestigious CSIR Innovation Award for School Children by the Department of Science & Technology, is another feather in this youngster’s cap .
“One of the best outcomes of these is the fact that I’ve made some great friends along the way, and have even won a lot of hackathons with them,” says the tech whiz, who received an invitation from Edge Impulse, a San Jose-based ML startup to become a part of their team in November 2021. "Later that month I officially became a part of the Edge Impulse team to develop and manage communities for EmbeddedML. Seeing my work in 2021, I was also invited by Ira Feldman, managing director of tinyML Foundation to join their team and help spread the idea and knowledge of tinyML across Asia, which led to the formation of the tinyML India chapter that presently has 700 plus members.”
Quiz the youngster on why technology fascinates him, and he says, “I believe technology can solve a lot of global issues. It can truly help society and the community with its inventions.”
With board exams looming, Arijit’s tech projects are restricted to the weekends, after his studies. This young tech enthusiast who loves subjects like physics, math, and computer science, aims to pursue a degree in engineering and hopes to one day become a computer scientist. “My parents are very supportive and whenever I am in doubt, they’re my biggest cheerleaders,” says the youngster, who loves to spend time with friends in between all his passion projects, academics and guitar lessons.
(May 17, 2023) A report by multinational marketing research company Frost & Sullivan indicates that the number of webinars grew by more than 153 percent in 2020. In the summer of the same year when the pandemic was at its peak, Indian-origin Dubai-based teen, Netra Venkatesh realised the potential of the webinars and how they connect the world. She was a student in grade IX then and wanted to harness the concept to connect people from far and wide. Soon she launched her social startup SpunkGo, an all-girls global organisation to make knowledge accessible in far-flung areas and managed to reach out to girls in 20 countries. “I was supposed to attend a short-term course offered by a university when the pandemic reached its height. Due to this, the classes were shifted to the online mode.” Sceptical of how effective that mode of learning would be, Netra saw the course getting divided into a series of webinars and discovered that it was fun and engaging. “The whole concept was very fascinating to me,” she tells Global Indian. The student of grade XII, Dubai International Academy is happy about the fact that platforms like Zoom and Google Meet have made connecting
eight. Due to this, the classes were shifted to the online mode.” Sceptical of how effective that mode of learning would be, Netra saw the course getting divided into a series of webinars and discovered that it was fun and engaging. “The whole concept was very fascinating to me,” she tells Global Indian.
The student of grade XII, Dubai International Academy is happy about the fact that platforms like Zoom and Google Meet have made connecting with people so much easier. The teen with an entrepreneurial bent of mind leveraged this potential of technology to make a difference.
Her efforts have bestowed her with prestigious recognitions. George W Bush’s Points of Light Foundation added her to its Inspiration Honour Roll. She also went on to win the prestigious Diana Award in 2022 which is conferred to youngsters for their extraordinary contribution to society. Recently she received a gift from the CEO of Canon Inc, the Japanese multinational corporation. She was handed over the gift at Canon’s regional office in Dubai. “The gift is a part of the Global Good Award which is given to two young people every year for making social impact. There were several entries from across the globe, five people were shortlisted in my category and I was fortunate to win,” Netra tells.
Making knowledge accessible
Just a few months before she founded SpunkGo, Netra had forayed into entrepreneurship with her startup RentEasy – a disruptive platform in the real estate tech space. She was intrigued by the high amount that sellers, purchasers, renters, and those willing to rent out had to shell out as a brokerage fee. Her father, whose ‘love to explore properties,’ had him talking about the exorbitant brokerage amounts, made Netra to come up with a solution in the form of her RentEasy app.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M6SBprTkRfY
Already in the mode of a solution provider, she quickly donned the social entrepreneur’s hat driven by her webinar experiences and established SpunkGo. “I realised it is an excellent way to make education available to girls living in remote places.” SpunkGo broadens horizons in the areas of life skills – communication skills and mental health with webinars by experts in the field.
Since everyone was embracing the new normal and the use of technology to reach out during the pandemic, Netra could find expert speakers without much fuss. She has since brought a diverse set of speakers to the SpunkGo webinars, ranging from a lawyer working at Microsoft to a young woman from a refugee settlement in Malawi.
Using social media for good
Netra is impressed by the wide reach of Facebook. “It’s a great medium for targeting specific regions and age ranges.” She used the social media’s advertising feature to reach her target audience – 16 to 24-year-old-females staying in remote locations. In quick succession she was able to form 20 chapters of SpunkGo in countries like ‘Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Singapore, India, UAE, Malawi, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Ethiopia & Eritrea, Ghana, Zimbabwe, Canada, Saudi Arabia, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and the United States’.
[caption id="attachment_30072" align="aligncenter" width="688"] SpunkGo ambassadors from different parts of the world[/caption]
Using social media for a cause, SpunkGo connects girls in each country through dedicated groups so that apart from attending webinars, they can look at people around them, get inspired and grow personally and professionally.
Making a difference
The non-profit initiative, born out of the pandemic, has been offering free webinars to women in rural settings for the last three years with help of 30 young women who are addressed as SpunkGo ambassadors. They take care of the day-to-day functioning of the organisation voluntarily, while Netra handles strategy, social media marketing, communication with partners, and coordination with all of them.
The organisation has partnered with Canada based Simbi Foundation. Under this partnership, members of SpunkGo global voluntary programme conduct book narration sessions for displaced children staying in Bidibidi and Palorinya refugee settlements in Uganda so that they can learn by listening. Netra’s organisation also supports the less fortunate in partnership with Shower’s Education Centre & Orphanage, Dandora Slum, Kenya, The Al Noor Centre, UAE, and Hope Foundation, Chennai.
[caption id="attachment_30074" align="aligncenter" width="868"] Children at Simbi Foundation, one of the philanthropy partners of SpunGo[/caption]
To raise funds for these initiatives SpunkGo helps startups, SMEs, and individuals in website designing and social media marketing, the proceeds of which are utilised for the cause.
Future ahead
The Dubai-born teen who loves playing the piano, has plans to scale up her initiative in time. Her eyes are also set on a career in the corporate world in the domain of marketing, business, and economics. “Even when the world has got back to its pre-pandemic way of functioning, the webinars are going to be staple as people have gotten habituated to impart and access knowledge through this medium. It is not going to die down,” Netra signs off. She seems to be right. “By 2025, the number of webinars will be 10x over the pre-pandemic level,” states the Frost & Sullivan report.
(July 26, 2022) The Kedarnath flash flood of 2013 in her hometown of Uttarakhand was a wake-up call for environmental activist, Ridhima Pandey. Barely six back then, she watched the death and destruction unfold on television at her house in Haldwani in the hill state of Uttarakhand, about 330 km away from Kedarnath. The tragedy hit her hard as it did to many Indians. At that point, she decided to act, and do whatever she could to prevent climate catastrophes such as the Kedarnath tragedy. She spoke to her parents who explained to her in great detail how global warming was causing such tragedies. Gradually, she started doing a lot more research about global warming. "As I began studying the impact of climate change and child’s rights, I learned that even driving cars could affect the climate of such a large planet. I began collaborating and meeting with different people and started spreading awareness among young people about the grave situation,” says environmental activist Ridhima Pandey, in a chat with Global Indian. [caption id="attachment_19840" align="aligncenter" width="317"] Ridhima Pandey, environmental activist[/caption] A role model for children across the globe, Ridhima, who advocates for action against climate change, has often been likened
A role model for children across the globe, Ridhima, who advocates for action against climate change, has often been likened to Greta Thunberg. As a nine-year-old environmental activist filed a suit against the Indian Government for not taking enough steps to combat climate change. "I believe that human activities contribute to the increased frequency of these tragedies. We have witnessed how the severity of these disasters is increasing every year. These tragedies can be controlled if we are more cognizant of our actions,” says the popular TEDx speaker, who has spoken at various international conferences including Notre Affaire à Tous in Paris and Xynteo Exchange in Norway.
Protecting the planet
Born in Haldwani, Nainital in October 2007, Ridhima is the daughter of Dinesh Chandra Pandey, a lawyer and wildlife conservationist, and Vinita Pandey, who works in the forest department.
“My mission is to get the community involved in protecting our environment. I have been creating awareness among the younger generation about climate change, their rights, and what they can do to protect it. I continuously file petitions and write letters to government officials about issues such as waste management, air pollution, and other issues concerning the environment,” informs the 14-year-old, a regular speaker at various workshops and seminars on the environment.
A member of the youth advisory council for COP 26, Ridhima has been listed on BBC’s 100 most empowering and influential women’s list in 2020. “It was a pleasant surprise and a huge opportunity to be given a chance to join the council and work with them. The first petition I filed at the national green tribunal was also based on the Paris Agreement. Most of my work, letters, and petitions were also related to similar topics. It was an altogether different experience dealing with the council,” informs the class 11 student of BMDAV Public school in Haridwar.
As for being mentioned on the BBC’s list, the teenager said she only learned about it through her friend in Amsterdam. “Initially, I thought that they needed my answers and bio for an interview. But as it turned out, I was part of this list and came to know only when my friend congratulated me. I was overjoyed,” smiles the environmental activist.
She says her passion for environmental conservation has been the driving force so far. “I would continue to pursue my career in a similar field. While biodiversity has been my area of interest, I am also keen on simultaneously working on building more projects with kids from indigenous communities. This won’t just give them a platform to raise awareness on climate change and its impact but also help them raise their voices,” feels the environmental activist, who was invited as a youth ambassador at the Global Sustainability film awards held by Difficult Dialogues, an international forum that discusses pressing world issues.
A green panther
Residing in the hill state of Uttarakhand and her love for the environment often takes Ridhima to her great grandmother, who lives in the hills. “Apart from that, I usually love travelling to the hills for the tranquillity they behold and the peace of mind they give. While beauty is the biggest factor here, the lack of internet and mobile service works in your favour every time you feel like disconnecting from the world,” she says.
Being into environmental conservation, the activist says she is always keen to learn more about the mountains while she looks for stories about life there and what it means to the locals settled at the foot of those hills. “Talking to them and experiencing the raw mountains keeps me content and gives me a sense of purpose as I fight to protect them and their essence,” says Ridhima, who was also the youth representative and speaker at the Global Pneumonia Forum and has been part of Earth Day Network’s global initiative, My Future My Voice, which compiles messaging from 50 inspiring youth activists from 17 countries.
Inspiring young minds
Recently, Ridhima became a part of Cartoon Network’s Redrawing India initiative, which she refers to as an enormous campaign where she narrates her story.
“I hope that more and more kids get to listen to all the inspiring stories and come forward to pursue their passion and dreams. It’s never too early to work for something you truly believe in," says the environmental activist, who credits her parents for rallying behind her towards the cause of doing her bit for mother Earth. The activist has also called for a complete ban and minces no words when holding higher authorities accountable.
Besides the environment, what other things interest her? “I am fond of singing and dancing,” smiles the teenager, who likes to spend time with pets and play with stray animals. “When it comes to movies, I am a proud superhero fanatic,” informs Ridhima, who is part of the choir group at her school.
We cannot always build the future for our youth but we can build our youth for the future. - Franklin Roosevelt (March 12, 2023) In 2017, during the December 31 episode of his radio programme, Mann Ki Baat, Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his desire to make the youth of India the think tanks of democracy. “I have an idea to organize mock parliaments in every district of India, where the youth between 18 and 25 can sit together and brainstorm on ‘New India’, find ways for the country’s betterment and chalk out plans,” he had said. Shortly after, the first edition of the National Youth Parliament Festival (NYPF) kicked off in 2019, with the objective to help youngsters understand the workings of Parliament, and become integral forces of democracy. Since then, after competing for selection in the district and state-level mock parliaments, successful youngsters get the opportunity to participate in the annual event - National Youth Parliament Festival at Parliament complex, New Delhi. Fourth edition of NYPF The fourth edition of NYPF launched with the theme ‘Ideas for a Better Tomorrow: India for the World’ commenced on 2nd March 2023 in the Central Hall of Parliament, New Delhi. The
, successful youngsters get the opportunity to participate in the annual event - National Youth Parliament Festival at Parliament complex, New Delhi.
Fourth edition of NYPF
The fourth edition of NYPF launched with the theme ‘Ideas for a Better Tomorrow: India for the World’commenced on 2nd March 2023 in the Central Hall of Parliament, New Delhi. The event saw the participation of 87 state level winners competing for the top three positions, with 29 finalists speaking in front of a national jury in the Parliament Declamation Contest. The remaining 58 attended the proceedings. The jury members included, members of parliament and also secretaries from the ministry of youth affairs and sports.
Speaker of Lok Sabha, Om Birla, who felicitated the winners in the Central Hall of the Parliament, mentioned that the very spot in which the winners were gathered was also witness to the transfer of power from Britain to India. “It was here in the Central Hall that India’s freedom fighters and Constitution makers prepared the supreme law of the nation - the Constitution of India,” he said. Just as it is done in parliament sessions, live streaming of NYPF 2023 was done by the ministry of youth affairs and sports.
Speaking on the occasion, Anurag Singh Thakur, minister for youth affairs and sports remarked:
District Youth Parliaments (DYP) were conducted to select members for the State Youth Parliament (SYP). More than two lakh youngsters from 748 districts of all the states and union territories of India participated at 150 venues nationwide.
The minister for youth affairs and sports also pointed out that girls have outnumbered boys in NYPF and lauded them for their active participation. Global Indianputs the spotlight on the winners of this year’s edition.
Aastha Sharma
Winner of first prize
Hailing from Loshta village in Shimla district, Himachal Pradesh Aastha is a second year BSc student of Centre of Excellence College, Sanjauli. The daughter of an apple orchardist stirred the audience with her powerful speech bagging the first prize. Quoting Franklin Roosevelt she said, ‘we cannot always build future for our youth but we can build our youth for the future.’
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9a1j8SdxarM
Talking on the behalf of all youngsters she mentioned, “we all have set our goals for 2047 and have dreams of a future-ready India. Youth has the potential of doing so. The only need is to provide them with resources and a good chance.”
Naresh Chhetri
Winner of second prize
The youngster from Sikkim was all praise for India and its leadership. “We have been divided into the first world and the third world but making it ‘one world’ is an initiative that has been taken by India,’ he said. “The whole world is looking at India not just as an export market but a competitive force that can globally lead,” he added.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9hfxZ7y1-mo
Naresh who hails from Mangan district of Sikkim, also talked about G20 Presidency of India and how its theme ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’ or ‘One Earth. One Family. One Future’ reflects India’s perspective that the world is one big family.
Mahira Khan
Winner of third prize
Speaking in the context of the ‘Millet Mission’ and the ‘National Health Protection Scheme,’ Mahira Khan said, “Today our jowar, bajra and ragi are being celebrated as super foods all over, and the world looks at ‘Ayush’ for a healthy lifestyle. In us lies immense abilities to solve any internal or external conflict through peace, passion and compassion.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lMaPQ2Hhcmg
Mahira hails from Raipur, Chhattisgarh from where she pursued her bachelors. Currently pursuing masters in mass communication from Jamia Milia Islamia University, the youngster belongs to a family of businessmen who have encouraged her to participate in several national level oratory competitions in the past.
Watch the full valedictory function of NYPF 2023 on YouTube
Ayan Gupta[/caption]
Ayan Gupta[/caption]
Netra Venkatesh[/caption]
SpunkGo ambassadors from different parts of the world[/caption]
Children at Simbi Foundation, one of the philanthropy partners of SpunGo[/caption]
Ridhima Pandey, environmental activist[/caption]
