“Take up one idea. Make that one idea your life; dream of it; think of it; live on that idea. Let the brain, the body, muscles, nerves, every part of your body be full of that idea, and just leave every other idea alone. This is the way to success, and this is the way great spiritual giants are produced.” – Swami Vivekananda
I am always fascinated and inspired by the above quote by one of the best minds of India. His vision and ideas for nation building are still alive and are inspiring billions of youth like me across the world. India is called a youth nation where a considerable amount of the population belongs to the age brackets of 35 years of age. They have the potential, skills, and knowledge but sometimes they are not getting adequate exposure and freedom to express themselves and work on their ideas and vision due to various reasons.
Now think about a place where you get the required exposures, experiences, freedom and all other resources where you can pursue your goal and ideas for nation-building. This place is none other than O.P Jindal Global University (JGU). This place was a world within the world for me where I was able to pursue my goal of becoming a policymaker.
My journey to studying M.A in Public Policy started when I was in the final year of my graduation. I did my graduation in Economics from Loyola College. During my graduation, I had a chance to study a programme called Outreach where we had the chance to go to the slums to understand the policy and governance at the ground level. After completing my graduation, I started searching for a course on Masters’ in public policy and governance, and going through the internet I came to know about many colleges and universities who were offering the Masters course in Public Policy (M.A. PP) but I landed at the O.P Jindal Global University (JGU).
Going through the website and brochure of O.P Jindal Global University (JGU) for M.A Public Policy degree, I was so inspired and excited to see that the JGU has a state of art facilities, a global library with a global reading room and especially the great faculty members from across India and the world.
I was lucky enough to attend one of the prestigious courses which is M.A PP at the JGU from 2017-2019 where I did my concentration in Public health. Once I got admitted into the Jindal School of Government and Public Policy (JSGP) family and community, it helped me to transform myself completely in all aspects of my life, be it academically, personally or professionally. While doing my Postgraduate degree in public policy, it gave me international exposure and I did not have to look anything beyond that.
The course and curriculum of the public policy at the JSGP is a unique combination of contemporary economics and other branches of the social sciences along with various other domains that structure, impact and influence policymaking in the real world. It allowed me to learn and gain the required experience to look at any policy and governance issue from a multi-disciplinary approach. Because in the policy domain, it has been said that one size cannot fit for all. It allows the students to explore and adopt the different methods to solve public policy issues. I had the privilege of attending classes by the best and highly qualified professors across India and the world. The faculty at the JSGP comes from a diverse disciplinary background with varied interests in public policy, economics, research and advocacy along with their exceptional and extraordinary educational background which is par with any benchmark university around the world. The faculty adopts a unique pedagogy to teach the students in the classroom but also enables them to gain practical skills and knowledge in the field of public policy. There are distinct features of the faculty at the JGU and JSGP as compared to other universities is their in-depth understanding of looking at the students as their kids and peers. It helps to minimize the gap between a student and the professor, which is much necessary for personality development and development as a young policymaker.
During my three years of career as a young policymaker who is at the stage of entering the field of policy, governance, and economics, I have been working and in touch with various stakeholders of the public policy ranging from the Chief Secretary, several bureaucrats (In-service/retired), Industry professionals, elected representatives and ground-level stakeholder who have a say in policymaking and agenda-setting. A Billion thanks to the JGU and JSGP to provide me such golden and extraordinary support as and when it is required for me to achieve my goal of becoming a policymaker to contribute to nation-building.
I would like to urge the young mind who is aspiring to become a policymaker that JGU and JSGP is the right and the appropriate place for you all. This is not less than the Indian model of Oxford and Harvard where your career will reach to the topmost level once you choose and open yourself up to an upward journey with us.
Mahatma Gandhi once said that “The Best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others”. Hence Join JSGP and JGU and make yourself happy and proud in the service of others and yourself.
The article is an experience sharing note by Vivekanand Jha, an alumni of Jindal School of Government and Public Policy.
The article and creatives are also curated by Content, and Advertising & Digital Strategy (ADS) Team of O.P. Jindal Global University.
