Hyderabad-based Nidhi Rao Belman tells us how classroom experience alone will not suffice to make the most out of life

Nidhi Rao Belman sure knows how to make the most of any opportunity. After missing out on studying in a Pune-based law college due to a difficult bout with depression, Nidhi zeroed in on ICFAI Law School Hyderabad. She realised very soon that classroom experience alone will not suffice. She started supplementing practical knowledge by working with UNICEF, Foundation for Democratic Reforms (founded by Dr Jayaprakash Narayan) and more. Thanks to all this, she will be a TEDx speaker for their upcoming talks on February 23 at Aga Khan Academy. She will be talking on Deconstructing Woke Liberalism. “I saw friends posting about US abortion laws when in the first place, in India itself, the laws are debatable. We need to talk about local issues which are happening around you to make change happen, not blindly about what is trending,” says Nidhi.

Nidhi feels that "I can’t just let my college define me, I need to do more and create my own identity."

Nidhi has been a legal intern at a few places like Samvad Partners and International Centre for Arbitration Dispute Resolution. “I realised that corporate law is not as fulfilling for me,” she shares and says that she’d rather do something for the society. She has also participated in many Model United Nations because she loves public speaking. She was so good that she even started training students for MUNs, for EdTech companies like Worldview Education and InterMind Global. She eventually even freelanced. Some of the school she visited were Oakridge International School, NASR, Suchitra Academy, Open Minds - A Birla School and more. She has also been an Executive Board Member for these conferences, where she judges the whole conference. Speaking about her ongoing work with UNICEF, the 24-year-old shares how she is one of the Swachhta Volunteers which requires her to visit different parts of Telangana and bring about behavioural changes when it comes to sanitation. She also encourages people in the Gram Panchayat she has been allocated to build a two-pit toilet system and also help draw more volunteers. “This has been one of my favourite experiences,” she says. Here’s to more such experiences which bring about social change!

Full concentration: Nidhi during a conference | (Pic: Nidhi Rao Belman)

When we ask Nidhi about her future goals, she surprises her with her maturity and says, “Future goals are usually professional goals, but my targets are both personal and professional. I am looking to nurture positive thoughts as well. Professionally, after I graduate, I want to learn to grow money by investing in mutual funds and apply for jobs which do more for humanity. And the absolute long-term goal is to teach law,” she shares.      

For more on her, click on facebook.com/nidhi.raobelman