Sending it in

A pretty normal day indeed, I was attending this meeting with my counsellor and we were planning out my roadmap of extracurricular, when one activity crossed his mind. In big letters on a site I had seen for the first time in my life it was written, Ashoka Young Scholars Program.

Now, at the time, believe me, I had no idea about what it was or how prestigious it was to be able to go to Ashoka University. I just agreed and sent in my application. I had to fill in all of my details and then my certifications, but most importantly was the essay. Out of 3 choices I chose one

This is what I had written. I laugh at how scared I had felt before submitting it in:

Please choose any ONE prompt from the choices given below for your essay and attempt it in maximum 250 words. This is a mandatory requirement

It's 2050, how has the world changed?

It's the year 2050, and the world has drastically changed for the worse. Climate change has made the Earth warmer in winter and hotter in summer. Nations like Indonesia experienced a population boom like no other, exponentially growing in a way that resulted in a population crisis, with a food shortage leaving billions hungry. Nuclear attacks went off a few years ago, creating a state of nuclear winter in the Middle East. Dubai lost its tourism, and the hot sandy desert has become a cold and untouched wasteland. There is no Israel and Palestine now, just a radiating surface.

Meanwhile, the North Atlantic Nations are facing severe cuts in access to drinking water. Due to this, they have witnessed civilians defecting to water-rich areas like New Zealand. On the Asian frontier, war has taken hold with retaliation against China and its racist and diplomatic crimes. While nuclear weapons haven't yet been used, there is a chance we may not be here tomorrow. Clashes in Aksai Chin, POK and The South China Sea have become daily events. Even more so, the nation of Taiwan has become a wasteland that still inhabits people. Russia, on the other hand, is facing a civil war between the Authoritarian Russian Army and The Democratic People's Army, founded by civilians who were troubled by Putin's iron fist type of rule. There is a global energy crisis due to the oil supply running out. I really wish we could go back 26 years

Meanwhile, the North Atlantic Nations are facing severe cuts in access to drinking water. Due to this, they have witnessed civilians defecting to water-rich areas like New Zealand. On the Asian frontier, war has taken hold with retaliation against China and its racist and diplomatic crimes. While nuclear weapons haven't yet been used, there is a chance we may not be here tomorrow. Clashes in Aksai Chin, POK and The South China Sea have become daily events. Even more so, the nation of Taiwan has become a wasteland that still inhabits people. Russia, on the other hand, is facing a civil war between the Authoritarian Russian Army and The Democratic People's Army, founded by civilians who were troubled by Putin's iron fist type of rule. There is a global energy crisis due to the oil supply running out. I really wish we could go back 26 years

~ Rishab Sanjay Bhandari

I really enjoyed writing it, and I agree completely with her concern, but my mother was slightly reluctant towards this. The truth is that i'm an avid fan of Biology, Chemistry,  Artificial Intelligence, History & Politics. I had made an attempt to club them together in this essay. 

She told me that it was too political, but still, I guess the selection team enjoyed it and I got into the program. 

Next step was paying the fees and booking plane tickets to Delhi.

Time for a trip...