Class of 2023 - Round 2

Congratulations on qualifying to the second round of the Millennium Fellowship

application. The Millennium Fellowship is proudly presented by the United Nations
Academic Impact and MCN.

Submitted At

2023-03-31 11:43:47

What is the name of your Project?

Ankuram

What stage is your Project at?

Idea: this is a project I hope to begin in August

Briefly describe your project in an easy-to-understand way:

“Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live
its whole life believing that it is stupid.” This famous saying aptly captures the essence
of our project:

Phase 1: Research and Targeting- We will survey various schools in Lucknow to identify
the situation of practical realisation of NEP's major goals, such as the availability of
options to choose subjects, bag-less vocational training days and other mechanisms to
achieve them. We will then target schools with the least resources or implementation
strategies to proceed with our plan.

Phase 2: Collaborate with local NGOs- Joining forces and pooling resources with NGOs
working on providing education and self-employment skills and bodies formed under
PMKVY may further help.

Phase 3: Visits and Vocational exercises- Our team aims to visit the less privileged
government and private schools to teach them essential skills for economic advantage
as per the ages.

Phase 4: Conduct seminars and workshops- As law students, we are equipped to

legally educate the students and teachers with relevant rights tailored to their specific
needs depending on the general responses seen in the survey. Awareness can also be
spread through webinars and seminars by our learned professors.

Phase 5: Report to and collaborate with Education Ministry- We expect the government
to associate with us in the successful completion of the project and lend resources and
guidance in seminars and training as it focuses on the relevant implementation of NEP.
Phase 6: Developing a modern education model- including devising a skill-inclusive
curriculum

Phase 7: Assessment- We would conclude our project and assess its success by
conducting the survey across the same sample space to see if there were any
alterations in the results of the previous one.

The project will yield positive changes even if there is no direct systemic change.

What is your role in this project?

Club Member (not in a leadership role)

Is anyone else you are working with on this project also applying to the
Fellowship?

Yes, all team members are applying

How many lives will be positively impacted by your Project during the
Millennium Fellowship (from August 2023 to December 2023)?

500-999

Do you have a specific number of the projected number of lives that will be
positively impacted by your Project? Please write it below (optional)

500

How will you measure your impact during these 4 months? How do you know
you've been successful?

There is no one-size-fits-all solution to success; it usually takes time, and many people
have to try again and again. The most significant strategy for assessing the impact of
our initiative is to conduct follow-ups and observe minor visible improvements in the
youngster. We will administer a general test that covers basic knowledge about their
academics, extracurricular activities, cultural sensitivities, and rudimentary
stereotypes (for children aged 10 to 15) to assess the improvement.
We will hold web lectures and classes on a weekly basis. We'll limit ourselves to 40-50
students per session in order to focus more on the children. By addressing curriculum
gaps, we aim to improve the lives of at least 500 students and will visit schools every
two weeks, possibly weekly. We will provide timely updates on each child's progress
and will identify where we are and are not making progress. This is how we’ll direct our
project during these four months.

Please choose one of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals that your work
most directly addresses.

4 Quality Education

Which of the 10 UN Academic Impact Principles is most applicable to your

work?

UNAI 3: Education for All

Social entrepreneur Bryan Stevenson has emphasized the power of proximity

- that you are close to the people you are trying to help. As Stevenson
shares, It's actually “in proximity to [injustices] that we hear things that we
won't otherwise hear, that we'll see things we won't otherwise see.”With
this in mind: Are you part of the community you are trying to help, or have
you built meaningful relationships with community members? If this is not
possible, please explain the research and preparatory work you have done to
feel confident that you understand the complexities of the issues you are
addressing.

Most kids we interact with within our family are also facing the same struggles to find
a unique path for themselves. Moreover, the sheer focus on academics drives them
away from spending time on learning basic life skills to lead a respectable independent
life. Like every other student in India, I too have been prodded and directed directly
and indirectly to exercise my “freedom” of choice to pursue any of the extremely
limited career and education options. The only job for parents would be engineering,
medical, and civil services. Hence, I am very aware of the pressures faced by any
person hoping to pursue their actual talents or dreams, especially if they lie outside
the purview of academics. It pains me to see potential wasted in crores of numbers as
students in the most populated nation. Struggle with these limited options simply
because of the societal stigma proclaiming the necessity to excel in academics to fulfill
their lifestyle aspirations.
Fast forward to the end of the Fellowship in December 2023. If your local
newspaper was summing up why your Project mattered as it relates to UN
goals, what would they say? The Project, in this case, is the one you are
leading prior to and during the Fellowship.

Some students at NLU, Lucknow clearly had great dreams in mind as they began to
work on their UN Fellowship project 4 months ago. Inspired by NEP, 2020, they
developed a practical approach and impacted the lives of 500+ students directly.
Departure from Silos mentality to break off the strict division of three streams in high
school and follow a multi-disciplinary approach. A laudable step is the introduction of
vocational courses. Their inspiration was to send vulnerable children to school. Their
model seeks to leverage the huge potential of online pedagogy and learning
methodologies for increasing gross enrolment in school. They combined practical skills
with bookish knowledge.

Are you able to commit 2 hours bi-weekly for the Fellowship sessions
throughout the duration of the 2023 program (August 1 - November 30)?

Yes

Given the global spread of coronavirus, we want to be prepared for the

possibility that the Fellowship will be entirely virtual once again this
year.With this in mind, please share in detail how your proposed project may
be affected if you are required to stay at home and what changes you plan to
make to achieve the goals you have set for your project? (for example: Could
you deliver your project virtually? Do you need to set new goals? Is it already
built to operate virtually? etc...)

The physical presence of Fellows or participants on the university campus is not

necessary for our project. It is feasible to hold our project virtually. In fact, our
volunteers and team have been working efficiently because this project has already
been planned. Our team includes members from several intra-college committees,
including the Seminar Committee and the Legal Aid Committee, who have experience
in organising various awareness programs and covid care drives to help those in need.
With this experienced team, we can achieve the primary objective of our project even
if an unforeseen situation like COVID arises again. The second objective of our project,
i.e., to provide basic vocational training to students at the elementary school level, can
be achieved easily through digital means and via video modules. Our team has
efficient tech managers who can create videos tailored to impart specific training
through animations. We will partner with community organisations and local NGOs that
work with underprivileged children and have access to digital devices and internet
connectivity. This will help us reach out to more children and feasibly accomplish our
desired goals.

Q1: What drives you in your work? In other words, why do you personally
care about the issues you are working on? Please share a story if relevant.

I was born in middle class family in small village of UP. At the village level, education is
scarce, especially for girls. Being a girl child and being born and raised in a state with
poor literacy rates and low sex ratios was no easy task. Till the age of 16 years, I lived
in the village and did my schooling near a small town. I suffered for good quality
education, and there was no way to work on my skills and interest, but somehow, I got
an education because of my parent's support. But at ground level, I saw
underprivileged children needing a better education, and there is no way for them to
work on their interests and skills. There is my connection to this issue, and I want
children to get a good education and learn about other things. At a small level there is
some kind of education but still lacks the methods to develop skills and know the
different ways of self-employment.

I feel things like how I suffered to get a basic equality education and no resources to
develop my skills. I am enthusiastic about working towards S.D.G. 4 (quality
education). I have experienced this sense of helplessness and agony firsthand. The
ability to bring about change and improve things is what motivates me in my job.
Currently, I'm a law student at NLU Lucknow. I am driven to work for the cause
because I want to make a difference in the lives of those around me and assist them in
any way I can through my project. Even a modest improvement in theirquality of life
would be a victory.

Q2: Why do you want to be a Millennium Fellow? How will you use this
distinction towards your future social impact work?

After the pandemic, the world changed in many aspects, and the pandemic affected
education very severely. Living in India, there is high demand for good equality
education. As a cohort member of the UN Millennium Fellowship, I would have the
chance to increase my social influence significantly. My efforts would receive the
proper recognition and would be linked to the UN; the authorities would stop taking us
for granted. The Millennium Fellowship would allow me to develop my thinking for my
present objectives and future projects. Any action or idea that impacts the entire
human community should entail analysis and development in all of its facets. The
Millennium Fellowship community would act as a catalyst to encourage the emergence
and development of fresh concepts for my undertaking. Some members of the society
have made significant contributions to many different fields. My project would
undoubtedly profit from this engagement, advancing personal development. This will
help me greatly in my future endeavours. I would use this recognition as a past
fellowship recipient to work with more globally oriented individuals. Millennium
Fellowship will provide me a place at the national and international level to spread my
project.

Q3: MCN values that our community prioritizes empathetic, humble, inclusive
leadership. Reflect upon your personal experience of acting as a leader, and
share how you demonstrated one of these core values.

Empathy, in my opinion, is one trait that counts for a lot. While it is simple to feel sorry
for someone and do nothing about it, it is incredibly challenging to place yourself in
their position and consider things from their point of view.

Like Oprah Winfrey said and I quote, “Leadership is about empathy. It is about having
the ability to relate to and connect with people for the purpose of inspiring and
empowering their lives”.

As a leader, I want the people I inspire to continue making a difference in society. If we

uphold fundamental values like social cohesion that have assisted us in progressing
through a mutual sharing of benefits, the world today has a greater chance of
progressing. My goal is to instill empathy in people so they can view the world more
broadly and evaluate things less harshly. In turn, this would contribute to loosening the
rigid bonds of today's societal divide. In my future society, I see empathy as a crucial
standard that all leaders must follow.

This talent, in my opinion, would greatly benefit this programme. By taking into
account the interests of all stakeholders equally, I would create a community that
functions in a sustainable and equitable manner to accomplish the desired goals. My
team and I hope to make a lasting impression on the minds of those who would
otherwise go unnoticed through this endeavour.

Are you interested in being considered for the role of Campus Director?

No

First Name

Tanu

Last Name
Chahar

Email Address

Chahartanu848@gmail.com

Country Code

IN +91

Phone Number

06396189657

Birth Date

2003-06-25

Do you speak English?

I am native, fluent, or very confident in English

Do any of the following statements apply to you?

None of these statements apply

Are you involved with any of these organizations?

None

Are you involved with any other organizations that are not listed above?

NO

How did you hear about the Millennium Fellowship?

University Website/Faculty

Region where your university is located

Asia
Country where your University is located

India

Enter your University's Name

Dr Ram Manohar Lohiya National Law University Lucknow

What is your major? (Area of study)

Pre- Law

Your Educational Status in August-December 2023

Undergraduate Second Year/Sophomore

Expected Graduation Date

2026-06-30

Latest Grade

8.00 CGPA

Maximum Grade

10 CGPA

Honorific

Dr.

Reference's First Name

Alka

Reference's Last Name

Singh

Job Title
Professor

Institution/Organization Name

Dr. Ram Manohar Lohiya National Law University, Lucknow

Reference's Email Address

alka@rmlnlu.ac.in

Relationship with you

Current or former professor

Please check this box to indicate that you have read and agree to the terms
and conditions listed here.

I have read and agree to the terms and conditions.

Please sign your full name to confirm that all information in this application
is accurate to the best of your knowledge, and that all words are your own.

Tanu Chahar

Submission ID

6426ffb39078ac24fa083719