The Art of Man-making: ‘Caring and sharing are virtues all of us must have’

He is in class VIII of Apeejay School, Saket, and has recently been given the prestigious Dr Stya Paul Award for Human Values. Not only does Adam Bashneen exhibit human values, but he is also a brilliant student as well; he scored 99 percent in every class till now. He was the head boy in class V. He topped the state national Spell Bee competition. If this is not enough, he has participated in over 100 competitions and won a prize in the majority of them.

“I have done internships in programmes with the Election Commission of India. I won a national debate competition in 2022. I have a diploma in music from Trinity College, London. I have been winning the national Science Olympiad for the last seven years. I have won several MUNS. I recently sat for the Preliminary SAT exam as well and bagged a summer internship offer from Yale University, one of the top universities in the US. But winning the Dr Stya Paul Award for Human Values is the closest to my heart,” the 14-year-old said.

Excerpts from an interview.

How do you manage to take time for all these activities and be a scholar?

It is not very tough. It is all about time management. Nothing in life is impossible if you make up your mind to do something. I have been pursuing music, playing basketball, and various other activities. I just feel that if I set a timetable and follow it to a T I can do all these things and yet have time for myself. This is something that my mother taught me to do; she played a huge role, in the beginning, to help me make this a habit. Now, time management comes naturally to me.

What do you plan to pursue in the future?

While both my parents are doctors and most people will assume that I too would follow in their footsteps but this is incorrect. I want to study robotic engineering.  I plan to go to the US for higher studies.

What role have your parents played in inculcating human values?

My parents have had a huge impact in instilling values in me. They have been there for me and supported me in everything that I have wanted to do. And while they are happy that I am doing well in school they tell me that the score doesn’t matter if, at the end of the day, I have not learnt the most important lesson of life – to be a better human being. They have told me that caring and sharing are virtues that all of us must have.

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“I tell my friends and family members that it is the small gestures that matter. It can be just a couple of old shirts that one can give to the needy. One can even buy a few notebooks and give them to a student who needs them”

-ADAM BASHNEEN, STUDENT OF CLASS VIII OF APEEJAY SCHOOL, SAKET

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What are some of the activities that you undertook to help others?

I had done a podcast with the blind school in Delhi – Dil Se Dil Tak; this was during COVID-19. During this time, I was part of the donation drive with my mother and created an application to help NGOs. There is an NGO – Happiness Ki Pathshala. I donated a lot of things – basically stationery and even old clothes.

How do you encourage others to care and share?

I tell my friends and family members that it is the small gestures that matter. It can be just a couple of old shirts that one can give to the needy. One can even buy a few notebooks and give them to a student who needs them. At school, we have a programme – Awakened Citizenship. Through this platform, I tell others that to make India a better place, each one of us will have to stand together to make an impact. I think that every little gesture counts. One doesn’t have to spend thousands or even lakhs to bring about a change. Every drop counts. As long as one is doing it from the heart, even feeding a single meal to the poor makes a huge difference.