At 16, one is old enough to dream big but young enough to keep cynicism at arm’s length. The Telegraph speaks to a bunch of amazing Jharkhandis who share their birth year, 2000, with Jharkhand, to find out how their talents and dreams can change the state in the days to come 

 

 

• “India khelna hai,” Sushma Kumari, hockey player in Simdega. 

This Class IX student of SS Balika High School in Simdega is the youngest and only one among five siblings to play hockey, winning medals in tournaments in Pune, Uttar Pradesh and Ranchi. And, hailing from one of the poorest regions of the state, Sushma also wants to be a role model for girls so that they rise against trafficking and child marriage

 

 

•  “I want to eradicate malnutrition among Jharkhand’s children,” Pushpa Kumari, award-winning entrepreneur in Bundu, Ranchi.

She’s won the Inspire Award, she’s been to Japan under the Japan-Asia Youth Exchange Programme (Sakura Science Plan) to show university students the virtues of her affordable baby food. Class X student of Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya in Bundu is a celebrity for inventing Balamrit, baby food made with wheat, lentils, soy bean, jaggery, tulsi and ajwain. But, success has not gone to her head. Pushpa, who lost her father early, was a child labourer and knows there are countless hungry babies to feed

 

 

• “I want to make a global name for myself in archery so that girls like me in Jharkhand can say if Nazia can do it, why not I,” Nazia Parween, Dhanbad archer.

She’s the daughter of a cobbler but has never let her humble origins get in the way of her dreams. Winning a silver in junior national archery championship in 2015, Nazia held a dharna on September 20 for a compound bow. Nazia has not got a bow yet, but the trainee at Tata Steel Feeder Centre at Digwadih in Dhanbad, currently in Ranchi for an archery tournament as part of Statehood Day celebrations, is confident she will get it 

 

 

 

• “I want to inculcate civic sense in people so that they stop jostling. It will streamline traffic and spread goodwill,” Harshit Panjwani, winner of International Sports Knowledge Olympiad, Ranchi. 

St Xavier’s School’s Harshit, a Class X boy, made the capital proud when he aced the International Sports Knowledge Olympiad last month. He will get Rs 50,000 in cash, a gold medal and a certificate in June 2017 in New Delhi. But, what makes him a really cool dude is his out-of-the-box mind

 

 

 

• “I love science and computers. But, I am passionate about Jharkhand’s tourism sector. I want to see if I can contribute to this sector,” Ritesh Mahto, budding Bokaro scientist.

Ritesh stood third in National Science Olympiad and fourth in National Cyber Olympiad this year. But, the Class X student in Chinmaya Vidyalaya is not a typical overachiever geek. He’s a rare boy who spells out the winning mantra of security, transport and maintenance to push tourism economy  

 

 

 

• “I want to be a mining engineer who devises methodologies to reduce pollution. I want to replace open-cast mines with underground mines,” Utkarsh Kumar, green crusader in Bhuli. 

A Class XI boy of Imperial School of Learning (ISL) in Bhuli, Utkarsh stood third in Jharkhand in National Science Olympiad last year. Like most bright boys, an engineering career is his dream. But, his zeal to reduce pollution in mines makes him stand out

 

 

 

• “I want to be an ace athlete like Milkha Singh and put Jharkhand on the athletics map of India,” Joydeep Nandi, national-level athlete in Jamshedpur.

He’s a Class XI student of Hill Top School who sprinted to limelight last month when he won bronze in 100m and 400m relay and silver in 200m at the Association of Schools for the Indian School Certificate Athletics Championship in Telangana. Realising that right training techniques separate a champion from an also-ran, Joydeep is thrilled that Jharkhand has started sports academies for kids in Hotwar, Ranchi. It’s the only way to win Olympic medals, he feels

 

 

Compiled by A.S.R.P. Mukesh, Arti S. Sahuliyar, Praduman Choubey & Antara Bose