Mukta Das

Concerned citizen, Student

I am a 3rd year MBBS student at All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Bhubaneswar. I am currently the Literary Secretary of our students' association. I originally hail from a small town in Bihar but have spent my growing years in the national capital - Delhi. Currently I reside in the hostel campus of AIIMS Bhubaneswar. I'm always keen on exploring and learning new things. Hence, since my school days, I have always shown keen interest in various co curricular activities - may it be giving speeches, photographing a school event, contributing to the annual magazine, quizzing or even sports. I also learnt Kathak (Jaipur gharana) for 4.5 years and have also given group and solo performances. I am also an active member of the Bhubaneswar Poetry Club and have attended and participated in various of its events. I have not let go of this enthusiasm to explore various fields even in college where along with my academics, I am- involved in a research project, part of the students' association, admin of our literary and photography pages, member of the Medical Students Association of India (MSAI) and have volunteered for various on stage and off stage events. I even had the opportunity to be a volunteer at the previous TEDx event organized in our college.

I'm passionate about my work and my responsibility towards society. Talking about the first, I enjoy taking up new projects and exploring new fields. Since my school days, I have volunteered for various school activities like speeches, presentations, cultural programs, volunteering work during school events, school plays, quizzes and the students' executive. I have won various certificates across diverse fields throughout my school life and these experiences have helped me gain a wide range of perspective towards various aspects of life. Even in college, I've volunteered for a couple of scientific projects and for various college events - may it be through performing on stage or the backstage work in organizing. As the literary secretary of our students' association, I am keen on providing our students with an array of experiences and opportunities and this idea has manifested itself in the form of the first ever book/poetry club of our college and the first ever pride month celebration, within the first 2 months of my tenure. Talking about the second point in my opening sentence, I feel, as a well endowed individual, it is my duty to use my position and resources to reach out to the less privileged sections of our country. Hence, I have always tried to contribute towards social welfare through multiple ways (at least my humble minimum), some of which I mention now: -volunteering for a project called the 'Neighborhood Project' during my senior years at school. The project entailed providing the underprivileged children of that area with free and quality tuition and an opportunity for co-curricular development after regular school hours. - I was part of the community help group of our school that focused on spreading awareness about various social issues, volunteering for community activities and organizing fundraisers for certain NGOs. - I have taken up the responsibility of organizing orphanage visits in our college for two consecutive years during the festival of Diwali. - I have volunteered for a community based palliative care initiative started by our hostel committee (it will be implemented soon) - I have also been part of 'swachata' (cleanliness) awareness plays during my first year at college. - I have volunteered for organizing various MSAI (Medical Students Association of India) events that entail spreading awareness about various topics like gender equality, LGBTQ+ rights, sexual and reproductive health, blood donation, etc.

An idea worth spreading, I feel, is of sustainable development. Only recently we heard in the news how the world's largest glacier broke off and we have also seen how a tiny virus completely changed the dynamics of human life during the Covid-19 pandemic. Thus, it is only pertinent that we search for ways of living and for solutions to human problems in a manner that helps us survive in harmony with nature; we are dependent on nature, nature is not dependent on us. Keeping this thought in mind, I think an idea worth spreading is sustainable development. Bhutan has very beautifully managed to balance its economic development with the conservation of its natural riches and every country, taking inspiration from it, can think of ways to implement this idea in their own region according to the economic activities and natural resources available. For example, India being a country with such a large population generates a lot of waste every day and most of the towns and villages don't even have effective waste disposal, recycling and segregation units. Improper disposal of waste not only causes various diseases but also wastage of resources. Hence, every block in the country can come up with healthy minimal wastage ways of living (based on the practices and climate of that region) and engage the large unemployed population of the country in recycling, reusing and other such nature friendly industries. It can be as simple as storing water in earthen pots (traditional system) rather than plastic bottles or something as big as using sustainable fuel. These ideas, though they seem simple, are not easy to implement given the large rural population of the country and the growing trends of globalization and perceived comforts. But there are NGOs that are working towards this sustainable development, exemplified by the activities of DEEP foundation, who came up with ingenious ways for engaging the rural population in low cost innovative ways to balance development with sustainability. This coalition of sustainability with economic growth is an idea, I feel, that is worth spreading in a developing country like ours with its abundance of natural resources. It is very pertinent to also the field I am professionally associated with - a doctor is not a person with a scalpel in one hand and a prescription in the other, but a savior of the masses. Doctors should understand the social and environmental implications of their practices and should always strive for coming up with innovative methods that cause minimal environmental damage and maximum societal benefit.

Active member of MSAI (Medical Students Association of India), Kathak (one of the 8 Indian classical dances), Literary secretary of students' association of college, Spoken word poetry, Writing

My journey with TED began in 9th standard in school when they showed us a TED video on screen. It was very fascinating to learn that there exists a platform where people can come together, crossing barriers of region, religion, ethnicity and profession, to discuss new ideas and ventures that can have significant impact on the people and places around us. After that exposure, I started looking up TED and TEDx videos online and over the years, my mind got exposed to various ideas out there in the world - something that wouldn't have happened with regular textbook knowledge. I also came across TED-Ed and learned about various topics through that. Then in 2019, our seniors organized the first ever TEDx event in our college and after filling a screening form, I got the opportunity to volunteer for the event. We had guest speakers from diverse fields and our audience included both the faculty as well as the students. It was a great experience for all those present and many people cited post event that this was the kind of creative stimulation they needed to break the monotony of their work life and to come up with innovative plans to address the various issues pertaining not only to their professional lives but to the society at large. Seeing this drastic change of attitude in the medical fraternity of my college, I was motivated to conduct another TEDx event and I feel it should be done regularly as the need for innovation in the fields of medical science and public health is of utmost significance in today's era.

I think one thing that people don't know I am good at is singing. Listening to songs and trying to sing are some of my most soulful moments of the day. One of the main reasons people don't know about it is that this is one of the most coveted pleasures of my 'me-time' and hence I never felt the need to share it with others. It gives me peace and helps me clear my mind. Another thing is Yoga-asans; my father started teaching me yoga when I was in 9th standard. I have a fairly good idea of different asans and their benefits and try to practice them from time to time.