SEPARATION OF POWER IN THE U.S. POLITICAL SYSTEM
A Project for India
These visitors are invited to the United States under the auspices of the Department of State’s International Visitor Leadership Program. Their program is arranged by Meridian International Center.
Program Contacts: Mr. Henry Collins and Ms. Giuliana DeAngelis, Meridian International Center, 1624 Crescent Place, NW, Washington, DC 20009; telephone (202) 939‑5896 or (202) 939‑5878; toll‑free (800) 424‑2974; fax (202) 319‑1306; email HCollins@meridian.org or GDeAngelis@meridian.org
Department of State Program Contacts: Ms. Reva Gupta and Ms. Rachel Warga, Office of International Visitors; telephone (202) 632‑3311 or (202) 632‑9402; fax (202) 632-9350; email GuptaR3@state.gov or WargaR@state.gov
Accompanied By: Mr. Virgil Cioflec, International Visitor Liaison
April 20 ‑ May 8, 2015
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PROFESSIONAL OBJECTIVES
The Department of State has outlined the following specific objectives for the project:
• Examine the structure and operations of state and local government in providing services to citizens;
• Gain insight into the nature of political engagement by citizens, advocacy groups, and elected officials;
• Explore examples of youth-focused political organizations; and
• Expose participants to the range of actors that contribute to the political process.
LIST OF PARTICIPANTS
Mr. Jayanta Malla BARUAH
Member, Assam Legislative Assembly (Indian National Congress Party)
Mr. Harsh SANGHVI
Member, Gujarat Legislative Assembly (Bharatiya Janata Party [BJP])
Mr. Ganesh YADAV
President, Mumbai Pradesh Youth Congress
BIOGRAPHIC INFORMATION
Name: Mr. Jayanta Malla BARUAH
Present Position: Member, Assam Legislative Assembly (Indian National Congress Party)
Previous Positions: Chief State Coordinator, Aam Aadmi Ka Sipahi campaign, 2008-2011,
Vice President, Assam State Youth Congress, 2006
General Secretary, Assam State Youth Congress, 2003-2005
General Secretary, B. Borooah College Students’ Union, 1991-1992
Education/Training: B.A., Political Science, B. Borooah College, Guwahati, 1993
Address: Assam Legislative Assembly, Dispur, Guwahati 781006, India
Email: jayantamallabaruah@gmail.com
Languages: Assamese (primary), English
U.S. Travel: No previous U.S. travel
Other Travel: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (Rio+20 UN Conference on Sustainable Development, 2012)
Professional Background: Mr. Jayanta Malla Baruah is one of 126 legislators in the Assam state assembly and represents the Indian National Congress Party, which has a majority of the seats in the single-chamber body. In his previous work as General Secretary and Vice President of the Assam State Youth Congress, and throughout his service with the Aam Aadmi Ka Sipahi youth brigade, Mr. Baruah demonstrated a strong commitment to the engagement of youth in civic and political affairs. As Chief State Coordinator of Aam Aadmi Ka Sipahi, a campaign initiated by Congress Party General Secretary Rahul Gandhi in 2009, Mr. Baruah helped popularize the United Progressive Alliance’s youth programs. Since his election, Mr. Baruah has worked to improve higher education in his district, began construction on a polytechnic college and planned for construction of another engineering college. He has also been working on an Industrial Training Institute, exclusively for women.
Name: Mr. Harsh SANGHVI
Present Position: Member, Gujarat Legislative Assembly (Bharatiya Janata Party [BJP])
Concurrent Positions: National General Secretary, Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJP youth wing), 2013-present
Education/Training: Certificate course on export/import of diamonds and jewelry, South Gujarat Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Surat, 2003
Memberships: Assurance Committee, Gujarat State Legislative Assembly, 2012-present
Veer Narmad South Gujarat University Senate, Surat, 2011-present
Committee Member, Athwalines Jain Sangh and Umra Jain Sangh, Surat, 2010-present
Committee Member, Uttar Gujarat Jain Sangh (Jain community organization), 2009-present
Committee Member, Banaskata Swetamber Murtipujak Sangh, 2009-present
Address: Gujarat Legislature Secretariat Viththalbhai Patel Bhavan, Sector-10 Gandhinagar, Gujarat 382010, India
Email: mlamajura@gmail.com
Languages: Gujarati (primary), English
Professional Background: At 27, Mr. Harsh Sanghvi was the youngest member of the Legislative Assembly of Gujarat when he won his seat, one of 182 in the unicameral assembly, in 2012. A year later, then-Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi appointed Mr. Sanghvi as the National General Secretary of the BJP Youth Wing, the BJYM. Mr. Sanghvi remains a key advisor on youth issues to Mr. Modi, who is now Prime Minister; he also oversees the operation of over 4,000 (and growing) “Modi Cafés” and “NaMo Tea Centers” across the country—a BJP initiative to engage youth on college campuses, promote Modi’s ideas and developmental model, and build a “youth vote-bank” for the upcoming parliamentary elections in India. As the national head of BJP’s youth wing, Mr. Sanghvi formulates, monitors, and executes BJP’s policies and programs that impact over 20 million youth members of BJYM across India.
Name: Mr. Ganesh YADAV
Present Position: President, Mumbai Youth Congress
Concurrent Positions: General Secretary, Jayalakshmi Foundation (non-profit)
Youth President, Yadav Mahasabha (community organization)
Previous Positions: Member, National Pool Team, All-India Youth Congress (IYC), 2011
State General Secretary, Mumbai Pradesh Youth Congress, 2010-2012
Education/Training: M.M.S., Management Studies, University of Mumbai, 2010
B.M.S., Management Studies, University of Mumbai, 2007
Address: 11/462, Shriram Bhavan, Dr. Ambedkar Road, Matunga, Mumbai 400 019, India
Email: mpycpresident@gmail.com
Languages: English
U. S. Travel: No previous U.S. travel
Professional Background: Mr. Ganesh YADAV was elected a General Secretary of the Mumbai Pradesh Youth Congress in 2010 and became president of the organization within two years. Since then, Mr. Yadav has helped young Indians participate in local economic and political affairs in a variety of ways. For example, he generated nearly 7,000 jobs for Mumbai’s underprivileged youth by engaging 92 companies in a job fair. Through 50 health camps in the last two years, he arranged free medical aid (including 200 heart surgeries) to thousands of patients, and he formed 45 self-help groups that continue to empower over 1,000 slum-dwelling women of Mumbai. He is forming a labor union of auto-rickshaw drivers as a means of mobilizing youth and offering various youth-development programs to them. Mr. Yadav advises the leadership of the IYC (a wing of the Indian National Congress Party) on youth issues, represents IYC at the national and international youth conventions, and articulates IYC policy and programs at various forums.