My experience at the Indian Council of World
Affairs has taught me the tedious process of research and the internal working
of a think tank. Being a part of the core meetings and closed door conferences
was a fascinating experience. I attended a meeting on the Afghan Peace Process
which was attended by the Chief of Afghan High Peace Council and other
delegates from Afghanistan. There was a conference on Indian - Russian
relations which was attended by many researchers and ambassadors. I had the
opportunity to work under research fellows at ICWA who guided me through my
research paper. It was an enlightening experience as I realized the efforts
that one needs to put to write a good paper.
The work culture is serious and relaxed at
the same time. The fellows are busy with more than 4-5 projects at the same
time. They don’t waste time and are always seen working on their projects. But
there are times when the fellows would come to us and talk for a while. These
conversations were informative and fun to be a part of. We were free to talk
about anything and everything from politics to eating out. The Director General
and the Joint Secretary were constantly encouraging the interns to use the
library and the online library resources. They always had some good advice to
share and it was indeed useful.
The library at ICWA is the main attraction.
The interns usually spend their time at the library. The environment is perfect
to take up a good book and get immersed in. There are many people who use the
library to study for the civil service examinations. All the books in this
library are related to international affairs. I would have loved to spend more
time here.
Working
in Delhi in itself was an adventure. Travelling by metro is safe and an
affordable mode of transport. Despite the image that Delhi has, the people were
warm and helpful. The climate, although hot, is bearable. It is better to take
precautions against the weather
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