Abhijit Sen Rural Internship programme intends to sensitise undergraduate and post-graduate students towards the rural economy and the challenges faced by rural communities in the country and to promote rigorous academic scholarship.

The 45-day internship will give students the opportunity to visit rural areas, interact with the rural community, and understand their social and economic conditions and challenges. During their stay in the village, interns will be supported by local community organisations working in those areas.

Here are the names of the students who are part of the first cohort of the internship programme.

Aditya hails from the Yamuna Nagar district of Haryana and is currently a student of B.A.L.L.B (Hons.) at the Himachal Pradesh National Law University, Shimla. He has completed many legal internships with a Supreme Court advocate, High Court advocates and judges, DLSA, Yamuna Nagar, etc. He holds experience in field research on Child Labor in Yamuna Nagar, and Rural Homeless Shelters in Kolkata, West Bengal.

Akash Suryawanshi is based out of the Latur district of Maharashtra and is currently pursuing MA/MSc. in Population Studies from International Institute for Population Sciences, Mumbai. He has been associated with SoulAce (CSR Consulting Firm) for ‘Impact Assessment of Kotak Education Foundation Interventions’ and has worked on the paper, ‘An Analysis of Sri Lankan Economic Crisis 2022’. Akash has a flair for economics, demography, research, data handling and writing.

Ali Siddiqi is a native of Delhi and is currently studying MA in Economics at Jamia Millia Islamia University. Ali is skilled with the most recent research tools and has had diverse research experience with the likes of Green Earth Analytics and 180 Degrees Consulting which is a university-based consultancy for Jamia Millia Islamia.

Amgoth Mahalakshmi is a resident of the Mahbubabad district of Telangana. She is a student of B.Sc. Botany (Hons) at the Miranda House College of the University of Delhi. Born and brought up in a rural tribal family, Amgoth holds deep sincerity and empathy towards the intricacies of village life. Her personal experiences and challenges of rural life have directed her to study the issue of lack of access to drinking water in rural areas and the diseases concerned the same.

Anfaz Abdul Vahab is a resident of Wayanad, Kerala and is studying B.A. (Hons) Economics at Jamia Millia Islamia University, New Delhi. Along with studying Economics, Anfaz has been committed to promoting the education of economics among young students and his areas of research include migration, poverty, economic disparity, political economy and heterodox economics. He is also an athlete and is an active player of netball, baseball and football.

Ansh Sharma is a final-year student majoring in Politics with a minor in English Literature from Shaheed Bhagat Singh College, University of Delhi. Ansh has a deep grasp of socio-political theory and Gender rights. They have experience in engagement with many reputed social organisations including Youth Ki Awaaz, Project statecraft, The Indian Women’s Project and Gender at Work India."

Anujaya Ekka is from the city of Ranchi in Jharkhand. She is a third-year student of the B.A.LLB course at the National University of Study and Research in Law (NUSRL), Ranchi. During her internships, Anujaya has engaged with the issues of domestic violence, family disputes, criminal and land disputes, etc. She was also associated with the Ekal Abhiyaan in Ranchi as an intern. Issues of the workforce in the unorganized sector in rural areas, land laws and land entitlements are some of her areas of interest for research.

Anushka Singh hails from the Firozabad district of Uttar Pradesh and is currently pursuing her first year of B.A. Economics Hons. from the Sri Ram College of Commerce (SRCCC), University of Delhi. Anushka has exhibited extraordinary academic performance during her schooling days and holds experience in research, marketing, editorial and impact projects during her ongoing college days.

Asha T is from Ranipet, Tamil Nadu and is currently pursuing Integrated MA from the Department of Humanities and Social Sciences at the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras, Tamil Nadu. Asha is passionate about all the work that goes into event production, management, and social media marketing. She has contributed to writing social media promotional content and media marketing strategies at her college and beyond. She holds a key interest in gender-related issues and the invisible contribution of rural women to the national economy.

Asim Sagar Tirkey comes from the Surguja district of Chhattisgarh. He is currently studying B.Tech (Agricultural Engineering) at Indira Gandhi Krishi Vishwavidyalaya, Raipur, Chhattisgarh. He is trained in micro-irrigation techniques where he has learnt and experienced the impact of focused and judicious use of water on farmers’ income, and the knowledge of installation, maintenance and repair of drip and sprinkle irrigation systems. Rural-to-urban migration is a subject of research which holds Asim’s interest.

Bhawna Kumari is a native of Delhi and is currently pursuing B.A. in Economics at the Kamala Nehru College, University of Delhi. She describes herself as a creative bookworm with a knack for reading, writing and researching. She is a member of the student council of the Economics Department and the Head of Public Relations of the Women’s Development Cell at KNC. Bhawna has interned with The Feminist Times, Break the Ice and Softrate India, Chennai in the capacity of a content writer which has furthered her enthusiasm for writing.

Bhumi Bharti is a resident of Patna, Bihar and is in the first year of studying B. Com (Hons) at A.N. College in Patna. She is a young, ardent, enthusiastic student and a fast learner who believes in improvisation and learning. Along with her academics, she is currently learning pre-MBA statistics by IIM professors. Bhumi holds internship and volunteering experience with Suvidha Foundation and Help Social Welfare Society and certificatations in digital marketing, human resource management and MS Excel.

Darpan Bhalla from Delhi is currently pursuing BA Hons. Political Science from Sri Venkateswara College, University of Delhi. He is passionate about economics and research and has diverse volunteering and internship experience with Teach for India, Reap Benefit, InAmigos Foundation, and at the Office of Member of Parliament for making reports to aid members’ speeches and zero-hour in the parliament.

Hardik Kumar Satvedi from the Hapur district of Uttar Pradesh introduces himself as a curious and inquisitive person with a willingness to explore and adapt to ever-changing scenarios. He is currently pursuing M.A. in Development and Labour Studies from Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. Hardik has also managed the marketing team, in both traditional and social media formats, at LiveUpX, a startup in Meerut.

Harsh Sasane is a resident of Mumbai, Maharashtra and is a student of BMS (Bachelor of Management Studies) at Kirti M. Doongursee College, Mumbai with a specialization in marketing. Expanding the scope of his studies, Harsh is keen to study and research the rural markets. He is also curious to study the scope of crop diversification and explore alternative occupations for farmers to address the issue of farmer suicide in Maharashtra.

Jyoti is from Delhi and is currently an M.A. Political Science student at Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. She is a JRF scholar and is aligned to research the issues of rural working women and their contribution to national income. Jyoti is also an educator and is involved in providing supplementary online education to the students from the under-served sections of society.

Karishma Nagesia hails from the Lohardaga district of Jharkhand. She is a budding lawyer, currently pursuing her B.A. in LLB from the national University of Study and Research in Law, Ranchi. She has experience as a legal intern and is a member of the Centre for Tribal Rights at her college.

Khushi Chauhan hails from Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh. She is pursuing her B.A. (Hons) in Economics from the Indraprastha College for Women, University of Delhi. She has volunteered as a tutor through the outreach vertical at her college, teaching kids in government schools in Delhi and Haryana.

Mona Sisodiya hails from the Barwani district of Madhya Pradesh and is currently pursuing her M.A. in Economics from Devi Ahilya Vishwavidyalaya, Indore. She is passionate towards serving society and has a research interest in microfinance, gender, technology and rural development.

Muskan Khan belongs to a village in the Nuh district of Haryana. She is pursuing BCom from Zakir Husain Delhi College, University of Delhi. The first woman in her village to pursue a college degree, Muskan is keen on working on the ground for the betterment of society.

Nishad Sumed Ghodke hails from Nagpur, Maharashtra and is currently pursuing her Bachelor of Science from Hansraj College, University of Delhi. she has volunteered in the National Service Scheme in her college and is involved with the NGO, Pledge Smile Foundation, working with children and senior citizens.

Parmeeta Mandavi comes from Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh. She is a student of Bachelor of Management Studies at Shaheed Sukhdev College of Business Studies, University of Delhi. Parmeeta has worked with the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry as an intern in their Power and Renewable Energy division. She has a research interest in rural unemployment and local businesses.

Parul Painkra comes from Patthalgaon in Jashpur, Chhattisgarh and is a B.Sc. student at Government Sant Gahira Guru Rameshwar College, Raigarh. She belongs to a farming family and wants to become a teacher and work towards building a brighter future for the children in her village.

Pramod Kumar Indaliya comes from Churu, Rajasthan. He is currently pursuing his bachelors from Hindu College, Delhi University in political science. As a political science student, he wants to develop a deep understanding of the issues of caste, reservation, rural economy, domestic violence and superstitions.

Rahul Sirsath is from Barwani, Madhya Pradesh. He is pursuing his Master's in economics from DAVV College, Indore. He believes that rural development is a long-term goal, and all the stakeholders must come together for the purpose of development. He also wants to develop a deep understanding of rural issues, to support his communities back in his village.

Saswati Sahoo comes from Sundargarh, Odisha. She is perusing her graduation from Jasoda Bishnu NMP Degree College Sardhapali Sundargarhin political science. She loves to spend her free time assisting people who are in need in her society.

Shikha Jaiswal is from Ballia, Uttar Pradesh. She is doing her Bachelor's degree at Kamla Nehru College, University of Delhi. She likes reading articles and journals related to the economy and its various issues. One of her aims in life is to join civil services and contribute to the development of society.

Shivani Kanoujia hails from Noida, Uttar Pradesh and is currently pursuing History Hons. from the reputed Lady Shri Ram College for Women, University of Delhi. She believes in ‘giving back to society’ and is closely associated with the talent and skill-building of underprivileged students.

Shivani Rastogi comes from Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh and is a second-year journalism student and a footballer. She is currently pursuing B.A. (Hons) Journalism from Kamla Nehru College, University of Delhi.

Shruti Verma is from Alwar, Rajasthan. She is currently pursuing a master's in development communication and Extension from Lady Irwin College, university of Delhi. She is a good listener with endless patience and empathy, as she believes that listening is a powerful tool as it not only helps in building strong bonds and relationships but also is a medium to persuade people and involve them together as a group for a task.

Sudhanshu Upadhyaya is from Pratapgarh, Uttar Pradesh. He is doing his graduation in political science from PGDAV College, University of Delhi. He is a civil service aspirant and loves to do social work by collaborating with different NGOs. He was also part of the National Services Scheme Program of the Ministry of Sports and Youth affairs.

Yogeshwar Gupta is from Jaipur, Rajasthan. Currently, he is pursuing a Bachelor's in Geography from Jamia Millia Islamia, Delhi. His interest lies in understanding the process of urbanization and the environment and the interrelationships that exist between spaces.