HYDERABAD: For 16-year-old Ashrita Gachumale, the privilege of witnessing the ocean’s wonders came with a sense of duty. After experiencing the fragile beauty of the deep, she felt compelled to share it with others — using art and storytelling to bring that magic to underprivileged students across India.
Her journey began during a childhood trip to Havelock Island in the Andamans, where a nine-year-old Ashrita took her first dive and instantly fell in love with the underwater world. As she continued diving over the years, her fascination deepened, but so did her alarm at the rapid decline of marine ecosystems. That concern soon pushed her towards action.
With the encouragement of her parents and teachers, Ashrita began studying marine conservation. At 13, she founded two NGOs — artSTEMic and BhuVyom — to promote STEM education and advocate for marine protection. She then took her mission into government schools, creating workshops built around stories, artwork and interactive presentations on marine life, climate change and environmental care.
“I feel extremely privileged to have had access to practical learning in science and the environment,” she told TNIE. “I wanted to share what I learnt through diving, research and education with students in government schools. Starting with schoolchildren felt natural — I can relate to their age, and storytelling helps them connect with the subject.”
Ashrita has since held more than 200 workshops in government schools across suburban Hyderabad and other cities. She believes experiential learning is missing in many such schools and stresses the need for stronger environmental education in the curriculum.
Inspired by global education activist Malala Yousafzai, she hopes to contribute to reforms in India’s learning systems. “It’s important to address rote learning and dropout rates, especially in government schools. We need teaching methods that give young minds real exposure and confidence,” she said. She plans to continue academic research and outreach as she pursues higher studies.
Formally trained in diving, Ashrita has also designed a prototype underwater drone to detect illegal deep-sea mining and monitor marine ecosystems.
With ambitions of becoming a thermonuclear engineer and scientist dedicated to environmental conservation, she urges other young people to trust their ambitions. “Believe in your dreams,” she says, “and work your hardest to make them real.”