Five Powerful Students Redefine Hope In The World

By The WFY Bureau Desk | Section: Academics | August 2025 Edition

Young, Fearless, and Transforming the World: Meet India’s Global Student Trailblazers

In a moment of immense pride for the Indian academic community and the diaspora worldwide, five remarkable Indian students have been shortlisted among the top 50 finalists for the prestigious Global Student Prize 2025. Selected from nearly 11,000 applications across 148 countries, these young changemakers stand as examples of how courage, innovation, and compassion can ignite powerful change — even before turning 20.

The Global Student Prize, instituted by the Varkey Foundation in partnership with Chegg.org, is more than just an academic award. It honours students who are not only excelling in studies but also shaping communities, policies, industries, and lives through their visionary ideas. The winner receives a $100,000 prize — but every finalist is already rewriting the definition of youth leadership.

Let us explore the journeys of the five Indian students who have earned their place on this global stage.

Adarsh Kumar: Rising From Rural Bihar to Global Innovation

Born in Champaran, Bihar — a region where electricity was once a luxury and education a dream — Adarsh Kumar’s life reflects grit at its purest. Raised by a single mother working as domestic help, Adarsh took a bold step at the age of 14. With only ₹1,000 in hand and an ageing laptop, he journeyed to Kota, Rajasthan in pursuit of education.

Without funds for coaching, he taught himself through public libraries and free Wi-Fi networks. That journey led him to found Skillzo, a skilling platform that has now trained over 19,500 marginalised youth in digital and employable skills. His earlier campaign, Mission Badlao, brought vaccinations, school access, and afforestation to underserved villages.

Partnering with top-tier Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), Adarsh also co-built Sparkle and Education-21, tools aimed at digital learning for rural children.

Today, he serves as a Google Youth Advisor, and is preparing to launch SkillzoX — an AI-powered, low-bandwidth mentorship tool tailored for India’s rural internet realities. His journey reflects a philosophy that education is not just a ladder but a bridge — from poverty to possibility.

Mannat Samra: Humanising Justice and Empowering Refugees

Seventeen-year-old Mannat Samra is not waiting for adulthood to advocate systemic change. From working in prisons to counselling refugees, she has redefined what youth leadership can accomplish.

Through her social initiative Bridge, Mannat supports over 50,000 former prisoners, helping them find employment, reintegrate into society, and run small businesses. She also designed India’s first job portal tailored for ex-convicts — an innovative idea to combat stigma and restore dignity.

As a mentor to refugee students, she has helped many secure placements in top universities, including those overseas. Her food-tech project SustainaBite converts discarded food into high-protein flour, combining sustainability with hunger alleviation.

Her AI-based innovation SecureSense has been developed to monitor and protect vulnerable border communities. Mannat’s idea incubator, in turn, has nurtured dozens of youth-led ventures, ranging from environmental awareness to legal literacy.

She plans to scale her work across juvenile centres and correctional institutions, with one mission: to offer second chances where the world offers none.

Shivansh Gupta: Redefining Inclusion Through Economics and Empathy

At just 18, Haryana’s Shivansh Gupta is a published researcher, a tech innovator, and a voice for the invisible. His academic work focuses on unpaid labour and gender economics, examining how patriarchal norms affect national productivity and the valuation of care work.

However, Shivansh believes research must meet reality. He has trained over 40,000 rural women in financial literacy through state partnerships and NGOs.

His non-profit The Teen Debater has introduced critical thinking and debating skills to 10,000+ students from smaller towns, giving them tools to express and question.

Inspired by his great-grandfather’s battle with Parkinson’s disease, he designed ParkinStep — a $5 wearable that helps patients walk without stumbling. The device is now undergoing pilot trials.

An accomplished debater and musician, Shivansh has represented India at Harvard, Cambridge, and Oxford debate forums. His next mission is to expand his education model globally, especially for marginalised youth in under-resourced communities.

Dhiraj Gatmane: Bringing Dignity Back to Ageing

While most youth activism centres on education, climate, or gender, Dhiraj Gatmane from Dadra and Nagar Haveli chose to focus on elderly welfare — an area rarely championed by teenagers.

His initiative Second Sunrise has impacted over 3.5 million elders across 20 countries, offering health screenings, digital literacy, and shelter support.

Among his key innovations:

• 350 eco-friendly homes built using recycled materials
• 150,000 elders trained in tech literacy using e-waste-powered pods
• A network of intergenerational volunteers connecting young and old to exchange skills, stories, and support

Despite living with a chronic illness and financial limitations, Dhiraj has published AI-based elder-care research at Oxford and Imperial College London. He now plans to deploy drone-powered mobile labs, augmented reality heritage walks for the aged, and a youth-elder NFT art exchange programme.

Dhiraj believes that innovation must reflect society’s forgotten corners. His is a movement of memory, wisdom, and relevance — in a world obsessed with youth.

Jahaan Arora: Nourishing Bodies, Minds, and the Planet

Jahaan Arora’s journey began with a small donation to feed HIV-positive children. That spark became a fire. Today, his campaign 1 Million Meals has served over 950,000 meals to children affected by HIV/AIDS and cerebral palsy across India.

Awarded a $440,000 grant by the Azim Premji Foundation, Jahaan’s programme includes nutritional support, mentorship, and medical aid.

But Jahaan did not stop there. He co-founded $ocialCred$, a unique time-banking platform where young volunteers trade service hours for mentorship credits, skill workshops, and career guidance. Over 11,900 students from five countries now use the platform, having clocked 168,000+ hours of civic contribution.

Through his initiative Trash Mafia Kids, Jahaan has diverted 20 tonnes of waste from landfills and educated thousands on sustainability.

His next goal? To reach 1 million meals served and 1 million volunteer hours by 2030 — a decade-long commitment to service, inclusion, and environmental care.

What Sets These Students Apart?

At a time when the world is grappling with economic uncertainty, climate disruption, and social unrest, these young individuals are demonstrating the power of thoughtful, community-driven innovation.

Here’s what makes their achievements even more noteworthy:

• They are all under 21.
• They work across health, education, environment, technology, justice, and elderly welfare.
• Their work spans rural India and global platforms, combining hyperlocal insight with international collaboration.
• Most of their ventures are self-started, driven by lived experiences rather than institutional support.

These students are not waiting for opportunities; they are creating them.

Education: A Force for Real-World Change

Beyond GPAs and test scores, the Global Student Prize celebrates education as a driver of transformation. All five Indian finalists show how academic excellence, when merged with compassion and grit, can shape public policy, revive traditions, empower communities, and design the future.

Their stories underscore the need for:

• Equitable access to digital tools and global networks
• Interdisciplinary learning, combining science with empathy
• Mentorship ecosystems, connecting youth across borders
• Recognition for under-represented sectors like elder care, reintegration, and sustainability

A Global Vision Rooted in Indian Soil

India’s representation among the top 50 of the Global Student Prize is no accident. With its growing youth population — over 600 million under the age of 25 — India is not just the largest democracy but also a powerful incubator of ideas.

These students carry forward a legacy of thinkers, reformers, and dreamers. But what makes them unique is their urgency to act now, not years later.

Whether it is designing low-cost health tech, rebuilding tribal homes, or feeding a million mouths, they are building a new vocabulary of change — one that is rooted in local challenges but speaks a global language of impact.

The Future is Already Here

Each of the five finalists reminds us of a profound truth: you do not have to wait to lead. In a world craving authenticity, compassion, and results, these young minds are showing how to live purposefully.

As the Global Student Prize 2025 enters its final stage, the world watches closely. But win or not, these five students have already earned a victory far more significant than any title — the power to inspire.

And as members of the Indian diaspora, we salute not just their intellect, but their empathy.

Disclaimer: All factual data and student achievements presented in this article are based on publicly available information and official shortlisting details for the Global Student Prize 2025. This article is independently written by the WFY Bureau Desk and does not quote any individual or organisation directly. The views and interpretations are editorial reflections for academic and cultural awareness purposes.