SHUBHAM SINGH RAWAT

A law graduate brough up in the outskirts of Ghaziabad located in Western Uttar Pradesh have been exposed to problems at the grass-root level since my early days. I come from a lower-middle-class family where my father and mother have been an active member of society as per their professional capacities.

I, along with my parents see education as a key instrument of social change in today's era. This quest led me to get my graduation done from one of the premier legal institutes of the nation - National Law University, Lucknow wherein I completed my graduation in Business Law. In the final years of my graduation, I deferred placements and devoted my time and energy in preparation for the Civil Services examination; pursuing my dream to contribute towards society as a civil servant, working for the people, bridging the gap between policymakers and beneficiaries.

During my college days, I have had the opportunity for working as a legal intern in a non government organization – PUCL (People’s Union for Civil Liberties), Delhi towards imparting legal aid for the deprived and marginalized sections of society. As an active legal intern, I researched the social issues of the marginalized communities including the organization of surveys at different localities, visiting at Tihar Central Jail and Juvenile Justice Board for providing free legal aid to the under-trial convicts. Collaborating with organizations under such initiatives lead me to widen my horizon by coming up with intuitive approaches for skill development especially amongst the underprivileged sections of the society.

Along with the development of social issues in society, my focus was always on evolving problem solving ability and critical thinking skills along with enhancing my soft skills of being self-aware, curious and creative. I cultivated the necessary communication, research and relationship building skills during my last internship programme at a