DU student turns British High Commissioner for a day! | Latest News Delhi - Hindustan Times
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DU student turns British High Commissioner for a day!

BySanchita Kalra
Oct 13, 2021 01:49 PM IST

20-year-old Aditi Maheshwari, a student of Bachelors in Physical Science from Miranda House, University of Delhi caught a glimpse of diplomat life as the British High Commissioner for the day

It’s not everyday you that you get to be numero uno at British High Commission in the Capital. But for 20-year-old Aditi Maheshwari, a student of Bachelors in Physical Science from Miranda House, University of Delhi, it was a dream come true.

Alex Ellis, British High Commissioner to India with Aditi Maheshwari, winner of the British High Commissioner for a Day competition (PHOTO: Raajessh Kashyap/HT)
Alex Ellis, British High Commissioner to India with Aditi Maheshwari, winner of the British High Commissioner for a Day competition (PHOTO: Raajessh Kashyap/HT)

From attending meetings with senior-level diplomats to learning about professional responsibilities, she caught a glimpse of diplomat life as the British High Commissioner for the day. Maheshwari who hails from Chittorgarh, Rajasthan won this year’s High Commissioner for a Day contest, which is held annually by the High Commission, in celebration of International Day of the Girl Child (October 11) for young girls aged 18-23 to head the diplomatic mission for a day.

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What helped Maheshwari’s selection from over 100 entries was her befitting answer to ‘How can young people best support tackling the global challenge of climate change?’ She says, “I think every problem has an opportunity and the problem can be solved by us. So we are the solution.” She also reveals that it was her father who motivated her to participate in the competition.

Maheshwari, who aspires to become an Indian Administrative Officer started her day as the commissioner at 8am with meetings followed by interactions with next gen women leaders from Delhi University and then a meeting with beneficiaries and staff, to understand the relations between India and the UK. She says, “I learnt a lot during the day about international relations and diplomacy. I got to know about the qualities that a leader needs to have.”

In between the packed day, she also taught new words in Hindi to Alex Ellis, British High Commissioner to India, who often posts videos of himself speaking in the language. He says, “That was a good ice breaker. She taught me words like umar (age), vidyarthi (student) and uttari (north).”

Talking about switching the roles for a day, he says,“She has been fantastic. She is very thoughtful, and showed great confidence. She’s also good at addressing groups. The world belongs to her and her generation. And it’s a great privilege for me to see it.”

Unveiling 'Elections 2024: The Big Picture', a fresh segment in HT's talk show 'The Interview with Kumkum Chadha', where leaders across the political spectrum discuss the upcoming general elections. Watch now!
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