(Our Bureau, June 9) Meet Sudhanshu Kaushik, an Indian-origin MBA dropout who’s emerged as the voice of Indian students in the US and Canada during the pandemic. The 26-year-old founder of non-profits North American Association of Indian Students (NAAIS) and Young India Foundation (YIF) has created a community that helps Indian students represent their problems, assimilate into their new lives and get actionable advice on pressing issues.
NAAIS was born last year when the pandemic started upending life for many Indian students.
“People were sleeping hungry and many were literally kicked out of their apartments or universities,” Kaushik, who was raised between Delhi, Haryana and Alabama, told The Pie News last year.
His team stepped in and provided immediate food relief and legal assistance. In the last few weeks, Kaushik, who is also a TED speaker, has been helping incoming students wade through the uncertainties of re-vaccination as some universities are skeptical about admitting students that were administered WHO-unapproved jabs such as Covaxin and Sputnik V. “Every day we get 10 to 15 messages and inquiries saying ‘What does it mean? How does this impact me?” Kaushik told New York Times. In a little over a year, NAAIS has 5,000 members which Kaushik hopes will grow to 50,000 by August.
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