INDIA NEWS
Dec 16-31, 2020 - Vol 1, Issue 12
INDIANS IN AUSTRALIA
Aayushi Khillan proclaimed youth champion at prestigious Melbourne Awards 2020
I
ndian-Australian youth icon, Aayushi Khillan has been bestowed with the coveted youth champion award at the Melbourne Awards 2020 for her invaluable efforts to help young school students whose education was disrupted due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.
Aayushi who, along with her family, migrated to Australia from her home country India at the age of three is currently a scholarship-holding Biomedicine student at the University of Melbourne. This award is not the first one that she has been honoured with, as prior to this achievement she was also recently one of the youngest award winners among the 40 under 40 Most Influential Australian Asians 2020 for her dedicated endeavours in the field of education. Last year, following a campaign by the Victorian Student Representative Council, she was selected as the first student representative on
the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA), which advises on school texts, class content and assessments for every student in the state. Aayushi feels that being the sole student representative on the VCAA board, she has always acknowledged her crucial role but during the pandemic, her responsibilities became even more significant as students braved many challenges and obstacles due to the drastic changes brought on by the shift to online learning as normal classroom learning was rendered impossible due to the lockdown and social distancing norms. There were several requirements, specifically for Year 12 students not only in terms of learning on virtual platforms but also staying abreast of all the assignments and projects. Aayushi fulfilled her role by putting across the needs of the students to the board so that these are kept in mind while making changes to
the curriculum. She has also played an instrumental role in making the curriculum for Year 12 students more flexible and less stressful. Her recommendations to defer the examination and make the syllabus more streamlined will likely be an important factor in easing the struggles of the students, as the board has consented to consider these while making the final changes.
A trailblazer in the truest sense of the word, Aayushi has always been a strong advocate for inclusion of life skills in the school curriculum so that youngsters are armed with all the requisite expertise to carve a niche for themselves in the real world. She also feels that in the current scenario youngsters need to be aware of all the strategies to survive in a world reeling under the blow delivered by the coronavirus pandemic. Acting as a liaison between the students and the board, she has been
Aayushi Khillan interacting with the students to comprehend the issues that they are facing and conveying the same to the board.
and is also one of the members of a committee which has been planning to include a pandemic module in the school curriculum.
Apart from her work with VCAA, Aayushi has also been working as the executive officer for a not-for-profit organization, Bodyworks. In her role as the executive officer, she has been visiting primary schools to spread awareness about health
The youth icon who considers US Vice President-elect Kamala Harris as her role model, aspires to set an example for others and continue her good work of championing the struggles of youngsters and empower them.
the local community.
host of other events.
He talked about initiatives taken by the Indian community with the support of the local community in organizing events such as Holi celebrations, India’s Independence Day celebrations, Yoga, Diwali Mela, NAARI on International Women’s Day and a
He talked about how their initiatives are also helping job seekers among the Indian students in Australia. He also informed of an Indian Community Centre being launched in Western Australia, the first of its kind in Australia.
Virtual conference discusses Indian diaspora’s vital role abroad A
virtual conference related to the ‘Role of Diaspora in Promotion of Indian Culture Abroad,’ was organized on December 8. The event was organised by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) and the Overseas Indian Affairs Division of the Ministry of External Affairs in partnership with the Diaspora Research and Resource Centre, Antar Rashtriya Sahayog Parishad. The conference is an essential part of the annual flagship Pravasi Bharatiya Divas. Speakers from various countries, including Australia, Mauritius, Kenya and many others, participated in the virtual conference. In his address, Dr Vinay Prabhakar Sahasrabuddhean, Member of Parliament and National Vice President of Bharatiya Janata Party, who is also President of ICCR, said that members of Indian diaspora wherever they are, must engage with the local community there. He said that Indian diaspora have an important role to play in promoting as well as in making people across the world understand Indian culture. For this he said that it is essential that Indian diaspora must engage with the local community, local media, academia and civil society. Addressing the conference Minister of Arts and Cultural Heritage, Government of Mauritius, Avinash Teeluck, spoke elaborately about the cultural
www.indianews.com.au
contributions of the Indian community in Mauritius, besides their other contributions.
In his address Minister of State for External Affairs, Government of India, V Muraleedharan said that the Indian diaspora is among the top and most successful expat communities globally. Referring to the Indian diaspora the minister said that the Indian diaspora is the second-largest worldwide, and that Indians aced various roles in the field of politics, economy, industry, technology, and education in different countries of the world. Despite migration for opportunities, the heterogeneous non-resident Indians were identified and united by their deep-rooted cultural inclination for their country and the sentimental values and emotions, the minister said. “I would like to recall the formations of Government under President Irfan Ali in Guyana and President Chandrikapersad Santokhi in Suriname,” Muraleedharan said. “Indian origin leaders have also done exceptionally well at the recentlyheld elections in the United States,” he said. He added, “There are leaders of Indian origin in Congress, Senate and scores have won seats in the State legislatures in the USA. We are all proud of their victories, congratulate them and wish them all success.”
The minister highlighted important positions held by the Indians abroad, such as the mediators, bridges, facilitators, lobby and advocacy groups who supported India’s national security and economic interests, all the while maintaining their ethno-cultural roots. “We were also looking forward to sharing with you in person the various policy initiatives for shaping the idea of “New India”, including the concept of Atmanirbhar Bharat,” Muraleedharan said to the virtual conference. Among the speakers representing Indian diaspora from various countries, one of them was Surya Ambati, who is a member of the Multicultural Advisory Board, Minister for Citizenship and Multicultural Interests, Government of Western Australia. He spoke on the topic ‘Role of Diaspora in Promotion of Indian Culture in Australia’. He highlighted the two main objectives of the activities of the Indian Diaspora in Australia: how can the members of the Indian diaspora integrate with the local community and what is the impact of such integration on
facebook.com/indianewsaustralia
18
