Government of Jammu and Kashmir Archives

Ms. Anchal Sharma is a Ph.D. candidate at IIT Delhi. Her research encompasses tactile perception of objects in the visually challenged. Drawn towards innovations exercising imagination, scientific thinking, and strong user empathy, she has mentored and participated in diverse social innovation projects and won two awards by IISc, Bangalore and IIT-Delhi with her team. She has led and been a speaker in events propagating innovation including those by AIM, NITI AYOG.

She completed her M.Des. in Industrial design (from SPA, New Delhi) and interned at GVIC, PepsiCo, India. She was acknowledged for her thesis work for integrating cultural spatial forms in a unique product using principles of light and shadows to educate children about unity. The project was sponsored by the Design Clinic Scheme by GoI and NID and was featured as a finalist in Toycathon 2021 and TISDC 2018. During her B.Arch. she emerged as a 2nd ranker both for her thesis work on ‘a school for experiential learning’ and overall 5-year academic performance.

In her Fulbright-Nehru project, she will analyse how to better convey three-dimensionality in two-dimensional tactile stimuli. Although layered and complex, she believes with continual deep-work and problem-solving acumen, this work can profoundly advance and contribute towards accessible STEM education for those without vision.

She believes in a multi-faceted growth and commends the perseverance sports can bring to life. She has played Throwball at National level and won silver medal (Badminton) at college level. Being perceptive towards life, she exercises self-expression through art, writing, and short videos.

Ms. Avny Lavasa is a civil servant from the Indian Administrative Service working in Jammu and Kashmir. She has ten years’ of experience serving in various roles in the Indian government across the challenging regions of Jammu, Kashmir, and Ladakh. She is known for her participative approach in public service as she successfully implemented infrastructural as well as community-led projects. She is an economics graduate from the University of Delhi and has a sports management diploma from Australia. Before joining the government, she worked as a professional in the sports industry.

As Deputy Commissioner (district head) of Leh district, Ms. Lavasa worked in the Ladakh region, where she set up a widely acclaimed solid waste management system with facilities spread across the region. Her other initiatives towards mitigating major urban problems and sustainable development of the ecologically fragile region include reviving public transport system, promoting eco-friendly modes of mobility, and enforcing waste management regulations at tourism destinations.

In her role as Municipal Commissioner, Jammu city, and CEO of the Smart City Mission, Ms. Lavasa led major urban infrastructure projects, like the iconic Riverfront project and Asian Development Bank funded urban water supply and urban mobility projects, among others. She played an instrumental role in procuring, designing, and managing several urban projects in Jammu.

Ms. Lavasa is a sports enthusiast and regularly participates in half marathons. She pioneered the organization of school games in Leh. She is a keen traveler and believes that both sports and travelling have enriched her life. Sports taught her the values of team spirit, discipline, and fair play.

As a Fulbright-Nehru Master’s fellow, Ms. Lavasa is pursuing urban planning to learn new aspects of urban policy, regulation, and environmental sustainability that will add to her administrative experience. She hopes to gain academic and practical insights into the area of urban reforms that will enable her to understand present and future challenges of urbanization in the world and to contribute towards better governance in her country.