PRNewswire
New Delhi [India], April 26: In a world where young people are often marginalized in discussions that directly affect their lives, two young changemakers are breaking barriers and leading the charge for youth-driven change around mental health, bullying and equitable education.
* PLAN Y (The Policy Leadership Advocacy and Action Network of the Youth) empowers youngsters, driving policy change, and transforming mental health across the country
Twin sisters Samaya and Samara Chauhan of Amity International School, observed a sharp rise in teen mental health challenges, cyberbullying incidents and inequality during the COVID-19 pandemic, which inspired them to take matters into their own hands. Thus came the formation of Policy Leadership Advocacy and Action Network of the Youth (PLAN Y), intending to give youth the tools, resources, and platform to actively engage in policymaking, advocacy, and transformative action, particularly in areas of mental health and equitable education. At present, the organization involves 350+ student members.
Samaya, empathetic and resilient, understood that seeking therapy came with stigma. To aid victims, she began a peer-led initiative, Bullying: Full Stop, that used tools and activities like The Anatomy of a Bully and the Bullying Thermometer, to encourage an open dialogue and intervention in schools.
She spoke to students across schools and conducted independent surveys and counselling to understand why students chose to bully and enabled conversations around how victims could choose to respond. Through initiatives like Letter to My Bully, Peer Bully Police, and The Kindness Exchange, she facilitated 150 peer-led workshops across schools.
She and her team established Peer Bully Police squads in several schools, advocating for changes in school policies, extending their reach through collaborations with blind schools, elderly care homes, and workplaces.
They effectively fought for structural changes, such as safer bus routes, to improve student safety. Their anti-bullying efforts evolved shortly after they discovered gaps in India's cyberbullying policies. Under the mentorship of respected social reformers and educators, they learned about white papers, initiating forums, and training 100+ students in policy research. Their webinar with cyber safety expert Rakshit Tandon reached 10,000+ viewers and led to youth submissions to lawmakers.
Samara, determined and just, felt strongly about equitable education and opportunities, which she drove forward with the Learning with Equity and Access Program (LEAP). In collaboration with ATL Sarthi, the sisters' umbrella organization, PLAN Y extended its reach to educational equity, establishing platforms where over 5,000 learners and teachers collaborate across socio-economic divides. By working with government organizations, they have helped public school students access the Atal Tinkering Lab (ATL) to reduce educational gaps.
Their policy engagement efforts, such as webinars, youth forums, and pledge (collecting 40,000+ signatures), enabled digital outreach at a national level. Through digital storytelling, policy advocacy, and on-the-ground actions, they enabled meaningful, measurable change in over 50,000 lives, building a youth-led movement for mental health, safety, and inclusion.
Their work is further supported by NITI Aayog, where their initiatives are recognized as policy-in-action models. Youth advocacy groups and think tanks have lauded their work on several occasions.
Their efforts have led to the introduction of mental health education in schools across Delhi, a major policy shift aimed at raising awareness and providing essential resources for students.
In just a few short years, PLAN Y has become a pioneering force for youth-led change in India. From policy advocacy to mental health and anti-bullying initiatives, Samaya and Samara Chauhan have shown that when young people are empowered with the right resources, platform, and support, they can spark transformative and lasting change. Their work is designed to create a powerful ripple effect--mobilizing one student to uplift another and inspiring a chain reaction of youth-led impact that continues to grow across communities.
About Amity International School, Pushp Vihar
Amity International School, Pushp Vihar, New Delhi, is one of the oldest schools in Delhi NCR, imparting value-based education with a global perspective. It's state-of-the art facilities and experienced faculty create a nurturing ecosystem where students grow intellectually, emotionally, and socially, preparing them to meet the challenges of the future with confidence and resilience.
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