The Young India Fellowship- 2016 Batch Started

Strangely, July 15th, 2015 had arrived faster than it should have. Among the throng that cluttered the vast campus of Ashoka University, I found a way, sneaking in between giggles and guffaws of the diverse groups of people. Having studied a stringent course of engineering for the past four years, the concept of liberal arts sounded fascinating but equally intimidating. 

The orientation commenced the next day with sessions by Prof. Sushil Jhangiani and the much-awaited ice-breaker session by the popular television and theatre actor Asif Basra. It was then that I had a startling realisation that the Fellows were more human than I imagined them to be and I felt immediately at home. The new batch of 2016 was welcomed with a dinner and an amazing night filled with dance and zest, and we also availed an opportunity to interact with the alumni.

The first term comprised of history by Prof.Rudransghu Mukherjee, Foundations of Leadership by Prof.Dwight Jaggard and Statistics by Prof. Santosh Venkatesh. YIF made me realise that studying history had more to do with understanding the chronology of historical events, and Prof Mukherjee with his resounding quick wit, taught us how to love history. The leadership sessions primarily dealt with the development of our strengths based on our MBTI personality tests, and learning each other’s stories to build our group dynamics. Statistics of course, was a petrifying subject for the ones who had come from a humanities background, but with Prof. Venkatesh’s meticulous statistical intellect peppered with the right humour, pushed everyone towards the comfort zone. 

The prized moments at this Fellowship until date, were the guest sessions by some of the distinguished personalities who have served in both the corporate as well as the development sector and never fail to inspire us with their illuminating and motivating lectures. We’ve also had ‘WomenSpeak’ sessions by some of the notable women like Shaheen Mistri, Anuranjita Kumar who have held important leadership positions and their consistent avidity to achieve what they wanted to, left us absolutely awe-inspired. 

The second term began with the much-awaited Art Appreciation by Prof. Anunay Chaubey and Shakespeare and the World by Prof. Madhavi Menon and Prof. Gill Harris. Holding a paintbrush in my fingers after 8 long years, made me realise all the pleasure I’d missed in life. Prof. Chaubey with his idiosyncratic dexterity with art, taught us that appreciating art is not about the aesthetics, but going deeper and exploring the profundity in every piece of art we see in our day-to-day lives. Also, studying Shakespeare’s plays, I feel enlightened on how it all perfectly relates to the present day scenario, though written centuries ago.

Every single day at the fellowship teaches me something new and keeps me yearning for more. Whether it’s about hanging out at the dhaba or just dropping by the Hazelnut cafe, I’ve started to enjoy every single moment that comes my way, albeit nostalgic of the term that has already flown past. But, it’s this enthusiasm of a forthcoming ‘tomorrow’ that keeps the adrenaline still rushing in my veins.

For more information on <a href="http://www.youngindiafellowship.com/">scholarship for masters</a>, check out the info available online.