Profile

What motivated me to join the LAMP Fellowship is that the fellowship provides an opportunity to not only ideate ideas but directly implement those ideas. Whenever I went with new ideas, my mentor MP enthusiastically used to take up the idea and take forward in forms of parliamentary interventions, bills, suggestions to ministries, and so on and so forth. I was able to introduce bills and interventions which were in my mind before joining the fellowship. As a LAMP Fellow, I was fortunate enough to develop a strong bond with my mentor MP. Direct interaction with policymakers and government resources enables fellows to improvise their ideas and ensure accountability in governance. Meeting fellows coming from a diverse academic background and different parts of the nation is an amazing experience in itself. Apart from being able to bring a direct impact at a young age, I did a lot of fun things as a fellow. The trip to Arunachal was a lifetime experience. Most importantly, the fellowship taught me to view governance from a positive perspective.

As a LAMP, I had the opportunity to work on various issue ranging from human trafficking, farmer’s suicide, women safety and menstrual hygiene. Meeting NGO’s and policy think tanks and getting their insights on different policy areas helped me to increase my horizon as well. A normal day of my fellowship would include working on questions and private member bill, drafting letters to ministries and being updated about the news of my MPs constituency and state, which would serve as fodder for my 377 and zero hour. In between the parliament sessions, we had PRS workshops on specific policy sectors which were very useful. During the fellowship, the budget session turned out to be the busiest and most exciting as well. Working on the demands for grants of various ministries, especially in context to my MPs need required me to go deep and understand the micro issues of her constituency. Also providing research and comparative analysis of schemes launched by government in the past years increased my own knowledge. One of the major highlight of the fellowship was when I was working with my MP on women issues. I drafted Private member bills and rose zero hours on the issues such as menstrual hygiene, increasing breast cancer and women safety in the country. All in all, it was a knowledge-building experience.

Being from a law background, I was keen to understand, how the law and policy mechanism works together and helps in administration of ever-changing, diverse and organic environment prevalent in the Indian Democracy. And although study of law has always been promoted, the ambit of public policy has not been properly appreciated in the Indian education system. Luckily, PRS’ LAMP fellowship is one of the few programmes which actually saw the need for involving youth in studying public policy and governance practically, while providing much-needed research assistance to already burdened and pre-occupied Members of Parliament. This along with the unique incentive of getting guidance from the respected people’s representatives inspired me to opt for the LAMP Fellowship for the year 2017-2018. While working under the tutelage of a Member of Parliament on different national agendas, during the last one year, I had gained insights and experiences which are unparallel, unique and exhilarating for someone of my age. The Fellowship helped me in gaining the understanding of various complexities associated with Government functioning and how a well-researched, aware and active parliamentarian through use of parliamentary instruments like question hour, zero hour, parliament resolutions etc can help in increasing the transparency, accountability and public mandate of Government. In shorts, it made me appreciate the paramount role played by the people’s representatives as legislature and the need for the youth to take responsibilities and contribute towards governance of the country.

In my four years of college, I was actively involved in doing research projects on diverse subjects ranging from the socio-cultural impact of Dilli Haat to relevance of Baolis in water conservation among many others. This engagement in research developed in me a strong interest to pursue a research oriented study of public policy and law making. Selection to the prestigious LAMP fellowship provided me the best platform to follow my objective. It gave me a coveted chance to be in close touch with parliamentary affairs and policy making and gain practical insights in the same. As a LAMP fellow I had to comprehensively research on diverse and broad ranging issues often within strict deadlines and present them to my MP in a succinct form that could be raised in the House. This enhanced my research skills and improved my knowledge holistically across different subjects. Also, the workshops conducted for us by PRS gave me a wide perspective on different domains within policy. This unique experience has effectively shaped my outlook towards the governance and political structure of the country. This would surely help me to become a more informed and responsible citizen of the nation and a valuable contributor to any profession I choose in future.

People. Policy. Politics. A LAMP Fellow stands at the intersection of these three domains. The Parliament as an institution offers an educational and exciting platform to put forth issues of national importance. It is here that one holds our Government accountable in more ways than what is common knowledge. Under the aegis of my Member of Parliament, I was introduced to a kaleidoscope of ideas and concepts. Be it the functioning of Parliament or the Standing Committees, the work of an MP is vast; inside the Parliament and outside of it. The research for such a wide swathe of work was often an amalgamation of social, economic and political perspectives. Apart from this, I also got a chance to critically analyze several pieces of legislations which could gradually form a part of the law of the land. The training at PRS has been another highlight of my time as a Fellow. The opportunity to listen to and engage with domain experts opened a new world of policy issues for me. Through the Fellowship, I had the opportunity to meet a vibrant cohort of Fellows. A chance to witness their unique experiences and backgrounds were of much significance to me. I am thankful to PRS Legislative Research, Mr. Derek O’Brien and his team for an eventful year.

Being a law student, I always wanted to understand the process behind the laws we argue in the courts. In court arguments, legislative intent is given great importance. I realized there is no better way than working with a member of parliament and observing the parliamentary proceedings closely to understand the same. While working with the Member of Parliament assigned to me, I learned that how a dedicated Member of Parliament and his staff can work as a bridge between administration and local people, how one person can open up the benefits of welfare schemes to the local people living in backward areas of India and bring notable changes in the working of administrative machinery in his constituency. While working for the parliamentary committee meetings, I came to know how effectively common citizens can participate in law making process. Overall, I can say this was a lifetime experience, the experience and exposure you get as a LAMP is peerless.

I applied for LAMP as a psychology graduate looking to explore how mental health could find space in the legislative domain. The fellowship expanded my horizons as a psychology major, and opened up an entire interdisciplinary domain of how law and policymaking interacts with the repertoire of academic fields. With a diverse cohort of fellows and a well-experienced cohort of trainers, this fellowship equipped me towards confidently raising issues of importance through the Parliamentary procedure. Working for a Member of Parliament on Standing Committee reports, matters of urgent importance to be raised in the Parliament, analysis of government bills, and legislative intervention through private member bills, has been a comprehensive experience of instilling conviction. I emerge from the fellowship as an Arts major who has confidence and conviction in legislative intervention, with an insight into how the Legislature can be a crucial pillar of change in our democracy. My favourite part about this fellowship has been the repertoire of workshops that have equipped us to explore the bottlenecks in our system. The fodder that these workshops gave us, channelised into the interventions we probed and raised in the Parliament through our MP. I would recommend this fellowship to anyone aiming to explore public service through an academic, systemic, and insightfully democratic process. The knowledge of Parliamentary procedure and how interventions can be channelised through them becomes an important tool in public service, and LAMP has equipped me with this knowledge.

The unique approach the fellowship offers to engaging with public policy was the key motivation to apply for the fellowship. Six months into the fellowship made me realize that exposure to public policy is only one of the many aspects the fellowship can introduce one to. The profile of work varies from raising issues of importance through parliamentary interventions to organizing significant events for the Member of Parliament you're assigned to. No one day looks the same in the day of a LAMP fellow and that's part of the charm as well as the challenge. The unarranged/random pairing of Members of Parliament with Fellows is balanced by the uniqueness and diversity of experience the entire cohort goes through and the result is an invaluably varied and rich repository of stories, testimonies and experiences. The workshops held by PRS for the LAMP fellows allow us to engage with a variety of issues and speakers and is indispensable in it's contribution to our personal and professional growth.

During my law school, I had opportunities to spend time in the remote hinterlands of India, particularly the Northeast region and Kashmir. What that experience taught me was the unimaginable gap between intentions of policy and a law conceived in Delhi and its implementation at those places. To have a well rounded view of the discourse, I wished to have a better understanding of law making and the Fellowship was the perfect opportunity in that sense. Being assigned to a Floor Leader from a regional party, not only do I have to provide briefs on all Bills up for discussion but also bring in the socio-political aspect of the state the MP represented, which was the biggest challenge and the learning all the same. I was lucky in the sense that my interests aligned with my MP’s on various aspects.

After having rigorous experiences with fieldwork as part of my academics and Politics; I wanted exposure in policy space. I felt this is the place which i can explore for better understanding of society and the fellowship me in interacting with the policy making procedures. LAMP Fellowship helped me in understanding myself and to erase many biases I used to have. The key takeaway can be, It doesn't matter what your ideology is, when you really want to work for people. I heartfully thank PRS for giving this opportunity and for polishing me better.

LAMP Fellowship gives a radically unique opportunity to initiate one's career in the field of policy research. To be able to closely experience the life of an elected representative of millions is both a privilege and a huge responsibility. As a LAMP, our objective is to maximize the efficiency of Parliamentary interventions and in the process understand the subtleties of India's Polity which no book can teach. Sessions bring with them a new challenge everyday while Committee proceedings are truly rigorous and give us access to in-depth research. To be able to write well researched notes at will and distill hundreds of pages of convoluted reports into simple language are my biggest tangible takeaways from the Fellowship. Nonetheless, long conversations with the MP, amazement of contributing to Parliamentary discourse, and most importantly, a chance to make a difference are intangible and potentially life changing.

Coming from a politically sensitive region, LAMP Fellowship was a natural choice for me given my deep ineterest in politics. Studying law further enhanced my inclination towards knowing what happens behind the scenes in the world of politcs. Hence it was the easiest decisions for me to apply for LAMP Fellowship. At LAMP Fellowship, I was very lucky to get a young and dynamic MP, who was very accomodative. I got a permenant pass to the Parliament where working in parliamentary party office was very exciting and enriching. I was first hand witness to all the preperations that went into performance of MPs in the Parliament as well as how research, facts and figure are used to put forward demands before the government as well as furthering political positions. This fellowship made me realise the importance of genuine research to solve issues concerning the common man at the highest political forums. I intend to carry forward this knowledge and experience in my future endeavours. LAMP was the experience of a lifetime!

From a very young age, politics has interested me, growing up in India, I had my own opinion of it clouded by everything I read in the papers/ watched on television. The opaque nature of the political space in our country only made me more curious to know and learn about the processes that went into making policy decisions that would affect billions that live here. I was at a point in life where I was divided between pursuing a career in journalism or policy, and the LAMP Fellowship could not have come at a better time. What inspired me the most about the fellowship was: that I could actually work with a Member of Parliament, which is not something everybody enjoys an opportunity to, unlike in the West. The role of a LAMP Fellow checked every box that pertained to my interests: writing, research and debate. To work in Central Delhi, the crux of all political activities was definitely a chance I didn’t want to miss on. The past eleven months has been a journey of joyous learning and continuously expanding my horizons. A year ago, the books I read, the people whose works I’ve followed, and my knowledge of policies and law-makers were very different from today. My biggest take-away from the fellowship would be the literature it introduced me to. I did not expect in the slightest way that conversations about police reforms and death penalty would interest me, but here I am. The fellowship made self-learning not only possible, but also fun for me. It has made me more vigilant, and elevated me from being a mere observer to a participant in the political discourse. It gave me an opportunity to learn from many thinkers, and presented me with some remarkable work people do in the country, and for that I am extremely grateful.

My passion towards public policy research and politics inspired me to apply for this Fellowship. It has truly been a great learning experience, so far. I got to work and research on diverse fields ranging from agriculture, commerce to real estate. During the inter-session period, I also worked towards CSR projects in my MPs constituency. Overall, this was a successful endeavour as I got an entirely new perspective of Indian parliamentary system. At the end of the fellowship, I got an admit from Sussex, UK for my desired course, development studies. I also dedicate this experience to my co fellows who made this experience worthwhile.

I had applied for the Fellowship to understand the legislative machinery from within and to get a hands-on experience in the law making process. Seeing a Bill go from identifying a problem, drafting a Bill, debating it in Parliament and subsequently seeing its implementation at the ground level has made me realise the challenges that we tend to overlook in our everyday lives. My takeaway from the Fellowship, apart from learning Parliamentary procedures and processes, would definitely be my visit to the MP’s constituency - Karimnagar, Telangana. Visiting villages where tangible improvements have been made through positive interventions, and interacting with the people who made the changes happen opened my eyes towards the benefits that effective policies and efficient administration can bring. Daily interaction with a Member of Parliament is not something that many can experience, but getting to discuss the happenings within and outside Parliament with a willing and knowledgeable mentor has only added to this great experience in the past year.

LAMP offered the impeccable platform to not only work with representatives but also understand their perspective and the complexities involved in formulating and implementing a policy. The Fellowship gave me the unique opportunity to discuss, debate and engage with a policy maker. It has led to the realization that while an efficient policy design is very important post stakeholder consultation, it is imperative to ensure that these policies are viable, scalable and implementable on ground without discounting the needs of individual states. While working on my MP's core interests, I, also, got the opportunity to pursue my ideas and suggestions. I have benefited from the thought provoking process of analyzing governance issues. Having gained a better understanding of the policy landscape, I can say with conviction that LAMP was an enriching and intellectually stimulating experience. 

I applied for LAMP fellowship with the purpose of understanding the complex and dynamic policy making process of our country. This fellowship is a unique opportunity for young graduates to work within the state machinery and contribute, even if marginally, towards a more effective functioning of the institution of legislature. Every day in this fellowship, every research assignment has added not only to my knowledge base of diverse areas of Indian policy and enhanced my research capabilities, but has also taught me the nuances of realpolitik in India. Working for a Parliamentarian has been exciting and empowering. It has further motivated me and prepared me to pursue Public Policy academically in the near future. 

Having read extensively about India’s historical past, geographical spread and diversity of communities across the states, I have been passionate about Governance and administration in our country. What better way to learn other than from a Parliamentarian himself? Hence, the LAMP Fellowship had been on my ‘Before-25 Bucket List’ ever since I first heard about it. My top three learning outcomes through this 10 month period are - People Management and effective communication; quick decision making and enhanced problem solving abilities; and understanding the intricacies and layers that underlie our political decision-making.

When I was filling out the LAMP application, I wasn’t quite sure why the fellowship was so appealing to me. Sure, the idea of working alongside a distinguished Member of Parliament sounded great, but we’re all privy to the chaos that ensues in Parliament. So, I would often ask myself why I wanted to jump into that well. But, I took a leap of faith and soon realized that the appeal wasn’t misplaced - the fellowship really does offer unparalleled insight and experience in the realm of policy-making in the world’s largest democracy. Almost a year has passed (in the blink of an eye) and I have come out with more memories, knowledge and unforgettable experiences than I could have imagined. Researching on a myriad of key issues, brainstorming policy solutions, getting down on the field - working on constituency development - LAMP has truly been an impeccable year. Now, as I am forced to adopt the “ex” prefix to my “LAMP” tag, I can only say that I leave not just with memories of a great year, but also with a much deeper understanding of ground realities and a strong desire to commit myself to development and policy matters that can tackle major challenges and change the course of our nation.

LAMP seemed like an interesting opportunity for me as I was interested in Policy Making and Politics. The fellowship gave me a thorough understanding of how the Parliament works and also gave me an insight into the structures and Mechanisms that govern the relationship between Parliament and other Institutions in the country. For me, the biggest takeaway from the fellowship is getting exposed to so many different fields and opportunities in the field of Politics and Public Policy chiefly because of the position at which I was placed due to the virtue of me being a LAMP fellow. The working setup is relatively different than a conventional job and working in such a work setup made me come out of my comfort zone and has made me more adaptable.

I have always had a keen interest in politics and when I heard about the opportunity to work with a Member of Parliament, it seemed like a perfect opportunity to gain insider perspective. Through the LAMP fellowship, I gained exposure to various facets of our democratic institutions. It helped me truly comprehend how policy is created, and the role that elected representatives play in the same. In many ways, it also changed my mind completely about the role an MP plays in parliament and his/her constituency. It was through my work at my MP's office and the expert sessions organised by PRS that I learnt that there is scope for academic experts to assist policymakers in their task and contribute towards policy making in our country. 

I applied to be a LAMP fellow as it provides a  unique opportunity to involve within the governance system of India and to understand the parliamentarian process.  I wanted to closely work with an MP since it is very crucial to appreciate and understand that how in reality the legislature conducts itself to give realistic context to any policy issue.  My aim was also to work on diverse policy issues and develop a holistic idea on how to take t any initiative forward. My most important take away from the fellowship is the understanding of the parliamentary functioning and various factors that can influence it. It made me acquainted with the way in which an MP's office function to accommodate the demands of various stakeholders. The fellowship also helped to get insights from various civil society organisations and get their insight on various legislation and policy issues and they frequently get in touch with MPs. While working an MP I understood the importance of regional issues and how it can affect decisions at a national level.

The opportunity to work with a distinguished Parliamentarian, puts you in a position to learn in-depth about policy and polity. The fellowship triggers one to be conscious of the role of government in daily routine and in the society at large. This awarness i believe shall become indespensible as one reaches higher echelons in career.

The LAMP Fellowship is a good opportunity to get an up-close view of the public policy space in India. Working with an MP provides the opportunity to watch, from close quarters, and understand how the Parliament and Parliamentarians function; how national issues and new pieces of legislation are discussed and debated. And to provide research support for some of these issues and bills, makes for exciting work! During the course of the fellowship, PRS also organizes policy workshops on various sectors such as education, environment and technology. These workshops give us insights into the dynamics of those sectors and also a peek into some of the issues pertaining to the sector - which could be translated into Parliamentary interventions. Apart from these workshops, Delhi offers ample opportunity to explore the public policy landscape through various talks, conferences and seminars which happen throughout the year and across different subjects. One year of the fellowship could be a year of learning and exposure for anybody who wishes to work in the domain of public policy.

Exposed to policy issues brought by prime time TV news, I always had the desire to look into the larger deliberations that shape the policies for the nation. This is what drove me to apply for the LAMP fellowship. Working in the policy making domain has given me insights into issues that grapple policy makers and has honed my research and analytical skills. Moreover, I have had exposure to myriad topics like economics, social, cultural and environmental studies which has added immensely to my existing knowledge. LAMP has helped me broaden my horizons and has helped me appreciate the vast reaches of the legislative framework of our country. I am certain that my experience as LAMP fellow will be an important asset in my future career.