10 Most influential women student leaders of India-2017

So far, we have been coming across articles glorifying leaderships. But have you ever felt that those were all one sided?  None of them inculcated the contribution of women student leadership. Nor were they counted as ‘leaders’ so here, Aapka Times breaks the ice this time and releases the list of 10 most influential women student leaders of India- 2017 like every year!

1. Fathima Thahiliya
It was an history in Indian Union Muslim League,When Thahiliya was appointed as the first girl Vice president of MSF National Committee which was constituted in January of this year.She started her journey in active student politics,when she was appointed as General Secretary of Haritha State Committee which is the girls wing of MSF in 2011 and then she became the president of the committee from 2015. She was involved in works of msf from her schooling days, which shaped her interest. Her inspiration is her father Mr. Abdurahiman, who is an active leader of IUML of her village. He use to take his daughter for all the public programs happening in their village named peruvayal in Kozhikode district of Kerala. She had also served as an member of Gender Justice Committee constituted by Kerala Higher Education Council to study the gender issues of campuses across kerala State, which had later submitted the SAKSHAM report to the Kerala Government in 2016. She had pursued LL.B from Govt.Law College Kozhikode in 2015 and is currently a student of LL.M from Govt Law College,Thrissur,Kerala.

2. Janhawi Ojha
Janhawi is born in Chapara district of Bihar. She did B.Sc. and M.Sc. in Zoology from BHU.She is currently pursuing her Ph.D from School of Life Sciences,JNU. She is one of the vocal activists among the ABVP JNU Unit. She managed to grab the attention when she contested Presidential election in JNU Students’ Union and proclaimed herself as ‘Sherni’ during her presidential debate. She lost the election but She is leading her way in JNU despite of having a stronghold of left in the campus. She was the Culltural Secretary of ABVP in 2015. Unlike many others strong Political guns present in campus, Jahanvi come from Science background that makes her standout in the queue!

3. Kawalpreet Kaur
Kawalpreet Kaur, AISA’s Delhi University President, is a student of DU Law Faculty and considered as one of the most vocal voices in the campus. Despite coming from the Non-DUSU College like IPCW, she has been the associated with left leaning AISA since 2014. She had contested DUSU Elections in 2016 whereafter she had become a face of Left Student Politics in the capital. She has been one of the most articulate and consistent critics of anti Student CBCS.Kawalpreet as faced several attacks from opponents, one such was during Public Meeting Idea of University when ABVP attacked her physically. She had also leaded the famous Fight Back DU Movement after Ramjas Incident.

4. Kehkshan Khanam
Kehkashan Khannum hails from a small village of Uttar Pradesh, She completed her primary education from Madarsa and then moved to the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU) for further studies. Currently, She is a research scholar in AMU. Breaking the stereotypes, she emerged as one of the most influential student leaders in campus despite the fact that Politics at AMU is monopolized by fringe of seniors group. While at the same time regionalism plays a crucial role in the campus politics. She created history in 2014 AMUSU election by becoming first elected Cabinet in AMUSU. In the very next year, she became first girl in AMU history to contest central panel election in AMU as she contested for the post of Vice-President but could not manage to cross the winning mark. She has been academically good, religiously sound. She is also a national level debater who has won 9 prizes in debate for the university. She is Also member of CASHGF. Currently She is pursuing her PHD from AMU. She has also done her masters from AMU.

5. Mineshi Mishra

Mineshi Mishra is an Undergraduate student in Women’s College Banaras Hindu University. She dared to speak against age old sexist rules existing in the campus for girls and was also a part of the 24×7 library movement in the campus. After placing a lot of patience with the administration,when her demands were not accepted she approached media which was a transformative step in her opinion. But still She suffered a lot of backlash from the administration for standing up for her rights, the right for an increased assess to library, for extending the curfew timings for girls from 8 pm to at least 10 pm, basic infrastructure facilities like LAN. She condemns moral policing in the campus which includes everything from following a dress code to restrictions on usage of phones late at night. She protested for barring girl students from participating in any kind of protest by asking them to sign an undertaking which states that if they participate in any such activity their hostel seats will be cancelled. But even then when BHU VC denied to make any negotiations or flexibility with the existing rules., she had left with no choice but to write to the national women’s commission for their intervention in BHU regarding the sexist rules. Her fight for fundamental rights and restoration of gender equality in BHU gained much material support from students which was very evident from the comments on portal of change.org where she filed a petition regarding sexism in her campus which gained a wide support from all people,students and women activists across India.Even after so much of threats she had the courage to stand against the administration. She has gained popularity through her sincere efforts in trying to establish gender equality in education in her university campus and through her fierce speeches.

6. Priyanka Chhawri
Priyanka Chhawri is the current Vice President of the Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU). She is the most liked one and the most confident of the all the office bearers. She has been associated with the right wing student organisation ABVP from the last 6 years. Despite of having lack of female Faces in ABVP she has emerged as a strong , persuasive woman leader. She has also represented INDIA as National Leader in JAPAN in Ship for world youth leaders (SWY) program sponsored by Government of Japan and she is also being invited across India to talk on various issues! This Gurjar Girl has not just inspired many but also motivated the girls from her community to break the shackles and unleash their trueself. She has done her graduation in Mathematics from Lakshmibai College , University of Delhi, and currently pursuing her M.A in Buddhist Studies from Dept. Of Buddhist Studies, DU.

7. Sabika Abbas Naqvi
Sabika Abbas Naqvi is known for her fiery speeches. She writes feminist protest poetry and perform it during various protests. She is one of the leading lady behind Feminist movement “Pinjra Tod” which is leading all the fights for female students rights in university campuses. She was the students’ union president of Lady Shri Ram College, Delhi University during academic session 2014-15. She has been a speaker in many events including India Today Conclave 2017. She was also the President of Meghadoot Hostel, PG women’s hostel, DU. She has been horehound by many organisations for her activism. She was honored by the Dr. Bharat Ram award for leadership in 2014. She was also Facilitated by Khudai Khidmatgar on activism on World Minorities Day 2016. Currently She is pursuing M.A. (Modern Indian History) from Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Delhi. Earlier She has done B.A. (Hons.), History from Lady Shri Ram College, Delhi University.

8. Sadaf Nasar
Sadaf is a well known face in Jamia for her courageous work for Students collective benefit! Despite the fact that Jamia Millia Islamia is relatively less Politically Campus than DU or other like JNU, she came into forefront from the very First year of her college life.
Jamia being the minority Institution and often dubbed for its conservative atmosphere which discourage girls participation in Political Activism, Sadaf turns everyone wrong which proves how well she has been doing. It makes her more deserving for this list as she belongs to a conservative family of a small village of Bihar, Where families didn’t allow their girl child to receive education let alone be the activism.Currently she is the Joint secretary of Jamia Students forum and founding member of Jauhar study circle. Sadaf can be spotted in the campus of Jamia leading a number of students in various protests.

9. Shubhlakshmi
“When politics determines every necessities of the society,we should also determine the politics” keeping this slogan in mind shubhlakshmi started her student politics as a SFI activist in JB college,Jorhat Assam. she is a student of history honors in JB college,Jorhat Assam & hails from charaideo district of assam. It was one fine evening when some eve-teasers touched her improperly amidst the roads of jorhat town. It was her courage & fighting spirit that makes her to raised her strong voice both through social media & also legally by filling case on rigorous & regular eve-teasing on the roads of Jorhat, demanding gender sensitisation committee against sexual harassment within the education campuses & police patrolling within the streets. Along with SFI, thousands rallied on various places of the state both independently & under various student organisations of the state. Within a short period of time with outpouring public Support, the local govt was compelled to inact immediate actions & finally police patrolling was inacted in the streets of jorhat. More importantly the whole incident left an imprint in the minds of the young students, women & all sections of the society in the form of awareness towards fighting injustice.

10. Surbhi Dwivedi

Surbhi Dwivedi is a 25 year old Mass Media graduate, presently pursuing her MBA from Osmania University and Co-founder of an NGO, ‘You Foundation’. Coming from a Lower middle class non –political family in Mumbai, she started working at an early age along with her studies and activism. She  became a member of the National Students’ Union of India in 2009 and has been a student activist since, holding various leadership positions. She was elected as NSUI GS of K.J. Somaiya College in 2010. She protested against her own College administration on various issues and eventually went on to contest at the State level, becoming the National Delegate of NSUI with highest votes in 2012. She came into limelight when she ran a campaign called Lead Your Campus – a campaign aimed at identifying student leaders while furthering the agenda to ensure that University puts its budget in the public domain. She got appointed as the National Secretary of NSUI in December 2014 and is presently the Incharge of Goa State and National Incharge of RTI and Lead your Campus. She has previously been incharge of Daman & Diu, Dadra Nagar Haveli and Uttar Pradesh. She came up with the first ever Women’s Manifesto in Delhi University for DUSU elections. she started organising love parade celebrating the idea of liberalism to combat the regressive right wing agenda of control on Valentine’s Day.
Her NGO, ‘You Foundation’ is currently working for education of specially abled children in the slum areas of Mumbai. Through the NGO, she wishes to start a free sports training center for the street children. Her long term dream is to work in the rural area and develop a Model Village.
She represented the country in an all-party student politicos’ delegation to the United Kingdom in 2015.
Note: We have not considered the leaders who were listed in 2016

 

3 thoughts on “10 Most influential women student leaders of India-2017

  1. In 10 influentual womens leaders story most of the womens have never seen in student movenents. Kindky correct ur information

    1. We welcome your feedback and thanks for giving your valuable feedback. All the names are shortlisted from a long list of recommend names of influential female leaders by the survey in the Universities.

      We urge you to kindly tell us the name of female leaders from the list who had never been into campus movement and kindly nominate few names for the list who should be in the list.We will take care of your suggestion for the next year.

      Thanks

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