In order to observe the 'International Day of the Girl Child' celebrated annually on October 11, the British High Commission in India has organized 'High Commissioner for a Day' since 2017 that offers young women aged 18 to 23, a unique opportunity to experience a day in the life of the UK's top diplomat in India. This event aims to empower young women by highlighting their importance in society.
This year, the British High Commission selected Nidhi Gautam, a 19-year-old student from Karnataka as the 'High Commissioner for a Day' 2024. She received the opportunity to shadow the British High Commissioner by experiencing the roles and responsibilities that the diplomat needs to serve and the UK-India partnership in action.
Nidhi, currently pursuing a bachelor's degree in history and geography from Miranda House College, Delhi was selected from a pool of over 140 applications across India. The applicants submitted a short video or essay explaining why they should be chosen and how they would use the platform to promote issues they care about. The participants must be passionate, poses clarity of vision, and have the potential to inspire others.
As a 1-Day High Commissioner, Nidhi started her day with a briefing over breakfast followed by looking into the details of India's bilateral relationship with the UK-India Technology Security Initiative. She later visited the National Centre for Assistive Health Technologies at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Delhi. She dedicated her day to visiting and engaging in various diplomatic meetings with officials.
