Nidhi Gautam, a 19-year-old Delhi University student from Karnataka, took charge as the British High Commissioner to India for a day in New Delhi. The initiative was undertaken as part of the International Day of the Girl 2024 on October 11. The teenager got to understand the India-UK partnership up close as she interacted with senior diplomats and gained insights into key aspects like trade, climate action, and education. Meanwhile, Lindy Cameron served as the day's Deputy High Commissioner.
How Nidhi Gautam Got To Be British High Commissioner
As part of the annual High Commissioner for a Day competition, Nidhi Gautam from Karnataka was chosen as a winner. The British Commission revealed the result on October 10 in a post on Instagram. "An aspiring diplomat, Nidhi envisions a world where a modern Britain-India collaboration on technology can empower future generations," the statement read.
Gautam is pursuing her Bachelor of Arts degree in history and geography from Miranda House, Delhi University. As part of her role as ‘High Commissioner for a Day’, she began her day with a briefing over breakfast, understanding the UK-India bilateral relationship, followed by a visit to the National Centre for Assistive Health Technologies at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Delhi, and then the National Institute of Immunology.
Some of the crucial meetings of Gautam's day included a delve into the recently announced UK-India Technology Security Initiative at IIT-Delhi and a look at vaccine developments in India at the NII. She also explored innovations in assistive technologies solar energy, biotechnology, ‘femtech’, and social change. Gautam described her day as a "transformative experience that left a lasting impact" on her.
The British High Commission said in a social media statement, "The UK is committed to engaging with girls and shifting our power to them as change-makers and future leaders. Protecting and promoting freedoms for women and girls in the UK and around the world is the right and smart thing to do; it is integral to creating resilient economies and strong, free societies."
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