Voices of Bharat
Yuva for Sustainability
A nationwide initiative launched on World Environment Day on 5th June 2025 to build capacity of youth in storytelling through radio programmes, podcasts, videos and text-based content to create awareness in people and inspire environmental action to build a sustainable India
A nationwide initiative launched on World Environment Day on 5th June 2025 to build capacity of youth in storytelling through radio programmes, podcasts, videos and text-based content to create awareness in people and inspire environmental action to build a sustainable India
Vishvakarma Skills University, Jaipur, is a state university mandated to maintain the quality and standards of skill education and to extend the affiliation to the institutions of skill education in Rajasthan.
Haridev Joshi University of Journalism and Mass Communication (HJU), Jaipur, is a state university offering a host of courses in journalism, mass communication, advertising, public relations, new media and photography.
Miranda House is a constituent college for women at the University of Delhi offering a wide array of undergraduate and postgraduate courses. It is one of the top ranked colleges of the country.
Lok Samvad Sansthan is a non-governmental organisation based in Jaipur, dedicated to advancing social and development initiatives in media, education, and community engagement across Rajasthan and other parts of India.
The Sustainability Karma Podcast on All India Radio (AIR) is India's first and only such show featuring an Indian and global who's who on their mantra for accelerating sustainable development in India.
Ekta Foundation is dedicated to fostering growth and equality across society with its work in areas like education, sustainable livelihoods, environmental stewardship, women's empowerment and child development.
Prof Sudhi Rajiv serves as Vice Chancellor of Haridev Joshi University of Journalism and Mass Communication, Jaipur. Previously, she held leadership roles at Jai Narain Vyas University and served as a Senior Fulbright Fellow at Harvard University. Her academic focus includes African American literature and social justice.
Prof Dev Swarup is Vice Chancellor of Baba Amte Divyang University and holds additional charge as Vice Chancellor of Vishvakarma Skills University, Jaipur. A seasoned academic leader, he has served in key roles at the University Grants Commission and was the founding Vice Chancellor of Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar Law University.
Prof (Dr) Kandarpa Das, Vice Chancellor of Girijananda Chowdhury University in Guwahati, Assam is a distinguished academician, scholar and administrator. He was formerly Vice Chancellor of Krishna Kanta Handiqui State Open University. He is a prolific researcher in Russian Studies, Comparative Literature, Cultural Studies, and Open and Distance Learning.
Prof K G Suresh is Director of India Habitat Centre. With over three decades in journalism and media education, he has led institutions like Makhanlal Chaturvedi National University as its Vice Chancellor and the Indian Institute of Mass Communication as its Director General.
Prof Subhash Dhuliya, Former Vice Chancellor of Uttarakhand Open University, is a distinguished academician, researcher and administrator with over 40 years of experience. He has held prestigious positions at Indian Institute of Mass Communication, Central University of Rajasthan, Indira Gandhi National Open University and Sharda University.
Prof Bijayalaxmi Nanda is the Principal of Miranda House, University of Delhi. A Professor in the Department of Political Science at the college, she is also associated with government organisations and NGOs as an advisor on gender and policy for the youth. She has also assisted state governments in drafting policy related to women and girl child.
Prof Ashok Ogra is a distinguished media and management professional, now an educator, with over 40 years of experience at senior leadership positions, including at Doordarshan, Discovery Channel and Animal Planet. Presently, he is Advisor (Mass Communication) with the Apeejay Education Society and Honorary Advisor at Apeejay Stya University.
Prof Sanjeev Bhanawat, former Head of the Centre for Mass Communication at the University of Rajasthan, is a distinguished media educator and author. He founded the journal Communication Today and has guided numerous PhD. scholars, significantly contributing to journalism and mass communication education in India.
Dr Raj Bhandari is a public health expert and paediatrician with over four decades of experience. He serves as a Member of the National Technical Board of Nutrition and Health under NITI Aayog. His work focuses on sustainable health strategies and addressing undernutrition in India.
Naina Gautam is a senior journalist and editor specialising in sustainability, climate change, environment and ESG. An alumnus of both King’s College, and London School of Journalism, she has won global and Indian media fellowships from Terra.do and TERI. In an earlier stint with the Outlook Group, she anchored the sustainability vertical of Outlook Planet.
Prof Sudhi Rajiv serves as Vice Chancellor of Haridev Joshi University of Journalism and Mass Communication, Jaipur. Previously, she held leadership roles at Jai Narain Vyas University and served as a Senior Fulbright Fellow at Harvard University. Her academic focus includes African American literature and social justice.
Prof Dev Swarup is Vice Chancellor of Baba Amte Divyang University and holds additional charge as Vice Chancellor of Vishvakarma Skills University, Jaipur. A seasoned academic leader, he has served in key roles at the University Grants Commission and was the founding Vice Chancellor of Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar Law University.
Prof (Dr) Kandarpa Das, Vice Chancellor of Girijananda Chowdhury University in Guwahati, Assam is a distinguished academician, scholar and administrator. He was formerly Vice Chancellor of Krishna Kanta Handiqui State Open University. He is a prolific researcher in Russian Studies, Comparative Literature, Cultural Studies, and Open and Distance Learning.
Prof K G Suresh is Director of India Habitat Centre. With over three decades in journalism and media education, he has led institutions like Makhanlal Chaturvedi National University as its Vice Chancellor and the Indian Institute of Mass Communication as its Director General.
Prof Subhash Dhuliya, Former Vice Chancellor of Uttarakhand Open University, is a distinguished academician, researcher and administrator with over 40 years of experience. He has held prestigious positions at Indian Institute of Mass Communication, Central University of Rajasthan, Indira Gandhi National Open University and Sharda University.
Prof Bijayalaxmi Nanda is the Principal of Miranda House, University of Delhi. A Professor in the Department of Political Science at the college, she is also associated with government organisations and NGOs as an advisor on gender and policy for the youth. She has also assisted state governments in drafting policy related to women and girl child.
Prof Ashok Ogra is a distinguished media and management professional, now an educator, with over 40 years of experience at senior leadership positions, including at Doordarshan, Discovery Channel and Animal Planet. Presently, he is Advisor (Mass Communication) with the Apeejay Education Society and Honorary Advisor at Apeejay Stya University.
Prof Sanjeev Bhanawat, former Head of the Centre for Mass Communication at the University of Rajasthan, is a distinguished media educator and author. He founded the journal Communication Today and has guided numerous PhD. scholars, significantly contributing to journalism and mass communication education in India.
Dr Raj Bhandari is a public health expert and paediatrician with over four decades of experience. He serves as a Member of the National Technical Board of Nutrition and Health under NITI Aayog. His work focuses on sustainable health strategies and addressing undernutrition in India.
Naina Gautam is a senior journalist and editor specialising in sustainability, climate change, environment and ESG. An alumnus of both King’s College, and London School of Journalism, she has won global and Indian media fellowships from Terra.do and TERI. In an earlier stint with the Outlook Group, she anchored the sustainability vertical of Outlook Planet.
In the Class of Climate Masters
Sustainability Simplified
From Ideas to Impact
We are delighted to present Masterclasses by the topmost sustainability experts from industry and academia ranging from Dr Arvind Bodhankar, Dipankar Ghosh, Dr K K Upadhyay, Santhosh Jayaram and Shailesh Haribhakti to Prateek Raj. These sessions are designed to give you both the big picture and the fine print, cutting through jargon, demystifying complex issues and connecting these directly to everyday challenges. Whether you are a student or a young professional, these masterclasses will make sustainability communication clearer, relatable and actionable.
Stay tuned in.
Dr Arvind Bodhankar is the Chief Sustainability Officer at ArcelorMittal Nippon Steel. A seasoned professional specialising in ESG, CSR, strategy, corporate governance, and risk management, he has spent 15 years as a C-suite executive at Dalmia Bharat Group, UltraTech Cement and Tata Motors. He has worked across sectors and industries in both national and multinational contexts. He has a doctorate in climate science and marketing.
Dipankar Ghosh is a Partner & Leader in the Sustainability & ESG services. He has more than 35 years of experience in leading solutions and teams around the subject matter of Sustainability and Human Development, Climate Change, ESG, resource efficiency, sustainable technology, renewable energy and climate financing. He has advised corporates, governments, multilateral and bilateral agencies as well as not-for-profits on sustainability related matters.
Dr K K Upadhyay is the Chairperson of the Centre for Sustainability & CSR at BIMTECH. A nationally recognised sustainability thought leader with over four decades of cross-sectoral experience across governments, non-profits, corporates and academia, he mentors institutions and youth on responsible leadership, green innovation and inclusive development. He is the former head of the FICCI Aditya Birla CSR Centre for Excellence.
Santhosh Jayaram is Adjunct Prof of Practice at Amrita School for Sustainable Futures, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetam. He has helped the early-stage development of standards in the field of sustainability functioning as a member in the standard development committees of GRI and AccountAbility. He was a member of the ESG advisory committee, and also the Social Stock Exchange advisory committee set up by SEBI.
Shailesh Haribhakti is a pioneering advocate of ESG, CSR and sustainability, with a five-decade career as a chartered and cost accountant. As the chairman of ESG, CSR, and sustainability committees across leading boards, he drives green transformation and shared value creation. He champions the integration of technology with sustainability through his groundbreaking “Innovate to Zero” concept.
Prateek Raj is an Associate Professor of Business Management and Health Sciences at University College London (UCL) in the UCL Global Business School for Health. He earned his doctorate from UCL and his B.Tech. from the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IITD). Previously, served as an Assistant Professor of Strategy at IIM Bangalore, founding the Inclusive Markets Lab. He writes regularly for Bloomberg, Forbes, Indian Express and Times of India.
Raising environmental awareness among students isn't just education—it's an investment in Earth's future. By teaching them to create digital content, we enable them to amplify crucial sustainability messages. This fusion of creativity and responsibility helps ignite global consciousness, mobilizing communities to rethink, rebuild, and regenerate our world before it’s too late.
Equipping students with knowledge and digital skills to tackle climate change is crucial for a sustainable future. By becoming storytellers of the planet’s challenges and solutions, youth can ignite awareness, inspire action, and drive innovation. Through science-based, empathetic, and hopeful digital narratives, they transform from passive observers into active changemakers.
Students are the architects of tomorrow. Educating them on sustainability and equipping them with digital tools transforms them into climate ambassadors. With informed hearts and skilled hands, they can craft content that informs, inspires, and mobilizes millions—turning digital platforms into global arenas for environmental justice and ecological regeneration.
Future-proofing our planet begins in the classroom. Immersing students in environmental realities and building their capacity to translate complex issues into engaging digital content is paramount. This dual approach – thematic depth and technical prowess – will unlock their potential to mobilize communities and spark the collective action needed for a resilient and sustainable Earth.
Rajiv Tikoo is a senior development journalist and editor. He has worked at leadership positions at the Outlook Group, The Financial Express, UN Millennium Campaign and OneWorld South Asia. He is presently the Producer of the Sustainability Karma Podcast on AIR.
Kalyan Singh Kothari is Secretary, Lok Samvad Sansthan, which is a nonprofit organisation working with government, UN agencies and educational institutions in leveraging communication for sustainable development in Rajasthan and the country at large.
Voices of Bharat
Yuva for Sustainability
A nationwide initiative to empower youth to use the power of storytelling to inspire environmental action.
To commemorate World Environment Day on 5 June, a nationwide initiative titled Voices of Bharat: Yuva for Sustainability has been launched with the objective of building capacity of students to harness the power of storytelling to create mass awareness leading to environmental and climate action across India.
Aligned with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision for environmental stewardship, the initiative seeks to support the realisation of national goals such as Mission LiFE (Lifestyle for Environment), Panchamrit commitments, Net Zero targets, and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
This initiative seeks to build the capacity of country’s youth in producing compelling podcasts, videos, and digital stories that can sensitise the wider public on the urgent challenges of climate change, environmental degradation, and sustainable living.
ARE YOU A YOUNG CHANGE MAKER WITH A PASSION FOR STORYTELLING AND SUSTAINABILITY?
Join the Voices of Bharat: Yuva for Sustainability initiative to build the capacity of youth across India in environmental storytelling.
The initiative aims to harness the creative power of India’s youth through podcasts, videos, digital content and radio programmes to create awareness in masses and inspire them to take environmental and climate action.
INTERNSHIP
Voices of Bharat: Yuva for Sustainability offers internships to students from across the country to learn from stakeholders who are marshalling India’s journey towards becoming a climate-just society.
Deadline: 29 June 2025
For queries, write to info@yuvaforsustainability.com.
YUVA SUSTAINABILITY CHAMPION AWARDS
Students are invited to submit YouTube shorts that showcase creative ideas, actions or messages to advance environmental and climate action for building a sustainable world.
These social media videos can win them awards endorsed by top players in the environmental and climate action sector as well as strengthen their case for bagging internships in the industry, government or NGOs.
Specifications
What is in it for students?
Guidelines
Terms & Conditions
Voices of Bharat: Yuva for Sustainability offers internships in two phases, the first of which has been launched on the World Environment Day 2025.
WHAT WE’RE LOOKING FOR
We invite proposals from students and youth between 18 and 29 years of age who are interested in climate action. The internship involves
WHAT YOU GET
SPECIAL OPPORTUNITY
Exceptional interns will be selected for:
Supported by
© 2025 Voices of Bharat: Yuva for Sustainability
