Ashoka Reflections_AUGUST 2023
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Young India Fellowship
R E A C H F O R T H E S T A R S
ASHOKA
REFLECTIONS
A S H O K A U N I V E R S I T Y ' S M O N T H L Y N E W S L E T T E R
A U G U S T 2 0 2 3
In Focus: Young India Fellowship
The Young India Fellowship (YIF) is Ashoka University’s flagship programme. Offered as a year-
long residential postgraduate diploma in Liberal Studies, it brings together 100 curious and
driven individuals and exposes them to a multidisciplinary and multidimensional education.
Within a year, Fellows engage with diverse areas of study, research and practice, enabled by
leading thinkers and scholars of our time. Fellows come from diverse academic, professional,
socio-economic and geographical backgrounds, and have varied aspirations and career
trajectories.
The immersive and rigorous year on campus is the starting point of a lifelong journey for a Young
India Fellow. Since 2011, the YIF has groomed over 2,100 socially conscious leaders and change-
makers for the 21st century, who belong to a global, high-achieving and diverse community.
The Young India Fellowship (YIF) is Ashoka University’s flagship programme. Offered as a year-long residential
postgraduate diploma in Liberal Studies, it brings together 100 curious and driven individuals, and exposes
them to a multidisciplinary and multidimensional education. Aniha Brar, Dean, Young India Fellowship and
Vice Chancellor’s Office at Ashoka University, notes that the Young India Fellowship receives applications from
all corners of the country – and beyond – and from diverse academic and professional backgrounds. A sizable
section of the current class consists of first-generation college goers as well.
Brar, who has been a teacher of Critical Writing at the Young India Fellowship, been faculty at Harappa
Education and conducted multiple workshops on professional communication, shared that the selection
process of the programme caters to diversity and is holistic by design.
“We do look for accomplished and motivated individuals, but do not define these words in narrow ways. While
their academic standing and professional track record do carry weight, the essays in their application forms
give us greater insight into their journeys. Their extra-curricular engagements and range of interests also have
a bearing on how their candidature is considered. Finally, the interview becomes a way to know them better,
dive deeper into what they have done thus far, and understand their aspirations better”.
“Just like the applicants, the qualities I look for are also wide ranging. Generally speaking, however, I am
personally impressed by the sincerity of their engagement with the interests they claim to have, their
motivation to be the best version of themselves, and their constant quest to broaden their horizons. We hope
to nurture socially conscious individuals who can forge new paths, and I believe these qualities will help them
get there,” she added.
Brar shared that the Fellowship looks for and has been fortunate to find individuals who come with a desire to
create a positive impact. Most of them are focused not just on themselves, but also on the larger world
beyond.
“Once they are at the Fellowship, this spirit is encouraged, both within the class and beyond. They are trained
to be stronger critical thinkers in all their courses, and encouraged to bring in different domains and
disciplines. They take courses ranging from the humanities and social sciences, to leadership and design
thinking, to mathematical reasoning and artificial intelligence.
Their problem-solving skills are enhanced through the Experiential Learning Module. The Critical Writing
course teaches them to read more closely, use their critical faculties and become better writers and
communicators. They get to learn from faculty, mentors and industry experts about the on-ground realities of
the areas they are interested in”.
Office of PR & Communications
Ashoka University
Ashoka Reflections | Page 02
‘Nurturing socially conscious
individuals who can forge new paths’
Aniha Brar, the Dean of the Young India Fellowship and Vice Chancellor’s Office
at Ashoka University, expands on what transpires behind the scenes at the YIF
to create a positive impact in the future
“I believe this combination of enhanced awareness and sensitivity, coupled with the necessary skills and
networks help them create impact in the future. It is a source of quiet pride for me to see the work that YIF
alumni are doing at the grassroots, from Punjab to Bihar to Maharashtra. I should mention that many alumni
are doing similar work on a global scale as well, working with international agencies and in other countries,”
maintained Brar.
The phrase “The Fellowship Never Ends” is one that everyone associated with the programme uses often. She
said that in its most simple interpretation, it points to the strong connections that are forged in the space of a
single year.
“Over the last 13 years, I have observed how faculty and Fellows stay connected even years after they have
graduated, how Ashoka’s founders continue to guide and advise those who are trying to establish start-ups,
and how members of the programme team keep getting updates about where people are studying, working
and living. You can find a YIF alumnus in almost every country where there is a programme of repute and the
alumni web is a far-reaching and strong one, cutting across batches. Whether Fellows want advice on applying
to a programme or job, to collaborate on an initiative or even simply need a place to stay in a new city, they
always find a response from the community. Their bond with the alma mater can also be seen in the fact that
today alumni are spread across Ashoka as professionals, Teaching and Research Assistants, and visitors to the
institution. We recently got our first alum Founder as well, and I am sure the numbers are set to grow in the
future! At a personal level, Fellows stay connected through sickness and travel, graduations and weddings. I
think these are more than networks – these are meaningful relationships,” she claims.
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C O V E R S T O R Y
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Leading Change and Inspiring
Minds: A Journey of Reflection and
Growth
In this candid conversation, Karan Bhola, the Director of the Young India
Fellowship, shares learnings, challenges, and future aspirations for the flagship
programme of Ashoka University
Saman Waheed
Office of PR & Communications | Ashoka University
Karan Bhola is the Director of the Young India Fellowship (YIF) at Ashoka University. He previously led YIF
outreach and admissions and was the founding President of Ashoka University's Alumni Association. Besides
being a Young India Fellow at Ashoka University, Karan is also an alumnus of Harvard University, where he
pursued a master’s degree in Higher Education Administration as a Fulbright Scholar.
In a recent interview, he takes us through his homecoming trajectory–from a Young India Fellow to leading
the programme as its Director. He recounts how his time at Ashoka and Harvard has shaped him and how he
envisions the future of the Fellowship to look like.
Now that the first year of the Fellowship with you as the Director has successfully concluded, what
have been some key takeaways/learnings during this time? And is there something that you would
have done differently?
I am still honestly reflecting on the year that has gone by. What I can definitely say at the moment is that
every day has been a learning experience and a novel one at that. It has been a year of assimilating all of that
wisdom, both from the team and the Fellows. Over several years, Dean Brar has set systems and structures
in a way that helped me ease into the role quite comfortably.
There has been one important affirmation–that it is crucial to centre things around the Fellows. The
Fellowship is the Fellows, and we have to be reflective of it in design, thought and action. Given that Fellows
play a critical role in each other’s journey of learning and discovery, it becomes imperative that the cohort be
diverse on various counts. Importantly, every single person who is involved with the programme—be it the
Fellows, the Team, or friends, has something to offer. So, it becomes all the more important for me to have
an ear to the ground, to see how we could synergise each other's strengths for the community as a whole. I
engaged closely with Fellows in the past year via office hours and over smaller group meals, which was one of
the most fulfilling aspects of my first year.
We have also leveraged the integrated Team YIF set-up to be even more data-driven in our approach. An
example of this is curating the ELM (Experiential Learning Module) projects after we have a primary
understanding of the cohort's interests through admissions. It is critical to hold the lens of equity and
inclusion, right from application review until graduation.
The team is conscious and aligned on the same, which has helped us progress in that direction with more
scholarships and the introduction of exceptional aid for the 2024 cohort.
Overall, I am excited about the possibilities that the integration of Team YIF (i.e. programme, outreach and
admissions as one unit) would offer in the times to come.
Did your experience as a Young India Fellow and then consecutively, the Director of Outreach and
Admissions for the programme prepare you for your current role? How so?
Definitely. Being a Young India Fellow, you know that Fellows are the Fellowship. They quite organically tend to
take ownership of the Fellowship. I have always had that feeling of responsibility towards the YIF. While I do
run the risk of being someone who is romanticising an experience from 10 years ago when the Ashoka
campus did not even exist, it allows me to be more empathetic and listen intently with care. In situations
where we face an impasse or when Fellows talk to me and the Team my experiences have been quite helpful,
despite their situatedness. Furthermore, my experiences as a Teaching Assistant and my longstanding
association with the Alumni Association have enabled me to empathetically look at the evolution of the YIF
experience.
C O V E R S T O R Y
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What I could achieve in the Outreach
and Admissions team had a lot to do
with the fact that I had been at the YIF
before. Most of what we did was
possible due to the support of the
Fellows and the alumni community. Our
work with a batch in many ways ended
once we enrolled or onboarded them.
But now, I have the privilege of engaging
with the cohort throughout the year.
So, a lot of the qualitative and
quantitative insights that we had at
admissions, I now see them play out
during the Fellowship. It is a beautiful full
circle and I got to experience it for the
first time this year. It also reaffirmed our
conviction in our decision-making to a
large extent but also made us realise
that we cannot anticipate everything.
Many people showed up in ways we
never could have even conceived while
we were admitting them, and in more
cases than not, it was a very pleasant
and heartening surprise.
How did your time at Harvard where you explored innovative education modules help you in
reaffirming that you wanted to work in the higher education sector?
Even before I went to Harvard, I knew that I wanted to commit myself to transforming higher education in
India. This is why I chose to do such a specialised programme in higher education, administration, governance
and policy. Given that I already went in with that view, my time there helped me contrast the American
education system with the Indian education system. A lot of my academic engagement ended up having a
comparative lens, whether it was higher education at large or different aspects of it—governance, student
identity development, philosophy of education, curriculum design, diversity, equity and inclusion, and more. I
realised that a sense of belonging is perhaps the most important feeling that an individual could have, and we
must constantly think about ways to create a more enriching and supportive environment for people to safely
develop that. It has been almost four years since I have been back at Ashoka and that learning is now an
integral part of how I function.
I have had a keen interest in understanding innovative models to address issues of equity and inclusion. This
reminds me of Professor Anthony Abraham Jack, who wrote The Privileged Poor. One of the things he notes is
that mere access is not inclusion. Providing need-based aid is only the first step in providing access, and is not
an end in itself. There are several barriers to socialisation and engagement once students are on campus,
especially for learners who come from historically disadvantaged communities. While there is a lot that peers
naturally do to support each other, it is also our responsibility as an administrative group to enable that for
them. One example of this is a financial outlay—a monthly stipend along with financial aid for a few students.
This has now been implemented for the first time for the Class of 2024, as I mentioned earlier. Another
important aspect is how sensitised community members are towards each other and how it is ideal for people
with actual lived experiences to address issues of belonging and we need to be mindful allies in enabling that.
With the educational landscape being in a constant state of flux and multiple courses/fellowships now
existing in the field of liberal arts, how do you think that the Young India Fellowship can keep itself
relevant?
It can be argued that YIF has been a pioneering force in Indian Higher Education, and different aspects of it
have been emulated. Since YIF was launched, several Fellowships and one-year postgraduate programmes
have started, which I would say is important and much needed in the Indian context. YIF has never had a focus
on one particular domain. It pushes us to think across disciplines in whatever we do. At the YIF, Fellows can
study art, astrophysics, philosophy, literature and behavioural science, all at the same time. That is still rare in
Indian Higher Education.
C O V E R S T O R Y
Ashoka Reflections | Page 06
YIF has a brief but strong 12-year alumni legacy, and I truly believe that the answer to most questions can be
found within the community. Finally, YIF is the flagship of a multidisciplinary teaching and research institution,
which opens up many other pathways of possibility. That is what sets us apart from most other programmes.
Our mission, ‘to groom socially conscious change-makers and leaders for the 21st century’, is fairly timeless. As
Dean Brar has often said, and I paraphrase—even though the specifics of the fellowship keep changing, we have
always strived to remain topical and relevant—whether it is through changes in coursework, a greater emphasis
on critical writing or structuring the ELM in a way that is beneficial for a larger group of people. We have always
wanted to be a programme that has something for everyone. The opportunity in front of us is to constantly push
ourselves to continue staying ahead of the times. While this could mean many things, two thoughts (not
necessarily my own) worth pondering over, keeping the mission at the core, are: how we can support and
mentor Fellows as they work collaboratively to address complex problem statements and how we can make our
existing coursework and opportunities for perspective-taking more intersectional so that more Fellows derive
greater meaning? Deliberation on questions like these, in collaboration with key stakeholders of the YIF, will help
us move into new dimensions.
What are some of your plans for the Fellowship?
I think the Fellowship continues to write itself, given that it is feedback driven and co-owned by so many
stakeholders! There are however three elements that I can expand on briefly—investing in Fellows' success,
integrating with the larger institution, and intake. First, we as an institution can collectively support Fellows in
manifesting their visions of success during and beyond the year on campus. By that, I do not just mean enabling
resources on campus, or a good placement or admission at a top University. Success is atypical and may look
different for different people. It may not always be tangible which is fine. I look forward to us all coming together
as enablers for Fellows. We do a good job at that, but there is always room to raise the bar.
The second is integration with the larger ecosystem. Several Student Life programmes continue to be a great
way for Fellows and other students to build friendships, learning circles and support systems outside of YIF, and
I am hopeful that these can be leveraged further. We piloted a few programme initiatives last year and are
carrying them forward—cross-listed coursework for credit across different Centres (Centre for Entrepreneurship
and Ashoka Centre for Well-Being) as envisioned by Dean Brar, along with The Crossover Series and Alumni-in-
Residence. The latter two are generally open to all Ashokans, and many sessions have had good participation
outside of the YIF. Additionally, a lot more Ashoka faculty are now engaging with the YIF through their courses
and even as members of the Chancellor’s Merit Scholarship selection panel. We are also bringing in ELM projects
with several Ashoka Centres that are outward facing and (are poised to) do cutting-edge research.
Finally, intake. There are several changes that have happened recently - class size back to around 100, removal
of the age limit to apply, and the introduction of the Chancellor's Merit Scholarship (12 awardees in the 2024
cohort). We are starting to see a shift in the demographic split of the batch in terms of age and the lived,
academic and professional experiences they represent. I am excited to see how this unfolds!
As YIF grows from strength to strength, we want it to be an accessible and equitable platform and remain the
first choice for global changemakers to build on their journey.
(Saman Waheed is currently an Assistant Manager at the Office of PR & Communications, Ashoka University.
She is a former Young India Fellow from the batch of 2022)
C O V E R S T O R Y
Ashoka Reflections | Page 07
Chamba Tsetan (YIF'19) gives us insights into his journey as an entrepreneur in
the social impact sector as he navigates the intersection of sports and
sustainability
Chamba Tsetan (YIF'19) hails from a small village in eastern Ladakh, not far from the border of China. Coming
from a place where the resources are seemingly sparse, he remembers his early schooling involving only a
rudimentary blackboard, carpet, and tent. Brought up in a nomadic, pastoralist family, he would frequently
relocate and enroll in makeshift schools to complete his education. A national ice hockey player now, Chamba
was introduced to the sport at SECMOL, an alternative school he joined in his 10th grade that emphasises
sustainable living. As time passed, he found himself slowly growing to love the sport.
While ice hockey has taught him many lessons on sportsmanship, dedication and teamwork, it most
importantly kindled Chamba's interest in the realm of sustainability. The effects of climate change have been
deeply pronounced in Chamba's life. Due to global warming, there has been a considerable decline in snowfall
as glacial ice has started to melt. This has had a direct impact on his career as a sportsman as the period for
playing ice hockey has gotten significantly reduced. Moreover, as a resident of Ladakh, Chamba could never
engage in an abundant lifestyle due to the perpetual dearth of resources. This scarcity has only become more
acute as rivers are starting to dry up, fodder is running out for the livestock and there is a general decline in
precipitation. With climate change affecting not only his livelihood but also his profession, Chamba recognised
this pressing problem and wished to come up with a fix that raised awareness about global warming and
sustainability while also combining his love for ice hockey.
Chamba Tsetan’s ASFL takes the
lead in creating eco-friendly
adventure sports events in Ladakh
Ashoka Reflections | Page 08
Saairah Mehta
UG'25 | Ashoka University
Chamba created a niche space for himself at the juncture of sports and sustainability through his organisation,
Adventure Sports Foundation of Ladakh (ASFL). The organisation was established in an effort to encourage
sustainable behavioural changes and promote environmental responsibility through sports. The foundation
conducted its inaugural trail running event, the Pangong Frozen Lake Marathon in the February of 2023. It was
called 'The Last Run' implying that this could be the last run on a frozen lake as the glaciers are rapidly melting
due to global climate changes. The marathon brought together passionate runners from all over India and
helped raise awareness about the depleting resources in Ladakh. ASFL received the Guinness World Record for
organising the world's highest frozen lake half-marathon. Such an accolade helped provide coverage to
Chamba's unique mission to raise awareness about climate change through the avenues of sports while
simultaneously bringing winter tourism to Ladakh.
All participants were made to stay in local homestays and relish the native delicacies of Ladakh. The
programme also inculcated eco-friendly practices such as a 'no plastic bottles' policy and carpooling. Chamba
and his team also took the participants around Ladakh, showing them the Ice Stupas of Ladakh in an effort to
raise awareness about the water shortage problem. Through the avenues provided by his marathon, Chamba
turned his participants into sustainability ambassadors as he highlighted the ramifications of climate change.
The participants responded with enthusiasm and many shared their own set of ideas on sustainability for
future marathons.
An entrepreneur and changemaker at heart, sustainability has always been fundamental to Chamba. "The
Young India Fellowship introduced me to an incredibly diverse and talented cohort. Conversing with them not
only inspired many discourses about sustainability but also taught me so much about business and
entrepreneurship", says Chamba. "The course Indian Ecosophy taught by Professor Aseem Shrivastava helped
me understand more about the human-nature relationship", reminisced Chamba as he looked back on his YIF
journey.
Ashoka Reflections | Page 09
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