Chandigarh student wins British Deputy High Commissioner for a day contest. Nehal Sharma, a 20-year-old student from Chandigarh, wins the contest from the Chandigarh region.
The region includes Chandigarh, Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand.
After winning the contest, Nehal got the opportunity to interact with British Deputy High Commissioner Caroline Rowett, and other senior staff members of the British Deputy High Commission, Chandigarh.
She also met Chandigarh Mayor Sarbjit Kaur Dhillon, senior staff members of Canada’s Consulate General in Chandigarh, and women Radio Jockeys (RJs) of Chandigarh.
Nehal is currently pursuing her Bachelor’s in Business Administration, from SD College, Sector 32, Chandigarh.
“It was a great experience to meet the British Deputy High Commissioner Caroline Rowett and their team and learn about their initiatives to strengthen the UK-India relations. I also got the opportunity to discuss issues like women empowerment, women’s participation in governance and climate change. This has certainly broadened my perspective about issues concerning women today,” says Nehal Sharma.
“It was a pleasure to interact with Nehal. We are extremely delighted to have received several entries from women for our initiative. I wish her all the best in her future endeavours,” says Caroline Rowett, British Deputy High Commissioner, Chandigarh.
About the competition:
To celebrate the International Day of the Girl Child, the British High Commission gave women from across India a unique opportunity to experience a day in the life of the UK’s top diplomat-British High Commissioner to India. The competition was open to women aged 18-23 and the deadline to apply was 4 September 2022.
- To apply for the contest, participants were asked to record and upload a one-minute video answering ‘which woman in public life inspires you the most and why?’ The video was to be shared on either Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram by tagging ‘@UKinIndia’ and using the hashtag ‘#DayoftheGirl’.
- This is an annual competition run by the UK mission, aiming to empower the next generation of women as leaders and trailblazers and to highlight some of the challenges women and girls around the world still face. The competition is run in celebration of International Day of the Girl Child (11 October).
National and regional winner:
- Lucknow based Jagriti Yadav won the ‘High Commissioner for a day’ contest
- Nehal Sharma is the winner of the ‘Deputy High Commissioner for a day’ contest from Chandigarh region.
Nehal’s inspiration: Jaswantiben Jamnadas Popat
As per the entry submitted by Nehal Sharma, her inspiration was Jaswantiben Jamnadas Popat, who is one of the founders of Shri Mahila Griha Udyog Lijjat Papad, a women’s worker cooperative involved in the manufacturing of various fast-moving consumer goods. She is one of the seven founders who founded the company producing the popular ‘Lijjat Papad’ in 1959 as a household venture. Jaswantiben Jamnadas Popat was conferred the Padma Shri award in 2021. She began her journey with an investment of Rs 80 along with six of her friends.
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