Shobha Surendran's son Harilal set to enter the hallowed precincts of global public policy

Keralite Harilal Krishna has cracked the prestigious Berkeley University’s Master of Public Policy (MPP) program, a celebrated course on practical and applied dimensions of international public policy and its implementation.

Harilal Krishna, who is one among the three Indian fellows to be selected for the coveted honour, is the son of BJP vice president Shobha Surendran and party state executive committee member K K Surendran.

The University of California-Berkeley is among the top global Public Policy Analysis institutions. Harilal is a sixth-rank holder in M Tech (chemical engineering) from IIT, Delhi.

A giant switch
Harilal, who has a B.Tech and M.Tech dual degree from IIT, was keen to pursue Public Policy as a vocation. Harilal was selected for programs at the University of California-Berkeley, Chicago and Columbia University, an Ivy League institution.

So why is such a giant switch in career from a chemical engineering background to the quagmire of public policy?

Harilal says he had always been nourishing public policy during his chemical engineering course period itself, especially in the niche realm of climate change.

IIT students who pursue technical courses also need to pursue humanities as optional. So, it was only natural that Harilal chose to navigate the hallowed but arduous terrain of public policy then itself.

The young aspirant did not seek placement after the IIT stint and instead chose to be a senior project scientist in the School of Public Policy of IIT, Delhi.

Harilal also dabbled in research at the prestigious public policy institute of RWTH Aachen University, Germany. His research topic was the potential of India’s cleantech startups, which taps technology that reduces environmental impact and improves sustainability and efficiency.

Way to Berkeley
When Harilal decided to pursue a Master's in Public Policy, his focus was on the policy initiatives related to the challenges posed by climate change.

He then worked to get referrals and a statement of purpose for applying to universities in the US. Harilal scored 335 out of 340 on the GRE, considered an exceptional score.

UC Berkeley is the seventh-ranked institute in public policy and the top-ranked in the Public Policy Analysis sub-section.

Those who crack a Masters in Public Policy are coveted in four domains as diverse as energy companies, think tanks like Niti Ayog, policy institutes, and social media firms, offering a boost to a wide arena of career prospects. Global institutions like the United Nations and World Bank also pitch in place aspiring public policy wonks.

Perhaps that is why Harilal, who had the entrance exams in Kerala with a 43rd rank, chose to embrace the wider horizons of knowledge by joining IIT, Delhi, en route to his pursuit of landing top vocations in the influential global public policy arena.