The Aam Aadmi Party has inducted 20 fellows to its flagship programme, the Ambedkar Fellowship for Political Change. The fastest growing national party had received thousands of applications from across the country and after a rigorous screening for two months, it has selected only 20 candidates.
On the first day of their orientation, they were inducted by Pankaj Gupta (National Secretary), Jasmine Shah, Reena Gupta and Neeraj Pandey (Senior Leaders). The fellows were fascinated learning the behind-the-scenes struggles of the renowned programmes of AAP models of governance in Delhi and Punjab such as the education and healthcare reform, free water and electricity policy, introduction of electric vehicles policy and so on.
“While interviewing these fellows, including those who couldn’t make it to the first batch, it was heartening to witness young individuals being so charged to contribute to the welfare of our country. Even those who couldn’t make it are part of AAP’s extended family now,” shared Pankaj Gupta.
Jasmine Shah added that “We want young Indians to shape the development and public welfare discourse and empower them with the skillsets to contribute to nation building”. The fellows have come from reputed organisations and universities including foreign institutions, most of them with political aspirations. The debut cohort has a mixed crowd of individuals from legal, media, finance and sociology backgrounds. Belonging to several states of India, what united them is their fervor to participate in the biggest election of the world and take forward the development ideology of AAP.
“Our youth hold unique solutions to the challenges of this country. Politics is the only way we can bring about social change on a mass scale. It’s welcoming that today’s youth have realised this and have aligned with AAP’s vision to make India No. 1,” remarked Reena Gupta.
The fellowship was announced by the party’s national convenor and Hon. CM of Delhi, Arvind Kejriwal, in early December last year, aiming to involve youth in the political transformation of India. He had appealed to the youth during the launch of the fellowship saying, “The AAP is the fastest-growing party in the history of India because it’s a party of honest and educated people. No matter where you live in the country, if you have the zeal to change Indian politics and make India the number 1 country in the world, this fellowship program is a golden opportunity for you.”
The eleven-month programme intends to equip the youth of the country with abilities so that they can raise their voice, innovate the solutions to their problems and get a ringside view of the elections. The fellows will be closely working with the party leadership on party manifesto, communication strategy and political campaigning across the country. This fellowship would provide impactful experience, and opportunity of networking with like-minded people.
The AAP welcomed the fellows stating, “The youth of India stands at the cusp of a defining moment, in which proactive action will determine the pathway that unfolds for the generations to come. At this pivotal juncture, come forth and contribute your commitment towards building a nation that resonates and promotes the aspirations of a billion plus Indians, giving a prominent voice to each corner of the country. As part of the fellowship, you will be entrusted to spearhead the shaping of the development and public welfare discourse, setting the stage for empowering all fellow Indian citizens, to voice your true aspirations for the India you envision.”
This fellowship will enhance the attributes of fellows such as the ability to do cutting-edge political research and lead projects; will empower them to use their research and critical thinking skills to implement campaigns to make a tangible impact on issues that matter most to them and the nation today.
