From a college regular to being a ‘British Deputy High Commissioner for a day.’ And city girl Nehal Sharma loved the experience of becoming a diplomat even it was for a few hours. While for teenagers, college is sheer fun, some of them are always sniffing around for opportunities to discover themselves and to learn more. Nehal seems to have started in earnest to make herself useful and more meaningful to society.
I would like to thank the British Government 🇬🇧 for choosing me as the winner of the “British Deputy High Commissioner (Chandigarh) for a day” contest! It was such a great honor for me to meet the UK's top diplomat Caroline Rowett ma’am and her team. I am extremely grateful! https://t.co/Ls6NPRj9A0
— Nehal Sharma (@Nehal_Sharma29) October 10, 2022
Pursuing her Bachelor’s in Business Administration from SD College, Sector 32, Chandigarh, and a product of Vivek High School, Chandigarh, Nehal was selected for ‘British Deputy High Commissioner for a day’ contest from North India . Lucknow-based Jagriti Yadav won the ‘High Commissioner for a day’ contest.
To apply for the contest which was open to young girls aged 18-23, 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’.
While any other girl her age would have chosen Mother Teresa, Indira Gandhi, Kalpana Chawla, Kiran Bedi, Saina Nehwal, Nehal chose Jaswantiben Jamnadas Popat as her inspiration. Listen in to her award–winning entry:
92-yr-old Jaswantiben is one of the founders of Shri Mahila Griha Udyog Lijjat Papad, later renamed Lijjat Papad a household name in the 90s’, a women’s worker cooperative involved in the manufacturing of various fast-moving consumer goods.
Making and selling papads was just a desperate step by her to contribute to the family income. She and her Gujarati neighbours used to make papads on their terraces.
Jaswantiben was conferred the Padma Shri award in 2021. She began her journey with an investment of Rs 80 along with six of her friends. Initially, they could sell only four packets of papad to a businessman .
Would you like to be the British High Commissioner to India for a day?
To celebrate the International Day of the Girl Child, @UKinIndia offering women from across India a unique opportunity to experience a day in the life of the UK’s top diplomat
🇬🇧🇮🇳https://t.co/LMOIJS8fE2— Caroline Rowett 🇬🇧🇮🇳 (@UKinChandigarh) August 26, 2022
“I want to be a business entrepreneur like her who not only carved a niche for herself in that era when women were not empowered enough, but also lead other women into sustaining their own household,” says Nehal Sharma, who herself belongs to a business family.
How did she come across this contest? A keen Twitter watcher, she would generally follow ‘UK in India’, ‘UK in Chandigarh’ and this is how she came across this information on Twitter:
“Its important to be active on Twitter these days to be updated with what’s happening around us,” she says, a message to others of her age as well who are gullible and tend to go the wrong way on social media.
How has this experience as the British Deputy High Commissioner for a day enriched her knowledge?
Here’s a tete-a-tete she had with the Deputy British High commissioner Caroline Rowett.
We are glad to announce that 20-year-old Nehal Sharma @Nehal_Sharma29, a student of SD College, Sector 32, Chandigarh, has been selected as the winner of Deputy High Commissioner for a day contest from the Chandigarh region.#DayOfTheGirl #SheLeads @UKinIndia (1/5) pic.twitter.com/kucWNnkuUV
— Caroline Rowett 🇬🇧🇮🇳 (@UKinChandigarh) October 11, 2022
Every day is a new day and it was a great path of learning, says Nehal. “I got to learn how an embassy and the British High Commission work, what is the role of different officials, how they operate,” she adds with a zing in her voice while talking to citywoofer.com.
