Varsha is a free-spirited professional and lifelong learner who works as an independent consultant in the rural livelihoods area; she works with a gamut of agencies (government, non-government, private) across the development and public policy domain, on issues ranging from climate change and gender, livestock trade and markets, labor rights, collectives, to micro-level livelihood and resource management strategies.
Social Media:
Instagram: instavarsha (rarely used)
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mehtavarsha/ (used occasionally to catch up and keep track of new developments)
iNaturalist: varsh1 (https://www.inaturalist.org/people/varsh1)
Others: Meet me in person! I am found in Delhi-NCR usually
Q. How has been your journey from IIFM to this role?
A. It has been an enriching experience, treading a road less traveled, I suppose, with many highs and lows. After completing PGDFM in 1994, I started working with an NGO in Dehradun, quit within five months, landed in Delhi to join an NGO (Development Alternatives), but ended up working with another agency, TERI (TERI then stood for Tata Energy Research Institute, subsequently renamed The Energy and Resources Institute). Three years later, it was an opportune time to say farewell to regular jobs, as I had started finding organisational frameworks restrictive, even claustrophobic. Since 1997, I have worked mostly in my independent capacity, except for two stints in between: first for some grassroots experience on a community forestry programme in Haryana (as a Programme Coordinator with the Institute for Sustainable Development, 1999-2001), and second as Team Leader for the South Asia Pro-Poor Livestock Policy Programme, where I was employed by the Food and Agriculture Organization of United Nations (2014-16).
Thereafter, I resumed work as an independent consultant (slash advisor/ researcher/ mentor/ volunteer/ your go-to professional for anything and everything). Whereas I am selective about assignments I take up with for-profit agencies, I am less discriminating with non-profits, or when presented with an opportunity to travel to my dream destination/s (e.g., the North East, PNG, some African countries, etc ). In general, the underlying principle is to keep a balance between consulting assignments for the earnings, and my NGO or pro bono assignments for the learnings and satisfaction that they offer.
Q. What were some of the key milestones/learning in this journey that you would like to share with us?
A. Starting work-life post IIFM was the first milestone. I was excited and beyond myself, as I undertook the long rail trip from Kolkata to Dehradun, my bags packed with clothes, pots, and pans, and an initial fund from my parents to set up my own independent residence! The enthusiasm soon gave way to disillusionment as I learned more about the organization which I had joined and had to leave even before I completed five months.
Lesson 1: Ensure that recruiting agencies are thoroughly screened and can demonstrate potential for growth before they are allowed to pick up candidates from the IIFM campus.
Looking back, I would say that the next milestone was landing my first independent research/consulting assignment with SIDA (Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency) after leaving TERI. A few other research and consulting assignments later, I realized how liberating it was to not be tied down by artificial divides of time and space, structure, hierarchy, even expected financial returns, which I believe, often limit one’s ability to grow and put in one’s best.
Lesson 2: You can carve your own independent career path, as long as you have the conviction, backed by hard work and the capability to deliver. Landing a working fellowship with UNEP and contributing to the Global Environment Outlook 4 publication was a shot in the arm for my fading confidence back in 2005-06; it was my first experience working with other nationalities abroad, but the most rewarding part of it was a trip to Kenya where I also got to visit the Maasai Mara and Lake Nakuru.
As a freelancer, I have experienced some career turmoils, availed opportunities to work on new subjects, and learned from numerous individuals and agencies, sometimes even taking on assignments that appeared outside my realm of expertise. With that approach, 2010 turned out to be another milestone year when I ventured into working on issues around markets for small ruminants; in fact, I was convinced by a dear colleague to take up a study, which resulted in a first of its kind publication for livestock markets in India, and there has been no looking back since. I continue working on livestock-based livelihoods and markets within the broader space of rural livelihoods.
Lesson 3: The development workspace is full of learning opportunities, with scope for innovation and experimentation. Forget the risk and jump in when you are offered one on a platter!
Q. What is the most satisfying part of your current role?
A. On the professional side, it isn’t easy to keep up the morale always, especially when one is aware of and sensitive to the nature of businesses that hold sway, and the glaring inequities across the actors involved (an intrinsic nature of donor-driven development). That said, I continue to derive a small measure of satisfaction from actions and decisions that I can influence in favor of the less privileged, across all levels and actors.
I find greater satisfaction from my ability to take up issues and activities outside my professional sphere of work e.g., rescuing and caring for abandoned pets, taking up relief work in difficult circumstances, or participating in public events, because I am not spending my life stuck in some routine job for paying my bills.
Q. Has your learning at IIFM helped in shaping how you approach your professional roles?
A. Oh, absolutely! Unlike the large majority of IIFM’ites who I have seen featured here, I did not pursue higher formal education after PGDFM. Nor did I have access to training or educational opportunities that many NGO friends tend to avail. So, it may be said that my professional path has essentially been shaped by IIFM, the institute, and the people who make it. The fact that we are exposed to such a diverse set of subjects from accounting and organizational behaviour to ecology and forest management, within a span of two years, gives one the confidence to learn anything from scratch and build one’s knowledge base and skill set. That exposure gave me the skills to learn about anything one sets one’s mind to (I am not referring to highly technical subjects here). Equally importantly, the residential nature of PGDFM, with components of ‘field work’, and ‘organizational training’ are great learning opportunities. I must add that in our era, the boons and banes of information technology were nowhere on the horizon, there was no mobile telephony, and access to any kind of information was limited. To give you an idea, we would trek down the hill to Nehru Nagar for making STD calls home; and there was a computer room at the institute with 3-4 machines, and we’d take turns using them ?. Does that sound like another world? Indeed, it was, and I miss it.
Q. Who (or what) are the biggest influences or drivers in your career? What would be your advice to freshers and IIFM graduates who are looking to choose similar sectors/roles?
A. I would like to start with campus recruitment; with an analytical bent of mind, I was inclined towards a career in research, but the agency where I applied and was apparently successful, did not make me an offer as they believed that I would get married and leave soon! (Talk about gender stereotyping! Could I meet them again, now, please, so I can give them a piece of my mind?)
Next stop, TERI (1994-97). A bunch of IIFMites made up the area where I worked, and they all had an influence in varying degrees: from Shubhra and Manoj (1st batch) to Varalakshmi, Rajshree (2nd batch), Varun Singh (4th batch), and my own batchmates Ratna and Jayesh.
Ramesh Mukalla (2nd batch), then with SIDA, was a big influencer in the sense that he set me off on my independent journey, with the offer of a research study on forest protecting people’s federations in Odisha (1997). Tinni Sawhney from IRMA (now CEO, Aga Khan Foundation) has been another great influencer and inspiration; she got me started on livestock-based livelihoods when the subject was still peripheral, and I became one of the early starters in this area. Another IIFMite and friend I would like to mention is Sudha Vasan (now HoD, Sociology, DSE); has influenced my ideas with a great deal and talking with her often helps clear the cobwebs from my mind.
To all freshers and youngsters out there, my advice is simple: dig in your heels, and give it your best. No matter what you are doing or for whom, if you have taken something on, then do it well. Another learning from my own experience, which I would like to share here is about ‘meaningful work’ and ‘impact’; I have come to believe that a lot of talk around impacting lives is somewhat a myth (happy to be proven wrong though). In the larger scheme of things, I think that the tangible and lasting impact that each one of us makes is perhaps only from what we do directly with our time and effort, and the bearing it has on the lives of those immediately around us. Otherwise, I feel that all work is equally important: we make up the cogs in a wheel of a system much larger than any organization or government.
Q. What are your favorite memories during your IIFM days?
A. Tea-times on the staircase leading to the library (mid-morning) or behind the mess (evening), watching the sunset, are etched in my mind forever. Saturday dinner at Bapu ki Kutiya with Kavita and Bhanu when the mess guys had a weekly off, having chaat at Chhappan Bhog and being forgetful about paying for it! Listening to old melodies and new on tape recorders (yes!) and borrowing tapes (cassettes) from friends to copy a song or two, down at the shop in T T Nagar. Trekking down the hill slope after dinner to make calls home (after 9 p.m., at half rates ?). Listening to Sujoy Banerjee singing and practicing on his guitar on quiet evenings up at the hostel; midnight birthday bashes were something we would look forward to, if only for the lukewarm tea which Chandu bhaiya would leave for us, as was the time when the first convocation was held during our stay on campus.
Meeting with the senior batches and listening to their tales from their times at IIFM was always so much fun!
I also remember this evening when some seniors and batchmates were chilling with drinks along the parapet outside Lantana block when some of us decided to play ‘ghost’ and give them a scare. We draped ourselves in white cotton mosquito nets, and approached them from behind the block, where it was pitch dark…little did we realize that our game would be called out, we would be caught and almost thrashed!
Q. In hindsight, what was the biggest contribution (courses, faculty, library, friends, and alumni. Anything else!!) or take away from IIFM that you think played a critical role in shaping you as an individual or professional?
A. I think it was the time and place, the combination of students, seniors, and faculty, the concoction that was produced as a result of the interactions that we had, including the fun times, altercations, and all…perhaps the ‘class meetings’ were the greatest contribution – these were occasions where we discussed thorny issues which then appeared like make-or-break decisions of our lives. It was these forums where I first witnessed and later understood how decisions are made in groups and stand taken, almost always before the meeting actually begins. The experience gained during OT, particularly when our project was completed and presented to the organization for feedback, was also instrumental. I remember how Vineet Mehta (3rd batch), who was our reporting officer in OT-1, was a tough taskmaster and a kind, encouraging professional who taught me how to take feedback positively.
Q. The best friends/seniors/faculty at IIFM? Some memorable tidbits that you like to share.
A. In the first semester, we had to pick our fellow team members for “field work”, and my teammates ended up being my lifelong friends – Kavita, Bhanu, and Manika. Living in a FRH in densely forested areas with no electricity or running water, we bonded over games of cards played in petromax lights and walks along moonlit forest roads. It was the most carefree and best time of our lives then! Special mention of Ramnarayan (who was almost as good as me at plant identification ;-)), Manish Verma (a gentle and understanding soul), Domo Diyum who loved singing Kishore Kumar songs, Anish Kumar who always shied away from women, Bala Subramanyam and his narrative of catching a train from Howrah station, Preeti Rao, our junior who shared my enthusiasm for jogging and training, in addition to Bhanu, Kavita, and Manika. Post-IIFM, I have had the opportunity to develop closer ties with many others, including Ratna who was my flatmate, Anand, who married Ratna, and Jayesh, a friend, and colleague who can be relied upon. Among our seniors, Sudha Vasan and Varun Singh have always stood by me and helped in incalculable ways.
Q. As an alumnus, what is your advice to freshers or those who are joining IIFM to get the best out of the 2 years there?
A. Just immerse yourself in the beauty and tranquillity of the place; have fun learning and discussing; understand your strengths and areas of improvement; and seek inputs from peers, seniors, and everyone else! It is the best time of your life and an ideal place to become self-aware, grow, and polish your personality.
Q. What is your typical day at the office?
Well, I don’t really have any typical day at the office, as I work from home/home-office when I am at the base station. Post-Covid, my travels have been curtailed, otherwise, I would travel often. Covid has hit us all in different ways, and hardcore freelancers like me have been particularly affected. Nowadays, my typical day starts with caregiving work for my elderly parents and pets, followed by some daily chores, a quick scan of news and emails, and then some reading and/or writing. If there’s an assignment that I am working on, then the focus is on activities around the project/assignment, with a few telephonic calls, meetings, presentations, more emails, etc.
Q. And how about weekends, Hobbies, Family, and anything else you want to add
I have three dogs, all rescues, who take up a lot of my time, and I enjoy going on walks with them. When possible and required, I assist in dog rescue and rehabilitation operations and sometimes provide them with a foster home. Since the last year or so, I have been trying my hand at vegetable cultivation and gardening, which I find very calming and rewarding at the same time.
Thanks to another friend and batchmate (Ram), who introduced me to iNaturalist, I have started spending more time with nature, observing and documenting various life forms, viewing other people’s posts, and reading/ learning about various species.
I have a little apartment in Himachal, where I like to get away whenever possible. But I miss my travels and interactions with rural communities, which used to keep me grounded and focused during pre-Covid times.
Q. Favorite Books, movies, authors.
A. It would be difficult to single out an author or book, but some of my all-time favorites, for a long time now, have been Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Leo Tolstoy, Toni Morrison, Gerald Durrell, and James Herriott. Daphne du Maurier’s “Rebecca” left a lasting impression on my mind, and I would definitely count that among my favorites. Then there’s Arun Joshi’s “The Strange Case of Billy Biswas,” along with his other novels; “Lord Jim” by Joseph Conrad, etc. I also enjoy reading biographies and am fascinated by writings of and on Mahatma Gandhi; I found Ramchandra Guha’s “Gandhi: The years that changed the world 1914-48”, quite incisive and balanced. Another biography that comes to mind and which I had found compelling is about Netaji Bose, by Sugata Bose (“His Majesty’s Opponent”).
I am a movie buff too, and never miss an opportunity to catch one when possible. Movies which I can watch over and over again include “The Shawshank Redemption”, “Jaane Bhi Do Yaaron,” “Castaway”, “Life of Pi”, “Eight Below,” “Kungfu Panda”, “The Jungle Book”, etc. With OTT, I have begun to relish a lot more of regional films too (Marathi, Punjabi, Bangla, Gujarati, etc.). In recent times, I have liked a few Korean films (“Minari”, “The Parasite”), some Hindi ones (“Haseen Dilruba”, “Rashmi Rocket”), and “The Lost Daughter” (latest watch).
Q. IIFM is driven by alumni’s passion and commitments towards its goal. How would you like to contribute to IIFM or IIFM alumni, students?
A. IIFM alumni: Let me be the quiet observer and listener; or maybe the cheerleader!
Students: When genuinely in need, feel free to reach out to me for any advice, help, or information you think I may be able to provide.
Q. What do you think is different at IIFM now vs when you studied there? What do you think is a positive change and what is not?
A. IIFM seems like a completely different place. I visited last in Feb 2019 when we had our reunion. From batch strength and candidates profile to faculty, resources, culture, and more, everything seems different. One of the big, positive changes is that there has been an increase in the number of faculty, and the procedures for their appointment have been standardized. I also noticed an improvement in IT infrastructure which is very welcoming.
With the disclaimer that my observations are based on incomplete knowledge, I think it would be sad to see the socio-cultural diversity shrink on campus, as the majority of students are now only from 2-3 states and many of them are away from campus during weekends. Secondly, I understand that there is only one round of ‘organizational training (OT)’ (is it called a summer internship now) instead of two. OT is like a real-life job experience, and it prepares you for placement like nothing else at the institute. I would strongly recommend having two OTs.
Q. Any suggestions on who you want to get profiled/interviewed here?
The uniqueness of a batch lies in the pieces that constitute the whole – it is like an ecosystem that nourishes individual growth and accomplishment as the whole moves forward. Difficult as it may be, I think it would be great if you could profile our batch as a whole – there were only 23 of us!
Among individuals, I would like to see interviews of Kavita Gandhi, Chandrabhanu, Sudha Vasan, Ramnarayan, Manish Verma, Preeti Rao, Jayesh Bhatia, Anand Sinha, to name a few…