Empowering Action: Lessons from India’s Data Capacity Accelerator for Climate and Health

Pravesh Kumari

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Role: CAN Fellow
Current organisation: Janaagraha
Graduated from: AshokaX

I come from a research background with a bachelor’s in life sciences and a master’s in bioinformatics. I was first introduced to data science during my master’s, and found it fascinating. I saw how data science could uncover insights that were otherwise invisible. I worked on projects like protein structure prediction using machine learning and an internship where I built a model to detect epilepsy through MRI images. Though these models weren’t perfect, they sparked my interest in data science and its potential for impact. 

Later, I came across a data science programme by Ashoka University, which opened a new world to me, particularly in the social sector. Learning about survey data and GIS and their application to social issues was eye-opening. This motivated me to pursue a career in data for social impact and the CAN fellowship offered the perfect opportunity to dive deeper into this domain. 

This fellowship has taught me so many practical lessons, which I believe are usually hard to learn. As a data fellow, I gained experience working with large datasets, their extraction, GIS, and developed new technical skills like web scraping. While these were expected and fair outcomes, what stood out as unique was learning how to design and strategise for a data platform. I understand the immense effort, design considerations, and critical thinking required to build such a platform from scratch. 

Another invaluable experience has been stakeholder management. In such a short duration, I have led discussions with senior stakeholders, including my organisation’s CEO, NITI Aayog, IBM, and OTSI. This feels unreal when I reflect on the progress I’ve made in soft skills like data communication, stakeholder management, critical thinking, and strategy development. I am grateful for this incredible opportunity.

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