Growing up in Chennai, I always had an intrinsic curiosity to explore the rural parts of India. Whenever I visited my village during the summer holidays, I could see a vast difference in the way society, governance, and administration functioned there. The rural and urban areas of India have different sets of socio-economic and political conditions prevailing in our society. The governance mechanism, the challenges that hamper ground-level governance, and how I can propose potential solutions based on my experiences for their mitigation. Although my academic background and Civil Services preparation have helped me develop a theoretical understanding, I was missing the opportunity to experience the ground realities firsthand. The Public Policy in Action fellowship provided me with the opportunity to gain ground-level experience. This experience fueled my zeal to actively contribute to creating positive change and improving the lives of individuals living in marginalized communities.

As a Public Policy in Action Fellow in Ramgarh, one of the LWE (Naxalism) affected districts of our country, I am working closely with the District Administration in planning, implementing, and monitoring various public policy programs in the areas of Education, Health and Nutrition, Climate Change, and Rural Development.