Teenager Change Makers First Series - Meet the Glocal20Under20 - Glocal Teen Hero 2023

Glocal’s 20under20 as part of Glocal Teen Hero is an umbrella title for 20 early change makers, who are teenagers from diverse fields, stepping out to create an impact in the society. Glocal is dedicated in recognizing these teenager’s initiative, achievement naming 20under20. This umbrella title is the game-changers who have done something worth an inspiration in their life. Glocal’s ‘20under20’ aims to recognize these enthusiastic young souls who have the vision to do something ordinary in the most extra-ordinary way possible. We believe in their dreams and want to acknowledge these diverse talents who hold the potential to be the change-makers and the future leaders. Throughout the year, Glocal’s 20under20 shall work cohesively for identification of opportunity, fostering networking and collaboration and doing works to create an impact in the society. They are expected to use their existing knowledge and experience to initiate works and enhance their leadership and other qualities. Also, paving their way towards becoming future leaders by being interactive and proactive.

Meet 5 Teenagers from 2023 #Glocal20Under20

Risham Kumar Sah (18yr old), Environmentalist, firmly believes in the transformative power of education and has dedicated several years himself to educating children around his place. He is a passionate Environmentalist and Educator. He is working to promote digital literacy, sessions on the recent advancement on technology, graphic design and many more at the governmental schools, orphanage and other NGOs run schools.

Sadiksha Ghimire (18yr old ), Health Activist, actively speaks out against gender inequality, child and women violence, child marriage, superstition related to menstruation, online safety and so on. She has a huge interest in literature, public speaking, and exploring new things. She has participated in many speech competition, poem competition, Quiz competition etc. She has engaged herself in community development by spreading health awareness.

Sagar Budha (17yr old), Environmentalist, is a person who embodies the values of Impactful Advocacy, Inspiring Leadership, Empowerment and Amplification, Innovation and Creativity, Collaboration and Coalition Building, Resilience and Perseverance, Inspiration and Role Modeling, which encourages continued efforts and inspires others to participate in activism for positive social change.

Sagar Gupta (17yr old),  AI scientist/Researcher, is a passionate and award-winning AI scientist, researcher, and content creator. He has a strong background in mathematics, biology, and physics, and has  participated in various national and international competitions and projects related to these fields. He is passionately engaged in tackling significant real-world issues through the power of mathematical models.

Samip Paudel (16yr old), Tech Enthusiast, is a resourceful high school student who is motivated to use his abilities to make a positive contribution to our community. His major areas of interest are the use of artificial intelligence and machine learning research to optimize the value it creates. In addition, he has a strong interest in philosophy, social sciences, and public policy.

We will introduce you to rest of the Glocal 20 Under 20 in next three of the Teenager Change Makers series. While, keep yourself updated through our blog on Glocal Teen Hero 2023 as each year. 

View Your Choice- तपाईको सोचाई हाम्रो रोजाई - is one of the supporting partners of Glocal Teen Hero since inception. 

Glocal Teen Hero team blogs for View Your Choice on this year's coverage as part of the collaborative partnership.

View Your Choice encourages every positive influencing initiative and collaborates to generate a story to share for all our readers. 

Want to collaborate with us ? If you are one of the positive influencer or an organization driving change and creating impact or be it any initiative that you are involved with just drop a email to us at

viewyourchoice@gmail.com  

and we will get them posted after our team communicates with you. 

Follow us on Social media - Find the icons on the right corner of our blog/ web platform.

Glocal Teen Hero announced 20 exceptional teenagers as Glocal20under20 for the 9th edition

The Glocal Pvt. Ltd.  has unveiled a list of 20 sparkling and influential Nepali teenagers under the age of 20. Glocal’s 20under20 is an umbrella title for 20 early change makers, who are teenagers from diverse fields, stepping out to create a positive impact on society. 

Glocal Teen Hero is an award gala dedicated to Teenagers. It's a platform for knowledge and experience sharing where teenagers can learn about leadership, empowerment, and social impact through a participatory and interactive environment with their peers from all over the country.

These 20 teenagers are from diverse fields ranging from Musician, Social Entrepreneur, Health Activist, Social Activist, Science Revolutionist, Environmentalist, AI Scientist/ Researcher, Activist, Writer and many more.

The 20under20 lists for the Year 2023 are: 

1. Aryan Sigdel, 17, Educator and Activist

2. Atith Adhikari, 17, Social Entrepreneur

3. Avinash Kumar Paswan, 17, Musician

4. Dikshya Bharati, 18, Health Activist

5. Diwash Sarraf, 17, Social Activist

6. Madhav Khanal, 18, Writer

7. Nirajan Rimal, 18, Science Revolutionist

8. Prakash Badu, 15, Child Right Activist

9. Prakash Pant, 17, Enthusiastic Mathematician

10. Preeti Pantha, 18, Social Activist

11. Raushan Pandit, 17, Tech Enthusiasts

12. Risham Kumar Sah, 18, Environmentalist and Educator

13. Sadiksha Ghimire, 18, Health Activist

14. Sagar Budha, 17, Environmentalist

15. Sagar Gupta, 17, AI Scientist/Researcher

16. Samip Paudel, 16, Tech Enthusiast

17. Shruti Tiwari, 18, Environment Activist

18. Shubham Upreti, 17, Artist

19. Sumitra Acharya, 17, Activist

20. Sushan Shrestha, 17, Activist

The 20 young inspiring pioneers were selected by our respected jury panel through an intense and resolute selection round for the impactful impression they have created in society. These teenagers were selected from a pool of 681 applications from across the nation. The selected teenagers will be honored amidst the Grand celebration of the Glocal Teen Hero 2023 Award function on September 1, 2023, at The Soaltee Hotel, Soalteemode, Kathmandu. 

Throughout the year, Glocal’s 20under20 shall work collectively to identify opportunities, fostering networking, collaboration, and organizing work to create an impact in society. They are expected to use their existing knowledge and experience to initiate work and enhance their leadership and other qualities. Also, paving their way toward becoming future leaders by enhancing their interactive and proactive skills.

To make the program a grand success, Glocal has partnered with Golchha Group as a Title Sponsor; UNHCR, Embassy of Federal Republic of Germany as our Strategic Partner; Honda, Coca-Cola, NTC, WWF, Toyota, The British College, Panchakanya Group, DishHome Go, Kathmandu World School, Real Juice as Partners; Nabil Bank as our Banking Partner; The Soaltee Kathmandu as our Official Hotel Partner; Worldlink as Internet Partner; Siddhartha Business Group of Hospitality, Cozy Home as our Hospitality Partner; Nepal Airlines, Cathay Pacific Airways, Yeti  Airlines as  our Airlines Partner; King’s College as our Education Partner; Prisma Advertising as PR Partner; View Your Choice as our Supporter.

We are proud to witness these amazing talents as we are near to the decade of celebration of Glocal Teen Hero next year. Stay Updated for the final selection in coming days.

View Your Choice- तपाईको सोचाई हाम्रो रोजाई - is one of the supporting partners of Glocal Teen Hero since inception. 

Glocal Teen Hero team blogs for View Your Choice on this year's coverage as part of the collaborative partnership.

View Your Choice encourages every positive influencing initiative and collaborates to generate a story to share for all our readers. 

Want to collaborate with us ? If you are one of the positive influencer or an organization driving change and creating impact or be it any initiative that you are involved with just drop a email to us at

viewyourchoice@gmail.com  

and we will get them posted after our team communicates with you. 

Follow us on Social media - Find the icons on the right corner of our blog/ web platform.

Why UCC is important for Adoption Reforms in India

The concept of Uniform Civil Code (UCC) is much debated in India. The Constitution of India talks about UCC under article 44 and imposes a non-justiciable duty on the state to secure a UCC for its citizens. India is a country with great religious diversity. The Indian legal system includes customs along with statutes and legislations to form law, and the personal laws of Hindus and Muslims find their sources in their respective religious books. The UCC is an initiative to alter the discrepancies of the personal law system and make an attempt to see the personal matters through one single lens. 

The Uniform Civil Code (UCC) is a proposal in India to formulate and implement personal laws of citizens which apply on all citizens equally regardless of their religion, gender and sexual orientation. The UCC has been envisaged by the makers of our Constitution under Article 44. It includes matters such as marriage, divorce, adoption, and inheritance. As adoptive parent I am sharing my views on the necessity of UCC from perspective of adoption only. 

Current Drawbacks of Adoption Laws in India: 

There are several reasons why a UCC is important for adoption laws in India. Currently, there are different adoption laws for different religions. This can lead to confusion and uncertainty for adoptive parents and children. There are a number of drawbacks, including:

Inconsistency in eligibility requirements- The eligibility requirements for adoption vary depending on the religious community. This can make it difficult for adoptive parents to navigate the adoption process, and can also lead to disparities in the treatment of adopted children. For example, under Hindu law, a married woman cannot adopt a child, while under Islamic law, only a man can adopt a child. In Shabnam Hashmi v. Union of India, the petitioner was a Muslim who had adopted a young girl when she was small. She filed the petition for recognition of the night that a person belonging to any religion could adopt a child since the Muslim law did not allow for adoption. The case dealt with the right to adoption by virtue of the Juvenile Justice Act, 2000, the Rules of 2007 and the CARA guidelines. The Supreme Court held that the JJ Act was an enabling legislation and it aims at achieving the purpose of a Uniform Civil Code. Thus, it was held that any person belong to any religion could adopt a child subject to the rules framed.

Difficulties in transferring parental rights- The process of transferring parental rights from the biological parents to the adoptive parents can be complex and time-consuming. This can be especially difficult for children who are orphaned or abandoned. 

Lack of uniformity in the rights of adopted children- The rights of adopted children vary depending on the religious community. For example, under Hindu law, an adopted child is considered to be the natural child of the adoptive parents, while under Islamic law, an adopted child is not considered to be a blood relative of the adoptive parents. 

Discrimination- The different personal laws governing adoption can also lead to discrimination against certain groups of people, such as single people, samesex couples, and interfaith couples. This can make it more difficult for these groups of people to adopt a child.

Lack of clarity- The different personal laws governing adoption can be complex and confusing. This can make it difficult for people to understand their rights and responsibilities as adoptive parents or children. In Rajwinder Kaur & Anr vs. Central Adoption Resource Agency, according to the Delhi High Court, if a child is adopted in accordance with HAMA rules, it is not necessary to use the rules of the JJ Act, 2015 to ensure that the adoption is legal. Without assistance from anybody else, without acknowledgement from CARA or any governmental authority, an adoption carried out in accordance with the conditions outlined in HAMA would be significant. In this way, the JJ Act of 2015 and CARA Guidelines of 2017 would not be relevant in relation to adoptions under HAMA, whether domestic or international, direct or indirect.

How a Uniform Civil Code Can Help 

A UCC would help to overcome these drawbacks by providing a single, uniform set of adoption laws for all citizens of India. This would ensure that all children have the same opportunities to be adopted and that all adoptive parents and children have the same rights and responsibilities, regardless of their religion or the religion of their adoptive parents. It would also simplify the process of transferring parental rights and make it easier for adopted children to inherit property and other assets. UCC would provide clarity and certainty for adoptive parents and children, and it would make it easier for them to access the legal system.

Benefits of a Uniform Civil Code for Adoptive Parents and Children 

A UCC would benefit adoptive parents and children in a number of ways, including:

Easier and faster adoption process- The process of adopting a child would be simplified and made more efficient under a UCC because of a single, streamlined process for adoption. This would make it easier for adoptive parents to bring children into their families.

Greater clarity about the rights of adopted children- The rights of adopted children would be clearer and more consistent under a UCC. This would give adopted children greater certainty about their legal status and their rights to inherit property and other assets. It would make it easier for adoptive parents to obtain financial assistance for their children. This would also ensure that all parties are treated fairly.

Increased social acceptance of adoption- A UCC would help to increase social acceptance of adoption. It would help to reduce the stigma associated with adoption. This would make it easier for adoptive parents to raise their children in a supportive environment.

Reduce discrimination- The UCC would help to reduce discrimination against certain groups of people, such as single people, same-sex couples, and interfaith couples, who may currently face challenges in adopting a child. It would make it easier for adoptive parents to adopt children from other religions.

Conclusion 

A Uniform Civil Code would be a valuable tool for improving the adoption laws in India. By providing a single, uniform set of laws governing adoption for all citizens, the UCC would make the adoption process more consistent, less confusing, and more accessible to all. This would benefit adoptive parents and children by making it easier for them to adopt a child and by providing greater clarity about their rights and responsibilities. 

A UCC is not without its challenges. There is some opposition to the idea of a UCC, particularly from religious groups. However, the potential benefits of a UCC for adoptive parents and children outweigh the challenges. It would help to ensure that all children have the opportunity to grow up in a loving and stable home.

Vidyadhar Prabhudesai is co-founder of LeadCap Ventures and an adoptive parent. He writes about constitutional, Institutional and perceptional changes required towards adoption reforms in India