Sanjana Hiremath.
SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
Sanjana Hiremath, from Hubballi, was chosen to be the British Deputy High Commissioner in Bengaluru for a day, as part of an annual competition organised by the British High Commission in India.
The ‘High Commissioner for a Day’ competition has been held every year since 2017 to celebrate the International Day of the Girl Child (October 11). Winning this year’s event, 23-year-old Sanjana had a first-hand experience of a diplomat’s life and the UK-India partnership in action, an official statement said.
This year, the organisers received more than 180 applications from young women across India. Sanjana holds a Master’s degree in media and communications and is currently employed at the London Stock Exchange Group.
The British High Commission in India organises the event in line with the UK’s commitment to nurture girls as change-makers and future leaders.
Sanjana said that she had the opportunity to interact with and learn from the leadership team in the British Deputy High Commission in Bengaluru and women leaders across fields.
A packed day
Her “packed day” in office — on September 25 — included discussions where she spoke on ideas to advance Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
At lunch, she met Australian Consul General Hilary McGeachy over a jolada rotti oota and spoke about women in leadership. She also met Additional Chief Secretary Uma Mahadevan (IAS) to discuss topics like skills training, SDGs, and women in leadership.
Chandru Iyer, British Deputy High Commissioner to Karnataka and Kerala, said the competition is an opportunity to provide a platform to young women to raise awareness about girls’ rights and highlight the importance of women in leadership roles.
This year, applicants were invited to submit a one-minute video answering the question — “How can young people help lead the way in achieving SDGs?”.