Young Academy of India

Young Academy of India is India's first young academy for all rational knowledge domains, including science, liberal arts, languages and humanities. YAI is a democratic community for the free exchange of knowledge and partnerships; highest think-tank of the young intelligentsia of the country. 

The academy's mission include:

1. To recognize the young talent of India in the form of three membership categories; Fellows, Associates, and Members. There are no age limits, so as gender/race/language/disciplines. Members from females, LGBTQ+, and humanities/social sciences are most welcome.

2. To provide a virtual platform for 'match-making' between mentees (students/general public) and mentors (fellows of this academy). The program used to be called #MentX, Menter-Mentee Exchange till 2022. Although the formal MentX has been retired, our fellows are ready to accept any mentees for virtual internships, this is the main condition for being inducted as a fellow of YAI

3. To foster trans-disciplinary dialogues and brainstorm issues of national importance and generate thematic white papers enlisting policy-related recommendations

4. To foster SciComm (Science Communication), especially in regional languages

5. To work for fostering scientific thinking and rational scepticism in the country. A major mission of YAI is critical thinking, science education and outreach. The academy will bust superstitions, myths, pseudoscience and fake news. The academy will strive to uphold article 51 A(h) of the constitution of India, which is concerned with promoting scientific temperament, humanism, spirit of inquiry and reform.

6. To provide science-informed advice to policymakers at local and regional levels, including public and private sector entities.

The academy has been affiliated with the International Science Council, an international apex body. The academy has three types of members: 

Elected Fellows: established professionals with a doctorate degree with proven track record of having undertaken curiosity-driven research and having contributed to science outreach.

Associates: young scholars with proven track records 

Members: open to all

We are aiming for adequate gender balance and state representation in all categories. 

We have completed 3 cycles of #MentX through which thousands of mentees were benefited across the nation. The mentees got golden opportunities to work with mentors who are the fellows of YAI from India and abroad. Their two-month-long internship have resulted in many quality publications. In addition, these mentees keep getting lifelong professional guidance from their mentors. Mentees could approach their mentors for professional references during job/higher education application processes. In addition, mentors keep on helping the mentees lifelong by introducing them to their existing social connections and professional networks that would prove to be useful for higher studies and employment opportunities. 

While the formal MentX program have eversince retired, whoever looking for mentors or mentees are welcome to post the same in our Facebook group so that potential matches can be fostered. All our fellows have also committed to mentor interested students who may approach them provided the interest of both parties overlap.