Coming from a small hilly village of Tehri Garhwal district of Uttarakhand, a Post Graduate in Public Administration and a National level Orator, I have always had a keen interest in understanding the socio-economic and political conditions prevailing in our society, the governance mechanism of our administration, the challenges that hamper the governance at ground level and how can I, based on my knowledge, learnings and experiences, propose potential solutions for their mitigation. Though my academic background helped me to develop a theoretical understanding, what I was missing was the opportunity to experience the ground realities first-hand. That’s when I came across the Gandhi Fellowship Program, where I worked in Udham Singh Nagar (Uttarakhand), one of the aspirational districts of India. The 2 years journey proved to be very dynamic and experiential as during the course I dealt with different stakeholders from the local community, teachers and Government Officials, took up various initiatives, and implemented several processes on the ground in the Education and Health domain. This experience fuelled the zeal within me to actively contribute to creating positive change and improving the lives of individuals living in marginalized communities.

My purpose behind joining the Public Policy in Action Fellowship is to further enhance my understanding of the intricacies of public policy formulation and implementation and I believe the fellowship’s emphasis on public policy and governance perfectly aligns with my long-term goals and would enable me to gain the expertise to develop evidence-based policies that address socio-economic disparities, promote sustainable development and ensure inclusive growth.