Background: Why IDI?

It is no secret that there stands a critical need in the global education landscape to address education disparities confronted by underprivileged students. While this demand covers the broader category of education, diplomacy and political education is one such pertinent kind, particularly true in the Asian context. Governments and educational reports paint a disheartening tale that reveals the staggering disparity of unequal access to knowledge and career opportunities within this field. This story constitutes the impetus behind the creation of the India-Japan Diplomacy Initiative. A comprehensive look at the educational landscape highlights the distressing fact that a large portion of the Indian youth population, mainly those making up the marginalized-caste sections, confront insurmountable barriers to pursuing careers in diplomacy. A startling 70% of the underprivileged youth lack access to quality education and resources required for diplomatic skill development. This troubling reality underscores the need for a transformative project that can bridge the opportunity gap and empower the disenfranchised with a more acceptable chance to know about and participate in these spheres.