Report : Summer Internship Program - 2012

The internship program in the summer of 2012 was the first time that the interns were required to stay together on one campus, the IIT Kanpur Campus. Except for some minor hiccups in coordination with the hostel facilities in the first couple of days, the program went on very well and as planned. The program itself is evolving based on the experiences gained and on feedback received from interns, coordinators, mentors and facilities providers. Rakshak provided personalized attention and learning to each intern through several personalitybuilding activities, well-planned sessions on the weekends offering a rich mix of Workshops, Guest Talks, Documentary sessions and group activities such as excursion trips or movie shows. After completing this internship, interns left with a broader global perspective of governance and a deeper understanding of best practices for todays society.

The various aspects of the internship program that contributed to its success are:

Exceptional Mentors
We are proud to have guidance of exceptionally bright mentors for the interns. These mentors have expertise in their fields and have a deep understanding of the social sector. Some of them are well known for their innovative contributions to the social reforms, while others are engaged in promoting good governance and a positive change in the society by advising the society, industry and the governments. Our mentors, mostly professors of elite institutions and universities in India like IITs, IIMs and senior civil service officials, have been involved in betterment of the society for a long time either directly or indirectly.

Dedicated Program Coordinators The Internship Program was run under the continuous supervision of a band of dedicated coordinators who were present throughout all the learning sessions and other activities. They were easily approachable and helped each intern so that he/she could devote total attention to their projects. The coordinators not only helped with problems relating to their comfortable stay

but also kept tab on ensuring proper communication between interns and mentors and kept the Rakhak management updated with the progress of each intern ensuring timely intervention as and when required.

Learning with Fun

We believe that learning should not be limited to class room sessions. It is more about individual participation in various activities in and outside of the class room. So, we organize various group activities, documentary sessions, local tours and picnic with the motive to increase the interaction among the interns which helps knit them into a homogeneous group and make the Program a joyful experience.

Stay at IIT Kanpur Campus

We understand the need of facilities to do research, so all the interns were provided with accommodation facility in the IIT Kanpur campus. It is a very beautiful campus with all of the necessities available inside the campus itself. Besides, all the necessary facilities were made available by the institute administration like PK Kelkar library (Asias biggest technical library), round the clock internet connectivity in the hostel rooms and in the assembly room, help and guidance from the faculty members of the institute as and when required and so on.

Field Visits
Field visit is another important aspect of the program. We encourage field visits as a part of the research as field visit depicts the ground level scenario of any social problem. Above all, these visits give a unique opportunity to interact with senior govt. officials and civil servants like Director of SEBI, TERI, IGs, etc.

Workshops Workshops organized during the internship program inculcate in students the necessary knowledge which empowers them in their vision of creating better life for every citizen of India. RTI Workshop: An RTI

workshop was conducted by Nawal Agrawal, a fellow intern from IIT Kharagpur intern at and Chief

Rakshak

Information Commission in New

Nawal Agarwal addressing interns during RTI

Delhi under the mentorship of Sh. Sailesh Gandhi, Chief Information Commissioner. He is making a documentary on the RTI Act and has an experience of filing over 300 RTIs in past couple of years. He delivered a lecture on the structure of the law, its efficacy to tackle with inefficient government machinery and corrupt officers and the technicalities of filing an RTI query. A documentary showcasing the genesis of RTI act and the struggle of Sh. Anna Hazare and his aides who vehemently advocated for it in Maharashtra was featured too. All interns then filed an RTI query related to their project topic and described it as an amazing experience, since none of them had filed an RTI query ever before. Data and/or facts received from the government department as a reply within 30 days of filing of application helped all the interns in substantiating the respective research projects. 1.1 Documentary

During the internship program Nero's Guest by P. Sainath was screened and the reason why this documentary was screened because it needs to be widely circulated, watched and talked about, as much as possible; so that everyone gets to see it. The documentary made interns aware of the corruption and degeneration of mainstream media which does not cover anything that is not breaking news or that is not considered glamorous enough to catch eye balls. For this obvious reason, Neros Guests has been completely ignored by the mainstream media (both print & electronic) and is not given its due space & visibility. 1.2 Team Building Outings

Rakshak Foundation tries its best to simulate a holistic learning environment which can never be complete without some light moments where interns could relax and bond with each other rather personally than professionally. This helps create a better partnership among students at work and help them open out to each other for exchanging ideas and help. Some of the highlight trips organized for the interns last year included an excursion trip to Bithoor, a popular tourist destination on the banks of Ganges and an important centre of Indias Freedom Struggle. Field Gun Factory: Information cum exhibition tour was organized to this state-of-the art ordnance manufacturing unit situated in Kanpur. Interns described it as a once in lifetime opportunity to have such a close look at the modern artillery and returned proud of the Indias strides in the modern warfare capabilities.

Interns having a fun time at Bithoor

Movie Show and Dinners: Interns were also taken out for dining together on a few occasions and once went to watch a movie together. This provided some relaxing moments in an otherwise hectic and rigorous work schedule.

Guest Lectures Eminent personalities were invited to deliver guest lectures on weekends on various social issues. This also gave the interns a rare opportunity to have a glimpse of the experience of highly accomplished personalities and have an interactive session with the guest following the lecture. Following speakers were invited: Prof. Anandita Chakraborty: The training session conducted by Prof. Anandita Chakraborty was one of the first special session after the commencement of the program. The session was organized with the purpose of teaching the interns finer techniques of conducting sociological research. The professor discussed nuances of Research Methodology to help the interns start their projects with a proper direction and conduct a focused study.

Shri Anil Gupta, Social Entrepreneur: IIT-K alumnus Sh. Gupta is the founder of Parivartan - a citizen's forum for change in Kanpur. He pioneered the waste management system in Kanpur and has mobilized several local communities to turn waste lands and dumping grounds into children parks. He talked about the role of social entrepreneurs and citizens in development.

Sh. Salil Dave, Director Microsoft: Sh. Dave, an alumnus of IIT-K, IIM-A and the Harvard University started off his career as an Indian Revenue Services Officer. He later switched to the corporate sector holding positions across sector Government Harvard University; and currently working as Managing Director Microsoft. He talked how the perspective gained during young age becomes a companion in anyones journey through life.

His Excellence Shri Skand Ranjan Tayal: Former Ambassador of India to Republic of Korea Sh. Tayal is an alumnus of IIT-K and has served Indian Missions in Sofia, Warsaw, Geneva and Moscow. He was Indias Consul General in Johannesburg and Houston. He gave a lecture on Improving Service Delivery to Citizens where he shared his experience as Chief Passport Officer of India. He introduced computerization and Tatkal Scheme for fast track issue of passports.

Shri Piyush Anand, I.G. Kanpur Zone: Alumnus of IIT-D, Piyush Ji shared his thoughts and valuable insights on

collusive patterns of corruption in society and looking at it from supply side. The lecture was very informative and shared a different picture altogether. The facts and figures mentioned in his presentations made everyone aware of the other side of the corruption story.

Interns Speak

There was no better way to utilize the summers Shashwat Babu - IIT Roorkee

The zenith of learning! Munish Rathore - Hindu College

A program that identifies your passion for the benefit of society Parmesh Gupta - IIT Delhi

A feeling of community with individual purposes/pursuits Lasya Vyakaranam - Symbiosis Law College

Informative and thought provoking Shreya Som - Campus Law Centre

An effort to achieve a better today and tomorrow Aarushi Kehr - NMIMS University

Mind boggling experience Nikita Anand - NLU, Bhopal

It was stimulating, encouraging and thought provoking Faizan Khan - IIT Kharagpur

An amazing learning experience Sauradip Sen - IIT Bombay

This is a serious program to develop a detailed understanding of governance Nawal Kishor - IIT Kharagpur

A platform to realize and combat issues that plague the society Jessica Bernard - IIT Madras

An amazing experience that propelled me to learn and gain life changing experience AdwaitRaghuvanshi - IIIT- Allahabad

Very effective and can make a great impact! Samya Mishra - IIT Roorkee

Beautiful Concept and a great platform to learn Arpan Jain - IIT Kanpur

A program which made me inspired and which identified my passion Arshaq M - IIT Delhi

An opportunity to see the policymaking process closely Manish swami IIT Bombay

Drive towards making responsible citizen by creating awareness about system ShivanshuSingla - IIT Kanpur

Very motivational towards societal aspects and awareness of Problems SurendraBabu - IIT Kanpur

A well organized program which provides good learning experience AseemKhattri - IIT Kanpur

Well thought out, relevant, real projects, eminent mentors and guests SohamAdla - IIT Kanpur

2.1

Intern Feedback

I am better informed about my rights as a citizen

I feel more responsible towards my duties as a citizen

9%

6% Yes Neutral No 85%

17% Yes Neutral No 83%

During the course of Internship I learnt in depth about the social issue I was assigned

Weekly Intern presentations helped me understand other social issues I was not aware of before

6% Yes Neutral No 94%

3% 20% Yes Neutral No 77%

I am an aware citizen than before

Internship Program delivered what all it promised

11% Yes Neutral No 89%

3% Yes Neutral No 97%

Mentors Speak

I liked the program a lot, specially because of the fact that it intends to make the youth not only aware of the ground level reality that obtains in India today, but also provides them with a platform to turn things around in the desired Mr.MilindoChakrabarti, direction. the interns I interacted with are really Professor, School of Business Studies, keen to face the challenge and they all have Sharda University shown enough capabilities to be abler to overcome them. A fabulous program by Rakshak. One internship project like this can be a lifetime experience for students!

Ms.Rita Singh, Social Worker and Researcher

Being part of this program is definitely a great experience. It is an honest attempt to find solutions from these young, undiluted, and enthusiastic minds to the persistent issues of our society. They come up with surprising findings to mind blowing solutions which our policy makers

must take note of. The kind of effort some of Ms. Nisigandha Bhuyan these interns put in is really commendable Assistant Professor, IIM Calcutta

3.1

Mentor Feedback

Would you like to be a mentor next year again?

Definitely 0% Willing, but subject to availability No

50%

50%

Would you be able to help your intern in publishing the research work in a journal or conference ?

13% 12%

Yes Not Publishable 75% Busy, Can't

Guests Speak

Young Interns are speaking confidently on subjects which require vast experience and knowledge. These young boys & girls will be a catalyst for social change Amitabh Yash DIG Kanpur Zone An outstanding initiative with lots of potential to mobilize the energy and enthusiasm of youth in constructive channels SkandTayal - Former Indian Ambassador to Korea

I strongly agree with the methodology and processes adopted by the foundation. It is a good initiative to engage bright minds with contemporary problems at a national and societal level Manoj Singh Advisor, Planning Commission (IAS)

Way Forward

It is amazing to see how much work, energy, enthusiasm is packed into the internship by a bright young motivated individual to produce many innovative, practical and simple solutions to address the real life social problems. The mentors also derive immense satisfaction in guiding such devoted interns. It is extremely satisfying for them to see a clear possibility of a social problem being addressed and the knowledge being used to this end. Rakshak Foundation is in the process of sharing the reports and findings resulting from the work of the interns with the concerned Government Departments and Agencies. The Internship Program provides a win-win opportunity to all- The Interns, the Mentors, the Rakshak Foundation, the Society and the Nation. The Interns get the opportunity to work on a real life social problem without interfering with their degree programs. They refine their communication skills, project report writing and presentation skills, get to meet high officials and understand how governance happens, and get a feeling of having contributed to solving a social problem. We at Rakshak Foundation believe that this Summer Internship Program has tremendous potential to help improve governance and in improving the harmony between the public and the

Government. A lot of the disaffection towards the Government and the bureaucracy in the minds of the general public, stems partly from a lack of clear perception about the complexities of the problems and issues. We feel, this situation gets addressed as the Interns interact with the Government officials and learn how policies are made and decisions are taken. The Problems assigned to the interns are formulated through extensive consultation with the Mentors, from the knowledge and understanding of the social and national problems by the Rakshak team and from the important issues discussed in the media. We feel there is ample room for the State and Central Governments to also propose problems on which these young enthusiastic interns can work and propose innovative solutions for implementation.

Rakshak Foundation is very well recognized amongst a large number of premier educational institutions as an organization working towards involvement of youth in nation building. We select the interns from these institutions who are highly motivated and have been involved in social issues. We invite specific problems from the UP Government that they would like to be assigned to the interns in the coming years. We would also like a list of senior public officials who would be willing to associate with the interns as mentors. The outcomes of this partnership between the Rakshak Foundation and the Government can be showcased through appropriate media coverage for more harmonious relationship between the Government and the Governed.

Projects and Mentors - 2012

1. Scorecard for Journalists- Judging the Journalists Shri Harish Krishnan -Software Engg Management, Entrepreneur 2. Ananlysis of voting patterns among youth and women Smt Sumita Misra -Chief Electoral Officer, Government of Haryana 3. Anti corruption the efficacy of it by using provisions of criminal justice system Shri Amrit Mohan Prasad -Indian Police Service (IPS), Government of Orissa 4. Economic and political effect of Naxalite problem and it's current and future impact Shri Amrit Mohan Prasad -Indian Police Service (IPS), Government of Orissa 5. Production and Marketing of Handicraft Goods - Opportunities and Challenges Smt Arti Ahuja -Secretary, Women and Child Development (Orrissa) 6. Improvement in infrastructure of local courts

Shri Sanjay Malhotra -Secretary, Government of Rajasthan, Income Tax Department 7. MGNREGA: A study of funds utilization and impact on poverty Prof Samar K Datta -Professor, IIM Ahmedabad 8. Research the existing gaps in primary and secondary education towards preparing our future citizens Prof Rajeev Sharma -Professor, IIM Ahmedabad 9. Inculcate and sustain Innovation into young minds through our educational system Prof Rishikesha T Krishnan -Professor, IIM Bangaluru 10. All Fresh graduates required to work in Public/private sponsored projects in rural area for minimum of 1 year. Prof Ms. Nimruji Prasad Jammulamadaka -Professor, IIM Calcutta 11. Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in retail: Activism, truth and the way forward Prof V K Unni -Associate Professor, IIM Calcutta 12. Government budget outlay and various schemes for primary education - Their impact and short-comings and how do these compare with China and Brazil Prof Ms. Nisigandha Bhuyan -Assistant Professor, IIM Calcutta 13. How does the trading in futures of commodities in India impacts the prices of essential commodities, who all benefit from it and what benefits/harms are expected if it is banned? Prof Raghabendra Chattopadhyay -Professor, IIM Calcutta 14. Judicial Accountability - Metrics to Judge the judges, feedback mechanism system Prof R. Rajesh Babu -Assistant Professor, IIM Calcutta 15. Strategies to preserve/document and patent the traditional knowledge of medicinal plants and herbs and traditional treatments for various ailments in India Prof R. Rajesh Babu -Assistant Professor, IIM Calcutta 16. Women reservation in panchayats and the reality behind it Prof Ms. Nisigandha Bhuyan -Assistant Professor, IIM Calcutta 17. A study of religious education hubs and their impact on the value system: Madarsas Ashrams/Matts Catholics Prof Anandita Chakrabarti -Associate Professor, IIT Kanpur 18. Development of a cost-effective solution to walking aid for the Visually Impaired Prof J. Ramkumar -Associate Professor, IIT Kanpur 19. Framework for the Right to Healthcare, Rising health care cost. Cost of treatment of some common diseases in rural, semi rural areas, mortality rate

Prof A.K Sharma -Professor, IIT Kanpur 20. Safety and Rights of Construction workers and their families Prof Rahul Varman -Professor, IIT Kanpur 21. Study the mechanisms and infrastructure for waste collection and disposal in your city and its successes and failures Prof Jayant K Singh -Associate Professor, IIT Kanpur 22. Effects of government policies, inefficiency, acquisition through support prices, its storage and distribution and it's effects on prices in last 4 years Prof Pulak Mishra -Associate Professor, IIT Kharagpur 23. Potential of the NSS to channelize youth energy towards upliftment of society. Some actual success stories and possibilities. Prof Prema Rajagopalan -Associate Professor, IIT Madras 24. Regulation of Water Usage Prof Ashwin Mahalingam -Assistant Professor, IIT Madras 25. Should India as a developing country bear the burden of environmental regulation Prof Sudhir Chella Rajan -Professor, IIT Madras 26. To Consider the Desirability of Compulsory 1-2 Years Service in Rural/Tribal Areas in Private/Public Sector Sponsored Schemes for all Fresh Graduates Prof John Bosco Lourdusamy -Associate Professor, IIT Madras 27. Forest Conservation Failures and Successes Shri Samir Sinha -Wild life conservation, Wild life traffiking, Indian Forest Service 28. Tackling Corruption from the supply side Shri P V Rama Sastry -National Intelligence Agency, Indian Police Service (IPS) 29. How to improve catering facilities in Indian Railways Shri Mukul Mathur -Asia Regional Unit of UIC, Indian Railway Services 30. Railway tracks waste management Shri Mukul Mathur -Asia Regional Unit of UIC, Indian Railway Services 31. The relevance, effectiveness and community support to COTPA 2003 Law and its regulations Shri Vinayak Mohan Prasad -World Health Organization (WHO), Indian Revenue Service 32. Right to Information Act - Solutions to issues in the field -Information Commissioner, Information Commission 33. Suggested Police reforms - reports to implementation

Shri P V Rama Sastry -Indian Police Service (IPS), National Intelligence Agency 34. Government schemes for the protection of tribal culture and their modernization Shri Col. P.S Bhatnagar -Director, Pacific Institute Of Tribal Development 35. Economic and Social analysis of Metro as a solution to urban transportation Shri Rakesh Ranjan -Director, Urban Housing and Development, Planning Commission 36. Research the effect of current real estate boom on resources of fresh air water and open green spaces in metropolitan India Rakesh Ranjan -Director, Urban Housing and Development, IAS, Planning Commission 37. Budgetary Trend Analysis Shri Sachin Bansal -Software Engg Management, Rakshak Foundation 38. Video Clip Competition Shri Sachin Bansal -Software Engg Management, Rakshak Foundation 39. Socio-Economic Impacts of Rural Roads on Rural Population: Analysis of PMGSY )Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojna) Scheme Smt Alka Upadhyaya -CEO, Rural Development Authority 40. How to effectively manage and execute addressing of public grevience Prof Milindo Chakrabarti -Professor, Sharda University 41. Process of Civil and Administrative reforms in India. Improvements and suggestions made, what got implemented and what did not and why? Prof Milindo Chakrabarti -Professor, Sharda University 42. Expedite police investigations, court procedures and trials by using advances in Information Technology Shri Ashish Gupta -Indian Police Service (IPS), Special Task Force, UP 43. Fatalities in Road Accidents a preventable tragedy Shri Dr. Manoj Singh -Advisor, IAS, Transport Planning Commission 44. Provide a well researched and surveyed proposal for functioning a Public library in your local city Smt Rita Singh -Social Researcher, WIZMIN