In October 2014, Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi pledged to make India open defecation free (ODF) in five years through the “Clean India Mission”. At the time, only 38.7% of India had access to household latrines and more than 525 million people defecated in the open. While the move was widely appreciated by all stakeholders, it was the first government initiative to have a personal impact on me as some of my cousins did not have access to a toilet, whereas I...

In a world where 22000 children die each day because of poverty, I fail to understand how we as a community have not been able to solve the problem. We have polluted our atmosphere, contaminated our seas, and cleared Earth's green cover simply to earn money. Half of the world's net wealth belongs to the top 1%, who could end global poverty instantly, but their priorities are well known to everyone. The line has meaning to me as I am a firm...

Union College echoes my belief in religious harmony and acceptance of diversity, which is precedent in the history and working culture. The ubiquity of Union's principles in its curriculum, as well as, its innovative housing system are one of its most inspiring and attractive features for me. Another unique element which makes Union one of my top choice colleges is the Organizing Theme major. I feel that it perfectly caters to my aspiration of becoming a policymaker by helping my...

The average age in India is 27; the average of parliamentarians is 58. My aspiration is to be a representative of more than 50% of Indians in the Parliament, and I believe that an education at NYU will make me capable of contesting elections within the next 10 years. The central reason why Abu Dhabi serves as my primary campus of interest is that it offers an innovative range of subjects in the realm of politics. I plan on pursuing a Political Science major...

The level of inequality and lack of access to resources to more than half of the world's population which lives in poverty troubles me, but also gives me an agenda to work for. It troubles me that 2 children born at the same time, in the same country, have their destiny pre-written because of the family they're born into. One would have a bed to sleep in, while the other fights for its life. One would have to walk a distance...

The catalyst for opportunities that diversity and inclusiveness create is addressing the areas of conflict or "tensions". If these areas remain unaddressed, a sense of tolerance would unfurl over the environment, which would obstruct genuine approval of opposing views and opinion. In May 2017, I had the opportunity to teach Public Speaking to 30 underprivileged students. When I first met them, I thought that they were a bunch of misguided individuals who had radically different views than me. They believed that the...

My grandfather was 17 when he left his village to join the Indian Navy. My father followed his footsteps and has devoted his life to serving the nation. His profession was responsible for me changing 4 schools within a span of 12 years. Initially, I felt alien but within a few weeks, I would adapt and settle. The reason for this was that every place offered something new: different cultures, different cuisines, and most importantly different people with unique experiences. The exposure to...

The social awareness and willingness to create a social impact are the most exciting aspects of Tufts' intellectually playful community. I was initially attracted to Tufts because of two alumni who inspire me to become a policymaker: Dr. Sashi Tharoor and Mr. Sharad Sagar. Their immense contributions and intellect, in their own words, is attributed to Tufts' environment and opportunities. The average age in India is 27; the average of parliamentarians is 58. My aspiration is to be a representative of more...